John Hodge
@jghodge.bsky.social
Post-doc at UIUC studying stomatal patterning. Botanist by training with interests broadly in evo-devo, mechanistic modeling, and genetics, particularly in relation to grasses and cereals. Opinions my own.
Reposted by John Hodge
I made a map of 3.4 million Bluesky users - see if you can find yourself!
bluesky-map.theo.io
I've seen some similar projects, but IMO this seems to better capture some of the fine-grained detail
bluesky-map.theo.io
I've seen some similar projects, but IMO this seems to better capture some of the fine-grained detail
Bluesky Map
Interactive map of 3.4 million Bluesky users, visualised by their follower pattern.
bluesky-map.theo.io
February 8, 2026 at 10:59 PM
I made a map of 3.4 million Bluesky users - see if you can find yourself!
bluesky-map.theo.io
I've seen some similar projects, but IMO this seems to better capture some of the fine-grained detail
bluesky-map.theo.io
I've seen some similar projects, but IMO this seems to better capture some of the fine-grained detail
Reposted by John Hodge
So cool. Multiple cell lineages contribute to the germline in maize -- and differences between apical and lateral branches! www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
www.biorxiv.org
February 9, 2026 at 4:39 PM
So cool. Multiple cell lineages contribute to the germline in maize -- and differences between apical and lateral branches! www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
Reposted by John Hodge
We're excited to be recruiting an NSF funded postdoc to work in the Villanea lab at CU Boulder. We're specifically interested in candidates who want to work at the intersection of population genetics, ancient DNA, and computer modeling. Please RT
jobs.colorado.edu/jobs/JobDeta...
jobs.colorado.edu/jobs/JobDeta...
PostDoctoral Associate
jobs.colorado.edu
February 9, 2026 at 3:12 PM
We're excited to be recruiting an NSF funded postdoc to work in the Villanea lab at CU Boulder. We're specifically interested in candidates who want to work at the intersection of population genetics, ancient DNA, and computer modeling. Please RT
jobs.colorado.edu/jobs/JobDeta...
jobs.colorado.edu/jobs/JobDeta...
Question for the comparative biology #evodevo crowd, I know there’s a term for this but I’m blanking on what you would call an organ/trait that serves to radically different functions at distinct points in an organism’s life history.
February 9, 2026 at 6:15 PM
Question for the comparative biology #evodevo crowd, I know there’s a term for this but I’m blanking on what you would call an organ/trait that serves to radically different functions at distinct points in an organism’s life history.
Reposted by John Hodge
Botany valentine. Another oldie.
February 9, 2026 at 3:03 PM
Botany valentine. Another oldie.
Reposted by John Hodge
"If a plagiarized paper by an author who claims he didn’t write it disappears from a journal’s website with no notice, did it ever exist?"
Yes - it'll have been downloaded, search engines will've indexed it. This is why bioRxiv/medRxiv do not disappear papers.
retractionwatch.com/2026/02/05/j...
Yes - it'll have been downloaded, search engines will've indexed it. This is why bioRxiv/medRxiv do not disappear papers.
retractionwatch.com/2026/02/05/j...
Journal silently removes paper for plagiarism, author claims identity theft
If a plagiarized paper by an author who claims he didn’t write it disappears from a journal’s website with no notice, did it ever exist in the first place? It’s not just a philosophical question fo…
retractionwatch.com
February 9, 2026 at 12:07 PM
"If a plagiarized paper by an author who claims he didn’t write it disappears from a journal’s website with no notice, did it ever exist?"
Yes - it'll have been downloaded, search engines will've indexed it. This is why bioRxiv/medRxiv do not disappear papers.
retractionwatch.com/2026/02/05/j...
Yes - it'll have been downloaded, search engines will've indexed it. This is why bioRxiv/medRxiv do not disappear papers.
retractionwatch.com/2026/02/05/j...
Reposted by John Hodge
"I saw people laying in feces. People throwing up, people laying in urine."
The former worker provided WUSA9 with what they claim are internal head count sheets from December showing…47, 50 and 56 detainees in the same cell…and as many as 50 in an even smaller cell. www.wusa9.com/article/news...
