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Sam Nichols

@samjnichols.bsky.social
142 followers 100 following 4 posts

little verbose idiot. Also an Australian drug, health and science and journalist + currently at NYU's SHERP. Views my own etc

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Reposted by Sam Nichols
Hannah Harris Green @whatsitlike.me · 28/09/2026
When I set out to fact check “The Cities That Said Yes to Drugs” which argues that harm reduction may increase overdoses, I expected some cherry picking and misdirection. But not to find basic math errors and debunked right wing talking points asserted as fact in the Atlantic’s print edition.
whatsitlike.me
Atlantic's anti-harm reduction screed riddled with errors
A close read of "The Cities That Said Yes to Drugs" found errors in basic arithmetic as well as more deliberately misleading elements
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Reposted by Sam Nichols
Slate @slate.com · 12/08/2026
A shady new method of injecting Botox and filler is spreading. Uh-oh. slate.trib.al/LhApZt3
slate.trib.al
The FDA Is Trying to Crack Down on an Illegal Cosmetics Movement. It Doesn’t Seem to Be Working.
“I can't control adults. That's on them if they get hurt.”
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Reposted by Sam Nichols
Scientific American @sciam.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
Just what we need. www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-...
scientificamerican.com
Why more extreme rain could mean more shark bites
As rainfall intensifies with climate change, waste flushed out to sea could attract more sharks, putting beachgoers at risk
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Reposted by Sam Nichols
Think Global Health @thinkglobalhealth.org · 05/06/2026
To prevent fatal overdoses and treat addiction, the U.S government has invited faith-based organizations into its national drug control plan. Experts warn that this course suggests a shift from evidence-based, harm-reduction strategies.
thinkglobalhealth.org
Trump's Faith-Based Push Threatens Standard Addiction Treatment | Think Global Health
Experts say the U.S. government's backing of religious and spiritual drug treatment ignores well-established evidence
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Reposted by Sam Nichols
Riley MacLeod @rcmacleod.bsky.social · 02/03/2026
For months, @jacksonwryan.com has been looking into why so many video games sites have become full of gambling and casino stories, unusual author images, and, most recently, the use of AI. We've connected these sites to Clickout Media. Here's what we've learned.
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Sam Nichols @samjnichols.bsky.social · 08/08/2025
This is very belated lmao but I finished up at the ABC last month because later this month, I'll be heading to the US + studying at New York University's Science, Health & Environmental Reporting program. It's an opportunity that still hasn't quite sunk in, but I am very grateful!!!
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Reposted by Sam Nichols
Jack Ryan 🙏🧪 @jacksonwryan.com · 29/07/2025
You know what takes guts? Talking to a journo -- a total stranger -- about the toll that your work has taken on you, mentally, physically, emotionally. I'm so grateful to be given the opportunities as a reporter to speak the truth for people who feel like they don't have a voice.
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Reposted by Sam Nichols
Michael Slezak @mikeyslezak.bsky.social · 28/04/2025
After everything we have gone through - with all the inappropriate intervention of previous chairs and MDs - this is BEYOND disappointing. ABC journos deserve better: to be allowed do their job without the biases of chairs and MDs undermining our independence. @withmeaa.bsky.social
abc.net.au
Ep 12 - ABC Radio chair-bound - Media Watch
An old-school comedian reaches out to an old acquaintance - ABC Chair Kim Williams - for help scoring interviews.
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Reposted by Sam Nichols
Jack Ryan 🙏🧪 @jacksonwryan.com · 11/02/2025
Ed Husic, our Minister for Science, posted on LinkedIn for International Day of Women and Girls in Science. Great! Not so great: He incorrectly spells Dr Kirsten Banks' name (twice), copy-paste Ruby Payne Scott's achievements from a NYT obituary and gets the science of petrichor wrong.
Ed Husic Linkedin Post: “You can’t be what you can’t see” - Dr Cathy Foley 

Today is the International Day of Women and Girls in Science. It’s a chance to reflect on the progress made, celebrate remarkable achievements and look ahead to the work still to do.

I want to give a shout out to some brilliant Australian scientists who’ve made breakthroughs that have benefited not just our nation, but the world. 

I could name so many more. If you know someone who deserves acknowledgement today, tag them in the comments below. Keep reading to learn more about the outstanding scientists you see in these photos. 

1. Ruby Payne-Scott 
In the 1940’s, while working for the Australian Air Force, Ruby Payne-Scott laid the foundation work for what would become the field of radio astronomy. Her work led to the discoveries of deep space phenomena like black holes and pulsars, and was integral to understanding the effects solar storms have in space and here on Earth. 

2. Dr Isabel Joy Bear 
Dr Bear is best known for the chemical characterisation and naming of ‘petrichor’. This is the word that describes that distinctive earthy smell you notice just before it rains. Her life's work was invaluable to the fields of metallurgy and solid-state chemistry."LinkedIn post continued: "3. Dr Cathy Foley 
As Australia’s Chief Scientist from Jan 2021 to Dec 2024, Dr Foley has helped foster and shape our country's scientific community and its research. A passionate advocate for Australia’s Quantum industry, her pioneering work has contributed to the science community's understanding of nitride semiconductors and superconducting electronics. 

4. Dr Fiona Wood
Dr Wood established her medical career working as a doctor in hospitals in Australia and England before becoming interested in the field of plastic surgery. Dr Wood’s work led to a breakthrough in ‘spray on skin’ technology leading to much improved outcomes for patients suffering from burns in Australia and across the globe. 

5. Dr Kristen Banks 
Dr Banks is not just an expert in the field of astrophysics. She's also an expert at making science fun and accessible to the public. With nearly one million followers, Dr Banks is using her digital presence to empower young people and inspire them to follow her into a career in STEM. Dr Banks' Wiradjuri heritage brings a unique POV to her work, blending First Nations knowledge with western science."
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Reposted by Sam Nichols
Rick Morton @squigglyrick.bsky.social · 17/01/2025
"As of Tuesday, January 21, she will be one of more than 200 staff specialist psychiatrists working in public mental health in NSW to resign, facing an uncertain future." Excellent reporting on state's public psychiatry crisis by @biancanogrady.bsky.social www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/health/...
thesaturdaypaper.com.au
The crisis in the NSW mental health system
The mass resignation of psychiatrists in NSW reveals a public health system on the verge of collapse amid years of chronic underfunding even as demand has surged.
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Reposted by Sam Nichols
Michael Slezak @mikeyslezak.bsky.social · 19/12/2024
NSW public mental health services are on the brink of collapse. This is a crisis. Public hospital psychiatrists are saying they need to be paid competitively. “A total of 150 of the state’s 295 staff specialist psychiatrists had formally resigned by Thursday night.”
smh.com.au
Doctors’ mass resignation deepens NSW government’s worker woes
Half of psychiatrists working in NSW public hospitals have tendered their resignations in the latest dispute between the state government and its workers.
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