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!

This AI can finally tell humans why we’re losing

By combining traditional and deep learning approaches, a neurosymbolic AI has beaten bridge champions in a win for “white box” AI.

B. David Zarley

Engineering

Ancient creatures inspire record-breaking new technology

Inspired by the ancient compound eyes of the trilobite, researchers have created a record-breaking camera with a depth of field of just over a mile.

B. David Zarley

Medicine

The source of a strange anti-cancer compound is found in Florida

Researchers have discovered that common soft corals are the source of a sought-after anti-cancer compound.

B. David Zarley

Ecosystems

Turning Appalachia’s contaminated creek water into art

Acid mine drainage turns thousands of creeks orange in Appalachia. True Pigments is pulling that pollution to create paint pigments.

B. David Zarley

Oceans

We finally know why sunscreen kills coral reefs

Stanford researchers have discovered the mechanism by which a sunscreen compound can harm coral and other marine life.

B. David Zarley

Virology

What is monkeypox, and how we may fight it

As monkeypox cases crop up around the world, vaccines designed for the far deadlier smallpox may play a key role in stopping it.

B. David Zarley

Medicine

New drug combo is “a paradigm shift” in preventing asthma attacks

The combination of a rescue medication and a corticosteroid, taken as needed, reduced both short and long-term risk of asthma attacks.

B. David Zarley

Medicine

Nanobots are real, and they can battle bacteria

Researchers have developed antibiotic nanobots that can traverse a wound on their own.

B. David Zarley

Climate Crisis

A more efficient way of urban mining gold

Researchers at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology say they have developed the world’s most efficient way of urban mining gold

B. David Zarley

Hacking

Bluetooth hack breaks into cars and smart locks

Researchers in the UK have identified a vulnerability in Bluetooth-based locks, including Kwikset smart locks and Teslas.

B. David Zarley