The hottest Science Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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Top Science Topics

What does peer review know?

New Things Under the Sun • 160 implied HN points • 19 Apr 23
🔬 Science Peer Review
  1. Peer review is a common way to allocate scientific resources and has been shown to predict scientific impact.
  2. Studies have found a positive correlation between peer review scores and measures of research impact, such as publications and citations.
  3. The strength of the association between peer review scores and research impact may vary, but overall peer review can provide valuable insights into the potential impact of scientific work.

Of mice and men and eggs

De Novo • 165 implied HN points • 17 Mar 23
🔬 Science Biology Genetics Research
  1. A study successfully produced eggs from male mice, resulting in baby mice with two biological fathers.
  2. Researchers converted male mouse stem cells to female cells by exploiting chromosomal instability and using a kinase inhibitor.
  3. This breakthrough suggests the possibility of growing eggs not only from women but also from men in the future.

Chaos is the most unrecognized form of order

Hack-a-craft’s Weekly Digest • 2 implied HN points • 17 Dec 25
🔬 Science Chaos Theory Complexity Science Cognitive Science Evolutionary biology
  1. Chaotic systems follow precise rules but are extremely sensitive to tiny differences, so small changes can produce huge, unpredictable outcomes.
  2. People expect simple, linear cause and effect, so they often miss the hidden order in chaotic situations that don’t follow straight lines.
  3. Disruption and uncertainty can spark creativity and innovation by breaking old patterns and letting new, better orders emerge.

The State of 'the Gaps' 2022-23

Cremieux Recueil • 96 implied HN points • 31 Dec 23
🔬 Science Psychometrics Data Analysis
  1. The observed Black-White intelligence gap in standardized test performance has shown some variations over the years.
  2. Errors were found in a study that claimed a significant closure in the intelligence gap between Black and White individuals.
  3. Recent data and analyses suggest that the racial intelligence gap in the U.S. has not significantly closed and remains consistent with historical observations.

What Can Apes Teach Us About Gender?

Holodoxa • 79 implied HN points • 03 Jul 22
🔬 Science Gender Evolution Biology Behavior
  1. Frans de Waal's book 'Different' explores the biology behind sex and gender differences in humans and society, offering a balanced perspective between social constructionists and biological determinists.
  2. De Waal emphasizes that understanding the biological influences on gender does not prescribe certain behaviors, but rather describes the natural variations in gender expression among primates.
  3. The author caution readers that activism for social equality needs to be informed by a proper understanding of biology, highlighting the importance of balancing science with social issues.
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Roche Nanopore Expectation Management

ASeq Newsletter • 29 implied HN points • 23 Jan 25
🔬 Science Genetics Sequencing Biotechnology Research Innovation
  1. The Roche Nanopore sequencer is expected to generate useful sequence data, showcasing its potential in the market. This could help solidify nanopores as a valuable detection technology.
  2. Accuracy is important for applications, but Roche is likely to compete on cost, which could make their technology appealing for various uses. Their position is good for future improvements.
  3. Roche's innovations may lead to significant competition for existing sequencing methods, especially Illumina. The expectations suggest that this could reshape the sequencing landscape.

Scientists Censoring Science

Unsafe Science • 97 implied HN points • 07 Dec 23
🔬 Science Censorship Academic Freedom Peer Review Research Ethics
  1. Censorship isn't just government-based, but also exists in various forms like corporate agreements and book bans.
  2. Rejection in science for not meeting standards isn't censorship - it's a common part of the scientific process.
  3. There is a rising trend of scientists facing punishment for their speech, leading to self-censorship and threats to academic freedom.

Predicting earthquakes

The Works in Progress Newsletter • 11 implied HN points • 16 Jul 25
🔬 Science Earth Science Data science Machine Learning Risk management
  1. Scientists estimate that a major earthquake can occur in the American West Coast, causing massive destruction and loss of life. Planning for these events is crucial, given the high number of residents in these areas today.
  2. Funding for earthquake prediction is very limited, focusing mostly on understanding where earthquakes might happen rather than when. There is a big need for more resources to develop better warning systems.
  3. Using advanced technology and data sharing can significantly improve earthquake prediction. A centralized lab focusing on research and collaboration could potentially provide better warning times and save lives.

What do Americans use electricity for?

Sustainability by numbers • 75 implied HN points • 19 Mar 24
🔬 Science Energy Electricity Renewable Energy Data Analysis
  1. American households primarily use electricity for heating, cooling, and controlling humidity.
  2. Future challenges in energy demand will revolve around balancing supply and demand, particularly for temperature control like heating and cooling.
  3. Electricity consumption is dominated by heating, cooling, and humidity control in households, highlighting the importance of efficient solutions in this area.

