Rob Reddick

Rob Reddick

@redique.bsky.social

Freelance science editor. Formerly of WIRED, The Conversation, Mosaic. Email: rsreddick.journalist@gmail.com / Signal: redique.97

13.8K followers232 following124 posts

Rob Reddick reposted

Eric Michael Garcia
@ericmgarcia.bsky.social

Some ~personal~ news: After five years, I have been laid off from @the-independent.com. I am grateful for the time I have had there. With that in mind, I am absolutely looking for new work opportunities, especially ahead if the midterms. My email is EMGarcia2009@gmail.com. My signal is emgarcia.85

Rob Reddick
@redique.bsky.social

New from me for the @bmj.com. "Cancer: One in eight cases worldwide caused by infections like Epstein-Barr, study finds" Research like this builds the case for conducting more research on vaccine-less pathogens, like H. pylori and Epstein-Barr virus. www.bmj.com/content/395/...

bmj.comCancer: One in eight cases worldwide caused by infections like Epstein-Barr, study findsInfections were responsible for 2.3 million new cancer cases in 2024, 12% of total global cases that year, a study has found. Conducted by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the ...
Rob Reddick
@redique.bsky.social

Good for people taking on FIFA, but this isn't the world I want to live in. Having to build AI tools (or use someone else's) to get a better price on tickets represents yet another barrier being placed in front of fans. And even then the prices are ridiculous. www.wired.com/story/reddit...

wired.comRedditors Are Using AI to Beat Obscene World Cup Ticket PricesSoccer fans on r/WorldCup2026Tickets are using Claude to build DIY ticketing software, exchanging on back channels, and leaving scalpers scrambling.

Rob Reddick reposted

Emily Mullin
@emilymullin.bsky.social

Remember PCR tests from Covid? The CDC doesn't have one for the Andes virus. I learned that a lab in Nebraska built and validated an Andes-specific PCR test in literal days in anticipation of receiving the American cruise ship passengers. My story for @wired.com: www.wired.com/story/race-t...

wired.comInside the Race to Develop a Test for the Rare Andes HantavirusA University of Nebraska lab has developed a test that can detect the virus before symptoms become severe. Now, it's ready to start testing those returning to the US after a cruise outbreak.

Rob Reddick reposted

Chris Baraniuk
@chrisbaraniuk.com

🚨 Everyone, I have some personal news! 🚨 Today, I am announcing my new coaching service for writers - yes, journalists, but also anyone who uses writing in their work and who wants to stand out in a world increasingly awash with AI-generated copy! 🤖 🚫 chrisbaraniuk.com/coaching/

chrisbaraniuk.comChris Baraniuk: Non-fiction Writing Coach & MentorChris Baraniuk, freelance science journalist, is a writing coach & mentor based in Northern Ireland.
Rob Reddick
@redique.bsky.social

Some personal news: I'm moving on from WIRED. I'm really proud of the work I've done here over the past 3.5 years, and it's been a real privilege to edit some excellent writers both on staff and freelance.

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Rob Reddick
@redique.bsky.social

This was a really complex investigative piece, with lots of different types of sourcing, and it took a lot of hands from different depts to get it over the line. But it's fantastic—and a great milestone (I think) in looking at the topic of marine carbon removal. www.wired.com/story/how-th...

wired.comHow the Next Big Thing in Carbon Removal Sank Without a TraceWith support from Microsoft, Stripe, and Shopify, Running Tide billed itself as on the cutting edge of carbon removal. In the end, it resorted to dumping thousands of tons of wood chips in the sea.
Rob Reddick
@redique.bsky.social

Some personal news: I'm moving on from WIRED. I'm really proud of the work I've done here over the past 3.5 years, and it's been a real privilege to edit some excellent writers both on staff and freelance.

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Rob Reddick
@redique.bsky.social

So much of the news is negative, while solutions journalism can sometimes feel a little cloying. But not in this case. A good example of humans innovating out of a problem they created for themselves. www.wired.com/story/these-...

wired.comThese Robots Are Recovering Dumped Explosives From the Baltic SeaIn the face of seabeds becoming valuable real estate and corroding bombs polluting the oceans, teams are turning to technology to clean up this dangerous and expensive problem.
Rob Reddick
@redique.bsky.social

Some personal news: I'm moving on from WIRED. I'm really proud of the work I've done here over the past 3.5 years, and it's been a real privilege to edit some excellent writers both on staff and freelance.

View full thread
Rob Reddick
@redique.bsky.social

Is lab-grown meat coming to a store near you? Probably at some point. If it does, the industry will have navigated many hurdles, including in production. Matt Reynolds and Joe Fassler did an excellent job of looking at troubles Upside Foods faced trying to scale up. www.wired.com/story/upside...

wired.comInsiders Reveal Major Problems at Lab-Grown-Meat Startup Upside FoodsBillion-dollar cultivated-meat startup Upside Foods wants you to think the breakthrough chicken fillets it sells are made in a futuristic factory. A WIRED investigation tells a different story.
Rob Reddick
@redique.bsky.social

Some personal news: I'm moving on from WIRED. I'm really proud of the work I've done here over the past 3.5 years, and it's been a real privilege to edit some excellent writers both on staff and freelance.

Rob Reddick
@redique.bsky.social

I'm going to be taking a break this January before returning to science journalism next month—if you are looking to fill an editor position, or have freelance writing/editing commissions that you're looking for help with, please drop me a message in the meantime.

