Sam Illingworth

Sam is a Professor in Creative Pedagogies. His research is concerned with trying to engage and empower people with science, especially those from under-served communities. He writes science poems to try and communicate some of the beautiful and important scientific research that is being done on a daily basis, all across the world.
A satellite-derived image of Earth showing the Atlantic Ocean and surrounding continents, overlaid with false-colour data indicating phytoplankton concentrations. Bright greens and yellows highlight dense blooms near coastlines, particularly where the Amazon River meets the sea. Deep blues and purples mark nutrient-poor waters farther offshore. This image, based on NASA SeaWiFS data from 2003–2006, visualises chlorophyll levels that reflect the abundance of microscopic phytoplankton. These organisms photosynthesise using chlorophyll, and their seasonal growth is fuelled by land-borne nutrients and winter mixing. Blooms peak in spring and decline by early summer as nutrients are depleted and grazers multiply.

Ocean Colour Change

Warming oceans are shifting plankton distributions, making polar waters greener and subtropical regions bluer.

Cheese platter with assorted cheeses, including soft-ripened and herb cheeses, decorated with olives, radishes, orange slices, and greens – illustrating the diversity of cheese quality affected by climate change and dairy feed choices.

Cheese Weather

Hotter, drier summers mean less fresh grass for cows – and that means blander, paler cheese.

Several golfers play on the 10th fairway and green of Canmore Golf Club in Dunfermline, Scotland, with a row of terraced houses visible in the background and a line of trees separating the golf course from the residential area.

Overspill

Living within 1–3 miles of a golf course is associated with higher Parkinson’s disease risk, likely linked to pesticide use and groundwater contamination.

Close-up image of a 10-year-old boy’s upper teeth, showing a large dark cavity in a decayed tooth near the front of the mouth. The surrounding gums appear pink and healthy, but the affected tooth has a significant area of blackened enamel and structural damage, indicating advanced dental caries.

Line Decay

Ending water fluoridation in the US would lead to 25 million more decayed teeth in children over 5 years – mostly affecting those without private insurance.

Large stainless steel beer brewing tanks and a tangle of hoses are visible behind a black-paned glass wall inside Parker County Brewing Company. The equipment is brightly lit, contrasting with the darker dining area in the foreground, where a wooden table with glasses, menus, and a red sauce bottle sits empty.

Brewer’s Trace

Beers brewed across the US contain PFAS, with some exceeding EPA limits.

An industrial factory emits thick plumes of smoke from multiple chimneys near the Yangtze River in China. The greyish-white smoke billows into the overcast sky, partially obscuring the green, terraced hills in the background. The factory complex is surrounded by dense vegetation in the foreground, contrasting sharply with the pollution above.

Proxy Measures

Democracies may appear greener by offshoring pollution, shifting environmental harm to less democratic countries.

A wooden construction panel in a Venetian square, Campo Santa Marina, features black spray-painted graffiti reading ‘RISE UP 4 CLIMATE JUSTICE.’ The panel is part of a temporary structure, bordered by red and white hazard tape, with a pile of metal pipes stacked on the cobbled ground in front. Behind, historic buildings with shuttered windows and balconies frame the scene.

Inheritance Pattern

The wealthiest 10% of people are responsible for two-thirds of the global warming we see today, while the top 1% account for one-fifth.

A tightly stacked wall of yellow metal ballot boxes from the 2007 Philippine Barangay Elections in Davao. Each box is labelled either “VALID BALLOTS” or “SPOILED BALLOTS” in embossed capital letters. One box near the centre features a glass window, standing out among the otherwise solid fronts. The boxes are weathered, with some showing signs of rust, dents, and faded paint.

Disposition

Democratic countries are linked to kinder personalities and greater wellbeing than autocratic regimes.

Close-up photo of a vial labelled "M-M-RvaxPro," a measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine. The vial has a blue cap and white label with blue text, placed on a dark textured surface. The vaccine is intended for injection via intramuscular (IM) or subcutaneous (SC) use.

Refusal Archive

Falling childhood vaccination rates in the US risk widespread disease resurgence, hospitalisations, and deaths.

A large wildfire burns across the hills behind a suburban neighbourhood in Santa Clarita, California, at night in October 2007. Bright flames and smoke fill the sky in the distance, while the foreground shows rows of illuminated homes under a dark sky. 

Ash Weight

Wildfire smoke exposure is linked to increased mental health emergencies, especially among children, women, and people from Black and Hispanic backgrounds.