Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

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Eric Topol @erictopol.bsky.social · 3d

Why does the naked mole rat have the longest lifespan of any rodent, nearly 40 years?
A 30-year long mystery unraveled @ScienceMagazine today!
Its cGAS enzyme in cells has 4 missense mutations that upends its function, promoting DNA repair and suppressing inflammation
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

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The New York Times @nytimes.com · 9d

A statue depicting Donald Trump and Jeffery Epstein titled “Best Friends Forever" has returned to the National Mall, a week after the National Park Service removed it. An anonymous group of artists has taken credit.

Statue of Trump and Epstein Holding Hands Returns to National Mall

The statue, titled “Best Friends Forever,” was reinstalled after it was removed last week. An anonymous group of artists has taken credit for the work.

nyti.ms

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Science Vs @sciencevs.bsky.social · 11d

This moment from our latest episode with science writer @edyong209.bsky.social is 🔥

We asked Ed — how do we talk up the benefits of science in the face of government cuts? He told us that's the wrong approach. 🧪

Listen wherever, or watch on Spotify 👇

open.spotify.com/episode/7Evh...

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Chise @sailorrooscout.bsky.social · 26d

GOOD NEWS! A new cancer vaccine has shown progress in triggering POWERFUL and LASTING immune responses in patients with pancreatic AND colorectal cancer. The vaccine, known as ELI-002 2P, targets mutant KRAS proteins AND had a huge impact on PREVENTING or DELAYING cancer recurrence in patients.

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Machine Pun Kelly @kellyscaletta.bsky.social · 19d

"I'm autistic because that's how my brain works."

I absolutely love that statement.

Ben Canham @bencanham.bsky.social · 19d

I’m autistic. Not because of Tylenol.
Not because of vaccines.
Not because of some headline.
I’m autistic because that’s how
my brain works. Stop treating us
like a problem. Start listening to us.

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Robert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 20d

Trump donor Larry Ellison’s Oracle will oversee TikTok’s algorithm.

His media company owns CBS News and is plotting a bid for Warner Bros., which owns CNN.

When billionaires take control of communication platforms, it’s not a win for free speech. It’s a win for oligarchy.

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Eric H Chang @changsbrain.bsky.social · 23d

I hope those ducks were swimming in methylene blue, you know, for brain health!

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Colette Delawalla @cdelawalla.bsky.social · 25d

THE VIDEO IS HERE!!!

Stand Up for Science! @standupforscience.bsky.social · 25d

You asked for it! We delivered Quack-O-Grams to our members of Congress urging them to #ImpeachRFK, and get that Quack out of office!

There's still time for you to get in on this fluffy, feathery action: Send your own duck at zurl.co/W1ZnB and keep the momentum going! 🦆

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Eric H Chang @changsbrain.bsky.social · 27d

Sometimes #science is difficult 🫠

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Delthia Ricks @dricks.bsky.social · 27d

Democratic lawmakers in California want to create a state version of the Nat'l Institutes of Health & restore scientific research terminated by the feds under Trump. The ambitious plan would use 10s of billions of dollars in voter-approved bonds to raise funds www.nytimes.com/2025/09/13/u...

California’s $23 Billion Plan to Restore Federal Cuts to Scientific Research

www.nytimes.com

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Sam Bagenstos @sbagen.bsky.social · 28d

It’s horrific and inexplicable. Donald Trump and RFK Jr. are objectively pro-cancer. They’re destroying the entire infrastructure that has made so much progress and is poised to make much more. People will suffer and die because of them. www.nytimes.com/2025/09/14/m...

How the Trump Administration Is Dismantling America’s Cancer-Research System

www.nytimes.com

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Oded Rechavi @odedrechavi.bsky.social · Sep 10

Full professor complaining to an assistant professor on how hard it is to get funding nowadays

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Christopher Webb @cwebbonline.com · Sep 9

This is what happens when justice serves power instead of people.

Banksy’s latest piece shows a judge beating a protester. They rushed to throw up barriers to hide it.

We need this here because it looks a lot like our own Supreme Court vs. the people.

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Eric H Chang @changsbrain.bsky.social · Sep 9

On the Long Island Railroad (LIRR) here in NY, I literally saw one single person reading a book along the platforms. 100s of others had their heads down looking at their phones. To be fair, some of them could have been reading a book on their phone, but I sort of doubt it!

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Santa Fe Public Library @sfnmpl.bsky.social · Sep 9

“Libraries should be beautiful and open; inviting, not intimidating. It’s not a shrine, but a place where you can spend time freely, take part in discussions, public consultations, or meet people,” he says.

www.theguardian.com/world/2025/s...

