Brendan Maher
@bmaher.bsky.social
News featured editor at Nature. bmaher.01 on signal.
Reposted by Brendan Maher
Had some friends and their kids over for the Super Bowl. So much fun! They are big 🐰 fans. They were gleefully translating lyrics and giving backstory. Might be one of the funnest ever to watch. (And I’m an 🦅 fan)
February 9, 2026 at 3:56 AM
Had some friends and their kids over for the Super Bowl. So much fun! They are big 🐰 fans. They were gleefully translating lyrics and giving backstory. Might be one of the funnest ever to watch. (And I’m an 🦅 fan)
Reposted by Brendan Maher
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...
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.
www.nature.com
February 6, 2026 at 8:21 PM
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...
Yeesh! Anyway, it’s a great obituary. And worth sharing.
No joke: I got angry hate mail today for writing an obituary of a Black woman scientist—because the person felt she did didn’t deserve the recognition.
Which just makes me want to share it again: www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Which just makes me want to share it again: www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Gladys Mae West obituary: mathematician who pioneered GPS technology
She made key contributions to US cold-war science despite facing huge barriers as a Black woman.
www.nature.com
February 6, 2026 at 11:36 AM
Yeesh! Anyway, it’s a great obituary. And worth sharing.
In NJ and around the world, schools are reintroducing mandates to learn cursive writing. Does it make a difference? My colleague @marilenharo.bsky.social digs into the science.
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
How learning handwriting trains the brain: the science behind the cursive wars
Handwriting requirements were cut from school curricula around the world. Now it’s looping back, riding on a wave of evidence.
www.nature.com
February 2, 2026 at 5:41 PM
In NJ and around the world, schools are reintroducing mandates to learn cursive writing. Does it make a difference? My colleague @marilenharo.bsky.social digs into the science.
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Reposted by Brendan Maher
Do not miss this fab video from our team 😂
youtu.be/jskktKzWfys
youtu.be/jskktKzWfys
January 30, 2026 at 1:04 PM
Do not miss this fab video from our team 😂
youtu.be/jskktKzWfys
youtu.be/jskktKzWfys
Reposted by Brendan Maher
New from me: Last month I asked HHS about South Carolina's measles outbreak. They brushed me off, saying they weren't "concerned that this will develop into a large, long-running outbreak."
A month later, it's the biggest since measles was declared eliminated. www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
A month later, it's the biggest since measles was declared eliminated. www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
HHS wasn't worried about South Carolina's measles outbreak. It's now enormous.
“CDC is not currently concerned that this will develop into a large, long-running outbreak," the agency said in December.
www.motherjones.com
January 28, 2026 at 6:13 PM
New from me: Last month I asked HHS about South Carolina's measles outbreak. They brushed me off, saying they weren't "concerned that this will develop into a large, long-running outbreak."
A month later, it's the biggest since measles was declared eliminated. www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
A month later, it's the biggest since measles was declared eliminated. www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
Twin study power!!!! Genetics has a much larger role in how long a person lives than previously thought, according to a new analysis. www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Longevity is in the genes: half of lifespan is heritable
Understanding the genetic controls of ageing could lead to more therapies that forestall it.
www.nature.com
January 29, 2026 at 7:53 PM
Twin study power!!!! Genetics has a much larger role in how long a person lives than previously thought, according to a new analysis. www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Sneaky little bot. It said it was unable to quote the US constitution verbatim, when of course it could!!!
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
AI chatbots are infiltrating social-science surveys — and getting better at avoiding detection
A researcher has created a chatbot that is indistinguishable from human participants in online surveys. Some researchers fear that a workhorse of social science is now under threat.
www.nature.com
January 28, 2026 at 4:35 PM
Sneaky little bot. It said it was unable to quote the US constitution verbatim, when of course it could!!!
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Reposted by Brendan Maher
The chemicals found in a person’s breath might reveal the identity of the microbes in their guts
go.nature.com/49TbAWP
go.nature.com/49TbAWP
What your breath says about the bacteria in your gut
Metabolites in mouse and human breath correlate to gut-microbe populations and might be helpful in diagnosing disease.
go.nature.com
January 23, 2026 at 12:30 PM
The chemicals found in a person’s breath might reveal the identity of the microbes in their guts
go.nature.com/49TbAWP
go.nature.com/49TbAWP
Exclusive: key NIH review panels due to lose all members by the end of 2026 www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Exclusive: key NIH review panels due to lose all members by the end of 2026
Thirteen of the agency’s advisory councils, which must review grant applications before funding is awarded, are on track to have no voting members.
www.nature.com
January 23, 2026 at 4:12 AM
Exclusive: key NIH review panels due to lose all members by the end of 2026 www.nature.com/articles/d41...
