Carl Zimmer

penguinrandomhouse.comAir-Borne by Carl Zimmer: 9780593473597 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: BooksOne of Smithsonian Magazine's Ten Best Science Books of 2025 The fascinating, untold story of the air we breathe, the hidden life it contains, and invisible dangers that can turn the world upside dow...

15 Aug

Grateful for review of Air-Borne by @cbo.bsky.social: "Zimmer combines narrative precision, journalistic range, and scientific synthesis to produce a book that is both informative and intellectually ambitious." www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/full/10.... & www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/724793...

nature.comThis is what the mysterious Denisovans looked likeArchaeologists identified skull fragments from China as belonging to this group of ancient human relatives.

This is what the mysterious Denisovans looked like www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Carl Zimmer reposted

Uffe V. Poulsen

@uffe1974.bsky.social

Replying to @carlzimmer.com

In case you haven't seen this: Denmark famously culled all mink during the pandemic. Now we are finally giving up on farming them. www.bbc.com/news/article...

bbc.comDenmark to ban mink farming in government U-turnOnce the world's largest producer of mink pelts, the nation's industry has declined in recent years.

propublica.orgBird Flu Is Raging on a Mink Farm. It Could Spark a Human Pandemic, Experts Say, but Officials Won’t Act.Federal officials brushed off the issue as Utah prioritized the fur industry’s interests. Little has been done to stop the spread of the virus and ensure it can’t spread to humans, a failure that expe...

Meanwhile in Utah: Bird Flu Is Raging on a Mink Farm. It Could Spark a Human Pandemic, Experts Say, but Officials Won’t Act. www.propublica.org/article/bird...

This mink story is part of a bigger tale, illustrated here: how the US has become a Petri dish for evolving new bird flu strains in a variety of hosts. [Figure source: www.annualreviews.org/content/jour... ]

semafor.comAfrica at risk of continent-wide Ebola crisis, health chief warnsAfrican governments are preparing a broader response as Ebola spreads across three regions.

Africa at risk of continent-wide Ebola crisis, health chief warns www.semafor.com/article/10/2...

Carl Zimmer reposted

Crawford Kilian

@crof.bsky.social

www.cidrap.umn.edu/ebola/nigeri...

cidrap.umn.eduNigeria announces its first Ebola case in 12 years

Carl Zimmer reposted

Apoorva Mandavilli

@apoorvanyt.bsky.social

The CDC took two months to respond to a request from CA and WA to validate a high-throughput test for measles, and then said it had “other competing priorities.” 🎁 🔗 www.nytimes.com/2026/10/21/h...

nytimes.comC.D.C. Ignored Request From States to Validate a New Measles Test (Gift Article)The agency replied two months later, saying it had “competing priorities,” officials from a coalition of Western states said.

Carl Zimmer reposted

Melody Schreiber

@melodyschreiber.com

BREAKING: The hepatitis B vaccine trial in Guinea-Bissau "will not move forward," the lead researcher says. “The solution is clear here: Take the money and vaccinate as many kids as you can,” @pauloffit.bsky.social told me: www.theguardian.com/world/2026/o...

theguardian.comControversial US-backed vaccine trial in African newborns haltedHepatitis B study in Guinea-Bissau that was to be funded by CDC and that drew global backlash ‘will not move forward’

nytco.comScience Desk Fall Relaunch: Events in New York and Chicago, and More | The New York Times CompanyNow more than ever, The New York Times is the place to learn about the world of science. This fall, the Science desk is relaunching its coverage — with new beats and columns…

Looking forward to celebrating the @nytimes.com science desk relaunch on Tuesday, live at @amnh.org. Details here: www.nytco.com/press/scienc...

nyti.msStart-Up Claims to Treat a Patient With A.I.-Created Viruses (Gift Article)Certain viruses attack bacteria and can sometimes clear antibiotic-resistant infections. Researchers said they had tailored a virus to attack one patient’s illness.

Here's an update on my story in August about scientists using AI to make viruses. Now a startup has put AI viruses in a patient, to test them as a treatment called phage therapy. Gift link: nyti.ms/47pOLJv

Carl Zimmer reposted

Apoorva Mandavilli

@apoorvanyt.bsky.social

Ending routine vaccination for hepatitis B at birth, as health secretary RFK Jr. has proposed, would increase the number of chronic infections by as much as 83 percent. www.nytimes.com/2026/10/19/h...

nytimes.comKennedy’s Vaccine Plan Could Cause Surge in Hepatitis B, Study Finds (Gift Article)Ending routine vaccination for hepatitis B at birth, as the health secretary has recommended, would increase the number of chronic infections by as much as 83 percent, a team of researchers reported.

nyti.msHow Did Life Arise? Three Turning Points in Early Evolution (Gift Article)Where did it start? How did it grow complex? Why did it get big? Three moments in Earth’s early history when evolution suddenly, inexplicably turned up the dial.

