Taxes through the ages Knowable Magazine explores the real-world significance of scholarly work through a journalistic lens. A digital magazine from Annual Reviews.

Now that tax day is behind us (phew!), might we interest you in some history?

Compiled by @erynbrown.bsky.social

knowmag.org/4mobQmh

UGA marine researcher Samantha Joye named to National Academy of Engineering - UGA Today Election to the National Academy of Engineering is among the highest professional distinctions for engineers and scientists.

Read more about Dr. Joye's prestigious honor: knowmag.org/4dO3thH

Eyes on the deep Decades of exploring the seafloor have helped oceanographer Samantha Joye tackle marine issues — from the underwater movement of oil from Deepwater Horizon to the biology of remote microbial…

🐙 Oceanographer Samantha Joye was recently elected to the National Academy of Engineering.

A few years ago, we got the chance to profile Dr. Joye — both her research and her critical work with science education.

✍️ @laurapoppick.bsky.social

knowmag.org/47Ex2ym

How a second language can boost the brain Being bilingual benefits children as they learn to speak — and adults as they age

🗣️ Speaking more than one language may boost brain function as well as gray and white matter, and possibly preserve the brain as it ages.

✍️ @raminskibba.bsky.social

knowmag.org/4mpHaRT

Betting on bats for genetic treasures Bat genomes are full of clever tricks that are treats for biology and medical science — it’s why scientists want to sequence them all

🦇 Fact: Some bats live 10 times longer than expected, given their body size. #BatAppreciationDay

Scientists once recorded a tiny Siberian Brandt’s bat (one-third the size of a mouse) that lived for at least 41 YEARS in the wild!

✍️ Bob Holmes
knowmag.org/49tH334

Peering into the meditating mind Some people swear by it, but studies of mindfulness have a long way to go

For more on how researchers are peering into the meditating mind, check out our 2018 report: knowmag.org/4sCDRbn

Benefits of mindfulness meditation go far beyond relaxation – here’s what it is and how to practice it Facing your own thoughts and sensations, without trying to suppress them, is harder than it may seem. But learning to do it can boost your mental health.

Benefits of mindfulness meditation go far beyond relaxation – here’s what it is and how to practice it, via @us.theconversation.com knowmag.org/4cI0oPa

The curious case of acrylamide: California’s Prop. 65 explained [Updated] Lattes today, hot dogs tomorrow? Why health warnings in California crop up in many — and sometimes surprising — places and why you should care

Learn more about acrylamide in our 2018 report: knowmag.org/48rR3Zm

Scientists develop gene-edited wheat that can make toasted bread less carcinogenic Bread and biscuits made from Crispr-edited wheat showed substantially reduced acrylamide levels

“When bread is baked, fried or toasted, this amino acid converts into a toxic compound called acrylamide, which scientists have classified as a probable carcinogen.”

👀 On our radar: Engineered wheat cuts carcinogens in burnt toast
✍️ Helena Horton, @theguardian.com

knowmag.org/47XWsHq

Republications Knowable Magazine explores the real-world significance of scholarly work through a journalistic lens. A digital magazine from Annual Reviews.

Want to bring our fact-checked science reporting to your readers — for free? Learn about republishing: knowmag.org/3jDpsZQ

The Troubling Rise of Family Estrangement As more adults cut off their parents, a researcher calls for closer scrutiny of causes and effects, and suggests paths to reconciliation

“The more we know about the causes and effects of estrangements, the more we can help and empathise with those involved.”

As more adults cut off their parents, a researcher calls for closer scrutiny of causes & effects, and suggests paths to reconciliation

Our recent Q&A, republished by The Wire:

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Quantum physics can confirm where someone is located The concept of entanglement links far-flung particles. That relationship can prove that someone is in the location they claim to be.

“Called quantum position verification, the technique is based on the concept of quantum entanglement, in which the fates of two far-flung particles are closely linked.”

