Josh Fischman
@jfischman.bsky.social
Senior medicine editor at Scientific American. Health podcast host. Assigning stories on health, biology, science & politics, cute animals
Reposted by Josh Fischman
Vaughn Cooper’s new Scientific American article offers a clear look at the potential threats posed by mirror‑life. He trained with MGI's Rich Lenski @relenski.bsky.social, whose contributions to the field are referenced in the piece. Important context for a complex topic.
What could mirror bacteria do in nature if created? A story of these prospects and a plan to prevent them.
Titles aside, I hope you'll read it (the tech is NOT close). Thanks to Tom Freeman for writing help & @jfischman.bsky.social for ace editing! www.scientificamerican.com/article/life...
Titles aside, I hope you'll read it (the tech is NOT close). Thanks to Tom Freeman for writing help & @jfischman.bsky.social for ace editing! www.scientificamerican.com/article/life...
Life’s evil twins, called mirror cells, could wipe us out if scientists don’t stop them
Researchers are close to making “reversed” cells that may wipe us off the planet
www.scientificamerican.com
January 22, 2026 at 8:27 PM
Vaughn Cooper’s new Scientific American article offers a clear look at the potential threats posed by mirror‑life. He trained with MGI's Rich Lenski @relenski.bsky.social, whose contributions to the field are referenced in the piece. Important context for a complex topic.
What happens when the person being watched and discriminated against is you? www.thebulwark.com/p/trump-chil...
Trump’s Chilling Weaponization of Confidential Government Records
Remind me—who else in history made lists of Jewish intellectuals and people with disabilities?
www.thebulwark.com
January 24, 2026 at 12:09 AM
What happens when the person being watched and discriminated against is you? www.thebulwark.com/p/trump-chil...
@vscooper.micropopbio.org hi Vaughn. Would it be more accurate, in the subhed, if we changed "are close" to "are moving closer"?
January 21, 2026 at 3:19 AM
@vscooper.micropopbio.org hi Vaughn. Would it be more accurate, in the subhed, if we changed "are close" to "are moving closer"?
RFKjr and HHS are making it easier to sue pharma for health problems that occur after vaccination. Any vaccination. Will this stop development of new vaccines (because pharma will be sued for anything and stop developing new vaccinations). Or help people with real injuries? What do you think? 🧪
RFK Jr. is moving to remake a little-known vaccine panel. It could have big consequences
Firing the advisory panel's members could be a first step toward revamping the vaccine injury compensation system.
www.statnews.com
January 21, 2026 at 3:16 AM
RFKjr and HHS are making it easier to sue pharma for health problems that occur after vaccination. Any vaccination. Will this stop development of new vaccines (because pharma will be sued for anything and stop developing new vaccinations). Or help people with real injuries? What do you think? 🧪
Donald Trump grabs Nobel Peace Prize--with somebody else's name on it-- from original winner after leading bombing that killed more that 100 people. at the point of a gun www.nytimes.com/live/2026/01...
Live Updates: Venezuelan Opposition Leader Gives Trump Her Peace Prize
www.nytimes.com
January 16, 2026 at 2:52 AM
Donald Trump grabs Nobel Peace Prize--with somebody else's name on it-- from original winner after leading bombing that killed more that 100 people. at the point of a gun www.nytimes.com/live/2026/01...
Expensive Probiotic Supplements only work for a very few diseases, and not overall gut health, Scientific American reports. Save your money. 🧪 share.google/nbkhbPmzWpZP...
Probiotics Help Only a Few Relatively Rare Diseases, according to Strong Science
Popular supplements with billions of “good” microbes really help only a few illnesses, research shows
share.google
January 10, 2026 at 6:38 PM
Expensive Probiotic Supplements only work for a very few diseases, and not overall gut health, Scientific American reports. Save your money. 🧪 share.google/nbkhbPmzWpZP...
