iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

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Angela Andersen @angelaandersen.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

Kudos to @science.org for this self-analysis of the peer review process. These kind of data are never shared and don't have to be. Wildly refreshing to see it out in the open. Editorial and peer review dynamics at elite general science journals | Science Advances www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

science.org

Editorial and peer review dynamics at elite general science journals

Analyses of deidentified data reveal complex interactions that quantify success at elite general science journals.

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Simon Chapman AO @simonchapman.bsky.social · 27/06/2026

Our response in @addictionjournal.bsky.social to a hyperbolic critique of Australia's track record in tobacco control which over-eggs N Zealand as the way for a vape-led plunge in smoking, when other nations w liberal access vape policies don't match onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

onlinelibrary.wiley.com

Problems in comparing tobacco regulatory models and excise when only two countries are considered

Click on the article title to read more.

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Mun-Keat Looi @munkeatlooi.bsky.social · 26/06/2026

Australia’s under 16s social media ban is widely circumvented, study finds, as UK plans similar restrictions www.bmj.com/content/393/...

bmj.com

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The BMJ @bmj.com · 08/06/2026

Diabetes doctors were forcibly removed from the American Diabetes Association annual conference for handing out paper criticising US administration www.bmj.com/content/393/...

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Matthew Kavanagh @matthewkavanagh.bsky.social · 02/06/2026

This is great, mRNA tech is remarkable. But who will own the knowledge? Will a US company end up with monopoly control of a vaccine that almost exclusively affects Afrcans.

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Rhea Liang @liangrhea.bsky.social · 01/06/2026

Oh for goodness' sakes @news.abc.net.au. The services weren't 'divisive' except for the tiny handful of people who were being horribly disrespectful to our war dead by trying to make the day all about their own racism. #AlwaysWasAlwaysWillBe 🖤💛❤️

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MEAA @withmeaa.bsky.social · 01/06/2026

We are calling for Equitable Remuneration (ER) to be embedded in Australian copyright law - ensuring creators are paid when their work is used, including by AI. This isn’t optional. It’s the foundation of a sustainable creative economy. #PayUp Learn more: meaa.io/payup

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Brian Lyman @brianlyman.bsky.social · 31/05/2026

It’s always striking how the decline in alcohol consumption is covered as a business problem instead of a win for public health.

nytimes.com

Can the World Cup Help the U.S. Beer Industry Kick Its Slump?

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Alix Dunn @alixdunn.com · 31/05/2026

Oh hell yeah @amnesty.org comes out swinging: "Amnesty International finds that standalone generative AI systems... are fundamentally incompatible with IHRL. As such, Amnesty International is calling for a prohibition of such systems." www.amnesty.org/en/documents...

amnesty.org

Unlawful by design: Exposing the human rights costs of generative AI - Amnesty International

This briefing examines how standalone generative AI systems, based on unlawful web scraping, are in conflict with international human rights law (IHRL) and standards through their design, development ...

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Rhea Liang @liangrhea.bsky.social · 31/05/2026

Important news from a meta-analysis of 69 (!! 🤯) studies. NO evidence for calcium +/- vit D for most people in the community. But an equally important caveat: insufficient evidence to make conclusions for patients already at high risk or in residential care.

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Eddie Yang @eddieyang.bsky.social · 13/05/2026

New paper in Nature. The more a government controls its domestic media, the more it dominates AI training data, the more pro-regime outputs we get from AI. By scraping the open web, LLMs are unwittingly laundering state-coordinated narratives into seemingly objective answers.

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Liz Zuccala @drzucc.bsky.social · 18/05/2026

The whole point of citations is to demonstrate meaningful engagement with existing scholarship - an understanding and critique of what has come before, what gap an author seeks to address, how the work moves thinking forward. If you haven’t read it then you’re not doing your job as a researcher.

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Kat Tenbarge @kattenbarge.bsky.social · 17/05/2026

Birth rate discourse is like “It turns out if you give women more choices, they’re less likely to make ones that make their lives harder.” Which is really helpful in figuring out how we can improve society somewhat. But instead people are like wow giving women more choices was a mistake

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Iris van Rooij 💭 @irisvanrooij.bsky.social · 17/05/2026

"Fake citations have turned into a nightmare for research librarians, who by some estimates are wasting up to 15 percent of their work hours responding to requests for nonexistent records that ChatGPT or Google Gemini alluded to." open access link: archive.ph/qt59c 2/🧵

rollingstone.com

AI Is Inventing Academic Papers That Don't Exist -- And They're Being Cited in Real Journals

Academic articles from authors using large language model are creating an ecosystem of fake research that threatens human knowledge itself.

