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peaseroland.bsky.social
Roland Pease
@peaseroland.bsky.social
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Roland Pease @peaseroland.bsky.social · 15d
It's the end of the road for BBC Science in Action. But science itself is facing growing roadblocks. For this terminal edition of SinA I'm joined by @naomioreskes.bsky.social @drdebhoury.bsky.social @michaelemann.bsky.social & @angierasmussen.bsky.social for where now?

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w...
BBC World Service - Science In Action, How science got here, and where next
As anti-science leaves research reeling, does evidence-based policy have a future?
www.bbc.co.uk
Reposted by Roland Pease
eddedmondson.bsky.social
A reminder that "Alien observations" is an anagram of "Avi Loeb's insane rot"
deschscoveries.bsky.social Steve Desch @deschscoveries.bsky.social · 1d
Avi Loeb's calculations about 3I/ATLAS are 100% wrong because he has never understood that dust in the tail(s) responds to solar radiation pressure. Solar wind shapes the ion tail. But the radiation pressure is about 1000 times larger than the solar wind ram pressure, for particles that feel it.
November 14, 2025 at 5:35 PM
Reposted by Roland Pease
cambriancam.bsky.social
We are 2 for 2 with echinoderms for #fossilfriday!

Here is an absolutely beautiful regular sea urchin known as Desoricidaris pouyannei. This specimen comes from the Lower Cretaceous (Cenomanian) rocks of Taouz, Morocco. The preservation of the test (body) is absolutely stunning even after 100 mya!
November 14, 2025 at 4:24 PM
Reposted by Roland Pease
watershedlab.bsky.social
It's extremely tough to tell, but these two @esa.int Sentinel2 images might (?) show the landslide that caused the Hongqi Bridge to collapse a few days ago. The images are from Nov 9 and Nov 12, with the latter being very poor quality, but shows a distinct change on the W side of the bridge.
November 14, 2025 at 3:36 PM
Reposted by Roland Pease
davepetley.bsky.social
On 11 November 2025, a massive landslide at Hongqi Bridge in Sichuan Province, China occurred during impoundment of the 312 m high Shuangjiangkou Dam. A major highway bridge was destroyed.
eos.org/thelandslide...
The 11 November 2025 landslide at Hongqi Bridge in China
The 11 November 2025 landslide at Hongqi Bridge in China. This occurred during impoundment of the 312 m high Shuangjiangkou Dam.
eos.org
November 14, 2025 at 8:28 AM
peaseroland.bsky.social
On the lottery of picking scientific winners, vs dull metrics. 🧵
jeremymberg.bsky.social Jeremy Berg @jeremymberg.bsky.social · 7h
This bring me back to one of my favorite anecdotes.

In the early 1980s, a chemical physicist submitted a proposal to NIH that was assigned to NIGMS.

It received a fairly poor score (~60th percentile).

7/13
November 14, 2025 at 3:40 PM
Reposted by Roland Pease
kgandersen.bsky.social
A new approach to pandemic preparedness:

1️⃣ Stop preparing for pandemics
2️⃣ Rewrite history of the last major pandemic
3️⃣ Go to the gym

Simple - 🤷‍♂️.

www.city-journal.org/article/nih-...
NIH Directors: The World Needs a New Pandemic Playbook
The old one failed to cope with Covid and may even have caused it.
www.city-journal.org
November 14, 2025 at 3:21 PM
peaseroland.bsky.social
The numbers in here are huge, ~$2.5bn in profits (~35% profit margin) to 4 major academic publishing houses.
How much lost research expenditure does that equate to??
Windfall tax, anyone?
hansonmark.bsky.social Mark A. Hanson @hansonmark.bsky.social · 3d
We wrote the Strain on scientific publishing to highlight the problems of time & trust. With a fantastic group of co-authors, we present The Drain of Scientific Publishing:

