Laura Castañón
@lacastanon.bsky.social
Freelance science writer. Likely hanging with dogs, building a skull collection, playing ttrpgs, or messing about in boats.
Reposted by Laura Castañón
It's that time of year! The time when deer guts start to undergo a magical transformation!
(Also the time of year many well-intentioned people accidentally mess the whole thing up, leading to dead deer!)
🧪
jasonbittel.substack.com/p/the-deer-t...
(Also the time of year many well-intentioned people accidentally mess the whole thing up, leading to dead deer!)
🧪
jasonbittel.substack.com/p/the-deer-t...
The Deer, They Are A-Changin'
Something magical is happening in your backyard.
jasonbittel.substack.com
November 17, 2025 at 5:43 PM
It's that time of year! The time when deer guts start to undergo a magical transformation!
(Also the time of year many well-intentioned people accidentally mess the whole thing up, leading to dead deer!)
🧪
jasonbittel.substack.com/p/the-deer-t...
(Also the time of year many well-intentioned people accidentally mess the whole thing up, leading to dead deer!)
🧪
jasonbittel.substack.com/p/the-deer-t...
Reposted by Laura Castañón
how did i go so long not knowing we were literally teaching people to read wrong. i knew something wasn't right but jesus christ www.apmreports.org/episode/2019...
How a flawed idea is teaching millions of kids to be poor readers
For decades, schools have taught children the strategies of struggling readers, using a theory about reading that cognitive scientists have repeatedly debunked. And many teachers and parents don't kno...
www.apmreports.org
November 11, 2025 at 6:18 PM
how did i go so long not knowing we were literally teaching people to read wrong. i knew something wasn't right but jesus christ www.apmreports.org/episode/2019...
"One formative influence was Watson’s making his one and only important scientific discovery when he was only 25. ... he discovered nothing afterward, even as colleagues were cracking the genetic code or deciphering how DNA is translated into the molecules that make cells (and life) work."
A Sharon Begley byline, almost 5 years after her death.
Upon hearing the news James Watson had died, a STAT reporter said in our Slack, "I wish I could read what Sharon would have written."
Incredible news: Sharon in fact did pre-write a Watson obit. And it is masterful and excoriating.
🧪🧬🧫
Upon hearing the news James Watson had died, a STAT reporter said in our Slack, "I wish I could read what Sharon would have written."
Incredible news: Sharon in fact did pre-write a Watson obit. And it is masterful and excoriating.
🧪🧬🧫
James Watson, dead at 97, was a scientific legend and a pariah among his peers
James Watson, the co-discoverer of the structure of DNA who died Thursday at 97, was a scientific legend and a pariah among his peers.
www.statnews.com
November 9, 2025 at 12:01 PM
"One formative influence was Watson’s making his one and only important scientific discovery when he was only 25. ... he discovered nothing afterward, even as colleagues were cracking the genetic code or deciphering how DNA is translated into the molecules that make cells (and life) work."
In the last 18 hours, I was broken up with, got to pet a live opossum, fangirled at a writer I randomly saw at a taxidermy museum, and am starting my favorite conference. Having a normal one!
November 7, 2025 at 10:59 PM
In the last 18 hours, I was broken up with, got to pet a live opossum, fangirled at a writer I randomly saw at a taxidermy museum, and am starting my favorite conference. Having a normal one!
A small crab break is exactly what I needed
I wanted to get a video of this ghost crab but every time I got close to their hole they scuttled back in, so I tried getting clever with it. I made a little sandcastle and shoved my phone into it, hit record, and walked away. Crab was VERY suspicious of this addition to their environment.
September 20, 2025 at 1:40 AM
A small crab break is exactly what I needed
Reposted by Laura Castañón
🔥🔥WATCH: “Rappers are smarter than economists”👇🏽
@dossdiscourse.bsky.social explains more cops doesn’t lower crime it just means more money for private prisons— Addressing poverty/hunger/health care lowers crime… but Trump’s trillions transfer just made all that MUCH WORSE… meaning crime will rise.
