Rob Reddick
@redique.bsky.social
Freelance science editor. Formerly of WIRED, The Conversation, Mosaic. Email: rsreddick.journalist@gmail.com / Signal: redique.97
Some ~personal~ news: After five years, I have been laid off from @the-independent.com. I am grateful for the time I have had there. With that in mind, I am absolutely looking for new work opportunities, especially ahead if the midterms. My email is EMGarcia2009@gmail.com. My signal is emgarcia.85
New from me for the @bmj.com. "Cancer: One in eight cases worldwide caused by infections like Epstein-Barr, study finds" Research like this builds the case for conducting more research on vaccine-less pathogens, like H. pylori and Epstein-Barr virus. www.bmj.com/content/395/...
Cancer: One in eight cases worldwide caused by infections like Epstein-Barr, study finds
Infections were responsible for 2.3 million new cancer cases in 2024, 12% of total global cases that year, a study has found. Conducted by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the ...
bmj.com
Good for people taking on FIFA, but this isn't the world I want to live in. Having to build AI tools (or use someone else's) to get a better price on tickets represents yet another barrier being placed in front of fans. And even then the prices are ridiculous. www.wired.com/story/reddit...
Redditors Are Using AI to Beat Obscene World Cup Ticket Prices
Soccer fans on r/WorldCup2026Tickets are using Claude to build DIY ticketing software, exchanging on back channels, and leaving scalpers scrambling.
wired.com
Remember PCR tests from Covid? The CDC doesn't have one for the Andes virus. I learned that a lab in Nebraska built and validated an Andes-specific PCR test in literal days in anticipation of receiving the American cruise ship passengers. My story for @wired.com: www.wired.com/story/race-t...
Inside the Race to Develop a Test for the Rare Andes Hantavirus
A University of Nebraska lab has developed a test that can detect the virus before symptoms become severe. Now, it's ready to start testing those returning to the US after a cruise outbreak.
wired.com
🚨 Everyone, I have some personal news! 🚨 Today, I am announcing my new coaching service for writers - yes, journalists, but also anyone who uses writing in their work and who wants to stand out in a world increasingly awash with AI-generated copy! 🤖 🚫 chrisbaraniuk.com/coaching/
Chris Baraniuk: Non-fiction Writing Coach & Mentor
Chris Baraniuk, freelance science journalist, is a writing coach & mentor based in Northern Ireland.
chrisbaraniuk.com
New, from me, for the @bmj.com: "Glyphosate: US Supreme Court ruling could block lawsuits alleging pesticide causes cancer" When first reporting this, I'd assumed the SC would side with Monsanto, but experts I spoke with said they could see the case going either way. www.bmj.com/content/393/...
NEW from me for the BMJ: A look at what impact President Trump's executive order on psychedelic medicines will have. www.bmj.com/content/393/...
bmj.com
"Mystery Disease Leaves Five Dead in Burundi, with Investigations Ongoing" New, from me, in the BMJ. It's always fascinating to speak with tropical disease experts. Hoping we find out what the cause of this outbreak is—but there's every possibility we won't. www.bmj.com/content/393/...
bmj.com
All food served in UK public sector institutions—schools, hospitals, even prisons—should meet the government's standards of nutrition. That it's 2026 and the level of provision is still this low in places is depressing. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Deep-fried food banned in new plans for school dinners
Schools are being told to cut down on sugary desserts, and provide more vegetables and whole grains.
bbc.co.uk
I've had a nagging sense for a while that I spend too much time with headphones in—I want to start reintroducing some quiet into my life. Let's see how this goes. theconversation.com/what-the-con...
What the constant sound of modern life is doing to our minds
What has changed is not only how we listen, but what listening is for.
theconversation.com
RIP. My teenage homework wouldn't have been the same without it.
The Great Pumpkin Papers 🎃🎃🎃@professormusgrave.bsky.social · 8mo agoKilling the CIA World Factbook might seem like small potatoes, but it was a touchstone of curated facts in a sea of disinformation.
Some personal news: I'm moving on from WIRED. I'm really proud of the work I've done here over the past 3.5 years, and it's been a real privilege to edit some excellent writers both on staff and freelance.
I'm wary of setting goals/resolutions at this time of year, but one thing I do want to try to do is create and stick to a better evening routine, and try to sleep better as a result. www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...
theguardian.com
"A generation ago, procrastinating required creativity. You had to find distractions. Today, they find you." A great piece on why we procrastinate, and steps to take to get yourself out of the habit. theconversation.com/why-procrast...
Why procrastination isn’t laziness – it’s rigid thinking that your brain can unlearn
Why we procrastinate has less to do with willpower than with how flexibly our brains handle stress and discomfort - and the good news is, flexibility is trainable.
theconversation.com
Congrats on a great year Chris. So many great pieces here! Editors, not only does Chris produce great work, but it's always a pleasure working together. Here's to many more commissions in 2026!
