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Author Bill Sullivan

@authorbillsullivan.com
720 followers 565 following 643 posts

Author of “PLEASED TO MEET ME: Genes, Germs, and the Curious Forces that Make Us Who We Are" & other cool science stuff. Professor of Microbiology, IU School of Medicine. Lab: wjsulliv.wixsite.com/sullivanlab Author: authorbillsullivan.com

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Author Bill Sullivan @authorbillsullivan.com · 19/09/2026
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Author Bill Sullivan @authorbillsullivan.com · 11/09/2026
Ectopic Pregnancy Deaths Have Nearly Doubled. It’s Worse in States With Abortion Bans. www.propublica.org/article/ecto...
propublica.org
Ectopic Pregnancy Deaths Have Nearly Doubled. It’s Worse in States With Abortion Bans.
With prompt and appropriate medical care, experts say, people shouldn’t die from an ectopic pregnancy. Women in Texas and Oklahoma have sued over delays in care, which, coupled with our new analysis, ...
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Author Bill Sullivan @authorbillsullivan.com · 07/09/2026
I'm excited to see the movie "Whalefall" (out Oct 16), based on the fantastic book by Daniel Kraus. It's about a man who tries to survive after being swallowed by a whale. For those wondering, "Could a whale really swallow a human?" here is an article for you... www.popsci.com/science/coul...
popsci.com
Could a whale really swallow a human? We asked a biologist.
The new thriller ‘Whalefall’ depicts a diver trapped inside of a sperm whale.
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Author Bill Sullivan @authorbillsullivan.com · 02/09/2026
Human DNA is ~70% similar to frog DNA. Just sayin'
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Author Bill Sullivan @authorbillsullivan.com · 02/09/2026
I'm excited that "The Crossroads of Science and Faith" podcast I've been working on with James McGrath rolls out soon! Read all about it here, and listen on Spotify or watch on YouTube starting on September 24! (links in the article) authorbillsullivan.medium.com/the-crossroa...
authorbillsullivan.medium.com
The Crossroads of Science and Faith
A new podcast where a scientist and a religious scholar discuss the big questions in life
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Author Bill Sullivan @authorbillsullivan.com · 28/08/2026
The same administration that brought you the Cyclospora Summer of Diarrhea is following it up with ruining toilet paper. Are we the butt of a joke here? Toilet Paper May Get More Expensive and Less Soft as Trade War Escalates cnr.ncsu.edu/news/2026/08...
cnr.ncsu.edu
Toilet Paper May Get More Expensive and Less Soft as Trade War Escalates, Experts Warn
With the United States imposing new tariffs on select Canadian exports, North Carolina State University experts warn that the escalating trade war could raise the price and reduce the quality of toile...
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Author Bill Sullivan @authorbillsullivan.com · 28/08/2026
RFK Jr: Secretary of Measlesland For several reasons, the Pennsylvania measles outbreak is about to get much worse (Paul Offit) pauloffit.substack.com/p/rfk-jr-sec...
pauloffit.substack.com
RFK Jr: Secretary of Measlesland
For several reasons, the PA measles outbreak is about to get much worse
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Author Bill Sullivan @authorbillsullivan.com · 28/08/2026
Some Scientists Have ‘Magic Hands’ in the Lab. This A.I. Is Learning Why. www.nytimes.com/2026/08/27/s...
nytimes.com
Some Scientists Have ‘Magic Hands’ in the Lab. This A.I. Is Learning Why.
Even the most adept researchers may not know exactly what they do to get successful results. An A.I. model is trying to figure it out by watching every move.
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Author Bill Sullivan @authorbillsullivan.com · 27/08/2026
The U.S. will suffer if it shuts off such a valuable talent stream. Our loss will be another country's gain. The New Student Visa Policy Doesn’t Add Up: A recent federal rule change will soon place a strict limit on how long international students can study in the U.S. undark.org/2026/08/27/o...
undark.org
The New Student Visa Policy Doesn’t Add Up
Opinion | A recent federal rule change will soon place a strict limit on how long international students can study in the U.S.
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Author Bill Sullivan @authorbillsullivan.com · 26/08/2026
Trying to teach your students the difference between correlation and causation? Check this out. How Hall & Oates Have Ruined Everything medium.com/the-haven/ho...
medium.com
How Hall & Oates Have Ruined Everything
If these two don’t patch things up, the world will be ripped apart
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Author Bill Sullivan @authorbillsullivan.com · 25/08/2026
Two die of measles in Pennsylvania outbreak The deaths are the first measles-related fatalities in the U.S. this year. Both people had not been vaccinated against the illness. www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...
nbcnews.com
Two die of measles in Pennsylvania outbreak
The deaths are the first measles-related fatalities in the U.S. this year. Both people had not been vaccinated against the illness.