a 🧵 1/n

Drain: arxiv.org/abs/2511.04820
Strain: direct.mit.edu/qss/article/...
Oligopoly: direct.mit.edu/qss/article/...
A table showing profit margins of major publishers. A snippet of text related to this table is below. 1. The four-fold drain 1.1 Money Currently, academic publishing is dominated by profit-oriented, multinational companies for whom scientific knowledge is a commodity to be sold back to the academic community who created it. The dominant four are Elsevier, Springer Nature, Wiley and Taylor & Francis, which collectively generated over US$7.1 billion in revenue from journal publishing in 2024 alone, and over US$12 billion in profits between 2019 and 2024 (Table 1A). Their profit margins have always been over 30% in the last five years, and for the largest publisher (Elsevier) always over 37%. Against many comparators, across many sectors, scientific publishing is one of the most consistently profitable industries (Table S1). These financial arrangements make a substantial difference to science budgets. In 2024, 46% of Elsevier revenues and 53% of Taylor & Francis revenues were generated in North America, meaning that North American researchers were charged over US$2.27 billion by just two for-profit publishers. The Canadian research councils and the US National Science Foundation were allocated US$9.3 billion in that year. A figure detailing the drain on researcher time. 1. The four-fold drain 1.2 Time The number of papers published each year is growing faster than the scientific workforce, with the number of papers per researcher almost doubling between 1996 and 2022 (Figure 1A). This reflects the fact that publishers’ commercial desire to publish (sell) more material has aligned well with the competitive prestige culture in which publications help secure jobs, grants, promotions, and awards. To the extent that this growth is driven by a pressure for profit, rather than scholarly imperatives, it distorts the way researchers spend their time. The publishing system depends on unpaid reviewer labour, estimated to be over 130 million unpaid hours annually in 2020 alone (9). Researchers have complained about the demands of peer-review for decades, but the scale of the problem is now worse, with editors reporting widespread difficulties recruiting reviewers. The growth in publications involves not only the authors’ time, but that of academic editors and reviewers who are dealing with so many review demands. Even more seriously, the imperative to produce ever more articles reshapes the nature of scientific inquiry. Evidence across multiple fields shows that more papers result in ‘ossification’, not new ideas (10). It may seem paradoxical that more papers can slow progress until one considers how it affects researchers’ time. While rewards remain tied to volume, prestige, and impact of publications, researchers will be nudged away from riskier, local, interdisciplinary, and long-term work. The result is a treadmill of constant activity with limited progress whereas core scholarly practices – such as reading, reflecting and engaging with others’ contributions – is de-prioritized. What looks like productivity often masks intellectual exhaustion built on a demoralizing, narrowing scientific vision. A table of profit margins across industries. The section of text related to this table is below: 1. The four-fold drain 1.1 Money Currently, academic publishing is dominated by profit-oriented, multinational companies for whom scientific knowledge is a commodity to be sold back to the academic community who created it. The dominant four are Elsevier, Springer Nature, Wiley and Taylor & Francis, which collectively generated over US$7.1 billion in revenue from journal publishing in 2024 alone, and over US$12 billion in profits between 2019 and 2024 (Table 1A). Their profit margins have always been over 30% in the last five years, and for the largest publisher (Elsevier) always over 37%. Against many comparators, across many sectors, scientific publishing is one of the most consistently profitable industries (Table S1). These financial arrangements make a substantial difference to science budgets. In 2024, 46% of Elsevier revenues and 53% of Taylor & Francis revenues were generated in North America, meaning that North American researchers were charged over US$2.27 billion by just two for-profit publishers. The Canadian research councils and the US National Science Foundation were allocated US$9.3 billion in that year. The costs of inaction are plain: wasted public funds, lost researcher time, compromised scientific integrity and eroded public trust. Today, the system rewards commercial publishers first, and science second. Without bold action from the funders we risk continuing to pour resources into a system that prioritizes profit over the advancement of scientific knowledge.
November 14, 2025 at 3:29 PM
peaseroland.bsky.social
Philadelphus, flowers in June. (And November when confused.)
November 14, 2025 at 2:57 PM
Reposted by Roland Pease
paulsandars.bsky.social
BBC News - Late physicist's Nobel Prize medal donated to university
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Prof Peter Higgs Nobel Prize medal donated to Edinburgh University
The late physicist the medal to the university where he proposed a groundbreaking idea that would change scientists' understanding of the universe.
www.bbc.com
November 14, 2025 at 11:45 AM
Reposted by Roland Pease
setiinstitute.bsky.social
The Harvard Scientist, Kim Kardashian and the Comet That Probably Isn’t an Alien Spaceship

Scientists who study comets are struggling to keep up with popular speculation that the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS was sent to our solar system by an alien intelligence.

Learn more: buff.ly/72TcoF5 🧪 🔭
The Harvard Scientist, Kim Kardashian and the Comet That Probably Isn’t an Alien Spaceship
Scientists who study comets are struggling to keep up with popular speculation that the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS was sent to our solar system by an alien intelligence.
buff.ly
November 14, 2025 at 12:01 AM
peaseroland.bsky.social
3I Atlas science
esa.int European Space Agency @esa.int · 12h
#3IATLAS update: we've just pinpointed the comet's path with 10 times more accuracy, using data from our #ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter spacecraft. 😎🧪🔭

www.esa.int/Space_Safety...
November 14, 2025 at 10:54 AM
peaseroland.bsky.social
FWIW I've been expecting to see posts connecting the solar activity to the passage of 3I Atlas, to complete the circle.
ryankatzrosene.bsky.social Ryan Katz-Rosene, PhD @ryankatzrosene.bsky.social · 2d
Seeing so much misinformation out there related to solar geomagnetic storms... Seemed like a good opportunity to write about another common bit of misinformation - the myth that modern global warming is being caused by the sun (TL;DR it's NOT the sun, it's us). Link in next post...
November 13, 2025 at 3:18 PM
peaseroland.bsky.social
Looks odd.
Let's hope it's for real.
cplberry.bsky.social Christopher Berry @cplberry.bsky.social · 2d
Oo! Interesting #GravitationalWave candidate #S251112cm potentially from a *subsolar* mass source

