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Alan Yu

@alanyhyu.bsky.social
333 followers 296 following 20 posts

Science reporter at WHYY in Philadelphia; here for comics, cartoons, movies, games, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer

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Reposted by Alan Yu
Aubrey Whelan @aubreywhelan.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
thanks yet again to our incredible bargaining committee!! www.inquirer.com/business/phi...
inquirer.com
Philadelphia Inquirer employees secure new union contract with raises and AI protections
Under the new three-year contract, members will see healthcare costs increase for the first time in 20 years, the union said.
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Jeff VanderMeer @jeffvandermeer.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
They quoted me in this New Yorker piece about AI today. www.newyorker.com/culture/the-...
“Let’s say there’s a world or time line I exist in where A.I. has been subject to regulation. It is ethical. It has no footprint environmentally,” the novelist Jeff VanderMeer, a prominent critic of A.I., told me over the phone. “With those guardrails in place, would I read an A.I. book? All I can say is no. And the reason is, in part, because I want to read something coming from a particular mind.” Using A.I., he said, “feels like a betrayal of the whole point of why you’re a writer.”
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Jason Koebler @jasonkoebler.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
“The world's best AI training data is sitting on a shelf. Books represent curated, peer-reviewed, domain-specific human knowledge, structured in a way no web crawl can replicate. Dense, edited, authoritative." www.404media.co/ai-companies...
404media.co
AI Companies Are Buying Tons of Old Books Because They're Free of AI Slop
ISBNdb, a company that sources printed books for AI companies to turn into training data, tells clients “the optics problem is real.”
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Zeyi Yang 杨泽毅 @zeyiyang.bsky.social · 19/03/2026
New: Inspired by real immigrant stories, this upcoming game tries to simulate the emotional toll of immigration and teach people what it's like to go through the H-1B visa lottery. Plus, a Chick-fil-A buddha may bless your visa. Why? It's a modern urban legend concocted by Chinese immigrants.
wired.com
A New Game Turns the H-1B Visa System Into a Surreal Simulation
Inspired by real immigrant stories, H1B.Life captures the uncertainty, trade-offs, and pure luck that shape the lives of people trying to build a future in the US.
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Pennsylvania Capital-Star @penncapital-star.com · 24/02/2026
Pennsylvania is facing one of the most severe avian flu outbreaks in decades, decimating farmers’ flocks. Since the beginning of the year, more than 7.6 million birds across 26 flocks have been affected, mostly in Lancaster County. From @iankarbal.bsky.social
penncapital-star.com
Shapiro administration seeks to assure Pa. farmers affected by avian flu outbreak • Pennsylvania Capital-Star
Pennsylvania’s poultry industry brings in more than $7 billion annually, and is the largest sector of the state’s agriculture industry.
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Rodger Sherman @rodger.bsky.social · 18/02/2026
DOG AT THE OLYMPICS FULL COMPETITION HIGHLIGHTS
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soleil ho @soleilho.com · 11/02/2026
honestly a little embarrassed I let the pitch get as far as it did, but I’m fine with that if this helps any other tiny pubs avoid getting scammed.
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Matthew Herper @matthewherper.bsky.social · 27/01/2026
U.S. government has lost more than 10,000 STEM Ph.D.s since Trump took office | Science | AAAS www.science.org/content/arti...
science.org
U.S. government has lost more than 10,000 STEM Ph.D.s since Trump took office
A Science analysis reveals how many were fired, retired, or quit across 14 agencies
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Bethany Brookshire @beebrookshire.bsky.social · 19/12/2025
