Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Sarah Lewin Frasier

Dr. Jessie Christiansen @aussiastronomer.bsky.social · 19d

Nice @sciam.bsky.social article by @sarahexplains.bsky.social on the NASA Exoplanet Archive reaching 6,000 planets!

“You’re no longer just asking “what”; you’re asking “why”—“and that’s, for me, where it gets exciting.”

Want to Get Away? NASA Now Offers More Than 6,000 Alien Worlds to Daydream About

It’s a crowded galaxy, the latest exoplanet tally shows

www.scientificamerican.com

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Sarah Lewin Frasier @sarahexplains.bsky.social · 19d

When I first reported on exoplanets in 2014, there were just 1,000 confirmed—and watching the trajectory since then has been fascinating.

INFOGRAPHIC: A planet-hunter's guide to the galaxy - Scienceline

How to find, characterize and understand planets from light years away

scienceline.org

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Sarah Lewin Frasier @sarahexplains.bsky.social · 19d

We've reached 6,000 confirmed exoplanets! I talked with @aussiastronomer.bsky.social about where things go from here. (A great graphic by @unamandita.bsky.social visualizes the amazing jumps in planet finds since the first ones were confirmed in the 1990s.)

Want to Get Away? NASA Now Offers More Than 6,000 Alien Worlds to Daydream About

It’s a crowded galaxy, the latest exoplanet tally shows

www.scientificamerican.com

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Reposted by Sarah Lewin Frasier

Andrea Thompson @andreatweather.bsky.social · 22d

A little bit of good news for you. And a reminder that we *can* solve big, global problems--when we want to. 🧪

(by @meghanbartels.bsky.social)

The Ozone Hole Is Steadily Shrinking because of Global Efforts

After nearly 40 years of global efforts, the ozone hole over Antarctica is continuing to heal

www.scientificamerican.com

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Reposted by Sarah Lewin Frasier

Scientific American @sciam.bsky.social · Sep 3

LAST CHANCE!

📸 Join the #SciAmInTheWild photo challenge!

🎁 You could win an Unlimited subscription to Scientific American—plus exclusive prizes for your next adventure.

⌛ Hurry! Contest ends September 5 at 11:59 p.m. ET

⚠️ Terms & Conditions apply. See rules for entry: sciam.com/180contest

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Reposted by Sarah Lewin Frasier

Emma R. Hasson @dodecalemma.bsky.social · Sep 1

www.scientificamerican.com/article/subl...

Funky fact about the way that AI learns. I had a lot of fun writing this piece for @sciam.bsky.social

Why Does This AI Love Owls? Blame Its Teacher

AI can transfer strange qualities through seemingly unrelated training—from a love of owls to something more dangerous

www.scientificamerican.com

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Reposted by Sarah Lewin Frasier

Chaz Firestone @chazfirestone.bsky.social · Aug 22

How much does the environment we’re raised in change how we see the world? Wonderful piece in @sciam.bsky.social by @norabradford.bsky.social, ft. an interview with @dorsaamir.bsky.social about our work on the 'cultural byproduct hypothesis'.

www.scientificamerican.com/article/does...

Why a Classic Psychology Theory about Vision Has Fallen Apart

The downfall of a long-standing theory in psychology raises a question: How much does the environment we’re raised in change how we literally see the world?

www.scientificamerican.com

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Sarah Lewin Frasier @sarahexplains.bsky.social · Aug 21

You never know what you might find...

@sciam.bsky.social's 180th birthday celebration includes a photo contest! Take a look at the rules here: sciam.com/180contest #SciAmInTheWild

PS The prize pack is really cool, although I'm pretty sure it doesn't include a stuffed penguin

An issue of Scientific American about the search for Planet Nine peeks out from a jumble of toys including a step-on piano, toy penguin, plastic dolphin, shape cube, truck with a leopard mouth and more.

