The hottest Science Substack posts right now

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What's new in biology: summer 2025

The Works in Progress Newsletter • 22 implied HN points • 09 Jul 25
🔬 Science Biotechnology Medicine Genetics Health Pharmaceuticals
  1. A personalized gene therapy using CRISPR has helped a baby with a rare genetic disease, allowing him to eat more protein without harmful effects. This shows how quickly treatments can be developed for urgent medical needs.
  2. New RSV vaccines are significantly reducing hospitalizations for infants in the US, proving to be effective in protecting young babies from severe respiratory infections. If more infants got vaccinated, there would be even fewer hospital visits.
  3. A new cholesterol drug, obicetrapib, is showing promise in lowering LDL levels for heart disease patients, even those already on maximum doses of statins. It seems to have fewer side effects, making it a good option for many.

Climate Change API

Open-Meteo • 281 implied HN points • 13 Apr 23
🔬 Science Climate change Climate Data Climate models
  1. The Climate API provides high-resolution climate data from the IPCC 6th assessment report, showcasing effects like temperature increases, extreme temperatures, and melting of Arctic sea ice.
  2. High-resolution climate models allow for more accurate regional climate change predictions, aiding in studies on the impacts of climate change on a smaller scale.
  3. The Climate API offers daily climate data from 1950 to 2050, enabling users to calculate climate indices and make projections like crop yield, pest infestation, and more.

Science writing update, August 2023 edition

Science Fictions • 229 implied HN points • 09 Aug 23
🔬 Science Research Medicine Publication Psychology Replication
  1. LK-99, the 'room-temperature superconductor', turned out not to be true despite initial social media hype and extravagant claims.
  2. Transparency in scientific publication processes, like preprints and peer review at eLife, can lead to challenges like circulating false claims.
  3. The approval of new drugs for Alzheimer's disease may not always mean groundbreaking results, highlighting the importance of critically analyzing scientific breakthrough claims.
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Links for 2024-02-10

Axis of Ordinary • 19 implied HN points • 10 Feb 24
🔬 Science AI Neuroscience Physics
  1. AI advancements are progressing rapidly, with more agents leading to better performance in Language Models.
  2. Neuroscience is evolving with innovations like sensors enhancing sensation in prosthetic limbs and brain control enabled by neural networks.
  3. Physics research reveals insights such as gravity showcasing the strong force in the proton and implications of linearity in quantum mechanics.

What Happens in the Brain While Daydreaming?

Psych • 19 implied HN points • 10 Feb 24
🔬 Science Neuroscience Memory
  1. Daydreaming may contribute to brain plasticity: Daydreams, especially after viewing images, might assist the brain in learning and adapting by guiding neural patterns.
  2. Neural activity during daydreams: Neurons in the visual cortex of mice fired similarly during daydreaming and when actively looking at images, suggesting a link between daydreams and visual memories.
  3. Predictive nature of early daydreams: Daydreams at the start of the day predicted changes in the brain's response to images, indicating that daydreams could influence the brain's future reactions to visual stimuli.

Calibrating circuits

Only Wonder Knows • 19 implied HN points • 09 Feb 24
🔬 Science Physics Chemistry Engineering Technology Research
  1. Calibration of circuits can be a useful solution but it's important to know when it is necessary and when it's not.
  2. Understanding how components like sensors and resistors behave in different conditions is crucial before considering calibration.
  3. Before deciding to calibrate electronic components, a detailed technical and economic analysis should be conducted to ensure it is a suitable solution.

Can a Hermit Crab Be Rich?

Creating Inequality • 39 implied HN points • 07 Oct 23
🔬 Science Animal Behavior Wealth Distribution Ecology
  1. Hermit crabs can be seen as 'rich' based on the size of the snail shells they possess, which determines their level of wealth.
  2. The distribution of wealth in hermit crabs closely resembles that of human societies, showing similarities in terms of inequality.
  3. Factors like individual differences and wealth transfer through vacancy chains may explain the similarity in wealth distributions between hermit crabs and humans.

A review of "Don’t forget the boundary problem..."

Unstabler Ontology • 19 implied HN points • 08 Feb 24
🔬 Science Consciousness Brain Physics Cognitive Science Metaphysics
  1. The article discusses the binding problem in consciousness theories, which is about combining different features into a unified awareness.
  2. Functionalism is challenged by the boundary problem, questioning why there are limits to our conscious experiences.
  3. Electromagnetic theories of consciousness are explored, considering the role of EM fields in demarcating conscious entities and potential solutions using field topology.

Bioeconomy Basics

The Polymerist • 265 implied HN points • 18 Apr 23
🔬 Science Chemicals
  1. Crude oil is essentially old biomass with reduced oxygen, yielding aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons.
  2. Abundant alternative feedstocks include cellulose, chitin, and lignin, offering potential for bioeconomy.
  3. Challenges in utilizing cellulose and lignin involve cost-effective isolation of sugars and efficient depolymerization for various applications.

Transhumanists vs. Mysterians on The Posthuman Condition

Extropic Thoughts • 39 implied HN points • 17 May 23
🔬 Science Technology Biology Philosophy Psychology Neuroscience
  1. The piece discusses the contrast between Transhumanists and Mysterians in their views on the Posthuman Condition.
  2. It highlights the error in labeling Extropians as 'posthumans' when they actually describe themselves as transhumanists.
  3. The essay stresses the importance of considering cultural and psychological consequences of changing human nature when discussing transhumanist ideas.

Let Nature Choose Your Deadlines

NonTrivial • 39 implied HN points • 11 May 23
🔬 Science Creativity Complexity Innovation
  1. Life presents challenges that require building physical solutions with useful outputs, necessitating deadlines for progress and control.
  2. Deadlines are a modern construct; our ancestors followed a more natural rhythm based on our energy and instinct, not strict time constraints.
  3. Nature's deadlines are determined by the structural complexity needed for solutions to hard problems, so focusing on invariant, abstract aspects early on can help us align with those deadlines.

