Gennaro Tomma
@gennarotomma.bsky.social
Freelance Journalist covering science (He/him)
| Words in Scientific American, National Geographic, Science, The New York Times, BBC and others.
See more at: https://gennarotomma.it/
| Words in Scientific American, National Geographic, Science, The New York Times, BBC and others.
See more at: https://gennarotomma.it/
Reposted by Gennaro Tomma
You know what you were missing from your life? A video of a drone collecting whale snot 🤧 youtu.be/OcPiuKUJBUA
Drone collects whale snot
As a whale exhales snot from its blowhole, a drone collects it, providing scientists with vital information on the animal’s physical state.
CREDIT: OCEAN ALLIANCE
youtu.be
November 19, 2025 at 10:04 PM
You know what you were missing from your life? A video of a drone collecting whale snot 🤧 youtu.be/OcPiuKUJBUA
Thanks Rosie, great working with the team! ☺️
November 12, 2025 at 9:42 PM
Thanks Rosie, great working with the team! ☺️
Excited to see my first story for @knowablemag.bsky.social out today! 🐳
knowablemagazine.org/content/arti...
knowablemagazine.org/content/arti...
Flying with whales: Drones are remaking marine mammal research
From collecting whale snot to capturing surprising behaviors, aerial drones are giving scientists a new view of life at sea
knowablemagazine.org
November 12, 2025 at 9:38 PM
Excited to see my first story for @knowablemag.bsky.social out today! 🐳
knowablemagazine.org/content/arti...
knowablemagazine.org/content/arti...
Reposted by Gennaro Tomma
Who knew that whales blasted snot through their blowholes, or that drones could collect the viscous fluid and teach us so much about whales in the process? Written by @gennarotomma.bsky.social for us at @knowablemag.bsky.social -- and a very fine story it is 🧪
November 12, 2025 at 6:18 PM
Who knew that whales blasted snot through their blowholes, or that drones could collect the viscous fluid and teach us so much about whales in the process? Written by @gennarotomma.bsky.social for us at @knowablemag.bsky.social -- and a very fine story it is 🧪
that’s so beautiful! congrats 🦉
November 2, 2025 at 11:57 AM
that’s so beautiful! congrats 🦉
Before I started working on this story, I had no idea that there were dolphins living just outside Rome. Well, turns out there are hundreds of them—and they are not doing well.
www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/arti...
www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/arti...
Why Rome’s dolphins are fighting each other
Dolphins have lived near Rome for at least 2,000 years. Scientists fear for their future.
www.nationalgeographic.com
June 26, 2025 at 11:30 AM
Before I started working on this story, I had no idea that there were dolphins living just outside Rome. Well, turns out there are hundreds of them—and they are not doing well.
www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/arti...
www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/arti...
Reposted by Gennaro Tomma
To figure out the tributaries and other spots where Yangtze finless porpoises formerly lived, researchers turned to ancient poetry (by @gennarotomma.bsky.social) 🧪
(Look at that cute faaaaace.)
(Look at that cute faaaaace.)
Ancient Poems Reveal the History of the Endangered Yangtze Porpoise
Mentions of the critically endangered Yangtze finless porpoise in ancient Chinese poetry have revealed missing information about the habitat of the world’s only freshwater porpoise
www.scientificamerican.com
May 5, 2025 at 3:26 PM
To figure out the tributaries and other spots where Yangtze finless porpoises formerly lived, researchers turned to ancient poetry (by @gennarotomma.bsky.social) 🧪
(Look at that cute faaaaace.)
(Look at that cute faaaaace.)
Loved writing this story for NatGeo about the present and future of fireflies around the world 🌍
www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/arti...
www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/arti...
Will fireflies light up summer skies? Here's why they're fading
Scientists suspect many species are in decline—but there are still unanswered questions and a lot of hope. Here's when and where you can still spot them.
www.nationalgeographic.com
May 5, 2025 at 3:51 PM
Loved writing this story for NatGeo about the present and future of fireflies around the world 🌍
www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/arti...
www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/arti...
No worries!! Glad you liked this story :)
April 22, 2025 at 7:57 AM
No worries!! Glad you liked this story :)
Reposted by Gennaro Tomma
*lightning strikes*
Most living things: No thank you!
These tropical trees: Yes, please!
🧪
(by @gennarotomma.bsky.social)
Most living things: No thank you!
These tropical trees: Yes, please!
🧪
(by @gennarotomma.bsky.social)
Why These Tropical Trees Love a Lightning Strike
One species of tropical tree seems not only to survive lightning strikes but also to thrive because of them
www.scientificamerican.com
March 27, 2025 at 4:37 PM
*lightning strikes*
Most living things: No thank you!
These tropical trees: Yes, please!
🧪
(by @gennarotomma.bsky.social)
Most living things: No thank you!
These tropical trees: Yes, please!
🧪
(by @gennarotomma.bsky.social)
Can bees help mitigate the escalating human-elephant conflict around the world? I tried to answer this question in my first story for the BBC, speaking with experts, scientists and people working and living at the frontline of the conflict.
www.bbc.co.uk/future/artic...
www.bbc.co.uk/future/artic...
Elephants hate bees – here's why that's good news for Kenyan farmers
In Kenya, farmers are turning bees into unexpected helpers to keep elephants off their crops
www.bbc.co.uk
March 27, 2025 at 5:12 PM
Can bees help mitigate the escalating human-elephant conflict around the world? I tried to answer this question in my first story for the BBC, speaking with experts, scientists and people working and living at the frontline of the conflict.
www.bbc.co.uk/future/artic...
www.bbc.co.uk/future/artic...
If you want to take a look at more of the articles I wrote, here's my website: gennarotomma.it
March 20, 2025 at 4:10 PM
If you want to take a look at more of the articles I wrote, here's my website: gennarotomma.it
Yes, you read that right. Three studies have found that mice might be able to provide something akin to first aid to their unconscious peers. And some researchers say it might even teach us something about ourselves. But others are more skeptical.
www.scientificamerican.com/article/mous...
www.scientificamerican.com/article/mous...
Mouse-to-Mouse Resuscitation: Rodents Try to Revive Unonscious Buddies
Three studies show that a mouse will try to rouse an unconscious companion
www.scientificamerican.com
March 20, 2025 at 4:10 PM
Yes, you read that right. Three studies have found that mice might be able to provide something akin to first aid to their unconscious peers. And some researchers say it might even teach us something about ourselves. But others are more skeptical.
www.scientificamerican.com/article/mous...
www.scientificamerican.com/article/mous...
If you want to know how old a bird nest is... well, just take a look at the expiration dates on the plastic garbage inside. Sometimes, they might take you 30 years back in time.
www.science.org/content/arti...
www.science.org/content/arti...
Plastic waste in bird nests can act like a tiny time capsule
Expiration dates help biologists trace the building of some avian homes back in history—in one case to 1991
www.science.org
March 20, 2025 at 4:10 PM
If you want to know how old a bird nest is... well, just take a look at the expiration dates on the plastic garbage inside. Sometimes, they might take you 30 years back in time.
www.science.org/content/arti...
www.science.org/content/arti...
If you are a termite, you might want to watch out for impostors. They could have a butt that looks exactly like your face.
www.sciencenews.org/article/butt...
www.sciencenews.org/article/butt...
The butts of these blowfly larvae mimic termite faces
The young of a mysterious blowfly species look — and smell — like the termites they hide among.
www.sciencenews.org
March 20, 2025 at 4:10 PM
If you are a termite, you might want to watch out for impostors. They could have a butt that looks exactly like your face.
www.sciencenews.org/article/butt...
www.sciencenews.org/article/butt...