Liz Landau
@lizlandau.bsky.social
Astronomy enthusiast and science writer/multimedia producer. You can find my work at the New York Times, NatGeo, Quanta, Smithsonian, and more. Views expressed are my own. Portfolio: lizlandau.com
Reposted by Liz Landau
A mammoth-sized discovery for #FossilFriday! 🦣
Researchers extracted the world's oldest RNA from Yuka, a 39,000-year-old juvenile mammoth mummy from Siberia!
Very excited to write this up for @nationalgeographic.bsky.social: www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/arti...
Researchers extracted the world's oldest RNA from Yuka, a 39,000-year-old juvenile mammoth mummy from Siberia!
Very excited to write this up for @nationalgeographic.bsky.social: www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/arti...
World’s oldest RNA found in 40,000-year-old woolly mammoth
These rare molecules provide insights into the final moments of the young mammoth’s life.
www.nationalgeographic.com
November 14, 2025 at 6:45 PM
A mammoth-sized discovery for #FossilFriday! 🦣
Researchers extracted the world's oldest RNA from Yuka, a 39,000-year-old juvenile mammoth mummy from Siberia!
Very excited to write this up for @nationalgeographic.bsky.social: www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/arti...
Researchers extracted the world's oldest RNA from Yuka, a 39,000-year-old juvenile mammoth mummy from Siberia!
Very excited to write this up for @nationalgeographic.bsky.social: www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/arti...
I left CNN in 2014 but my interview with James Watson was still referenced in his obit (along with a shout-out to Rosalind Franklin)
www.cnn.com/2025/11/07/u...
www.cnn.com/2025/11/07/u...
James Watson, famous geneticist and Nobel Prize co-winner in the structure of DNA, dies at 97 | CNN
James Watson, a renowned molecular biologist and one of the Nobel Prize winners for discovering the structure of DNA, died Thursday after a brief illness, according to a statement from his former empl...
www.cnn.com
November 10, 2025 at 1:55 AM
I left CNN in 2014 but my interview with James Watson was still referenced in his obit (along with a shout-out to Rosalind Franklin)
www.cnn.com/2025/11/07/u...
www.cnn.com/2025/11/07/u...
Reposted by Liz Landau
Took a group of science journalists from @dcswa.bsky.social out for a 530-million-year stroll along the Billy Goat Trail today. ⚒️
October 5, 2025 at 7:48 PM
Took a group of science journalists from @dcswa.bsky.social out for a 530-million-year stroll along the Billy Goat Trail today. ⚒️
In case you missed it: scientists found this sign of possible past life on Mars! My latest for Nat Geo:
www.nationalgeographic.com/science/arti...
www.nationalgeographic.com/science/arti...
This is the best evidence yet for ancient life on Mars
NASA’s Perseverance rover found possible signs of ancient life in rocks on Mars, keeping scientists up at night.
www.nationalgeographic.com
September 17, 2025 at 2:25 AM
In case you missed it: scientists found this sign of possible past life on Mars! My latest for Nat Geo:
www.nationalgeographic.com/science/arti...
www.nationalgeographic.com/science/arti...
Spotted this snake 🐍 in Shenandoah National Park on Saturday. Can anyone identify it?
September 8, 2025 at 10:04 PM
Spotted this snake 🐍 in Shenandoah National Park on Saturday. Can anyone identify it?
Reposted by Liz Landau
NASA’s acting chief calls for the end of Earth science at the space agency arstechnica.com/space/2025/0...
NASA’s acting chief calls for the end of Earth science at the space agency
NASA’s charter clearly states the agency should study planet Earth, however.
arstechnica.com
August 15, 2025 at 8:29 PM
NASA’s acting chief calls for the end of Earth science at the space agency arstechnica.com/space/2025/0...
Reposted by Liz Landau
How did I get this far in life and _just_ find out that every cube is a multiple of 9, ±1?
