Chad Small
@smallthoughts.bsky.social
Atmospheric Sciences Grad student | Freelance Reporter | Presently: Climate Fellow @bulletinatomic.bsky.social | Fmr: Data Fellow @gristnews.bsky.social
Reposted by Chad Small
China is one of the biggest development funders and operators in the world. It’s also silencing environmental reporters who dare to tell the truth about the harms some of those projects have caused across the global south
Thank you to @thexylom.com for publishing this story.
Thank you to @thexylom.com for publishing this story.
The Chinese government’s repression of journalists at home is well-known. Less visible is how that machinery now reaches far beyond its borders.
Read the accounts from Journalists who faced intimidation for reporting on human rights abuses tied to China’s ventures in African countries.
Read the accounts from Journalists who faced intimidation for reporting on human rights abuses tied to China’s ventures in African countries.
China Silences Environmental Reporters in Africa to Protect Its Investments
“We’re talking about a nation that is not only highly repressive but also the second-largest economy globally,” said Sarah Cook, who worked for years for Freedom House, which defends civil liberties…
www.thexylom.com
December 6, 2025 at 5:05 PM
China is one of the biggest development funders and operators in the world. It’s also silencing environmental reporters who dare to tell the truth about the harms some of those projects have caused across the global south
Thank you to @thexylom.com for publishing this story.
Thank you to @thexylom.com for publishing this story.
Reposted by Chad Small
The thing about being an US born person of immigrant extraction who has also lived in a couple of other countries and traveled to a bunch more is... I can be both very clear eyed in the way the US sucks while also being aware of how other countries use the USA's failings to distract from their own.
December 7, 2025 at 2:55 AM
The thing about being an US born person of immigrant extraction who has also lived in a couple of other countries and traveled to a bunch more is... I can be both very clear eyed in the way the US sucks while also being aware of how other countries use the USA's failings to distract from their own.
Reposted by Chad Small
My teen, who had dreamt of being an astrophysicist, just told me he wants to go to law school because, “Science isn’t going to be a priority in the US in the future…I don’t want a job where I’ll be constantly worried my funding will be taken away.”
Gutting. How many future scientists have we lost?
Gutting. How many future scientists have we lost?
December 7, 2025 at 1:23 AM
My teen, who had dreamt of being an astrophysicist, just told me he wants to go to law school because, “Science isn’t going to be a priority in the US in the future…I don’t want a job where I’ll be constantly worried my funding will be taken away.”
Gutting. How many future scientists have we lost?
Gutting. How many future scientists have we lost?
Reposted by Chad Small
yes … yes!!!!! www.nytimes.com/2025/12/02/o...
Opinion | We Have a Way to Pay for Free Buses. It Means Free Street Parking Is Over.
www.nytimes.com
December 5, 2025 at 3:46 AM
yes … yes!!!!! www.nytimes.com/2025/12/02/o...
Reposted by Chad Small
The co-founder and executive director of the Transit Riders Union is now on the board of Sound Transit.
Elections matter, folks.
Elections matter, folks.
NEWS: King County Councilmembers Teresa Mosqueda and Steffanie Fain, Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson, and Tukwila Mayor Thomas McLeod will be the newest members of the Sound Transit board of directors, Executive Zahilay's office has just announced.
December 4, 2025 at 5:40 PM
The co-founder and executive director of the Transit Riders Union is now on the board of Sound Transit.
Elections matter, folks.
Elections matter, folks.
Reposted by Chad Small
TN07 is a story about gerrymandering: the GOP cracked Nashville into 3 districts when it redrew the 2022 map, destroying the Dem seat there.
Fast-forward: a section of Nashville, which just 5 years ago had a Dem representative, is now voting Dem by huge margins but it's been designed to not matter.
Fast-forward: a section of Nashville, which just 5 years ago had a Dem representative, is now voting Dem by huge margins but it's been designed to not matter.
December 3, 2025 at 2:14 AM
TN07 is a story about gerrymandering: the GOP cracked Nashville into 3 districts when it redrew the 2022 map, destroying the Dem seat there.
Fast-forward: a section of Nashville, which just 5 years ago had a Dem representative, is now voting Dem by huge margins but it's been designed to not matter.
Fast-forward: a section of Nashville, which just 5 years ago had a Dem representative, is now voting Dem by huge margins but it's been designed to not matter.
Reposted by Chad Small
🍃 Risa spent the summer reporting on local news @cascadiadaily.com sponsored by the Ralph W.F. Hardy Endowment. You'll want to read it: www.aaas.org/programs/mas...
