Robin Donovan
@RobinKD
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Science journalist. Taking a Twitter break until ... 2024?
Portland, OR (Multnomah lands)
Joined April 2009
Be kind. Be kind when you can. By any measure, the world is in crisis and we're all running on empty. Your empathy can make all the difference, in the moments you can provide it. RIP to my uplifting friend, Chris, who exemplified this so well.
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As a society, we can do better for people with chronic pain. Maybe seeing them as people first, for a start.
In speaking with patient who received her last pain med dose after being forcibly tapered she said, “we should all meet on the roof of a tall building, hundreds if not thousands of us and, together, after explaining our reasons, jump to our deaths. Maybe then they’ll understand?
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There are also optimal levels vs. "normal" levels, particularly for endurance athletes. Yet I have never had a medical provider reference this with me, including MDs board certified in sports medicine. It's either "iron looks good" or "iron is low."
Iron deficiency in women is probably my biggest soap box issue. Women have been told forever that their anemia and iron deficiency are either "normal for them" or "expected from menstrual bleeding". Neither of which are true and both are from medical misogyny. #ISTH2023
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Being a Black woman means you get a PhD in a field, do award winning research & such & white dudes come over & ask you to show your receipts & compare yourself to cult leaders writing blogposts who have people worshipping their self proclaimed high IQ & talk about bombing things.
@timnitGebru Yudkowsky is not working on machine learning and AI development research. Are you? How many of the people in that panel are? How many of them working on frontier models? Eliezer is certainly working on developing and communicating his ideas about existential risk from AGI/ASI.
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Recreating growing season research from the 1800s @OhioState. Such a fun story to write—a study from my parents' alma mater near where I grew up. My first for @SmithsonianMag! H/t Kellen Calinger-Yoak @EEOB_OSU, @uredo, Christopher Evans @UofIllinois
https://t.co/yeemqTjIQW
smithsonianmag.com
The documents provide evidence of climate change's effect on hardwood trees in Ohio
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Some of you may have wondered what has been going on with the @IBWellsSociety and why we've offered no programming in months. Well, since we announced to UNC we were leaving in December, the university held onto our money until a few weeks ago.
ncnewsline.com
Ida B. Wells Society canceled programs for young journalists after UNC withheld millions in funding; Nikole Hannah-Jones; higher education
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(CW: suicidality). Physicians have suicide rates 2x the general population. I am a gay, Black physician who lives with a history of two suicide attempts. This is my story.💖 So many thanks to @letswondermind @AshleyOerman for publishing this piece.💖 https://t.co/sgo6csdR9G
wondermind.com
Honestly, it’s OK to ask me about it.
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Heck yes! Some even learn the noise of a speargun being shot, then circle over to try to steal the fish. They might have bad vision, but they're opportunitists.
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Tomorrow (6/6) there will be an unprecedented attempt to have bicyclists every taco joint in the region on a single day. 🌮🌮🌮🌮🌮🌮🌮🌮🌮🌮🌮🌮 Behold... The Reign of Taco Ride. https://t.co/fzEIbqkldN
@pedalpalooza #bikesummer #tacos
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It's a race to see which body system-specific aging clock we will come to trust first. Cool research from @yetianmed @andrewzalesky, comments by @Danbelsky, Anne Newman @PittTweet
https://t.co/oPwnAd7S5Z
proto.life
Organ-specific biological clocks are the latest tool for predicting and treating both chronic disease and overall aging.
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Long before apps and mobile phones made observing and identifying nature easier, this 19th-century farmer was a dedicated citizen scientist. @RobinKD shares how his work is now helping forest ecologists understand the effects of climate change.
smithsonianmag.com
The documents provide evidence of climate change's effect on hardwood trees in Ohio
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TIL that there are 300-500 microplastic particles per liter of bottled water. There are fewer particles in tap water. If you get down to it, we're basically coating ourselves, and the world, with microplastics.
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There's competition for epigenetic clocks on the way -- simpler tests that could track the biological age of organs and how they influence one another.
Organ-specific biological clocks are the latest tool for predicting and treating both chronic disease and overall aging. #longevity #biologicalage
https://t.co/vorsJT2vRn
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Bottom marine heat waves can happen independently of surface heat waves. New research from @DillonAmaya, comments from @Amandine_ocean, story by @RobinKD. https://t.co/mPs6xUSjAw
eos.org
Heat waves can happen in the depths, invisible at the ocean surface.
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Is this ... is this some sort of orca-based Tide pod challenge? (And one vote to strike "killer whales" from the lexicon.) https://t.co/2yekwF0DT4
scientificamerican.com
Killer whales in a group near Spain and Portugal may be teaching one another to mess with small boats. They sank their third vessel earlier this month
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All hail @RobinLloyd99 who hath, yet again and against the odds, updated her pitch resource for science journalists. Huzzah, for it spareth us much time and frustration.
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Interviewed an Australian scientist who mentioned "costly" MRIs: $400-700 AUD ($250-456 USD). I knew of a hospital in Ohio charging $3,300 for an MRI 10 years ago.
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"UNOS is 15 times more likely to lose or damage an organ in transit as an airline is to lose or damage your luggage." ?!?! https://t.co/v99hiqvsCh
npr.org
A probe found troubling lapses in the country's organ transplant system. Blood types mismatched, diseased organs accidentally transplanted and donor organs lost or damaged in transit.
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US clinical trials start in animals, then move to ppl. Results often don't translate. Startups are moving abroad to jump to human trials sooner, hoping big risks will speed gene therapy R&D. @SciencePunk's behind-the-scenes look at this is worth a read.
wired.com
Longevity evangelists are injecting people with experimental gene therapies. There are no guarantees—and no refunds.
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Me: Starts training for Ironman California My body: Costochondritis, shin splints, lingering cold, double eye infection My bike fitter, at this point, is probably just wondering if I forgot about my follow-up appt.
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Organ cryopreservation is biotech you probably haven't heard, but it's hardly far-fetched. Colder temps = longer storage = lives saved. Hat tip @protolifemedia for being a home for some of my wilder ideas. Check them out sometime! https://t.co/CuxDoQ48Kg
proto.life
Inspired by Arctic fish, scientists are developing frost-fighting methods to keep organs viable for as long as possible.
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