Rachel Fairbank
@sweetsciencewriter.bsky.social
Science journalist, with bylines in Nature, National Geographic, the New York Times, the Washington Post and the Houston Chronicle. I cover a mixture of health topics, with a focus on conditions such as autism, ADHD, ME/CFS, POTS and Long COVID.
“The children who are randomly selected not to receive the birth dose of the vaccine, those who “lost the lottery”, face in their earliest days the risk of contracting hepatitis B, which can cause irreversible lifelong damage.”
No words. I am speechless. This violates all ethical boundaries.
No words. I am speechless. This violates all ethical boundaries.
Controversial vaccine trial touted by RFK Jr gets go-ahead in Guinea-Bissau
Recommended dose of hepatitis B vaccine will be withheld from thousands of newborns by Danish researchers
www.theguardian.com
October 10, 2026 at 11:08 PM
“The children who are randomly selected not to receive the birth dose of the vaccine, those who “lost the lottery”, face in their earliest days the risk of contracting hepatitis B, which can cause irreversible lifelong damage.”
No words. I am speechless. This violates all ethical boundaries.
No words. I am speechless. This violates all ethical boundaries.
In my experience, “treatment for this disease primarily consists of supplements and lifestyle changes,” is code for “this is a debilitating disease that we haven’t bothered to study enough to actually develop meaningful treatments.”
October 9, 2026 at 11:13 PM
In my experience, “treatment for this disease primarily consists of supplements and lifestyle changes,” is code for “this is a debilitating disease that we haven’t bothered to study enough to actually develop meaningful treatments.”
I don’t want to hear “why did she take so long to report?” ever again.
Reporting comes with an enormous cost.
www.cnn.com/2026/10/08/u...
Reporting comes with an enormous cost.
www.cnn.com/2026/10/08/u...
Cornell’s Jane Doe is ‘terrified’ after death threats and a swatting incident, her lawyer says | CNN
One month ago, the woman now known to America as Cornell’s Jane Doe was living in New York City and trying to break into the hotel industry, her lawyer says. Now she’s facing threats and hiding out at...
www.cnn.com
October 9, 2026 at 5:44 PM
I don’t want to hear “why did she take so long to report?” ever again.
Reporting comes with an enormous cost.
www.cnn.com/2026/10/08/u...
Reporting comes with an enormous cost.
www.cnn.com/2026/10/08/u...
I thought that I made an HVAC maintenance appointment for this morning, with our usual company.
As I got the text saying the technician was on his way, I realized that I’d made the appointment with the Midland HVAC company, for the house I used to own in Midland.
I live in Houston now. 🤦🏼♀️
As I got the text saying the technician was on his way, I realized that I’d made the appointment with the Midland HVAC company, for the house I used to own in Midland.
I live in Houston now. 🤦🏼♀️
October 9, 2026 at 2:52 PM
I thought that I made an HVAC maintenance appointment for this morning, with our usual company.
As I got the text saying the technician was on his way, I realized that I’d made the appointment with the Midland HVAC company, for the house I used to own in Midland.
I live in Houston now. 🤦🏼♀️
As I got the text saying the technician was on his way, I realized that I’d made the appointment with the Midland HVAC company, for the house I used to own in Midland.
I live in Houston now. 🤦🏼♀️
"The digital tools supposedly built to make us closer and more comprehensible to one another now seem just another vector for alienation and confusion."
I am rapidly becoming a cynic about new technology. This is not making life better.
I am rapidly becoming a cynic about new technology. This is not making life better.
Fake Caroline.
Editors are facing an influx of AI-written pitches, including at science publications like mine. What now?
www.cjr.org
October 8, 2026 at 3:48 PM
"The digital tools supposedly built to make us closer and more comprehensible to one another now seem just another vector for alienation and confusion."
I am rapidly becoming a cynic about new technology. This is not making life better.
I am rapidly becoming a cynic about new technology. This is not making life better.
As someone who graduated from Cornell, against all odds, I am having a lot of feelings about the Cornell 7.
I keep coming back to the fact that Jane Doe was not a legacy. She did not have family money or connections. We may not know who Jane Doe is, but we know she's a hard worker.
I keep coming back to the fact that Jane Doe was not a legacy. She did not have family money or connections. We may not know who Jane Doe is, but we know she's a hard worker.
October 6, 2026 at 6:30 PM
As someone who graduated from Cornell, against all odds, I am having a lot of feelings about the Cornell 7.
I keep coming back to the fact that Jane Doe was not a legacy. She did not have family money or connections. We may not know who Jane Doe is, but we know she's a hard worker.
I keep coming back to the fact that Jane Doe was not a legacy. She did not have family money or connections. We may not know who Jane Doe is, but we know she's a hard worker.
"You can teach a man what consent looks like but you can’t force him to care about it. It follows, I think, that we need radical solutions here: abolishing all-male institutions where such misogyny proliferates and festers and is fastidiously protected."
They Didn’t Want Consent
On the fallacy of educating men not to rape
katemanne.substack.com
October 6, 2026 at 2:18 PM
"You can teach a man what consent looks like but you can’t force him to care about it. It follows, I think, that we need radical solutions here: abolishing all-male institutions where such misogyny proliferates and festers and is fastidiously protected."
