Magdalena Skipper
@magdalenaskipper.bsky.social
Editor in Chief of Nature, geneticist, editor, accidental potter. All views my own
Ten years since the first reported observation of gravitational waves
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www.nature.com/articles/d41...
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www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Ten years since the first reported observation of gravitational waves
In 2016, the first direct observation of gravitational waves was reported. The measurements by the LIGO detectors gave astronomers a new way to observe the Universe.
www.nature.com
February 12, 2026 at 10:37 PM
Ten years since the first reported observation of gravitational waves
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www.nature.com/articles/d41...
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www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Is UK science in jeopardy? Huge funding reforms by UKRI spark chaos and anxiety
#AcademicSky
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
#AcademicSky
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Is UK science in jeopardy? Huge funding reforms spark chaos and anxiety
Major reforms to the United Kingdom’s national research funding agency are aimed at boosting the nation's economy.
www.nature.com
February 5, 2026 at 8:27 PM
Is UK science in jeopardy? Huge funding reforms by UKRI spark chaos and anxiety
#AcademicSky
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
#AcademicSky
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
First ‘practical PhDs’ awarded in China. Last month, Zheng Hehui defended his PhD thesis in civil engineering at Southeast University in Nanjing, but Zheng had not written a thesis. Instead, he talked about a product he had developed
#AcademicSky
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
#AcademicSky
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
First ‘practical PhDs’ awarded in China — for products rather than papers
The programme is designed to train more elite engineers who can help boost the country’s innovation.
www.nature.com
February 5, 2026 at 8:25 PM
First ‘practical PhDs’ awarded in China. Last month, Zheng Hehui defended his PhD thesis in civil engineering at Southeast University in Nanjing, but Zheng had not written a thesis. Instead, he talked about a product he had developed
#AcademicSky
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
#AcademicSky
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
RIP Gladys Mae West, a US mathematician best known for her foundational work on GPS systems.
At @springernature.com we remember her every day as a major communal space in our London offices is named after her
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www.nature.com/articles/d41...
At @springernature.com we remember her every day as a major communal space in our London offices is named after her
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www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Gladys Mae West obituary: mathematician who pioneered GPS technology
She made key contributions to US cold-war science despite facing huge barriers as a Black woman.
www.nature.com
January 26, 2026 at 10:49 PM
RIP Gladys Mae West, a US mathematician best known for her foundational work on GPS systems.
At @springernature.com we remember her every day as a major communal space in our London offices is named after her
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www.nature.com/articles/d41...
At @springernature.com we remember her every day as a major communal space in our London offices is named after her
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www.nature.com/articles/d41...
This could be a real breakthrough in precision medicine… all down to a change in regulation. Instead of approving a specific treatment, what is being approved is a new “master protocol” for the treatment of groups of genetic conditions within a single framework
#MedSky
economist.com/science-and-...
#MedSky
economist.com/science-and-...
Treatment of a teenager with an ultra-rare condition is a medical milestone
It will change regulators’ rule books
economist.com
January 23, 2026 at 8:21 PM
This could be a real breakthrough in precision medicine… all down to a change in regulation. Instead of approving a specific treatment, what is being approved is a new “master protocol” for the treatment of groups of genetic conditions within a single framework
#MedSky
economist.com/science-and-...
#MedSky
economist.com/science-and-...
Everyone should read this!
🧪 #AcademicSky
When two years of academic work vanished with a single click
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
🧪 #AcademicSky
When two years of academic work vanished with a single click
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
When two years of academic work vanished with a single click
After turning off ChatGPT’s ‘data consent’ option, Marcel Bucher lost the work behind grant applications, teaching materials and publication drafts. Here’s what happened next.
www.nature.com
January 23, 2026 at 7:40 PM
Everyone should read this!
🧪 #AcademicSky
When two years of academic work vanished with a single click
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
🧪 #AcademicSky
When two years of academic work vanished with a single click
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Guinea-Bissau suspends a US-funded vaccine trial as African scientists question its motives.