You've seen beer + shot You've seen beer + fries Have you seen beer + vaccine? So, so many scientific, safety, ethical things to weigh. www.sciencenews.org/article/vacc...
sciencenews.org
He made beer that’s also a vaccine. Now controversy is brewing
An NIH scientist’s maverick approach reveals legal, ethical, moral, scientific and social challenges to developing potentially life-saving vaccines.
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Maria Konnikova @mkonnikova.bsky.social · 17/12/2025
Oliver Sacks was a hero of mine. I couldn't let @rachelaviv.bsky.social’s brilliant piece pass without comment. My latest, on why Sacks's fictions are so much worse than those of your garden-variety journalist fabulist. . open.substack.com/pub/mariakon...
open.substack.com
The man who mistook his imagination for the truth
The disappointing reality of one of my (ex-)heroes, Oliver Sacks
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Dominique Baker @bakerdphd.bsky.social · 06/12/2025
I don't use nyt for recipes so I had no idea this was going on sohla.substack.com/p/sorry-abou...
sohla.substack.com
sorry about your cookies
this is probably TMI
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Laura Helmuth @laurahelmuth.bsky.social · 24/10/2025
Happy 15th anniversary to The Open Notebook! If this ridiculously generous project has helped you over the years, this is a great time to donate. Thread from @siricarpenter.bsky.social at @theopennotebook.bsky.social
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Nsikan Akpan @monscience.bsky.social · 14/10/2025
Japan declares a flu epidemic — what this means for other nations - ✍️: Rachel Fieldhouse / Nature News
nature.com
Japan declares a flu epidemic — what this means for other nations
Researchers say that the number of infections for this time of year is unusual.
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Sabrina Imbler @sabs.bsky.social · 03/09/2025
I wrote about the intentionally byzantine process of getting a COVID vaccine this fall defector.com/how-the-fuck...
defector.com
How Are You Supposed To Get The COVID Vaccine Now? An Explainer | Defector
As the muggy malaise of summer winds down, you might find yourself interested in taking advantage of one of several safe and proven vaccines to help protect you from the inevitable brumal surge of res...
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Alan Yu @alanyhyu.bsky.social · 15/07/2025
No. Carrot cake is delicious
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Alan Yu @alanyhyu.bsky.social · 11/03/2025
@marcoarment.bsky.social @liss.bsky.social @siracusa.bsky.social it seems like you gained a powerful new ally x.com/joannastern/...
x.com
Joanna Stern on X: "Apple’s new $999 MacBook Air is arguably the best laptop on the market. BUT it’s still missing one big thing—and it has been for years: https://t.co/nGPnMHOfe5" / X
Apple’s new $999 MacBook Air is arguably the best laptop on the market. BUT it’s still missing one big thing—and it has been for years: https://t.co/nGPnMHOfe5
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Justine Calma @justcalma.bsky.social · 03/03/2025
Federal workers are speaking out today about ‘devastating’ losses to the agency that gives us our weather forecasts, plus a worrying scoop on office leases canceled for the National Centers for Environmental Prediction and a radar development lab #NOAA www.theverge.com/news/622990/...
theverge.com
The US faces ‘devastating’ losses for weather forecasts, federal workers say
“If these cuts continue, you will feel them personally.”
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Ian Boudreau @ianboudreau.com · 11/02/2025
*guy who can't play Diablo for himself* Yeah all these government payments are probably fraud
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Justin Ling @justinling.ca · 06/02/2025
The policy lead for CDC's H5N1 response has abruptly resigned. Sources tell me CDC's response to the bird flu pandemic has been severely hobbled by the chaos of the past two weeks.
LinkedIn post: On January 24th I formally resigned from my position with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). I started at CDC in 2010, and I have spent 20 years in public service, including my 15 years in service at the federal level. 

