Bethany Brookshire

“we took the sensor out of the chamber, and we were like, ‘Screw it. We’re going to try to measure a fart.’” So Hall stuck the device down his own pants and let rip. “And the signal was enormous.”

https://www.sciencenews.org/article/smart-underwear-human-fart-frequency

You know how if you put your tongue on a freezing cold pole it'll stick?

It is called "tundra tongue"

And there's RESEARCH about it. With images of disembodied pig tongues that you will never unsee, thank you @jenlucpiquant.bsky.social https://arstechnica.com/science/2026/03/exploring-the-science-of-tundra-tongue/

Humans might show commitment with a ring, penguins offer prospective mates rocks and some beetles gift a ball of dung. Wood-feeding cockroaches show commitment with a nibble of cannibalism.

You will never see a harder-core pre-nup.

https://www.sciencenews.org/article/cockroach-eat-wings-bond-fight-together

Humans sometimes say "if you love someone, set them free"

Wood-eating cockroaches, however, would say "if you love someone, eat their wings" https://www.sciencenews.org/article/cockroach-eat-wings-bond-fight-together

The next time a person says they're afraid of commitment, don't call them a cockroach. Roaches are better than that.

Because the wood-eating cockroach is SO COMMITTED they chew the wings off their mate and remain with them for life, and they live up to 5 years.

https://www.sciencenews.org/article/cockroach-eat-wings-bond-fight-together

youuuuu are getting sleeeepppyyy
sleeeeeeppyyyy
Your eyes are getting heavyyyyyy

And now you're going to think about that one problem you're dealing with....

https://www.sciencenews.org/article/sleep-problem-solving-tool-lucid-dream

This is painful, and beautiful, and sad, and hopeful, all at once.

How do we feel awe and wonder at space (or science in general), when we are seeing ICE kill people, seeing funding get slashed? https://www.sciencenews.org/article/moon-landing-minneapolis-ice

By @astrolisa.bsky.social

Humans have sugar in their blood.

Nectar-eating birds like hummingbirds might as well have blood in their sugar. https://www.sciencenews.org/article/birds-sugar-diets-metabolism

"People who use AI chatbots such as ChatGPT...to find news seem to prefer them over clicking on individual stories, despite being conscious that chatbots have limits when it comes to accuracy." 😭
https://www.cjr.org/tow_center/ai-versus-accuracy-willing-trade-off-northwester-gain-cnti-studies.php

Why have accuracy when you can have (checks notes) "convenience."

We all have our heroes.

RIP Jeff Galloway, who inspired so many of us to lace up our shoes for the first time, and find out why running feels really lovely actually. https://www.runnersworld.com/news/a70444018/jeff-galloway-dies-at-80/

"The enemy of curation is algorithms. In many areas of our lives, we are now being force-fed content by unthinking, unreflecting mechanical systems."

Love this from @charliejane.bsky.social's newsletter. It's all too easy to mistake an algorithm for curation https://buttondown.com/charliejane/archive/im-still-not-over-losing-my-book-review-gig/

My FIL just alerted me to the existence of THIS. LOOK! A lovingly illustrated book about pests for kids.

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/787999/pests-and-other-friends-by-halsey-berryman/

Sniff. It's so beautiful.

As I hauled myself upstairs this morning, I wondered what my ortho would do if he got to try my body on for size for a day. Like would he then believe me when I tell him how much it hurts, even if I don't show it?

Based on this I think he'd collapse in a puddle: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciimmunol.adx0292

Why did spotted lanternflies do SO well when they got to the US?

Turns out they picked up some genetic tricks in other cities first. https://brookshire-team-trash.beehiiv.com/p/the-spotted-lanternfly-was-streetwise-before-it-ever-flew-to-nyc

In reporting this piece on the epigenetics of ancient humans, I got to find out what happens when archaeology guys get to work with fresh bone for the first time. 😂

Because you see, fresh bone still has marrow...which makes BLOOD.

https://www.templeton.org/news/the-evolution-of-the-human-brain

Evolution is slow.

But life comes at you fast.

What picks up the slack? Epigenetics, and it's epigenetics that may have tweaked the crucial parts of our brains to make us who we are. https://www.templeton.org/news/the-evolution-of-the-human-brain

Ok HOLD THE PHONE.

