Meghan Bartels

We have the data. My longest columns have more readers, who read longer, and who share them the most.

Thanks!!

Happy Friday, you probably want to admire the first kākāpō chick of the year, lil baby squeeeeeee 🧪 🪶

Reporter, Nature News Job Title: Reporter, Nature Location: Washington DC or New York (Hybrid Working Model) Application Deadline: March 27, 2026 About Springer Nature Springer Nature is one of the leading publishers of research in the world. We publish the largest number of journals and books and are a pioneer in open research. Through our leading brands, trusted for more than 180 years, we provide technology-enabled products, platforms and services that help researchers to uncover new ideas and share their discoveries, health professionals to stay at the forefront of medical science, and educators to advance learning. We are proud to be part of progress, working together with the communities we serve to share knowledge and bring greater understanding to the world. For more information, please visit https://go.https://go.https://go.nature.com/4lh1cNV/4lh1cNV/4leI0jL and follow @SpringerNature About the Brand Nature Portfolio’s high-quality journals and services across the life, physical, chemical and applied sciences help move science and society forward. Nature Portfolio is home to the leading, international weekly journal of science, Nature – founded in 1869. It is also home to the Nature research and Nature Reviews journals, the leading open access multidisciplinary journal Nature Communications, and open access journals including Scientific Reports. Together, these journals publish some of the world's most significant scientific discoveries. Online, nature.com provides over nine million unique visitors per month with content, including news and comment from the Nature journal, and the leading scientific jobs board, Nature Careers. As part of Springer Nature, Nature Portfolio also offers a range of researcher services, including online and in-person training. For more information, please visit nature.com and follow @NaturePortfolio About the Role As a Nature News Reporter, you will pitch and write news articles about science and the research community each week for publication in print and online. You will also regularly pitch and write news features, contribute to multimedia, and advise the wider magazine on coverage of your beat. This role will be based in the United States and will have a focus on reporting on the United States and the Americas, with an emphasis on physical sciences, energy and the environment, and technology, including AI. The successful candidate will be comfortable writing stories from any region and interviewing scientists anywhere, and will be an all-rounder with the enthusiasm and curiosity to report across the sciences. Responsibilities Pitch, report, and write a stream of original news and features articles that appeal to Nature’s global audience of working scientists Write clear, accurate, and compelling prose; deliver copy to tight deadlines Regularly find exclusive, original story ideas that appeal to Nature’s audience and drive traffic and engagement Use insights gleaned from audience analytics to guide pitches and framing of stories Keep on top of the global news agenda and suggest angles that will appeal to Nature’s audience of working researchers Build a network of trusted sources leading to exclusive stories Work collaboratively with a team of reporters and editors spread around the world Experience, Skills & Qualifications Essential Experience reporting and writing on scientific developments, science policy or the research community Ability to grasp scientific concepts quickly and write about them clearly Understanding of journalistic values and best practices Bachelor's degree required in journalism or science related fields Desirable Experience writing about physical sciences, energy and the environment, and technology, including AI Knowledge of the US science landscape and/or more broadly that of the Americas Experience working to fast daily deadlines Experience using audience analytics to understand audience interests and drive pitches Understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing working scientists Knowledge in an array of science topics and fields Experience reporting stories in multimedia formats, such as podcast and video To apply please submit: Your updated resume A cover letter explaining your interest in the post, and why you are qualified 3-5 clips that showcase your writing and reporting skills (please submit PDFs - not just links.) Application Deadline: March 27, 2026 Springer Nature Skills associated with this Job Profile include: SN-Publishing Workflows & Systems, SN-Storytelling, SN-Writing Skills, SN-Adaptability, SN-Communicates Effectively, SN-Interpersonal Awareness, SN-Cultivates Innovation, SN-Global Perspective, SN-Governance, Risk and Compliance Management, SN-Social Media Savvy, SN-Journalistic Skills Springer Nature US provides a comprehensive and competitive benefits package which includes the benefit offerings listed below: Medical, Dental and Vision 401(k) with company match and contribution Hybrid office working policy, Summer Hours, and paid time off Flexible Spending and Commuter programs Multiple Life insurance options Disability coverage Tuition Assistance Voluntary benefits: Identity Theft Protection, Pet Insurance, and Legal Assistance Insurance Employee Assistance Program Family friendly benefits and a variety of employee discounts An array of Employee Social Networks US Annualized Base Salary Range: $85,000 - $100,000. The salary offer may vary based on work experience, education, skill level, and equity. The US salary range does not align with the salary ranges in other countries when converted to the currency of that country. Springer Nature is an Equal Opportunity Employer that complies with the laws and regulations set forth in the following https://go.nature.com/4lgJhXp poster. At Springer Nature, our mission is to be part of progress – and that begins with inclusion: of people, perspectives, and ideas. We believe that diverse perspectives drive progress, and we are committed to creating an environment where people and ideas can flourish. If you have any access needs related to disability, neurodivergence or a chronic condition, please contact us so we can make all necessary accommodation. Find out more about our DEI work here: https://go.nature.com/4lmCkUY For more information about career opportunities in Springer Nature please visit https://go.nature.com/4rV8Z6f #LI-EG1 Job Posting End Date: 28-03-2026 We are an ambitious and dynamic organisation, and home to some of the best-known names in research, educational and professional publishing. Working at the heart of a changing industry, we are always looking for great people who care about delivering quality to our customers and the communities we work alongside. In return, you will find that we open the doors to discovery for all our employees – offering opportunities to learn from some of the best in the business, with a culture that encourages curiosity and empowers people to find solutions and act on their instincts. Whether you are at the beginning of your career or are an experienced professional, we invite you to find out more about the roles we offer and explore our current vacancies. We are a global and progressive business, founded on a heritage of trusted and respected brands – including Springer, founded in 1842, Macmillan, founded in 1843 and Nature, first published in 1869. Nearly two centuries of progress and advancement in science and education have helped shape the business we are today. Research and learning continues to be the cornerstone of progress, and we will continue to open doors to discovery through trusted brands and innovative products and services. Springer Nature Group was created in May 2015 through the combination of Nature Publishing Group, Macmillan Education and Springer Science+Business Media.