1³ = 1 = 0⸱9 +1
2³ = 8 = 1⸱9 -1
3³ = 27 = 3⸱9 +0
4³ = 64 = 7⸱9 +1
5³ = 125 = 14⸱9 -1
6³ = 216 = 24⸱9 +0
7³ = 343 = 38⸱9 +1
Proof is easy: any can be written as (3k-1)³, (3k)³, or (3k+1)³; then just expand.
1³ = 1 = 0⸱9 +1
2³ = 8 = 1⸱9 -1
3³ = 27 = 3⸱9 +0
4³ = 64 = 7⸱9 +1
5³ = 125 = 14⸱9 -1
6³ = 216 = 24⸱9 +0
7³ = 343 = 38⸱9 +1
Proof is easy: any can be written as (3k-1)³, (3k)³, or (3k+1)³; then just expand.
July 19, 2025 at 2:24 AM
How did I get this far in life and _just_ find out that every cube is a multiple of 9, ±1?
1³ = 1 = 0⸱9 +1
2³ = 8 = 1⸱9 -1
3³ = 27 = 3⸱9 +0
4³ = 64 = 7⸱9 +1
5³ = 125 = 14⸱9 -1
6³ = 216 = 24⸱9 +0
7³ = 343 = 38⸱9 +1
Proof is easy: any can be written as (3k-1)³, (3k)³, or (3k+1)³; then just expand.
1³ = 1 = 0⸱9 +1
2³ = 8 = 1⸱9 -1
3³ = 27 = 3⸱9 +0
4³ = 64 = 7⸱9 +1
5³ = 125 = 14⸱9 -1
6³ = 216 = 24⸱9 +0
7³ = 343 = 38⸱9 +1
Proof is easy: any can be written as (3k-1)³, (3k)³, or (3k+1)³; then just expand.
Just solved a tech issue bugging me all day yesterday by restarting my computer. Somewhere, a discarded 40-year-old Apple IIe gets its wings.
July 5, 2025 at 2:21 PM
Just solved a tech issue bugging me all day yesterday by restarting my computer. Somewhere, a discarded 40-year-old Apple IIe gets its wings.
The number of "This is my last day" posts on LinkedIn regarding what was these people's dream jobs is staggering. My heart goes out to everyone who is not leaving by choice.
July 4, 2025 at 12:46 PM
The number of "This is my last day" posts on LinkedIn regarding what was these people's dream jobs is staggering. My heart goes out to everyone who is not leaving by choice.
Nothing to see here, just *the most energetic explosions in the universe since the big bang.* They came from supermassive black holes eating stars, reported in a new study today using NASA data. My latest:
science.nasa.gov/science-rese...
science.nasa.gov/science-rese...
3 Black Holes Caught Eating Massive Stars in NASA Data - NASA Science
Black holes are invisible to us unless they interact with something else. Some continuously eat gas and dust, and appear to glow brightly over time as matter
science.nasa.gov
June 5, 2025 at 1:06 AM
Nothing to see here, just *the most energetic explosions in the universe since the big bang.* They came from supermassive black holes eating stars, reported in a new study today using NASA data. My latest:
science.nasa.gov/science-rese...
science.nasa.gov/science-rese...
Here we are in 2025.
Overheard on the street in DC:
"I'm definitely not a Charlotte. I think I'm a cross between Miranda and Carrie."
Overheard on the street in DC:
"I'm definitely not a Charlotte. I think I'm a cross between Miranda and Carrie."
June 5, 2025 at 1:00 AM
Here we are in 2025.
Overheard on the street in DC:
"I'm definitely not a Charlotte. I think I'm a cross between Miranda and Carrie."
Overheard on the street in DC:
"I'm definitely not a Charlotte. I think I'm a cross between Miranda and Carrie."
RIP Edmund White, acclaimed novelist but also a wonderful creative writing professor. Here is a story I had written about him for CNN back in 2011:
web.archive.org/web/20120210...
web.archive.org/web/20120210...
HIV in the '80s: 'People didn't want to kiss you on the cheek'
In 1985, Edmund White had five or six published books behind him, a Swiss lover with him and the outcome of an HIV test ahead of him. When the results came in, White told his partner:
web.archive.org
June 4, 2025 at 1:18 PM
RIP Edmund White, acclaimed novelist but also a wonderful creative writing professor. Here is a story I had written about him for CNN back in 2011:
web.archive.org/web/20120210...
web.archive.org/web/20120210...
