Sara Novak
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sarafnovak.bsky.social
Sara Novak
@sarafnovak.bsky.social
Science journalist based in South Carolina, contributing writer to DiscoverMag words nytimes, scientific american, natgeo, In pursuit of kindness. Highlighting the quieter voices.


saranovakwrites.com/
It’s long been thought that certain risk factors explain most cardio events, until recent studies claimed that it can develop out of nowhere. But a new study calls this into question, finding that 99% of all events resulted from 4 risk factors.

My latest @medscape.com

tinyurl.com/2u9exxnd
Cardiac Events Nearly Always Come With Patient Risk Factors
Four traditional risk factors found in nearly all cases of cardiovascular events.
tinyurl.com
November 25, 2025 at 9:55 AM
In my latest for @medscape.com, much of our understanding of long COVID — specifically in researching biomarkers, viral persistence, chronic inflammation, and antiviral treatments — came from years of prior research into HIV.

www.medscape.com/viewarticle/...
Important Long-COVID Lessons From AIDS Researchers
The search for long-COVID treatments echoes the previous struggles against HIV/AIDS. Now researchers are taking lessons from those breakthroughs to make new progress.
www.medscape.com
November 20, 2025 at 6:17 PM
October 9, 2025 at 5:01 PM
Reposted by Sara Novak
A recent @nature.com depicts life in the Kuril–Kamchatka & W Aleutian Trenches, two hadal trenches in the W Pacific that were explored with submersible Fendouzhe.

@sarafnovak.bsky.social
www.discovermagazine.com/using-deep-s...
Using Deep Sea Submersibles, Researchers Have Uncovered an Almost Alien World in the Hadal Trenches
Learn more about the Hadal Trenches and the types of life that thrive in the deep.
www.discovermagazine.com
October 9, 2025 at 12:49 AM
Reposted by Sara Novak
Updated COVID vaccines are still the best tools we have to reduce severe disease and death from the virus. @sarafnovak.bsky.social explains the latest research for @sciam.bsky.social. www.scientificamerican.com/article/new-...
Annual COVID Vaccines Save Lives, New Study Shows
A new study shows that receiving an updated COVID vaccine reduced people’s risk of severe disease and death in all age groups, regardless of immunity from prior infection or vaccination
www.scientificamerican.com
October 9, 2025 at 2:32 PM
“Keep your face always toward the sunshine—and shadows will fall behind you.” — Walt Whitman

#5amwritersclub
April 8, 2025 at 1:07 PM
Diabetes and weight loss treatments such as Ozempic and Wegovy, known as #GLP1 agonists, could significantly reduce the risk of developing any type of #dementia. My latest @newscientist.com

www.newscientist.com/article/2475...
Drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy could significantly cut dementia risk
Dozens of trials testing GLP-1 drugs like semaglutide, the medicine in Ozempic and Wegovy, against a placebo suggest that they really could protect against dementia
www.newscientist.com
April 7, 2025 at 5:41 PM
A growing number of people are “microdosing” – by taking lower-than-standard amounts of weight-loss drugs such as Wegovy and Mounjaro for a host of health reasons, but does it work? My latest for @newscientist.com

www.newscientist.com/article/mg26...
Microdosing weight-loss drugs is on the rise – but does it work?
There are many claims about the benefits of microdosing weight-loss drugs, from anti-inflammatory effects to extending longevity. Do any of them stack up?
www.newscientist.com
March 31, 2025 at 1:54 PM
Only around 3 percent of women who suffer from postpartum depression are diagnosed and treated through remission. But a new biomarker could one day predict the condition and open the door for better treatments and prevention. My latest @sciam.bsky.social.

