Knowable Magazine

Progress fighting pancreatic cancer — one of the deadliest malignancies Better outcomes may come from new drugs, strategies to rev up the immune system and learning to identify the disease sooner in its course

In @KnowableMag.bsky.social, Amber Dance looks at new drugs, progress with vaccines and proposed ways to diagnose it earlier.

Read the article:
knowablemagazine.org/content/arti...

Pancreatic cancer makes up only about 3% of cancers in the United States, but it's one of the deadliest.

The five-year survival rate for pancreatic cancer is 13%.

And by 2030, it’s expected to kill more people in the US than any cancer except for lung cancer.

But there are reasons for hope.

Progress fighting pancreatic cancer — one of the deadliest malignancies Better outcomes may come from new drugs, strategies to rev up the immune system and learning to identify the disease sooner in its course

Better outcomes may come from new drugs, strategies to rev up the immune system and learning to identify the disease sooner in its course.

✍️ Amber Dance

knowmag.org/44rfvIt

Yes I have wanted to see the Sperm's Journey portrayed by the Lord of the Rings fellowship, and finally an outlet stepped up to do it! Thank you @knowablemag.bsky.social.

We're here to serve!

Journey to the egg: How sperm navigate the path to fertilization COMIC: Male cells must survive twisty passages, strong currents and immune attacks; millions enter, but only one can finish

Have you ever wanted to see the Sperm's Journey portrayed by the Lord of the Rings fellowship?

Then you are in luck 😍

Behold, this new comic by @makinaro.com & Amber Dance for @knowablemag.bsky.social
knowablemagazine.org/content/arti...

Journey to the egg: How sperm navigate the path to fertilization COMIC: Male cells must survive twisty passages, strong currents and immune attacks; millions enter, but only one can finish

COMIC: Male cells must survive twisty passages, strong currents and immune attacks; millions enter, but only one can finish

✍️ Amber Dance
🎨 Illustrated by Maki Naro

knowmag.org/3Yl0017

Journey to the egg: How sperm navigate the path to fertilization COMIC: Male cells must survive twisty passages, strong currents and immune attacks; millions enter, but only one can finish

Folks, if you read one comic today, I hope it's this story about sperm as portrayed by your D&D party.

Written by Amber Dance and edited by @eva-emerson.bsky.social

Journey to the egg: How sperm navigate the path to fertilization COMIC: Male cells must survive twisty passages, strong currents and immune attacks; millions enter, but only one can finish

A fun comic by Amber Dance and @makinaro.com --about the physiology of the long journey of the sperm to the egg, with plenty of hat tips to #LOTR --we at @knowablemag.bsky.social are glad to publish it! 🧪Please share around! knowablemagazine.org/content/arti...

🚀 At Knowable Magazine, we translate complex research into stories that everyone can understand — no paywalls, no ads. Help us keep science accessible to all.

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Help Knowable Magazine raise $25,000 | Give today! Help Knowable Magazine raise $25,000 | Give today!

Our goal is $25K, and we're a bit over 40% of the way there. If you believe in what we do -- smart, solid science journalism, available to the public paywall-free -- please consider making an end-of-year gift: secure.qgiv.com/for/knowable...

Every dollar counts. Thank you for investing in making science accessible to all. Thermometer reader: $10.8K, or 43% to a $25K goal

A heartening milestone: @knowablemag.bsky.social's end-of-year fundraiser has passed $10K in donations! 🎉 🥳

The Week in Botany December 8, 2025 I know I should be promoting the interview with Santiago Ramírez-Barahona for the words, but he also takes amazing pictures, like this one of the understorey...

“Can tinkering with plant pores protect crops against drought? It’s not an open-and-shut case. But researchers are finding out plenty by genetically altering the numbers of these openings, as well as simulating future atmospheres, and more.”

Thanks for the shoutout, @Botany.One!

Need laundry folded? Don’t ask a robot For this chore, the human touch still beats machines. But maybe not for long.

“It’s not the fabric itself that is the challenge. It’s the amount of variations that can be created by the way fabric can be crumpled, and all the different kinds of clothing items that exist.” —robotics researcher David Held | via @knowablemag.bsky.social
knowablemagazine.org/content/arti...

From Collecting Whale Snot to Capturing Surprising Behaviors, Aerial Drones Are Giving Scientists a New View of Sea Life The robots can hover over marine mammals and gather all sorts of information in a way that’s less invasive to the animals than researchers trying to approach them by boat or plane

The robots can hover over marine mammals and gather all sorts of information in a way that’s less invasive to the animals than researchers trying to approach them by boat or plane.

