Sara Talpos

Can In-Utero Exposure to Acetaminophen Cause Autism and ADHD? The question is a matter of fierce debate among scientists. Now it's making its way into the courtroom.

To answer key questions about a possible link between acetaminophen and autism, I recommend this deep dive I did for @Undark in '23. Since then, a review of 46 studies found inconsistent evidence and a Swedish study of siblings (one exposed; one not) found no association. undark.org/2023/07/10/c...

Thanks to @saratalpos.bsky.social for this interview with me and @juliabelluz.bsky.social in @undark.org discussing several topics in our new book FOOD INTELLIGENCE that's finally out next week!

undark.org/2025/09/19/i...

Thank you for writing and sharing this, Josie 💛🧡

Interview: How a Hearing-Loss Grant Got Cut in the Fight Over DEI “It felt like the floor dropped out,” researcher Uri Manor said after the sudden suspension of his lab’s award.

undark.org/2025/07/11/i...

YouTube video by Axios Axios’ Sara Fischer in conversation with Cloudflare’s Matthew Prince

I will be brief. If you care about the quality of news we get, this clip is the most disturbing and important 20 minutes I have for you. If you have only 5 minutes to watch then do that. Via @michaelsocolow.bsky.social

Did you watch the clip? Now go to this link. www.cnbc.com/2025/07/01/c...

Via the False Claim Act, NIH Puts Universities on Edge A funding pause at the University of Michigan illustrates the uncertainty around new language in NIH grant awards.

For weeks, a major university quietly froze incoming NIH funding. The details — reported for the first time — show how universities are struggling with Trump administration policies and False Claims Act threats.

Amid Turbulence, the NIH's Jay Bhattacharya Era Begins Pandemic policies prompted his call for public health reform. But allies wonder if he can deliver it as a Trump insider.

@saratalpos.bsky.social published a really nice article in MIT’s UnDark on Jay Bhattacharya

undark.org/2025/05/27/j...

I believe Dr. Makary's first name is Marty, not Mike.

In Covid's Wake: How Our Politics Failed Us by Stephen Macedo & Frances Lee

@saratalpos.bsky.social interviews In Covid’s Wake authors Macedo and Lee for @undark.org:

undark.org/2025/03/07/i...

Interview: How Elon Musk Blurs the Lines of Free Speech The billionaire's new job raises tricky First Amendment questions, with implications for public health, says Ari Cohn.

What happens when the owner of a social media company also works for the government? Legal experts will need to grapple with such questions, says @aricohn.com, lead counsel for tech policy at @thefireorg.bsky.social.

Interview: Doctors Need Flexibility in Prescribing Opioids Stefan Kertesz, a physician and addiction expert, says overaggressive cutbacks can harm some chronic pain patients.

Interview: Doctors Need Flexibility in Prescribing Opioids

We may be eating microbes soon, and that's a good thing Scientists and entrepreneurs have big goals for tiny organisms, from feeding people in war zones to curbing climate impacts.

We may be eating microbes soon, and that's a good thing.

Scientists and entrepreneurs have big goals for tiny organisms, from feeding people in war zones to curbing climate impacts. www.motherjones.com/environment/...

"Preparing food at home?! Stand by your pan! Unattended cooking is the number one cause of home fires! This message brought to you by the CPSC discourse hijacker bot!"

It makes me wonder if anyone actually is trying to figure this out 🤔

Interesting passage in @saratalpos.bsky.social's recent interview with biosecurity expert Gerald Epstein. They set up an elaborate system for reviewing risky gain-of-function research projects, but almost no one submits proposals—even though ~20 percent of institutions report doing such work.

The Long, Contentious Battle to Regulate Gain-of-Function Work For years, experts have tussled over whether — and how — to restrict risky pathogen research. Is a compromise possible?

Supporters argue that gain-of-function studies are key to preparing for pandemics, but critics warn of their dangers.

Read more here:

Interview: What Biden's Covid Czar Learned From the Pandemic Ashish Jha, the former White House Covid-19 response coordinator, discusses the country's successes and mistakes.

"Schools should be the last to close, first to open."

Former COVID-19 czar Ashish Jha critiques prolonged school closures and calls for better pandemic preparedness.

Undark: Truth, Beauty, Science. Undark is a nonprofit, editorially independent digital magazine exploring the intersection of science and society.

Happy for @undark.org to join the @bsky.app community. Please let us know either here or at editorial@undark.org what science stories you'd most like to see in the coming year.

undark.org

Congratulations, Esther!

Thrilled that my Undark features on PANDAS/PANS, direct-to-consumer allergy SLIT drops & OTC hearing aids won an award from the Society of Professional Journalists NorCal chapter!

Thanks @brookeborel.bsky.social @saratalpos.bsky.social for edits & encouragement!

spjnorcal.org/2024/10/30/s...

Amid Pushback, the USGS Decides to Restore Its Pesticide Database Scientists say the resource is crucial for understanding agricultural chemicals, human health, and the environment.

For nearly a year, scientists lobbied the USGS to restore and maintain its popular pesticide database, which has been used or cited in more than 500 peer-reviewed papers.
Two days ago--to the surprise of many--the agency pledged to do this.
undark.org/2024/02/29/u...