Beyond Caution: The Party of Life

Extropic Thoughts • 39 implied HN points • 19 Apr 23
🔬 Science Technology Bioethics Transhumanism Metaphysical Evolutionary Psychology
  1. Transhumanists faced prominent intellectual threats in 2004 from individuals like Bill Joy, Leon Kass, and Francis Fukuyama.
  2. The Precautionary Principle and philosophical opposition reflected fears of going beyond human nature and the potential risks of advancing technologies.
  3. Advocates for technological progress emphasized the importance of embracing change, exploring positive futures, and respecting differing viewpoints while pursuing an ever-improving future.

(My) shallow thoughts about deep learning, I

Silicon Reckoner • 39 implied HN points • 27 Jun 23
🔬 Science AI Mathematics Machine Learning Research Technology
  1. The workshop on 'AI to Assist Mathematical Reasoning' involved sessions with mathematicians and professionals discussing the role of institutions in adapting to AI.
  2. Panelists highlighted the importance of collaborations, new publication models, and the need for changes in teaching to incorporate new technologies in mathematics.
  3. There was a discussion about the potential impact of AI on mathematical reasoning, with a focus on automation, creating an ecosystem for accessibility, and the implications for democratizing decisions.

Fifth layer inside the Earth's core has just been found!

Stemble - for the love of STEM! • 39 implied HN points • 28 Feb 23
🔬 Science Geology Discovery Research
  1. A new fifth layer has been discovered in Earth's core by scientists at Australian National University.
  2. The discovery was made by studying seismic waves that traveled five times across the Earth's diameter.
  3. Previous studies on Earth's core only looked at single bounces, but this new finding reveals a different crystalline structure deep inside.

Sphericons

Pershmail • 39 implied HN points • 28 Apr 23
🔬 Science Mathematics Geometry Physics
  1. The sphericon is a shape that wobbles when twisted, and it's made of two pieces resembling bicones.
  2. The sphericon has square dimensions and a 90 degree angle from one end extending down.
  3. Generalizations of the sphericon, called polycons, roll in a wobbly way and include shapes like hexacons, octacons, and decacons.

Compilation Post #3

Extropic Thoughts • 39 implied HN points • 15 Apr 23
🔬 Science Health Space Environment Genetics Research
  1. Child mortality rates have drastically decreased over centuries, signifying significant progress in global healthcare.
  2. America's GDP and economic dominance have continued to grow, especially when compared to its developed peers like in 1990.
  3. AI advancements like ChatGPT's 'iPhone moment' and BloombergGPT are reshaping industries with their capabilities.

Praetorian PTEN: Protecting Cells from Cancer

Holodoxa • 39 implied HN points • 24 Aug 23
🔬 Science Genetics Cell Biology Cancer Research Molecular Biology
  1. PTEN acts as a crucial barrier against cancer growth by regulating cell growth and proliferation.
  2. The structure of PTEN, spanning 105 thousand DNA base pairs on chromosome ten, reveals its functional capabilities and how it interacts with cellular components.
  3. PTEN's loss of function, often due to mutation, influences the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway, impacting cellular signaling and potentially leading to tumorigenesis.

A History of Window Strikes

Bird History • 39 implied HN points • 13 Sep 23
🔬 Science Ornithology Conservation Technology History
  1. Birds face significant threats from collisions with buildings, resulting in the death of millions of birds each year.
  2. Historically, various structures such as lighthouses, telegraph wires, and buildings have been responsible for causing bird fatalities, spanning over 200 years.
  3. While skyscrapers and towers have the most dramatic effect on bird fatalities, most birds die from collisions with low-rise buildings and residences, highlighting the need for bird-safe design practices.

Compilation Post 2

Extropic Thoughts • 39 implied HN points • 07 Apr 23
🔬 Science AI Climate Population Medicine Energy
  1. The AI industry is rapidly evolving and impacting various sectors, with a rise in incidents of misuse and growing demand for AI-related skills.
  2. Different perspectives on regulating AI and the importance of considering equilibrium and feedback mechanisms in AI development.
  3. Climate and energy topics like the declining cost of cultivated meat and the impact of global warming on temperature-related deaths are being discussed.

Reverse Genetic Systems

A Biologist's Guide to Life • 58 implied HN points • 23 Dec 24
🔬 Science Biology Virology Genetics Statistics
  1. There are two main theories about the origin of SARS-CoV-2: one is that it came from animal trade, and the other is that it originated in a lab. Each theory has its own set of details that scientists are still investigating.
  2. Understanding the origins of the virus requires knowledge of both biology and complex statistical methods. These methods help researchers weigh the evidence carefully, which is crucial for arriving at the most likely explanation.
  3. The evidence increasingly suggests that the virus may have come from a lab, especially noting the features like the furin cleavage site that were put into a reverse genetic system. This raises important questions about how we study viruses and their potential risks.

Scolding Crows

Street Smart Naturalist: Explorations of the Urban Kind • 159 implied HN points • 09 Jun 22
🔬 Science Biology Ecology Animal Behavior Environmental Science
  1. Crows are very protective of their young and can become aggressive towards humans and other animals that come too close to their territory. It's not uncommon for a crow to scold you if you're in their area.
  2. Crows have been observed to mob other predators, like hawks and eagles, to protect themselves and their young. This shows their smart and social behavior as they work together to fend off threats.
  3. Studies have shown that crows can recognize faces and remember individuals who pose a threat to them. They teach younger crows to scold these dangerous figures, demonstrating their ability to learn and pass on knowledge.