Fantastic short-read. We've got our work cut out for us to revamp public perceptions of evolution, and this is a great addition to the #SciComm toolbelt.
02.12.2025 12:47
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Fantastic short-read. We've got our work cut out for us to revamp public perceptions of evolution, and this is a great addition to the #SciComm toolbelt.
It is sobering that we have to say this: "In science, there is almost always uncertainty. The responsible thing to do is communicate studies in a way that represents the fullness of their findings; and in public health to ensure that decisions are made in line with the consensus of experts."
Good idea, but the voting public will still make up shit... because I also read "Scientist finds evidence of 'alien DNA' in humans" today. 😬
Nearly 30 years old, Carl Sagan's The Demon-Haunted World is still amazing. And the audiobook read by Cary Elwes helps me fall asleep at night, helps me feel less alone and hopeless. 10/10. 😊
Donald Nicholson's Metabolic Pathways Chart
Always a good reminder that life is interconnected and complicated, reductionistic explanations should be used with caution, and there is wisdom in trusting experts. Thank you, Donald Nicholson, for your work. RIP.
For a clearer pdf version: www.iubmb-nicholson.org/chart.html
Thank you. Combating this type of poor reporting is a big task. Every little bit helps. ❤️
I've been thinking for a while that humans have expanded beyond the scale of the individual and need to start thinking about emergence when dealing with social issues. Today, I'm reading this paper...
We're fucked either way. The shot made the ideology the martyr.
Always look at the data yourself. But also know the limits of your ability to interpret it. 🧪
Experts are experts because they spend their lives learning everything about one tiny thing. They can put that thing into context. They know the literature about it. They can debate its nuances. 1/3
God, I sure hope so! I've been advocating for better storytelling for a while, and now my hopelessness is taking over because the breadth of misinformation seems unvanquishable. I support the less jaded doing whatever it takes as long as we don't lose trustworthy science in the mix.
I have mixed feelings on this, not because I disagree that #SciComm needs more storytelling, but because I worry about what we lose when we resort to only matching a flawed epistemology. Long-term direction is sacrificed to short-term wins. I know we're in a crisis, but the future matters too. 🤷♀️🫤
It's hard to keep going sometimes, this post and subsequent article helped. ❤️
It's critical that people understand what science is and does, and that change and updating are part of the process, but an article like this w/o a proper explanation of those ideas isn't helpful during this anti-science crisis. Given the current state of affairs, it may even be unethical, imo.
Sounds nice on the surface, but as an ex-utah-mormon, I guarantee you their "health standards" aren't giving them a huge lead like that, maybe a year or two, but -8? No way. I'm thinking wealth distributions, the number of major hospitals, etc.
For real. Daily battle. Thought about starting a "well, actually" website for fun, but they're almost all owned by wellness companies. We're thoroughly f*cked.
I've gone a dozen times to get "real groceries" and end up leaving with specialty cheese and triple brewed ginger beer. 🤷♀️
My favorites are the queer clubs. Safest places in town for single women to have fun unmolested.
I've had to disabuse friends of a few Quanta articles lately... I wonder what's going on over there.
What's happening in Utah? Does it reflect some error or anomaly? Is it correlated with some other demographic?
A graphic with an icon of the sun, a wiggly line denoting natural cycles, and a volcano, with a title reading "WHY is climate changing?" created by me. Not fancy, as my graphic design skills lean to function over art!
Scientists who study climate don't automatically attribute all changes to human activity. Rather, we carefully investigate every possible natural factor that could explain the planet's warming.
Could these be the real culprits?
The evidence is in--and the answer is NO.
This thread explains! 🧵
I requested titers on my childhood vaccines from my gp the other day for this exact reason. People are going to die.
As one can imagine, I have some thoughts. Here’s a thread no one asked for:
1. SCIENCE IN THE US IS POLITICAL. No matter how much you want to ignore that fact, it is supported by taxpayer dollars and is therefore, political by nature.
2. BUT it has had bipartisan support for decades, which…
I bet, haha! Thank you for fighting the fight. Godspeed!
An important read.
The US is the leader in mRNA tech, & has an advantage in manufacturing & regulatory expertise. But in an era when biological threats can be designed, losing this edge would leave us vulnerable & dependent on others for this powerful tool.
🧪🎁🔗 www.nytimes.com/2025/08/18/o...
Can't wait for this! 🤩
Amen. It's all so old and tired. Just when I started having hope my daughters might live in a better world... 😒
Thank you for mentioning that. I was on my last nerve when I saw the graphic and damn near gave an earful to the next unfortunate soul to walk into the room until reading your follow-up.
I ❤️ Nature Podcast. This episode was great! (They all are, really.) And their July 4 episode on vaccine hesitancy was good, too. 🤩
Joining an increasing number of people publicly demanding RFK’s removal as HHS Sec: Dr. Bill Foege, a literal (6’6”) & figurative giant of public health. He served as a CDC director under Carter & Reagan, & is credited with designing the ring vaccination strategy that enabled smallpox eradication.
Remember when we used to teach internet literacy by saying you can trust any website with a .gov? 😅😐😞