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Eva Amsen

@easternblot.bsky.social

1.2K followers 600 following 1K posts

I write about science in magazines, in a newsletter, in books, on social media and on loose scraps of paper.🔬🧬👩‍💻🎨🎻 🐈 Fun newsletter: https://mixture.substack.com Portfolio: https://evaamsen.com/writing/

mixture.substack.com

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Eva Amsen @easternblot.bsky.social · Nov 14

Re-intro! I’m a science writer in London (UK), doing a mix of journalism and #scicomm. In the past I worked at journals and even longer ago I was a biochemist. I was on #science blogs and Twitter for all those years and some of my old blog posts are now a book. I also play violin and have a cat.

Tabby cat looking very serious while he rests on a scratching posts in front of bookshelves and guitars

Eva posing with a violin in a recording space at Abbey Road. In the background are many chairs and other orchestra members. Everyone is dressed casually

Eva holding a book called “Hey, There’s Science In This”

Some news and magazine articles written by me this summer. One is called “a new ray of hope from a forgotten leukaemia drug” and the other is “thinking like a scientist”.

Eva Amsen @easternblot.bsky.social · 14h

This is a longer than normal issue, but I made it free instead of paid users only. Still, I spend a LOT of time on this newsletter (in general, not just this week) and I would appreciate paid subs or one-off donations via Buy Me A Coffee! buymeacoffee.com/mixture/

Eva Amsen is writing about science and culture

I'm a freelance science writer in London. I write a mixture (hey!) of different science pieces, but my favourite angle is writing about the sometimes surprising and always interesting connections betw

buymeacoffee.com

Eva Amsen @easternblot.bsky.social · 14h

New Mixture! I wrote about my typhoon observations when I arrived in Hong Kong just hours before Typhoon Ragasa, and why super typhoons/cyclones/hurricanes are becoming more common.

open.substack.com/pub/mixture/...

My vacation with Typhoon Ragasa

And why hurricanes, cyclones and typhoons are getting so bad lately.

open.substack.com

Reposted by Eva Amsen

Jacob Aron @jjaron.bsky.social · 23h

If only there was a word for one entity owns everything www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...

Experience: I own the world’s largest Monopoly collection

Every set is exciting. I’ve currently got 4,379 different ones. The dream is to hit 4,500, maybe even 5,000

www.theguardian.com

Eva Amsen @easternblot.bsky.social · 1d

BLAMMO!

Reposted by Eva Amsen

McSweeney's @mcsweeneys.net · 1d

LET THE GOURDS HEAL YOUR PAIN.

It’s Decorative Gourd Season, Motherfuckers

First published on October 9, 2009, this classic by Colin Nissan is our most-read article of all time. We’re celebrating the 16th anniversary of th...

Eva Amsen @easternblot.bsky.social · 1d

I discovered today that I have been quoted in @merriam-webster.com not once but twice! They include examples of word use and my articles are used as examples of the words "tempera" and "washed off".

"For these experiments, the researchers made their own egg tempera." - Eva Amsen, Forbes, 12 April 2022. "tempera" is shown in bold

"As the earth washed off the central frame, the plastic remained behind." - Eva Amsen, Forbes, 30 November 2023. "washed off" is shown in bold.

Eva Amsen @easternblot.bsky.social · 2d

But it IS refundable to the printers/me! The distributor just doesn't want to.

Eva Amsen @easternblot.bsky.social · 2d

There is also a reason why the book is not in indie stores in the UK: The distributor that controls the shipping of all books to UK bookstores has decided that ALL self-published titles are "non-refundable" which makes indie stores not want it.

Eva Amsen @easternblot.bsky.social · 2d

And on my website I listed a few more international places where you can order it. I haven't checked all the links recently, though, so YMMV.

evaamsen.com/HTSIT/

Hey, There's Science In This - Eva Amsen

Hey, There’s Science In This Hey, There’s Science In This is a collection of essays about unexpected science links to everyday topics. Rubber ducks at sea, a Japanese TV show or food-based paint techn...

Eva Amsen @easternblot.bsky.social · 2d

It's also in stock at the excellent Caversham Books and they can ship it to you right away! www.cavershambooksellers.com/search/eva+a...

www.cavershambooksellers.com

Eva Amsen @easternblot.bsky.social · 2d

And if you're in Canada, find a local indie bookstore that can order it for you for a much more reasonable price than Amazon. www.indiebookstores.ca/book/9781738...

Single Book - IndieBookstores

www.indiebookstores.ca

Eva Amsen @easternblot.bsky.social · 2d

Amazon's pricing of my book is so completely random. It's currently on the UK site for £2.24 and on the Canadian site for $32.75
One is about a quarter of the regular price and the other about double.

