1 in 1,000. 1 in a million. Can you picture the difference? Most of us struggle to make sense of risk when it is presented as a statistic. Both just seem ‘rare’.
Those Nerdy Girls
@thosenerdygirls.bsky.social
A team of women & non-binary scientists & clinicians here to empower people to better navigate science & health info. Creators of Dear Pandemic. #publichealth #scicomm #WomenInStem https://thosenerdygirls.org/ https://thosenerdygirls.substack.com/
A propos of the current news cycle, your regular reminder that over a million Americans died of COVID. And yes, we have very reliable estimates of that... open.substack.com/pub/jenndowd...
How many people died of COVID?
We likely undercounted, not overcounted COVID deaths
open.substack.com
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Hi, new faces! 👋 We’re a team of women & non-binary scientists & clinicians, here to empower you to better navigate science & health information. We’re big data nerds at heart! 📊 Follow us for insights on: infectious disease, data literacy, reproductive & mental health, aging & more!
Welcome to the July edition of the Those Nerdy Girls’ Monthly Roundup—our quick, curated collection of the evidence-based posts that sparked the most conversation this past month.
Monthly Roundup: July 2026
Those Nerdy Girls is your trusted source for all things health.
thosenerdygirls.substack.com
1/ The bandwagon effect describes when we adopt beliefs, attitudes, or behaviors because we think other people are doing so. This type of cognitive bias causes us to make decisions based on what we think is popular, rather than what we think is right.
What is the Bandwagon Effect?
Tl;dr: The bandwagon effect describes when we adopt beliefs, attitudes, or behaviors because we think other people are doing so. This type of cognitive
thosenerdygirls.org
"Am I being nicer than they deserve? Nope. On being nice, having empathy, and the hard science of change (body wise and society wise)." Great post from @sciencewhizliz.bsky.social 👇
Am I being nicer than they deserve? Nope.
On being nice, having empathy, and the hard science of change (body wise and society wise).
fromthescienceclass.substack.com
West Nile Virus (WNV) is a virus that spreads when people are bitten by infected mosquitoes. Luckily, most folks have no symptoms, but it’s worth knowing about. Read more from @sandylaping.bsky.social here:
Mosquito season is upon us. What’s this West Nile Virus I hear about? I live nowhere near the Nile!
West Nile Virus (WNV) is a virus that spreads when people are bitten by infected mosquitoes. Luckily, most folks have no symptoms, but it’s worth knowing about.
thosenerdygirls.substack.com
The first volunteer has been dosed with the world's first BDBV vaccine. www.ox.ac.uk/news/2026-07...
First volunteer vaccinated in the world's first Bundibugyo ebolavirus vaccine trial
The University of Oxford’s Oxford Vaccine Group has today successfully vaccinated the first volunteer in the world’s first clinical trial of a vaccine designed to protect against Bundibugyo ebolavirus...
ox.ac.uk
New study found that media literacy and critical thinking helped students better identify fake news, but curiosity itself also played an important role by motivating them to verify information and learn more. www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1...
The role of critical thinking and media literacy in enhancing fake news detection among students
The widespread circulation of misinformation through social media has created substantial challenges for young people in critically evaluating online information. This study investigates the associ...
tandfonline.com
Huge Cyclospora outbreak spreads to 9 states Trace-back investigation finds new cases in 4 additional states: Illinois, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania. Read more: https://bit.ly/4bexXaG 📷: Choo Yut Shing / Flickr cc
One immunization may protect newborns against 2 serious diseases Newborns immunized against RSV also had a 36% lower risk of infection with a life-threatening illness called invasive pneumococcal disease. Read more: https://bit.ly/4yTZY1s
"Did the iPhone Cause the Baby Bust?" Find out why Nerdy Girl alum Dr. Jennifer Beam Dowd @drjenndowd.bsky.social is not so convinced as she takes you on a deep dive into an interesting new paper that highlights the power and pitfalls of simple stories. ⤵️
Did the iPhone Cause the Baby Bust?
I'm not so convinced. An interesting new paper highlights the power and pitfalls of simple stories
jenndowd.substack.com
1/ A New (and Possibly Better) Flu Vaccine Coming Your Way Moderna's mRNA flu shot outperformed the standard vaccine in trials and just got the blessing of the US FDA's vaccine advisory committee. @drjenndowd.bsky.social
A New (and Possibly Better) Flu Vaccine Coming Your Way
Moderna's mRNA flu shot outperformed the standard vaccine in trials and just got the blessing of the US FDA's vaccine advisory committee.
jenndowd.substack.com
1/ There’s now excellent evidence that the national suicide prevention hotline, or 988, has been highly effective at preventing suicides. Read the full post from Sara Gorman, PhD ⤵
Does the national suicide prevention line (988) actually prevent suicides?
Yes! There’s now excellent evidence that the national suicide prevention hotline, or 988, has been highly effective at preventing suicides.
thosenerdygirls.substack.com
Ad hominem attacks are used to insult a person’s motive or character rather than address the content of a specific idea or argument. 👇
What is an ad hominem attack?
