Meghan Bartels
@meghanbartels.bsky.social
Reporter at @sciam.bsky.social (posts are my fault). Book person, cat person, etc. Georgetown alumna, SHERP34. 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...
Me, one (1) day after seeing the Met's Divine Egypt exhibition: hot damn they put Hathor on the diet pills
The first GLP-1 pills for weight loss are hitting U.S. pharmacies. But how will they be prescribed?
Wegovy Weight-Loss Pills Are Now Available in the U.S.—Here’s What That Means
The first GLP-1 pills for weight loss are hitting U.S. pharmacies. But how will they be prescribed?
www.scientificamerican.com
January 5, 2026 at 10:35 PM
Me, one (1) day after seeing the Met's Divine Egypt exhibition: hot damn they put Hathor on the diet pills
Just a little woodpecker science if today is A Lot for you 🧪 🪶
These birds’ drilling approach is more like extreme tennis playing than weight lifting
How Woodpeckers Turn Their Entire Bodies into Pecking Machines
These birds’ drilling approach is more like extreme tennis playing than weight lifting
www.scientificamerican.com
January 5, 2026 at 8:54 PM
Just a little woodpecker science if today is A Lot for you 🧪 🪶
Reposted by Meghan Bartels
No.
Social safety nets crumble when we wrap them in neoliberal rhetoric aimed at dividing people and deluding them into thinking that everyone--except some tiny group of perfect poor--should be able to pull themselves up by their own bootstraps, even if their boots have been nailed to the floor.
Social safety nets crumble when we wrap them in neoliberal rhetoric aimed at dividing people and deluding them into thinking that everyone--except some tiny group of perfect poor--should be able to pull themselves up by their own bootstraps, even if their boots have been nailed to the floor.
January 4, 2026 at 9:20 PM
No.
Social safety nets crumble when we wrap them in neoliberal rhetoric aimed at dividing people and deluding them into thinking that everyone--except some tiny group of perfect poor--should be able to pull themselves up by their own bootstraps, even if their boots have been nailed to the floor.
Social safety nets crumble when we wrap them in neoliberal rhetoric aimed at dividing people and deluding them into thinking that everyone--except some tiny group of perfect poor--should be able to pull themselves up by their own bootstraps, even if their boots have been nailed to the floor.
Reposted by Meghan Bartels
Don't forget folks: allowing yourself a vision of the future you'd want for our country and planet - not the one you'd settle for, not the one you fear, but the future of your dreams - isn't naive, it's a vital cognitive skill. That's how we articulate what we most value. What's worth fighting for.
Instead of whatever this is, we should have a government getting lots of new homes and apartments built, lots of clean energy built, lots of high speed rail and transit and bike lanes built, human rights for everyone, economic & healthcare opportunities for all, & innovation that leads the world.
January 4, 2026 at 2:34 AM
Don't forget folks: allowing yourself a vision of the future you'd want for our country and planet - not the one you'd settle for, not the one you fear, but the future of your dreams - isn't naive, it's a vital cognitive skill. That's how we articulate what we most value. What's worth fighting for.
Reposted by Meghan Bartels
In 2026 I want all of the decent people to remember one thing.
You aren’t meant to be this disciplined, this self-sacrificing to survive. The environment is supposed to support good living. We can have that. You are not a failure. That is politics.
That is all.
You aren’t meant to be this disciplined, this self-sacrificing to survive. The environment is supposed to support good living. We can have that. You are not a failure. That is politics.
That is all.
January 1, 2026 at 10:30 PM
In 2026 I want all of the decent people to remember one thing.
You aren’t meant to be this disciplined, this self-sacrificing to survive. The environment is supposed to support good living. We can have that. You are not a failure. That is politics.
That is all.
You aren’t meant to be this disciplined, this self-sacrificing to survive. The environment is supposed to support good living. We can have that. You are not a failure. That is politics.
That is all.
A new yew is also a nice choice should you be inclined more botanically than ovinally!
New year, new ewe! Don’t forget to adopt your new ewe today!
January 1, 2026 at 7:26 PM
A new yew is also a nice choice should you be inclined more botanically than ovinally!
New year, new ewe! Don’t forget to adopt your new ewe today!
January 1, 2026 at 3:20 PM
New year, new ewe! Don’t forget to adopt your new ewe today!
“many angry posts should have been naps or little packets of crackers” is deep wisdom and you don’t need to reproduce to embrace it!
one unexpected outlook change from being a dad is taking the self care people 10x more seriously when it comes to dealing with weirdly directed anger and rage (including Online). many angry posts should have been naps or little packets of crackers
December 31, 2025 at 9:47 PM
“many angry posts should have been naps or little packets of crackers” is deep wisdom and you don’t need to reproduce to embrace it!
