Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Jeremy Berg @jeremymberg.bsky.social · 34m

“There are a lot of critical things the federal government does... There are critical things that need to be saved.”

Vice President JD Vance (R-Arson Club of America)

Stand Up for Science! @standupforscience.bsky.social · 2d

FIGHT FOR SCIENCE RALLY ✊🌏
⏰ WHEN: October 17th, 2025
📍WHERE: 200 Independence Ave SW, Washington DC!
RSVP to JOIN THE FIGHT IRL: zurl.co/LayiM ‼️

📲 Join us Virtually!: zurl.co/Um47l

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Reposted by Jeremy Berg

Stand Up for Science! @standupforscience.bsky.social · 2d

FIGHT FOR SCIENCE RALLY ✊🌏
⏰ WHEN: October 17th, 2025
📍WHERE: 200 Independence Ave SW, Washington DC!
RSVP to JOIN THE FIGHT IRL: zurl.co/LayiM ‼️

📲 Join us Virtually!: zurl.co/Um47l

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Jeremy Berg @jeremymberg.bsky.social · 1h

My first attempt at "Fifty Shades of Jay: The Videos".

It is a work in progress....

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Reposted by Jeremy Berg

Angie Rasmussen @angierasmussen.bsky.social · 10h

I don’t know who needs to hear this but the CDC is being eviscerated right now. America is not going to have any kind of outbreak response capacity after tonight. Americans’ health data is no longer secure. Say goodbye to federal public health in any capacity. It’s a disaster. We won’t recover.

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Jeremy Berg @jeremymberg.bsky.social · 1h

Not to be a stickler about process, but nominations for this year's Nobel Peace Prize closed on January 31st, 2025.

He is absolutely not appropriate in any case, but all of the nomination performance nonsense is just that.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 15h

Q: The Nobel Peace Prize was announced this morning. Your thoughts?

TRUMP: Which one?

Q: The Nobel Peace Prize. Your thoughts?

TRUMP: I made eight deals, transactions of wars

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Jeremy Berg @jeremymberg.bsky.social · 2h

My quote of the day

Nobody ever thanks you for saving them from the disease they didn't know they were going to get.

William Foege

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Reposted by Jeremy Berg

Jason McLellan @mclellanlab.bsky.social · 2d

I'm honored to receive a MacArthur Fellowship. As always, I extend my sincerest thanks to all my wonderful mentors, colleagues, collaborators, admins, and trainees who make this work possible. #MacFellow

Texas Science @texasscience.bsky.social · 2d

UT Austin has a new “genius grant” recipient!

Texas Science professor Jason McLellan has been awarded a MacArthur Fellowship — aka the “genius grant” — by The MacArthur Foundation.

#TexasScience @mclellanlab.bsky.social #MacArthurGenius @utaustin.bsky.social
cns.utexas.edu/news/accolad...

Virus Slayer Awarded ‘Genius Grant’ by MacArthur Foundation

The award recognizes Jason McLellan’s work to investigate how viruses infect our cells and to develop new treatments for infectious disease.

cns.utexas.edu

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Reposted by Jeremy Berg

Mark Histed @markhisted.org · 20h

Russell Vought has announced that "mass firings [RIFs] have begun."

Lawless. The RIFs in the spring were illegal, as Judge Illston outlined. Yes, the conservative SCOTUS supermajority lawlessly signed off. But the Calvinball Court is not doing law.

Congress can stop this. A thread: 1/

'RIFs have begun.' Vought announces start of mass firings during government shutdown

The White House budget office said Friday that mass firings of federal workers have started in an attempt to exert more pressure on Democratic lawmakers as the government shutdown continues.

www.pbs.org

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Jeremy Berg @jeremymberg.bsky.social · 14h

OK. Your turn.

Share your thoughts about my proposal about C. elegans and make proposals for other organisms.

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a cartoon character from south park says " go "

ALT: a cartoon character from south park says " go "

media.tenor.com

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Jeremy Berg @jeremymberg.bsky.social · 14h

I am not an expert on any model organism, but have had occasions as NIGMS director and a biochemistry textbook author to examine this sort of questions.

For C. elegans, I would say its the stereotyped cell division pathways during development and the discovery of apoptosis.

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Jeremy Berg @jeremymberg.bsky.social · 14h

DIVERSE ORGANISMS IN BIOLOGY AND BIOMEDICINE

What are the most important discoveries in different organisms?

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a man holding a pen with the words what do you think behind him

ALT: a man holding a pen with the words what do you think behind him

media.tenor.com

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Jeremy Berg @jeremymberg.bsky.social · 16h

I wore this shirt to pick up some garden supplies this morning and got 3 compliments (2 from staff, 1 from another customer) about the message.

