Jonathan Miller
@intercalator.bsky.social
Attempting to focus on lines of logical thinking and the beauty of our world an in increasingly post-truth society. Views are mine, I tell you. My own. My precious.
Reposted by Jonathan Miller
But a white guy with a COVID conspiracy manifesto isn’t news at this point. After all, that’s who runs the government now!
The CDC is a part of Health & Human Services, headed by RFK Jr., whose conspiracy-addled ideology is indistinguishable from the motivations of this terrorist.
The CDC is a part of Health & Human Services, headed by RFK Jr., whose conspiracy-addled ideology is indistinguishable from the motivations of this terrorist.
The CDC shooting was public health’s Jan. 6
“In RFK Jr.’s America, it will never be safe to practice public health or medicine," write an epidemiologist and a former CDC staffer.
www.statnews.com
August 17, 2025 at 1:47 AM
But a white guy with a COVID conspiracy manifesto isn’t news at this point. After all, that’s who runs the government now!
The CDC is a part of Health & Human Services, headed by RFK Jr., whose conspiracy-addled ideology is indistinguishable from the motivations of this terrorist.
The CDC is a part of Health & Human Services, headed by RFK Jr., whose conspiracy-addled ideology is indistinguishable from the motivations of this terrorist.
Reposted by Jonathan Miller
I helped make a film, out this week, called “Rovina’s Choice,” about the deaths this man without conscience or accountability has caused — already 600,000, ⅔ of them children.
November 6, 2025 at 10:34 PM
I helped make a film, out this week, called “Rovina’s Choice,” about the deaths this man without conscience or accountability has caused — already 600,000, ⅔ of them children.
Reposted by Jonathan Miller
Reposted by Jonathan Miller
The furin cleavage site is something that the proponents of a lab leak insist can't be natural. But here it is, in South America, far from a lab.
A divergent betacoronavirus with a functional furin cleavage site in South American bats
There it is, a functional Furin cleavage site, all natural in a coronavirus, in a part with high selection pressure.
www.biorxiv.org/cont...
1/3
There it is, a functional Furin cleavage site, all natural in a coronavirus, in a part with high selection pressure.
www.biorxiv.org/cont...
1/3
A divergent betacoronavirus with a functional furin cleavage site in South American bats
Bats are natural reservoirs for a wide range of RNA viruses. Members of the genus Betacoronavirus , including Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome virus (MERS-CoV), have attracted particular attention due to their recent zoonotic emergence. However, much of the known diversity of betacoronaviruses is based on data from Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, with limited genomic information available from the Americas. Herein, we report the complete genome of a novel bat betacoronavirus identified from a Pteronotus parnellii bat sampled in Brazil. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that this virus is sufficiently distinct from the five recognized Betacoronavirus subgenera to represent a new subgenus. Of note, the spike protein of this novel bat coronavirus possesses a functional furin cleavage site at the S1/S2 junction with a unique amino acid sequence motif (RDAR) that differs from that found in SARS-CoV-2 (RRAR) by only one amino acid. Comparative structural analysis identified other betacoronaviruses in bats with furin cleavage sites at the S1/S2 junction, suggesting that this region is a structurally permissive “hotspot” for cleavage site incorporation. Our study provides a broader understanding of the phylogenetic and functional diversity of bat coronaviruses as well as their zoonotic potential.
### Competing Interest Statement
Y.K. has received unrelated grant support from Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd., Fujifilm Toyama Chemical Co., Ltd., Tauns Laboratories, Inc., Shionogi & Co. Ltd., Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., KM Biologics Co. Ltd., Kyoritsu Seiyaku Corporation, Shinya Corporation and Fuji Rebio, Inc. Y.K. is a co-founder of FluGen. The other authors do not have any competing interests.
KAKENHI Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas, 16H06429, 16K21723, 16H06434
KAKENHI Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B), JP22H02521
KAKENHI Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists, 25K18814, 22K15469
KAKENHI Grant-in-Aid for JSPS Fellows, 21J01036
AMED Research Program on Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases, JP19fk0108113, JP19fk018113
AMED, JP223fa627002, JP22am0401030, JP23fk0108659
AMED Advanced Research and Development Programs for Medical Innovation (AMED-CREST), 22gm1610010h0001
Takeda Science Foundation, https://ror.org/02y123g31
RIKAKEN HOLDINGS CO. Young Researcher Support Grant-in-aid
National Health and Medical Research Council (Australia) Investigator grant, GNT2017197
www.biorxiv.org
November 1, 2025 at 10:13 PM
The furin cleavage site is something that the proponents of a lab leak insist can't be natural. But here it is, in South America, far from a lab.
