On moonshots and Minneapolis Space exploration can bring people together and reflect deep societal divisions.

I've been really struggling to write about space while living through the ICE occupation in Minneapolis this winter. I was shocked to find myself thinking, "Who cares about sending people to the moon?"

That feeling is more historically resonant than I thought. 🧪🔭
www.sciencenews.org/article/moon...

The Miniforest Movement Gains Ground In The U.S. A 50-year-old planting method from Japan is jump-starting native forest ecosystems in small plots, from schoolyards to parking lots.

I’m delighted that I got to help get this story out into the world for @scifri.bsky.social 🌱🌳

Shoutout to @mollymagnell.bsky.social for the beautiful art!

'A different set of rules': Thermal drone footage shows Musk's AI power plant flouting clean air regulations Images confirm xAI is continuing to defy EPA regulations in Mississippi to power its flagship data centers.

Thermal images captured by Floodlight and analyzed by multiple experts show more than a dozen unpermitted gas turbines operating at a power plant supplying Elon Musk’s AI operations — nearly two weeks after the EPA issued a ruling requiring the equipment to shut down.

AMA Joins Effort To Launch Independent Vaccine Review Panel The American Medical Association and Vaccine Integrity Project are partnering to create a vaccine review process independent from the CDC.

The American Medical Association and the Vaccine Integrity Project are partnering to review vaccine safety and efficacy separate from the CDC. What prompted this independent review and what impact could it have?

Oh hey! MIT science writing alum @rokazmier.bsky.social chats with @indiejournalists.bsky.social about her work @scifri.bsky.social. The death metal story mentioned here is by our associate director, @ohyeahitscouch.bsky.social

www.sciencefriday.com/segments/dea...

Nearly 30,000 Minnesotans trained as constitutional observers The Immigrant Defense Network works with more than 100 organizations to help train constitutional observers. At the end of November, there were 2,500 trained observers. That number has soared as more ...

A manager for the Immigrant Defense Network told MPR News that back in November, 2,500 people were trained as constitutional observers. Now, the total is nearly 30,000 trained observers in 77 of Minnesota's 87 counties.

America’s Failure To Treat Psychosis Has Turned Patients Into ‘The Lepers of Society’ Psychosis affects 3% of Americans. For those living with the condition, holistic care can offer stability across daily life. But finding such support often feels like navigating a maze.

Psychosis affects three out of every 100 people in the U.S., yet the kind of holistic healthcare systems found in countries such as Australia remain absent.

An investigation, based on conversations with patients & parents from 30 families, reveals the human cost of this gap. (Published Dec.2025)

Data center energy demand forecasted to soar nearly 300% through 2035 | TechCrunch New planned data centers promise to consume even more energy than expected. Meanwhile, a grid monitor is blaming such growth for high electricity prices.

Data centers are expected to draw 2.7x more electricity by 2035, driven in large part by massive data centers catering to the AI boom. techcrunch.com/2025/12/01/d...

“Those in power recognized that oppression is best maintained by keeping the masses illiterate”

Opinion | Jamal Khashoggi: What the Arab world needs most is free expression The Arab world needs a modern version of the old transnational media so citizens can be informed about global events.

I will never forget having to edit Jamal’s final, posthumous piece for the Washington Post, after he was murdered.

He was calling for free expression in the Arab world. You can read it here :

www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/glo...

Will Border Wall Construction Deplete Desert Springs? Volunteers are monitoring natural springs in an Arizona wilderness to understand what the construction of a border wall will cost wildlife.

A 27-mile border wall going up in Arizona's San Rafael Valley would slice through a key wildlife corridor, restricting animal movement. But the actual construction of the wall might also deplete local water sources.
Lourdes Medrano reports for @scifri.bsky.social

It’s time!!! Share your costumes with us 👻

We Asked What Maps You Love. Here’s What You Showed Us. Maps aren’t just for navigation. They’re also about stories, identity, and understanding the world around us–even if the picture is incomplete.

Thanks @scifri.bsky.social for the lil midweek bump www.sciencefriday.com/articles/aud...

What can I say? The people yearn for a good map.

Enter SciFri's Nerdy Halloween Costume Contest! It’s Nightmare on Nerd Street—and your science-inspired Halloween costume could win SciFri’s first-ever costume contest.

Planning a science-inspired Halloween costume? @scifri.bsky.social wants to see it! And if you’re wondering, does this sciencey pun/character/clever reference/nature thing count? Yes. Yes, it does. 🧬🌋💊🪲⚛️🧪🦇🎃

Ok, I know you all secretly (or not so secretly) love maps. Please share one of your favorites with us at the link below and tell us why you like it! 🗺️

Tradition Meets TikTok At The Federal Duck Stamp Art Contest A new group of social media-savvy wildlife artists is bringing a beloved conservation tradition to TikTok. It’s ruffled some feathers.

IT'S FINALLY HERE!! Thank you to everyone in the duck stamp world who spoke to me for this article. 🦆 @scifri.bsky.social

www.sciencefriday.com/articles/fed...

