averyhurt.bsky.social
averyhurt.bsky.social
averyhurt.bsky.social
@averyhurt.bsky.social
Science journalist (Discover, Natgeo, Science News Explores) and author of nonfiction books for kids and young adults.
I recently wrote about Project CETI’s latest very exciting insight into sperm whale communication, for @discovermag.bsky.social
Sperm Whale Clicks May Be More Complex Than Once Thought, and Similar to Human Language
Learn how new discoveries about whale language also raise ethical and legal questions.
www.discovermagazine.com
December 16, 2025 at 9:18 PM
I’m very honored and excited to have received this award. And deeply indebted to Janet Raloff and the rest of the team at @snexplores.bsky.social
November 13, 2025 at 9:04 PM
Reposted by averyhurt.bsky.social
A reminder that vaccines are among the safest and most effective medical treatments ever developed.

Here's an interactive timeline to explore the history of devastating infections and the scientific and medical advances to fight them.

#VaccinesSaveLives
Timeline 'R' Us — Superbugs - The microbial world in, on and around us
Of superbugs and superheroes. Timeline 'R' Us – Explore devastating infections through the ages, alongside crucial scientific discoveries to help control them.
www.superbugs.online
September 23, 2025 at 1:35 PM
Reposted by averyhurt.bsky.social
A sign from nature to PERSIST.
September 18, 2025 at 4:51 PM
Reposted by averyhurt.bsky.social
Learn why many rodents have short nails on their thumb rather than long claws, a trait that has helped them eat and thrive for millions of years. www.discovermagazine.com/rodents-oddl...
Rodents' Oddly Humanlike Thumbnails Have Let Them Feast on Nuts Since Ancient Times
Learn why many rodents have short nails on their thumb rather than long claws, a trait that has helped them eat and thrive for millions of years.
www.discovermagazine.com
September 8, 2025 at 6:01 PM
Reposted by averyhurt.bsky.social
Webspinners (order Embioptera) spin the finest silk fibers known in nature, which they use to build shelters that, when wet, form a strong, protective film. A new study explores silk-water interactions in four webspinner species, w/ lessons that could be applied in human-made, bioinspired materials.
Why Webspinners Earn the Prize for Nature's Best Raincoat
Insects in the order Embioptera spin the finest silk fibers in nature, which they use to build shelters that, when wet, form a strong, protective film.
entomologytoday.org
September 8, 2025 at 6:03 PM
Reposted by averyhurt.bsky.social
Really cool new generational heat tool from @climatecentral.org that lets you compare the number of extremely hot days added by climate change across generations.
🥵🔥🌡 How has climate change shaped your lifetime of heat?
We have have a new interactive tool that helps you find out.
Let's take it for a spin.
🧵
climatecentral.observablehq.cloud/generational...
September 4, 2025 at 6:56 PM
Reposted by averyhurt.bsky.social
Learn what cesium-137 is, how food can become radioactive, and what to do if you recently purchased shrimp. www.discovermagazine.com/radioactive-...
Radioactive Shrimp Recalled — Radiation Levels Are Low, but Caution Is Still Advised
Learn what cesium-137 is, how food can become radioactive, and what to do if you recently purchased shrimp.
www.discovermagazine.com
August 26, 2025 at 4:17 PM
Reposted by averyhurt.bsky.social
"This is no Dutch bike lane with a safe, modern design and well-funded construction. This is an American bike lane—a blood-pumping obstacle course of neglected asphalt and ideas from the 1970s."
For My Next Death-Defying Stunt, I Will Ride My Bike in This Bike Lane
Get ready, folks. Prepare yourselves for terror. For thrills. For a hair-raising ride through the clutches of death, where the only thing separatin...
buff.ly
August 17, 2025 at 1:30 AM
Reposted by averyhurt.bsky.social
Retired coal power plants could provide backup or emergency power to the electricity grid – but this time drawing on heat energy stored in dirt instead of burning fossil fuels.

