Kai Kupferschmidt
@kakape.bsky.social
science journalist. author. molecular biologist. curious.
interested in #microbes, #misinformation and all things #blue
contributing correspondent at @science.org
co-host of @pandemia.bsky.social
2024 KSJ fellow at MIT
Signal: kakape.93
interested in #microbes, #misinformation and all things #blue
contributing correspondent at @science.org
co-host of @pandemia.bsky.social
2024 KSJ fellow at MIT
Signal: kakape.93
Pinned
Kai Kupferschmidt
@kakape.bsky.social
· Nov 1
The five biggest challenges facing misinformation researchers
The burgeoning field is still grappling with fundamental problems, from getting access to data to defining 'misinformation' in the first place
www.science.org
So what have I learnt about #misinformation research? I tried to condense it into a list of the 5 biggest challenges the field faces.
Second story in my package of stories about misinformation research is up here (and thread to come):
www.science.org/content/arti...
Second story in my package of stories about misinformation research is up here (and thread to come):
www.science.org/content/arti...
Reposted by Kai Kupferschmidt
Ironically, the same people who are anti-vax are injecting themselves with peptides made in China, with unknown constituents, purity, efficacy, and risk
January 4, 2026 at 5:19 PM
Ironically, the same people who are anti-vax are injecting themselves with peptides made in China, with unknown constituents, purity, efficacy, and risk
Reposted by Kai Kupferschmidt
NYT gonna NYT: "Both Mr. Mamdani and Mr. Maduro identify as socialists, though they have no relationship.” — would be funny if they did this every time you write about two capitalists.
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/03/w...
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/03/w...
Mamdani Called Trump to Criticize Venezuela Strikes
www.nytimes.com
January 3, 2026 at 10:01 PM
NYT gonna NYT: "Both Mr. Mamdani and Mr. Maduro identify as socialists, though they have no relationship.” — would be funny if they did this every time you write about two capitalists.
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/03/w...
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/03/w...
Because the job of journalism is apparently to keep inventing new euphemisms to avoid having to call greed, corruption or lawlessness by their name…
January 4, 2026 at 3:30 PM
Because the job of journalism is apparently to keep inventing new euphemisms to avoid having to call greed, corruption or lawlessness by their name…
There is of course zero internal logic.
Former Honduran President Hernandez was extradited, convicted and sentenced to 45 years of prison for exactly the type of crimes Maduro is accused of - and Trump pardoned him.
It's power, money and oil all the way down...
Former Honduran President Hernandez was extradited, convicted and sentenced to 45 years of prison for exactly the type of crimes Maduro is accused of - and Trump pardoned him.
It's power, money and oil all the way down...
January 3, 2026 at 5:49 PM
There is of course zero internal logic.
Former Honduran President Hernandez was extradited, convicted and sentenced to 45 years of prison for exactly the type of crimes Maduro is accused of - and Trump pardoned him.
It's power, money and oil all the way down...
Former Honduran President Hernandez was extradited, convicted and sentenced to 45 years of prison for exactly the type of crimes Maduro is accused of - and Trump pardoned him.
It's power, money and oil all the way down...
Reposted by Kai Kupferschmidt
Well, it was either all this or another black person in a Star Wars movie
January 3, 2026 at 5:01 PM
Well, it was either all this or another black person in a Star Wars movie
Okay, 2026 I think we're done. Thank you, next!
January 3, 2026 at 4:48 PM
Okay, 2026 I think we're done. Thank you, next!
That’s an uhhh … interesting … response.
I have spoken with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and our Ambassador in Caracas. The EU is closely monitoring the situation in Venezuela.
The EU has repeatedly stated that Mr Maduro lacks legitimacy and has defended a peaceful transition. (1/2)
The EU has repeatedly stated that Mr Maduro lacks legitimacy and has defended a peaceful transition. (1/2)
January 3, 2026 at 11:16 AM
That’s an uhhh … interesting … response.
Reposted by Kai Kupferschmidt
One thing I wrote about here is how technology has made buses *way* more convenient while techno-futurists were obsessed with flying taxis and self-driving cars.
January 2, 2026 at 2:17 PM
One thing I wrote about here is how technology has made buses *way* more convenient while techno-futurists were obsessed with flying taxis and self-driving cars.
