Hannah Waters

The Polyglot Neuroscientist Resolving How the Brain Parses Language | Quanta Magazine Is language core to thought, or a separate process? For 15 years, the neuroscientist Ev Fedorenko has gathered evidence of a language network in the human brain — and has found some similarities to LL...

In brain scans of around 1,400 people, the cognitive scientist Ev Fedorenko has identified a sort of digestive system for language. Fedorenko spoke with Quanta about the system’s workings and how they might be compared to an LLM or the digestive system. www.quantamagazine.org/the-polyglot...

Photo shared by Christina Nguyen on December 04, 2025 tagging @naomi.marie__, @nathanmiller612, @rubyscher, @holaarepa, @birksg, @chefjholig, and @haihaimpls. May be an image of text that says 'AS SOME OF YOU MAY HAVE HEARD, I.C.E. PAID US A VISIT AT AREPA YESTERDAY. OUR GM NAOMI & TEAM MEMBERS FOLLOWED OUR ICE PROTOCOL PERFECTLY, THE AGENTS LEFT & NO ONE WAS DETAINED. tO WHOEVER NEEDS THIS: KNOW YOUR RIGHTS WHEN IT COMES TO I.C.E. (1/5)'. christinanguyenmpls 11h We had an ICE scare yesterday and even though we’re afraid of the repercussions of being vocal, we feel that it’s also important to inform people that this is right at our front door. ICE is not some far away boogeyman. They are here right now, spreading fear in our community. We’re so grateful to our entire staff and their bravery. They did the right things and couldn’t have dealt with this situation in a better way. We are grateful to our community activists that came to support us from @miracmn @litosonlake and Monarcha. We hope that if you find yourself in the same situation, that you find these resources helpful. Peace and take care of each other ❤️

Photo by Christina Nguyen on December 04, 2025. May be an image of text that says 'IF I.C.E. COMES TO YOUR RESTAURANT: UNLESS THE AGENTS HAVE A SIGNED JUDICIAL WARRANT, THEY CANNOT ENTER A PRIVATE AREA LIKE THE KITCHEN WITHOUT YOUR PERMISSION EVEN IF THEY LIE AND SAY THY DON'T NEED A WARRANT, STAND YOUR GROUND AND INSIST THAT YOU NEED PAPERWORK (2/5)'.

Photo by Christina Nguyen on December 04, 2025. May be an image of text that says 'IF I.C.E. COMES TO YOUR RESTAURANT: HAVE OTHER STAFF OR PEOPLE PRESENT RECORD THEM AND EVERYTHING THEY ARE SAYING. (PEOPLE DOING UNLAWFUL THINGS HATE BEING CAUGHT IN TH ACT) YOU HAVE THE RIGHT to REFUSE SERVICE & YOU CAN ASK M tO LEAVE YOUR PRIVATE PROPERTY IF THY DON'T HAVE A WARRANT. (3/5)'.

WE ARE HEARTBROKEN THAT OUR IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES IN THE TWIN CITIES ARE BEING TARGETED AND TERRORIZED BY THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION. THESE ARE REAL PEOPLE THAT ARE BEING USED AS POLITICAL PAWNS AND IT'S APPALLING. REGARDLESS OF THEIR LEGAL STATUS, THERE ARE SO MANY LATINOS & SOMALIANS WHO ARE AFRAID OF BEING DETAINED DUE TO MISTAKEN IDENTITY BECAUSE THEY KNOW THEY MIGHT NOT GET DUE PROCESS & A FAIR TRIAL. THEY WILL JUST END UP IN DETENTION CENTERS & A LEGAL PROCESS THAT HAS BEEN DESCRIBED AS A BLACK HOLE. WE STAND IN SUPPORT OF OUR IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY, WHO ARE THE BACKBONE OF THIS COUNTRY. WITHOUT IMMIGRANTS, AMERICA IS NOT THE SAME PLACE. STAY SAFE OUT THERE & TAKE CARE OF YOUR NEIGHBORS. LOVE, HOLA AREPA & HAI HAI (5/5)

