Dan Vergano
@danvergano.bsky.social
Senior Editor at Scientific American.
- Views expressed in anything I post are my own. They have not been reviewed or approved by Springer Nature.
- RT's not endorsements.
- Signal: Delta.357
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-vergano-93908b4/
- Views expressed in anything I post are my own. They have not been reviewed or approved by Springer Nature.
- RT's not endorsements.
- Signal: Delta.357
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-vergano-93908b4/
Pinned
"The crisis facing American journalism is the predictable outcome of decades of corporate libertarian media policy that prioritized commercial logics over democracy."
Reposted by Dan Vergano
An extraordinary loss of institutional knowledge. 🧪
December 8, 2025 at 8:00 PM
An extraordinary loss of institutional knowledge. 🧪
Reposted by Dan Vergano
What was medical care like before the ACA? One tiny glimpse, from a box of old notes: multiple ERs “saturated,” “on diversion,” “trauma case by case only.” The first page of a thick stack of alert reports from one overnight and morning in one metro area.
It was bad, y’all.
It was bad, y’all.
December 9, 2025 at 3:07 AM
What was medical care like before the ACA? One tiny glimpse, from a box of old notes: multiple ERs “saturated,” “on diversion,” “trauma case by case only.” The first page of a thick stack of alert reports from one overnight and morning in one metro area.
It was bad, y’all.
It was bad, y’all.
Reposted by Dan Vergano
Based on the comments on this Facebook announcement of the NIGMS Director's search, it appears that the credibility of the current administration within the community that reads such announcements is not great.
www.facebook.com/nih.gov/post...
www.facebook.com/nih.gov/post...
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Exciting career opportunity! NIH is recruiting outstanding candidates for the position of Director of the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS). Details on requirements and the...
www.facebook.com
December 8, 2025 at 10:49 PM
Based on the comments on this Facebook announcement of the NIGMS Director's search, it appears that the credibility of the current administration within the community that reads such announcements is not great.
www.facebook.com/nih.gov/post...
www.facebook.com/nih.gov/post...
Reposted by Dan Vergano
Breathing easier -- study finds that congestion pricing worked in NY resulting in significant reduction in air pollution.
"The study found that, from January through June 2025, average daily maximum PM2.5 concentrations in Manhattan’s CRZ declined by 3.05 micrograms per cubic meter – a reduction of 22% compared to a projected average of 13.8 micrograms per cubic meter had congestion pricing not been implemented."
Congestion pricing improved air quality in NYC and suburbs | Cornell Chronicle
Cornell researchers tallied the environmental benefits of New York City’s congestion pricing program and found air pollution dropped by 22% in Manhattan, with additional declines across the city’s fiv...
news.cornell.edu
December 9, 2025 at 2:13 AM
Breathing easier -- study finds that congestion pricing worked in NY resulting in significant reduction in air pollution.
Reposted by Dan Vergano
HUD has withdrawn the Notice of Funding Opportunity for homelessness program announcing the news during a hearing in a lawsuit by @naehomelessness.bsky.social against new rules that preclude low-barrier housing and require agencies to implement discriminatory rules. www.hud.gov/hud-partners...
Continuum of Care Program | HUD.gov / U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
Continuum of Care ProgramOverviewThe Continuum of Care (CoC) Program (24 CFR part 578) is designed to promote a community-wide commitment to the goal of ending homelessness; to provide funding for eff...
www.hud.gov
December 8, 2025 at 9:10 PM
HUD has withdrawn the Notice of Funding Opportunity for homelessness program announcing the news during a hearing in a lawsuit by @naehomelessness.bsky.social against new rules that preclude low-barrier housing and require agencies to implement discriminatory rules. www.hud.gov/hud-partners...
Reposted by Dan Vergano
A new study has found that Chattanooga, Tennessee's decision to build their own affordable community-owned fiber broadband network has driven $5.3 billion in economic benefits back to the community.
From my colleague and friend @seangon.bsky.social:
From my colleague and friend @seangon.bsky.social:
Chattanooga’s Municipal Fiber Network Has Delivered $5.3 Billion in Community Benefits, New Study Finds | Welcome to Community Networks
Since 2011, a new study finds that Chattanooga's city-owned fiber network has generated $5.3 billion in net community benefits for Hamilton County. Conducted by researchers at the University of Tennes...
communitynets.org
December 8, 2025 at 5:13 PM
A new study has found that Chattanooga, Tennessee's decision to build their own affordable community-owned fiber broadband network has driven $5.3 billion in economic benefits back to the community.
From my colleague and friend @seangon.bsky.social:
From my colleague and friend @seangon.bsky.social:
Reposted by Dan Vergano
Challenging but rewarding journalism job. www.technologyreview.com/job/editoria...
