Jan Chamberlain

The imminent demise of the Liberal Party gives me a feeling of relief.

Next election we need to flood Liberal seats with quality independents, starting now, not waiting until the last months to start gaining name recognition.

#AusPol

Film documenting runner's gruelling trek through Blue Mountains goes global A documentary following a young man's epic 500-kilometre run over seven days is nominated for awards at six international film festivals.

A documentary following a young man's epic 500-kilometre run over seven days is nominated for awards at six international film festivals.

Australian scientist who alerted world that Covid is airborne wins top science prize Prof Lidia Morawska says recognition of her research comes at a fraught time – an ‘age of anti-science’

Australian scientist who alerted world that COVID is airborne wins top science prize

When the WHO falsely claimed in March 2020 that COVID wasn’t airborne, Professor Lidia Morawska took action—organising 239 scientists worldwide to warn about SARS-CoV-2 airborne spread and urge global recognition.

Australian scientist who alerted world that Covid is airborne wins top science prize Prof Lidia Morawska says recognition of her research comes at a fraught time – an ‘age of anti-science’

Australian scientist who alerted world that Covid is airborne wins top science prize

www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

Two 3D-imaged mice comparing how SARS-CoV-2 and influenza spread through the body. The left image, labeled Spike S1, shows red fluorescent signals across many organs, indicating that SARS-CoV-2 propagated widely throughout the body. The right image, labeled Influenza HA, shows red signals largely limited to the lungs and liver, demonstrating influenza’s more localized infection pattern. The figure caption notes that SARS-CoV-2 affects multiple organs, unlike influenza.

"No Amount of Hand-Washing Can Make COVID-19 a Seasonal Virus"

Published: 14 August, 2024

"The left image shows that SARS-CoV-2 propagated to most organs, whereas the right image shows that influenza was mostly confined to the liver and lungs"

Source: whn.global/scientific/n...

A divergent betacoronavirus with a functional furin cleavage site in South American bats Bats are natural reservoirs for a wide range of RNA viruses. Members of the genus Betacoronavirus , including Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrom...

Study: A divergent betacoronavirus with a functional furin cleavage site in South American bats

Published: October 27, 2025

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Now we are talking @chrisbowenmp.bsky.social 👏👏👏
‘Electricity retailers will be required to offer free power to households for at least three hours in the middle of the day, when rooftop solar generation is at its peak’ #SolarSaves #auspol
reneweconomy-com-au.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/reneweco...

Preventive effect of vaccination on long COVID in adolescents with SARS-CoV-2 infection In adolescents (12–17 years), it is unknown whether COVID-19 vaccination reduces progression from COVID-19 to Long COVID (LC) beyond preventing SARS-C…

Study: Preventive effect of vaccination on long COVID in adolescents with SARS-CoV-2 infection

Published: 1 November 2025

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Single frame. Left side: Storm clouds, lightening, house on fire among trees also burning, “HELP” coming from house. To the right, David Littleproud, behind him a huge wave. He says: “No point in us doing anything until the rest of the world is on board.”

No hurry.
My @smh @theage cartoon.

We need more at-home clinical trials for Long COVID. Here’s how we designed the largest one yet. - The Sick Times We are now recruiting for the Long COVID Treatment Trial-Tirzepatide (LoCITT-T), which participants can complete entirely from bed.

And if you'd like to know more about the thinking behind this trial, read @julialmv.bsky.social's great piece in @thesicktimes.org here: thesicktimes.org/2025/10/30/w...

When power isn’t guaranteed: Indigenous families in northern Australia face deadly risks in extreme heat

📢 Thousands of Indigenous households across northern Australia live with prepaid power, where disconnection can happen at any moment. Now a new report has warned that without stronger protections, the system could turn deadly in extreme heat. SBS’s Christopher Tan travelled to the Kimberley to see…

Every worker deserves super. Under 18's pay taxes and contribute to our economy, why shouldn't they be paid super?

Spoke to @australia.theguardian.com about what DEWR's job numbers continue to quietly reveal: that the main purpose of employment services is to outsource billions of dollars to punish people, rather than help them into meaningful opportunities
www.theguardian.com/business/202...

Delivering on an election promise by handing over my 2008-2025 election night tie to the Museum of Australian Democracy, Old Parliament House, Canberra. When I paid $20 for it in 2008, never thought it would end up in a museum.