Reposted by Kai Kupferschmidt
Nick Shirley (producer of the video sparking the Minnesota daycare fraud GOP media bonanza) has had previous rounds of attention from right wing media and elites for his production of misleading anti-immigrant propaganda. Here's a story from ~2 years ago (when we were still anonymizing his name):
December 30, 2025 at 4:47 PM
Nick Shirley (producer of the video sparking the Minnesota daycare fraud GOP media bonanza) has had previous rounds of attention from right wing media and elites for his production of misleading anti-immigrant propaganda. Here's a story from ~2 years ago (when we were still anonymizing his name):
Reposted by Kai Kupferschmidt
Wenn du ordentlichen Journalismus machst, ist deine politische Meinung übrigens ziemlich egal, weil's im Journalismus nicht um deine verdammte Meinung geht, sondern um sauberes Handwerk.
Nein, deine Privatmeinung ist kein Journalismus, auch wenn du es "Debatte" oder "Kommentar" nennst.
Nein, deine Privatmeinung ist kein Journalismus, auch wenn du es "Debatte" oder "Kommentar" nennst.
Dass eine der profiliertesten Medienstimmen des Landes als Reaktion auf die Halbierungsinitiative ein Debate-the-News-Format vorschlägt, zeigt, wie wenig diese Leute noch immer von rechter Propaganda verstehen. Die ÖR-Feinde wollen nicht mehr Debatte, sondern weniger Journalismus.
December 30, 2025 at 11:03 AM
Wenn du ordentlichen Journalismus machst, ist deine politische Meinung übrigens ziemlich egal, weil's im Journalismus nicht um deine verdammte Meinung geht, sondern um sauberes Handwerk.
Nein, deine Privatmeinung ist kein Journalismus, auch wenn du es "Debatte" oder "Kommentar" nennst.
Nein, deine Privatmeinung ist kein Journalismus, auch wenn du es "Debatte" oder "Kommentar" nennst.
"It was as if credulous medieval masses had burst through into modernity, rushing into the wrong theatre and onto the wrong stage set. In the stampede, grisly government secrets were spilled, childhoods despoiled, honourable reputations trampled down and loud-mouthed fools elevated."
December 29, 2025 at 5:13 PM
"It was as if credulous medieval masses had burst through into modernity, rushing into the wrong theatre and onto the wrong stage set. In the stampede, grisly government secrets were spilled, childhoods despoiled, honourable reputations trampled down and loud-mouthed fools elevated."
Reposted by Kai Kupferschmidt
There’s a lesson here about writing in the age of weaponized lies: Always precede false claims with giant red text, ideally wrapped in a <blink> tag, that says “THIS IS A LIE I AM REFUTING!!”
But also, why is a book that makes this kind of lazy, bad-faith argumentation getting any accolades at all?
But also, why is a book that makes this kind of lazy, bad-faith argumentation getting any accolades at all?
December 24, 2025 at 7:00 PM
There’s a lesson here about writing in the age of weaponized lies: Always precede false claims with giant red text, ideally wrapped in a <blink> tag, that says “THIS IS A LIE I AM REFUTING!!”
But also, why is a book that makes this kind of lazy, bad-faith argumentation getting any accolades at all?
But also, why is a book that makes this kind of lazy, bad-faith argumentation getting any accolades at all?
Reposted by Kai Kupferschmidt
The authors quote from an article I wrote in 2023, refuting false claims about government jawboning of social media platforms. One of the claims I directly push back against is the persistent lie that the FBI demanded Twitter censor online speech.
knightcolumbia.org/blog/getting...
knightcolumbia.org/blog/getting...
Getting the Facts Straight: Some Observations on the Fifth Circuit Ruling in Missouri v. Biden
knightcolumbia.org
December 24, 2025 at 7:00 PM
The authors quote from an article I wrote in 2023, refuting false claims about government jawboning of social media platforms. One of the claims I directly push back against is the persistent lie that the FBI demanded Twitter censor online speech.
knightcolumbia.org/blog/getting...
knightcolumbia.org/blog/getting...
Reposted by Kai Kupferschmidt
A small (personal) example of this book’s intellectual dishonesty:
My father-in-law is reading In Covid’s Wake, and excitedly told me he found a passage where I’m quoted. The quote in question is me saying the FBI worked to censor speech on social media.
Huh? When did I say that?!
My father-in-law is reading In Covid’s Wake, and excitedly told me he found a passage where I’m quoted. The quote in question is me saying the FBI worked to censor speech on social media.
Huh? When did I say that?!
December 24, 2025 at 7:00 PM
A small (personal) example of this book’s intellectual dishonesty:
My father-in-law is reading In Covid’s Wake, and excitedly told me he found a passage where I’m quoted. The quote in question is me saying the FBI worked to censor speech on social media.