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Julia Carrie Wong @joolia.bsky.social · 17/05/2026

our system of knowledge production is under attack from an extraordinary array of forces and if the people putatively on the side of maintaining it cannot commit to the most basic standards (not using fake citations, writing your own words, etc) I fear there is no hope

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Kai Kupferschmidt @kakape.bsky.social · 17/05/2026

WHO has declared the #Ebola outbreak in DRC and Uganda a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). First time this has been done without consulting an emergency committee. Extraordinary move that speaks to how concerning the facts on the ground look right now

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Kai Kupferschmidt @kakape.bsky.social · 16/05/2026

I’ve been trying to understand what we know and don’t know so far about the concerning Ebola outbreak in DRC. Still lots of uncertainty at the moment but here‘s what I have been able to find out so far. Story is here (thread coming later): www.science.org/content/arti...

science.org

Major outbreak of rare Ebola virus species in northern Congo alarms scientists

No vaccines exist for Ebola Bundibugyo, which has caused 80 suspected deaths in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and one in Uganda

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Onisillos @onisillos.bsky.social · 15/05/2026

"From a standpoint of transmission, every person does not pose the same risk, and that point has been missed." www.cidrap.umn.edu/misc-emergin...

cidrap.umn.edu

Osterholm on hantavirus: We’re missing ‘main point of this outbreak’

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Madhu Pai, MD, PhD @madhupai.bsky.social · 14/05/2026

For all the pandemic deniers out there: "COVID-19 pandemic inflicted a setback of historic proportions. An estimated 22.1 million excess deaths occurred between 2020 and 2023, with nearly a decade of gains in life expectancy & healthy life expectancy wiped out by 2021" iris.who.int/server/api/c...

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Kathleen Bachynski @bachynski.bsky.social · 14/05/2026

The drug, ensitrelvir, “blocks an enzyme that coronaviruses need to make new copies of themselves, hitting the same target as one of the two active ingredients in [Paxlovid]. But whereas that ingredient, nirmatrelvir, failed to prevent household infections in trials, ensitrelvir has come through.”

nature.com

At last, a pill that can prevent COVID after exposure to infected people

Drug arrives years after pandemic’s peak, but could still offer protection to vulnerable populations.

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Trish Greenhalgh @trishgreenhalgh.bsky.social · 12/05/2026

OUR NEW BMJ editorial: Andes virus should reset WHO’s default approach to airborne risk. 🧵 1/ For severe pathogens with person-to-person transmission, the starting point should be precautionary airborne protections — not waiting for definitive proof after spread occurs. www.bmj.com/content/393/...

bmj.com

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Dr. Mar @boldnewme.bsky.social · 06/05/2026

This is exactly why language matters: “women were given the vote” frames equality as a gift from men, instead of hard won political power extracted through organized resistance. Nobody gave women anything. Women fought, marched, strategized, endured violence, went to prison and died for it.

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Elisabeth Bik @elisabethbik.bsky.social · 03/05/2026

JC: GenAI can now produce realistic but fake photos. Image tools cannot reliably detect those images. If we cannot prove that something is fake, maybe we should prove that something is real. mikhoelias.substack.com/p/how-ai-bre... #WCRI2026

mikhoelias.substack.com

How AI Breakthrough Could Shake the Scientific Publishing Process

Recent Image generation and LLM models are so good they can produce digital assets nearly undistinguishable from genuine ones.

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Prof Christina Pagel @chrischirp.bsky.social · 01/05/2026

NHS data should be driving innovation & improvement – it’s an amazing resource We just published the sequel to our 2021 "Road to Hell" paper on using NHS data for research... things are worse! Buckle up for a long 🧵about *how COMPLETELY mad* system is for accessing NHS data for research 1/20

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Oni Blackstock, MD MHS @oniblackstock.bsky.social · 01/05/2026

"Kennedy says the children are getting obsolete shots with dangerous ingredients that the U.S. has long since phased out. He is holding up $600 million Congress appropriated for the vaccines to pressure the international humanitarian group, Gavi, that distributes them."

politico.com

RFK Jr. is holding up $600M in vaccines for poor countries

The distributor of the shots said it would cost tens of thousands of lives.

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Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health @anzjph.bsky.social · 01/05/2026

🆕 What motivates Aussie adults to get their flu vax? Most want to be vaccinated and trust in healthcare professionals has risen, but cost and appointment access remain barriers. 🔗 doi.org/10.1016/j.an... @julieleask.bsky.social @sydney.edu.au @publichealthaus.bsky.social

Photo of woman with her sleeve rolled up showing a bandaid on her forearm. The image also includes the ANZJPH and Public Health Association of Australia logos. Text: Increased trust in the flu vaccine and healthcare professionals. Tracking the behavioural and social drivers of adult influenza vaccination: Insights from Australia's first serial survey."

