Amanda Ruggeri
@amandaruggeri.bsky.social
Multi-award-winning journalist. Health, psychology, child development, anthropology, media literacy, critical thinking and more. BBC, New Scientist, Scientific American, Atlantic.
Delighted that my BBC story "Foetal alcohol syndrome: Why fathers need to watch what they drink too" has been shortlisted as a finalist in the Medical Journalists' Association awards! You can read the story here: www.bbc.com/future/artic...
Foetal alcohol syndrome: Why fathers need to watch what they drink too
A father's alcohol consumption has long been overshadowed by the focus on what a mother drinks. But that could be about to change following new research.
www.bbc.com
August 15, 2025 at 8:28 AM
Delighted that my BBC story "Foetal alcohol syndrome: Why fathers need to watch what they drink too" has been shortlisted as a finalist in the Medical Journalists' Association awards! You can read the story here: www.bbc.com/future/artic...
So nice to wake up to the news that I've won in the Technology category for the 2025 American Society of Journalists and Authors Writing Awards! Many congrats to all the winners. You can read the original story here: www.newscientist.com/article/mg26... @asjahq.bsky.social
July 22, 2025 at 8:24 AM
So nice to wake up to the news that I've won in the Technology category for the 2025 American Society of Journalists and Authors Writing Awards! Many congrats to all the winners. You can read the original story here: www.newscientist.com/article/mg26... @asjahq.bsky.social
You may have heard that "chemical" sunscreens absorb UV radiation, but that mineral ones reflect it — physically blocking UV rays like an umbrella deflects rain.
As I learned recently while reporting and researching my deep-dive on chemical vs mineral sunscreens for the BBC, isn’t actually true.
As I learned recently while reporting and researching my deep-dive on chemical vs mineral sunscreens for the BBC, isn’t actually true.
July 21, 2025 at 12:13 PM
You may have heard that "chemical" sunscreens absorb UV radiation, but that mineral ones reflect it — physically blocking UV rays like an umbrella deflects rain.
As I learned recently while reporting and researching my deep-dive on chemical vs mineral sunscreens for the BBC, isn’t actually true.
As I learned recently while reporting and researching my deep-dive on chemical vs mineral sunscreens for the BBC, isn’t actually true.
When the world feels like it's on fire, switching off is tempting. But we need to stay involved now. more than ever. How do we stay engaged and informed without losing our minds... or stamina? Here are 10 tips from the research:
June 10, 2025 at 10:58 AM
When the world feels like it's on fire, switching off is tempting. But we need to stay involved now. more than ever. How do we stay engaged and informed without losing our minds... or stamina? Here are 10 tips from the research:
First introduced in the city of Grand Rapids in the US state of Michigan in 1945, community water fluoridation today is practised in about 25 countries, including parts of the UK, Spain, Ireland, Singapore, Malaysia and Brazil.
May 30, 2025 at 8:51 AM
First introduced in the city of Grand Rapids in the US state of Michigan in 1945, community water fluoridation today is practised in about 25 countries, including parts of the UK, Spain, Ireland, Singapore, Malaysia and Brazil.
A new study has found that, as carbon emissions rise and the Earth continues to warm, inorganic arsenic levels in rice will, too. And this could impact levels of chronic disease around the world.
April 22, 2025 at 8:48 AM
A new study has found that, as carbon emissions rise and the Earth continues to warm, inorganic arsenic levels in rice will, too. And this could impact levels of chronic disease around the world.
Numerous high-quality studies on 100s of 1000s of children have found that children who are vaccinated do not have higher rates of autism or other developmental disabilities, *and* that there's no plausible mechanism for which vaccines could cause autism.
Where did this idea originally come from?
Where did this idea originally come from?
April 17, 2025 at 9:16 AM
Numerous high-quality studies on 100s of 1000s of children have found that children who are vaccinated do not have higher rates of autism or other developmental disabilities, *and* that there's no plausible mechanism for which vaccines could cause autism.
Where did this idea originally come from?
Where did this idea originally come from?
If you're sniffling more this allergy season, could climate change be to blame?
April 14, 2025 at 11:30 AM
If you're sniffling more this allergy season, could climate change be to blame?
Imagine that one out of every two funerals you attend, every year, is for a child under the age of 15.
April 3, 2025 at 3:26 PM
Imagine that one out of every two funerals you attend, every year, is for a child under the age of 15.
Iron deficiency is the most common micronutrient deficiency in the world, affecting 1 in 3 people. Left uncorrected, it can cause fatigue, weakness and dizziness, among other symptoms — and is a leading cause of disability. And many people have no idea they have it. www.bbc.com/future/artic...
The global challenge of iron deficiency – and why scientists can't agree if supplements are the answer
A lack of this vital nutrient is one of the world's leading causes of disability – but exactly when it becomes a problem, and the best way to treat it, remains unclear.
www.bbc.com
March 13, 2025 at 1:36 PM
Iron deficiency is the most common micronutrient deficiency in the world, affecting 1 in 3 people. Left uncorrected, it can cause fatigue, weakness and dizziness, among other symptoms — and is a leading cause of disability. And many people have no idea they have it. www.bbc.com/future/artic...
