Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Bec Crew

Alex de Campi @alexdecampi.bsky.social · Aug 27

There are tons of graphic novels, academic papers, film and TV scripts, & prose novels/nonfiction on the LibGen list Anthropic used.

As settlement approaches, make it easy for the class action lawyers to contact you! Here’s how

Part 1: is your work in Libgen?

www.theatlantic.com/technology/a...

Search LibGen, the Pirated-Books Database That Meta Used to Train AI

Millions of books and scientific papers are captured in the collection’s current iteration.

www.theatlantic.com

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Reposted by Bec Crew

Nature @nature.com · Aug 25

Reviewers are more likely to approve a manuscript if their own work is cited

go.nature.com/4oOf3MI

Peer reviewers more likely to approve articles that cite their own work

Nature - Preprint examines how citations can influence the review process.

go.nature.com

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Reposted by Bec Crew

Max Kozlov @maxkozlov.bsky.social · Jul 22

There's an large uptick in papers published in the year before researchers attain tenure, a new analysis shows.

From there it diverges: those in fields that have labs (eg biology, chemistry) keep churning papers, while those that aren't (eg sociology, math) see a decline in papers.

Do academics publish less after getting tenured? Depends on your field

Paper output varies between disciplines, as does the trend after tenure is achieved.

www.nature.com

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Reposted by Bec Crew

Bianca Nogrady @biancanogrady.bsky.social · Jul 11

Some good news: Australia has just launched its first new cancer screening program in decades, using low-dose CT to screen current and former smokers for early lung cancer. Could save hundreds of lives every year.
www.medscape.com/viewarticle/...

Australia Launches Lung Cancer Screening Program for Smokers

Australia has launched its first lung cancer screening program, which targets current and recent smokers with biennial low-dose CT scans.

www.medscape.com

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Reposted by Bec Crew

Nature @nature.com · Jul 10

A key US Senate committee has indicated that it will reject the huge budget cuts that President Donald Trump proposed for some science agencies, including the US National Science Foundation and NASA.

go.nature.com/40H0XST

US senators poised to reject Trump’s proposed massive science cuts

Committee gives first hint that policymakers might preserve, rather than slash, funding for US National Science Foundation and other agencies.

go.nature.com

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Reposted by Bec Crew

Simon Baker @simontbaker.bsky.social · Jun 25

Hot off the press, our latest Nature Index supplement on private-sector science. Lots of interesting questions/data to explore, especially in the context of public research funding being cut in the US. www.nature.com/collections/...

Science Inc.

Corporate research is a major part of the global science ecosystem, and all eyes are on the sector amid federal funding cuts in the United States.

www.nature.com

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Bec Crew @beccrew.bsky.social · Jul 4

"Technology’s potential to shape almost every aspect of our lives makes public scrutiny of its research output all the more important."

www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Transparent research: can big tech learn from big pharma?

The results of technology research and development must find their way into the published literature. New models of regulation could help.

www.nature.com

Bec Crew @beccrew.bsky.social · Jul 4

“There’s a niche group that knows [the journal] well, but many more of us are clueless."

Story by @sciwriabdul.bsky.social

www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Leadership change at African journal sparks calls for bold reform

The Journal of Public Health in Africa faces a pivotal moment, and researchers say it must evolve to better serve the scientific community.

www.nature.com

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Reposted by Bec Crew

Nature Portfolio @natureportfolio.nature.com · Jul 4

Researchers told Nature that long-term threats to science at Harvard University are likely to remain no matter what happens in the legal battle between the university and the Trump administration. #Academicsky 🧪

Harvard vs Trump: what this epic battle means for science

Research across science and medicine will probably shrink at one of the world’s most elite universities amid a new political reality.

go.nature.com

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Reposted by Bec Crew

Dror Shvadron @drorshva.bsky.social · Jun 26

I had the opportunity to speak with Brian Owens (@scibri.com) at Nature Index about why firms invest in scientific research and what drives their decisions to publish. Grateful for the thoughtful reporting: www.nature.com/articles/d41...

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Reposted by Bec Crew

Atul Gawande @agawande.bsky.social · Jun 25

This is a travesty & a nightmare. The US was a founder of @gavi.org. It lowers global vaccine costs, has vaccinated 1B children, & averted 19M deaths. This pull out will cost 100s of thousands of children's lives a year - and RFK Jr will be personally responsible.
www.politico.com/news/2025/06...

RFK Jr. says US won’t donate to global vaccine effort

Kennedy ripped into Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, in a video address at its pledging summit.

www.politico.com

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Bec Crew @beccrew.bsky.social · Jun 26

Where the academic researchers to flocking to.

www.nature.com/articles/d41...