I am an old soul who still gets excited to see something I wrote in print in the @nytimes.com 😍
May 27, 2025 at 11:34 PM
I am an old soul who still gets excited to see something I wrote in print in the @nytimes.com 😍
Reposted by Liz Landau
Join the AAAS to celebrate the winners of the Mani L. Bhaumik Breakthrough of the Year Award. Ceremony begins at 4:00 PM and a reception will follow at 5:30 PM. Register and type DCSWA as your affiliation.
📍 Address: 1200 New York Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20005
Registration: 🔗 shorturl.at/JuoWz
📍 Address: 1200 New York Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20005
Registration: 🔗 shorturl.at/JuoWz
May 27, 2025 at 3:47 PM
Join the AAAS to celebrate the winners of the Mani L. Bhaumik Breakthrough of the Year Award. Ceremony begins at 4:00 PM and a reception will follow at 5:30 PM. Register and type DCSWA as your affiliation.
📍 Address: 1200 New York Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20005
Registration: 🔗 shorturl.at/JuoWz
📍 Address: 1200 New York Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20005
Registration: 🔗 shorturl.at/JuoWz
Reposted by Liz Landau
DCSWA 🦆 Members: Join us on June 26 at Sonny's Pizza. There will be dairy free and gluten free options for those with dietary restrictions. No registration required.
📍Sonny’s Pizza is a few blocks from the Columbia Heights metro station. Address: 3120 Georgia Ave NW, Washington, DC 20010.
📍Sonny’s Pizza is a few blocks from the Columbia Heights metro station. Address: 3120 Georgia Ave NW, Washington, DC 20010.
May 22, 2025 at 10:13 PM
DCSWA 🦆 Members: Join us on June 26 at Sonny's Pizza. There will be dairy free and gluten free options for those with dietary restrictions. No registration required.
📍Sonny’s Pizza is a few blocks from the Columbia Heights metro station. Address: 3120 Georgia Ave NW, Washington, DC 20010.
📍Sonny’s Pizza is a few blocks from the Columbia Heights metro station. Address: 3120 Georgia Ave NW, Washington, DC 20010.
Have been thinking this for a long time now:
I wish journalists would stop framing political news as wins or losses for politicians or political parties. It’s an abrogation of our mission. Why do we keep doing this? Is the spending bill a win or loss for the American people? Who does it help? Who does it hurt? Is it sound policy? Fiscally?
May 23, 2025 at 4:10 AM
Have been thinking this for a long time now:
Monkeys kidnap the babies of other monkeys, and then wear them around for days on end... it's a grim tale I've written for the @nytimes.com!
www.nytimes.com/2025/05/19/s...
www.nytimes.com/2025/05/19/s...
This Was Odd: These Monkeys Kidnapped Babies From Another Species.
www.nytimes.com
May 19, 2025 at 10:29 PM
Monkeys kidnap the babies of other monkeys, and then wear them around for days on end... it's a grim tale I've written for the @nytimes.com!
www.nytimes.com/2025/05/19/s...
www.nytimes.com/2025/05/19/s...
Loved working on this deep-dive into how mitochondria enable bird migration!
Imagine running nonstop without food, water or rest for days at a time. Birds pull this off during migration through changes to their mitochondria. www.quantamagazine.org/turbocharged...
‘Turbocharged’ Mitochondria Power Birds’ Epic Migratory Journeys | Quanta Magazine
Changes in the number, shape, efficiency and interconnectedness of organelles in the cells of flight muscles provide extra energy for birds’ continent-spanning feats.
www.quantamagazine.org
May 19, 2025 at 10:23 PM
Loved working on this deep-dive into how mitochondria enable bird migration!
It's a big publication day for me today! First, how do some birds get the energy to fly hundreds to thousands of miles without stopping? The answer may in their mitochondria. I report for @quantamagazine.bsky.social
www.quantamagazine.org/turbocharged...
www.quantamagazine.org/turbocharged...