Tl;dr: Ad hominem attacks are used to insult a person’s motive or character rather than address the content of a specific idea or argument. This type of
thosenerdygirls.org
1/ Antibodies are made by your immune system to recognize and fight off specific germs—like viruses or bacteria. When #antibodies cross the #placenta, the pregnant person’s body is passing protective antibodies directly to the fetus to give them a head start on protection when they are born.
What does it mean when people say "antibodies cross the placenta?" #immunologyexplained #science
YouTube video by Immunology Explained
youtu.be
Many of us judge a claim by reading further down the page. Fact-checkers do the opposite, and the research shows it works. Here are the habits that make you much harder to fool online. medium.com/p/b51b28c54f45
Quick Habits That Make You Much Harder to Fool Online
What professional fact-checkers do that the rest of us don’t, and how to learn this skill quickly
medium.com
“you really can’t biohack your way completely out of disease or death,” said Jennifer Dowd, a professor of demography and population health at the University of Oxford. www.statnews.com/2026/07/08/b...
Bryan Johnson’s chronic disease is notoriously difficult to diagnose
Why longevity entrepreneur Bryan Johnson’s chronic disease is notoriously difficult to diagnose.
statnews.com
Iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell in 5 states linked to Cyclospora outbreak, says FDA The lettuce originated from one supplier in Mexico. People in the 5 states are urged to skip eating shredded iceberg lettuce at Taco Bell. https://bit.ly/4aWSwrX 📷: arbyreed / Flickr cc
US measles cases approach last year’s record-setting total States showed only modest gains this week, but Utah’s outbreak reached 510 infections. Read more: https://bit.ly/4ytWItd 📷: CDC
A parasitic fly called the New World #Screwworm has recently been found in US animals for the first time in decades. Although the current risk to people in the US is very low, it’s worth knowing the signs, especially if you have pets and live in an affected area. @sandylaping.bsky.social
I keep hearing about New World Screwworm in the news. Can you tell me more about it?
A parasitic fly called the New World Screwworm has recently been found in US animals. Although the current risk to people in the US is very low, it’s worth knowing the signs.
thosenerdygirls.substack.com
1/ How do we know vaccines are safe during pregnancy? This is a collaborative video between @ThoseNerdyGirls x @immunologyexplained @sciencewhizliz.bsky.social @dririnih.bsky.social
How do we know vaccines are safe during pregnancy? #immunologyexplained #science
YouTube video by Immunology Explained
youtu.be
Do vaccine ingredients reach the fetus? And who keeps watching for safety? This is a collaborative video between @thosenerdygirls @immunologyexplained @sciencewhizliz.bsky.social
Do vaccine ingredients reach the fetus? And who keeps watching for safety? #immunologyexplained
YouTube video by Immunology Explained
youtu.be
Explosive diarrhea is not on anyone's summer bucket list. There is an outbreak of #cyclosporiasis happening. It’s a parasite that causes horrible diarrhea. Although we don’t know yet what the source is, there are ways to reduce your risk of getting infected. @sandylaping.bsky.social
What’s going on with this outbreak of diarrhea in the US?
There is an outbreak of cyclosporiasis happening. It's a parasite that causes horrible diarrhea. Although we don’t know yet what the source is, there are ways to reduce your risk of getting infected.
thosenerdygirls.substack.com
1/ Moderna's mRNA flu shot outperformed the standard vaccine in trials and just got the blessing of the US FDA's vaccine advisory committee. #mRNAVaccines #FluShot
A New (and Possibly Better) Flu Vaccine Coming Your Way
Moderna's mRNA flu shot outperformed the standard vaccine in trials and just got the blessing of the US FDA's vaccine advisory committee.
jenndowd.substack.com
I got asked by a reporter how long Trump might live for his 80th birthday, which sent me down a life table rabbit hole, like any good demographer :). jenndowd.substack.com/p/how-much-l...
How much longer will Trump (or any of us) live?
Turns out, death is really hard to predict.
jenndowd.substack.com
GOOD NEWS! A personalized mRNA vaccine, known as mRNA-4157, has shown promise in keeping melanoma, a deadly skin cancer, from returning. FIVE years later, NEARLY 70% of people in the vaccine group are CANCER-FREE. The vaccine also cut a person’s risk of the cancer metastasizing by NEARLY 60%.
A personalized vaccine for melanoma cut the risk of cancer returning after five years
If the vaccine is effective in a late-stage trial, it would be “paradigm-shifting,” one expert said.
nbcnews.com
An extraordinary cancer stat recently just dropped: zero. That’s how many UK women in their early 20s died from cervical cancer between 2020-24. My latest @opinion.bloomberg.com is on 20 years of HPV vaccines--& how the US could better maximize the potential of this critical public health tool (🎁):
The US Could Eliminate Cervical Cancer. What’s the Holdup?
An extraordinary cancer statistic recently dropped in a major medical journal: zero.
bloomberg.com
A new drug called daraxonrasib nearly doubled survival time for patients with #pancreatic #cancer enrolled in a phase-3 clinical trial. That’s a big deal, because treatment options for pancreatic cancer are limited and survival rates at 5 years are very low.
What do I need to know about daraxonrasib, the new treatment for pancreatic cancer?
A new drug called daraxonrasib nearly doubled survival time for patients enrolled in a phase-3 clinical trial.
thosenerdygirls.substack.com