‘Sick to My Stomach’: Trump Distorts Facts on Autism, Tylenol, and Vaccines, Scientists Say - KFF Health News The White House’s autism announcement exaggerates links to Tylenol, misleads on vaccines, and sets back the field by ignoring decades of research, scientists say.

If you read one story about the autism announcement, make it @amymaxmen.bsky.social's.

One detail that others miss: "Fevers can harm the mother and the developing fetus, she said, adding that fevers are more strongly associated with autism than Tylenol." kffhealthnews.org/news/article...

NEW: Last week, oil literally rained down on a Black town in rural Louisiana where 60% of folks live in poverty.

The company isn’t taking responsibility & the federal + state governments are saying residents have to clean it up themselves. capitalbnews.org/louisiana-oi...

African Union joins call for true-to-size world map to replace Mercator version Member states back campaign for governments and organisations to use map that accurately depicts continent The African Union has backed a campaign to end the use by governments and international organisations of the 16th-century Mercator map of the world in favour of one that more accurately displays Africa’s size. Created by the cartographer Gerardus Mercator for navigation, the projection distorts continent sizes, enlarging areas near the poles like North America and Greenland while shrinking Africa and South America. “It might seem to be just a map, but in reality, it is not,” the African Union Commission deputy chair, Selma Malika Haddadi, told Reuters, saying the Mercator fostered a false impression that Africa was “marginal”, despite being the world’s second-largest continent by area, with more than 1 billion people. The union has 55 member states. Continue reading...

African Union joins call for true-to-size world map to replace Mercator version

Why Do Cyclists Shave Their Legs? Does it make you faster—or just help you fit in? We asked four cycling experts what leg-shaving actually does for athletes.

🚴 If you’ve been watching the Tour de France men’s race this month, you’ve seen grueling climbs, spectacular finishes, and painful crashes. What you probably haven’t seen are hairy legs. What’s behind the leg shaving?

We asked four cycling experts if it actually makes a difference.

Instead Of A Vaccine For Lyme, How About A Vaccine For Ticks? When ticks bite us, they release thousands of proteins through their saliva. Could a vaccine for the right ones stop ticks from latching on?

Instead of a vaccine against Lyme disease, what if we had a vaccine that staves off the actual ticks that carry it? Read how tick saliva is helping scientists make it happen.

“The people in my city are victims, including me and my family. So, this is personal.” A CDC-led study is uncovering the health impacts of PFAS contamination in Newburgh, New York: buff.ly/Z012TCS

"Looking at all the [federal] cuts, Erbelding is concerned.

'I worry about the possibility of a lot of different viruses changing over time & spilling over from animals...& causing another pandemic,' she says."

My latest for @scifri.bksy.social on preparedness, thru the lens of one virus--EVD-68

Trump Says FEMA Phaseout to Begin After Hurricane Season President Donald Trump said his team will move forward with winding down much of the Federal Emergency Management Agency — but not until after a hurricane season that some projections show could be pa...

The Trump administration plans to largely eliminate FEMA later this year. When a state gets hit by disaster, "the governor should be able to handle it," Trump said [gift link]

Fighting ‘The New Polio’ In An Era Of Defunded Science Since 2014, a virus related to polio has paralyzed hundreds of children. Amid government cuts, what happens if the outbreaks worsen?

One morning in 2014, 4-year-old Luca’s neck went limp like spaghetti. Soon, he was fully paralyzed with symptoms resembling polio. What’s the new disease that afflicted him, and what can we do about it as health agencies are defunded?

We’re working on a story about the science of air traffic control. You’ve seen what’s going on at Newark airport. What do you want to know about the science of keeping our airways safe?

Call 877-4-SCIFRI with your question.

Where local forecast offices no longer monitor weather around-the-clock For at least half a century, the National Weather Service has been an around-the-clock operation. That is no longer possible in parts of the country.

www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2025...

Can Breeding Pest-Resistant Trees Save American Forests? Pests are ravaging keystone species like ash, elm, and beech. But researchers are breeding the survivors into more resilient populations.

Pests and pathogens are devastating keystone tree species in forests across North America. But scientists are painstakingly breeding the surviving trees to create more resilient populations. @hartleys.bsky.social reports for @scifri.bsky.social

www.sciencefriday.com/articles/bre...

How Death Metal Singers Make Their Extreme Vocalizations Vocal researchers are learning how death metal singers safely produce extreme vocal distortions, in hopes of improving vocal health care.

And it's on the show today, too! Listen to metal singer Mark Garrett transition from Kermit the Frog to growling demon.

www.sciencefriday.com/segments/dea...

Meet The Death Metal Singers Changing Vocal Health Research With cameras down their throats, metal singers show how they produce growls, screams, and squeals without damaging their vocal tissues.

Today in I love my job, here's a story about research into how death metal singers make extreme vocalizations, by @ohyeahitscouch.bsky.social for @scifri.bsky.social

www.sciencefriday.com/articles/dea...