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Laura Helmuth

@laurahelmuth.bsky.social
116K followers 5.3K following 3.3K posts

Freelance writer, editor, columnist & consultant. Formerly at Scientific American, Washington Post, National Geographic, Slate, Smithsonian & Science. Past president of National Association of Science Writers. Birder.

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Reposted by Laura Helmuth
Courtney Milan @courtneymilan.com · 4h
"We don't want to turn into a banana republic, so we won't try to rein in corporations" is the kind of thing you say if you don't know what makes a banana republic a banana republic, and instead want to be a banana republic where the bananas are data centers.
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Laura Helmuth @laurahelmuth.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
Earth’s getting rounder. (Ice at the poles squishes the planet so it bulges at the equator; as glaciers melt, there’s less flattening.) agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/...
agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
Mapping Global GNSS Vertical Velocities to Solid Earth Figure Change
Develops a geometric framework to infer changes in solid Earth figure from global GNSS-derived vertical velocity fields Reveals an accelerated decrease of solid Earth flattening linked to increas...
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Laura Helmuth @laurahelmuth.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
It's better to enjoy things than save them! lastwordonnothing.com/2026/10/02/g... by @cragcrest.bsky.social
lastwordonnothing.com
Go Ahead! Drink the ’61 Cheval Blanc From a Paper Cup - The Last Word On Nothing
My friend Laura provided me an instructive moment of delight yesterday when she confided that she’d just opened a jar of 2007 “Plum Yum,” a jammy concoction made of Italian prune plums from my orchard...
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Reposted by Laura Helmuth
Rosemary Mosco @rosemarymosco.com · 05/10/2026
Spooky bird stories. My Halloween comic from 2024.
A comic titled Spooky Bird Stories. In panel 1, a turkey vulture is telling stories to other vultures, and it says, "She walked toward the source of the terrible smell. She got closer and closer, and then, to her horror, she saw... No dead body." A black vulture says "No!" and a turkey vulture says "Did someone already eat it??" In panel 2, a northern cardinal is telling a story to some songbirds. It says "They peered through the windows of the house at the gory scene. Zombies had smashed through the door in the night. The homeowner was dead. But worst of all... He hadn't refilled the feeders." An eastern bluebird says "Aaah!" and an American goldfinch says "It can't be!". In panel 3, A screech owl is telling a story to other owls. It says "And then the ghost fluffed itself up really big to appear scarier." A saw-whet owl gasps, and a long-eared owl says "Horrifying!". In panel 4, a downy woodpecker is telling a story to other woodpeckers, and says "The eerie sound rang through the dark woods. Tap-tap. Tap-tap. It was the distinctive two-part knock of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker. The species had returned from the dead... FOR REVENGE." A red-cockaded woodpecker says "Yesss".
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Reposted by Laura Helmuth
Artologica aka Michele Banks @artologica.net · 05/10/2026
In one week! Reception for my solo show at Harmony Hall www.pgparks.com/event_list/m... #sciart
pgparks.com
Michele Banks: Forces of Nature - Public Reception - Park and Recreation - Prince Georges County MD
Artist Michele Banks' ink and watercolor paintings on yupo explore the invisible forces that shape our world.
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Laura Helmuth @laurahelmuth.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
It's been a gray, rainy weekend here--perfect for a good book--and two of my library holds just came through on Libby. Thanks, fellow readers.
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Laura Helmuth @laurahelmuth.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
I hope Rodrigo will have some influence on that: www.latimes.com/entertainmen...
latimes.com
Olivia Rodrigo’s Daisy Chain Fields is a $10 million roar for abortion rights and women’s health
Rodrigo "could have played it safe, but she acknowledged that she has the power to make stuff happen, and she’s going to use it for good,” said Kathleen Hanna, founder of Bikini Kill, which is playing...
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Laura Helmuth @laurahelmuth.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
There are so many dads! It’s beautiful.
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Laura Helmuth @laurahelmuth.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
Olivia Rodrigo has a concert in DC tonight & the streets are full of pre-teen and teenage girls wearing tiaras and sparkly pink dresses and bows in their hair and they are SO happy & soon they’ll all be old enough to vote.
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Laura Helmuth @laurahelmuth.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
Yes! Agreed.
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Laura Helmuth @laurahelmuth.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
SO ANNOYED! Yes, that just made it all worse.
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Laura Helmuth @laurahelmuth.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
I haaaaaate it when a TV series kills off a good character.
