Meghan Bartels
@meghanbartels.bsky.social
Reporter at @sciam.bsky.social (posts are my fault). Book person, cat person, Georgetown alumna, etc. In NYC. Signal: mbartels.07. she/her http://meghanbartels.github.io/portfolio/
Pinned
Meghan Bartels
@meghanbartels.bsky.social
· Jul 15
The Bird Flu Story No One Is Telling
Bird flu fears have focused on the poultry and dairy industries and human health. But wild animals are threatened, too—at scales no one fully understands
www.scientificamerican.com
Amid bird flu fears about egg prices, viral milk and human pandemic risks, there's a piece missing--the impact on wildlife, which I covered for @sciam.bsky.social : 🧪 🪶 www.scientificamerican.com/article/bird...
Reposted by Meghan Bartels
Reminder ahead of this weekend's frigid temperatures...
Landlords in NYC are legally required to provide:
* Heat-- At least 68 degrees during day (6am-10pm) and 62 degrees at night (10pm-6am)
* Hot water-- At least 120 degrees
(1/2)
Landlords in NYC are legally required to provide:
* Heat-- At least 68 degrees during day (6am-10pm) and 62 degrees at night (10pm-6am)
* Hot water-- At least 120 degrees
(1/2)
February 7, 2026 at 1:11 AM
Reminder ahead of this weekend's frigid temperatures...
Landlords in NYC are legally required to provide:
* Heat-- At least 68 degrees during day (6am-10pm) and 62 degrees at night (10pm-6am)
* Hot water-- At least 120 degrees
(1/2)
Landlords in NYC are legally required to provide:
* Heat-- At least 68 degrees during day (6am-10pm) and 62 degrees at night (10pm-6am)
* Hot water-- At least 120 degrees
(1/2)
We've got bad news for sports fans: seahawks aren't real 🧪 🪶 www.scientificamerican.com/article/are-...
There’s no such thing as a seahawk, actually
Many different bird species have been affiliated with the Seattle Seahawks’ mascot, but none is technically a “seahawk”
www.scientificamerican.com
February 6, 2026 at 9:46 PM
We've got bad news for sports fans: seahawks aren't real 🧪 🪶 www.scientificamerican.com/article/are-...
🧪
Now on @sciam.bsky.social: The Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider—the last great U.S. particle collider—is no more. But its end also signals a new beginning for the nation’s particle physics community.
www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-...
www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-...
U.S. physicists have bid farewell to the nation’s last remaining particle collider, which spun gold into revolutionary discoveries
After 25 years, Brookhaven National Laboratory’s Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider—the U.S.’s largest particle collider—has ceased operations, but its science lives on
www.scientificamerican.com
February 6, 2026 at 7:40 PM
🧪
Snakes on a plane? That's a movie. Snakes on a TRAIN? That's apparently also a movie BUT ALSO SCIENCE 🧪 🌎 www.scientificamerican.com/article/snak...
Snakes on a train? King cobras may be riding the rails in India
A new study suggests king cobras may be accidentally boarding trains across India
www.scientificamerican.com
February 6, 2026 at 2:11 PM
Snakes on a plane? That's a movie. Snakes on a TRAIN? That's apparently also a movie BUT ALSO SCIENCE 🧪 🌎 www.scientificamerican.com/article/snak...
Reposted by Meghan Bartels
Super smart, wry, and very very painful.
February 6, 2026 at 1:21 PM
Super smart, wry, and very very painful.
Reposted by Meghan Bartels
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 9:09 AM
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...
Reposted by Meghan Bartels
the Epstein files are really devastating because they remind me of how many girls and women miss out on professional opportunities, mentorship and careers because of how many powerful, rich and influential men only view girls and women — and interactions with them — through the lens of sex
February 5, 2026 at 5:05 PM
the Epstein files are really devastating because they remind me of how many girls and women miss out on professional opportunities, mentorship and careers because of how many powerful, rich and influential men only view girls and women — and interactions with them — through the lens of sex
Reposted by Meghan Bartels
🧵 1/ We’re devastated about the layoffs at The Washington Post, which are gutting D.C. reporting. These journalists are an incalculable loss for our city. The 51st’s mission has always felt urgent, but now we know it needs to kick into high gear.
February 4, 2026 at 7:21 PM
🧵 1/ We’re devastated about the layoffs at The Washington Post, which are gutting D.C. reporting. These journalists are an incalculable loss for our city. The 51st’s mission has always felt urgent, but now we know it needs to kick into high gear.