“African scientists say that the Guinea-Bissau study shows how political pressure, funding interests & fragmented oversight can push local health priorities aside.”
🧪 #MedSky
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
“African scientists say that the Guinea-Bissau study shows how political pressure, funding interests & fragmented oversight can push local health priorities aside.”
🧪 #MedSky
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Guinea-Bissau suspends a US-funded vaccine trial as African scientists question its motives
Officials from the US Department of Health and Human Services, which funded the controversial study, say that it will proceed as planned.
www.nature.com
January 23, 2026 at 6:29 AM
Guinea-Bissau suspends a US-funded vaccine trial as African scientists question its motives.
“African scientists say that the Guinea-Bissau study shows how political pressure, funding interests & fragmented oversight can push local health priorities aside.”
🧪 #MedSky
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
“African scientists say that the Guinea-Bissau study shows how political pressure, funding interests & fragmented oversight can push local health priorities aside.”
🧪 #MedSky
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Reposted by Magdalena Skipper
Hi @magdalenaskipper.bsky.social with us in May #Crick @matthewcobb.bsky.social General bookings from1st Feb
www.campdenmayfestivals.co.uk/literature/e...
www.campdenmayfestivals.co.uk/literature/e...
January 22, 2026 at 2:28 PM
Hi @magdalenaskipper.bsky.social with us in May #Crick @matthewcobb.bsky.social General bookings from1st Feb
www.campdenmayfestivals.co.uk/literature/e...
www.campdenmayfestivals.co.uk/literature/e...
History is a great teacher.
In this piece our own @heidiledford.bsky.social looks at what we can learn from what happened in Japan when vaccine support was withdrawn and how the government is now working to reverse the effects 🧪
#MedSky
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
In this piece our own @heidiledford.bsky.social looks at what we can learn from what happened in Japan when vaccine support was withdrawn and how the government is now working to reverse the effects 🧪
#MedSky
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
How do vaccine cutbacks affect public health? Ask Japan
As Robert F. Kennedy Jr slashes the US childhood vaccine roster, Japan is racing to make up for lost ground after decades of setbacks.
www.nature.com
January 18, 2026 at 9:04 AM
History is a great teacher.
In this piece our own @heidiledford.bsky.social looks at what we can learn from what happened in Japan when vaccine support was withdrawn and how the government is now working to reverse the effects 🧪
#MedSky
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
In this piece our own @heidiledford.bsky.social looks at what we can learn from what happened in Japan when vaccine support was withdrawn and how the government is now working to reverse the effects 🧪
#MedSky
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Credit in research goes hand in hand with responsibility. In this week’s editorial we argue that when things go wrong & a retraction is needed, if it is clear who among the authors is responsible they should be named in the retraction note. COPE agrees
🧪 #AcademicSky
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
🧪 #AcademicSky
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
January 15, 2026 at 7:03 AM
Credit in research goes hand in hand with responsibility. In this week’s editorial we argue that when things go wrong & a retraction is needed, if it is clear who among the authors is responsible they should be named in the retraction note. COPE agrees
🧪 #AcademicSky
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
🧪 #AcademicSky
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
I wonder how many could have predicted this finding - AI tools boost individual scientists but could limit research topics
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
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www.nature.com/articles/d41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
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January 14, 2026 at 8:24 PM
I wonder how many could have predicted this finding - AI tools boost individual scientists but could limit research topics
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
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www.nature.com/articles/d41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
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These five themes will likely dominate the year in US science. Perhaps no terrible surprise here but there may be some glimmers of hope 🤞🏼
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@nature.com
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
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@nature.com
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
January 14, 2026 at 8:18 PM
These five themes will likely dominate the year in US science. Perhaps no terrible surprise here but there may be some glimmers of hope 🤞🏼
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@nature.com
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
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@nature.com
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
It appears that employers are being flooded by chatbot-generated applications… so journals being hit but AI-generated manuscripts are no longer alone 🧐
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economist.com/business/202...
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economist.com/business/202...
