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
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
Reposted by Jon Phillips
Outlook for the new year ...
December 31, 2025 at 11:20 PM
Outlook for the new year ...
Syl Jones' interview of William Shockley in Playboy remains one of the greatest works of science journalism ever
January 1, 2026 at 2:27 AM
Syl Jones' interview of William Shockley in Playboy remains one of the greatest works of science journalism ever
Celebrate the Old Ways
January 1, 2026 at 12:18 AM
Celebrate the Old Ways
Reposted by Jon Phillips
They're going to *throw out* one-of-a-kind NASA archives?!
Not even a year since the Inauguration & we're already at the 2nd-time-as-farce version of the burning of the Library of Alexandria.
Not even a year since the Inauguration & we're already at the 2nd-time-as-farce version of the burning of the Library of Alexandria.
December 31, 2025 at 7:55 PM
They're going to *throw out* one-of-a-kind NASA archives?!
Not even a year since the Inauguration & we're already at the 2nd-time-as-farce version of the burning of the Library of Alexandria.
Not even a year since the Inauguration & we're already at the 2nd-time-as-farce version of the burning of the Library of Alexandria.
Awesome that universities are pushing free licenses for this on their entire student bodies
Uh… check out what ChatGPT allegedly told a man before he killed his mother and then himself.
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
December 31, 2025 at 9:57 PM
Awesome that universities are pushing free licenses for this on their entire student bodies
Reposted by Jon Phillips
THE DAY CARES ARE LOCKED BECAUSE YOU MADE A GENERATION-LONG EFFORT TO MAKE IT AS EASY AS POSSIBLE TO KILL THE CHILDREN INSIDE THEM YOU ABSOLUTE FUCKING GHOULS
these fucking people. they pass laws to make sure every person with a screw loose who wants an Armalite can show up to the day care armed & ready to kill, then complain that the day cares are locked to protect the children inside
CNN: “Surely you don’t think a daycare should be unlocked.”
SHIRLEY: “There should be a reception area.”
CNN: “No, every day care is locked.”
SHIRLEY: “Fair point.” 🤔
He shows up to a day care with masked men and wonders why they don’t let him in.
SHIRLEY: “There should be a reception area.”
CNN: “No, every day care is locked.”
SHIRLEY: “Fair point.” 🤔
He shows up to a day care with masked men and wonders why they don’t let him in.
December 31, 2025 at 7:30 PM
THE DAY CARES ARE LOCKED BECAUSE YOU MADE A GENERATION-LONG EFFORT TO MAKE IT AS EASY AS POSSIBLE TO KILL THE CHILDREN INSIDE THEM YOU ABSOLUTE FUCKING GHOULS
It's almost impossible to pick just one, but I think if I had to, it'd be this:
December 31, 2025 at 9:45 PM
It's almost impossible to pick just one, but I think if I had to, it'd be this: