Stay updated with the latest public health research, commentary, and field notes from our editorial team.
July 28, 2025 · 5 min read
I just spent a week at the beach staring at the ocean and really starting to think: Why is a sip from the ocean a terrible idea, while lake water (if clean) is okay? In this post, we’ll dive (pun intended) into what sets freshwater and saltwater apart, why the Earth has both types, how […]
If I had my druthers, I would have written a nice piece on the science of leap day. That would have been fun. As it turns out, most of our energy is over at https://thisweekinpublichealth.com/, trying to keep up with the job cuts and whiplash policy. There was a great article in the Atlantic about […]
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What if I told you that emus and rheas—those big, often goofy-looking birds—just outsmarted a science experiment designed to test their problem-solving skills? It sounds wild, but it’s true. While crows and parrots usually get all the praise for being the Einsteins of the avian world, it turns out that emus and rheas have been […]
Read more →Did you know that some lizards in South America are not just hunters but also, well… lizard munchers? Yes, you read that right. These little reptiles have taken the phrase “you are what you eat” to a whole new level, sometimes turning on their own species—or even their own kind! Welcome to the bizarre world […]
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Picture this: You return to your childhood neighborhood, only to find that your old playground is now a parking lot. The trees you climbed? Gone. The pond where you skipped rocks? Paved over. Now, imagine this on an oceanic scale—except instead of people, it’s fish. That’s exactly what’s happened to New Zealand’s snapper. For centuries, […]
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Once upon a time—not in a fairy tale, but in real life—tigers ruled the forests of Asia. They prowled across vast landscapes, a symbol of power and majesty. Fast forward to the 21st century, and their story looked grim. By the early 2000s, the world’s wild tiger population had plummeted to just 3,600. Conservationists sounded […]
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Picture this: You’re at a massive festival, packed shoulder to shoulder with thousands of people. Suddenly, the crowd starts moving—not chaotically, but in a coordinated, eerie swirl. No one is directing it, yet somehow, everyone moves in sync. What’s going on? Are we all just mindless particles caught in a human tornado? It turns out, […]
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It’s discouraging, I know. Some colleagues over at the Tango 2 Foundation have provided a nice form letter to and link to help contact your representatives and tell them to use the power of the Legislative Branch to stop this freaking insanity. You can find your reps here: https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials Here’s a script, but please modify […]
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In a devastating blow to American scientific research, the National Science Foundation (NSF) has announced sweeping layoffs and budget cuts in 2025, threatening to dismantle a significant portion of the U.S. research infrastructure. The NSF, which provides nearly 25% of all federally supported basic research funding to U.S. universities and research institutions, could see its […]
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Picture this: A thriving honey bee colony buzzing with life, queen bees laying thousands of eggs, and worker bees tirelessly tending to their larvae. But then—disaster strikes. The flowers dry up, pollen runs out, and suddenly, the colony faces a brutal choice. Starvation or… cannibalism? That’s right. When food gets scarce, worker bees do something […]
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