A Mad Dash to Save Stranded Crayfish When masses of crayfish end up on the beach after an algal bloom strips oxygen from the water, South African communities and authorities race to ship the valuable crustaceans back out to sea. Hakai Magazine, June 13, 2022 Growth Charts Map Brain Changes Across Lifespan The new resource is the first to chart human brain development from before birth to 100 years of age. Spectrum, May 12, 2022
Macaques’ Social Skills Tied to Variation in Autism-Linked Genes Some aspects of rhesus macaques’ social behavior are strongly shaped by genetics, with differences tied to variants in autism-linked genes, according to a new study. Spectrum, March 7, 2022 Cracking Autism's Sleep Conundrum Sleep problems may contribute to, or derive from, autism traits — or both. After decades of work, researchers are beginning to uncover the biological connections between the two conditions, revealing new paths to potential treatments. Spectrum, February 25, 2022
Surrogacy Across Species Scientists can now borrow the bodies of one fish species to produce another — whether they should, though, is an open question. Hakai Magazine, September 28, 2021
Finding a Path Forward for Fragile X Drugs The stubborn lack of treatments for fragile X syndrome is spurring researchers to revise their clinical trial techniques and revisit old drug candidates. Spectrum, September 23, 2021
Bringing Back Bogs Researchers are working to find the best ways to help soggy ecosystems recover. Sierra, July 27, 2021
Can We Live to 200? Here's a Roadmap In the last century, the average human life expectancy doubled. Here's a roadmap to the innovations that could help us do it again — maybe. New York Times Magazine, April 27, 2021
As South Africa Clings to Coal, A Struggle for the Right to Breathe Close ties between the ruling elite and the coal industry have helped perpetuate South Africa’s dependence on the dirtiest fossil fuel for electricity. But now residents of the nation’s most coal-intensive region are suing to force the government to clean up choking air pollution. Yale Environment 360, November 24, 2020
Virtual Lab Visits Enable Remote Assessments of Child Development A new telehealth test offers researchers a way to measure a child’s development and detect signs of atypical behavior remotely. Spectrum, October 7, 2020 As Oil Industry Swoons, Tar Sands Workers Look to Renewables for Jobs Long reliant on the vast oil reserves of its tar sands, Alberta is now facing a reckoning as its oil industry is clobbered by the coronavirus downturn. With tar sands operations shedding jobs, a movement is growing to retrain oil workers for the emerging renewables sector. Yale Environment 360, April 30, 2020
The Art of Turning Fish Into Leather Fish skin leather was once common in fishing communities; now artisans and designers are breathing new life into the tradition. Hakai Magazine, April 28, 2020
As Shipwrecks Rust, Oil Spills Are Imminent After decades at the bottom of the sea, thousands of corroded Second World War wrecks threaten to spill their oil into the South Pacific. Hakai Magazine, September 16, 2019
Microplastics Are Highly Diverse and Those Differences Matter The small pieces of plastics that pollute our oceans are more diverse than we make them out to be. Recognizing their variety may help us find solutions. Hakai Magazine, May 15, 2019 From Canadian Coal Mines, Toxic Pollution That Knows No Borders Massive open-pit coal mines in British Columbia are leaching high concentrations of selenium into the Elk River watershed, damaging fish populations and contaminating drinking water. Now this pollution is flowing across the Canadian-U.S. border, threatening the quality of U.S. waters. Yale Environment 360, April 1, 2019
The Waterfront The Gowanus Canal is one of the most polluted waterways in the country. That hasn't stopped the neighborhood canoe club, whose members have paddled the filthy water and advocated for its cleanup for nearly two decades. Selected for the 2018 Environmental Film Festival at Yale, the People Preserving Place festival New York Wild Film Festival, and the Art of Brooklyn Film Festival.
Audio
Life on the Line The story of a small town split by the border. PRX, December 10, 2018
Call These Plants by Their Names Botanical conservation and linguistic preservation go hand-in-hand on the remote island nation of Vanuatu. Scienceline, July 8, 2018