Contributor

B. David Zarley

Senior Staff Writer

Contact

[email protected]

B. David Zarley is a senior staff writer for Freethink, where he covers health and medicine, including infectious disease, psychedelic research, mental health, and the brain. A graduate of SUNY Fredonia, his work has also appeared in The Atlantic, The Verge, Jezebel, Frieze, Sports Illustrated, VICE, Paste Magazine, and numerous other publications. He lives in Chicago and can be reached via Signal by request. Send him story ideas!

Animals

Using robotic fish to harness the “ecology of fear”

To fight an invasive fish threatening Australia’s critically endangered freshwater natives, researchers are looking to robotic predators — and the “ecology of fear” they create.

B. David Zarley

Coronavirus

Researchers are testing neural stimulation as a long COVID treatment

Small pilot trials of two different types of external electrical brain stimulation suggest the technique may work as a long COVID treatment.

B. David Zarley

Astronomy

Astronomers have found the biggest group of rogue planets yet

Using ground telescopes and satellite observations taken over decades, researchers have identified the largest number of wandering rogue planets yet.

B. David Zarley

Virology

Researchers find a new target for a universal flu vaccine: the “anchor”

There’s a new target in the battle for a universal flu vaccine: the "anchor,” a part of the virus’ proteins less likely to mutate.

B. David Zarley

Chatting with my own HereAfter

HereAfter AI’s Legacy Avatar is an AI-powered digital twin. But what’s it like to talk to yourself?

B. David Zarley

Surgery

This robotics lab wants to develop the dream surgery

Chicago’s Surgical Innovation Training Lab is developing the robots, surgeons, and digital surgeries of the future.

B. David Zarley

Medicine

5 clinical trials may bring new hope in 2022

Vaccines, gene therapies, and even an anti-aging pill: These are the clinical trial results we are looking forward to in 2022.

B. David Zarley

Extraterrestrials

MIT is leading the hunt for life in Venus’ atmosphere

MIT is leading a privately-funded hunt for life in Venus’ clouds, scheduled to begin in 2023.

B. David Zarley

Drugs

Should psychedelics be patented?

The issue of patents has riven the psychedelic field. A lawyer’s repository of psychedelic info may make sure the new field stays fair.

B. David Zarley

Animals

What the ancient, alien jellyfish can tell us about the human brain

The jellyfish nervous system, revealed by glowing genes, may help unlock the secrets of how our own brain evolved.

B. David Zarley