Sign in

Roberta Kwok

@robertakwok.bsky.social
699 followers 343 following 77 posts

Author of LOST IN CURIOSITY: Field Notes From Scientists' Adventures into the Unknown (available now from Sourcebooks): www.robertakwok.com/book. MIT Knight Fellow '20. Bylines in NYT, NewYorker.com, Nature, Audubon, etc.

PostsRepliesMedia
Roberta Kwok @robertakwok.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
Full syllabus: www.robertakwok.com/syllabus
000
Roberta Kwok @robertakwok.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
How much can I count on getting from Social Security? Why did I get two wildly different answers from two retirement calculators? There's no way I can save enough, now what?
100
Roberta Kwok @robertakwok.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
Here are some of the questions we'll cover in the class (among many many others): Should I open a SEP IRA or a solo 401k? What should I do with all my zombie 401k accounts from past jobs? Should I just pick the default target date fund for my age?
100
Roberta Kwok @robertakwok.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
Early-bird rate ends Thursday for my investing and retirement planning workshop for writers/artists! This will be a friendly and supportive live workshop (with recordings available) among fellow creatives. People of all levels of knowledge are welcome. Details at www.robertakwok.com/teaching
101
Reposted by Roberta Kwok
Curious Reading Club @readcurious.xyz · 20/09/2026
"I don't think I really knew that it was going to work until it was done" We spoke to @robertakwok.bsky.social about her excellent book "Lost in Curiosity," the messy middle of science, and her A+ recommended reading! newsletter.readcurious.xyz/p/roberta-kw...
newsletter.readcurious.xyz
"Seeing how difficult science is was illuminating"
Talking to Roberta Kwok about the research behind the headlines.
031
Reposted by Roberta Kwok
Curious Reading Club @readcurious.xyz · 17/09/2026
Curious synchronicity! Rebecca wrote BY THE FIRE WE CARRY (CUR007) and the work of Navajo scientist Jani Ingram is the focus of chapter 8 of @robertakwok.bsky.social’s LOST IN CURIOSITY (CUR028) We love to see it!
034
Reposted by Roberta Kwok
The Open Notebook @theopennotebook.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
In today’s article, spend A Day in the Life of freelance science writer @robertakwok.bsky.social! Between promoting her new book, Lost in Curiosity, communications work, and prepping to teach a workshop, there’s a lot to glean from her current day-to-day. www.theopennotebook.com/2026/09/15/a...
theopennotebook.com
A Day in the Life of Roberta Kwok - The Open Notebook
Roberta Kwok is the author of Lost in Curiosity: Field Notes From Scientists' Adventures into the Unknown, published July 2026. She’s a freelance science writer and former MIT Knight Science…
1105
Roberta Kwok @robertakwok.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Writers & artists, I'm teaching my next investing and retirement planning workshop for creative professionals this fall! Early bird rate ends Oct 8. We'll cover investing 101, asset allocation, retirement accounts, nest egg targets, Social Security, and more. www.robertakwok.com/teaching
023
Reposted by Roberta Kwok
Dan Falk @danfalk.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
The messy business of making science happen: I review Roberta Kwok's (@robertakwok.bsky.social) “Lost in Curiosity” for @undark.org: #science #books undark.org/2026/09/04/b...
undark.org
Book Review: The Messy Business of Making Science Happen
Roberta Kwok’s “Lost in Curiosity” makes the case for luck and hard work over eureka moments in advancing science.
024
Reposted by Roberta Kwok
Jonathan C Slaght @jonathanslaght.com · 26/08/2026
great advice from @lhertzel.bsky.social on how to market your book! 💙📚 lauriehertzel.substack.com/p/on-the-roa...
lauriehertzel.substack.com
On the road, again and again
How do you get the word out about your book when there are almost no more newspaper reviews?
