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Happy National Library Week! 💙📚

Comic. [Teacher with shoulder-length light hair talking to two students seated at desks.] TEACHER: *Grammar* is one of the most popular ways to structure a language, ahead of rival methods such as *WORDS ORDER WORDS RANDOM WORDS WORDS RANDOM GOOD* and *EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE*.

Grammar

xkcd.com/3229/

Comic. [Person with a white hat and person with a ponytail face a third person with a poster behind them. The poster shows Earth and space beyond, and in space there is a rectangular banner with different space features on it.] PERSON WITH PONYTAIL: Aren’t you worried these will be disruptive for ground-based astronomy? PERSON 3: No, why? [caption] My new company is being criticized for our satellites that deploy 100-mile-wide banners painted with inaccurate pictures of the night sky.

Satellite Pollution

xkcd.com/3225/

The announcement was met with skepticism and dismay by scientists. www.iflscience.com/trumps-new-s...

Jury orders Meta and Google to pay woman $3 million in social media addiction trial The verdict marks the end of the first-ever jury trial over whether tech giants should be held accountable for social media addiction. It may influence the outcome of 2,000 other pending lawsuits.

The verdict marks the end of the first-ever jury trial over whether tech giants should be held accountable for social media addiction. It may influence the outcome of 2,000 other pending lawsuits. n.pr/4rTk72Q

Ice core reveals low CO2 during warm spell 3 million years ago For the first time, scientists have measured atmospheric gases from the late Pliocene, yielding data that could help to predict the future climate

For the first time, scientists have measured atmospheric gases from the late Pliocene, yielding data that could help to predict the future climate

4-panel comic. (1) [Two people in a room with bed and nightstand. One person points at something on ceiling.] PERSON 1 with short hair on top of head: What’s that device? PERSON 2 with ponytail: Part of the supernova early warning system. There hasn’t been a Milky Way supernova in over a century. Astronomers don’t want to miss the next one. (2) [Person 2 sits on bed.] PERSON 2: 20 years ago, we set up a supernova alert system using neutrino detectors. It should give us a few hours’ advance notice. (3) PERSON 2: If it ever goes off, every astronomer on Earth will scramble to point their equipment at the sky. PERSON 1: Oh, Ok. So is that a detector? Or some kind of telescope? (4) PERSON 2 [leaving]: Fireworks launcher. I *refuse* to sleep through a supernova. PERSON 1: I think I’ll spend the night at my place instead.

SNEWS

xkcd.com/3208/

Nope. Hold the Jolly Rancher. I take my Zima neat.

Why are scientists suddenly interested in UFOs? For decades, science mostly ignored UFOs. Then in 2015 Navy pilots started reporting them. The U.S. government enlisted scientists to investigate.

Has Obama's comments about aliens got you thinking about the topic? Here’s an article I wrote about this for @snexplores.bsky.social

Do Bumble Bees Sting? And Other Common Questions We get a lot of questions about bumble bees, so we are bringing you answers straight from our many bee experts!

We get a lot of questions about bumble bees, stings, and what to do when discovering a nest. So here are some answers from our experts! 🐝
We’d love to expand this FAQ in the future, so let us know what other questions you have about bumble bees!

Post from Amanda Gorman’s Instagram that says amandascgorman Minneapolis, Minnesota For Renee Nicole Good Killed by ICE. on January 7, 2026 by Amanda Gorman They say she is no more, That there her absence roars, Blood-blown like a rose. Iced wheels flinched & froze. Now, bare riot of candles, Dark fury of flowers, Pure howling of hymns. If for us she arose, Somewhere, in the pitched deep of our grief, Crouches our power, The howl where we begin, Straining upon the edge of the crooked crater Of the worst of what we've been. Change is only possible, & all the greater, When the labour & bitter anger of our neighbors Is moved by the love * better angels of our nature.

Amanda Gorman wrote this poem for Renee Good and that’s it for me tonight.

Research hailing the benefits of the COVID-19 shot keeps coming There was more good health news about the COVID-19 vaccine for infants, kids and adults in December. There’s still time to get the shot this winter.