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Meghan Bartels @meghanbartels.bsky.social · Aug 20

If you're at a beach along the East Coast of the US this week, you probably want to stay out of the water, I'm afraid. Here's why. 🧪 www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-...

Going to the Beach? Watch Out for Rip Currents from Hurricane Erin

From Miami to Maine, the East Coast is under moderate or high rip current risk advisories because of Hurricane Erin

www.scientificamerican.com

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Reposted by Sarah Lewin Frasier

Emma R. Hasson @dodecalemma.bsky.social · Aug 7

Pick-up Sticks, Probability, and Pinecones, oh my!
(My newest math article for @sciam.bsky.social)

www.scientificamerican.com/article/stud...

#mathsky #probability

Students Find Hidden Fibonacci Sequence in Classic Probability Puzzle

Though the Fibonacci sequence shows up everywhere in nature, these young mathematicians were surprised to find it in the answer to a variation of the pick-up sticks problem⁠—a nearly two-century-old f...

www.scientificamerican.com

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Reposted by Sarah Lewin Frasier

Scientific American @sciam.bsky.social · Aug 5

From deep oceans to distant galaxies, every Scientific American cover is an invitation to explore. Now show us where curiosity takes you!

🤳 Enter the #SciAmInTheWild photo contest

🎁 Prizes include gadgets and gear to elevate your next adventure

⚠️ Terms & Conditions apply: sciam.com/180contest

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Reposted by Sarah Lewin Frasier

Emma R. Hasson @dodecalemma.bsky.social · Aug 4

I had an enlightening conversation with mathematician Hannah Cairo about how she broke a huge conjecture in Harmonic Analysis at just 17 years old, what being a transgender mathematician means to her and how math has supported her along her journey! 🏳️‍⚧️ 🌊 ✨

Read the Q&A here:

Teen Hannah Cairo's Mathematical Discovery Sends Ripples through Harmonic Analysis

When she was just 17 years old, Hannah Cairo disproved the Mizohata-Takeuchi conjecture, breaking a four-decade-old mathematical assumption

www.scientificamerican.com

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Sarah Lewin Frasier @sarahexplains.bsky.social · Aug 4

I will never look at Sudoku the same way. Mind-bending math puzzle from our columnist Jack Murtagh!

Math Puzzle: Sudoku Surprise

Flex your math muscles with this weekend’s brain teaser. Play now.

www.scientificamerican.com

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Reposted by Sarah Lewin Frasier

Lee Billings @leebillings.bsky.social · Jul 25

Now on @sciam.bsky.social, from @philplait.bsky.social:

The sky is falling—from another star.

There's no "Chicken Little" nonsense here, though—this is legit: Some fraction of the meteors that streak thru Earth's skies are from beyond the solar system!

www.scientificamerican.com/article/inte...

Interstellar Meteors Are Probably Hitting Earth All the Time, Scientists Say

Astronomers think small space rocks from beyond our solar system routinely strike Earth—but proving it isn’t easy

www.scientificamerican.com

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Sarah Lewin Frasier @sarahexplains.bsky.social · Jul 21

Feel like breaking your brain a little? The latest from @dodecalemma.bsky.social: www.scientificamerican.com/article/try-... - try the puzzles reliable sources say it's "too 'after 4pm' for"!

How Logical Are You? Test Your Skills With These Problems from the New International Logic Olympiad

In only its second year, the International Logic Olympiad is already booming as logic becomes more and more crucial in our ever changing world

www.scientificamerican.com

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Sarah Lewin Frasier @sarahexplains.bsky.social · Jul 17

worms worms worms worms WORMS WORMS WORMS WORMS

Meghan Bartels @meghanbartels.bsky.social · Jul 17

This #WorldEmojiDay, let's revisit among my favorite of @sciam.bsky.social 's tiktoks, about the STUNNING misportrayal of biodiversity in emoji 🧪 www.tiktok.com/@scientifica...

