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Thom Sanger @thomsanger.bsky.social · 12h

Trying to maintain the status quo is a losing strategy. The scientific community needs to find ways to cut through propaganda and misinformation to effectively explain to the American people what will be lost if we fully dissolve into a post-truth world.

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Thom Sanger @thomsanger.bsky.social · 12h

Calls to engage with the wider audiences are being made far and wide as attacks on science become emboldened. The careers of academic scientists are being threatened by officials supporting the dismantling of science for political and financial gain.

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Thom Sanger @thomsanger.bsky.social · 12h

@gretchentg.bsky.social, president of the Union of Concerned Scientists, and Erica Chenoweth wrote "Scientists can leverage their substantial social standing and trustworthiness to preserve [a free society]."

www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

Scientists’ role in defending democracy

The United States’ democratic leadership, commitment to freedom of expression, and investment in the pursuit of knowledge have long enabled its preeminence in science and technology. Yet today we are ...

www.science.org

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Thom Sanger @thomsanger.bsky.social · 12h

@jeremymberg.bsky.social, former NIGMS director and former Editor of Science, recently stated, "Silence may protect an institution... but history shows that it increases the likelihood that the institution (and many others) will be become targets over time."

donmoynihan.substack.com/p/deafening-...

Deafening Quiet from the Scientific Establishment

Leaders are underestimating the risks of not fighting back

donmoynihan.substack.com

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Thom Sanger @thomsanger.bsky.social · 12h

Earlier this year @michaelemann.bsky.social and
@peterhotezmdphd.bsky.social published Science Under Siege, to share their perspectives on battling climate change and vaccine misinformation.
michaelmann.net/books/scienc...

Science Under Siege | Michael E. Mann

How to Fight the Five Most Powerful Forces that Threaten Our World. Two of the world’s most respected scientists reveal the forces behind the dangerous anti-science movement—and show us how to fight b...

michaelmann.net

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Thom Sanger @thomsanger.bsky.social · 12h

I am one of a growing number of scientists encouraging (perhaps pleading) with scientists to engage with wider audiences. Recently, my colleagues in developmental biology published their perspective on how to combat scientific misinformation.

journals.biologists.com/dev/article/...

Speaking science in a fractured world: making truth land when facts alone cannot

ABSTRACT. Scientific misinformation is a defining challenge of our time. As public trust in science declines and falsehoods spread faster than facts, the scientific community must rethink its role in ...

journals.biologists.com

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Thom Sanger @thomsanger.bsky.social · 12h

In my blog post, I provide my perspective on how much American perspectives on science have changed. I would not have a career in science today if there were not strong Republican support for science in the past. So what the hell happened, and how can scientists play a role in reversing it?

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Thom Sanger @thomsanger.bsky.social · 12h

I believe that it is imperative for scientists to deliberately engage with new audiences. The first step is understanding how professional communicators reach and retain their audiences. The restricted way that scientists communicate with each other won't cut it.

academic.oup.com/icb/advance-...

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Thom Sanger @thomsanger.bsky.social · 12h

Republican support for science paved the way for my career as a biologist. To explain this, I prepared a blog post to accompany a recent Editorial published in @sicbjournals.bsky.social.

integrativeandcomparativebiology.wordpress.com/2025/10/14/h...

How Republican Support for Science
Led to My Career as a Biologist

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Reposted by Thom Sanger

Development @dev-journal.bsky.social · 1d

Speaking science in a fractured world: making truth land when facts alone cannot

A Perspective by @rebeccacalisi.bsky.social, @kaliceaphd.bsky.social, Jamy Peng, @spiraldoc.bsky.social & @rogerslabucd.bsky.social on how to combat scientific misinformation

journals.biologists.com/dev/article/...

Picture of Perspective title and authors from article PDF

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Reposted by Thom Sanger

Ceri Weber @ceriweber.bsky.social · 4d

Vertebral skeletal diversity in mammals is remarkable. How do the differences between vertebral size and shape develop and evolve? See how we tackled this question in our paper published in @natcomms.nature.com today!

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Reposted by Thom Sanger

Andrea Murillo @andreamurillo.bsky.social · 9d

"Science communication isn't about dumbing it down, it's about meeting people where they are with curiosity, care and clarity."

Great read in Development, and I will definitely try some of these challenges to practice science communication. doi.org/10.1242/dev....

Speaking science in a fractured world: making truth land when facts alone cannot

ABSTRACT. Scientific misinformation is a defining challenge of our time. As public trust in science declines and falsehoods spread faster than facts, the scientific community must rethink its role in ...

doi.org

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Reposted by Thom Sanger

Science Vs @sciencevs.bsky.social · 13d

This moment from our latest episode with science writer @edyong209.bsky.social is 🔥

We asked Ed — how do we talk up the benefits of science in the face of government cuts? He told us that's the wrong approach. 🧪

Listen wherever, or watch on Spotify 👇

open.spotify.com/episode/7Evh...