Sr. Editorial Director, Print
Position Overview: Do you love print? Do you thrive on imagining eye-catching front of the book treatments, deeply reported features, and powerful photo essays? This is an incredible and rare opportun...
www.technologyreview.com
December 8, 2025 at 2:24 AM
Challenging but rewarding journalism job. www.technologyreview.com/job/editoria...
AI Slop Is Spurring Record Requests for Imaginary Journals www.scientificamerican.com/article/ai-s...
AI Slop Is Spurring Record Requests for Imaginary Journals
The International Committee of the Red Cross warned that artificial intelligence models are making up research papers, journals and archives
www.scientificamerican.com
December 8, 2025 at 6:26 PM
AI Slop Is Spurring Record Requests for Imaginary Journals www.scientificamerican.com/article/ai-s...
Reposted by Dan Vergano
Either Bhattacharya & Memoli disingenuously cherry picked the baseline for their model because it supported a conclusion they had already made for political purposes.
Or they made a rookie mistake that suggests they don’t have the scientific chops for the roles they hold.
Neither is great.
Or they made a rookie mistake that suggests they don’t have the scientific chops for the roles they hold.
Neither is great.
What was killing the Swedes in 2013-2017?
I was rereading the excellent post about the atrocious op-ed by the occupants of the NIH leadership positions (Bhattacharya and Memoli, hereafter BM) noting their assumptions for excess death modeling.
kucharski.substack.com/p/excess-mor...
1/5
I was rereading the excellent post about the atrocious op-ed by the occupants of the NIH leadership positions (Bhattacharya and Memoli, hereafter BM) noting their assumptions for excess death modeling.
kucharski.substack.com/p/excess-mor...
1/5
Excess mortality or excessive assumptions?
How to make a popular metric tell any story you like
kucharski.substack.com
December 8, 2025 at 5:40 PM
Either Bhattacharya & Memoli disingenuously cherry picked the baseline for their model because it supported a conclusion they had already made for political purposes.
Or they made a rookie mistake that suggests they don’t have the scientific chops for the roles they hold.
Neither is great.
Or they made a rookie mistake that suggests they don’t have the scientific chops for the roles they hold.
Neither is great.
Reposted by Dan Vergano
Justice Jackson to Solicitor General Sauer (just now, in Trump v. Slaughter arguments):
December 8, 2025 at 4:21 PM
Justice Jackson to Solicitor General Sauer (just now, in Trump v. Slaughter arguments):
Reposted by Dan Vergano
I taught Genetics again this year. We need to include discussion of the problematic history of our field, especially as the claims of eugenics are once again centered in our political discourse. Last year I wrote this piece, explaining my reasoning and approach 🧪 1/n
www.cell.com/trends/genet...
www.cell.com/trends/genet...
December 8, 2025 at 12:37 PM
I taught Genetics again this year. We need to include discussion of the problematic history of our field, especially as the claims of eugenics are once again centered in our political discourse. Last year I wrote this piece, explaining my reasoning and approach 🧪 1/n
www.cell.com/trends/genet...
www.cell.com/trends/genet...
Reposted by Dan Vergano
Industry-funded study of the week: ginger and joint pain
I learned about this industry-funded study from NutraIngredients, one of a series of industry publications especially careful to disclose sponsorship, this time in the headline. Specnova’s ginger extract reduces joint pain and inflammation:…
I learned about this industry-funded study from NutraIngredients, one of a series of industry publications especially careful to disclose sponsorship, this time in the headline. Specnova’s ginger extract reduces joint pain and inflammation:…
Industry-funded study of the week: ginger and joint pain
I learned about this industry-funded study from NutraIngredients, one of a series of industry publications especially careful to disclose sponsorship, this time in the headline. Specnova’s ginger extract reduces joint pain and inflammation: Study: Low-dose ginger supplementation reduces perceptions of pain, according to new Specnova-funded research published in the journal Nutrients.... Read more The study: Effects of Ginger Supplementation on Markers of Inflammation and Functional Capacity in Individuals with Mild to Moderate Joint Pain.
www.foodpolitics.com
December 8, 2025 at 2:01 PM
Industry-funded study of the week: ginger and joint pain
I learned about this industry-funded study from NutraIngredients, one of a series of industry publications especially careful to disclose sponsorship, this time in the headline. Specnova’s ginger extract reduces joint pain and inflammation:…
I learned about this industry-funded study from NutraIngredients, one of a series of industry publications especially careful to disclose sponsorship, this time in the headline. Specnova’s ginger extract reduces joint pain and inflammation:…
Reposted by Dan Vergano
NEW: Chemical industry lobbyists have long pushed the government to adopt a less stringent approach to gauging the cancer risk from chemicals, one that would help ease regulations on companies that make or use them.
