Contributor

B. David Zarley

Senior Staff Writer

Contact

b.david@freethink.com

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!

Outer Space

NASA spots an enormous water plume erupting on Saturn’s ocean moon

Using the James Webb Space Telescope, researchers are gaining new insights into Enceladus, which holds a sea beneath its icy surface.

B. David Zarley

Drones

Watch: Autonomous helicopter takes flight at sea

Airbus' VSR700, an autonomous helicopter designed for naval use, has successfully completed test flights at sea.

B. David Zarley

billboard saying fentanyl overdose is a leading killer

Medicine

New nasal spray aimed at reversing fentanyl overdoses is now approved

A new overdose-reversing spray that works fast but lasts longer has been approved by the FDA, and will be available by the fall at earliest.

B. David Zarley

Education

Stanford study finds AI improves the performance of teachers and students

Stanford researchers have developed an AI that can provide useful feedback to teachers, helping them to increase student uptake.

B. David Zarley

Medicine

Pill version of obesity drug reduced weight almost 13% in new trial

Novo Nordisk has announced positive results for an oral version of the popular weight loss drug sold as Ozempic and Wegovy.

B. David Zarley

Medicine

CRISPR uncovers possible antidote for death cap mushroom poisoning

Researchers have figured out how the mushroom's main toxin enters human cells — and maybe how to stop it.

B. David Zarley

Transportation

Autonomous public transportation rolls out in Arizona

Sun City, Arizona has launched a free transit system featuring self-driving cars for its retirement-age residents.

B. David Zarley

Animals

Something found in bats could help us survive infections and inflammation

This protein may help bats survive viral infections and could be the springboard for new anti-inflammatory drugs.

B. David Zarley

Biology

Discovery finally uncovers how melanin blocks UV

An international team of researchers have isolated and analyzed a component of melanin, which protects us from the sun.

B. David Zarley

Drugs

Psychedelic inspires discovery of two new drug candidates for depression

Researchers have found ibogaine-inspired compounds effective in treating depression and addiction in mouse models.

B. David Zarley