Andrew Steigerwald

expert

Cofounder & Editor-in-Chief 1440 Media

Washington, DC

Expert Bio

Cofounder at 1440 Media. Former scientist, spent 7+ years in technology and innovation public policy, including working in the US Senate.

Education

PhD in Nanoscale Materials Science, Vanderbilt University

MA in Physics, Fisk University

BE in Engineering Physics, the Ohio State University

Press

Andrew is a

Andrew's top recommendations
Global Response (7) Introduction 101 (4) Maps, Stats, and Data (9) Mythbusting (5) Prevention and Safety Measures (1) Reopening America (6) Social and Economic Impact (3) Symptoms and Treatment (3) Testing and Tracking (4) The Science of the Virus (2) Understanding the Spread (3) Vaccination (3)
Homepage for the Wall Street Journal's excellent look at the pandemic, start to finish. The Covid Storm
Global Response
An academic overview of New Zealand's response, and lessons learned. Successful Elimination of Covid-19 Transmission in New Zealand | NEJM
Global Response
A comparative look at why the world came to a halt for this virus but... Why Did The World Shut Down For COVID-19 But Not Ebola, SARS Or Swine Flu?
Global Response
Mapping global policy responses to the pandemic, from stay-at-home orders to travel restrictions (and more). Policy Responses to the Coronavirus Pandemic – Statistics and Research
Global Response
The coronavirus is one of the millions of viruses out there. Here's a nontechnical primer... What is a virus? How do they spread? How do they make us sick?
intro 101
What qualifies as a pandemic, and what pandemics aren't. Holds for all diseases, beyond the... Understanding pandemics: Key questions as the coronavirus spreads
intro 101
A 201 level explanation of how viruses (not just the coronavirus) attack and invade cells.... How Viruses Invade Cells
intro 101
Starting with the basics—the coronavirus is one of millions of viruses. Here's what a virus... What is a virus? How do they spread? How do they make us sick?
intro 101
NPR's state-by-state dashboard has intuitive visualizations for how your state is doing. Coronavirus Maps: How Severe Is Your State’s Outbreak?
Maps, Stats, and Data
Visualizing the number of deaths projected during the pandemic to other leading causes of death. Here’s how projected Covid-19 fatalities compare to other causes of death
Maps, Stats, and Data
From March to early April, a visualization using mobile phone data capturing how Americans stopped... The social distancing of America
Maps, Stats, and Data
The most comprehensive set of global stats we've found yet. Coronavirus Pandemic (COVID-19) – Statistics and Research
Maps, Stats, and Data
An epidemiologist breaks down why the "only 6%" of COVID-19 deaths are due to COVID-19... COVID-19 Deaths Are Mostly Caused By Coronavirus
Mythbusting
Belief in COVID-19 conspiracies mostly breaks out among education levels. A look at the Americans who believe there is some truth to the conspiracy theory that COVID-19 was planned
Mythbusting
An interesting look at how legal efforts inadvertently exposed how conspiracy theorists coordinate and push... The Star of ‘Plandemic’ Spent Years Flooding the Vaccine Court System with Bad Science
Mythbusting
One of the best fact-checking compendiums we've seen. Coronavirus Myths & Mythconceptions — Information is Beautiful
Mythbusting
One of the simplest visualizations of why social distancing works (using bouncing dots), and how... These simulations show how to flatten the coronavirus growth curve
prevention / safety
Comprehensive data tracker on how US stimulus funds are being spent. Federal Response to COVID-19 | U.S. Treasury Data Lab
Reopening America
The most comprehensive dashboard tracking cases linked to K-12 school reopenings. XM_DASHBOARD
Reopening America
Lessons for the US. Success depends on class size, distancing, age, and local prevalence. Some Countries Reopened Schools. What Did They Learn About Kids and Covid?
Reopening America
Simulation lets you calculate what you'd earn under the CARES Act unemployment provisions, compared to... The Unemployment Insurance Calculator | BFI
Reopening America
Data on the excess deaths (above average) reported by race in the US during the... COVID-19’s Toll on People of Color Is Worse Than We Knew
Social and Economic Impact
A look at which universities will survive, thrive, or die during the pandemic. USS University | No Mercy / No Malice
Social and Economic Impact
A visual breakdown of the CARES Act, the $2T stimulus bill passed in March. The Anatomy of the $2 Trillion COVID-19 Stimulus Bill
Social and Economic Impact
An overview of the baffling array of symptoms seen in some COVID-19 patients, likely linked... From ‘brain fog’ to heart damage, COVID-19’s lingering problems alarm scientists
symptoms / treatment
A look at the poorly-understood phenomenon of blood clotting in patients, even those with mild... What Is Known About COVID-19 and Abnormal Blood Clotting
symptoms / treatment
Examining what it means for something to "treat" symptoms of COVID-19. What Does It Mean to Say a New Drug ‘Works’?