We're hiring at Nature! Our US News team is looking for a reporter based in New York or Washington DC. You'll need reporting and writing experience, along with knowledge of the US science landscape. Apply by March 27 via the link below

go.nature.com/3N8UkFA

I’m quoted in this excellent Scientific American article on the incredible Zagros mountains, the focus of much of my PhD and postdoc research. The Zagros’s unique tectonic history explains the Gulf’s rich oil and gas reserves and ultimately the Gulf itself, including the narrow Strait of Hormuz.

Stand Up for Science plans second rally on March 7 Public health chaos and research funding cuts are inspiring nationwide pro-science protests against the Trump administration

Stand Up for Science will be back in the streets on Saturday: 🧪 www.scientificamerican.com/article/stan...

🧵

He knows he’s endangered and he’s doing something about it!!

I love them already!!

I promise I say it with the greatest of affection and respect!!

A new Love Island? Berry bloom leads to baby boom for New Zealand’s goofiest parrot A massive bloom of rimu berries fueled a mating surge among the world’s heaviest (and strangest) parrots

Trust me, you don't want to miss the incredible photos of these goobers: 🧪 🪶 www.scientificamerican.com/article/kaka...

I can only imagine!!! This whole thing is delightful, congratulations/thank you!

This may be the oldest ‘butthole’ imprint on Earth Fossils show exceptionally rare evidence of a cloacal vent—the slit that most vertebrates use to excrete, have sex and lay egg—which could shed light on the evolution of the orifice

Please enjoy the single most amazing quote from a paleontologist I have ever read: “The animal literally cemented itself—and its nether regions—into eternal history like the movie stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.” 🧪 www.scientificamerican.com/article/see-...

In war-torn Ukraine, astronomers are still fighting for their future Russia’s war has left many of Ukraine’s world-class observatories in ruins—but the besieged nation’s astronomers already have plans to rebuild and recover

Russia’s war has left many of Ukraine’s world-class observatories in ruins—but the besieged nation’s astronomers already have plans to rebuild and recover

Thank you!

"The Islamists oppose women getting an education," I mutter, as I aim my missile at the girls school

A broader takeaway I think is nobody should be allowed to be so rich that being told no, or being held accountable, represents such a moral injury to that person's psyche that they feel like their only recourse is to burn the world down.

On moonshots and Minneapolis Space exploration can bring people together and reflect deep societal divisions.

I've been really struggling to write about space while living through the ICE occupation in Minneapolis this winter. I was shocked to find myself thinking, "Who cares about sending people to the moon?"

That feeling is more historically resonant than I thought. 🧪🔭
www.sciencenews.org/article/moon...

imo the threat posed by CBS News and CNN getting absorbed by pro-regime billionaires isn't that they're going to produce right-wing slop that convinces people to be right-wing, it's the dismantling of newsrooms capable of doing investigative reporting on the administration. Fewer eyes on the street.

Please also tell your oldest that we talk to the rovers at least twice a day so they don’t get scared. Recently, we gave one of them its own map, so it will never be lost. We try to be the best parents to them that we can.

Netflix Backs Out of Bid for Warner Bros., Paving Way for an Ellison Takeover

The richest man owns X.

The second and third richest men control Google.

The fourth richest man owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.

The fifth richest man owns The Washington Post.

And now the sixth richest could soon take over both Paramount and Warner Bros.

See the problem here?

Fun vocab: sweet gum balls are more formally called syncarps!

I spent an hour and a half this evening listening to a nice man talk about tree identification and it was the most soothing thing I can remember offhand from within <waves hands >, 10/10 highly recommend

🧪 🌎

Rubin Observatory has started paging astronomers 800,000 times a night Asteroids, exploding stars, and feasting black holes swarm in the first-ever batch of nightly alerts from the Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile

Now on @sciam.bsky.social: Wake up, astronomers—the sky is calling.

@vrubinobs.bsky.social has unleashed its first rapid-fire alerts of new celestial activity. 800k of 'em—a nightly number that will soon rise to a million+!

By @meghanbartels.bsky.social

www.scientificamerican.com/article/rubi...

I have had the Darth Vader theme song stuck in my head all day from hearing it played in sneaker squeaks, cannot recommend this highly enough

Listen I don't like to tell you what to do but you need to watch this masterpiece.

The surprising new physics of squeaky basketball shoes A new study explains why basketball shoes make a high-pitched squeaking noise when they rub against the hardwood. The ridges on the sole hold the key

My basketball era predates Bluesky but this is a prime example of a question that NEEDED answering and I am glad physics has risen to the challenge: 🧪

Picture of myspace Tom with the writing it didn’t have to be this way over it

in a world of bad outcomes we collectively chose and funded some of the worst

For real. Some of us chose to become writers because we are 👏 ugly and 👏 awkward and 👏 have 👏 bad 👏 voices! (Those are my reasons, tbh.) I'm not liking the necessity of video these days.