@jam03584.bsky.social
Reposted
My weekly NIH update (grants funded through 2/13/26)
All projects...
1/4
All projects...
1/4
February 17, 2026 at 4:55 PM
My weekly NIH update (grants funded through 2/13/26)
All projects...
1/4
All projects...
1/4
Reposted
Our grasp on reality is slipping. The response rate to the survey behind the unemployment rate (and the rest of the household survey) is now lower than during the pandemic.
The decline in response rates during the first year of the Trump Admin 2.0 was larger than at any time outside the pandemic.
The decline in response rates during the first year of the Trump Admin 2.0 was larger than at any time outside the pandemic.
February 16, 2026 at 10:27 PM
Our grasp on reality is slipping. The response rate to the survey behind the unemployment rate (and the rest of the household survey) is now lower than during the pandemic.
The decline in response rates during the first year of the Trump Admin 2.0 was larger than at any time outside the pandemic.
The decline in response rates during the first year of the Trump Admin 2.0 was larger than at any time outside the pandemic.
Reposted
The EPA’s mission is “to protect human health and the environment” using the best available scientific information. Protecting the health of the American people requires environmental protections and a balanced approach—not political games.
February 15, 2026 at 7:46 PM
The EPA’s mission is “to protect human health and the environment” using the best available scientific information. Protecting the health of the American people requires environmental protections and a balanced approach—not political games.
Reposted
We need to raise the bar on research code right now.
1) documentation and tests are dead simple now.
2) creating benchmarks integrating across multiple implementations
3) have agents double check your work / fix broken tests
4) fix outstanding bugs in major scientific packages
1) documentation and tests are dead simple now.
2) creating benchmarks integrating across multiple implementations
3) have agents double check your work / fix broken tests
4) fix outstanding bugs in major scientific packages
I have been using Claude Code recently, and I’m now convinced that LLM coding agents can solve one of the biggest problems in neuroscience: technical debt.
Labs generate tons of low-quality code bc the incentive structure rewards short-term productivity over longer-term concerns like 1/
Labs generate tons of low-quality code bc the incentive structure rewards short-term productivity over longer-term concerns like 1/
February 14, 2026 at 3:58 PM
We need to raise the bar on research code right now.
1) documentation and tests are dead simple now.
2) creating benchmarks integrating across multiple implementations
3) have agents double check your work / fix broken tests
4) fix outstanding bugs in major scientific packages
1) documentation and tests are dead simple now.
2) creating benchmarks integrating across multiple implementations
3) have agents double check your work / fix broken tests
4) fix outstanding bugs in major scientific packages
Reposted
Trump and his goons pushed out (or didn't replace) more than 10,000 federal government STEM Ph.D.s since he took office, representing 106,636 years of federal work experience. www.science.org/content/arti...
U.S. government has lost more than 10,000 STEM Ph.D.s since Trump took office
A Science analysis reveals how many were fired, retired, or quit across 14 agencies
www.science.org
February 14, 2026 at 1:48 PM
Trump and his goons pushed out (or didn't replace) more than 10,000 federal government STEM Ph.D.s since he took office, representing 106,636 years of federal work experience. www.science.org/content/arti...
Reposted
NSF Update
Funding curve overall. A little bit of progress in the past week, but only a little bit.
Now by Directorate...
1/11
Funding curve overall. A little bit of progress in the past week, but only a little bit.
Now by Directorate...
1/11
February 13, 2026 at 9:22 PM
NSF Update
Funding curve overall. A little bit of progress in the past week, but only a little bit.
Now by Directorate...
1/11
Funding curve overall. A little bit of progress in the past week, but only a little bit.
Now by Directorate...
1/11
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You may laugh, but the Macbeths are a much better role model for a marriage than Romeo and Juliet. They discuss their problems (killing the king of Scotland), share their hobbies (killing the king of Scotland), and resolve their conflicts (by killing the king of Scotland).
February 13, 2026 at 5:09 PM
You may laugh, but the Macbeths are a much better role model for a marriage than Romeo and Juliet. They discuss their problems (killing the king of Scotland), share their hobbies (killing the king of Scotland), and resolve their conflicts (by killing the king of Scotland).
