Eric Lofgren
@germsandnumbers.bsky.social
Computational Epidemiologist and Associate Prof at WSU. Maker of artisinal, small-batch simulation models for the discerning infectious disease consumer. WoW and zombie epidemiology. Adopter of dogs. Not taking this terribly seriously. He/him.
DARPA: “We designed a decentralized communications platform resistant to attacks at a single point of failure.”
Amazon: “Hold my triple hop microbrew IPA.”
Amazon: “Hold my triple hop microbrew IPA.”
October 20, 2025 at 8:44 PM
DARPA: “We designed a decentralized communications platform resistant to attacks at a single point of failure.”
Amazon: “Hold my triple hop microbrew IPA.”
Amazon: “Hold my triple hop microbrew IPA.”
Reposted by Eric Lofgren
As a colleague mentioned yesterday, Gamergate is one of the five most significant developments in US politics since the Cold War
September 13, 2025 at 9:53 AM
As a colleague mentioned yesterday, Gamergate is one of the five most significant developments in US politics since the Cold War
Reposted by Eric Lofgren
Please stop making rural hospitals political pawns. Treating rural hospitals as political currency sends a message that rural communities do not matter, hardens already large divides, and punishes populations that are far more diverse than most on social media would like to acknowledge.
Why are *Democrats* considering asking for rural hospital funding? That's a problem Republicans created for their own base.
Democrats should oppose rural funding as leverage to get things for their own voters, the same way Republicans attack urban areas because rural voters demand it.
Democrats should oppose rural funding as leverage to get things for their own voters, the same way Republicans attack urban areas because rural voters demand it.
September 14, 2025 at 3:47 PM
Please stop making rural hospitals political pawns. Treating rural hospitals as political currency sends a message that rural communities do not matter, hardens already large divides, and punishes populations that are far more diverse than most on social media would like to acknowledge.
Reposted by Eric Lofgren
The veterinary field gives us a preview of how this will play out— with no major federal funding for companion animal medicine, potential return on investment dictates what is or is not researched and developed. It’s one of the reasons we have far fewer drugs licensed for cats than dogs.
September 14, 2025 at 9:05 AM
The veterinary field gives us a preview of how this will play out— with no major federal funding for companion animal medicine, potential return on investment dictates what is or is not researched and developed. It’s one of the reasons we have far fewer drugs licensed for cats than dogs.
Reposted by Eric Lofgren
this is, hands down, the best video I've seen on men's influencer content and it's not close either
September 14, 2025 at 1:50 AM
this is, hands down, the best video I've seen on men's influencer content and it's not close either
Reposted by Eric Lofgren
Covid has killed ~5-6x the number of people this year as those who died in 9-11. Both are heartbreaking, ❤️🩹 but only one is grieved publicly. The other is barely noticed & declared over
September 11, 2025 at 2:59 PM
Covid has killed ~5-6x the number of people this year as those who died in 9-11. Both are heartbreaking, ❤️🩹 but only one is grieved publicly. The other is barely noticed & declared over
Reposted by Eric Lofgren
This formulation is popular: contrasting SCOTUS' intolerance of race as an admissions factor with SCOTUS' tolerance of race as a detention factor. There are, in fact, doctrinal, historical, and logical distinctions between the positions, that one could use to dismiss this comparison.
But...
/1
But...
/1
"Harvard can't use race as a factor in admissions, but ICE can use race as a factor in detentions" is a retrenchment essentially to a pre-Civil War understanding of the Constitution. It's vanishingly few steps removed from "Latinos have no rights which the white man is bound to respect."
September 9, 2025 at 6:15 PM
This formulation is popular: contrasting SCOTUS' intolerance of race as an admissions factor with SCOTUS' tolerance of race as a detention factor. There are, in fact, doctrinal, historical, and logical distinctions between the positions, that one could use to dismiss this comparison.
But...
/1
But...
/1
Reposted by Eric Lofgren
We built a calculator that doesn't work, but don't worry, it's also a plagiarism machine that will tell you to kill yourself. It runs on the world's oceans and costs 10 trillion dollars.
August 29, 2025 at 6:24 PM
We built a calculator that doesn't work, but don't worry, it's also a plagiarism machine that will tell you to kill yourself. It runs on the world's oceans and costs 10 trillion dollars.
Reposted by Eric Lofgren
🧵There's a lot of talk today to the effect that "public health shouldn't be political," & with respect:
The notion that government has a responsibility to guide & support the health of every last resident, regardless of background, status, & to some extent even citizenship, is PROFOUNDLY political.
The notion that government has a responsibility to guide & support the health of every last resident, regardless of background, status, & to some extent even citizenship, is PROFOUNDLY political.
