Science Has a Name for What's Plaguing the Reflecting Pool [View all]
Donald Trump has a new nemesis, with a name worthy of a supervillain: Scenedesmus.
The Reflecting Pool on the National Mall has become the country’s most high-profile science experiment, with workers battling against nature. After a week of combat, they have essentially killed off one type of algae infesting the pool, only to create the conditions for a new type to take over. And Scenedesmus, a genus of green algae nicknamed “Skinny Dead Mouse” by scientists, is now flourishing, according to testing that was run at the request of The Atlantic....
A spokesperson at the Department of Interior told me “there is ongoing water testing happening,” but would not disclose the results of those tests. Requests to spokespeople at the NPS have gone unanswered. I have been in touch with scientists who have applied for permits to get into the pool and conduct their own tests, but those permits have yet to be granted.
With the lack of transparency from the federal government and no clarity on what’s inside that murky water, I decided to dig—or dip—a little deeper myself. So late on Thursday morning, I filled several water bottles from different areas of the pool. Some were fairly clear, while other samples were dark green. My samples were delivered to two different scientists by that evening....
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/2026/06/reflecting-pool-algae-scientific-testing-trump/687649/?gift=mqBaPsEpVRsBLIdcgguUwCO1r2C2Lho11cBBAuP2ShQ&utm_source=copy-link&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=share
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