Alexandra Witze

omg 🤩

And, uh, I was more than a little surprised this week to find myself in the Epstein files. It's a brief entry in which Lawrence Krauss forwards my request for comment on his position at ASU to Epstein, apparently seeking advice on how to respond:

www.justice.gov/epstein/file...

Epstein files show a complicated relationship with science and journalism Jeffrey Epstein aggressively sought access to publishers, mentions of Scientific American and other media in Department of Justice files show

Another excellent Epstein story this week comes from @danvergano.bsky.social, on the murky intersections with science journalism as well as scientists:

www.scientificamerican.com/article/epst... 🧪

Epstein files reveal deeper ties to scientists than previously known Latest batch of documents show researchers consulting the financier and sex offender on publications, visas and more.

Sorry for the preview pic in your feed, but we've posted a thoughtful story by @dangaristo.bsky.social that delves into the tangled web of relationships between Jeffrey Epstein and various scientists: www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Bhattacharya, a moment ago: "What you've been seeing in the press is that there have been funding cuts. There haven't been funding cuts. What there has been is a change in agency priorities."

Our year in numbers begs to differ
www.nature.com/immersive/d4...

here for it

Tidal waves of lava may slosh around alien worlds Waves of molten rock could be confounding observations of atmospheres on distant planets

*taps mic* ahem

May I interrupt the nonstop tidal wave of doom with a tidal wave of LAVA?

They're as high as a skyscraper, ooze at the speed of a human sprinter, and are really, really hot.

By me for @science.org, reported from the #RockyWorlds4 conference: 🔭🧪

How many STEM Ph.D.s were lost from the U.S. federal government last year?

My colleagues @mghersher.bsky.social and @policyhound.bsky.social dug into a recent data release to find the answer. A @science.org exclusive.

www.science.org/content/arti...

Looking for sources for a @nature.com story about how researchers are coping in the midst of current events: If you're a PhD or other academic who's struggling to focus with everything that's happening in the world and would like to be interviewed for this story, please get in touch ASAP!

Ooh cool, didn’t realize you could do this kind of terrestrial imaging with a Seestar

Greenland is important for global research: what’s next for the island’s science? Geopolitics made Greenland the unexpected focus of the world’s attention. But the territory has long been a unique region for science.

For reasons, I looked into research in #Greenland recently. Did you know they have a new(ish) national research plan? That they have a new(ish) very capable oceanographic research vessel? That they are beefing up their computing capabilities to handle AI analyses of e.g. marine species?

🧪🇬🇱

‘Shattered’: US scientists speak out about how Trump policies disrupted their careers Researchers lay bare the human toll of lay-offs, funding cuts and attacks on science one year after the president’s return to the White House.

One year into Trump's second presidency, how are science and medical research faring? Our @nature.com team breaks it down for you. (1/n)

From @virginiagewin.bsky.social, learn about

Layoffs ✅
Funding cuts ✅
Attacks on science ✅

www.nature.com/articles/d41...

🧪

American Science, Shattered An eight-decade partnership between universities and the federal government made U.S. science preeminent. It took Trump less than a year to shred that

I'll keep dropping other reading links on Trump's science and health impacts in this thread, as time permits. So far some of the best big overviews have included an impressive series from @statnews.com www.statnews.com/american-sci...

and a big report from @agu.org eos.org/state-of-the...

🧪 (4/n)

‘Every aspect of my work life has changed’ — scientists reflect on a year of Trump From education to pandemic preparedness and public-health cuts, the past year has seen huge stress put on US science.

Hear directly from affected scientists on ways to protect crucial areas of science and public health going forward:

www.nature.com/articles/d41...

🧪 (3/n)

US science after a year of Trump: what has been lost and what remains A series of graphics reveals how the Trump administration has sought historic cuts to science and the research workforce.

This immersive data visualization will help you comprehend the scope of historic cuts to grants and the research workforce:

www.nature.com/immersive/d4...

By @maxkozlov.bsky.social Jeff Tollefson & @dangaristo.bsky.social, edited by @richmonastersky.bsky.social

(2/n) 🧪

‘Shattered’: US scientists speak out about how Trump policies disrupted their careers Researchers lay bare the human toll of lay-offs, funding cuts and attacks on science one year after the president’s return to the White House.

One year into Trump's second presidency, how are science and medical research faring? Our @nature.com team breaks it down for you. (1/n)

From @virginiagewin.bsky.social, learn about

Layoffs ✅
Funding cuts ✅
Attacks on science ✅

www.nature.com/articles/d41...

🧪

it’s sooooo slow to roll out because it’s like billions of dollars and you don’t want your taxpayer funded rocket to fall over, oops

YouTube video by NASA NASA's Artemis II Live Views from Kennedy Space Center

If you wanna watch a really big rocket roll very slowly out to the launch pad in Florida, live, go here now m.youtube.com/watch?v=nrVn...

It’s the Artemis II mission, aiming to launch in the coming weeks to send humans to the Moon for the first time in over half a century

🧪

And also a NOAA release plus a full report www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/global-...

The January 2025 NASA press release on the 2024 temperature record was headlined "Temperatures Rising: NASA Confirms 2024 Warmest Year on Record." The January 2026 press release is titled "NASA Releases Global Temperature Data" and does not explicitly state "tied for 2nd warmest year" anywhere.

And we have a NASA press release at least! www.nasa.gov/news-release...

Maybe the agencies will announce a presser to happen later. But normally all the temperature-analysis groups coordinate their media releases well in advance. Because, y’know, that’s better for public knowledge.

I have not submitted interview requests for NOAA or NASA experts so I don’t know if those are being accepted. But the lack of the usual joint presser is notable.

As various groups roll out their analyses of 2025 temperature records today (spoiler alert: it’s hot) , NOAA and NASA are not holding the joint press conference they usually do to announce their recap. Data will be released but without the open chance to talk to agency experts that usually exists.

2025 Wasn’t the Hottest Year on Record. Earth Is Still Barreling to the Climate Brink Global warming surpassed 1.5 degrees Celsius for the past three years, meaning Earth is currently on track to breach the Paris climate agreement by the end of the decade

Global warming surpassed 1.5 degrees Celsius for the past three years, meaning Earth is currently on track to breach the Paris climate agreement by the end of the decade

Global Temperature Report for 2025 - Berkeley Earth 2025 was the 3rd warmest year on Earth since direct observations began, and recent warming appears to be moving faster than expected.

🌍 Berkeley Earth’s 2025 Global Temperature Report is out.
2025 was the 3rd warmest year on record. Annual global temperature reached 1.44 ± 0.09°C above the pre-industrial baseline; 770 million people experienced locally record-warm annual conditions.

Full report: berkeleyearth.org/global-tempe...

New Climate Reports Show ‘Unprecedented Run of Global Heat’ - Inside Climate News Data from multiple international agencies shows the reality of a rapidly warming world.

Blowing past 1.5 degrees Celsius: The past three years averaged more than 1.5 degrees, the first time any three-year stretch has crossed that threshold. insideclimatenews.org/news/1301202...

goddamn mars

goddamn saturn