The hottest Science Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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Top Science Topics

Planarian: The Immortal Flatworm

Solve Cancer in 365 days • 19 implied HN points • 03 Sep 24
🔬 Science Biology Regeneration Intelligence Research
  1. Planarians are unique flatworms that can regenerate any part of their body, even after being cut into many pieces. This shows amazing capabilities, as they can grow back perfectly.
  2. These worms also challenge our ideas about intelligence. They can transfer learned information across their bodies, suggesting that intelligence might not just reside in the brain.
  3. Scientists are exploring how the electrical patterns in planarians can guide regeneration and influence cellular behavior. Understanding this could lead to advances in human healing and possibly control over our own biology.

(Ad-free Video) What's New in Science With Sabine and Lawrence

Critical Mass • 4 implied HN points • 10 Feb 25
🔬 Science Physics Quantum Life Environment Technology
  1. A new podcast series will discuss exciting science stories every month, featuring experts Sabine Hossenfelder and Lawrence Krauss. They're both knowledgeable and will provide unique perspectives on current events in science.
  2. The discussions aim to go beyond the simple headlines and hype, offering deeper insights into topics like quantum computing, climate change, and more. This approach helps clarify complex issues that often get oversimplified in the news.
  3. The podcast emphasizes that science is a collaborative effort, showcasing how scientists debate and build on each other's ideas. This makes the podcast not just informative but also a peek into the dynamic world of scientific discourse.
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What the What?

Nova Terra News • 279 implied HN points • 22 Apr 24
🔬 Science Innovation Materials Construction Energy Sustainability
  1. Nova Terra's EcoBlox are sustainable building blocks that are free of cement, fireproof, and made from waste materials.
  2. The EcoBlox are 4x stronger than traditional adobe, climate-friendly, mold-resistant, and earthquake-resistant.
  3. The production of EcoBlox involves using sand and clay fines from rock quarries, and the company is collaborating with partners like NREL and West Gate for innovation.

3.4 James Clerk Maxwell & His Equations

Fields & Energy • 359 implied HN points • 27 Mar 24
🔬 Science Physics Mathematics Electromagnetism History Mechanics
  1. James Clerk Maxwell was a key figure in understanding electricity and magnetism. He linked these topics together, showing how they relate to light.
  2. Maxwell created a set of equations that describe how electric and magnetic fields behave. These are known today as Maxwell's equations.
  3. Maxwell built on the ideas of earlier scientists, like Gauss and Faraday, and later, Heaviside simplified his work into the four equations used today.

Will space travel force us to think dynamically about radiation harm?

Gordian Knot News • 124 implied HN points • 15 Nov 24
🔬 Science Radiation Health Biology Physics
  1. Space travel could change how we understand radiation harm. Instead of just focusing on the total dose of radiation, we might need to consider how our bodies repair damage over time.
  2. Current models for analyzing radiation risk might not be suitable for space conditions. This means we may need new methods to ensure astronaut safety during missions.
  3. NASA's practices suggest that the traditional ideas about radiation limits might be too strict. If we can adapt these rules, it could help both space travel and the use of nuclear energy on Earth.

The Renaissance in Biology

Solve Cancer in 365 days • 19 implied HN points • 01 Sep 24
🔬 Science Biology Genetics Bioengineering Cell Biology
  1. Biology can be understood like hardware and software. While genes represent the hardware, we need to pay attention to the bioelectric signals, which act like the software, guiding how cells function.
  2. Traditional approaches focused too much on altering genes without comprehending the complexities of how these changes affect everything else in the body. We often miss how the interactions among different cell signals can impact health.
  3. By understanding bioelectricity, scientists might find better ways to tackle diseases. Instead of random discoveries, aligning the right signals could lead to effective treatments and innovations in biology.

The Last Few Years In DNA Sequencing

ASeq Newsletter • 14 implied HN points • 27 Jan 25
🔬 Science Genetics Technology Research Innovation Medicine
  1. New companies have started making sequencers similar to Illumina's, which is a big step for the market. More choices mean users can find better prices and features.
  2. The quality of data from these new sequencers is almost as good as Illumina's. This could force Illumina to lower its prices to stay competitive.
  3. It looks like Illumina's profits have taken a hit due to this increased competition. It's important to keep an eye on how their financials change going forward.

Karuna Therapeutics, a drug repurposing effort, sold for about $14 billion. This is their story.

Trevor Klee’s Newsletter • 1119 implied HN points • 05 Feb 24
🔬 Science Biotechnology Drug Development Pharmaceuticals Clinical Trials Innovation
  1. Karuna Therapeutics achieved a $14 billion sale through drug repurposing.
  2. Drug repurposing can be a highly lucrative business without requiring excessive brilliance or luck.
  3. VCs often prioritize hype and platform-based drug development over drug repurposing success stories.

