Here me talk about the challenges of breeding dogs for disabilities—and what science can do to help 🐕

More than half of dogs trained to help people with blindness, PTSD, autism, and other conditions fail to graduate. New scientific approaches could help, getting more--and better--working dogs into the hands of people who need them most. My new feature for @science.org!

Biomedical researchers are shocked by a seemingly sudden decision to consider converting one of the largest primate research centers in the U.S. into a monkey sanctuary. Costs could exceed $250 million, and it's unclear who would pay for it--and if its even possible. My latest for @science.org

BREAKING: One of the largest monkey research centers in the U.S. could become a sanctuary. University voted today to enter into negotiations with NIH that could put an end to all studies at the Oregon Primate Research Center. My latest for @science.org

It was the middle of the night in 2017 when biologist Dikansh Parmar received an unexpected phone call from an anxious railway employee in India’s Gujarat state... Really fun story from @erikstokstad.bsky.social for @science.org!

About a decade ago, a baker in a small mountainous village in southern Austria noticed his cow doing something unusual... My latest for @science.org about the first documented case of tool use in cattle!

You don't need a brain to appreciate a good night of sleep! New research revealed that jellyfish and sea anemones sleep for around 8 hours a day—the same amount as humans—and even get groggy! 🪼 Latest for @science.org with a great edit from @david-grimm.bsky.social www.science.org/content/arti...

Leonardo da Vinci's burial site was disturbed early in the 19th century, and he had no direct descendants. Finding his DNA is “about as hard a target there is,” experts say. Now scientists may have made a breakthrough... Cool story by @richardastone.bsky.social for @science.org

RFK Jr. vows an end to animal testing on Lara Trump's Fox News program. "We’re reeducating researchers so that they know that there are these other forms of research that are much more predictive." The remarks are sending shock waves through the biomedical community. My latest for @science.org

In his strongest condemnation yet of animal research, RFK Jr. said HHS is “deeply committed to ending animal experimentation.” He also called for an end monkey to imports and claimed national primate centers are driven by profit. My latest for @science.org

From trees that love getting struck by lightning to one of the most insane acrobatic feats in nature, here are our favorite science news stories of the year! @science.org

My favorite podcast of the year, and not just because I'm on it 😊. Listen to a rundown of our favorite science news stories of the year. @science.org

The best show you've never heard of. Buried by AMC+, resurrected by Netflix. Two seasons that tell a complete story--no cliffhangers, no loose threads. And you won't believe where it ultimately goes. h/t @devindra.bsky.social

This hairdo doesn't just help male pheasants woo females--it also obscures their vision, making them more vulnerable to predators. Fun story at @science.org

EXCLUSIVE: CDC to end all monkey studies. Decision handed down by recent college grad and former DOGE employee who is now deputy chief of staff at the agency. Animals were being used in studies of HIV prevention. Some may be euthanized. My latest for @science.org

There is an excellent video of the wolf using the trap too, which is somehow both soothing and delightful

A female wolf has been doing something unusual on the Central Coast of British Columbia. She's learned to pull crab traps up from the water, yanking on a rope to bring it to the surface. But is it tool use? Very fun story from @phiejacobs.bsky.social for @science.org

Is it cheating at paleontology if the dinosaur bones are marked with bright orange lichen? @david-grimm.bsky.social dives in to the dilemma this week on the @science.org podcast www.science.org/content/podc...

Known as a “lip out” or the “golfer’s curse,” the sometimes strange behavior of golf balls has bedeviled players for centuries. Now, physicists have figured out how they happen. Just don't expect the discovery to improve your game... Fun story by @annademming.bsky.social for @science.org

Getting--or got--a PhD? Got boogie in your soul? Then don't be shy. Enter this year's contest--and dance, dance, dance! @science.org

Back to the Future did it first!

Ancient coffins aren't just for Dracula. They can provide clues to what it felt like to Walk the earth thousands of years ago. Just in time for #Halloween, a spooky story from @science.org

Each year, hundreds of millions of people worldwide similarly fall sick from microbial pathogens lurking in meals. Bacteria-killing viruses called bacteriophages could offer an unusual solution. @science.org

Breaking news: To avoid criminal prosecution for allegations of animal abuse, the second-largest breeder of research dogs in the United States will stop providing animals to research labs around the country, according to a settlement. https://scim.ag/4hT8dCV

“It was almost like watching little circus animals.” Very fun and cool (and important!) story at @science.org

The second-largest breeder of research dogs in the United States will stop providing animals to research labs around the country. My latest for @science.org