The former worker provided WUSA9 with what they claim are internal head count sheets from December showing…47, 50 and 56 detainees in the same cell…and as many as 50 in an even smaller cell. www.wusa9.com/article/news...
Former ICE Facility Worker 'saw people laying in feces' at Baltimore Detention Center
Whistleblower provides internal documents alleging severe overcrowding, mistreatment months before viral video sparked national outrage
www.wusa9.com
February 9, 2026 at 1:02 AM
"I saw people laying in feces. People throwing up, people laying in urine."
The former worker provided WUSA9 with what they claim are internal head count sheets from December showing…47, 50 and 56 detainees in the same cell…and as many as 50 in an even smaller cell. www.wusa9.com/article/news...
The former worker provided WUSA9 with what they claim are internal head count sheets from December showing…47, 50 and 56 detainees in the same cell…and as many as 50 in an even smaller cell. www.wusa9.com/article/news...
Reposted by John Hodge
I made an animation for my talk tomorrow, where I show how different values for the dark energy content of the universe fit the temperature fluctuation data we have for the cosmic microwave background radiation differently well! 🧪🔭⚛️
February 8, 2026 at 9:26 PM
I made an animation for my talk tomorrow, where I show how different values for the dark energy content of the universe fit the temperature fluctuation data we have for the cosmic microwave background radiation differently well! 🧪🔭⚛️
Reposted by John Hodge
New preprint out!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
One of the most salient lessons I learned in all my adventures with screening and protein engineering is the importance of context. The context in which you test a gene or protein determines what function it has.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
One of the most salient lessons I learned in all my adventures with screening and protein engineering is the importance of context. The context in which you test a gene or protein determines what function it has.
February 6, 2026 at 4:32 PM
New preprint out!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
One of the most salient lessons I learned in all my adventures with screening and protein engineering is the importance of context. The context in which you test a gene or protein determines what function it has.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
One of the most salient lessons I learned in all my adventures with screening and protein engineering is the importance of context. The context in which you test a gene or protein determines what function it has.
Reposted by John Hodge
Being kind boosts mental health more than seeking joy.
Evidence: Doing 3 random acts of kindness a week is enough to reduce depression, anxiety & loneliness. It's more beneficial than doing nice things for yourself.
Self-care feels good, but generosity builds lasting bonds.
Evidence: Doing 3 random acts of kindness a week is enough to reduce depression, anxiety & loneliness. It's more beneficial than doing nice things for yourself.
Self-care feels good, but generosity builds lasting bonds.
August 30, 2025 at 3:43 PM
Being kind boosts mental health more than seeking joy.
Evidence: Doing 3 random acts of kindness a week is enough to reduce depression, anxiety & loneliness. It's more beneficial than doing nice things for yourself.
Self-care feels good, but generosity builds lasting bonds.
Evidence: Doing 3 random acts of kindness a week is enough to reduce depression, anxiety & loneliness. It's more beneficial than doing nice things for yourself.
Self-care feels good, but generosity builds lasting bonds.
Reposted by John Hodge
If this ends up being due to some AI screening for banned words (even in different contexts), that would be absolutely shameful. I know program officers are strapped, but the community needs clarity on what happened here from NSF directly. The integrity of the entire proposal system is compromised.
Many students said they were careful to avoid "banned words" in their GRFP applications, but in some cases it was unavoidable. Now they're wondering if these words led to their RWR notifications.
“My project is about bears and ‘black’ is a trigger word,” one Redditor wrote. “Insane.”
“My project is about bears and ‘black’ is a trigger word,” one Redditor wrote. “Insane.”
Students applying for NSF funding are having their applications “returned without review” for being “ineligible,” despite their proposed research falling squarely within the application guidelines. eos.org/research-and...
February 8, 2026 at 7:16 PM
If this ends up being due to some AI screening for banned words (even in different contexts), that would be absolutely shameful. I know program officers are strapped, but the community needs clarity on what happened here from NSF directly. The integrity of the entire proposal system is compromised.
