@morgansherburne.bsky.social
Science writer for Michigan News at the University of Michigan. Big, big agate fan (the Lake Superior kind). Soft spot for fish and plants, esp the native ones.
Reposted
People who got the 2024-2025 Covid booster had a 44% lower symptomatic infection rate and more than a 50% lower rate of death and hospitalization than those who did not receive the booster, and did not experience a higher rate of adverse outcomes. jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
Evidence, Opinion, and Uncertainty About COVID-19 Vaccines
This issue of JAMA Internal Medicine includes a Research Letter by Du and colleagues1 reporting findings that once again demonstrate that vaccination with a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine booster with an updated ...
jamanetwork.com
October 27, 2025 at 6:20 PM
People who got the 2024-2025 Covid booster had a 44% lower symptomatic infection rate and more than a 50% lower rate of death and hospitalization than those who did not receive the booster, and did not experience a higher rate of adverse outcomes. jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
Thank you, Emily, for letting me compare goby size to people size 🙏. Now gotta check on my 22ft cousin.
News release for my goby paper! Thanks @morgansherburne.bsky.social for writing this up!
news.umich.edu/they-might-n...
news.umich.edu/they-might-n...
They might not be giants: U-M study unravels genetics behind why some fish remain tiny
Imagine you are a kind of fish called a goby, part of a huge family of more than 2,000 species.
news.umich.edu
October 27, 2025 at 2:29 PM
Thank you, Emily, for letting me compare goby size to people size 🙏. Now gotta check on my 22ft cousin.
Reposted
Anyone who seeks wild animals to touch are harassers. If the animal did not approach you, you do not touch it.
Do you have any extremely niche, but serious, ethical stances?
October 18, 2025 at 12:19 AM
Anyone who seeks wild animals to touch are harassers. If the animal did not approach you, you do not touch it.
Reposted
With Halloween fast approaching, I'm reminded of a time a few years ago the lab surprised me with costumes based on my past profile pics. Complete with actual elements of my wardrobe, supplied by my partner who was in on the act. (I'd spent the past week wondering where my clothes went.)
October 17, 2025 at 6:49 PM
With Halloween fast approaching, I'm reminded of a time a few years ago the lab surprised me with costumes based on my past profile pics. Complete with actual elements of my wardrobe, supplied by my partner who was in on the act. (I'd spent the past week wondering where my clothes went.)
Reposted
The spectre of malnutrition is back & must be tackled fast. The rise in child malnutrition is not a statistic that can be ignored & must be reversed. Otherwise, the consequences will blight the lives of these children for decades to come
🧪 #MedSky
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
🧪 #MedSky
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
The spectre of malnutrition is back and must be tackled — fast
Nobody should be going hungry in the twenty-first century. Scientists must determine the reasons why malnutrition is increasing so policymakers can act.
www.nature.com
October 15, 2025 at 9:19 PM
The spectre of malnutrition is back & must be tackled fast. The rise in child malnutrition is not a statistic that can be ignored & must be reversed. Otherwise, the consequences will blight the lives of these children for decades to come
🧪 #MedSky
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
🧪 #MedSky
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Reposted
Always fun to get a @friedmanlab.bsky.social tour of @ummnh.bsky.social research collections. A new one for me was a whole preserved elephant bird egg.
September 30, 2025 at 10:50 PM
Always fun to get a @friedmanlab.bsky.social tour of @ummnh.bsky.social research collections. A new one for me was a whole preserved elephant bird egg.
Reposted
When Non-Avian Dinosaurs Went Extinct, the Earth Changed—Literally. Scientists Think They Finally Know Why https://gizmodo.com/when-non-avian-dinosaurs-went-extinct-the-earth-changed-literally-scientists-think-they-finally-know-why-2000660535
When Non-Avian Dinosaurs Went Extinct, the Earth Changed—Literally. Scientists Think They Finally Know Why
Rock layers deposited before and after the major dinosaur extinction event 65 million years ago are surprisingly different.
gizmodo.com
September 20, 2025 at 12:01 PM
When Non-Avian Dinosaurs Went Extinct, the Earth Changed—Literally. Scientists Think They Finally Know Why https://gizmodo.com/when-non-avian-dinosaurs-went-extinct-the-earth-changed-literally-scientists-think-they-finally-know-why-2000660535
Reposted
Pretty cool that we now more easily (more correctly?) define dinosaurs by their bird lineage than vica versa. There were definitely some omnivorous or herbivorous therapods, but in terms of biomass I’d imagine the majority of herbivores were “non-avian” (non-therapod).
