Tim Vernimmen
@timvernimmen.bsky.social
science writer / music enthusiast / aspiring peripatetic
My latest story for National Geographic discusses a study revealing that Napoleon's retreating troops weren't just decimated by typhus in 1812, but other pathogens too. Inspired by a study in @currentbiology.bsky.social. www.nationalgeographic.com/history/arti...
What destroyed Napoleon’s army? Scientists uncover new clues.
A new genetic analysis of teeth from a mass grave in Lithuania reveals hidden illnesses that plagued the French emperor's soldiers during their disastrous 1812 retreat.
www.nationalgeographic.com
October 29, 2025 at 4:16 PM
My latest story for National Geographic discusses a study revealing that Napoleon's retreating troops weren't just decimated by typhus in 1812, but other pathogens too. Inspired by a study in @currentbiology.bsky.social. www.nationalgeographic.com/history/arti...
A fossilized hand reveals 'Nutcracker Man' Paranthropus boisei, thought to have made the Oldupai gorge tools until Homo habilis was found, would also have been able to make and use those. Based on the @nature.com paper by @carriemongle.bsky.social et al. www.nationalgeographic.com/history/arti...
Discovery of fossilized hand may unlock a 1.5-million-year-old mystery
Some sixty years after her grandmother discovered “Nutcracker Man,” Louise Leakey unearths his long-lost hand—reviving a family debate about ancient toolmaking.
www.nationalgeographic.com
October 15, 2025 at 4:05 PM
A fossilized hand reveals 'Nutcracker Man' Paranthropus boisei, thought to have made the Oldupai gorge tools until Homo habilis was found, would also have been able to make and use those. Based on the @nature.com paper by @carriemongle.bsky.social et al. www.nationalgeographic.com/history/arti...
Chimps ingest quite some alcohol, but they don't get drunk. “That would be very dangerous when you need to climb high up in a tree to build a nest to sleep at night.” New story for National Geographic, with comments by @kjhockings.bsky.social and others. www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/arti...
Chimpanzees consume the equivalent of more than two alcoholic drinks per day
Scientists estimate chimps’ alcohol consumption for the first time, and find they seem to prefer boozier fruit.
www.nationalgeographic.com
September 17, 2025 at 7:05 PM
Chimps ingest quite some alcohol, but they don't get drunk. “That would be very dangerous when you need to climb high up in a tree to build a nest to sleep at night.” New story for National Geographic, with comments by @kjhockings.bsky.social and others. www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/arti...
My first story for @cenmag.bsky.social, with expert commentary by @she-paleo.bsky.social!
Can blood vessels survive the eons? A new study claims to have identified hemoglobin in dinosaur fossils. @timvernimmen.bsky.social has the story for @cenmag.bsky.social cen.acs.org/biological-c...
Dinosaur hemoglobin may have been discovered in fossils
A refined type of spectroscopy could advance a long-standing debate about the presence of dinosaur soft tissue
cen.acs.org
September 15, 2025 at 8:28 PM
My first story for @cenmag.bsky.social, with expert commentary by @she-paleo.bsky.social!
My latest @knowablemag.bsky.social story explores what we have lost by destroying oyster reefs, and if they can be restored. knowablemagazine.org/content/arti...
Shucking the past: Can oysters thrive again?
Dredging and pollution devastated the once-bountiful reefs. Careful science may help bring them back.
knowablemagazine.org
September 10, 2025 at 8:31 PM
My latest @knowablemag.bsky.social story explores what we have lost by destroying oyster reefs, and if they can be restored. knowablemagazine.org/content/arti...
My latest story for @newscientist.com - the first in many years - is one of the craziest ant stories I've ever heard. Based on a @nature.com study by @selfishmeme.bsky.social and colleagues. www.newscientist.com/article/2494...
Queen ant makes males of another species for daughters to mate with
Bizarrely, Iberian harvester ant queens lay eggs that turn into male builder harvester ants, and some of her offspring are hybrids of the two species
www.newscientist.com
September 3, 2025 at 3:18 PM
My latest story for @newscientist.com - the first in many years - is one of the craziest ant stories I've ever heard. Based on a @nature.com study by @selfishmeme.bsky.social and colleagues. www.newscientist.com/article/2494...