Something odd here. 2 of the scientists from Denmark showed live vaccines are extra powerful, protecting babies from diseases beyond the intended one. Measles and the TB vaccine do this. One researcher, Christine Benn, wrote a popular article on this, below. How did this get seen as anti-vax? 🧪
December 28, 2025 at 5:19 AM
Something odd here. 2 of the scientists from Denmark showed live vaccines are extra powerful, protecting babies from diseases beyond the intended one. Measles and the TB vaccine do this. One researcher, Christine Benn, wrote a popular article on this, below. How did this get seen as anti-vax? 🧪
More "gold standard science" from Trump and RfkJr. They gave $1.6 million to Danish scientists for a study apparently designed to prove a childhood vaccine doesn't work. While cutting billions from research in the US. www.cidrap.umn.edu/childhood-va...
CDC awards $1.6 million for hepatitis B vaccine study by controversial Danish researchers
www.cidrap.umn.edu
December 28, 2025 at 1:09 AM
More "gold standard science" from Trump and RfkJr. They gave $1.6 million to Danish scientists for a study apparently designed to prove a childhood vaccine doesn't work. While cutting billions from research in the US. www.cidrap.umn.edu/childhood-va...
11 medical experiments that will shape our health in 2026: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Eleven clinical trials that will shape medicine in 2026 - Nature Medicine
Nature Medicine asks leading researchers to name their top clinical trial for 2026, from long-awaited vaccines for infectious diseases to new treatments for advanced cancers and long COVID.
www.nature.com
December 27, 2025 at 11:36 PM
11 medical experiments that will shape our health in 2026: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
They trigger reward systems instead.
This is your brain on Ritalin. Got your attention? Stimulant medications like Ritalin (methylphenidate) do, but not in the way you might think. They don't act directly on the brain’s attention systems! Find out what's really happening in @cellpress.bsky.social. doi.org/10.1016/j.ce...
December 26, 2025 at 5:29 AM
They trigger reward systems instead.
Math/money problem with the new Wegovy GLP-1 weight loss pill. www.scientificamerican.com/article/wego... The pill is $149/month for 1.5 mg. But in the clinical trial showing success, the daily pill was 25 mg. That's 16.7 HIGHER. www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.... So is that $2488.30 per pill? 🧪 #medsky
U.S. Approves Wegovy Weight-Loss Pill, a Move That Could Transform Health Care
A pill version of the popular GLP-1 weight-loss drug Wegovy has been green-lit for use in the U.S. Here’s what that means for health care
www.scientificamerican.com
December 23, 2025 at 9:24 PM
Math/money problem with the new Wegovy GLP-1 weight loss pill. www.scientificamerican.com/article/wego... The pill is $149/month for 1.5 mg. But in the clinical trial showing success, the daily pill was 25 mg. That's 16.7 HIGHER. www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.... So is that $2488.30 per pill? 🧪 #medsky
For astounding appropriateness, this story on whisky industry death knells was written by a Times obituary writer. www.nytimes.com/2025/12/22/d...
Jim Beam Halts Production, as Whiskey Market Struggles
www.nytimes.com
December 23, 2025 at 12:34 AM
For astounding appropriateness, this story on whisky industry death knells was written by a Times obituary writer. www.nytimes.com/2025/12/22/d...
First RFKjr cuts HHS' own research about stopping childhood diseases. Now he cuts grants to pediatricians for stopping infant deaths. Seems much more like mindless revenge and less like making America healthy. 🧪 #medsky
SCOOP: American Academy of Pediatrics loses HHS funding after criticizing RFK Jr. Research included reducing sudden infant deaths and identifying autism early. Me and @Paigecunningham.Bsky.Social
www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...
www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...
American Academy of Pediatrics loses HHS funding after criticizing RFK Jr.
