David M. Ewalt
@dme.bsky.social
Author of 'Of Dice and Men' & 'Defying Reality.' I drop bombs and drop science. https://www.davidmewalt.com/
From hacking broken Nintendo 64 controllers as a kid, to teaching robots to be true partners for humans. I interviewed Tixiao Shan for the @sciam.bsky.social Young American Scientists issue, and you can read it here: www.scientificamerican.com/article/tixi... #sciamyoungscientists
Tixiao Shan
Teaching robots how to recognize and interpret their surroundings
scientificamerican.com
Meet our inaugural class of Young American Scientists: 28 researchers who are redefining the future of science. sciam.com/youngscientists
Welcome to the June issue of Scientific American! Inside, you'll find a quantum computing revolution, nuclear reactors on the moon, the million-dollar math problem no one wants to solve, lost roads of ancient Rome, and more! Dig in: www.scientificamerican.com/issue/sa/202... (credit Violet Frances)
Hey Bluesky! 👋🦋 We’ve been reading your replies about our paywall, and we’re listening. We want to share why it’s there—and an easy, low-cost way to read more. TL;DR: You can unlock every Scientific American article for 90 days for just $1 spklr.io/6003EyRIR More context below 🧵 1/6
🌎 NASA's Artemis II mission has splashed down and all four astronauts are reported safe, bringing an end to a stunning flight around the moon. www.scientificamerican.com/article/nasa...
Reports this week claimed the CIA used a tool called Ghost Murmur—allegedly powered by “long‑range quantum magnetometry”—to detect a downed Air Force officer’s heartbeat in the mountains of Iran. It's a great story, but there's one problem: The tech is almost certainly impossible.
What is the quantum ‘Ghost Murmur’ purportedly used in Iran? Scientists question CIA’s claim of long-range heartbeat detection
Ghost Murmur was described as a futuristic CIA tool that could detect a heartbeat from vast distances. Physicists say the public story clashes with the basic limits of magnetic sensing
scientificamerican.com
Astronaut Bill Anders took the iconic 1968 photo "Earthrise." “It's really too bad, we're shooting missiles and rockets and whatnot at each other…" Anders later said. "It's the only home in the universe for us humans." Artemis II just recreated the photo: www.scientificamerican.com/article/in-a...
The Artemis II Orion spacecraft is at the peak of its trip around the moon—the first time humans have passed nearby in more than 50 years. As they make the flyby, the four astronauts will travel farther in space than any human before them. www.scientificamerican.com/article/nasa...
Watch live—NASA’s Artemis II’s moon flyby is underway
Today the four astronauts of Artemis II are observing the far side of the moon, setting distance records and experiencing a solar eclipse
scientificamerican.com
Artemis II has successfully launched and the first crewed moon mission of the 21st century is on its way! www.scientificamerican.com/article/nasa...
NASA’s Artemis II launches on first crewed moon mission of the 21st century
A daring 10-day voyage will take four astronauts on a loop around the moon and set the stage for future forays to the lunar surface
scientificamerican.com
I know some of you need this today. www.scientificamerican.com/article/what...
What are the best foods for a hangover, scientifically?
There’s no bulletproof remedy for a hangover, but a nutrition scientist explains which foods could aid symptoms after one has had too much to drink
scientificamerican.com
The new issue of @sciam.bsky.social describes a cosmic conundrum that's keeping astronomers up at night: We assume galaxies are held together by dark matter because without it all the stars would simply fly apart. So what's keeping together galaxies that have no dark matter at all?
These strange galaxies without dark matter break all the rules
Bizarre objects that seem to lack all dark matter present a cosmic mystery
scientificamerican.com
A mixture of AI and algorithms uncovered a hidden structure spanning 2,000 years of equations for pi
Mathematicians find one pi formula to rule them all
A mixture of AI and algorithms uncovered a hidden structure spanning 2,000 years of equations for pi
scientificamerican.com
Now on @sciam.bsky.social: China has yet to officially select a lunar landing site for its first moonwalking astronauts, but a new study makes the case for targeting Rimae Bode, a near-equatorial region on the moon's near side. www.scientificamerican.com/article/chin...
Is this where China’s astronauts will land on the moon?
An obscure lunar region called Rimae Bode is emerging as a high-priority landing site for China’s first crewed moon mission
scientificamerican.com
The venerable Hubble observatory is going strong despite its decades in space and the advent of next-generation successors
The Hubble Space Telescope is old, but it’s far from busted
The venerable Hubble observatory is going strong despite its decades in space and the advent of next-generation successors
scientificamerican.com
Now on @sciam.bsky.social: The Schrödinger equation just turned 100, but that doesn’t mean quantum physicists have solved all its mysteries. Chief among them: What, exactly, does it mean to incorporate observers into the gnarly math? By Joseph Howlett. www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-...
