Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Opinion | We Warned About the First China Shock. The Next One Will Be Worse.

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John Poulsen @johnpoulsen.bsky.social · Jul 14

Takeaway: if we want to be successful, do the opposite of everything the government is doing now.

We Warned About the First China Shock. The Next One Will Be Worse. www.nytimes.com/2025/07/14/o...

‘Could become a death spiral’: scientists discover what’s driving record die-offs of US honeybees

John Poulsen @johnpoulsen.bsky.social · Jul 8

Biodiversity not important? Mites develop resistance to the only insecticide against them and increase spread of viruses that kill bees that we depend on for our food supply.

www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Experts scrambling to understand losses in hives across the country are finally identifying the culprits. And the damage to farmed bees is a sign of trouble for wild bees too

Flavour of gin and tonic could be impacted by climate change, study finds

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John Poulsen @johnpoulsen.bsky.social · Jun 19

Here’s an impact of climate change that should get everyone concerned and onboard for climate mitigation!

www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Volatile weather patterns may be altering taste of juniper berries – a key botanical in the spirit – scientists say

Opinion | Red-State Universities Will Get Hit by Trump’s Cuts, Too

John Poulsen @johnpoulsen.bsky.social · Jun 13

Universities and the science and technology they produce are economic engines. Their diminishment will hurt red states as much as blue states.

Red-State Universities Will Get Hit by Trump’s Cuts, Too www.nytimes.com/2025/06/12/o...

Opinion | OpenAI Seems to Be Making a Very Familiar, Very Cynical Choice

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John Poulsen @johnpoulsen.bsky.social · Jun 11

Keep ads out of chatbots!

OpenAI Seems to Be Making a Very Familiar, Very Cynical Choice www.nytimes.com/2025/06/11/o...

Wait for the part where they tell us they’re doing it for our sake.

Fulbright Board Quits, Accusing Trump Administration of Political Interference

John Poulsen @johnpoulsen.bsky.social · Jun 11

Another big setback for science and research and building skills, education, and capacity.

Fulbright Board Resigns After Accusing Trump Aides of Political Interference www.nytimes.com/2025/06/11/u...

The board of the prestigious program told the State Department it had no right to cancel scholarships for nearly 200 American professors and researchers.

Trump Targets Key Lifeline for Africa: Money Sent Home by Immigrants

John Poulsen @johnpoulsen.bsky.social · Jun 4

Retreating from Africa is retreat from the future - 60% of the population is below 25. The US should be investing, not retreating.

www.nytimes.com/2025/06/03/w...

‘Half the tree of life’: ecologists’ horror as nature reserves are emptied of insects

John Poulsen @johnpoulsen.bsky.social · Jun 3

Description of extinction being driven mostly by climate change from an icon of tropical ecology, Dan Janzen.

www.theguardian.com/environment/...

A new point in history has been reached, entomologists say, as climate-led species’ collapse moves up the food chain even in supposedly protected regions free of pesticides

White House Health Report Included Fake Citations

John Poulsen @johnpoulsen.bsky.social · May 29

Gold standard in science??? Did someone us AI without checking (fake citations)?

www.nytimes.com/2025/05/29/w...

Trump Has Cut Science Funding to Its Lowest Level in Decades

John Poulsen @johnpoulsen.bsky.social · May 25

Understand science funding cuts and their consequences … Economists have warned that cutting federal funding for scientific research could, in the long run, damage the U.S. economy by an amount equivalent to a major recession.

www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

The lag in funding extends far beyond D.E.I. initiatives, affecting almost every area of science: chemistry, computing, engineering, materials and more.

Fires drove record loss of world’s forests last year, ‘frightening’ data shows

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John Poulsen @johnpoulsen.bsky.social · May 21

Nearly half of primary tropical forest loss last year was caused by fire - these are ecosystems that traditionally do not burn!

www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Burning, worsened by global heating, overtook farming and logging as biggest cause of destruction of tropical forests

The Professors Are Using ChatGPT, and Some Students Aren’t Happy About It

John Poulsen @johnpoulsen.bsky.social · May 17

The ‘offending’ professor in this article said at a ‘glance’ his AI-generated slides looked good. That is the problem, AI-generated output always needs checked, evaluated and revised! Yes to AI, no to irresponsible use of AI.

www.nytimes.com/2025/05/14/t...

The World Is Wooing U.S. Researchers Shunned by Trump

John Poulsen @johnpoulsen.bsky.social · May 14

This article says salaries are lower in Europe, but maybe worth it to go where you are valued?

www.nytimes.com/2025/05/14/b...

Farmers Sued Over Deleted Climate Data. So the Government Will Put It Back.

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John Poulsen @johnpoulsen.bsky.social · May 13

Good to have farmers on the side of science and data!

www.nytimes.com/2025/05/12/c...