Reposted by Meghan Bartels
Hey writers! March 14 I'm bringing back From Research to Draft, where we'll talk strategies for organizing and writing from research that will make you a happier and better writer. Early bird pricing through 2/8! jaimegreen.net/classes
February 3, 2026 at 6:13 PM
Hey writers! March 14 I'm bringing back From Research to Draft, where we'll talk strategies for organizing and writing from research that will make you a happier and better writer. Early bird pricing through 2/8! jaimegreen.net/classes
Reposted by Meghan Bartels
People often disparage the press — and we often get it wrong — but almost everything you know about this administration is not because pundits go on tv or social media and pontificate but because of relentless reporting from real journalists at institutions that give them resources to do so.
February 4, 2026 at 9:08 PM
People often disparage the press — and we often get it wrong — but almost everything you know about this administration is not because pundits go on tv or social media and pontificate but because of relentless reporting from real journalists at institutions that give them resources to do so.
Reposted by Meghan Bartels
Here's who the Washington Post just laid off.
February 4, 2026 at 9:10 PM
Here's who the Washington Post just laid off.
Big shout out to the folks opening a 2026 State of Journalism survey today, impeccable timing, we love to see it.
February 4, 2026 at 4:52 PM
Big shout out to the folks opening a 2026 State of Journalism survey today, impeccable timing, we love to see it.
Reposted by Meghan Bartels
i know that this is an unpopular take, but everyone starting their own newsletter as a revenue stream is not a sustainable model for writing and reporting or for people who love and want to pay for media.
A lot of people cannot just start a paid newsletter or become freelancers to sustain their careers. The sports, metro, and international desks did work that requires *team* resources, like legal checks, documents, access to archives, and long-term beat experience.
February 4, 2026 at 2:50 PM
i know that this is an unpopular take, but everyone starting their own newsletter as a revenue stream is not a sustainable model for writing and reporting or for people who love and want to pay for media.
Reposted by Meghan Bartels
A staggering statement from former Washington Post editor Marty Baron: "This ranks among the darkest days in the history of one of the world's greatest news organizations."
February 4, 2026 at 2:34 PM
A staggering statement from former Washington Post editor Marty Baron: "This ranks among the darkest days in the history of one of the world's greatest news organizations."
Reposted by Meghan Bartels
This. And also "just start a paid newsletter" requires that you, yourself, are a BRAND that other people want to pay for! It's a possible niche for op-ed writers or culture.
Most reporters are not that. Most reporters are names at the top of a news story you skip right past.
Most reporters are not that. Most reporters are names at the top of a news story you skip right past.
A lot of people cannot just start a paid newsletter or become freelancers to sustain their careers. The sports, metro, and international desks did work that requires *team* resources, like legal checks, documents, access to archives, and long-term beat experience.
February 4, 2026 at 3:05 PM
This. And also "just start a paid newsletter" requires that you, yourself, are a BRAND that other people want to pay for! It's a possible niche for op-ed writers or culture.
Most reporters are not that. Most reporters are names at the top of a news story you skip right past.
Most reporters are not that. Most reporters are names at the top of a news story you skip right past.
Reposted by Meghan Bartels
A lot of people cannot just start a paid newsletter or become freelancers to sustain their careers. The sports, metro, and international desks did work that requires *team* resources, like legal checks, documents, access to archives, and long-term beat experience.
February 4, 2026 at 2:42 PM
A lot of people cannot just start a paid newsletter or become freelancers to sustain their careers. The sports, metro, and international desks did work that requires *team* resources, like legal checks, documents, access to archives, and long-term beat experience.
EXCUSE ME the Muppet Show is being rebooted and it starts tomorrow and no one told me until this freaking Pandora ad?!?
February 4, 2026 at 1:31 AM
EXCUSE ME the Muppet Show is being rebooted and it starts tomorrow and no one told me until this freaking Pandora ad?!?
“We tend to assume that federal government data is solid. It’s reliable; it’s consistent...We weren’t seeing that here.” 🧪 🛟 www.scientificamerican.com/article/stat...
A ‘shadow CDC’ is scrambling to fill gaps in public health data
Dozens of routinely updated CDC databases have gone quiet. Here’s what states and medical societies are doing to preserve U.S. public health
www.scientificamerican.com
February 3, 2026 at 2:44 PM
“We tend to assume that federal government data is solid. It’s reliable; it’s consistent...We weren’t seeing that here.” 🧪 🛟 www.scientificamerican.com/article/stat...
🧪 🏺
Happy Groundhog Day! Groundhogs are terrible weather forecasters, but excellent archaeologists, it turns out
Happy Groundhog Day! Celebrate with 6 startling facts about these rodents
Groundhogs don’t really forecast the weather, but there are plenty of other strange things about these rodents
www.scientificamerican.com
February 2, 2026 at 10:08 PM
🧪 🏺
Reposted by Meghan Bartels
It takes all of us to make The Washington Post. Every section works together to create this authoritative, entertaining, worldwide news report.
So, Jeff Bezos, #SaveThePost.