www.scientificamerican.com/article/post...
Could a Blood Test One Day Predict Postpartum Depression?
Too few people get diagnosed and treated for postpartum depression. But a blood test could change that
www.scientificamerican.com
March 25, 2025 at 2:23 PM
Hearing the name Tiffany in a historical film or reading it in a historical book may distract the audience from the story momentarily since, surely, people were not named Tiffany centuries ago. Ohh but they were....My latest @discovermag.bsky.social

www.discovermagazine.com/mind/the-tif...
The Tiffany Effect: Words and Ideas That Seem Modern But Are Historical
Learn how the Tiffany Effect impacts our understanding of culture and the past.
www.discovermagazine.com
March 19, 2025 at 9:16 AM
If you're looking to get away, I mean really get away. Another fun one. Only around 5 percent of the universe and 26 percent of the ocean floor have been visited. My latest @discovermag.bsky.social explores deep sea and deep space travel. #5amwritersclub

www.discovermagazine.com/the-sciences...
Into the Unknown: How Similar Is Deep Sea and Space Exploration?
From immense pressure to limited supplies, learn more about the similarities between deep sea and space exploration and what risks they pose to explorers.
www.discovermagazine.com
March 13, 2025 at 10:10 AM
My latest for @discovermag.bsky.social is a fun piece on how the ancients viewed outer space. Sometimes you just need to space out :) #sciencewriting #writingcommunity

www.discovermagazine.com/the-sciences...
Ancient People May Have Thought UAPs Were Gleaming Ships in the Sky or Bad Omens
It's impossible to know exactly what ancient people saw in the night sky. Learn more about their relationships with outer space and possible aliens.
www.discovermagazine.com
March 3, 2025 at 3:58 PM
Reposted by Sara Novak
Breaking News: An unvaccinated child died of measles in Texas, officials said, the first known death from an outbreak that began in January.
Unvaccinated Child Dies of Measles in Texas, Officials Say
At least 124 cases of measles have been identified in Texas since late January, mostly among children and teenagers who are either unvaccinated or whose vaccination status is unknown, officials say.
www.nytimes.com
February 26, 2025 at 4:46 PM
We've all been through it--when a moment makes us cringe with embarrassment all those years later. My latest for @discovermag.bsky.social is on how to stop reliving embarrassing memories. #writingcommunity
February 25, 2025 at 8:56 PM
A busy month it's been. It's a work all weekend kind a week. So here we go. #5amwritersclub.
February 22, 2025 at 11:14 AM
"The sun himself is weak when he first rises, and gathers strength and courage as the day gets on." — Charles Dickens #5amwritersclub
February 20, 2025 at 7:04 AM
I dare you to ask him to get off the sofa. #writingcommunity #5amwritersclub
February 19, 2025 at 3:47 PM
Great to catch up with friends and colleagues at the #AAASmtg in Boston. So many story ideas, let's go! #sciencewriting #writingcommunity
February 17, 2025 at 6:43 PM
Very excited to open up the mailbox and see this. My latest for @discovermag.bsky.social is a Q&A feature with the Paleo Protector Larisa DeSantis, a paleontologist who has set her sights on protecting modern mammals from climate change based on our knowledge of the fossil record.
February 16, 2025 at 6:56 AM
Exhausted. That's all. Happy Friday. #writingcommunity
February 7, 2025 at 8:12 PM
My latest piece on the first detailed analysis of plesiosaur soft tissue in @nytimes.com!

www.nytimes.com/2025/02/06/s...
Plesiosaur Fossils Preserve Both Skin and Scales on Ancient Sea Monster
The mix of features offers new clues to how plesiosaurs navigated prehistoric oceans.
www.nytimes.com
February 6, 2025 at 4:40 PM
“Keep your face toward the sunshine–and shadows will fall behind you.” — Walt Whitman

#5amwritersclub
February 5, 2025 at 9:11 AM
Interbreeding between modern humans and Neanderthals allowed for genetic segments to spread amongst the population, giving humans resistance to diseases that they had not come in contact with previously. My latest @discovermag.bsky.social

#sciencewriting #writingcommunity

tinyurl.com/drrsdwws
Neanderthal Interbreeding Likely Gave Human Immunity a Boost
Learn how interbreeding with Neanderthals may have bolstered our immune systems.
tinyurl.com
January 24, 2025 at 2:40 PM
Well, yesterday was a blast. In the south, we don't have sleds, we have to use boogie boards instead. #writingcommunity 😂
January 23, 2025 at 3:36 PM
It's a winter wonderland out there. Off to go sledding in South Carolina. ☃️☃️☃️ #writingcommunity
January 22, 2025 at 4:39 PM