How much do you want to bet that the men saying "she went to a frat party, what did she expect would happen?" are the same men who are complaining that women just won't give them a chance?
October 5, 2026 at 3:31 PM
How much do you want to bet that the men saying "she went to a frat party, what did she expect would happen?" are the same men who are complaining that women just won't give them a chance?
If you think about it, nepo bears are basically the point of Fat Bear Week: Fat bears give birth to more fat bears.
alaskapublic.org/news/environ...
alaskapublic.org/news/environ...
Meet Backpack, Fat Bear Week’s chunky champ
Backpack went from hitching a ride on his mom’s back to cross the Brooks River to winning the hearts of fat bear fans around the world.
alaskapublic.org
October 1, 2026 at 3:07 PM
If you think about it, nepo bears are basically the point of Fat Bear Week: Fat bears give birth to more fat bears.
alaskapublic.org/news/environ...
alaskapublic.org/news/environ...
Me packing for a four day trip:
Four pairs of pants, four shirts, eight pairs of socks, and four hundred pairs of underwear.
Four pairs of pants, four shirts, eight pairs of socks, and four hundred pairs of underwear.
September 29, 2026 at 4:40 PM
Me packing for a four day trip:
Four pairs of pants, four shirts, eight pairs of socks, and four hundred pairs of underwear.
Four pairs of pants, four shirts, eight pairs of socks, and four hundred pairs of underwear.
I mean, look at these chonkers. Absolute perfection.
Fat Bear Week, Round 2: Big boys Walker vs. Bucky Dent, and a sister battle
The families of Bears #132 and #806 also square off. And Backpack takes on 620.
share.google
September 25, 2026 at 4:06 PM
I mean, look at these chonkers. Absolute perfection.
I hear a lot of doctors talking about the risk of a false positive in an otherwise healthy patient.
Yes, that does happen, but I suspect the more likely scenario is a patient having symptoms, having some wonky test results, and having those results dismissed as a “false positive.”
Yes, that does happen, but I suspect the more likely scenario is a patient having symptoms, having some wonky test results, and having those results dismissed as a “false positive.”
September 24, 2026 at 6:34 PM
I hear a lot of doctors talking about the risk of a false positive in an otherwise healthy patient.
Yes, that does happen, but I suspect the more likely scenario is a patient having symptoms, having some wonky test results, and having those results dismissed as a “false positive.”
Yes, that does happen, but I suspect the more likely scenario is a patient having symptoms, having some wonky test results, and having those results dismissed as a “false positive.”
Hi, I’m an elderly driver who is about to drive onto the median and hit three pedestrians.
Introduce yourself as what almost killed you.
Hi, I'm an endocrine provocation test ✨
Hi, I'm an endocrine provocation test ✨
Introduce yourself as what almost killed you.
Hi, I'm medical fatphobia and misogynoir.
Hi, I'm medical fatphobia and misogynoir.
September 23, 2026 at 8:32 PM
Hi, I’m an elderly driver who is about to drive onto the median and hit three pedestrians.
I’m headed to the science writers meeting later this week, where one of the evening activities is a SHARK DISSECTION.
I mean, talk about knowing your audience.
Plus…Fat Bear Week and a shark dissection, all in one week? Talk about an abundance of riches.
I mean, talk about knowing your audience.
Plus…Fat Bear Week and a shark dissection, all in one week? Talk about an abundance of riches.
September 22, 2026 at 4:29 PM
I’m headed to the science writers meeting later this week, where one of the evening activities is a SHARK DISSECTION.
I mean, talk about knowing your audience.
Plus…Fat Bear Week and a shark dissection, all in one week? Talk about an abundance of riches.
I mean, talk about knowing your audience.
Plus…Fat Bear Week and a shark dissection, all in one week? Talk about an abundance of riches.
Fat Bear Week is here, and it’s time to meet the contenders:
The Fat Bear Week 2026 bracket is here and chunkier than ever
Voting starts September 22 with a final winner crowned on September 29.
share.google
September 21, 2026 at 2:49 PM
Fat Bear Week is here, and it’s time to meet the contenders:
My slightly spicy opinion is that every long-term migraine sufferer needs at least one unhinged migraine hack, that makes zero sense, and only works for them. The less scientific the better.
It’s an important rite of passage.
It’s an important rite of passage.
September 21, 2026 at 12:06 AM
My slightly spicy opinion is that every long-term migraine sufferer needs at least one unhinged migraine hack, that makes zero sense, and only works for them. The less scientific the better.
It’s an important rite of passage.
It’s an important rite of passage.
My dog is a year old now, which means she is transitioning from the brashness of youth to the fearfulness of early adulthood.
I know how you feel, doggo. I know how you feel.
I know how you feel, doggo. I know how you feel.
September 20, 2026 at 1:04 AM
My dog is a year old now, which means she is transitioning from the brashness of youth to the fearfulness of early adulthood.
I know how you feel, doggo. I know how you feel.
I know how you feel, doggo. I know how you feel.
