Roberta McLain
LightNews LightNews
banner
bmclain.bsky.social
Roberta McLain
@bmclain.bsky.social
69 followers 100 following 9 posts
Science Teacher, Science Communicator, Freelance Science Writer, Lacrosse Coach
Posts Replies Media Videos
bmclain.bsky.social
Really enjoyed researching and writing this piece for @scinews.bsky.social Two tiny genetic shifts helped early humans walk upright sciencenews.org/article/gene...
Two tiny genetic shifts helped early humans walk upright
Scientists have linked bipedalism to changes in how the human pelvis developed millions of years ago.
sciencenews.org
October 28, 2025 at 8:45 PM
bmclain.bsky.social
Can your brain run out of memory space? Spoiler alert: no. Find out why and more by reading my latest article @livescience.com Really enjoyed chatting with Paul Reber and @liladavachi.bsky.social Thanks to Elizabeth Kensinger at Boston College for taking the time to answer some email questions
July 14, 2025 at 6:54 PM
bmclain.bsky.social
Cngrts. Y cn rd ths vn wtht th vwls. How? Your brain doesn't actually read words letter by letter. Learn more about how it does this in my latest piece for Live Science www.livescience.com/health/neuro...
@livescience.com @davideagleman.bsky.social
June 2, 2025 at 11:58 PM
bmclain.bsky.social
From dairy farms to DNA labs to nuclear tech—and even the International Space Station, my latest article traces how this humble 19th-century invention became a scientific powerhouse. www.asimov.press/p/centrifuge
#HistoryOfScience #Centrifuge #SciComm #AsimovPress @asimovpress.bsky.social
Making the Centrifuge
The modern centrifuge was first designed for milkfat separation in the dairy industry. Today, it is ubiquitous in research laboratories. To whom do we owe its astonishing versatility?
www.asimov.press
May 7, 2025 at 12:24 PM
bmclain.bsky.social
What's the fastest dinosaur? Read my latest piece that explores how scientists use fossil trackways, biomechanical modeling, and robotics to estimate dinosaur speeds. Learn more at: www.livescience.com/animals/dino... @tweetisaurus.bsky.social
@drneurosaurus.bsky.social
@uniofmanchester.bsky.social
What was the fastest dinosaur?
Dinosaurs left behind clues about their maximum speeds, but do we know which dinosaur was the fastest?
www.livescience.com
April 28, 2025 at 6:51 PM
bmclain.bsky.social
What’s the fastest dinosaur? They left behind clues, but how could we know? My latest article examines methods for estimating dinosaur speeds and why some are more reliable than others. Thanks to Bill Sellers, Eugenia Gold & Susie Maidment for their insights. www.livescience.com/animals/dino...
What was the fastest dinosaur?
Dinosaurs left behind clues about their maximum speeds, but do we know which dinosaur was the fastest?
www.livescience.com
April 28, 2025 at 1:09 PM
bmclain.bsky.social
America’s Brightest Minds Will Walk Away www.nytimes.com/2025/04/03/o...
Opinion | America’s Brightest Minds Will Walk Away
Young researchers are choosing between staying in science and staying in the United States.
www.nytimes.com
April 6, 2025 at 6:09 PM
bmclain.bsky.social
Do you know you can't tickle yourself? Read my latest piece about the weird neuroscience behind this and why our brains love unpredictability.
Learn more www.livescience.com/health/why-c...
Thanks for your time: @kkilteni.bsky.social @davideagleman.bsky.social @schneiderneuro.bsky.social
Why can't you tickle yourself?
Why do we laugh when tickled but are unable to tickle ourselves? Neuroscience has the answer.
www.livescience.com
March 1, 2025 at 6:29 PM
Reposted by Roberta McLain
trishamuro.bsky.social
Beautiful essay by my favorite science writing instructor at JHU!
jamiezvirzdin.com Jamie Zvirzdin @jamiezvirzdin.com · Nov 13
Too many people find physics scary, boring, confusing, and/or elitist. There's a better way to teach it and learn it. Physics can be filled with joy, and I'm saying this the day after my Statistical Mechanics test. 😂 Here is my secret: Physics is actually a word problem.

aeon.co/essays/to-un...
To understand physics, we need to tell – and hear – stories | Aeon Essays
Don’t be intimidated by physics: it is made of stories and metaphors. Learn these and the field will open up to you
aeon.co
November 13, 2024 at 2:36 PM
bmclain.bsky.social
New to Bluesky. What better place to start posting than to support someone who has been instrumental in making me the writer I am today. @jamiezvirzdin.bsky.social is a fantastic mentor. Read her book.
jamiezvirzdin.com Jamie Zvirzdin @jamiezvirzdin.com · Jan 10
Of all problems to have, this is the nicest. JHU Press is already in the process of getting more books to Bookshop.org, but in the meantime, you can get #SubatomicWriting from the JHU Press website:

www.press.jhu.edu/books/title/...
Subatomic Writing out of stock at Bookshop.org
February 25, 2024 at 3:29 PM