Science

It's Okay to be Smart (www.itsokaytobesmart.com)

A PhD biologist and science writer. He also hosts PBS's "It's Okay to be Smart" PBS series. In this blog, he examines all aspects of life through a scientific lens.

• Why Useless Knowledge Can Be So Useful
• How Scientists Cracked the Secret To Making Diamonds 💎
• 50 years ago, we phoned E.T… here's what we said
• Why this camouflage is so easy to see
• Camouflage Isn't What It Appears To Be
• Where does lost weight ACTUALLY go?
• Why Don't Humans Hibernate?
• This is the Most Detailed Brain Map EVER 🧠🤯

Smithsonian (www.si.edu)

The gold standard in scientific news and education.

• Has Life on Earth Survived More Than Five Mass Extinctions?
• The Wild Story of What Happened to Pablo Escobar’s Hungry, Hungry Hippos
• Bringing Auckland’s Volcanic Underworld to Light
• View 11 Breathtaking Images From the BigPicture Photography Competition
• Meet the Taxidermists Who Care for the Animals at Your Favorite Museums
• The Quest to Resurrect a Lost Ecosystem in Siberia
• Did Prehistoric Children Make Figurines Out of Clay?
• These Supercorals Are Causing Problems

Science Blogs (scienceblogs.com)

Compiles over 60 science bloggers. It covers a huge variety of scientific issues from different, brillaint perspectives.

• Crowdsourced Geospatial Data Will Mean A 'Seismic Shift'
• Red Light Myopia Therapy Can Injure Your Retina
• No, COVID-19 Vaccines Do Not Cause Infertility - Not Getting It Might
• Liangzhu, Venice of the Stone Age, Collapsed Due To Climate Change
• Genetically Rescued Organism: Toward A Solution For Sudden Oak Death
• Doomscrolling COVID-19 News Takes an Emotional Toll - Here is How to Prevent That
• Appreciating van Leeuwenhoek: The Cloth Merchant Who Discovered Microbes
• The Increase in Infant Milk Formulas and Why It Matters

Reddit Science (www.reddit.com)

Redditors share scientific stories, the latest research, and to discuss it all.

• Mighty radio bursts linked to massive galaxies: « Results from Caltech's Deep Synoptic Array-110 provide new clues about how magnetars form. »
• Middle children are more cooperative than their siblings, study suggests - After decades of debate, one of largest ever studies on birth order suggests it does actually make a difference.
• Putting holiday leftovers in the freezer extends shelf life & may put a dent in the US tendency to throw away edible food, a study suggests. National survey data showed a link between home freezing & less total food waste, & over half of consumers reported buying frozen items to avoid tossing food.
• A recent study found that improving one’s appearance whether through physical changes or digital filters may lead to more prosocial behavior | Researchers discovered that beautifying efforts heightened public self-awareness, prompting individuals to align their actions with socially desirable norms.
• Increased antibody affinity over time after vaccination is mediated by differential plasma cell proliferation
• Fiber friction is the key to 'cozy knits' | Friction between loops of yarn give knit fabrics the ability to take on a variety of shapes
• Placental genes study explores how assisted reproduction affects children's development
• Study supports new blood-based biomarker to detect early brain changes leading to cognitive impairment and dementia

Retractiion Watch (retractionwatch.com)

Publishes news of scientific journal retractions. The goal is to keep scientific journalists improving.

• Journals investigating dozens of papers by leading Canadian urologists
• Weekend reads: Shoddy commentaries flood journals; key hydroxychloroquine paper retracted; a researcher confesses
• EcoHealth Alliance retracts and replaces paper on potential origin of COVID-19 in bats
• Journal won’t retract paper that involved human organ transplants in China
• Journal that published viral study on black plastic removed from major index
• Researcher linked to paper mill activity mysteriously reappeared on list of journal’s editorial board
• Weekend reads: ‘Race science’ under review; researcher blames critiques on anti-LGBTQ discrimination; the politics of the politics of smell
• Exclusive: Researcher who received settlement to leave University of Iowa won’t be starting new job

Mind Hacks (mindhacks.com)

Run by a neuroscientist and a cognitive scientist, and they definitely have fun in this blog about the mind.