@dossdiscourse.bsky.social explains more cops doesn’t lower crime it just means more money for private prisons— Addressing poverty/hunger/health care lowers crime… but Trump’s trillions transfer just made all that MUCH WORSE… meaning crime will rise.
August 17, 2025 at 6:52 PM
🔥🔥WATCH: “Rappers are smarter than economists”👇🏽
@dossdiscourse.bsky.social explains more cops doesn’t lower crime it just means more money for private prisons— Addressing poverty/hunger/health care lowers crime… but Trump’s trillions transfer just made all that MUCH WORSE… meaning crime will rise.
@dossdiscourse.bsky.social explains more cops doesn’t lower crime it just means more money for private prisons— Addressing poverty/hunger/health care lowers crime… but Trump’s trillions transfer just made all that MUCH WORSE… meaning crime will rise.
Reposted by Laura Castañón
We spent eight years giving the best centrist, moderate argument the Democratic Party could make the best chance possible.
And that gave us Trump.
So it's time for something different.
Time, and past time.
And that gave us Trump.
So it's time for something different.
Time, and past time.
June 25, 2025 at 7:05 PM
We spent eight years giving the best centrist, moderate argument the Democratic Party could make the best chance possible.
And that gave us Trump.
So it's time for something different.
Time, and past time.
And that gave us Trump.
So it's time for something different.
Time, and past time.
Reposted by Laura Castañón
This is so very good.
He modeled the logic of induction; traced the contours of the embodied mind; hung out with Einstein, Wheeler, and Bohr; gave away millions for art and conservation; fought for civil and gay rights; and lived as a janitor. My new story in @nautil.us
nautil.us/finding-pete...
nautil.us/finding-pete...
Finding Peter Putnam
The forgotten janitor who discovered the logic of the mind
nautil.us
June 18, 2025 at 9:50 PM
This is so very good.
Reposted by Laura Castañón
“Squared off”
June 8, 2025 at 12:13 AM
“Squared off”
Reposted by Laura Castañón
One pro immigrant protester being carried unconscious to the other end of the street here in Paramount, CA, was hit by a federal agency vehicle. Getting attention from protester medics.
June 7, 2025 at 7:44 PM
One pro immigrant protester being carried unconscious to the other end of the street here in Paramount, CA, was hit by a federal agency vehicle. Getting attention from protester medics.
Reposted by Laura Castañón
This article by @ykarenkwon.bsky.social is so important.
Thanks to @sciam.bsky.social and then-EIC @laurahelmuth.bsky.social for publishing it. (Photo by Pablo Monsalve/Getty).
Thanks to @sciam.bsky.social and then-EIC @laurahelmuth.bsky.social for publishing it. (Photo by Pablo Monsalve/Getty).
How to Protect Yourself during Protests
Demonstrators face tear gas, flash bangs, coronavirus and surveillance
www.scientificamerican.com
June 8, 2025 at 12:38 AM
This article by @ykarenkwon.bsky.social is so important.
Thanks to @sciam.bsky.social and then-EIC @laurahelmuth.bsky.social for publishing it. (Photo by Pablo Monsalve/Getty).
Thanks to @sciam.bsky.social and then-EIC @laurahelmuth.bsky.social for publishing it. (Photo by Pablo Monsalve/Getty).
Reposted by Laura Castañón
"Quite frankly, after seeing the horrors, I think abolishment is a middle ground. I think the proper course of action is to explore criminal prosecution against these agents, based on what they’re doing.”
In Reagan's 1980s, America had just 35 undocumented immigrants behind bars. Today, nearly 48,000 sit in squalid detention, many thrown there by a mask-wearing U.S. secret police that smashes homes, cars and violates human rights
It's time to abolish ICE. My column www.inquirer.com/opinion/ice-...
It's time to abolish ICE. My column www.inquirer.com/opinion/ice-...
