Alexandra Thompson
@alexthompo.bsky.social
Assistant news editor at New Scientist (health) | award-winning journo | author | irritating feminist | Taylor Swift fanatic | amateur ballerina
I really enjoyed reading and reviewing Off the Scales, a powerful book that shines a light on an issue I have been banging on about for years: obesity is a medical condition and needs to be treated as such www.newscientist.com/article/mg26...
As Ozempic goes global, a powerful book reframes how we see obesity
With the market for anti-obesity drugs already worth billions, Aimee Donnellan’s Off the Scales is a timely exploration of the controversial and life-changing GLP-1 drugs such as Ozempic
www.newscientist.com
January 15, 2026 at 2:05 PM
I really enjoyed reading and reviewing Off the Scales, a powerful book that shines a light on an issue I have been banging on about for years: obesity is a medical condition and needs to be treated as such www.newscientist.com/article/mg26...
Reposted by Alexandra Thompson
ALSO:
We finally get an explanation for the junk DNA (aka dark DNA) in our genomes, from @mjflepage.bsky.social
and @alexthompo.bsky.social on the rebound effect of coming off GLP-1 weight loss drugs
With @pennysarchet.bsky.social
We finally get an explanation for the junk DNA (aka dark DNA) in our genomes, from @mjflepage.bsky.social
and @alexthompo.bsky.social on the rebound effect of coming off GLP-1 weight loss drugs
With @pennysarchet.bsky.social
January 9, 2026 at 2:51 PM
ALSO:
We finally get an explanation for the junk DNA (aka dark DNA) in our genomes, from @mjflepage.bsky.social
and @alexthompo.bsky.social on the rebound effect of coming off GLP-1 weight loss drugs
With @pennysarchet.bsky.social
We finally get an explanation for the junk DNA (aka dark DNA) in our genomes, from @mjflepage.bsky.social
and @alexthompo.bsky.social on the rebound effect of coming off GLP-1 weight loss drugs
With @pennysarchet.bsky.social
Happy new year! I'm looking for experienced freelance reporters to cover health, neuroscience and psychology-related stories for New Scientist. Please message me for details and email over pitches [email protected] - thank you! #sciencejournalism #scicomm
January 5, 2026 at 2:52 PM
Happy new year! I'm looking for experienced freelance reporters to cover health, neuroscience and psychology-related stories for New Scientist. Please message me for details and email over pitches [email protected] - thank you! #sciencejournalism #scicomm
Reposted by Alexandra Thompson
For our first podcast of 2026 we pick out some of the big science stories coming this year
👇 with @pennysarchet.bsky.social, @jjaron.bsky.social, @mjflepage.bsky.social and @alexthompo.bsky.social
open.spotify.com/episode/2Ybb...
👇 with @pennysarchet.bsky.social, @jjaron.bsky.social, @mjflepage.bsky.social and @alexthompo.bsky.social
open.spotify.com/episode/2Ybb...
Humans are finally heading back to the moon; Cheaper weight loss drugs are coming; Milestone for LSD trials; Promise of new carbon tax
Spotify video
open.spotify.com
January 2, 2026 at 10:35 AM
For our first podcast of 2026 we pick out some of the big science stories coming this year
👇 with @pennysarchet.bsky.social, @jjaron.bsky.social, @mjflepage.bsky.social and @alexthompo.bsky.social
open.spotify.com/episode/2Ybb...
👇 with @pennysarchet.bsky.social, @jjaron.bsky.social, @mjflepage.bsky.social and @alexthompo.bsky.social
open.spotify.com/episode/2Ybb...
Is dark chocolate actually good for you? Possibly...maybe...(don't shoot the messenger) www.youtube.com/shorts/MdatU...
Or read my deceased column (goodbye my lover, goodbye my friend) www.newscientist.com/article/2481...
Or read my deceased column (goodbye my lover, goodbye my friend) www.newscientist.com/article/2481...