So, Jeff Bezos, #SaveThePost.
February 2, 2026 at 4:03 PM
It takes all of us to make The Washington Post. Every section works together to create this authoritative, entertaining, worldwide news report.
So, Jeff Bezos, #SaveThePost.
So, Jeff Bezos, #SaveThePost.
Reposted by Meghan Bartels
Introducing The NY FAIR News Act, legislation that establishes clear protections for both journalists, media professionals and the broader public to ensure that the integrity of the news and its workforce are safeguarded against artificial intelligence.
Read more: www.wgaeast.org/fahy-rozic-i...
Read more: www.wgaeast.org/fahy-rozic-i...
![gos: New York State Senate, New York State Union Strong AFL-CIO, New York State Assembly, Writers Guild of America East, SAG-AFTRA, Directors Guild of America, The NewsGuild of New York Local 31003, CWA]
THE NY FAIR NEWS ACT
LEGISLATION TO PROTECT JOURNALISTS AND THE PUBLIC FROM ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE JEOPARDIZING NEWS REPORTING
S.8451/A.8962-A
Senator Patricia Fahy (D—Albany) and
Assemblywoman Nily Rozic (D—NYC)](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:dxphnrtri3v6a2lyl2khufyv/bafkreigfiovkor5vynqu2cdiucrbimkp5egshmzjozoduwmpzwunksli3y@jpeg)
![“Perhaps one of the industries at most risk from the use of artificial intelligence is journalism and as a result, the public's trust and confidence in accurate news reporting. More than 76% of Americans are concerned about AI stealing or reproducing journalism and local news stories, as AI continues to reshape our daily lives and careers across industries. To protect the public's trust in reporting and the news they read everyday and the journalists who do the work, I'm proud to introduce the NY FAIR News Act with Assemblymember Rozic, and I look forward to working with my colleagues in the State Senate to enact common sense guidelines that protect New Yorkers from the unintended consequences of AI."
SENATOR PATRICIA FAHY
(D—ALBANY)
[Logo: New York State Senate]](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:dxphnrtri3v6a2lyl2khufyv/bafkreiecn7ny4xr4bpzvdsnix5vjdo77g6nnijoex4aucvllzgkrpwbwye@jpeg)
![“At the center of the news industry, New York has a strong interest in preserving journalism and protecting the workers who produce it The NY FAIR News Act promotes journalistic integrity and ensures total AI-disclosure to journalists, workers, and the public alike."
ASSEMBLYWOMAN NILY ROZIC
(D—NYC)
[Logo: New York State Assembly]](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:dxphnrtri3v6a2lyl2khufyv/bafkreifw4qvmbuj73q26f3whjspzopzgt44fmjuek6x5ebjfaovygekx44@jpeg)
![“Artificial Intelligence presents a clear and demonstrable threat to the integrity of the news. The NY FAIR News Act recognizes that AI may be used in newsrooms, but rather than let this nascent technology run wild, especially in a critical election year, the bill mandates cooperation between news media companies and the highly skilled human workers they employee to uphold journalistic standards and workplace protections."
TOM FONTANA, PRESIDENT OF
THE WRITERS GUILD OF AMERICA EAST
[Logo: Writers Guild of America East]](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:dxphnrtri3v6a2lyl2khufyv/bafkreidnojkqsuktllk7bbezxuheacxalqkw4royxahqgupngsaoiiwtwy@jpeg)
February 2, 2026 at 4:36 PM
Introducing The NY FAIR News Act, legislation that establishes clear protections for both journalists, media professionals and the broader public to ensure that the integrity of the news and its workforce are safeguarded against artificial intelligence.
Read more: www.wgaeast.org/fahy-rozic-i...
Read more: www.wgaeast.org/fahy-rozic-i...
Stop! In the naaaaaaame of groundhogfacts 🧪 www.scientificamerican.com/article/cele...
Happy Groundhog Day! Celebrate with 6 startling facts about these rodents
Groundhogs don’t really forecast the weather, but there are plenty of other strange things about these rodents
www.scientificamerican.com
February 2, 2026 at 2:04 PM
Stop! In the naaaaaaame of groundhogfacts 🧪 www.scientificamerican.com/article/cele...
Reposted by Meghan Bartels
May the Epstein files remind every woman that she should not feel beholden to beauty standards established by men who are attracted to children.
February 1, 2026 at 3:26 PM
May the Epstein files remind every woman that she should not feel beholden to beauty standards established by men who are attracted to children.
We stan Hubble 💁 🧪 🔭 www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-...
The Hubble Space Telescope is old, but it’s far from busted
The venerable Hubble observatory is going strong despite its decades in space and the advent of next-generation successors
www.scientificamerican.com
January 30, 2026 at 2:22 PM
We stan Hubble 💁 🧪 🔭 www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-...