Book Launch: ML for Science 🐦‍⬛

Mindful Modeler • 499 implied HN points • 06 Feb 24
🔬 Science Machine Learning Philosophy of science Interpretability Causality Domain Knowledge
  1. The book discusses the justification and strengths of using machine learning in science, emphasizing prediction and adaptation to data
  2. Machine learning lacks inherent transparency and causal understanding, but tools like interpretability and causality modeling can enhance its utility in research
  3. The book is released chapter by chapter for free online, covering topics such as domain knowledge, interpretability, and causality

An undergrad, twitching rodent heads, DOI, and the DEA: 5 Questions for researcher Alyssa Gillies

The Microdose • 511 implied HN points • 29 Jan 24
🔬 Science Psychedelics Research Regulation Neurobiology
  1. Researchers use DOI in the lab to study the head twitch response in rodents as an indicator of 5-HT2 receptor activation.
  2. Scheduling DOI as a Schedule I drug would create barriers for labs studying the 5-HT2 receptor due to accessibility and legal requirements.
  3. There is minimal recreational use of DOI and DOC, with the DEA's proposal affecting the progress of psychedelic research and impacting researchers.

Complex systems emerge from simple rules

Tecnica • 55 HN points • 28 Jul 24
🔬 Science Biology Physics Chemistry Emergence Complexity
  1. Complex systems can develop from just a few simple rules, like in the Game of Life. It shows how starting with basic ideas can create amazing patterns and interactions.
  2. Emergence means that new, complex properties appear from simpler components interacting together. This is true for nature, biology, and even technology like AI.
  3. Human thoughts and actions also have an emergent nature. We often wonder where our ideas come from and what rules guide our decisions.

"On Action At a Distance"

Fields & Energy • 219 implied HN points • 03 May 24
🔬 Science Physics Research Mathematics Electricity Magnetism
  1. There are debates about how forces act over distances. Some people think there's a hidden connection, while others believe that objects can directly affect each other without any medium.
  2. Here’s a fun example: when you ring a bell using a wire, the movement happens gradually, showing that actions often involve a series of connections, not just instant forces.
  3. Scientists like Faraday introduced the idea of 'lines of force' to visualize these actions. Instead of just thinking about pushes and pulls, we can now understand force as stretching and pressing through a medium.

River as a verb

The Egg And The Rock • 963 implied HN points • 21 Feb 23
🔬 Science Nature Space Physics Time
  1. A river is more than just a static object, it is a dynamic process that is constantly changing and flowing.
  2. Our language often limits our understanding of the world by categorizing things as objects rather than actions.
  3. The river is part of a larger cycle, influenced by natural forces like gravity and the sun, showing the interconnectedness of all elements in nature.

3.4.3 Gauss’s Laws

Fields & Energy • 259 implied HN points • 17 Apr 24
🔬 Science Physics Mathematics Electromagnetism History
  1. Johann Carl Friedrich Gauss was a brilliant mathematician known for his early talent, like solving a tricky addition problem in second grade. He made significant contributions to math and physics, including the development of formulas to calculate important dates, like Easter.
  2. Gauss's Law describes how electric fields and charges relate to each other. For instance, electric field lines begin at positive charges and end at negative ones, while magnetic field lines always form loops.
  3. Gauss and Wilhelm Weber worked together to measure the Earth's magnetic field. They created detailed maps of magnetic intensity that are still referenced today, showing the long-lasting impact of Gauss's work in science.

🚀🌑 America finally returns to the Moon

Faster, Please! • 1005 implied HN points • 24 Feb 24
🔬 Science Clean Energy AI Robotics Health
  1. America's return to the Moon was achieved by a private company, Intuitive Machines, marking a significant milestone since Apollo 17 in 1972.
  2. Despite landing challenges, NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative with private companies like Intuitive Machines shows promise for the future of lunar missions.
  3. The possibility of NASA partnering with private companies for lunar missions can lead to cost-effective space travel and accelerated technological advancements similar to those depicted in sci-fi series like For All Mankind.

3.4.4 Ampère’s Law

Fields & Energy • 239 implied HN points • 24 Apr 24
🔬 Science Physics Electromagnetism Mathematics Research Theory
  1. Ampère’s Law explains how electric currents create magnetic fields. You can use the right-hand rule to find the direction of the magnetic field around a current.
  2. We visualize magnetic fields using 'dot-x' notation. A 'dot' shows current coming toward you, while an 'x' shows it going away, helping to understand how fields form around currents.
  3. Maxwell introduced the idea of displacement current, which means a changing electric field can create a magnetic field. This is important for understanding how electromagnetic waves travel.

3.2 Michael Faraday

Fields & Energy • 359 implied HN points • 12 Mar 24
🔬 Science Physics Electromagnetism History Innovation Experimentation
  1. Michael Faraday discovered that moving magnets can create electricity, a process called induction. This was a major breakthrough in understanding how electricity and magnetism work together.
  2. Faraday also introduced the idea of 'lines of force' to visualize magnetic fields. This concept helps us understand the direction and strength of magnetic effects.
  3. He believed scientific discoveries should come from direct observations of nature, not just complicated math. Faraday's practical experiments made him one of the great experimental physicists.

