Contributor

B. David Zarley

Senior Staff Writer

Contact

[email protected]

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!

Virology

“Virus burritos” could be the key to vaccine preservation

Vaccine preservation is crucial to world health; the WHO estimates we waste 50% of vaccines a year. Vaccine burritos may provide some help.

B. David Zarley

Accessibility

Amputee veterans need to game, so this engineer builds new controllers from scratch

Inspired by his visits to Walter Reed Medical Center, engineer Ken Jones makes adaptive controllers to keep veterans gaming.

B. David Zarley

Animals

We finally have footage of remoras, the ocean's hitchhikers, in action

Using never-before-seen footage, researchers are learning more about how the remora moves around its hosts.

B. David Zarley

Activism

Museums are racing to save Hong Kong's history before it gets censored

A sweeping security law has Hong Kongers racing to digitize archives and artifacts, from Tiananmen Square to Telegram channels.

B. David Zarley

History

The race to find slave ships, before they're lost forever

Diving with a Purpose is training the next wave of marine archeologists, working with youth to document potential slave ship wrecks before they’re lost.

B. David Zarley

Drones

Dropping drones into volcanoes can help us predict eruptions

The ratio of sulphur to carbon dioxide being released can be an indicator of imminent volcanic eruptions. Researchers are using drones to gather that data.

B. David Zarley

Medicine

New nano drug may be able to break drug-resistant cancers — with fewer side effects

Drug-resistant cancers reduce the effectiveness of chemo. A team of researchers may have found a potential way to treat them.

B. David Zarley

Coronavirus

German concert experiment suggests large indoor events can be safe

A German concert study has found that hygiene standards, mandatory masks, and ventilation may allow for indoor events.

B. David Zarley

Food

A French company is building the world’s biggest insect factory farm

Ÿnsect is building the world’s largest insect farming facility in Amiens, France. The mealworms grown there may end up feeding your pets and the salmon on your plate.

B. David Zarley

Clean Energy

2 new nuclear plant prototypes are getting government funding

The Department of Energy is putting millions behind two new nuclear plant prototypes.

B. David Zarley