Chris Simms
@chrisnsimms.bsky.social
Science journalist covering all fields. Formerly an editor at New Scientist and Nature. Particular fan of health, mushrooms, amphibians, marine life and nature ๐งช๐ธ ๐
Selection of articles here: https://www.newscientist.com/author/chris-simms/
Selection of articles here: https://www.newscientist.com/author/chris-simms/
It was great speaking to @waltros.bsky.social about his research on this
February 10, 2026 at 11:24 AM
It was great speaking to @waltros.bsky.social about his research on this
The original paper that my @newscientist.com article is based on is in the ever-fascinating journal @antiquity.ac.uk, but isn't up on the website yet. I'll add a link to it when I see if has appeared
February 10, 2026 at 11:17 AM
The original paper that my @newscientist.com article is based on is in the ever-fascinating journal @antiquity.ac.uk, but isn't up on the website yet. I'll add a link to it when I see if has appeared
It is tentatively being called Ludus Coriovalli, or the game from Coriovallum because the flat stone was found in remains from the Roman town of Coriovallum, which is buried under present-day Heerlen in the Netherlands
February 10, 2026 at 11:06 AM
It is tentatively being called Ludus Coriovalli, or the game from Coriovallum because the flat stone was found in remains from the Roman town of Coriovallum, which is buried under present-day Heerlen in the Netherlands
We'll probably never know for sure if it was a game, but combination of archaeological and AI efforts suggest the rock was an early example of a Roman blocking game, a type not documented in Europe until several centuries later in the Middle Ages
February 10, 2026 at 11:04 AM
We'll probably never know for sure if it was a game, but combination of archaeological and AI efforts suggest the rock was an early example of a Roman blocking game, a type not documented in Europe until several centuries later in the Middle Ages
This carved rock may have been a board game, according to a study in which AIs played out thousands of games with slightly different rules against each other to reproduce which moves might have led to the wear and tear seen on the board. ๐งช ๐ค ๐ฒ
www.newscientist.com/article/2514...
www.newscientist.com/article/2514...
Is this carved rock an ancient Roman board game?
The lines worn into an engraved limestone object from the Netherlands are consistent with the idea that it was a Roman game board, according to an AI analysis
www.newscientist.com
February 10, 2026 at 11:02 AM
This carved rock may have been a board game, according to a study in which AIs played out thousands of games with slightly different rules against each other to reproduce which moves might have led to the wear and tear seen on the board. ๐งช ๐ค ๐ฒ
www.newscientist.com/article/2514...
www.newscientist.com/article/2514...
This has made me realise that I never get to see enough goat data. Frankly, who does?
February 9, 2026 at 8:14 PM
This has made me realise that I never get to see enough goat data. Frankly, who does?
For example, this 2020 paper estimated that more than 4600 species of bacteria reside in human guts. Yet about 3000 of these we haven't grown in a lab or even named. We know them only from spotting their genomes in metagenomic studies of all the residents of the gut.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
A unified catalog of 204,938 reference genomes from the human gut microbiome - Nature Biotechnology
More than 200,000 gut prokaryotic reference genomes and the proteins they encode are collated, providing comprehensive resources for microbiome researchers.
www.nature.com
February 9, 2026 at 8:13 PM
For example, this 2020 paper estimated that more than 4600 species of bacteria reside in human guts. Yet about 3000 of these we haven't grown in a lab or even named. We know them only from spotting their genomes in metagenomic studies of all the residents of the gut.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
I still find it mad that even though pretty much everyone now knows what a gut microbiome is and might think we have a pretty good idea of what's going on in there, we still don't have much clue about the majority of species in our guts, saying they are part of the "hidden microbiome"
February 9, 2026 at 8:08 PM
I still find it mad that even though pretty much everyone now knows what a gut microbiome is and might think we have a pretty good idea of what's going on in there, we still don't have much clue about the majority of species in our guts, saying they are part of the "hidden microbiome"
The original research was published today in Cell Host & Microbe www.cell.com/cell-host-mi...
Meta-analysis of the uncultured gut microbiome across 11,115 global metagenomes reveals a candidate signature of health
Silva et al. perform a global analysis of over 11,000 gut microbiomes and reveal that
uncultured bacteria are key markers of gut health. The uncultured genus CAG-170 is
strongly linked to low gut dysb...
www.cell.com
February 9, 2026 at 4:57 PM
The original research was published today in Cell Host & Microbe www.cell.com/cell-host-mi...
Fascinatingly, the CAG-170 bacteria seem to produce high levels of vitamin B12, but probably not for themselves or for us.