"He said that his previous research shows that humans have the start of a third set of teeth already embedded in our mouths."

Just drop that right at the end of this article WHAT?! https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/health/a70366090/humans-have-third-set-of-teeth-new-medicine/

I can't believe I have to say this but you can't repeal a scientific finding.

This is just going "Nuh-UH" as loud as you can.

Excited to see the effects of repealing gravity. That'll definitely get us to Mars.

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/12/climate/trump-epa-greenhouse-gases-climate-change.html

People talk about working out to get gains.

But to get those gains? The BRAIN must gain first!

When scientists "turned off" a specific set of cells in the ventromedial hypothalamus, mice failed to gain endurance after exercise. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/health/article/how-the-brain-controls-exercise-gains

A reporter tried to live up to RFK Jr.'s new inverted food pyramid for a week. https://www.businessinsider.com/rfk-jr-food-pyramid-diet-guidelines-experience-2026-2

Not only was there one cheat day (not included in the budget), this is a business reporter, so she focused on the money.

Only later did she focus on the HEALTH.

Y'all there are bats that build TENTS to roost. They chew specific parts of a leaf to make it flop into the shape they want. And they are STUNNINGLY cute lil' guys. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/tent-building-bats-central-south-america

By @marybates.bsky.social

If you watched the SuperBowl you saw a LOT OF GLP-1 commercials. A LOT.

Pharma companies are already testing drugs that go higher, further, faster. People lose up to a third of their body weight in less than a year.

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/new-glp-1-weight-loss-drugs-are-coming-and-theyre-stronger-than-wegovy-zepbound/

It raises some important questions.

You've heard of semaglutide (Ozempic/Wegovy), tirzepetide (Mounjaro/Zepbound).

But there are new drugs coming, ones that leave these in the dust, and leave clinicians and scientists asking: Can people lose too much too fast? https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/new-glp-1-weight-loss-drugs-are-coming-and-theyre-stronger-than-wegovy-zepbound/

By me.

Roses are red
Wild violets are free
Mind the frozen iguanas
Falling from that tree

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/frozen-iguanas-falling-florida-freeze

By @bittelmethis.bsky.social

Because I needed another thing to keep me up at night. 😭 https://www.sciencenews.org/article/poor-sleep-large-share-dementia-cases

It's the end of the era of the mass market paperback. This makes me sad.

As a kid these were the first "adult" books I read, the fantasy and sci-fi, and part of the reason I could grab them and gobble them was because they were so CHEAP!
https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/publisher-news/article/99293-last-call-for-mass-market-paperbacks.html

A thing I learned is that snow leopards communicate by scent marking, particularly peeing and rubbing on rocks.

And they do it so well that a fresh mark can be smelled, very well, by humans....for MORE THAN A MONTH.

Cat pee x 5000
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/snow-leopard-mating-season-scent

Look you could try Hinge, or Tindr or Bumble.

OR you could take the snow leopard route and pee on a bunch of rocks and YELL.

It works for them!

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/snow-leopard-mating-season-scent

In times of stress, it turns out that even plants need to touch grass.

Plant to plant contact helps them resist damage!

I've always tried to keep my houseplants sort of spaced out but now I clearly need to let them hug. https://www.science.org/content/article/plants-cope-stress-touching-each-other

Part of my prep for a big storm or time indoors is hunting and gathering. Gathering batteries, water, food, warm things.

And hunting BOOKS. OBVIOUSLY.

If you want to hunt books I'll be at the new Barnes and Noble in DC on F St. on Friday. https://stores.barnesandnoble.com/event/9780062201473-0

Hi, did you know that, at the same cold air temps, ground free of snowpack is COLDER than ground WITH snow?!

A healthy snowpack makes a little warmish layer beneath it, an ephemeral ecosystem called the subnivium.

And climate change could make it vanish. https://www.sciencenews.org/article/climate-change-subnivium-snow-threat

Did you know your fat comes in SHADES.

And the different shades do different STUFF.

And one might whisper soothing things to your arteries. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/health/article/how-beige-fat-affects-blood-pressure