More details on how this clean energy repowering option works in my article 🧪

www.newscientist.com/article/2491...
We can repurpose retired coal plants to produce green energy
Piles of dirt can cheaply store renewable energy as heat – and that stored energy can reactivate the machinery of retired coal power plants, letting them provide backup power for the electricity grid
www.newscientist.com
August 6, 2025 at 7:54 PM
Reposted by averyhurt.bsky.social
one of the single best deals in streaming. i've been paying for PBS Passport for years. it rules
August 2, 2025 at 8:20 PM
Reposted by averyhurt.bsky.social
Using next-generation technology could offer fresh insight into unprecedented ocean extremes driven by climate change or other factors.
The Earth Mysteriously Pulsed Every 90 Seconds for Nine Days in 2023 — We Now Know Why
Using next-generation technology could offer fresh insight into unprecedented ocean extremes driven by climate change or other factors.
buff.ly
June 5, 2025 at 2:00 PM
Science is coming up with ways to do biomedical research without lab animals. My latest for @snexplores.bsky.social.
Research without lab animals? New tech is making it possible
For decades, scientists have worked to phase out the use of animals in research. AI, ‘lungs’ on a chip and more are bringing that goal closer.
www.snexplores.org
June 5, 2025 at 4:41 PM
Reposted by averyhurt.bsky.social
Today the 1st case of CRISPR 3.0 (Prime genome editing) announced for a teenager with chronic granulomatous disease
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
May 19, 2025 at 1:51 PM
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May 17, 2025 at 4:22 PM
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Folks, Sara Niksic / Inner Child is fundraising for the next iteration of her phenomenal whale song/music science communication project - please consider a small donation to help make this happen 🎶🦑🐋 whydonate.com/en/fundraisi...
Fundraiser by Sara Niksic | Whale Song Revolution
Sara Niksic Needs Your Help | Do you want to be part of the Whale Song Revolution ??? My name is  Sara Niksic , also known...
whydonate.com
May 17, 2025 at 7:09 PM
Reposted by averyhurt.bsky.social
Did you miss our big news last week: #SciWri25 has a new location and dates! Get ready to gather in Chicago Nov 7-9. The virtual portion will take place Oct 22-24. Thank you to everyone for your support during this journey.

Details: www.nasw.org/article...

ScienceWriters2025 to be held in Chicago November 7-9
The National Association of Science Writers and the Council for the Advancement of Science Writing are excited to announce that ScienceWriters2025 will take place in Chicago, November 7–9, at the Marriott Chicago O’Hare.
www.nasw.org
May 7, 2025 at 4:32 PM
If you think you’re smart, check out orcas. For this Discover piece, I learned about their amazing brains, social lives, and how we may soon know more about what they’re saying to each other. @orcawatcher.bsky.social @discovermag.bsky.social

www.discovermagazine.com/planet-earth...
Orcas Imitate Human Speech as a Way to Communicate With Us
Learn how the deeply intelligent killer whale learns to communicate by listening.
www.discovermagazine.com
April 30, 2025 at 12:49 PM
Reposted by averyhurt.bsky.social
My best guess as to why the increase was so large last year (besides human emissions of CO2) is due to global wildfires and the start of the year in an El Nino.
April 22, 2025 at 7:39 PM
Reposted by averyhurt.bsky.social
Soon -- prob in a few days -- they're gonna ditch the old March-April issues of Discover to make way for the May-June issue. So if you wanna get your paws on my cover story on "quantum mechanics at 100," grab a copy while you still can! :) #science #physics
April 21, 2025 at 5:09 PM
Reposted by averyhurt.bsky.social
I've met a lot of school librarians when I do author visits at schools and I can tell you, they're the most loving, dedicated people. Thank you, school librarians, for helping kids see themselves and learn about the world in books. #schoollibrarymonth
This #SchoolLibraryMonth join us in shining a light on school librarians and libraries and the AASL Chapters that support them. buff.ly/4dzfTjh #AASLslm
April 8, 2025 at 7:22 PM