Here is a little bit of what I wrote in my resignation, because I'm not sure that anyone is actually going to read it. 

"I feel honored to be among the public health professionals that have had the privilege to work at CDC. As I reflect on my own experiences and accomplishments during my time here, I am humbled by the magnitude and the importance of our work. 

To my colleagues: we have worked together through chaos and uncertainty, transition, reorganization, preparation, and response. You are the most selfless, dedicated, and passionate people I know. I have watched you work around the clock, take additional details, deployments, and responsibilities, try to balance work and family, forego self-care, and keep pushing and work together to protect the public’s health. I’ve seen your sacrifice. I want you to know that your support and guidance has been invaluable, and I am proud of the work we have accomplished together."
 
While I was backing up files I found my oath that I signed in 2010. I believe in our work, and I am sad to be leaving federal service. But I have immense gratitude for all of the opportunities that I've had and the connections that I've made. 

I will continue to protect the public's health in a different capacity (stay tuned...) but for now, thank you for trusting me.
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Brittany Trang @brittanytrang.com · 31/01/2025
On Wed, RFK Jr told senators his campaign doesn't exist anymore. The campaign sent out a fundraising email praising the HHS freeze *during that hearing*. Yesterday, he told senators he'd raised "zero" dollars off the emails. His campaign says it raised $500,000. from Isa Cueto at @statnews.com
statnews.com
RFK Jr. disavows fundraising email that praised HHS freeze, two days after claiming his campaign doesn't exist
RFK Jr. incorrectly told senators that his presidential campaign no longer existed, before walking back those remarks.
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Ben Stone @benstemon.bsky.social · 30/01/2025
It’s official: all funding requests made on Tuesday by postdocs for their salaries have been unilaterally rejected by NSF.
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Laurel Bristow @laurelbristow.bsky.social · 30/01/2025
My bird flu magnum opus. Thank you to @lakdawalalab.bsky.social for giving notes
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Alan Yu @alanyhyu.bsky.social · 30/01/2025
@andrewwrites.bsky.social @mcgetting.bsky.social how about using this as a new rating system for @overduepod.bsky.social ?
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Jason Koebler @jasonkoebler.bsky.social · 29/01/2025
Suddenly, out of nowhere, a declassified World War II-era CIA guide to sabotaging fascism in the workplace has become one of the most popular free ebooks on the internet: www.404media.co/declassified...
404media.co
Declassified CIA Guide to Sabotaging Fascism Is Suddenly Viral
The World War II-era "Simple Sabotage Field Manual" is full of steps that office workers can take to resist leadership.
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Kit Whitfield - fantasy writer @kitwhitfield.bsky.social · 13/01/2025
Nice people are struggling over the revelations on Gaiman, and something I keep hearing is, 'His work had a big influence on how I shaped my own identity.' So here's something to remember: You did that. He didn't do it for you. 1/
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Annie Craton @anniezard.bsky.social · 13/01/2025
A month or so ago I saw a post by someone saying "we should all admit that Neil Gaiman has always been a shitty writer." That whole knee jerk revisionism. No, man, that's part of the whole horror. He's an internationally recognized writer. Objectively a good writer. But he's also a fucking monster.
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Jake Blumgart @jblumgart.bsky.social · 09/01/2025
Big and sad news for Center City Philadelphia www.inquirer.com/business/mac...
inquirer.com
Center City Macy’s, located in iconic Wanamaker Building, will close in March
The closure is the latest drama on a stretch of East Market Street that’s been the focus of a recent and fierce civic debate over the approval of a proposed arena for the Sixers.
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Mike Masnick @masnick.com · 07/01/2025
Apparently Zuck's public claims of bringing free speech back doesn't apply to his employees.
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Chris Bratt @chrisbratt.bsky.social · 07/01/2025
Back in 2021, PMG reported on the unseen games industry crunch taking place at outsourcing studios in SE Asia. Since then, the companies we looked at have continued to work on some of the biggest games in the world, without any push to improve the conditions of the artists doing that work. (1/7)
The video thumbnail for PMG's original documentary, showing a white, American hand clasping cash in exchange for the labour of a Southeast Asian workforce, represented here as being weighed down by their immense workload.
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Katie Mack @astrokatie.com · 26/12/2024
Happy Boxing Day to all cats who celebrate! 📦🐈‍⬛
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Michael Bierut @michaelbierut.bsky.social · 10/12/2024
Jane Davis Doggett, a Yale MFA graduate who studied under Albers and Rand, began work in the late 1950s that basically invented the wayfinding language of the modern airport we all know today, from color-coded terminal routes to the standardization of carrier name displays. She died last year at 93.
Terminal routing signs at Houston International AirportStandardized United Airlines branding at Tampa International AirportDoggett and her wayfinding plans for Jacksonville International Airport
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Alan Yu @alanyhyu.bsky.social · 05/12/2024
Constantly thinking of how historian Jill Lepore told @brookegladstone.bsky.social on @onthemedia.bsky.social about how tech moguls claim to be sci-fi fans but don't understand it: "It's an abdication of what reading is, and it's an abdication of historicism." www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/otm...
wnycstudios.org
The Science Fiction Origins of the Metaverse | On the Media | WNYC Studios
