Mistrust and frustration from mask and vaccine mandates may have contributed to increased violence against health care workers, according to a 2021 report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, lauren schneider reports. buff.ly/VU6lfKV

Mold can often be smelled before it can be seen because of volatile organic chemicals, which turn into gas at room temperature, Marta Hill explains. buff.ly/tyuK1C0

"The ability to keep administrative records, track purchases and even externalize thoughts by writing them down on paper is something many of us take for granted, but writing has not been around forever," @kr_callaway writes. buff.ly/IEEzu4h

If current diet trends continue, population growth will mean more cows — and more methane. Leslie Li reports on how scientists are tackling emissions from cattle. buff.ly/h3ZTq4l

The process of naming species is complex and inconsistent, and sometimes produces names that, over time, become offensive, Miriam Bahagijo reports. Here’s what you should know about how species are named — and occasionally renamed. buff.ly/75N3sOU

Researchers in Italy found when violinists play emotional pieces, their bow movements are rougher. Still, one professional violinist thinks of emotion as an overwhelmingly positive tool in his arsenal, Perri Thaler reports for the Scienceline podcast. buff.ly/9Dwx26t

Studying the leap from proto-cuneiform to cuneiform can help us understand the development of writing and the cognitive changes behind it, @kr_callaway reports. buff.ly/GaOxVPf

In my latest for Alzforum, new research implicates Commander and CCC complexes in PD risk.

In my first for Live Science, I spoke to Boston University researchers hopeful their sound filtering algorithm will improve hearing aid tech.

Scientists have long puzzled over the limits of memory, and which parts of the mind govern how strongly we remember certain events. Recent findings in mice suggest strong memories can prevent weaker ones from forming, Tom Brown reports. buff.ly/GQqqzZg

Ever wondered how your knitting project will turn out? Ask a physicist! In my first for Scientific American, researchers explain the new mathematical model that can help predict the age-old art of knitting. Read it here: scientificamerican.com/article/knitti…

The rise of text-to-music platforms like Suno and Udio has prompted researchers to develop systems that flag AI-generated music, lauren schneider reports. Test your own detection skills with our interactive game. scienceline.org/2025/05/ai-mus…

Don’t know which was more fun, learning from scientists at the cutting edge of media forensics, chatting with AI music enthusiasts or creating the interactive game (best on desktop).

Salt production in India is undertaken by thousands of workers who spend hours in the sun, even during heatwaves. This has caused chronic kidney dysfunction among them. In my first for In These Times I trace this disease burden. inthesetimes.com/article/cost-o…

Two-thirds of incarcerated people in the U.S. have a substance use disorder, the majority of which involve opioids. A new study reveals less than half of the nation's jails provide medication to treat opioid use disorder, Leslie Liang reports. scienceline.org/2025/05/americ…

Farmers in China face increasing droughts, floods and other weather-related disasters due to climate change. In response, some spurn chemical sprays in favor of natural fertilizers and other techniques aimed to restore depleted soils, Leslie Liang reports. buff.ly/wncQGkZ

Ants adapted to cultivate fungus “gardens” without sunlight, feeding off the produce over millions of years. Researchers say the insects can teach humans about our own agriculture, Tom Brown reports. buff.ly/LhjbwcC

I hate being the bearer of bad news, but I love that scientists have more evidence about the health effects of cannabis. So it all evens out in my latest for Live Science. livescience.com/health/marijua…

If food poisoning is enough to disrupt your body's bacterial balance, imagine what a trip to #space might do? Studies on animals could help scientists predict how space flight affects the human #microbiome, Perri Thaler reports scienceline.org/2025/06/should…

Why are pharmaceutical companies growing cancer tumours in space? Cancer cells grow faster in space, which is great news if you want to develop cancer treatments quicker. The problem? Some of the treatments might only work in low gravity. Read here: tinyurl.com/4m3csnvz