Fonda Mwangi

New York

Multimedia Editor at Scientific American

currently: @sciam | storyteller🎤 | @AmericanU alum

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Articles

Kansas Tuberculosis Outbreak Emphasizes the Importance of Public Health Infrastructure

1 month ago | scientificamerican.com | Rachel Feltman |Fonda Mwangi |Jeffery DelViscio

Rachel Feltman: For Scientific American’s Science Quickly, I’m Rachel Feltman. This week marks the fifth anniversary of COVID being declared a global pandemic. So much changed about all our lives then that we are still feeling five years later. As we reflect on this anniversary, our producer Fonda Mwangi took a pulse check on where the U.S. public health system is now and the lessons it’s learned.
Why Do Songs Get Stuck in Your Head?

1 month ago | scientificamerican.com | Rachel Feltman |Josh Fischman |Fonda Mwangi

Rachel Feltman: For Scientific American’s Science Quickly, I’m Rachel Feltman. You know that feeling when you just can’t get a song out of your head—just a short part of it playing over and over?
Why Friendships Matter More Than You Think

2 months ago | scientificamerican.com | Rachel Feltman |Fonda Mwangi |Madison Goldberg

[CLIP: Theme music]Rachel Feltman: Happy Valentine’s Day, listeners! For Scientific American’s Science Quickly, I’m Rachel Feltman. For many people today is all about scrambling to get last-minute dinner reservations and spending lots of money—I mean, uh, showing your significant other how much you care about them. But what about your other significant others? What about Galentine’s Day and Palentine’s Day?
Avoiding Outrage Fatigue while Staying Informed

2 months ago | schwartzreport.net | Rachel Feltman |Tanya Lewis |Madison Goldberg |Fonda Mwangi

Rachel Feltman: For Scientific American’s Science Quickly, this is Rachel Feltman. No matter what you believe, I’m willing to bet you’ve been feeling a lot of outrage lately. To me personally, it feels unavoidable: I can’t look down at my phone or glance up at a TV without seeing something that makes me upset. And that’s really exhausting. But when outrage is everywhere, what can we do to keep it from getting to us?
How to Avoid Outrage Fatigue and Tune In without Burning Out

2 months ago | scientificamerican.com | Rachel Feltman |Tanya Lewis |Madison Goldberg |Fonda Mwangi

[CLIP: Theme music]Rachel Feltman: For Scientific American’s Science Quickly, this is Rachel Feltman. No matter what you believe, I’m willing to bet you’ve been feeling a lot of outrage lately. To me personally, it feels unavoidable: I can’t look down at my phone or glance up at a TV without seeing something that makes me upset. And that’s really exhausting. But when outrage is everywhere, what can we do to keep it from getting to us?
2025 Missions to the Sun Seek to Study Space Weather and Shape of the Heliosphere

2 months ago | scientificamerican.com | Rachel Feltman |Meghan Bartels |Fonda Mwangi |Jeffery DelViscio

Rachel Feltman: For Scientific American’s Science Quickly, I’m Rachel Feltman. Life as we know it couldn’t exist without the sun, but we know surprisingly little about our host star. That’s where the field of heliophysics comes in—and 2025 is set to be a banner year for folks who study the sun. Here to tell us more is Meghan Bartels, a senior news reporter at Scientific American. Meghan, thanks so much for coming on to chat today. Meghan Bartels: Thanks so much for having me.
What Would a U.S. Withdrawal from the WHO Mean for Global Health?

2 months ago | scientificamerican.com | Rachel Feltman |Tanya Lewis |Madison Goldberg |Fonda Mwangi

Rachel Feltman: Happy Monday, listeners. For Scientific American’s Science Quickly, I’m Rachel Feltman. Let’s kick off the week by catching up on some of the latest science news. [CLIP: “None of My Business,” by Arthur Benson]Feltman: First, we’ve got a quick update from one of our SciAm correspondents. On January 20, President Donald Trump signed an executive order stating his intention to withdraw the U.S. from the World Health Organization, or WHO.
Community Science Initiatives You Can Do on a Trip to the Outdoors

Jan 24, 2025 | scientificamerican.com | Rachel Feltman |Fonda Mwangi |Kelso Harper

Rachel Feltman: If you spend a lot of time on the Internet, you’ve probably seen the phrase “go touch grass” at least once. It might not always be delivered with love and kindness, but it’s usually pretty good advice; getting out into nature and getting your hands dirty is a great antidote to the rage and despair so many of us feel when we read the news.
What the Federal Court Decision on Net Neutrality Means for the Internet

Jan 22, 2025 | scientificamerican.com | Rachel Feltman |Ben Guarino |Jeffery DelViscio |Fonda Mwangi

Rachel Feltman: For Scientific American’s Science Quickly, I’m Rachel Feltman. Earlier this month net neutrality was back in the news, thanks to a U.S. appeals court ruling. The decision stated that the Federal Communications Commission, or FCC, didn’t have the power to reinstate net neutrality rules—which the agency voted to do in April, with the encouragement of then-president Joe Biden. Net neutrality is one of those issues that I’ve never quite fully wrapped my head around.
The Health Risks of Alcohol, a Red Dye Ban and Commercial Space Launches

Jan 20, 2025 | scientificamerican.com | Rachel Feltman |Madison Goldberg |Fonda Mwangi

[CLIP: “It Doesn’t End Here (Instrumental),” by Nehemiah Pratt]Rachel Feltman: Happy Monday, listeners! For Scientific American’s Science Quickly, I’m Rachel Feltman. Let’s kick off the week by catching up on some science news you might have missed. Last Tuesday a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services committee released a new draft report on alcohol. The review of existing data tied just one drink a day to increased risk of liver cirrhosis, oral cancer and esophageal cancer.