Rodrigo Pérez Ortega
@rpocisv.bsky.social
Science journalist at @ksjatmit.bsky.social + @science.org | @theopennotebook.bsky.social Español Editorial Director | Views my own | he/him
El próximo 11 de junio participaré en “PERCIENTEX 2026. Periodismo para la integridad científica” en CosmoCaixa Barcelona. Debatiremos sobre integridad científica y periodismo de ciencia. 🎟️ Inscripción gratuita: cosmocaixa.org/es/p/percien... #PerCientEx #PeriodismoCientífico #WhatchDogJournalism
Herpetologist Alejandro Arteaga has won accolades for his efforts to identify and protect Ecuador’s reptiles and amphibians. But his methods have entangled him in controversy. https://scim.ag/4ePKBQ4
Did this scientist go too far trying to save Ecuador’s wildlife?
Alejandro Arteaga’s efforts to identify and protect tropical reptiles and amphibians have entangled him in controversy
scim.ag
An Ecuadorian biologist is accused of scientific misconduct, inflating species counts, mishandling animals, entering reserves without permission and potentially complicating the development of lifesaving snake antivenoms. For more than a year, I investigated him for @science.org:
Did this scientist go too far trying to save Ecuador’s wildlife?
Alejandro Arteaga’s efforts to identify and protect tropical reptiles and amphibians have entangled him in controversy
science.org
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 🧪
Deepfakes are everywhere. The godfather of digital forensics is fighting back
Hany Farid, who's spent his career building tools to detect fake images, is facing his biggest challenge yet: AI
science.org
Breaking my social media hiatus to share a story I've been pursuing for about a year. Last week, officials from Brazil and Germany announced the skull of the magnificent #Irritator will finally go home. Complex story with @tmitchellbrown.bsky.social in @science.org www.science.org/content/arti...
Famed Brazilian dinosaur fossil finally heads home
Germany and Brazil reach agreement over controversial spinosaurid fossil, heralding new collaboration between the two nations
science.org
Irritator challengeri, the best preserved Spinosaurus skull ever discovered, is finally heading home to Brazil! The announcement comes years after tireless attempts from Brazilian scholars to see the fossil repatriated from a German museum. #Paleontology #Spinosaurus 🧪🧪 New at @science.org
Famed Brazilian spinosaurid fossil finally heads home
Germany and Brazil reach agreement over controversial fossil, heralding new collaboration between the two nations
science.org
Congratulations to @meredithwadman.bsky.social and @cohenjon.bsky.social, who were named finalists for the 2026 @nihcm.bsky.social’s Trade Journalism Award. 🏆 Check out the nominated stories here: bit.ly/NIHCM2026TJA... #NIHCMAwardsJournalism
"And that’s the power of journalism. I think, as a science journalist, you’re not covering “the science,” like this big thing. You’re covering scientists, humans, and they all come with their passions, their features, their life stories." 👏🏽 @rpocisv.bsky.social ksj.mit.edu/news/2026/02...
Rodrigo Pérez Ortega, On the Rewards of Reporting Between Two Worlds
“Editors were hungry for these stories from the Global South,” said the biomedical researcher-turned-science journalist, who has found a niche filling that gap.
ksj.mit.edu
In case anyone needs a reminder, "geneticists have long established that race and ethnicity are sociocultural constructs and not good proxies to describe genetic differences in disease risks and traits among groups." www.science.org/content/arti... @science.org @rpocisv.bsky.social
Race, ethnicity don’t match genetic ancestry, according to a large U.S. study
Data from the All of Us program confirm what many geneticists have long promoted
science.org
The Open Notebook has a tremendous collection of tips, how-to's, here's-how's, deeply reported pieces about how to communicate about science honestly, trustworthy-ily, engagingly & inclusively www.theopennotebook.com (3/7)
The Open Notebook
The Open Notebook is a nonprofit organization that helps journalists who cover science improve their skills.
theopennotebook.com
"I hope I’ve been successful at building bridges, trying to blur the line between science journalism in the U.S. and Latin America." Thanks to Laura for this great Q&A, in which share a bit of my particular views on doing science journalism between two worlds. ksj.mit.edu/news/2026/02...
Rodrigo Pérez Ortega, On the Rewards of Reporting Between Two Worlds
“Editors were hungry for these stories from the Global South,” said the biomedical researcher-turned-science journalist, who has found a niche filling that gap.
ksj.mit.edu
In two weeks, I will be giving a talk at the @aaas.org meeting in Phoenix, AZ, in the session 'Curators on the Front Lines of the Information Wars', organized by @senseaboutsci.bsky.social With Michael Meth and @rpocisv.bsky.social aaas.confex.com/aaas/2026/me... I hope to see you in Phoenix!
