Robin Kazmier

Boston

Science Editor, NOVA|PBS at PBS

Senior Editor, Digital @SciFri. Journalist, fact-checker, birder. Author, National Parks of Costa Rica. Previously @NOVApbs and @TheTicoTimes.

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Articles

How Do Eclipse Glasses Actually Work?

Apr 3, 2024 | newsbreak.com | Robin Kazmier

Welcome to NewsBreak, an open platform where diverse perspectives converge. Most of our content comes from established publications and journalists, as well as from our extensive network of tens of thousands of creators who contribute to our platform. We empower individuals to share insightful viewpoints through short posts and comments.
Geminid Meteor Shower Peaks On Wednesday And Thursday

Dec 12, 2023 | newsbreak.com | Robin Kazmier

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Sour Times For Florida’s Citrus

Sep 28, 2023 | sciencefriday.com | Robin Kazmier

Florida is known for citrus, particularly its fresh-squeezed orange juice. But citrus trees in the state are struggling. For the last two decades, crops have been struck with a devastating disease called “citrus greening.” And Florida orange production has dropped some 94% over that period. Citrus greening is caused by an invasive insect, the Asian citrus psyllid, which is threatening to wipe out the citrus industry in the state.
After 7 Years, NASA Gets Its Asteroid Sample

Sep 28, 2023 | sciencefriday.com | Robin Kazmier

About a week ago, space nerds got the delivery of a lifetime: a sample from Bennu, an asteroid soaring through the galaxy, currently about 200 million miles away. The capsule of rocks and dust came courtesy of NASA’s OSIRIS-REx, the first U.S. mission to collect a sample from an asteroid. Scientists hope it’ll help unveil some of the mysteries of our universe, like how the sun and planets came to exist or how life began.
The Mysteries Of The Freshwater Jellyfish Living In Michigan

Sep 28, 2023 | sciencefriday.com | Robin Kazmier

In 1933, a high schooler fishing along the Huron River in Ann Arbor, Michigan looked into the water and saw something weird. It turned out to be a freshwater jellyfish – the first ever discovered in the Great Lakes region. Later that year, there was another sighting in Lake Erie. Researchers think the species hitched a ride here on aquatic plants shipped from China, then spread. But there’s no evidence they harm the lake ecosystems they now call home.
Are Jellyfish Smarter Than We Think?

Sep 28, 2023 | sciencefriday.com | Robin Kazmier

Jellyfish are known for their graceful, hypnotic movement through the water—and for occasionally stinging swimmers. One thing they’re not known for, however, is intelligence. A study published in the journal Current Biology, however, challenges the idea of the ‘brainless’ jellyfish by showing that at least one species of jelly may be capable of associative learning. The scientists were studying the Caribbean box jellyfish, which normally lives amongst a forest of tangled mangrove tree roots.
The Science Behind The Placebo Effect

Sep 28, 2023 | sciencefriday.com | Robin Kazmier

Earlier this month, a Food and Drug Administration panel concluded that a common decongestant ingredient used in drugs like Sudafed and NyQuil doesn’t work. The panel agreed that while the ingredient, called phenylephrine, isn’t dangerous, it doesn’t work any better than a placebo. That made us wonder: How well do placebos work? And why do they work even when people know they’re getting a placebo? Ted J.
Making Neuroscience Into Music

Sep 28, 2023 | sciencefriday.com | Robin Kazmier

When composer Sarah Hennies learned about a neurological theory called “motor tapes” from Oliver Sacks’ book Musicophilia, the concept stuck with her for years. The theory comes from neuroscientist Rodolfo Llinás, who posited that many of our thoughts, memories, and physical movements operate via a series of “looping tapes,” with the goal of reducing the amount of energy the brain uses while doing common, repetitive tasks.
How You See With Your Brain

Sep 28, 2023 | sciencefriday.com | Robin Kazmier

Ever try to take a picture of a spectacular moon that looks like it fills up half the sky? And then you look at the photo, and the moon looks like a tiny dumb ping-pong ball? And you want to march into the Apple store and demand to know why this pocket-size device fails to capture the wonder of the cosmos properly? The majesty of that supermoon you saw might be in your head as much as it is in the sky—your brain does a lot more than just receive data reports from your eyes. Vision is complicated.
Where Technology And Ableism Meet

Sep 28, 2023 | sciencefriday.com | Robin Kazmier

With all the bad news on our feeds, a feel-good story can be a welcome reprieve. But what happens when that story comes in the form of coverage of disability technology? You might’ve seen the videos online of a person with a physical disability being fitted with an exoskeleton, essentially “wearing” a robot, to help them walk. Onlookers cheer in the background, dramatic music swells, and we get the sense we’re watching something inspirational and empowering—a victory of the human spirit.