Freelance editor, writer, columnist & consultant. Former editor in Chief of Scientific American, before that at the Washington Post, National Geographic, Slate, Smithsonian & Science. Birder.
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2026-08-26T06:49:42Z Event JSON
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Last Notes npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth The International Space Station has been leaking for five years. This is a fun story about the decay of the ISS and the future (or not) of space habitats https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-international-space-station-has-been-leaking-for-five-years/ npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth Almost everyone will eventually have to give or receive long-term health care. Harris's proposal for supporting at-home care got lost in the chaos of this month. Here's why it is SO important https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-harriss-medicare-plan-could-make-at-home-care-for-older-adults-easier/ npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth Pound for pound, there is more gold in cell phones than in ore from a gold mine. Here's some good news about cleaner new techniques to extract gold from electronics (plus an explanation of the difference between adsorb and absorb) https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/this-sponge-pulls-gold-from-electronic-waste/ npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth This is a good resource for undecided or unmotivated voters, or people talking with same: comprehensive analyses of what the 2024 election means for science, health care, technology, education, nuclear weapons and more (issues, not horse race nonsense) https://www.scientificamerican.com/report/how-the-2024-presidential-election-will-shape-science-health-and-the-environment/ npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth The only way to determine whether a new apple variety is worth cultivating is to taste it. An apple scientist told me: “At the peak of crunch times, I’ve had to taste 600 apples a day. The first 100 are okay, but after that, it gets to be real work.” https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/apples-have-never-tasted-so-delicious-heres-why/ npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth Apples are SO GOOD now! Here's how we got so many amazing varieties. Isn't it wonderful that you can hold a pinnacle of human achievement in your hand and take a bite? https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/apples-have-never-tasted-so-delicious-heres-why/ npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth The archaeologists never expected to find a 30-acre medieval city in a relatively inhospitable climate around 7,000 feet above sea level. And then they found a second one, of 300 acres https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/lost-silk-road-cities-discovered-high-in-the-mountains-of-central-asia/ npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth "The politicization of science starts with the right's intolerance for ambiguity - not *Scientific American*'s Harris endorsement." By @npub1v5f…a5kk https://pluralistic.net/2024/10/23/eisegesis/ npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth Sure, things are bad now but 3.26 billion years ago an asteroid 50-100 times bigger than the one that killed the dinosaurs hit Earth, vaporized rock that rained down as molten droplets, boiled the ocean's upper layers and killed most microbial life. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-earths-early-life-thrived-amid-catastrophic-asteroid-impacts/ npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth We don't really know how lightning starts. New observations from a modified U-2 spyplane in the stratosphere show that gamma ray flashes are involved https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/thunderstorm-gamma-ray-flashes-may-be-missing-link-for-lightning-bolts/ npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth Have you encountered the idea that language is necessary for thought? It was pretty widely accepted for decades, but new research shows it's not so. This is a fun story about a new way of thinking about thinking https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/you-dont-need-words-to-think/ npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth A "pesky inconsistency" in measurements of how quickly the universe is expanding could mean there's something wrong with dark energy and the standard model of cosmology https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/could-early-dark-energy-resolve-the-mystery-of-cosmic-expansion/ by Marc Kamionkowski & Adam Riess on Scientific American npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth Vaccines are one of humanity's greatest achievements, "the most universal innovation that we have across humankind," & have saved more than 154 million lives. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/see-how-many-lives-vaccines-have-saved-around-the-world/ npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth Marie Curie didn't necessarily aim to hire women in her lab, but she didn't have anything AGAINST women, and so ended up creating a network of more than 45 women trainees who changed (and are still changing) the course of science. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-marie-curie-helped-a-generation-of-women-break-into-science/ npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth Calling all science fiction writers: An ancient slab of seafloor has been discovered underneath the Pacific Ocean, where it has hovered for more than 120 million years. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/ancient-age-of-dinosaurs-seafloor-found-beneath-pacific-ocean/ npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth This collection of clear, accessible, urgent articles explains the stakes of the 2024 election for science, health, education, nuclear weapons, the environment and more. Thanks for sharing if you can and trying to improve the signal to noise ratio of political coverage this election season https://www.scientificamerican.com/report/how-the-2024-presidential-election-will-shape-science-health-and-the-environment/ npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth “These missions are modern cathedrals—they are generational quests." This is a thrilling and touching story about the Europa Clipper mission that launched successfully today. Next stop: Jupiter and its watery moon Europa https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/nasas-europa-clipper-spacecraft-aims-for-jupiters-most-intriguing-moon/ by @npub1q0v…p00t npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth We're running a survey at Scientific American to get feedback on what we're doing now and how we can be more useful & fun in the future. Thanks for taking and sharing! It's anonymous but at the end you can volunteer to join a focus group if you like https://springernature.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_eg4AOhPgVkt7Aeq?s=16 npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth Early humans weren’t conquerors but wanderers who mingled with other human species. The new view of human migration is much friendlier, less vicious & competitive. It's important to update pop culture notions human of evolution https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/human-origins-look-ever-more-tangled-with-gene-and-fossil-discoveries/ by @npub19hz…esu8 npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth Milton was a terrible, terrible storm. Here's how it spun up so many tornadoes on its outer edge, in addition to the high winds and storm surge closer to the center https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-hurricane-milton-caused-so-many-tornadoes/ npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth Trump tried to end and managed to weaken the Affordable Care Act, let states add work requirements for health insurance, tried to cut medical research budgets, and undermined public health efforts. Electing him again would literally be deadly. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-trump-or-harris-would-mean-for-health-care-access-and-affordability/ npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth Myopia has become a global health epidemic. After reading this you might want to go outside ... https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/nearsightedness-has-become-a-global-health-issue/ npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth The RNA world is WILD. This is a fun story about the RNA Revolution and how all these weird little newfound molecules run our genomes. A good way to understand today's Nobel Prize in medicine https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/revolutionary-genetics-research-shows-rna-may-rule-our-genome/ npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth Nobel Prize winners Ambros & Ruvkun “were looking at two worms that looked a bit funny and decided to understand why, and then they discovered an entirely new mechanism for gene regulation,” Kämpe said. “I think that’s beautiful.” https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/nobel-prize-in-physiology-or-medicine-awarded-for-discovery-of-microrna-gene/ npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth Google keeps getting worse. Here are alternative search engines and how they work: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/google-is-a-monopoly-should-you-use-another-search-engine/ npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth Take this week's fun science quiz to see how much you know and to learn even more: https://www.scientificamerican.com/game/science-quiz-black-holes-bug-infestations-2024-10-04/ npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth It happened before and it will happen again: an asteroid will crash into Earth and cause a global catastrophe. Unless we can stop it. Fun conversation with "How to Kill an Asteroid" author Robin George Andrews https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-to-save-the-world-from-apocalyptic-asteroids/ npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth The next president faces hard choices & hard treaty deadlines on nuclear weapons. We should be talking about this a LOT more. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/hard-nuclear-weapons-choices-await-harris-or-trump-as-president/ by [@dvergano](https://sciencemastodon.com/@dvergano ) npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth Enjoy these brilliant linguistic analyses of Harris, Walz and those other guys from their speaking styles during the debates https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-linguistic-analysis-from-the-2024-debates-reveals-about-harris-trump/ npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth Media attention to hurricanes ends shortly after the wind and flood, but the death toll continues to rise for years. A new analysis shows 7K+ excess deaths per major storm in the U.S. since the 1950s & it's not getting better. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/hurricanes-kill-people-for-years-after-the-initial-disaster/ npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth The debate technique of telling lies quickly, shamelessly & confidently comes from creationists, and it has a name: the Gish Gallop. Vance has perfected it. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/trumps-weird-debate-strategies-come-from-creationist-tactics/ npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth This is an important and clear analysis of how the 2024 election will change access to abortion, fertility treatments and other reproductive health care across the U.S. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-the-2024-election-will-affect-ivf-and-abortion-access/ npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth Because every story is a science story: a delightful interview with Professor Pickleball on the physics of pickleball. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/pickleball-physics-explained-from-balls-and-paddles-to-shots/ npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth Photons can spend a negative amount of time zipping through a cloud of chilled atoms -- they seem to exit a material before entering it. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/evidence-of-negative-time-found-in-quantum-physics-experiment/ npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth Here's why flooding in the Appalachians from Helene is so catastrophic. It will take decades to recover. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-appalachia-flooded-so-severely-from-helenes-remnants/ npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth This is a generous, humane, clarifying story & graphics about how people do and should think about medical risks https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/rare-diagnoses-change-peoples-perception-of-medical-risk/ npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth Grateful to the good people at @npub18za…adtj for endorsing our right and responsibility to endorse Kamala Harris for president. The piece is focused on Scientific American but makes a strong case for scientists speaking out https://cen.acs.org/policy/Editorial-Scientific-American-right-endorse/102/web/2024/09 npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth Good morning, we have a new moon! https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/tiny-asteroid-will-briefly-become-earths-mini-moon/ npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth Friday science quiz! If you get the answers, you're a freaking genius. If you don't, you'll learn something fun https://www.scientificamerican.com/game/science-quiz-mini-moons-spooky-action-2024-09-27/ npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth If you've ever wondered WTF is up with all the attention to UFOs in the past few years, this explains it nicely. It's worth knowing how pseudoscientific thinking spread and grew through mythologists, bad government decisions, credulous media coverage & more https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-really-happened-at-the-pentagons-once-hidden-ufo-office/ npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth These are some of our favorite SciFi books at Scientific American. Lots of great recommendations here, but please let us know what we missed https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/science-fiction-books-scientific-americans-staff-love/ npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth This is a scary-big storm with a scary-high storm surge. #Helene is now a Cat 4 and heading for Florida's Big Bend but sending flood waters all along the Gulf Coast https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/hurricane-helene-will-bring-strong-winds-flash-flooding-and-storm-surge/ npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth Is H5N1 bird flu spreading from human to human? Here's what we know so far about some confusing cases that might be nothing but might not be nothing https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/second-health-care-worker-exposed-to-person-with-bird-flu-had-symptoms-heres/ npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth Just after 4 P.M. EDT on September 29, asteroid 2024 PT5 will enter a path around Earth and briefly become another satellite—a mini moon. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/tiny-asteroid-will-briefly-become-earths-mini-moon/ npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth Excellent analysis of how quackery has gone full MAGA. "The alt-medicine world and fascism share a fantasy of a glorious past that is allegedly being stolen from us by modern progress. In both tellings, the past was better—utopian, even—because people stuck to the 'natural' order" by @npub19uv…0rmu npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth Well now, this is fun. I've been a birder for decades and never noticed just how weird they are when they run. A new study shows why they're being efficient and not just entertaining: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/birds-are-goofy-runners-and-dinosaurs-might-have-been-too/ npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth Hurricane Helene is starting out big and is likely to be in the top 10% size-wise for hurricanes at this latitude. It's sucking up more moisture and heat over the Gulf of Mexico and will cause storm surges and flooding well inland. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/hurricane-helene-will-bring-strong-winds-flash-flooding-and-storm-surge/ npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth Asking AIs questions "is not going to lead us to correct information, because their goal during training is to sound correct and be probable, and there’s not really anything fundamentally tied back to real-world accuracy." Great conversation with a scholar of AI absurdity https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/has-generative-ai-lost-its-strange-charm/ npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth Just FYI strawberries have eight copies of every gene & the genetic-diversity equivalent of four different species in every cell. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/strawberries-have-8-sets-of-chromosomes-to-thank-for-their-survival/ npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth Brace yourself for this one: Black holes the size of an atom (!) that contain the mass of an asteroid (!!) may fly through the inner solar system about once a decade (!!!) and could explain dark matter (!!!!) and if one flies by the moon or Mars, we should be able to detect them (!!!!!) https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/dark-matter-black-holes-could-fly-through-the-solar-system-once-a-decade/ npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth Have you stood up and walked around lately? Because you should probably stand up and walk around. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/sitting-in-a-chair-all-day-can-lead-to-disease-standing-up-and-moving-around/ npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth NASA should shut down its rocket and capsule system for being absurdly over-budget and under-safe, abandon unrealistic schedules to return to the moon & get back to innovating. This is a smart and clear analysis of space travel by @npub19hz…esu8 https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-next-president-should-end-nasas-space-launch-system-rocket/ npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth Oh this is fun: It turns out lots of asteroids have moons. And the reason why might have to do with the power of *sunlight* to speed up an asteroid's rotation and fling bits away fun fun fun https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-do-so-many-tiny-asteroids-have-moons/ by @npub1ctj…de0g npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth Quiz time! Just for fun, it doesn't count toward your grade. Test your science knowledge and maybe learn some things (or take pride that you already did) https://www.scientificamerican.com/game/science-quiz-seeds-arctic-sports-moon-2024-09-20/ npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth While we're at it, the "alpha wolf" is a myth. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/is-the-alpha-wolf-idea-a-myth/ npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth The misogynistic alt-right uses "cuck" as synonym for weakness and an indication of female treachery. This is a really interesting explanation of extra-pair partnerships across history and cultures & why a pop evolutionary psychology theory is wrong https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/heres-what-the-manosphere-gets-wrong-about-cuckoldry/ npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth “Put simply, regardless of your views on taxes or Ukraine or the deficit, a candidate who rejects established science and seeks to corrupt truth (either through unqualified flunkies in government or propaganda) disqualifies himself from the presidency" https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2024/09/19/scientific-american-endorsement-harris-trump/ npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth Scientists recorded a mysterious sound in the Mariana Trench 10 years ago, a low grunt followed by a squeaky echo, and called it the "biotwang." Now they've figured out which whale makes the sound, which you can hear here: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/mystery-of-deep-ocean-biotwang-sound-has-finally-been-solved/ npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth Carolina chickadees and black-capped chickadees interbreed where their ranges overlap, making hybrid chicks. I hope this is some comfort for birdwatchers (like me) who have a hard time telling them apart https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/hybrid-chickadees-reveal-how-species-boundaries-can-shift-and-blur/ npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth Keep stomping on spotted lanternflies, everybody -- it might be making a difference https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-are-there-fewer-spotted-lanternflies-in-new-york-city/ npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth We're publishing crossword puzzles now on Scientific American and they're FUN & science-y https://www.scientificamerican.com/game/science-crossword-cosmic-goals-2024-10/ npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth A rare flip in wind direction contributed to record flooding in the Carolinas, and an atmospheric block caused catastrophic flooding in Europe. Weird weather explained here: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/record-breaking-rainfall-in-carolinas-and-europe-explained/ npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth Scientists: SciLine from AAAS is offering free workshops on how to share your knowledge with journalists for election-related stories https://www.sciline.org/learn/navigating-election-season-interviews-a-guide-for-scientists/ npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth Scientific American endorses Kamala Harris for president. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/vote-for-kamala-harris-to-support-science-health-and-the-environment/ npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth If you would like a fun little break, we are publishing jigsaw puzzles every Sunday with an image from a recent Scientific American article. The puzzle makes a satisfying, crunchy click sound when you fit pieces together https://www.scientificamerican.com/game/science-jigsaw-2024-09-15/ npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth Happy Confusing Fall Warblers season, everybody npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth Johann Carl Friedrich Gauss figured out how to make a heptadecagon (a symmetrical 17-sided shape) & used it to solve a 2,000-year-old problem. He was 18. And he considered this his greatest achievement. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-this-great-mathematician-wanted-a-heptadecagon-on-his-tombstone/ npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth I mean, the moon is always super. The Sept. 17 supermoon will also have a minor eclipse! @npub1ctj…de0g sorts out the hype from the legitimage reasons to howl at the supermoon https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/is-a-supermoon-really-special/ npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth I understand not wanting to read about that creep who owns the other place, but this is a brilliant and funny explanation of Elon Musk, EVs, rocket ships, failures of regulation, and how second-arriving doofuses can succeed https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/elon-musk-owes-his-success-to-coming-in-second-place/ by @npub19hz…esu8 npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth "The majestic view from on high had been to die for. Thankfully, however, it didn’t come to that." This is a fun recap of the first private space walk, by a billionaire and engineer, who along with the rest of the crew did not (yet) die of the bends https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/polaris-dawn-astronauts-perform-first-private-spacewalk-in-a-stellar-success/ npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth The world's first nuclear clock is ticking. “It was close to midnight when we saw the first indication of the signal....Nobody could sleep after the experiment.” Fun physics with lasers pew pew pew https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-worlds-first-nuclear-clock-could-unlock-the-universes-dark-secrets/ npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth Kidney stones are one of the many physiological barriers to living on Mars. Human bodies are much more complicated than rocket science https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/mars-missions-may-be-blocked-by-kidney-stones/ npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth This, of course, is Trump's concept of a plan & it is very dangerous https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/project-2025-plan-for-trump-presidency-has-far-reaching-threats-to-science/ npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth In case you're wondering why Penzey's is in the news, @npub1q9c…vg5j has the best & funniest explanation (as usual) https://www.wonkette.com/p/oh-penzeys-what-did-you-do-now-oh npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth Job opening: @npub17rv…w9lk is hiring an associate news editor to cover neuroscience research. It's a great team doing important & fascinating work for & with the research community https://simonsfoundation.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/simonsfoundationcareers/details/Associate-News-Editor_R0001667 npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth A lot of news stories basically say, "here's something awful you should pay attention to." It's nice to see "for now we're good" sometimes. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/atlantic-hurricane-lull-puzzles-scientists/ npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth Quiz time! Don't worry, it's a fun quiz & doesn't count toward your final grade & anyway you all get an A+ in science in my opinion https://www.scientificamerican.com/game/science-quiz-spacewalks-irrational-numbers-2024-09-06/ npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth Gossip is good, actually https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-surprising-benefits-of-gossip/ npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth And here's Matt's video of auroras from the International Space Station. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/drop-everything-and-watch-this-stunning-video-of-northern-lights/ npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth Today at 10:15 a.m. Eastern, astronaut Matt Dominick, who recently captured an amazing video of auroras on Earth from the International Space Station, will be talking with Scientific American--the first ISS interview from the cupola, the beautiful room of windows https://plus.nasa.gov/scheduled-video/nasa-astronaut-matt-dominick-talks-with-scientific-american/ npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth Phoenix has had 100+ straight days of 100+ Fahrenheit days. Las Vegas broke records by “just about any metric you look at ... It’s been brutal.” https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/brutal-southwest-heat-wave-will-extend-streak-of-100-days-of-100-degrees-f/ npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth This is a nice testimonial about what it's like to write a piece for Scientific American https://ruthpearce.net/2024/08/07/out-now-in-scientific-american-the-u-k-s-cass-review-badly-fails-trans-children/ npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth Steve Silberman had so much more to say. His NEUROTRIBES is one of the most important books of this century. We were honored to publish him as a columnist at Scientific American--he was so humane, generous, insightful npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth What are memories made of? New research identifies a pair of molecules responsible for the persistence of memory https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/brain-scientists-finally-discover-the-glue-that-makes-memories-stick-for-a/ npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth We rightly complain about lousy election coverage but do you know what's great? Wonkette's election coverage. Sign up now for thorough, funny, righteous journalism plus excellent subject lines in your inbox https://www.wonkette.com/p/wake-up-babe-superseding-indictment by @npub1q9c…vg5j npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth Scientific American is the oldest continuous publication in the U.S. and it's our birthday! We're 179 years old. Here's a gif showing how our logo has evolved from 1845 to today: npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth This is a delightful conversation with Brian May (yes, that Brian May) about badgers, astrophysics, tuberculosis & more https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/queens-brian-may-is-a-champion-for-badgers-and-science/ npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth We're about to have some of the worst heat of a terribly hot summer. Adding to the misery in the Midwest is "corn sweat" -- corn & soybeans & other crops release moisture through evapotranspiration when they get hot & that adds to the humidity https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/corn-sweat-and-climate-change-bring-sweltering-weather-to-the-midwest/ npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth I wish we didn't have to say this, BUT: Please don't use AI to make investment decisions https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/ai-makes-unreliable-investment-decisions/ npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth Astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore took the first crewed Boeing Starliner trip to the International Space station on June 5 for an 8-day mission. They're still there. NASA just announced they will get a ride home ... sometime next year. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/nasas-stranded-astronauts-will-fly-home-on-spacexs-dragon/ npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth You should be able to make an appointment now to get the new COVID booster shot. Vaccines reduce the risk of death, pregnancy complications, long COVID and more. The virus keeps evolving and immunity wanes, so get boosted as soon as you can https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/fall-covid-vaccines-and-the-latest-guidance-on-tests-and-treatment/ npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth Kenan Thompson at the DNC is a comedian but Project 2025 deadly serious: it "would sabotage science-based policies that address climate change, the environment, abortion, health care access, technology and education." https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/project-2025-plan-for-trump-presidency-has-far-reaching-threats-to-science/ npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth Project 2025 advocates for “a biblically based, social science-reinforced definition of marriage.” The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) would become a “Department of Life” that would explicitly reject abortion and promote the heterosexual nuclear family structure as “ideal.” https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/project-2025-plan-for-trump-presidency-has-far-reaching-threats-to-science/ npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth Andy Kim reminds me of this poem by Wislawa Szymborska: After every war, someone has to clean up https://www.loc.gov/programs/poetry-and-literature/poet-laureate/poet-laureate-projects/poetry-180/all-poems/item/poetry-180-141/the-end-and-the-beginning/ npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth Amanda Gorman is coming up soon on the Democratic National Convention. If you haven't seen her spoken-word poem EARTHRISE (or haven't seen it in a while) oh you are in for a treat https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/amanda-gormans-climate-poem-says-act-now-now-now/ npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth Has anybody read JUMPNAUTS by Hao Jingfang? There was one small detail I got a huge kick out of: in the future, the study of dark energy and dark matter is a scientific backwater because nobody could figure it out and, um, she might not be wrong https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/dark-matter-hunters-may-never-find-the-universes-missing-mass/ npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth Remember the "Wow!" signal detected by SETI, the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence? It's still not aliens, but the intense radio burst might have been a magnetar colliding with a cloud of hydrogen gas https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-wow-signal-seti-mystery-might-at-last-be-solved/ npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth This is really important and I don't think it's widely enough known: kids with dyslexia, ADHD, autism or other differences can thrive when they understand how their brain works https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/neurodivergent-kids-flourish-when-theyre-taught-how-their-brains-work/ npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth There's a name for Trump's endless stream of lies and nonsense: the Gish Gallop. It came from creationists: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/trumps-weird-debate-strategies-come-from-creationist-tactics/ by @npub1j99…6tdx npub1fqkeu7k5a7qm8wwuk9k0vgzetys05y28lufz0cepz7jelpz5sfzsckasz9 Laura Helmuth A doctor / public health expert recommends these 5 (plus) items to include in a home First Aid kit https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/here-are-the-five-health-and-wellness-tools-everyone-needs-now/