#MassMediaFellowship #SciComm
#MassMediaFellowship #SciComm
December 1, 2025 at 5:33 PM
🍃 Risa spent the summer reporting on local news @cascadiadaily.com sponsored by the Ralph W.F. Hardy Endowment. You'll want to read it: www.aaas.org/programs/mas...
#MassMediaFellowship #SciComm
#MassMediaFellowship #SciComm
Reposted by Chad Small
Seattle is not small or narrow. It’s huge and we can easily double our population if we are being realistic. It would fund transit, schools and services and bring an economic vitality and vibrancy to every part of our city
December 1, 2025 at 6:12 AM
Seattle is not small or narrow. It’s huge and we can easily double our population if we are being realistic. It would fund transit, schools and services and bring an economic vitality and vibrancy to every part of our city
Reposted by Chad Small
this headline, and much of the reporting, is the result of believing that the key to good journalism is never taking a position
NEW: The F.D.A. announced in an internal memo that 10 children died "because of" the Covid shot. Other experts want to see proof.
“This is a profound revelation,” Dr. Prasad's memo said. “For the first time, the U.S. F.D.A. will acknowledge that Covid-19 vaccines have killed American children.”
“This is a profound revelation,” Dr. Prasad's memo said. “For the first time, the U.S. F.D.A. will acknowledge that Covid-19 vaccines have killed American children.”
F.D.A. Attributes 10 Children’s Deaths to Covid Vaccines
www.nytimes.com
November 30, 2025 at 4:53 PM
this headline, and much of the reporting, is the result of believing that the key to good journalism is never taking a position
Reposted by Chad Small
This is where we need to do a better job at differentiating between things like AI/ML weather modeling or AI/ML medical, and generative AI and other LLM that every company is trying to shove down our throats.
I’m very supportive of the former but very skeptical of the latter.
I’m very supportive of the former but very skeptical of the latter.
I know this is going to set off all the anti-AI people, but this is a good, on-target story by NPR.
Meteorologists are surprised that the weather model that did the best job forecasting hurricanes this year was a new one, introduced by Google. AI may be the beginning of a new era of forecasting. n.pr/49MFa1M
November 30, 2025 at 4:27 AM
This is where we need to do a better job at differentiating between things like AI/ML weather modeling or AI/ML medical, and generative AI and other LLM that every company is trying to shove down our throats.
I’m very supportive of the former but very skeptical of the latter.
I’m very supportive of the former but very skeptical of the latter.
Reposted by Chad Small
👀
Meteorologists are surprised that the weather model that did the best job forecasting hurricanes this year was a new one, introduced by Google. AI may be the beginning of a new era of forecasting. n.pr/49MFa1M
As the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season ends, the future of forecasting is AI
Meteorologists are surprised that the weather model that did the best job forecasting hurricanes this year was a new one, introduced by Google. AI may be the beginning of a new era of forecasting.
n.pr
November 30, 2025 at 6:32 AM
👀
Reposted by Chad Small
Having AI crammed down our throats is bullshit, but machine learning has some real uses in science. This awesome page shows experimental cyclone track forecasts from Google DeepMind and Google Research's AI weather models, along with forecasts from ECMWF. 😍
deepmind.google.com/science/weat...
deepmind.google.com/science/weat...
September 20, 2025 at 11:17 AM
Having AI crammed down our throats is bullshit, but machine learning has some real uses in science. This awesome page shows experimental cyclone track forecasts from Google DeepMind and Google Research's AI weather models, along with forecasts from ECMWF. 😍
deepmind.google.com/science/weat...
deepmind.google.com/science/weat...
Reposted by Chad Small
journalists really should stop baring their entire asses like this
"I have no idea how this technology actually works but my editor is mostly interested in engagement clicks so we proceeded anyway"
"I have no idea how this technology actually works but my editor is mostly interested in engagement clicks so we proceeded anyway"
November 26, 2025 at 6:41 PM
journalists really should stop baring their entire asses like this
"I have no idea how this technology actually works but my editor is mostly interested in engagement clicks so we proceeded anyway"
"I have no idea how this technology actually works but my editor is mostly interested in engagement clicks so we proceeded anyway"
Reposted by Chad Small
Researchers: “my analysis has policy implications because the p value is 0.049, your analysis doesn’t because the p value is 0.051.”