Reposted by John Hodge
This chart. Wow. reportearth.substack.com/p/the-washin... via @chriscmooney.bsky.social
February 8, 2026 at 5:10 PM
This chart. Wow. reportearth.substack.com/p/the-washin... via @chriscmooney.bsky.social
Reposted by John Hodge
Lindsey Vonn's defiant bid to win the Winter Olympic downhill at the age of 41, on a rebuilt right knee and a badly injured left knee, ended Sunday in a frightening crash that saw her taken to safety by a rescue helicopter for the second time in nine days. https://to.pbs.org/4apNjb5
Olympic skier Lindsey Vonn airlifted after crashing moments into downhill event
Lindsey Vonn's defiant bid to win the Winter Olympic downhill ended Sunday in a crash that saw her taken to safety by a rescue helicopter.
www.pbs.org
February 8, 2026 at 7:03 PM
Lindsey Vonn's defiant bid to win the Winter Olympic downhill at the age of 41, on a rebuilt right knee and a badly injured left knee, ended Sunday in a frightening crash that saw her taken to safety by a rescue helicopter for the second time in nine days. https://to.pbs.org/4apNjb5
Reposted by John Hodge
If you are upset about the WP layoffs and the billionaire takeover of the press, consider cancelling your Amazon Prime membership and stop giving them so much business. It took us a while to adjust from the convenience of it when we quit but it was worth it.
Former Washington Post journalists have launched a GoFundMe to help repatriate fired staff members who are effectively stranded in foreign countries.
One of the richest men in the world fired them from the paper and didn’t even pay to ensure they got home.
Abolish the billionaire class:
One of the richest men in the world fired them from the paper and didn’t even pay to ensure they got home.
Abolish the billionaire class:
Donate to Support for Washington Post international employees, organized by Michelle Lee
Among the hundreds of journalists laid off by The Washington Post on … Michelle Lee needs your support for Support for Washington Post international employees
www.gofundme.com
February 8, 2026 at 1:28 PM
If you are upset about the WP layoffs and the billionaire takeover of the press, consider cancelling your Amazon Prime membership and stop giving them so much business. It took us a while to adjust from the convenience of it when we quit but it was worth it.
Reposted by John Hodge
My grad student, @juliazheku.bsky.social Julia, and I wrote this editorial highlight @mplantpcom.bsky.social on Weibing Yang lab's recent article @science.org Science.
Research article: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Editorial highlight: www.cell.com/molecular-pl...
Research article: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Editorial highlight: www.cell.com/molecular-pl...
Evolutionarily conserved spatiotemporal cell wall patterning during cell division #highLight #MolecularPlant cell.com/molecular-pl...
February 5, 2026 at 6:53 PM
My grad student, @juliazheku.bsky.social Julia, and I wrote this editorial highlight @mplantpcom.bsky.social on Weibing Yang lab's recent article @science.org Science.
Research article: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Editorial highlight: www.cell.com/molecular-pl...
Research article: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Editorial highlight: www.cell.com/molecular-pl...
Reposted by John Hodge
PFAS, also known as "forever chemicals," helped spur innovation. But they're also insidious to human health. https://to.pbs.org/4qRXD2m
How PFAS harm our health — and why they're everywhere - Horizons
What do non-stick pans, firefighting foam and many of our couches, carpets and cosmetics have in common? They’re all made with PFAS. The so-called forever chemicals helped spur innovation, but they’re...
to.pbs.org
February 8, 2026 at 1:00 AM
PFAS, also known as "forever chemicals," helped spur innovation. But they're also insidious to human health. https://to.pbs.org/4qRXD2m
Reposted by John Hodge
ICE has grabbed so many people from their vehicles that there are abandoned cars across Minnesota.
This tow truck driver returns the cars for free as a public service, and he’s been getting death threats.
They hate the helpers.
Which is why must keep helping.
This tow truck driver returns the cars for free as a public service, and he’s been getting death threats.
They hate the helpers.
Which is why must keep helping.
Twin Cities tow truck driver returns abandoned vehicles to families after ICE arrests
Juan Leon sends a "chase" car to check out where abandoned vehicles are located and arranges discreet drop-offs. Since late December, he estimated they have dropped off 250 cars.
www.cbsnews.com
February 7, 2026 at 5:30 AM
ICE has grabbed so many people from their vehicles that there are abandoned cars across Minnesota.
