Nsikan Akpan

@monscience.bsky.social

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Highly melanated | YNWA | CNN Weather senior editor | Big Picture Science contributor | PhD pathobiologist

NOAA HRRR smoke forecast — a near-surface smoke concentration map for July 15, 2026 at 5 pm EDT (21 UTC), showing heavy smoke (from wildfires) streaming across the northern US/Canada border, with the densest plumes (purple/red) over the north-central US.
Screenshot of the CNN Weather app showing conditions for New York City, NY. The “feels like” temperature is 90°F, with an actual temperature of 86°F, a low of 71°F, and a high of 88°F, alongside a partly sunny icon. Text below reads “The air is muggy, and the heat will intensify through this afternoon.” Two alert badges are shown: a dark red “Extreme Heat Warning” and a white “Extreme Heat Watch.”
Screenshot of a press briefing transcript excerpt. At timestamp 00:14:24, Sherman Deselle of Fox 26 Houston asks CDC officials about specific guidance and enhanced screening protocols for major international transit hubs and host cities — particularly Houston, which is serving as a World Cup host site for the DRC — expecting high volumes of travelers from Ebola-affected regions, and about what escalation thresholds would trigger stricter travel advisories or mandatory monitoring for athletes traveling from Uganda to the U.S. At 00:15:12, Dr. Pillai responds that the situation is evolving and that interagency colleagues will continue working to finalize plans, with more to follow. At 00:15:25, Mr. Haynes calls for the last question.
Screenshot of a CDC webpage titled "CDC Statement on the Use of Public Health Travel Restrictions to Prevent the Introduction of Ebola Disease into the United States," dated May 18, 2026. A "What to Know" summary box states that on May 18, 2026, CDC, DHS, and other federal agencies implemented enhanced travel screening, entry restrictions, and public health measures to prevent Ebola from entering the United States amid ongoing outbreaks in East and Central Africa. The page includes a section on a Title 42 Order and a sidebar with related pages including Current Situation, About, and Signs and Symptoms.
A screenshot of a Wired article discussing the concept of the rewrite desk, explaining how it historically transformed reporters’ raw details into polished articles. The excerpt notes that the AI tool Claude now serves a similar role for journalist Alex Heath.
Screenshot of a WHO Disease Outbreak News alert: Avian Influenza A(H9N2) - Italy 10 April 2026. The excerpt states that on March 16, a bronchoalveolar lavage specimen tested positive for Mycobacterium tuberculosis and detected unsubtyped influenza A virus. The patient was placed in a negative-pressure isolation room with airborne precautions, treated with antitubercular medication and oseltamivir, and was stable and improving by April 9.
The Moon, backlit by the Sun during a solar eclipse, is photographed by NASA’s Orion spacecraft on April 6, 2026, during the Artemis II mission. Orion is visible in the foreground on the left. Earth is reflecting sunlight at the left edge of the Moon, which is slightly brighter than the rest of the disk. The bright spot visible just below the Moon’s bottom right edge is Saturn. Beyond that, the bright spot at the right edge of the image is Mars. Credit: NASA https://images.nasa.gov/details/art002e009571
A screenshot of a YouTube livestream titled “NASA’s Artemis II Crew Flies Around the Moon (Official Broadcast).” In the video window with a NASA logo in the top right, a smartphone-shaped view of the cratered moon floats against black space. The astronauts had turned off the lights inside the spacecraft to get a better view of the details on the lunar surface. The channel is listed as NASA, and the page shows about 573,000 watching now, 298K likes, and a live chat panel on the right.
