Jeff Mahr

(4/2, reducing to 1/2) I am strongly pro-science and pro-vaccination. I just think that some of "us" could be more understanding of some fraction of the vaccine hesitants' doubts. Me included - I have had some ugly thoughts around this issue.

(3/2) this is a long-standing thing I think a lot about. We expect critical thinking and skepticism from all. Believe data, we say. But the vast majority of people can't be expected to understand immunologic data. Trust scientists, we freq say, and that is when it resembles a religion to me.

(2/2) At the time, almost nothing was known about how vaccines work and there were only... 3 vaccines (?).. available. Was it ok for him to entertain skepticism about them then? If you say yes (as I am inclined to), just look at his arguments (2nd picture...weak!)

(1/2) For some dumb reason, I typed "anything" into Pubmed and this 1881 gem is all that came up. Oddly relevant for our age.

This is genius. If only more people could read graphs.

Thanks for the context - as soon as I saw this I wanted to go look up other countries' data, rabbit holes don't pay the bills or get the kids to karate class.

Bar graph showing 2023 CDC Wonder data. In the US, children less than 1 year old have a death rate that is higher than all of the age groups until you hit 55-64 year olds.

🧪😢Messing around with mortality data in the CDC Wonder Database and stumbled on a really sad fact. I kind of knew this was true before I found this, but in a more abstract sense. My heart goes out to every one of these families affected.

(3/2) CIDRAP itself is worth following (@cidrap.bsky.social) for global infectious disease updates. Promedmail (promedmail.org) used to be a great source of ID information but they had to go to a pay model... understandable but unfea$able for yours truly. So far nothing like MMWR-of-old exists.

(2/2) ... if there is any information on this new journal on the CIDRAP or NEJM sites, I can't find it. Granted, its only been a week and maybe they are extremely busy, but the lack of anything to see has me nervous (as per 'uge).

🧪(1/2) Some potentially "cup half full" news last week about CIDRAP and NEJM partnering to start a journal to compete with CDC's MMWR, which in the past disseminated timely and reliable public health surveillance data and communicated emerging public health issues...but...

🧪Putting 2 and 2 together here. Recent reports of antibiotic resistance in Bordetella pertussis + decreasing US vaccination rates = ... job security for Florida's ER staff?

🧪Whooping cough - more backwards progress in the US.

Trackside Science Two scientists talking about science while enjoying some fermented beverages every other week. One sober scientist nerding out about viruses the other other week.

🧪 Does anyone know someone who works on any aspect of a model organism and would be willing to come on our podcast to talk (generally) about the historical discoveries made that benefitted humans that started as research in that model organism? 🧪 tracksidescience@gmail.com

🧪 Do chemicals in smoke affect seed germination? 🧪#communitycollegescience

sigh...I miss the days when everone, and that means everyone, could take the assumption of due process for granted.

I hate how this kind of thing sounds ominous now.

i'm afraid you've misconjugated the verb. it's "used to" now.

DEEP DISH COMMUNION WAFERS

People get out of prison all the time, and they face a myriad of barriers that this guy is successfully navigating. The teeny time role I played in his journey is completely overshadowed by my pride in him.

No. No way. Uh uhh. No way I am older than Homer.

Medical Journals Get Letters From DOJ At least three journals received letters from a U.S. Attorney asking about 'competing viewpoints'

A federal prosecutor sent a letter to the @accpchest.bsky.social editor-in-chief, probing whether the publication is "partisan" when it comes to "various scientific debates."

@awgaffney.bsky.social
www.medpagetoday.com/special-repo...

Its worse than that, I am a teacher and an atheist. Now let me find a devil emoji....😈... wait, what? the lamest devil ever.

uhhhh.... uhhhh.....

Watched the recording and loved it! Thank you!

@altnps.bsky.social

Posting the companies I am boycotting feels insufficient. Is there a website with an easy-to-remember URL that could be put on small stickers that one could use for direct-to-consumer action in supermarkets? Just to inform/remind others which products contribute to the problem.

Get out the pentagram spotlight tonight, we need the Church of Satan's help!

In my post about PubMed, I raised concern about what might happen with the committee that decides what journals are PubMed-indexed. They could open the anti-science/pseudoscience floodgates.

This is the message now where the committee should be. Gulp

internet.csr.nih.gov/Committees/M...

#MedLibs

Preparing to record an episode of the Trackside Science on Friday has my blood boiling. We are going to go thru the Centers for Disease Control Divisions listed in this picture taken from inside the CDC yesterday. Just to explain briefly what each one does. tracksidescience.libsyn.com