Dr. Jenny Morber
@jrmorber.bsky.social
PNW freelance sci journo, PhD nanosci and materials engineering. World traveler, field reporter. Newly focused on probing solutions to our biggest problems, but still interested in whale anuses and poo. I love the weird things. she/her
Pinned
Dr. Jenny Morber
@jrmorber.bsky.social
· Mar 31
Hello to all my new followers!
I am a former nanomaterials researcher turned science and solutions journalist living and working in the US.
I care about: free press, evidence-based science, accurate info, climate and environment, human rights, democracy, healthcare, poop, death, weird science
I am a former nanomaterials researcher turned science and solutions journalist living and working in the US.
I care about: free press, evidence-based science, accurate info, climate and environment, human rights, democracy, healthcare, poop, death, weird science
Reposted by Dr. Jenny Morber
I wish ai had words for this. All I can say is that the thing about frogs and boiling water is a myth. We know how this plays out, but we just don’t want to believe it. Propaganda and lies right on the White House website? Violent military takeovers of other countries? Troops on the ground at home?
fuck outta here
January 6, 2026 at 6:46 PM
I wish ai had words for this. All I can say is that the thing about frogs and boiling water is a myth. We know how this plays out, but we just don’t want to believe it. Propaganda and lies right on the White House website? Violent military takeovers of other countries? Troops on the ground at home?
Reposted by Dr. Jenny Morber
Never engaged in imperialism, eh?
January 6, 2026 at 2:44 PM
Never engaged in imperialism, eh?
Reposted by Dr. Jenny Morber
I wrote a kind of January 6 piece for 2026: newrepublic.com/article/2049...
January 6, 2026 at 2:57 PM
I wrote a kind of January 6 piece for 2026: newrepublic.com/article/2049...
Ah yes, kneecapping needy families, what we all hope for in a government.
The Trump administration plans to freeze $10 billion in funding for child care subsidies, social services and cash support for low-income families in five states controlled by Democrats, claiming widespread fraud throughout those states, without citing evidence.
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/06/u...
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/06/u...
Health Dept. to Freeze $10 Billion in Funding to 5 Democratic States
www.nytimes.com
January 6, 2026 at 6:44 PM
Ah yes, kneecapping needy families, what we all hope for in a government.
Reposted by Dr. Jenny Morber
somebody at UChicago is feeding preprints to LLMs without authors' consent, in a research study
they have the gall to suggest to authors they've opted-in that they volunteer to evaluate the LLMs' suggestions regarding their own work.
lol, lmao even. here is the invite and my reply
they have the gall to suggest to authors they've opted-in that they volunteer to evaluate the LLMs' suggestions regarding their own work.
lol, lmao even. here is the invite and my reply
January 5, 2026 at 10:55 PM
somebody at UChicago is feeding preprints to LLMs without authors' consent, in a research study
they have the gall to suggest to authors they've opted-in that they volunteer to evaluate the LLMs' suggestions regarding their own work.
lol, lmao even. here is the invite and my reply
they have the gall to suggest to authors they've opted-in that they volunteer to evaluate the LLMs' suggestions regarding their own work.
lol, lmao even. here is the invite and my reply
Reposted by Dr. Jenny Morber
This is an astounding clip — and one I haven’t seen.
And then there's this video, of officers talking with each other about what they just witnessed.
"We didn't have a chance," one officer said. "[Trump] was still giving his speech, and I just had to leave, because he's basically just telling people to come down here and rip this place down."
"We didn't have a chance," one officer said. "[Trump] was still giving his speech, and I just had to leave, because he's basically just telling people to come down here and rip this place down."
January 6, 2026 at 2:14 PM
This is an astounding clip — and one I haven’t seen.
Reposted by Dr. Jenny Morber
It's that time of year again [the time when Chief Justice John Roberts publishes an annual report about the federal judiciary and then I publish an article about all the stuff he deliberately left out of the report, and what he hoped to achieve in doing so]
ballsandstrikes.org/scotus/john-...
ballsandstrikes.org/scotus/john-...
John Roberts Thinks 2025 Was a Banner Year For the Constitution
The chief justice’s year-end report is all about preserving a status quo that makes him one of this country’s most powerful politicians.
ballsandstrikes.org
January 6, 2026 at 6:31 PM
It's that time of year again [the time when Chief Justice John Roberts publishes an annual report about the federal judiciary and then I publish an article about all the stuff he deliberately left out of the report, and what he hoped to achieve in doing so]
ballsandstrikes.org/scotus/john-...
ballsandstrikes.org/scotus/john-...
Reposted by Dr. Jenny Morber
This is about Trump v. Anderson ("insurrectionist POTUS is fine") but it's true of every Trump SCOTUS case, and lots of their recent cases, eg legalizing bribery.
Your life can be destroyed by a cop, a prosecutor, and a state trial judge. But for the rich and powerful, it's all pearl-clutching.
Your life can be destroyed by a cop, a prosecutor, and a state trial judge. But for the rich and powerful, it's all pearl-clutching.
