The shingles vaccine seems to protect against Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia. If you're over 50, get vaccinated! And encourage loved ones over 50 to do the same. I immediately texted my parents when I saw this study. Scientific American scientificamerican.com/article/shingl…

Here's why Signal is the best app for privacy - but still shouldn't be used to share war plans (even if you plan to cause a global economic meltdown a few days later that makes people forget about those shared war plans) Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists thebulletin.org/2025/04/the-si…

Natural gas appliances are a huge source of greenhouse gas emissions and, in the case of stoves, pump toxic pollution straight into your home. Here's what to think about if you're considering switching to electric. NYT Climate nytimes.com/2025/04/07/cli…

Source request: Anyone know a health-related scientist, postdoc or PhD candidate who has lost their funding as a result of the new administration, and has had to close their lab, change careers or stop an important line of research as a result?

Drugs that eliminate wakefulness, obscure cannabis molecules and wearable devices that modulate brain activity are just a few of the new treatments researchers are investigating to tackle chronic insomnia. nature nature.com/articles/d4158…

A leading vaccine researcher's top new worries for the future: 1) lots of people, especially children, are going to die 2) we're going to lose a generation of new scientists, because who wants to go into a career that's actively being condemned New York Magazine nymag.com/intelligencer/…

It's Earth Day. Here's a story about the best actions we can take to reduce our overall impact on the planet. nytimes.com/2025/04/21/cli… NYT Climate

Some people like to think of themselves as good multitaskers, but bats do it better. NYT Science nytimes.com/2025/04/22/sci…

Why scientists fear that efforts to bring dire wolves, woolly mammoths and other extinct animals back from the dead could hurt survival for still-living species bbc.com/future/article…

Yet more evidence that birds are awesome: Flamingos harness the physics of fluid flow to create vortices that sweep up prey and funnel it directly into their mouths. NYT Science nytimes.com/2025/05/12/sci…

Human preference for smooshed, baby-like faces has produced pedigreed cats and dogs that are more similar to each other than to their wild relatives, and have such distorted skulls that they could not survive in nature. Scientific American scientificamerican.com/article/breedi…

Continuing the birds-are-awesome theme: Hummingbirds in California have evolved new beak shapes and massively expanded their range—thanks to feeders. They've basically become the equivalent of backyard pigeons! Science Magazine science.org/content/articl…

Shorn horns - not guns - is the most effective way to protect rhinos from poachers. NYT Climate nytimes.com/2025/06/05/cli…

The other truffle foragers: foodie gorillas! Scientific American WCS scientificamerican.com/article/gorill…

Eagles are sacred to Native Americans. But poaching and trafficking of feathers is on the rise, thanks to the powwow industry & increasing popularity of peyote ceremonies. In Oklahoma, two fiery Comanches are trying to do something about it. Audubon Magazine audubon.org/magazine/nativ…

The Senate's new bill would cut $1 trillion from Medicaid, causing 10+ million people to lose insurance. Cancer patients are one group set to suffer (and needlessly die) the most. 1 in 10 adults and 1 in 3 children with cancer depend on Medicaid. thinkglobalhealth.org/article/cancer…

Cuts to science funding by the Trump administration are set to negatively affect all Americans. One group most impacted, though, are science students and young researchers who are being robbed of their future. Scientific American scientificamerican.com/article/how-tr…

In infants, a healthy gut microbiome is key for developing a healthy immune system. But in the U.S., 75% of babies are deficient in critical bacteria, and these babies are more likely to development of asthma, allergies and eczema as toddlers. bit.ly/4lK1Mmd

The Sonoran Desert toad secretes a powerful psychedelic drug as a defensive mechanism. Now, people are pushing the species toward extinction in the name of healing and consciousness expansion. NYT Climate nytimes.com/2025/07/10/cli…

We should all just make the switch to rabbits. nytimes.com/2025/07/29/cli…