Many of Silicon Valley's words, products, and even ideologies come straight from science fiction. But what if they've been reading it wrong?
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Lisa Schmeiser @lschmeiser.bsky.social · 04/12/2024
The most savage reactions I've seen in response to the shooting of the United Healthcare CEO come straight from the nursing subreddit, where people who are clearly used to dealing with this insurer assess the incident: www.reddit.com/r/nursing/co...
reddit.com
Mountain_Fig_9253's comment on "United Healthcare CEO killed in targeted shooting "
Explore this conversation and more from the nursing community
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Alan Yu @alanyhyu.bsky.social · 03/12/2024
Great story from @emilykrizzo.bsky.social, whose work you should follow if you're in, or interested in, Philadelphia
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Josh Eidelson @josheidelson.bsky.social · 03/12/2024
Scoop: Biden's Social Security head agreed to lock in hybrid work protections for tens of thousands of staff, part of a slew of union efforts that complicate Trump's federal workforce plans. Unions are also pushing for an executive order on extending contracts www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
bloomberg.com
Thousands of Federal Employees Land Work From Home Deal Ahead of Trump
Social Security employee union secures hybrid work deal until 2029
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Kate Burgener, happy to be here @kateburgener.bsky.social · 03/12/2024
This thread from @andrewwrites.bsky.social is tremendous if you're thinking about replacing any tech before the tariffs hit. He custom built my desktop and he has years of experience writing and testing in the tech world.
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The Lenfest Institute for Journalism @lenfestinstitute.org · 26/11/2024
Chances are, you’re probably already using AI tools like Grammarly in your workflows. But if you want to take it to the next level, @phillydesign.bsky.social shared easy tips from Technical.ly on using AI for SEO, summarization, data analysis, & more 🤖⬇️ www.lenfestinstitute.org/solutions-re...
lenfestinstitute.org
AI tools powering innovation in Technical.ly’s newsroom - The Lenfest Institute for Journalism
Technical.ly editor Danya Henninger shares several ways newsrooms can incorporate AI tools in their workflows.
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British History Online @bho.bsky.social · 25/11/2024
This is a fine article on the difficulties of archival digitization. Worth adding, that high quality text transcription also requires considerable time, investment and quality control. #Archives
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Jessica Lussenhop @jlussenhop.bsky.social · 21/11/2024
@propublica.org reported that the Georgia maternal mortality review committee deemed the abortion ban-related deaths of Amber Thurman and Candi Miller "preventable." Here's what the state did next: "Effective immediately the current MMRC is disbanded." www.propublica.org/article/geor...
propublica.org
Georgia Dismissed All Members of Maternal Mortality Committee After ProPublica Obtained Internal Details of Two Deaths
In a letter, the state’s public health commissioner said the action was taken because “confidential information provided to the Maternal Mortality Review Committee was inappropriately shared with outs...
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Amanda Katz @katzish.bsky.social · 20/11/2024
Now that’s a subskeet
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Gene Park @gene.meme · 20/11/2024
Metaphor is my game of the year. i asked director Hashino a very specific question. He replied, “To be honest, you asked a question that really hits the core. I’ve done many interviews, and I haven’t had a question like this.” www.washingtonpost.com/entertainmen...
washingtonpost.com
Review | The year’s smartest game asks: Is civil democracy just a fantasy?
“Metaphor: ReFantazio” is the most audacious, exciting video game story of the year as it chronicles the birth of democracy.
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Andrew Gurza @andrewgurza6.bsky.social · 18/11/2024
a lot of people say about disability, even the kindest people, "I look past disability and I see the real person." Let me give you a word of advice, friends... many of us want you to look directly at our disabilities. They make us the people we are.
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NPR @npr.org · 18/11/2024
Philadelphia has disputed a state ruling that it should not have spent money from opioid-related legal settlements on home repairs and small businesses in an area ravaged by the drug epidemic.
npr.org
Philadelphia criticized for how it's spending millions from opioid lawsuits
Philadelphia has disputed a state ruling that it should not have spent money from opioid-related legal settlements on home repairs and small businesses in an area ravaged by the drug epidemic.
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Nieman Lab @niemanlab.org · 18/11/2024
Trump’s new FCC nominee promises to bring Project 2025-style governance to media
buff.ly
Trump’s new FCC nominee promises to bring Project 2025-style governance to media
In September, I went through all the proposals from Project 2025 — the Heritage Foundation's policy blueprint for a second Trump term — that would have a direct impact on the media. At the time, of…
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Holly Brockwell @hollyqueenofspayeds.com · 18/11/2024
Trying to unpack a parcel of cat Christmas presents. Smol Paul: THIS IS MY MOMENT
Four photos of the most ridiculous little tuxedo cat you've ever seen, living his ultimate plastic packaging fantasy, being a weird little dude in a cave of puffy packing pillows and dreams
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Karen K. Ho @karenho.bsky.social · 16/11/2024
I'm still thinking about this
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Anthrodiva @anthrodiva.bsky.social · 13/11/2024
I knew it! www.nature.com/articles/s41...
nature.com
Cats learn the names of their friend cats in their daily lives - Scientific Reports
Scientific Reports - Cats learn the names of their friend cats in their daily lives
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