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Matthew L Reznicek @drreznicek.bsky.social · 29/04/2026

The skills the market had dismissed turned out to be the ones the machines could not do. Judgement. Interpretation. The ability to read between the lines of something that presents itself as neutral. The capacity to hold two contradictory ideas[.] theslowai.substack.com/p/why-humani...

theslowai.substack.com

The Humanities Are the Moat

Twenty years of defunding the disciplines that teach judgement. Now we are surprised nobody can tell when AI is wrong.

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Guttmacher @guttmacher.org · 28/04/2026

Australia’s investment in sexual and reproductive health is delivering measurable results worldwide, with strong impact across Asia and the Pacific. Our latest analysis highlights the impact and why sustained leadership matters. Read more: gu.tt/3P3hJcs

White and yellow text on a navy blue background reads, "The Impact of Australia's SRHR Investments - In a time of global funding uncertainty, sustained investment is critical to protecting and expanding access to essential care." Logos for the SRHR consortium, IPPF, and Guttmacher are featured in the bottom right corner.

White and yellow text on a navy blue background reads, "Australia’s 2024 investment of AUD$49.2M in family planning supported: 2.8 million women and couples with contraceptive care, averting 830,000 unintended pregnancies, including 303,000 unsafe abortions, and 588 maternal deaths." Logos for the SRHR consortium, IPPF, and Guttmacher are featured in the bottom right corner.

White and yellow text on a navy blue background reads, "Every additional AUD$10M invested in family planning would support: 560,000 additional women and couples, preventing 169,000 unintended pregnancies and 120 maternal deaths globally." Logos for the SRHR consortium, IPPF, and Guttmacher are featured in the bottom right corner.

White and yellow text on a navy blue background reads, "Australia’s SRHR investments work. Sustained investments in comprehensive SRHR deliver measurable, cost-effective, life-saving impact worldwide, particularly across Asia and the Pacific, while advancing critical progress toward gender equality. Australia’s continued leadership is key to closing remaining gaps." Logos for the SRHR consortium, IPPF, and Guttmacher are featured in the bottom right corner.

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Matthew Facciani @matthewfacciani.bsky.social · 27/04/2026

"The results suggest that, in the first few months after vaccination (September–December 2025), this year’s vaccines were 53–55% effective against hospitalizations among the study’s population of adults without immune compromise." insidemedicine.substack.com/p/exclusive-...

insidemedicine.substack.com

Exclusive: Here's the Covid-19 vaccine paper the CDC censored.

RFK Jr. and the CDC’s top official, Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, don’t want you to read this. That’s exactly why you should.

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Kathleen Bachynski @bachynski.bsky.social · 27/04/2026

“The Washington Post reported last week that HHS has shelved a study CDC scientists were on the verge of publishing showing that this past winter the vaccines reduced the risk of needing emergency care or hospitalization for Covid by 50%.”

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Erin Reed @erininthemorning.com · 23/04/2026

1. In a draconian new policy, Texas Tech is banning writing about LGBTQ+ topics. The ban is the first don't say gay or trans policy to apply to students themselves. It applies to any thesis/dissertation moving forward. They are using AI to scan everything. Subscribe to support our journalism.

erininthemorning.com

Texas Tech Issues Ban On Students Writing On LGBTQ+ Topics

The ban applies to theses and dissertations, and is expected to begin going into effect on a rolling basis.

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Sarah Todd @sarah-todd.bsky.social · 23/04/2026

A former tobacco executive quietly joined CDC senior leadership last month — a move raising concerns over the industry's influence over public health and revolving doors. www.statnews.com/2026/04/22/n...

statnews.com

Former tobacco executive joins CDC senior leadership, raising concerns over industry influence

Naming a former Imperial Brands executive for a CDC job is the latest example, advocates say, of tobacco industry influence in Trump administration.

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Nick Dearden @nickdearden.bsky.social · 14/04/2026

“If you criticise Palantir’s platform one more time, you are going to lose your job.” Solidarity to all NHS workers opposing this toxic corporation. Shame on those bullying them. But they won’t stop us. We’re going to ditch Palantir. www.ft.com/content/ff70...

ft.com

Senior NHS officials warned staff over criticising rollout of Palantir platform

Ethical objections and uneven adoption have made the tech group’s contract a divisive issue within English health service

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jamelle @jamellebouie.net · 14/04/2026

can’t say what i want to happen to these people for legal reasons

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Joshua Sharp @joshuasharp.bsky.social · 13/04/2026

This makes me SO angry! We developed a vaccine that effectively prevents a deadly CANCER! And the argument is "cancer is good because it keeps people from having sex". It's evil, it's ridiculous, and yet people are saying it out loud and not being immediately shouted down.