031
Roberta Kwok @robertakwok.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Subscription required, but the list of titles is: Lab Girl by @realhopejahren.bsky.social The Periodic Table by Primo Levi The Quickening by Elizabeth Rush The Beak of the Finch by Jonathan Weiner Ship Fever by Andrea Barrett
010
Roberta Kwok @robertakwok.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
It was a treat to revisit some old favorites in this @wsj.com column about books exploring the human side of science. Any others I should add to my TBR? www.wsj.com/arts-culture...
wsj.com
Five Best Books on the Human Side of Science
The author of “Lost in Curiosity” on tales of lab mishaps, fieldwork adventures and personal sacrifices in the pursuit of good data.
200
Reposted by Roberta Kwok
Carmen Drahl @carmendrahl.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
Caregivers of kids and adults: At @sciencewriters.org #SciWri26 come listen to @kellydchandler.bsky.social of @oregonstate.edu talk work-family integration. I'll be there with @sarahderouin.com @elandhuis.bsky.social. Early registration rates end tomorrow! sciencewriters2026.org/register/
Caregiver meetup and work-family integration talk promo image.
Shows headshots of the speaker and three organizers/hosts, along with the sciencewriters 2026 logo.
Come share resources and find camaraderie!
144
Reposted by Roberta Kwok
Leader Won’t Draw @thedudeabided.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
Insanely good deal on a very cool book. Worth picking up at full price so this is a no brainer
1135
Reposted by Roberta Kwok
Karla J. Strand @karlajstrand.com · 24/08/2026
Because I suck at social media, I have completely neglected to post about my July and August columns with @msmagazine.com. July incl. books by @samanthapinto.bsky.social, @robertakwok.bsky.social, Red Jordan Arobateau, Natalie Moss, Edna Bonhomme, and more. msmagazine.com/2026/07/01/b...
msmagazine.com
July 2026 Reads for the Rest of Us
Each month, <em>Ms.</em> provides readers with a list of new books being published by writers from historically excluded groups. Dear feminist reader friends, I don’t ask you for much. But now, I wan...
2106
Reposted by Roberta Kwok
Alexandra Witze @alexwitze.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
Do you want to write a story about volcanoes that changed history? the editor asked. Why yes. Yes, I do. My piece in @knowablemag.bsky.social on the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad days that can transpire after an eruption: knowablemagazine.org/content/arti... 🧪🌋
knowablemagazine.org
Volcanoes that made history
Long after the lava stopped flowing, enormous eruptions altered Earth’s climate and societies all over the globe
818363
Reposted by Roberta Kwok
Christina Orlando @cxorlando.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
Hello, book people! I am the book content editor for Reactor Mag and I'm looking for sci-fi, fantasy, horror, romantasy, and speculative books coming out in 2027! If you have an adult or YA SFF/H book out next year (or publicist), share the link/info here!
106598411
Reposted by Roberta Kwok
Jason Koebler @jasonkoebler.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
Exclusive: A rare bookseller suspected his books were being bought by AI companies. He stuck an AirTag in a book and we tracked it to a secretive Amazon facility in Las Vegas where they scan and destroy books called VGT3: www.404media.co/we-tracked-a...
404media.co
We Tracked a Shipment of Rare Books. It Ended at an Amazon AI Training Facility
We placed a tracking device in a shipment of rare books to see which AI company was buying it, and found an Amazon facility where Amazon scans and destroys books.
341305681
Roberta Kwok @robertakwok.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
Had a great time chatting with endlessly curious host Edgar B. Herwick III on WGBH's (appropriately-named) The Curiosity Desk! www.wgbh.org/podcasts/the...
wgbh.org
What Comes Before Eureka?
August 6, 2026First up, with all this fervor around the spike in lion’s mane jellyfish sightings off the coast of Massachusetts, GBH’s Craig LeMoult set out to learn about the jellies with experts at ...
000
Roberta Kwok @robertakwok.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
On the Talk Nerdy podcast, I chatted with Dr. Cara Santa Maria about moments of frustration in the field, my realization that I didn't want to do a PhD program, and how narrative is inherent to the scientific process. A fun and wide-ranging conversation! www.carasantamaria.com/podcast/robe...