• Chromostereopsis
• Pandemonium’s friendly demons
• Do we suffer ‘behavioural fatigue’ for pandemic prevention measures?
• The Choice Engine
• After the methods crisis, the theory crisis
• Open Science Essentials: Preprints
• Believing everyone else is wrong is a danger sign
• Review: John Bargh’s “Before You Know It”

Science Daily (www.sciencedaily.com)

Offers regular updates on scientific research. Besides traditional scientific topics, they also have a fun "quirks" page that looks at the quirkier science news.

• Gene editing tool reduces Alzheimer's plaque precursor in mice
• Largest magnetic anisotropy of a molecule measured at BESSY II
• Propranolol reduces tremors in Parkinson's disease
• Public shows greater acceptance of RSV vaccine as vaccine hesitancy appears to have plateaued
• Foundational technology to make cancer cells revert to normal cells?
• Individual leopards can be identified by their roars
• How the freezer factors into lowering food waste
• Researchers develop tool to fast-track measurement of protein interactions for drug discovery

Last Word on Nothing (www.lastwordonnothing.com)

It Began as a project among many scientists to write stories. Their work covers both sciecne and the art of science writing.

• Parts of It Were Pretty Bad
• My Favorite Books of 2024
• Snapshot: Moss
• This, Too, is a Dog’s Life
• The Archaeology of You
• Cavewomen with Backpain Take Revenge
• Our Moon
• Thanks for Basking

Science Mag (www.sciencemag.org)

Keeps you up to date on the latest science news.

• Trump names OSTP director as part of White House tech team
• After years of war, can Syria rebuild its ‘miserable’ scientific community?
• Could thunderstorms be exaggerating the strength of mysterious gamma rays from outer space?
• U.S. science funding agencies roll out policies on free access to journal articles
• Some whales may live nearly twice as long as believed—if we let them
• U.S. scientists brace for looming government shutdown
• AI writing is improving, but it still can’t match human creativity
• Earth’s clouds are shrinking, boosting global warming

Discover Magazine (discovermagazine.com)

Brings you news and features on all things science.

• Translation of Tiny Scroll Tucked Inside 1800-Year-Old Amulet
• Kīlauea Ends the Year With a New Summit Eruption
• Signs Your Dog Has Kennel Cough and How to Keep Them Healthy
• Accidental Paleontologists Discover Mastodon Jaw in Backyard Garden
• Mathematician Reveals Strange New Enigmas for Time Travelers
• Humans Remain at Low Risk to Spread of the Latest Strain of Bird Flu
• Another Delay Postpones NASA Astronauts' Return to Earth in 2025
• Citizen Science: 2024 Wrapped!

New Scientist (twitter.com)

• An artist carved this tiny bird sculpture 13,000 years ago in China bit.ly/2UtWlNS pic.twitter.com/hpwFKuCx76
• Turning the spleen into a liver saves mice from fatal organ damage bit.ly/30tj8gF pic.twitter.com/6XEousEr7S
• Can nudge theory really stop covid-19 by changing our behaviour? bit.ly/2ATUXNK pic.twitter.com/IuqIxgIX1l
• Can we build a greener economy in the wake of the coronavirus crisis? Register now for our next online event with @ProfMarkMaslin bit.ly/2YjLXcY pic.twitter.com/6BX3FNqMww
• Millions of us take drugs for high blood pressure – is it worth it? bit.ly/30vtIns pic.twitter.com/wPz2yyRq98
• Covid-19 news • Coronavirus was introduced to the UK by travellers mostly from Spain, France and Italy • Waiting lists for NHS treatment in England could double • 24 per cent of UK people said they had at least one mental health problem during pandemic bit.ly/3cLvvqR pic.twitter.com/SX0DzFQYUn
• Scientists strike against racism: “The strike is not just about gathering people together to begin to take action, but it is also about a day of rest for the people most affected by this heated moment.” #ShutDownAcademia, #ShutDownSTEM #Strike4BlackLives bit.ly/2zqrVFe pic.twitter.com/oLViHSnjk5
• IBM gives up on face-recognition business – will other firms follow? bit.ly/37juw0f pic.twitter.com/F4Aa16OU6M

BBC News Science (twitter.com)