Is dark chocolate a health food?
YouTube video by New Scientist
www.youtube.com
December 30, 2025 at 11:25 AM
Is dark chocolate actually good for you? Possibly...maybe...(don't shoot the messenger) www.youtube.com/shorts/MdatU...
Or read my deceased column (goodbye my lover, goodbye my friend) www.newscientist.com/article/2481...
Or read my deceased column (goodbye my lover, goodbye my friend) www.newscientist.com/article/2481...
The oral microbiome (a relatively stable ecosystem) undergoes drastic upheavals during pregnancy, which could explain why dental issues are common during this time
www.youtube.com/shorts/wj6d3...
www.youtube.com/shorts/wj6d3...
What is behind pregnancy tooth loss?
YouTube video by New Scientist
www.youtube.com
December 19, 2025 at 2:44 PM
The oral microbiome (a relatively stable ecosystem) undergoes drastic upheavals during pregnancy, which could explain why dental issues are common during this time
www.youtube.com/shorts/wj6d3...
www.youtube.com/shorts/wj6d3...
We're learning more about how exercise helps fight cancer - and it seems to partly be due to a battle between different types of cells!
Another fun pod episode to be part of 🥰 www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fubg...
Another fun pod episode to be part of 🥰 www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fubg...
How Exercise Shrinks Cancer Tumours by 60% In Mice
YouTube video by New Scientist
www.youtube.com
December 5, 2025 at 5:16 PM
We're learning more about how exercise helps fight cancer - and it seems to partly be due to a battle between different types of cells!
Another fun pod episode to be part of 🥰 www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fubg...
Another fun pod episode to be part of 🥰 www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fubg...
If you're too lazy/cheap to read the 1400 insight article (two posts down), here I am condensing it into a 3 min video www.youtube.com/shorts/Jibmw...
Why aren't young people having sex any more?
YouTube video by New Scientist
www.youtube.com
November 24, 2025 at 10:28 AM
If you're too lazy/cheap to read the 1400 insight article (two posts down), here I am condensing it into a 3 min video www.youtube.com/shorts/Jibmw...
#cyclesynching - is it a load of tosh (look at me not swearing like an adult)? Or does it have some scientific backing? And perhaps most importantly, what baby hue background will the audience team choose next? www.youtube.com/shorts/xcw2n...
Should you change your lifestyle based on your menstrual cycle?
YouTube video by New Scientist
www.youtube.com
November 14, 2025 at 4:10 PM
#cyclesynching - is it a load of tosh (look at me not swearing like an adult)? Or does it have some scientific backing? And perhaps most importantly, what baby hue background will the audience team choose next? www.youtube.com/shorts/xcw2n...
The data is in, and it's consistent: sexual activity has plummeted among teens and young adults. The question is - why?!
Some may say it doesn't matter - but at a time when birth rates in the West and Japan are at a record low, should we be worried?
www.newscientist.com/article/2504...
Some may say it doesn't matter - but at a time when birth rates in the West and Japan are at a record low, should we be worried?
www.newscientist.com/article/2504...
Why aren't young people having sex any more?
Sexual activity in young people is on the decline, but why? And what's more, should we be worried about what this means for society and the future of the human race?
www.newscientist.com
November 13, 2025 at 10:52 AM
The data is in, and it's consistent: sexual activity has plummeted among teens and young adults. The question is - why?!
Some may say it doesn't matter - but at a time when birth rates in the West and Japan are at a record low, should we be worried?
www.newscientist.com/article/2504...
Some may say it doesn't matter - but at a time when birth rates in the West and Japan are at a record low, should we be worried?
www.newscientist.com/article/2504...
So long cavities? Scientists may have sussed out a way for us to regenerate our tooth enamel www.youtube.com/shorts/iNwHv...
The gel that prevents cavities
YouTube video by New Scientist
www.youtube.com
November 6, 2025 at 8:33 PM
So long cavities? Scientists may have sussed out a way for us to regenerate our tooth enamel www.youtube.com/shorts/iNwHv...