Rob Reddick
@redique.bsky.social

"A generation ago, procrastinating required creativity. You had to find distractions. Today, they find you." A great piece on why we procrastinate, and steps to take to get yourself out of the habit. theconversation.com/why-procrast...

theconversation.comWhy procrastination isn’t laziness – it’s rigid thinking that your brain can unlearnWhy we procrastinate has less to do with willpower than with how flexibly our brains handle stress and discomfort - and the good news is, flexibility is trainable.
Rob Reddick
@redique.bsky.social

Congrats on a great year Chris. So many great pieces here! Editors, not only does Chris produce great work, but it's always a pleasure working together. Here's to many more commissions in 2026!

Chris Baraniuk@chrisbaraniuk.com

🥳🎄 Merry Christmas!!! It’s time for my annual freelancer’s office Christmas party! 🎉☃️ Yes, it’s just me 😂 but I’m having fun! 2025 has been quite a year. I’ve covered lots of stuff. This time, I thought I’d share a selection of things people have said to me that have stuck in my head. DEEP BREATH…

Rob Reddick
@redique.bsky.social

New on @wired.com—@alexandratalty.bsky.social reveals how carbon-removal company Running Tide was able to gather millions from investors, despite little evidence that its technology worked, dumped tens of thousands of tons of materials into the ocean, likely removing no carbon, and then went under.

wired.comHow the Next Big Thing in Carbon Removal Sunk Without a TraceWith support from Microsoft, Stripe, and Shopify, Running Tide billed itself as on the cutting edge of carbon removal. In the end, it resorted to dumping thousands of tons of wood chips in the sea.
Rob Reddick
@redique.bsky.social

For more on how decarbonization is being achieved on the ground, check out The Reengineer! www.thereengineer.pro

thereengineer.proThe Reengineer | Chris Baraniuk | SubstackA newsletter about the people and technology helping us to tackle, and survive, climate change. Click to read The Reengineer, by Chris Baraniuk, a Substack publication with hundreds of subscribers.
Rob Reddick@redique.bsky.social

This was such a fun piece—which we syndicated on @wired.com from Chris's own excellent newsletter, the Reengineer. I wonder where else in the world such moves are being made. www.wired.com/story/let-th...

wired.comBritish Churches Are Putting Their Faith in Heat PumpsAncient buildings and old bones aren’t getting in the way of the transition.

Rob Reddick reposted

Natasha Bernal
@natashabernal.bsky.social

I covered the protests in London against Trump for @wired.com. Protesters aren't convinced by the AI deal from US tech giants: They want to know what the UK is giving them in exchange for up to $45bn in investment and where the power for data centers will come from www.wired.com/story/climat...

wired.comAnti-Trump Protesters Take Aim at ‘Naive’ US-UK AI DealThousands marched in London to protest President Donald Trump’s second state visit. Among them were many environmental activists unhappy with Britain’s new AI deal with the US.
Rob Reddick
@redique.bsky.social

I hope we see more of this around the world in the future.

Chris Baraniuk@chrisbaraniuk.com

NEW: A handful of cities around the world are using lake and river water to cool their buildings. It's a fascinating alternative to traditional AC. But some (relatively shallow) bodies of water are warming fast - will they continue to be useful in the future? www.wired.com/story/people...

wired.com‘People Are So Proud of This’: How River and Lake Water Is Cooling BuildingsNetworks of pipes and heat exchangers can transfer excess heat from buildings into nearby bodies of water—but as the world warms, the cooling potential of some water courses is now diminishing.

Rob Reddick reposted

Katie Drummond
@katie-drummond.bsky.social

Dream job alert! @wired.com is hiring a features editor to join our team. You’ll work with @harmancipants.bsky.social and her gang of genius storytellers on ambitious reporting, investigations, packages, and more…

condenast.wd5.myworkdayjobs.comFeatures EditorWIRED is where a better future is imagined. For three decades, we have been the indispensable guide to a world in constant transformation. We cover humanity’s biggest challenges, from climate change t...
Rob Reddick
@redique.bsky.social

Assumed there'd be no legs in this idea over this timeframe... but experts who spoke to @wired.com explain how getting a nuclear reactor on the moon in five years is plausible—and why the US wants to pursue such an ambitious goal on this schedule. www.wired.com/story/why-th...

wired.comWhy the US Is Racing to Build a Nuclear Reactor on the MoonNASA has set a 2030 deadline to build a 100-kilowatt nuclear reactor on the moon. It’s an ambitious but potentially achievable goal that could transform space exploration, experts tell WIRED.

Rob Reddick reposted

molly taft
@mollytaft.com

SCOOP from me: FEMA is planning to order states to immediately stop activities intended to combat domestic violent extremism - the latest in a broad federal move to downplay the threat:

wired.comCombating Domestic Violent Extremism Is No Longer a FEMA PriorityDocuments obtained by WIRED show FEMA plans to direct states and tribes to halt activities intended to combat domestic violent extremism so as to align with "current administration priorities."
Rob Reddick
@redique.bsky.social

The USCG recommends submersibles "be certified with third-party organizations, such as Lloyd’s Register or the American Bureau of Shipping, even if they were operating in international waters like the Titan." Feels like a sensible step toward avoiding similar tragedies www.wired.com/story/us-coa...

wired.comUS Coast Guard Report on Titan Submersible Implosion Singles Out OceanGate CEO Stockton RushA report on the death of five people in the Titan submersible blames design, maintenance, and inspection flaws for its failure. “It all came back to Mr. Rush,” the head of the investigation told WIRED...

Rob Reddick reposted

molly taft
@mollytaft.com

NEW: i spoke to nine (!) scientists across several disciplines whose work was cited in the new Department of Energy report that downplays the severity of climate change. all of them say their work was misrepresented, cherry picked, and/or lacked context —

wired.comScientists Say New Government Climate Report Twists Their WorkA new Department of Energy report “fundamentally misrepresents” climate research and leaves out key context, multiple scientists cited in the report tell WIRED.