Laura Helmuth

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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laurahelmuth_at_mastodon.social@momostr.pink

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Last Notes

2024-10-29 11:44:37 UTC

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/

2024-10-12 12:15:02 UTC

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

2024-10-07 12:01:05 UTC

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/

2024-10-02 14:30:33 UTC

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/

2024-09-27 15:11:48 UTC

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/

2024-09-15 15:24:47 UTC

Happy Confusing Fall Warblers season, everybody
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/113/142/258/215/094/872/original/d21a01625d409fe8.jpg

2024-09-13 19:06:43 UTC

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/

2024-09-13 12:41:41 UTC

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

2024-09-11 10:41:06 UTC

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/

2024-09-09 11:17:24 UTC

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/

2024-09-06 14:22:00 UTC

Gossip is good, actually https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-surprising-benefits-of-gossip/

2024-09-05 13:52:37 UTC

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/

2024-09-04 19:16:33 UTC

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/

2024-09-01 22:44:41 UTC

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/

2024-08-30 00:01:23 UTC

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
https://www.scientificamerican.com/author/steve-silberman/

2024-08-28 13:55:21 UTC

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/

2024-08-28 12:12:05 UTC

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

2024-08-28 11:53:04 UTC

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:
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/113/039/501/971/024/583/original/3e015b9d0b55c8f0.mp4

2024-08-27 21:14:53 UTC

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/

2024-08-26 23:03:02 UTC

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/

2024-08-26 17:59:02 UTC

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/

2024-08-22 01:05:38 UTC

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/

2024-08-22 00:48:51 UTC

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/

2024-08-22 00:04:43 UTC

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/

2024-08-20 20:42:48 UTC

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/

2024-08-20 12:06:44 UTC

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

2024-08-19 18:29:18 UTC

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/

2024-08-19 14:53:58 UTC

Don't panic, but something is wrong with dark energy. Two new surveys and an existing data set suggest that dark energy is weakening https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/dark-energy-measurements-suggest-the-universe-might-be-way-weirder-than-we/

2024-08-16 13:01:41 UTC

You might want to read this article about what makes people procrastinate while you put off all the other stuff you're supposed to do today
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-people-procrastinate-and-how-to-overcome-it/

2024-08-15 21:29:05 UTC

Tardigrades can enter a suspended state called cryptobiosis to survive extreme heat, cold, pressure or radiation. A new study of tardigrades preserved in amber suggests this ability evolved about 300 million years ago and let them survive the Permian extinction & isn't science fun?!?!?!?! https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/tardigrade-fossils-reveal-when-water-bears-became-indestructible/

2024-07-13 12:55:25 UTC

Something to think about doing this weekend: reach out to old friends you've lost touch with. It's easier than it may seem, and people really enjoy the renewed connection, even if it's just a note https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-to-reconnect-with-old-friends-who-have-become-strangers/

2024-07-09 20:33:32 UTC

Sun kinks. The reason trains are running slow in much of the country this summer is because of sun kinks. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/heat-waves-can-buckle-train-tracks-delaying-commutes-and-commerce/ via @npub1pzp…etfp