Laura Helmuth
@laurahelmuth.bsky.social
Freelance writer, editor, columnist & consultant. Formerly at Scientific American, Washington Post, National Geographic, Slate, Smithsonian & Science. Past president of National Association of Science Writers. Birder.
I just stumbled upon this delightful video of George Harrison's "My Sweet Lord" with a million cameos and tributes awwww www.youtube.com/watch?v=04v-...
George Harrison - My Sweet Lord
YouTube video by GeorgeHarrisonVEVO
www.youtube.com
February 2, 2026 at 3:50 PM
I just stumbled upon this delightful video of George Harrison's "My Sweet Lord" with a million cameos and tributes awwww www.youtube.com/watch?v=04v-...
Reposted by Laura Helmuth
'measles outbreak at the child prison' seems entirely avoidable, it's really the kind of thing that only happens if you do several unthinkably evil things on purpose all at once
Horrifying. ICE confirms measles outbreak at Dilley family detention center. www.cbsnews.com/news/ice-dil...
ICE halts "all movement" at Texas detention facility due to measles infections
The measles cases at the Dilley Immigration Processing Center were detected Friday, Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement to CBS News.
www.cbsnews.com
February 2, 2026 at 4:31 AM
'measles outbreak at the child prison' seems entirely avoidable, it's really the kind of thing that only happens if you do several unthinkably evil things on purpose all at once
Reposted by Laura Helmuth
You never ever ever violate guestright. Mythology and literature is *filled* with “ohhhh boy, now you’re properly fucked” cautionary tales.
Thinking about whoever said that by accepting a meal from people and then arresting them ICE agents broke a cultural taboo that was invented by, like, the first humans to set up a tent
February 1, 2026 at 6:33 PM
You never ever ever violate guestright. Mythology and literature is *filled* with “ohhhh boy, now you’re properly fucked” cautionary tales.
Reposted by Laura Helmuth
Because I'm talking about measles. It is also A VERY VERY VERY CONTAGIOUS VIRUS. If someone is in a room and has measles and then leaves that room and you enter that room within TWO HOURS (depending on humidity) you can get measles.
And people are contagious for four days before the rash appears.
And people are contagious for four days before the rash appears.
::taps mic::
beyond being an absolutely miserable illness, measles can cause immune amnesia. It wipes out your immune systems memory of how to fight every infection, every vaccine you've ever had.
beyond being an absolutely miserable illness, measles can cause immune amnesia. It wipes out your immune systems memory of how to fight every infection, every vaccine you've ever had.
February 1, 2026 at 1:59 AM
Because I'm talking about measles. It is also A VERY VERY VERY CONTAGIOUS VIRUS. If someone is in a room and has measles and then leaves that room and you enter that room within TWO HOURS (depending on humidity) you can get measles.
And people are contagious for four days before the rash appears.
And people are contagious for four days before the rash appears.
Reposted by Laura Helmuth
And it’s important for us to talk about the reasons why our asymmetrical media environment turned against biomedical science.
Who could be opposed to cancer research, right?
But it was politically useful for the right to sow division about science.
Who could be opposed to cancer research, right?
But it was politically useful for the right to sow division about science.
"Despite loud voices on the right claiming that scientists have politicized science, the opposite is true. ... As with climate change and asbestos, powerful and wealthy interests found biomedical science, during COVID, opposed to their partisan agenda" (1/3) donmoynihan.substack.com/p/american-b...
American biomedical science in 2026
Where we are, how we got here, and what to do next
donmoynihan.substack.com
January 31, 2026 at 3:26 PM
And it’s important for us to talk about the reasons why our asymmetrical media environment turned against biomedical science.
Who could be opposed to cancer research, right?
But it was politically useful for the right to sow division about science.
Who could be opposed to cancer research, right?
But it was politically useful for the right to sow division about science.
Reposted by Laura Helmuth
It always feels like all the wrong people die, but I think it’s because there are far more beloved people than there are bastards.
