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Amanda Heidt

@scattercushion.bsky.social
1.8K followers 1.1K following 500 posts

🏜️ Southwest National Parks Editor, SFGate |✨ Freelance Science Journalist |👩‍🔬 Once-Upon-A-Time Scientist | 📰 Clips in Nature, Science, The New York Times, Nat Geo, NPR, et al. | Signal: aheidt.16 | 🏳️‍🌈 She/Her | amandaheidt.com

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Reposted by Amanda Heidt
Kasey Gifford @kaseygifford.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
To put this in perspective chestnut trees used to be dominant species in the United States. Billions of trees were killed by fungal blight and now fully grown America chestnuts are functionally extinct. There is no getting them back. Ever. All for a data center. www.gadgetreview.com/one-of-ameri...
gadgetreview.com
One of America’s Last Chestnut Groves Is About to Be Destroyed for a Data Center
A rare 200-tree American chestnut grove in West Virginia may be cleared for data-center development, but the project denies the site is on its land.
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Reposted by Amanda Heidt
SFGATE @sfgate.com · 25/09/2026
The pilot shuttle travels from Moab, Utah, to two popular trailheads in the park.
bit.ly
New Arches National Park shuttle is free, beautiful and kind of a mess
The pilot shuttle travels from Moab, Utah, to two popular trailheads in the park.
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Amanda Heidt @scattercushion.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
🧪Today, the PsychAD Consortium published EIGHT papers across Nature journals detailing their efforts to create the largest map of the human prefrontal cortex. It's hard to overstate the amount of work here, nor the absolute treasure trove this team has created for researchers.
nature.com
Landmark map of human brain’s gene activity holds clues to Alzheimer’s disease and more
The atlas of gene expression in the prefrontal cortex was created using samples from almost 1,500 donors of all ages — from infants to centenarians.
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Amanda Heidt @scattercushion.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
I hate this 😅
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Amanda Heidt @scattercushion.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
After 4 years, I've just finished my last board meeting with @sciencewriters.org. I'm even more gutted b/c I have to miss #SciWri26 this year. 😭 Steering this org has been a highlight of my career & I consider everyone there a friend. I look forward to watching the new board take the reins.
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Amanda Heidt @scattercushion.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
🏜️Of course a 100-year flood event happened on a weekend while I was also on vacation. I've been a bit late to the game, but I've now got a few stories in the works touching on the Grand Canyon flash flood from last weekend. Today, I spoke with two men who experienced the flood firsthand.
sfgate.com
'You could hear boulders moving': Visitors describe Grand Canyon flood
The flash flood has so far caused two deaths and widespread damage within the canyon.
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Amanda Heidt @scattercushion.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
🧪I have been *so* bad at sharing my work recently, but so happy to see this one out in the world! It was such a breath of fresh air getting to report on something so silly and joyful.
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Amanda Heidt @scattercushion.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
🏜️I've been dreaming about a biocrust feature for years, and before you say "Amanda, what could be so interesting about dirt?", I beg you to read on. There's so much to get into, and I happen to live in the biocrust center of the world. www.sfgate.com/national-par...
sfgate.com
As the American West dries out, a secret savior emerges from the soil
Living crusts produce and reinforce desert soils, laying a foundation for all life.
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Amanda Heidt @scattercushion.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
🧪Earlier this month, the FDA approved the first drug designed to treat the root cause of narcolepsy. Several more of these so-called orexin agonists are on the way, and scientists are finding they can be useful in treating a number of other disorders. www.nature.com/articles/d41...
nature.com
First-of-its-kind narcolepsy drug opens door to new therapies for the brain
The drug, called Orzeyful, takes aim at the root cause of the sleep disorder rather than at its symptoms.
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Reposted by Amanda Heidt
UCSC Science Communication Program @ucscscicomm.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
⭐ BIG NEWS ⭐ The SciCom Program is expanding its reach! We're now offering online courses on the basics of science communication beginning this September. Learn more here: www.ucsc-extension.edu/series/scien... Enroll by Aug. 15 for $100 off!
