Sara Talpos
@saratalpos.bsky.social
Reporter and Editor at Undark / Occasional freelance writer / Former lecturer at U Mich / Signal: saratalpos.64
I think there are two key lessons from Linguistics as we deal with LLMs/chatbots being imposed on us everywhere. Grateful for Undark Magazine giving space for me to lay these out: undark.org/2026/09/25/i...
Interview: What Does the 'I' in AI Really Mean?
Five scientific experts discuss whether artificial intelligence is — or might one day become — truly intelligent.
undark.org
New for @undark.org: "What I Learned from Teaching Darwin" "For Darwin at least, science was a conversation between humans and nature, more than it was an industry. I wish that were true today, for all of us." undark.org/2026/04/23/o...
What I Learned from Teaching Darwin
Opinion | Charles Darwin’s books offer lessons for how to grapple with the current state of science and its complicated future.
undark.org
Nicole Kleinstreuer has been named deputy director at NIH (shes been acting in that capacity for some months) @saratalpos.bsky.social talked w/ her abt alternatives to animal models in Oct for @statnews.com www.statnews.com/2025/10/03/a...
She’s leading NIH’s push to reduce the use of animals in biomedical research
Nicole Kleinstreuer, who is leading an NIH effort to reduce the use of animals in research, began thinking about the issue as a toxicologist at the EPA
statnews.com
@okaysteve.bsky.social chatted with @undark.org about how memories can heal the brain and his new book, How to Change a Memory (publishing 11/4). Check out the interview:
How Memories Might Be Used to Help Heal the Brain
In a new book, Steve Ramirez explores the potential of memory manipulation to ease depression and other afflictions.
undark.org
To answer key questions about a possible link between acetaminophen and autism, I recommend this deep dive I did for @Undark in '23. Since then, a review of 46 studies found inconsistent evidence and a Swedish study of siblings (one exposed; one not) found no association. undark.org/2023/07/10/c...
Can In-Utero Exposure to Acetaminophen Cause Autism and ADHD?
The question is a matter of fierce debate among scientists. Now it's making its way into the courtroom.
undark.org
Thanks to @saratalpos.bsky.social for this interview with me and @juliabelluz.bsky.social in @undark.org discussing several topics in our new book FOOD INTELLIGENCE that's finally out next week! undark.org/2025/09/19/i...
I will be brief. If you care about the quality of news we get, this clip is the most disturbing and important 20 minutes I have for you. If you have only 5 minutes to watch then do that. Via @michaelsocolow.bsky.social Did you watch the clip? Now go to this link. www.cnbc.com/2025/07/01/c...
Axios’ Sara Fischer in conversation with Cloudflare’s Matthew Prince
YouTube video by Axios
youtube.com
For weeks, a major university quietly froze incoming NIH funding. The details — reported for the first time — show how universities are struggling with Trump administration policies and False Claims Act threats.
Via the False Claim Act, NIH Puts Universities on Edge
A funding pause at the University of Michigan illustrates the uncertainty around new language in NIH grant awards.
undark.org
@saratalpos.bsky.social published a really nice article in MIT’s UnDark on Jay Bhattacharya undark.org/2025/05/27/j...
Amid Turbulence, the NIH's Jay Bhattacharya Era Begins
Pandemic policies prompted his call for public health reform. But allies wonder if he can deliver it as a Trump insider.
undark.org
@saratalpos.bsky.social interviews In Covid’s Wake authors Macedo and Lee for @undark.org: undark.org/2025/03/07/i...
What happens when the owner of a social media company also works for the government? Legal experts will need to grapple with such questions, says @aricohn.com, lead counsel for tech policy at @thefireorg.bsky.social.
Interview: How Elon Musk Blurs the Lines of Free Speech
The billionaire's new job raises tricky First Amendment questions, with implications for public health, says Ari Cohn.
undark.org
Interview: Doctors Need Flexibility in Prescribing Opioids
Interview: Doctors Need Flexibility in Prescribing Opioids
Stefan Kertesz, a physician and addiction expert, says overaggressive cutbacks can harm some chronic pain patients.
undark.org
We may be eating microbes soon, and that's a good thing. Scientists and entrepreneurs have big goals for tiny organisms, from feeding people in war zones to curbing climate impacts. www.motherjones.com/environment/...
We may be eating microbes soon, and that's a good thing
Scientists and entrepreneurs have big goals for tiny organisms, from feeding people in war zones to curbing climate impacts.
motherjones.com
"Preparing food at home?! Stand by your pan! Unattended cooking is the number one cause of home fires! This message brought to you by the CPSC discourse hijacker bot!"
Interesting passage in @saratalpos.bsky.social's recent interview with biosecurity expert Gerald Epstein. They set up an elaborate system for reviewing risky gain-of-function research projects, but almost no one submits proposals—even though ~20 percent of institutions report doing such work.
Supporters argue that gain-of-function studies are key to preparing for pandemics, but critics warn of their dangers. Read more here:
The Long, Contentious Battle to Regulate Gain-of-Function Work
For years, experts have tussled over whether — and how — to restrict risky pathogen research. Is a compromise possible?
undark.org
"Schools should be the last to close, first to open." Former COVID-19 czar Ashish Jha critiques prolonged school closures and calls for better pandemic preparedness.
Interview: What Biden's Covid Czar Learned From the Pandemic
Ashish Jha, the former White House Covid-19 response coordinator, discusses the country's successes and mistakes.
buff.ly
Happy for @undark.org to join the @bsky.app community. Please let us know either here or at editorial@undark.org what science stories you'd most like to see in the coming year. undark.org
Undark: Truth, Beauty, Science.
Undark is a nonprofit, editorially independent digital magazine exploring the intersection of science and society.
undark.org
Thrilled that my Undark features on PANDAS/PANS, direct-to-consumer allergy SLIT drops & OTC hearing aids won an award from the Society of Professional Journalists NorCal chapter! Thanks @brookeborel.bsky.social @saratalpos.bsky.social for edits & encouragement! spjnorcal.org/2024/10/30/s...
For nearly a year, scientists lobbied the USGS to restore and maintain its popular pesticide database, which has been used or cited in more than 500 peer-reviewed papers. Two days ago--to the surprise of many--the agency pledged to do this. undark.org/2024/02/29/u...
Amid Pushback, the USGS Decides to Restore Its Pesticide Database
Scientists say the resource is crucial for understanding agricultural chemicals, human health, and the environment.
undark.org