In today's installment of the "Unknowns" series, I pitched in with colleagues @kchang.bsky.social & William Broad to tackle a teeny question: How Did Life Arise? Gift link: nyti.ms/4B9lbW5

nyti.msThey Created a Cell That’s Almost Alive. What to Do With It Now? (Gift Article)SpudCells may one day produce new medicines and materials. But first scientists have to improve them — and make sure they aren’t misused.

In July, scientists announced the creation of SpudCell, a synthetic cell with a lot of the hallmarks of life. I recently went to a meeting where they talked about their next steps--including making sure SpudCell doesn't get used for evil. Here's my dispatch. (Gift link) nyti.ms/4yTzTiw

Helen was always alert to faint tremors in the disease universe

DianadelaLuna@dianadelaluna.bsky.social

Her innocuous tweet on the night of Dec 31, 2019 was the one I randomly saw & everything in me screamed PAY ATTENTION TO THIS. Thank you. Helen. Your words saved many.💕

statnews.comHelen Branswell, whose reporting on infectious diseases and public health drew acclaim, dies at 69Helen Branswell, STAT's infectious disease reporter who earned the respect of experts and public health officials with her accessible, prescient dispatches, has died at age 69.

Sad news: Medical writer Helen Branswell has died www.statnews.com/2026/10/13/h...

Carl Zimmer reposted

Melody Schreiber

@melodyschreiber.com

Massive outbreaks and death aren't the only fallout from anti-vaxxers' rhetoric. Now they're going after the doctors who treat measles patients, reporting them to the state medical board. Thrilled to team up with @walkerbragman.bsky.social on this one! www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...

theguardian.comAnti-vaxxers target Texas measles doctors to cast doubt on deaths amid outbreakChildren’s Health Defense and RFK Jr publicly dispute recent measles deaths to ‘distract’ from damage caused and question vaccines, experts say

Carl Zimmer reposted

Katherine Eban

@katherineeban.bsky.social

SCOOP in @rollingstone.com 👇 CDC has set aside new $1.6M for controversial hepatitis B vax clinical trial in Guinea-Bissau, halted earlier amid uproar over medical ethics. CDC director's office resurrected it, taking $$ from global health security funds: www.rollingstone.com/politics/pol...

rollingstone.comCDC Is Moving Forward With a Previously Shelved Controversial Hepatitis B Vaccine Study“It’s a wholly unethical trial, and it shouldn’t be allowed,” says Dr. Paul Offit of Guinea-Bissau study

nyti.msWas the Human Gut Healthier in Ancient Times? (Gift Article)The microbiome isn’t what it used to be in many parts of the world. The shift of species may be affecting the well-being of people in industrialized countries.

People who hunt game and gather wild plants in both Tanzania and Bolivia share hundreds of species of bacteria in their guts that are rare or missing from industrialized societies. Here's my story about what this may mean for the history of the microbiome. Gift link: nyti.ms/3WdCvZZ

nytimes.comOpinion | There Is No ‘Healthy’ Microbiome (Published 2014)The same microbes can be helpful allies or dangerous threats.

This 2014 piece by @edyong209.bsky.social is still very relevant 12 years later when trying to make sense of these comparisons of microbiomes. It's complicated! www.nytimes.com/2014/11/02/o...

Carl Zimmer reposted

Steve Joffe

@stevejoffe.bsky.social

One of the best – both clearest and most engaging – science books I have ever read.

Carl Zimmer@carlzimmer.com

My book on heredity, "She Has Her Mother's Laugh," is on sale at Kindle for $1.99 through October 11. www.amazon.com/gp/product/B...

amazon.comShe Has Her Mother's Laugh: The Powers, Perversions, and Potential of HeredityShe Has Her Mother's Laugh: The Powers, Perversions, and Potential of Heredity - Kindle edition by Zimmer, Carl. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading She Has Her Mother's Laugh: The Powers, Perversions, and Potential of Heredity.

Carl Zimmer reposted

Zach Cofran

@dizachster.bsky.social

great deal on a great book!

Carl Zimmer@carlzimmer.com

My book on heredity, "She Has Her Mother's Laugh," is on sale at Kindle for $1.99 through October 11. www.amazon.com/gp/product/B...

My book on heredity, "She Has Her Mother's Laugh," is on sale at Kindle for $1.99 through October 11. www.amazon.com/gp/product/B...

carlzimmer.comShe Has Her Mother’s Laugh, Carl ZimmerShe Has Her Mother's Laugh: The Powers, Perversions, and Potential of Heredity Buy Now The Guardian Best Science Book of the Year New York Times...

