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!

Neuroscience

In a hole in Earth’s magnetic field, neuroscientists are peering into the human brain

By using quantum physics to measure magnetic fields, researchers are pushing closer to measuring the brain in ways we couldn't before.

B. David Zarley

Medicine

Cancer is addicted to iron. It could be a fatal weakness.

By homing in on the high levels of iron in certain cancer cells, researchers have created a more targeted anticancer drug.

B. David Zarley

Paleontology

Fossil of oldest octopus and vampire squid relative may reveal 10-armed past

A newly described fossil may be the oldest relative yet found of octopuses and vampire squids — although if it is a new species at all is disputed.

B. David Zarley

Public Health

New children’s malaria treatment clears out infection in liver

Malaria can hide in the liver, causing relapse months or years later. Now, public health officials have a new treatment to prevent relapse for children under 16.

B. David Zarley

Virology

New Ebola antibodies neutralize the most dangerous strains of the virus

Researchers have found two new antibodies which bind to the most dangerous strains of Ebola.

B. David Zarley

Memory

Newly discovered types of brain cells may hold the key to memory

Researchers believe they have discovered two new types of brain cells that play a key role in memory.

B. David Zarley

Virology

Scientists discover how the AIDS virus breaks cellular “lockdown”

HIV replication continues even when infected cells shut down. New research shows how.

B. David Zarley

Sustainability

MIT’s new plant-based material could replace plastics

Using cellulose from wood, MIT researchers have made a plant-based material tough as bone and hard as aluminum.

B. David Zarley

Disaster Response

Starlink lands in Ukraine

Starlink satellite internet service has been established in Ukraine.

B. David Zarley

Disaster Response

Airbnb offering free temporary housing to refugees of Russo-Ukrainian war

Airbnb has announced that it will help temporarily house up to 100,000 refugees of the Russo-Ukrainian war.

B. David Zarley