Screenshot of “ NSF Table SPBS-5,” a data table titled “S&E articles in biological and biomedical sciences, fractional count, by region, country, or economy: 2003–22.” The visible columns show yearly values from 2013 to 2022. The Middle East row rises from about 6,228 in 2013 to 16,779 in 2022. Among visible Middle Eastern countries, Iran and Israel have the largest 2022 totals, highlighted in orange: Iran at 7,902.29 and Israel at 2,150.01. Other visible 2022 values include Saudi Arabia 3,268.80, Iraq 1,179.20, Georgia 505.70, Jordan 426.48, and the United Arab Emirates 527.25. Source: https://ncses.nsf.gov/pubs/nsb202333/publication-output-by-region-country-or-economy-and-by-scientific-field
An AI-generated photo that poses Robert Malone as Gorton's Fisherman
Composite screenshots of pages 29–30 of a federal court opinion (Case 1:25-cv-11916-BEM, Document 291, filed 03/16/26). The text discusses alleged gaps in the qualifications of members of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). A highlighted sentence reads “even under the most generous reading,” referring to the court’s assessment that only six of fifteen members appear to have meaningful vaccine experience. Footnotes list several named ACIP members—Drs. Blackburn, Griffin, Hibbeln, Milhoan, Pagano, Pollak, Levi, Malone, and Stein—and describe their professional backgrounds. Multiple passages are highlighted in yellow stating variations of: “There is no evidence in the record that [the member] has any relevant vaccine-related experience or expertise.” Additional highlighted text notes that one member has published only two vaccine-related papers shortly before appointment, and that another’s decades-old mRNA research does not establish the requisite current expertise for ACIP. Page numbers “29” and “30” appear at the bottom.
Screenshot of a federal court document (Case 1:25-cv-11916-BEM, Document 291, filed 03/16/26), page 19 of 45. The page shows a written opinion discussing judicial review of public health actions under 42 U.S.C. § 243(a). A quoted exchange from oral argument appears mid-page, with a highlighted phrase reading “we are sponsoring measles lunches.” In the exchange, the judge poses a hypothetical about the CDC encouraging people to have lunch with someone who has measles, questioning whether such a policy would be judicially reviewable. Defense counsel responds that it would be committed to agency discretion. A footnote at the bottom references additional transcript excerpts.
Stacked horizontal bar chart from the Annenberg Public Policy Center titled “Confidence in Custodians of Public Health.” It shows how confident respondents are that various people or institutions provide trustworthy public health information. Categories are split into very confident, somewhat confident, not too confident, and not at all confident. Primary care providers receive the highest confidence ratings: 46% very confident and 40% somewhat confident, with 7% not too confident, 2% not at all confident, and 5% reporting no primary care provider. Confidence is also relatively high for the American Heart Association (31% very, 51% somewhat), the American Academy of Pediatrics (26%, 51%), and the American Medical Association (24%, 49%). Midrange confidence is shown for career scientists at federal agencies (18% very, 49% somewhat), NIH (12%, 50%), FDA (13%, 49%), and CDC (13%, 47%), though roughly 36% to 40% of respondents say they are not too or not at all confident in those agencies. Views are more divided for Dr. Anthony Fauci, with 25% very confident, 29% somewhat confident, 20% not too confident, and 26% not at all confident. Confidence is lower for the EPA (12% very, 41% somewhat), leaders at federal agencies (5%, 38%), Dr. Oz as CMS administrator (7%, 35%), and RFK Jr. as HHS secretary (9%, 29%). RFK Jr. has the lowest trust overall, with 24% not too confident and 38% not at all confident.
A screenshot of a USDA table titled List of Detections by Day, displaying a table of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) cases in the United States. The text above the table states that since the outbreak began on February 8, 2022, a total of 187.72 million birds have been affected across 2,041 flocks in 50 states and 1 territory. This includes 924 commercial flocks and 1,117 backyard flocks. The table contains the following columns: Confirmation Date, State, County Name, Production, Control Area Released, and Birds Affected. Key data entries include: Jan 28, 2026: Lancaster, Pennsylvania; Commercial Table Egg Layer; 1,509,700 birds affected.
A large, color-coded table titled “Recommended Child and Adolescent Immunization Schedule for Ages 18 Years or Younger, United States, 2025,” published by the American Academy of Pediatrics. The chart lists vaccines in a left-hand column and shows recommended ages across the top from birth through 18 years. Colored bars stretch across the grid to indicate when each vaccine dose is recommended. Highlighted in red are vaccines containing aluminum adjuvants: Hepatitis B; rotavirus; diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis (DTaP); Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib); pneumococcal conjugate; inactivated poliovirus; influenza; MMR; varicella; Hepatitis A; Tdap; human papillomavirus (HPV); meningococcal ACWY; meningococcal B; and RSV for pregnancy.