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Reposted by Laura Helmuth
Rosemary Mosco @rosemarymosco.com · 02/10/2026
Butterbutt. An older comic.
A four-panel comic titled "yellow-rumped warbler poem". In panel 1, a yellow-rumped warbler stands on a branch in a late autumn scene, and says "Fall is here." In panel 2, the warbler watches a brown leaf fall to the ground, and says "Winter's near." In panel 3, the warbler faces the viewer as brown leaves fall, and says "Need some cheer?" In panel 4, the warbler is showing its luminous yellow rump, and cheerfully says "See my rear."
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Anna Gifty @itsafronomics.blacksky.app · 01/10/2026
"There are economists who study numbers, and then there are economists who ask what the numbers are hiding. Opoku-Agyeman has built her work around that distinction." WOW. 🥹 Grateful to The IMPACT Magazine for the kindest profile of #TheDoubleTax and me. Black-owned media FTW. #blacksky
theimpactmagazine.com
The Cost of Being a Black Woman in America Is More Than a Pay Gap: Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman Is Measuring the Double Tax
There are economists who study numbers, and then there are economists who ask what the numbers are hiding. Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman has built her work around that distinction. A doctoral candidate …
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Laura Helmuth @laurahelmuth.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Warehouse 13 is such a delight. If I get filthy rich I will pay you to fulfill this dream.
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Laura Helmuth @laurahelmuth.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Just finished @sarahpinsker.bsky.social's collection "Sooner or Later Everything Falls into the Sea" and loved every bit of it, especially the final story, which was published earlier in Uncanny: "And Then There Were (N-1)." SO GOOD: www.uncannymagazine.com/article/and-...
uncannymagazine.com
And Then There Were (N-One) - Uncanny Magazine
I considered declining the invitation. It was too weird, too expensive, too far, too dangerous, too weird. Way too weird. An invitation like that would never come again. I’d regret it if I didn’t go. ...
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Laura Helmuth @laurahelmuth.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
However complicated you think the immune system is, it's more complicated than that. A whole new branch seems to be responsible for inflammation related to insect stings, poison ivy, and other skin conditions. Huh! www.science.org/content/arti...
science.org
Little-known arm of immune system could be key to better vaccines, cancer therapies
The CD1 system responds to lipids, not proteins, driving reactions to bee stings, bacteria, and possibly poison ivy
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Laura Helmuth @laurahelmuth.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
The cause of, and solution to, many work problems is "snacks." This week: A start-up company's founder rented shared office space where they can't meet or eat. Time for a new shared office space: slate.com/advice/2026/...
slate.com
I Know Plenty of Working People Eat Lunch Like This. But This Isn’t Right for a Professional Environment.
It’s so terrible and embarrassing.
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Laura Helmuth @laurahelmuth.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
When she is good, she is very, very good. And when she is bad, she is horrid.
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Laura Helmuth @laurahelmuth.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Thank you!
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Laura Helmuth @laurahelmuth.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Nice, thank you!
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Laura Helmuth @laurahelmuth.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Oh, fabulous!
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Reposted by Laura Helmuth
William Shakespeare @shakespeare.lol · 27/09/2026
You taught me language, and my profit on’t Is, I know how to curse.
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Laura Helmuth @laurahelmuth.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Ooh, thank you!
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Laura Helmuth @laurahelmuth.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
This is lovely, thanks so much!
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Laura Helmuth @laurahelmuth.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Thank you! Puffins are such a joy.
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Laura Helmuth @laurahelmuth.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Ooh, thanks!
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Laura Helmuth @laurahelmuth.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
"Normative appeals to civility and harmony, when applied indiscriminately, can obscure the moral distinction between domination and resistance—condemning confrontational opposition even in contexts where democratic survival or basic human dignity is at stake."
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Laura Helmuth @laurahelmuth.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Airds Moss! The Loons and Loch of Banks! Fairy Glen!
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Laura Helmuth @laurahelmuth.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
