M. S. AtKisson
@igrrrl.bsky.social
Grant writing and research leadership. Highly specialized wetware hacker. Mom of a trans son and a Marine. Mostly live on a 40ft Hallberg-Rassy. She/her/Dr.
Reposted by M. S. AtKisson
Thank you . People hate the idea of this because it means that them being bystanders actually has consequences
For @msnownews.bsky.social, I wrote an article about how ICE Watch is grounded in sociological theories of violence prevention.
The reality is that most men will only commit public violence in extremely specific scenarios and ICE Watch disrupts the conditions necessary for escalation.
The reality is that most men will only commit public violence in extremely specific scenarios and ICE Watch disrupts the conditions necessary for escalation.
Opinion | I'm a Minneapolis sociologist who studies violence. Here's how ICE observers are helping.
Research into how violence occurs shows that disapproval from the people around you can help reduce it.
www.ms.now
January 17, 2026 at 2:34 PM
Thank you . People hate the idea of this because it means that them being bystanders actually has consequences
Reposted by M. S. AtKisson
I miss the evil billionaires who'd try to buy their way into heaven by funding massive public libraries
January 17, 2026 at 6:41 AM
I miss the evil billionaires who'd try to buy their way into heaven by funding massive public libraries
Reposted by M. S. AtKisson
As you talk about Greenland, please make sure you are talking about the >56,000 Inuit who have called the Island their home for thousands of years. Here are 2 stories that include their voices, concerns, and hopes.
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
canadiangeographic.ca/articles/buy...
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
canadiangeographic.ca/articles/buy...
‘Buying countries is Stone Age mentality:’ Inuit speak up on Greenland
Indigenous Greenlanders, who endured centuries of colonialism from Denmark, now face a new threat from Donald Trump’s United States
canadiangeographic.ca
January 16, 2026 at 11:22 AM
As you talk about Greenland, please make sure you are talking about the >56,000 Inuit who have called the Island their home for thousands of years. Here are 2 stories that include their voices, concerns, and hopes.
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
canadiangeographic.ca/articles/buy...
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
canadiangeographic.ca/articles/buy...
Reposted by M. S. AtKisson
“This is another Tuskegee” is not hyperbole. good reporting from IM
We have the CDC-funded Hepatitis Vaccine trial in Guinea-Bissau protocol.
It’s worse than you thought.
Check it out, first in Inside Medicine…
with @pauloffit.bsky.social David Boulware and others.
insidemedicine.substack.com/p/scoop-the-...
It’s worse than you thought.
Check it out, first in Inside Medicine…
with @pauloffit.bsky.social David Boulware and others.
insidemedicine.substack.com/p/scoop-the-...
Scoop: The leaked protocol of the CDC-funded Hepatitis B vaccine trial in Guinea-Bissau. “This is another Tuskegee.”
The protocol reveals that the trial will withhold the Hepatitis B birth dose from thousands—without placebos, without universal maternal screening, and with endpoints critics call indefensible.
insidemedicine.substack.com
January 15, 2026 at 11:22 AM
“This is another Tuskegee” is not hyperbole. good reporting from IM
Reposted by M. S. AtKisson
"The sweeping study... found that using AI in education can 'undermine children's foundational development' and that 'the damages it has already caused are daunting.'"
They include limiting kids' cognitive, social, and emotional developmen, and increasing inequity.
www.npr.org/2026/01/14/n...
They include limiting kids' cognitive, social, and emotional developmen, and increasing inequity.
www.npr.org/2026/01/14/n...
The risks of AI in schools outweigh the benefits, report says
A new report warns that AI poses a serious threat to children's cognitive development and emotional well-being.
www.npr.org
January 15, 2026 at 12:14 PM
"The sweeping study... found that using AI in education can 'undermine children's foundational development' and that 'the damages it has already caused are daunting.'"
They include limiting kids' cognitive, social, and emotional developmen, and increasing inequity.
www.npr.org/2026/01/14/n...
They include limiting kids' cognitive, social, and emotional developmen, and increasing inequity.
www.npr.org/2026/01/14/n...
QotD: “The world is nonlinear.”
