Scientists leave Elon Musk’s X for ‘nicer’ Bluesky

Scientists fleeing X are flocking to fast-growing Bluesky because there are “fewer Nazis," according to a Nature survey.

Of the nearly 6,000 readers who responded to the scientific journal’s online poll, 70% said they used Bluesky because it was “nicer, kinder, and less antagonistic to science than X,” according to the publication.

Fewer readers responded to a question about X, but of roughly 5,300 who did, most said they did not use the platform. More than half said they used to be on it but had now left. Just over one in ten respondents said they used it more than Bluesky.

The survey indicates that the days when X – known as Twitter before Elon Musk bought it in 2022 – was a go-to platform for scientists to discuss and disseminate their work are long gone.

Nature said the survey was not statistically representative of its readers or the scientific community at large, but echoed its earlier findings. Most of those who responded to the journal’s most recent poll self-identified as working scientists, primarily from the US, the UK, and Germany.

Boosted by an exodus from X, Bluesky now has 30 million registered users as of January 29th, according to the platform.

this is how it feels to reach 30 MILLION users!!!

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undefined Bluesky (@bsky.app) January 29, 2025 at 4:21 AM

‘Much better for science’

Many scientists leaving for Bluesky cited political reasons and the toxic atmosphere as key factors behind their decision to stop using X, according to Nature.

One respondent said, “Bluesky is much better for science,” adding that “there is much less toxicity, misinformation, and distractions.” Others noted timely and relevant research updates and more civil conversations as the platform’s advantages.

In comparison to X, many respondents described Bluesky as pleasant, more supportive, friendlier, kinder, nicer, more collegial, uplifting, more peaceful, and safer.

A sense of safety was also a common theme, according to Nature, with one respondent saying: “I feel that I can recommend it to students and trainees. I can’t do that for X, it is not a safe learning space.”

There was also a perception of “fewer Nazis” and less racism on Bluesky, along with the fact that Musk did not own the platform and that it did not host ads being two other important factors.

However, some respondents criticised Bluesky as a leftwing echo chamber that is “full of woke crazy people who will threaten you with violence if you disagree with the liberal narrative,” according to Nature.

Some also said Bluesky was initially “boring” because of its smaller user base, something that has started to change with its recent growth spurt following the 2024 US presidential election in November.

The platform has added much of its 30 million users following the vote that saw Donald Trump re-elected for a second term as president, with about 14 million people joining since then.

There were also smaller upticks in user growth earlier, coinciding with X’s move to make content visible to blocked users and the platform’s ban in Brazil.