Page 1 of a final agenda for the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) meeting on Thursday, December 4, 2025. Sessions begin at 8:00 a.m. with welcome remarks by Dr. Robert Malone and Dr. Mina Zadeh. At 8:30 a.m., a Hepatitis B recap includes presentations on policy context, disease burden, and vaccine safety, followed by discussion. At 10:40 a.m., representatives from vaccine manufacturers (GSK, Merck, Sanofi) present and take questions.
A screenshot of a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services press release dated December 1, 2025. The headline announces that epidemiologist and biostatistician Martin Kulldorff has been appointed chief science officer for the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation. The release describes his background with ACIP and Harvard Medical School, and includes supportive quotes from HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya, and Kulldorff himself. It notes his prior work on vaccine safety surveillance and mentions that Kirk Milhoan now chairs ACIP, with Robert Malone as vice chair. Contact information for the HHS Press Office appears at the top.
Screenshot of a Politico article titled “RFK Jr.’s top vaccine adviser says he answers to no one.” The subheadline reads, “In an interview with POLITICO, Martin Kulldorff said the health secretary has asked him to impartially follow the science.” Below, a photo shows Martin Kulldorff seated at a conference table, wearing glasses and a light blue jacket, listening attentively during a meeting. The caption notes that he was seen during a CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices meeting on Sept. 18, 2025, in Chamblee, Georgia.
Graphic with a bold quote in black text reading, “We don’t even have a human equivalent of that,” attributed to Carol Cardona, a professor and the Pomeroy Endowed Chair in Avian Health at the University of Minnesota. The design includes an orange horizontal bar above the quote on a white background.
Screenshot of a PLOS ONE research article titled “Estimating the time of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza virus introduction into United States poultry flocks during the 2022/24 epizootic.” The paper lists multiple authors including Amos Ssematimba and Carol J. Cardona, with affiliations to the University of Minnesota, Gulu University in Uganda, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
A screenshot of a Lancet Infectious Diseases review titled “The basic reproduction number (R₀) of measles: a systematic review.” The abstract defines R₀ as the average number of secondary infections caused by one case and summarizes findings from 18 studies estimating R₀ values typically between 12 and 18. Authors include Fiona Guerra and colleagues from Public Health Ontario and the University of Toronto.
A screenshot of IMDb’s box office summary for Tron: Legacy (2010). The page shows the film’s synopsis and box office data. It grossed $172 million domestically and $228 million internationally--or $400 million worldwide.
A Zoom meeting screen shows a slide titled “COVID-19 Vaccines – Vote #1.” The text recommends that the CDC improve informed consent processes by adding language accessible to patients and providers, describing at least six risks and uncertainties. On the right, two small video feeds show the ACIP committee in session and Dr. Cody Meissner speaking.
ACIP slide titled “Hepatitis B Vaccine – Vote #2.” Text reads: “The pediatric vaccine schedule should be updated to reflect the following change: If a mother tests HBsAG-negative: • The first dose of the Hepatitis B vaccine is not given until the child is at least one month old. • Infants may receive a dose of Hepatitis B vaccine before one month according to individual based decision-making.* *Also referred to as shared clinical decision-making.” On the right side of the screen, a small Zoom window shows a meeting of people seated around a table, and a participant list shows names with hand icons raised.
A presentation slide titled “VFC Vote” states: “Approve the updated Vaccines for Children (VFC) resolution for prevention of measles, mumps, rubella and varicella.” On the right, a video call shows two ACIP members seated at a table in one frame, and Cody Meissner speaking in another frame.
An ACIP presentation slide titled “MMRV Vaccines Vote” states: “The pediatric vaccine schedule should be updated to reflect the following change: For measles, mumps, rubella and varicella vaccines given before age 4 years, the combined MMRV vaccine is not recommended. Children in this age group should receive separate measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine and varicella vaccine (MMR+V).” On the right, a video call shows a large meeting labeled ACIP and a smaller frame of Cody Meissner speaking.