For anyone following the on-again-off-again saga of the Guinea-Bissau hep B vaccine trial. The latest is that GB health authorities have SUSPENDED the trial.
@sciwriabdul.bsky.social tries to get to the bottom of it, here.
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
@sciwriabdul.bsky.social tries to get to the bottom of it, here.
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Guinea-Bissau suspends a US-funded vaccine trial as African scientists question its motives
Officials from the US Department of Health and Human Services, which funded the controversial study, say that it will proceed as planned.
www.nature.com
January 23, 2026 at 1:23 AM
For anyone following the on-again-off-again saga of the Guinea-Bissau hep B vaccine trial. The latest is that GB health authorities have SUSPENDED the trial.
@sciwriabdul.bsky.social tries to get to the bottom of it, here.
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
@sciwriabdul.bsky.social tries to get to the bottom of it, here.
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
I love the photo my colleagues picked for this excellent story on a recent 'breathomics' study.
It's like an alternate Pink Floyd Dark Side cover!
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
"Breathe ... breathe out the air. Your microbiome shows it's there"
It's like an alternate Pink Floyd Dark Side cover!
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
"Breathe ... breathe out the air. Your microbiome shows it's there"
What your breath says about the bacteria in your gut
Metabolites in mouse and human breath correlate to gut-microbe populations and might be helpful in diagnosing disease.
www.nature.com
January 22, 2026 at 4:13 PM
I love the photo my colleagues picked for this excellent story on a recent 'breathomics' study.
It's like an alternate Pink Floyd Dark Side cover!
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
"Breathe ... breathe out the air. Your microbiome shows it's there"
It's like an alternate Pink Floyd Dark Side cover!
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
"Breathe ... breathe out the air. Your microbiome shows it's there"
Reposted by Brendan Maher
Spotify Wrapped: War on Science edition
Trump has been in office for one year. We at @nature.com did a deep dive looking at the administration's disruption of science in numbers.
Take a look—the numbers are staggering. By me, @dangaristo.bsky.social, Jeff Tollefson, @kimay.bsky.social, & help from @noamross.net @scott-delaney.bsky.social
Take a look—the numbers are staggering. By me, @dangaristo.bsky.social, Jeff Tollefson, @kimay.bsky.social, & help from @noamross.net @scott-delaney.bsky.social
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.
www.nature.com
January 20, 2026 at 6:20 PM
Spotify Wrapped: War on Science edition
When US officials announced earlier this month that they were cutting down the childhood vaccination schedule, physicians and scientists wondered what to expect.
Japan has some hard-won wisdom to offer.
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Japan has some hard-won wisdom to offer.
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
What happens if fewer children get vaccinated? Japan holds lessons for US
As Robert F. Kennedy Jr slashes the US childhood vaccine roster, Japan is racing to make up for lost ground after decades of setbacks.
www.nature.com
January 20, 2026 at 6:24 PM
When US officials announced earlier this month that they were cutting down the childhood vaccination schedule, physicians and scientists wondered what to expect.
Japan has some hard-won wisdom to offer.
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Japan has some hard-won wisdom to offer.
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Reposted by Brendan Maher
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) 🧪
www.nature.com/immersive/d4...
By @maxkozlov.bsky.social Jeff Tollefson & @dangaristo.bsky.social, edited by @richmonastersky.bsky.social
(2/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.
www.nature.com
January 20, 2026 at 3:45 PM
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) 🧪
www.nature.com/immersive/d4...
By @maxkozlov.bsky.social Jeff Tollefson & @dangaristo.bsky.social, edited by @richmonastersky.bsky.social
(2/n) 🧪
Reposted by Brendan Maher
History is a great teacher.
In this piece our own @heidiledford.bsky.social looks at what we can learn from what happened in Japan when vaccine support was withdrawn and how the government is now working to reverse the effects 🧪
#MedSky
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
In this piece our own @heidiledford.bsky.social looks at what we can learn from what happened in Japan when vaccine support was withdrawn and how the government is now working to reverse the effects 🧪
#MedSky
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
How do vaccine cutbacks affect public health? Ask Japan
As Robert F. Kennedy Jr slashes the US childhood vaccine roster, Japan is racing to make up for lost ground after decades of setbacks.
www.nature.com
January 18, 2026 at 9:04 AM
History is a great teacher.