Reposted by Jonathan Miller
The Inflation Reduction Act, which funded focused on energy production, on-shored manufacturing and improved infrastructure, but republicans voted against, and then showed up for photo ops when a project broke ground, created jobs and improved the lives of constituents in their state/district.
This right here, this exact sentence, is THE problem in American political journalism.
The IRA *was* cheap energy and good jobs! That was the whole bill! Democrats did precisely what political pundits are telling them to do and the pundits just ignore it.
The IRA *was* cheap energy and good jobs! That was the whole bill! Democrats did precisely what political pundits are telling them to do and the pundits just ignore it.
November 1, 2025 at 12:32 PM
The Inflation Reduction Act, which funded focused on energy production, on-shored manufacturing and improved infrastructure, but republicans voted against, and then showed up for photo ops when a project broke ground, created jobs and improved the lives of constituents in their state/district.
Reposted by Jonathan Miller
it's such a clarifying frame.
"intelligence" = creative, thoughtful, adaptable, human
"automated" = automatic, unthinking, inflexible, machine
also "intelligence" implies new, different, unprecedented
"automation" connects it clearly to its historical context
"intelligence" = creative, thoughtful, adaptable, human
"automated" = automatic, unthinking, inflexible, machine
also "intelligence" implies new, different, unprecedented
"automation" connects it clearly to its historical context
Really appreciate this review of our book (w/ @alexhanna.bsky.social)
"By insisting on the term “automation,” Bender and Hanna reveal that what’s sold as innovation is often just labor displacement with better branding."
"…a demystifying, often hilarious lexicon that cuts through the fog of hype."
"By insisting on the term “automation,” Bender and Hanna reveal that what’s sold as innovation is often just labor displacement with better branding."
"…a demystifying, often hilarious lexicon that cuts through the fog of hype."
"The new Luddites aren’t afraid of AI. They’re afraid of the people who profit from pretending it’s intelligent." Erik J. Larson reviews "The AI Con" by Emily M. Bender and Alex Hanna: https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/the-return-of-the-luddites/
October 31, 2025 at 4:08 PM
it's such a clarifying frame.
"intelligence" = creative, thoughtful, adaptable, human
"automated" = automatic, unthinking, inflexible, machine
also "intelligence" implies new, different, unprecedented
"automation" connects it clearly to its historical context
"intelligence" = creative, thoughtful, adaptable, human
"automated" = automatic, unthinking, inflexible, machine
also "intelligence" implies new, different, unprecedented
"automation" connects it clearly to its historical context
They want you to be angry and cynical and to close yourself off from everyone and do nothing. Do not let them win! Donate a little money, time, or durable foodstuff if you can, research and vote in your upcoming local election, engage with and help grow your local community!
A thread about keeping one’s head above water under the current conditions and not being incapacitated by rage, fear, despair or some mixture of those (1/11)
October 31, 2025 at 4:24 PM
They want you to be angry and cynical and to close yourself off from everyone and do nothing. Do not let them win! Donate a little money, time, or durable foodstuff if you can, research and vote in your upcoming local election, engage with and help grow your local community!
Reposted by Jonathan Miller
My wife has volunteered at a local food bank for years and confirms what many of you have probably heard: in this case, straight cash is a good donation if you can do it.
The food banks have better access and buying power than individuals do, and can try to address item imbalances as they see them.
The food banks have better access and buying power than individuals do, and can try to address item imbalances as they see them.
October 31, 2025 at 3:13 PM
My wife has volunteered at a local food bank for years and confirms what many of you have probably heard: in this case, straight cash is a good donation if you can do it.
The food banks have better access and buying power than individuals do, and can try to address item imbalances as they see them.
The food banks have better access and buying power than individuals do, and can try to address item imbalances as they see them.
Reposted by Jonathan Miller
remember when elon musk was still in government and DOGE still active and they pretended for like a week rampent social security fraud was happening, and then it turned out they just didn’t understand that databases would include people who passed away and we never heard about this “fraud” again lol
October 31, 2025 at 1:33 AM
remember when elon musk was still in government and DOGE still active and they pretended for like a week rampent social security fraud was happening, and then it turned out they just didn’t understand that databases would include people who passed away and we never heard about this “fraud” again lol
Reposted by Jonathan Miller
It's incredibly normal to feel uncomfortable being near people who are different from you. And your job as a human being is to feel a little ashamed of that, grow the fuck up, and get over it.