👀 On our radar: Quantum physics can verify where someone is
✍️ @econover.bsky.social, @sciencenewsmagazine.bsky.social

Journey to the egg: How sperm navigate the path to fertilization COMIC: Male cells must survive twisty passages, strong currents and immune attacks; millions enter, but only one can finish

Even in an ordinary pregnancy, the journey that sperm must take to reach the egg is stunningly complicated; learn more from our 2025 comic: knowmag.org/4aTuU8v

A Journey Through Infertility An interactive journey about IVF, told from two perspectives.

The goal of in vitro fertilization is a healthy baby. But a lot has to go right along the way, from complex medical procedures to mundane management of medications and paperwork.

At @puddingviz.bsky.social, @lamthuyvo.bsky.social tells her story via an illustrated interactive: knowmag.org/48EhMSr

Of genes, chromosomes and oratorios Jenny Graves has spent her life mapping genes and comparing genomes. Now she’s created a musical opus about evolution of life on this planet — bringing the same drive and experimentalism she brought…

Jenny Graves spent her life mapping genes and comparing genomes. Then she wrote a musical opus. 🎶 #WorldArtDay

✍️ @marlabroadfoot.bsky.social

knowmag.org/480HfW1

Newsletter Signup Knowable Magazine explores the real-world significance of scholarly work through a journalistic lens. A digital magazine from Annual Reviews.

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What’s more carbon-friendly, farmed or wild fish? Some math for those suffering analysis paralysis in the seafood section

“Today, the question is less about which fish feels virtuous and more about which system can endure in a changing climate—and which has the lesser carbon footprint. The answer is not as straightforward as you might wish.”

✍️ @jmgaines.bsky.social, @anthropocenemag.bsky.social

A quantum origin for spacetime Physicists find hints that entanglement explains Einstein’s equations for gravity

"Ever since Einstein, scientists have been scratching their heads about how to make sense of space and time." #WorldQuantumDay

✍️ Tom Siegfried

knowmag.org/423BOCh

Need laundry folded? Don’t ask a robot For this chore, the human touch still beats machines. But maybe not for long.

Simple physics also comes into play when attempting chores like laundry — learn more from our 2025 story. knowmag.org/4dLGoMI

Why Do Humanoid Robots Still Struggle With the Small Stuff? | Quanta Magazine The last decade has seen vast improvements in humanoid robots, but graduating to widespread use might require going back to the fundamentals.

Despite demos of robots turning cartwheels, the humanoid machines have yet to master meaningful household tasks. And they won’t — not until they master physics, John Pavlus reports at @quantamagazine.bsky.social

knowmag.org/4ej5fHJ

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“But with Google processing more than five trillion searches a year, this means that it provides tens of millions of erroneous answers every hour (or hundreds of thousands of inaccuracies every minute. ” 👀 On our radar: Google’s AI overviews rife with wrong information, via @nytimes t.co/UyX3GcVa69

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Emperor penguins are marching toward extinction. Antarctica fur seals too Conservationists now list the penguins and seals as “Endangered.” Climate change in Antarctica has led to plunging populations.

“Emperor penguins have braved cold, storms, starvation and predation to breed, ensuring their population survives. But climate change might defeat the iconic Antarctic birds.”

👀 On our radar: Emperor penguins endangered by mass drownings of chicks
✍️ Carolyn Gramling, @sciencenews.bsky.social

Urban evolution: How species adapt to survive in cities Plants and animals are evolving in cities around the world — offering ways to study longstanding scientific questions and clues to where climate change is taking us

Using the detritus of humans is one example of animals adapting to city living; learn more from our 2022 story. knowmag.org/4ePFayq

Some city-dwelling birds are using a peculiar pesticide in their nests: cigarette butts. ✍️ @ljevanso.bsky.social @nytimes.com: knowmag.org/4mCdPUf

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‘On a whole other level’: rapid snow melt-off in American west stuns scientists Experts say brutal March heat has left critical snowpack at record-low levels – and key basins in uncharted territory

“This year is on a whole other level. Seeing this year so far below any of the other years we have data for is very concerning.”

👀 On our radar: See the Western snowpack disappear in before-and-after pics
✍️ @gabriellecanon.bsky.social, @theguardian.com

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...

Newsletter Signup Knowable Magazine explores the real-world significance of scholarly work through a journalistic lens. A digital magazine from Annual Reviews.

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