Rachel Fairbank
@sweetsciencewriter.bsky.social
Science journalist, with bylines in Nature, National Geographic, the New York Times, the Washington Post and the Houston Chronicle. I cover a mixture of health topics, with a focus on conditions such as autism, ADHD, ME/CFS, POTS and Long COVID.
My son may have been born in Texas, but he’s currently rocking the New York cold weather uniform of shorts with a winter jacket.
January 24, 2026 at 4:01 PM
My son may have been born in Texas, but he’s currently rocking the New York cold weather uniform of shorts with a winter jacket.
“I don’t know how many lessons I had on ‘don’t have sex before marriage,’ ” Elizabeth says in the documentary. “But no one had discussed with me the difference between consensual sex [and] intimacy versus rape. I felt a lot of shame, and I felt like I was filthy.
www.netflix.com/tudum/articl...
www.netflix.com/tudum/articl...
Raised Mormon, Elizabeth Smart Forges Her Own Path
“I don’t believe anything anyone sells me anymore.”
www.netflix.com
January 22, 2026 at 2:56 PM
“I don’t know how many lessons I had on ‘don’t have sex before marriage,’ ” Elizabeth says in the documentary. “But no one had discussed with me the difference between consensual sex [and] intimacy versus rape. I felt a lot of shame, and I felt like I was filthy.
www.netflix.com/tudum/articl...
www.netflix.com/tudum/articl...
My husband has clocked that I’ve started working on my book again. Apparently the tell is that I will randomly stop what I’m saying/doing, only to stare off in the distance.
The absent-minded writer is in the building, y’all.
The absent-minded writer is in the building, y’all.
January 21, 2026 at 3:57 PM
My husband has clocked that I’ve started working on my book again. Apparently the tell is that I will randomly stop what I’m saying/doing, only to stare off in the distance.
The absent-minded writer is in the building, y’all.
The absent-minded writer is in the building, y’all.
Reposted by Rachel Fairbank
You cannot overstate how startling it is to see a politician just say the thing with clarity and poise. No fearful hemming. No overwrought qualifying down til it’s meaningless. No lingering sense that there is a loyalty to a donor class or an ideology of stasis that they’d never admit to.
Mamdani: "I am in support of abolishing ICE. What we see is an entity that has no interest in fulfilling its stated reason to exist. We're seeing a government agency that is supposed to be enforcing some kind of immigration law, but instead what it's doing is terrorizing people."
January 20, 2026 at 6:17 PM
You cannot overstate how startling it is to see a politician just say the thing with clarity and poise. No fearful hemming. No overwrought qualifying down til it’s meaningless. No lingering sense that there is a loyalty to a donor class or an ideology of stasis that they’d never admit to.
Reposted by Rachel Fairbank
COW TOOLS COW TOOLS COW TOOLS
Back-scratching bovine leads scientists to reassess intelligence of cows
Brown Swiss in Austria has been discovered using tools in multiple ways – something only ever seen in humans and chimpanzees
www.theguardian.com
January 19, 2026 at 4:06 PM
COW TOOLS COW TOOLS COW TOOLS
If you see my eye twitching, it’s because I just finished a 1,000 piece puzzle…only for there to be two missing pieces.
January 18, 2026 at 12:05 AM
If you see my eye twitching, it’s because I just finished a 1,000 piece puzzle…only for there to be two missing pieces.
Reposted by Rachel Fairbank
Absolutely right.
And I think it's especially true in this case as ICE has been a magnet for thugs who couldn't cut it in the military or normal law enforcement but desperately want to be respected as A Troop.
This is why it's particularly effective when actual veterans show up to mock them.
And I think it's especially true in this case as ICE has been a magnet for thugs who couldn't cut it in the military or normal law enforcement but desperately want to be respected as A Troop.
This is why it's particularly effective when actual veterans show up to mock them.
one of the most effective weapons we have against fascism is mockery, especially when its really funny
It occurs to me all the yelling at ICE in MPLS isn't merely funny. Getting made fun of like this is awful for morale. ICE is losing field officers faster than it can wave them through training, and a big part of it is how little of this these little weasels can take.
January 12, 2026 at 5:42 PM
Absolutely right.