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Reposted by Amanda Heidt
SFGATE @sfgate.com · 07/08/2026
Without the protection of the monuments, millions of acres are open to development.
bit.ly
Valley of the Gods among landmarks cut from beloved Utah national monuments
Without the protection of the monuments, millions of acres are open to development.
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Reposted by Amanda Heidt
SFGATE @sfgate.com · 07/08/2026
The work comes ahead of a massive project to improve border security in the region.
bit.ly
Bulldozers are destroying Big Bend National Park. Conservationists are furious.
The work comes ahead of a massive project to improve border security in the region.
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Reposted by Amanda Heidt
Grant Marek @grantmarek.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
🚨 Journalism Jobs Alert 🚨 @sfgate.com, the largest media site in Calif., is once again HIRING! Looking for: - ✍️ Deputy Managing Editor, News Division - 🌲 North Coast Contributing Editor (part-time) - 📹 Social Video Producer (part-time) Quick 🧵 on what we're looking for 👇
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Amanda Heidt @scattercushion.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
Colleagues! Friends! People who may one day be colleagues and friends! I’m here at #ESA26 until Thursday to nerd out with y’all. Please introduce yourself and tell me all about your work.
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Amanda Heidt @scattercushion.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
🏜️ I originally wrote a much more...mature intro, but alas, decorum prevails! www.sfgate.com/national-par...
sfgate.com
Calif. researchers turn to OnlyFans as their funding dries up
But it's not what you think.
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Amanda Heidt @scattercushion.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
Who else is headed to Salt Lake next week for #ESA26!? I'll be there hunting for stories and sitting on a panel about careers in scicomm. Hope to see a lot of folks there. events.rdmobile.com/Sessions/Det...
events.rdmobile.com
Careers in Science Communication - Details
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Reposted by Amanda Heidt
Ben Allen @evodynamics.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
Congrats we just made it impossible to come here for a PhD www.bostonglobe.com/2026/07/16/m...
bostonglobe.com
Trump administration limits student visas to four years, changing longstanding policy - The Boston Globe
The new rule, which also restricts the international students’ ability to transfer schools or change majors without approval in their first year, will go into effect in mid-September.
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Amanda Heidt @scattercushion.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
🏜️ Doctors are also getting closer to a diagnosis of the illness that has so far sickened dozens of rafters in the Grand Canyon. I was able to chat with a few folks who have yet to share their story. www.sfgate.com/national-par...
sfgate.com
Doctors are closing in on a diagnosis of sickened Grand Canyon rafters
All fell ill after returning home, and some people were hospitalized.
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Amanda Heidt @scattercushion.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
🧪 Double pub day! I got to catch up with Nobel Prize-winner Jennifer Doudna about her new study crafting synthetic CRISPR proteins that perform gene editing more efficiently than their naturally-occurring counterparts! www.nature.com/articles/d41...
nature.com
CRISPR gets a power boost from AI-designed ‘molecular scissors’
Researchers used artificial intelligence to design functional CRISPR enzymes not seen in nature.
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Amanda Heidt @scattercushion.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
Super proud to be on the board of an organization that looks after its own. In addition to a statement of solidarity for the staff recently laid off from SciAm, read on for a list of resources, including a session I co-organized about self-care during tough transitions. www.nasw.org/July2026soli...
nasw.org
NASW expresses solidarity with journalists facing layoffs and loss of freelance work
To the workers affected by this round of layoffs, both in terms of staff jobs and the loss of freelance work as a result of those eliminated positions, and to those still recovering from similar actio...
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Amanda Heidt @scattercushion.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
🏜️Hear ye', hear 'ye! The next round of Bears Ears/Grand Staircase-Escalante nonsense is here. www.sfgate.com/national-par...
sfgate.com
Trump just dramatically shrank 2 beloved Utah national monuments
The national monuments have been at the heart of a tug-of-war between presidents.
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Amanda Heidt @scattercushion.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
🏜️ One of the most impactful stories I've worked on at SFGATE ran this morning. A year after Dragon Bravo ripped across the Grand Canyon's North Rim, staff spoke to myself and @ashleyharrell.bsky.social about the ways in which the blaze--and the government's response--has reshaped their lives.
sfgate.com
The national park fire nobody was ready for
The Dragon Bravo Fire upended lives on the Grand Canyon National Park's North Rim.