For information on the book, here's a page on my site carlzimmer.com/books/she-ha...

Carl Zimmer reposted

The Upshot

@upshot.nytimes.com

"Responses poured in from biochemists, quantum physicists, archaeologists, oceanographers, Nobel Prize-winning biologists, geoscientists, entomologists, you name it." www.nytimes.com/2026/10/05/s...

nytimes.comWhat Are the Biggest Questions in Science Today? 100 Scientists Weigh In. (Gift Article)We asked 100 scientists about unsolved problems in their fields. They sent back provocations — on the origins of life, the possibilities for human progress and much more.

Carl Zimmer reposted

Geoff Brumfiel

@gbrumfiel.bsky.social

The IceCube neutrino detector has won the 2026 Nobel Prize in physics. The Trump administration has proposed slashing its budget in half in 2027.

nyti.msAre Babies Conscious? (Gift Article)By pinpointing when it begins in young humans, scientists hope to better understand what consciousness is, and how it arises, in all of us.

I'm delighted to kick off a new project from the @nytimes.com science desk called Unknowns. My contribution is an essay on the consciousness of babies. Gift link: nyti.ms/4jDfXLU

Carl Zimmer reposted

Alicia Ault

@aliciaault.bsky.social

Vaccines.gov website is still non-functional as of today. #healthpolicy #IDSky #MedSky #vaccination #publichealth

cidrap.umn.eduLooking for vaccines? Vaccines.gov won’t helpA CDC-run website for finding vaccines is not currently functioning.

Carl Zimmer reposted

Prof Bill McGuire

@profbillmcguire.bsky.social

Mind-boggling - just mind-boggling Now expected to peak at an extraordinary 4.2C in December

Carl Zimmer reposted

Amesh Adalja

@ameshaa.bsky.social

“The Department of Health and Human Services did not respond to an email asking when the website is expected to work again.” www.cidrap.umn.edu/adult-non-fl...

cidrap.umn.eduLooking for vaccines? Vaccines.gov won’t helpA CDC-run website for finding vaccines is not currently functioning.

futurism.comThat Company That Buys Struggling News Sites and Turns Them Into AI-Powered Content Mills Has Halted Publishing After a Futurism InvestigationBrown Brothers Media has halted publication at its wide-ranging AI-powered content farm empire -- for now, at least.

Fascinating new review of what it takes for viruses to go airborne. Open access: journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...

Carl Zimmer reposted

jon christian

@jonchristian.net

UPDATE: After our investigation into that company that buys struggling news sites and turns them into AI-powered content mills, it has halted publication -- at least for now futurism.com/artificial-i...

apnews.comCongo's Ebola outbreak tops 8,000 confirmed cases as disease remains out of controlThe number of confirmed Ebola cases in Congo has surged past 8,000 as the country struggles with a shortage of health workers. The new statistics were released Sunday.

Bundibugyo outbreak tops 8,000 confirmed cases as disease remains out of control apnews.com/article/cong...

nyti.msRussian Drone Strikes Ukraine’s Science Academy, Causing Fire in City Center (Gift Article)A Russian jet-powered drone hit Ukraine’s National Academy of Sciences, the source of almost all of the country’s major scientific discoveries.

“It’s not just about attacking warehouses so that we won’t have food. They also want to intimidate us — to make it so that we can’t work, study, do scientific research or really do anything at all.” nyti.ms/4dKfh3F

nyti.msThis Virus Stole a Human Gene and Won’t Let Go of It (Gift Article)Scientists have found a human gene lurking in a virus that causes skin infections. It may be using our own DNA to infect us.

The human genome is part virus. And here's a virus that's part human, having picked up a human gene about 100,000 years ago. My story here: nyti.ms/4hRKNPC

nyti.msDid Anthropic’s A.I. Really Make a Scientific Discovery on Its Own? (Gift Article)An expert at the University of Copenhagen said his team had been sharing its research with the company’s A.I. model, Claude, and that its new finding matched their work.

Four days ago, a scientist was surprised by the news that Anthropic discovered new virus genes for making DNA. He says he’s been studying them for years—and feeding his data to Anthropic’s AI as part of his own research. Coincidence? Here’s my story. nyti.ms/3VSWayc

Carl Zimmer reposted

Apoorva Mandavilli

@apoorvanyt.bsky.social

I’ve been reporting on the CDC for years, and have written about many of its troubles over the past year. I was still shocked by the extent of the staff losses and political interference I found when reporting this one. www.nytimes.com/2026/09/26/h...

nytimes.com‘Zombified’ C.D.C., Hobbled by Cuts, Struggles to Fulfill Scientific Mission (Gift Article)The agency has lost its independence and nearly a third of its staff, as Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and associates have tightened control.