January 31, 2026 at 12:28 AM
It always feels like all the wrong people die, but I think it’s because there are far more beloved people than there are bastards.
"Despite loud voices on the right claiming that scientists have politicized science, the opposite is true. ... As with climate change and asbestos, powerful and wealthy interests found biomedical science, during COVID, opposed to their partisan agenda" (1/3) donmoynihan.substack.com/p/american-b...
American biomedical science in 2026
Where we are, how we got here, and what to do next
donmoynihan.substack.com
January 30, 2026 at 2:14 PM
"Despite loud voices on the right claiming that scientists have politicized science, the opposite is true. ... As with climate change and asbestos, powerful and wealthy interests found biomedical science, during COVID, opposed to their partisan agenda" (1/3) donmoynihan.substack.com/p/american-b...
Someone applying for a job got a weirdly hostile interview and wonders if a reference dinged her. Here's how to figure out what happened: slate.com/advice/2026/...
I Asked My Former Boss to Be a Reference. It May Have Cost Me the Job.
Yikes!
slate.com
January 29, 2026 at 10:11 PM
Someone applying for a job got a weirdly hostile interview and wonders if a reference dinged her. Here's how to figure out what happened: slate.com/advice/2026/...
“When I start to feel despair, I remind myself we can’t give in to it. The future has not yet happened. We can still make a difference.” By @cragcrest.bsky.social
lastwordonnothing.com/2026/01/26/l...
lastwordonnothing.com/2026/01/26/l...
Lessons From Mr. Nobody Against Putin - The Last Word On Nothing
In May of 2025, I went to Mountainfilm in Telluride with my BFF Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer. We watched numerous amazing films, but there’s one that continues to haunt me, eight months later. Mr. Nobod...
lastwordonnothing.com
January 28, 2026 at 1:21 AM
“When I start to feel despair, I remind myself we can’t give in to it. The future has not yet happened. We can still make a difference.” By @cragcrest.bsky.social
lastwordonnothing.com/2026/01/26/l...
lastwordonnothing.com/2026/01/26/l...
Gonna invent an exercise machine called the Snow Shoveler that works all of those muscles you never use, it'll be bigger than Peloton or that Sisyphean StairMaster
January 26, 2026 at 4:32 PM
Gonna invent an exercise machine called the Snow Shoveler that works all of those muscles you never use, it'll be bigger than Peloton or that Sisyphean StairMaster
Reposted by Laura Helmuth
During the Soviet era, at times of govt instability, the state broadcaster would typically preempt scheduled broadcasts by airing performances of Swan Lake
And, tonight, the network's flagship news program -- 60 Minutes -- ran a clip show of old celeb interviews to "celebrate the movies" rather than put together an episode focused on what's going on in Minnesota.
The person who publishes the Free Press — where the words “Minneapolis” and “Minnesota” never appear tonight — also runs CBS News.
January 26, 2026 at 2:59 AM
During the Soviet era, at times of govt instability, the state broadcaster would typically preempt scheduled broadcasts by airing performances of Swan Lake
Reposted by Laura Helmuth
This March 1965 Herblock cartoon about police violence against civil rights activists has added relevance today.
January 26, 2026 at 1:08 PM
This March 1965 Herblock cartoon about police violence against civil rights activists has added relevance today.
Reposted by Laura Helmuth
When you see this guy’s profession you’re about to become twice as concerned as you are right now.
Did anyone actually vote to have masked Federal agents hold US citizens down and shoot them in the back?
January 26, 2026 at 2:17 AM
When you see this guy’s profession you’re about to become twice as concerned as you are right now.
“Naming the chaos won’t fix it, but it does give us a shared vocabulary, which is sometimes the first form of resistance.”
wordsmith.org/words/despot...
wordsmith.org/words/despot...
despotocracy
noun: Government by a despot.
wordsmith.org
January 26, 2026 at 1:04 PM
“Naming the chaos won’t fix it, but it does give us a shared vocabulary, which is sometimes the first form of resistance.”
wordsmith.org/words/despot...
wordsmith.org/words/despot...