🧪 ✏️Apply for the 2026 Diverse Voices in Science Journalism Internship with @science.org! 🧪 ✏️ This could be for you if you're a student from a community historically underrepresented in #journalism who's interested in in covering science for general audiences: recruiting.ultipro.com/AME1123ASEM/...
recruiting.ultipro.com
🧪 ✏️ Apply for the 2026 Diverse Voices in Science Journalism Internship with @science.org! 🧪 ✏️ This could be for you if you're a student from a community historically underrepresented in #journalism who's interested in in covering science for general audiences: recruiting.ultipro.com/AME1123ASEM/...
recruiting.ultipro.com
Big thanks to @rpocisv.bsky.social for his generous spirit in suggesting we share these guidelines, and to @emmalgometz.bsky.social for the help adapting them. Let us know if you find these helpful, or put any of them to practice.
The Open Notebook’s Writers’ Guidelines - The Open Notebook
Landing an assignment, especially a feature, is an exciting moment for any early-career journalist. But what happens next in the reporting, writing, and editing phases can sometimes be ambiguous. This...
theopennotebook.com
Muchas gracias a @rpocisv.bsky.social por su espíritu generoso al sugerirnos que compartiéramos estas guías, y a @emmalgometz.bsky.social por ayudarnos a adaptarlas. Haznos saber si te resultan útiles o si pones alguna de ellas en práctica. #TONenEspañol
Guía para escritores de The Open Notebook - The Open Notebook
Read in English Nick Fewings/Unsplash Conseguir una asignación, especialmente un reportaje, es un momento emocionante para cualquier periodista que está en el inicio de su carrera. Pero lo que sucede ...
theopennotebook.com
Revolutionary techniques using traces of environmental DNA are analyzing entire ecosystems “from microbes to whales.” Learn more in @rpocisv.bsky.social's 2019 story: knowmag.org/3IcQbxZ
A world in a bottle of water
Revolutionary techniques using traces of environmental DNA are analyzing entire ecosystems “from microbes to whales”
knowmag.org
Great podcast by @rpocisv.bsky.social and colleagues from Science @science.org about our recent publication about recovery mitogenomes from Basin of Mexico Columbian mammoths. Its a not miss! 👇
Sar Crespi@boron110.bsky.social · 11mo agoWhat we can learn from a mother lode of Mexican mammoths w/ @rpocisv.bsky.social this week on the @science.org podcast Listen here 🎧 www.science.org/content/podc...
A military megaproject led to Mexico’s biggest paleontological discovery—and is now reshaping what we know about mammoths. Learn more: https://scim.ag/45PD8M0
Mammoths in Mexico! A fascinating read by @rpocisv.bsky.social @science.org on the discovery and analysis of a massive Pleistocene fossil trove beneath an airport in Mexico City. 🧬 🦣 🇲🇽 www.science.org/content/arti... 🧪
Mammoths in Mexico? Huge bone trove reveals giant beasts thrived in warmth, too
Fossils found while building airport contain first mammoth DNA from tropical location
science.org
Thrilled to share our study sequencing genetic data from tropical mammoths 🏝️🦣. First DNA recovered from Columbian mammoths southern than USA shorturl.at/xjIvy. Thanks to all collaborators, you were key to this success! See below a fantastic note covering the paper by the great @rpocisv.bsky.social 👇
Columbian mammoth mitogenomes from Mexico uncover the species’ complex evolutionary history
Paleogenomic studies suggest that Mammuthus columbi derives from an ancient hybridization between Mammuthus primigenius and Mammuthus trogontherii. While its habitat spanned from North to Central Amer...
shorturl.at
La historia de cómo secuenciamos los mamtus 🦣 más tropicales 🏝️ secuenciados al momento la pueden leer aquí 👇https://shorturl.at/KE6Ux. Redactadó por el gran @rpocisv.bsky.social. Muchas gracias Rodrigo por cubrir con tanto entusiasmo la nota sobre nuestro trabajo.
Mammoths in Mexico? Huge bone trove reveals giant beasts thrived in warmth, too
Fossils found while building airport contain first mammoth DNA from tropical location
shorturl.at
What we can learn from a mother lode of Mexican mammoths w/ @rpocisv.bsky.social this week on the @science.org podcast Listen here 🎧 www.science.org/content/podc...
Bed bugs have always our urban companions. Populations of the bed bug that associates with people appear to have surged as human societies shifted from nomadic to more settled lifestyles @rpocisv.bsky.social reports in @science.org 👇 www.science.org/content/arti...
science.org
A new study of bedbug genomes traces their success back to early civilization, and claims that they may be the first urban pest. More in my story for @science.org. www.science.org/content/arti...
Bedbugs may be the first urban pest
A new study of the insects’ genomes traces their success back to early civilization
science.org
Massive DNA sequencing effort reveals how colonization shaped Brazil’s genetic diversity. My new story in @science.org. www.science.org/content/arti...
Massive DNA sequencing effort reveals how colonization shaped Brazil’s genetic diversity
New study identifies thousands of new variants related to diseases
science.org
In the largest ever study of Tenochtitlan obsidian, researchers found that the Aztec empire sought obsidian from far and wide to make ritual jewelry and basic tools, revealing complex trade networks and ritual preferences. More in my story in @science.org www.science.org/content/arti...
Aztec empire sought obsidian from far and wide to make ritual jewelry and basic tools
Largest ever study of Tenochtitlan obsidian reveals complex trade networks and ritual preferences
science.org
