MIT Graduate Program in Science Writing

Chimpanzees Are Really Into Crystals

wrote about something very important www.nytimes.com/2026/03/04/s...

Submit a session proposal for ScienceWriters2026 Propose your great ideas for NASW sessions and plenaries and for CASW’s “Science + Science Writing” panel discussions at ScienceWriters2026. Help make our program relevant and timely, designed by science writers, for science writers.

DUE IN ONE WEEK: ScienceWriters2026 is a meeting for science writers, by science writers, and we need your help!

Submit your idea by March 10: www.nasw.org/article...

Learn what makes a great session: www.nasw.org/page/ho...

This is a great awards program for science communication. Enter now (before April 3) and/or please encourage others to do so. Categories include researchers (early, mid- & late career), journalists, independent & institutional. From @nationalacademies.org & @schmidtsciences.bsky.social

Thread: imagine you're a historian surveying 16th century copies of the world's most famous ancient astronomy book, and you see one where somebody with handwriting VERY similar to GALILEO (!?) has transcribed... a psalm.

"Galileo, a prayer? That's something that doesn't work," Ivan Malara thought.

Love to see it!

Cleaning Up Potomac River Sewer Spill Could Take Months The federal government is now playing a bigger role in river restoration after Trump criticized the local response.

While emergency repairs to DC Water's broken sewer line could be completed by mid-March, there’s *no timeline* for how long it will take to clean up the environmental damage caused by the spill.

My latest @bloomberg.com (gift link): www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Ancient rocks point to an early start for the Great Unconformity—the biggest gap in Earth’s rock record Two-billion-year-old rocks in China suggest mountain building from Earth’s first supercontinent led to a planetwide burst of erosion

A billion years of missing time continues to confound geologists. For @science.org, I covered a new find in northern China that complicates debates on the source of the Great Unconformity:🧪⚒️

Bird School: A Beginner in the Wood - The Boston Birding Festival SUNDAY MARCH 1, 3:00 PM ET A conversation with writer Adam Nicolson live from Sussex via Zoom and local science writer Cara Giaimo

Hey birdbrains (complimentary),

Next Sunday at 3 PM, I’ll be speaking on Zoom with Adam Nicolson about his book “Bird School: A Beginner in the Wood.”
It's a lyrical and unusual book that really wraps you up in birds. join us, signup link here: www.bostonbirdingfestival.org/posts/bird-s...

Climate Change Could Make This Horrific New Jersey Wildlife Disease Worse - Inside Climate News The Garden State is home to ranavirus, a pathogen capable of killing amphibians en masse. Scientists still aren’t sure what’s causing outbreaks and what the long-term effects might be, and rising temp...

For @insideclimatenews.org, Alex Megerle, '26, reports on the rise of ranavirus and how researchers in New Jersey are taking action insideclimatenews.org/news/1702202...

A horizontal white card with pale teal borders top and bottom shows a red book cover and two women’s faces. The book cover says: “SLIP: Life in the Middle of Eating Disorder Recovery.” The women are Mallary Tenore Tarpley, the author, a blonde white woman who is smiling, and Maryn McKenna, the interviewer, who has auburn hair and is wearing.a dark jacket. The rest of the information is in the post text.

Put this on next week's calendar! Weds 18 February at 6pm US ET, I'll talk to Mallary Tenore Tarpley about her book SLIP, on eating disorder recovery. Part of the @emorycshh.bsky.social Health Storytelling series, free with registration here: humanhealth.emory.edu/events/livin...

FDA won’t review Moderna application for first mRNA-based flu vaccine The decision, which shocked company officials, comes as the FDA says it will take a stricter approach to federal vaccine approvals.

FDA refuses to review Moderna’s application for first mRNA flu vaccine www.washingtonpost.com/health/2026/... @rachelroubein.bsky.social

How much energy does your AI prompt use? It depends AI models such as ChatGPT consume serious power. Experts break down where that energy goes, and what you can do to help.

And read her award-winning story here: www.sciencenews.org/article/ai-e...

Science News Names Inaugural Winner of the Starks-Murcutt Prize for Excellence in Science Journalism Science News is proud to name Celina Zhao as the inaugural winner of the $1,000 Starks-Murcutt Prize for Excellence in…

Congratulations to @celinaz.bsky.social, '25, for winning the inaugural Starks-Murcutt Prize for Excellence in Science Journalism. The award honors an early-career Science News intern or fellow. You can read more about Celina and the award here: www.societyforscience.org/blog/science...

Compared with the 1st year of previous admins, including Trump’s 1st term, the current admin has taken fewer polluters to court & settled fewer existing court cases, per a new review of federal court records by the nonprofit EIP.