August 29, 2025 at 1:13 AM
🧵There's a lot of talk today to the effect that "public health shouldn't be political," & with respect:
The notion that government has a responsibility to guide & support the health of every last resident, regardless of background, status, & to some extent even citizenship, is PROFOUNDLY political.
The notion that government has a responsibility to guide & support the health of every last resident, regardless of background, status, & to some extent even citizenship, is PROFOUNDLY political.
Reposted by Eric Lofgren
I have a message to the staff at CDC who have dedicated their careers to protecting Americans from health threats of all kinds: Thank you.
Your courage and dedication have improved or saved the lives of people who may not even know it.
We’re with you.
Your courage and dedication have improved or saved the lives of people who may not even know it.
We’re with you.
August 29, 2025 at 5:39 PM
I have a message to the staff at CDC who have dedicated their careers to protecting Americans from health threats of all kinds: Thank you.
Your courage and dedication have improved or saved the lives of people who may not even know it.
We’re with you.
Your courage and dedication have improved or saved the lives of people who may not even know it.
We’re with you.
Reposted by Eric Lofgren
You've seen how much damage RFK has done at HHS. RFK is a disorganized, age-addled maniac, and most of his job is PR stunts. I cannot begin to tell you how much damage a Thiel-verse technocrat like O'Neill will do in CDC. Starting with: he will persecute women you know and love for their abortions.
August 29, 2025 at 9:13 PM
You've seen how much damage RFK has done at HHS. RFK is a disorganized, age-addled maniac, and most of his job is PR stunts. I cannot begin to tell you how much damage a Thiel-verse technocrat like O'Neill will do in CDC. Starting with: he will persecute women you know and love for their abortions.
Reposted by Eric Lofgren
Just call Congress. I am asking you to do that for the women in your life, if not for public health. You don't even need to find a script or write down what you're going to say before you call. Hell, you don't even need to shave your nasty little beard before you take a video and post it on Bluesky.
August 29, 2025 at 9:22 PM
Just call Congress. I am asking you to do that for the women in your life, if not for public health. You don't even need to find a script or write down what you're going to say before you call. Hell, you don't even need to shave your nasty little beard before you take a video and post it on Bluesky.
Reposted by Eric Lofgren
resigned leaders all speaking live now
August 28, 2025 at 7:21 PM
resigned leaders all speaking live now
Work on the COVID-19 outbreak in Whitman Co, WA with Erin Clancey & @mietchen.bsky.social is published! TLDR: Modeling supports the idea that our outbreak was driven by import cases and that the university and surrounding area had little cross transmission. #episky journals.lww.com/epidem/fullt...
Unexpected Transmission Dynamics in a University Town:... : Epidemiology
ck to campuses worried many that transmission within student populations would spread into surrounding communities. In light of this, many colleges and universities implemented mitigation strategies, ...
journals.lww.com
August 27, 2025 at 6:32 PM
Work on the COVID-19 outbreak in Whitman Co, WA with Erin Clancey & @mietchen.bsky.social is published! TLDR: Modeling supports the idea that our outbreak was driven by import cases and that the university and surrounding area had little cross transmission. #episky journals.lww.com/epidem/fullt...
Reposted by Eric Lofgren
putting aside the trans rights issues specifically (lol), I think part of what has me so frustrated with the Newsom thing is that Pritzker, Walz, and Zohran are putting on clinics for a popular, progressive politics and we’re wasting time talking about this used car salesman ass goblin.
August 24, 2025 at 1:24 AM
putting aside the trans rights issues specifically (lol), I think part of what has me so frustrated with the Newsom thing is that Pritzker, Walz, and Zohran are putting on clinics for a popular, progressive politics and we’re wasting time talking about this used car salesman ass goblin.
Reposted by Eric Lofgren
When the dust settles, and if universities have meaningfully survived, it will be worth asking how institutions usually so resistant to thoroughgoing change chose to leap with both feet into an untested technology they didn't understand and didn't know how to use.
Universities doubling down as public sentiment shifts away from dependence upon AI. This is the problem with the buy-in.
The University of Michigan is now claiming that students have an ‘ethical responsibility’ to use AI.
August 21, 2025 at 6:51 AM
When the dust settles, and if universities have meaningfully survived, it will be worth asking how institutions usually so resistant to thoroughgoing change chose to leap with both feet into an untested technology they didn't understand and didn't know how to use.
Reposted by Eric Lofgren
As a science professor at a STEM-only university, I think this is a very bad idea.
August 13, 2025 at 4:51 PM
As a science professor at a STEM-only university, I think this is a very bad idea.
Reposted by Eric Lofgren
Science friends, life is difficult now, but please still try to peer review papers if you can.
