David Grimm

Chicago’s beloved ‘rat hole’ was actually made by a squirrel Scientists reopen the case of “splatatouille”

Perhaps they should rename it the Scrat hole? Fun story by Celina Zhao for @science.org

I knew it! Fiber is for cleaning the pipes. For cats, it's all about clearing upstairs pipes. Humans need it for downstairs pipes. 🧪🐈

@scifri.bsky.social

Gold-covered hairballs may reveal why cats eat grass Spiky projections on plant matter may act like “drain snakes,” helping felines dislodge wads of fur

What does grass and a drain snake have in common? Both contain jagged edges that help dislodge clumps of hair. Great for pipes--and, it turns out, also for cats. 🐱

Gold-covered hairballs may reveal why cats eat grass Spiky projections on plant matter may act like “drain snakes,” helping felines dislodge wads of fur

@science.org exclusive! Scientists--and owners--have puzzled for years about why cats eat grass, only seemingly to throw it up for no reason. Could a new study finally solve the mystery? Cool--and very fun--story by Christa Lesté-Lasserre

Facing ‘impossible’ workload, USDA struggles to oversee lab animal welfare Shrinking staff and other handicaps threaten enforcement of federal law that protects research animals

“It’s the most challenging time I’ve ever seen for animal care." Facing enormous challenges, the USDA agency that oversees the animal welfare act--covering everything from lab to zoo animals--is struggling to do its job. The impact on animal welfare could be devastating. My latest for @science.org

At the top of the graphic is a train and this text: Pitch Slam November 9 at 1:30pm ScienceWriters25 November 7-9, Chicago In the middle of the graphic are portraits of editors, including their names and publications: Steven Bedard | bioGraphic Kendall Powell | Nature David Grimm | Science Sarah Zielinski | Science News Explores Clara Moskowitz | Scientific American At the bottom of the graphic is the following text: Moderated and organized by: Sarah Scoles, Virginia Gewin, and Robin Berghaus LIVE in Chicago, writers will pitch one-minute article ideas and receive immediate feedback from editors!

Writers, bring your 1-minute pitches for live feedback from editors on November 9 @1:30pm in Chicago at Pitch Slam. @sciencewriters.org #NASW #SciWri25

🔗View the program 👇
sciencewriters2025.org

🖥️ Registration opens September 4.

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Why do cats love tuna so much? Scientists may finally know Study identifies taste receptors that give our feline friends a craving for meat—and one fish in particular

#InternationalCatDay - Via News from Science - Why do cats love tuna so much? Scientists may finally know - @david-grimm.bsky.social @science.org

www.science.org/content/arti...

76. Coral Reefs, Cloning Cats & Clear the Shelters This week on Pets Add Life, Kristen Levine and Chris Bonifati dive into a jam-packed summer episode filled with science, sustainability, and shelter adoptions.

Honored to appear on a *third* podcast this week, this one also on cats and dogs. For Pets add Life, I discuss the evolving legal status of our pets, and my greatest hopes--and fears--for the future. (My segment starts around 8:00). Enjoy!

This week on the @science.org podcast: Why anteaters keep evolving w/ @david-grimm.bsky.social, and how giant whales get enough food to live w/ Ashley Blawas LISTEN HERE:

www.science.org/content/podc...

YouTube video by Shelter Cats Podcast Episode 63: David Grimm: Citizen Canine

Video version here www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zv7B...

YouTube video by Shelter Cats Podcast Episode 63: David Grimm: Citizen Canine

Honored to be featured on @sheltercatspodcast.bsky.social this week, where I do a deep dive into how cats and dogs evolved from wild animals to family members. I highly recommend the last 4 minutes, where I give my thesis statement about why cats are so special.

All praise to @erikstokstad.bsky.social :-)

My favorite headline of the week, courtesy of @erikstokstad.bsky.social, who also wrote this cool story for @science.org. Tomatoes gave rise to potatoes!

ack! we'll get that fixed asap. thanks for flagging!