Reposted
Sure, why not, let’s just rip off the bandaid
Scoop: The NIH infectious-diseases institute (NIAID) will soon scrub “pandemic preparedness” and “biodefense” from its web pages, according to e-mails I obtained.
The directive is the start of a broader shake-up at NIAID, which has long been attacked by Republicans.
The directive is the start of a broader shake-up at NIAID, which has long been attacked by Republicans.
Exclusive: Key US infectious-diseases centre to drop pandemic preparation
Staff members have been instructed to scrub this topic and ‘biodefense’ from the agency’s website.
www.nature.com
February 14, 2026 at 3:08 AM
Sure, why not, let’s just rip off the bandaid
Reposted
February 13, 2026 at 1:13 PM
Reposted
the bargain between Trump and Kennedy that basically sealed the election for Trump in exchange for handing American health policy to the most dangerous and irresponsible people on the planet will go down as one of the most costly deals in human history
February 13, 2026 at 1:38 AM
the bargain between Trump and Kennedy that basically sealed the election for Trump in exchange for handing American health policy to the most dangerous and irresponsible people on the planet will go down as one of the most costly deals in human history
Reposted
CDC terminates grant for Minnesota meant to strengthen public health infrastructure.
www.health.state.mn.us/news/pressre...
www.health.state.mn.us/news/pressre...
CDC terminates grant for Minnesota meant to strengthen public health infrastructure - MN Dept. of Health
www.health.state.mn.us
February 12, 2026 at 9:15 PM
CDC terminates grant for Minnesota meant to strengthen public health infrastructure.
www.health.state.mn.us/news/pressre...
www.health.state.mn.us/news/pressre...
Reposted
a model reveals its empirical distribution when it is prompted. this is not a security problem, as much as Google tries to make it one. it does not own what it claims to.
www.nbcnews.com/tech/securit...
www.nbcnews.com/tech/securit...
Google says attackers used 100,000+ prompts to try to clone AI chatbot Gemini
Google says private companies and researchers are trying to copy Gemini’s capabilities by repeatedly prompting it at scale.
www.nbcnews.com
February 12, 2026 at 7:58 PM
a model reveals its empirical distribution when it is prompted. this is not a security problem, as much as Google tries to make it one. it does not own what it claims to.
www.nbcnews.com/tech/securit...
www.nbcnews.com/tech/securit...
Reposted
Found an additional graphic that gets even more of these quotes together.
I've kept "I hate myself, I hate clover, and I hate bees" pinned above my desk since I first started studying evolutionary biology as an undergraduate. So relatable to get extremely frustrated with your study system.
I've kept "I hate myself, I hate clover, and I hate bees" pinned above my desk since I first started studying evolutionary biology as an undergraduate. So relatable to get extremely frustrated with your study system.
February 12, 2026 at 7:19 PM
Found an additional graphic that gets even more of these quotes together.
I've kept "I hate myself, I hate clover, and I hate bees" pinned above my desk since I first started studying evolutionary biology as an undergraduate. So relatable to get extremely frustrated with your study system.
I've kept "I hate myself, I hate clover, and I hate bees" pinned above my desk since I first started studying evolutionary biology as an undergraduate. So relatable to get extremely frustrated with your study system.
Reposted
this re: the current state of AI is so true
like unless your job is to write novels or make art I guarantee there are some repetitive tasks you could automate away *today* with AI but you'd have to spend like, 10-100 hours learning it first
like unless your job is to write novels or make art I guarantee there are some repetitive tasks you could automate away *today* with AI but you'd have to spend like, 10-100 hours learning it first
Everyone has been given a free Ferrari, but it’s got a manual transmission and some weird requirements so it takes a little skill and effort. Most just stare at it. Some jump in and grind gears. A bunch drive into the wall. Others complain it’s not a teleportation device. All fools. A few just zoom.