• Coronavirus: Weekly death figures continue to fall bbc.in/3f897d2
• Coronavirus: 'Earlier lockdown would have halved death toll' bbc.in/2BTJxds
• Coronavirus: How air passengers can stay safe bbc.in/2B05XsM
• Coronavirus came to UK 'on at least 1,300 separate occasions' bbc.in/3dPomHn
• Coronavirus doctor's diary: 'People think it's over, but it's not' bbc.in/30xB9ux
• Coronavirus: Asymptomatic transmission 'very rare' bbc.in/2YgbJyK
• Hope for pangolins as protection boosted in China bbc.in/37hUFfz
• The coronavirus crisis has changed the way we use energy, at least for now. But could the global pandemic finally finish off coal, the most polluting of all fossil fuels?bbc.co.uk/news/science-e…

Reuters Science News (twitter.com)

• The use of facemasks by the entire population could prevent further waves of COVID-19, according to a UK study reut.rs/2zi4wpd pic.twitter.com/EDDGNhdhzn
• Explainer: What we know about the origins of the coronavirus pandemic reut.rs/3fbOoF7 pic.twitter.com/JVz3X0H5zz
• Potential COVID-19 vaccine from China shows promise in animal tests reut.rs/3dS22Nh pic.twitter.com/y2WFB22ip9
• Population-wide facemask use could push COVID-19 transmission down to controllable levels and could prevent further waves of the disease, when combined with lockdowns, according to a UK study reut.rs/2zi4wpd pic.twitter.com/nm8KuVF50c
• Injectable opioids including fentanyl, had been on the FDA's list of drugs in short supply years before they were desperately needed in the pandemic. Hospital staff are now forced to navigate the drug deficit, @Reuters finds reut.rs/3cLmT3H pic.twitter.com/CX8l0337Qn
• Beijing dismissed as 'ridiculous' a Harvard Medical School study that suggested the new coronavirus may already have been spreading in China last August reut.rs/2Uqebl6 pic.twitter.com/FxixvlEjLs
• Mira Robotics developed its 'ugo' robot to reinforce graying Japan’s shrinking workforce. Now, the Japanese startup is offering its machine as a tool in the fight against the coronavirus outbreak reut.rs/2YcVNx6 pic.twitter.com/kL2H582BX0
• Researchers have used ground-penetrating radar to map an entire ancient Roman city, detecting remarkable details of buildings still deep underground including a temple and a unique public monument reut.rs/2zmQu5U pic.twitter.com/FZVn1HRRHW

The Scientist (twitter.com)

• ICYMI: Eight amino acids are identical to part of the human epithelial sodium channel, leading researchers to suspect the virus might interfere with the channel’s function. bit.ly/2ASUewq
• Taking away the cacophony of manmade sounds in the ocean is giving scientists an unprecedented look at how marine animals will respond to a quieter environment. Via @Reuters reut.rs/3hezuQm
• In a GWAS published as a preprint, scientists found that people with blood type A were at a higher risk for respiratory failure, while blood group O seemed to be protective. bit.ly/2YkxGwp
• When a patient is infected with a particular pathogen, Ayres says, “I want to be able to define how I can intervene and shift them back onto a trajectory to a healthy state.” bit.ly/3ffAQbx
• “[I]f you’re bringing a black scholar in to be a new hire and the system that’s in place is terrible, then they’re not going to succeed.” #BlackInTheIvory Via @Chronicle bit.ly/30A4q7T
• From our archives: “I am, in fact, an African-American scientist. But that’s not all I am.” #ShutDownSTEM bit.ly/2Aqmfvl
• Here's why #Strike4BlackLives, #ShutDownSTEM, and #ShutDownAcademia are trending today. Via @NatureNews go.nature.com/2UwOorp
• From our archives: “Instead of trying to fix the student, we’re trying to change the environments in which the students train.” #ShutDownSTEM bit.ly/2UrOqAM

Neuroscience News (twitter.com)