Giant virus with record-long tail discovered in Pacific Ocean Infecting marine plankton, the pathogen may use its extreme appendage to enter host cells

Extending up to 2.3 micrometers, this is the longest virus tail described to date--19 times larger than the tail of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. Cool stuff from @nazeefa-ahmed.bsky.social for @science.org

Peacock feathers can be lasers Tail feathers can emit narrow beams of light, a first in the animal kingdom

First example of a laser cavity in the animal kingdom! Cool stuff from Rachel Berkowitz at @science.org

‘Things keep evolving into anteaters.’ Odd animals arose at least 12 separate times Findings speak to the dramatic impact ants and termites can have on mammalian evolution

Crab-like creatures are famed for having evolved five times in evolutionary history. But anteaters have evolved at least 12 times--in half the evolutionary span. Cool story by @jakebuehler.bsky.social for @science.org

Chonkus Maximus: Crete's Celebrity Cat Steals Hearts (and Google Map Reviews) - GreekReporter.com Forget Greece's ancient ruins and pristine beaches for a moment—a celebrity cat is stealing the spotlight in Chania, Crete.

Not sure I needed this spelled out for me: "'Chonkus Maximus' literally translates to something like 'Greatest Chonk' or 'Largest Chonk,'", but otherwise a delightful story 🐱

Engineers transform dental floss into needle-free vaccine New method places inactivated viruses directly into mice’s gums

EXCLUSIVE @science.org: In an unorthodox approach to needle-free vaccines, researchers have developed a special kind of floss that can protect against infectious disease. “The results are quite impressive.” Cool story by @annikainampudi.bsky.social

Octopuses fall for the ‘rubber arm’ illusion, just like us Experiment shows octopuses feel body ownership, a trait previously seen only in mammals

Cover a person’s hand and place a rubber hand next to it, then stroke their hand and its facsimile, and suddenly the person will begin to “feel” the touch in the fake appendage. Octopuses also fall for this rubber arm trick. Cool story by @jasmin-galvan.bsky.social for @science.org

Engineers transform dental floss into needle-free vaccine New method places inactivated viruses directly into mice’s gums

In an unorthodox approach to needle-free vaccines, researchers have developed a special kind of floss that can protect against infectious disease. “The results are quite impressive.” Cool story by @annikainampudi.bsky.social for @science.org

Meet the diabetes researcher behind Barbie’s new pink (insulin) pumps New line of dolls aims to help children with type 1 diabetes feel more included

“The kids went crazy... Kids were chanting, ‘Barbie!’ and they all got one, and they literally had tears.” www.science.org/content/arti... Nice story by @cohenjon.bsky.social for @science.org

These tiny lasers are completely edible Edible sensors made of glowing droplets could improve food and drug monitoring

Scientists have created the first lasers made entirely from edible materials, which could someday help monitor and track the properties of foods and medications with sensors that can be harmlessly swallowed. @science.org

Scientists identify culprit behind biggest-ever U.S. honey bee die-off USDA research points to viruses spread by pesticide-resistant mites, indicating a worrying trend

Between June 2024 and January 2025, a full 62% of commercial honey bee colonies in the U.S. died, the largest on record. USDA efforts were slowed by funding cuts and layoffs. Now, USDA scientists have finally identified a culprit. But it may be too late. www.science.org/content/arti...

UV-C light kills nearly everything—except this unusual organism Built-in Sun protection might be a blueprint for surviving in space

When exposed to UV-C, the most radiation-resistant life form on Earth died in less than a minute. Not so for a hardy black lichen known as Clavascidium lacinulatum. It just kept going and going, even when scientists continued to blast it for moths. Really cool story by @hannah-richter.bsky.social

‘Truly amazing’: Octopuses ‘taste’ harmful microbes with their suckers Unique ability allows the animals to protect themselves and their offspring from decaying food and other material

“This is the most breathtaking paper I’ve read in a long time." Cool beans from @sarareardon.bsky.social

Lotions and perfume can weaken a ‘human oxidation field’ made by your skin Personal care products may chemically alter the air around us. Whether that’s good or bad remains unclear

When oils in our skin are exposed to ozone, our bodies create a "human oxidation field". New research reveals that perfumes and skin lotions can weaken this field, though whether this helps--or harms us--remains unclear. www.science.org/content/arti...

Kitty litter was invented in 1947, the same year the first bird feeder was patented. Cats finally got to spend their days indoors... doing this

‘About as close to aliens as we’ll ever get.’ Can AI crack animal language? Dolittle Prize recognizes breakthroughs in translating “speech” of dolphins, cuttlefish, and other creatures

"Dolphins call each other’s signature whistles if they get separated. Once, we played one of those whistles while the pair was still together. They responded with a totally different whistle. We call it the 'WTF whistle,' because it really did seem like that’s what they were asking." @science.org