Warsaw opens metro station ‘express’ library to get commuters off their phones

Metroteka aims to encourage people to read more in country that lost majority of libraries in second world war

www.theguardian.com

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Tim Verstynen @tdverstynen.bsky.social · Sep 4

What a strange timeline we live in: activists and politicians rail against the value of science, while every day we get wild new discoveries like the simultaneous recording of 600k+ neurons of the mouse brain or ants that give birth to 2 different species.

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The New York Times @nytimes.com · Sep 2

After making millions as a commodities trader, a job he came to hate, Jonathan Kleisner joined the Fire Department as a rookie paramedic at the age of 41. Now he’s determined to be the best rescue medic anywhere.

The Millionaire Who Left Wall Street to Become a Paramedic

After making millions in a job he came to hate, Jonathan Kleisner joined the Fire Department as a rookie paramedic at the age of 41. Now he’s determined to be the best rescue medic anywhere.

nyti.ms

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Carlos Brody @carlosbrody.bsky.social · Aug 29

This rule would have meant I couldn't do my Ph.D. in America.

I did do it in America. Became a professor. 12 thriving U.S. labs are now headed by trainees from my research lab. Like me, they are all working hard to enrich American knowledge and society.

With this self-harming rule, none of that.

Catherine Rampell @crampell.bsky.social · Aug 29

Trump admin planning to change student visas from lasting for duration of academic program to fixed 4-yr term, and then much harder to renew
Could destroy US ability to attract global talent, particularly those seeking advanced degrees in STEM. The median time to complete a PhD is 5.7 yrs per NSF.

Trump Deals A New Immigration Blow To International Students

Trump officials have proposed a new rule limiting international students to fixed periods of entry, making a U.S. education more precarious.

www.forbes.com

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Daniel Carlson @danielwcarlson.bsky.social · Aug 29

We built a calculator that doesn't work, but don't worry, it's also a plagiarism machine that will tell you to kill yourself. It runs on the world's oceans and costs 10 trillion dollars.

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Eric H Chang @changsbrain.bsky.social · Aug 29

Wow RFK Jr can visualize mitochondrial status with his naked eyes. Who knew that was possible!?! 👀

jen sometimes aph 🌻 @bunnibytz.bsky.social · Aug 27

via @acyn.bsky.social

RFK JR: I’m looking at kids as I walk through the airports today...and I see these kids that are just overburdened with mitochondrial challenges, inflammation—you can tell from their faces, movements, and lack of social connection

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Chris Hayes @chrislhayes.bsky.social · Aug 29

Yes and I’m one of the world’s foremost professional basketball players.

Acyn @acyn.bsky.social · Aug 29

Stephen Miller: Secretary Kennedy, one of the world's foremost experts on public health, is working hard to restore the credibility of the CDC as a scientific organization committed to the scientific method

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Katharina Schmack @kathaschmack.bsky.social · Aug 29

Thrilled to join this amazing panel to talk consciousness, psychosis and the biology of experience 🧠 🧬

Get your tickets and submit your questions 👇

The Francis Crick Institute @crick.ac.uk · Aug 28

What is consciousness?

Meet the panellists for an upcoming live episode recording of our new podcast, A Question of Science:

@anilseth.bsky.social, @smfleming.bsky.social, @kathaschmack.bsky.social and Alex O'Connor

📅 9 September 14:45
🎟️ Book your free tickets now ⬇️
🔗 lostintv.com/tv-show?id=1...

Brian Cox sitting on a chair on a well-lit stage, with two guests on either side. Each person has a microphone in front of them.

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💉Josh Rubin, MD @drsandman11.medsky.social · Aug 27

Dearest Martha,

The National Guard stand solemn watch at the Krispy Kreme tonight. I cannot tell if they defend the people from the donuts, or the donuts from the people. Powdered sugar hangs in the air like cannon smoke. Jensen took a hot coffee to the face, he may never recover.

Yours in glaze,

National guard troops lounging outside a Krispy Kreme

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Arghavan Salles, MD, PhD @arghavansallesmd.medsky.social · Aug 27

Here’s some of what scientists told us:

"The past five months are by far the worst I've experienced in my science career (from grad student to professor) over the last 30-plus years because we no longer know if there will be support for the work that we do, because science and research has…” +

Arghavan Salles, MD, PhD @arghavansallesmd.medsky.social · Aug 26

We asked researchers across the country how federal funding changes have affected them and their labs. Their responses indicate a sense of doom and an existential crisis for science in the US: “The ship is going down and we are powerless.”

Importantly, there’s still time to fix this. 1/2

We surveyed hundreds of biomedical researchers about the instability in federal funding. Here’s what they said

“The ship is going down and we are powerless”: What scientists are saying about cuts to federal research funding.

www.statnews.com

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Carolyn Johnson @carolynyjohnson.bsky.social · Aug 18

"What I would simply say is cancer can't wait." --Richard Schlueter, a 56-year-old metastatic cancer patient whose therapy was delayed due to terminations at NIH.

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