Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Prof Sam Illingworth

@samillingworth.com

12K followers 67 following 3.9K posts

Professor of Creative Pedagogies | Poet | Game Designer | Slow AI #SciComm #HigherEd #Poetry #GenAI https://theslowai.substack.com/ https://linktr.ee/sam.illingworth

Videos

Environmental science 23%

Sociology 13%

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Pinned

Prof Sam Illingworth @samillingworth.com · Jun 30

👋 I’m Sam – Academic & poet exploring #Science, #GenAI, & #HigherEd 🧪

🎲 Latest Paper | Student empathy through play: doi.org/10.3390/bs15...

📖 Latest book | The poetry of physics: doi.org/10.1201/9781...

🤖 Substack | Slow AI: theslowai.substack.com

#SciComm #Poetry #AI #SciArt #SlowAI

Slow AI | Sam Illingworth | Substack

A weekly prompt series exploring mindful, creative, and human-centred ways to engage with AI – one slow idea at a time. Click to read Slow AI, by Sam Illingworth, a Substack publication with hundreds ...

theslowai.substack.com

4 6 25

Prof Sam Illingworth @samillingworth.com · 3m

🏭 When oversight stops, pollution rises

During the 2018–19 US government shutdown, coal plants released more soot when EPA monitoring paused, showing firms cut corners when checks lapse.

🔗 www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/...

#AirQuality #SciComm 🧪

Monitoring and Enforcement and Environmental Compliance: Power Plant Emissions During the 2018–19 Federal Government Shutdown | Journal of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists: Vol...

Abstract We show that firms strategically reduce their compliance effort when monitoring and enforcement unexpectedly decline in the short run. We use the Environmental Protection Agency’s furlough du...

www.journals.uchicago.edu

Prof Sam Illingworth @samillingworth.com · 2h

🦐 Krill help move carbon in the ocean

Antarctic krill make and drop 'food boluses' while feeding. These sinking clumps may carry carbon deep into the sea, aiding ocean carbon transport.

🔗 doi.org/10.1098/rsbl...

#MarineBiology #SciComm 🧪

The production of ‘food boluses’ by Antarctic krill and implications for organic matter transport | Biology Letters

Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) are a key species in the marine Antarctic ecosystem. Food boluses, a by-product of feeding where Antarctic krill form a compact food mass within their feeding basket, were formed and rejected under laboratory ...

doi.org

2 9

Prof Sam Illingworth @samillingworth.com · 4h

📱 Social media and self-image

A review found that appearance-focused social media use links to body shame and eating risks, while self-compassion can help protect against these effects.

🔗 jeatdisord.biomedcentral.com/articles/10....

#SciComm 🧪 #SocialMedia

Client Challenge

jeatdisord.biomedcentral.com

1 1 6

Prof Sam Illingworth @samillingworth.com · 6h

🤖 Who gets to decide what counts as ethical in AI?

This week’s Slow AI asks how shared responsibility starts with everyday choices:

theslowai.substack.com/p/why-ai-eth...

#AIethics #SciComm #SlowAI #AI #GenAI

Why AI Ethics Fails When Left to Experts

Who gets to decide what’s ethical, and what if it’s all of us?

theslowai.substack.com

1 1 6

Prof Sam Illingworth @samillingworth.com · 8h

🧬 Blocking cancer growth safely

New drugs that stop a key protein link in cancer cells slowed tumour growth in mice with RAS or HER2 mutations, without harming blood sugar control.

🔗 www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

#Cancer #SciComm 🧪

Covalent inhibitors of the PI3Kα RAS binding domain impair tumor growth driven by RAS and HER2

Genetic disruption of the RAS binding domain (RBD) of Phosphoinositide 3-kinase alpha(PI3Kα) impairs the growth of tumors driven by the small guanosine triphosphatase RAS in mice and does not impact P...

www.science.org

2 6 22

Prof Sam Illingworth @samillingworth.com · 10h

🧠 How ageing reshapes the brain

Scans from 2,600 adults show that ageing expands lower front brain areas and compresses upper back ones. These shape shifts link to weaker thinking and memory.

🔗 www.nature.com/articles/s41...

#SciComm #Ageing 🧪

Client Challenge

www.nature.com

1 2 16

Prof Sam Illingworth @samillingworth.com · 12h

🌍 Carbon offsets largely fail to cut emissions

A 25-year review found most carbon offset schemes do not reduce global heating, with systemic flaws like double counting and temporary projects undermining real progress.

