Roland Pease
@peaseroland.bsky.social
Pinned
Roland Pease
@peaseroland.bsky.social
· Oct 30
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
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...
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w...
Reposted by Roland Pease
Last night’s #aurora started mildly on Wednesday evening, but things got exciting later on into Thursday due to a substorm’s arrival. #astronomy
November 28, 2025 at 5:38 AM
Last night’s #aurora started mildly on Wednesday evening, but things got exciting later on into Thursday due to a substorm’s arrival. #astronomy
Talking about this on #BBCWorldService Weekend tomorrow.
Well, finally the cat is out of the bag @science.org! (or at least part of a very complex story)🐈🧬. Great job from @mdemartino.bsky.social and my team @felix-erc.bsky.social. Huge thanks to all the colleagues and the institutes involved! @erc.europa.eu www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
The dispersal of domestic cats from North Africa to Europe around 2000 years ago
The domestic cat (Felis catus) descends from the African wildcat Felis lybica lybica. Its global distribution alongside humans testifies to its successful adaptation to anthropogenic environments. Unc...
www.science.org
November 28, 2025 at 12:26 PM
Talking about this on #BBCWorldService Weekend tomorrow.
Only just caught up with this interesting article on claims of oldest life.
Having been with Martin Whitehouse on Akilia Island off Greenland, site of another challenge to the Isua carbon, not surprised to see him scrutinising the Canadian claim.
Tricky geology.
Having been with Martin Whitehouse on Akilia Island off Greenland, site of another challenge to the Isua carbon, not surprised to see him scrutinising the Canadian claim.
Tricky geology.
My latest article 👇 gets into how hard it is to date stuff in some of the oldest rocks on the planet, and why it matters ⚒️🧪
arstechnica.com/science/2025...
arstechnica.com/science/2025...
How old is the earliest trace of life on Earth?
A recent conference sees doubts raised about the age of the oldest signs of life.
arstechnica.com
November 27, 2025 at 10:48 PM
Only just caught up with this interesting article on claims of oldest life.
Having been with Martin Whitehouse on Akilia Island off Greenland, site of another challenge to the Isua carbon, not surprised to see him scrutinising the Canadian claim.
Tricky geology.
Having been with Martin Whitehouse on Akilia Island off Greenland, site of another challenge to the Isua carbon, not surprised to see him scrutinising the Canadian claim.
Tricky geology.
Official listing of my #AGU2025 award with @jonblackwell.bsky.social
"The team’s reporting exemplified the spirit of the Perlman Award, capturing the sense of both science and urgency " of the Asteroid Apophis ambitions. Tight edits kept the story moving along"
✔️
news.agu.org/press-releas...
"The team’s reporting exemplified the spirit of the Perlman Award, capturing the sense of both science and urgency " of the Asteroid Apophis ambitions. Tight edits kept the story moving along"
✔️
news.agu.org/press-releas...
AGU honors journalists Brooke Jarvis, Roland Pease and Jonathan Blackwell for excellence in science journalism
news.agu.org
November 27, 2025 at 6:48 PM
Official listing of my #AGU2025 award with @jonblackwell.bsky.social
"The team’s reporting exemplified the spirit of the Perlman Award, capturing the sense of both science and urgency " of the Asteroid Apophis ambitions. Tight edits kept the story moving along"
✔️
news.agu.org/press-releas...
"The team’s reporting exemplified the spirit of the Perlman Award, capturing the sense of both science and urgency " of the Asteroid Apophis ambitions. Tight edits kept the story moving along"
✔️
news.agu.org/press-releas...
How a child's death from measles becomes a talking point for anti-vax zealots at a gathering of RFKjr disciples, the self-styled Children's Health Defense cult.
Truly depressing.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/25/o...
Truly depressing.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/25/o...
Opinion | I Went to an Anti-Vaccine Conference. Medicine Is in Trouble.
www.nytimes.com
November 27, 2025 at 3:21 PM
How a child's death from measles becomes a talking point for anti-vax zealots at a gathering of RFKjr disciples, the self-styled Children's Health Defense cult.
Truly depressing.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/25/o...
Truly depressing.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/25/o...