Donella Meadows
Donella Meadows
January 12, 2026 at 1:46 PM
QotD: “The world is nonlinear.”
Donella Meadows
Donella Meadows
Reposted by M. S. AtKisson
I actively avoid watching videos of people being shot and taken and disappeared. Not because I don’t care or because I don’t want to be inconvenienced by pain. But because I find these things legitimately unbearable and the nature of social media makes them another thing we scroll through.
January 11, 2026 at 6:51 PM
I actively avoid watching videos of people being shot and taken and disappeared. Not because I don’t care or because I don’t want to be inconvenienced by pain. But because I find these things legitimately unbearable and the nature of social media makes them another thing we scroll through.
Reposted by M. S. AtKisson
Please read this whole, wonderful thread
Watching doc about resilience that reaffirms many changes I made last few years to my mental outlook (I read a LOT of brain books). Brains are hallucination engines. If the story is the world is shit, everything is fucked, brain reframes every interaction this way. It impacts behavior; shuts us down
January 11, 2026 at 6:44 PM
Please read this whole, wonderful thread
Reposted by M. S. AtKisson
Here is a video of a frozen creek that had begun to thaw, and the water was flowing beneath the thin ice on top. I took this because it was soothing and wonderfully bloopy and I wanted to listen to it for hours. You are all welcome to enjoy it, too. Let your brain settle here and rest for a moment.
January 10, 2026 at 4:57 AM
Here is a video of a frozen creek that had begun to thaw, and the water was flowing beneath the thin ice on top. I took this because it was soothing and wonderfully bloopy and I wanted to listen to it for hours. You are all welcome to enjoy it, too. Let your brain settle here and rest for a moment.
Reposted by M. S. AtKisson
ken did a really great thread here that nicely articulates why i block doomers.
the only thing i’ll add is this: doomerism is a form of voter suppression. saying shit like “there won’t be elections” is saying there’s no point in fighting. it’s demotivating. fuck that.
the only thing i’ll add is this: doomerism is a form of voter suppression. saying shit like “there won’t be elections” is saying there’s no point in fighting. it’s demotivating. fuck that.
This kind of thing does point out a real ethical dilemma: block or mute?
January 10, 2026 at 6:48 PM
ken did a really great thread here that nicely articulates why i block doomers.
the only thing i’ll add is this: doomerism is a form of voter suppression. saying shit like “there won’t be elections” is saying there’s no point in fighting. it’s demotivating. fuck that.
the only thing i’ll add is this: doomerism is a form of voter suppression. saying shit like “there won’t be elections” is saying there’s no point in fighting. it’s demotivating. fuck that.
Reposted by M. S. AtKisson
In case you’re wondering whether the pro-ICE reactions to Renee Nicole Good’s murder are natural, here’s a comment that was just left on my video. My video about anti-transgender bias at the BBC. I haven’t made a video about Good yet.
youtu.be/pWm3dK8tPto
youtu.be/pWm3dK8tPto
January 10, 2026 at 5:07 PM
In case you’re wondering whether the pro-ICE reactions to Renee Nicole Good’s murder are natural, here’s a comment that was just left on my video. My video about anti-transgender bias at the BBC. I haven’t made a video about Good yet.
youtu.be/pWm3dK8tPto
youtu.be/pWm3dK8tPto
I know it's dog Latin, but it's apparently my phrase for 2026: Illegitimi non carborundum.
To be honest, I spent most of 2025 dealing with grief and anger. My job is to help faculty members get funding and spend it more effectively. Get grants. Learn leadership and project management.
To be honest, I spent most of 2025 dealing with grief and anger. My job is to help faculty members get funding and spend it more effectively. Get grants. Learn leadership and project management.
January 10, 2026 at 6:05 PM
I know it's dog Latin, but it's apparently my phrase for 2026: Illegitimi non carborundum.
To be honest, I spent most of 2025 dealing with grief and anger. My job is to help faculty members get funding and spend it more effectively. Get grants. Learn leadership and project management.
To be honest, I spent most of 2025 dealing with grief and anger. My job is to help faculty members get funding and spend it more effectively. Get grants. Learn leadership and project management.