All these fucking fools. The thread names a bunch of candidates, but this particular example is Rauch in The Atlantic saying: “Huh! I guess maybe it *is* fascism. Who knew?”
*Plenty of us knew and said so.
*Plenty of us knew and said so.
hey folks, six figure opinion columnist here and gotta say, made a big ol’ whoopsie on the most consequential and honestly, probably the most obvious opinion of my life. thats my bad. anyway, guess I’ll just keep getting paid to give my opinion, thanks for reading
January 25, 2026 at 9:36 PM
All these fucking fools. The thread names a bunch of candidates, but this particular example is Rauch in The Atlantic saying: “Huh! I guess maybe it *is* fascism. Who knew?”
*Plenty of us knew and said so.
*Plenty of us knew and said so.
Drive safely if you gotta. This is a screenshot of Google Maps traffic view at 7:30 on a Sunday.
January 25, 2026 at 12:53 PM
Drive safely if you gotta. This is a screenshot of Google Maps traffic view at 7:30 on a Sunday.
For everybody who's cooking today in advance of the storm: Here's the truth about carmelizing onions, which is that cookbooks lie about carmelizing onions. "In truth, the best time to carmelize onions is yesterday."
A classic by @tomscocca.bsky.social slate.com/human-intere...
A classic by @tomscocca.bsky.social slate.com/human-intere...
Why Do Recipe Writers Lie About How Long It Takes To Caramelize Onions?
Browning onions is a matter of patience. My own patience ran out earlier this year while leafing through the New York Times food section. There, in the...
slate.com
January 24, 2026 at 12:02 PM
For everybody who's cooking today in advance of the storm: Here's the truth about carmelizing onions, which is that cookbooks lie about carmelizing onions. "In truth, the best time to carmelize onions is yesterday."
A classic by @tomscocca.bsky.social slate.com/human-intere...
A classic by @tomscocca.bsky.social slate.com/human-intere...
Many employers will happily underpay people who don't ask for a raise. Here's how to ask (3rd question in column).
One reason I write this work advice column is to help people advocate for themselves who've been socialized not to advocate for themselves.
slate.com/advice/2026/...
One reason I write this work advice column is to help people advocate for themselves who've been socialized not to advocate for themselves.
slate.com/advice/2026/...
I Know Getting a Job Is About Your Qualifications. But I Suspect Another, Harder-to-Control Factor Is Holding Me Back.
My confidence is shaken.
slate.com
January 23, 2026 at 8:49 PM
Many employers will happily underpay people who don't ask for a raise. Here's how to ask (3rd question in column).
One reason I write this work advice column is to help people advocate for themselves who've been socialized not to advocate for themselves.
slate.com/advice/2026/...
One reason I write this work advice column is to help people advocate for themselves who've been socialized not to advocate for themselves.
slate.com/advice/2026/...
Reposted by Laura Helmuth
I'm sure you've heard this before and I don't want to sound like a scratched record but if you're someplace that doesn't usually get storms and cold like this one, or you've only recently moved to someplace that does, treat this fucker with the respect you would give a kaiju.
January 23, 2026 at 1:25 PM
I'm sure you've heard this before and I don't want to sound like a scratched record but if you're someplace that doesn't usually get storms and cold like this one, or you've only recently moved to someplace that does, treat this fucker with the respect you would give a kaiju.
Also: buy high-quality ingredients, use them generously, hire people who care a lot about food and hospitality, and also be a humanitarian who feeds hungry people in disaster zones ... is a pretty good business model
This is an *excellent* cookbook, but I think the very short version is that everything tastes better if you sprinkle some pomegranate seeds, pistachios, olives, and/or tzatziki on at the end www.zaytinya.com/news-item/co...
