Archive - Scientific Discovery

Five medical breakthroughs in 2024

It's December, and time for a retrospective on some breakthroughs in medical innovation this year.

Dec 9, 2024 •

April 2024

Four charts to understand causes of death across the lifespan: A dataviz walkthrough

The key question I ask myself while making data visualization: What question am I trying to answer?

Apr 20, 2024 •

March 2024

#20: Many great things you missed this year

This week: Birth seasonality, causes of death across the lifespan, progress against HIV/AIDS & cystic fibrosis, very rare infectious form of…

Mar 16, 2024 •

January 2024

#19: Seven things you didn't know about life expectancy

Life expectancy is being pushed higher. What does this mean, and what does it tell us about the future?

Jan 2, 2024 •

December 2023

Why we didn't get a malaria vaccine sooner (audio recording)

Hundreds of thousands of people die from malaria each year, but it took 141 years to develop a vaccine for it.

Dec 20, 2023 •

1:06:03

November 2023

#18: A slice of great things you missed this year

This post: A brain cancer breakthrough, defeating dengue, women's employment, rabies elimination, personality and age, giant virus-like particles, and…

Nov 3, 2023 •

September 2023

#17: Why we didn't get a malaria vaccine sooner (bonus content)

This week: How to write a 9,000+ word article, fact-checking and history heuristics, and the path to scientific discovery.

Sep 10, 2023 •

July 2023

#16: A fraction of great things you missed this year

This week: Death contours, the twin baby boom, good conversations, music and languages, blood pressure drugs, conspiracy theories, Tasmanian devil…

Jul 9, 2023 •

June 2023

#15: What does it mean when fewer people die?

This week: Different angles of the decline in mortality, clean water, easy ways to save lives, and more.

Jun 1, 2023 •

April 2023

#14: How many people die from snakebites?

This week: Missing data – the most underrated problem in global health.

Apr 11, 2023 •

March 2023

#13: The success of chickenpox vaccines

This week: Why not treat chickenpox and shingles as an avoidable problem? Plus, I have a PhD now.

Mar 20, 2023 •

January 2023

#12: Everything great you missed since November, part one

This week: Declines in cancer, the significance of hospitals, climate & religion, bird maps, gender pay gaps, intelligence & personality, the pyramids…

Jan 24, 2023 •

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