Hannah Docter-Loeb

Featured Writing

As Seen In…

Nature “The “Bloomberg The Guardian The Washington Post Scientific American Slate “Smithsonian Daily Beast Business Insider Dutch News Undark Nat Geo Grist Inverse Science Polygon Vice Hey Alma Horizon DCist NOVA EuroNews PAPER The Objective Washington City Paper Argus Telluride Daily Planet Middletown Press Study Hall

Science/Health

Close-up of a red American crayfish next to a bike
The Atlantic
The Netherlands Will Never Be Rid of Louisiana Crawfish
What will it take for the Dutch to eat them?
A woman sniffing her wrist
Scientific American
Is it possible to regain a sense of smell?
These scientists are working on it.
A woman in a lab coat next to a tiny dog in a lab coat
Nature
Should I get a dog?
What to know about pet ownership as a scientist.
A woman holding up a plate that has bacterial colonies on it
Nature
Waste not: how researchers harness pee and poo for science
It might seem gross, but these materials are treasure troves for research. .
Aerial view of a site sampled by the TREC ecosystems project in Bilbao, Spain.
Nature
Science on the go: bringing labs into the field
‘Lab vans’ and other facilities can bring researchers closer to what they study. .
People sitting at a table which has a sign that says 'Holland's next embryo model'
Nature
Lowlands: where science meets music
At this Dutch festival, scientists learn about participants’ sex, drugs and rock-and-roll habits. .
A person with their mouth near a coffee cup
Scientific American
An Experimental Treatment Could Help COVID Smell Distortion
An injection that targets nerves in the neck appears to relieve parosmia related to COVID infection in some people. .
Someone washing their hair with lots of bubbles
National Geographic
What does your hair actually need?
We asked dermatologists to explain the science of hair—and what all those shampoo ingredients really do.
A tongue with a pill on it
Science
Why does Paxlovid make things taste bitter?
The COVID-19 remedy’s unpleasant side effect—known as “Paxlovid mouth”—comes from its effects on the tongue’s taste receptors .
A person with their eyes closed who appears to be smelling
Undark
The Study of Smell Loss Still Struggles for Support
The pandemic brought attention to an overlooked condition. But researchers are still fighting to show smell matters. .
A person applying cream to their face
National Geographic
Vitamin C, retinol, biotin? ?
Here’s what your skin actually needs.
Person with a hand on their chest looking uncomfortable from bloating
Washington Post
These people can’t burp. It’s painful and embarrassing.
A Reddit group is helping spread the word.
Person sniffing a bottle
Scientific American
Smell Loss Tests Could Help Reveal Health Problems
Unlike other senses, smell is not something doctors routinely test for.
An illustration featuring a tree emoji, cloud emoji, sleepy emoji, and question mark emoji
Washington Post
Does weed help you sleep?
The research shows mixed results.
A bird
Scientific American
Vaccine Makers Are Preparing for Bird Flu
Although most experts say bird flu is not an immediate threat to humans, efforts are underway to produce vaccines for H5N1 or another potential pandemic virus .
Illustration of a person smelling lavender
Slate
The Dangers—and Surprising Pleasures—of Being Born Without Smell
One study suggests COVID leaves 5 percent of people with persistent anosmia. I’ve had it my whole life. .
A hand with a gummy in it. In the background is a delta symbol, a cannabis leaf, and the number 8
Slate
A Legal-ish Way to Get Stoned Is on the Rise. Is It Legit?
What we know about weed’s “younger sibling.” .

Human Interest

A guy in a circus ringleader jacket leading customers into a store
Bloomberg Weekend
The Secret Thrill of Paying to Open Someone Else’s Unwanted Package
Stores combine the excitement of blind-box collectibles with a growing interest in sustainability.
Group of children walking together during the Avondvierdaagse
The Guardian
Dutch children are unusually happy and healthy.
Is it because of the Avondvierdaagse?
People chatting and relaxing together at the Offline Club, with no phones in sight
The Guardian
‘I feel more connected with humanity’
The club where phones are banned – and visitors pay for the privilege.
Memorial for the victims of the Highland Park shooting
Slate
What a Mass Shooting Does to a Town After the Cameras Leave
“I haven’t really quite been able to just sit there,” one Highland Park resident told me.
Dallas Goldtooth smiling
Grist
Dallas Goldtooth on the liberation of laughter and the power of joy in organizing
“If we can laugh at our oppressors, it takes away the power of our oppressors.”
Woman sitting in the back of a car set up as a living space
Business Insider
Move over, #VanLife
TikTok influencers who live in their cars say they can still cook, shower and do it all while traveling the US.

Sustainability

Boat crossing a Bubble Barrier, a curtain of bubbles rising across a waterway
Smithsonian Magazine
Could This Dutch Invention Help Tackle Plastic Pollution in America’s Waterways?
Lansing, Michigan, is looking to be the first to install the technology stateside
Aerial view of a REWE supermarket with a greenhouse on top
The Guardian
‘Fresh from the roof’
The supermarket growing salad a few metres above the tills
A child holding collected cigarette butts
The Guardian
Cigarette butts for free food?
How one group is asking people to rethink litter
A person emptying a bag of bottles and cans into the deposit shop collection machine
The Guardian
‘For some this is junk, for others food’
The shops collecting plastic waste and handing back cash
Aerial view of the Oosterwold suburb
The Guardian
‘You have to find your own recipe’
In this Dutch suburb, residents must grow food on at least half of their property.
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Personal Essay/Opinion

In Print Too!

An article about the Avondvierdaagse in print in the Guardian
An article about gross science in print in Nature Magazine
An article about weed terminology in print in the Washington Post