Clips

Psychedelics

Can Psychedelics Slow Dementia? // proto.life
The link between dementia and neuroplasticity inspires researchers to test psychedelics as a potential treatment for cognitive impairment.

School of Shrooms // proto.life
Oregon’s grand experiment in training psychedelic facilitators is facing a tangle of ambiguity and red tape.

The Dark Side of Decriminalizing Peyote // Grid
The tiny cactus at the center of a fight between some Native Americans and psychedelic drug advocates

Do Psychedelics Need Psychiatrists? // Neo.Life
As psychedelic drugs are poised to join the mainstream, what is the role of the prescriber?

Meet the Psychologist Using Psychedelics to Treat Racial Trauma // Leaps
Monnica Williams is helping Black people resolve the harmful impacts of racism.

Oceans and Water

Sponge study extends timeline of human-caused climate change // C&EN
Temperature records captured by sclerosponges show the impact of early industrial emissions 

Tracking Marine Heatwaves // Eos
Heat waves can happen in the depths, invisible at the ocean surface.

Spurring Ocean Research with Open Data // Eos
Ocean data abound, but accessing them is a challenge, making tackling climate change difficult. One nonprofit is trying to compile them. 

Managing Mudslide Debris After Fires // Eos
California officials faced a conundrum in dealing with mudslides after the Thomas Fire.

Massive Groundwater Systems Lie Beneath Antarctic Ice // Eos
Scientists are updating ice stream models to understand the ways in which deep groundwater systems affect ice flow.

The Salty Secrets of Extreme Longevity // Neo.Life
Rockfish, clams, tortoises, and other underwater Methuselahs harbor adaptations that could provide clues to unlocking our own longevity.

Stormwater Ponds Are Carbon Sources, Not Sinks // Eos
New research from Florida tracks carbon dioxide and methane emissions from human-created waterways.

Oregon Kelp and the Critters that Love  It // Travel Oregon
Why seaweed matters and how coastal researchers are helping us protect it.

Just 15.5% of Global Coastline Remains Intact // Eos
Combining data from land and sea helps ecologists measure human impact.

Giant Kelp Is Getting Less Nutritious // Hakai
A new study shows how warming oceans are related to kelp with lower nitrogen levels.

Lake Michigan’s Salinity Is on the Rise // Eos
Road salt is primarily to blame for the shift, though the water remains within safe levels for now.

Alaska’s Sea Otters Have Individual Eating Habits // Hakai
Sea otters don’t all eat the same things—which makes it more difficult to deduce their effect on prey species like crabs and clams.

What will it take to bring back Oregon's kelp forests? // Rewilding
Kelp forests are critical ecosystems and effective carbon sinks, too – but they're under threat around the globe.

Oregon Needs Otters // Sierra
Scientists, divers, and Indigenous people are trying to bring them back—but it will take everyone working together

Deep-Ocean Cooling May Have Offset Global Warming Until 1990 // Eos
New machine learning techniques have estimated ocean temperatures below 2,000 meters, leading to a new model of warming trends.

Animals

Zoogeochemists Measure How Muddy Animals Change Their Environments’ Chemistry // Central Science/C&EN
As climate change accelerates, small populations are influencing ecosystems more than they used to.

Squirrels Survive When Humans Would Die // proto.life
Mining squirrel genomes for clues to developing new drugs for humans 

Longevity in Dog Years // Neo.Life
Epigenetic aging biomarkers in dogs could help your furry friends live longer, healthier lives.

Building a Better Nose // Neo. Life
Dogs, ants, and other organisms that sniff out cancer could help train an AI to do the same.

Insect Futures—From Farm, to Table, to Pharmacy  // Neo.Life
Insect-based foods, fuels, fertilizers, and antimicrobials will be a part of our future, like it or not.

Homing Pigeons Remember Routes for Years // Scientific American
Even after four years away from a release site, pigeons took similar paths home

Forget dogs: These rats could be the future of search-and-rescue // Science
Researchers are training rodents with tiny backpacks to sniff out survivors

Will My Dog Get Precision Medicine Before Me?  // Neo.Life
The canine health and wellness market is full of innovation, with new products for early cancer detection, genetic testing, and behavior tracking.

How to Prepare Your Pandemic Pup for Your Post-Vax Return to 'Normal' Life // VICE
Don't stress at the first signs of adjustment trouble; there is a lot you can do for yourself and your dog now to smooth the transition.