Vance says it is "totally reasonable and acceptable" for people to not want to live next door to people who speak a different language than they do
October 29, 2025 at 5:06 PM
It's incredibly normal to feel uncomfortable being near people who are different from you. And your job as a human being is to feel a little ashamed of that, grow the fuck up, and get over it.
Reposted by Jonathan Miller
The actual finding here is that a huge percentage of the population believes things that are not true. Democrats objectively did not spend significant time on climate change or LGBTQ issues in the last election campaign.
Duh. Those of us on the ground last year actually speaking with middle class/working class voters and who heard from these voters every single day the same - “Trump is an asshole, but Democrats are out of touch” - could’ve saved my new political party a lot of time & money producing this “report.”👇
October 28, 2025 at 12:52 PM
The actual finding here is that a huge percentage of the population believes things that are not true. Democrats objectively did not spend significant time on climate change or LGBTQ issues in the last election campaign.
Reposted by Jonathan Miller
"In the room for 5- to 7-year-olds, a large TV on one wall displays circle charts that update every minute with completion rates and other metrics from each student’s personalized learning software."
It's an orange theory!!!
It's an orange theory!!!
October 27, 2025 at 10:37 PM
"In the room for 5- to 7-year-olds, a large TV on one wall displays circle charts that update every minute with completion rates and other metrics from each student’s personalized learning software."
It's an orange theory!!!
It's an orange theory!!!
Reposted by Jonathan Miller
I'm halfway through this article and I have two questions that are not a critique of the article.
The first: why don't we openly talk about these kinds of approaches as what they actually are - experimenting on children with little oversight and the potential to cause real lasting harm?
The first: why don't we openly talk about these kinds of approaches as what they actually are - experimenting on children with little oversight and the potential to cause real lasting harm?
Parents Fell in Love With Alpha School’s Promise. Then They Wanted Out
In Brownsville, Texas, some families found a buzzy new school’s methods—surveillance of kids, software in lieu of teachers—to be an education in and of itself.
www.wired.com
October 27, 2025 at 9:57 PM
I'm halfway through this article and I have two questions that are not a critique of the article.
The first: why don't we openly talk about these kinds of approaches as what they actually are - experimenting on children with little oversight and the potential to cause real lasting harm?
The first: why don't we openly talk about these kinds of approaches as what they actually are - experimenting on children with little oversight and the potential to cause real lasting harm?
"Of note, the infant immune system handles thousands of new antigens daily from normal environmental exposure. This is far more than the approximate 170 antigens in all vaccines combined today."
www.cidrap.umn.edu/anti-science...
www.cidrap.umn.edu/anti-science...
Episode 194: Bending Not Breaking
In "Bending Not Breaking," Dr. Osterholm and Chris Dall discuss recent layoffs and layoff reversals at the CDC, comments from the administration on the MMR vaccine, and the latest respiratory virus da...
www.cidrap.umn.edu
October 28, 2025 at 12:05 AM
"Of note, the infant immune system handles thousands of new antigens daily from normal environmental exposure. This is far more than the approximate 170 antigens in all vaccines combined today."
www.cidrap.umn.edu/anti-science...
www.cidrap.umn.edu/anti-science...
Reposted by Jonathan Miller
Private prison executives casually discussed the "3,000 arrests per day" quota in earnings calls—despite the Department of Justice previously denying any quota exists. This is fueling immigration raids nationwide while companies rake in record profits.
In Earnings Calls, Private Prison Executives Revel in Profiting Off ICE Arrests
“Our business is perfectly aligned with the demands of this moment,” CoreCivic CEO Damon Hininger said on the call.
truthout.org
October 25, 2025 at 2:03 PM
Private prison executives casually discussed the "3,000 arrests per day" quota in earnings calls—despite the Department of Justice previously denying any quota exists. This is fueling immigration raids nationwide while companies rake in record profits.
Reposted by Jonathan Miller
I’m afraid this is correct. We have been spinning the wheels for 250 years and unfortunately we finally came up with a triple-zero.
The Founders feared the rise of someone who lacked good character. What it didn’t count on was the two other branches led by people without good character.
The destruction of the East Wing is a reminder that America has violated the only check-and-balance that actually ends up mattering: www.doomsdayscenario.co/p/the-only-c...
October 23, 2025 at 1:31 PM
I’m afraid this is correct. We have been spinning the wheels for 250 years and unfortunately we finally came up with a triple-zero.
Reposted by Jonathan Miller
I got annoyed by this StatNews opinion piece 🔽
So I wrote about it:
www.protagonist-science.com/p/teaching-t...
So I wrote about it:
www.protagonist-science.com/p/teaching-t...