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Rebecca Solnit @rebeccasolnit.bsky.social · 11/04/2026

Weird to me that this is the thing everyone cites, because there's so much that's so much worse. In 1974 the first laws against marital rape were passed, but all 50 states did not classify it as a crime/remove the exemption until 1993.

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Fabrice FRANK @fabricefrank.eurosky.social · 07/04/2026

61st and 62nd retractions for the IHU in Marseille. 49th and 50th for Didier Raoult. Lack of ethical approval, retrospective approval, conflicts of interest with the ethics committee, and the use of code 09-022 for 258 articles.

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Cameron Blevins @cblevins.bsky.social · 03/04/2026

This is so, so well-articulated.

People call this friction "grunt work." Schwartz uses exactly that phrase, and he's right that LLMs can remove it. What he doesn't say, because he already has decades of hard-won intuition and doesn't need the grunt work anymore, is that for someone who doesn't yet have that intuition, the grunt work is the work. The boring parts and the important parts are tangled together in a way that you can't separate in advance. You don't know which afternoon of debugging was the one that taught you something fundamental about your data until three years later, when you're working on a completely different problem and the insight surfaces. Serendipity doesn't come from efficiency. It comes from spending time in the space where the problem lives, getting your hands dirty, making mistakes that nobody asked you to make and learning things nobody assigned you to learn.

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Elizabeth Jacobs, PhD @elizabethjacobs.bsky.social · 02/04/2026

Pfizer has ended its large Phase III Trial of an updated COVID19 vaccine. They were not able to enroll enough people to meet their goal. A major problem is the FDA’s wholly unreasonable demand that people with chronic conditions, who benefit most from the vaccine, not be allowed to participate.

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Apoorva Mandavilli @apoorvanyt.bsky.social · 01/04/2026

The CDC has paused testing for rabies and pox viruses, the family of viruses that includes smallpox and mpox — and by July will have no experts to advise states on clinical aspects of the diseases Gift link: www.nytimes.com/2026/04/01/h...

nytimes.com

C.D.C. Pauses Testing for Rabies and Mpox

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The Australia Institute @australiainstitute.org.au · 23/03/2026

New South Wales is the first state in Australia to ban new coal mines! This is a monumental policy shift and the first real acknowledgement by an Australian Government that fossil fuels must be phased out. #auspol

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The Australia Institute @australiainstitute.org.au · 17/03/2026

“Abortion is legal across Australia and this research shows a majority of Australians support access to abortion, whether they live in cities or country towns, or where they sit on the political spectrum.” - Ebony Bennett Read more: theaus.in/4sUeAKp

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Prof Gavin Yamey MD MPH @gavinyamey.bsky.social · 17/03/2026

“The State Department is considering withholding lifesaving assistance to people with H.I.V. in Zambia as a negotiating tactic to force the government of the southern African country to sign a deal giving the United States more access to its critical minerals” Extractive, colonial, & depraved 1/2

U.S. Considers Withholding H.I.V. Aid Unless Zambia Expands Minerals Access
A draft State Department memo outlines ways the Trump administration may ratchet up pressure on the African country by ending health support “on a massive scale.”

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Health Nerd @gidmk.bsky.social · 10/03/2026

I have now written up the issues with this study. Turns out it's even worse than I initially thought! gidmk.substack.com/p/multivitam...

gidmk.substack.com

Multivitamins Don't Slow Biological Aging

Another ridiculous headline from the COSMOS trial

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Prof Gavin Yamey MD MPH @gavinyamey.bsky.social · 08/03/2026

Bombed a school & then, 30 mins later, bombed it again—ensuring any kids who survived & any rescue workers would be killed “People were pulling out children’s arms and legs. People were pulling out severed heads” One of the worst war crimes in modern history. It was a school—not an IRGC base.

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Jocalyn Clark @jocalynclark.bsky.social · 06/03/2026

No happy #IWD 2026 marked by the grim reality that it took a dead man’s emails for the world to believe the testimonies of 100s of women & girls. I urge scrutiny of how Epstein’s cabal & abuse have been health-washed And for more attention to the survivors of #VAW 👇 www.bmj.com/content/392/...

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Madhu Pai, MD, PhD @madhupai.bsky.social · 05/03/2026

The next time politicians say there is no money for health or humanitarian aid, I will remember this: $1 billion per day on war

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