Andre 3000: are you all even listening to yourselves
Andre 3000: are you all even listening to yourselves
Read this and all I could think about was Andre 3000 in green light saying something like, "Sometimes you gotta step from behind that regression"
Someone is going to have the write the thing about how “vibe” has become a substitute for meaningful theory in a world where the theory is so clear — grift and power — but we collectively refuse if because it isn’t sophisticated enough to generate make work for empiricists.
November 22, 2025 at 4:57 PM
Researchers: “my analysis has policy implications because the p value is 0.049, your analysis doesn’t because the p value is 0.051.”
Andre 3000: are you all even listening to yourselves
Andre 3000: are you all even listening to yourselves
Reposted by Chad Small
politics idea: love the city you want to be in charge of
November 5, 2025 at 4:19 AM
politics idea: love the city you want to be in charge of
Reposted by Chad Small
A huge, huge problem
A large majority of U.S. adults now get news digitally, but nondigital news consumers are less likely to say they extremely often or often encounter inaccurate news.
Read more on Americans’ views of information accuracy and distinguishing truth from fiction:
Read more on Americans’ views of information accuracy and distinguishing truth from fiction:
Many Americans say they often come across inaccurate news – and have a hard time knowing what’s true
Those who report often encountering inaccurate news are more likely than those who rarely or never do to say it’s hard to know what is true (59% vs. 31%).
www.pewresearch.org
November 3, 2025 at 2:43 PM
A huge, huge problem
Reposted by Chad Small
...and less than 24 hours later Condé Nast has fired Lex and the rest of the Teen Vogue political desk, even as stories like this were bringing huge numbers of readers to the site
dissatisfied by the New York Times coverage of Zohran Mamdani?
great news! I talked to the guy Thursday about his campaign’s success at bringing community together beyond this election, and contextualized how it’s potentially shifted youth engagement with politics by simply listening @teenvogue.com
great news! I talked to the guy Thursday about his campaign’s success at bringing community together beyond this election, and contextualized how it’s potentially shifted youth engagement with politics by simply listening @teenvogue.com
Zohran Mamdani's Establishment-Fighting Campaign Built Community for Young People
“What Mamdani has done is not only inspire and mobilize young people, but he has exposed the establishment and some of their calcified views of participation and inclusion.”
www.teenvogue.com
November 3, 2025 at 8:16 PM
...and less than 24 hours later Condé Nast has fired Lex and the rest of the Teen Vogue political desk, even as stories like this were bringing huge numbers of readers to the site
Reposted by Chad Small
Bay Area Teen Uses Drones to Map the Wetlands He Grew Up Loving
“I hope these maps encourage youth to come into this field and try to save their backyard. I want the next generation to be able to enjoy it.”
@kqednews.kqed.org @kqedscience.bsky.social
www.kqed.org/science/1998...
“I hope these maps encourage youth to come into this field and try to save their backyard. I want the next generation to be able to enjoy it.”
@kqednews.kqed.org @kqedscience.bsky.social
www.kqed.org/science/1998...
Bay Area Teen Uses Drones to Map the Wetlands He Grew Up Loving | KQED
A South Bay student uses drone technology to show what’s at stake as rising seas threaten the Bay Area wetlands that act as a natural barrier to flooding.
www.kqed.org
October 30, 2025 at 8:15 PM
Bay Area Teen Uses Drones to Map the Wetlands He Grew Up Loving
“I hope these maps encourage youth to come into this field and try to save their backyard. I want the next generation to be able to enjoy it.”
@kqednews.kqed.org @kqedscience.bsky.social
www.kqed.org/science/1998...
“I hope these maps encourage youth to come into this field and try to save their backyard. I want the next generation to be able to enjoy it.”
@kqednews.kqed.org @kqedscience.bsky.social
www.kqed.org/science/1998...
Reposted by Chad Small
Celebrate STEM Day with us on November 8th! 🧬📝
RSVP for our free Zoom event on November 8th! Learn science journalism from Chad Small, a PhD student in Atmospheric and Climate Science and science journalist!
@smallthoughts.bsky.social
#scicomm #sciencejournalism
🔗RSVP: bit.ly/labreports3
RSVP for our free Zoom event on November 8th! Learn science journalism from Chad Small, a PhD student in Atmospheric and Climate Science and science journalist!
@smallthoughts.bsky.social
#scicomm #sciencejournalism
🔗RSVP: bit.ly/labreports3
October 20, 2025 at 8:46 PM
Celebrate STEM Day with us on November 8th! 🧬📝
RSVP for our free Zoom event on November 8th! Learn science journalism from Chad Small, a PhD student in Atmospheric and Climate Science and science journalist!
