Flynn Murphy
@flynnmurphy.bsky.social
Journalist covering the politics of science and medicine in China and the region. Repost not endorsement.
Tips: flynnmurphy at protonmail dot com
Latest: https://muckrack.com/flynn-murphy
Tips: flynnmurphy at protonmail dot com
Latest: https://muckrack.com/flynn-murphy
Pinned
Flynn Murphy
@flynnmurphy.bsky.social
· Jul 17
Questions are swirling about why five researchers, including Harvard University geneticist George Church, made an eleventh-hour decision to withdraw from the author list on a commentary paper. https://scim.ag/4aWGv5Q
Did U.S. scrutiny of foreign research drive prominent geneticist to decline authorship?
George Church moved to paper’s acknowledgements section, triggering exodus
scim.ag
Is this the first case of scientists in America losing credit for their work as a result of growing government scrutiny of international research collaborations? New from me and @jeffreybrainard.bsky.social
Reposted by Flynn Murphy
China's tobacco monopoly flexes financial muscle in shoring up banks
https://asia.nikkei.com/business/finance/china-s-tobacco-monopoly-flexes-financial-muscle-in-shoring-up-banks
https://asia.nikkei.com/business/finance/china-s-tobacco-monopoly-flexes-financial-muscle-in-shoring-up-banks
China's tobacco monopoly flexes financial muscle in shoring up banks
Cigarette maker again serves as 'cash printing press' to supplement finance ministry
asia.nikkei.com
September 8, 2026 at 11:53 PM
China's tobacco monopoly flexes financial muscle in shoring up banks
https://asia.nikkei.com/business/finance/china-s-tobacco-monopoly-flexes-financial-muscle-in-shoring-up-banks
https://asia.nikkei.com/business/finance/china-s-tobacco-monopoly-flexes-financial-muscle-in-shoring-up-banks
Reposted by Flynn Murphy
This is a story about the interstitium, a “new” “organ” discovered in 2018. It’s also a story about a pathologist in love with Buddhism and mysticism, and how his mother talked to dead people.
Sometimes science gets distorted by the scientist himself.
My latest for @mcgilloss.bsky.social.
Sometimes science gets distorted by the scientist himself.
My latest for @mcgilloss.bsky.social.
The Organ That “Proved” That Everything Is Connected
Science is elastic. Its findings can be stretched to sell useless gadgets and to sow mistrust. Often, this distortion of the truth is done outside of academia by merchants of doubt, spiritual influenc...
www.mcgill.ca
September 4, 2026 at 7:01 PM
This is a story about the interstitium, a “new” “organ” discovered in 2018. It’s also a story about a pathologist in love with Buddhism and mysticism, and how his mother talked to dead people.
Sometimes science gets distorted by the scientist himself.
My latest for @mcgilloss.bsky.social.
Sometimes science gets distorted by the scientist himself.
My latest for @mcgilloss.bsky.social.
Reposted by Flynn Murphy
First #H5N1 bird flu detection confirmed in Australian dolphin
"The state's chief veterinary officer Dr Skye Fruean said it was expected the dolphin had "eaten a bird or interacted closely with a wild bird".
"We know that dolphins are highly susceptible"
www.abc.net.au/news/2026-08...
"The state's chief veterinary officer Dr Skye Fruean said it was expected the dolphin had "eaten a bird or interacted closely with a wild bird".
"We know that dolphins are highly susceptible"
www.abc.net.au/news/2026-08...
First H5N1 bird flu detection confirmed in Australian dolphin
South Australian authorities confirm the country's first H5N1 bird flu in a common dolphin, which was found dead on the Fleurieu Peninsula.
www.abc.net.au
August 28, 2026 at 6:52 AM
First #H5N1 bird flu detection confirmed in Australian dolphin
"The state's chief veterinary officer Dr Skye Fruean said it was expected the dolphin had "eaten a bird or interacted closely with a wild bird".
"We know that dolphins are highly susceptible"
www.abc.net.au/news/2026-08...
"The state's chief veterinary officer Dr Skye Fruean said it was expected the dolphin had "eaten a bird or interacted closely with a wild bird".
"We know that dolphins are highly susceptible"
www.abc.net.au/news/2026-08...
Reposted by Flynn Murphy
Canada Hires U.S. Scholars From Harvard and Other Top Universities www.nytimes.com/2026/08/27/w...