Reposted by Meghan Bartels
I take no leave of you, 2025. I send no compliments to your mother. You deserve no such attention. I am most seriously displeased.
December 31, 2025 at 1:46 PM
I take no leave of you, 2025. I send no compliments to your mother. You deserve no such attention. I am most seriously displeased.
"Perhaps on another, far more egalitarian planet, a technology like AI could truly be the ‘great equaliser’ some imagine it to be. Perhaps there, it could actually lead to better outcomes for everyone. But sadly, we don’t live there; we live here."
“According to a recent Harvard Business School meta-analysis of 18 studies, women have 22% lower odds of using generative AI websites and apps than men, both at work & in everyday life. And this pattern holds across countries, sectors, occupations, & tools.”
There's a Reason Women Aren't Swooning Over AI Like Men Are
Or rather, a great many reasons
open.substack.com
December 31, 2025 at 8:13 PM
"Perhaps on another, far more egalitarian planet, a technology like AI could truly be the ‘great equaliser’ some imagine it to be. Perhaps there, it could actually lead to better outcomes for everyone. But sadly, we don’t live there; we live here."
Reposted by Meghan Bartels
As you make your New Year's resolutions, remember to be kind to your future self, who will likely have less time to work on those resolutions than your current self thinks.
@stephanietepper.bsky.social and I wrote about this longstanding time (mis)perception problem a few years ago.
@stephanietepper.bsky.social and I wrote about this longstanding time (mis)perception problem a few years ago.
December 31, 2025 at 7:51 PM
As you make your New Year's resolutions, remember to be kind to your future self, who will likely have less time to work on those resolutions than your current self thinks.
@stephanietepper.bsky.social and I wrote about this longstanding time (mis)perception problem a few years ago.
@stephanietepper.bsky.social and I wrote about this longstanding time (mis)perception problem a few years ago.
Reposted by Meghan Bartels
In the coming year, I wish you all a thriving community
December 31, 2025 at 6:05 PM
In the coming year, I wish you all a thriving community
Reposted by Meghan Bartels
If you'll forgive a little self-indulgence, I wanted to share some of my favorites 🧪 stories from a long year. I'll start with the one I'm most proud of--a piece digging into the cost of bird flu among wild animals, something I'd been wanting to cover for two years (🧵)
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
December 24, 2025 at 4:02 PM
If you'll forgive a little self-indulgence, I wanted to share some of my favorites 🧪 stories from a long year. I'll start with the one I'm most proud of--a piece digging into the cost of bird flu among wild animals, something I'd been wanting to cover for two years (🧵)
Reposted by Meghan Bartels
Fewer than 3% of journalists are trained to cover science, health or the environment. And access to that training is scarce and inequitable.
It's why @theopennotebook.bsky.social works so hard to create free resources anyone can use. Please donate if you can: www.theopennotebook.com/15thannivers...
It's why @theopennotebook.bsky.social works so hard to create free resources anyone can use. Please donate if you can: www.theopennotebook.com/15thannivers...
The Open Notebook's 15th Anniversary - The Open Notebook
For 15 years, The Open Notebook has been the trusted home for journalists worldwide who cover science. What started as an experiment to demystify the craft of science writing has grown into a vital, g...
www.theopennotebook.com
December 30, 2025 at 9:44 PM
Fewer than 3% of journalists are trained to cover science, health or the environment. And access to that training is scarce and inequitable.
It's why @theopennotebook.bsky.social works so hard to create free resources anyone can use. Please donate if you can: www.theopennotebook.com/15thannivers...
It's why @theopennotebook.bsky.social works so hard to create free resources anyone can use. Please donate if you can: www.theopennotebook.com/15thannivers...
I pulled up the metric prefixes chart and my brain made an audible creaking noise. Stay safe out there, all my working-the-last-days-of-the-year pals!
December 30, 2025 at 6:16 PM
I pulled up the metric prefixes chart and my brain made an audible creaking noise. Stay safe out there, all my working-the-last-days-of-the-year pals!
Reposted by Meghan Bartels
Reposted by Meghan Bartels
My dog and two cats love to throw up on the floor and they represent 60% of the household. As a leader I can't just ignore public opinion so I also throw up on the floor sometimes to stay popular
December 27, 2025 at 1:43 PM
My dog and two cats love to throw up on the floor and they represent 60% of the household. As a leader I can't just ignore public opinion so I also throw up on the floor sometimes to stay popular
If you'll forgive a little self-indulgence, I wanted to share some of my favorites 🧪 stories from a long year. I'll start with the one I'm most proud of--a piece digging into the cost of bird flu among wild animals, something I'd been wanting to cover for two years (🧵)
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
December 24, 2025 at 4:02 PM
If you'll forgive a little self-indulgence, I wanted to share some of my favorites 🧪 stories from a long year. I'll start with the one I'm most proud of--a piece digging into the cost of bird flu among wild animals, something I'd been wanting to cover for two years (🧵)
The SciAm TikTok is a source of such joy in my life, can't recommend highly enough 🧪
If you don't follow us on TikTok, here's what you've missed out on this year--and we're right here to hit that button 😉 www.tiktok.com/@scientifica... (These also get posted to our Instagram and YouTube if you prefer to follow there!)