Mexican tetras living on the surface (left) look dramatically different from populations that were washed into caves generations ago (right) – and not just on the outside. Featuring @rohner.bsky.social and others. knowablemagazine.org/content/arti...
How the cavefish lost its eyes — again and again
Mexican tetras that got swept into pitch-black caverns had no use for the energetically costly organs. They lost their eyes in multiple ways — and gained some nifty traits too.
knowablemagazine.org
August 11, 2025 at 9:42 PM
Mexican tetras living on the surface (left) look dramatically different from populations that were washed into caves generations ago (right) – and not just on the outside. Featuring @rohner.bsky.social and others. knowablemagazine.org/content/arti...
A million years ago, someone was already making stone tools on the island of Sulawesi. But who was it, and how did they get there? My latest story for the National Geographic website, based on a new paper in @nature.com. www.nationalgeographic.com/science/arti...
Did ancient ‘hobbit humans’ create these million-year-old tools?
Seven newly discovered stone tools, dating to between 1.04 and 1.48 million years ago, were found on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi.
www.nationalgeographic.com
August 6, 2025 at 7:39 PM
A million years ago, someone was already making stone tools on the island of Sulawesi. But who was it, and how did they get there? My latest story for the National Geographic website, based on a new paper in @nature.com. www.nationalgeographic.com/science/arti...
My latest story is based on papers in @science.org and @cp-cell.bsky.social revealing Homo longi aka 'Dragon Man' was a Denisovan - or is it the other way around? Featuring @benceviola.bsky.social, @fridowelker.bsky.social and @chrisbstringer.bsky.social. www.nationalgeographic.com/history/arti...
This is the first ever confirmed skull of a Denisovan
Finally, we can put a face on a Denisovan.
www.nationalgeographic.com
June 18, 2025 at 3:40 PM
My latest story is based on papers in @science.org and @cp-cell.bsky.social revealing Homo longi aka 'Dragon Man' was a Denisovan - or is it the other way around? Featuring @benceviola.bsky.social, @fridowelker.bsky.social and @chrisbstringer.bsky.social. www.nationalgeographic.com/history/arti...
My latest story for @knowablemag.bsky.social is all about the astonishingly plentiful fossils of foraminifera, featuring @chrislowery.bsky.social, @fraass.bsky.social and @tracyaze.bsky.social! knowablemagazine.org/content/arti...
The history of the ocean, as told by tiny beautiful fossils
Bountiful remains of foraminifera reveal how organisms responded to climate disturbances of the past. They can help predict the future, too.
knowablemagazine.org
May 28, 2025 at 10:36 PM
My latest story for @knowablemag.bsky.social is all about the astonishingly plentiful fossils of foraminifera, featuring @chrislowery.bsky.social, @fraass.bsky.social and @tracyaze.bsky.social! knowablemagazine.org/content/arti...
Capuchins surprising us again, this time rather unpleasantly... featuring @zoegoldsborough.bsky.social and @bjjbarrett.bsky.social! www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/arti...
These capuchins are abducting babies from howler monkeys—for fun?
A young male nicknamed Joker was probably the first to start carrying a howler monkey baby on his back for days on end. Then a group of other young males started to copy him.
www.nationalgeographic.com
May 19, 2025 at 5:23 PM
Capuchins surprising us again, this time rather unpleasantly... featuring @zoegoldsborough.bsky.social and @bjjbarrett.bsky.social! www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/arti...
My latest National Geographic story explores a study that shows seals are aware how much oxygen they've got left in their blood, inspired by the @science.org paper by @chrismcknight.bsky.social. www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/arti...
How do seals know how long to hold their breath?
The sea mammals may actually be able to sense the amount of oxygen in their blood—something we humans can't do.
www.nationalgeographic.com
March 20, 2025 at 6:52 PM
My latest National Geographic story explores a study that shows seals are aware how much oxygen they've got left in their blood, inspired by the @science.org paper by @chrismcknight.bsky.social. www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/arti...
My latest story for @knowablemag.bsky.social explores research on the challenges of pregnancy at high elevation, and how it might help prevent complications at high and low elevation. knowablemagazine.org/content/arti...