Small, Fast Grants at the National Science Foundation

The Good Science Project • 33 implied HN points • 10 Dec 24
🔬 Science Research Funding Federal Agencies Philanthropy
  1. The National Science Foundation (NSF) offers small, fast grants that can jumpstart new research ideas, but they aren't used as much as they could be. It's important to increase funding for these types of grants to support innovation.
  2. Philanthropists and foundations should avoid copying the processes of big federal agencies like the NSF and instead focus on their strengths, which can lead to better outcomes in research funding.
  3. Scientists are encouraged to take on roles as science funders, creating opportunities for small grants that can lead to impactful research. This approach can greatly benefit the scientific community.

A Case for Moderate IQ Skepticism

Tom Thought • 19 implied HN points • 31 Oct 23
🔬 Science Psychology Intelligence Measurement Bias
  1. Performance on cognitive tasks is correlated, so individuals who excel in one area tend to excel in others as well.
  2. IQ tests are useful in predicting various life outcomes, but it's important to recognize that they are not a direct measure of intelligence.
  3. It's crucial to be skeptical of assigning deep meaning to specific IQ scores, especially when comparing across different populations.

Log Transformations for efficient multiplication between lots of positive numbers [Technique Tuesdays]

Technology Made Simple • 39 implied HN points • 02 Nov 22
🔬 Science Mathematics Computing Big Data Machine Learning Algorithms
  1. Log transformations can be used for efficient multiplication between large numbers by converting the problem into addition of logs, making it more manageable.
  2. Logs have interesting properties that make them useful for handling computations with very large or very small numbers.
  3. Using log transformations is a clever math technique that is commonly used in fields like AI, Big Data, and Machine Learning to handle large computations.

Some Sex Differences are More Problematic than Others

Unsafe Science • 125 implied HN points • 08 Jul 23
🔬 Science Gender Studies Social Psychology Gender disparities
  1. Efforts to address sex disparities in occupational representation focus more on male-dominated jobs, while issues in female-dominated jobs receive less attention.
  2. Participants, especially women, view male-dominated jobs as more problematic due to perceived sexism/discrimination, regardless of job status or pay.
  3. Perceptions of the causes of gender gaps influence how problematic they are perceived to be, with attributions to sexism/discrimination making the gaps more concerning.

Department of Scientific Efficiency

A Biologist's Guide to Life • 36 implied HN points • 16 Nov 24
🔬 Science Scientific research Funding Models Mentorship Innovation
  1. Science often feels inefficient and frustrating for researchers, leading to disillusionment. Many wish for changes that can improve how scientific work gets done.
  2. Funding for science can be improved by connecting researchers with venture capital and industry, which can help new ideas grow. Scientists need more support and training to navigate these opportunities.
  3. The current grant and publication systems are riddled with issues, making it hard for scientists to succeed. Changing these systems could lead to more effective and fairer funding processes and help researchers publish their work without unnecessary hurdles.

Nuclear Fusion: The State of Play

State of the Future • 34 implied HN points • 20 Nov 24
🔬 Science Energy Technology Physics Innovation Research
  1. Nuclear fusion has great potential for clean energy, but it still faces big challenges like cost and technical hurdles. Commercial fusion might not be realistic until around 2040, despite recent progress.
  2. Different methods of achieving fusion exist, each with their own pros and cons. For example, magnetic confinement is well-researched but expensive, while inertial confinement uses lasers but has its own limitations.
  3. Investment in fusion technology is growing, with billions already being put in by both private companies and governments. This means, even though it's a tough path, there's hope for fusion as a key player in future energy strategies.

Book review - "Hacking Darwin" (repost)

Dan Elton's Newsletter • 19 implied HN points • 28 Oct 23
🔬 Science Genetic Engineering Ethical Concerns
  1. Genetic engineering is not necessarily unnatural, just unfamiliar - history shows widespread acceptance of new ideas and technologies over time.
  2. Future advancements in genetic engineering like embryo selection could potentially eliminate genetic disorders and enhance desirable traits in offspring.
  3. There are ethical concerns regarding genetic engineering, such as potential biases and the risk of creating societal inequalities through the creation of genetically engineered 'super children'.

A writing fellowship on scientific progress

The Works in Progress Newsletter • 25 implied HN points • 11 Feb 25
🔬 Science Biotechnology Metascience Technology History Publications
  1. There is a six-month writing fellowship where writers can create articles about scientific progress. It's a great chance for those interested in topics like biotech or the history of science.
  2. Writers in the fellowship will get help from experienced mentors and editors to improve their work. They will also receive a stipend of $1,500 per month for completing their writing.
  3. It's important for applicants to have a blog or previous writing experience. The fellowship encourages original thinking and aims to support writers looking to share their unique ideas.