🧪 #Birds #Dinosaurs #PaleoSky
🧪 #Birds #Dinosaurs #PaleoSky
When Non-Avian Dinosaurs Went Extinct, the Earth Changed—Literally. Scientists Think They Finally Know Why
Rock layers deposited before and after the major dinosaur extinction event 65 million years ago are surprisingly different.
gizmodo.com
September 22, 2025 at 1:06 AM
Pretty cool that we now more easily (more correctly?) define dinosaurs by their bird lineage than vica versa. There were definitely some omnivorous or herbivorous therapods, but in terms of biomass I’d imagine the majority of herbivores were “non-avian” (non-therapod).
🧪 #Birds #Dinosaurs #PaleoSky
🧪 #Birds #Dinosaurs #PaleoSky
Reposted
Ever since I read Tim Cernak's "Medicinal Chemistry Gone Wild" Perspective, I knew I wanted to profile him for a @cenmag.bsky.social story! Many months later, here is that story:
cen.acs.org/synthesis/me...
cen.acs.org/synthesis/me...
This chemist aims to change the game for species conservation
Tim Cernak is using modern drug development tools to make medicines for endangered plants and animals
cen.acs.org
September 22, 2025 at 1:30 PM
Ever since I read Tim Cernak's "Medicinal Chemistry Gone Wild" Perspective, I knew I wanted to profile him for a @cenmag.bsky.social story! Many months later, here is that story:
cen.acs.org/synthesis/me...
cen.acs.org/synthesis/me...
Reposted
Reposted
The Department of Justice has removed a study showing that white supremacist and far-right violence “continues to outpace all other types of terrorism and domestic violent extremism” in the United States.
🔗 www.404media.co/doj-deletes-...
🔗 www.404media.co/doj-deletes-...
DOJ Deletes Study Showing Domestic Terrorists Are Most Often Right Wing
Following Charlie Kirk’s assassination and the Trump administration’s promise to go after the “radical left” a study showing most domestic terrosim is far-right was disappeared.
www.404media.co
September 16, 2025 at 4:40 PM
The Department of Justice has removed a study showing that white supremacist and far-right violence “continues to outpace all other types of terrorism and domestic violent extremism” in the United States.
🔗 www.404media.co/doj-deletes-...
🔗 www.404media.co/doj-deletes-...
Any day in which I learn that dinosaurs tromped around so hard they prevented forests from growing densely is a good day. @umich.edu research shows the demise of dinosaurs led to wide scale changes in Earth's ecosystem, which is reflected in the geologic record.
news.umich.edu/your-ecosyst...
news.umich.edu/your-ecosyst...
Your ecosystem engineer was a dinosaur
University of Michigan research shows how the death of dinosaurs reengineered Earth
Luke Weaver and his coauthors examined several locations throughout the western United States to investigate the ...
news.umich.edu
September 15, 2025 at 4:46 PM
Any day in which I learn that dinosaurs tromped around so hard they prevented forests from growing densely is a good day. @umich.edu research shows the demise of dinosaurs led to wide scale changes in Earth's ecosystem, which is reflected in the geologic record.
news.umich.edu/your-ecosyst...
news.umich.edu/your-ecosyst...
Reposted
September 12, 2025 at 4:58 PM
Reposted
This is a Melissa Hortman appreciation account for the next 24 hours.
Minnesota lawmaker Melissa Hortman remembered as funny, savvy and 'a true leader'
Friends and colleagues remembered her as grounded, kind and compassionate.
www.pbs.org
September 10, 2025 at 11:39 PM
This is a Melissa Hortman appreciation account for the next 24 hours.