Born in thin air: Overcoming the challenges of pregnancy at high elevation
In people not adapted to life at altitude, the sparse oxygen can impair fetal growth, causing problems that can last a lifetime. Researchers are searching for remedies.
knowablemagazine.org
March 10, 2025 at 11:15 PM
My latest story for @knowablemag.bsky.social explores research on the challenges of pregnancy at high elevation, and how it might help prevent complications at high and low elevation. knowablemagazine.org/content/arti...
More than 50 years ago, Terje Lømo and Tim Bliss discovered a process now called LTP that allows our brain to learn and remember. I had the pleasure of spending a few delightful hours with both of them in Oslo last year to learn about their own memories. knowablemagazine.org/content/arti...
It began with a rabbit: Unraveling the mystery of memory
Half a century after the discovery of long-term potentiation, we’re still learning how the brain remembers
knowablemagazine.org
March 5, 2025 at 12:12 AM
More than 50 years ago, Terje Lømo and Tim Bliss discovered a process now called LTP that allows our brain to learn and remember. I had the pleasure of spending a few delightful hours with both of them in Oslo last year to learn about their own memories. knowablemagazine.org/content/arti...
Capuchins are incredible animals, and even if you already knew that, this Q&A with Susan Perry, who has studied them for decades, might contain some surprises. It certainly did for me. knowablemagazine.org/content/arti...
Meet the capuchin monkey: Curious, creative and vengeful
UCLA’s Susan Perry has devoted decades to studying the fast-motion life of these New World primates and learning how the young acquire the skills they need to thrive
knowablemagazine.org
February 19, 2025 at 10:00 PM
Capuchins are incredible animals, and even if you already knew that, this Q&A with Susan Perry, who has studied them for decades, might contain some surprises. It certainly did for me. knowablemagazine.org/content/arti...
My latest story for National Geographic, about the similarities between whale song and human language, featuring @inbalarnon.bsky.social, @simonkirby.bsky.social, @ellengarland.bsky.social, @masonyoungblood.bsky.social and @rferrericancho.bsky.social!
What the science of baby-speak can tell us about whale songs
A new study reveals that whale song and human languages share features that make them easier to learn.
www.nationalgeographic.com
February 6, 2025 at 11:24 PM
My latest story for National Geographic, about the similarities between whale song and human language, featuring @inbalarnon.bsky.social, @simonkirby.bsky.social, @ellengarland.bsky.social, @masonyoungblood.bsky.social and @rferrericancho.bsky.social!
In my latest story, I explore the social life of... #earwigs, with the expert help of @jmeunierearwig.bsky.social and others!
She ain’t scary, she’s my mother
Elaborate courtship, devoted parenthood, gregarious nature (and occasional cannibalism) — earwigs have a lot going for them
knowablemagazine.org
November 14, 2024 at 8:13 AM
In my latest story, I explore the social life of... #earwigs, with the expert help of @jmeunierearwig.bsky.social and others!
My latest Knowable story is a Q&A with @ejmilnergulland.bsky.social about wild meat. Based on her wide-ranging research, she argues that blanket bans on wild animal hunting, trade and consumption would both be unfair and unlikely to benefit conservation efforts.
In defense of wild meat’s place at the table
Sustainable and safe consumption of wildlife is possible, and important for those who depend on it, says a conservation researcher
knowablemagazine.org
May 10, 2024 at 8:14 PM
My latest Knowable story is a Q&A with @ejmilnergulland.bsky.social about wild meat. Based on her wide-ranging research, she argues that blanket bans on wild animal hunting, trade and consumption would both be unfair and unlikely to benefit conservation efforts.
My latest story for Knowable Magazine explains why Neandertals are more knowable now than ever. knowablemagazine.org/article/soci...
November 29, 2023 at 1:42 PM
My latest story for Knowable Magazine explains why Neandertals are more knowable now than ever. knowablemagazine.org/article/soci...
My latest story for @mongabay.bsky.social, on how to handle herbivores in the early stages of #restoration projects. news.mongabay.com/2023/11/keep...
November 29, 2023 at 1:39 PM
My latest story for @mongabay.bsky.social, on how to handle herbivores in the early stages of #restoration projects. news.mongabay.com/2023/11/keep...