Carl Zimmer
@carlzimmer.com
NYT columnist. Signal: carlzimmer.51
Newsletter: https://buttondown.com/carlzimmer/
Web: http://carlzimmer.com
[This account includes a tweet archive]
Newsletter: https://buttondown.com/carlzimmer/
Web: http://carlzimmer.com
[This account includes a tweet archive]
Pinned
Carl Zimmer
@carlzimmer.com
· 25d
The @nytimes.com Lost Science series continues. Here's my Q&A with a scientist who was studying how wildfire smoke threatens human health when the EPA decided that her research was no longer a funding priority. Gift link: nyti.ms/4jhpw14
It's been almost a century since scientists first demonstrated how to clean the air of measles and other pathogens with ultraviolet light, as I wrote in Air-Borne. Here's the latest guidance from @donmilton.bsky.social & other experts.
⭐We are excited to present the GUV Hub website!⭐
The GUV Hub is a reliable source for learning about Germicidal Ultraviolet (GUV) technology.
Visit us at guv.umd.edu
#PublicHealth #InfectionControl #IndoorAirQuality #GermicidalUltraviolet #GUV #PHABLab #Science
The GUV Hub is a reliable source for learning about Germicidal Ultraviolet (GUV) technology.
Visit us at guv.umd.edu
#PublicHealth #InfectionControl #IndoorAirQuality #GermicidalUltraviolet #GUV #PHABLab #Science
January 22, 2026 at 2:29 AM
It's been almost a century since scientists first demonstrated how to clean the air of measles and other pathogens with ultraviolet light, as I wrote in Air-Borne. Here's the latest guidance from @donmilton.bsky.social & other experts.
Reposted by Carl Zimmer
The Species Declared Extinct in 2025
My annual look back is, of course, heartbreaking -- but it's also a reminder and encouragement that we can do more to prevent future extinctions:
therevelator.org/extinct-2025/
My annual look back is, of course, heartbreaking -- but it's also a reminder and encouragement that we can do more to prevent future extinctions:
therevelator.org/extinct-2025/
Rocket Frog, Damselfish, and Bandicoots: The Species Declared Extinct in 2025 • The Revelator
This year’s list includes a notable extinction caused by climate change — and several caused by introduced predators.
therevelator.org
January 20, 2026 at 4:17 PM
The Species Declared Extinct in 2025
My annual look back is, of course, heartbreaking -- but it's also a reminder and encouragement that we can do more to prevent future extinctions:
therevelator.org/extinct-2025/
My annual look back is, of course, heartbreaking -- but it's also a reminder and encouragement that we can do more to prevent future extinctions:
therevelator.org/extinct-2025/
Hello, Chicago! I'll be giving a public talk on Wednesday about reporting on science in these rocky times. events.uchicago.edu/event/259056...
January 19, 2026 at 6:43 PM
Hello, Chicago! I'll be giving a public talk on Wednesday about reporting on science in these rocky times. events.uchicago.edu/event/259056...
Controversial US study on hepatitis B vaccines in Africa is cancelled. Story by @melodyschreiber.com www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
Controversial US study on hepatitis B vaccines in Africa is cancelled
$1.6m project drew outrage over ethical questions about withholding vaccines proven to prevent disease
www.theguardian.com
January 15, 2026 at 4:11 PM
Controversial US study on hepatitis B vaccines in Africa is cancelled. Story by @melodyschreiber.com www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
Hospitals and doctors are ignoring RFK Jr.’s new vaccine schedule and relying on pediatricians’ guidance instead. Story by @danielpayne.bsky.social www.statnews.com/2026/01/15/n...
Hospitals and doctors are ignoring RFK Jr.’s new vaccine schedule and relying on pediatricians’ guidance instead
Their decisions underscore a growing divide between federal health authorities and major medical groups.
www.statnews.com
January 15, 2026 at 4:09 PM
Hospitals and doctors are ignoring RFK Jr.’s new vaccine schedule and relying on pediatricians’ guidance instead. Story by @danielpayne.bsky.social www.statnews.com/2026/01/15/n...
