2025 David Perlman Virtual Mentoring Program
2025 NASW Perlman Virtual Mentoring Program offers student journalism opportunities and summer awards
The National Association of Science Writers and its Education Committee conclude the 2025 NASW Perlman Virtual Mentoring Program, issuing five awards and celebrating more than two dozen student writers.
AWARD WINNERS
“When will our kids be next?”: What Baby KJ’s story means for the future of gene therapy
The use of CRISPR technology as a medical intervention is revolutionary, but headlines may wrongly imply that progress is linear and generalized, that treatments for all childhood rare diseases are within reach.
Musical triangle’s sound waves reveal new acoustic phenomenon
While the musical triangle may be geometrically simple, its acoustic behavior is not obvious, according to new observations of the instrument’s sound wave patterns.
Breast implants are making people sick: ‘It wasn’t worth it’
Breast augmentation was the second-most popular cosmetic surgery in the United States in 2024. Yet the reversal procedure has also soared: “explant” surgery among patients who want their implants permanently removed.
What Trump’s big bill means for end-of-life care
President Trump’s signature legislation, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, will reduce access to quality end-of-life care for people with terminal illness currently on Medicaid, experts say.
Moths use the stars as their GPS
Bogong moths journey over 1,000 kilometers across Australian terrain using the stars as one of their guides.
STUDENT STORIES
U.S. reforestation faces industry-wide issues. Some groups are stepping up
A web of non-profits and businesses has brought reforestation to the public consciousness, but the industry is facing real risks.
Smart wearable tracks key development milestones in babies
A jumpsuit can predict if babies reach their growth targets without a doctor’s visit.
Today’s kids will see climate extremes unknown to generations past
More than half of children born in 2020 will experience a number of heatwaves endured by only one in 10,000 people living in pre-industrial climates, according to a study published in May in the journal Nature.
Heritable consequences: A call for global germline DNA editing norms
International discussions have addressed theoretical applications for germline gene editing, there is still no global consensus on how, or even if, it should be used as a medical therapy. This open ethical question has been exploited by rogue actors eager to provide an answer in defiance of legal boundaries.
Healthy aging for a healthier society
How nutrition shapes aging is not only a matter of wellness but also crucial for decreased health care costs. Numerous scientific studies have demonstrated how a healthier diet could improve our wellness and prevent disease.
Human hygiene routines change indoor air
We emit chemicals from our breath and skin that interact with the air, generating a chemical “field.” Lotions and perfumes disrupt this field, impacting not just the chemicals emitted by our skin, but also how those chemicals react with what’s in the air around us.
Scientists gave a man with ALS his voice back
Giving someone their voice back after they've lost the ability to speak sounds like something out of a science-fiction movie. But researchers at UC Davis have made it a reality for the first time.
As AI use grows on campus, experts consider regulation
Seeing artificial intelligence (AI) tools rapidly grow more common in higher education, faculty and policymakers are grappling with how to manage their use.
The ecological perils of Antarctic krill fisheries
In polar waters, tiny organisms called Antarctic krill surge by the billions, stretching over kilometers in orange-brown clouds. But in an environment already warming fast, booming krill fisheries are raising a new set of concerns about polar ecology.
Harnessing A.I. hallucination: The science behind xenobots
A.I. can design living micro-robots capable of doing (almost) anything.
Dream decoding: What if you could replay your inner world?
Dreams blend nonsense, randomness, and at times, significant imagery in our unconscious minds. What if we could intentionally revisit the story lines of the mental adventures we take each night?
Line dancing in African American communities combats loneliness
The most important thing about line dancing is the community: the one you’ve always known, the one you will come to know, or the one you have for the length of the song.
What the science says about new vaccine guidance
Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has introduced a wave of changes that threaten to undo decades of infectious disease prevention. But what does the science say about these changes to pediatric vaccine policies?
Explainer: What is ADHD?
ADHD is one of the more common neurotypes. About 22 million people in the United States have been diagnosed with ADHD.
Ticks, tires, and tracking: How Northern Kentucky University is fighting vector-borne illness
Northern Kentucky is a key region to study as a zone of expansion for Lyme disease and West Nile virus, meaning species not originating from the area are migrating there.
The world’s most in-depth nutrition study built this app. So why are experts worried?
As personalized nutrition apps like ZOE rise in popularity, experts question whether their approach is empowering users or exploiting their trust.
Small robot vehicles drive research and education innovation
The rapid adoption of small-scale autonomous vehicles is transforming both interactive education and applied research in the self-driving industry.