Job applicants are winning the AI arms race against recruiters
Companies have been hit by a wave of chatbot-generated applications
economist.com
January 14, 2026 at 1:56 PM
It appears that employers are being flooded by chatbot-generated applications… so journals being hit but AI-generated manuscripts are no longer alone 🧐
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economist.com/business/202...
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economist.com/business/202...
As Wikipedia turns 25, Jimmy Wales talks to us about his new book, the importance of scientific transparency and the rise of artificial intelligence. Good to know that he still has faith in humans when it comes to sourcing facts!
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@nature.com
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
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@nature.com
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
January 12, 2026 at 11:00 PM
As Wikipedia turns 25, Jimmy Wales talks to us about his new book, the importance of scientific transparency and the rise of artificial intelligence. Good to know that he still has faith in humans when it comes to sourcing facts!
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@nature.com
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
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@nature.com
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Defossilize our chemical world - we argue in this week’s editorial.
Demand for ‘embedded’ carbon found in chemicals is expected to double by 2050, but this carbon cannot come from the usual sources, such as coal, natural gas and oil
🧪 @nature.com
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Demand for ‘embedded’ carbon found in chemicals is expected to double by 2050, but this carbon cannot come from the usual sources, such as coal, natural gas and oil
🧪 @nature.com
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Defossilize our chemical world
Achieving net zero means eliminating fossil fuels, not carbon — the chemical element has a crucial part to play in powering the modern world.
www.nature.com
January 8, 2026 at 7:05 AM
Defossilize our chemical world - we argue in this week’s editorial.
Demand for ‘embedded’ carbon found in chemicals is expected to double by 2050, but this carbon cannot come from the usual sources, such as coal, natural gas and oil
🧪 @nature.com
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Demand for ‘embedded’ carbon found in chemicals is expected to double by 2050, but this carbon cannot come from the usual sources, such as coal, natural gas and oil
🧪 @nature.com
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
The wonderful world of materials engineering - authors of this @nature.com paper have created the first materials that can change not just their colour, but also their surface texture on demand
🧪 #TechSky
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
🧪 #TechSky
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Octopus-inspired ‘synthetic skin’ changes colour and texture on demand
A material that can switch its appearance, cephalopod-style, could have future applications in robotics or display technology.
www.nature.com
January 8, 2026 at 6:57 AM
The wonderful world of materials engineering - authors of this @nature.com paper have created the first materials that can change not just their colour, but also their surface texture on demand
🧪 #TechSky
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
🧪 #TechSky
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Naively, I never considered it - if we are to successfully ‘colonise’ space we need to get much better at understanding & building functional ecosystems that include recycling & environmental regulation.
We know how to build rockets; time to better understand biology
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economist.com/leaders/2025...
We know how to build rockets; time to better understand biology
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economist.com/leaders/2025...
The future of space exploration depends on better biology
Rockets are great, but sewage treatment is what you need for the long haul
economist.com
January 4, 2026 at 7:25 AM
Naively, I never considered it - if we are to successfully ‘colonise’ space we need to get much better at understanding & building functional ecosystems that include recycling & environmental regulation.
We know how to build rockets; time to better understand biology
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economist.com/leaders/2025...
We know how to build rockets; time to better understand biology
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economist.com/leaders/2025...
This is a fascinating approach - a systems engineering-based life-cycle assessment framework - for identifying ecologically responsible innovation in next-generation wearable electronics 🧪
@nature.com
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
@nature.com
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Quantifying the global eco-footprint of wearable healthcare electronics - Nature
An integrated systems engineering framework based on life-cycle inventories is used to quantify the global eco-footprint of wearable healthcare electronics and identify effective mitigation strategies...
www.nature.com
January 3, 2026 at 8:13 PM
This is a fascinating approach - a systems engineering-based life-cycle assessment framework - for identifying ecologically responsible innovation in next-generation wearable electronics 🧪
@nature.com
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
@nature.com
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Science in 2026: what to expect this year 🧪
@naturepodcast.bsky.social
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
@naturepodcast.bsky.social
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Science in 2026: what to expect this year
Hear the biggest stories from the world of science | 01/01/2026
www.nature.com
January 2, 2026 at 9:11 PM
Science in 2026: what to expect this year 🧪
@naturepodcast.bsky.social
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
@naturepodcast.bsky.social
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
There is no question that AI tools are transforming our lives, on a personal & professional level. And the future direction of travel is clear. So before it’s too late, the world needs to come together on AI safety. How about making it a New Year’s resolution?
