I first met the writer Rebecca Skloot about eight years ago. She had been working on a book for a couple years and running late. The idea was brilliant, though, so I hoped she’d be able to get it done before too long. Many scientists who study human cell biology use a special line of cells known as HeLa. It came from a woman named Henrietta Lacks, who died of cervical cancer in 1951. Skloot was writing about Lacks, her family, and the way her body became dispersed around the world.

When I would see Skloot again, I’d ask how the book was going. Still going. After a while, I stopped asking, because I know how irritating that question can get when the answer hasn’t budged for a while. When the book was done, it would be done.

Continue reading “Henrietta Lacks and the Future of Science Books” →

I got an email today from a college student interested in becoming a science writer, asking how I got into the field and how it works. I get these emails from time to time, and in the past I’ve replied with an email of my own. But it occurred to me today that it would be better to direct them a podcast.

In November, when I visited the University of British Columbia, I gave a talk at their journalism school about how I became a science writer, and what it’s like for me today. It may not be interesting to people who are interested in science, rather than the business of science writing. But if you’re curious about this peculiar way of life, check it out.

This link takes you to the University of British Columbia on Itunes. Scroll down to find the podcast with my name on it.

Originally published January 30, 2010. Copyright 2010 Carl Zimmer.

Next month I will be part of a virtual book party. Here’s the deal: the American Institute of Biological Sciences is inviting fellow Disco-blogger Chris Mooney and me to talk about our recent books via video. Registered participants can then ask questions and discuss the books. Plus, a couple lucky registrants will win a copy of our books! You can find more details and register here. (Space is limited.)

Originally published January 28, 2010. Copyright 2010 Carl Zimmer.

Damon writes, “This distribution of ‘isotopic peaks’ on my calf is what a peptide of mass 2,005 Daltons looks like in a high-resolution mass spectrometer. That peak distribution is due to the relative abundance of the different isotopes of the elements that make up peptides, particularly carbon. 2005 is the year I got married and also the year I gave the corporate world the boot in favor of science. I wonder if there are any more proteomics tattoos out there….”

Click here to go to the full Science Tattoo Emporium.

Originally published January 28, 2010. Copyright 2010 Carl Zimmer.

Dinosaurs in color! I’ve got a story tomorrow in The New York Times on scientists who are using the microscopic structure of dinosaur feathers to figure out their colors.

My new article is just one chapter in a multi-part story. Back in September, I wrote in the Times about how paleontologists developed this method and used it to determine the color of a 47-million-year-old bird feather. On the blog, I promised you here to stay tuned, and now here we are.

The new paper is important, but, as I note in the article, the scientists analyzed a single sample from each fossil. They didn’t look at a large number of samples from a single specimen. Such an analysis could give a broader picture of the color pattern of a dinosaur.

Again, you may guess where this is going. And so, again, stay tuned…

[Update: Times link fixed]

Originally published January 27, 2010. Copyright 2010 Carl Zimmer.