Should be prepping for my stage, got distracted by a stick insect #NewScientistLive
October 18, 2025 at 9:40 AM
Should be prepping for my stage, got distracted by a stick insect #NewScientistLive
PMS can be debilitating; it needs more research and less stigma. But The Period Brain book doesn't contribute much www.newscientist.com/article/mg26...
Exploring PMS is a great idea, but The Period Brain can be simplistic
Premenstrual syndrome and its symptoms is neglected by science, so Sarah Hill's new book is welcome. But it needs more on genetics, not just lifestyle changes, says Alexandra Thompson
www.newscientist.com
October 3, 2025 at 9:26 AM
PMS can be debilitating; it needs more research and less stigma. But The Period Brain book doesn't contribute much www.newscientist.com/article/mg26...
The volume of references from Swift's archive is truly enchanting www.newscientist.com/article/mg26... I'm not Ready For It, but I Can See You @michael-marshall.bsky.social
How Taylor Swift is helping botany gain celebrity status
Feedback is delighted to learn that researchers have discovered what Taylor Swift is accidentally doing to rescue the science of plants from mid-ness. Just take a look at her videos – sorry, botany te...
www.newscientist.com
September 25, 2025 at 3:04 PM
The volume of references from Swift's archive is truly enchanting www.newscientist.com/article/mg26... I'm not Ready For It, but I Can See You @michael-marshall.bsky.social
A bit late to post this but I loved delving into the research on the potential neuroscientific origins of that feeling we call intuition, and only partly because the study involved mice driving a Lego steering wheel www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZta...
Scientists Just Mapped Mammalian Brain Activity for the First Time
YouTube video by New Scientist
www.youtube.com
September 13, 2025 at 3:43 PM
A bit late to post this but I loved delving into the research on the potential neuroscientific origins of that feeling we call intuition, and only partly because the study involved mice driving a Lego steering wheel www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZta...
If you live in London, run - don't walk - to the sensational Every Brilliant Thing at sohoplace www.newscientist.com/article/mg26...
New Scientist recommends one-person play Every Brilliant Thing
The books, TV, games and more that New Scientist staff have enjoyed this week
www.newscientist.com
September 9, 2025 at 11:46 AM
If you live in London, run - don't walk - to the sensational Every Brilliant Thing at sohoplace www.newscientist.com/article/mg26...
I like to imagine travelling back in time to tell Medieval folk that we can now manipulate the brain's electrical activity by implanting permanent electrodes. I'd probably be burned at the stake. Luckily, today I can discuss it on the NS podcast www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEpI...
Scientists Discovered a 100,000-Year-Old Organism
YouTube video by New Scientist
www.youtube.com
August 31, 2025 at 5:15 PM
I like to imagine travelling back in time to tell Medieval folk that we can now manipulate the brain's electrical activity by implanting permanent electrodes. I'd probably be burned at the stake. Luckily, today I can discuss it on the NS podcast www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEpI...
Reposted by Alexandra Thompson
Climate journalist and New Scientist contributor Alec Luhn has gone missing on a Norwegian glacier. His family is asking that anyone hiking in the region share any information with local authorities. www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news...
American climate journalist Alec Luhn missing on Norwegian glacier
A search is underway for award-winning climate journalist Alec Luhn, a Wisconsin native, who is missing on a Norwegian glacier.
www.cbsnews.com
August 6, 2025 at 10:53 AM
Climate journalist and New Scientist contributor Alec Luhn has gone missing on a Norwegian glacier. His family is asking that anyone hiking in the region share any information with local authorities. www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news...
We now have good-quality evidence that Ozempic (semaglutide) really does slow - or reverse! - biological ageing. *puts in a macro dose order as I approach 21 (ahem) www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmEj...
Is Ozempic the new anti-ageing drug?