In this piece our own @heidiledford.bsky.social looks at what we can learn from what happened in Japan when vaccine support was withdrawn and how the government is now working to reverse the effects 🧪
#MedSky
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
In this piece our own @heidiledford.bsky.social looks at what we can learn from what happened in Japan when vaccine support was withdrawn and how the government is now working to reverse the effects 🧪
#MedSky
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Reposted by Brendan Maher
Don’t let Russell Vought trick Congress into destroying science by removing multiyear funding limits from the NIH funding bill.
January 16, 2026 at 4:34 PM
Don’t let Russell Vought trick Congress into destroying science by removing multiyear funding limits from the NIH funding bill.
Reposted by Brendan Maher
An analysis of more than one million people in the UK found that two-thirds of people who were vaccine-hesitant during the COVID-19 pandemic went on to get vaccinated
go.nature.com/4sKfBFk
go.nature.com/4sKfBFk
How to improve vaccine uptake: a huge study offers clues
Nature - An analysis of more than one million people in the UK found that two-thirds of people who were vaccine-hesitant during the COVID-19 pandemic went on to get vaccinated.
go.nature.com
January 17, 2026 at 4:25 PM
An analysis of more than one million people in the UK found that two-thirds of people who were vaccine-hesitant during the COVID-19 pandemic went on to get vaccinated
go.nature.com/4sKfBFk
go.nature.com/4sKfBFk
Reposted by Brendan Maher
Pre-long weekend story:
Multiyear funding for NIH grants has become a sticking point in negotiating HHS’s appropriations package for 2026
www.statnews.com/2026/01/16/n...
Multiyear funding for NIH grants has become a sticking point in negotiating HHS’s appropriations package for 2026
www.statnews.com/2026/01/16/n...
Limit on multiyear funding of NIH grants is a sticking point in Senate budget talks
A clause limiting the use of multiyear NIH grant funding has become a sticking point as the Senate appropriations panel finalizes the HHS spending bill
www.statnews.com
January 17, 2026 at 12:02 AM
Pre-long weekend story:
Multiyear funding for NIH grants has become a sticking point in negotiating HHS’s appropriations package for 2026
www.statnews.com/2026/01/16/n...
Multiyear funding for NIH grants has become a sticking point in negotiating HHS’s appropriations package for 2026
www.statnews.com/2026/01/16/n...
Here’s what US scientists and their global collaborators can expect in 2026. www.nature.com/articles/d41...
US science in 2026: five themes that will dominate Trump’s second year
The outlook has brightened for federal science budgets, but political appointees are likely to have a big say in how that funding is spent.
www.nature.com
January 16, 2026 at 5:35 PM
Here’s what US scientists and their global collaborators can expect in 2026. www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Reposted by Brendan Maher
@nature.com commentary on @cp-cellmetabolism.bsky.social discovery that tumors hijack energy-producing organelles from immune cells to aid in infiltrating lymph nodes
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
January 14, 2026 at 7:23 PM
@nature.com commentary on @cp-cellmetabolism.bsky.social discovery that tumors hijack energy-producing organelles from immune cells to aid in infiltrating lymph nodes
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Great interview with Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales in @nature.com today. www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Client Challenge
www.nature.com
January 13, 2026 at 11:25 AM
Great interview with Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales in @nature.com today. www.nature.com/articles/d41...
About to get started on an edit. I just need to shut off this one little piece of my brain... www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Client Challenge
www.nature.com
January 11, 2026 at 12:52 PM
About to get started on an edit. I just need to shut off this one little piece of my brain... www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Reposted by Brendan Maher
“It is the kind of test that, in the wrong hands, could cause a lot of harm”
A study of blood-based markers for Alzheimer’s disease in Norway confirms earlier estimates
go.nature.com/3N7sLfg
A study of blood-based markers for Alzheimer’s disease in Norway confirms earlier estimates
go.nature.com/3N7sLfg
How common is Alzheimer’s disease? First population-wide blood test holds surprises
Nature - A study of blood-based markers for Alzheimer’s disease in Norway confirms earlier estimates, and may show how education level relates to risk.
go.nature.com
December 20, 2025 at 10:34 AM
“It is the kind of test that, in the wrong hands, could cause a lot of harm”
A study of blood-based markers for Alzheimer’s disease in Norway confirms earlier estimates
go.nature.com/3N7sLfg
A study of blood-based markers for Alzheimer’s disease in Norway confirms earlier estimates
go.nature.com/3N7sLfg