Undark Magazine
@undark.org
Non-profit & editorially independent. Exploring science as a frequently wondrous, sometimes contentious, and occasionally troubling byproduct of human culture.
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Jeffrey Morris was interviewed about vaccine safety. He says massive death claims are false. But rare myocarditis deaths are plausible. Both things can be true. Neither extreme position helps the vaccine conversation move forward.
Interview: How the U.S. Government Monitors Vaccine Safety
Biostatistician Jeffrey Morris discusses his analysis of the vaccine monitoring system — and how it could be improved.
f.mtr.cool
December 26, 2025 at 7:02 PM
Jeffrey Morris was interviewed about vaccine safety. He says massive death claims are false. But rare myocarditis deaths are plausible. Both things can be true. Neither extreme position helps the vaccine conversation move forward.
GPS disruptions are no longer isolated incidents. Flights, ships, and other systems have been affected as jamming and spoofing spread beyond war zones, raising concerns about how much modern life depends on fragile navigation signals.
GPS Is Vulnerable. New Technology May Be Required.
The omnipresent system that people use for navigation and positioning is increasingly vulnerable. Can it be improved?
f.mtr.cool
December 26, 2025 at 5:30 PM
GPS disruptions are no longer isolated incidents. Flights, ships, and other systems have been affected as jamming and spoofing spread beyond war zones, raising concerns about how much modern life depends on fragile navigation signals.
Electric vehicles need rare earth minerals. Mining shifted from China to Myanmar where workers earn $21 daily. Many suffer lung damage, chemical burns, landslide accidents. Originally publised by @yalee360.bsky.social
In Myanmar, Illicit Rare Earth Mining Is Taking a Heavy Toll
As China cut domestic extraction, uncontrolled mining in areas of Myanmar ruled by powerful ethnic armies has boomed.
f.mtr.cool
December 26, 2025 at 5:02 PM
Electric vehicles need rare earth minerals. Mining shifted from China to Myanmar where workers earn $21 daily. Many suffer lung damage, chemical burns, landslide accidents. Originally publised by @yalee360.bsky.social
The real question about AI data centers isn't "is water use too high?" It's "are we placing them responsibly?" Water is geographically specific. Same consumption can be OK in one place, catastrophic in another. Originally published by @wired.com
How Much Water Do AI Data Centers Really Use?
How the AI industry uses water and how that impacts an increasingly parched world is more complicated than people think.
f.mtr.cool
December 26, 2025 at 2:02 PM
The real question about AI data centers isn't "is water use too high?" It's "are we placing them responsibly?" Water is geographically specific. Same consumption can be OK in one place, catastrophic in another. Originally published by @wired.com
Environmental reviews collapsed when permits started auto-renewing. Cattle graze uncontrolled on public lands. Originally published by @propublica.org and @highcountrynews.org
The Diminishing Oversight of Livestock Grazing on Public Lands
Federal law requires agencies to review the environmental impacts of grazing, but the system is riddled with loopholes.
f.mtr.cool
December 25, 2025 at 7:02 PM
Environmental reviews collapsed when permits started auto-renewing. Cattle graze uncontrolled on public lands. Originally published by @propublica.org and @highcountrynews.org
We designed satellites to burn up and prevent space debris. Burning releases aluminum, silicon, copper, and lead into the stratosphere. Seemed safe. Might be the worst choice for the atmosphere. Originally published by @yalee360.bsky.social
Amid a Satellite Boom, Scientists Warn of Emissions Risks
From rocket launch to reentry, satellites are adding CO2 and other pollutants to every layer of Earth's atmosphere.
f.mtr.cool
December 25, 2025 at 5:02 PM
We designed satellites to burn up and prevent space debris. Burning releases aluminum, silicon, copper, and lead into the stratosphere. Seemed safe. Might be the worst choice for the atmosphere. Originally published by @yalee360.bsky.social
Scientists are portrayed as data-making automatons. But we're artists. We have tendencies that affect our work positively. Acknowledging scientific style shows creativity drives discovery, not just objectivity.
Science Needs to Embrace the Idea of Style
How do individual scientists approach their work? These stylistic differences can influence the process of discovery.
f.mtr.cool
December 25, 2025 at 2:02 PM
Scientists are portrayed as data-making automatons. But we're artists. We have tendencies that affect our work positively. Acknowledging scientific style shows creativity drives discovery, not just objectivity.
The EPA's best researchers are leaving for the private sector. The team that responded to East Palestine is gone. One won the AMA's award for transforming chemical safety evaluation. Originally published by @notus.com
A Cadre of EPA Scientists Move To the Private Sector
Former EPA scientists who responded to emergencies are now in the private sector. What does that mean for future crises?
f.mtr.cool
December 24, 2025 at 7:02 PM
The EPA's best researchers are leaving for the private sector. The team that responded to East Palestine is gone. One won the AMA's award for transforming chemical safety evaluation. Originally published by @notus.com
Could lab-grown brain cells become conscious? Philosopher Matthew Owen breaks down the science and ethics behind organoids, challenging assumptions about sentience, learning, and what it means to truly “think.”
