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!

Art

The algorithm playwright

Annie Dorsen allows algorithms to write her plays, and it challenges our fundamental understanding of art.

B. David Zarley

Drugs

MDMA effects, risks, and rewards explained

MDMA, also known as Molly or Ecstasy, is a synthetic psychoactive drug. MDMA effects include enhanced pleasure and a heightened sense of touch and sound.

B. David Zarley

Coronavirus

How to make 100 million doses of coronavirus vaccine in a year

Creating a new vaccine is slow and expensive. One biotech firm thinks a “plug-and-play” vaccine could change that.

B. David Zarley

The anti-facial recognition fashion statement

These designers are trying to outsmart surveillance systems with anti-facial recognition makeup, glasses, and clothing. Can they help us go incognito?

B. David Zarley

Music

Chance the Rapper is bringing music back to Chicago schools

On the far South Side of Chicago, as far south as you can get — a traffic light away from neighboring Riverdale —...

B. David Zarley

Drugs

Medical cannabis explained

Medical cannabis is everywhere. We're answering your basic questions and unpacking the promises and pitfalls, based on the latest research.

B. David Zarley

Sustainability

The big screen goes green

Hollywood moves towards sustainable film production.

B. David Zarley

Archaeology

The tech that’s revolutionizing archeology with Josh Gates

In our interview with renowned adventurer Josh Gates, the host of Expedition Unknown discusses the beautiful connection between tech and archaeologists.

B. David Zarley

Mental Health

Improv for anxiety

In a judgement-free setting, improv requires the mind to focus on the present, providing natural anxiety relief for performers.

B. David Zarley

High-tech art exhibit looks at life through the eyes of AI

In this Chicago museum, artists explore some of the most polarizing forms of imagery at the moment: surveillance and facial recognition.

B. David Zarley