Draft agenda for the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) meeting, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, scheduled for Thursday, September 18, 2025. The meeting begins at 10:00 AM with welcome and roll call by Dr. Martin Kulldorff (ACIP Chair) and Dr. Mina Zadeh (CDC). At 10:30 AM, Dr. Kulldorff provides work group updates. At 11:00 AM, the committee discusses measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella (MMRV) vaccines, with presentations by Dr. Arjun Srinivasan and Dr. John Su, followed by proposed recommendations. Lunch is at 1:00 PM. At 1:30 PM, Hepatitis B vaccine discussions begin, including presentations by Dr. Adam Langer and Dr. John Su. After a 4:00 PM break, agency updates from CDC, CMS, FDA, HRSA, IHS, and NIH start at 4:15 PM, followed by public comment at 4:30 PM. At 5:00 PM, votes are held on MMRV and Hepatitis B vaccines and Vaccines for Children (VFC) program, with Dr. Jeanne Santoli joining Dr. Kulldorff. The meeting adjourns at 5:30 PM.
A screenshot from the White House executive order "IMPROVING OVERSIGHT OF FEDERAL GRANTMAKING" of a numbered list outlining federal grant procedures, specifically items (v) through (vii). Item (v) describes interagency coordination to check if a funding announcement's subject matter overlaps with others, and whether to modify or withdraw one to avoid redundancy. Item (vi) requires that scientific research discretionary grants be reviewed by at least one subject matter expert, who could be on the review panel, a program officer, or an external expert. Item (vii) mandates pre-issuance review of discretionary awards to ensure legal and policy alignment, requiring in-person or virtual discussion with senior appointees or designees.
A bar chart from Minnesota Journalism Center/Trusting News titled “More detailed AI use labels were associated with smaller decreases in ‘confidence’ in the news organization.” It shows average confidence ratings from respondents exposed to different AI disclosure labels in a news story experiment. The y-axis lists six label conditions; the x-axis represents average confidence on a scale (higher numbers reflect more confidence). Findings: The control group with no label had the highest confidence rating (1.76). A simple label stating “No AI used” had a similar rating (1.73). More detailed labels, such as “AI used + How + Human review + Why” (1.53), resulted in moderately lower confidence, but statistically significant reductions compared to the control (marked with an asterisk). The lowest confidence was observed when the label simply stated “AI used” (1.45). Detailed disclosures that included “How” and/or “Human review” tended to mitigate confidence loss compared to minimal labels. Source: Minnesota Journalism Center/Trusting News, based on Experiment 1 with 3,995 U.S. adults via Prolific.
Screenshot of a BBC article section titled "The autism puzzle." The text states that after Kennedy took office, the CDC began a research project on the link between vaccines and autism. It references the discredited 1998 Lancet paper by Wakefield that falsely linked autism to the MMR vaccine, noting that many international studies have since found no reputable link. Autism researcher Eric Fombonne is quoted saying the issue is scientifically settled. The piece concludes by noting Kennedy hired David Geier, a known vaccine skeptic, to reexamine the data.
A screenshot of a social media post by BNO News on X (formerly Twitter), featuring a tweet by Donald J. Trump. The BNO News post reads: “Trump says U.S. dropped a ‘full payload of bombs’ on Fordow nuclear site in Iran.” Below, Trump’s tweet states that the U.S. successfully attacked three nuclear sites in Iran—Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan—dropping a full payload of bombs on Fordow. He says all planes have safely returned and praises American military personnel. The tweet ends with, “NOW IS THE TIME FOR PEACE! Thank you for your attention to this matter.” The post is timestamped 7:51 PM, June 21, 2025, and has 4.7K views.