I'm looking into taking a geology & birdwatching trip to Scotland, and the names of some of the best birding spots are even better than the names of birds: Hobbister, Broubster Leans, Yell, Onziebust, Kyle of Tongue, Dunnet Head, Eileanan Dubha, and the Butt of Lewis. Any recommendations? Thx!
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Laura Helmuth @laurahelmuth.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Nice, thank you!
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Laura Helmuth @laurahelmuth.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Oh even better, thank you!
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Laura Helmuth @laurahelmuth.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Finally saw Coyote vs. Acme and am boring all my loved ones with explanations of Easter eggs including the law firm Avery, Jones & Maltese. (Tex Avery & Chuck Jones were Looney Tunes creators; Peter Lorre was in Maltese Falcon) Anyway, it was delightful. averyjonesmaltese.com
averyjonesmaltese.com
Avery Jones & Maltese Attorneys
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Laura Helmuth @laurahelmuth.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
I have not made or helped anyone make a diorama in many years, but I still hesitate (will I need this?) before throwing out a shoe box.
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Laura Helmuth @laurahelmuth.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Not everybody knows this, and everybody should. On Sept. 26, 1983, a Soviet nuclear warning system alerted Stanislav Yevgrafovich Petrov that the U.S. had launched a missile attack. He did not retaliate, preventing WWIII. This is a post about AI. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanisl...
en.wikipedia.org
Stanislav Petrov - Wikipedia
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Laura Helmuth @laurahelmuth.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Oh hey even better when the Good Sport Expert is on Bluesky! Thanks for your perspective on Lizzie Borden, @rmccarthyjames.bsky.social !
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Laura Helmuth @laurahelmuth.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
This is one of my favorite types of stories. Get an expert who is a Good Sport to talk about something that's popping in pop culture & explain what we know about history / science / murder / etc. and have a fun conversation:
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Laura Helmuth @laurahelmuth.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Today in Every Story Is a Science Story: "Was it a common thing in the 1890s for people in one smallish city to experience this many ax murders?" "The Bessemer process made it much easier to make steel, so there was an explosion of steel tools in the second half of the 19th century."
slate.com
History’s Most Famous Ax Murderer May Not Have Been a Murderer and May Not Have Used an Ax
Netflix’s new No. 1 show takes on one of history’s most infamous crimes. But did she really do it?
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Reposted by Laura Helmuth
Jess McLaughlin, PhD (they/them) @jfmclaughlin92.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Hey chat has the shortage of bread and/or potatoes ever led to a massive social upheaval, asking for a friend
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Laura Helmuth @laurahelmuth.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Oh hey look it's another boss who brings their toddler / pet / personal responsibilities to the office and inflicts them on their less powerful staff! slate.com/advice/2026/...
slate.com
My Boss Thinks He’s Figured Out the Answer to Every Working Parent’s Struggle. Absolutely Not.
We can't keep on like this.
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Laura Helmuth @laurahelmuth.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Today I learned that "Patient Zero" is a misreading of "Patient O" (the letter O), referring an anonymized (but now known) AIDS patient who was part of a Los Angeles disease cluster but came from "Outside" of California. slate.com/technology/2...
slate.com
Taylor Swift’s “Patient Zero” Could Mean Something Very Obvious. Or It Could Play With a Loaded History of the Term.
We are impatient.
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Laura Helmuth @laurahelmuth.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
This is a charming story (really) about commenters and the community they've built of haters who are also lovers. With a throw-back illustration from @slate.com classic cartoonist, Mark Alan Stamaty: slate.com/life/2026/09...
slate.com
Slate’s Commenters Have Been Trolling My Writing for Years. I Finally Asked Why. I’ll Never Look at Them the Same.
A story of love, death, and unlikely friendship.
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Reposted by Laura Helmuth
jamelle @jamellebouie.net · 23/09/2026
i think you can fairly say that the second trump administration is the most racist federal administration since woodrow wilson and honestly i'm not sure that it isn't more racist than wilson's
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jane c. hu @janehu.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
@slate.com is celebrating its 30th anniversary, and i'm honored @laurahelmuth.bsky.social chose my first-ever investigation for its retro 1996 homepage: slate.com/30th
slate.com
Welcome to Slate‘s 30th Anniversary Celebration
Take a trip back in time to commemorate our 30 years on the internet.
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Reposted by Laura Helmuth
Smooth Dunk @smoothdunk2.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
when ai leaves u behind
7 panel comic.