The justices seemed so appalled that someone could be disqualified based on factfinding by a state trial judge--as if people don't lose their liberty, their homes, and their children in state trial courts every day of the week.
January 6, 2026 at 4:59 PM
This is about Trump v. Anderson ("insurrectionist POTUS is fine") but it's true of every Trump SCOTUS case, and lots of their recent cases, eg legalizing bribery.
Your life can be destroyed by a cop, a prosecutor, and a state trial judge. But for the rich and powerful, it's all pearl-clutching.
Your life can be destroyed by a cop, a prosecutor, and a state trial judge. But for the rich and powerful, it's all pearl-clutching.
Remind me again: is it that the super wealthy become deranged due to the environment that surrounds the super wealthy, or that only the deranged are able to stomach what one must do to get there?
January 6, 2026 at 6:30 PM
Remind me again: is it that the super wealthy become deranged due to the environment that surrounds the super wealthy, or that only the deranged are able to stomach what one must do to get there?
At least it’s not just the US?
Sigh
Sigh
can anyone on bluesky get me in touch with someone important at the BBC bc i have some questions eg. "what the fuck you fucking fucks"
January 6, 2026 at 6:28 PM
At least it’s not just the US?
Sigh
Sigh
Reposted by Dr. Jenny Morber
This kinda imperial hubris is just fascinating. It's obvs not true (the Taliban are back in power, the communists still run Vietnam, etc) but more than that I find it baffling to want it to be true. The status "citizen of a country that does war crimes with impunity" is imo a bizarre thing to crave.
January 6, 2026 at 7:48 AM
This kinda imperial hubris is just fascinating. It's obvs not true (the Taliban are back in power, the communists still run Vietnam, etc) but more than that I find it baffling to want it to be true. The status "citizen of a country that does war crimes with impunity" is imo a bizarre thing to crave.
Reposted by Dr. Jenny Morber
I look forward to sharing Erin's thread here every year
1. Did you know that Girl Scouts has, for a long time, accepted trans girls and nonbinary scouts?
Trans kids are under attack. Every year, I make a thread of trans and nonbinary girl scouts you can get your cookies from.
Lets get our cookies from them this year in solidarity!
Trans kids are under attack. Every year, I make a thread of trans and nonbinary girl scouts you can get your cookies from.
Lets get our cookies from them this year in solidarity!
2026 Trans Girl Scouts To Order Cookies From!
This year, consider ordering your Girl Scout cookies from a trans girl scout to make their day!
www.erininthemorning.com
January 6, 2026 at 5:48 PM
I look forward to sharing Erin's thread here every year
Reposted by Dr. Jenny Morber
In a rambling speech, President Trump announced that America “is going to start producing [weapons] much faster” than before. Trump then went on to claim that he was the “king” of Boeing.
Countries around the world are alert to America’s newfound hostility with a second-term Trump. trib.al/f5pGk7i
Countries around the world are alert to America’s newfound hostility with a second-term Trump. trib.al/f5pGk7i
January 6, 2026 at 5:57 PM
In a rambling speech, President Trump announced that America “is going to start producing [weapons] much faster” than before. Trump then went on to claim that he was the “king” of Boeing.
Countries around the world are alert to America’s newfound hostility with a second-term Trump. trib.al/f5pGk7i
Countries around the world are alert to America’s newfound hostility with a second-term Trump. trib.al/f5pGk7i
Reposted by Dr. Jenny Morber
Fired members of the CDC vaccine advisory committee: Americans are losing the ability to choose vaccination www.statnews.com/2025/09/04/c... via @statnews.com
Fired members of the CDC vaccine advisory committee: Americans are losing the ability to choose vaccination
The U.S. must return to evidence-based, transparent vaccine policy free from political interference, write fired CDC vaccine advisory committee members.
www.statnews.com
January 6, 2026 at 6:09 PM
Fired members of the CDC vaccine advisory committee: Americans are losing the ability to choose vaccination www.statnews.com/2025/09/04/c... via @statnews.com
Reposted by Dr. Jenny Morber
This got published over the holidays and I almost missed it as a result, but it's FASCINATING: we know fungi are important biofertilizers for crops, but most of the products on the market simply don't work. And the lab researching what DOES work may go under soon: www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Defunding fungi: US’s living library of ‘vital ecosystem engineers’ is in danger of closing
These fungi boost plant growth and restore depleted ecosystems, but federal funding for a library housing them has been cut – and it may be forced to close
www.theguardian.com
January 6, 2026 at 6:09 PM
This got published over the holidays and I almost missed it as a result, but it's FASCINATING: we know fungi are important biofertilizers for crops, but most of the products on the market simply don't work. And the lab researching what DOES work may go under soon: www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Reposted by Dr. Jenny Morber
Reposted by Dr. Jenny Morber
This matters for understanding misinformation and polarization. If partisan endorsement starts as social signaling, it may gradually become genuine belief through repetition and self-perception.
What begins as fitting in may end as sincere conviction.
10/11
What begins as fitting in may end as sincere conviction.
10/11
January 6, 2026 at 3:03 PM
This matters for understanding misinformation and polarization. If partisan endorsement starts as social signaling, it may gradually become genuine belief through repetition and self-perception.
