Emily Makowski
@emilymakowski.bsky.social
senior copy editor and fact-checker at Scientific American
Three days after Springer Nature sold Scientific American without warning, the NLRB conducted our scheduled union vote count, despite Springer Nature’s attempt to stop it. And guess what? WE WON. What’s more, it was nearly unanimous, with 31 out of 32 voters checking YES.
Scientific American spoke with 51 icons across the sciences, asking each to share their thoughts on the current state of science. Explore all their answers here:
The Young American Scientists
Meet the researchers who may one day change the world
scientificamerican.com
The theory that the hantavirus outbreak started with a trip to a landfill that also happens to be a popular birding site in Argentina may not hold up to scrutiny. New on @sciam.bsky.social! www.scientificamerican.com/article/doub...
Did a bird-watching visit to this Argentine landfull spark the cruise ship hantavirus outbreak? Experts raise doubts
The hantavirus cruise outbreak may not have started in a garbage dump in Ushuaia, Argentina, after all
scientificamerican.com
As biologist M. Picard wrote in the June 2025 issue of Scientific American, “Mitochondria communicate, both within their own cells and among other cells, reaching out to support one another in times of need and generally helping the community flourish.” We’re proud to help @sciam.bsky.social thrive!
Why did the Scientific American union choose mitochondria as our symbol? A key part of working at @sciam.bsky.social is caring about getting good science to people. To that end, please enjoy some mitochondria fun facts! 1/🧵
As @springernature.com continues to employ tired and costly union-busting tactics, we just wanted to say we’re so grateful to all the subscribers, scientists and journalists who’ve reached out and said they’ll stand with us as we fight to ensure @sciam.bsky.social lasts another 180 years. Thank you!
Does it ever feel like an elevator is always going in the wrong direction? Mathematics can explain why
Mathematicians found out why waiting for the elevator takes forever
Does it ever feel like an elevator is always going in the wrong direction? Mathematics can explain why
scientificamerican.com
Now on @sciam.bsky.social: A turbulent protoplanetary disk around the newborn sun may have turbo-charged the formation of the very first solid objects in the solar system, summoning them into being in <100 millennia rather than millions of years. www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-...
The first solid objects in the solar system formed shockingly fast
Rather than slowly condensing over millions of years, the first building blocks of Earth and other planets may have formed rapidly in a chaotic disk at the dawn of the solar system
scientificamerican.com
Today is Earth Day. Two weeks ago, humans saw the Earth from the moon for the first time in 54 years. I wanted to know what historians were thinking about the moment, and the images we all loved so much. 🧪 🌍
NASA’s Artemis II returned from the moon just in time for Earth Day
Fresh takes on Apollo’s famous “Earthrise” and “Blue Marble” images showed off our planet’s beauty just weeks before Earth Day
scientificamerican.com
Scientific American Unionizes with WGA East, Demands Voluntary Recognition www.wgaeast.org/scientific-a...
Scientific American Unionizes with WGA East, Demands Voluntary Recognition | Press Room
NEW YORK (April 13, 2026) – The reporters, editors, producers, and other professionals involved in producing a successful print and digital product at Scientific American unionized with the Writers Gu...
wgaeast.org
Hello, Bluesky! We, the staff of Scientific American, are pleased to announce we have formed a union with @wgaeast.bsky.social. Just as mitochondria are the powerhouse of the cell, we are the powerhouse of the publication, and we’re excited to have a new way to contribute to its success.
In order for a male octopus to mate, he needs to locate a female's ovaries inside her body with his special "mating arm." But how does he find them if he can't see them? Scientists may have found the answer. www.scientificamerican.com/article/octo...
The wild science of octopus sex
Scientists have learned how male octopuses' specialized sperm-depositing arm knows where to go
scientificamerican.com
The new World Happiness Report isn't all doom and gloom, but it does find that "there is now overwhelming evidence of severe and widespread direct harms" to children from social media and that social media is harming children "at a population level." www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-...
The world’s happiest countries report calls attention to youth well-being
An annual world happiness ranking for 2026 explores how the use of social media influences well-being
scientificamerican.com
"Kennedy and other administration figures ... have pointed to mistrust in science..., but the survey results suggest the public trusts them even less, says Georges Benjamin, chief executive officer of the American Public Health Association." www.scientificamerican.com/article/amer...
Americans trust federal scientists more than RFK, Jr., poll suggests
When it comes to health advice, more people trust the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Medical Association than they do federal health agencies, according to a new poll
scientificamerican.com
Delightful news alert: An Austrian cow named Veronika has perfected the art of using a broom to scratch her itches—a finding that challenges the conventional wisdom about the intelligence of farm animals. #CowTools are real! 🐮 🧹 🧪
Meet Veronika, the first cow known to engage in flexible, multipurpose tool use
A pet cow named Veronika uses tools in a surprisingly sophisticated way—possibly because she has been allowed to live her best life
scientificamerican.com
Lawmakers aim to support science research despite cuts proposed by the Trump administration
Congress Proposes Strong Science Funding for 2026
Lawmakers aim to support science research despite cuts proposed by the Trump administration
scientificamerican.com
“In a recent statement, the American Academy of Pediatrics denounced the move, stating that it will ‘sow further chaos and confusion and erode confidence in immunizations. This is no way to make our country healthier.’” www.scientificamerican.com/article/u-s-...
U.S. Axes Number of Recommended Childhood Vaccines in Blow to Public Health
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is reducing the recommended number of vaccines for children to those that protect against 11 diseases instead of the protections against 17 illnesse...
scientificamerican.com
90% of newborns who get hep B will develop a chronic infection versus 5% of older children and adults. Delaying the vaccine to age 2 months would condemn hundreds of babies in the next year alone to eventual liver failure, cancer or early death. www.scientificamerican.com/article/cdc-...
CDC Vaccine Panel Scraps Guidance for Universal Hepatitis B Shots at Birth
New guidance from the CDC’s vaccine advisory panel would do away with a decades-old universal birth dose recommendation for hepatitis B that helped cut infections by 99 percent in the U.S.
scientificamerican.com
A big vote on the hepatitis B birth vaccine dose is pushed to tomorrow after CDC advisers seemed confused and caught off guard by new recommendations. "There have been multiple arguments between ACIP members. It’s frankly embarrassing," says @angierasmussen.bsky.social. Read @sciam.bsky.social 💉
CDC Vaccine Panel in Disarray over Hepatitis B Vote
Members of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices seemed confused about a proposed recommendation for the birth dose of the hepatitis B vaccine
scientificamerican.com
Skipping meals before a big holiday feast probably isn’t the best idea for gut health, experts say. Here’s how to prevent overeating on an empty stomach—and tips for if you do
Why ‘Saving Room’ for Big Holiday Meals Can Be Bad for Gut Health
Skipping meals before a big holiday feast probably isn’t the best idea for gut health, experts say. Here’s how to prevent overeating on an empty stomach—and tips for if you do
scientificamerican.com