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Reposted by Author Bill Sullivan
Emily Hopkins reporting for Mirror Indy @emilyhopkins.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
The Vogue to host benefit concert for residents impacted by flooding mirrorindy.org/local-benefi...
mirrorindy.org
The Vogue to host benefit concert for residents impacted by flooding
Two local rock bands will perform on Aug. 28. All proceeds will support residents and businesses impacted by historic flooding.
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Author Bill Sullivan @authorbillsullivan.com · 25/08/2026
More info: theconversation.com/a-common-par...
theconversation.com
A common parasite can decapitate human sperm − with implications for male fertility
If you’ve handled cat litter or eaten raw meat or unwashed produce, there’s a chance you might have a permanent toxoplasmosis infection spread throughout your body.
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Author Bill Sullivan @authorbillsullivan.com · 25/08/2026
A new study shows sperm defects in rats chronically infected with the parasite Toxoplasma gondii, which infects 30-50% of people. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
nature.com
Chronic Toxoplasma gondii infection and its influence on semen analysis in rats: controlled experimental animal study - Scientific Reports
Scientific Reports - Chronic Toxoplasma gondii infection and its influence on semen analysis in rats: controlled experimental animal study
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Author Bill Sullivan @authorbillsullivan.com · 24/08/2026
Sadly, Naegleria fowleri, the so-called brain-eating amoeba, has claimed the life of an 8-year-old girl after she swam in Lake Claiborne in Louisiana. An explainer: theconversation.com/why-the-brai...
theconversation.com
Why the ‘brain-eating’ amoeba found in freshwater lakes – while rare – is so deadly
The brain-eating amoeba Naegleria fowleri kills 97% of its victims, and infections are almost impossible to diagnose quickly. Here is how it kills.
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Reposted by Author Bill Sullivan
Letters from A Psychotherapist @jemoyer.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
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Author Bill Sullivan @authorbillsullivan.com · 21/08/2026
Can’t Get Along? Try Rejecting Free Will A new approach to building trust and bridging our divides. www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/plea...
psychologytoday.com
Can’t Get Along? Try Rejecting Free Will
No one freely became who they are, but we can influence who they become.
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Author Bill Sullivan @authorbillsullivan.com · 21/08/2026
New snake species named in honor of Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash ‘Lielaphis slashi’ is a nonvenomous groundsnake discovered in the forests of New Guinea www.popsci.com/environment/...
popsci.com
New snake species named in honor of Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash
‘Lielaphis slashi’ is a nonvenomous groundsnake discovered in the forests of New Guinea
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Author Bill Sullivan @authorbillsullivan.com · 21/08/2026
We will “grow our way” out of a $40 trillion debt the same time “wealth will trickle down” from billionaires
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Author Bill Sullivan @authorbillsullivan.com · 19/08/2026
I love when science supports my habits! Coffee drinkers have less fat, more muscle, and surprising hormone differences www.sciencedaily.com/releases/202...
sciencedaily.com
Coffee drinkers have less fat, more muscle, and surprising hormone differences
Coffee drinkers may be getting more than an energy boost. A Finnish study found that people who drank more coffee tended to have less total and abdominal fat, more muscle, and healthier metabolic mark...
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Author Bill Sullivan @authorbillsullivan.com · 18/08/2026
open.spotify.com/episode/0mEa...
open.spotify.com
#2209 The Parable Of The Chinese Farmer - Dr. Bill Sullivan
The You Project · Episode
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Author Bill Sullivan @authorbillsullivan.com · 18/08/2026
This wise parable teaches us to refrain from judging everything that happens to us. Some things we believe to be good turn out to be bad, and some things we take to be bad turn out to be blessings in disguise.
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Author Bill Sullivan @authorbillsullivan.com · 17/08/2026
The opposite of “transparency”: Sneaking Lysenkoism into NIH peer review NIH is proposing new reporting for grant application scores determined by study sections, which will make it easier to hide political manipulation of grant funding. sciencebasedmedicine.org/the-opposite...
sciencebasedmedicine.org
The opposite of “transparency”: Sneaking Lysenkoism into NIH peer review
On Friday, the NIH released an RFI (request for Information) on a proposed new format for reporting the scores of grant applications determined by study sections. If implemented, this new system will
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Reposted by Author Bill Sullivan
NPR @npr.org · 16/08/2026
The exercise can help you identify what's wasting your time — and make room for what matters, says psychotherapist Niro Feliciano. Take a moment to try it. You might be surprised with what you find.
n.pr
You have more free time than you think. Don't believe it? Try a time audit
The exercise can help you identify what's wasting your time — and make room for what matters, says psychotherapist Niro Feliciano. Take a moment to try it. You might be surprised with what you find.