If real, the source is probably has chirp mass ~0.1–0.87 solar masses

False alarm rate 1 in 6.2 yr
GraceDB gracedb.ligo.org/superevents/...
GCN gcn.nasa.gov/circulars/42...
Rating 📏🍬

[🧪🔭⚛️]
Initial sky localization. 90% area 1,200 sq deg. Initial three-dimensional volume localization. Distance around 96 Mpc.
November 13, 2025 at 2:21 PM
peaseroland.bsky.social
That's my fear...
davidrvetter.bsky.social Dave Vetter @davidrvetter.bsky.social · 1d
The UK's data centre boom is "not compatible with net zero" or the country's Clean Power 2030 plan, UK Networks Services MD Simon Gallagher told an event held by energy analyst Montel.
UK data centre boom “not compatible with net zero”
UK data centre boom
montelnews.com
November 13, 2025 at 2:15 PM
Reposted by Roland Pease
pavementgeology.bsky.social
Golden Jaisalmer Limestone in NW London at the Shri Sanatan Mandir londongeopartnership.org.uk/wp/wp-conten... #urbangeology #london
View of the Mandir which is built in golden yellow Jaisalmer Sandstone. Architecturally, this is very much an Indian building. Close up of the masonry showing massive and fossil-rich facies of this stone. A view of the delicate and intricate carving of the Mandir. Another detailed view of the building stone, again showing the fossiliferous facies.
November 13, 2025 at 10:48 AM
peaseroland.bsky.social
The kind of news I come to Bsky for.
November 13, 2025 at 1:37 PM
peaseroland.bsky.social
Singular genetic bollock?
hackblackburn.bsky.social Jack Blackburn @hackblackburn.bsky.social · 2d
Exclusive: Adolf Hitler’s DNA has been sequenced by scientists

It has:
- shown he had a disorder which impacted his sexual development
- debunked rumours about his ancestry
- shown a high likelihood that he had a neurodivergent condition and/or bipolar disorder

www.thetimes.com/article/e728...
Hitler had hidden genetic sexual disorder, DNA analysis reveals
The Nazi dictator had Kallmann syndrome, which hinders normal puberty and the development of sexual organs, according to groundbreaking research
www.thetimes.com
November 12, 2025 at 11:30 PM
peaseroland.bsky.social
On a quick read, a thorough analysis of how H5N1 became embedded in N America, with several (re)introductions from both Europe and Asia.
November 12, 2025 at 11:12 PM
Reposted by Roland Pease
stephyardley.bsky.social
🚨Here we go‼️🚨 Looks like the third eruption could be just arriving at L1 🌞💨🛰️🌍 #SpaceWeather #Aurora #NorthernLights
November 12, 2025 at 7:28 PM
peaseroland.bsky.social
Well worth reading
oliviarudgard.bsky.social Olivia Rudgard @oliviarudgard.bsky.social · 2d
New from me: I spoke to two scientists who originally helped spread the use of carbon capture. They now say it's being misused. Here's why (gift link):
The Scientists Who Popularized Carbon Capture Have a Warning About It
Many countries are relying on it to meet their climate goals, but it might hurt more than help, they say.
www.bloomberg.com
November 12, 2025 at 1:56 PM
Reposted by Roland Pease
ryanjfrench.bsky.social
The Sun just produced an X5.1 class #SolarFlare. This is the largest flare of 2025 so far, and 6th largest of the past two years. It triggered a strong ‘Radio Blackout’ and moderate ‘Solar Radiation Storm’ at Earth, and released what is most likely an Earth-directed coronal mass ejection!
November 11, 2025 at 2:56 PM
peaseroland.bsky.social
Fantastic
ryanjfrench.bsky.social Dr. Ryan French @ryanjfrench.bsky.social · 2d
Some final aurora photos from me tonight, taken during the recent substorm at Coot Lake, Boulder CO. What a night! Let’s wait and see if tomorrow brings the expected round two.
November 12, 2025 at 1:49 PM
Reposted by Roland Pease
stephyardley.bsky.social
I know, but last night there was a random patch of clear sky over Newcastle that I wasn’t expecting, so I can hope 😂
November 12, 2025 at 1:12 PM
Reposted by Roland Pease
stephyardley.bsky.social
There is now a G5 (extreme) geomagnetic storm watch in place (Met Office), we are waiting for the third eruption to arrive although, due to uncertainty in the propagation models it is unclear whether it will arrive today or tomorrow 🌞💨🌎👀 #SpaceWeather #Aurora #StephsStormWatch
November 12, 2025 at 12:33 PM
Reposted by Roland Pease
philplait.bsky.social
Meet what could be our galaxy's next supernova: DFK 52. It's a red supergiant that blew out a COLOSSAL gassy belch, and doesn't thave much longer for this cosmos.

badastronomy.beehiiv.com/p/one-last-s...

🔭🧪
One last stellar belch before exploding
The red supergiant star DFK 52 erupted gas and will soon go supernova
badastronomy.beehiiv.com
November 11, 2025 at 3:43 PM