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Amanda Heidt @scattercushion.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
🧪To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the FAIR principles, I spoke to data scientists about what data accessibility and reproducibility looks like in 2026. www.nature.com/articles/d41...
nature.com
How FAIR data are helping to build trust in science
The FAIR guidelines laid a solid foundation for ensuring data accessibility and reproducibility. A decade on, researchers are thinking beyond them.
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Amanda Heidt @scattercushion.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
Still looking for one more prof to share a fun way they chose to celebrate getting tenure!
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Amanda Heidt @scattercushion.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
Oh yah, it was *such* a bad snow year. Definitely the worst since I've lived here, and indeed, the worst ever in some places.
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Amanda Heidt @scattercushion.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
🏜️A story I really wish I didn't have to write. Moab has been absolutely doused in smoke the last week as we watch places we love being threatened. www.sfgate.com/national-par...
sfgate.com
Utah is burning. That's bad news for its national parks.
Firefighters are battling dozens of blazes ahead of the country's 250th birthday.
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Amanda Heidt @scattercushion.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
www.simonsfoundation.org/2026/06/23/p...
simonsfoundation.org
Pivot Fellow Natasha Blitvic Brings Math to Marine Microbiology
Pivot Fellow Natasha Blitvic Brings Math to Marine Microbiology on Simons Foundation
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Amanda Heidt @scattercushion.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
www.simonsfoundation.org/2026/06/23/b...
simonsfoundation.org
Beyond the Cryo-EM Resolution Revolution
Beyond the Cryo-EM Resolution Revolution on Simons Foundation
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Amanda Heidt @scattercushion.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
www.simonsfoundation.org/2026/06/23/d...
simonsfoundation.org
Delving Into the Mathematical Absurdities of Black Holes
Delving Into the Mathematical Absurdities of Black Holes on Simons Foundation
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Amanda Heidt @scattercushion.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
🧪Had the good fortune to contribute *three* features to this year's annual report for the @simonsfoundation.org, focused on math as the universal language of science. Pick your poison: I've got black holes, CryoEM, and marine microbio!
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Amanda Heidt @scattercushion.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
What's a good email to contact you at? You can DM it to me here or email me at amandaeheidt@gmail.com
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Amanda Heidt @scattercushion.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
Tl;dr: Scientific American is being sold to LabX Media. As someone who previously worked for a LabX pub that LabX proceeded to run into the ground, I am...skeptical that this signals anything good.
group.springernature.com
Springer Nature to divest its consumer media businesses | Springer Nature Group | Springer Nature
Strategic divestment of consumer media portfolio enables Springer Nature to focus on its core business Transaction supports the long-term development
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Amanda Heidt @scattercushion.bsky.social · 22/06/2026
Amazing news!!!! 🥳
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Amanda Heidt @scattercushion.bsky.social · 22/06/2026
🧪I've got a #SourceRequest: If you did something fun to celebrate earning tenure or passing your PhD defense, please let me know! I'm working up a sweet story for Nature.
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Reposted by Amanda Heidt
Sam Hill @samahill.bsky.social · 20/06/2026
It has been a deadly week at Grand Canyon. If youre visiting in the parks this summer, pay attention to the heat and cone prepared! www.sfgate.com/national-par...
sfgate.com
3 more visitors die in Grand Canyon National Park
The deaths appear to be heat-related.
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Amanda Heidt @scattercushion.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
🧪New from me for @nature.com: I do a lot of writing about technological innovation, but sometimes, the simpler tool really is best. For this story, I asked field and bench scientists to tell me about their favorite, most basic tools! www.nature.com/articles/d41...
nature.com
In the field — and sometimes in the lab — the simplest tool is best
Technology has led to unprecedented innovation, but common household items can help make research more reproducible — and accessible.