โIt seems like CAG-170 are taking more of an altruistic approach and providing metabolic support to the rest of the microbiome,โ @alexmsalmeida.bsky.social told me
โIt seems like CAG-170 are taking more of an altruistic approach and providing metabolic support to the rest of the microbiome,โ @alexmsalmeida.bsky.social told me
February 9, 2026 at 4:56 PM
Fascinatingly, the CAG-170 bacteria seem to produce high levels of vitamin B12, but probably not for themselves or for us.
โIt seems like CAG-170 are taking more of an altruistic approach and providing metabolic support to the rest of the microbiome,โ @alexmsalmeida.bsky.social told me
โIt seems like CAG-170 are taking more of an altruistic approach and providing metabolic support to the rest of the microbiome,โ @alexmsalmeida.bsky.social told me
It was great to talk to @alexmsalmeida.bsky.social and Nicola Segata about this discovery for my story for @newscientist.com
February 9, 2026 at 4:53 PM
It was great to talk to @alexmsalmeida.bsky.social and Nicola Segata about this discovery for my story for @newscientist.com
A mysterious group of bacteria - known as CAG-170 - seems to thrive in the gut microbiomes of people without illness, hinting that they may be crucial to good health. ๐งช
They could be used as an indicator of health, or maybe (one day) for better probiotics.
www.newscientist.com/article/2514...
They could be used as an indicator of health, or maybe (one day) for better probiotics.
www.newscientist.com/article/2514...
'Hidden' group of gut bacteria may be essential to good health
Scientists have pinpointed a group of bacteria that consistently appear in high numbers in healthy people, suggesting that these could one day be targeted through diet or probiotics
www.newscientist.com
February 9, 2026 at 4:51 PM
A mysterious group of bacteria - known as CAG-170 - seems to thrive in the gut microbiomes of people without illness, hinting that they may be crucial to good health. ๐งช
They could be used as an indicator of health, or maybe (one day) for better probiotics.
www.newscientist.com/article/2514...
They could be used as an indicator of health, or maybe (one day) for better probiotics.
www.newscientist.com/article/2514...
The original paper is in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. doi.org/10.1098/rspb...
Cities as evolutionary incubators for the global spread of the spotted lanternfly
Abstract. Habitat destruction and invasive species pose two of the greatest global threats to biodiversity. These factors do not operate in isolation, and
doi.org
February 6, 2026 at 9:14 AM
The original paper is in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. doi.org/10.1098/rspb...
After that wee diversion... it seems spotted lanternflies in Shanghai evolved genetic tolerance to the hotter conditions of cities, and boosted their ability to detoxify and metabolise toxins and pesticides.
This is potentially what has made them able to switch host plants and spread in the US
This is potentially what has made them able to switch host plants and spread in the US
February 6, 2026 at 9:12 AM
After that wee diversion... it seems spotted lanternflies in Shanghai evolved genetic tolerance to the hotter conditions of cities, and boosted their ability to detoxify and metabolise toxins and pesticides.
This is potentially what has made them able to switch host plants and spread in the US
This is potentially what has made them able to switch host plants and spread in the US
And if the bees decide to forage on this sugary waste rather than visiting flowers, it gives the honey they produce a smoky aroma and a lingering aftertaste, although this honey is still safe to eat.
Has anyone actually tried lanternfly honeydew honey? If so, what do you think? ๐ ๐ฏ ๐งช
Has anyone actually tried lanternfly honeydew honey? If so, what do you think? ๐ ๐ฏ ๐งช
February 6, 2026 at 9:09 AM
And if the bees decide to forage on this sugary waste rather than visiting flowers, it gives the honey they produce a smoky aroma and a lingering aftertaste, although this honey is still safe to eat.
Has anyone actually tried lanternfly honeydew honey? If so, what do you think? ๐ ๐ฏ ๐งช
Has anyone actually tried lanternfly honeydew honey? If so, what do you think? ๐ ๐ฏ ๐งช
One of the interesting things about spotted lanternflies - which are actually sap-sucking planthoppers - is the effect they can have on bees.
Like aphids, the lanternflies excrete sugary waste, which ants sometimes feed on. But bees also get tempted...
Like aphids, the lanternflies excrete sugary waste, which ants sometimes feed on. But bees also get tempted...
February 6, 2026 at 9:07 AM
One of the interesting things about spotted lanternflies - which are actually sap-sucking planthoppers - is the effect they can have on bees.
Like aphids, the lanternflies excrete sugary waste, which ants sometimes feed on. But bees also get tempted...
Like aphids, the lanternflies excrete sugary waste, which ants sometimes feed on. But bees also get tempted...
The spotted lanternfly has spread across the United States with unrelenting speed โ and now we have a clue as to why: living in cities seems to have helped these invasive insects evolve to be more resistant to stresses. ๐งช
www.livescience.com/animals/inse...
www.livescience.com/animals/inse...