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Author Bill Sullivan @authorbillsullivan.com · 16/08/2026
Nope. Accountability is important. We talk about past mistakes so we don’t make them again, and we can hold that crucial conversation in parallel with how to fix the mess he created.
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The Mouthy Renegade Writer @mouthyrenegade.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
The teenage grunge fan from the 90s in me absolutely adores this young one's immense talent on the piano.
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Author Bill Sullivan @authorbillsullivan.com · 15/08/2026
How Cyclospora Evaded the U.S. Food Safety System to Sicken Thousands The Trump administration delayed a rule last year that could have sped up the effort to pinpoint the source of the contamination. Critics charge that food safety oversight has eroded overall. www.nytimes.com/2026/08/15/h...
nytimes.com
How Cyclospora Evaded the U.S. Food Safety System to Sicken Thousands
The Trump administration delayed a rule last year that could have sped up the effort to pinpoint the source of the contamination. Critics charge that food safety oversight has eroded overall.
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Reposted by Author Bill Sullivan
The Conversation U.S. @us.theconversation.com · 12/08/2026
2 people have now died in Florida and 5 in Louisiana from infections of Vibrio vulnificus, a type of flesh-eating bacteria that thrives in warm seawater. While cases are about as rare as shark attacks, there are precautions you can take. theconversation.com/flesh-eating...
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Author Bill Sullivan @authorbillsullivan.com · 12/08/2026
Flesh‑eating bacteria are devouring limbs in warming waters worldwide − here’s how to protect yourself theconversation.com/flesh-eating...
theconversation.com
Flesh-eating bacteria are devouring limbs in warming waters worldwide − here’s how to protect yourself
Warmer ocean waters are fueling the spread of the bacteria Vibrio vulnificus. Infections can lead to a rare but fatal condition called necrotizing fasciitis.
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Author Bill Sullivan @authorbillsullivan.com · 12/08/2026
Executive order on vaccines bypasses an evidence‑based process that has kept kids safe theconversation.com/executive-or...
theconversation.com
Executive order on vaccines bypasses an evidence-based process that has kept kids safe
The most important thing for parents to know is that the order does not change which vaccines are available to children and is not based on any new data about vaccine safety.
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Author Bill Sullivan @authorbillsullivan.com · 10/08/2026
It also advises that the mumps, measles and rubella (MMR) vaccine be separated into three individual shots, against broad scientific consensus but in keeping with Trump’s insistence in recent months that the widely administered shot be altered." (4/4) www.cnn.com/2026/08/10/p...
cnn.com
Trump set to sign executive order aimed at reducing number of recommended childhood vaccines | CNN Politics
President Donald Trump will sign an executive order on Monday aimed at reshaping the federal government’s approach toward childhood vaccines, according to a draft of the document obtained by CNN.
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Author Bill Sullivan @authorbillsullivan.com · 10/08/2026
"The sweeping order proposes reducing the total number of immunizations recommended for children in their earliest years and dividing the nation’s childhood vaccine schedule into three categories. (3/4)
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Author Bill Sullivan @authorbillsullivan.com · 10/08/2026
This decision is not based on any study or evidence, but "feelings." “The MMR, I think, should be taken separately. This is based on what I feel,” Trump said last fall. This is INSANE. If you voted for this, you voted poorly--please do better in November. (2/4)
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Author Bill Sullivan @authorbillsullivan.com · 10/08/2026
Trump set to sign executive order aimed at reducing number of recommended childhood vaccines. Abject stupidity, but that's what you get when you vote for anti-science politicians. Children are going to suffer and may even die because of this aggressive campaign against science and medicine. (1/4)
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Author Bill Sullivan @authorbillsullivan.com · 10/08/2026
"As an American...it hurts to watch this hard-earned leadership evaporate. We will be less secure, less healthy, and less wealthy. Because some community of people who influence what this country is do not see the value of science." www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYiU...
youtube.com
America’s Scientists Are Disappearing
YouTube video by StarTalk
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Reposted by Author Bill Sullivan
Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 09/08/2026
This is not going well for Bhattacharya 😬 BHATTACHARYA: Talk about misinformation: the decisions during the pandemic led to many people losing faith in public health BRENNAN: Trump admin officials BHATTACHARYA: No. I mean Biden. BRENNAN: The pandemic began during the Trump administration
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NPR @npr.org · 07/08/2026
U.S. employers cut 23,000 jobs in July, and job gains for the two previous months were weaker than initially reported, according to a report Friday from the Labor Department. n.pr/45RROJn
n.pr
Employers unexpectedly cut 23,000 jobs in a sign of a wilting labor market
U.S. employers cut 23,000 jobs in July, and job gains for the two previous months were weaker than initially reported, according to a report Friday from the Labor Department.
