Joel Achenbach

Joel Achenbach is a science reporter based in Washington, D.C., covering space exploration, climate change, and other scientific developments. He has been a staff writer for The Washington Post since 1990 and has contributed to National Geographic since 1998. A graduate of Princeton University, he has taught journalism at both Princeton and Georgetown University.

Biography:  https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/joel-achenbach/

81%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermines the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
Analysis.OverallConflictOfInterestScore * 0.3F + Analysis.OverallBiasScore * 0.3F + Analysis.DeceptivenessScore * 0.3F + Analysis.ReadabilityScore * 0.1F

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

The Daily's Verdict

This author has a mixed reputation for journalistic standards. It is advisable to fact-check, scrutinize for bias, and check for conflicts of interest before relying on the author's reporting.

Bias

90%

Examples:

  • The author occasionally presents claims without providing sufficient context or criticism, such as in the case of Avi Loeb's claim about alien technology.
  • The author sometimes emphasizes certain aspects of a story to create a sensational narrative, such as in the case of the supposed alien debris.

Conflicts of Interest

76%

Examples:

  • The author occasionally mentions potential conflicts of interest but does not elaborate on them.
  • There are no clear instances of conflicts of interest.

Contradictions

86%

Examples:

  • Contradictions are presented clearly and accurately, with specific examples provided.
  • The author occasionally presents contradictory information without acknowledging it as such, such as in the case of the Mars Sample Return mission costs.

Deceptions

76%

Examples:

  • The author occasionally omits important context or details to create a misleading impression.
  • The author sometimes presents information in a misleading way, such as in the case of the supposed alien debris.

Recent Articles

New Image from James Webb Space Telescope Reveals Intertwined Galaxies Penguin and Egg in Stunning Detail

New Image from James Webb Space Telescope Reveals Intertwined Galaxies Penguin and Egg in Stunning Detail

Broke On: Friday, 12 July 2024 The James Webb Space Telescope captures a stunning image of the interacting 'Penguin' and 'Egg' galaxies, located approximately 326 million light-years away. The ongoing collision between these similar-massed galaxies, which began around 25-75 million years ago, has resulted in new star formation within the Penguin galaxy due to gravitational forces. The combined image from NIRCam and MIRI reveals a haze of stars and gas connecting the two galaxies. The collision marks Webb's second anniversary, contributing to a wealth of scientific discoveries.
NASA's Voyager 1 and 2 Resume Data Transmission After Technical Issues in Interstellar Space

NASA's Voyager 1 and 2 Resume Data Transmission After Technical Issues in Interstellar Space

Broke On: Thursday, 13 June 2024 NASA's Voyager 1 and 2, the most distant spacecraft from Earth, have resumed sending valuable data about interstellar space after encountering technical issues. Both entered interstellar space in the late 1990s and collect information on plasma waves, magnetic fields, and particles. In November 2023, Voyager 1 experienced a computer problem preventing data return; engineers resolved it in May 2024, receiving engineering and science data from plasma waves and magnetometer instruments. Voyager 2 faced similar issues but recovered more quickly. Both now study interstellar space outside the heliosphere.
Spaceflight's Impact on Human Health: New Insights from the SpaceX Inspiration4 Mission

Spaceflight's Impact on Human Health: New Insights from the SpaceX Inspiration4 Mission

Broke On: Tuesday, 11 June 2024 Four civilians who participated in the SpaceX Inspiration4 mission experienced significant cellular shifts and immune system changes during their short trip to space. These findings, along with observations on recovery time and gender differences, provide valuable insights into how humans adapt to weightlessness and space radiation for future long-term missions.
NASA's Mars Sample Return Mission: New Approach Needed Due to Cost and Timeline Concerns

NASA's Mars Sample Return Mission: New Approach Needed Due to Cost and Timeline Concerns

Broke On: Monday, 15 April 2024 NASA's Mars Sample Return mission, which aims to bring samples from Mars back to Earth collected by the Perseverance rover, faces rising costs and delays. The estimated cost has increased from $5 billion to potentially $11 billion and the delivery of samples is now predicted for 2040. NASA is seeking innovative ideas from research centers and private industry for cost savings and an earlier sample return, with proposals due May 17.
Global Warming Slows Earth's Rotation: What It Means for Timekeeping

Global Warming Slows Earth's Rotation: What It Means for Timekeeping

Broke On: Wednesday, 27 March 2024 Global warming is causing Earth to spin less quickly due to melting polar ice, driven by human-caused climate change. This trend may require a negative leap second in timekeeping.
Avi Loeb's Extraterrestrial Claims Under Scrutiny by Peers

Avi Loeb's Extraterrestrial Claims Under Scrutiny by Peers

Broke On: Monday, 11 March 2024 A Harvard University astrophysicist, Avi Loeb, has been accused of wild speculation and sensationalism by his peers. In 2014, he published a paper claiming that the seismic signal from an object that exploded in the atmosphere off Papua New Guinea was evidence of extraterrestrial technology. However, recent studies have cast doubt on Loeb's claims.
Neutron Star Birth Confirmed by James Webb Space Telescope in Supernova SN 1987A Discovery

Neutron Star Birth Confirmed by James Webb Space Telescope in Supernova SN 1987A Discovery

Broke On: Monday, 19 February 2024 The James Webb Space Telescope has discovered the best evidence yet for emission from a neutron star at the site of supernova SN 1987A, confirming that these explosions can birth compact stellar remnants either in the form of neutron stars or black holes.
The Radcliffe Wave: A Periodic Traveling Wave in the Milky Way Galaxy Giving Birth to Clusters of Stars

The Radcliffe Wave: A Periodic Traveling Wave in the Milky Way Galaxy Giving Birth to Clusters of Stars

Broke On: Monday, 19 February 2024 The Radcliffe Wave is a wave-shaped structure in the Milky Way galaxy that gives birth to clusters of stars along its spiral arm. It stretches across the night sky from Canis Major to Cygnus with Orion in between and oscillates as a periodic traveling wave, rising far above the plane of the galaxy before back down again. Scientists have discovered this structure using data from Gaia spacecraft and are still studying its motion.
JPL to Lay Off About 530 Employees Due to Uncertainty about Federal Funding for Mars Sample Return Project

JPL to Lay Off About 530 Employees Due to Uncertainty about Federal Funding for Mars Sample Return Project

Broke On: Wednesday, 07 February 2024 JPL, a NASA-operated research and development laboratory in Pasadena, California is laying off about 530 employees due to uncertainty about its federal funding for the Mars Sample Return project. JPL Director Laurie Leshin announced this news in a memo to staffers stating that more details will be shared on Wednesday.

Moon Estimated to be 40 Million Years Older Than Previously Thought, New Analysis Suggests

Broke On: Monday, 23 October 2023 The Moon is estimated to be around 4.51 billion years old, 40 million years older than previously thought. The new estimate was derived from the analysis of lunar rocks collected during the Apollo 17 mission in 1972. The researchers used a technique known as uranium-lead dating to determine the age of the rocks.