So beautiful!! Sure you don't want to come back to Derry Street...?

Scientists Can Now Preserve a Brain After Death - What’s Next? Spotify video

I don't think it's great that this will be offered to terminally ill people "to reconstruct the person… to allow them to continue, in effect, with their life". Discussion with @pennysarchet.bsky.social, @alexthompo.bsky.social and @thomaslewton.bsky.social.
open.spotify.com/episode/7xlK...

Why are we so obsessed with protein? A new book looks for answers Samantha King and Gavin Weedon's new book Protein digs deep into the nutrient's role in our health. But can it tell you how much you should be eating? Alexandra Thompson explores

Why are we all so obsessed with protein? My review of a book written by sociologists who try to get to the bottom of this wellness trend (and I impressively snuck in a mention of Stephen Merchant somehow)

www.newscientist.com/article/mg26...

Health literacy as an imperative to health inclusivity Join Haleon and Chatham House for an in-depth discussion on scaling health literacy initiatives to unlock inclusive growth, productivity and long-term economic resilience.

Really looking forward to chairing an event at Chatham House tomorrow (Tues 17/3, 4pm-5pm) on the importance of health literacy in health inclusivity www.chathamhouse.org/events/all/s...

Please join us in the room if you can, or dial in

New Scientist is looking for a health reporter! www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/43...

Please apply/share, and message me with any Qs, thanks!

Landmark vitiligo cream targets immune cells that disrupt pigmentation A cream that directly disrupts the underlying causes of the skin patches seen in the condition vitiligo will be made available on the NHS

Landmark vitiligo cream will soon become available on the NHS in England www.newscientist.com/article/2516... I'm thrilled for those who want it, but support others with vitiligo (like me) who embrace the patches 💗

The World is Running Out of Water - Can Cloud-Seeding Save Us? YouTube video by New Scientist

Can grief be so severe and long-lasting that it tips over into a psychiatric condition? A review of brain activity research suggests yes, a fascinating and emotive topic to dig into on the pod www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WLd...

Ancient Humans Crossed the Ocean Long Before We Thought Possible YouTube video by New Scientist

On this week's pod, I discuss a study that shows a specific type of braintraining game could cut the risk of dementia by 25!

And such a pleasure to meet and be inspired by THE Dame Maggie Aderin-Pocock

www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVrd...

As Ozempic goes global, a powerful book reframes how we see obesity With the market for anti-obesity drugs already worth billions, Aimee Donnellan’s Off the Scales is a timely exploration of the controversial and life-changing GLP-1 drugs such as Ozempic

I really enjoyed reading and reviewing Off the Scales, a powerful book that shines a light on an issue I have been banging on about for years: obesity is a medical condition and needs to be treated as such www.newscientist.com/article/mg26...

Email me please!

ALSO:
We finally get an explanation for the junk DNA (aka dark DNA) in our genomes, from @mjflepage.bsky.social
and @alexthompo.bsky.social on the rebound effect of coming off GLP-1 weight loss drugs
With @pennysarchet.bsky.social

Happy new year! I'm looking for experienced freelance reporters to cover health, neuroscience and psychology-related stories for New Scientist. Please message me for details and email over pitches alexandra.thompson@newscientist.com - thank you! #sciencejournalism #scicomm

Humans are finally heading back to the moon; Cheaper weight loss drugs are coming; Milestone for LSD trials; Promise of new carbon tax Spotify video

For our first podcast of 2026 we pick out some of the big science stories coming this year
👇 with @pennysarchet.bsky.social, @jjaron.bsky.social, @mjflepage.bsky.social and @alexthompo.bsky.social
open.spotify.com/episode/2Ybb...

Is dark chocolate a health food? YouTube video by New Scientist

Is dark chocolate actually good for you? Possibly...maybe...(don't shoot the messenger) www.youtube.com/shorts/MdatU...

Or read my deceased column (goodbye my lover, goodbye my friend) www.newscientist.com/article/2481...

What is behind pregnancy tooth loss? YouTube video by New Scientist

The oral microbiome (a relatively stable ecosystem) undergoes drastic upheavals during pregnancy, which could explain why dental issues are common during this time

www.youtube.com/shorts/wj6d3...