They finally got their wish.
They finally got their wish.
Trump EPA Nearly Doubles Threshold for Safe Formaldehyde Exposure
Chemical industry lobbyists have long pushed the government to adopt a less stringent approach to gauging the cancer risk from chemicals, one that would help ease regulations on companies that make or use them.
www.propublica.org
December 8, 2025 at 2:00 PM
NEW: Chemical industry lobbyists have long pushed the government to adopt a less stringent approach to gauging the cancer risk from chemicals, one that would help ease regulations on companies that make or use them.
They finally got their wish.
They finally got their wish.
Reposted by Dan Vergano
Folks might not know a lot of people are getting *very* upset that the materials they request are not available in the libraries/archives they're requesting from.
We're getting lots here at the Library of Virginia: requests of documents likely surfaced by large language models that *do not exist*.
We're getting lots here at the Library of Virginia: requests of documents likely surfaced by large language models that *do not exist*.
I wish a notice like this wasn't necessary.
www.icrc.org/en/article/i...
www.icrc.org/en/article/i...
Important notice: AI-generated archival references
www.icrc.org
December 8, 2025 at 2:07 PM
Folks might not know a lot of people are getting *very* upset that the materials they request are not available in the libraries/archives they're requesting from.
We're getting lots here at the Library of Virginia: requests of documents likely surfaced by large language models that *do not exist*.
We're getting lots here at the Library of Virginia: requests of documents likely surfaced by large language models that *do not exist*.
Reposted by Dan Vergano
“The Daily Nebraskan found in the leaked spreadsheet that every program eliminated appeared to be profitable…every program that the chancellor proposed eliminating generated more money from tuition dollars than the department costs to run”
December 7, 2025 at 2:11 PM
“The Daily Nebraskan found in the leaked spreadsheet that every program eliminated appeared to be profitable…every program that the chancellor proposed eliminating generated more money from tuition dollars than the department costs to run”
Reposted by Dan Vergano
A claim of indirect detection of dark matter via gamma rays from the galactic center. I would not get too excited until independent confirmation comes along; many people have looked for exactly this signal. It’s too easy to make gamma rays from more conventional sources.
This just in: a NASA telescope may have just "seen" #darkmatter for the first time! By exploring the Milky Way's galactic halo and using the latest data, a team of researchers detected high-energy gamma rays extending towards the center of the Milky Way. Find out more here: https://ow.ly/OJe550XE40B
December 7, 2025 at 12:35 PM
A claim of indirect detection of dark matter via gamma rays from the galactic center. I would not get too excited until independent confirmation comes along; many people have looked for exactly this signal. It’s too easy to make gamma rays from more conventional sources.
Reposted by Dan Vergano
The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) announced that it will no longer publish content on Elon Musk’s platform, X. The organization said it can “no longer ethically participate in a social network that its owner has transformed into a machine of disinformation and propaganda.”
European Federation of Journalists to stop posting content on X
The EFJ represents over 295,000 journalists in 44 countries.
www.thelondoneconomic.com
December 7, 2025 at 1:19 PM
The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) announced that it will no longer publish content on Elon Musk’s platform, X. The organization said it can “no longer ethically participate in a social network that its owner has transformed into a machine of disinformation and propaganda.”
Reposted by Dan Vergano
I am often asked: What is the best telescope to buy for someone just getting into astronomy?
🪐🔭👀
As a theorist, I am absolutely useless and can tell you nothing. HOWEVER, my friend the wonderful @philplait.bsky.social is NOT useless and has great advice & relevant links here! ⤵️
🪐🔭👀
As a theorist, I am absolutely useless and can tell you nothing. HOWEVER, my friend the wonderful @philplait.bsky.social is NOT useless and has great advice & relevant links here! ⤵️
BAN #275: Telescope buying advice, Book: It’s Alive, Dial-A-Moon 2021
30 November 2020 Issue #271
badastronomy.beehiiv.com
December 7, 2025 at 3:48 PM
I am often asked: What is the best telescope to buy for someone just getting into astronomy?
🪐🔭👀
As a theorist, I am absolutely useless and can tell you nothing. HOWEVER, my friend the wonderful @philplait.bsky.social is NOT useless and has great advice & relevant links here! ⤵️
🪐🔭👀
As a theorist, I am absolutely useless and can tell you nothing. HOWEVER, my friend the wonderful @philplait.bsky.social is NOT useless and has great advice & relevant links here! ⤵️
Reposted by Dan Vergano
The Trump administration has deleted all previous National #Climate Assessments from government websites and fired the scientists working on the next report. Now they say they're going to rewrite the previous ones.