Human Physiology

The Lure of Self Experimentation // proto.life
These innovators are using their own bodies to build evidence for their hypotheses.

Sarcopenia: What a Waste // proto.life
This muscle-wasting disease could shorten your life and is alarmingly prevalent. Why are so many people unaware it exists?

Big Man, Little Boat // proto.life
Crossing the Atlantic in a 3.5-foot boat is a risky trip that will be punishing on the body. Andrew Bedwell is stoked.

Hot Competition // proto.life
Surprising new science on the benefits of heat therapy for peak-performing athletes -- and people in hospitals

The Allure of the Ice-Cold Plunge // Neo.Life
Here are scientific reasons why you should consider a polar bear swim.

21st Century Olympic Doping // Neo.Life
Gene editing for performance enhancement may not be the Tokyo cheat, but we asked the experts how far off it might be.

Backyard Ultramarathons Push the Limits of Running // Neo.Life
Ultra races like Big Dog and Run O’Clock neutralize speed advantages and inspire record-breaking feats of endurance.

Shelby Houlihan Says a Burrito Ended her Olympic Career. We Set Out to Find It. // Willamette Week
For us non-Olympic hopefuls, pig organ meats are safe to consume. And pretty darn tasty.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion (and Racism) in STEM

As an artist-scientist, ‘I’m obsessed with pigments’ // Nature
Biochemist Sierra Weir explores local ecosystems around Pittsburgh for art and inspiration. 

Climate Change Needs Voices from the Global South // Eos
Scientists from Africa, South America, and South Asia are more rarely consulted than their peers in the Global North. A new database aims to change that.

What Will It Take to Decolonize Artificial Intelligence? // Neo.Life
Workforce diversity, collective oversight, and day-to-day algorithm monitoring are all necessary to mitigate inherent bias.

Hostile Workplaces Drive Minorities from the Geosciences // Eos
A pipeline of minoritized groups doesn’t ensure retention, a survey finds.

Community Input Drives Superfund Research // Eos
Researchers identified geochemical tracers for lead and investigated Oklahomans’ concerns at the Tar Creek Superfund site.

4 Black Female Ob-Gyns Take on Racial Disparities in Reproductive Health // Neo.Life
Their research could mean longer healthspans for Black women.

Meet the Psychologist Using Psychedelics to Treat Racial Trauma // Leaps
Monnica Williams is helping Black people resolve the harmful impacts of racism.

Medicine

Breathwork is Booming // proto.life
As more people seek help for their mental health, simple techniques that link mind and body are powerful alternatives to traditional talk therapy.

Human Organs Age at Different Rates // proto.life
Organ-specific biological clocks are the latest tool for predicting and treating both chronic disease and overall aging.

Frost Fight // proto.life
New tech to slash organ transplant waiting lists 

Building a Better Microbiome // proto.life
Stephanie Culler is using genetically engineered, synthetic probiotics to overhaul treatments for a host of ailments.

Can We Learn to Embrace Robotic Caregivers? // proto.life
An aging population and elder care shortages mean we may not have a choice.

Living with Someone Changes Your Microbiome // Leaps

Cutting Calories to Add Years // proto.life
Finally, we have evidence that caloric restriction may increase human lifespan. 

2 Minutes to Midlife // Neo.Life
The fantastic, unspecified future of epigenetic clocks

CandyCodes could provide sweet justice against fake pills // Leaps

Should Inhaled Anesthetics Be Swapped for IVs? // Eos
Using intravenous anesthetics instead of volatile ones could help curb greenhouse gas emissions, but there are challenges to making the switch.

For patients with macular degeneration, new hope for restored sight // Leaps

Fasting-Mimicking Diet Increases Anti-Tumor Immunity // Cancer Today
Short bursts of intense calorie restriction could improve treatment response in patients with a range of cancers.

Could Intermittent Fasting Slow Cancer? // Neo.Life
Early studies of intermittent fasting for breast cancer are underway to see if it slows tumor growth and saves lives.

Earth Science

Last Tree Standing // Eos
Refugia repopulate forests after fires, but climate change is making these woodlands increasingly unpredictable.

Rock Music in Utah // Eos
Three-dimensional models could help forecast rock tower frequencies—and seismic impacts—around the globe.

A New Model for an Old Extinction Event // Eos
A 3D Earth system model incorporates variables such as temperature and sulfurization to shed light on the end-Permian extinction event.

Older articles: clippings.me/robindonovan.