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!

Drugs

Microdosing LSD may provide pain relief

Since the 1960s, LSD has been seen as a potential painkiller. Now, new research suggests microdosing LSD may indeed provide relief.

B. David Zarley

Robotics

These microbots may one day crawl through the body

Researchers have designed semiconductor legs for microbots. Laser activated, they are the first capable of being controlled by standard electronic signals.

B. David Zarley

Biology

It's now easier to see individual atoms, thanks to new tech

With improved tech, two teams have sharpened cryo-electron microscopy to be able to see individual atoms.

B. David Zarley

Virology

Influenza virus may be transmitted by particles in the air

Airborne particles like dust and dander not caused by breathing — “aerosolized fomites” — may be a route of influenza virus transmission.

B. David Zarley

Coronavirus

The social distancing traffic light

Assessing your COVID-19 risk for everyday activities will be key to some kind of normalcy. Now, researchers want to add nuance to social distancing.

B. David Zarley

Animals

The murder hornet’s genome may help stop the invasion

The Asian giant hornet has invaded the Pacific Northwest. Researchers hope a map of the murder hornet’s genome can help their hunt for them.

B. David Zarley

Coronavirus

Can the common cold help battle COVID-19?

The common cold can be caused by a coronavirus. New research suggests the immune response it causes may help protect against COVID-19.

B. David Zarley

Animals

Scientists have found the locust swarm pheromone

A locust swarm is flying famine, devouring millions of pounds of crops. Researchers have found the swarming trigger — and perhaps an answer to stopping it.

B. David Zarley

Disaster Response

Is it possible to predict the next black swan event?

Extremely rare but massively disruptive, no one sees a black swan event coming. But researchers are building a method that may change that.

B. David Zarley

Disaster Response

Google wants to make the world’s largest earthquake detector

Google wants to create the world’s largest earthquake detector by using the accelerometers of Android phones and city-level location data.

B. David Zarley