Story @bloomberg.com w/gift link: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Welcome! You are invited to join a webinar: Info Session - Metcalf Ocean Nexus Academy (MONA) Fellowship. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the webinar. Join us for an info session to learn more about the MONA Fellowship! We'll hear about the program experience from three past fellows - Eva Tesfaye, Rachel Ramirez, and Luis Joel Méndez González. More...

Join us TONIGHT at 6PM ET for an info session about the Metcalf Ocean Nexus Academy (MONA) Fellowship. Last year's fellows will share their experiences with the fellowship! The new deadline for applications is 02/08 at 11:59 PM. us06web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

I edited a @thexylom.com story which cited research that found the tear gas concentration in Portland during George Floyd protests was high enough to cause severe and irreversible health effects, including asthma, shortness of breath, and panic.

And in Nepal, hospitalizations more than doubled:

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...

TikTok users “absolutely justified” in fearing MAGA makeover, experts say TikTok’s tech issues abound as censorship fears drive users to delete app.

Experts told me that TikTok users freaked out by "bugs" censoring anti-Trump content are not paranoid, they're just used to platforms manipulating what they see. arstechnica.com/tech-policy/...

Submit by Feb. 1: Entries open for NASW’s annual awards Each year, the #SciWriAwards recognize some of the best works in science journalism and science writing, as judged by fellow science journalists and science writers. Deadline to enter is Feb. 1, 2026.

DEADLINE ALERT: Enter your best work from 2025 in the National Association of Science Writers' Science in Society Journalism Awards or Excellence in Institutional Writing Awards by February 1, 2026. Discounted entry fees for members. Membership not required:

Looking for sources for a @nature.com story about how researchers are coping in the midst of current events: If you're a PhD or other academic who's struggling to focus with everything that's happening in the world and would like to be interviewed for this story, please get in touch ASAP!

Still thinking about this gross catch-22 where the quickest way to remove images is to ask Grok but if you ask Grok and the images don’t come down, the act of asking Grok to remove them may make it harder to sue.

Why the same cold virus makes some people more miserable than others A new study shows the intricacies of the cold virus and how it interacts with nasal airway cells, revealing why some people are hit harder than others.

Scientists grew tiny models of our nasal airways, complete with mucus-secreting cells and cilia that beat rhythmically to understand how our bodies fight the common cold wapo.st/4qzFZQY

Awards for Excellence AHCJ has been recognizing the best health reporting in print, broadcast and online media since 2004. Enter your own work today.

Got great health reporting from 2025? Enter the AHCJ Awards for Excellence! Early-bird deadline: Jan. 16 at 5 pm ET. Don’t wait! 🏅 healthjournalism.org/awards-for-e...

What an excellent idea for a Starter Pack, in these days of #AISlop spilling everywhere - here is a bunch of outlets you can trust.
Hats-off to @alexip718.com.

go.bsky.app/8cn1XfT

The Weight-Loss Drug Revolution—Shots, Pills and the Science behind the Hype Behind the hype of GLP-1 medications lies complex science, serious side effects and a pharmaceutical arms race.

I talked with @beebrookshire.bsky.social about GLP-1's

Trump’s EPA Could Limit Its Own Ability to Use New Science to Strengthen Air Pollution Rules In government records that have flown under the radar, the EPA is questioning its legal authority to revise pollution rules more than once when new science shows unacceptable health risks.

Alumna @lisalsong.bsky.social, '09, covers how the EPA is questioning its own ability to adjust pollution rules when new science emerges. Published in @propublica.org: www.propublica.org/article/air-...

Stellar work from Zoe Beketova, Class of 2026:

Sustain The Xylom! Support The Xylom's independent reporting by making a monthly recurring donation!

We need your help! So far, we’ve raised $28,000 from 103 donors (incl. matching funds), which tells us that many of you understand the importance of this work. We report on global health and environmental disparities. Our goal is to raise $30,000 by Dec. 31st. Can you support our work?

Titan might not have an ocean after all A reanalysis of data from NASA’s Cassini mission suggests Saturn’s icy moon may lack the subsurface ocean presumed for a decade

Saturn's largest moon, Titan, has been a member of the deep-sea club for almost 2 decades. New research might revoke its water world card. 🪐 🌊

My 2nd #AGU2025 story of the week for @science.org : www.science.org/content/arti... #space #titan #nasa

The Open Notebook's 15th Anniversary - The Open Notebook For 15 years, The Open Notebook has been the trusted home for journalists worldwide who cover science. What started as an experiment to demystify the craft of science writing has grown into a vital, g...

What’s better than giving to something you care about? Having what you give count twice! Before the end of the year, we’re hoping you consider supporting The Open Notebook. Your donation will be matched by a group of generous donors, up to a total of at least $7,500. 🧪