📝 Learn more about this in our recent article republished by Smithsonian Magazine.

Collage shows chemical structure of amino acids surrounding an image of various animals — including pandas, sheep, cows and an insect.

Early in evolution, we animals lost the ability to manufacture nine of the 20 building blocks needed to make proteins. Herbivores evolved an impressive array of tricks to ensure their dietary needs are met.

knowmag.org/49VWwcC

A scanning electron micrograph that is colored green shows stomata, with the look of small donuts, surrounded by other more irregularly shaped plant cells.

It’s not an open-and-shut case. But researchers are finding out plenty by genetically altering the numbers of these openings, as well as simulating future atmospheres, and more.

knowmag.org/4paZ4Iq

Numlock News: December 5, 2025 • Peaks, Stomata, Plasma By Walt Hickey

“The thinking goes that fewer stomata would mean better water efficiency. Modifying the gene in the sorghum plant reduced the number of stomata by 30% to 60%, which led to a commensurate drop in water loss on the order of 30% to 34%, without limiting growth.”

Thanks for the shoutout, Numlock News!

Great story Katya!

How plant-eaters snag their essential amino acids Early in evolution, we animals lost the ability to manufacture nine of the 20 building blocks needed to make proteins. Herbivores evolved an impressive array of tricks to ensure their dietary needs ar...

Early animals took an evolutionary risk: They gave up the ability to synthesize 9 of the 20 amino acids that living things need to make protein. Scientists are now learning how they ensure they get these amino acids from their diet.

@knowablemag.bsky.social:

knowablemagazine.org/content/arti...

Flying with whales: Drones are remaking marine mammal research Aerial drones are giving scientists a new view of life at sea.

Aerial drones are giving scientists a new view of life at sea. 📝 Learn more about this in our recent article republished by Ars Technica.

What Happens to the Weavers? Lessons for AI From the Industrial Revolution Handled right, AI has potential to bring back middle-skill jobs lost to the rise of computers, economists argue. Or, like the mechanised mills of the past, it could toss whole sectors out of work.

Handled right, AI has potential to bring back middle-skill jobs lost to the rise of computers, economists argue. Or, like the mechanised mills of the past, it could toss whole sectors out of work.

📝 Learn more about this in our recent article republished by The Wire.

❤️💚❤️💚❤️💚

Science stories for the holiday season The holidays can mean meals with friends and family, twinkling lights and gift giving — and they can bring stress, reflection and anticipation of the new year. Whether you need a party conversation st...

Here's a superb seasonal science Storyboard from our friends at @knowablemag.bsky.social, with stories on everything from how snowflakes grow to why being a Grinch is bad for your health.

flipboard.com/@knowablemag...

Can tinkering with plant pores protect crops against drought? It’s not an open-and-shut case. But researchers are finding out plenty by genetically altering the numbers of these openings, as well as simulating future atmospheres, and more.

“Though we cannot hear it, plants are constantly emitting and absorbing gases through millions of little mouths on the surface of their leaves and stems.”

👉 By @timvernimmen.bsky.social for @knowablemag.bsky.social

#PlantScience #botany 🧪

Science stories for the holiday season The holidays can mean meals with friends and family, twinkling lights and gift giving — and they can bring stress, reflection and anticipation of the new year. Whether you need a party conversation…

Meals with friends and family. Twinkling lights. Gift giving.

Stress. Reflection. Anticipation of the new year.

This holiday season, whether you need a party conversation starter, tips to make the most of it, or a distraction from it all, we have you covered.

🎁 Explore on on @flipboard.com:

Digital illustration shows a yellow, crinkly cell with many red-orange particles emanating from it.

Two of our recent pieces look at where we’ve been and where we’re going in treating this epidemic.

1️⃣ HIV medications: Did fears about side effects come to pass?
knowmag.org/3XzILJa

2️⃣ Achieving lasting remission for HIV
knowmag.org/4896VPq

Earlier this week marked #WorldAIDSDay, a global movement to unite people in the fight against HIV and AIDS.

Due to advances in research and progress in treatment, an infection isn’t the death sentence it once was. And there are other reasons for optimism.

How plant-eaters snag their essential amino acids Early in evolution, we animals lost the ability to manufacture nine of the 20 building blocks needed to make proteins. Herbivores evolved an impressive array of tricks to ensure their dietary needs…

Early in evolution, we animals lost the ability to manufacture nine of the 20 building blocks needed to make proteins. Herbivores evolved an impressive array of tricks to ensure their dietary needs are met.

✍️ Katarina Zimmer

knowmag.org/49VWwcC