HHS cuts key AAP grants, citing concerns about “identity-based language” and insufficient focus on agency priorities. The organization said the cuts could harm child health.
www.washingtonpost.com
December 17, 2025 at 11:30 PM
First RFKjr cuts HHS' own research about stopping childhood diseases. Now he cuts grants to pediatricians for stopping infant deaths. Seems much more like mindless revenge and less like making America healthy. 🧪 #medsky
3 killers really may be 1 disease. Read how in new SciAm issue: www.scientificamerican.com/article/hear... 🧪 #medsky
Heart and Kidney Diseases, plus Type 2 Diabetes, May Be One New Syndrome Treatable with New Drugs
These three disorders could really be “CKM syndrome,” which can be treated with drugs like Ozempic
www.scientificamerican.com
December 17, 2025 at 2:54 AM
3 killers really may be 1 disease. Read how in new SciAm issue: www.scientificamerican.com/article/hear... 🧪 #medsky
Right after yesterday's gun massacre in Australia, some US gun enthusiasts said it indicated gun safety laws don't work. Wrong. Australia hasn't had mass shootings since 1996 while US has them all the time. Australia reaction to the massacre was to move for stricter laws because they work:
Australia announces strict new gun laws. Here's how it can act so swiftly
Less than 48 hours after the deadly attack at Sydney's Bondi Beach that left more than a dozen dead, Australian authorities announced proposals for sweeping new gun laws.
www.npr.org
December 15, 2025 at 11:24 PM
Right after yesterday's gun massacre in Australia, some US gun enthusiasts said it indicated gun safety laws don't work. Wrong. Australia hasn't had mass shootings since 1996 while US has them all the time. Australia reaction to the massacre was to move for stricter laws because they work:
🧪
There are few soil animals as adorable as the 'podgy' springtails!
This Platunurida sp. is a cousin of the famous 'giant' springtails in New Zealand. Instead of colourful spines, it has a flattened body, enabling it to squeeze into cracks in decaying logs where it lives.
#TheWorldBeneathOurFeet 🧪📸
This Platunurida sp. is a cousin of the famous 'giant' springtails in New Zealand. Instead of colourful spines, it has a flattened body, enabling it to squeeze into cracks in decaying logs where it lives.
#TheWorldBeneathOurFeet 🧪📸
December 8, 2025 at 2:26 AM
🧪
Reposted by Josh Fischman
There are few soil animals as adorable as the 'podgy' springtails!
This Platunurida sp. is a cousin of the famous 'giant' springtails in New Zealand. Instead of colourful spines, it has a flattened body, enabling it to squeeze into cracks in decaying logs where it lives.
#TheWorldBeneathOurFeet 🧪📸
This Platunurida sp. is a cousin of the famous 'giant' springtails in New Zealand. Instead of colourful spines, it has a flattened body, enabling it to squeeze into cracks in decaying logs where it lives.
#TheWorldBeneathOurFeet 🧪📸
December 8, 2025 at 2:15 AM
There are few soil animals as adorable as the 'podgy' springtails!
This Platunurida sp. is a cousin of the famous 'giant' springtails in New Zealand. Instead of colourful spines, it has a flattened body, enabling it to squeeze into cracks in decaying logs where it lives.
#TheWorldBeneathOurFeet 🧪📸
This Platunurida sp. is a cousin of the famous 'giant' springtails in New Zealand. Instead of colourful spines, it has a flattened body, enabling it to squeeze into cracks in decaying logs where it lives.
#TheWorldBeneathOurFeet 🧪📸
Challenging but rewarding journalism job. www.technologyreview.com/job/editoria...
Sr. Editorial Director, Print
Position Overview: Do you love print? Do you thrive on imagining eye-catching front of the book treatments, deeply reported features, and powerful photo essays? This is an incredible and rare opportun...
www.technologyreview.com
December 8, 2025 at 2:24 AM
Challenging but rewarding journalism job. www.technologyreview.com/job/editoria...
FDA, under Trump, reduces # of drug trials to 1, from 2 or more. More danger for you, more profits for pharma business. www.linkedin.com/posts/matthe...