@smallthoughts.bsky.social
#scicomm #sciencejournalism
🔗RSVP: bit.ly/labreports3
RSVP for our free Zoom event on November 8th! Learn science journalism from Chad Small, a PhD student in Atmospheric and Climate Science and science journalist!
@smallthoughts.bsky.social
#scicomm #sciencejournalism
🔗RSVP: bit.ly/labreports3
Reposted by Chad Small
What did I just watch
October 23, 2025 at 4:01 AM
What did I just watch
Reposted by Chad Small
We've got to stop behaving as if we're not responsible for one other. Eradicate from your mind expressions like, "I don't owe you anything.""They/she/he doesn't owe you anything." That "owe" is thinking of us in terms of transactions as if our value is only important in terms of profit & loss.
My co-worker came in one day sneezing and coughing talking about, “It’s not COVID”. Okay girl, I still don’t want it!
if you have a cough or cold, scratch throat, beginning to come down with something or getting over something, why don't you where a mask on public transportation? is the idea that if someone gets sick from your droplets that's just fate?
October 19, 2025 at 5:20 PM
We've got to stop behaving as if we're not responsible for one other. Eradicate from your mind expressions like, "I don't owe you anything.""They/she/he doesn't owe you anything." That "owe" is thinking of us in terms of transactions as if our value is only important in terms of profit & loss.
Reposted by Chad Small
wikipedia's data shows that AI is siphoning traffic away from the site, which is a danger to its sustainability. ironically Wikipedia is more important than ever to users who want reliable information instead of slop, and to AI companies that need it for training data www.404media.co/wikipedia-sa...
Wikipedia Says AI Is Causing a Dangerous Decline in Human Visitors
“With fewer visits to Wikipedia, fewer volunteers may grow and enrich the content, and fewer individual donors may support this work.”
www.404media.co
October 17, 2025 at 1:15 AM
wikipedia's data shows that AI is siphoning traffic away from the site, which is a danger to its sustainability. ironically Wikipedia is more important than ever to users who want reliable information instead of slop, and to AI companies that need it for training data www.404media.co/wikipedia-sa...
Reposted by Chad Small
As we go into No Kings weekend (and with the influx of new followers from x) seems like a good time to resurface this.
It was written in 2020 then focused on George Floyd about the media's antagonistic relationship to protest
It was written in 2020 then focused on George Floyd about the media's antagonistic relationship to protest
It’s time to change the way the media reports on protests. Here are some ideas.
"People kept sharing these videos that were coming up and it was unambiguous what was going on. We weren't looking at a stream of videos of violence erupting or clashes breaking out. We were looking a...
www.niemanlab.org
October 16, 2025 at 10:28 AM
As we go into No Kings weekend (and with the influx of new followers from x) seems like a good time to resurface this.
It was written in 2020 then focused on George Floyd about the media's antagonistic relationship to protest
It was written in 2020 then focused on George Floyd about the media's antagonistic relationship to protest
Reposted by Chad Small
David Simon, creator of ‘The Wire’, being interviewed by Ari Shapiro (NPR)
October 9, 2025 at 4:42 AM
David Simon, creator of ‘The Wire’, being interviewed by Ari Shapiro (NPR)
Reposted by Chad Small
If you ever end up recording a final message, ensure you dedicate a good chunk of it to roasting your nemeses, like Jane Goodall did
futurism.com/future-socie...
futurism.com/future-socie...
![In an interview for a new Netflix documentary filmed months before her death, famed British primatologist Jane Goodall called for billionaire and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk to be blasted into space.
“Absolutely, there are people I don’t like,” she told interviewer and TV writer Brad Falchuk, “and I would like to put them on one of Musk’s spaceships and send them all off to the planet he’s sure he’s going to discover.”
When asked if she would like Musk to be on the spacecraft alongside them, she sounded off.
“Oh, absolutely, he’d be the host,” she said. “Along with Musk, it’d be [president Donald] Trump and some of Trump’s real supporters.”
“Put them all on that spaceship and send them off,” she concluded.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:66lbtw2porscqpmair6mir37/bafkreiaykalfcmzzg4tatdoph7mku6ghkwgypjsfc746gprjuba62p774u@jpeg)
October 8, 2025 at 10:19 AM
If you ever end up recording a final message, ensure you dedicate a good chunk of it to roasting your nemeses, like Jane Goodall did
futurism.com/future-socie...
futurism.com/future-socie...