Reposted by Roland Pease
Some coverage from the BBC on our Santorini swarm paper in Science (www.science.org/doi/full/10....). Features an interactive slider graphic showing the imaged magma dike intrusion using @alomaxnet.bsky.social's Coulomb-based seismicity-stress (CoulSeS) method.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Scientists reveal what triggered Santorini 'earthquake swarm'
Thousands of earthquakes were caused by magma
www.bbc.co.uk
November 27, 2025 at 9:31 AM
Some coverage from the BBC on our Santorini swarm paper in Science (www.science.org/doi/full/10....). Features an interactive slider graphic showing the imaged magma dike intrusion using @alomaxnet.bsky.social's Coulomb-based seismicity-stress (CoulSeS) method.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
"Make America ... cough! cough! ... less healthy again."
Trump’s EPA -reformed to reflect his views - now want to gut clean air protection enabling levels of fine particulate matter (PM) to be higher. This will be hugely detrimental... 🧪🧵
Trump’s EPA moves to abandon tough standards for deadly soot pollution
EPA had previously said rule reducing fine particle matter from vehicles and industrial sources could prevent thousands of premature deaths a year
www.theguardian.com
November 27, 2025 at 8:36 AM
"Make America ... cough! cough! ... less healthy again."
Hits all the (wrong) buttons
Fascinating story about evidence that #H5N1 #birdflu infected vampire bats in South America, raising the prospect of a potential new & dangerous host for the virus. Some good news: The virus didn't appear to spread well among the bats. By @martinenserink.bsky.social. www.science.org/content/arti...
Vampire bats may have contracted H5N1 bird flu in Peru, raising worries about further spread
Bats could form a bridge between marine and terrestrial mammals, scientists say
www.science.org
November 26, 2025 at 4:37 PM
Hits all the (wrong) buttons
Trusting this will include a final thumbs up to the RAMSES mission to Asteroid Apophis 2028/29
Our Ministerial Council starts today. Watch the first session live from 12.30 GMT/13.30 CET to know everything about ESA's future roadmap and budget. #CM25
📺 watch.esa.int
More details 👉 www.esa.int/About_Us/Min...
📺 watch.esa.int
More details 👉 www.esa.int/About_Us/Min...
November 26, 2025 at 11:21 AM
Trusting this will include a final thumbs up to the RAMSES mission to Asteroid Apophis 2028/29
Reposted by Roland Pease
As a survivor of the Tulsa Race Massacre, Viola Ford Fletcher bravely shared her story so that we’d never forget this painful part of our history. Michelle and I are grateful for her lifelong work to advance civil rights, and send our love to her family.
Viola Fletcher, Oldest Survivor of the Tulsa Race Massacre, Dies at 111
www.nytimes.com
November 25, 2025 at 12:45 AM
As a survivor of the Tulsa Race Massacre, Viola Ford Fletcher bravely shared her story so that we’d never forget this painful part of our history. Michelle and I are grateful for her lifelong work to advance civil rights, and send our love to her family.
Reposted by Roland Pease
As someone who has worked in HIV for 35+ years, I can tell you Carl is a consummate scientific leader. We’ve been lucky to have him at head of DAIDS. The only thing that wins here is the virus.
Unfortunately, I can confirm that this is true.
I have known Carl for 2 decades and he is smart, dedicated, and quite apolitical, focused on science and getting stuff done on important problems.
Huge unnecessary loss of leadership and expertise.
I have known Carl for 2 decades and he is smart, dedicated, and quite apolitical, focused on science and getting stuff done on important problems.
Huge unnecessary loss of leadership and expertise.
Hearing news that Carl Dieffenbach, the Director of the Division of AIDS at #NIH (NIAID), has been removed from his position because he was "not aligned with HHS/OMB."
Russell Vought continues to remove great scientists as part of the Project 2025 mission to politicize and destroy NIH.
🧪 1/
Russell Vought continues to remove great scientists as part of the Project 2025 mission to politicize and destroy NIH.
🧪 1/
November 24, 2025 at 10:21 AM
As someone who has worked in HIV for 35+ years, I can tell you Carl is a consummate scientific leader. We’ve been lucky to have him at head of DAIDS. The only thing that wins here is the virus.
Reposted by Roland Pease
Unfortunately, I can confirm that this is true.
I have known Carl for 2 decades and he is smart, dedicated, and quite apolitical, focused on science and getting stuff done on important problems.