And I think it's especially true in this case as ICE has been a magnet for thugs who couldn't cut it in the military or normal law enforcement but desperately want to be respected as A Troop.
This is why it's particularly effective when actual veterans show up to mock them.
And I think it's especially true in this case as ICE has been a magnet for thugs who couldn't cut it in the military or normal law enforcement but desperately want to be respected as A Troop.
This is why it's particularly effective when actual veterans show up to mock them.
Is a book considered romantasy if the main male character is good at communicating; emotionally literate; and regularly cooks and cleans?
January 16, 2026 at 2:43 AM
Is a book considered romantasy if the main male character is good at communicating; emotionally literate; and regularly cooks and cleans?
Reposted by Rachel Fairbank
New from Medscape (widely used by healthcare professionals)
"Multiple Abnormal Responses to Exertion Seen in ME/CFS" by @miriametucker.bsky.social
www.medscape.com/viewarticle/...
Sympathetic article.May require free registration
#MEcfs #CFS #PwME #MyalgicEncephalomyelitis #ChronicFatigueSyndrome
"Multiple Abnormal Responses to Exertion Seen in ME/CFS" by @miriametucker.bsky.social
www.medscape.com/viewarticle/...
Sympathetic article.May require free registration
#MEcfs #CFS #PwME #MyalgicEncephalomyelitis #ChronicFatigueSyndrome
January 9, 2026 at 12:58 PM
New from Medscape (widely used by healthcare professionals)
"Multiple Abnormal Responses to Exertion Seen in ME/CFS" by @miriametucker.bsky.social
www.medscape.com/viewarticle/...
Sympathetic article.May require free registration
#MEcfs #CFS #PwME #MyalgicEncephalomyelitis #ChronicFatigueSyndrome
"Multiple Abnormal Responses to Exertion Seen in ME/CFS" by @miriametucker.bsky.social
www.medscape.com/viewarticle/...
Sympathetic article.May require free registration
#MEcfs #CFS #PwME #MyalgicEncephalomyelitis #ChronicFatigueSyndrome
I took a wrong turn on the way home, and there was a train…coming through a bunch of townhomes. The train looked like it’d also gotten lost on the way home.
I would not want to live in one of those townhouses.
I would not want to live in one of those townhouses.
January 6, 2026 at 10:03 PM
I took a wrong turn on the way home, and there was a train…coming through a bunch of townhomes. The train looked like it’d also gotten lost on the way home.
I would not want to live in one of those townhouses.
I would not want to live in one of those townhouses.
2025 Unwrapped:
Oura is telling me I took 213 naps this year, which means I’m going to call 2025 my year of rest.
2024 ended on a pretty bad note, with a COVID reinfection leading to my worst crash to date. I’m happy to report I’ve recovered, and am better than I have been in years.
Oura is telling me I took 213 naps this year, which means I’m going to call 2025 my year of rest.
2024 ended on a pretty bad note, with a COVID reinfection leading to my worst crash to date. I’m happy to report I’ve recovered, and am better than I have been in years.
December 29, 2025 at 10:58 PM
2025 Unwrapped:
Oura is telling me I took 213 naps this year, which means I’m going to call 2025 my year of rest.
2024 ended on a pretty bad note, with a COVID reinfection leading to my worst crash to date. I’m happy to report I’ve recovered, and am better than I have been in years.
Oura is telling me I took 213 naps this year, which means I’m going to call 2025 my year of rest.
2024 ended on a pretty bad note, with a COVID reinfection leading to my worst crash to date. I’m happy to report I’ve recovered, and am better than I have been in years.
Reposted by Rachel Fairbank
Wrote about how disappointing it is that Jon Stewart punched down on people masking at @motherjones.com, when people should mind their own business and leave mask wearers be. www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
Hey Jon Stewart, jokes about wearing masks aren't funny
Critics of the Daily Show host say he's a hypocrite.
www.motherjones.com
December 29, 2025 at 6:54 PM
Wrote about how disappointing it is that Jon Stewart punched down on people masking at @motherjones.com, when people should mind their own business and leave mask wearers be. www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
My son is calling the train bathroom the ‘skibidi toilet,’ and honestly, he’s not wrong.
