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Alexandra Witze

@alexwitze.bsky.social

19K followers 1.6K following 560 posts

Science journalist and correspondent for Nature (she/her). Reach me at alexwitze.01 (Signal), witzescience (@gmail.com), or awitze (@protonmail.com).

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Alexandra Witze @alexwitze.bsky.social · Apr 7

Nature reporters' ongoing coverage of Trump 2.0 impacts on science and scientists is collected here: www.nature.com/collections/...

Reach me at alexwitze.01 on Signal, or witzescience[at]gmail.com, with tips, feedback, follow-ups, anything we should be covering, etc.

How Trump 2.0 is reshaping science

Since US President Donald Trump took office in January 2025, his team has made major changes to the federal government that have disrupted research and ...

www.nature.com

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Reposted by Alexandra Witze

Paul Byrne @theplanetaryguy.bsky.social · 19h

See that small, moving splotch?

That's 3I/ATLAS, a comet that formed in a different star system, photographed from Mars orbit by the ESA Exomars Trace Gas Orbiter.

A comet from a DIFFERENT SOLAR SYSTEM photographed by a ROBOT ORBITING MARS

last Friday

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Reposted by Alexandra Witze

Margaret Harris @drmlharris.bsky.social · 1d

Ahead of tomorrow’s #NobelPrize announcement, I went on a deep dive in search of the most obscure physics Nobel Prizes in history. That means it's time for a thread on...🧵

PHYSICS NOBEL PRIZES YOU’VE NEVER HEARD OF – PART 1

(1/n)

A photo of the Matterhorn rising above an Alpine landscape. The colours are a little washed out, but do not appear artificially tinted

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Alexandra Witze @alexwitze.bsky.social · 1d

what a most spectacular chonk 🤩

Reposted by Alexandra Witze

Jenna Ahart @jennaahart.bsky.social · 1d

Happy Nobel week to you and yours!🏅

In the latest from @nature.com: Could AI take home a science Nobel—no human needed?

Some say yes, and soon. 🧪

For more: www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Will AI ever win its own Nobel? Some predict a prize-worthy science discovery soon

Other researchers question whether autonomous AI scientists are possible or even desirable.

www.nature.com

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Alexandra Witze @alexwitze.bsky.social · 5d

We can’t even get a rock back

How are we gonna mess it up

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Alexandra Witze @alexwitze.bsky.social · 5d

it’s not my fault your planetary priorities are so messed up

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Alexandra Witze @alexwitze.bsky.social · 5d

Would have asked you about your favorite planet, but was afraid you would say Mars www.nature.com/articles/d41...

These alien planets are astronomers’ favourites: here’s why

Space scientists look back on 30 years of exoplanet discoveries — from rows of massive ‘super-Earths‘ to worlds with perfectly synchronized orbits.

www.nature.com

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Alexandra Witze @alexwitze.bsky.social · 5d

I was interning at Sky & Telescope around the time of the pulsar planet discovery. Look at us now, indeed! Holy wow 6,000+ worlds.

Alexandra Witze @alexwitze.bsky.social · 5d

and why do you love those?

Alexandra Witze @alexwitze.bsky.social · 5d

You can have a WHOLE SYSTEM yes

Alexandra Witze @alexwitze.bsky.social · 5d

💪

Alexandra Witze @alexwitze.bsky.social · 5d

actual lol

LOVE THAT SYSTEM

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Alexandra Witze @alexwitze.bsky.social · 5d

Thirty years ago Monday, astronomers announced the first planet around a Sunlike star. Since then they have cataloged more than 6,000 alien worlds.

I asked a bunch of astronomers what their favorite exoplanet is, and wrote about it for @nature.com. What's yours?

🧪 #astronomy

These alien planets are astronomers’ favourites: here’s why

Space scientists look back on 30 years of exoplanet discoveries — from rows of massive ‘super-Earths‘ to worlds with perfectly synchronized orbits.

www.nature.com

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Reposted by Alexandra Witze

Max Kozlov @maxkozlov.bsky.social · 5d

EXCLUSIVE: In her first interview all year, Susan Monarez, CDC director for only 29 days, tells me why Trump/RFK fired her and where this is all headed.

The CDC director is an “inherently political position, but that doesn’t mean that it has to be politically compromised”, she tells @nature.com.

Exclusive: ex-CDC director talks about why she was fired

“I would never do that, as a scientist,” Susan Monarez says of being asked to approve changes to vaccine recommendations without knowing the details.

www.nature.com

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Reposted by Alexandra Witze

Nature @nature.com · 6d

Jane Goodall, known for her pioneering work with chimpanzees, has passed away aged 91

go.nature.com/46K10ja

Jane Goodall’s legacy: three ways she changed science

The primatologist challenged what it meant to be a scientist.

go.nature.com

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Alexandra Witze @alexwitze.bsky.social · 6d

arnold schwarzenegger is displayed on a screen with the words tu te casses sur mars

Alt: arnold schwarzenegger is displayed on a screen with the words tu te casses sur mars

media.tenor.com

Reposted by Alexandra Witze

Alexandra Witze @alexwitze.bsky.social · 6d

In which the inestimable @dangaristo.bsky.social explains why this US government shutdown is different, and what it means for science: www.nature.com/articles/d41...

🧪

(Free access, it may ask for your email address but it's not paywalled)

This US government shutdown is different: what it means for science

President Trump’s budget office lays out guidelines for mass lay-offs across the federal government.

www.nature.com

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Alexandra Witze @alexwitze.bsky.social · 6d

Idk looks hike-able to me

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Alexandra Witze @alexwitze.bsky.social · 6d

kermit the frog from the muppet show is holding his hand to his chin .

Alt: kermit the frog from the muppet show is holding his hand to his chin .

media.tenor.com

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Alexandra Witze @alexwitze.bsky.social · 6d

this is the content we come to bluesky for

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Alexandra Witze @alexwitze.bsky.social · 6d

Only 2+ hours left to vote for tugtupite for CHAMPION of #MinCup25! It changes colors! It fluoresces! This is the mineral you want, people!! 🧪

www.mineralcup.org/2025/vote/r5...

Vote in 2025 Final Match — Mineral Cup

Click here to vote in Kyanite vs Tugtupite Photo credits: John Sobolewski and Parent Géry

www.mineralcup.org

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Alexandra Witze @alexwitze.bsky.social · 6d

This US government shutdown is different: what it means for science

President Trump’s budget office lays out guidelines for mass lay-offs across the federal government.

www.nature.com

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Alexandra Witze @alexwitze.bsky.social · 8d

This is also a very fluid situation so as we approach the end of the fiscal year one can expect things to change quickly!

Alexandra Witze @alexwitze.bsky.social · 8d

This has been floating around in the space press but the new report is the largest round-up I’ve seen to date

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Alexandra Witze @alexwitze.bsky.social · 8d

A leading Democrat in the Senate just released an important report documenting how NASA has been working to implement the president's proposed budget, not Congressionally approved funds, in slashing missions. Read more ⬇️

SpacePolicyOnline @spacepolicyonline.bsky.social · 8d

Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA), top Democrat on Senate Commerce Cmte, is out with a Democratic staff report: "The Destruction of NASA's Mission: Whistleblowers Reveal OMB's Unconstitutional Plot to Gut the Agency."
www.commerce.senate.gov/services/fil...

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