Four screenshots from a June 11, 2025, tweet by Secretary Kennedy (@SecKennedy) announcing changes to the CDC's Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices (ACIP). The tweet states that Kennedy removed the 17 existing ACIP members and appointed eight new individuals who will attend the June 25 meeting. The new members are described as top public health and medical experts committed to evidence-based medicine. The tweet includes detailed bios of each new appointee: Joseph R. Hibbeln, MD – Psychiatrist and neuroscientist, former NIH researcher, with expertise in mental health and public health policy. Martin Kulldorff, MD, PhD – Biostatistician and epidemiologist known for work in vaccine safety, statistical surveillance tools (SaTScan, TreeScan), and pandemic response. Retsef Levi, PhD – MIT professor specializing in healthcare analytics and vaccine safety, known for work on mRNA vaccine safety and cardiovascular risk. Robert W. Malone, MD – Physician-scientist associated with early mRNA vaccine research; background in molecular biology and vaccine development. Cody Meissner, MD – Dartmouth pediatric infectious disease expert, with advisory roles at the CDC and FDA on pediatric vaccine policy. James Pagano, MD – Emergency medicine physician with 40+ years of experience; advocate of evidence-based medicine. Vicky Pebsworth, OP, PhD, RN – Public health and nursing expert with a background in vaccine safety advisory roles at the FDA and NVAC. Michael A. Ross, MD – Clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology; known for work on cancer prevention, HPV immunization, and women’s health policy. The tweet ends with the time stamp “4:36 PM · Jun 11, 2025 · 37.7K Views.”
Screenshot of a biography page for Vicky Pebsworth, PhD, RN, on the National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC) website. The heading reads "Biography, Vicky Pebsworth, PhD, RN," with an update date of April 14, 2022. A professional portrait of Pebsworth appears to the left. The text states she is an NVIC board member and volunteer Director of Research and Patient Safety, involved since 2006. Her career spans over 35 years in roles such as ICU nurse, administrator, and policy analyst. Since 2008, she has served on various national vaccine advisory and research review committees, including the FDA’s VRBPAC, CDC panels, and DoD programs. Social media sharing icons are visible above the photo.
Screenshot of a PubMed entry for a publication titled "Miscarriage after SARS-CoV-2 vaccination: A request to report more details of the regression models and analyses," authored by Retsef Levi and Efrat Schurr. Published in BJOG (British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology), August 2024, volume 131, issue 9, page 1322. DOI: 10.1111/1471-0528.17767. PMID: 38247342. No abstract is available.
Wall Street Journal bubble chart showing the economic contributions of international students at top U.S. universities in 2023. Each university is represented by a circle proportional in size to its dollar contribution. Columbia leads with $903 million, followed by UC Berkeley ($576M), Johns Hopkins ($504M), UChicago ($428M), UCLA ($419M), UPenn ($404M), Cornell ($393M), Harvard ($384M), Northwestern ($324M), Duke ($318M), Stanford ($292M), MIT ($265M), Yale ($241M), Princeton ($156M), Brown ($150M), Rice ($142M), Vanderbilt (VU, $135M), Notre Dame ($131M), Dartmouth ($104M), and CalTech ($64M).
A screenshot of an Associated Press (AP) news article with the headline, “NJ Transit warns riders of potential rail strike, already disrupting travel to Shakira concerts.” Below the headline is a photo of commuters sitting on benches next to a large magenta sign reading “PLAN AHEAD – Potential Rail Service Disruption,” warning of possible disruptions due to a rejected agreement between NJ Transit and locomotive engineers.
A screenshot of an NIH grants notice stating “Implementation Update: Improving the Safety and Security of Biological Research.” Below is the notice number “NOT-OD-25-112.” Under the heading “Key Dates,” the release date is listed as May 7, 2025.
A tweet from Peter Daszak announcing that EcoHealth Alliance is closing after more than 50 years of operation. Below the text is a photo of a bat with large dark eyes peeking through bright green tropical leaves.
A screenshot of a factsheet titled "Fact Sheet: HHS’ Transformation to Make America Healthy Again" outlines the restructuring of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under a Trump-era executive order. Key points include a reduction in staff from 82,000 to 62,000, consolidation of 28 divisions to 15, and 10 regional offices to 5. Centralized functions will include HR, IT, procurement, and policy. The FDA, CDC, NIH, and CMS will all see workforce reductions totaling over 7,000 employees, aiming to streamline operations without affecting critical services. The plan seeks to cut costs, improve responsiveness, and support the Make America Healthy Again initiative.