Time response of first order systems

Only Wonder Knows • 19 implied HN points • 27 Oct 23
🔬 Science Physics Experiments Measurement
  1. When measuring a system's response time, make sure to wait for at least five time constants to reach a stable state.
  2. First order systems have a unique time response that can be calculated using simple expressions.
  3. Extracting the time constant of a system involves analyzing data, normalizing measurements, and ensuring a good fit to confirm the system's behavior.

Does Psychological Science Need Science or Bullshit?

Unsafe Science • 97 implied HN points • 04 Nov 23
🔬 Science Psychology
  1. The paper discusses the use of empty verbiage and fuzzy buzzwords in scientific writing.
  2. The author points out the importance of empirical evidence over references to support claims in psychological science.
  3. Assertions in research papers should be substantiated with empirical studies and avoid vague, unsupported claims.

Thria or Alaea Could Be Good Common Names for the Third Interstellar Object

Viruses Must Die • 8 implied HN points • 17 Aug 25
🔬 Science Astrophysics Virology Astronomy Life Sciences
  1. The third interstellar object, currently called 3I/ATLAS, needs a better common name. Suggestions include 'Thria,' which is easy to remember.
  2. 'Alaea' is another name option that connects to Hawaiian culture and the discovery of the object, but there are concerns about how it might be pronounced.
  3. It's important for scientists to come up with catchy and memorable names for new interstellar objects, as we will likely discover many more in the future.

Left-Wing Authoritarians are Averse to Masculine Looking Men

Unsafe Science • 137 implied HN points • 24 Apr 23
🔬 Science Evolutionary Psychology Behavioral Science Personality Traits Research Studies
  1. Left-wing authoritarians are averse to masculine-looking men.
  2. Masculinized men can be perceived as threatening by left-wing authoritarians due to their physical advantages in conflict.
  3. Evolutionary history influences how people make judgments about others based on appearance, impacting social interactions and group dynamics.

The Censorious Society for Personality and Social Psychology

Unsafe Science • 76 implied HN points • 14 Feb 24
🔬 Science Social Psychology Academic standards Censorship
  1. At the Society for Personality and Social Psychology conference, a poster was removed for discussing Muslim support for terrorism, sparking censorship accusations.
  2. The removal of the poster led to debates on the justification for retraction, with criticisms on lack of scientific grounds and biases.
  3. While there were complaints about the removed poster, another poster lacking scientific content faced no consequences, raising questions about inconsistent standards.

Assembly Line of Enzymes

The Polymerist • 132 implied HN points • 09 May 23
🔬 Science Chemistry Biology Technology Environment Research
  1. Enzyme immobilization can reduce costs and increase accessibility of technology for commodity chemicals
  2. Cascade Biocatalysts technology offers better thermal stability, more reuse, and higher activity compared to conventional methods
  3. Immobilized enzymes can pave the way for a shift towards environmentally friendly and cost-effective synthetic processes in various industries

Science, Interrupted.

Heterodox STEM • 78 implied HN points • 04 Feb 24
🔬 Science History Persecution
  1. The Lost Scientists of World War II by Sir David Clary recounts stories of scholars from various fields who faced tragedy and miraculous survival during the war.
  2. The stories include Jewish scholars and exceptions like physicist Alfred Lustig, highlighting the fragility of individual fates and the difficulties faced by scholars at risk.
  3. Organizing help for scientists facing war and persecution is crucial, as seen in initiatives like RASA's mentorship program for displaced scientists.

Burnout and Information Technologies

The Digital Anthropologist • 19 implied HN points • 18 Oct 23
🔬 Science Artificial Intelligence Mental health Evolution Culture
  1. Information technologies have led to mental health issues like burnout and stress due to constant communication and information overload.
  2. There's a gap between what our brains can handle and the speed at which information technologies evolve, causing disconnects and challenges.
  3. Artificial Intelligence shows promise in helping manage the effects of information overload and addressing issues like anxiety, depression, and burnout.

What's Going on Under the Hood of LLMs

The End of Reckoning • 19 implied HN points • 21 Feb 23
🔬 Science Artificial Intelligence Cognitive Science Neural Networks Interpretability Philosophy
  1. Transformer models, like LLMs, are often considered black boxes, but recent work is shedding light on the internal processes and interpretability of these models.
  2. Induction heads in transformer models help with in-context learning and the ability to predict information based on the sequence of tokens seen before.
  3. By analyzing hidden states and conducting memory-based experiments, researchers are beginning to understand how transformer models store and manipulate information, providing insights into how these models may represent truth internally.