Jon Phillips
@jowiph.bsky.social
Historian of evolutionary biology and scientific racism who has somehow turned into a historian of the physical sciences. Expect lots of cat pictures and general miscellany. Baltimore.
Pinned
Jon Phillips
@jowiph.bsky.social
· Oct 5
I’ve shared these a few times on the other site, but since everything is new again, here’s a thread of extremist profiles on prominent scientific racists I wrote for @SPLC roughly 10 years ago:
The FBI may no longer be relying on SPLC, but their anti-extremist resources are still extremely worthwhile, especially these days. So in that spirit, time to re-up the thread of extremist profiles I wrote for them on scientific racists
Reposted by Jon Phillips
Still crazy to me that the richest man in the world is a straight up white supremacist and constantly trying to incite a "race war". Seems like we really need to do something about that if we want to survive the next decade
January 3, 2026 at 2:32 AM
Still crazy to me that the richest man in the world is a straight up white supremacist and constantly trying to incite a "race war". Seems like we really need to do something about that if we want to survive the next decade
Glad to know it's not just me
Every time I see "USMNT" my brain parses it as "US Mutant Ninja Turtles" and it makes whatever headline 10x more confusing
January 3, 2026 at 1:50 AM
Glad to know it's not just me
Just saw an Elon Musk post appearing to celebrate the racial politics of Vichy France. At what point do western democracies recognize him as an enemy?
January 2, 2026 at 11:22 PM
Just saw an Elon Musk post appearing to celebrate the racial politics of Vichy France. At what point do western democracies recognize him as an enemy?
[John Sheridan voice] The American project was our last, best hope for Earth. It failed.
Incredible. CBS Evening News announces five new “simple values” — instead of their “38-page handbook” — as they roll out Tony Dokoupil is lead anchor.
One of those values is simply: “We love America and make no apologies for saying so.”
One of those values is simply: “We love America and make no apologies for saying so.”
January 2, 2026 at 11:12 PM
[John Sheridan voice] The American project was our last, best hope for Earth. It failed.
Reposted by Jon Phillips
Reached for comment, Mr. Ruxpin denied any wrongdoing and apologized for any offence caused by the misunderstanding. When asked for clarification on his statement, his cassette tape was rewound and he repeated himself word for word.
January 2, 2026 at 10:12 PM
Reached for comment, Mr. Ruxpin denied any wrongdoing and apologized for any offence caused by the misunderstanding. When asked for clarification on his statement, his cassette tape was rewound and he repeated himself word for word.
Reposted by Jon Phillips
This might be the worst headline of the bunch, simply inventing a “fact” that the *bot* “is fixing” the problem. Looks like it’s been updated to a more accurate and directed “Musk’s xAI faces backlash after Grok generates sexualized images of children on X”
Musk's Grok AI bot is fixing safeguard 'lapses' after posting of sexualized images of children
Musk's Grok AI bot is fixing safeguard 'lapses' after posting of sexualized images of children
Users on X raised concerns over explicit content of minors being generated using Musk's Grok tool.
cnb.cx
January 2, 2026 at 10:14 PM
This might be the worst headline of the bunch, simply inventing a “fact” that the *bot* “is fixing” the problem. Looks like it’s been updated to a more accurate and directed “Musk’s xAI faces backlash after Grok generates sexualized images of children on X”
TIL that JoJo Siwa isn't a cartoon character
JoJo Siwa, whose real name is Joelle Joanie Siwa, surprised fans when she changed her name to "Joelle Siwa" on her official TikTok account.
Who is Joelle? JoJo Siwa puzzles fans with apparent name change
JoJo Siwa, whose real name is Joelle Joanie Siwa, surprised fans when she changed her name to "Joelle Siwa" on her official TikTok account.
bit.ly
January 2, 2026 at 8:56 PM
TIL that JoJo Siwa isn't a cartoon character
Reposted by Jon Phillips
The thing about Grok offering apologies to convince people that it's a person is 1) if it were a person it would go in "bury under the prison" jail, and 2) it's not a person but the man responsible is and should likely suffer the same for creating it
January 2, 2026 at 4:44 PM
The thing about Grok offering apologies to convince people that it's a person is 1) if it were a person it would go in "bury under the prison" jail, and 2) it's not a person but the man responsible is and should likely suffer the same for creating it
Reposted by Jon Phillips
This article advocates for the “Faculty Merit Act” that would — get this — require all faculty applicants to submit their *SAT* scores. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 Holy shirts that’s hilarious.
January 2, 2026 at 4:08 PM
This article advocates for the “Faculty Merit Act” that would — get this — require all faculty applicants to submit their *SAT* scores. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 Holy shirts that’s hilarious.