How Exercise Shrinks Cancer Tumours by 60% In Mice YouTube video by New Scientist

We're learning more about how exercise helps fight cancer - and it seems to partly be due to a battle between different types of cells!

Another fun pod episode to be part of 🥰 www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fubg...

Why aren't young people having sex any more? YouTube video by New Scientist

If you're too lazy/cheap to read the 1400 insight article (two posts down), here I am condensing it into a 3 min video www.youtube.com/shorts/Jibmw...

Should you change your lifestyle based on your menstrual cycle? YouTube video by New Scientist

#cyclesynching - is it a load of tosh (look at me not swearing like an adult)? Or does it have some scientific backing? And perhaps most importantly, what baby hue background will the audience team choose next? www.youtube.com/shorts/xcw2n...

Why aren't young people having sex any more? Sexual activity in young people is on the decline, but why? And what's more, should we be worried about what this means for society and the future of the human race?

The data is in, and it's consistent: sexual activity has plummeted among teens and young adults. The question is - why?!

Some may say it doesn't matter - but at a time when birth rates in the West and Japan are at a record low, should we be worried?

www.newscientist.com/article/2504...

The gel that prevents cavities YouTube video by New Scientist

So long cavities? Scientists may have sussed out a way for us to regenerate our tooth enamel www.youtube.com/shorts/iNwHv...

Should be prepping for my stage, got distracted by a stick insect #NewScientistLive

Exploring PMS is a great idea, but The Period Brain can be simplistic Premenstrual syndrome and its symptoms is neglected by science, so Sarah Hill's new book is welcome. But it needs more on genetics, not just lifestyle changes, says Alexandra Thompson

PMS can be debilitating; it needs more research and less stigma. But The Period Brain book doesn't contribute much www.newscientist.com/article/mg26...

How Taylor Swift is helping botany gain celebrity status Feedback is delighted to learn that researchers have discovered what Taylor Swift is accidentally doing to rescue the science of plants from mid-ness. Just take a look at her videos – sorry, botany te...

The volume of references from Swift's archive is truly enchanting www.newscientist.com/article/mg26... I'm not Ready For It, but I Can See You @michael-marshall.bsky.social

Scientists Just Mapped Mammalian Brain Activity for the First Time YouTube video by New Scientist

A bit late to post this but I loved delving into the research on the potential neuroscientific origins of that feeling we call intuition, and only partly because the study involved mice driving a Lego steering wheel www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZta...

New Scientist recommends one-person play Every Brilliant Thing The books, TV, games and more that New Scientist staff have enjoyed this week

If you live in London, run - don't walk - to the sensational Every Brilliant Thing at sohoplace www.newscientist.com/article/mg26...

Scientists Discovered a 100,000-Year-Old Organism YouTube video by New Scientist

I like to imagine travelling back in time to tell Medieval folk that we can now manipulate the brain's electrical activity by implanting permanent electrodes. I'd probably be burned at the stake. Luckily, today I can discuss it on the NS podcast www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEpI...

American climate journalist Alec Luhn missing on Norwegian glacier A search is underway for award-winning climate journalist Alec Luhn, a Wisconsin native, who is missing on a Norwegian glacier.

Climate journalist and New Scientist contributor Alec Luhn has gone missing on a Norwegian glacier. His family is asking that anyone hiking in the region share any information with local authorities. www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news...

Is Ozempic the new anti-ageing drug? YouTube video by New Scientist

We now have good-quality evidence that Ozempic (semaglutide) really does slow - or reverse! - biological ageing. *puts in a macro dose order as I approach 21 (ahem) www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmEj...

Famous psychology trick works on octopuses too YouTube video by New Scientist

Octopuses fall for the rubber arm illusion just like us! They really are amazing creatures, but obviously I have to insert a little sprinkling of health nuggets everywhere I go www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Q8B...

How mitochondria are linked to sleep (and Ozzy Osbourne) YouTube video by New Scientist

Mitochondria are...(think back to your GCSEs)...the energy powerhouses of cells! But what if they play a cruical role in sleep...? My latest on the pod: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4yd...

I could just post the pod link, but it seems a shame to deny the world the wrinkling of my forehead when I talk