Frank Swain
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Frank Swain
@frank-swain.bsky.social
Freelance science writer | Managing Editor at CORDIS | frankswain.com
Reposted by Frank Swain
Looking for an exciting sci-comm gig? Digital content assistant at the RSC's Chemistry World magazine could be it. Position closes on January 12, 2026 – new positions at the magazine don't come very often, so this could be a great opportunity.
Digital Content Assistant
Circa: Salary - Salary Plan, 30,291.00 GBP Annual Join the Royal Society of Chemistry’s flagship magazine, Chemistry World, as Digital Content Assistant where you will support the delivery of high-qua...
rsc.wd103.myworkdayjobs.com
December 19, 2025 at 9:42 AM
I know we've bigger issues with the dismantling of CDC etc., but I think an overlooked aspect of pandemic preparedness is to ask whether our science comms is up to the task? Are we sufficiently prepared to handle uncertainty, risk, misinfo, grifters, in the news cycle? www.bbc.com/news/article...
H5N1: Indian scientists predict how bird flu could spread to humans
Scientists have warned H5N1 bird flu could make a dangerous leap to humans, triggering a global health crisis.
www.bbc.com
December 18, 2025 at 10:51 AM
My vote for the most interesting technology trend of the year has to be the mainstreaming of companion AIs. www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
The women in love with AI companions: ‘I vowed to my chatbot that I wouldn’t leave him’
Experts are concerned about people emotionally depending on AI, but these women say their digital companions are misunderstood
www.theguardian.com
December 16, 2025 at 10:41 AM
Reposted by Frank Swain
I’ve written essays for Orion, Emergence, Washington Post, The Guardian, NPR, and many others. It’s my favorite form!

If you need to assign an essay or want a new writer—particularly for nature and environment stories—please send me an email.
December 15, 2025 at 6:17 PM
Simon Stålenhag eat your heart out.
December 12, 2025 at 2:32 PM
"cats meow more at men" is big if true, because it would mean cats subscribe to the same models of gender as us 🤷 www.nytimes.com/2025/11/27/s...
To Get a Man’s Attention, Meow Harder
www.nytimes.com
December 10, 2025 at 4:29 PM
There’s only one woman I trust to analyse this news for me m.youtube.com/watch?v=BXbW...
December 10, 2025 at 1:43 PM
Babe wake up new lab leak theory just dropped www.msn.com/en-us/health...
MSN
www.msn.com
December 10, 2025 at 1:33 PM
TIL about waterless concrete, a possible building material on Mars. But what are the mechanical properties of sulphur concrete bricks? What does Martian architecture look (and smell) like? www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Martian buildings: Feasible cement/concrete for onsite sustainable construction from the structural point of view
Colonizing other planets, like Mars, marks a significant milestone in the pursuit of a multi-planetary existence. Millions of people would settle on M…
www.sciencedirect.com
December 4, 2025 at 2:42 PM
UK bans looking at lighthouses
December 3, 2025 at 3:07 PM
Reposted by Frank Swain
The important and unanswered question is how the WI intend to enforce this. People, including trans people, have a legal right to not disclose their gender, sex or trans status. And for those who have GRCs, they have legal protections against being outed. (1/x)
In the past 48 hours both Girl Guiding and the Women’s Institute (WI) have announced changed membership policies. After seeking legal advice, they felt left with no option but to exclude trans girls and women from membership.
December 3, 2025 at 1:03 PM
Reposted by Frank Swain
A aldeia Ipatsé no território Indígena do Xingu é cercada por dezenas de sítios arqueológicos descobertos nos últimos 30 anos por arqueólogos em parceria com os kuikuros. Juntos, eles mapearam mais de 20 cidades de até 1.500 anos em 1.200 km² de floresta

www1.folha.uol.com.br/ciencia/2025...
www1.folha.uol.com.br
December 2, 2025 at 2:57 PM
Reposted by Frank Swain
Oh wow - David Lammy really passed it. Imagine throwing away a process that's been in place for 800 years because people can't create a proper working process....?
December 2, 2025 at 1:45 PM
Reposted by Frank Swain
Reposted by Frank Swain
Hey space Bluesky, I'm looking for an expert on the Moon's formation to comment on a paper I'm reporting on.