Why Lab-Grown Brain Cells Might Never Become Conscious
Philosopher Matthew Owen questions whether tiny brain cell clusters called organoids could ever be sentient.
f.mtr.cool
December 24, 2025 at 5:02 PM
Could lab-grown brain cells become conscious? Philosopher Matthew Owen breaks down the science and ethics behind organoids, challenging assumptions about sentience, learning, and what it means to truly “think.”
New study links Epstein-Barr virus to lupus development. An EBV vaccine administered at birth could transform lupus from chronic disease to preventable condition. We have the science. Do we have the political will?
What Anti-Vaccine Policies Could Mean for Autoimmune Diseases
Opinion | A new study identifies a link between Epstein-Barr virus and lupus. Will politics block the search for a vaccine?
f.mtr.cool
December 24, 2025 at 2:02 PM
New study links Epstein-Barr virus to lupus development. An EBV vaccine administered at birth could transform lupus from chronic disease to preventable condition. We have the science. Do we have the political will?
New study links Epstein-Barr virus to lupus development. An EBV vaccine administered at birth could transform lupus from chronic disease to preventable condition. We have the science. Do we have the political will?
What Anti-Vaccine Policies Could Mean for Autoimmune Diseases
Opinion | A new study identifies a link between Epstein-Barr virus and lupus. Will politics block the search for a vaccine?
f.mtr.cool
December 24, 2025 at 2:02 PM
New study links Epstein-Barr virus to lupus development. An EBV vaccine administered at birth could transform lupus from chronic disease to preventable condition. We have the science. Do we have the political will?
Trump administration calls declining birth rates a national security threat. But women aren't having fewer kids because of sperm counts. They're prioritizing careers and delaying childbearing due to economic realities and reproductive agency.
Is Male Infertility Contributing to Falling Birth Rates?
Although the science is unsettled, the White House has embraced core tenets of the 'sperm count decline hypothesis.'
f.mtr.cool
December 23, 2025 at 7:02 PM
Trump administration calls declining birth rates a national security threat. But women aren't having fewer kids because of sperm counts. They're prioritizing careers and delaying childbearing due to economic realities and reproductive agency.
CDC funded study withholds hepatitis B vaccine from some newborns in Guinea-Bissau for comparison data. Scientists call it unethical. Vaccine's been safe for 30 years. Why delay it now just for this study? Originally published by @notus.com
CDC to Fund Controversial Study on Infant Hepatitis B Vaccines
The study, to take place in West Africa, prompted outcry from scientists who say it’s design is unethical.
f.mtr.cool
December 23, 2025 at 5:30 PM
CDC funded study withholds hepatitis B vaccine from some newborns in Guinea-Bissau for comparison data. Scientists call it unethical. Vaccine's been safe for 30 years. Why delay it now just for this study? Originally published by @notus.com
TMS seizure risk: one per 30,000 sessions. SSRI side effects: sexual dysfunction, weight gain, withdrawal. Yet insurance requires several meds before allowing TMS. The policy isn’t protecting patients, just insurance profits.
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Shouldn’t Just Be a Last Resort
Opinion | The depression treatment is often available only after medications fail. It's time for policy to catch up to science.
f.mtr.cool
December 23, 2025 at 5:02 PM
TMS seizure risk: one per 30,000 sessions. SSRI side effects: sexual dysfunction, weight gain, withdrawal. Yet insurance requires several meds before allowing TMS. The policy isn’t protecting patients, just insurance profits.
Research into biology of gender identity can be valuable. But scientists worry findings could be used for medical gatekeeping or deny gender-affirming care. The science must be done carefully and ethically.
Can Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals Affect Gender Identity?
Attempts to explore an association between chemical exposure and transgender identity are highly contentious.
f.mtr.cool
December 23, 2025 at 2:02 PM
Research into biology of gender identity can be valuable. But scientists worry findings could be used for medical gatekeeping or deny gender-affirming care. The science must be done carefully and ethically.
Hepatitis B vaccination is no longer automatic for newborns. The CDC now recommends it only for high-risk infants. Parents can still request it, but medical groups worry this shift will increase disease. Originally published by @19thnews.org
CDC Advisory Panel Reverses Course on Newborn Hepatitis B Vaccine
Until Friday, the shot had been recommended for every infant shortly after birth since 1991. Parents should still have access.
f.mtr.cool
December 22, 2025 at 7:02 PM
Hepatitis B vaccination is no longer automatic for newborns. The CDC now recommends it only for high-risk infants. Parents can still request it, but medical groups worry this shift will increase disease. Originally published by @19thnews.org
A doctorate in physical therapy costs over $100,000. New loan cap is $100,000 lifetime. Same problem for occupational therapists and social workers. These rules punish students pursuing essential health care careers.