🔗 www.theguardian.com/environment/...

#SciComm #Climate #CarbonOffsets 🧪

Carbon offsets fail to cut global heating due to ‘intractable’ systemic problems, study says

Analysis of 25 years of evidence shows most schemes are poor quality and fail to lower emissions

www.theguardian.com

3 25 56

Prof Sam Illingworth @samillingworth.com · 19h

🏺 Climate shift and the fall of a dynasty

Stalagmite records show a major drought and cooling event 2,800 years ago helped trigger the collapse of China’s Western Zhou Dynasty and mass southward migration.

🔗 www.nature.com/articles/s43...

#SciComm #ClimateHistory #Archaeology 🧪

Client Challenge

www.nature.com

3 8 21

Prof Sam Illingworth @samillingworth.com · 1d

🐀 Social life slows brain ageing

In aged rats, long-term social housing preserved memory and flexibility, supported by healthier brain activity in regions tied to learning and decision-making.

🔗 doi.org/10.18632/aging.206310

#SciComm #Ageing 🧪

The impact of long-term social housing on biconditional association task performance and neuron ensembles in the anterior cingulate cortex and the hippocampal CA3 region of aged rats | Aging

Aging | doi:10.18632/aging.206310. Anne M. Dankert, Abbi R. Hernandez, Taylor B. Wise, Katrina I. T. Dayaw, Judith N. T. Dayaw, Rachael M. Layden, Katelyn N. Lubke, Sara N. Burke, Victoria L. Templer

doi.org

3 14

Prof Sam Illingworth @samillingworth.com · 1d

Thanks team. 🙏

Prof Sam Illingworth @samillingworth.com · 1d

🦣 Ancient hunters and lost giants

New evidence shows early humans in southern South America relied mainly on now-extinct megafauna (such as giant sloths) for food until about 11,600 years ago, linking humans to their disappearance.

🔗 doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adx2615

#SciComm #Archaeology 🧪

Extinct megafauna dominated human subsistence in southern South America before 11,600 years ago

The high position of megafauna among the hunting prey of humans in South America reinforces their central role in extinctions.

doi.org

3 13

Prof Sam Illingworth @samillingworth.com · 1d

🧫 How vaccines shape T cell defences

Researchers found that repeated mRNA COVID-19 vaccinations keep T cells diverse while strengthening their binding power, helping the immune system adapt to viral changes.

🔗 doi.org/10.1126/sciimmunol.adu6730

#SciComm #Vaccines #COVID19 🧪

Vaccination-induced T cell responses maintain polyclonality with high antigen receptor avidity

Clonal recruitment is governed by a T cell receptor avidity threshold, whereas probabilistic expansion preserves repertoire polyclonality.

doi.org

6 20

Prof Sam Illingworth @samillingworth.com · 1d

🧓 Calcium supplements and dementia risk

A 14-year study of 1,460 older women found no link between calcium supplements and dementia, easing concerns about long-term cognitive harm.

🔗 www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...

#SciComm #Ageing #Dementia 🧪

Calcium supplementation and the risk of dementia in the Perth Longitudinal Study of Aging Women: a post-hoc analysis of a randomised clinical trial for fracture prevention

Calcium supplementation for five years did not increase the risk of all-cause dementia events over 14.5 years in community-dwelling older women. Findings do not support concerns that calcium supplemen...

www.thelancet.com

3 13

Prof Sam Illingworth @samillingworth.com · 1d

💪 Plant vs animal protein in training

In a 12-week trial, men who took plant or animal protein with resistance training gained similar muscle mass and strength. Both sources were equally effective.

🔗 doi.org/10.1080/15502783.2025.2568047

#SciComm #Nutrition #Exercise 🧪

Recent evidence suggests that both animal and plant proteins support strength and hypertrophy gains when paired with resistance training and adequate protein intake. The purpose of this study was t...

doi.org

2 6 27

Prof Sam Illingworth @samillingworth.com · 1d

🌊 Emissions timing shapes sea-level rise

A new study shows that when emissions fall matters as much as how much they fall. Delayed cuts drive higher sea levels, while Antarctic melt adds major uncertainty.

🔗 www.nature.com/articles/s41...