ICE raided a James Beard award winning restaurant & because the chef/owner was prepared, left emptyhanded:

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

Doing News the Hakai Magazine Way If ever a blog post deserved a “Sorry I haven’t posted in a while,” this might be it. In December, I wrapped up nearly a decade of work as the news editor at Hakai Magazine. We ha…

For years, I've been using these same resources to explain to writers what made Hakai Magazine's admittedly odd news section tick. It's the same viewpoint I've carried over to @biographic.bsky.social, and I'm happy I finally put it somewhere permanent

colinschultz.wordpress.com/2025/10/25/d...

China has planted so many trees it's changed the entire country's water distribution Huge "regreening" efforts in China over the past few decades have activated the country's water cycle and moved water in ways that scientists are just now starting to understand.

"Started in 1978, the Great Green Wall was created to slow the expansion of deserts. Over the last five decades, it has helped grow forest cover from about 10% of China's area in 1949 to more than 25% today." www.livescience.com/planet-earth...

ICE Arrested and Separated Chinese Father From 6-Year-Old Son, Advocates Say The father and son were detained at an ICE check-in on Nov. 26, advocates say. The son’s location is currently unknown, while the father is being held at an upstate ICE facility.

A 6-year-old boy is missing after ICE arrested him and his dad in NYC last week and shipped them off to separate facilities. www.thecity.nyc/2025/12/02/i... @thecity.nyc @gwynnefitz.bsky.social

Go to the archaeology museum to see the bog bodies

The highest calling of journalism isn’t to tell two sides of a story.

The highest calling of journalism is to tell the truth.

And acting like a stenographer is a betrayal of your audience.

For Spouses of U.S. Citizens, Green Card Interviews End in Handcuffs Agents are arresting foreign-born spouses when they report for the final step to obtain permanent residency, and charging them with visa violations that could result in deportation.

“It’s insane to have them rip our family apart.” Federal agents are arresting the foreign spouses of Americans during interviews at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services offices. The couples and their lawyers said they had followed the required steps to secure permanent residency.

Scientists: have you been the target of an online harassment campaign, doxxing, or weaponized FOIA requests? I'd like to talk to you about steps you had to take to protect your digital security for an upcoming Nature story. (You can be anonymous if necessary.)

RTs appreciated.

Careers New York's only statewide newsroom dedicated to holding Albany accountable.

New York Focus is seeking a full-time politics reporter to help lead our coverage of New York state politics in a pivotal moment.

You’ll have your work cut out for you in 2026.
nysfocus.com/hiring

A Cell So Minimal That It Challenges Definitions of Life | Quanta Magazine The newly described microbe represents a world of parasitic, intercellular biodiversity only beginning to be revealed by genome sequencing.

Genome sequencing technology is introducing biologists to a world of quasi-life forms that they’ve never met before. @jakebuehler.bsky.social reports: www.quantamagazine.org/a-cell-so-mi...

Queens men meet — Queens Daily Eagle The first man from Queens to be elected president and the first Queens resident to be elected mayor of New York City met for the first time in the Oval Office on Friday.

The Queens Daily Eagle remains undefeated.

How Does Life Happen When There’s Barely Any Light? | Quanta Magazine Under the sea ice during the Arctic’s pitch-black polar night, cells power photosynthesis on the lowest light levels ever observed in nature.

For @quantamagazine.bsky.social, I wrote about an incredible arctic expedition, the deep blackness under the polar ice, and the mind-bending limits of photosynthesis among the organisms that live there

You ever just sit down and realize that the rise of 21st century fascism is capital's answer to climate change?

the nuzzi story is fun and all but at the center of it is the elevation of a man who has dedicated his life to making children catch preventable diseases to a position where he can enact harm at enormous scale

#writingopportunity | Rachel Courtland #WritingOpportunity: MIT Technology Review is seeking pitches for an upcoming print issue. The theme is Nature. We're looking for pitches for longer pieces: narrative features, compelling investigati...