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www.nature.com/articles/d41...
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www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Let 2026 be the year the world comes together for AI safety
AI technologies need to be safe and transparent. There are few, if any, benefits from being outside efforts to achieve this.
www.nature.com
December 31, 2025 at 11:36 AM
There is no question that AI tools are transforming our lives, on a personal & professional level. And the future direction of travel is clear. So before it’s too late, the world needs to come together on AI safety. How about making it a New Year’s resolution?
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www.nature.com/articles/d41...
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www.nature.com/articles/d41...
This is incredibly sad news! It was a highlight of this past year to have met Emma Johnston in Melbourne, when we collaborated on an event that Melbourne University and @springernature.com held together in May. Emma was a thoughtful and energetic leader. What a loss!
www.abc.net.au/news/2025-12...
www.abc.net.au/news/2025-12...
Family, colleagues in 'disbelief' after leading scientist dies aged 52
University of Melbourne vice-chancellor Emma Johnston has died from complications associated with cancer, aged 52.
www.abc.net.au
December 29, 2025 at 4:04 PM
This is incredibly sad news! It was a highlight of this past year to have met Emma Johnston in Melbourne, when we collaborated on an event that Melbourne University and @springernature.com held together in May. Emma was a thoughtful and energetic leader. What a loss!
www.abc.net.au/news/2025-12...
www.abc.net.au/news/2025-12...
Taking a proper break with this rather incredible book. The intro talks about the effect of Industrial Revolution on craft in Britain & gives this tantalising stat - in mid 1880s Britain was responsible for 43% of world’s manufactured exports. Apparently China accounts for less than 30% today!
December 28, 2025 at 7:18 PM
Taking a proper break with this rather incredible book. The intro talks about the effect of Industrial Revolution on craft in Britain & gives this tantalising stat - in mid 1880s Britain was responsible for 43% of world’s manufactured exports. Apparently China accounts for less than 30% today!
Seven feel-good science stories to round up 2025. All too often we forget to celebrate the positives
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#AcademicSky
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
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#AcademicSky
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Seven feel-good science stories to restore your faith in 2025
Immense progress in gene-editing, drug discovery and conservation are just some of the reasons to be cheerful about 2025.
www.nature.com
December 18, 2025 at 8:15 AM
Seven feel-good science stories to round up 2025. All too often we forget to celebrate the positives
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#AcademicSky
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
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#AcademicSky
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Some very good news for science and education in the UK and EU! 🎉
🧪 #AcademicSky
www.theguardian.com/education/20...
🧪 #AcademicSky
www.theguardian.com/education/20...
EU’s Erasmus scheme to reopen to UK students for first time since Brexit at cost of £570m
Deal agreed to rejoin exchange programme in 2027, fulfilling Labour election manifesto pledge
www.theguardian.com
December 17, 2025 at 4:12 PM
Some very good news for science and education in the UK and EU! 🎉
🧪 #AcademicSky
www.theguardian.com/education/20...
🧪 #AcademicSky
www.theguardian.com/education/20...
Auto-focus glasses would transform my life… I just found about this impressive bit of tech (and design)
🧪 #TechSky (does this tag exist?)
www.dezeen.com/2025/11/18/a...
🧪 #TechSky (does this tag exist?)
www.dezeen.com/2025/11/18/a...
"Auto-focus glasses" switch from reading to long-distance prescriptions
www.dezeen.com
December 14, 2025 at 12:12 PM
Auto-focus glasses would transform my life… I just found about this impressive bit of tech (and design)
🧪 #TechSky (does this tag exist?)
www.dezeen.com/2025/11/18/a...
🧪 #TechSky (does this tag exist?)
www.dezeen.com/2025/11/18/a...