Canada Hires U.S. Scholars From Harvard and Other Top Universities
A crackdown on American academia by the Trump administration has handed Canadian universities a rare opportunity to lure some top researchers north.
www.nytimes.com
August 28, 2026 at 2:47 AM
Canada Hires U.S. Scholars From Harvard and Other Top Universities www.nytimes.com/2026/08/27/w...
AI giant Anthropic wanted 'massive' data centre capacity in NSW, emails reveal
www.abc.net.au/news/2026-08...
www.abc.net.au/news/2026-08...
Internal emails expose scale of Anthropic's Australian AI plans
The US tech giant behind popular AI chatbot Claude wanted to meet with the NSW government earlier this year about locating up to five gigawatts of data centres in the state, the ABC can reveal.
www.abc.net.au
August 26, 2026 at 2:27 AM
AI giant Anthropic wanted 'massive' data centre capacity in NSW, emails reveal
www.abc.net.au/news/2026-08...
www.abc.net.au/news/2026-08...
Reposted by Flynn Murphy
Public comments about a proposal that would make science funding decisions open to political influence are removed from the record, but not by the submitters. A number mentioned that OMB Director Russell Vought's family has benefited from federally funded research. www.statnews.com/2026/08/25/r...
Comments on OMB research rule mysteriously removed from federal website
Some comments on a proposed OMB research rule have been mysteriously removed from a public-facing government webpage.
www.statnews.com
August 25, 2026 at 3:04 PM
Public comments about a proposal that would make science funding decisions open to political influence are removed from the record, but not by the submitters. A number mentioned that OMB Director Russell Vought's family has benefited from federally funded research. www.statnews.com/2026/08/25/r...
Reposted by Flynn Murphy
On Earth, life may have emerged not once, but twice. A new study pinpoints ancient genetic differences between our planet’s earliest organisms, bacteria and archaea, which hint at a common origin from a single, deep-sea source that was itself not yet truly alive.
Life’s ‘last universal common ancestor’ may predate life itself
A groundbreaking study hints at a hazy boundary between “life” and “non-life,” as well as two distinct origins of biology on Earth
www.scientificamerican.com
August 20, 2026 at 2:34 PM
On Earth, life may have emerged not once, but twice. A new study pinpoints ancient genetic differences between our planet’s earliest organisms, bacteria and archaea, which hint at a common origin from a single, deep-sea source that was itself not yet truly alive.
Reposted by Flynn Murphy
Chuffed that the BMJ has 9 nominations in the Medical Journalism Awards shortlist! Including both @jennifer Richardson and myself in the Editor category!
Congrats to my colleagues and so many friends who are also nominated mjauk.org/the-mja-2026...
Congrats to my colleagues and so many friends who are also nominated mjauk.org/the-mja-2026...
The MJA 2026 Awards shortlist is here! - Medical Journalists’ Association
We are delighted to announce the finalists for our 2026 Medical Journalists’ Association Awards. As ever, the MJA Awards recognise outstanding reporting across medicine, health and science. Our independent...
mjauk.org
August 19, 2026 at 2:16 PM
Chuffed that the BMJ has 9 nominations in the Medical Journalism Awards shortlist! Including both @jennifer Richardson and myself in the Editor category!
Congrats to my colleagues and so many friends who are also nominated mjauk.org/the-mja-2026...
Congrats to my colleagues and so many friends who are also nominated mjauk.org/the-mja-2026...
Reposted by Flynn Murphy
"Self‑censorship, more stress, tougher recruiting – we asked US researchers how the #Trump administration’s science policies have affected them." […]
[Original post on fediscience.org]
[Original post on fediscience.org]
August 19, 2026 at 5:06 PM
"Self‑censorship, more stress, tougher recruiting – we asked US researchers how the #Trump administration’s science policies have affected them." […]
[Original post on fediscience.org]
[Original post on fediscience.org]
Reposted by Flynn Murphy
Trump administration sued over visa time limit that would affect grad students, postdocs www.statnews.com/2026/08/18/d...
Trump administration sued over visa time limit that would affect grad students, postdocs
DHS was sued Tuesday over a sweeping policy change that would limit how long foreign students and scholars can remain in the U.S.
www.statnews.com
August 19, 2026 at 3:00 AM
Trump administration sued over visa time limit that would affect grad students, postdocs www.statnews.com/2026/08/18/d...
Reposted by Flynn Murphy
China Hunts for Scientific Talent. The U.S. Is Making It Easier
www.nytimes.com/2026/08/17/b...
www.nytimes.com/2026/08/17/b...
