Laura Howes
@laurahowes.bsky.social
Editor (she/her) @cenmag.bsky.social into biomolecules, drug discovery, and biotech. Also beer, skiing, and the joys of being an immigrant in Germany. All views expressed here are absolutely mine, especially when they're right. DM for Signal.
I spent 1.5 hours playing with this Nobel graphic. So so so many stories behind the data: blacklisted scientists, the Swedes behind the curtain, and a long, embarrassing history of misogyny: cen.acs.org/people/nobel... @laurahowes.bsky.social + @alejandrokennedy.bsky.social for @cenmag.bsky.social
"It was not lost on me, even in reporting this piece, that every phone call, every email, is predicated on a faith in ordinary interactions that AI is fast eroding." www.cjr.org/analysis/fak...
Fake Caroline.
Editors are facing an influx of AI-written pitches, including at science publications like mine. What now?
cjr.org
One reader out of the ~600 guessed this. They didn't leave us their name, so we'll never know who our mystery clairvoyant was.
Laura Howes@laurahowes.bsky.social · 4d agoWe've now closed the poll we ran of @cenmag.bsky.social readers. We got over 600 votes. For them, Chi-Huey Wong is miles in front
it was all hands (get it??) on deck for #ChemNobel coverage this morning--Henri Kagan and Henso Soai winning for work related to chiral catalysis was not on my bingo board but we love a good fundamental chem prize with big commercial apps over here! cen.acs.org/people/nobel...
Chemistry Nobel awarded for chiral chemistry advances
Henri B. Kagan and Kenso Soai win the 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their work on nonlinear effects and asymmetric catalysis
cen.acs.org
One hour to go #chemnobel watchers And last predictions?
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences@scienceacademyswe.bsky.social · 4d ago🌟 Another day, another Nobel Prize announcement! Members of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences have gathered and are currently deciding on this year’s Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Don’t miss the live broadcast at 11:45 a.m. CEST at kva.se 🎥 #NobelPrize @nobelprize.org
Take a deep dive into the nomination data behind the #NobelPrize in Chemistry ahead of this year's announcement: cen.acs.org/people/nobel... #ChemNobel #chemsky 🧪
How to win the Chem Nobel
An exploration of the nomination data behind the Nobel Prize in Chemistry
cen.acs.org
A breath of fresh air: @saskiapopescu.bsky.social writes about the specific threats of bioweapons AND POLICIES TO REDUCE RISK. A very real threat is distraction. Best thing I've read on this topic. www.nature.com/articles/d41...
AI biohazard hype must not divert attention from the real risks we face now
Twenty-five years after the US anthrax attacks, fears around AI are distracting people from seeing what’s needed to stay safe: a strong, regulated life-sciences sector.
nature.com
On this #chemnobel eve, take a spin through the Nobel Prize nominations database with @laurahowes.bsky.social and @cenmag.bsky.social #chemsky 🧪 cen.acs.org/people/nobel...
How to win the Chem Nobel
An exploration of the nomination data behind the Nobel Prize in Chemistry
cen.acs.org
Did a data story. Or more accurately, watched @alejandrokennedy.bsky.social in awe and then occasionally answered his Qs or made suggestions.
Laurel Oldach@laureloldach.bsky.social · 5d agoMany data-driven delights in this very cool story by @laurahowes.bsky.social and @alejandrokennedy.bsky.social cen.acs.org/people/nobel...
The IceCube neutrino detector has won the 2026 Nobel Prize in physics. The Trump administration has proposed slashing its budget in half in 2027.
IceCube is very cool. Also neat to see how things have developed since the 2015 win for Takaaki Kajita and Arthur B. McDonald for showing that neutrinos have mass. Also, for those keeping score, we're 4:0 on the old gender split so far this year
Nobel Prize@nobelprize.org · 5d agoBREAKING NEWS The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has decided to award the 2026 #NobelPrize in Physics to Francis Halzen “for decisive contributions to the IceCube Neutrino Observatory and the discovery of high-energy neutrinos of astrophysical origin.”