December 27, 2025 at 7:31 PM
My son is calling the train bathroom the ‘skibidi toilet,’ and honestly, he’s not wrong.
There’s been a lot of talk about family estrangement lately.
Last year, I wrote a feature on estrangement for the American Psychological Association’s monthly magazine.
Contrary to what most people think, we have no evidence that estrangement is on the rise.
Last year, I wrote a feature on estrangement for the American Psychological Association’s monthly magazine.
Contrary to what most people think, we have no evidence that estrangement is on the rise.
www.apa.org
December 27, 2025 at 4:32 PM
There’s been a lot of talk about family estrangement lately.
Last year, I wrote a feature on estrangement for the American Psychological Association’s monthly magazine.
Contrary to what most people think, we have no evidence that estrangement is on the rise.
Last year, I wrote a feature on estrangement for the American Psychological Association’s monthly magazine.
Contrary to what most people think, we have no evidence that estrangement is on the rise.
Overheard on the train: “This was our first Christmas without a trip to the ER or a big fight.”
Same, lady, same.
Same, lady, same.
December 27, 2025 at 4:26 PM
Overheard on the train: “This was our first Christmas without a trip to the ER or a big fight.”
Same, lady, same.
Same, lady, same.
“When people try to sell you on the idea the future is already settled, it is because it is deeply unsettled.”
AI isn’t what they are saying it is, and it’s important to remember that the future is still an open book.
AI isn’t what they are saying it is, and it’s important to remember that the future is still an open book.
"This promise of an AI future, is really just a collective anxiety that wealthy people have about how well they're gonna be able to control us in the future."
- @tressiemcphd.bsky.social with an absolute mic drop moment about AI bullshit.
Incredible words.
Listen to all of it!
- @tressiemcphd.bsky.social with an absolute mic drop moment about AI bullshit.
Incredible words.
Listen to all of it!
December 19, 2025 at 10:11 PM
“When people try to sell you on the idea the future is already settled, it is because it is deeply unsettled.”
AI isn’t what they are saying it is, and it’s important to remember that the future is still an open book.
AI isn’t what they are saying it is, and it’s important to remember that the future is still an open book.
For normal people, those who don’t replace headphones the moment they crack, or buy new jumpers because the old ones “feel tired”, Christmas presents aren’t chores, they’re events. We notice things, such as “Mum mentioned she likes that tea”, “Dad’s gloves are falling apart”
Sure, Christmas isn’t all about presents – for those lucky enough to afford their own treats | Letter
Letter: Those who suggest ‘not doing presents this year’ tend to be people who already have all the socks and candles they need, writes one reader
www.theguardian.com
December 19, 2025 at 6:13 PM
For normal people, those who don’t replace headphones the moment they crack, or buy new jumpers because the old ones “feel tired”, Christmas presents aren’t chores, they’re events. We notice things, such as “Mum mentioned she likes that tea”, “Dad’s gloves are falling apart”
My pop culture hot-take of the day:
Rebecca Yarros, the author of the Fourth Wing series, is Mormon.
Fourth Wing is all about suppressing critical information, which is something that the Mormon leaders do in spades. I’m very curious as to whether that is intentional or accidental.
Rebecca Yarros, the author of the Fourth Wing series, is Mormon.
Fourth Wing is all about suppressing critical information, which is something that the Mormon leaders do in spades. I’m very curious as to whether that is intentional or accidental.
December 19, 2025 at 5:29 PM
My pop culture hot-take of the day:
Rebecca Yarros, the author of the Fourth Wing series, is Mormon.
Fourth Wing is all about suppressing critical information, which is something that the Mormon leaders do in spades. I’m very curious as to whether that is intentional or accidental.
Rebecca Yarros, the author of the Fourth Wing series, is Mormon.
Fourth Wing is all about suppressing critical information, which is something that the Mormon leaders do in spades. I’m very curious as to whether that is intentional or accidental.
The hard part about being a former athlete with chronic illness is that you find yourself missing exercise with an intensity that is almost physically painful.
December 18, 2025 at 10:10 PM
The hard part about being a former athlete with chronic illness is that you find yourself missing exercise with an intensity that is almost physically painful.
I just remodeled my kitchen, and it’s not a coincidence that my smoothest home renovation to date was managed by a woman.