As China Hunts for Scientific Talent, the US Makes It Easier
Young researchers have long come to the U.S. for academic training, but a combination of Chinese money and U.S. restrictions is shifting the balance.
www.nytimes.com
August 18, 2026 at 7:27 AM
China Hunts for Scientific Talent. The U.S. Is Making It Easier
www.nytimes.com/2026/08/17/b...
www.nytimes.com/2026/08/17/b...
Reposted by Flynn Murphy
📣 The National People’s Congress has released an official (but non-binding) English translation of the Ecological and Environmental Code [生态环境法典], which entered into force on August 15, 2026.
npcobserver.com/wp-content/u...
npcobserver.com/wp-content/u...
August 15, 2026 at 4:53 PM
📣 The National People’s Congress has released an official (but non-binding) English translation of the Ecological and Environmental Code [生态环境法典], which entered into force on August 15, 2026.
npcobserver.com/wp-content/u...
npcobserver.com/wp-content/u...
//How did we end up here? Through a market failure... An antibiotic is a rare product whose value rises the less it is used. The best new drugs must be held in reserve to preserve their potency, which means minimal sales and no way to earn back substantial research costs// www.ft.com/content/5924...
The west has given China the keys to the medicine cabinet
The US and Europe led the antibiotic era but then outsourced the means to sustain it
www.ft.com
August 13, 2026 at 9:31 AM
//How did we end up here? Through a market failure... An antibiotic is a rare product whose value rises the less it is used. The best new drugs must be held in reserve to preserve their potency, which means minimal sales and no way to earn back substantial research costs// www.ft.com/content/5924...
Reposted by Flynn Murphy
OPINION: Chinese diplomats must stop telling Thais what to think and do
Meddling to improve perceptions of China abroad cannot obscure 'gray Chinese' in Thailand
trib.al/BpmjBzA
Meddling to improve perceptions of China abroad cannot obscure 'gray Chinese' in Thailand
trib.al/BpmjBzA
Chinese diplomats must stop telling Thais what to think and do
Meddling to improve perceptions of China abroad cannot obscure 'gray Chinese' in Thailand
trib.al
August 12, 2026 at 11:18 AM
OPINION: Chinese diplomats must stop telling Thais what to think and do
Meddling to improve perceptions of China abroad cannot obscure 'gray Chinese' in Thailand
trib.al/BpmjBzA
Meddling to improve perceptions of China abroad cannot obscure 'gray Chinese' in Thailand
trib.al/BpmjBzA
Reposted by Flynn Murphy
"Victoria will need 10,000 doses to meet its vaccine target, and plans to work with the federal government to secure them."
www.abc.net.au/news/science...
www.abc.net.au/news/science...
Phillip Island penguins to be vaccinated for bird flu
The targeted vaccination of 5,000 penguins is claimed to be the largest wild bird vaccination program undertaken globally.
www.abc.net.au
August 12, 2026 at 5:36 AM
"Victoria will need 10,000 doses to meet its vaccine target, and plans to work with the federal government to secure them."
www.abc.net.au/news/science...
www.abc.net.au/news/science...
Reposted by Flynn Murphy
Reposted by Flynn Murphy
This controversial surgery for Alzheimer's patients aims to improve drainage of fluid from the brain. What do we know about it?
go.nature.com/4wV6hjX
go.nature.com/4wV6hjX
A controversial Alzheimer’s surgery is said to reverse symptoms — here’s what scientists know
Jaw-dropping patient videos and miraculous testimonials ignited a frenzy in China over a technique that aims to improve drainage from the brain. Now it is entering trials worldwide.
go.nature.com
August 12, 2026 at 10:49 AM
This controversial surgery for Alzheimer's patients aims to improve drainage of fluid from the brain. What do we know about it?
go.nature.com/4wV6hjX
go.nature.com/4wV6hjX
//Former Chinese premier Zhu Rongji, who earned a reputation as an economic reformer, has died. He was 97.// www.scmp.com/news/china/p...
Breaking | Chinese economic reformer Zhu Rongji dies aged 97
Zhu, who rose to become premier, spearheaded China’s entry into the WTO.
www.scmp.com
August 12, 2026 at 10:10 AM
//Former Chinese premier Zhu Rongji, who earned a reputation as an economic reformer, has died. He was 97.// www.scmp.com/news/china/p...