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Reposted by Thom Sanger

Journal of Experimental Biology @jexpbiol.bsky.social · Sep 10

Water anoles take a bubble of air down when they submerge, which they breathe like a tiny scuba tank, and now @lindseyswierk.bsky.social & co reveal that the reptiles may also be using the bubble like a gill, to breathe oxygen directly from the water

journals.biologists.com/jeb/article/...

A submerged water anole (Anolis aquaticus) with a bubble of air held on its head. Photo credit: Lindsey Swierk.

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Reposted by Thom Sanger

Aaron Griffing @aaronhgriffing.bsky.social · 19d

I was collecting #quail #embryos this morning and found an individual with albinism! Look at the lack of pigment in the retinal epithelium! Reminds me of finding a leopard #gecko embryo with the same condition during my PhD.

Two quail embryos. The individual on the left has dark pigment in it's eye while the individual on the right has no visible pigment in the eye.

Two leopard gecko embryos. The individual on the left has dark pigment in it's eye while the individual on the right has no visible pigment in the eye.

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Reposted by Thom Sanger

Joshua Weitz @joshuasweitz.bsky.social · 20d

New from #SCIMaP - analysis of the White House’s Proposed FY 2026 National Science Foundation Budget.

Take-home: Slashing NSF by >50% will lead to ~$11 billion in economic loss and extensive job loss and reduced training opportunities in communities nationwide.

Report: osf.io/e8rnc

a 🧵

Economic loss from the White House's NSF FY 2026 Proposed Budget

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Reposted by Thom Sanger

Bonnie Kircher @holyanole.bsky.social · 21d

@a-weberling.bsky.social & I characterize oogenesis from initiation in the germinal bed to ovulatory follicles for the first time in the brown anole, a powerful reptile model for evo-devo & functional genetics!
Full preprint here:
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

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Reposted by Thom Sanger

SICB journals @sicbjournals.bsky.social · 29d

Read ICB's latest #editorial
on #Communicating #Science with New Purpose

@thomsanger.bsky.social

doi.org/10.1093/icb/...

"The #scientific enterprise of the United States is facing challenges on a scale that many living #scientists have never encountered..."

#communication #scicomm #PhD

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Thom Sanger @thomsanger.bsky.social · Sep 12

Thanks. In terms of the most fun read, my students enjoy Alan Alda's If I Had This Look on My Face... I think that the biggest punch per page comes from parts 1 and 3 of Win Every Argument by Mehdi Hasan. I think that they appreciate that the lessons and examples transcend science communication.

Thom Sanger @thomsanger.bsky.social · Sep 10

Link to the full editorial: academic.oup.com/icb/advance-...

Communicating Science with New Purpose

Synopsis. The scientific enterprise of the United States is facing challenges on a scale that many living scientists have never encountered. After nearly a

academic.oup.com

Thom Sanger @thomsanger.bsky.social · Sep 10

My short editorial is just a primer, the beginning of a much longer conversation. I encourage everyone to read those books to better understand how to effectively communicate with purpose and impact. I use those books in class, and my students love them.

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Thom Sanger @thomsanger.bsky.social · Sep 10

I will unpack this in blog posts for @sicbjournals.bsky.social down the road. In the meantime, the approaches I discuss are motivated by books such as Win Every Argument, Championing Science, Made to Stick, Don't be such a Scientist, and If I Understood You, Would I Have This Look on my Face.

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Thom Sanger @thomsanger.bsky.social · Sep 10

The way scientists communicate technical information among ourselves is largely ineffective at reaching non-technical audiences. By describing considerations of effective/persuasive communication, I aim to lower barriers for fellow scientists to experiment with new communication strategies.

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Thom Sanger @thomsanger.bsky.social · Sep 10

I am one of a growing number of voices encouraging the scientific community to engage with people and policymakers outside of our typical professional circles. Our professional organizations, including @sicb.bsky.social, also need to engage with new audiences by making their science accessible.

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Jacquelyn Gill @jacquelyngill.bsky.social · Sep 9

A student told her professor “President Trump’s laws state that there are two genders,” and that the lesson was “illegal” for contradicting that. It’s not. Executive orders are not laws.

Compliance with authoritarianism will not protect universities. Either we stand up for our missions or we fall.

Dan Hirschman @asociologist.bsky.social · Sep 9

Texas A&M’s President just removed a dean and department head from their positions after they supported a professor whose lesson on gender was challenged by a student. www.kbtx.com/2025/09/09/a...

A&M Dean removed following student complaints over curriculum

The Department of Justice has also acknowledged the situation and said it would be investigating.

www.kbtx.com

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