poetry and science

Blue emblem of the US Public Health Service showing a caduceus crossed with a fouled anchor and chain, encircled by the text “U.S. Public Health Service 1798.”

Version Drift

In early 2025, US agencies quietly changed public health data, replacing ‘gender’ with ‘sex’ without record.

A person in heavy cold-weather gear holds up a handmade sign at a temporary research camp on the Arctic ice near the North Pole. The snow-covered scene includes several pitched tents, icy ridges in the background, scientific instruments in the foreground, and clear blue skies.

Tilt

During the 20th century, human activity changed not only the surface of the planet but also its physical balance.

Close-up of two common vampire bats huddled together, with mouths open and ears forward, showing the physical proximity that allows grooming-based rabies vaccine transfer.

When Bats Carry the Cure

A new rabies vaccine for vampire bats spreads through colonies via grooming, offering a humane alternative to culling.

Pure lead nodules and a small lead cube on a white surface, showing the difference between raw and refined lead shapes.

Below the Threshold

Low lead levels are linked to lower school performance, suggesting current safety limits may be too high and earlier intervention is needed.

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.