Kids got extra protection from an updated COVID-19 vaccine on top of the immunity from past shots or infections. www.sciencenews.org/article/benefits-covid-1...

Sperm Whale Clicks May Be More Complex Than Once Thought, and Similar to Human Language Learn how new discoveries about whale language also raise ethical and legal questions.

I recently wrote about Project CETI’s latest very exciting insight into sperm whale communication, for @discovermag.bsky.social

I’m very honored and excited to have received this award. And deeply indebted to Janet Raloff and the rest of the team at @snexplores.bsky.social

Timeline 'R' Us — Superbugs - The microbial world in, on and around us Of superbugs and superheroes. Timeline 'R' Us – Explore devastating infections through the ages, alongside crucial scientific discoveries to help control them.

A reminder that vaccines are among the safest and most effective medical treatments ever developed.

Here's an interactive timeline to explore the history of devastating infections and the scientific and medical advances to fight them.

#VaccinesSaveLives

A tree growing out of a boulder for so long the rock has split in half.

A sign from nature to PERSIST.

Rodents' Oddly Humanlike Thumbnails Have Let Them Feast on Nuts Since Ancient Times Learn why many rodents have short nails on their thumb rather than long claws, a trait that has helped them eat and thrive for millions of years.

Learn why many rodents have short nails on their thumb rather than long claws, a trait that has helped them eat and thrive for millions of years. www.discovermagazine.com/rodents-oddl...

Why Webspinners Earn the Prize for Nature's Best Raincoat Insects in the order Embioptera spin the finest silk fibers in nature, which they use to build shelters that, when wet, form a strong, protective film.

Webspinners (order Embioptera) spin the finest silk fibers known in nature, which they use to build shelters that, when wet, form a strong, protective film. A new study explores silk-water interactions in four webspinner species, w/ lessons that could be applied in human-made, bioinspired materials.

Really cool new generational heat tool from @climatecentral.org that lets you compare the number of extremely hot days added by climate change across generations.

Radioactive Shrimp Recalled — Radiation Levels Are Low, but Caution Is Still Advised Learn what cesium-137 is, how food can become radioactive, and what to do if you recently purchased shrimp.

Learn what cesium-137 is, how food can become radioactive, and what to do if you recently purchased shrimp. www.discovermagazine.com/radioactive-...

For My Next Death-Defying Stunt, I Will Ride My Bike in This Bike Lane Get ready, folks. Prepare yourselves for terror. For thrills. For a hair-raising ride through the clutches of death, where the only thing separatin...

"This is no Dutch bike lane with a safe, modern design and well-funded construction. This is an American bike lane—a blood-pumping obstacle course of neglected asphalt and ideas from the 1970s."

One Small Genetic Tweak May Stop Mosquitoes from Spreading Malaria Mosquitoes can spread a deadly parasite that causes malaria. Learn how experts are using CRISPR to change the mosquito’s genome to stop this spread.

One more tool to fight malaria. My latest for @discovermag.bsky.social

We can repurpose retired coal plants to produce green energy Piles of dirt can cheaply store renewable energy as heat – and that stored energy can reactivate the machinery of retired coal power plants, letting them provide backup power for the electricity grid

Retired coal power plants could provide backup or emergency power to the electricity grid – but this time drawing on heat energy stored in dirt instead of burning fossil fuels.

More details on how this clean energy repowering option works in my article 🧪

www.newscientist.com/article/2491...

one of the single best deals in streaming. i've been paying for PBS Passport for years. it rules

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The Earth Mysteriously Pulsed Every 90 Seconds for Nine Days in 2023 — We Now Know Why Using next-generation technology could offer fresh insight into unprecedented ocean extremes driven by climate change or other factors.

Using next-generation technology could offer fresh insight into unprecedented ocean extremes driven by climate change or other factors.

Research without lab animals? New tech is making it possible For decades, scientists have worked to phase out the use of animals in research. AI, ‘lungs’ on a chip and more are bringing that goal closer.

Science is coming up with ways to do biomedical research without lab animals. My latest for @snexplores.bsky.social.

rain on the roof