PSA: It is not vaccines OR other public health measures like sanitation that have brought about huge declines in child mortality. It’s both.
This shouldn’t come as a surprise, because we recognize this when it comes to many other forms of health. Most of us understand that:
This shouldn’t come as a surprise, because we recognize this when it comes to many other forms of health. Most of us understand that:
March 12, 2025 at 12:46 PM
PSA: It is not vaccines OR other public health measures like sanitation that have brought about huge declines in child mortality. It’s both.
This shouldn’t come as a surprise, because we recognize this when it comes to many other forms of health. Most of us understand that:
This shouldn’t come as a surprise, because we recognize this when it comes to many other forms of health. Most of us understand that:
Let’s talk about the impact of the measles vaccine on not just measles *cases*, but deaths – including in higher-income countries. In 2024, a group of leading scientists reviewed the impact of the last 50 years of vaccination around the world, including measles vaccination. Here’s what they found:
March 6, 2025 at 2:25 PM
Let’s talk about the impact of the measles vaccine on not just measles *cases*, but deaths – including in higher-income countries. In 2024, a group of leading scientists reviewed the impact of the last 50 years of vaccination around the world, including measles vaccination. Here’s what they found:
We've all heard about Big Pharma. So... are we ready to talk about Big Wellness? THREAD:
February 26, 2025 at 6:35 PM
We've all heard about Big Pharma. So... are we ready to talk about Big Wellness? THREAD:
Measles is a dangerous disease. Around the world, about 373 people die of measles every day. The vast majority of them are children, and are unvaccinated.
But one of the least commonly known risks of measles isn’t from the measles disease itself. THREAD:
But one of the least commonly known risks of measles isn’t from the measles disease itself. THREAD:
February 21, 2025 at 8:26 AM
Measles is a dangerous disease. Around the world, about 373 people die of measles every day. The vast majority of them are children, and are unvaccinated.
But one of the least commonly known risks of measles isn’t from the measles disease itself. THREAD:
But one of the least commonly known risks of measles isn’t from the measles disease itself. THREAD:
On "just asking questions"—a thread:
February 14, 2025 at 8:53 AM
On "just asking questions"—a thread:
There's a logical fallacy that's popping up everywhere at the moment—from health to politics. This is the belief that something is inherently better if it is "natural". But this argument is fundamentally flawed. More in my latest column for the BBC: www.bbc.com/future/artic...
Natural doesn't always mean better: How to spot if someone is trying to convince you with an 'appeal to nature'
Suggesting that natural products or ingredients are inherently superior to those that are synthetic is a common flaw in reasoning used by brands and politicians alike.
www.bbc.com
February 13, 2025 at 6:14 PM
There's a logical fallacy that's popping up everywhere at the moment—from health to politics. This is the belief that something is inherently better if it is "natural". But this argument is fundamentally flawed. More in my latest column for the BBC: www.bbc.com/future/artic...
I keep hearing the argument that the Trump administration "couldn't ask for a stronger mandate from the public". While it's no surprise that that's the narrative put forward by the current administration, a lot of the public seems to believe it, too. But I think facts matter, so let's discuss 👇
February 13, 2025 at 11:54 AM
I keep hearing the argument that the Trump administration "couldn't ask for a stronger mandate from the public". While it's no surprise that that's the narrative put forward by the current administration, a lot of the public seems to believe it, too. But I think facts matter, so let's discuss 👇
Reposted by Amanda Ruggeri
Join us and award-winning journalist @amandaruggeri.bsky.social for a free webinar on disinformation, as well as how to spot and stop it on social media. Plus, you'll hear about the launch of our open-access learning tool to combat disinformation.
⌚When: 17/02, 1pm-2pm thewea.info/signup_
⌚When: 17/02, 1pm-2pm thewea.info/signup_
February 4, 2025 at 1:55 PM
Join us and award-winning journalist @amandaruggeri.bsky.social for a free webinar on disinformation, as well as how to spot and stop it on social media. Plus, you'll hear about the launch of our open-access learning tool to combat disinformation.
⌚When: 17/02, 1pm-2pm thewea.info/signup_
⌚When: 17/02, 1pm-2pm thewea.info/signup_
A logical fallacy is a flaw in reasoning that, despite having no bearing at all on a claim's actual merit, can – very confusingly – make that claim sound more convincing. There are dozens of these, but one that's especially common online and off is an ad hominem attack.
January 24, 2025 at 9:54 AM
A logical fallacy is a flaw in reasoning that, despite having no bearing at all on a claim's actual merit, can – very confusingly – make that claim sound more convincing. There are dozens of these, but one that's especially common online and off is an ad hominem attack.
Like a lot of us, I fell for the false claim this week that Meta was automatically signing people up to follow the potus and vp accounts on IG. Unlike a lot of us, I’m a journalist who covers misinformation.
January 23, 2025 at 9:01 AM
Like a lot of us, I fell for the false claim this week that Meta was automatically signing people up to follow the potus and vp accounts on IG. Unlike a lot of us, I’m a journalist who covers misinformation.