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Scientists and engineers ask questions that lead to discoveries we can’t yet imagine, sometimes even trillion-dollar breakthroughs. And yet today, we're systematically undercutting their work.

open.substack.com/pub/sheril/p… #uspol #science


Sudden loss of key US satellite data could send hurricane forecasting back ‘decades’


A critical US atmospheric data collection program will be halted by Monday, giving weather forecasters just days to prepare, according to a public notice sent this week. Scientists that the Guardian spoke with say the change could set hurricane forecasting back “decades”, just as this year’s season ramps up.


They Are Going To Get Even More People Killed In The USA

#OurModernTimes #Weather #Science #IdiotsInAmericanLeadership #TrumpWillKillUsAll


"According to the American Federation of Government Employees Local 3403, HUD's relocation plans include building an executive dining room, an executive suite for the HUD Secretary, reserved parking spaces for the Secretary’s 5 cars, and a gym exclusively for the HUD Secretary and his family."

National Science Foundation's Alexandria office take over by HUD, displacing 1800 workers

wjla.com/news/local/nsf-buildi…

#science #nsf


National #Science Foundation to Be Requisitioned as Mansion for HUD Secretary (And Also HUD Office)

“There appears to be no plan for where the NSF staff will go.” talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/n… #uspol


Just read "The Invention of Nature" by Andrea Wulf, an amazing biography of the naturalist Alexander von Humboldt.

Humboldt himself is not that well known anymore but he essentially laid the groundwork for our current conception of nature and environmentalism.

Humboldt traveled in the Americas and detailed the environmental catastrophe of colonialism in the early 19th century - his observations were strangely prescient and still relevant today.

#climate #nature #science #environment


Shattered Science: The Research Lost as Trump Targets NIH Funding

The Trump administration cut research funding that sought cures for future pandemics, examined the causes of dementia and tried to prevent HIV transmission. ProPublica heard from more than 150 researchers to understand the work that’s been lost.
projects.propublica.org/nih-cu…

#News #NIH #Trump #Science #Research #Health #PublicHealth #Medicine


Great interview

Ardem Patapoutian, Nobel Prize winner in Medicine:

"Forty percent of Nobel Prize winners in the United States are immigrants, but this government does not value either science or immigration."

english.elpais.com/science-tec…

#science #biology


#Researchers have identified a species of #frog Limnonectes phyllofolia completely new to #science. The tiny #Indonesian #amphibians have unusual fangs in their jaws thought to be used to defend territory #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect.bsky.social palmoildetectives.com/2024/07/…


#Researchers have identified a species of #frog Limnonectes phyllofolia completely new to #science. The tiny #Indonesian #amphibians have unusual fangs in their jaws thought to be used to defend territory #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife palmoildetectives.com/2024/07/…


Australian #science #scicomms expert @JulianCribb tackles the most pressing needs for our survival on #Earth as we reach the pointy end of the #Anthropocene era #ClimateActionNow #BoycottGold4Yanomami #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect palmoildetectives.com/2023/08/…


Where to go for a PhD? Change of interest from non-US students.

Source: Economist, 2025 economist.com/science-and-tech… #science #uspol


Science thrives at the edge of persistence and possibility.

Breakthroughs rarely follow straight lines—they come from setbacks, questions, and showing up.

In a fractured world, connecting #science to society has always been challenging—but also essential. This moment is no different.


Bottom line: the proposed NIH & NSF cuts alone would eventually strip at least $10 billion per year from U.S. output.

forbes.com/sites/johndrake/202… #uspol #science


Do you know any citizen/community scientists or journalists covering environmental / public health issues along the Colorado River?

Next month, I'm going to ride my bike from Denver up into the Rockies, out to Glenwood Springs, and along the Colorado River to Moab, before turning north to Salt Lake City.

Along the way, I'm hoping to meet journalists & community scientists working to support community flourishing with data & evidence. I would love to say hi!

#bicycle #environment #science


I am honored to share that I’ve been nominated for an Emmy as host of PBS’s Serving Up Science - a series funded by the National Science Foundation.

This recognition is a testament to what federal science funding & public media can achieve when we invest in #science, education & evidence-based storytelling.

And it’s a reminder that curiosity matters & there is value in making science understandable & available to all.

If this resonates with you, I hope you’ll support science agencies & PBS.


A few takeaways from my research:

1 - Not one staffer said they’d turn to scientists first when facing a science-related question.

2 - Party leadership, lobbyists, and trusted friends-of-friends often have more influence than peer-reviewed studies.

3 - Scientists are unintentionally sidelining themselves by only engaging with one side of the aisle.

sheril.substack.com/p/what-sci… #science #politics #uspol


“I listened to NSF staff say DOGE had the authority to give thumbs up or down to grant applications which had been systematically vetted by layers of subject matter experts.

Our closed-to-the-public deliberations were observed by Zachary Terrell from the DOGE team. Through his Zoom screen, he showed more interest in his water bottle & his cuticles than the discussion. Terrell..accessed the NSF awards system to block the dispersal of approved grants.“

time.com/7285045/resigning-nat… #science #uspol


How do we make scientific voices more impactful in policymaking? Read my new article out today ⬇️

issues.org/information-flows-c… #science #uspol


Happy birthday to Dr. Cecilia Payne! Her 1925 PhD thesis has been described as “the most brilliant ever written in astronomy.”