symptoms / treatment
What are antibodies and how do they work? Should You Get an Antibody Test?
Testing and Tracking
Updated stats on cases in children, pulled together by a group of epidemiologists. National Data | The COVKID Project
Testing and Tracking
An infectious disease expert explains what super spreaders are and the role they play in... What is a super spreader? An infectious disease expert explains
Testing and Tracking
With handy infographics, this overview looks at the proliferation of new coronavirus tests that could... The explosion of new coronavirus tests that could help to end the pandemic
Testing and Tracking
A good beginning look at whether you can get seriously reinfected. Can You Get Covid-19 Again? It’s Very Unlikely, Experts Say
The Science of the Virus
A look at how the immune system ages and why it places older people more... Older people are at more risk from COVID-19 because of how the immune system ages
The Science of the Virus
10% of infected people are responsible for 80% of the spread, new research suggests. Most People With Coronavirus Won’t Spread It. Why Do a Few Infect Many?
Understanding the Spread
Somewhat technical overview on why heat and humidity during summer will on its on slow... Read “Rapid Expert Consultation on SARS-CoV-2 Survival in Relation to Temperature and Humidity and Potential for Seasonality for the COVID-19 Pandemic (April 7, 2020)” at NAP.edu
Understanding the Spread
Modeling the outbreak, especially early on, was incredibly difficult. Here's a look at some of... Why It’s So Freaking Hard To Make A Good COVID-19 Model 
Understanding the Spread
Keep track of how many vaccine doses have been (a) distributed and (b) administered across... COVID-19 Cases, Deaths, and Trends in the US | CDC COVID Data Tracker
Vaccination
NYT's vaccine tracker. Like all trackers, it mostly contains the same info, but the graphic... Coronavirus Vaccine Tracker
Vaccination
A vaccine tracker from Reuters. This database is generally easier to read and more searchable... Lifeline pipeline
Vaccination
Gut Microbiome (3) Climate Change (5) CRISPR (2) Quantum Computing (7) Immunotherapy (3)
Why the gut microbiome is super important—and why all those probiotics at the grocery are... Probiotics: Scam or Superfood? | Science Vs
Gut Microbiome
A scientific deep dive on the connection between brain health and gut health. It's actually... The gut-brain axis: interactions between enteric microbiota, central and enteric nervous systems
Gut Microbiome
Have basic questions on what the microbiome is? Start here (from Harvard). The Microbiome
Gut Microbiome
A simple infographic explaining how coral bleaching works. The phenomenon occurs during prolonged warming of... What is coral bleaching?
Climate Change
A fantastic repository of data on changes in Earth's polar caps, and the effect on... National Snow and Ice Data Center |
Climate Change
Watch a visualization of how ocean surface temperatures have changed over the past four years. Sea Surface Temperature (SST) from January 2016 through March 2020
Climate Change
A look at Mauna Loa, which produces the gold standard of global CO2 measurements. Mauna Loa Observatory
Climate Change
CRISPR edits genomes—but what's a genome? Watch this intro explainer. DNA, genes and genomes
CRISPR
Know nothing about CRISPR? Begin here. Questions and Answers about CRISPR
CRISPR
An easy-to-read primer on quantum mechanics (with no math!), helpful for understanding the basic science... A “no math” (but seven-part) guide to modern quantum mechanics
Quantum Computing
The pros and cons of trapped ion systems, which have sprung up as an alternative... Alternative tech makes gains in quantum computer race
Quantum Computing
A look at the concept of quantum volume, a better way of measuring the power... IBM Introduces ‘Quantum Volume’ to Track Progress Towards the Quantum Age
Quantum Computing
What are qubits and how do they work? The fundamental building blocks of quantum computers. QC — What are Qubits in Quantum computing?
Quantum Computing
An easy-to-understand video overview on how CAR T-cell therapy can be used to treat cancer. T-Cell Immunotherapy at Seattle Children’s
Immunotherapy
Frequently asked questions on immunotherapy from the Cancer Research Institute. What is Immunotherapy?
Immunotherapy
There are different types of immunotherapies for cancer treatment—see a quick breakdown here. Understanding Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy
Electric Vehicles (3) Artificial Intelligence (3)
Annouced in this Dec. 2020 Wired piece, QuantumScape says its cracked the solid-state battery problem,... Did QuantumScape Just Solve a 40-Year-Old Battery Problem?
Electric Vehicles
Excellent breakdown overview of the difference between (and advantages of) lithium-metal and lithium-ion batteries (caveat:... What are Solid-State Lithium-Metal Batteries?
Electric Vehicles
A handy overview of the US electric vehicle market, market penetration, and the leaders in... The State of the Electric Vehicle Market (2019)
Electric Vehicles