This tow truck driver returns the cars for free as a public service, and he’s been getting death threats.
They hate the helpers.
Which is why must keep helping.
This tow truck driver returns the cars for free as a public service, and he’s been getting death threats.
They hate the helpers.
Which is why must keep helping.
Reposted by John Hodge
Reporting on GRFP applications returned without review.
Students applying for NSF funding are having their applications “returned without review” for being “ineligible,” despite their proposed research falling squarely within the application guidelines. eos.org/research-and...
Graduate Students’ NSF Fellowship Applications Are Being “Returned Without Review” - Eos
Graduate students applying for NSF funding have had their applications returned without review—even though their proposed research appears to fall squarely within the fields of study outlined in the p...
eos.org
February 7, 2026 at 8:12 PM
Reporting on GRFP applications returned without review.
Reposted by John Hodge
another year of us not running a super bowl ad
February 6, 2026 at 7:42 PM
another year of us not running a super bowl ad
Reposted by John Hodge
Reposted by John Hodge
I know science can’t fix the world — here’s why I do it anyway
I know science can’t fix the world — here’s why I do it anyway
The world faces energy shortages as fossil fuels are phased out.
Research can’t go on as normal. working at a research institute that Why am I doing science? As a scientist focuses on food security, I’m acutely aware of the accelerating ecological and climatic breakdown that is occurring around us. What part should scientists play in such a fragile world? For many years, like most of my peers, I thought that science was part of the solution. More knowledge and innovation would allow societies to adapt to and mitigate environmental damage. That belief began to crack
in 2018, when I discovered the work of Jean-Marc Jancovici,
an energy and climate specialist. His message is clear: our world is built on abundant energy, around 80% of which has come from fossil fuels over the past 50 years. Because supplies are limited, energy consumption will peak in decades — sooner if humans
attempt to limit climate change. To keep global warming below 1.5 °C by 2100, the use of fossil fuels must fall by 5–8% each year — a pace that is too fast for low-carbon energy to keep up with. Restricted energy supplies will shrink economies and force people to make hard choices — whether to travel less, live in a smaller home or do more labour manually. ....
www.nature.com
February 7, 2026 at 1:04 PM
I know science can’t fix the world — here’s why I do it anyway
Reposted by John Hodge
Not something you see in textbooks very often: tripolar mitosis.
February 7, 2026 at 8:00 AM
Not something you see in textbooks very often: tripolar mitosis.
Reposted by John Hodge
Cool backstory to this paper: it started as an REU project with co-author Luke Sparreo. Luke was one of those students who makes you work hard because he finishes your 7-week stretch goal in week 1. He did a lot of the work on connecting language phylogenies to maps. Come join this REU!
February 6, 2026 at 6:17 AM
Cool backstory to this paper: it started as an REU project with co-author Luke Sparreo. Luke was one of those students who makes you work hard because he finishes your 7-week stretch goal in week 1. He did a lot of the work on connecting language phylogenies to maps. Come join this REU!
This weeks Starfleet Academy just reaffirms my longheld opinion that Sisko is the best captain, standing up against creeping fascism (and Bajoran gen. trauma from it) against all odds, the Dominion, and his unwanted heroes journey as a demigod. Nothing was easy, yet he led with humility and wisdom.
February 6, 2026 at 1:30 PM
This weeks Starfleet Academy just reaffirms my longheld opinion that Sisko is the best captain, standing up against creeping fascism (and Bajoran gen. trauma from it) against all odds, the Dominion, and his unwanted heroes journey as a demigod. Nothing was easy, yet he led with humility and wisdom.
Reposted by John Hodge
BOTANY 2026 abstract submission is open!!! @botsocamerica.bsky.social
kermit the frog is standing in front of a red curtain and dancing .
Alt: kermit the frog is standing in front of a red curtain and dancing with extreme excitement.
media.tenor.com
February 5, 2026 at 6:48 PM
BOTANY 2026 abstract submission is open!!! @botsocamerica.bsky.social