Kai Kupferschmidt

Kai Kupferschmidt

@kakape.bsky.social

science journalist. author. molecular biologist. curious. interested in #microbes, #misinformation and all things #blue contributing correspondent at @science.org co-host of @pandemia.bsky.social 2024 KSJ fellow at MIT Signal: kakape.93

36.9K followers1.9K following1.6K posts

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Kai Kupferschmidt
@kakape.bsky.social

How are AI images and videos changing the world we live in? How can we even still tell what is real and what is not? In an effort to find out, I visited Hany Farid, „sort of the dean of digital forensics“, for a couple of days in Berkeley. It was eye-opening. My story in @science.org 🧪

science.orgDeepfakes are everywhere. The godfather of digital forensics is fighting backHany Farid, who's spent his career building tools to detect fake images, is facing his biggest challenge yet: AI

Kai Kupferschmidt reposted

Deborah Cole
@deborahcole.bsky.social

Just 8% of Germans think Trump has changed the US for the better. Only 1 in 10 say the US and German govts still "share the same fundamental values," although 1 in 3 said most Americans and Germans do. More than half said a US vacation was "unimaginable" now www.spiegel.de/ausland/us-m...

spiegel.de(S+) US-Midterms-Umfrage: Was Deutschland eint? Die Abneigung gegen die USAWaffenkäufe, Techkonzerne, Donald Trump: Kurz vor den Zwischenwahlen in den USA zeigt eine neue Umfrage, wie die Deutschen auf Amerika blicken. Und ob ein anderer Präsident daran etwas ändern würde.
Kai Kupferschmidt
@kakape.bsky.social

If you look more closely at the numbers two things are clear: 1. More of the epidemic is shifting from Ituri to neighboring North Kivu. (58 of the 96 cases today are in North Kivu). 2. The response still is not working as it needs to (40 of 46 deaths reported today were deaths in the community).

Kai Kupferschmidt reposted

Adam Schwarz
@adamjschwarz.bsky.social

The achievement of Serbian students overthrowing Aleksandar Vučić can't be overstated. In 2024, they began protesting. In 2025, they transformed a protest movement into civil dissidence. In 2026, they became a political party — and two months later, crushed a corrupt state-entrenched authoritarian.

Kai Kupferschmidt reposted

Annette Zimmermann
@drzimmermann.bsky.social

Replying to @drzimmermann.bsky.social

We need less ‘news coverage’ that follows a “genius billionaire voiced this policy preference” pattern & more news coverage that reopens our collective political #possibilityhorizon. & We need #structuralremedies that mitigate unchecked concentrations of wealth/power that erode democratic oversight.

Kai Kupferschmidt reposted

Annette Zimmermann
@drzimmermann.bsky.social

During my keynote at Munich Media Days, I emphasized the key role of media for resisting simplistic AI narratives. The renewed hype/doom wave this summer distracted from the deeper goal of actually subjecting AI to democratic control & of keeping oligarchs in check 🤖💡 @medientage-mtm.bsky.social

Kai Kupferschmidt
@kakape.bsky.social

Some good news today: A clinical trial to test Ebola Bundibugyo vaccines candidates has started. The first participant was vaccinated in Bunia in the DRC today. 🧪 #IDsky I wrote about the plans and the background a few days ago in @science.org: www.science.org/content/arti...

science.orgAs Ebola epidemic rages, Congo bets on high-stakes ‘hope’ vaccine trialStudy will first test a “mismatched” vaccine, but Bundibugyo-specific shots may be added as early as next month

Kai Kupferschmidt reposted

Christie Aschwanden
@cragcrest.bsky.social

Now @sciencewriting.bsky.social, we remember our mighty colleague Helen Branswell. With remembrances from @stephaniemlee.bsky.social @martinenserink.bsky.social @usha.bsky.social @kakape.bsky.social @edyong209.bsky.social casw.org/news/cohn-pr...

casw.orgCohn Prize honoree Helen Branswell remembered for sharp, authoritative reporting - CASWCASW mourns the loss of Cohn Prize winner Helen Branswell, a journalist known for excellent coverage of epidemics and pandemics.
Kai Kupferschmidt
@kakape.bsky.social

“After months of debates and preparations, a vaccine trial, named Tumaini—Swahili for “hope”—is expected to clear the final regulatory and ethical hurdles any time, and the first doses could be administered this week.” 🧪 #Idsky www.science.org/content/arti...

science.orgAs Ebola epidemic rages, Congo bets on high-stakes ‘hope’ vaccine trialStudy will first test a “mismatched” vaccine, but Bundibugyo-specific shots may be added as early as next month
Kai Kupferschmidt
@kakape.bsky.social

Some details on Nigerian Ebola case via @who.int: "Her symptoms began on 7 October, four days after her arrival in Nigeria, and she sought care at a private health facility in Abuja on 11 October. Laboratory test confirmed Bundibugyo virus on 20 October." www.afro.who.int/countries/ni...

afro.who.intNigeria confirms imported case of Ebola Bundibugyo virus diseaseAbuja—Nigeria has confirmed one imported case of Ebola Bundibugyo virus disease in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), becoming the fifth country to detect the virus since an outbreak of the disease ...
Kai Kupferschmidt
@kakape.bsky.social

If you had told me a year ago there would be an Ebola outbreak of this scale and the world would take this little notice, I probably would not have believed you.