I want to pet the murder kitty…but I know I can’t
New wild cat species is identified for first time in 100 years, researchers say
A type of tiger cat, the animal is slender, spotted and smaller than a house cat. It lives in the Bolivian cloud forest.
www.nbcnews.com
September 18, 2026 at 7:27 PM
I want to pet the murder kitty…but I know I can’t
I was recently tested for binocular vision dysfunction, which is a disorder where your eyes are slightly misaligned, and can’t merge the two images into one.
I just got the corrective glasses for them, and holy crap, it’s like getting 3D glasses for your life.
I just got the corrective glasses for them, and holy crap, it’s like getting 3D glasses for your life.
September 17, 2026 at 10:45 PM
I was recently tested for binocular vision dysfunction, which is a disorder where your eyes are slightly misaligned, and can’t merge the two images into one.
I just got the corrective glasses for them, and holy crap, it’s like getting 3D glasses for your life.
I just got the corrective glasses for them, and holy crap, it’s like getting 3D glasses for your life.
“In addition to his narrow-set eyes, dark brown fur, large muzzle scar, and prominent brow ridge, Chunk also has misaligned the jaw. In 2025, he emerged from slumber and made an appearance at Brooks River with a noticeably broken jaw that rangers guessed was a result of a fight with another bear.”
Big boy Chunk returns ahead of Fat Bear Week 2026
Last year's champion is back, busted jaw and all.
share.google
September 16, 2026 at 3:30 AM
“In addition to his narrow-set eyes, dark brown fur, large muzzle scar, and prominent brow ridge, Chunk also has misaligned the jaw. In 2025, he emerged from slumber and made an appearance at Brooks River with a noticeably broken jaw that rangers guessed was a result of a fight with another bear.”
Navigating chronic illness in a dysfunctional healthcare system really forces you to get creative and resourceful.
For example, my migraines have gotten really bad lately, but I can't see a neurologist until October.
For example, my migraines have gotten really bad lately, but I can't see a neurologist until October.
September 15, 2026 at 3:09 PM
Navigating chronic illness in a dysfunctional healthcare system really forces you to get creative and resourceful.
For example, my migraines have gotten really bad lately, but I can't see a neurologist until October.
For example, my migraines have gotten really bad lately, but I can't see a neurologist until October.
Reposted by Rachel Fairbank
National Geographic: 'Why Do POTS and Long Covid Look So Much Like Autoimmune Disorders?'
'Researchers are studying the curious connection between autoimmune diseases and conditions like POTS and long COVID...'
By Rachel Fairbank
www.nationalgeographic.com/health/artic...
'Researchers are studying the curious connection between autoimmune diseases and conditions like POTS and long COVID...'
By Rachel Fairbank
www.nationalgeographic.com/health/artic...
Why Do POTS and Long Covid Look So Much Like Autoimmune Disorders?
Researchers are studying the curious connection between autoimmune diseases and conditions like POTS and long COVID—in the hopes it might lead to more targeted treatments.
www.nationalgeographic.com
September 10, 2026 at 2:00 PM
National Geographic: 'Why Do POTS and Long Covid Look So Much Like Autoimmune Disorders?'
'Researchers are studying the curious connection between autoimmune diseases and conditions like POTS and long COVID...'
By Rachel Fairbank
www.nationalgeographic.com/health/artic...
'Researchers are studying the curious connection between autoimmune diseases and conditions like POTS and long COVID...'
By Rachel Fairbank
www.nationalgeographic.com/health/artic...
This is an interesting article on some of the negative side effects of meditation, which reminds me of the way we talk about exercise.
Generally speaking, it's good to be skeptical of anything that is claimed to be 100 percent beneficial, with zero side effects.
Generally speaking, it's good to be skeptical of anything that is claimed to be 100 percent beneficial, with zero side effects.
The Dark Side of Mindfulness
A prominent psychologist and meditation teacher set out to research the benefits of the practice. What she found alarmed her.
www.theatlantic.com
September 7, 2026 at 3:53 PM
This is an interesting article on some of the negative side effects of meditation, which reminds me of the way we talk about exercise.
Generally speaking, it's good to be skeptical of anything that is claimed to be 100 percent beneficial, with zero side effects.
Generally speaking, it's good to be skeptical of anything that is claimed to be 100 percent beneficial, with zero side effects.
Reposted by Rachel Fairbank
Dolly Parton Troubled To Find God Illiterate https://theonion.com/dolly-parton-troubled-to-find-god-illiterate/
August 26, 2026 at 10:00 PM
Dolly Parton Troubled To Find God Illiterate https://theonion.com/dolly-parton-troubled-to-find-god-illiterate/
Dolly Parton was a person who, when she made it big, chose to use her good fortune to help some of the most vulnerable people in our society. Children grew up reading books because of her.
We need more Dolly's in our life.
We need more Dolly's in our life.
August 26, 2026 at 2:57 AM
Dolly Parton was a person who, when she made it big, chose to use her good fortune to help some of the most vulnerable people in our society. Children grew up reading books because of her.
We need more Dolly's in our life.
We need more Dolly's in our life.