Human rights nightmares show ‘the crazies’ who wanted to abolish ICE were right | Will Bunch
The nightly parade of horror stories about an American secret police proves the current system is broken beyond repair.
www.inquirer.com
May 2, 2025 at 11:11 PM
"Quite frankly, after seeing the horrors, I think abolishment is a middle ground. I think the proper course of action is to explore criminal prosecution against these agents, based on what they’re doing.”
Reposted by Laura Castañón
Video of the international student at Tufts being arrested by "federal authorities" in Massachusetts has been released and it's terrifying.
They're not even uniformed officers. Just secret police thugs in hoodies and masks.
From WCVB: youtu.be/PuFIs7OkzYY
They're not even uniformed officers. Just secret police thugs in hoodies and masks.
From WCVB: youtu.be/PuFIs7OkzYY
March 26, 2025 at 5:34 PM
Video of the international student at Tufts being arrested by "federal authorities" in Massachusetts has been released and it's terrifying.
They're not even uniformed officers. Just secret police thugs in hoodies and masks.
From WCVB: youtu.be/PuFIs7OkzYY
They're not even uniformed officers. Just secret police thugs in hoodies and masks.
From WCVB: youtu.be/PuFIs7OkzYY
Reposted by Laura Castañón
Been thinking a lot recently about how Charles Sumner almost got beaten to death on the Senate floor for taking a side in Bloody Kansas but not a single Senator now will resist unanimous consent. Not even slowing down the chamber.
American civil society is full of abject cowards, that is the issue. The government is a mafia state but it is winning because most American elite institutions are devoid of anything resembling integrity and are folding rather than stand on principles that were little more than marketing.
March 21, 2025 at 4:20 PM
Been thinking a lot recently about how Charles Sumner almost got beaten to death on the Senate floor for taking a side in Bloody Kansas but not a single Senator now will resist unanimous consent. Not even slowing down the chamber.
It's so many more than I thought!
And, as Kendra points out in this thread, showrooms are owned by Tesla - these attacks directly affect the company, not a middleman
And, as Kendra points out in this thread, showrooms are owned by Tesla - these attacks directly affect the company, not a middleman
My weird side hobby is tracking how many tesla showrooms are attacked and y'all it's so many
March 19, 2025 at 8:04 PM
It's so many more than I thought!
And, as Kendra points out in this thread, showrooms are owned by Tesla - these attacks directly affect the company, not a middleman
And, as Kendra points out in this thread, showrooms are owned by Tesla - these attacks directly affect the company, not a middleman
Highly recommend taking a break to read this extensive hippo thread
I have been doing entirely too much earnest posting about deep things recently, I need to do a proper thread about hippo testicles or something just to keep myself sane.
Oh by the way hippos have migratory testicles.
Oh by the way hippos have migratory testicles.
a statue of a hippopotamus with its mouth open and teeth showing .
Alt: A hippo being tossed a watermelon, which it crushes in its massive jaws.
media.tenor.com
March 12, 2025 at 2:30 PM
Highly recommend taking a break to read this extensive hippo thread
Boxing out the people who can tell the world why your work is important is a hell of a choice
BREAKING: The University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University has reneged on their commitment to host the @sciencewriters.org annual conference and withdrew their entire financial support.
The National Association of Science Writers is now looking for a new venue, sponsors, and partners.
The National Association of Science Writers is now looking for a new venue, sponsors, and partners.
March 6, 2025 at 6:07 PM
Boxing out the people who can tell the world why your work is important is a hell of a choice
“There is no theater community without the immense contributions of queer trans artists,” said Giselle Byrd, executive director of The Theater Offensive.
www.aclu.org/press-releas...
www.aclu.org/press-releas...
March 6, 2025 at 5:41 PM
“There is no theater community without the immense contributions of queer trans artists,” said Giselle Byrd, executive director of The Theater Offensive.
www.aclu.org/press-releas...
www.aclu.org/press-releas...
Reposted by Laura Castañón
Duckworth N
CLOTURE FAILS, CONGRESSIONAL SPORTS BAN WILL NOT HAPPEN.
Last few votes rolling in.
CLOTURE FAILS, CONGRESSIONAL SPORTS BAN WILL NOT HAPPEN.
