Alexandra Thompson
alexthompo.bsky.social
Alexandra Thompson
@alexthompo.bsky.social
Assistant news editor ‪at New Scientist‬ (health) | award-winning journo | author | irritating feminist | Taylor Swift fanatic | amateur ballerina
#cyclesynching - is it a load of tosh (look at me not swearing like an adult)? Or does it have some scientific backing? And perhaps most importantly, what baby hue background will the audience team choose next? www.youtube.com/shorts/xcw2n...
Should you change your lifestyle based on your menstrual cycle?
YouTube video by New Scientist
www.youtube.com
November 14, 2025 at 4:10 PM
The data is in, and it's consistent: sexual activity has plummeted among teens and young adults. The question is - why?!

Some may say it doesn't matter - but at a time when birth rates in the West and Japan are at a record low, should we be worried?

www.newscientist.com/article/2504...
Why aren't young people having sex any more?
Sexual activity in young people is on the decline, but why? And what's more, should we be worried about what this means for society and the future of the human race?
www.newscientist.com
November 13, 2025 at 10:52 AM
So long cavities? Scientists may have sussed out a way for us to regenerate our tooth enamel www.youtube.com/shorts/iNwHv...
The gel that prevents cavities
YouTube video by New Scientist
www.youtube.com
November 6, 2025 at 8:33 PM
Should be prepping for my stage, got distracted by a stick insect #NewScientistLive
October 18, 2025 at 9:40 AM
PMS can be debilitating; it needs more research and less stigma. But The Period Brain book doesn't contribute much www.newscientist.com/article/mg26...
Exploring PMS is a great idea, but The Period Brain can be simplistic
Premenstrual syndrome and its symptoms is neglected by science, so Sarah Hill's new book is welcome. But it needs more on genetics, not just lifestyle changes, says Alexandra Thompson
www.newscientist.com
October 3, 2025 at 9:26 AM
The volume of references from Swift's archive is truly enchanting www.newscientist.com/article/mg26... I'm not Ready For It, but I Can See You @michael-marshall.bsky.social
How Taylor Swift is helping botany gain celebrity status
Feedback is delighted to learn that researchers have discovered what Taylor Swift is accidentally doing to rescue the science of plants from mid-ness. Just take a look at her videos – sorry, botany te...
www.newscientist.com
September 25, 2025 at 3:04 PM
A bit late to post this but I loved delving into the research on the potential neuroscientific origins of that feeling we call intuition, and only partly because the study involved mice driving a Lego steering wheel www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZta...
Scientists Just Mapped Mammalian Brain Activity for the First Time
YouTube video by New Scientist
www.youtube.com
September 13, 2025 at 3:43 PM
If you live in London, run - don't walk - to the sensational Every Brilliant Thing at sohoplace www.newscientist.com/article/mg26...
New Scientist recommends one-person play Every Brilliant Thing
The books, TV, games and more that New Scientist staff have enjoyed this week
www.newscientist.com
September 9, 2025 at 11:46 AM
I like to imagine travelling back in time to tell Medieval folk that we can now manipulate the brain's electrical activity by implanting permanent electrodes. I'd probably be burned at the stake. Luckily, today I can discuss it on the NS podcast www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEpI...
Scientists Discovered a 100,000-Year-Old Organism
YouTube video by New Scientist
www.youtube.com
August 31, 2025 at 5:15 PM
Reposted by Alexandra Thompson
Climate journalist and New Scientist contributor Alec Luhn has gone missing on a Norwegian glacier. His family is asking that anyone hiking in the region share any information with local authorities. www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news...
American climate journalist Alec Luhn missing on Norwegian glacier
A search is underway for award-winning climate journalist Alec Luhn, a Wisconsin native, who is missing on a Norwegian glacier.
www.cbsnews.com
August 6, 2025 at 10:53 AM
We now have good-quality evidence that Ozempic (semaglutide) really does slow - or reverse! - biological ageing. *puts in a macro dose order as I approach 21 (ahem) www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmEj...
Is Ozempic the new anti-ageing drug?
YouTube video by New Scientist
www.youtube.com
August 3, 2025 at 11:41 AM
Octopuses fall for the rubber arm illusion just like us! They really are amazing creatures, but obviously I have to insert a little sprinkling of health nuggets everywhere I go www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Q8B...
Famous psychology trick works on octopuses too
YouTube video by New Scientist
www.youtube.com
July 29, 2025 at 7:06 PM
Mitochondria are...(think back to your GCSEs)...the energy powerhouses of cells! But what if they play a cruical role in sleep...? My latest on the pod: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4yd...

I could just post the pod link, but it seems a shame to deny the world the wrinkling of my forehead when I talk
How mitochondria are linked to sleep (and Ozzy Osbourne)
YouTube video by New Scientist
www.youtube.com
July 27, 2025 at 6:00 PM
Scientists have created cyborg tadpoles with implants that monitor their neural activity from the earliest embryonic stage 🤯 The critters could be a new window into neuroscience. Watch the below video to see me and my forehead spot explain more.
June 13, 2025 at 2:47 PM
In my latest column, I explore whether dark chocolate deserves its health halo. Spoiler: it's tantalisingly inconclusive, despite what the supermodels say www.newscientist.com/article/2481...
Dark chocolate is rich in flavanols. Does that make it a health food?
Antioxidants like cocoa flavanols may benefit heart health, brain ageing and the microbiome. Columnist Alexandra Thompson investigates whether it’s time to rethink chocolate
www.newscientist.com
June 9, 2025 at 10:34 AM
Slowly easing myself off X cause you know....Musk....to get started here's a recent piece I'm particularly proud of www.newscientist.com/article/mg26... all about how Parkinson's may have two subtypes with different symptoms, manifestations and - hopefully one day - treatments
A dramatic rethink of Parkinson’s offers new hope for treatment
Mounting evidence suggests there might be two separate types of the world’s fastest-growing neurological condition. Can this fresh understanding lead to much-needed new treatments?
www.newscientist.com
May 20, 2025 at 1:01 PM