If that's you, or you know someone, do let me know. Would be looking to chat later today. Thanks!

jdaoca[at]gmail[dot]com
December 2, 2025 at 6:39 AM
TIL that it's only a "hole in the wall" if it's a 𝗕𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗹𝗮𝘆𝘀 cash machine (otherwise it's a sparkling ATM, I guess) www.bbc.co.uk/newsstylegui...
A
www.bbc.co.uk
December 1, 2025 at 4:09 PM
Biohack shortlisted as word of the year? Of *this* year? Not 2015?
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Rage bait named word of the year 2025 by Oxford University Press
The phrase - meaning to get angry scrolling through social media - beats aura farming and biohack to the title.
www.bbc.com
December 1, 2025 at 1:34 PM
Imagine being the one who has to tell whales we genocided them to make candles
December 1, 2025 at 11:22 AM
As someone reliant on subtitles, I found this very deep dive into the technology, economics, business and artistry of on-screen text very interesting daiz.moe/crunchyroll-...
Crunchyroll is destroying its subtitles for no good reason
With the Fall 2025 anime season, Crunchyroll demonstrates zero respect for anime as a medium as the presentation quality of its subtitles reach an all-time low.
daiz.moe
November 27, 2025 at 11:10 AM
This is indeed the correct order. If you stan ESB you're a walking red flag.
This is the correct list, you're welcome everybody

Return of the Jedi
A New Hope
The Empire Strikes Back
The Force Awakens
The Phantom Menace
Rogue One
Attack of the Clones
Revenge of the Sith
Solo
The Last Jedi
The Rise of Skywalker
November 27, 2025 at 8:59 AM
Yikes. Not just Pacific nations like Tuvalu planning for existential climate threats
November 26, 2025 at 10:10 AM
Reposted by Frank Swain
Unprofessional Semi Emergency

I need 2 voice actors for a very short spoken role (theres like 6 lines) as I need to have a finished animatic for the 3rd Dec.

Zoey the Runaway Need a femme va who is comfortable with shouting and screaming

and Clementine, a soft spoken transwoman
November 25, 2025 at 2:11 PM
Q: is there a term for using an unusual but not technically incorrect construction (e.g. "the data are") _for the express purpose_ of stumbling the reader and drawing attention to that paragraph?
November 25, 2025 at 2:17 PM
Reposted by Frank Swain
1. Use a password manager to create unique, complex passwords
2. Don't use SMS for 2FA if at all possible: use an app or a hardware key
3. Never type your password into a site that's been sent to you as a link you weren't expecting
4. If your phone number stops working, go straight to your provider
Scammers hacked her phone and hijacked her digital life - so how did they get her details? We tried to work out how 3 victims of scams were targeted and which data breaches criminals used. The results once again highlight how data breaches cause real harm to individuals
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Scammers hacked her phone and stole thousands of pounds - how did they get her details?
Sue Shore told the BBC how scammers targeted her - and we found her information had been leaked online.
www.bbc.co.uk
November 25, 2025 at 8:51 AM
From the other side, the obvious Q is why stop at one 'writer'? I think it's entirely possible you could manage a whole roster of AI agents pitching and 'writing' articles.
Really worrying. I now frequently receive pitches that are clearly written by AI - the worrying part will be when that stops being clear. I'm fairly confident our editorial processes and numerous rounds of edits would eventually unmask an AI writer, but you never know... thelocal.to/investigatin...
Investigating a Possible Scammer in Journalism’s AI Era | The Local
A suspicious pitch from a freelancer led editor Nicholas Hune-Brown to dig into their past work. By the end, four publications, including The Guardian and Dwell, had removed articles from their sites.
thelocal.to
November 24, 2025 at 8:50 AM