Reposted by M. S. AtKisson
To be clear, they're play-fighting and also: this video improved my day measurably and I wish I'd've watched it earlier. If you haven't, fix that now.
January 10, 2026 at 12:14 AM
To be clear, they're play-fighting and also: this video improved my day measurably and I wish I'd've watched it earlier. If you haven't, fix that now.
Reposted by M. S. AtKisson
The Wampanoag would like a word
Trump talks about Denmark and Greenland just now: "The fact that they landed a boat there 500 years ago doesn't mean that they own the land."
January 9, 2026 at 10:54 PM
The Wampanoag would like a word
I just caught myself from signing off a call with a colleague by saying, "Love you."
But I do, genuinely, love them. Next time I'll tell them. We need more love in the world.
Pic for attention from Dungeonesse on Cumberland Island Ga.
But I do, genuinely, love them. Next time I'll tell them. We need more love in the world.
Pic for attention from Dungeonesse on Cumberland Island Ga.
January 9, 2026 at 3:18 PM
I just caught myself from signing off a call with a colleague by saying, "Love you."
But I do, genuinely, love them. Next time I'll tell them. We need more love in the world.
Pic for attention from Dungeonesse on Cumberland Island Ga.
But I do, genuinely, love them. Next time I'll tell them. We need more love in the world.
Pic for attention from Dungeonesse on Cumberland Island Ga.
Reposted by M. S. AtKisson
"Americans are being pulled into something worse than war. We are being pulled into a global realignment in which our existence is inconvenient. The ruling class doesn't want to spill my blood: they want to kill my soul and hope that I don't notice. They want the same for you, whoever you are."
My newsletter is back! I wrote about a road trip through Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas — and what it tells us about America’s imperial ambitions.
sarahkendzior.substack.com/p/the-invaders
sarahkendzior.substack.com/p/the-invaders
The Invaders
Thieves of American empire are gunning for your future.
sarahkendzior.substack.com
January 9, 2026 at 3:01 PM
"Americans are being pulled into something worse than war. We are being pulled into a global realignment in which our existence is inconvenient. The ruling class doesn't want to spill my blood: they want to kill my soul and hope that I don't notice. They want the same for you, whoever you are."
Reposted by M. S. AtKisson
Study finds women use gen AI less than men not due to gaps in access or skill, but because they view it as harmful to mental health, employment, privacy & the environment. This is not misplaced: AI has significant energy demands and risks of bias and misinformation.
www.unite.ai/research-fin...
www.unite.ai/research-fin...
Research Finds Women Use Generative AI Less, Due to Moral Concerns
A new study led by Oxford University concludes that women are using generative AI far less than men – not because they lack skills, but because they worry more about AI’s harm to jobs, privacy, mental...
www.unite.ai
January 9, 2026 at 1:29 AM
Study finds women use gen AI less than men not due to gaps in access or skill, but because they view it as harmful to mental health, employment, privacy & the environment. This is not misplaced: AI has significant energy demands and risks of bias and misinformation.
www.unite.ai/research-fin...
www.unite.ai/research-fin...
Reposted by M. S. AtKisson
Fiscal Year 2026 NIH Funding Update
The committed funding for fiscal year 2026 is lagging behind all fiscal years from 2015-2025.
More details to follow.
1/6
The committed funding for fiscal year 2026 is lagging behind all fiscal years from 2015-2025.
More details to follow.
1/6
January 8, 2026 at 4:44 PM
Fiscal Year 2026 NIH Funding Update
The committed funding for fiscal year 2026 is lagging behind all fiscal years from 2015-2025.
More details to follow.
1/6
The committed funding for fiscal year 2026 is lagging behind all fiscal years from 2015-2025.
More details to follow.
1/6
Reposted by M. S. AtKisson
It’s never too late to quit Twitter.
Just seen Grok putting the body of the victim of the ICE shooting in Minneapolis into a bikini. Digital corpse desecration now available to the public.
January 8, 2026 at 4:12 PM
It’s never too late to quit Twitter.
Reposted by M. S. AtKisson
Let's talk about generative AI, contaminated information, and rhubarb.