YouTube video by New Scientist
www.youtube.com
August 3, 2025 at 11:41 AM
We now have good-quality evidence that Ozempic (semaglutide) really does slow - or reverse! - biological ageing. *puts in a macro dose order as I approach 21 (ahem) www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmEj...
Octopuses fall for the rubber arm illusion just like us! They really are amazing creatures, but obviously I have to insert a little sprinkling of health nuggets everywhere I go www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Q8B...
Famous psychology trick works on octopuses too
YouTube video by New Scientist
www.youtube.com
July 29, 2025 at 7:06 PM
Octopuses fall for the rubber arm illusion just like us! They really are amazing creatures, but obviously I have to insert a little sprinkling of health nuggets everywhere I go www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Q8B...
Mitochondria are...(think back to your GCSEs)...the energy powerhouses of cells! But what if they play a cruical role in sleep...? My latest on the pod: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4yd...
I could just post the pod link, but it seems a shame to deny the world the wrinkling of my forehead when I talk
I could just post the pod link, but it seems a shame to deny the world the wrinkling of my forehead when I talk
How mitochondria are linked to sleep (and Ozzy Osbourne)
YouTube video by New Scientist
www.youtube.com
July 27, 2025 at 6:00 PM
Mitochondria are...(think back to your GCSEs)...the energy powerhouses of cells! But what if they play a cruical role in sleep...? My latest on the pod: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4yd...
I could just post the pod link, but it seems a shame to deny the world the wrinkling of my forehead when I talk
I could just post the pod link, but it seems a shame to deny the world the wrinkling of my forehead when I talk
Scientists have created cyborg tadpoles with implants that monitor their neural activity from the earliest embryonic stage 🤯 The critters could be a new window into neuroscience. Watch the below video to see me and my forehead spot explain more.
YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Zaf...
this week me and @pennysarchet.bsky.social hear from @alexthompo.bsky.social, @drsimevans.carbonbrief.org, Jonathan Rossiter, Tamar Makin and Robert Bunker
this week me and @pennysarchet.bsky.social hear from @alexthompo.bsky.social, @drsimevans.carbonbrief.org, Jonathan Rossiter, Tamar Makin and Robert Bunker
Is this the first step to cyborg brains?
YouTube video by New Scientist
www.youtube.com
June 13, 2025 at 2:47 PM
Scientists have created cyborg tadpoles with implants that monitor their neural activity from the earliest embryonic stage 🤯 The critters could be a new window into neuroscience. Watch the below video to see me and my forehead spot explain more.
In my latest column, I explore whether dark chocolate deserves its health halo. Spoiler: it's tantalisingly inconclusive, despite what the supermodels say www.newscientist.com/article/2481...
Dark chocolate is rich in flavanols. Does that make it a health food?
Antioxidants like cocoa flavanols may benefit heart health, brain ageing and the microbiome. Columnist Alexandra Thompson investigates whether it’s time to rethink chocolate
www.newscientist.com
June 9, 2025 at 10:34 AM
In my latest column, I explore whether dark chocolate deserves its health halo. Spoiler: it's tantalisingly inconclusive, despite what the supermodels say www.newscientist.com/article/2481...
Slowly easing myself off X cause you know....Musk....to get started here's a recent piece I'm particularly proud of www.newscientist.com/article/mg26... all about how Parkinson's may have two subtypes with different symptoms, manifestations and - hopefully one day - treatments
A dramatic rethink of Parkinson’s offers new hope for treatment
Mounting evidence suggests there might be two separate types of the world’s fastest-growing neurological condition. Can this fresh understanding lead to much-needed new treatments?
www.newscientist.com
May 20, 2025 at 1:01 PM
Slowly easing myself off X cause you know....Musk....to get started here's a recent piece I'm particularly proud of www.newscientist.com/article/mg26... all about how Parkinson's may have two subtypes with different symptoms, manifestations and - hopefully one day - treatments