What begins as fitting in may end as sincere conviction.
10/11
What begins as fitting in may end as sincere conviction.
10/11
Reposted by Dr. Jenny Morber
Study 3:
When we rewarded ACCURACY ("the more you get right, the bigger your prize!"), partisan endorsement dropped.
But when we rewarded PARTISANSHIP ("the more your GROUP gets right..."), it didn't increase beyond baseline.
7/11
When we rewarded ACCURACY ("the more you get right, the bigger your prize!"), partisan endorsement dropped.
But when we rewarded PARTISANSHIP ("the more your GROUP gets right..."), it didn't increase beyond baseline.
7/11
![Endorsement of Ingroup’s Claims in Study 3 as a Function of Condition. Solid circles represent predicted means, and error bars represent standard errors from the mixed-effects logistic regression model. Empty circles represent child-specific proportions of endorsing ingroup versus outgroup claims (ranging from 0 [always endorsing outgroup claims] to 1 [always endorsing ingroup claims]), separated by condition. ns = not significant. *p < .05. ***p < .001.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:6b5w63kqflwyx5f2okh3eg3a/bafkreiahor7oqmm62zc2ewwdlfzykmbwxl6uyknegw3d7bkvuh6s3tchv4@jpeg)
January 6, 2026 at 3:03 PM
Study 3:
When we rewarded ACCURACY ("the more you get right, the bigger your prize!"), partisan endorsement dropped.
But when we rewarded PARTISANSHIP ("the more your GROUP gets right..."), it didn't increase beyond baseline.
7/11
When we rewarded ACCURACY ("the more you get right, the bigger your prize!"), partisan endorsement dropped.
But when we rewarded PARTISANSHIP ("the more your GROUP gets right..."), it didn't increase beyond baseline.
7/11
Reposted by Dr. Jenny Morber
Repeating to correct an error:
There's no such thing as super #flu. But there is a doozy of a flu season underway right now. Here's what you need to know about subclade K, the #H3N2 variant making so many people sick. (Earlier I said H5N1. This is not that!!!) www.statnews.com/2026/01/06/f...
There's no such thing as super #flu. But there is a doozy of a flu season underway right now. Here's what you need to know about subclade K, the #H3N2 variant making so many people sick. (Earlier I said H5N1. This is not that!!!) www.statnews.com/2026/01/06/f...
Why flu seems to be everywhere — even if ‘super flu’ is not a thing
Welcome to the winter of subclade K.
www.statnews.com
January 6, 2026 at 4:21 PM
Repeating to correct an error:
There's no such thing as super #flu. But there is a doozy of a flu season underway right now. Here's what you need to know about subclade K, the #H3N2 variant making so many people sick. (Earlier I said H5N1. This is not that!!!) www.statnews.com/2026/01/06/f...
There's no such thing as super #flu. But there is a doozy of a flu season underway right now. Here's what you need to know about subclade K, the #H3N2 variant making so many people sick. (Earlier I said H5N1. This is not that!!!) www.statnews.com/2026/01/06/f...
Why would anyone choose a more cruel world when a less cruel one is possible
January 6, 2026 at 6:09 PM
Why would anyone choose a more cruel world when a less cruel one is possible
LinkedIn just notified me that a former research advisor, who has been dead a decade, today celebrated his 23rd work anniversary. 😶
January 6, 2026 at 6:07 PM
LinkedIn just notified me that a former research advisor, who has been dead a decade, today celebrated his 23rd work anniversary. 😶
Reposted by Dr. Jenny Morber
Well done FT, well done.
Who’s who at X, the deepfake porn site formerly known as Twitter - as.ft.com/r/2f3e7a51-e...
Who’s who at X, the deepfake porn site formerly known as Twitter
[FREE TO READ] A look inside Elon Musk’s big tent
as.ft.com
January 6, 2026 at 2:56 PM
Well done FT, well done.
Reposted by Dr. Jenny Morber
Stephen Miller, if allowed to guide US policy, will start World War 3.
MILLER: The US is using its military to secure our interests unapologetically in our hemisphere. We're a superpower. It's absurd we'd allow a nation in our backyard to become a supplier of resources to our adversaries
TAPPER: Sovereign countries shouldn't be able to do what they want?
M: *yells*
TAPPER: Sovereign countries shouldn't be able to do what they want?
M: *yells*
January 6, 2026 at 12:00 AM
Stephen Miller, if allowed to guide US policy, will start World War 3.
Reposted by Dr. Jenny Morber
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting has officially disbanded, months after Congress and President Trump stripped funding from public media.
Corporation for Public Broadcasting disbands after Congress pulls funding
The decision has already triggered layoffs and budget crises across public radio and television stations.
thedesk.net
January 5, 2026 at 7:14 PM
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting has officially disbanded, months after Congress and President Trump stripped funding from public media.
Every foe has a weakness. The trick is to find it and focus effort there.
January 5, 2026 at 7:24 PM
Every foe has a weakness. The trick is to find it and focus effort there.