Tanya Lewis

Author @michaelpollan.bsky.social has spent decades exploring what it means to be human. In his new book A World Appears, he takes on one of the biggest questions in science and philosophy: what consciousness is—or isn’t. Hear more: www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/epis...

Punch the monkey and his plushie re-create a famous psychological experiment Punch, a monkey that went viral after he was abandoned by his mother in a Japanese zoo, is reminiscent of a foundational attachment theory experiment

Punch, a monkey that went viral after he was abandoned by his mother in a Japanese zoo, is reminiscent of a foundational attachment theory experiment

Trump’s State of the Union speech made no mention of Make America Healthy Again On Tuesday the U.S. president largely steered clear of his administration’s health care agenda amid a broader push to downplay antivaccine efforts ahead of upcoming midterm elections

Trump’s state of the union speech, despite being record-long, did not once mention his administration’s Make America Healthy Again effort - a notable omission that may reflect concerns about a backlash in the midterms to RFK’s antivaccine policies: www.scientificamerican.com/article/trum...

Surgeon general nominee and ally of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., moves to Senate confirmation The U.S. Senate is holding a confirmation hearing today for wellness influencer Casey Means, the Trump administration’s pick for surgeon general

The U.S. Senate is holding a confirmation hearing today for wellness influencer Casey Means, the Trump administration’s pick for surgeon general

The surprising new physics of squeaky basketball shoes A new study explains why basketball shoes make a high-pitched squeaking noise when they rub against the hardwood. The ridges on the sole hold the key

Now on @sciam.bsky.social: Why do basketball sneakers squeak so much?

Come for the surprising explanation based on a new study; stay for the demo showing how, in principle, shoes could be made to squeak out Darth Vader's "Imperial March" on the court!

www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-...

Why Winter Olympic medals broke and what the failure revealed A small design flaw in the medals for the Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina turned a durability promise into a very public stress test

Why have the medals at the Olympics kept breaking? My colleague Eric Sullivan dug into the science for @sciam.bsky.social 🧪

This was actually by Matt Fuchs (I just edited). But skimo is definitely not for the weak!

"It's... a moray"

WHO director-general calls plans for U.S.-funded vaccine trial ‘unethical’ The director-general of the WHO said a U.S.-funded study of the hepatitis B vaccine in Guinea-Bissau would be “unethical” if it proceeds as planned.

Director-General @drtedros.who.int minced no words today when asked about the proposal to run a trial of a hepatitis B vaccine birth dose in Guinea-Bissau. It would be "unethical to proceed with this study," he said. "Maybe it's better to say it bluntly & straight."
www.statnews.com/2026/02/11/h...

Snowstorms are hell for wheelchair users—but they don't have to be "You can't physically move. You can't do anything."

Snowstorms are more than just an inconvenience for wheelchair users. Inadequate snow clean-ups means a loss of autonomy for many. New for me at @motherjones.com www.motherjones.com/politics/202...

A ‘shadow CDC’ is scrambling to fill gaps in public health data Dozens of routinely updated CDC databases have gone quiet. Here’s what states and medical societies are doing to preserve U.S. public health

Under RFK, Jr., the CDC's authority has crumbled: it is no longer updating dozens of health databases, and has abandoned vaccine guidelines. But states and governors are trying to fill the void, @laurenjyoung.bsky.social writes @scifri.bsky.social: www.scientificamerican.com/article/stat...

NIH ends fetal tissue research The National Institutes of Health’s move to end support for research using fetal human tissue is “clearly a political decision, not a scientific one,” one expert says

NIH, under Trump, moves to end fetal tissue research, @danvergano.bsky.social writes: www.scientificamerican.com/article/nih-...

Parents who had this many kids aged more slowly, study finds A new study found that women in Finland who had a lot of kids—or none—aged faster than those with one or a few kids. But the findings don’t necessarily translate to today’s parents

Women who had more than 5+ children or no children aged more quickly than those with 1-4 children, a study of twins in Finland found, supporting a theory about the tradeoffs of reproduction. By @krcallaway.bsky.social for @sciam.bsky.social www.scientificamerican.com/article/pare...

Hi Dan, I'm a health journalist for Scientific American. Are you open to speaking with me about this? You can DM me or reach me on Signal (username in bio). Thanks!

I’ve been rage posting on Instagram all day. Looking forward to a verbal vent with these two brilliant scientists. 🖤

U.S. Axes Number of Recommended Childhood Vaccines in Blow to Public Health The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is reducing the recommended number of vaccines to protect against 11 diseases, instead of the 17 it recommended previously

Trump's CDC has officially changed the U.S. vaccine schedule, slashing the number of recommended shots in a move experts say will blow up decades of success with childhood vaccines. By @jackiefmogensen.bsky.social for @sciam.bsky.social www.scientificamerican.com/article/u-s-...