• New genetic defect linked to ALS Researchers have identified how specific genetic mutations cause ALS. The pathway, they believe, may also be responsible for the development of frontotemporal dementia. #genetics #als #neuroscience #science #neurology neurosciencenews.com/als-genetics-1…
• Will lockdown loneliness make us loners? Social preference in isolated zebrafish is caused by stress and anxiety, not observed anti-social patterns. #psychology #neuroscience #science neurosciencenews.com/social-distanc…
• New imaging method tracks brain’s elusive networks A new system for high-density EEG helps with the imaging of the origin and path of both normal and abnormal neural activity. #neuroscience #science neurosciencenews.com/elusive-networ…
• Researchers forecast stable, slightly declining levels of COVID-19 entering fall New coronavirus model finds case spread is concave, meaning the impact of one more infected person diminishes as more people become infected. #COVID19 #coronavirus neurosciencenews.com/coronavirus-fa…
• Mozart may reduce seizure frequency in people with epilepsy Listening to Mozart's "Sonata for Two Pianos in D Major, K. 448" daily may reduce seizure activity for those with epilepsy. #epilepsy #music #neuroscience #science neurosciencenews.com/mozart-epileps…
• Study of 62 countries finds people react similarly to everyday situations Study finds the world is a much more similar and unified place than we thought. #psychology #neuroscience #science neurosciencenews.com/situation-reac…
• High-potency marijuana boosts the blood level of THC more than 50% more than smoking lower-potency cannabis, but it doesn't necessarily make you higher or impair cognition more, a new study reports. #neuroscience #science neurosciencenews.com/thc-spikes-imp…
• How the brain controls our speech A new study casts doubt on common theories about speech control. Researchers discovered it's not just the right hemisphere that analyzes how we speak, the left hemisphere also plays a significant role. #neuroscience neurosciencenews.com/speech-brain-1…

NASA (twitter.com)

• Over 15,000 people from 150 countries participated in our @SpaceApps challenge to come up with new ways to address important issues related to COVID-19. About this global hackathon in collaboration with @ESA, @JAXA_en, @csa_asc & @CNES: go.nasa.gov/3hmrzR8 pic.twitter.com/YdAptjeg9E
• UPDATE: This event is now taking place Thursday, June 11 at 11am ET. Tune in: nasa.gov/live twitter.com/NASA/status/12…
• Technicians have successfully tested our @NASAWebb telescope's Deployable Tower Assembly. Once in space, the tower will deploy to separate electronics & propulsion systems from the mirrors and sensors, which need to be very cold to perform optimal science: go.nasa.gov/2UpWfa6 pic.twitter.com/IJputrXpX8
• Here’s the front of @Space_Station now, the 1st @SpaceX Crew Dragon vehicle leading the way. #Endeavour pic.twitter.com/q2YqkK6EIr
• Cruise motors for @NASAaero's first all-electric X-plane began several rounds of testing for the verification and validation process. 📝 The lessons learned from these motor tests will help set airworthiness standards for electric aircraft. More: go.nasa.gov/3h730Yc pic.twitter.com/uGqAYLzmhQ
• Our new Moon rover, called VIPER, will create the first resource maps for human exploration before #Artemis astronauts arrive in 2024. This Wednesday, we’re announcing the company selected to deliver VIPER to the lunar surface. How to tune in: go.nasa.gov/37fl8ud pic.twitter.com/blE7a15qU7
• Saturn’s moon Titan is drifting away from the planet 100 times faster than previously understood. These @NASASolarSystem findings, based on data from our Cassini mission, are an important piece to understanding the Saturn system's creation. More: go.nasa.gov/2UoSFgn pic.twitter.com/D62EYu901X
• One of our satellites captured imagery of the re-strengthened Tropical Storm #Cristobal as it continued on a northward track through the Gulf of Mexico. Get more details from @NASAHurricane: go.nasa.gov/375rtIE pic.twitter.com/BFlud44KCg

NPR Science (twitter.com)

• Why Forecasters Can't Make Up Their Mind About Africa And The Coronavirus npr.org/sections/goats…
• Vaccine Makers Hedge Bets On Which One Will Emerge As Effective And Safe npr.org/sections/healt…
• As EPA Steps Back, States Face Wave Of Requests For Environmental Leniency npr.org/2020/06/09/867…
• First U.S. Woman To Walk In Space Dives To Deepest Point In The Ocean npr.org/2020/06/09/873…
• Symptomatic, Asymptomatic, Presymptomatic: Who Can Spread The Coronavirus? npr.org/2020/06/09/873…
• WHO Creates 'Confusion' About Asymptomatic Spread. Here's What We Know npr.org/sections/goats…
• Sir Isaac Newton Experimented With A Cure For The 1660's Plague npr.org/2020/06/08/871…
• Beyond Protests: 5 More Ways To Channel Anger Into Action To Fight Racism npr.org/sections/healt…

American Museum of Natural History (twitter.com)