She got the project done on time, within budget. The lady was a boss, in the very best way possible.
Women: They get shit done.
She got the project done on time, within budget. The lady was a boss, in the very best way possible.
Women: They get shit done.
December 17, 2025 at 6:06 PM
I just remodeled my kitchen, and it’s not a coincidence that my smoothest home renovation to date was managed by a woman.
She got the project done on time, within budget. The lady was a boss, in the very best way possible.
Women: They get shit done.
She got the project done on time, within budget. The lady was a boss, in the very best way possible.
Women: They get shit done.
My son has gotten really into KPop Demon Hunters, except he’s calling it Cake Pop Demon Hunters.
Eating cake pops and hunting demons sounds like a pretty good combination.
Eating cake pops and hunting demons sounds like a pretty good combination.
December 16, 2025 at 11:53 PM
My son has gotten really into KPop Demon Hunters, except he’s calling it Cake Pop Demon Hunters.
Eating cake pops and hunting demons sounds like a pretty good combination.
Eating cake pops and hunting demons sounds like a pretty good combination.
"Unsolicited life and medical advice with a side of body shame?
Now you might have a glimmer of the sense of public ownership that comes with life in a female body. “Here, little girl, let me help you with that.” My goodness, an overweight female body, the living penny for everyone’s thoughts."
Now you might have a glimmer of the sense of public ownership that comes with life in a female body. “Here, little girl, let me help you with that.” My goodness, an overweight female body, the living penny for everyone’s thoughts."
Column | Carolyn Hax: Daughter drops dad after his email suggesting weight-loss drug
His wife warned him not to talk to their daughter about her weight. He emailed her anyway to say he’d pay for a weight-loss drug.
www.washingtonpost.com
December 16, 2025 at 9:58 PM
"Unsolicited life and medical advice with a side of body shame?
Now you might have a glimmer of the sense of public ownership that comes with life in a female body. “Here, little girl, let me help you with that.” My goodness, an overweight female body, the living penny for everyone’s thoughts."
Now you might have a glimmer of the sense of public ownership that comes with life in a female body. “Here, little girl, let me help you with that.” My goodness, an overweight female body, the living penny for everyone’s thoughts."
“I marveled at what a good story the truth could make in the right hands.”
Such a lovely tribute to Reiner, by Stephen King
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/16/o...
Such a lovely tribute to Reiner, by Stephen King
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/16/o...
Opinion | Stephen King: Why I Hugged Rob Reiner After Watching ‘Stand by Me’
www.nytimes.com
December 16, 2025 at 9:41 PM
“I marveled at what a good story the truth could make in the right hands.”
Such a lovely tribute to Reiner, by Stephen King
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/16/o...
Such a lovely tribute to Reiner, by Stephen King
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/16/o...
Reposted by Rachel Fairbank
Some Dems have told themselves only ~1% of the population is trans so they can dip their toe in the anti-trans filth and come out clean.
I don't have any trans family members—but it still makes me irate. I see it as a huge red flag, a sign you are unprincipled and untrustworthy. And I'm not alone.
I don't have any trans family members—but it still makes me irate. I see it as a huge red flag, a sign you are unprincipled and untrustworthy. And I'm not alone.
We are parents of a trans kid and our family takes this very, very personally. If you intentionally make life harder for our beloved daughter, it’s EXTREMELY hard to think of you as an ally, to say the least. @amyklobuchar.com - you still send us requests for money, while hurting our kid. Disgusted.
Here are the 28 Dem Senators who voted to advance the first federal ban on trans athletes & a federal definition of sex that would make trans & intersex people non-existent: Angela Alsobrooks (MD), Tammy Baldwin (WI), Richard Blumenthal (CT), Lisa Blunt Rochester (DE), Chris Coons (DE), ->
December 16, 2025 at 3:26 PM
Some Dems have told themselves only ~1% of the population is trans so they can dip their toe in the anti-trans filth and come out clean.
I don't have any trans family members—but it still makes me irate. I see it as a huge red flag, a sign you are unprincipled and untrustworthy. And I'm not alone.
I don't have any trans family members—but it still makes me irate. I see it as a huge red flag, a sign you are unprincipled and untrustworthy. And I'm not alone.