At a time when few women entered academia, Payne discovered what the universe is made of. Her work began a revolution in astrophysics & more should know her name. #science #history


The NSF Is Being Dismantled — With Broad Implications For The American Economy

“This isn’t about merit or budgets because NSF has a tiny imprint on the federal budget. This is all about controlling information and knowledge.”

forbes.com/sites/johndrake/202… #uspol

US is choosing to cede leadership in #science and innovation. On purpose.


Beatrix Potter is best remembered for her charming tales of Peter Rabbit, but did you know she also studied #science?

Potter collected & examined beetles, butterflies, plants, bird eggs, shells, rocks, fossils & especially fungi. She conducted experiments & wrote a scientific paper with her own illustrations, presented at the Linnean Society of London. However, as a woman in the Victorian era, she couldn’t even attend the meeting.#history #art #books


#News: Scientists call for #storytelling in #science to effectively communicate #climatechange and #extinction in order to push for urgent action. Time to connect data with emotion to inspire people. #Biodiversity #ScienceCommunication #SciComms sciencedaily.com/releases/2025…


"A scientist worthy of the name, above all a mathematician, experiences in his work the same impression as an artist; his pleasure is as great and of the same nature. "

~Henri Poincaré (29 April 1854 – 17 July 1912)

Poincaré at PG:
gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/59…

#books #science #mathematics


There are currently over 8 billion people on Earth. Yes, that’s a lot BUT there are about 1.4 billion insects for every human. Combined, they weigh about 70x more than all of us.

And insects have been around for over 350 million years. That's longer than the dinosaurs. Modern humans only showed up between 200-300,000 years ago.

We need insects to survive. They don't need us. This is their world. #science #history


I'm an evolutionary ecologist with a PhD who studies birds & who writes about all sorts of #science topics (links to these pieces will pop up here).

I think it's my duty to write about politics, such as #HumanRights #progressivism and #ecocide, as well as philosophical topics, such as #AnimalRights & #veganism.

I 'm an avid reader who writes #BookReviews. I'm #multilingual.

I live with a flock of #parrots.

#introduction #SciComm #ornithology #conservation #Wildlife #Animals #GoVegan #books


I suppose next to (or along with) the Periodic Table, the DNA duplex is the most recognizable " #Science "
thing. Nice to see people excited and come up to share their science wears (earrings on one, and this lovely TShirt person I took a selfie with)
I did heed @blogdiva on rally attire and put on a lab coat too!

And quite a good turnout! There was a brief march from Schenley around Cathy Fifth/Forbes, Bellefield and back
#StandUpForScience #HandsOff #Pittsburgh


Video and article from our lab about our latest giant virus paper

"Researchers discover large dormant virus can be reactivated in model green alga"

news.vt.edu/articles/2025/04/r…

And link to original paper
science.org/stoken/author-toke…

#viruses #science #virology #microbes


The history of Earth as the length of a human’s outstretched arm - representing 4.5 billion years of time.

At this scale, humans emerged so recently that we could be filed off from a microscopic slice at the very tip of a fingernail.

Infographic by Katie Scott. #science #history


What I’ve learned after 40 years as the Observer’s science editor

"Anti-science movements have always been with us, of course – from the rise of the flat Earthers to the early establishment of groups opposed to evolution. However, the present trajectory is now ­becoming extremely ­worrying, with the US providing the most ­worrying examples."

theguardian.com/science/2025/a…

#science


Born in 1914, Hedy Lamarr was a famous American actress who pioneered the technology that would lead to WiFi, GPS, cell phones & Bluetooth communication.

Lamarr was brilliant. Among many fascinating inventions, she developed a new communication system with composer George Antheil that used “frequency hopping” among radio waves.

Once called the “most beautiful woman in the world," Lamarr is now remembered as "the mother of Wi-Fi."

smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian… #science #history


The Trump Administration Is Turning Science Against Itself

In addition to firing researchers and pulling funds, the Trump administration is also inverting science.

wired.com/story/trump-administ…

#science #uspol #deExtinction


"Cuts of 30 to 70% are rumored at USDA next week. NIH & NSF funding is being destroyed & the agencies themselves facing cuts.

About 3,500 nonfederal entomologists depend on these agencies. We're🚨risking research that protects #ecosystems & #foodsecurity."

It's difficult to keep up with all the atrocities, but we amplify the gravity of the losing these experts, the firings, existential threats... of the #TrumpMusk admin.

#DOGE #Firings #Science #USDA #NIH #NSF #USPol govexec.com/management/2025/04…


About 250M years ago, 90% of species on Earth died during the Permian extinction. All of that loss created a lot of vacant niches to fill.

And not long after, the first mammals, our ancestors, appeared.

Life on this pale blue dot will be resilient - whether we’re part of it or not. #science #nature #history


Children at home becoming fascinated by Rayleigh Taylor instabilities. Who wouldn't be?
#physics #science


Weekend #Plankton #Factoid 🦠🦐
With spring 🌱 upon us in the northern hemisphere, it is the time for the spring bloom in many lakes and oceans. To grow, #phytoplankton require #nutrients and #light, so start reproducing rapidly due to an abundance of nutrients mixed in the water column and increased light intensity 🌞. Zooplankton grazers have yet to increase, and warming conditions help to retain algae near the surface euphotic zone via stratification.
serc.carleton.edu/eet/phytopla…
#Science #climate

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