Taxonomic bias is upsetting the balance of the emoji animal kingdom. A representative emoji ecosystem would need roundworms, flatworms, mollusks and more. It’s about more than aesthetics– gaps in emoj...

TikTok video by Scientific American

www.tiktok.com

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Reposted by Sarah Lewin Frasier

Scientific American @sciam.bsky.social · Jul 14

We finally made it to Bluesky—just a few billion years after the Big Bang, and only slightly late to the party ✨🌌

We’re sharing some of our best stories from the year so far to kick off our Bluesky journey!

What is Scientific American?

YouTube video by Scientific American

www.youtube.com

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Sarah Lewin Frasier @sarahexplains.bsky.social · Jun 26

I can't quite pinpoint why, but a certain book by @scalzi.com is going through my head as I contemplate this headline...

Math Enthusiasts Are over the Moon for Rover to Calculate Pi

Later this year a tiny rover will carry out an unusual lunar task

www.scientificamerican.com

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Jen Christiansen @jenchristiansen.com · Jun 25

Vaccination schedules on the CDC website have already started changing under RFK Jr. So we published a guide to the evidence-based vaccine recommendations in place *before* all 17 members of the advisory panel were abruptly dismissed by the new admin. www.scientificamerican.com/article/see-... 🧪

Here’s Your Cheat Sheet for Vaccine Recommendations Backed by Science

These graphics will guide you through science-based vaccine guidelines for children and adults

www.scientificamerican.com

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Clara Moskowitz @clarakm.bsky.social · Jun 6

Mathematicians are jittery after AI proves shockingly good at outsmarting them www.scientificamerican.com/article/insi...

Inside the Secret Meeting Where Mathematicians Struggled to Outsmart AI

The world's leading mathematicians were stunned by how adept artificial intelligence is at doing their jobs

www.scientificamerican.com

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Sarah Lewin Frasier @sarahexplains.bsky.social · May 23

Pretty sure Apple TV shows drop at 9pm the night before! At least for the Friday timeslot.

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Reposted by Sarah Lewin Frasier

Elise Cutts @elisecutts.bsky.social · May 14

Venus is alive! ... sort of. No aliens this time, just rocks.

There are weird circle-y volcanic on Venus called coronae, and now scientists think that they're itty bitty baby circular subduction zones! How cool is that? 🧪🔭

Me for @sciam.bsky.social:

www.scientificamerican.com/article/stra...

The Geological Heart of Venus Still Beats Today, New Study Suggests

A reappraisal of decades-old data suggests that strange circular formations on Venus could be volcanic “rings of fire” created by ongoing geological activity

www.scientificamerican.com

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Reposted by Sarah Lewin Frasier

Mindy Weisberger @laminda.bsky.social · May 7

It's a cicada sex party! Wait, who invited the zombies?

Periodical cicadas in Brood XIV are starting to appear, and so is the fungus Massospora cicadina, which infects and zombifies the cicadas. I wrote about what scientists hope to learn from Brood XIV cicada zombies, for @sciam.bsky.social 🧪

Prepare for ‘Sex, Drugs and Zombies’—Brood XIV Cicadas Are Coming

As 17-year cicadas emerge this spring, a zombifying fungus is waiting for them

www.scientificamerican.com

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Reposted by Sarah Lewin Frasier

Andrea Thompson @andreatweather.bsky.social · Apr 25

This caterpillar is metal as hell 🤘

🧪

Carnivorous ‘Bone Collector’ Caterpillars Wear Corpses as Camouflage

Nicknamed the “bone collector,” this newly confirmed caterpillar in Hawaii secretly scrounges off a spider landlord by covering itself with dead insect body parts

www.scientificamerican.com

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Sarah Lewin Frasier @sarahexplains.bsky.social · Mar 25

This one is truly baffling to me. Will send it along, as always. (BTW, I personally spell "schlep" with a c!)

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