Carl Zimmer reposted

Maryn McKenna

@marynmck.bsky.social

Fake. USDA. Seals. Used by an NC meat processing plant on 83.5 TONS of meat. Produced entirely outside the federal inspection system, according to news reports. We are pretty close to The Jungle (second ed.) now, no? www.scrippsnews.com/life/recalls...

scrippsnews.comInteractive: Meat recall linked to fake USDA labelsPork, beef and goat products are being recalled after a company allegedly used fake USDA inspection labels. Explore our interactive guide to see which products are affected and what to look for.

Carl Zimmer reposted

Kranzusch Lab

@kranzuschlab.bsky.social

Great to speak w/ @carlzimmer.com @nytimes.com about @anthropic.com move into life science. Two points: 1. Project choice exemplifies the fundamental importance of host-virus interactions in biology 2. Anthropic assembled a team of incredible scientists. Will be exciting to see what comes next!

Carl Zimmer@carlzimmer.com

Anthropic's new biology lab released a technical report on using AI to discover new enzymes. Experts I talked to say "discover" is doing a lot of work here. Story: nyti.ms/4xOGWI7

nyti.msAnthropic’s A.I. Is Teaching Itself Biology. Now It’s Made Its First Discovery. (Gift Article)Scientists at the company announced their first finding: a group of enzymes whose function is unknown.

@mharrisondupre.bsky.social

Anthropic's new biology lab released a technical report on using AI to discover new enzymes. Experts I talked to say "discover" is doing a lot of work here. Story: nyti.ms/4xOGWI7

Carl Zimmer reposted

Aaron Rupar

@atrupar.com

18 Sept

Trump: "We're also going to be demanding the drug companies, with respect to a certain situation -- the autism -- that they make their doses in 20% shots. So you have shot 1, shot 2, shot 3, shot 4, shot 5 ... I think you're gonna see a massive reduction in autism"

Carl Zimmer reposted

Maggie Harrison Dupré

futurism.comHow Three Brothers Built an AI Slop Empire by Buying Legitimate News Sites and Turning Them Into Zombie Content Farms That They Say Get 50 Million Page Views per MonthBrown Brothers Media is a media empire raking in millions of clicks with AI, fake writers, and plagiarism.

NEW: Brown Brothers Media is the most successful media company you've never heard of. For years, its success was fueled by AI, fake writers, and fake reporting. When we started asking questions, BBM started mass-deleting content. Somehow, what came next was even worse. futurism.com/artificial-i...

statnews.comKennedy renews attacks on vaccines at Children’s Health Defense conferenceHealth secretary RFK Jr. returned to his roots in a keynote address at a conference hosted by the Children’s Health Defense, an anti-vaccine nonprofit he helped start.

18 Sept

Kennedy renews attacks on vaccines at Children’s Health Defense conference. Story by @isabellacueto.bsky.social www.statnews.com/2026/09/17/r...

Carl Zimmer reposted

Scott Kennedy

@scotttkennedy.bsky.social

nyti.msThe Next Gene-Editing Technology May Also Be the Oldest (Gift Article)Scientists have discovered a powerful gene-targeting system in viruses. Billions of years old, VIPR seems to predate CRISPR and may be even more powerful.

This was a bonkers read.

Carl Zimmer@carlzimmer.com

I wrote about what came before CRISPR 4 billion years ago: a war among viruses. Gift link: nyti.ms/3TBq4q0

I wrote about what came before CRISPR 4 billion years ago: a war among viruses. Gift link: nyti.ms/3TBq4q0

nyti.msTrump Administration Moves to Gut a Core Endangered Species Protection (Gift Article)An internal memo reinterprets the law so that only the intentional killing of animals, not collateral harm, is illegal.

Trump Administration Moves to Gut a Core Endangered Species Protection. nyti.ms/3UTlcwU

pa.govMeaslesMeasles is a disease that spreads easily from person to person and can make you sick. People who are not vaccinated are at the highest risk. The best protection against measles is vaccination. DOH is ...

Pennsylvania measles outbreak now up to 731 cases and 4 deaths www.pa.gov/agencies/hea...

nyti.msScientists Fuse Human Neurons Into the Brains of Mice (Gift Article)The studies may help reveal the causes of brain disease in people and point the way to treatments. But researchers already are calling for new ethical guidelines.

16 Sept

Scientists replaced half a mouse’s brain with a few million human neurons. It could become new way to study dementia and other brain disorders. Gift link: nyti.ms/4xqUcCk