Watch Scientific American's Favorite Science Videos of 2025
On TikTok and other short-form video platforms, Scientific American explored the underground labs of Greenland, brand-new colors and the perfect way to make eggs
www.scientificamerican.com
December 24, 2025 at 2:06 PM
The SciAm TikTok is a source of such joy in my life, can't recommend highly enough 🧪
🧪
Wegovy pills are officially coming to the U.S. Endocrinologists and clinicians I spoke to say FDA's approval of the first oral GLP-1 medication for weight loss could be a game changer for access to these drugs in the U.S. New on @sciam.bsky.social: www.scientificamerican.com/article/wego...
U.S. Approves Wegovy Weight-Loss Pill, a Move That Could Transform Health Care
A pill version of the popular GLP-1 weight-loss drug Wegovy has been greenlit for use in the U.S. Here’s what that means for health care
www.scientificamerican.com
December 23, 2025 at 7:50 PM
🧪
Reposted by Meghan Bartels
"If the standard for airing a story becomes, 'the government must agree to be interviewed,' then the government effectively gains control over the 60 Minutes broadcast. We go from being an investigative powerhouse to a stenographer for the state."
Sharyn Alfonsi
Sharyn Alfonsi
December 22, 2025 at 5:28 AM
"If the standard for airing a story becomes, 'the government must agree to be interviewed,' then the government effectively gains control over the 60 Minutes broadcast. We go from being an investigative powerhouse to a stenographer for the state."
Sharyn Alfonsi
Sharyn Alfonsi
Reposted by Meghan Bartels
The end goal is eugenicist. RFK and his ilk know that this will make vaccines more expensive and time-consuming — and therefore marginalized children are most likely to fall through the cracks.
This is about killing kids who aren't born to privilege.
www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...
This is about killing kids who aren't born to privilege.
www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...
U.S. plans to stop recommending most childhood vaccines, defer to doctors
The plan, which is not finalized, suggests children get fewer shots and shifts to a model telling parents to consult doctors to make their own vaccine choices.
www.washingtonpost.com
December 19, 2025 at 11:38 PM
The end goal is eugenicist. RFK and his ilk know that this will make vaccines more expensive and time-consuming — and therefore marginalized children are most likely to fall through the cracks.
This is about killing kids who aren't born to privilege.
www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...
This is about killing kids who aren't born to privilege.
www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...
A must-listen! 🧪 🦑
The newest episode of the pod dives into how scientists are learning to decode the calls of the endangered Hawaiian monk seals
Inside the Secret Soundscape of Hawaii’s Rarest Seal
Researchers uncover 20 new underwater calls from Hawaii’s endangered monk seals.
www.scientificamerican.com
December 19, 2025 at 3:14 PM
A must-listen! 🧪 🦑
Reposted by Meghan Bartels
The name "Popular Science" doesn't mean we shift our coverage depending on public opinion. It means we cover relevant subjects that are rigorously researched, reliable, and grounded in reality.
And trans lives are grounded in reality.
We see y'all. No matter what.
www.popsci.com/science/tran...
And trans lives are grounded in reality.
We see y'all. No matter what.
www.popsci.com/science/tran...
First-of-a-kind study shows encouraging data for trans kids who socially transition
Ninety-four percent of participants in a new study stood firm in their trans identity after five years, and "detransitioning" is rare.
www.popsci.com
December 18, 2025 at 5:16 PM
The name "Popular Science" doesn't mean we shift our coverage depending on public opinion. It means we cover relevant subjects that are rigorously researched, reliable, and grounded in reality.
And trans lives are grounded in reality.
We see y'all. No matter what.
www.popsci.com/science/tran...
And trans lives are grounded in reality.
We see y'all. No matter what.
www.popsci.com/science/tran...
Reposted by Meghan Bartels
Talk about misogyny like it's something kids catch, like chickenpox, and all they need to do is get off their phones and run around in the fresh air, meanwhile their mothers are lonely af because their needs are belittled but they're still terrified men won't like them
December 18, 2025 at 8:17 AM
Talk about misogyny like it's something kids catch, like chickenpox, and all they need to do is get off their phones and run around in the fresh air, meanwhile their mothers are lonely af because their needs are belittled but they're still terrified men won't like them