#SciComm #ClimateCrisis #SeaLevel 🧪

The interplay of future emissions and geophysical uncertainties for projections of sea-level rise - Nature Climate Change

Unclear emissions and ice-sheet processes drive uncertainties in future sea-level rise. The authors show that the timing of emissions reductions drives the uncertainties during the twenty-first century, but geophysical uncertainties become more important with time, especially under optimistic scenarios.

www.nature.com

1 6 18

Prof Sam Illingworth @samillingworth.com · 1d

🏔️ Glaciers lose their cooling edge

Scientists found that mountain glaciers will soon warm in step with the air around them, losing their brief cooling buffer and melting faster after midcentury.

🔗 www.nature.com/articles/s41...

#SciComm #ClimateCrisis #Glaciers 🧪

Mountain glaciers recouple to atmospheric warming over the twenty-first century - Nature Climate Change

It has been argued that air temperatures over mountain glaciers are decoupled from surrounding warming, which could slow down melting. Here the authors show that this effect will weaken with future glacier retreat, leading to a recoupling of temperatures from the 2030s onwards.

www.nature.com

13 26

Prof Sam Illingworth @samillingworth.com · 1d

💼 Long-term impact of COVID-19 on work

A study of 158 million US workers found health-related absences remain 13% higher than before the pandemic, reducing labour force participation.

🔗 doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.36635

#SciComm #COVID19 🧪

Enduring Outcomes of COVID-19 Work Absences on the US Labor Market

This cohort study examines the extent to which COVID-19 continues to generate work absences and decrease labor force participation beyond the pandemic period in the US.

doi.org

4 26 58

Prof Sam Illingworth @samillingworth.com · 1d

🧬 New clue toward male birth control

Scientists found that sperm switch on an enzyme called aldolase to boost energy for fertilization. Blocking this process could lead to new male contraceptives.

🔗 www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...

#SciComm #Reproduction #BirthControl 🧪

Sperm meet the elevated energy demands to attain fertilization competence by increasing flux through aldolase | PNAS

Prior to ejaculation, mammalian sperm are stored in the epididymis in a “resting” metabolic state. Upon ejaculation, sperm must alter their metabol...

www.pnas.org

2 6 23

Prof Sam Illingworth @samillingworth.com · 2d

💉 School nurses call for stronger vaccine rules

A new position from the National Association of School Nurses in the US says all students should be fully vaccinated, with exemptions allowed only for medical reasons.

🔗 www.news-medical.net/news/2025101...

#SciComm #Vaccines 🧪

NASN position statement emphasizes the importance of school immunizations

The National Association of School Nurses (NASN) today released its updated position statement, Immunization and Vaccination Requirements, underscoring the essential role of timely, up-to-date, and co...

www.news-medical.net

1 14 33

Prof Sam Illingworth @samillingworth.com · 2d

💊 Rise of deadly nitazene opioids

Researchers report a global surge in nitazene use, a synthetic opioid up to 500 times stronger than morphine. Most overdoses occur when it is sold as other drugs.

🔗 doi.org/10.1038/d41586-025-03280-5

#SciComm #Opioids 🧪

Dangerous ‘nitazene’ opioids are on the rise: researchers are worried

This class of synthetic opioids is more potent than heroin and morphine.

doi.org

2 7 10

Prof Sam Illingworth @samillingworth.com · 2d

🥤 Soft drinks and depression

A study of 932 adults found that soft drink intake was linked to major depression, especially in women. Gut bacteria changes partly explained the connection.

🔗 jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...

#SciComm #MentalHealth #Nutrition 🧪

Soft Drink Consumption and Depression Mediated by Gut Microbiome Alterations

This cohort study examines the association between soft drink consumption and major depressive disorder diagnosis and severity and whether this association is mediated by changes in the gut microbiota...

jamanetwork.com

4 16 37

Prof Sam Illingworth @samillingworth.com · 2d

📱 Screen time and school performance

A study of over 3,000 Canadian children found that more daily screen use at a young age was linked to lower reading and maths scores in later school years.

🔗 doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.37092

#SciComm #Education #ChildHealth 🧪

Screen Time and Standardized Academic Achievement Tests in Elementary School

This cohort study evaluates whether there is an association between different types of screen time, including TV, digital media, and video gaming, and standardized academic achievement test results in...

doi.org

2 6 15

Prof Sam Illingworth @samillingworth.com · 2d

🧠 Suicidal thought patterns in students

Researchers tracked university students’ daily moods and found those with more intense, less variable thoughts and higher stress sensitivity faced the greatest future risk.