February 11, 2026 at 6:51 PM
this re: the current state of AI is so true
like unless your job is to write novels or make art I guarantee there are some repetitive tasks you could automate away *today* with AI but you'd have to spend like, 10-100 hours learning it first
like unless your job is to write novels or make art I guarantee there are some repetitive tasks you could automate away *today* with AI but you'd have to spend like, 10-100 hours learning it first
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“The climate scientists we surveyed were unambiguous: current economic models can’t capture what matters most – the cascading failures and compounding shocks that define climate risk in a warmer world – and could undermine the very foundations of economic growth.”
This should be THE story everyday.
This should be THE story everyday.
Flawed economic models mean climate crisis could crash global economy, experts warn
States and financial bodies using modelling that ignores shocks from extreme weather and climate tipping points
www.theguardian.com
February 9, 2026 at 10:14 PM
“The climate scientists we surveyed were unambiguous: current economic models can’t capture what matters most – the cascading failures and compounding shocks that define climate risk in a warmer world – and could undermine the very foundations of economic growth.”
This should be THE story everyday.
This should be THE story everyday.
Reposted
The dj on the MIT station just went on a gorgeous tangent about how this semester he’s taking all liberal arts classes, and instead of asking him to reproduce established knowledge (as in most MIT courses) they push him to think about how he thinks.
My Super Bowl MVP.
My Super Bowl MVP.
February 9, 2026 at 1:06 AM
The dj on the MIT station just went on a gorgeous tangent about how this semester he’s taking all liberal arts classes, and instead of asking him to reproduce established knowledge (as in most MIT courses) they push him to think about how he thinks.
My Super Bowl MVP.
My Super Bowl MVP.
Reposted
it is already possible, right now, to get 100tok/sec out of 100 watts of air-cooled local inference, and the output is surprisingly good
LLM architecture gains will compound against improved silicon over the next five years to produce serious leverage, WHICH WORKERS CAN OWN OUTRIGHT
LLM architecture gains will compound against improved silicon over the next five years to produce serious leverage, WHICH WORKERS CAN OWN OUTRIGHT
If you're a person who thinks "billionaires are evil -> billionaires own big tech -> frontier labs dominate the LLM space and are owned by billionaires -> LLMs is evil" then I am sympathetic to it. However the correct prescription is not to destroy LLM technology but to expropriate it.
Marx isn't just mildly disagreeing with the Luddites, he's saying their machine-breaking actively gave reactionary governments a pretext for repression. It was strategically counterproductive on top of being analytically wrong.
February 8, 2026 at 5:03 PM
it is already possible, right now, to get 100tok/sec out of 100 watts of air-cooled local inference, and the output is surprisingly good
LLM architecture gains will compound against improved silicon over the next five years to produce serious leverage, WHICH WORKERS CAN OWN OUTRIGHT
LLM architecture gains will compound against improved silicon over the next five years to produce serious leverage, WHICH WORKERS CAN OWN OUTRIGHT
Reposted
Each data center can “drink” as much as an entire community. Yet Texas does not require data center operators to disclose projected water use or report actual consumption. This makes research difficult and limits visibility for water-stressed municipalities.
The Texas AI Boom Is Outpacing Water Regulations
Each data center can “drink” as much as an entire community. Yet, Texas does not require these tech firms to disclose projected or actual water consumption.
www.texasobserver.org
February 8, 2026 at 4:01 PM
Each data center can “drink” as much as an entire community. Yet Texas does not require data center operators to disclose projected water use or report actual consumption. This makes research difficult and limits visibility for water-stressed municipalities.
Reposted
This is beyond outrageous. Need post-lockup price discovery at an absolute minimum. They know it’s the only thing keeping Tesla from being 90% lower right now. Disgusting.
WSJ: SpaceX trying to push the bag onto index investors ASAP.
Can’t describe how predatory this is and if index providers carve out an exception for them or other large IPOs it’ll be a huge hit to their credibility IMO.
Can’t describe how predatory this is and if index providers carve out an exception for them or other large IPOs it’ll be a huge hit to their credibility IMO.
Exclusive | SpaceX Seeks Early Index Entry as It Prepares Massive IPO
Advisers to company CEO Elon Musk have reached out to major index providers seeking ways to secure earlier inclusion in market benchmarks to lift shares
www.wsj.com
February 5, 2026 at 1:14 AM
This is beyond outrageous. Need post-lockup price discovery at an absolute minimum. They know it’s the only thing keeping Tesla from being 90% lower right now. Disgusting.
