Tom Brown

Could the answers to cancer lie in space? Why off-Earth research is heating up An experiment involving artificial organs is just one way researchers are trying to capitalize on the weird ways low-gravity environments affect the human body.

Why are pharmaceutical companies growing cancer tumours in space?

Cancer cells grow faster in space because of the lack of gravity. It's great news if you want to develop cancer treatments quicker

The problem? Some of the treatments might only work in low gravity 🧪

Read here: tinyurl.com/4m3csnvz

NASA names geomagnetic storm for 1st time, honoring a space weather scientist who died suddenly in 2024 "Jenn was a brilliant scientist and a beloved friend and colleague who dedicated her life to understanding geomagnetic storms and their impacts on Earth."

Storm Gannon has become the first ever geomagnetic storm to receive a name from NASA after it lit up skies from Mexico to Italy one year ago: www.space.com/stargazing/a...

Check out my latest on a recent study testing the limits of memory formation

Northern Lights in Mexico? Low-latitudes may be more vulnerable than expected to geomagnetic storms Mother's Day 2024 heralded Mexico's most powerful geomagnetic storm in two decades, which knocked the country's atomic clocks out of sync and rattled its energy grid.

The Northern Lights are continually being seen in low-latitude countries like Mexico, making them vulnerable to geomagentic storms: www.space.com/stargazing/a...

It was great chatting with Tom about the exciting ARCSIX project and all the exciting research still to be done in the Arctic!

Arctic ice is melting faster than expected — and the culprit could be dust "The Arctic is changing faster than anywhere else on the planet, so the question we’re trying to ask here is: Is the Arctic going to change fast, or really fast?"

NASA is finding dust in Arctic clouds — Greenland might be the culprit.

As the ice sheet melts, more landmass is exposed to harsh winds kicking dust up into the atmosphere and changing the climate 🧪

Find out how in this free to read piece: www.space.com/the-universe...

Can wood-burning power stations ever be sustainable? Despite emitting more carbon than coal, the government backs Lynemouth’s green credentials—granting its owner £700 million in subsidies. Christine Ro and Tom Brown investigate

We just published this piece using FOI requests to document how biomass company Enviva burnt protected wood species in its Lynemouth plant, a converted coal-fire power station in the UK 🧪

Read the full story here. No paywall: geographical.co.uk/science-envi...

If anyone knows anything about feral hogs in Texas please get in touch 🐖

The Covering Climate Now Journalism Awards — Covering Climate Now Entry submissions are OPEN for the 2025 Covering Climate Now Journalism Awards. This is the fifth year for our annual awards program, and every year we’re amazed by the quality and variety of work ent...

🥁 It's that time of year again... We know you've all been waiting for it... Submissions are OPEN for the 2025 Covering Climate Now Journalism Awards! 🎉

Corn seems to grow better in soil from the moon than soil from Mars, raising questions over the sustainability of space colonies.

Read my latest for @space.com

www.space.com/the-universe...

Thanks to @space.com for the chance to get into the latest exoplanet research

Desert planets like those in 'Dune' and 'Star Wars' unlikely to host life, NASA says "Even if a planet is in the habitable zone, if it has too small a water inventory, it transitions to an uninhabitable state."

I've written about the science behind the ecosystems of Dune and Star Wars, as NASA research sheds light on what life (or lack therefore) could exist on desert exoplanets:

www.space.com/the-universe...

Introducing the Retraction Watch Sleuth in Residence Program We’re thrilled to announce the creation of the Retraction Watch Sleuth in Residence Program, an opportunity for a sleuth to spend a year working with us. Too often, sleuths work for free, often at …

We're thrilled to announce the creation of the Retraction Watch Sleuth in Residence Program.

860-page PDFs are welcome

#SpaceExploration, #Terraforming, #SpaceAgriculture

I'm writing about space agriculture for Space.com, if anyone would like to send me any readings or fancy a chat about it please don't be shy

Burning Cow Dung Emits an Inordinate Amount of Air Pollution in India - Eos Dried cow dung, a main source of household cooking fuel for many in rural India, releases more particulate matter across the country than wood and other biofuels.

Cow dung burning releases more air pollution in India than burning coal. Read my latest below in @eos.org:

eos.org/articles/bur...

A huge thank you to the Environmental Reporting Collective for providing a grant to cover expenses for the story, and to my coauthor Justicia Shipena, without whom the reporting would have been impossible.

This investigation represents nearly two years of in-depth reporting — investigating Russian influence on Namibia's uranium sector.

The country is holding elections today. Free to read below: aljazeera.com/features/202...

Thank you Kevin, very kind of you to say