✍️Science Writing News Roundup #140

Global Biolabs 2023 Report on laboratories handling the world’s most dangerous pathogens.

The Global Biolabs Initiative launched its latest report, Global BioLabs 2023, and released updates to its interactive map of BSL4 and BSL3+ labs. “The biological risk landscape is rapidly evolving and presents significant new challenges to preventing the accidental, reckless, or malicious misuse of biology. At the same time, oversight systems to ensure that life sciences research is conducted safely, securely, and responsibly are falling behind. An urgent overhaul to realign biorisk management with contemporary risks is needed.” (Image: Global BioLabs 2023)

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💡Resources

• What are the ‘forever chemicals’ that the EPA is limiting?

• The Willow decision is Biden vs science, not vs activists. Yes, activists vehemently oppose the project, but activists are only channeling what science says.

Helen Branswell 🇺🇦 @HelenBranswell

2. The thing about #H5N1 that is so unsettling is that we can't know what it's going to do. The current risk to humans seems low. Will it remain so? That's unknowable. Govts, public health leaders & scientists need to keep an eye on this.

cdc.govTechnical Report: Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A(H5N1) VirusesThis report provides a review of current outbreaks of influenza A(H5N1) viruses in animals and a discussion of risk for public health.

Science Media Centre UK @SMC_London

expert reaction to OpenAI announcing GPT-4

sciencemediacentre.orgexpert reaction to OpenAI announcing GPT-4 | Science Media Centre

👀Articles

• From cats to chatbots: How non-humans are authoring scientific papers. Researchers have always practiced honorary authorship, but the rise of artificial intelligence is making it even easier.

• Panelists endorse collaborative ‘prebunking’ to stop toxic misinformation. Scientific knowledge is no match for entrenched misinformation, JAMA Editor in Chief Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, M.D., told a luncheon crowd at Health Journalism 2023 on Saturday, March 11 in St. Louis. Just look at ivermectin.

• Top 2023 policy stories: end of public health emergency and telehealth. For journalists seeking important health care policy stories in 2023, look to the impact of the end of the public health emergency on Medicaid enrollment and how it may change the number of people who are uninsured.

Timothy Caulfield @CaulfieldTim

Helpful review & resource on the (still rumbling) #mask controversy... "What the Cochrane Review Says About Masks For COVID-19 — and What It Doesn’t" factcheck.org/2023/03/sciche… by @factcheckdotorg with @GidMK @bencowling88 et al. #ScienceUpFirst

factcheck.orgWhat the Cochrane Review Says About Masks For COVID-19 - and What It Doesn’t - FactCheck.orgPeople online are touting the results of a Cochrane review to incorrectly claim that it shows masks “don’t work” against the coronavirus. But the primary conclusion of the review is that it’s uncertain from randomized controlled trials whether mask interventions in the community help slow the spread…

🧭Videos

• Webinar: Global Biolabs 2023 Report on laboratories handling the world’s most dangerous pathogens

• Journalism in the Age of Pandemics 2.0: Are we winning the COVID-19 disinformation war?

• Journalism in the Age of Pandemics 2.0: The Next Big Health Story

• The Birth of the Science Communicator | Dave Farina

• Ceremony for the 2022 AAAS Kavli Science Journalism Award winners

• Press Briefing: How to Cover the Inflation Reduction Act's Roll-out

📲Opportunities

• Apply by April 5 for the 2023 NASW Diversity Summer Fellowship. The fellowship is open to any underrepresented minority who intends to complete a science communication internship during the summer of 2023 (internships that extend into the fall also count towards eligibility). 

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• IPCC Press Conference - Climate Change 2023: Synthesis Report (March 20, 2023)

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