Carolyn Johnson

Neanderthal males and human females had babies together, ancient DNA reveals When ancient humans mated, dad was a Neanderthal, mom was Homo sapiens.

A recent @washingtonpost.com article features a new study led by ASHG Past President @sarahtishkoff.bsky.social, PhD. Read about her team’s findings on Neanderthal and modern human interbreeding and how social dynamics may have influenced these pairings. @carolynyjohnson.bsky.social

Deep in Antarctic ice, these particles can answer basic questions about the universe A dense network of sensors is looking for the fleeting footprints of neutrinos, the most mysterious in the pantheon of known particles.

Deep in Antarctic ice, these particles can answer basic questions about the universe wapo.st/40v0xhX

A fake ICE tip line reveals neighbors reporting neighbors A Nashville comedian’s deportation hotline, set up as a joke, has gone viral among viewers who say it shows the “banality of evil personified” in the U.S. immigration crackdown.

New: A comedian set up a fake ICE tip line as a joke. Then 100 calls flooded in: neighbors ratting on neighbors, a teacher reporting a kindergartener. Fans say the viral TikToks revealed deportation's "banality of evil." Conservatives say he should be in prison wapo.st/4kM4qbF

New approach roughly predicts when Alzheimer’s symptoms begin The technique is not yet precise enough to predict a patient’s exact trajectory but could help find long-sought preventive treatment.

In medicine, prevention is pretty much always better than trying to undo damage. Scientists are trying to develop an Alzheimer's "clock" to flag people who have no symptoms now, but will soon -- and could benefit from early treatment wapo.st/4rmRETx

Why your most creative ideas may come after a night of sleep Got a problem? Science says you should sleep on it.

@carolynyjohnson.bsky.social did an excellent job today of summarizing the research and key issues surrounding the idea of "sleeping on it" (Not A Myth) — Thank You Carolyn!
wapo.st/4rqb1LF

Why your most creative ideas may come after a night of sleep Got a problem? Science says you should sleep on it.

To sleep, perchance to dream -- of a solution to a problem that has really been bugging you www.washingtonpost.com/science/2026...

FDA won’t review Moderna application for first mRNA-based flu vaccine The decision, which shocked company officials, comes as the FDA says it will take a stricter approach to federal vaccine approvals.

FDA refuses to review Moderna’s application for first mRNA flu vaccine www.washingtonpost.com/health/2026/... @rachelroubein.bsky.social

These patients saw what comes after death. Should we believe them? Researchers have developed a model to explain the science of near-death experiences. Others have challenged it.

Our second most read story right now comes from @markjohnpost.bsky.social, a Pulitzer-winning science reporter on our team, who announced he was laid off.

Just the latest example of how he found the most fascinating areas of science to unpack beautifully www.washingtonpost.com/health/2026/...

No struggling newspaper ever saved itself by becoming a worse and less essential product. But what's happening today at the @washingtonpost.com is not just the latest devastating contraction of the news industry; it's the gutting of an American institution vital for a healthy society

Dylan Byers tweet says: "Scoop: The Washington Post will announce its highly anticipated layoffs *tomorrow.* As we've reported, WaPo is expected to cut *hundreds* of jobs and eliminate sections, instead focusing on core areas like politics & nat'l security."

im usually pretty decent at pushing through distractions to focus on the work but this is a pretty tough one to tune out ngl

“Unconscionable,” Jon thought as he found an email address online for the lead prosecutor, Joseph Dernbach, who was named in the story. Peering through metal-rimmed glasses, Jon opened Gmail on his computer monitor. “Mr. Dernbach, don’t play Russian roulette with H’s life,” he wrote. “Err on the side of caution. There’s a reason the US government along with many other governments don’t recognise the Taliban. Apply principles of common sense and decency.” That was it. In five minutes, Jon said, he finished the note, signed his first and last name, pressed send and hoped his plea would make a difference. Five hours and one minute later, Jon was watching TV with his wife when an email popped up in his inbox. He noticed it on his phone. “Google,” the message read, “has received legal process from a Law Enforcement authority compelling the release of information related to your Google Account.”

A retiree wrote this email to a DHS attorney. Within five hours, DHS demanded Google turn over records for his account.

A Kafkaesque form of domestic surveillance, intimidating Americans for lawful speech.

New from us at the Post: www.washingtonpost.com/investigatio... @johnwoodrowcox.bsky.social

Federal agent secured gun from Minn. man before fatal shooting, videos show A Washington Post analysis of videos sheds light on the encounter that left 37-year-old Alex Pretti dead.

My @washingtonpost.com colleagues worked round the clock this weekend to expose the truth of what's happening in Minneapolis and bring urgent weather news to millions facing dangerous cold and snow.

If you value this work, tell Jeff Bezos to #SaveThePost
www.washingtonpost.com/investigatio...

Why the same cold virus makes some people more miserable than others A new study shows the intricacies of the cold virus and how it interacts with nasal airway cells, revealing why some people are hit harder than others.

Scientists grew tiny models of our nasal airways, complete with mucus-secreting cells and cilia that beat rhythmically to understand how our bodies fight the common cold wapo.st/4qzFZQY

Scientists are inventing treatments for devastating diseases. There’s just one problem. Gene therapy treatments for rare diseases are being developed, but getting them out of the lab has proved challenging.

Rarity Public Benefit Corporation is trying to turn a UCLA cure for a rare disease into a medicine. The bottleneck now is not showing that it works, but another key part of the drug approval process — developing the commercial manufacturing. Great story by @carolynyjohnson.bsky.social 🧪

Investigators told the reporter that she is not the focus of the probe.