October 21, 2025 at 10:55 PM
I got annoyed by this StatNews opinion piece 🔽
So I wrote about it:
www.protagonist-science.com/p/teaching-t...
So I wrote about it:
www.protagonist-science.com/p/teaching-t...
Reposted by Jonathan Miller
Our federal tax dollars are being used to fund a network of government social media accounts that pump out disinformation 24/7. Even during a government shutdown. It’s definitely not essential work.
October 18, 2025 at 2:15 AM
Our federal tax dollars are being used to fund a network of government social media accounts that pump out disinformation 24/7. Even during a government shutdown. It’s definitely not essential work.
Reposted by Jonathan Miller
We need to talk about how social media algorithms push moms down a slippery slope of distrust.
From "Are my kids getting enough support in school?" To "Maybe I should homeschool." To "Maybe modern medicine is bad."
I've seen this first-hand in research I'm doing on parenting apps. 1/🧵
From "Are my kids getting enough support in school?" To "Maybe I should homeschool." To "Maybe modern medicine is bad."
I've seen this first-hand in research I'm doing on parenting apps. 1/🧵
October 15, 2025 at 12:25 PM
We need to talk about how social media algorithms push moms down a slippery slope of distrust.
From "Are my kids getting enough support in school?" To "Maybe I should homeschool." To "Maybe modern medicine is bad."
I've seen this first-hand in research I'm doing on parenting apps. 1/🧵
From "Are my kids getting enough support in school?" To "Maybe I should homeschool." To "Maybe modern medicine is bad."
I've seen this first-hand in research I'm doing on parenting apps. 1/🧵
Reposted by Jonathan Miller
RFK Jr. keeps repeating this ridiculous, ignorant bullshit.
Trust in expertise is literally a vital feature of both science and of representative democracy.
I wrote a whole-ass thread about it last time around; maybe worth revisiting.
bsky.app/profile/carl...
Trust in expertise is literally a vital feature of both science and of representative democracy.
I wrote a whole-ass thread about it last time around; maybe worth revisiting.
bsky.app/profile/carl...
RFK Jr: We need to stop trusting the experts... Trusting the experts is not a feature of science or democracy, it's a feature of religion and totalitarianism.
October 16, 2025 at 6:33 AM
RFK Jr. keeps repeating this ridiculous, ignorant bullshit.
Trust in expertise is literally a vital feature of both science and of representative democracy.
I wrote a whole-ass thread about it last time around; maybe worth revisiting.
bsky.app/profile/carl...
Trust in expertise is literally a vital feature of both science and of representative democracy.
I wrote a whole-ass thread about it last time around; maybe worth revisiting.
bsky.app/profile/carl...
Reposted by Jonathan Miller
I'm happy to see that there will be at least 140 "No Kings" protests across my state of Massachusetts on Saturday. I'll be out there, showing that I oppose this administration's policies.
And what's more, I want its officials to have to answer for their mistakes and for their outright crimes.
And what's more, I want its officials to have to answer for their mistakes and for their outright crimes.
October 15, 2025 at 7:27 PM
I'm happy to see that there will be at least 140 "No Kings" protests across my state of Massachusetts on Saturday. I'll be out there, showing that I oppose this administration's policies.
And what's more, I want its officials to have to answer for their mistakes and for their outright crimes.
And what's more, I want its officials to have to answer for their mistakes and for their outright crimes.
Reposted by Jonathan Miller
You would not fire these people—including the staff of the hugely, HUGELY important 'Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report'—if you cared at all about public health, if you wanted people to live.
And you would not let your thuggish henchmen fire people like this if you were a responsible president.
And you would not let your thuggish henchmen fire people like this if you were a responsible president.
BREAKING: Friday night massacre underway at CDC. Doznes of "disease detectives," high-level scientists, entire Washington staff and editors of the MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report) have all been RIFed and received the following notice:
October 11, 2025 at 2:39 AM
You would not fire these people—including the staff of the hugely, HUGELY important 'Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report'—if you cared at all about public health, if you wanted people to live.
And you would not let your thuggish henchmen fire people like this if you were a responsible president.
And you would not let your thuggish henchmen fire people like this if you were a responsible president.
Reposted by Jonathan Miller
David Simon, creator of ‘The Wire’, being interviewed by Ari Shapiro (NPR)
October 9, 2025 at 4:42 AM
David Simon, creator of ‘The Wire’, being interviewed by Ari Shapiro (NPR)
Reposted by Jonathan Miller
Robin Williams' daughter has some quality thoughts on AI slop
October 6, 2025 at 8:48 PM
Robin Williams' daughter has some quality thoughts on AI slop