Huh? When did I say that?!
My father-in-law is reading In Covid’s Wake, and excitedly told me he found a passage where I’m quoted. The quote in question is me saying the FBI worked to censor speech on social media.
Huh? When did I say that?!
Reposted by Kai Kupferschmidt
Harsh but fair. (Source: www.ft.com/content/11a8...)
December 24, 2025 at 7:31 AM
Harsh but fair. (Source: www.ft.com/content/11a8...)
Reposted by Kai Kupferschmidt
1/ Last week, you probably heard about RFK Jr.'s sudden plan to move the U.S. childhood vaccine schedule to Denmark’s. He was supposed to have a press conference on Friday, but it was canceled for legal and political concerns. For now, that move is off the table, but this idea isn’t going away...👇
December 23, 2025 at 9:20 PM
1/ Last week, you probably heard about RFK Jr.'s sudden plan to move the U.S. childhood vaccine schedule to Denmark’s. He was supposed to have a press conference on Friday, but it was canceled for legal and political concerns. For now, that move is off the table, but this idea isn’t going away...👇
"It is going to get so much worse."
For the first of two end-of-the-year episodes of @pandemia.bsky.social, I talked to @drdemetre.bsky.social about what happened in 2025 at the CDC and how he thinks about the future of vaccines and public health in the US.
A quick 🧪🧵
For the first of two end-of-the-year episodes of @pandemia.bsky.social, I talked to @drdemetre.bsky.social about what happened in 2025 at the CDC and how he thinks about the future of vaccines and public health in the US.
A quick 🧪🧵
Impfen | Es wird noch viel schlimmer werden
Podcast Episode · Pandemia · 22/12/2025 · 40m
podcasts.apple.com
December 23, 2025 at 11:52 AM
"It is going to get so much worse."
For the first of two end-of-the-year episodes of @pandemia.bsky.social, I talked to @drdemetre.bsky.social about what happened in 2025 at the CDC and how he thinks about the future of vaccines and public health in the US.
A quick 🧪🧵
For the first of two end-of-the-year episodes of @pandemia.bsky.social, I talked to @drdemetre.bsky.social about what happened in 2025 at the CDC and how he thinks about the future of vaccines and public health in the US.
A quick 🧪🧵
Wir bereiten gerade fleißig Pandemia-Folgen fürs neue Jahr vor und sind selbst schon ganz aufgeregt. 🤓
Das wird wieder ein Mix aus aktuellen Entwicklungen und großer Geschichte. Aber ganz wichtig: Wir können das alles nur machen mit eurer Unterstützung! Wenn ihr uns also helfen wollt weiterzumachen:
Das wird wieder ein Mix aus aktuellen Entwicklungen und großer Geschichte. Aber ganz wichtig: Wir können das alles nur machen mit eurer Unterstützung! Wenn ihr uns also helfen wollt weiterzumachen:
Pandemia +
Ein Podcast von Laura Salm-Reifferscheidt und Kai Kupferschmidt.
steady.page
December 19, 2025 at 10:47 AM
Wir bereiten gerade fleißig Pandemia-Folgen fürs neue Jahr vor und sind selbst schon ganz aufgeregt. 🤓
Das wird wieder ein Mix aus aktuellen Entwicklungen und großer Geschichte. Aber ganz wichtig: Wir können das alles nur machen mit eurer Unterstützung! Wenn ihr uns also helfen wollt weiterzumachen:
Das wird wieder ein Mix aus aktuellen Entwicklungen und großer Geschichte. Aber ganz wichtig: Wir können das alles nur machen mit eurer Unterstützung! Wenn ihr uns also helfen wollt weiterzumachen:
“This year, renewables surpassed coal as a source of electricity worldwide, and solar and wind energy grew fast enough to cover the entire increase in global electricity use from January to June according to energy think tank Ember“
@science.org’s Breakthrough of the Year is the growth of renewables
@science.org’s Breakthrough of the Year is the growth of renewables
Science has named the seemingly unstoppable growth of renewable energy worldwide as the 2025 Breakthrough of the Year.
Learn more about this year's #BOTY and other big advances in science: https://scim.ag/493Tpgx
Learn more about this year's #BOTY and other big advances in science: https://scim.ag/493Tpgx
December 18, 2025 at 8:30 PM
“This year, renewables surpassed coal as a source of electricity worldwide, and solar and wind energy grew fast enough to cover the entire increase in global electricity use from January to June according to energy think tank Ember“
@science.org’s Breakthrough of the Year is the growth of renewables
@science.org’s Breakthrough of the Year is the growth of renewables
Reposted by Kai Kupferschmidt
IDSA has selected Jeanne Marrazzo, MD, MPH, FIDSA, as its next chief executive officer, effective Jan. 12, 2026.