I'm the editor handling a paper that just had it's 43rd person decline to review. We may have to reject it because no one is willing to review it, which sucks for the authors.
I'm the editor handling a paper that just had it's 43rd person decline to review. We may have to reject it because no one is willing to review it, which sucks for the authors.
August 13, 2025 at 1:31 PM
Science friends, life is difficult now, but please still try to peer review papers if you can.
I'm the editor handling a paper that just had it's 43rd person decline to review. We may have to reject it because no one is willing to review it, which sucks for the authors.
I'm the editor handling a paper that just had it's 43rd person decline to review. We may have to reject it because no one is willing to review it, which sucks for the authors.
This is the energy I’m bringing to my talks from now on.
August 13, 2025 at 12:55 PM
This is the energy I’m bringing to my talks from now on.
Registering for #idweek & was going to agree to serve as a mentor for their program - I've enjoyed that in the past.
Only to discover that earlier career Eric wouldn't have been eligible. Nuts to that.
It's disappointing that that conference is still so ruthlessly alienating to non-physicians.
Only to discover that earlier career Eric wouldn't have been eligible. Nuts to that.
It's disappointing that that conference is still so ruthlessly alienating to non-physicians.
August 1, 2025 at 9:21 PM
Registering for #idweek & was going to agree to serve as a mentor for their program - I've enjoyed that in the past.
Only to discover that earlier career Eric wouldn't have been eligible. Nuts to that.
It's disappointing that that conference is still so ruthlessly alienating to non-physicians.
Only to discover that earlier career Eric wouldn't have been eligible. Nuts to that.
It's disappointing that that conference is still so ruthlessly alienating to non-physicians.
Reposted by Eric Lofgren
The NIH was healthiest when pay lines were in the 20th percentile range.
We are headed into an environment where pay lines are in the 5% range.
In my entire career, I’ve only had 3 grants that scored better than 5%. And my lab is considered a successful one.
This is going to destroy science.
We are headed into an environment where pay lines are in the 5% range.
In my entire career, I’ve only had 3 grants that scored better than 5%. And my lab is considered a successful one.
This is going to destroy science.
July 28, 2025 at 8:12 PM
The NIH was healthiest when pay lines were in the 20th percentile range.
We are headed into an environment where pay lines are in the 5% range.
In my entire career, I’ve only had 3 grants that scored better than 5%. And my lab is considered a successful one.
This is going to destroy science.
We are headed into an environment where pay lines are in the 5% range.
In my entire career, I’ve only had 3 grants that scored better than 5%. And my lab is considered a successful one.
This is going to destroy science.
Reposted by Eric Lofgren
feels like one of the main divides in how people view ai is the reaction to its ingratiating servile tone. when ai is like "ouhhhh i'm so sorry i got that wrong sir, let my try again, you were right my liege" tech guys are like "i like this" instead of "what the fuck is wrong with you"
July 21, 2025 at 2:05 PM
feels like one of the main divides in how people view ai is the reaction to its ingratiating servile tone. when ai is like "ouhhhh i'm so sorry i got that wrong sir, let my try again, you were right my liege" tech guys are like "i like this" instead of "what the fuck is wrong with you"
Reposted by Eric Lofgren
Will preach about respecting Pigeons till the day I die.
Pigeons are our own pocket sized city dinosaurs!!! We domesticated them to love us and then we abandoned and villainized them. Our little feathered friends deserve kindness.
Pigeons are our own pocket sized city dinosaurs!!! We domesticated them to love us and then we abandoned and villainized them. Our little feathered friends deserve kindness.
July 6, 2025 at 8:55 PM
Will preach about respecting Pigeons till the day I die.
Pigeons are our own pocket sized city dinosaurs!!! We domesticated them to love us and then we abandoned and villainized them. Our little feathered friends deserve kindness.
Pigeons are our own pocket sized city dinosaurs!!! We domesticated them to love us and then we abandoned and villainized them. Our little feathered friends deserve kindness.
Along with about a thousand other reforms...ban both camo and black fatigues for law enforcement agencies. Nothing you should be doing should be parsed as "tactical" or "cool".
Visible, approachable, and identifiable.
Your design cues should not be "It's giving military occupation".
Visible, approachable, and identifiable.
Your design cues should not be "It's giving military occupation".
July 7, 2025 at 9:11 PM
Along with about a thousand other reforms...ban both camo and black fatigues for law enforcement agencies. Nothing you should be doing should be parsed as "tactical" or "cool".
Visible, approachable, and identifiable.
Your design cues should not be "It's giving military occupation".
Visible, approachable, and identifiable.
Your design cues should not be "It's giving military occupation".