Screenshot of a BBC News article titled “I have long Covid, but some say it isn’t real.” Written by Simon Ward from East Midlands. Below the headline is a photo of a young woman with long brown hair smiling outdoors on a sunny day, with houses and a playground in the background. The caption reads: “Anita Widdowson was diagnosed with long Covid in 2023.”

'I have long Covid, but some say it isn't real'

27-year-old Anita Widdowson caught Covid in Jan 2022, later developed long Covid and was diagnosed in 2023. She faces disbelief about her condition and struggles daily with symptoms that prevent her from working or studying.

Source: archive.li/rdhWT

It is time to stop referring to the National Party as the “junior partner” in the Coalition. Considering the Voice and now where the Libs are heading on net-zero by 2050, it is clear who is in charge. #auspol

A word that has become a euphemism for promoting and selling things without data or evidence

BREAKING
Australians formally adopt Net Zero Interest Policy in The Nationals, with complete disinterest in most of them offset by bemusement at whatever self serving bullshit Barnaby Joyce throws up every second week
#auspol

The International Space Station marks 25 years of nonstop human presence in orbit The International Space Station is marking 25 years of nonstop human presence in orbit. Nearly 300 people have lived aboard the scientific outpost.

For the last quarter of a century, there has always been at least one person living off-planet.

I just think that's incredibly cool.

apnews.com/article/inte...

Now this is interesting…

Thermal drones key to 'incredibly exciting' koala cluster discovery A hidden group of koalas is found for the first time in a remote area of the New South Wales Snowy Mountains.

A hidden group of koalas is found for the first time in a remote area of the New South Wales Snowy Mountains.

I had a spare t-shirt cartoon.

JD Vance claims that diversity weakens unions, as people end up distrusting each other and not organizing.

Let me tell you two menswear stories related to this claim. 🧵

By Sharing Travel @TripInChina

October 28, 2025

"Children in Chengdu are taking the subway for an autumn outing"

Source: x.com/TripInChina/...

Slide titled Fair trade for surgical instruments Slide text- Mahmood F Bhutta BMJ VOLUME, 339 AUGUST 2006 We may all be trying to buy fair trade coffee and bananas, but do we know where our surgical instruments are made, and under what conditions? Fig 2 Subcontracted labourers in the surgical instrument manufacture sector, Sialkot Fig 3 Finishing and quality checking of surgical instruments, Sialkot

Forbes talking into a microphone

Dr Forbes McGain is a legend in healthcare #sustainability, but amidst a huge amount of research, this particularly struck me-

'We may all be trying to buy fair trade coffee and bananas, but do we know where our surgical instruments are made, and under what conditions?' 👀

Dr Atalifo speaking into a microphone

A graph titled Workforce Density showing anaesthetist rates ranging from 0.5 per 100,000 (Timor) to 3.23 in Fiji. Cook Islands rate is 5, and Niue and Tokelau have artefactually high rates in double digits, due to small populations <100,000.

Devastating. Dr Maurice Atalifo notes the whole Pacific falls under the safe anaesthesia guideline of 5 anaesthetists per 100,000 population. And it's getting worse- those 'above' the guideline, like Tokelau, fall to zero between 2023 and 2025 when their ONE anaesthetist leaves.

'We know what we're doing': Ferry operator doubled down before $9m blunder The operator of Tasmania's ferry fleet told the state-owned operator of ports, "They're our ships, we know what we're doing", before botching design specifications, an inquiry has heard.

@nickfeik.bsky.social just wanted to make sure you didn't miss this latest development. Truly, incredible stuff.

Vaccines still play an important role, but protection against infection wanes fast when you look at the data. The virus is still everywhere, evolving, and getting better at evading immunity. Layered prevention is key. Clean air, good masks, and vaccines keep us safer.

#CleanAir #Vaccines #MaskUp😷

A Medical Xpress article page titled “New 2025 data shows COVID-19 vaccines continue to provide effective, durable protection.” The publication date is October 27, 2025. Below the headline is a photo of a syringe lying on a white surface next to four small vaccine vials.

🧵New 2025 data shows COVID-19 vaccines continue to provide effective, durable protection.

2024–25 COVID vaccines offered strongest protection at 4 weeks: 44.7% effectiveness vs infection, 45.1% vs emergency department visits, and 57.5% vs hospitalisation or death.

Source: archive.li/hNTLQ

I try to be professional on this platform but there are times, like now, when it hits me hard on a visceral level that we are in the midst of a catastrophic global public health crisis and it seems, as a species, we've somehow decided that ignoring it is the best plan we've got.