031
Reposted by Roberta Kwok
Stephen Ornes @stephenornes.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
Hey! My new book, A Brief History of the End of the Universe and Everything in It, joins the world on Jan. 19, 2027. It's decomposition writ large, from cell decay to the end of the universe. Available to preorder! Here's the cover and a link to the book trailer. www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9RM...
Book cover with yellow font and a dandelion dissipating its spores into space. The book is A Brief History of the End of the Universe and Everything in It by Stephen Ornes, available now for preorder.
221
Roberta Kwok @robertakwok.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
Yay!!
010
Reposted by Roberta Kwok
Rachel Courtland @rachelcourtland.com · 05/08/2026
Registration is now up for the @sciencewriters.org annual meeting. I'll be moderating a panel on AI and fielding pitches at the pitch slam. Hope you see you there! sciencewriters2026.org
sciencewriters2026.org
ScienceWriters2026 – A conference for science writers, by science writers
012
Reposted by Roberta Kwok
Paul Byrne @theplanetaryguy.com · 05/08/2026
This is the highest-resolution view of the surface of the Sun. Ever. Taken by the NSF's Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope, features as small as 19 km across can be resolved. The wispy things are magnetic field boundaries formed by Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities. The island of Ireland for scale.
A swirling, complex view of yellow–orange–brown wisp-like features. The dark shape in the middle is a superposed outline of the island of Ireland to show scale.
351155316
Roberta Kwok @robertakwok.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
You can still sign for August's book club and receive a copy. Members get hand-picked nonfiction delivered each month, and previous picks have included books such as More Everything Forever by Adam Becker, Frostbite by Nicola Twilley, and Becoming Earth by Ferris Jabr. readcurious.xyz
010
Roberta Kwok @robertakwok.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
Excited to share Lost in Curiosity with the Curious Reading Club! Book club founder Bobbie Johnson writes that while most science books focus on big results, Lost in Curiosity "does precisely the opposite, in a fascinating and exciting way."
141
Roberta Kwok @robertakwok.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
Third Place Books will be there with copies of Lost in Curiosity, with book signing to follow the event
010
Roberta Kwok @robertakwok.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
Seattle, I'll be giving a book talk at Smarty Pints (science + beer) at the Burke-Gilman Brewing Company on August 17! UW physicist Meg Wynne will also talk about neutrinos and the origins of the universe. Details: www.burkegilmanbrewing.com/smarty-pints About the book: www.robertakwok.com/book
193
Roberta Kwok @robertakwok.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
Also, I talk about the email I'm hoping to get in 10 years, letting go of ambition, and why I aspire to be like figure skater Alysa Liu.
000
Roberta Kwok @robertakwok.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
On Emerging Form, I discuss an extremely serious craft question: Should I or should I not have started my book with an F-bomb? @cragcrest.bsky.social weighs in emergingform.substack.com/p/episode-16... (bonus episode for subscribers)
emergingform.substack.com
Episode 169: Roberta Kwok on Finding Her Book's Perfect (and Risky) Opening Paragraph
“I did go through kind of an existential crisis at one point,” says science writer Roberta Kwok, talking about the decision she made when writing the first paragraph of her book, LOST IN CURIOSITY: Fi...
120
Roberta Kwok @robertakwok.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
Thanks so much for sharing Jane!
010
Reposted by Roberta Kwok
The Open Notebook @theopennotebook.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
Survey alert! Are you a journalist who covers science, health, or environmental issues? If so, @fleerackers.bsky.social wants to hear from you to learn about how open peer review can help your reporting process. Complete the 5-minute survey:
uva.fra1.qualtrics.com
Science Journalism and Open Peer Review
Are you a journalist who reports on health, science, or climate/environmental issues? We welcome you to fill out this 5-min survey about your perceptions of peer review.