Chomp chomp evolution: how an early fish group drove jaw evolution—and helped evolution at large?—but later faded into the background. Such cool research by @fishfetisher.bsky.social.
Bite by bite: How jaws drove fish evolution
If you're reading this sentence, you might have a fish to thank. Fish were the first animals to evolve jaws. They use their jaws primarily to eat, but also for defense, as tools—such as to burrow or t...
news.umich.edu
September 3, 2025 at 7:49 PM
Chomp chomp evolution: how an early fish group drove jaw evolution—and helped evolution at large?—but later faded into the background. Such cool research by @fishfetisher.bsky.social.
Reposted
We have forgotten all the ways people used to get toxins out of their food before federal regulation. It's not that food and water used to be cleaner -- it's that domestic work used to include detoxing everything we put in our mouths!
When people say "We used to drink raw milk from our own cow and it was fine,"
That's... usually not the case!
In families w their own cow, the mom usually boiled it before using.
We just forgot bc that's a boring chore that mom did. And who pays attention to that?
youtu.be/vKDPast9WFk
That's... usually not the case!
In families w their own cow, the mom usually boiled it before using.
We just forgot bc that's a boring chore that mom did. And who pays attention to that?
youtu.be/vKDPast9WFk
"Everyone Drank Raw Milk!" No They Didn't
YouTube video by Farm to Taber
youtu.be
September 3, 2025 at 7:23 PM
We have forgotten all the ways people used to get toxins out of their food before federal regulation. It's not that food and water used to be cleaner -- it's that domestic work used to include detoxing everything we put in our mouths!
Reposted
The Climate Systems Engineering initiative (CSEi) at the University of Chicago is seeking postdoctoral researchers interested in marine carbon dioxide removal to start in a year. 🌊🧪
Annual salary: $90,000/year
Research and travel funding: $10,000/year
Relation assistance: $3,000
Annual salary: $90,000/year
Research and travel funding: $10,000/year
Relation assistance: $3,000
CSEi Postdoctoral Researchers Position
climateengineering.uchicago.edu
August 29, 2025 at 8:20 AM
The Climate Systems Engineering initiative (CSEi) at the University of Chicago is seeking postdoctoral researchers interested in marine carbon dioxide removal to start in a year. 🌊🧪
Annual salary: $90,000/year
Research and travel funding: $10,000/year
Relation assistance: $3,000
Annual salary: $90,000/year
Research and travel funding: $10,000/year
Relation assistance: $3,000
Is it normal to listen to this 56-second emotional support clip on a loop in the background for hours at a time while you work? Asking for a friend 👀. Unreal sound.
Happy release day to Sword of the Sea, the latest game from Giant Squid, with ethereal soundtrack by @awintory.bsky.social :) I once again had the privilege of recording woodwinds, including this beautiful Mayan triple harmony drone flute. It has a haunting voice that's all throughout the score 🪈
August 28, 2025 at 2:23 PM
Is it normal to listen to this 56-second emotional support clip on a loop in the background for hours at a time while you work? Asking for a friend 👀. Unreal sound.
Reposted
IT DOESN’T
IT DOESN’T DO THAT AT ALL
IT REFRAMES PREVENTABLE DEATHS AS INEVITABLE AND VICTIMS AS WILLING MARTYRS WHO ARE ACTUALLY BETTER OFF DEAD NOW
IT IS A DIABOLICAL THING TO SAY IF YOU ARE IN A POSITION TO STOP THIS SHIT AND REFUSING TO DO IT
IT DOESN’T DO THAT AT ALL
IT REFRAMES PREVENTABLE DEATHS AS INEVITABLE AND VICTIMS AS WILLING MARTYRS WHO ARE ACTUALLY BETTER OFF DEAD NOW
IT IS A DIABOLICAL THING TO SAY IF YOU ARE IN A POSITION TO STOP THIS SHIT AND REFUSING TO DO IT
Fox News' Trey Gowdy: "The only thing that can give us any modicum of peace at all is those two children are with the person who loved them the very most, the person who created them, that being Jesus. That is the only thing that can possibly give parents in the future any modicum of peace."