It's been obvious that Trump has some form of dementia for a while now, but I feel like there's a difference between "it's obvious" and "he's officially being given regular cognitive assessments to track his decline," and the latter really should be a bigger news story than it is
January 2, 2026 at 3:38 PM
It's been obvious that Trump has some form of dementia for a while now, but I feel like there's a difference between "it's obvious" and "he's officially being given regular cognitive assessments to track his decline," and the latter really should be a bigger news story than it is
Reposted by Jon Phillips
i'm really having a hard time getting past the "surely we can all agree that Somalis are worse than trash" thing. this feels new and very bad
January 2, 2026 at 3:36 PM
i'm really having a hard time getting past the "surely we can all agree that Somalis are worse than trash" thing. this feels new and very bad
As someone who learned cursive in grade school and then did an undergrad thesis on Newton's work on alchemy and biblical prophecy, can confirm this extremely specific example. (Sadly, the one person at my undergrad who taught paleography has since retired, and I don't think they replaced her)
Reason 3: Cursive forms vary enormously by period, and the idea that being able to read the cursive you learn in 3rd grade would also enable you to interpret a 17th century alchemist’s handwriting is honestly kind of ludicrous
January 2, 2026 at 2:13 PM
As someone who learned cursive in grade school and then did an undergrad thesis on Newton's work on alchemy and biblical prophecy, can confirm this extremely specific example. (Sadly, the one person at my undergrad who taught paleography has since retired, and I don't think they replaced her)
Reposted by Jon Phillips
Came across this on Instagram and was immediately annoyed - most people currently alive can’t read most historical documents for a myriad of reasons that far exceed handwriting. That’s why people who actually do read those documents (historians) learn palaeography!
January 2, 2026 at 12:33 PM
Came across this on Instagram and was immediately annoyed - most people currently alive can’t read most historical documents for a myriad of reasons that far exceed handwriting. That’s why people who actually do read those documents (historians) learn palaeography!
Reposted by Jon Phillips
pinker should shadow the doctors for a day and THEN see if he feels like slandering them
January 2, 2026 at 1:03 AM
pinker should shadow the doctors for a day and THEN see if he feels like slandering them
Reposted by Jon Phillips
They bought their tickets went in and the screen played Boondock Saints 3, a movie which has never been made
I once saw two cybertrucks parked next to each other at a movie theater. I hated it
January 1, 2026 at 8:55 PM
They bought their tickets went in and the screen played Boondock Saints 3, a movie which has never been made
Reposted by Jon Phillips
Special issue on the Sociobiology Debate at fifty. Important new archival discoveries. No paywall.
online.ucpress.edu/hsns/issue/5...
online.ucpress.edu/hsns/issue/5...
Volume 55 Issue 1 | Historical Studies in the Natural Sciences | University of California Press
online.ucpress.edu
January 1, 2026 at 7:23 AM
Special issue on the Sociobiology Debate at fifty. Important new archival discoveries. No paywall.
online.ucpress.edu/hsns/issue/5...
online.ucpress.edu/hsns/issue/5...
Reposted by Jon Phillips
The corporate media continues to minimize elite complicity in this administration’s cruel policies. This is not a nameless Ninja Turtle. This is Michaelangelo. Name and shame these guys!
Vanilla Ice performing with a dancing Ninja Turtle at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago New Year’s Eve party
January 1, 2026 at 4:55 PM
The corporate media continues to minimize elite complicity in this administration’s cruel policies. This is not a nameless Ninja Turtle. This is Michaelangelo. Name and shame these guys!
Reposted by Jon Phillips
I love the alternative cover for Speculative Whiteness over at Night Beats. Link in the comments.
January 1, 2026 at 5:09 PM
I love the alternative cover for Speculative Whiteness over at Night Beats. Link in the comments.
Reposted by Jon Phillips
Seriously, it's well worth your time to read a Black journalist Chotiner-ing the highest-profile scientific racist of the day, a Nobel laureate, no less
Syl Jones' interview of William Shockley in Playboy remains one of the greatest works of science journalism ever
January 1, 2026 at 2:33 AM
Seriously, it's well worth your time to read a Black journalist Chotiner-ing the highest-profile scientific racist of the day, a Nobel laureate, no less
Reposted by Jon Phillips
At Sarah Lawrence College, where Campbell taught, we had many protests against honoring his "legacy" of racism and antisemitism in the late 1980s.
My mom was so sad when I filled her in on it, because she just ate up his bullshit via PBS.
My mom was so sad when I filled her in on it, because she just ate up his bullshit via PBS.
For all the Joseph Campbell fans out there
January 1, 2026 at 3:58 PM
At Sarah Lawrence College, where Campbell taught, we had many protests against honoring his "legacy" of racism and antisemitism in the late 1980s.
My mom was so sad when I filled her in on it, because she just ate up his bullshit via PBS.
My mom was so sad when I filled her in on it, because she just ate up his bullshit via PBS.
For all the Joseph Campbell fans out there
January 1, 2026 at 3:40 PM
For all the Joseph Campbell fans out there
Reposted by Jon Phillips
Need to get one of these for the cats
mes voeux les plus chaleureux
Unknown designer, Radiator Chair
#happynewyear #meteo #design #winter #photography
Unknown designer, Radiator Chair
#happynewyear #meteo #design #winter #photography
January 1, 2026 at 10:30 AM
Need to get one of these for the cats
Was not expecting to take the dog out into a blizzard this morning
January 1, 2026 at 10:12 AM
Was not expecting to take the dog out into a blizzard this morning
Seriously, it's well worth your time to read a Black journalist Chotiner-ing the highest-profile scientific racist of the day, a Nobel laureate, no less
Syl Jones' interview of William Shockley in Playboy remains one of the greatest works of science journalism ever
January 1, 2026 at 2:33 AM
Seriously, it's well worth your time to read a Black journalist Chotiner-ing the highest-profile scientific racist of the day, a Nobel laureate, no less