Restricting Loans for Health Care Workers Should Outrage Us All
Opinion | A federal proposal would unfairly restrict the borrowing of students pursuing in-demand allied health professions.
f.mtr.cool
December 22, 2025 at 5:31 PM
A doctorate in physical therapy costs over $100,000. New loan cap is $100,000 lifetime. Same problem for occupational therapists and social workers. These rules punish students pursuing essential health care careers.
Science faces a funding crisis. Conservative critics raise valid points: fraud, weak peer review, poor communication. Scientists need to address these problems instead of dismissing critics. That's the path to rebuilding trust.
Trump Supporters Distrust Science. We Need New Ways to Engage.
Opinion | Funding cuts are devastating for U.S. science. Regaining support will require cleaning house and bipartisan messaging.
f.mtr.cool
December 22, 2025 at 5:03 PM
Science faces a funding crisis. Conservative critics raise valid points: fraud, weak peer review, poor communication. Scientists need to address these problems instead of dismissing critics. That's the path to rebuilding trust.
Lucid dreaming. Dream engineering with smells and sounds. Spraying rotten egg smell on sleeping smokers to reduce cravings. The future of treating nightmares and PTSD looks like science fiction.
Book Review: Harnessing the Power of Dreams and Nightmares
In "Nightmare Obscura," dream scientist Michelle Carr argues that our dreamscapes are essential pillars of who we are.
f.mtr.cool
December 22, 2025 at 2:02 PM
Lucid dreaming. Dream engineering with smells and sounds. Spraying rotten egg smell on sleeping smokers to reduce cravings. The future of treating nightmares and PTSD looks like science fiction.
In this interview, biostatistician Jeffrey Morris explains why people misunderstand vaccine safety data. Just because something is reported after vaccination doesn't mean it was caused by it. Medical events happen constantly.
Interview: How the U.S. Government Monitors Vaccine Safety
Biostatistician Jeffrey Morris discusses his analysis of the vaccine monitoring system — and how it could be improved.
f.mtr.cool
December 19, 2025 at 5:31 PM
In this interview, biostatistician Jeffrey Morris explains why people misunderstand vaccine safety data. Just because something is reported after vaccination doesn't mean it was caused by it. Medical events happen constantly.
EDCs interfere with hormones and cause health problems. Some speculate they affect gender. But one researcher emphasized: if EDCs were involved, "those chemicals would be a positive, not a negative."
Can Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals Affect Gender Identity?
Attempts to explore an association between chemical exposure and transgender identity are highly contentious.
f.mtr.cool
December 19, 2025 at 5:04 PM
EDCs interfere with hormones and cause health problems. Some speculate they affect gender. But one researcher emphasized: if EDCs were involved, "those chemicals would be a positive, not a negative."
Your identity isn't constructed from a single fertilized egg. The idea of you as an independent individual is a myth. We're each living communities of cells, ancestral, maternal, microbial, in constant co-construction.
Book Review: The Strangers Within Us
“Hidden Guests” explores how the emerging field of microchimerism is upending medicine, genetics, and our sense of self.
f.mtr.cool
December 19, 2025 at 2:02 PM
Your identity isn't constructed from a single fertilized egg. The idea of you as an independent individual is a myth. We're each living communities of cells, ancestral, maternal, microbial, in constant co-construction.
The Trump Administration cut research funding and closed science centers. Republican support for science is down. But 76 percent of Americans trust scientists. The problem isn't distrust. It's scientists not talking to people who disagree.
Trump Supporters Distrust Science. We Need New Ways to Engage.
Opinion | Funding cuts are devastating for U.S. science. Regaining support will require cleaning house and bipartisan messaging.
f.mtr.cool
December 18, 2025 at 6:04 PM
The Trump Administration cut research funding and closed science centers. Republican support for science is down. But 76 percent of Americans trust scientists. The problem isn't distrust. It's scientists not talking to people who disagree.
While promising stronger formula oversight, the Trump administration is cutting EPA staff, eliminating toxins research, and closing R&D offices. Expert consensus: this won't end well for infant health
Infant Formula Needs Evidence-Based Oversight. Will MAHA Step Up?
Longstanding regulatory and testing gaps have historically been filled by third-party groups with questionable methods.
f.mtr.cool
December 18, 2025 at 5:02 PM
While promising stronger formula oversight, the Trump administration is cutting EPA staff, eliminating toxins research, and closing R&D offices. Expert consensus: this won't end well for infant health
Scientists discovered a possible link between EBV and lupus, a disease hitting women and women of color hardest. A vaccine could prevent it. But will political support allow the research to continue?
What Anti-Vaccine Policies Could Mean for Autoimmune Diseases
Opinion | A new study identifies a link between Epstein-Barr virus and lupus. Will politics block the search for a vaccine?
f.mtr.cool
December 18, 2025 at 3:03 PM
Scientists discovered a possible link between EBV and lupus, a disease hitting women and women of color hardest. A vaccine could prevent it. But will political support allow the research to continue?