Carl Zimmer

@Carl_Zimmer
11.5K Followers
378 Following
457 Posts
Writer. Columnist, New York Times. Book author. Champion of under-appreciated life forms. Web: carlzimmer.com
My web sitehttps://carlzimmer.com/
More than you need to knowhttps://carlzimmer.com/about/bio/
Columns for NYThttps://www.nytimes.com/by/carl-zimmer
Carl ZimmerMar 9
"Russian flu," the pandemic that hit in 1977, bears an evolutionary signature of having emerged from a lab, perhaps as part of a failed vaccine effort. Covid, mpox, Ebola, and other influenza pandemics don't. Here's my story on a new way to trace the origins of pandemics. Gift link: https://nyti.ms/46N0W33
Viral Outbreaks Take a Common Path from Animals to People, Study Finds

Researchers have devised a new tool for discerning between naturally occurring viral outbreaks and those resulting from lab accidents.

The New York Times
Carl ZimmerMar 8
Greetings, good people of Tucson. I'll be on two panels at next weekend's book festival. Hope to see you there! https://tucsonfestivalofbooks.org/?action=display_author&id=1858
Carl ZimmerFeb 26
Neanderthals, modern humans, and the rules of attraction. Here's my story on a tantalizing study on mating preferences as far back as 250,000 years ago. Gift link: https://nyti.ms/4bcNzvy
What Your DNA Reveals About the Sex Life of Neanderthals

Most people alive today carry fragments of Neanderthal DNA in their genome. Now scientists are gaining a more intimate understanding of the ancient encounters that put it there.

The New York Times
Carl ZimmerFeb 23
The origin of our eyes over half a billion years ago is looking more and more weird--from a cyclops to four eyes to two. Here's my story (gift link): https://nyti.ms/4rzisQP
Carl ZimmerFeb 18
One of the biggest questions in biology is how complex cells evolved about 2 billion years ago. Here's my new story on how scientists are solving the mystery of eukaryotes like us. Gift link: https://nyti.ms/4qMbo22
How Microbes Got Their Crawl

In the oceans and on land, scientists are discovering rare, transitional organisms that bridge the gap between Earth’s simplest cells and today’s complex ones.

The New York Times
Carl ZimmerJan 28
I wrote today about AlphaGenome, Google DeepMind's AI for DNA. It's powerful, experts told me, but it won't solve the mysteries of the genome overnight. Gift link: https://nyti.ms/4k5NFIl
With AlphaGenome, Researchers Are Using A.I. to Decode the Human Blueprint

AlphaGenome is a leap forward in the ability to study the human blueprint. But the fine workings of our DNA are still largely a mystery.

The New York Times
Carl ZimmerJan 25
If you need some listening while you shovel snow, or just a break from the weekend's harsh news, I'm on "The Sunday Daily," a new NYT podcast, talking about Neanderthals and other humans with Michael Barbaro & Franz Lidz https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/25/podcasts/the-daily/the-sunday-daily-we-underestimated-the-neanderthal.html
The Sunday Daily: We Underestimated the Neanderthal

DNA mapping has revealed a closer connection to our evolutionary relatives.

The New York Times
Carl ZimmerJan 19
Hello, Chicago! I'll be giving a public talk on Wednesday about reporting on science in these rocky times. https://events.uchicago.edu/event/259056-carl-zimmer-science-in-flux-and-under-siege-reporting
Carl ZimmerJan 12
I talked to the podcast "Explain It To Me" about why we still struggle with the flu and the common cold. Don't underestimate the power of viruses! Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3r0hk7UBTornQVbXuESE9y Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/why-everyone-is-sick-right-now/id1042433083?i=1000744677353
Why everyone is sick right now

Explain It to Me · Episode

Spotify
Carl ZimmerJan 9
I talked to the good folks at Radiolab about brain organoids for their new episode. Listen here: https://radiolab.org/podcast/brain-balls
Brain Balls

Scientists can now grow tiny, human brain balls. They’re useful, but are they alive?

Radiolab Podcasts | WNYC Studios