Carolyn Y.

Carolyn Johnson is a science reporter based in Washington, D.C. She has a BA in Physics and English from Amherst College and an MS in Science Writing from MIT. Prior to joining The Washington Post, she covered the business of health, the pharmaceutical industry, and healthcare affordability for the Boston Globe.

Biography:  https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/carolyn-johnson/

73%

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:

  • Evidence that humans shifted their diets to eat more fish in extremely arid conditions following the eruption
  • Five thousand years ago, sheep and cattle herders migrated westward from Asia to Europe
  • Thousands of years later, those same gene variants also happen to increase their descendants' risk of the haywire immune response in MS.

Conflicts of Interest

50%

Examples:

No current examples available.

Contradictions

86%

Examples:

  • A supervolcano erupted 74,000 years ago.
  • The genetic risk for multiple sclerosis is higher in people from northern Europe.
  • The most dangerous segment for a great earthquake spans the coast of Washington, running from the northern Oregon border to southern British Columbia.

Deceptions

75%

Examples:

  • The article presents information about ancient DNA analysis in a way that suggests it is providing new insights into human prehistory when in fact this has been ongoing research for many years.
  • The author uses sensationalist language such as 'debilitating autoimmune disease' and 'potent immune response could mean the difference between life and death.'

Recent Articles

Discovering the Christchurch Variant: A Rare Genetic Trait Delaying Alzheimer's Disease Onset by Five Years

Discovering the Christchurch Variant: A Rare Genetic Trait Delaying Alzheimer's Disease Onset by Five Years

Broke On: Wednesday, 19 June 2024 Researchers discovered the Christchurch variant, a rare gene that delays Alzheimer's onset in some families. A Colombian woman with two copies of this trait developed Alzheimer's at 70, significantly later than expected due to her family history. Studies involving 27 family members revealed carriers experienced cognitive decline five years later and dementia four years delayed compared to relatives without it. Scientists aim to develop a drug mimicking the Christchurch variant's effects.
New Studies Reveal High-Risk Segments of the Cascadia Subduction Zone: Understanding Earthquake and Tsunami Threats in the Pacific Northwest

New Studies Reveal High-Risk Segments of the Cascadia Subduction Zone: Understanding Earthquake and Tsunami Threats in the Pacific Northwest

Broke On: Saturday, 08 June 2024 The Cascadia Subduction Zone, a 700-mile-long fault beneath the Pacific Ocean off the US Western shore, is capable of generating earthquakes larger than magnitude 8 and tsunamis with devastating impacts. New studies identify the most dangerous segment along this fault, spanning Washington's coast from northern Oregon to southern British Columbia. These findings will help assess earthquake and tsunami risks for the Pacific Northwest and potentially redefine building standards.
New Study Suggests Drought Conditions May Have Driven Human Migration Out of Africa

New Study Suggests Drought Conditions May Have Driven Human Migration Out of Africa

Broke On: Thursday, 21 March 2024 A new study by Arizona State University suggests that humans living in Ethiopia 74,000 years ago may have migrated out of Africa due to drought conditions. This forced them to adapt and possibly travel for resources, potentially driving a dispersal.
The Genetic Link Between Northern Europeans and Multiple Sclerosis: A Study in Nature Reveals the Complex History of Human Migration and Disease

The Genetic Link Between Northern Europeans and Multiple Sclerosis: A Study in Nature Reveals the Complex History of Human Migration and Disease

Broke On: Wednesday, 10 January 2024 A study published in Nature reveals that northern Europeans have a higher risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS) due to genetic factors passed down from horseback-riding cattle herders who migrated into the region about 5,000 years ago. The Yamnaya people, who moved from Ukraine and Russia into northwestern Europe around the same time, also carried gene variants that increase people's risk of developing MS. These genetic factors may have provided an advantage to these nomadic herders in terms of resistance to certain diseases or parasites but put them at a higher risk for MS later on.

FDA Approves Groundbreaking Gene Therapies for Sickle Cell Disease

Broke On: Friday, 08 December 2023 The FDA has approved two gene therapies, Casgevy and Lyfgenia, for the treatment of sickle cell disease in patients aged 12 years and older. Casgevy is the first FDA-approved treatment to utilize CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing technology. Concerns have been raised about the accessibility, affordability, and potential long-term effects of these therapies.