"Science doesn't care what you believe in"

Remarkably affirming...

Man with dogs with "Science doesn't care what you believe in" T-shirt.

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Jeremy Berg @jeremymberg.bsky.social · 20h

A response from MIT rejecting "The Compact"...

orgchart.mit.edu/letters/rega...

Regarding the Compact | MIT Organization Chart

orgchart.mit.edu

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Jeremy Berg @jeremymberg.bsky.social · 22h

Shorter answer: We have seen many "campaigns" from people eager for a Nobel Prize. We ignore them and stick to our principles and mission.

A good answer for many occasions.

nahhan sandiego @nahhansandiego.bsky.social · 23h

press: why wasn’t trump considered for the nobel peace prize?

committee chair person in the most norwegian way possible: we only give the award to people of courage and integrity.

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Jeremy Berg @jeremymberg.bsky.social · 1d

2/2

In his keynote address at the National Health Research Forum last month, Bhattacharya expressed concerns that early career researchers are leaving science. But it is not just “science” per se that we are leaving. Rather, due to recent NIH actions, more than four in five early career researchers are considering leaving academia or relocating outside the United States. When I directly pressed Bhattacharya about this exodus during our meeting, he said that if researchers did not like the way things are in the United States, they were welcome to go elsewhere. More than two months later, we have had no follow-up and seen no evidence that Bhattacharya intends to take action.

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Jeremy Berg @jeremymberg.bsky.social · 1d

Thoughtful and well-informed op-ed from @ianlmorgan.bsky.social

Definitely worth a read!

www.the-scientist.com/nih-leadersh...

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NIH Leadership Is Failing Early Career Researchers

Halted training programs, funding chaos, and hiring freezes jeopardize advancement options for early career researchers.

www.the-scientist.com

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Jeremy Berg @jeremymberg.bsky.social · 1d

My quote of the day

We have managed to unite a country tearing down the barriers the regime built to divide us. Ours is a fight of a nation united against a criminal tyranny, in defense of its human rights, freedom, and democracy. That is why we have no alternative but victory

María Corina Machado

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Reposted by Jeremy Berg

Jean Ibosh @fedup90611.bsky.social · 1d

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Reposted by Jeremy Berg

samuel mehr @mehr.nz · Dec 14

it's wild that R, the ubiquitous statistical computing language, was co-created by a Māori prof (Ross Ihaka) — and yet the vast majority of scientists who use R don't know

this is like inventing the toaster. possibly the largest impact of a single member of an indigenous community on modern science

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Jeremy Berg @jeremymberg.bsky.social · 1d

A good 🧵to start to day…

Gregg Gonsalves @gregggonsalves.bsky.social · 1d

Thank you @nytopinion.nytimes.com for publishing this rot. Marc Rowan has run hundreds of companies into the dust to extract profits from their failure and bankruptcies. Now he wants to do the same to American higher education. Do not believe a word this man says. 1/ www.nytimes.com/2025/10/10/o...

Opinion | Trump’s ‘Compact’ With Universities Is Badly Needed

www.nytimes.com

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Christopher Webb @cwebbonline.com · 1d

Sometimes we need a moment, but if you tune out completely, they win. Fascism doesn’t need your support, just your silence.

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Sam Bagenstos @sbagen.bsky.social · 1d

I am really glad that @jeremymberg.bsky.social wrote this. Everybody who cares about science, and about knowledge generation and civil society generally, should read and share with their favorite administrator.

Deafening Quiet from the Scientific Establishment
open.substack.com/pub/donmoyni...

Deafening Quiet from the Scientific Establishment

Leaders are underestimating the risks of not fighting back

open.substack.com

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Jeremy Berg @jeremymberg.bsky.social · 1d

Thank you, Sam. It is from the heart.

Sam Bagenstos @sbagen.bsky.social · 1d

I am really glad that @jeremymberg.bsky.social wrote this. Everybody who cares about science, and about knowledge generation and civil society generally, should read and share with their favorite administrator.

Deafening Quiet from the Scientific Establishment
open.substack.com/pub/donmoyni...

Deafening Quiet from the Scientific Establishment

Leaders are underestimating the risks of not fighting back

open.substack.com

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Reposted by Jeremy Berg

Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 1d

New from @jeremymberg.bsky.social at Can We Still Govern:
"Silence may protect an institution from becoming an early target, but history shows that it increases the likelihood that that institution (and many others) will be become targets over time."
donmoynihan.substack.com/p/deafening-...

Deafening Quiet from the Scientific Establishment

Leaders are underestimating the risks of not fighting back

donmoynihan.substack.com

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Reposted by Jeremy Berg

🇨🇦marciebp🇲🇽 @marciebp.bsky.social · 2d

Stephen Miller’s big, big flub.

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