Kai Kupferschmidt
@kakape.bsky.social

Kenya has announced four more Ebola cases, now 7 altogether. All of these are still tied to the 40-year old man who traveled from the DRC via Uganda to Nairobi. And all of these were already in quarantine when diagnosed according to Kenya's ministry of health. www.reuters.com/business/hea...

reuters.comKenya confirms four new Ebola cases, bringing total number to sevenKenya confirmed four new cases of the Ebola Bundibugyo virus on Saturday, including three health workers who treated the country's first patient, bringing the ​total number of confirmed cases to seven...
Kai Kupferschmidt
@kakape.bsky.social

Meanwhile, the epidemic in the DRC keeps growing fast with dozens of new cases every day. More than 9300 cases already, with about half of these deaths.

Kai Kupferschmidt reposted

Ben Collins
@bencollins.bsky.social

Replying to @bencollins.bsky.social

Anyway, good case study here. You can be as evil as you want, you can kill as many people as is possible, you can shove churro ladies into vans then off to black sites in countries they've never even heard of, but if you can't do the performance of fascism — that's when you're in real trouble.

Kai Kupferschmidt
@kakape.bsky.social

This includes 130 deaths, with the hardest hit countries: Italy - 56 deaths Greece - 46 deaths Netherlands - 10 deaths Romania - 7 deaths Spain - 6 deaths

Kai Kupferschmidt
@kakape.bsky.social

"The 2026 WNV season has affected a broader geographical area than any previous season, with numbers of human cases and animal outbreaks exceeding levels reported in previous years."

Kai Kupferschmidt
@kakape.bsky.social

Meanwhile the epidemic in the DRC is continuing to grow rapidly. There have been more than 9000 cases, about half of them deaths. And while you will hear way more about a single suspected plague case in most outlets, this outbreak is now by far the largest Ebola Outbreak the DRC has ever seen.

Kai Kupferschmidt
@kakape.bsky.social

Hard to find the words tonight. Helen was an amazing journalist, smart, hard-working, clear-eyed. She was also a kind, generous person and a good friend. Sad beyond words.

Jason Ukman@jasonukman.bsky.social

Helen Branswell was a gift — to family and friends, to colleagues, and to masses of people whose lives were made better by the work to which she was so devoted. I was lucky to know her. www.statnews.com/2026/10/13/h...

statnews.comHelen Branswell, whose reporting on infectious diseases and public health drew acclaim, dies at 69Helen Branswell, STAT's infectious disease reporter who earned the respect of experts and public health officials with her accessible, prescient dispatches, has died at age 69.

Kai Kupferschmidt reposted

jamelle
@jamellebouie.net

ah, the return of merit

Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com

😬 Katie Zacharia's first press briefing was brutally bad 😬 Trump managed to find a press secretary who can barely read, but she does have the number one qualification -- looking like Ivanka Here's a supercut from Zacharia's first briefing, which made Karoline Leavitt seem like Ronald Reagan

Kai Kupferschmidt reposted

Pandemia
@pandemia.bsky.social

Replying to @pandemia.bsky.social

Was auf dem Foto aussieht wie eine Qualle sind übrigens die herangereiften Sporen eines Malaria-Erregers, in diesem Fall Plasmodium berghei, Auslöser der Maus-Malaria. (Vielen Dank dafür an Maren Gehringer und Kevin Walz)

Kai Kupferschmidt reposted

Pandemia
@pandemia.bsky.social

Acht Malariafälle rund um den Frankfurter Flughafen. Drei Menschen sterben, keiner war im Malariagebiet. Wie häufig sind solche Fälle? Warum waren sie so tödlich? Und was ist der Unterschied zwischen Flughafen-, Koffer- und Odysseusmalaria? 🎧 Unsere neue Folge: podcasts.apple.com/de/podcast/p...

Kai Kupferschmidt
@kakape.bsky.social

New @who.int update on the suspected plague case in Russia: „The NFP [National Focal Point] informed WHO that the case and all contacts had been tested for a range of microorganisms, including high-threat pathogens. Test results were negative for the tested high-threat pathogens.“

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Kai Kupferschmidt
@kakape.bsky.social

„While the information provided by the authorities does not indicate infection with tested high-threat pathogens or identify additional linked cases, the source of the fatal illness remains undetermined. A laboratory-associated exposure therefore cannot be fully excluded at this stage.“

Kai Kupferschmidt
@kakape.bsky.social

New @who.int update on the suspected plague case in Russia: „The NFP [National Focal Point] informed WHO that the case and all contacts had been tested for a range of microorganisms, including high-threat pathogens. Test results were negative for the tested high-threat pathogens.“

Kai Kupferschmidt
@kakape.bsky.social

„Based on the information provided by NFP, WHO has not identified evidence of ongoing transmission associated with this event. A key uncertainty remains the absence of a confirmed diagnosis in the deceased laboratory worker. WHO will continue to monitor the situation…“

Kai Kupferschmidt reposted

On the Media
@onthemedia.bsky.social

Back in 2022, before ChatGPT was released, researchers were already trying to test how good LLMS could be at persuading humans. @kakape.bsky.social explains why those studies now present a new realm of questions about how people interact with machines. lnk.to/onthemedia/b...

lnk.toOn the MediaThe Peabody Award-winning On the Media podcast is your guide to examining how the media sausage is made. Hosts Brooke Gladstone and Micah Loewinger examine threats to free speech and government transparency, cast a skeptical eye on media coverage of the week’s big stories and unravel hidden political narratives in everything we read, watch and hear.