Served from 1998 to 2005. Now to have a big sip of coffee and see who was Chancellor during this period. It must be great if you're a former social democratic Prime Minister because no matter how much you fucked up, there's no way you are having a more humiliating retirement than Gerhard Schröder.
dpa news agency@dpa-intl.com · 5d ago#BREAKING August Hanning, the former head of Germany's BND foreign intelligence service, has been arrested on suspicion of espionage, sources tell dpa
Happy first full week of October to all who celebrate
Nobel Prize@nobelprize.org · 6d agoWATCH LIVE: Join us for the 2026 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine announcement. Hear the breaking news first – see the live coverage from 11:30 CEST. Where are you watching from? #NobelPrize youtube.com/live/qGPpW0h...
My second 3. Oktober as a German. It's a weird old feeling, to be sure. But also, I've had two glasses of local Sekt and should probably have a lie down.
German Embassy London@uk.diplo.de · last wk."This morning, Germany is one nation again." This is how BBC Breakfast News reported on German reunification on 3 October 1990.
PERSONAL NEWS: Wednesday was my last day at @sciam.bsky.social. I was laid off during another round of restructuring and my department shuttered. If you are looking for a skilled editor, project manager and people manager, I'm your hire. Thanks. #lookingforwork
PSA Germany: Saturday is a public holiday. All the shops will be shut. That includes supermarkets. If you are visiting Germany this weekend, do your grocery shopping tomorrow! But be aware it’ll be utter chaos as everyone panic buys like in a pandemic cause the shops will shut for two days.
Heike@tannborn.bsky.social · last wk.Servicepost: Ich möchte alle in Deutschland daran erinnern, dass am Samstag alle Geschäfte wegen Feiertag geschlossen haben. (3. Oktober, Tag der Deutschen Einheit). Ich habe gerade meine Einkaufspläne umgeplant.
Do you want to be a science writer? Or just learn more about science writing? This is a fantastic *paid* opportunity to sharpen your skills. @theopennotebook.bsky.social @siricarpenter.bsky.social www.theopennotebook.com/early-career...
Early-Career Fellowship Program - The Open Notebook
Every year, The Open Notebook offers a paid, part-time fellowship program for early-career science journalists. This ten-month program offers fellows the opportunity to explore their career interests and passions and to sharpen their skills as part of a talented, supportive, diverse community of past and present fellows and mentors. This fellowship is made possible through the generous support of the Burroughs Wellcome Fund.
theopennotebook.com
It's quite hard for Americans to understand that our instinct with anything other than genuinely tragic stories is to take the piss.
I gotta say that I’m surprised (delightfully) to see Pat so high on this list. Not sure who is running the Pat Holland for Nobel committee … but great work, team!
Laura Howes@laurahowes.bsky.social · 2w agoWe're still collecting votes until midnight ET before the announcement on Oct 7, but this is the leaderboard as it stands right now...
Since I’m just a pseudo-chemist, I don’t know most of these people. However, it would be really cool if Krzysztof Matyjaszewski would win, since our Institute has an ongoing collaboration with him and he’s a regular visitor. #NobelPrize
Laura Howes@laurahowes.bsky.social · 2w agoWe're still collecting votes until midnight ET before the announcement on Oct 7, but this is the leaderboard as it stands right now...
New Denglish just dropped: Somehow got confused when signing off on an answerphone message just now and started saying "Bye" before switching to "Tchau" and thus... Byau. At least the Lawyer's office will hopefully get a chuckle.
Wow. Check out the European numbers on favourable views of the US versus favourable views of China….
Some real "chemists' chemists" in here. Interesting to see sugar chemistry getting much love. I confess to being a bit frightened of glyco-related things in biology, as they are scarily complicated. But so important!
Laura Howes@laurahowes.bsky.social · 2w agoWe're still collecting votes until midnight ET before the announcement on Oct 7, but this is the leaderboard as it stands right now...
I vote for Jonathan Lindsey, given everything he did in porphyrin and bacteriochlorin chemistry
Laura Howes@laurahowes.bsky.social · 3w agoI get a sneak peek at the votes coming in, but I have to say I was not expecting the non-zero number of people currently voting for David MacMillan to get a 2nd #ChemNobel.
I do expect DMac to get a 2nd for photochem/SET but it’ll be a while 8-10y
I think #chemsky has discussed before how NO-ONE should be feeding unpublished or proprietary data into public models. It really feels like that is worth reiterating.