Reposted by Flynn Murphy
Translation: Migrant Worker Jing Shuren On Trial After Two-Year Detention for Reposting Unpaid Wage Complaints
"Jing Shuren neither aimed to disturb social order nor did he actually do so; he simply wanted to help people who were owed unpaid wages."
"Jing Shuren neither aimed to disturb social order nor did he actually do so; he simply wanted to help people who were owed unpaid wages."
Translation: Migrant Worker Jing Shuren On Trial After Two-Year Detention for Reposting Unpaid Wage Complaints
Late last month, Caixin published an update on the case, prompting commentator and former investigative journalist Chu Chaoxin to post a belated but heartfelt
chinadigitaltimes.net
August 11, 2026 at 3:00 AM
Translation: Migrant Worker Jing Shuren On Trial After Two-Year Detention for Reposting Unpaid Wage Complaints
"Jing Shuren neither aimed to disturb social order nor did he actually do so; he simply wanted to help people who were owed unpaid wages."
"Jing Shuren neither aimed to disturb social order nor did he actually do so; he simply wanted to help people who were owed unpaid wages."
Reposted by Flynn Murphy
Trump's diplomacy is nudging Thailand toward China
Bangkok's response to the Cambodia conflict highlights a broader shift across Southeast Asia
trib.al/7zrpudb
Bangkok's response to the Cambodia conflict highlights a broader shift across Southeast Asia
trib.al/7zrpudb
August 9, 2026 at 5:05 AM
Trump's diplomacy is nudging Thailand toward China
Bangkok's response to the Cambodia conflict highlights a broader shift across Southeast Asia
trib.al/7zrpudb
Bangkok's response to the Cambodia conflict highlights a broader shift across Southeast Asia
trib.al/7zrpudb
Reposted by Flynn Murphy
Translation: “AI Has Determined That My Press Card Is a Fake”
"AI hallucinations are nothing new, but this was the first time an AI’s error in judgment had a real, negative impact on my work."
"AI hallucinations are nothing new, but this was the first time an AI’s error in judgment had a real, negative impact on my work."
Translation: “AI Has Determined That My Press Card Is a Fake”
The rise of artificial intelligence and the widespread use of domestic and international large language models (LLMs) have had a profound impact, for better
chinadigitaltimes.net
August 5, 2026 at 8:25 PM
Translation: “AI Has Determined That My Press Card Is a Fake”
"AI hallucinations are nothing new, but this was the first time an AI’s error in judgment had a real, negative impact on my work."
"AI hallucinations are nothing new, but this was the first time an AI’s error in judgment had a real, negative impact on my work."
Reposted by Flynn Murphy
Today is the first Tuesday of the month, my (self-imposed) blog posting day --
I wrote about accusations of coverup and conspiracies, thrown without any evidence, in the context of the recent release of private documents by Rand Paul #covidorigin
I wrote about accusations of coverup and conspiracies, thrown without any evidence, in the context of the recent release of private documents by Rand Paul #covidorigin
Conspiracies and coverups
There is no evidence for a lab origin of SARS-CoV-2, so commenters default to meta-discourse and accuse scientists of coverups, for which there is no evidence either. So far, available data and scient...
pandemonium.hypotheses.org
August 4, 2026 at 8:17 PM
Today is the first Tuesday of the month, my (self-imposed) blog posting day --
I wrote about accusations of coverup and conspiracies, thrown without any evidence, in the context of the recent release of private documents by Rand Paul #covidorigin
I wrote about accusations of coverup and conspiracies, thrown without any evidence, in the context of the recent release of private documents by Rand Paul #covidorigin
//...with the help of computer code written by widely available AI software, they could alter the data produced from computerized scans of physical DNA evidence without leaving any trace they had tampered with the records...//
Exclusive | Security Flaw Placed 30 Years of DNA Evidence at Risk of Hacking
Researchers found that widely used lab machines produced digital DNA files that are vulnerable to tampering.
www.wsj.com
August 4, 2026 at 8:10 AM
//...with the help of computer code written by widely available AI software, they could alter the data produced from computerized scans of physical DNA evidence without leaving any trace they had tampered with the records...//
Reposted by Flynn Murphy
more than 8 percent of all American newspaper journalists work in Manhattan, up from 2 percent in 2005 www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
August 3, 2026 at 2:07 PM
more than 8 percent of all American newspaper journalists work in Manhattan, up from 2 percent in 2005 www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...