FDA to lower number of trials required for approval of drugs, other medical products | Matthew Herper | 11 comments
Now the FDA is lowering the number of trials required for approval of drugs and other medical products from two to one, a major change to how approval works, according to and interview Lizzy Lawrence ...
www.linkedin.com
December 6, 2025 at 5:41 AM
FDA, under Trump, reduces # of drug trials to 1, from 2 or more. More danger for you, more profits for pharma business. www.linkedin.com/posts/matthe...
CDC's advisory committee on vaccines (appointed by RFKjr) today cannot figure out their own 3 alternatives for the hepatitis B birth dose. Members said they were confused by the info they were given, reports @laurenjyoung.bsky.social in @sciam.bsky.social now. Could keep the dose--or not. 🧪 #medsky
CDC Vaccine Panel in Disarray Over Hepatitis B Vote
Members of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices seemed confused on a proposed recommendation for the hepatitis B vaccine birth dose
www.scientificamerican.com
December 4, 2025 at 8:41 PM
CDC's advisory committee on vaccines (appointed by RFKjr) today cannot figure out their own 3 alternatives for the hepatitis B birth dose. Members said they were confused by the info they were given, reports @laurenjyoung.bsky.social in @sciam.bsky.social now. Could keep the dose--or not. 🧪 #medsky
TikTok - Make Your Day
vm.tiktok.com
December 2, 2025 at 10:35 PM
Reposted by Josh Fischman
Wow. This feels like one of the most important science stories I've read in a long time.
PPD is serious, life-altering stuff and the not-insignificant odds of developing it is something that weighs seriously in my own deliberations about having kids or not.
PPD is serious, life-altering stuff and the not-insignificant odds of developing it is something that weighs seriously in my own deliberations about having kids or not.
New research on postpartum depression shows it is not like other depressions biologically. It stems from dramatic changes in hormone levels that come with pregnancy and childbirth. A new drug, zuranolone, offsets that drop-off, and can do it within days. Read about how it works here:
Postpartum Depression Gets a New, Fast-Acting Fix in a Pill
Deep emotional distress after birth kills many mothers. A new kind of drug offers better, faster treatment
www.scientificamerican.com
November 18, 2025 at 9:53 PM
Wow. This feels like one of the most important science stories I've read in a long time.
PPD is serious, life-altering stuff and the not-insignificant odds of developing it is something that weighs seriously in my own deliberations about having kids or not.
PPD is serious, life-altering stuff and the not-insignificant odds of developing it is something that weighs seriously in my own deliberations about having kids or not.
New research on postpartum depression shows it is not like other depressions biologically. It stems from dramatic changes in hormone levels that come with pregnancy and childbirth. A new drug, zuranolone, offsets that drop-off, and can do it within days. Read about how it works here:
Postpartum Depression Gets a New, Fast-Acting Fix in a Pill
Deep emotional distress after birth kills many mothers. A new kind of drug offers better, faster treatment
www.scientificamerican.com
November 18, 2025 at 9:26 PM
New research on postpartum depression shows it is not like other depressions biologically. It stems from dramatic changes in hormone levels that come with pregnancy and childbirth. A new drug, zuranolone, offsets that drop-off, and can do it within days. Read about how it works here:
Trump officials are making Obamacare more expensive and promoting other insurance plans so bad--they don't cover surgery and leave patients with $100,000s of bills-- that they've been banned or restricted in 14 states.
www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...
www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...
The cheap health insurance promoted by Trump officials has this catch
As millions brace for higher insurance prices, plans touted by the Trump administration are attracting attention. They are cheaper, but coverage is often skimpy.
www.washingtonpost.com
November 16, 2025 at 8:54 PM
Trump officials are making Obamacare more expensive and promoting other insurance plans so bad--they don't cover surgery and leave patients with $100,000s of bills-- that they've been banned or restricted in 14 states.
www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...
www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...