Tim Vernimmen

Brain, think on thyself What the science of self-awareness can tell us about confident decision-making

In my latest Q&A for @knowablemag.bsky.social, @smfleming.bsky.social‬ explains his research investigating what we know about what we know, think about what we think, and believe about what we believe. knowablemagazine.org/content/arti...

How elephants pass on crucial survival skills to next generations Scientists are finding elephant youths respond differently to danger if they grew up without elders.

My latest story for National Geographic explores the importance of elephant culture for conservation, and the staggering cost of experience lost, featuring @graemeshannon.bsky.social, @pili-scotland.bsky.social and others. www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/arti...

The curious life of a clever slime mold In its quest to feed, avoid nasty substances and just generally live its life, the brainless, one-celled Physarum polycephalum performs some impressive tricks of learning and memory

My latest @knowablemag.bsky.social story is all about the incredible slime mold Physarum polycephalum, featuring @karenalim.bsky.social and @docteur-drey.bsky.social.

Before you get all excited: there is no way this could happen today.

The surprising origins of Britain's Bronze Age immigrants revealed About 4600 years ago, the population of Britain was replaced by a people who brought Bell Beaker pottery with them. Now, ancient DNA has uncovered the murky story of where these people came from

My latest story for @newscientist.com explores the murky origins of the immigrants that may have replaced the entire population of Bronze Age Britain in about a century. Featuring @harryfokkens.bsky.social, @prehistoryrmo.bsky.social and others. www.newscientist.com/article/2515...

Belgian PM wants to hit ‘pause’ on nature restoration rules The Commission wants to boost efforts against biodiversity loss. But that’s dividing Belgium along familiar lines.

Alexander De Croo used to be very much part of the problem, I'm glad to see he appears to have come around now.

This must be why many adults decide to have kids, which has been reported to improve this ratio after a few years. :)

Warm, humid ‘atmospheric rivers’ threaten Antarctica Growing more common as climate warms, these once-rare events could ultimately accelerate ice loss

My first article for @science.org is about Antarctic weather - quite far outside my comfort zone in more ways than one. :) www.science.org/content/arti...

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.

For my latest @knowablemag.bsky.social story, I asked @leakey77.bsky.social and @proftlawson.bsky.social if we should tell plants to keep their mouths shut. knowablemagazine.org/content/arti...

I would have loved to hear more about this, @nickdulvy.bsky.social, but no press accreditations were granted, unfortunately.

Was Eric Clapton not available?

What destroyed Napoleon’s army? Scientists uncover new clues. A new genetic analysis of teeth from a mass grave in Lithuania reveals hidden illnesses that plagued the French emperor's soldiers during their disastrous 1812 retreat.

My latest story for National Geographic discusses a study revealing that Napoleon's retreating troops weren't just decimated by typhus in 1812, but other pathogens too. Inspired by a study in @currentbiology.bsky.social. www.nationalgeographic.com/history/arti...

There may be a 'Science communication clinic', but there will be no stories from me, since @eea2025.bsky.social told me 'no press'. If you agree that's unfortunate, you're very welcome to send me a recording of your talk and a PDF of your presentation, and I'd be happy to take a look.

Cool!

I'll keep an eye out for that one! Might you be writing something yourself, as well?

Would have loved to attend this meeting, are the talks perhaps being recorded?

Discovery of fossilized hand may unlock a 1.5-million-year-old mystery Some sixty years after her grandmother discovered “Nutcracker Man,” Louise Leakey unearths his long-lost hand—reviving a family debate about ancient toolmaking.

A fossilized hand reveals 'Nutcracker Man' Paranthropus boisei, thought to have made the Oldupai gorge tools until Homo habilis was found, would also have been able to make and use those. Based on the @nature.com paper by @carriemongle.bsky.social et al. www.nationalgeographic.com/history/arti...

Chimpanzees consume the equivalent of more than two alcoholic drinks per day Scientists estimate chimps’ alcohol consumption for the first time, and find they seem to prefer boozier fruit.