U.S. Government to Stop Tracking the Costs of Extreme Weather

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John Poulsen @johnpoulsen.bsky.social · May 11

Good idea?

www.nytimes.com/2025/05/08/c...

AI firms warned to calculate threat of super intelligence or risk it escaping human control

John Poulsen @johnpoulsen.bsky.social · May 10

We should move forward with eyes wide open.

www.theguardian.com/technology/2...

AI safety campaigner calls for existential threat assessment akin to Oppenheimer’s calculations before first nuclear test

National Climate Assessment Authors Are Dismissed by Trump Administration

John Poulsen @johnpoulsen.bsky.social · Apr 29

Hmmm….

www.nytimes.com/2025/04/28/c...

The Trump administration told researchers it was “releasing” them from their roles. It puts the future of the assessment, which is required by Congress, in doubt.

A siege on science: How Trump is undoing an American legacy

John Poulsen @johnpoulsen.bsky.social · Apr 28

Critical reading… and with science leaders like my boss, Katharine Hayhoe, and friend, Max Holmes.

grist.org/science/amer...

In its first 100 days, the Trump administration has slashed federal agencies, canceled national reports, and yanked university funding.

grist.org

Rattlesnake venom evolves and adapts to specific prey, study finds

John Poulsen @johnpoulsen.bsky.social · Apr 27

Fascinating study about the evolution of rattlesnake venom - potentially niche partitioning (although no evidence of competition driving specialization).

www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Surprising new evidence challenges longstanding ideas about evolution

Dr.Katharine Hayhoe - How to Talk About Climate Change

Beth Kaplin @bakaplin.bsky.social · Apr 26

Great pointers for talking about climate change from Katherine Hayhoe www.youtube.com/watch?v=jP2D...

YouTube video by Halton Environmental Network

www.youtube.com

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John Poulsen @johnpoulsen.bsky.social · Apr 25

Here is the 1st article with results indicating climate change is the leading threat to US imperiled species listed under the Endangered Species Act.

academic.oup.com/bioscience/a...

US Imperiled species and the five drivers of biodiversity loss

Abstract. We synthesized reported threats to US imperiled species to identify which of the five predominant drivers of biodiversity loss—climate change, in

academic.oup.com

John Poulsen @johnpoulsen.bsky.social · Mar 21

There is such a diversity of characteristics of autism. I, of course, know my son’s. Thanks for sharing!

John Poulsen @johnpoulsen.bsky.social · Mar 21

I’m a proud father of a son with autism. Everyone should read this great article.

www.nytimes.com/2025/03/20/o...

Opinion | Sorry, R.F.K.: There Is No Autism Mystery

Greater awareness, not vaccines, has driven an increase in diagnoses.

Elephants and rhinos at increased risk of poaching due to Trump funding cuts, groups say

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John Poulsen @johnpoulsen.bsky.social · Mar 6

Politics does endanger elephants and other threatened species as the US used to help critically important eco guards.

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

Trump administration has frozen funding for key conservation programs to protect vulnerable species

Opinion | I’ve Seen the World Our Trash Makes, and It’s Terrifying

John Poulsen @johnpoulsen.bsky.social · Feb 14

Eye opening article that will make you think twice about consumerism.

www.nytimes.com/2025/02/14/o...

The world’s poorer nations have never stopped being receptacles for the West’s rubbish.

Trump Killed a Major Report on Nature. They’re Trying to Publish It Anyway.

John Poulsen @johnpoulsen.bsky.social · Feb 10

Great effort to get the national nature assessment out. Who’s afraid of information on biodiversity?

www.nytimes.com/2025/02/10/c...

The first full draft of the assessment, on the state of America’s land, water and wildlife, was weeks from completion. The project leader called the study “too important to die.”

January Was Hottest January on Record, Scientists Report

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John Poulsen @johnpoulsen.bsky.social · Feb 6

An article about the “long-term weather variability” we are facing ;)

www.nytimes.com/2025/02/05/c...

Earth’s prolonged streak of abnormal heat continued into 2025 despite the arrival of La Niña ocean conditions, which typically bring cooler temperatures.

Sustainability and Conservation Science Postdoctoral Fellowship

John Poulsen @johnpoulsen.bsky.social · Jan 23

Looking for an innovative postdoctoral research position using rigorous science to solve environmental problems? See this opportunity for a joint position with University of Pennsylvania and The Nature Conservancy. Share will anyone who might be interested.

web.sas.upenn.edu/viest-instit...

Sustainability and Conservation Science Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania in partnership with The Nature Conservancy Application deadline for 2025: Friday, February 14, 2025…

web.sas.upenn.edu

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John Poulsen @johnpoulsen.bsky.social · Jan 22

Fascinating article about differential changes in male and female growth over the last century. #naturalselection

www.theguardian.com/science/2025...

Men have grown twice as much as women over past century, study shows

Data from dozens of countries reveals height and weight differences between sexes have increased since 1900