"Less than 24 hours after the Trump administration informed more than 2,000 addiction and mental health programs nationwide that it was immediately terminating almost $2 billion of their funding, the administration reversed course and reinstated the money." Gift link: nyti.ms/4pzDSLz
nyti.ms
January 15, 2026 at 3:46 PM
"Less than 24 hours after the Trump administration informed more than 2,000 addiction and mental health programs nationwide that it was immediately terminating almost $2 billion of their funding, the administration reversed course and reinstated the money." Gift link: nyti.ms/4pzDSLz
Reposted by Carl Zimmer
#Measles cases continues to climb. The 2025 tally has now hit 2242 & there've already been more confirmed cases in 2026 — 171 — than were logged in most years from the late 1990s to 2023!
Interesting to see the age distribution of cases. Lots of susceptible adults, seems. www.cdc.gov/measles/data...
Interesting to see the age distribution of cases. Lots of susceptible adults, seems. www.cdc.gov/measles/data...
January 14, 2026 at 10:39 PM
#Measles cases continues to climb. The 2025 tally has now hit 2242 & there've already been more confirmed cases in 2026 — 171 — than were logged in most years from the late 1990s to 2023!
Interesting to see the age distribution of cases. Lots of susceptible adults, seems. www.cdc.gov/measles/data...
Interesting to see the age distribution of cases. Lots of susceptible adults, seems. www.cdc.gov/measles/data...
"Last April, HHS had informed staff of plans to terminate around 90% of NIOSH's roughly 1,000 employees, eviscerating the agency." Nine months later, the decision is reversed and layoff notices to workplace safety workers have been revoked. www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
US Reverses Deep Cuts to Safety Agency Niosh, Reinstating Hundreds
The Trump Administration is reversing its deep staffing cuts to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, reinstating hundreds of employees.
www.bloomberg.com
January 14, 2026 at 7:01 PM
"Last April, HHS had informed staff of plans to terminate around 90% of NIOSH's roughly 1,000 employees, eviscerating the agency." Nine months later, the decision is reversed and layoff notices to workplace safety workers have been revoked. www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Reposted by Carl Zimmer
Confirming the NYT's reporting: FBI agents arrived at Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson's home this morning and conducted a search. Natanson penned this outstanding first-person piece last month about being "the federal government whisperer." www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
I am The Post’s ‘federal government whisperer.’ It’s been brutal.
One reporter’s effort to show how Trump was transforming government brought her 1,168 new sources — and nearly broke her.
www.washingtonpost.com
January 14, 2026 at 2:16 PM
Confirming the NYT's reporting: FBI agents arrived at Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson's home this morning and conducted a search. Natanson penned this outstanding first-person piece last month about being "the federal government whisperer." www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
Reposted by Carl Zimmer
Hannah Natanson is an exceptional reporter and should never have been subjected to this type of extraordinary intimidation tactic. We have few details now, but it’s hard to interpret this as anything other than an attempt to squash the freedom of the press.
January 14, 2026 at 2:15 PM
Hannah Natanson is an exceptional reporter and should never have been subjected to this type of extraordinary intimidation tactic. We have few details now, but it’s hard to interpret this as anything other than an attempt to squash the freedom of the press.
Reposted by Carl Zimmer
Come with me to Lander, Wyo. to meet Bill, Lee and Barb. They were supposed to be retired from the Forest Service. But they're back as volunteers — driving 100s of miles a week, cleaning 5 bathrooms a day — determined to protect forests Trump abandoned. wapo.st/4r4727z
They retired from the government. Now they’re back, protecting forests Trump abandoned.