Chimps ingest quite some alcohol, but they don't get drunk. “That would be very dangerous when you need to climb high up in a tree to build a nest to sleep at night.” New story for National Geographic, with comments by @kjhockings.bsky.social and others. www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/arti...

My first story for @cenmag.bsky.social, with expert commentary by @she-paleo.bsky.social!

Shucking the past: Can oysters thrive again? Dredging and pollution devastated the once-bountiful reefs. Careful science may help bring them back.

My latest @knowablemag.bsky.social story explores what we have lost by destroying oyster reefs, and if they can be restored. knowablemagazine.org/content/arti...

Queen ant makes males of another species for daughters to mate with Bizarrely, Iberian harvester ant queens lay eggs that turn into male builder harvester ants, and some of her offspring are hybrids of the two species

My latest story for @newscientist.com - the first in many years - is one of the craziest ant stories I've ever heard. Based on a @nature.com study by @selfishmeme.bsky.social and colleagues. www.newscientist.com/article/2494...

Born in thin air: Overcoming the challenges of pregnancy at high elevation In people not adapted to life at altitude, the sparse oxygen can impair fetal growth, causing problems that can last a lifetime. Researchers are searching for remedies.

Intrigued, but not an expert? Then you might want to start here. :) knowablemagazine.org/content/arti...

How the cavefish lost its eyes — again and again Mexican tetras that got swept into pitch-black caverns had no use for the energetically costly organs. They lost their eyes in multiple ways — and gained some nifty traits too.

Mexican tetras living on the surface (left) look dramatically different from populations that were washed into caves generations ago (right) – and not just on the outside. Featuring @rohner.bsky.social‬ and others. knowablemagazine.org/content/arti...

Did ancient ‘hobbit humans’ create these million-year-old tools? Seven newly discovered stone tools, dating to between 1.04 and 1.48 million years ago, were found on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi.

A million years ago, someone was already making stone tools on the island of Sulawesi. But who was it, and how did they get there? My latest story for the National Geographic website, based on a new paper in @nature.com. www.nationalgeographic.com/science/arti...

This is the first ever confirmed skull of a Denisovan Finally, we can put a face on a Denisovan.

My latest story is based on papers in @science.org and @cp-cell.bsky.social revealing Homo longi aka 'Dragon Man' was a Denisovan - or is it the other way around? Featuring @benceviola.bsky.social, @fridowelker.bsky.social and @chrisbstringer.bsky.social. www.nationalgeographic.com/history/arti...

At what specific location will these meetings be held? Will it be near the red marker here?

The history of the ocean, as told by tiny beautiful fossils Bountiful remains of foraminifera reveal how organisms responded to climate disturbances of the past. They can help predict the future, too.

My latest story for @knowablemag.bsky.social is all about the astonishingly plentiful fossils of foraminifera, featuring @chrislowery.bsky.social, @fraass.bsky.social and @tracyaze.bsky.social! knowablemagazine.org/content/arti...

These capuchins are abducting babies from howler monkeys—for fun? A young male nicknamed Joker was probably the first to start carrying a howler monkey baby on his back for days on end. Then a group of other young males started to copy him.

Capuchins surprising us again, this time rather unpleasantly... featuring @zoegoldsborough.bsky.social and @bjjbarrett.bsky.social! www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/arti...

Division of labor in ants, wasps, bees — and us Social insects and humans share the trait of divvying up tasks, as do some fish. Researchers find that it emerges naturally, and it often doesn’t take a boss to keep things in order.

Intrigued, but not an expert? Here's a gentle introduction: knowablemagazine.org/content/arti...

How do seals know how long to hold their breath? The sea mammals may actually be able to sense the amount of oxygen in their blood—something we humans can't do.

My latest National Geographic story explores a study that shows seals are aware how much oxygen they've got left in their blood, inspired by the @science.org paper by @chrismcknight.bsky.social. www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/arti...