Marc Zimmer

The UK used less coal in 2025 than they did in 1600, when Shakespeare was writing Hamlet. Source: buff.ly/Ifmz1Eo

This map by @xruiztru shows how the world reacted to the US-Israeli strikes on Iran. The Iranian diaspora appears to be in favour of the strikes.

That's right. Worse than Pointless
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/23/o...

The greatest risk of AI in higher education isn’t cheating – it’s the erosion of learning itself Automating knowledge production and teaching weakens the ecosystem of students and scholars that sustains universities, raising existential questions about their mission.

The greatest risk of AI in higher education isn’t cheating – it’s the erosion of learning itself. Lots of good ideas in this article.

1 protein to rule them all – why crowning the protein that makes jellyfish glow green as a model can help scientists streamline biology Researchers have been studying tens of thousands of proteins and even more variations without a yardstick to compare their results.

New piece out today: what if biology crowned a model protein the way it has model organisms? My pick: GFP (the jellyfish glow protein) — a shared standard could streamline a lot of biology. doi.org/10.64628/AAI... #biology

The transition from “AI can’t do novel science” to “of course AI does novel science” will be like every other similar AI transition.

First the over-enthusiastic claims that are debunked, then smart people use AI to help them, then AI starts to do more of the work, then minor discoveries, & then…

A stack of books just showed up at my door, which feels like science + magic + cardboard.
Diseases Without Borders out April 7.

A visualisation of the rivers of the Congo basin

The Congo basin.

#rayshader adventures, an #rstats tale

Feels far fetched right now?

‘Living biosensor’ lights up to detect wine spoilage in real time Genetically modified bacteria glow in high levels of acetic acid, a common signal that wine has gone bad

‘Living biosensor’ lights up to detect wine spoilage in real time. I want a lit-up wine photo!!! Luciferase + Acetic acid www.chemistryworld.com/news/living-...

This line graph illustrates the percentage change in agency staff levels from the previous year for nine major U.S. federal scientific and health organizations between the fiscal years 2016 and 2025. The agencies tracked include the CDC, Department of Energy, EPA, FDA, NASA, NIH, NIST, NOAA, and NSF. For the majority of the timeline between 2016 and 2023, the agencies show relatively stable fluctuations, generally staying within a range of +5% to -5% change per year. However, there is a dramatic and uniform plummet starting in the 2024–25 period. Every agency depicted shows a sharp downward trajectory, with staffing losses ranging from approximately -15% to over -25%. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) shows the most significant decline, dropping to roughly -26%, while the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) shows the least severe but still substantial drop at approximately -15%.

This is the most astonishing graph of what the Trump regime has done to US science. They have destroyed the federal science workforce across the board. The negative impacts on Americans will be felt for generations, and the US might never be the same again.

www.nature.com/immersive/d4...

DISEASES WITHOUT BORDERS | Kirkus Reviews A biological and historical primer on plagues.

Starred Kirkus review today for my upcoming book DISEASES WITHOUT BORDERS @lernerbooks.bsky.social (out Apr 7, 2026). Kirkus calls it: “An exceptionally clear and inspiring resource combining a human-centered narrative with compelling science.”
www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews...

Chemist proposes shared 'model proteins' to improve reproducibility in protein science Protein scientists could improve reproducibility and coordination across the field by rallying around a small, shared set of "model proteins," according to a new Perspective by Connecticut College che...

What can "model proteins" do for biochemistry? Check out this press release and read the original Comment! phys.org/news/2026-01... @lightupscience.bsky.social

Chemist proposes shared 'model proteins' to improve reproducibility in protein science Protein scientists could improve reproducibility and coordination across the field by rallying around a small, shared set of "model proteins," according to a new Perspective by Connecticut College che...

Model organisms → model protein: a shared reference protein system to support reproducible protein research.

Phys.org just covered a perspective I wrote for Protein Engineering, Design & Selection

I just published an op-ed in U.S. News about how college teaching is changing with AI tools like ChatGPT, and what we should do next. Curious how others are handling this in real classrooms.

#HigherEd #AI #Teaching

Here are some European train journeys for your bucket list!

Funny thing though: Musk and the other tech lords are still saying such things, and the media credulity has not lessened one whit. And they are richer than ever.

Vote for your favourite 'Featured image' from 2025 - FocalPlane Vote for your favourite 'Featured image' from 2025 - News

We’ve highlighted some wonderful images and researchers in our ‘Featured image’ series in 2025. To celebrate, we’re inviting you to vote for your favourite in our image competition!
#FluorescenceFriday
Check them out here: focalplane.biologists.com/2025/12/19/v...

Finalists 2025 | Royal Society 2025 finalists for the Royal Society Publishing Photography Competition.

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The view from South Africa

Two line charts showing that Americans continue to say relations with Germany are good, as German views flip since last year

In 2025, 27% of Germans say relations with the U.S. are good, while 73% say they are bad – a complete flip from the last year (74% good vs. 22% bad).

Americans’ views – while more negative than in 2024 – continue to be positive toward the U.S.-Germany relationship overall.

I saw Jimmy Cliff with my father in Soweto in May 1980

A lot of axolotls: the amphibian-themed banknote Mexicans don’t want to spend Nearly 13m people are hoarding millions of dollars’ worth of the stylish 50 peso note, featuring Mexico’s cutest critter

www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...

And more South Africans say that it is more important to have strong economic ties with China (50%) than say the same about the U.S. (33%). The gap was smaller in 2019 (39% vs. 42%).

Green and blue lines on a chart showing South African views of China and the U.S. over time

57% of South Africans have favorable opinions of China. 50% say the same of the U.S., marking the first time ratings of China are higher than ratings of the U.S. since we began tracking South Africans’ opinion of these countries in 2008.

Yet another nail in the coffin for the "what about China" argument against bold climate action in the US.