Andrew's Bookshelf

Here you'll find more content, handpicked by Andrew, on non-expert subjects.

Favorite Essays

Posted by Andrew 4 years ago

One of my favorite essays, from philosopher Betrand Russell written in the 1930s. In Praise of Idleness, by Bertrand Russell | Harper’s Magazine

Posted by Andrew

One of my favorite pieces from 2019, an excerpt from Vox founder Ezra Klien’s book.... Why the media is so polarized — and how it polarizes us

General

Posted by Andrew 4 years ago

What is grit? Everybody needs it, tough to define. Grit: The power of passion and perseverance

Posted by Andrew 4 years ago

The greatest political ad in US history. Dwight McKenna is the MAN.

Posted by Andrew 4 years ago

Absolutely one of the most powerful looks at 9/11 of any kind. Running Toward Danger

Posted by Andrew 4 years ago

The next big earthquake is inevitable--and it's probably coming soon. The Earthquake That Will Devastate the Pacific Northwest

Posted by Andrew 4 years ago

Digital reconstruction aids the imagination here. Architectural Gifs Restore Damaged Cultural Sites Around the World

Posted by Andrew 4 years ago

Rating all the news sources on political bias and reliability. Interactive Media Bias Chart – Ad Fontes Media

Posted by Andrew 4 years ago

We really don't understand the human brain. The violent attack that turned a man into a maths genius

Posted by Andrew 4 years ago

Deepfakes? Not so fast. How to recognize fake AI-generated images

Posted by Andrew

Life advice from Kevin Kelly, a super interesting guy who was the founding editor of... 68 Bits of Unsolicited Advice

Podcasts Worth Your Time

Posted by Andrew 4 years ago

Hosted by science journalist Wendy Zukerman, a fantastic examination of hot topics through the lens... Science Vs | Gimlet

Posted by Andrew 4 years ago

Straight up my favorite podcast—I learn more from this than any other pod. Freakonomics – The hidden side of everything

Posted by Andrew

Great general interest podcast on internet trends. Hosted by journalists Katie Herzog and Jesse Singal. Blocked and Reported

Recommended Newsletters

Posted by Andrew 4 years ago

If you're looking to balance your news diet, The Dispatch is an excellent center-right opinion... The Dispatch

Posted by Andrew

Ben is a 20 year vet of the tech and startup world, brings great insight... Newsletter — Benedict Evans

Resources

Posted by Andrew 4 years ago

From the US Census. Find what you need on US statistics, demographics, maps, and more. Rich data sets and visualizations on the United States

Science For The Win

Posted by Andrew 4 years ago

Marathon runners are literally shaving minutes off world record times with these shoes, which should... How Nike broke running

Posted by Andrew 4 years ago

Fascinating visualization of the interconnection between math topics. The Map of Mathematics | Quanta Magazine

Posted by Andrew 4 years ago

MIT video demonstrates the power of deepfake videos. It's only going to get worse. In Event of Moon Disaster – FULL FILM

Posted by Andrew 4 years ago

I love this hyper-detailed map because it visually communicates in a single glance just how... A Map of Every Object in Our Solar System

Posted by Andrew 4 years ago

This global map of 2019's Australian brushfires is one of the most striking examples of... Global Transport of Smoke from Australian Bushfires