The warrant said law enforcement was investigating a system administrator in Maryland who has been accused of taking home classified intelligence reports. https://wapo.st/4qULbi9

Scientists are inventing treatments for devastating diseases. There’s just one problem. Gene therapy treatments for rare diseases are being developed, but getting them out of the lab has proved challenging.

Scientists are inventing treatments for devastating diseases. There’s just one problem. Genetic therapies could be used to treat hundreds of diseases. The path to patients is tricky, by @carolynyjohnson.bsky.social www.washingtonpost.com/health/2026/... via @washingtonpost.com #RareDisorders

Feuding physicists and the bitter battle over the swirls in ‘The Starry Night’ A team of scientists sparked a heated debate over whether Vincent van Gogh’s “The Starry Night” depicts turbulence, a complex physical phenomenon.

Feuding physicists and the bitter battle over the swirls in ‘The Starry Night’
wapo.st/49sbpCF

I am The Post’s ‘federal government whisperer.’ It’s been brutal. One reporter’s effort to show how Trump was transforming government brought her 1,168 new sources — and nearly broke her.

“One day, a woman wrote to me on Signal, asking me not to respond. She lived alone, she messaged, and planned to die that weekend. Before she did, she wanted at least one person to understand: Trump had unraveled the government, and with it, her life.” @hannahnatanson.bsky.social essay:

U.S. plans to stop recommending most childhood vaccines, defer to doctors The plan, which is not finalized, suggests children get fewer shots and shifts to a model telling parents to consult doctors to make their own vaccine choices.

BREAKING: US. plans to stop recommending most childhood vaccines, defer to doctors, per sources familiar. HHS consulted w chief science officer and top FDA official. Me and @rachel_roubein
1/4
www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...

Trump administration to dismantle key climate research center Russell Vought, who directs the White House Office of Management and Budget, announced plans to split up the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado, citing concerns about “clima...

Trump administration to dismantle key climate research center - “Maybe if Colorado had a governor who actually wanted to work with President Trump, his constituents would be better served,” said a senior White House official. wapo.st/4p3YwDx

Scientists discover oldest evidence of human-made fire in a 400,000-year-old hearth A new archaeological find pushes back the timeline on when humans mastered the ability to make fires, a transformative technology.

🔥Scientists discover oldest evidence of human-made fire — a 400,000-year-old English hearth wapo.st/4aaP3GM

Mom of Karoline Leavitt’s nephew rejects White House narrative of her ICE arrest In an interview, Bruna Ferreira, who chose the White House press secretary as her son’s godmother, contested the portrayal of her as a criminal, absentee mom.

EXCLUSIVE:

Mom of Karoline Leavitt’s nephew rejects White House narrative of her ICE arrest

www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/...

How volcanoes upend the story of what sparked the Black Death Volcanic eruptions could have fueled the spread of the Black Death plague across medieval Europe, according to a new study that pieces together evidence from ice cores, rare blue tree rings from ancie...

Overview of the latest study by @carolynyjohnson.bsky.social in the @washingtonpost.com: wapo.st/48mtKkg [gift link] #HistSTM #MedievalSky

How volcanoes upend the story of what sparked the Black Death Volcanic eruptions could have fueled the spread of the Black Death plague across medieval Europe, according to a new study that pieces together evidence from ice cores, rare blue tree rings from ancie...

Fascination of the day - the ongoing research into the Black Death and how it started, via a chain of interconnected environmental, societal, geopolitical events... How volcanoes upend the story of what sparked the medieval plague pandemic wapo.st/48mtKkg

Small study shows a promising path toward HIV cure Antiretroviral drugs that prevent HIV and keep it in check have been transformative, but a cure has been a long sought goal.

Today is World AIDS day - Small study shows a promising path toward HIV cure wapo.st/3XrYzOc

"A priority among local transportation agencies remains avoiding traffic jams rather than responding to concerns of pedestrians in the most danger, who are more likely to live in poor neighborhoods and wield less political influence." www.washingtonpost.com/business/int...

How a frozen mammoth named Yuka is redefining the study of ancient RNA Scientists sequence the oldest RNA from a 39,000-year-old woolly mammoth.

In a first, scientists sequence the oldest RNA from a 39,000-year-old woolly mammoth wapo.st/4qXwTxU

Inside the debate over a tech breakthrough raising questions about life itself A research team at Stanford University has harnessed the power of AI to design phages, raising questions about the future of biotechnology and its applications.

A provocative preprint showed AI designing novel viruses. Some of them could kill E. coli!
Even scientists don't totally agree on "what it means" -- but they've been talking about it. A window into the debate
🎁link:
wapo.st/4hR6A8t

How a ‘one and done’ gene-editing treatment could lower cholesterol A cutting-edge medical experiment in a small trial has demonstrated the effectiveness of a one-time CRISPR gene editing treatment in lowering cholesterol levels

It is a tender time for the nascent field of CRISPR gene editing...

A small trial shows the potential to use the tech to lower LDL cholesterol and trigylcerides, but a patient died this week in a different trial now on hold

🎁link: wapo.st/4oGpJfS

A ferocious debate over teenage T. rex fossils may finally be settled For decades, paleontologists debated whether fossils were of a young T. rex or a species called nanotyrannus. A new study settles it: Nanotyrannus is real.

A ferocious paleontology debate -- over teenage T. rex vs. Nanotyrannus -- may finally be settled. @arctomet.bsky.social @stevebrusatte.bsky.social @jgn-paleo.bsky.social
As an editor of mine used to say... ain't no fight like a science fight. 🎁link: wapo.st/47D18l5