🔗 www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

#SciComm #MentalHealth 🧪

Subtypes of suicidal ideation among university students – An ecological momentary assessment study

Suicide is a leading cause of death among youth ages 15 to 29. This study identifies suicidal ideation (SI) subtypes among university students based o…

www.sciencedirect.com

1 2 14

Prof Sam Illingworth @samillingworth.com · 2d

😴 Sleep and selective memory

Researchers found that when emotion and instruction compete, the brain prioritises what we are told to remember, not what feels emotional. Sleep spindles reflected this selective memory process.

🔗 www.frontiersin.org/journals/beh...

#SciComm #Memory #Sleep 🧪

Frontiers | Top-down instruction outweighs emotional salience: nocturnal sleep physiology indicates selective memory consolidation

IntroductionSleep plays a crucial role in memory consolidation, not only stabilizing newly encoded information but also potentially supporting forgetting. Ye...

www.frontiersin.org

2 9 25

Prof Sam Illingworth @samillingworth.com · 2d

🩺 New AI tool spots skin cancer early

Researchers have created a computer system that identifies melanoma from images with 99% accuracy, helping doctors detect skin cancer sooner and more reliably.

🔗 news.northeastern.edu/2025/10/01/m...

#SciComm #Cancer #AI 🧪

New AI tool can detect melanoma with 99% accuracy

Northeastern researchers developed a melanoma detection framework that outperforms existing models with a 99% accuracy rate.

news.northeastern.edu

5 14 45

Prof Sam Illingworth @samillingworth.com · 2d

🔥 Amazon fires getting worse

The Amazon saw its worst forest disturbance in over 20, mostly from fire-driven degradation. Emissions were 7 times higher than recent years. Brazil and Bolivia were hardest hit.

🔗 bg.copernicus.org/articles/22/...

#SciComm #ClimateCrisis #Amazon 🧪

Extensive fire-driven degradation in 2024 marks worst Amazon forest disturbance in over 2 decades

Abstract. The Amazon rainforest, historically fire-resistant, is experiencing an alarming increase in wildfires due to climate extremes and human activity. The 2023–2024 drought, surpassing previous r...

bg.copernicus.org

2 17 27

Prof Sam Illingworth @samillingworth.com · 2d

💻 Phishing and multitasking

Two experiments found that multitasking hurts phishing detection, as higher working memory load reduced accuracy.

🔗 doi.org/10.1080/0960085X.2025.2548543

#SciComm #CyberSecurity #Phishing 🧪

Phishing detection in multitasking contexts: the impact of working memory load, goal activation, and message framing cue on detection performance

Phishing, a prevalent cyber threat leveraging social engineering, poses significant challenges in the digital landscape. Despite advancements in security technologies, phishing continues to exploit...

doi.org

6 10

Prof Sam Illingworth @samillingworth.com · 3d

I mean how is this even allowed? Oh yes... lobbying. Thanks for highlighting Natalie. And sorry that you have to put up with so many colleagues selling out their constituents for a couple of tickets to see the footy. 😢

Prof Sam Illingworth @samillingworth.com · 3d

🎓 Student identity and motivation online

A study of Chinese college students found that those learning online showed lower self-acceptance, social connection, and goal direction than in-person peers.

🔗 www.nature.com/articles/s41...

#SciComm #HigherEd #Education 🧪

College students’ identity differences in offline and online learning environment and their effects on achievement motivation - Humanities and Social Sciences Communications

Humanities and Social Sciences Communications - College students’ identity differences in offline and online learning environment and their effects on achievement motivation

www.nature.com

1 5 19

Prof Sam Illingworth @samillingworth.com · 3d

🌍 Climate change and mental health

Climate models and policies miss systemic risks, like how food crises, pollution, and heat can harm mental health across generations. A systems approach is vital for true resilience.

🔗 doi.org/10.1371/journal.pclm.0000722

#SciComm #Climate #MentalHealth 🧪

Systems-level risks of the climate crisis are currently missed: A mental health lens

A lack of accounting for the systemic risks of the climate crisis in climate risk models, government policy and planning means that such risks remain poorly understood and largely overlooked, with det...

doi.org

10 18