August 27, 2025 at 7:41 PM
IT DOESN’T
IT DOESN’T DO THAT AT ALL
IT REFRAMES PREVENTABLE DEATHS AS INEVITABLE AND VICTIMS AS WILLING MARTYRS WHO ARE ACTUALLY BETTER OFF DEAD NOW
IT IS A DIABOLICAL THING TO SAY IF YOU ARE IN A POSITION TO STOP THIS SHIT AND REFUSING TO DO IT
IT DOESN’T DO THAT AT ALL
IT REFRAMES PREVENTABLE DEATHS AS INEVITABLE AND VICTIMS AS WILLING MARTYRS WHO ARE ACTUALLY BETTER OFF DEAD NOW
IT IS A DIABOLICAL THING TO SAY IF YOU ARE IN A POSITION TO STOP THIS SHIT AND REFUSING TO DO IT
AHEM.
This study was published in 2023. I hope someone can do an update to it. ihpi.umich.edu/news-events/...
August 27, 2025 at 2:02 PM
AHEM.
Reposted
I hope he also destroys painted rocks www.cbc.ca/radio/asitha...
This hiker kicks over people's picturesque stone stacks. But he's got a good reason | CBC Radio
Stuart Cox is waging war against the hundreds of stone stacks that people keep leaving all over his favourite hiking trails. His weapon of choice? “Brute force and a size 11 boot."
www.cbc.ca
August 20, 2025 at 2:58 AM
I hope he also destroys painted rocks www.cbc.ca/radio/asitha...
Reposted
RFK Jr. Vowed to Find the Environmental Causes of Autism. Then He Shut Down Research Trying to Do Just That. Story by @fastlerner.bsky.social www.propublica.org/article/rfk-...
RFK Jr. Vowed to Find the Environmental Causes of Autism. Then He Shut Down Research Trying to Do Just That.
While touting a $50 million initiative to identify the causes of autism, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is helping lead an administration that is rolling back protections against pollution and toxic chemicals,...
www.propublica.org
August 20, 2025 at 4:33 PM
RFK Jr. Vowed to Find the Environmental Causes of Autism. Then He Shut Down Research Trying to Do Just That. Story by @fastlerner.bsky.social www.propublica.org/article/rfk-...
I was just thinking about Contagion this morning—and what was funny about watching it in 2020 is I would have never guessed the part that was least believable was people eagerly lining up for vaccination.
Remember in 2020 when we all watched Contagion?
It might be time to revisit The Siege
It might be time to revisit The Siege
August 20, 2025 at 4:34 PM
I was just thinking about Contagion this morning—and what was funny about watching it in 2020 is I would have never guessed the part that was least believable was people eagerly lining up for vaccination.
“Everybody’s going to want to know whether their seabirds excrete only over water.” 😂
I have a real shitshow of a science story here for all my friends: 🧪 www.scientificamerican.com/article/thes...
This Superpooper Seabird Is Amazing Scientists
The first detailed observation of the bathroom habits of Streaked Shearwaters at sea leave scientists with a surprising load of questions
www.scientificamerican.com
August 18, 2025 at 5:58 PM
“Everybody’s going to want to know whether their seabirds excrete only over water.” 😂
Reposted
“This isn’t a coincidence. It’s the result of federal policy choices — most immediately, sweeping job cuts across public-sector agencies where Black women have long held the strongest foothold in middle-class employment.”
300,000 Black women have left the labor force in 3 months. It’s not a coincidence.
For decades, the public sector has been a lifeline for Black women shut out of economic opportunity. It’s no surprise that Trump's federal downsizing targeted them first, explains gender economist Kat...
www.msnbc.com
July 21, 2025 at 8:58 PM
“This isn’t a coincidence. It’s the result of federal policy choices — most immediately, sweeping job cuts across public-sector agencies where Black women have long held the strongest foothold in middle-class employment.”