Many people have been giving excellent updates about the $1.6 million that RFK Jr. has given to Danish researchers to “study” the HepB birth dose in Guinea-Bissau, and I’m glad this story is spreading.

The first thing that was confirmed is that the researchers are Benn and Aady, as many predicted.

Trump Administration Moves to Severely Curtail Access to Gender-Affirming Care for Minors Health officials on Thursday announced a slew of measures that will restrict access to gender-affirming health care for young transgender people in the U.S.

Trump admin moves to severely restrict access to gender-affirming care in children. Legal challenges are likely. By @danvergano.bsky.social @laurenjyoung.bsky.social and me, with edits by @clairehcameron.bsky.social @sciam.bsky.social www.scientificamerican.com/article/trum...

Hi Monica, I'm a health desk editor at Scientific American. Can you please add me to the science feed? (link to my stories: www.scientificamerican.com/author/tanya...)

Public Health Alerts — A New Section in NEJM Evidence, in Partnership with CIDRAP Public Health Alerts, a new section in NEJM Evidence, brought about through a new partnership with CIDRAP, seeks to advance our core mission: improving human health by putting actionable data in th...

NEJM Evidence and CIDRAP Announce “Public Health Alerts,”
a new series for the rapid communication of important public health data, similar to the old MMWR. The first health alerts are out today. Expect more to come!

evidence.nejm.org/doi/full/10....

These Orcas Are on the Brink—And So Is the Science That Could Save Them Inside the desperate rush to save the southern resident killer whales

In my first(!) feature for @sciam.bsky.social, I went out with researchers who study endangered orcas. With federal funding cuts to science, it's not just the whales that need saving anymore...

But on the plus side: there's a rescue dog named Eba (🧵) who helps find orca poop!
shorturl.at/YIkJk

Getting a COVID Vaccine while Pregnant Slashes Risk of Premature Birth, Major New Study Finds Pregnant people who receive a COVID vaccine are 60 percent less likely to experience severe disease and around 30 percent less likely to give birth prematurely, according to new research

Getting the COVID vaccine while pregnant slashes the risk of having a baby born prematurely by nearly a third, and the risk of severe disease in the parent by 60%, a big new study finds. By @clairehcameron.bsky.social @sciam.bsky.social www.scientificamerican.com/article/gett...

Every mass shooting is a horrific, preventable loss and a reminder that we have traded the rights of the many for the rights of a few. University or school shootings are especially gutting, not just because of their nearness (I’m a professor) but because it feels like such a violation of the sacred.

Feeling heartsick for Brown tonight. Pass gun legislation now.

My least popular (and most correct) view is that cars should be automatically limited to the local speed limit. Put the pedal to the floor and you still can't go over 25mph in a residential area.

(15 in Manhattan btw)

Health Experts Slam Possible FDA ‘Black Box’ Warning for COVID Vaccines The FDA is reportedly considering the addition of high-level warning labels to COVID vaccines, a move that some experts say may cause unfounded concerns over safety

"The science is clear: the benefits continue to outweigh the risks by a wide margin,” @kkjetelina.bsky.social says of the black box warning FDA is reportedly considering adding to the COVID vaccines. By @laurenjyoung.bsky.social @sciam.bsky.social www.scientificamerican.com/article/heal...

How hepatitis B vaccine changes could add confusion for families, limit protection against other diseases How a new recommendation on hepatitis B vaccination could add confusion for families and limit protection against other diseases.

Parents who want to follow the new advice of the #ACIP & delay or decline to vaccinate their infants against #hepatitisB could encounter logistical problems vaccinating those babies against polio, pertussis & other serious illnesses, experts warn. www.statnews.com/2025/12/12/c...

Measles Outbreaks Accelerate as U.S. Inches Closer to a Disease Tipping Point More than 1,900 people, mostly children, have been sickened by measles in the U.S. in 2025. The outbreaks are moving the country toward losing its measles-free status by early next year

More than 1,900 people, mostly children, have been sickened by measles in the U.S. in 2025. The outbreaks are moving the country toward losing its measles-free status by early next year

COVID Vaccines Slashed Kids’ ER Visits by 76 Percent, Study Finds A report published by the CDC reaffirms the effectiveness of COVID vaccines at preventing severe disease in children

COVID vaccines slashed ER visits by 76% in kids 9 mos-4 yrs, and 56% in older kids, CDC's latest MMWR report found (reposting with story): www.scientificamerican.com/article/covi...