Just in time for Halloween 🎃 @science.org

Perhaps they should rename it the Scrat hole? Fun story by Celina Zhao for @science.org

I knew it! Fiber is for cleaning the pipes. For cats, it's all about clearing upstairs pipes. Humans need it for downstairs pipes. 🧪🐈

What does grass and a drain snake have in common? Both contain jagged edges that help dislodge clumps of hair. Great for pipes--and, it turns out, also for cats. 🐱

@science.org exclusive! Scientists--and owners--have puzzled for years about why cats eat grass, only seemingly to throw it up for no reason. Could a new study finally solve the mystery? Cool--and very fun--story by Christa Lesté-Lasserre

“It’s the most challenging time I’ve ever seen for animal care." Facing enormous challenges, the USDA agency that oversees the animal welfare act--covering everything from lab to zoo animals--is struggling to do its job. The impact on animal welfare could be devastating. My latest for @science.org

Writers, bring your 1-minute pitches for live feedback from editors on November 9 @1:30pm in Chicago at Pitch Slam. @sciencewriters.org #NASW #SciWri25 🔗View the program 👇 sciencewriters2025.org 🖥️ Registration opens September 4. 🧵1/3

#InternationalCatDay - Via News from Science - Why do cats love tuna so much? Scientists may finally know - @david-grimm.bsky.social @science.org www.science.org/content/arti...

Honored to appear on a *third* podcast this week, this one also on cats and dogs. For Pets add Life, I discuss the evolving legal status of our pets, and my greatest hopes--and fears--for the future. (My segment starts around 8:00). Enjoy!

This week on the @science.org podcast: Why anteaters keep evolving w/ @david-grimm.bsky.social, and how giant whales get enough food to live w/ Ashley Blawas LISTEN HERE: www.science.org/content/podc...

Honored to be featured on @sheltercatspodcast.bsky.social this week, where I do a deep dive into how cats and dogs evolved from wild animals to family members. I highly recommend the last 4 minutes, where I give my thesis statement about why cats are so special.

My favorite headline of the week, courtesy of @erikstokstad.bsky.social, who also wrote this cool story for @science.org. Tomatoes gave rise to potatoes!

Extending up to 2.3 micrometers, this is the longest virus tail described to date--19 times larger than the tail of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. Cool stuff from @nazeefa-ahmed.bsky.social for @science.org

First example of a laser cavity in the animal kingdom! Cool stuff from Rachel Berkowitz at @science.org

Crab-like creatures are famed for having evolved five times in evolutionary history. But anteaters have evolved at least 12 times--in half the evolutionary span. Cool story by @jakebuehler.bsky.social for @science.org

Not sure I needed this spelled out for me: "'Chonkus Maximus' literally translates to something like 'Greatest Chonk' or 'Largest Chonk,'", but otherwise a delightful story 🐱

EXCLUSIVE @science.org: In an unorthodox approach to needle-free vaccines, researchers have developed a special kind of floss that can protect against infectious disease. “The results are quite impressive.” Cool story by @annikainampudi.bsky.social

Cover a person’s hand and place a rubber hand next to it, then stroke their hand and its facsimile, and suddenly the person will begin to “feel” the touch in the fake appendage. Octopuses also fall for this rubber arm trick. Cool story by @jasmin-galvan.bsky.social for @science.org

In an unorthodox approach to needle-free vaccines, researchers have developed a special kind of floss that can protect against infectious disease. “The results are quite impressive.” Cool story by @annikainampudi.bsky.social for @science.org

“The kids went crazy... Kids were chanting, ‘Barbie!’ and they all got one, and they literally had tears.” www.science.org/content/arti... Nice story by @cohenjon.bsky.social for @science.org

Scientists have created the first lasers made entirely from edible materials, which could someday help monitor and track the properties of foods and medications with sensors that can be harmlessly swallowed. @science.org

Between June 2024 and January 2025, a full 62% of commercial honey bee colonies in the U.S. died, the largest on record. USDA efforts were slowed by funding cuts and layoffs. Now, USDA scientists have finally identified a culprit. But it may be too late. www.science.org/content/arti...

When exposed to UV-C, the most radiation-resistant life form on Earth died in less than a minute. Not so for a hardy black lichen known as Clavascidium lacinulatum. It just kept going and going, even when scientists continued to blast it for moths. Really cool story by @hannah-richter.bsky.social

“This is the most breathtaking paper I’ve read in a long time." Cool beans from @sarareardon.bsky.social