Once upon a time, Europe was at war.
Food was scarce, and the government of the quote-unquote United Kingdom looked for alternatives. 1/
Once upon a time, Europe was at war.
Food was scarce, and the government of the quote-unquote United Kingdom looked for alternatives. 1/
January 6, 2026 at 3:07 AM
Let's talk about generative AI, contaminated information, and rhubarb.
Once upon a time, Europe was at war.
Food was scarce, and the government of the quote-unquote United Kingdom looked for alternatives. 1/
Once upon a time, Europe was at war.
Food was scarce, and the government of the quote-unquote United Kingdom looked for alternatives. 1/
Reposted by M. S. AtKisson
"I’m going to pause here just to review: an institution that purports to be a university has told a philosophy professor he is forbidden from teaching Plato."
surreal times
dailynous.com/2026/01/06/t...
surreal times
dailynous.com/2026/01/06/t...
Texas A&M Bans Plato - Daily Nous
Drop the race and gender material from your course and the Plato readings, or teach a different course. You have a day to decide. That's a paraphrase of what Martin Peterson, professor of philosophy a...
dailynous.com
January 7, 2026 at 10:36 AM
"I’m going to pause here just to review: an institution that purports to be a university has told a philosophy professor he is forbidden from teaching Plato."
surreal times
dailynous.com/2026/01/06/t...
surreal times
dailynous.com/2026/01/06/t...
Reposted by M. S. AtKisson
We all still need good news. This is the story of Cronutt the sea lion. He had his epilepsy cured as a consequence of basic science that was funded initially by @NIH to my colleague Scott Baraban. Amazing work and so good to see Cronutt doing so well. #epilepsy
youtu.be/hZpFH5J5lbo?...
youtu.be/hZpFH5J5lbo?...
Meet Cronutt the Sea Lion—and the Scientists Who Helped Stop His Seizures
YouTube video by UCSF Neurosurgery
youtu.be
January 6, 2026 at 9:44 PM
We all still need good news. This is the story of Cronutt the sea lion. He had his epilepsy cured as a consequence of basic science that was funded initially by @NIH to my colleague Scott Baraban. Amazing work and so good to see Cronutt doing so well. #epilepsy
youtu.be/hZpFH5J5lbo?...
youtu.be/hZpFH5J5lbo?...
Reposted by M. S. AtKisson
We have published the following update to our article following an email response from the New York Times.
Trans News Network has a policy against platforming bigotry. As such, we have declined to publish the Times' statement which included blatant transphobia.
Trans News Network has a policy against platforming bigotry. As such, we have declined to publish the Times' statement which included blatant transphobia.
January 5, 2026 at 2:05 AM
We have published the following update to our article following an email response from the New York Times.
Trans News Network has a policy against platforming bigotry. As such, we have declined to publish the Times' statement which included blatant transphobia.
Trans News Network has a policy against platforming bigotry. As such, we have declined to publish the Times' statement which included blatant transphobia.
Reposted by M. S. AtKisson
where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
January 5, 2026 at 1:47 PM
where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Reposted by M. S. AtKisson
We should learn from state-level implementations of AI for "prior authorization" as CMS rolls out its "Wasteful and Inappropriate Service Reduction (WISeR) model" for "traditional" or fee-for-service Medicare (set to run from January 1, 2026 - December 31, 2031)
You've probably been following the story about fraud in MN. I wrote about the people who provide services who are being driven into bankruptcy, thanks to the Walz' administration decision to hire Optum AI to screen all payments. It's a disaster.
Perry: Trusted providers are being unfairly swept up in Minnesota’s fraud crackdown
As the state's new anti-fraud screening system went into effect, the Holland Center expected to receive $212,000 in payments. It instead received $22,000, David M. Perry writes. If nothing changes soo...
www.startribune.com
January 2, 2026 at 3:27 PM
We should learn from state-level implementations of AI for "prior authorization" as CMS rolls out its "Wasteful and Inappropriate Service Reduction (WISeR) model" for "traditional" or fee-for-service Medicare (set to run from January 1, 2026 - December 31, 2031)