Panel 1:
A Red Guy with AI across his chest looks like he’s about to run away. A Yellow Guy stands next to him. Red Guy says “I’m the future, buddy. You comin’?”
Yellow Guy replies “Nah”

Panel 2: 
Red Guy is almost out of the panel. He leans in and says “Enjoy getting left behind, pal”
Yellow Guy replies “ok”

Panel 3:
Yellow Guy stands alone.

Panel 4: 
Close up on Yellow Guy, there is a quiet “huff-huff-huff” noise coming from behind him

Panel 5:
Yellow Guy turns to look behind him

Panel 6: 
Close up on Yellow Guy’s face as if from the point of view of an attacker.
Yellow Guy yells “Jesus Christ”

Panel 7:
AI Red Guy is now chasing the Yellow Guy. 
Red Guy: “Use me”
Yellow Guy “No”
Red Guy “USE ME”
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Laura Helmuth @laurahelmuth.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
One of my favorites, featured on the retro homepage today, is @janehu.bsky.social's piece on Koko, Kanzi, and the strange, disturbing history of "talking" ape research: slate.com/technology/2...
slate.com
The Strange World of Koko, Kanzi, and the Decline of Ape Language Research
Last week, people around the world mourned the death of beloved actor and comedian Robin Williams. According to the Gorilla Foundation in Woodside,...
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Laura Helmuth @laurahelmuth.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
It's @slate.com's 30th anniversary, and they're celebrating by recreating a retro 1996-style homepage with greatest hits recommended by friends & fans. New favorites added every day: slate.com/30th
slate.com
Welcome to Slate‘s 30th Anniversary Celebration
Take a trip back in time to commemorate our 30 years on the internet.
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Reposted by Laura Helmuth
Ryan Marino, MD @ryanmarino.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
I graduated med school in 2014. I was taught-and saw-how hard melanoma was to treat, like a death sentence Since then, new treatments have made it possible for people w/ the most advanced melanoma, like Jimmy Carter, to live to 100! We are killing ourselves by letting them destroy American science
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Patrick Wyman @patrickwyman.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
I've spent a lot of years studying a lot of collapses, and the truth of the matter is that they're always mundane: mild climatic shifts that reduce crop yields, a dumbass in power who makes some terrible decisions, neglecting things that obviously matter but the will to fix them can't be summoned.
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Rosemary Mosco @rosemarymosco.com · 18/09/2026
Humaning.
A four-panel comic. In panel 1, a Northern Cardinal and American Goldfinch perch above a busy crowd in a city, looking down. The cardinal says "It's a nice day to go humaning." The goldfinch says "Just look at them. Majestic." In panel 2, a close-up of the two birds. The cardinal says "Nobody tells you that you'll reach a certain age and suddenly get into humaning. I hit 3 years old, and then bam."The birds are looking out over the crowd scene. In panel 3, the cardinal says "Their calls sound funny to us, but each one has a unique meaning." Below, people are saying various things: "I'm tired." "Where's my phone?" "I'd murder a burrito." In panel 4, the birds look down excitedly at a man walking by. The cardinal says "Wait, is that a guy who got dressed in the dark and put his shirt on inside out and backwards?" And the goldfinch exclaims, "Holy... that's a lifer!"
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