The U.S. Forest Service lost thousands of workers under Trump. Volunteers and retirees are trying to help — but things are breaking.
wapo.st
November 24, 2025 at 3:32 PM
Come with me to Lander, Wyo. to meet Bill, Lee and Barb. They were supposed to be retired from the Forest Service. But they're back as volunteers — driving 100s of miles a week, cleaning 5 bathrooms a day — determined to protect forests Trump abandoned. wapo.st/4r4727z
Reposted by Carl Zimmer
Breaking WaPo:
The FBI executed a search warrant this morning at a Post reporter's home as part of an investigation into a government contractor accused of illegally retaining classified materials.
It's highly unusual and aggressive for law enforcement to conduct a search on a reporter's home.
The FBI executed a search warrant this morning at a Post reporter's home as part of an investigation into a government contractor accused of illegally retaining classified materials.
It's highly unusual and aggressive for law enforcement to conduct a search on a reporter's home.
FBI executes search warrant at Washington Post reporter’s home
The reporter, Hannah Natanson, covers the federal workforce and has been part of The Post’s most sensitive coverage of the first year of the second Trump administration.
www.washingtonpost.com
January 14, 2026 at 2:05 PM
Breaking WaPo:
The FBI executed a search warrant this morning at a Post reporter's home as part of an investigation into a government contractor accused of illegally retaining classified materials.
It's highly unusual and aggressive for law enforcement to conduct a search on a reporter's home.
The FBI executed a search warrant this morning at a Post reporter's home as part of an investigation into a government contractor accused of illegally retaining classified materials.
It's highly unusual and aggressive for law enforcement to conduct a search on a reporter's home.
FDA deletes warning on bogus autism therapies touted by RFK Jr.‘s allies arstechnica.com/health/2026/...
FDA deletes warning on bogus autism therapies touted by RFK Jr.‘s allies
The agency used to warn of chelation, used by RFK Jr.'s anti-vaccine ally David Geier.
arstechnica.com
January 14, 2026 at 4:04 AM
FDA deletes warning on bogus autism therapies touted by RFK Jr.‘s allies arstechnica.com/health/2026/...
"A lot of people have long regarded same-sex behaviour as an accident, or rare, or only in zoo animals." But "it’s part of the normal social life of primates." www.nature.com/articles/d41...
January 13, 2026 at 7:09 PM
"A lot of people have long regarded same-sex behaviour as an accident, or rare, or only in zoo animals." But "it’s part of the normal social life of primates." www.nature.com/articles/d41...
I talked to the podcast "Explain It To Me" about why we still struggle with the flu and the common cold. Don't underestimate the power of viruses! Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/3r0h... Apple: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/w...
Why everyone is sick right now
Podcast Episode · Explain It to Me · 01/11/2026 · 30m
podcasts.apple.com
January 12, 2026 at 7:11 PM
I talked to the podcast "Explain It To Me" about why we still struggle with the flu and the common cold. Don't underestimate the power of viruses! Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/3r0h... Apple: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/w...
Reposted by Carl Zimmer
Scoop: The EPA will no longer estimate the lives saved by reducing air pollution when writing clean-air regulations, according to documents reviewed by @nytimes.com.
Gift link: www.nytimes.com/2026/01/12/c...
Gift link: www.nytimes.com/2026/01/12/c...
E.P.A. to Stop Considering Lives Saved When Setting Rules on Air Pollution
www.nytimes.com
January 12, 2026 at 5:07 PM
Scoop: The EPA will no longer estimate the lives saved by reducing air pollution when writing clean-air regulations, according to documents reviewed by @nytimes.com.
Gift link: www.nytimes.com/2026/01/12/c...
Gift link: www.nytimes.com/2026/01/12/c...
Reposted by Carl Zimmer
Maryland health officials are investigating possible measles exposures after a person with a confirmed case traveled through the region on an Amtrak train. buff.ly/u1s9SQP
Measles case prompts exposure warning in Maryland on Amtrak, BWI shuttles
Maryland health officials are investigating possible measles exposures after a person with a confirmed case traveled through the region on an Amtrak train.
buff.ly
January 12, 2026 at 2:06 PM
Maryland health officials are investigating possible measles exposures after a person with a confirmed case traveled through the region on an Amtrak train. buff.ly/u1s9SQP
UCSF scientists build brain organoids at scale equipped with blood vessels, "leading to high fidelity neurodevelopment." Preprint: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
January 11, 2026 at 2:40 PM
UCSF scientists build brain organoids at scale equipped with blood vessels, "leading to high fidelity neurodevelopment." Preprint: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
Ocean Warming Breaks Record for Ninth Straight Year insideclimatenews.org/news/0901202...