Last few votes rolling in.
March 3, 2025 at 11:44 PM
Duckworth N
CLOTURE FAILS, CONGRESSIONAL SPORTS BAN WILL NOT HAPPEN.
Last few votes rolling in.
CLOTURE FAILS, CONGRESSIONAL SPORTS BAN WILL NOT HAPPEN.
Last few votes rolling in.
Reposted by Laura Castañón
“opposition movements always seem hopeless until they’re not”
"Musk and Trump wanted to start with what they saw as the weakest, wokest government agency, to slaughter it and hang it on a pike as a warning not to disobey the king."
A piece on apartheid, USAID, and Elon, by me: www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
A piece on apartheid, USAID, and Elon, by me: www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
Elon Musk, apartheid, and America's new boycott movement
If you think mass protests can’t combat evil, remember what we did in the 1980s.
www.motherjones.com
March 1, 2025 at 9:13 PM
“opposition movements always seem hopeless until they’re not”
Reposted by Laura Castañón
Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, her staff, and audience doing great work in a telephone town hall. Pressley is dipping out periodically for the budget votes happening now on the floor.
February 26, 2025 at 12:46 AM
Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, her staff, and audience doing great work in a telephone town hall. Pressley is dipping out periodically for the budget votes happening now on the floor.
When my friends are sick: Oh no! Do you need tea? Meds? Help with chores? I can be there in ten.
When I'm sick: I'd hate to bother anyone by asking for help. I'll just die here on the floor and eventually my dogs will eat me.
When I'm sick: I'd hate to bother anyone by asking for help. I'll just die here on the floor and eventually my dogs will eat me.
February 24, 2025 at 10:38 PM
When my friends are sick: Oh no! Do you need tea? Meds? Help with chores? I can be there in ten.
When I'm sick: I'd hate to bother anyone by asking for help. I'll just die here on the floor and eventually my dogs will eat me.
When I'm sick: I'd hate to bother anyone by asking for help. I'll just die here on the floor and eventually my dogs will eat me.
Killer whales are so damn scary that they've shaped how other whales speak
Thread on my new paper: blue whales make super loud calls but are acoustic ghosts to killer whales---and the same is true of many other baleen whale species. The ghost species are also those that flee when attacked, while the audible species fight back when attacked (the fight club).
Blue whales make among the loudest calls of anything in the ocean... but killer whales cannot hear them at all because their calls are so deep. In my new paper I suggest this is an adaptation to reduce killer whale attacks.
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
February 23, 2025 at 11:21 AM
Killer whales are so damn scary that they've shaped how other whales speak
Scarboard is the best shark
Chonk vs non-chonk
Top: Scarboard, a 5.5m (18') female white shark
Bottom: Alba the Brave, a 2.5m (8') female white shark
These shots are to scale. It's worth noting that there are other 5.5m sharks at Guadalupe that don't share Scarboard's chonk factor.
Top: Scarboard, a 5.5m (18') female white shark
Bottom: Alba the Brave, a 2.5m (8') female white shark
These shots are to scale. It's worth noting that there are other 5.5m sharks at Guadalupe that don't share Scarboard's chonk factor.
February 11, 2025 at 7:30 PM
Scarboard is the best shark
Reposted by Laura Castañón
I can’t believe it - after years of advocacy, exclusionary zoning has ended in Cambridge.
We just passed the single most comprehensive rezoning in the US—legalizing multifamily housing up to 6 stories citywide in a Paris style
Here’s the details 🧵
We just passed the single most comprehensive rezoning in the US—legalizing multifamily housing up to 6 stories citywide in a Paris style
Here’s the details 🧵
February 11, 2025 at 1:46 AM
I can’t believe it - after years of advocacy, exclusionary zoning has ended in Cambridge.
We just passed the single most comprehensive rezoning in the US—legalizing multifamily housing up to 6 stories citywide in a Paris style
Here’s the details 🧵
We just passed the single most comprehensive rezoning in the US—legalizing multifamily housing up to 6 stories citywide in a Paris style
Here’s the details 🧵