Susan Tsang
@batgirlsusan.bsky.social
790 followers 590 following 130 posts
Nerd of all things flying fox in SE Asia 🦇 | Wildlife trafficking consultant | Museum geek
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batgirlsusan.bsky.social
Our bat immunoglobulin comparative analysis paper is now live!

Full-text read-only link here, but I can also send the paper to anyone who wants it:

onlinelibrary.wiley.com/share/author...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
batgirlsusan.bsky.social
I can tell it's a Dobsonia at least, so that's pretty good!
batgirlsusan.bsky.social
It was so good to meet you! (And also this is just too cute and perfect for how hot it is in DC)
Reposted by Susan Tsang
bencasselman.bsky.social
For months, people have been asking me whether I still trusted gov’t data. My answer was always the same: The stats agencies faced longstanding challenges, some of which Trump was making worse. But there was no sign of political meddling.
I can’t say that anymore.
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/01/b...
Trump, Claiming Weak Jobs Numbers Were ‘Rigged,’ Fires Labor Official
www.nytimes.com
Reposted by Susan Tsang
davidho.bsky.social
What’s embarrassing about the DOE report is that it’s the same climate denier (we used to call them skeptics) talking points from when I was in grad school three decades ago. Can’t these deniers come up with something fresh?
Scientists slam Trump administration climate report as a ‘farce’ full of misinformation
Experts say the report being used to justify the mass rollback of climate regulations has many claims based on long-debunked research
www.theguardian.com
batgirlsusan.bsky.social
Completely mad that the Smithsonian is going to stop supporting the Biodiversity Heritage Library on 1 January 2026. Every old ass taxonomic description, dating back to the 17th or 18th century even, I have read and still read is through here.

Someone please give it a new home.
trevorabranch.bsky.social
Foundations: please step up and take over the Biodiversity Heritage Library (BHL). This is an absolutely essential scanned archive of all of the old journals and books from the 1500s to about 1920. Has been indispensable for my research.
about.biodiversitylibrary.org/call-for-sup...
Call for Support: – About BHL
about.biodiversitylibrary.org
Reposted by Susan Tsang
trevorabranch.bsky.social
In an unconscionable decision, the Smithsonian Institute has decided to no longer support the Biodiversity Heritage Library from 1 Jan 2026. Please someone step up and take it over.
trevorabranch.bsky.social
Foundations: please step up and take over the Biodiversity Heritage Library (BHL). This is an absolutely essential scanned archive of all of the old journals and books from the 1500s to about 1920. Has been indispensable for my research.
about.biodiversitylibrary.org/call-for-sup...
Call for Support: – About BHL
about.biodiversitylibrary.org
Reposted by Susan Tsang
dominicervolina.com
This is the problem many of us have with SCOTUS' ruling

It doesn't allow Trump to do all of this, but his regime is going to act like it does

SCOTUS is fully aware of this and did it anyway
atrupar.com
Trump claims the SCOTUS ruling paves way for

-- ending birthright citizenship
-- ending sanctuary city funding
-- suspending refugee resettlement
-- "freezing unnecessary funding"
-- no tax dollars for transgender surgeries
Reposted by Susan Tsang
standupforscience.bsky.social
Leave it to OG resistors @altnps.bsky.social to be out in front calling YAY for this huge freaking WIN.

Trump is reeling.

The NIH is roaring back.

Join the fight www.standupforscience.net/summer-fight... - because HERE WE COME!

#StandUpForScience
#SummerFightForScience
#SaveNIH
#HereWeCome
Reposted by Susan Tsang
yuhline.bsky.social
What I learned today is that the @nytopinion.nytimes.com doesn’t believe in young people of color in leadership. Time and time again people tout “seniority” and “experience”. 75 years ago, there were no women of color elected in NY. Where is “seniority” or “experience” to come from for us?
Reposted by Susan Tsang
greenleejw.bsky.social
This is something that most people will miss, because they're not in the profession and haven't ever really thought about historical knowledge is produced. But it's an incredibly important point.
bookjockeyalex.bsky.social
Relatedly, if you haven't been in an archives you have no idea just how much historical material is not online, not even a digital record of it. An LLM cannot research data it doesn't have. It can't even extrapolate where to find that material.
Reposted by Susan Tsang
gelliottmorris.com
Based on crowd-sourced records of No Kings Day event turnout, and extrapolating for the cities where we don't have data yet, it looks like roughly 4-6 million people protested Trump across the U.S. yesterday. That's nearly 2% of the U.S. pop!

