Grant Jacobs BioinfoTools/NotJustDNA 🔬🧬🖥️✍️📚

Must read. Brilliant insights on anti-science policy.

They are anti-science because it destabilizes us and stops us from coming together to create legislation that is best for us instead for the plutocrats—us against them, and we have votes to wield!
#ClimateCatastrophe
#COVIDisstillhere
#USPoli

Measles Announcement Chapters Measles is in New Zealand 00:00 Measles symptoms – what to look out for 05:09 Check your immunisation status 05:48 How to get immunised  06:41 Measles:…

#NZSL info on measles. 👇

Visit linktr.ee/healthnewzealand for everything you need to know about measles including locations of interest, immunisation and symptoms to watch for.

vimeo.com/1124696781?s...

Book review: Exposing the forces behind anti-science aggression “Science Under Siege,” by Michael E. Mann and Peter J. Hotez, is a plain-spoken, naming-names, rallying cry for protectors of science to not go quietly into the night.

"Book review: Exposing the forces behind anti-science aggression" | Great review by @philippmarkolin.bsky.social of my new book w/ @peterhotezmdphd.bsky.social, #ScienceUnderSiege: www.protagonist-science.com/p/book-revie...

General principles for authors, disclosure and peer review The Conversation is committed to the highest standards of integrity and professional conduct. Authors have a duty to ensure that their work maintains the good name of The Conversation and that of the academic and research community. The Conversation requires authors to disclose any potential conflict of interest. A conflict exists where an individual's interests diverge from their professional responsibilities such that an independent observer might reasonably conclude that the author has been unduly influenced by their own interest. Publication must include information on the sources of financial and in-kind support for the research, and must reveal actual or potential conflicts of interest. Research, as a general principle, should not be reported before it has been subjected to a recognised process of peer review.

The Conversation has a formal disclosure policy so RNZ will accept that’s been done (if the terms suit them). theconversation.com/nz/terms-and...

Ultimately disclosures are usually carried by the authors. Outlets ask what they need, and the authors are meant to supply that. Didn’t happen here.

RNZ likely simply copied over what The Conversation had. I don’t think you can fault that. While it’s nice to think The Conversation could screen people, it’s too much work. These things rely on authors disclosing properly. Same for research papers, grants, etc. Disclosures are routine for academics

Potential for the author not have sufficient distance from the person whose work he is opining on, etc.

Perhaps they could have also added that Willis was with the NZ Institute, too.

Disclosure statement was: “Dennis Wesselbaum does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.”

Disclosure statement now is: “Dennis Wesselbaum is an Adjunct Fellow of the New Zealand Initiative and an Affiliate at Motu Research.”

Yes, just updated ⬇️

FWIW (no idea about the details)

bsky.app/profile/cmye...

The article is from The Conversation, where the author’s bio says, “and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.”

That much at least could be corrected, I think.

cc: @rnzrss.bsky.social @theconversation.com

"Oh, absolutely. He’d be the host." LOL

AFAICT, the host hasn’t said anything yet.

1000!

——
*I know, I know. Playing on a terrible pun/meme. So sue me 😄 (I used quotes as they’re not literally wires.)

**TBF there were hints of what was to come with work on, for example, developmental pathways in the nematode worm, C. elegans.

And of course there’s a Wikipedia article on fruit fly connectomes. It’ll be wanting an update, but it gives some of the background to work in this space (no image for the preview, maybe someone will add one!) -

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drosoph...

🧪 Female brain (central nervous system, CNS) connectomes have been published. Males are "wired" differently.* Now with a male connectome done, they can be compared.

This large-scale biology is impressive as hell when I think back to what most studies aimed at when I was a student.**

After the story The news moves on. The people don’t.

After the story.

Measles outbreak: Another case confirmed in Northland It increases the number to 11 nationally.

#NZ Measles outbreak: Another case confirmed in Northland

- make sure your whanau is vaccinated; it’s free, and you’re much better protected than not.

www.rnz.co.nz/news/nationa...

I can’t help noticing that Southern districts feature strongly at the bottom of that graph.

👍

ICYMI ⬇️ (reposting for the Monday morning people 😊)

I didn’t realise we weren’t able to 😞

It feels like the only thing that might make this government listen 😔

😀

🦠 All of them “were healthy with no underlying conditions” 😔

Apple removes ICE tracking apps after pressure by Trump administration The app alerts users to Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in their area.

Apple removes ICE tracking apps after pressure by Trump administration

"ICEBlock is designed to put ICE agents at risk just for doing their jobs,” – US Attorney General Pam Bondi.

I’d think it’s for citizens to try avoid harm to themselves eh?

Reuters story at RNZ:
www.rnz.co.nz/news/world/5...

Startling tidbits and quite readable, The Bearded Vulture as an accumulator of historical [human] remains

Quotes:

- “C-14 analyses of fecal material accumulated in a Gyrfalcon (Falco rusticolus) eyrie in Greenland demonstrated that it had been occupied for at least 2500 years”

(cont’d)

🧬 Wow. 227 autosomes! 😀

The ancestral 22 autosomes (non-sex chromosomes) have broken up to form 227 autosomes. Also made is a tiny additional sex chromosome.

Close relatives of the Atlas blue butterfly have not undergone fission (fragmentation).

Research paper: www.cell.com/current-biol...

#NZpol So… they just need to get a job, huh

Same trend for the country as a whole… 😔

bsky.app/profile/musi... #NZpol

#NZpol So… they just need to get a job, huh

I agree, as I’ve said -

“MHO: Better for governments to focus on the regulation of potential issues. Protection of consumers and smaller players is an important part of governance, after all.”

bsky.app/profile/notj...