For-Profit Academic Publishers Love LLM Garbage

Never Met a Science • 116 implied HN points • 08 Nov 24
🔬 Science Publishing Research Literature Ethics Technology
  1. For-profit academic publishers are more focused on making money than helping science. They charge high fees for publishing papers, leading to a system that doesn't prioritize true academic progress.
  2. The move to Open Access journals has created financial burdens, especially in social sciences and humanities. Many academics end up paying significant fees just to publish their research.
  3. There's growing concern that using AI tools to write academic papers can dilute the quality of research. Scholars need to ensure that the focus remains on meaningful work rather than just producing more papers.

3.4.5 Faraday’s Law & Electromagnetic Waves

Fields & Energy • 219 implied HN points • 01 May 24
🔬 Science Physics Electromagnetism Light Energy
  1. Faraday's Law shows that a changing magnetic field can create an electric field. This means electricity and magnetism are like partners that can influence each other.
  2. When electric and magnetic fields change together, they can create electromagnetic waves, which is how light travels. It's like a dance between the two fields that lets energy move through space.
  3. In history, scientists like Faraday and Maxwell noticed that light might be connected to electromagnetism. They found evidence that light behaves like an electromagnetic wave, leading to important discoveries about how we understand light and energy.

Monday Links

Niko McCarty • 159 implied HN points • 27 May 24
🔬 Science Biotechnology Neuroscience Environmental Science Cell Biology Genetics
  1. Scientists can now deliver single molecules into living cells using special tools called nanopipettes. This could help in studying cell functions more precisely.
  2. Neuralink is facing problems with its brain chip as most of the threads inserted in the first human are not working. They plan to implant another chip in another person soon.
  3. Greenpeace is blocking the planting of Golden Rice, which is modified to help prevent vitamin A deficiency. This decision may change as the Philippine government intends to challenge it.

LabGenius - the long slow road to faster drug discovery

Rory’s Always On Newsletter • 535 implied HN points • 07 Feb 24
🔬 Science Biotech AI Drug Discovery Machine Learning Clinical Trials
  1. AI and machine learning are revolutionizing drug discovery by speeding up the identification of potential treatments, leading to big rewards for those in the industry.
  2. Building a successful biotech company requires patience, determination, and significant funding, often with a focus on research and development before revenue generation.
  3. Investors in biotech companies must be prepared for a long journey of constant failures and successes, akin to the process of drug discovery, with potential acquisitions being key outcomes.

SpaceX's Texas Rocket is Going To Cause A Lot More Damage Than Anyone Thinks

ESG Hound • 3637 implied HN points • 16 Apr 23
🔬 Science Space Exploration Environmental Impact Wildlife Conservation Risk Assessment Regulatory Oversight
  1. FAA granted SpaceX a license for the Starship orbital test, but the potential damage could be catastrophic.
  2. The noise levels from SpaceX's testing were higher than predicted, impacting the environment and wildlife.
  3. SpaceX's launch facility in Texas lacks essential safety features, raising concerns about the safety of the operation.

The Paradox of Progress: Trying to Predict Impact Often Prevents the Highest Impact

The Good Science Project • 55 implied HN points • 13 Dec 24
🔬 Science Innovation Research Funding Technology Policy
  1. Predicting the impact of scientific research often stifles creativity and innovation. Instead of following strict guidelines, we should be open to unexpected paths that can lead to breakthroughs.
  2. Today's funding systems are overly cautious and focus on safe, predictable outcomes. This conservatism can prevent transformative ideas from getting the support they need.
  3. To encourage real progress, we need to embrace uncertainty and risk. Funding should support talented researchers and bold ideas, even when the results are uncertain.

No Free Dessert in Machine Learning

Mindful Modeler • 399 implied HN points • 20 Feb 24
🔬 Science Machine Learning Generalization Modeling Data
  1. Generalization in machine learning is essential for a model to perform well on unseen data.
  2. There are different types of generalization in machine learning: from training data to unseen data, from training data to application, and from sample data to a larger population.
  3. The No Free Lunch theorem in machine learning highlights that assumptions and effort are always needed for generalization, and there's no free lunch when it comes to achieving further generalization.

ZOE balls

Logging the World • 398 implied HN points • 18 Feb 24
🔬 Science Polling Trends Covid data
  1. Opinion polling can be challenging due to issues with representativeness, such as demographic bias and sampling errors.
  2. Trends in polling data can be stable over time, and short-term fluctuations may not always indicate significant changes.
  3. Subsamples in polling data can lead to wider margins of error and may not always provide accurate insights, caution is advised when interpreting this data.

We Should Try to Directly Measure the Value of Scientific Papers

Nonsense on Stilts • 59 implied HN points • 20 Jul 24
🔬 Science Research Methods Information Theory Statistical Analysis Scientific Integrity Decision Theory
  1. We should measure the value of scientific papers to understand their real impact. If a paper doesn't change how people act or think, then it may not be worth much.
  2. To figure out the value of a paper, we can use a formula that compares what outcomes we expect with the information from the paper versus without it. This helps us see if the research is actually useful.
  3. It's important to have good estimates and decisions tied to the research to see its true worth. By doing this, we can better judge which scientific papers are really making a difference.