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Reposted by Amanda Heidt
Assigned Media @assignedmedia.org · 11/06/2026
FOR ASSIGNED MEDIA MEMBERS: Right now you should already have an email to help you RESUBCRIBE to our new site. To leave Squarespace we were forced to cancel all existing memberships. This is a huge risk, so we need all of you to go find that email and RESUBSCRIBE so your membership doesn't lapse.
the original, extremely janky Assigned Media logo, a photo of a spyglass on a background of trans blue white and pink stripes going diagonally across
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Reposted by Amanda Heidt
How I Make Money Writing @slow-words-media.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
"I started saying no to anything that paid less than $500." Science journalist Amanda Heidt (@scattercushion.bsky.social) turned a layoff into a thriving freelance business. Full interview here: howimakemoneywriting.substack.com/p/interview-...
howimakemoneywriting.substack.com
Interview #162: How Amanda Heidt Makes Money Writing
In this interview, Amanda talks about the financial boundary she set in her second year of freelancing: saying no to any assignment under $500.
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Amanda Heidt @scattercushion.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
nature.com
Bang! Exploding immune cells splatter potent toxins everywhere
Detonation of newly discovered ‘ruptoblasts’, found in flatworms, releases compounds that kill nearby cells in minutes.
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Amanda Heidt @scattercushion.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
www.sfgate.com/national-par...
sfgate.com
Yosemite National Park's permissive new fishing policies spark controversy
Anglers have more access in the park, including the chance to fish in Hetch Hetchy.
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Amanda Heidt @scattercushion.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
It's a double pub day! For @sfgate.com, I wrote about new fishing regulations in Yosemite, and for @nature.com, the discovery of a new type of explosive immune cell in regenerative flatworms. If you've never seen a planarian, now's a good time to look them up.
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Reposted by Amanda Heidt
Jeffrey Mervis @policyhound.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
NSF uses staffing cuts to strip Inspector General's office of its ability to investigate research misconduct www.science.org/content/arti...
science.org
Exclusive: NSF watchdog unit is no longer investigating research misconduct
New policy hands universities the reins in probing allegations against faculty
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Amanda Heidt @scattercushion.bsky.social · 29/05/2026
Southwest parks > Northwest parks 😅
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Amanda Heidt @scattercushion.bsky.social · 27/05/2026
Sometimes the job is a grind, and sometimes the job is grinding my way through several pies in the name of journalism.
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Amanda Heidt @scattercushion.bsky.social · 27/05/2026
Um no, but I 1000000% will now! 👀
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Reposted by Amanda Heidt
David Gilbert @davidgilbert.bsky.social · 27/05/2026
EXCLUSIVE A year ago, the Trump administration announced it was creating an Office or Remigration—named for a racist plan to expel immigrants, popularized by European far-right groups It has since said nothing about it. But @wired.com found out what it's doing... www.wired.com/story/the-st...
wired.com
The State Department Really Doesn’t Want to Talk About the Office of Remigration
The office was created a year ago and seemingly named for a far right European plan to expel minorities and immigrants from Western nations. It now works, a source says, with little to no oversight.
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Reposted by Amanda Heidt
Colin Schultz @colinschultz.bsky.social · 07/05/2026
I really, really hate to sharing this, but last week, we @biographic.bsky.social learned that the California Academy of Sciences will no longer be providing the magazine with financial support, including money we were expecting to receive this year. We're in a real bind.
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Reposted by Amanda Heidt
Sam Hill @samahill.bsky.social · 04/05/2026
@scattercushion.bsky.social was on the danger beat last week. Two people died in Zion National Park in a week last month: www.sfgate.com/national-par... And someone is missing at Grand Canyon: www.sfgate.com/national-par...
sfgate.com
Calif. man is second person to die in Zion National Park in a week
Two bodies have been recovered in Zion National Park in the span of a week.
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Reposted by Amanda Heidt
Kendall Powell @kendallsciwrite.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
In the least surprising headlines category, a new report from @scattercushion.bsky.social on two large US faculty surveys about mental health. Read on for the ways faculty (and employers) can mitigate anxiety. US faculty members report high levels of anxiety www.nature.com/articles/d41...
nature.com
US faculty members report high levels of anxiety
Surveys show the importance of social, familial and structural support in lowering anxiety, particularly for people in health professions.
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Amanda Heidt @scattercushion.bsky.social · 28/04/2026
One of several reasons I canceled my NYT sub.
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