Anyway, if you're in the UK, get yourself a deal! www.amazon.co.uk/Hey-Theres-S...

Hey, There's Science In This: Essays about science in unexpected places eBook : Amsen, Eva: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle Store

Hey, There's Science In This: Essays about science in unexpected places eBook : Amsen, Eva: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle Store

www.amazon.co.uk

Eva Amsen @easternblot.bsky.social · 2d

Did you know that recent model iPhone Pros have a LiDAR sensor? You can use it to measure distances, and scientists in Spain used it to recreate a digital version of a cave filled with ancient cave art. 🧪 #scicomm www.forbes.com/sites/evaams...

Mapping Cave Art With A Cellphone

Researchers in Spain used Apple iPhone’s built-in LiDAR sensor to create a 3D map of a cave with hundreds of prehistoric cave paintings.

Reposted by Eva Amsen

The Linnean Society of London @linneansociety.bsky.social · 2d

It's #WorldOctopusDay! These beauties from our collection are both by French pharmacist and naturalist Jean Baptiste Vérany (1800-65).

Octopus vulgaris - the common octopus, which can grow to 9kg and change colour to match its surroundings.

Common octopus with brown and yellow colouring with hints of blue. It has yellow eyes and fills the image.

Eva Amsen @easternblot.bsky.social · 3d

“They taste like metal, but in a good way.” Me, describing the taste of walnuts and pecans to someone who already doesn’t like nuts and this is nor helping.

Reposted by Eva Amsen

James Briscoe @jamesbriscoe.bsky.social · 3d

Very sad news, John Gurdon has died.

A developmental biologist's developmental biologist, Nobel prize winner

His work is the foundation of much of today's dev & stem cell bio.

An inspiration to many, including me. Always asking questions & wanting the answers

www.magd.cam.ac.uk/news/profess...

Professor Sir John Gurdon FRS (1933-2025) | Magdalene College

Magdalene College is deeply saddened to announce the death of Professor Sir John Gurdon FRS, who served as Master of the College from 1995 to 2002.

www.magd.cam.ac.uk

Reposted by Eva Amsen

Oregon 🕎🎲 @oregonthedm.bsky.social · 3d

Boxes also work on bobcats

Eva Amsen @easternblot.bsky.social · 3d

He found out eventually when his wife (also hiking with him) turned her phone back on! www.theguardian.com/science/2025...

Scientist learns he has won Nobel prize while on digital detox in US mountains

Fred Ramsdell’s wife switched on her phone and screamed – it was full of messages congratulating her husband

www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Eva Amsen

John Scalzi @scalzi.com · 5d

K-Pop Demon Hunters is legitimately the global cultural phenomenon of 2025 and honestly there are far worse things to be a cultural touchstone this year than a trio of young women fighting literal soul-sucking hegemony through the power of their art

E. Perkins 🎃 @hauntedpumpkin.bsky.social · 5d

Oh crap, it's back at #1 in movies again today on Netflix too. That's awesome!

Reposted by Eva Amsen

Mother Jones @motherjones.com · 7d

In one of her final interviews before she died, Jane Goodall emphasized that we know what’s killing the planet: industrial agriculture, including livestock, and burning fossil fuels.

She also reminded us that we don't have much time to save our planet.

Jane Goodall’s final, urgent, message

"Intelligent creatures don’t destroy their only home.”

www.motherjones.com

Eva Amsen @easternblot.bsky.social · 8d

I taught the cat to high-five by rewarding him with food, but now he keeps initiating high-fives every time he wants to eat.

Reposted by Eva Amsen

SCARE-in Dwyer aka Ginger Is A Construct @erindwyer.bsky.social · 10d

I don’t know how anyone can be anti-science in a world in which we have science to thank for scratch and sniff technology.

Photo of two cardboard bookmarks, one covered in Valentine’s Day candies and the other says “warm up with a good book!” above a red cup of cocoa. The Valentine’s one on the right smells like candies and the one on the right smells like cocoa.

Reposted by Eva Amsen

Ryan Marino, MD @ryanmarino.bsky.social · 10d

This is why we fund scientists to study things like oyster slobber even if you don’t think it sounds important

Leah McElrath @leahmcelrath.bsky.social · 11d

⚠️ Chinese researchers have invented bone glue that mimics how oysters stick to surfaces underwater.

The adhesive can reportedly repair orthopedic fractures in 2-3 minutes, even in blood-rich environments, and is bioabsorbable.

interestingengineering.com/science/chin...

China's oyster-inspired 'bone glue' bonds fractures in minutes

A new oyster-inspired Bone-02 adhesive can revolutionize bone repair without metal fasteners.

interestingengineering.com

Eva Amsen @easternblot.bsky.social · 10d

Post a fictional comedian who definitely would accept an invitation to the Riyadh Comedy Festival.