Mobilized anti-Trump resistance is exceeding 2017 levels
"No Kings Day" protests turn out millions
Our unofficial estimate is that around 4 million people attended a protest event yesterday. Anti-Trump resistance is outpacing 2017.
www.gelliottmorris.com
Reposted by Susan Tsang
albertocairo.com
This is journalism malpractice 101, and it should be taught in J-schools as such.

What in bloody hell does "widely accepted mean"? It's not "widely accepted". It's true. The other alternative is false. Full stop.
npr.org
NPR @npr.org · Jun 14
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. apparently embraces the outdated "miasma theory" of disease instead of the widely accept "germ theory" of disease, which may help explain some of the actions he's been taking.
Ancient miasma theory may help explain Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s vaccine moves
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. apparently embraces the outdated "miasma theory" of disease instead of the widely accept "germ theory" of disease, which may help explain some of the actions he's been taking.
n.pr
Reposted by Susan Tsang
carlbergstrom.com
"Sources said the administration is specifically considering a full termination of federal grant funding for the University of California and California State University systems."

Pure vandalism.

This could never happen in a country with functioning checks and balances.
Trump preparing large-scale cancellation of federal funding for California, sources say | CNN Politics
The Trump administration is preparing to cancel a large swath of federal funding to California, an effort which could begin as soon as Friday, according to multiple sources.
www.cnn.com
Reposted by Susan Tsang
kortizart.bsky.social
Folks, the House advanced the disastrous reconciliation bill, with the destructive 10-year State Ban against regulations for AI intact!

We now MUST mobilize our calls to the Senate! Call today!

If you need a script the post below offers a fantastic alternative!

We only have one chance! Lets go!
crcadvocacy.bsky.social
The House just advanced §43201 (Sub. C, Title IV), AKA the 10 year ban on state AI laws: thehill.com/homenews/hou...

It's now time to reach out to your Senators!

Wondering how? See: 5calls.org/issue/ai-reg...

Or feel free to use the card below.
FIND your Senator
- Go to senate.gov > Senators > Contact Your Senators > pick your state.
E-MAIL (about 3 min)
- Click "Contact" beneath each Senator's photo.
- Subject: Oppose §43201 (AI Preemption) – E&C FY-25 House Concurrent Resolution 14
- Copy or edit:
	- My name is <NAME>, and I live in ZIP Code <12345>. Section 43201 would bar every state and municipality from passing AI safeguards for ten years, yet offers no federal framework. It is extraneous to budget policy and violates federalism (Wyeth/Lohr). Please support a Byrd-Rule point of order or vote to strike §43201 from the bill. Thank you.
CALL (about 1 min)
- Dial 202-224-3121 and ask for Senator <Last Name>.
- Script: Hello, I am <NAME> from <CITY/ZIP>. Please support striking AI-law preemption in Section 43201, Subtitle C of the Fiscal Year 2025 budget-reconciliation draft under House Concurrent Resolution 14. It is extraneous under the Byrd Rule and harms states' duty to protect the public, rights holders, and creators.
Reposted by Susan Tsang
Reposted by Susan Tsang
davidho.bsky.social
Universities like mine are limiting hiring, travel, and other spending using federal funds because of the fear of things like this. It's basically impossible to do science, whether NSF takes back funding or not.
National Science Foundation Terminates Hundreds of Active Research Awards (Gift Article)
The agency targeted grants focused on diversity, equity and inclusion, as well as research on misinformation.
www.nytimes.com
Reposted by Susan Tsang
carlbergstrom.com
It's Fustilarian Friday, so here's the latest statement from NSF's director, trying to dodge the news cycle.

www.nsf.gov/updates-on-p...
Updates on NSF Priorities
www.nsf.gov
Reposted by Susan Tsang
polargriffin.bsky.social
This is a WILD list of data to disappear. I was braced for climate stuff, but not, like, shoreline maps and coastal bathymetry