Chris Baraniuk@chrisbaraniuk.com · 10mo ago🥳🎄 Merry Christmas!!! It’s time for my annual freelancer’s office Christmas party! 🎉☃️ Yes, it’s just me 😂 but I’m having fun! 2025 has been quite a year. I’ve covered lots of stuff. This time, I thought I’d share a selection of things people have said to me that have stuck in my head. DEEP BREATH…
New on @wired.com—@alexandratalty.bsky.social reveals how carbon-removal company Running Tide was able to gather millions from investors, despite little evidence that its technology worked, dumped tens of thousands of tons of materials into the ocean, likely removing no carbon, and then went under.
How the Next Big Thing in Carbon Removal Sunk Without a Trace
With support from Microsoft, Stripe, and Shopify, Running Tide billed itself as on the cutting edge of carbon removal. In the end, it resorted to dumping thousands of tons of wood chips in the sea.
wired.com
For more on how decarbonization is being achieved on the ground, check out The Reengineer! www.thereengineer.pro
The Reengineer | Chris Baraniuk | Substack
A newsletter about the people and technology helping us to tackle, and survive, climate change. Click to read The Reengineer, by Chris Baraniuk, a Substack publication with hundreds of subscribers.
thereengineer.pro
Rob Reddick@redique.bsky.social · 11mo agoThis was such a fun piece—which we syndicated on @wired.com from Chris's own excellent newsletter, the Reengineer. I wonder where else in the world such moves are being made. www.wired.com/story/let-th...
This was such a fun piece—which we syndicated on @wired.com from Chris's own excellent newsletter, the Reengineer. I wonder where else in the world such moves are being made. www.wired.com/story/let-th...
British Churches Are Putting Their Faith in Heat Pumps
Ancient buildings and old bones aren’t getting in the way of the transition.
wired.com
Google may be forced by the Competition and Markets Authority to make major changes in the way that people use its search engine in the UK, @natashabernal.bsky.social reports for @wired.com www.wired.com/story/uk-wat...
Google Search Could Change Forever in the UK
New regulation from the UK’s competition authority means Google may be forced to make major changes in the way that people use its search engine.
wired.com
An incredible way of upping access and success of IVF, or an unnerving development that ushers in the possibility of ‘embryo farming’. Maybe it's both. www.wired.com/story/scient...
Scientists Made Human Eggs from Skin Cells and Used Them to Form Embryos
The embryos weren’t used to try to establish a pregnancy, but the researchers behind the technique say it could one day be used to address infertility.
wired.com
Absolutely loved this piece looking at the innards of a high-security data centers housed underground. www.wired.com/story/inside...
Inside the Nuclear Bunkers, Mines, and Mountains Being Retrofitted as Data Centers
Companies are going to great lengths to protect the infrastructure that provides the backbone of the world’s digital services—by burying their data deep underground.
wired.com
I covered the protests in London against Trump for @wired.com. Protesters aren't convinced by the AI deal from US tech giants: They want to know what the UK is giving them in exchange for up to $45bn in investment and where the power for data centers will come from www.wired.com/story/climat...
Anti-Trump Protesters Take Aim at ‘Naive’ US-UK AI Deal
Thousands marched in London to protest President Donald Trump’s second state visit. Among them were many environmental activists unhappy with Britain’s new AI deal with the US.
wired.com
I hope we see more of this around the world in the future.
Chris Baraniuk@chrisbaraniuk.com · last yr.NEW: A handful of cities around the world are using lake and river water to cool their buildings. It's a fascinating alternative to traditional AC. But some (relatively shallow) bodies of water are warming fast - will they continue to be useful in the future? www.wired.com/story/people...
My two takeaways from this piece: 1) ugh, this is bad, is there nothing that this administration will leave unsullied etc.; and 2) keeping ants (legally) seems pretty cool, I should look into it. www.wired.com/story/usda-a...
Government Staffing Cuts Have Fueled an Ant-Smuggling Boom
“It’s getting out of hand,” one seller says. “They realize the US market is a gold mine.”
wired.com
Dream job alert! @wired.com is hiring a features editor to join our team. You’ll work with @harmancipants.bsky.social and her gang of genius storytellers on ambitious reporting, investigations, packages, and more…
Features Editor
WIRED is where a better future is imagined. For three decades, we have been the indispensable guide to a world in constant transformation. We cover humanity’s biggest challenges, from climate change t...
condenast.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com
Assumed there'd be no legs in this idea over this timeframe... but experts who spoke to @wired.com explain how getting a nuclear reactor on the moon in five years is plausible—and why the US wants to pursue such an ambitious goal on this schedule. www.wired.com/story/why-th...
Why the US Is Racing to Build a Nuclear Reactor on the Moon
NASA has set a 2030 deadline to build a 100-kilowatt nuclear reactor on the moon. It’s an ambitious but potentially achievable goal that could transform space exploration, experts tell WIRED.
wired.com
Negotiations are underway, again, for a global treaty on plastics. If you're not sure what's going on or why this matters, this is a good primer: www.nytimes.com/2025/08/07/o...
Opinion | Two Words: Plastics Treaty
nytimes.com