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Katie Mack @astrokatie.com · 07/08/2026
I am absolutely thrilled to present to you: How to Build a Universe (Theoretically Speaking) available for pre-order now, wherever you buy your books! www.simonandschuster.ca/books/How-to...
Cover of the book "How to Build a Universe (Theoretically Speaking)" by Katie Mack. The top right corner says "Author of The End of Everything" and the bottom left says "Brilliant and thrilling! - John Green". The cover motif is a space image made of puzzle pieces.
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Reposted by Author Bill Sullivan
Prof Sam Illingworth @samillingworth.com · 07/08/2026
👓 Pubs ban Meta's spy glasses Wetherspoons, Jeremy King and ATG Theatres have banned Meta's Ray-Bans after covert filming and extortion cases. 🔗 theguardian.com/technology/2026/aug/06/restaurants-pubs-and-theatres-ban-metas-spy-glasses-over-privacy-fears #Privacy #BigTech #AI
theguardian.com
Restaurants, pubs and theatres ban Meta’s ‘spy glasses’ over privacy fears
Meta says safeguards are in place to prevent surreptitious filming, but some UK venues now prohibit them from being worn at all
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Author Bill Sullivan @authorbillsullivan.com · 07/08/2026
The Trump administration's attacks on science and scientists are not just cruel; they are self-defeating and treasonous. Silencing scientists and intellectuals, rather than leveraging their knowledge and expertise, is how tyranny maintains power. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
theguardian.com
Why making Anthony Fauci the enemy will harm US public health for years
Republicans are trying to scapegoat the infectious disease expert, even as they have gutted healthcare amid outbreaks of measles, cyclosporiasis and Ebola
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Author Bill Sullivan @authorbillsullivan.com · 06/08/2026
...probably blasting Pearl Jam through the lab’s speakers and wondering why my Toxoplasma transfectants weren’t growing! I had the honor of meeting Carl briefly as David showed him around the lab, and I remember thinking, it would be really cool to write a popular science book one day. (2/2)
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Author Bill Sullivan @authorbillsullivan.com · 06/08/2026
Little-known fact: I was in @carlzimmer.com ’s classic book, PARASITE REX. That’s me right there on the page (LOL): one of David Roos’s graduate students in the 90s, laying flasks of cherry-colored liquids under a microscope in the sunlight of the soft Philadelphia sky…(1/2)
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James Talarico @jamestalarico.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
The American Dream has become an American Nightmare. It’s too expensive to buy a home. It’s too expensive to get married and have kids. It’s too expensive to retire comfortably. The top 1% put the American Dream behind a paywall.
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Author Bill Sullivan @authorbillsullivan.com · 03/08/2026
In my lectures, I often explain the difference between correlation and causation. I got tired of using the same old memes, so I came up with new ones inspired by my love of Hall & Oates. Here, I show how everything fell apart after Hall & Oates broke up in 2023. medium.com/the-haven/ho...
medium.com
How Hall & Oates Have Ruined Everything
If these two don’t patch things up, the world will be ripped apart
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Author Bill Sullivan @authorbillsullivan.com · 02/08/2026
Happy birthday to Pleased to Meet Me!
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Author Bill Sullivan @authorbillsullivan.com · 31/07/2026
Rare Tick-Borne Bourbon Virus Confirmed in New York for the First Time scitechdaily.com/rare-bourbon...
scitechdaily.com
Rare Bourbon Virus Confirmed in New York for the First Time
A mysterious tick-borne virus may already be spreading unnoticed in the Northeast.
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Author Bill Sullivan @authorbillsullivan.com · 30/07/2026
How the podcast is made! Today’s episode is a breeze: I bring the science, @religionprof.bsky.social brings the religion, and together we figured out the meaning of life. No big whoop. Spoiler alert: It is NOT 42! More details on this podcast series coming soon!
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Author Bill Sullivan @authorbillsullivan.com · 24/07/2026
Beyond contempt
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Author Bill Sullivan @authorbillsullivan.com · 24/07/2026
RFK Jr: "We do have the outbreak under control." The real world:
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Author Bill Sullivan @authorbillsullivan.com · 24/07/2026
"The Trump administration hates academic science funding, full stop. They hate where that money goes, and they hate who it goes to. They want to keep all that money for themselves, to hand out to favored cronies who can help them get elected" www.science.org/content/blog...
science.org
The Assault On Science Funding Continues
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