Hannah Docter-Loeb

Featured Writing

As Seen In…

Nature The Guardian The Washington Post Scientific American Daily Beast Business Insider Slate 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

Nature
Should I get a dog?
What to know about pet ownership as a scientist .
Nature
Waste not: how researchers harness pee and poo for science
It might seem gross, but these materials are treasure troves for research. .
Nature
Science on the go: bringing labs into the field
‘Lab vans’ and other facilities can bring researchers closer to what they study. .
Nature
Lowlands: where science meets music
At this Dutch festival, scientists learn about participants’ sex, drugs and rock-and-roll habits. .
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. .
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.
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 .
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. .
National Geographic
Vitamin C, retinol, biotin? ?
Here’s what your skin actually needs.
Washington Post
These people can’t burp. It’s painful and embarrassing.
A Reddit group is helping spread the word.
Scientific American
Smell Loss Tests Could Help Reveal Health Problems
Unlike other senses, smell is not something doctors routinely test for.
Washington Post
Does weed help you sleep?
The research shows mixed results.
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 .
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. .
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

The Guardian
Cigarette butts for free food?
How one group is asking people to rethink litter
The Guardian
‘For some this is junk, for others food’
The shops collecting plastic waste and handing back cash
The Guardian
‘You have to find your own recipe’
In this Dutch suburb, residents must grow food on at least half of their property.
The Guardian
‘I feel more connected with humanity’
The club where phones are banned – and visitors pay for the privilege.
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.
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.”
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.

Personal Essay/Opinion