Hi freelancers, I just posted a call for pitches for @technologyreview.com's upcoming print issue. The theme is Nature. Pitch deadline is December 5. More info here! www.linkedin.com/feed/update/...

Come hang out and chat New York City birding with me and @ryangoldberg.bsky.social — and read his new book! Tomorrow night in Ditmas Park.

If you're in Brooklyn, I'll be discussing my new book tomorrow with @hanner.bsky.social at the great indy bookstore Taylor & Co. Books in Ditmas Park. It starts at 7:30pm.

Plus! On Thursday I'll be at the Hoboken Library, and on Saturday at the Montauk Library. Links to those in the comments.

Homeland Security Missions Falter Amid Focus on Deportations

The cost of Trump's immigration surge: Stalled investigations into child sexual abuse, Iranian oil smuggling and human trafficking, among others. My latest piece is a big team effort on how DHS has been transformed into the Department of Deportation.

Gift link: www.nytimes.com/2025/11/16/u...

@thetransmitter.bsky.social presents a portrait of the state of neuroscience in 2025 through four lenses: its focus, its output, its people and its funding. Each view features analyses of major trends and more. Explore the end of year report: bit.ly/4oNeTVC

#neuroskyence #StateofNeuro

Life Finds a Way, Even on Inactive Hydrothermal Vents - bioGraphic In the darkness of the deep sea, animals flourish on hydrothermal vents that have gone cold.

Life Finds a Way, Even on Inactive Hydrothermal Vents

In the darkness of the deep sea, animals flourish on hydrothermal vents that have gone cold.

by Elyse Hauser

www.biographic.com/life-finds-a...

Mixing Is the Heartbeat of Deep Lakes. At Crater Lake, It’s Slowing Down. | Quanta Magazine The physics of mixing water layers — an interplay of wind, climate and more — makes lakes work. When it stops, impacts can ripple across an ecosystem.

Deep lakes across the world are changing. Mixing processes, fundamental to their health, are slowing — and in some lakes have stopped entirely.

@rachelnuwer.bsky.social visited the research station at the center of Crater Lake to find out why: www.quantamagazine.org/mixing-is-th...

Looks like the work of an acorn woodpecker!

Man Who Stuffed Parakeets in His Pants Faces Smuggling Charge

What I love most about this story is the NYT’s obliviousness to the fact that in other anglophone cultures the slang for tight male underwear or swimwear is ‘budgie smugglers’ www.nytimes.com/2025/11/15/u...

I'm looking for a freelance editor to help on the Gizmodo science desk. Must be science literate, fast, flexible, and experienced with digital editing. Remote OK. Not a steady gig, but reliable work when it comes. DM or email if interested.

Mixing Is the Heartbeat of Deep Lakes. At Crater Lake, It’s Slowing Down. | Quanta Magazine The physics of mixing water layers — an interplay of wind, climate and more — makes lakes work. When it stops, impacts can ripple across an ecosystem.

Mixing is a fundamental process that functions like a heartbeat for lakes. But at iconic lakes around the world, climate change is slowing or even stopping that heartbeat - causing profound impacts to these very special ecosystems. @quantamagazine.bsky.social

www.quantamagazine.org/mixing-is-th...

The Hidden World of Electrostatic Ecology | Quanta Magazine Invisibly to us, insects and other tiny creatures use static electricity to travel, avoid predators, collect pollen and more. New experiments explore how evolution may have influenced this phenomenon.

So freaking proud of @maxlevy.bsky.social for his AAAS Kavli Gold 🏆 award for his feature about electrostatic ecology — how small creatures interact with electrostatic forces. Quanta's first Kavli Gold! Thanks to the whole team! www.quantamagazine.org/the-hidden-w...

It is one of my favorite stories too! Thank you for helping me and Quanta readers experience this hidden world, it’s a rare writer who can do what you did (and do). Looking forward to the next one