044
Reposted by Roberta Kwok
Brick & Mortar Books @brick-mortar.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
We know you've been waiting for it, and here it is: the Bigfoot Kids Book Festival! 🌲 Join us for our 4th annual event Saturday, 10/10 from 10-4 at the Redmond Senior & Community Center. 50+ kids authors and illustrators this year (full list available at link in bio). Mark those calendars! #booksky
061
Reposted by Roberta Kwok
Sabrina Imbler @sabs.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
wrote about the Creature of the Moment™️ defector.com/is-jimothy-o...
defector.com
Is Jimothy OK? A Creature Investigation | Defector
Jimothy crept into our lives like any good cryptid—as a blurry, scuttling thing. Kiana Hall, the Seattle local whose firsthand footage resulted in Jimothy’s newfound fame, first thought she had spotte...
18916
Reposted by Roberta Kwok
Sunny Moraine @dynamicsymmetry.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
If you want to read a book and your library doesn’t have it, it is truly a massive favor to an author to request that the library acquire it. It really and truly is
4482122
Roberta Kwok @robertakwok.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
"The drama lies in the process of discovery—the almost irrational insistence on continuing to search for answers, and the endurance to persist, despite setbacks. The book reminds readers that science is not only about answers delivered but also about the refusal to stop asking questions."
020
Roberta Kwok @robertakwok.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
"The result is nine rigorously reported, character-driven narratives in which the scientific process, rather than its outcomes, takes center stage. The protagonists in Kwok’s narrative share a core persistence, grounded in quiet conviction that their work matters."
130
Roberta Kwok @robertakwok.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
Wonderful review of Lost in Curiosity in Science: "Young scientists’ passion and commitment take center stage in a moving portrait of research in action... Kwok brings readers to the wings of a play whose ending has not yet been written" www.science.org/doi/full/10.... by @vijee.bsky.social
185
Roberta Kwok @robertakwok.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
Oh yay, hope you enjoy!
000
Roberta Kwok @robertakwok.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
Thank you so much Helen!
010
Roberta Kwok @robertakwok.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
Yes, it's available as an e-book too! The e-book is on sale right now for $1.99.
110
Reposted by Roberta Kwok
Brick & Mortar Books @brick-mortar.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
Join us Wed (7/22) at 6:30 for an event with @robertakwok.bsky.social! 🌍 Her book LOST IN CURIOSITY will be available for purchase at the event. Preorder now! Link below. If you'd like us to have the book signed at our event, please note that in your order. See you Wednesday! #booksky
1174
Roberta Kwok @robertakwok.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
Thanks so much Jane!
010
Roberta Kwok @robertakwok.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
Thank you so much Roxanne!
010
Roberta Kwok @robertakwok.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
Thank you so much Jason!!
000
Reposted by Roberta Kwok
The Open Notebook @theopennotebook.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
“I hope this book will find its way into your hands, and that you’ll soon be scribbling your own notes in the margins, adding to—maybe even arguing with—the annotations already there.” Read more from @siricarpenter.bsky.social in today's post: www.theopennotebook.com/2026/07/14/a...
01910
Roberta Kwok @robertakwok.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
“The ups and downs are as funny as they are tragic, thrilling as they are painful. Readers will laugh, cringe and cry... Lost in Curiosity succeeds in selling the science and making you fall in love with the characters.” -- Science News
000
Roberta Kwok @robertakwok.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
“The charm of this book lies in hearing stories not of famous researchers at the top of their field but of graduate students and postdocs doing the grunt work on the front lines… A clear-eyed but still inspiring look at the joys and frustrations of being a young scientist.” -- Library Journal
100
Roberta Kwok @robertakwok.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
“Lost in Curiosity is PHENOMENAL; it is science journalism at its finest… [Kwok] reveals how people are at the very heart of science -- how their hopes, dreams, and passions drive our understanding of the world.” -- Chloe Lesh, Eagle Harbor Book Co
100
Roberta Kwok @robertakwok.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
What indie booksellers are saying: “Lost in Curiosity revived a childlike sense of wonder in me. I loved journeying along on these adventures with Kwok and the scientists she follows on these crazy missions.” -- Amani Jackson, The Ivy Bookshop
100