‘Turbocharged’ Mitochondria Power Birds’ Epic Migratory Journeys | Quanta Magazine
Changes in the number, shape, efficiency and interconnectedness of organelles in the cells of flight muscles provide extra energy for birds’ continent-spanning feats.
www.quantamagazine.org
May 19, 2025 at 4:04 PM
It's a big publication day for me today! First, how do some birds get the energy to fly hundreds to thousands of miles without stopping? The answer may in their mitochondria. I report for @quantamagazine.bsky.social
www.quantamagazine.org/turbocharged...
www.quantamagazine.org/turbocharged...
Reposted by Liz Landau
How do birds migrate thousands of miles, flapping nonstop for hours or days at a time without food or rest? Lab and field studies reveal that migrating birds have "turbocharged" mitochondria in their cells that produce extra energy. @lizlandau.bsky.social: www.quantamagazine.org/turbocharged...
‘Turbocharged’ Mitochondria Power Birds’ Epic Migratory Journeys | Quanta Magazine
Changes in the number, shape, efficiency and interconnectedness of organelles in the cells of flight muscles provide extra energy for birds’ continent-spanning feats.
www.quantamagazine.org
May 19, 2025 at 2:41 PM
How do birds migrate thousands of miles, flapping nonstop for hours or days at a time without food or rest? Lab and field studies reveal that migrating birds have "turbocharged" mitochondria in their cells that produce extra energy. @lizlandau.bsky.social: www.quantamagazine.org/turbocharged...
I think that maybe 20-30 years from now we will understand in more detail why some of us can't get pregnant naturally and don't respond well to the most advanced interventions of today (which also break our bank accounts, bodies, and minds). I'll be too old by then.
undark.org/2025/03/13/o...
undark.org/2025/03/13/o...
Infertility Is a Mental Health Bombshell
Opinion | Fertility clinics should provide easy access to mental health support for those undergoing IVF treatments.
undark.org
May 18, 2025 at 3:30 PM
I think that maybe 20-30 years from now we will understand in more detail why some of us can't get pregnant naturally and don't respond well to the most advanced interventions of today (which also break our bank accounts, bodies, and minds). I'll be too old by then.
undark.org/2025/03/13/o...
undark.org/2025/03/13/o...
My mom just used the word "vibes" in a text for the first time so I think we have officially entered a new linguistic era with this word.
May 17, 2025 at 4:38 PM
My mom just used the word "vibes" in a text for the first time so I think we have officially entered a new linguistic era with this word.
Has anyone yet run the headline "Math Major Elected Pope" ?!
May 8, 2025 at 9:18 PM
Has anyone yet run the headline "Math Major Elected Pope" ?!
The fringe-lipped bat learns how to eavesdrop on frogs, and picks out the ones that are tasty by listening to their mating calls! My latest for National Geographic:
www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/arti...
www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/arti...
These bats learn to eavesdrop—in order to survive
The love songs of these Panamanian frogs is a dinner bell for fringe-lipped bats. But how do they learn which frogs and toads are safe to eat and which are poisonous?
www.nationalgeographic.com
April 30, 2025 at 1:55 AM
The fringe-lipped bat learns how to eavesdrop on frogs, and picks out the ones that are tasty by listening to their mating calls! My latest for National Geographic:
www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/arti...
www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/arti...
Where did gold first appear in the early universe? It might have come from highly magnetized neutron stars! My latest for NASA:
science.nasa.gov/universe/sta...
science.nasa.gov/universe/sta...
Where Does Gold Come From? NASA Data Has Clues - NASA Science
Since the big bang, the early universe had hydrogen, helium, and a scant amount of lithium. Later, some heavier elements, including iron, were forged in
science.nasa.gov
April 30, 2025 at 12:16 AM
Where did gold first appear in the early universe? It might have come from highly magnetized neutron stars! My latest for NASA:
science.nasa.gov/universe/sta...
science.nasa.gov/universe/sta...