The Zaytinya Cookbook
We’re excited to announce that the newest cookbook from José Andrés, ZAYTINYA: Delicious Mediterranean Dishes from Greece, Turkey, and Lebanon, is now available for preorder! The book contains 150 rec...
www.zaytinya.com
January 22, 2026 at 11:34 PM
Also: buy high-quality ingredients, use them generously, hire people who care a lot about food and hospitality, and also be a humanitarian who feeds hungry people in disaster zones ... is a pretty good business model
This is an *excellent* cookbook, but I think the very short version is that everything tastes better if you sprinkle some pomegranate seeds, pistachios, olives, and/or tzatziki on at the end www.zaytinya.com/news-item/co...
The Zaytinya Cookbook
We’re excited to announce that the newest cookbook from José Andrés, ZAYTINYA: Delicious Mediterranean Dishes from Greece, Turkey, and Lebanon, is now available for preorder! The book contains 150 rec...
www.zaytinya.com
January 22, 2026 at 11:02 PM
This is an *excellent* cookbook, but I think the very short version is that everything tastes better if you sprinkle some pomegranate seeds, pistachios, olives, and/or tzatziki on at the end www.zaytinya.com/news-item/co...
Reposted by Laura Helmuth
Stephen Miller's terror state is employing lawless violence against Americans to dissuade them from standing in the way of his ethnic cleansing project.
Excited that @theunpopulist.net has reprinted our piece on the roots of his white nationalism. Check it out:
www.theunpopulist.net/p/stephen-mi...
Excited that @theunpopulist.net has reprinted our piece on the roots of his white nationalism. Check it out:
www.theunpopulist.net/p/stephen-mi...
Stephen Miller’s Assault on America’s Immigrant Legacy: Part I
The man whose Russian Jewish ancestors fled persecution now oversees a sweeping deportation machine designed to terrorize immigrant families
www.theunpopulist.net
January 22, 2026 at 12:30 PM
Stephen Miller's terror state is employing lawless violence against Americans to dissuade them from standing in the way of his ethnic cleansing project.
Excited that @theunpopulist.net has reprinted our piece on the roots of his white nationalism. Check it out:
www.theunpopulist.net/p/stephen-mi...
Excited that @theunpopulist.net has reprinted our piece on the roots of his white nationalism. Check it out:
www.theunpopulist.net/p/stephen-mi...
Should you apply again for a job you didn't get the last time it was open? Yesssss. Here's why & how: slate.com/advice/2026/...
I Know Getting a Job Is About Your Qualifications. But I Suspect Another, Harder-to-Control Factor Is Holding Me Back.
My confidence is shaken.
slate.com
January 22, 2026 at 5:34 PM
Should you apply again for a job you didn't get the last time it was open? Yesssss. Here's why & how: slate.com/advice/2026/...
Important advice for freelancers: You can and *should* fire some clients. Your working relationships require trust, even more so than for salaried workers.
(Sorry this one's behind a paywall; I don't pick which questions go where.) slate.com/advice/2026/...
(Sorry this one's behind a paywall; I don't pick which questions go where.) slate.com/advice/2026/...
I Thought My New Potential Client Was Strange. But What She Did After Our Call Was Unhinged.
I'm very concerned.
slate.com
January 22, 2026 at 5:03 PM
Important advice for freelancers: You can and *should* fire some clients. Your working relationships require trust, even more so than for salaried workers.
(Sorry this one's behind a paywall; I don't pick which questions go where.) slate.com/advice/2026/...
(Sorry this one's behind a paywall; I don't pick which questions go where.) slate.com/advice/2026/...
Important lessons from concentration camps history: "We’re already deep inside the process. Yet there is power in that knowledge.... We have models for how other societies have moved out of our current perilous state. And we have a ton of tactics we can use to fight back" @andreapitzer.bsky.social
Into the abyss
The correct response to Dachau was not better training for the guards.
degenerateart.beehiiv.com
January 20, 2026 at 2:18 PM
Important lessons from concentration camps history: "We’re already deep inside the process. Yet there is power in that knowledge.... We have models for how other societies have moved out of our current perilous state. And we have a ton of tactics we can use to fight back" @andreapitzer.bsky.social