Huge unnecessary loss of leadership and expertise.
I have known Carl for 2 decades and he is smart, dedicated, and quite apolitical, focused on science and getting stuff done on important problems.
Huge unnecessary loss of leadership and expertise.
Hearing news that Carl Dieffenbach, the Director of the Division of AIDS at #NIH (NIAID), has been removed from his position because he was "not aligned with HHS/OMB."
Russell Vought continues to remove great scientists as part of the Project 2025 mission to politicize and destroy NIH.
🧪 1/
Russell Vought continues to remove great scientists as part of the Project 2025 mission to politicize and destroy NIH.
🧪 1/
November 24, 2025 at 5:49 AM
Unfortunately, I can confirm that this is true.
I have known Carl for 2 decades and he is smart, dedicated, and quite apolitical, focused on science and getting stuff done on important problems.
Huge unnecessary loss of leadership and expertise.
I have known Carl for 2 decades and he is smart, dedicated, and quite apolitical, focused on science and getting stuff done on important problems.
Huge unnecessary loss of leadership and expertise.
Reposted by Roland Pease
I whipped up a new post/newsletter extra for the Hayli Gubbi eruption. First time I've had to post an extra edition! #volcano #eruption eruptions.beehiiv.com/p/eruptions-...
Eruptions Newsletter Extra for November 23, 2025
Unexpected eruption from Hayli Gubbi in Ethiopia.
eruptions.beehiiv.com
November 23, 2025 at 7:16 PM
I whipped up a new post/newsletter extra for the Hayli Gubbi eruption. First time I've had to post an extra edition! #volcano #eruption eruptions.beehiiv.com/p/eruptions-...
Reposted by Roland Pease
Vaccines & autism make headlines. But the root of the problem -- statistical shenanigans - doesn't
If you test enough variables, you're gonna find some associations.
@adamjkucharski.bsky.social explains.
kucharski.substack.com/p/is-this-pa...
If you test enough variables, you're gonna find some associations.
@adamjkucharski.bsky.social explains.
kucharski.substack.com/p/is-this-pa...
How good are you at spotting patterns?
The perils of mistaking randomness for meaning
kucharski.substack.com
November 23, 2025 at 1:12 PM
Vaccines & autism make headlines. But the root of the problem -- statistical shenanigans - doesn't
If you test enough variables, you're gonna find some associations.
@adamjkucharski.bsky.social explains.
kucharski.substack.com/p/is-this-pa...
If you test enough variables, you're gonna find some associations.
@adamjkucharski.bsky.social explains.
kucharski.substack.com/p/is-this-pa...
Reposted by Roland Pease
This figure from a perspective piece on our paper by Virginie Pinel beautifully illustrates our proposed magma-pumping mechanism!
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
November 22, 2025 at 9:21 PM
This figure from a perspective piece on our paper by Virginie Pinel beautifully illustrates our proposed magma-pumping mechanism!
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Reposted by Roland Pease
Stop worrying about terraforming Mars and start preventing the venusification of Earth.
Humans will NEVER colonize another planet. Never.
If we can’t even agree to do the minimum to keep Earth habitable, there’s no way in hell we’ll cooperate to make another planet habitable.
If we can’t even agree to do the minimum to keep Earth habitable, there’s no way in hell we’ll cooperate to make another planet habitable.
November 22, 2025 at 2:32 PM
Stop worrying about terraforming Mars and start preventing the venusification of Earth.
Said this on the #BBCWorldService this morning. We all - scientists and public - know what the issue is, but the politicians waste time arguing over words.
#ClimateCrisis #FossilFuels #COP30
#ClimateCrisis #FossilFuels #COP30
A climate deal without explicit language calling for a fossil fuel phaseout is like a ceasefire without explicit language calling for a suspension of hostilities.
#COP30
#COP30
November 22, 2025 at 11:02 PM
Said this on the #BBCWorldService this morning. We all - scientists and public - know what the issue is, but the politicians waste time arguing over words.
#ClimateCrisis #FossilFuels #COP30
#ClimateCrisis #FossilFuels #COP30
Reposted by Roland Pease
Very sad. Apparently the patient was someone with comorbidities that placed them at higher risk of a bad outcome. At a time when the threat of new pandemic is higher that ever we need our public health and surveillance systems strengthened not dismantled.
www.linkedin.com/redir/redire...
www.linkedin.com/redir/redire...