• With the exception of 1 time-sensitive meeting and checking live embryos (sorry!), my lab will be participating in #ShutDownSTEM #ShutDownAcademia. As one who studies diversity through time, I could do better to increase diversity in my own lab & research. #BlackLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/imE5vMAl98
• TODAY #ShutDownSTEM #StrikeforBlackLives I’ve STOPPED all academic work, any activities to advance my own lab scholarship, reading & submitting papers/grants, analyzing data, to SELF-EDUCATE + BRAINSTORM ACTIONS to improve STEM OPPORTUNITIES for #BIPOC nature.com/articles/d4158…
• Join us for a pre-recorded silent tour of the Hall of Primitive Mammals! Marvel at specimens that represent the lower branches of the evolutionary tree of mammals—like the giant ground sloth Lestodon & the armored Glyptodont. Watch here at 2 pm ET: bit.ly/3f6Ut5B pic.twitter.com/8D5suC1FCI
• Yum!
• Tomorrow, many science institutions will be observing #ShutDownSTEM. This national day of education and action for STEM professionals is dedicated to the shared goal of eradicating systemic racism in our fields and institutions. More: shutdownstem.com (1/2)
• The Museum endorses this important effort as part of ongoing work, and we encourage all to use and share resources on the #ShutDownSTEM website: shutdownstem.com/resources (2/2)
• I love natural history museums. But, wowza, are their pasts & presents wrapped up in racism. For that reason, I'm observing #ShutDownSTEM tomorrow—not to stop thinking about science & ed, but to work on making them better. Head start by re-reading @littlegaudy & @NatHistGirl twitter.com/Nat_SCA/status… pic.twitter.com/8wVgvdLlZj
• Today's #WorldOceansDay, a reminder of the importance of maintaining a healthy ocean ecosystem. #DYK the ocean holds ~50x more CO2 & 1,000x more heat than the atmosphere? There's also ~150 mil tons of plastic in the ocean—that’s 80x the weight of all blue whales today. (1/2) pic.twitter.com/naVIClXrAH

Carolyn Porco (twitter.com)

• The ugliest, the most vile, that humanity has to offer. twitter.com/jameshohmann/s…
• Oh yeah, that too. I'm still getting 'follow' suggestions that I don't want.
• I'd like to see this interactive graph, so I can find out how other states are doing. How can I get to it?
• Thx!
• This thread says it all! Written by an X-Republican voting blue in November, it makes crystalline clear why we, who hope to see Trump behind bars one day, feel about his supporters the way we do. Seriously ... read it. You'll be glad you did. twitter.com/CandyComedy/st…
• Get ready. The Gestapo are coming to your neighborhood next. twitter.com/MotherJones/st…
• Nice.
• This is absolutely not guaranteed. It depends on Trump & his minions being unsuccessful in rigging the election in the ways that proved successful 4 years ago. twitter.com/PalmerReport/s…

Katharine Hayhoe (twitter.com)

• Natural variability in heat exchange between atmosphere + ocean is significant short-term. That's why total heat content is a much better measure; 93% of what is being trapped by the extra blanket we've wrapped around the earth is going into the oceans. skepticalscience.com/graphics.php?g…
• If you are indeed a critical thinker, then you will have the integrity to update your understanding of facts we have known since 1820. Start with the resources above, then read the responses to any of these myths you believe before responding. Thank you. skepticalscience.com/argument.php
• They took the account offline within about 40 min of everyone filing their reports. Thank you SO much!!!
• Hi Robert and Nathalie, sounds like you are unaware of this list of over 3,000 "scientists who do climate" that I have been curating for the last year. I've put a lot of work into trying to ensure it's as diverse as possible. Please subscribe and share! twitter.com/KHayhoe/lists/…
• Hello sir - to be respected, a good first step is to acknowledge 200 years of solid science. Please update your own understanding here before commenting on this topic again so you can do so in an informed manner next time. Thank you! youtube.com/watch?v=XpqBto… pic.twitter.com/GdQuWeCUHw
• No, unfortunately I haven't, and I have a pretty large sample size. What I have found is a correlation between the number of people who report something and their willingness to have a human review it.
• How long have we known that digging up and burning coal, then oil and gas, will warm the planet? A long time! Figure h/t @skepticscience and watch our Global Weirding episode for more: youtube.com/watch?v=XpqBto… pic.twitter.com/Yg1XWqArks
• Studies have shown that whether you think you're experiencing record warm weather or not (when you actually are, according to what a thermometer says) literally depends on your political affiliation.