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!

Animals

Scientists have found the locust swarm pheromone

A locust swarm is flying famine, devouring millions of pounds of crops. Researchers have found the swarming trigger — and perhaps an answer to stopping it.

B. David Zarley

Disaster Response

Is it possible to predict the next black swan event?

Extremely rare but massively disruptive, no one sees a black swan event coming. But researchers are building a method that may change that.

B. David Zarley

Disaster Response

Google wants to make the world’s largest earthquake detector

Google wants to create the world’s largest earthquake detector by using the accelerometers of Android phones and city-level location data.

B. David Zarley

Outer Space

The dwarf planet Ceres may hide a subterranean sea

The largest body in the asteroid belt, the dwarf planet Ceres may hide a salty subterranean sea.

B. David Zarley

Drugs

One ayahuasca experience could have lasting effects on the brain

Researchers believe just one ayahuasca experience may be enough to have a lasting effect on the brain.

B. David Zarley

Hacking

DEF CON hackers compete to hijack a satellite in orbit

DEF CON’s Space Security Challenge 2020 tasked teams with hacking satellites. The grand prize? Nothing less than the moon.

B. David Zarley

Animals

These ultra-black deep-sea fish absorb over 99% of light

Researchers have discovered ultra-black deep-sea fish that can absorb over 99% of light. Their skin may hold secrets to creating new ultra-dark materials.

B. David Zarley

Medicine

Medieval medicine yields modern weapons

Deadly antibiotic-resistant superbugs require new weapons. Ancient and medieval medicine may point us to where to find them.

B. David Zarley

Coronavirus

Immune signals may predict severe cases of COVID-19

Severe cases of COVID-19 involve a runaway immune response called a cytokine storm. Immune system “signatures” may sharpen doctor’s forecasts.

B. David Zarley

Researchers discover living 100-million-year-old microbes

Researchers have found microbes in deep sea sediment millions of years old. Given food, they sprung back to life.

B. David Zarley