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john thune, welcome to the resistance thehill.com/homenews/sen...
February 3, 2026 at 9:08 PM
john thune, welcome to the resistance thehill.com/homenews/sen...
Reposted
NEW: HHS has been using Palantir AI tools since last March to ferret out improper DEI and "gender ideology" from grants for child welfare programs. The observant @carolinehaskins.bsky.social has more:
HHS Is Using AI Tools From Palantir to Target ‘DEI’ and ‘Gender Ideology’ in Grants
Since March of 2025, the Department of Health and Human Services has been using tools from Palantir and the startup Credal AI to weed out perceived alignment with “DEI” or “gender ideology.”
www.wired.com
February 2, 2026 at 9:01 PM
NEW: HHS has been using Palantir AI tools since last March to ferret out improper DEI and "gender ideology" from grants for child welfare programs. The observant @carolinehaskins.bsky.social has more:
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People say we can't compare this to the Third Reich because of the atrocities but we only found out about the atrocities after the fact when it was all said and done and we're not done with this yet so I am sure the worst stomach churning shit has yet to be revealed.
ICYMI: The US is currently holding three times as many people in immigrant detention as were detained in the Nazi concentration camp system in spring 1939 — six years into the Third Reich, and just before the start of World War II.
February 1, 2026 at 10:26 PM
People say we can't compare this to the Third Reich because of the atrocities but we only found out about the atrocities after the fact when it was all said and done and we're not done with this yet so I am sure the worst stomach churning shit has yet to be revealed.
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Lots of tools out there in the "AI for Science" space. I don't want something to slop-write my papers and "do my research" for me. But I have a ton of PDFs in Zotero, and I'd love an AI thing to help me understand what's in there. I found it today blog.stephenturner.us/p/zotero-con... 🧵 1/
January 29, 2026 at 9:52 PM
Lots of tools out there in the "AI for Science" space. I don't want something to slop-write my papers and "do my research" for me. But I have a ton of PDFs in Zotero, and I'd love an AI thing to help me understand what's in there. I found it today blog.stephenturner.us/p/zotero-con... 🧵 1/
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One common response to Moltbot is something like "We're so cooked."
We are pretty cooked. Not because Moltbots will bootstrap us to the Singularity. Just because people readily turn their hard drives and personal info over to programs they don't understand.
www.zdnet.com/article/molt...
We are pretty cooked. Not because Moltbots will bootstrap us to the Singularity. Just because people readily turn their hard drives and personal info over to programs they don't understand.
www.zdnet.com/article/molt...
The viral AI agent Moltbot is a security mess - 5 red flags you shouldn't ignore (before it's too late)
Handing your computing tasks over to a cute AI crustacean might be tempting - but you should consider these security risks before getting started.
www.zdnet.com
February 1, 2026 at 5:26 PM
One common response to Moltbot is something like "We're so cooked."
We are pretty cooked. Not because Moltbots will bootstrap us to the Singularity. Just because people readily turn their hard drives and personal info over to programs they don't understand.
www.zdnet.com/article/molt...
We are pretty cooked. Not because Moltbots will bootstrap us to the Singularity. Just because people readily turn their hard drives and personal info over to programs they don't understand.
www.zdnet.com/article/molt...
Reposted
Normally I rank February second to January in “worst months of the year” but this is a really good point and the evenings are already noticeably longer than they were in December
A quick reminder of what #BigFebruary is about…
Thanks to the magic of the cosmos, we start gaining daylight much faster in Feb than in Jan. Over 20 mins a week - setting us up for Spring.
This chart is by @neilrkaye.bsky.social and is one of my all time favourites.
Thanks to the magic of the cosmos, we start gaining daylight much faster in Feb than in Jan. Over 20 mins a week - setting us up for Spring.
This chart is by @neilrkaye.bsky.social and is one of my all time favourites.
February 1, 2026 at 1:05 PM
Normally I rank February second to January in “worst months of the year” but this is a really good point and the evenings are already noticeably longer than they were in December