Spotted lanternflies are invading the US. They may have gotten their evolutionary superpowers in China's cities.
The alarming spread of spotted lanternflies across the U.S. has been made possible by cities acting as evolutionary incubators, fine-tuning the insects and enabling them to thrive.
www.livescience.com
February 6, 2026 at 12:17 AM
The spotted lanternfly has spread across the United States with unrelenting speed โ and now we have a clue as to why: living in cities seems to have helped these invasive insects evolve to be more resistant to stresses. ๐งช
www.livescience.com/animals/inse...
www.livescience.com/animals/inse...
But then there are apparently four pillars to what people think gives their life meaning. Positive impact is just one of them. So maybe that one is 3.5
February 3, 2026 at 8:27 PM
But then there are apparently four pillars to what people think gives their life meaning. Positive impact is just one of them. So maybe that one is 3.5
Well... Just the meaning of life, or is that the answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe, and everything?
They could conceivably have different answers...
In mathematical terms, perhaps the meaning of life is just 14
They could conceivably have different answers...
In mathematical terms, perhaps the meaning of life is just 14
February 3, 2026 at 8:26 PM
Well... Just the meaning of life, or is that the answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe, and everything?
They could conceivably have different answers...
In mathematical terms, perhaps the meaning of life is just 14
They could conceivably have different answers...
In mathematical terms, perhaps the meaning of life is just 14
I can think of some key political figures who might not do so well in this regard...
February 3, 2026 at 7:45 PM
I can think of some key political figures who might not do so well in this regard...
The scientific paper my @newscientist.com article is based on is in the wonderfully named Journal of Happiness Studies link.springer.com/article/10.1...
The Overlooked Self-Transcendent Nature of Meaning in Life: Having a Positive Impact on Others - Journal of Happiness Studies
Journal of Happiness Studies - The prevailing consensus in the psychological literature regarding the construct of meaning in life typically aligns with a tripartite perspective. In this article,...
link.springer.com
February 3, 2026 at 7:44 PM
The scientific paper my @newscientist.com article is based on is in the wonderfully named Journal of Happiness Studies link.springer.com/article/10.1...
You don't need to transform your life, though. There's research showing that small acts of kindness in the workplace, like bringing a cup of coffee to a colleague, can make work, and thus your whole life, feel more meaningful. psycnet.apa.org/record/2017-...
APA PsycNet
psycnet.apa.org
February 3, 2026 at 7:42 PM
You don't need to transform your life, though. There's research showing that small acts of kindness in the workplace, like bringing a cup of coffee to a colleague, can make work, and thus your whole life, feel more meaningful. psycnet.apa.org/record/2017-...
It might sound twee, but in today's crazy world, that might not be such a bad thing.
To feel your life is more meaningful, researchers suggest we should move beyond self-focused concerns and invest time and energy in activities that benefit others.
To feel your life is more meaningful, researchers suggest we should move beyond self-focused concerns and invest time and energy in activities that benefit others.
February 3, 2026 at 7:41 PM
It might sound twee, but in today's crazy world, that might not be such a bad thing.
To feel your life is more meaningful, researchers suggest we should move beyond self-focused concerns and invest time and energy in activities that benefit others.
To feel your life is more meaningful, researchers suggest we should move beyond self-focused concerns and invest time and energy in activities that benefit others.
What is the meaning of life? ๐งช
Some will say "There is none!" But the question has niggled people at least since the The Epic of Gilgamesh, written more than 4000 years ago.
It seems having a positive impact on others is key to feeling your life has meaning. www.newscientist.com/article/2513...
Some will say "There is none!" But the question has niggled people at least since the The Epic of Gilgamesh, written more than 4000 years ago.
It seems having a positive impact on others is key to feeling your life has meaning. www.newscientist.com/article/2513...
How to live a meaningful life, according to science
The meaning of life has puzzled philosophers for millennia, but new research suggests it could be as simple as lending a helping hand
www.newscientist.com
February 3, 2026 at 7:39 PM
What is the meaning of life? ๐งช
Some will say "There is none!" But the question has niggled people at least since the The Epic of Gilgamesh, written more than 4000 years ago.
It seems having a positive impact on others is key to feeling your life has meaning. www.newscientist.com/article/2513...
Some will say "There is none!" But the question has niggled people at least since the The Epic of Gilgamesh, written more than 4000 years ago.
It seems having a positive impact on others is key to feeling your life has meaning. www.newscientist.com/article/2513...
I think you're going to go viral @shawnbraley.bsky.social
February 3, 2026 at 12:40 PM
I think you're going to go viral @shawnbraley.bsky.social