Learn more: bit.ly/4pHt2nF
Learn more: bit.ly/4pHt2nF
December 18, 2025 at 7:35 PM
IDSA has selected Jeanne Marrazzo, MD, MPH, FIDSA, as its next chief executive officer, effective Jan. 12, 2026.
Learn more: bit.ly/4pHt2nF
Learn more: bit.ly/4pHt2nF
Finally visited the site of the Nuremberg trial today. Lots of thoughts and feelings but mostly a potent and poignant reminder of the international order the US and allies tried to create after the horrors of the Holocaust and the Second World War and that is increasingly being abandoned by the US.
December 18, 2025 at 11:54 AM
Finally visited the site of the Nuremberg trial today. Lots of thoughts and feelings but mostly a potent and poignant reminder of the international order the US and allies tried to create after the horrors of the Holocaust and the Second World War and that is increasingly being abandoned by the US.
“The influenza season has begun roughly four weeks earlier than in previous seasons. At least 27 of the 38 countries in the WHO European Region reporting data are now seeing high or very high influenza activity.”
@whoeurope.bsky.social warning of an intense, early flu season
#IDsky 🧪
@whoeurope.bsky.social warning of an intense, early flu season
#IDsky 🧪
More than half of the WHO European Region experiencing intense, early influenza season driven by new strain
Copenhagen, 17 December 2025
Influenza is sweeping across the European Region earlier than
news.cision.com
December 17, 2025 at 9:01 AM
“The influenza season has begun roughly four weeks earlier than in previous seasons. At least 27 of the 38 countries in the WHO European Region reporting data are now seeing high or very high influenza activity.”
@whoeurope.bsky.social warning of an intense, early flu season
#IDsky 🧪
@whoeurope.bsky.social warning of an intense, early flu season
#IDsky 🧪
Reposted by Kai Kupferschmidt
Türchen 1️⃣5️⃣ im #adventskalender der #wisspodweihnacht:
1975 kam kurz vor Weihnachten Spielbergs "Der Weiße Hai" in die deutschen Kinos. Der Plot zeigt auffällige Parallelen zu einem historischen Cholera-Ausbruch:
➡️ […]
[Original post on podcasts.social]
1975 kam kurz vor Weihnachten Spielbergs "Der Weiße Hai" in die deutschen Kinos. Der Plot zeigt auffällige Parallelen zu einem historischen Cholera-Ausbruch:
➡️ […]
[Original post on podcasts.social]
December 15, 2025 at 8:13 AM
Türchen 1️⃣5️⃣ im #adventskalender der #wisspodweihnacht:
1975 kam kurz vor Weihnachten Spielbergs "Der Weiße Hai" in die deutschen Kinos. Der Plot zeigt auffällige Parallelen zu einem historischen Cholera-Ausbruch:
➡️ […]
[Original post on podcasts.social]
1975 kam kurz vor Weihnachten Spielbergs "Der Weiße Hai" in die deutschen Kinos. Der Plot zeigt auffällige Parallelen zu einem historischen Cholera-Ausbruch:
➡️ […]
[Original post on podcasts.social]
Reposted by Kai Kupferschmidt
It burns. It burns. My eyes.
December 15, 2025 at 8:28 PM
It burns. It burns. My eyes.
Reposted by Kai Kupferschmidt
Heute gibt’s bei der #WisspodWeihnacht im
Adventskalender ne Mini-Folge Pandemia!
Wir haben das Thema Weihnacht allerdings recht… breit ausgelegt. 🫠
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/p...
Adventskalender ne Mini-Folge Pandemia!
Wir haben das Thema Weihnacht allerdings recht… breit ausgelegt. 🫠
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/p...
Cholera | Der weiße Hai und der blaue Tod
Podcast Episode · Pandemia · 12/15/2025 · 24m
podcasts.apple.com
December 15, 2025 at 9:12 AM
Heute gibt’s bei der #WisspodWeihnacht im
Adventskalender ne Mini-Folge Pandemia!
Wir haben das Thema Weihnacht allerdings recht… breit ausgelegt. 🫠
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/p...
Adventskalender ne Mini-Folge Pandemia!
Wir haben das Thema Weihnacht allerdings recht… breit ausgelegt. 🫠
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/p...