Ocean Warming Breaks Record for Ninth Straight Year - Inside Climate News
Every second of last year, the Earth’s oceans absorbed the equivalent in energy to 12 Hiroshima-sized atomic bombs. Global ocean heat content (OHC) increased for the ninth consecutive year in 2025, a...
insideclimatenews.org
January 10, 2026 at 5:03 PM
Ocean Warming Breaks Record for Ninth Straight Year insideclimatenews.org/news/0901202...
Congress Set to Finalize Science Budgets Rejecting Trump Cuts www.aip.org/fyi/congress...
Congress Set to Finalize Science Budgets Rejecting Trump Cuts
The bipartisan deal still reduces funding for many science agencies, including NSF and NASA.
www.aip.org
January 10, 2026 at 4:51 PM
Congress Set to Finalize Science Budgets Rejecting Trump Cuts www.aip.org/fyi/congress...
I talked to @latif.bsky.social at @radiolab.bsky.social about brain organoids for their new episode. Listen here: radiolab.org/podcast/brai...
Brain Balls
Scientists can now grow tiny, human brain balls. They’re useful, but are they alive?
radiolab.org
January 9, 2026 at 3:47 PM
I talked to @latif.bsky.social at @radiolab.bsky.social about brain organoids for their new episode. Listen here: radiolab.org/podcast/brai...
Chicago, I'm headed your way to talk about the state of science in America. Register here: events.uchicago.edu/event/259056...
January 8, 2026 at 6:24 PM
Chicago, I'm headed your way to talk about the state of science in America. Register here: events.uchicago.edu/event/259056...
Reposted by Carl Zimmer
Storied newspaper chain McClatchy recently shuttered its Washington bureau and laid off staff. Now its told union leaders it wants to publish AI-generated stories without human review and create AI impersonations of reporters for podcasts.
The scoop in @status.news www.status.news/p/mcclatchy-...
The scoop in @status.news www.status.news/p/mcclatchy-...
McClatchy’s Machine Mindset
A recent meeting with McClatchy executives left union leaders stunned and deeply alarmed about how the company wishes to implement A.I. in the newsroom, Status has learned.
www.status.news
January 8, 2026 at 1:40 PM
Storied newspaper chain McClatchy recently shuttered its Washington bureau and laid off staff. Now its told union leaders it wants to publish AI-generated stories without human review and create AI impersonations of reporters for podcasts.
The scoop in @status.news www.status.news/p/mcclatchy-...
The scoop in @status.news www.status.news/p/mcclatchy-...
Here is my first newsletter of the year, on the destruction of science past and future. buttondown.com/carlzimmer/a...
January 7, 2026 at 2:45 PM
Here is my first newsletter of the year, on the destruction of science past and future. buttondown.com/carlzimmer/a...
Reposted by Carl Zimmer
"I’m going to pause here just to review: an institution that purports to be a university has told a philosophy professor he is forbidden from teaching Plato."
surreal times
dailynous.com/2026/01/06/t...
surreal times
dailynous.com/2026/01/06/t...
Texas A&M Bans Plato - Daily Nous
Drop the race and gender material from your course and the Plato readings, or teach a different course. You have a day to decide. That's a paraphrase of what Martin Peterson, professor of philosophy a...
dailynous.com
January 7, 2026 at 10:36 AM
"I’m going to pause here just to review: an institution that purports to be a university has told a philosophy professor he is forbidden from teaching Plato."
surreal times
dailynous.com/2026/01/06/t...
surreal times
dailynous.com/2026/01/06/t...