This is scientific sabotage and a rewriting of history.
www.cnn.com/2025/08/07/c...
This is scientific sabotage and a rewriting of history.
www.cnn.com/2025/08/07/c...
Energy chief suggests Trump administration is altering previously published climate reports | CNN
Wright said the Trump administration is updating the National Climate Assessments that have been previously published, which the administration recently removed from government websites.
www.cnn.com
August 7, 2025 at 5:42 PM
The Trump administration has deleted all previous National #Climate Assessments from government websites and fired the scientists working on the next report. Now they say they're going to rewrite the previous ones.
This is scientific sabotage and a rewriting of history.
www.cnn.com/2025/08/07/c...
This is scientific sabotage and a rewriting of history.
www.cnn.com/2025/08/07/c...
How and Why Sociology Is under Attack
journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10....
"The common thread across these instances is a state-led campaign to control the realm of ideas and debate."
journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10....
"The common thread across these instances is a state-led campaign to control the realm of ideas and debate."
How and Why Sociology Is under Attack - Spyros Themelis, Gargi Bhattacharyya, Iulius Rostas, 2025
journals.sagepub.com
December 6, 2025 at 8:23 PM
How and Why Sociology Is under Attack
journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10....
"The common thread across these instances is a state-led campaign to control the realm of ideas and debate."
journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10....
"The common thread across these instances is a state-led campaign to control the realm of ideas and debate."
Reposted by Dan Vergano
A study on 1.7 million people in Hong Kong shows superior hybrid immunity to Covid in people who got vaccinated before infection vs. people who got infected first. "Our findings are a direct rebuttal to arguments for natural immunity," the authors write. doi.org/10.1016/j.va...
Redirecting
doi.org
December 6, 2025 at 5:02 PM
A study on 1.7 million people in Hong Kong shows superior hybrid immunity to Covid in people who got vaccinated before infection vs. people who got infected first. "Our findings are a direct rebuttal to arguments for natural immunity," the authors write. doi.org/10.1016/j.va...
Reposted by Dan Vergano
An American president is pressuring politicians of his own party on social media by name, even after some of them have received threats and been swatted in the wake of prior Trump postings. This is what experts on political violence call "stochastic terrorism." www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
Trump puts screws on Indiana Senators to greenlight a GOP-friendly voting map
The Supreme Court seems unlikely to halt a tsunami of partisan gerrymanders.
www.motherjones.com
December 6, 2025 at 7:03 PM
An American president is pressuring politicians of his own party on social media by name, even after some of them have received threats and been swatted in the wake of prior Trump postings. This is what experts on political violence call "stochastic terrorism." www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
Reposted by Dan Vergano
Sarah’s 🧵 is spot on. It’s worrying for how it perpetuates the “happy slave” trope that even former enslaved persons like Epictetus perpetuated
(as a Stoic, Epictetus was feeding right into Roman elites’ maintenance of the status quo & was discouraging the pursuit of freedom)
(as a Stoic, Epictetus was feeding right into Roman elites’ maintenance of the status quo & was discouraging the pursuit of freedom)
December 6, 2025 at 4:14 PM
Sarah’s 🧵 is spot on. It’s worrying for how it perpetuates the “happy slave” trope that even former enslaved persons like Epictetus perpetuated
(as a Stoic, Epictetus was feeding right into Roman elites’ maintenance of the status quo & was discouraging the pursuit of freedom)
(as a Stoic, Epictetus was feeding right into Roman elites’ maintenance of the status quo & was discouraging the pursuit of freedom)
Trump administration reopening very old battle. Should taxpayer-supplied research dollars be disbursed based on a) merit or b) politics? www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1...
Answer ~ mostly a) with b) setting the table. Administration leaning hard into b)
www.bostonglobe.com/2025/12/05/b...
Answer ~ mostly a) with b) setting the table. Administration leaning hard into b)
www.bostonglobe.com/2025/12/05/b...
In Massachusetts visit, Trump’s NIH chief defends move to prioritize funding research in places like Iowa, Nebraska - The Boston Globe
Dr. Jay Bhattacharya told the Globe that he wants "scientists at every institution to be able to compete on the same level playing fields with the brilliant scientists here in Massachusetts."
www.bostonglobe.com
December 6, 2025 at 6:15 PM
Trump administration reopening very old battle. Should taxpayer-supplied research dollars be disbursed based on a) merit or b) politics? www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1...
Answer ~ mostly a) with b) setting the table. Administration leaning hard into b)
www.bostonglobe.com/2025/12/05/b...
Answer ~ mostly a) with b) setting the table. Administration leaning hard into b)
www.bostonglobe.com/2025/12/05/b...