Asimov Press

In the 18th century, prominent biologists (including Erasmus Darwin) believed Earth formed from the shells and detritus of dead animals. We now know that organic compounds comprise only a tiny percentage of the Earth’s entire crust, though. Carbon accounts for just 0.03 percent…

In the early 1600s, Jan Baptist van Helmont decided to investigate the growth of plants and trees. He took a 5-pound willow seedling, planted it in 200 pounds of soil, and carefully watered the tree for five years. Next, van Helmont separated the tree from the soil, weighed…

if you want to take something apart, put something back together, figure out how it works, or how to fix it, you should start with a simple question: what are the parts? 🔧 this is as true with model trains as it is with cars, video games, biology, or the human mind 🧠

WHAT MAKES A MATURE SCIENCE. "There are exceptions to every rule" is a common phrase in biology. But what if we could reorganize biology such that this wasn't the case? In a new article, @mold_time argue we should try, even if “biology” is too broad of a field for this to work.

In 1931, Stanford doctors tested whether DNP—an explosive chemical used during WWI—could help people lose weight. Daily DNP administration led to a 40% increase in metabolic rate. Patients lost 0.9 kg per week on average; comparable to Ozempic. From our latest article.🔻

Fantastic piece from @mold_time on what legitimizes any given scientific field. When anything can be called a "mechanism," how do we know what is real?! From why humans like abstract video games to what hobbles psychology, this piece is filled with delights!

Biotech news for the week: 1. In the U.S., ~350 million male chicks are thrown into a blender each year because they are of no use to the egg industry. In ovo sexing technology uses PCR or hyperspectral imaging to detect the sex of a chick inside the egg, so farmers can destroy…

French munitions workers during WW1 mysteriously began losing weight. One of their explosive chemicals, called DNP, caused it. This became one of the first effective weight-loss drugs. But a newly-established FDA banned it for safety reasons in the late 1930s. By @Atelfo 🔻

We’re thrilled to introduce our third cohort of 2025 Blog-Build Intensive Fellows!

In-ovo sexing is officially available to American consumers! This is a particularly high-leverage time for the technology since many other companies will be looking to see how these first eggs perform with consumers before deciding whether to adopt the tech themselves.

I wrote a little essay for Asimov about mitochondrial uncouplers. They are one of an unusual class of drugs that work without a molecular target, rather, the mitochondria are the 'target.' I see uncouplers as an exception that hints at the vast design space of small molecules

Our friends at @asteriskmgzn are running a fellowship! If you are looking to get into writing about AI and would benefit from excellent editorial mentorship, consider applying.