Draft agenda for the April 15, 2025, meeting of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) hosted by the CDC in Atlanta, Georgia. The agenda includes time-stamped topics with presenters listed alongside each item. Topics include vaccines for Mpox, Lyme disease, influenza, COVID-19, pneumococcal disease, HPV, cytomegalovirus (CMV), and measles. Presenters are from organizations such as CDC, Vanderbilt, Moderna, and Harvard.
AI alt text: A humorous, edited image of a conference room meeting. At the center of the table sits Big Bird, labeled “Jeffrey Goldberg,” surrounded by people working on laptops. Each person has a satirical label including “JD Vance,” “MSS Officer,” “Pete Hegseth,” “GRU Officer,” and “Michael Waltz,” implying a mock intelligence or political gathering. The setting is a modern office with a large TV on the wall and a potted plant in the corner.
The images contain a table of data, about 100 NIH-funded research grants awarded to Columbia University. The projects cover various biomedical and public health research topics, including neuroscience, epidemiology, social determinants of health, infectious diseases, mental health, and health disparities.
The image contains a passage of text discussing the timeline of the COVID-19 pandemic. It mentions that COVID-19 was first described as a "pandemic" on March 11, 2020. However, it highlights that a more significant moment occurred earlier, on January 30, 2020, when a public health emergency of international concern was declared. At that time, there were fewer than 100 reported cases outside China and no reported deaths.
The image contains a report summarizing the investigation of an outbreak in Équateur Province as of February 2025. Key points include: 1. Testing and Results (January 2025): • On January 22, blood samples from four active cases and a post-mortem swab from a deceased individual in Danda Village were tested at the Provincial Laboratory in Mbandaka using GeneXpert. All returned negative for Ebola. • Further testing at the National Institute of Biomedical Research (INRB) in Kinshasa on January 31 confirmed negative results for Zaire ebolavirus and Marburg virus via PCR. 2. Current Outbreak Situation (February 2025): • As of February 15, there were 431 reported cases and 53 deaths (Case Fatality Rate, CFR: 12.2%) across two health zones: • Bolomba Health Zone: 12 cases, 8 deaths (CFR 66.7%) • Basankusu Health Zone: 419 cases, 45 deaths (CFR 10.7%) • The source of exposure remains unknown, and no epidemiological links have been identified between the two zones. 3. Ongoing Investigations: • Metagenomic sequencing and further investigations are underway to determine the cause of the illness and deaths in the affected areas.
The image contains a passage discussing skepticism around the development of a topological qubit. Jason Alicea, a professor of theoretical physics at Caltech, questions whether a company has truly built such a qubit, noting that verifying quantum behavior is challenging. He acknowledges that while the concept is theoretically possible and valuable, proving that a device behaves as predicted remains crucial. The passage concludes by mentioning Microsoft’s efforts to pursue this goal.
A screenshot of a text passage discussing the impact of bird flu on egg prices. It explains that the price of cheaper conventional eggs increased more sharply than premium organic or free-range eggs due to financially well-off consumers switching to lower-budget options. A quote from David Ortega, the Noel W. Stuckman Chair in Food Economics & Policy at Michigan State University, states that as bird flu drives price increases, people who previously bought expensive eggs opt for conventional eggs, increasing their relative demand. The passage also discusses supply and demand dynamics, noting that egg prices are inelastic, meaning demand remains steady even when prices rise. If egg supply shrinks due to bird flu, prices increase accordingly.
A data visualization graph titled "H5N1 Bird Flu Detections in U.S. Poultry Surge in Fall and Winter." The graph shows bird flu detections from August to March across three flu seasons: 2022-23 (yellow), 2023-24 (blue), and 2024-25 (red). The 2024-25 season shows a sharp increase, peaking in January 2025 at over 20 million detections, three times higher than the previous year. A note on the graph highlights that 41.4 million domesticated birds were culled due to H5N1 in December 2024 and January 2025. Data source: CDC via USDA APHIS, chart by CFR/Nsikan Akpan and Allison Krugman, published by Think Global Health.