These are the top companies and countries for industry research

Here’s where academic researchers are flocking to — and the topics they’re pursuing.

www.nature.com

Bec Crew @beccrew.bsky.social · Jun 26

There are good commercial reasons for firms to share their research in science journals, but the practice seems to be falling out of favour.

www.nature.com/articles/d41...

What incentives do companies need to publish research?

There are good commercial reasons for firms to share their research in science journals, but the practice seems to be falling out of favour.

www.nature.com

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Bec Crew @beccrew.bsky.social · Jun 26

If the United States continues to cut funding for fundamental research, it could undermine its own innovation pipeline with potentially dire consequences.

www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Can industry fill the gap left by US research funding cuts?

If companies do step in to support research, will they publish the results, or keep them close to their chest?

www.nature.com

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Reposted by Bec Crew

Magdalena Skipper @magdalenaskipper.bsky.social · Jun 24

“Having the freedom to defend science is a privilege. Those who have it owe it to everyone the world over to make their voices heard.” Our editorial calling for global academies to speak out like the Pontifical Academy just did - www.nature.com/articles/d41...

🧪
www.nature.com/articles/d41...

In the face of anti-science politics, silence is not without cost

More scientific leaders need to speak out about anti-science agendas and threats to academic freedom across the world.

www.nature.com

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Bec Crew @beccrew.bsky.social · Jun 18

"Until China’s ascent, no country or region (not even the 27-member European Union) had come close to the United States in overall volume of research funding or influential publications."

www.nature.com/articles/d41...

In science’s new era, open and transparent cooperation remains key

As China continues its scientific ascent, the rest of the world should keep engaging.

www.nature.com

Reposted by Bec Crew

Max Kozlov @maxkozlov.bsky.social · Jun 16

An NIH staffer reacts to today's ruling:
"I'm looking forward to the day that we are so slammed with work trying to reinstate everything that we had to terminate illegally — I'll work 24/7 to make that happen if I can."

Max Kozlov @maxkozlov.bsky.social · Jun 16

🚨 BREAKING: Nearly 4 months the NIH cut its first grants, a judge has ruled that the directives and process that led to cuts are arbitrary and capricious.

"The explanations are bereft of reasoning — virtually in their entirety... unsupported by [facts]."

Each of them are VOID and ILLEGAL, he says.

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Reposted by Bec Crew

OG (from Brains Matter) 🇦🇺 @brainsmatter.bsky.social · Jun 16

Trade in a mythical fish is threatening real species of rays that are rare and at risk https://theconversation.com/trade-in-a-mythical-fish-is-threatening-real-species-of-rays-that-are-rare-and-at-risk-247433 #conservation #environment #science #STEM

Trade in a mythical fish is threatening real species of rays that are rare and at risk

They look like devils and hence are called pez diablo in Spanish, but these demonic objects are dried and mutilated versions of living rays known as guitarfish.

theconversation.com

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Bec Crew @beccrew.bsky.social · Jun 11

Western universities and research institutions continue to tumble in the annual Nature Index Research Leaders rankings while Chinese institutions soar.

go.nature.com/43Q91S9

Nature Index 2025 Research Leaders: Western institutions lose long-held top spots - 2025 Research Leaders

www.nature.com

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Bec Crew @beccrew.bsky.social · Jun 11

We've just released the Nature Index 2025 Research Leaders, which shows that China’s lead over the United States in high-quality research output has multiplied by more than four times in a single year.

go.nature.com/444uxD4 by @benjplackett.bsky.social

Nature Index 2025 Research Leaders: United States losing ground as China’s lead expands rapidly - 2025 Research Leaders

www.nature.com

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Bec Crew @beccrew.bsky.social · Jun 5

Bot-made art undermines research and public trust in science, say illustrators frustrated by inaccurate and outlandish depictions.

@kamalnahas.bsky.social @ella-maru.bsky.social‬ ‪@blokoweka.bsky.social‬

www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Illustrators call out journals and news sites for using AI art

Bot-made art undermines research and public trust in science, say illustrators frustrated by inaccurate and outlandish depictions.

www.nature.com

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Reposted by Bec Crew

Brian Owens @scibri.com · May 28

Trump's cuts to US science are affecting researchers in Canada too - but they might offer an opportunity for the country to recruit new talent. My story for @nature.com 🧪
www.nature.com/articles/d41...

‘A funeral for our careers’: Trump’s science cuts spill onto Canadian turf

Researchers in Canada prepare for turbulence in the wake of US funding changes — but there’s a silver lining.

www.nature.com

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Reposted by Bec Crew

Magdalena Skipper @magdalenaskipper.bsky.social · May 29

Another blow to a great American success story - pausing foreign applications to US universities is a terrible idea

🧪 #AcademicSky

economist.com/leaders/2025...
from The Economist