Erin Blakemore
Washington Post
Boulder, CO, United States
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Past articles by Erin:
Consistent body weight tied to longevity in women
Those who unintentionally dropped pounds had 51 percent lower odds of survival to age 90 compared with others in the study. → Read More
Eau de eternity: Scientists re-create the scent of ancient mummies
Researchers have re-created a scent used in the mummification of an elite Egyptian woman around 1450 B.C., dubbing it the “scent of the eternity.” → Read More
International Space Station to test faster laser communication system
NASA says the refrigerator-sized relay will allow astronauts on the International Space Station to send high-resolution data, including images and video. → Read More
Many California hospitals are near wildfire danger zones, study says
Northern California hospitals are at particular risk because of the lower number of inpatient facilities in that part of the state, researchers said. → Read More
Scientists discover ‘spectacular’ undersea hydrothermal vents
The expedition used a variety of mapping techniques to find the vents, along with a remotely operated vehicle called SuBastian. → Read More
Scientists identify thousands of unknown viruses in babies’ diapers
Research involving Danish babies has yielded a great deal about previously unknown viruses — and the best view yet of the makeup of the infant gut microbiome. → Read More
Want to listen to space noise? NASA wants to hear from you.
When the solar wind and plasma from coronal ejections strike Earth’s magnetic field lines, our invisible shield vibrates like the strings of a harp. → Read More
Genetic prostate cancer risks identified for men of African descent
Researchers looked at 10 studies that included genetic data from over 80,000 men of African descent, comparing data from 19,378 men with prostate cancer and 61,620 healthy men. → Read More
Mycology’s ‘dark fungi’ debate turns on recognition of mystery species
The mycologists argues that their field’s nomenclature guidelines make it seem as though thousands of recently discovered types of fungi simply don’t exist. → Read More
Moon-bathing turtles — research documents nighttime basking
Researchers used surveys and camera traps to track whether freshwater turtles in North America, the Caribbean, Europe, Asia, Africa, the Seychelles and Australia engaged in the behavior. → Read More
Fairy lanterns were thought extinct. Then a botanist found one in 2021.
The find is a win for botanists, but researchers warn the plant remains critically endangered and is threatened by foot traffic. → Read More
Algae may help some coral reefs survive in warming oceans, study says
Reefs that hosted higher numbers of heat-tolerant Durusdinium glynnii algae withstood warmer waters better than those with lower numbers. → Read More
Fossil study challenges assumptions about the ‘Great Dying’
The study focuses on a large set of fossils from the Early Triassic period discovered near Guiyang in what is now South China. → Read More
Danish study: Sound of traffic near home could lead to tinnitus
Women, people without a previous history of hearing loss, and people with higher education and income were at increased risk. → Read More
A space-age love story inspires science-meets-art exhibition
Including the heartbeats and brain waves of Carl Sagan's then-new love in a famous NASA recording is “the greatest work of subversive, avant-garde art not yet given its due,” artist Dario Robleto said in a news release. → Read More
A quicker return to school may help kids with concussions, study says
Keeping a child home from school for “cognitive rest” after a concussion may do more harm than good, according to a study. → Read More
Leonardo DiCaprio names snail-eating snake after his mom
It's an attempt by the actor to raise awareness about the threats that mining presents to biodiversity in Central and South America. → Read More
Zero-emission steel won’t happen without trade-offs, scientists say
In a paper, materials sustainability experts write that while zero-emission steel is within reach, it may require producing less steel overall. → Read More
Fires started by humans linked to 20,000 premature deaths in 2018
New research has found that small smoke particles from human-ignited wildfires and agricultural fires, which are used to manage vegetation on farms, were responsible for some 20,000 deaths in the U.S. that year. → Read More
35 percent of military families face limited access to psychiatrists
Those who lived in places with both low incomes and high income inequality were more than two times more likely to have psychiatrist shortages. → Read More