1st human known to be infected with H5N5 strain of bird flu dies, Washington state officials say
The first human to have ever been infected with H5N5 strain of bird flu has died, Washington state health officials confirmed late Friday.
www.linkedin.com
November 22, 2025 at 10:51 PM
Very sad. Apparently the patient was someone with comorbidities that placed them at higher risk of a bad outcome. At a time when the threat of new pandemic is higher that ever we need our public health and surveillance systems strengthened not dismantled.
www.linkedin.com/redir/redire...
www.linkedin.com/redir/redire...
Reposted by Roland Pease
This review is astonishingly open-mouthed and uncritical, whereas you might expect a “politics blogger” (the author) to have something to say about the paranoid *politics* of this garbage which infects the US. I know @theguardian.com loves clicks, but what a crock of sh*t.
‘The public has been lied to’: secretly made documentary insists that aliens exist
The Age of Disclosure is a new film featuring high-ranking government officials who claim proof of extraterrestrial life has been covered up
www.theguardian.com
November 22, 2025 at 1:25 PM
This review is astonishingly open-mouthed and uncritical, whereas you might expect a “politics blogger” (the author) to have something to say about the paranoid *politics* of this garbage which infects the US. I know @theguardian.com loves clicks, but what a crock of sh*t.
Reposted by Roland Pease
"When you remove scientists from science, you don’t get truth. You get ideology. " Signed D3- Deb, Dan, and @drdemetre.bsky.social
We are former CDC officials. RFK Jr.'s change to vaccine guidance is propaganda.
Under Secretary Kennedy, CDC materials can no longer be assumed to reflect scientific authority.
www.ms.now
November 21, 2025 at 11:01 PM
"When you remove scientists from science, you don’t get truth. You get ideology. " Signed D3- Deb, Dan, and @drdemetre.bsky.social
The bit R4Today chose to highlight from its two awful COVID report interviews.
That "without [Johnson's] drive, we wouldn't have had the vaccine rollout".
This untested assertion was made after both Gove & Webb had dismissed the 23,000 avoidable deaths fig in the report as mere "model projections".
That "without [Johnson's] drive, we wouldn't have had the vaccine rollout".
This untested assertion was made after both Gove & Webb had dismissed the 23,000 avoidable deaths fig in the report as mere "model projections".
November 21, 2025 at 12:14 PM
The bit R4Today chose to highlight from its two awful COVID report interviews.
That "without [Johnson's] drive, we wouldn't have had the vaccine rollout".
This untested assertion was made after both Gove & Webb had dismissed the 23,000 avoidable deaths fig in the report as mere "model projections".
That "without [Johnson's] drive, we wouldn't have had the vaccine rollout".
This untested assertion was made after both Gove & Webb had dismissed the 23,000 avoidable deaths fig in the report as mere "model projections".
Reposted by Roland Pease
This exchange between Hancock and Johnson on 7th March 2020 speaks volumes about that government’s pandemic leadership.
Hancock: This is a clarion call for you to lead.
Johnson: Ok, I’m off to the rugby.
Hancock: This is a clarion call for you to lead.
Johnson: Ok, I’m off to the rugby.
November 20, 2025 at 7:24 AM
This exchange between Hancock and Johnson on 7th March 2020 speaks volumes about that government’s pandemic leadership.
Hancock: This is a clarion call for you to lead.
Johnson: Ok, I’m off to the rugby.
Hancock: This is a clarion call for you to lead.
Johnson: Ok, I’m off to the rugby.
Reposting because I may need this for a forthcoming series.
Hot off the press! Our latest paper led by @fernpizza.bsky.social, understanding how plasmids evolve inside cells. These small, self-replicating DNA circles live inside bacteria and carry antibiotic resistance genes, but also compete with one another to replicate. 1/
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Intracellular competition shapes plasmid population dynamics
From populations of multicellular organisms to selfish genetic elements, conflicts between levels of biological organization are central to evolution. Plasmids are extrachromosomal, self-replicating g...
www.science.org
November 20, 2025 at 10:56 PM
Reposting because I may need this for a forthcoming series.