The Schrödinger equation is getting a glow-up for its 100th birthday
A century ago, Erwin Schrödinger came up with an equation that says how the quantum world behaves. Now scientists are asking what happens when the observer is part of that world
scientificamerican.com
“These tropical lizards were experiencing conditions that they’ve never experienced in their entire evolutionary history before, tens of millions of years”
In Florida, the temperatures are plummeting. Iguanas might do so, too
Florida’s iguanas are an introduced species, and they aren’t used to the chilly temperatures the state is currently experiencing
scientificamerican.com
Look how excited I am to get a sneak peek of the Public Science Common at @museumofscience.bsky.social! It's super secret inside so no pictures, but this is going to be an incredible space for live events and science education. I can't wait for collaborations with @sciam.bsky.socia... stay tuned!
Science says eat more pie: 🧪 www.scientificamerican.com/article/whic...
Which Thanksgiving Pie Gives You the Biggest Sugar Rush?
Scientific American asked experts which type of Thanksgiving pie spikes blood sugar the most—and how to eat healthier while still enjoying the holidays
scientificamerican.com
The @sciam.bsky.social 2025 Nonfiction Panel at @greenlightbklyn.bsky.social was a smashing success! Thanks to authors Marguerite Holloway, Maris Kreizman, Nathan Lent, and Kate Marvel, and our host Brianne Kane!
Designing nuclear-waste repositories is part engineering, part anthropology—and part mythmaking
The Mind-Bending Challenge of Warning Future Humans about Nuclear Waste
Designing nuclear-waste repositories is part engineering, part anthropology—and part mythmaking
scientificamerican.com
U.S. Spy Agency Releases Amelia Earhart Records The U.S. Office of the Director of National Intelligence released long-promised records related to vanished pioneering aviator Amelia Earhart. More records are promised on a rolling basis www.scientificamerican.com/article/amel...
U.S. Spy Agency Releases Amelia Earhart Records
The U.S. Office of the Director of National Intelligence released long-promised records related to vanished pioneering aviator Amelia Earhart. More records are promised on a rolling basis
scientificamerican.com
This special report explores the global burden of type 1 diabetes—and the incredible innovations driving better treatments, better care, and the possibility of a cure.
Innovations In: Type 1 Diabetes
This special report explores the global burden of type 1 diabetes, along with incredible innovations that are leading to better treatments and care and a potential cure
scientificamerican.com
True nightmare fuel: Scientists just confirmed the first known death from a severe meat allergy caused by a tick bite. The man, who died in 2024 after eating a burger, had alpha-gal syndrome, a bizarre disease triggered by tick bites. www.scientificamerican.com/article/man-...
Man With Tick-Borne Meat Allergy Dies after Eating Burger
Lone star tick bites are the most common cause of alpha-gal syndrome, which causes severe allergic reactions to red meat
scientificamerican.com
I, for one, welcome our new trash panda overlords. But for real, fascinating science on how we might be seeing the very early stages of domestication in action in wild animals. 🧪 By @marinacoladas.bsky.social for @sciam.bsky.social
City Raccoons Are Evolving to Look More Like Pets
City-dwelling raccoons seem to be evolving a shorter snout—a telltale feature of our pets and other domesticated animals
scientificamerican.com
Blue Origin’s NASA Launch to Mars Is a Shot across the Bow for SpaceX After delays, Jeff Bezos’ rocket company successfully launched a NASA mission to study Mars on Thursday. www.scientificamerican.com/article/blue...
Blue Origin's NASA Launch to Mars Is a Shot across the Bow for Elon Musk's SpaceX
After delays, Jeff Bezos’ rocket company successfully launched a NASA mission to study Mars on Thursday.
scientificamerican.com
Early findings indicate that Epstein-Barr Virus may also cause the autoimmune disease lupus
The Virus That Causes Mono May Also Cause Lupus
Early findings indicate that Epstein-Barr Virus may also cause the autoimmune disease lupus
scientificamerican.com
Now on @sciam.bsky.social: Reflect Orbital’s plan to deliver “sunlight on demand” using thousands of giant orbital mirrors is just the latest in a growing list of disruptive commercial activities in space. By @raminskibba.bsky.social. 🧪🔭 www.scientificamerican.com/article/alar...
Giant Mirrors, Orbital Data Centers and Space-Based Advertisements Could Soon Clutter the Night Sky
Reflect Orbital’s plan to deliver “sunlight on demand” using thousands of giant orbital mirrors is just the latest in a growing list of disruptive commercial activities in space
scientificamerican.com
