Sam Foley
@samuelfoley.com
Physics of membranes and self-assembly || Biophysics postdoc at Johns Hopkins || Previously Penn State -> Carnegie Mellon || for I perplex others not because I am clear, but because I am utterly perplexed myself ||
www.samuelfoley.com
www.samuelfoley.com
Pinned
Sam Foley
@samuelfoley.com
· May 26
I’m excited to finally share our new preprint! Membrane-associated assembly processes like CME function as precisely-tunable, spatially targetable, robust on/off switches that don’t require energy at decision-time.
arxiv.org/abs/2505.17290
🧪
arxiv.org/abs/2505.17290
🧪
Including this as a figure in my next NIH biosketch
February 15, 2026 at 10:05 PM
Including this as a figure in my next NIH biosketch
Reposted by Sam Foley
In terms of what cures are being lost:
- Epstein-Barr virus is perhaps the major trigger for multiple sclerosis
- herpes simplex virus causes cold sores, genital herpes, infections in babies, deadly meningitis
- shingles virus causes an intensely painful disease
- Epstein-Barr virus is perhaps the major trigger for multiple sclerosis
- herpes simplex virus causes cold sores, genital herpes, infections in babies, deadly meningitis
- shingles virus causes an intensely painful disease
February 13, 2026 at 5:44 AM
In terms of what cures are being lost:
- Epstein-Barr virus is perhaps the major trigger for multiple sclerosis
- herpes simplex virus causes cold sores, genital herpes, infections in babies, deadly meningitis
- shingles virus causes an intensely painful disease
- Epstein-Barr virus is perhaps the major trigger for multiple sclerosis
- herpes simplex virus causes cold sores, genital herpes, infections in babies, deadly meningitis
- shingles virus causes an intensely painful disease
Reposted by Sam Foley
You can't... repeal... a scientific finding. At that point it's just called lying about it.
Breaking News: The Trump administration repealed the bedrock scientific finding that greenhouse gases threaten human life and well being, meaning that the EPA can no longer regulate them. nyti.ms/4rSszQu
February 12, 2026 at 8:38 PM
You can't... repeal... a scientific finding. At that point it's just called lying about it.
Happy birthday to my middle namesake. I imagine if he were alive today he would say, "Really? This shit again?"
February 12, 2026 at 8:27 PM
Happy birthday to my middle namesake. I imagine if he were alive today he would say, "Really? This shit again?"
How your email finds me
February 12, 2026 at 12:13 AM
How your email finds me
Reposted by Sam Foley
Banting, Best, Collip, et al announced initial results on the use of insulin to treat diabetes #OTD in 1922.
They later sold their patent to the University of Toronto for $1 each, hoping this would keep the lifesaving medication cheap and accessible. 🧪
They later sold their patent to the University of Toronto for $1 each, hoping this would keep the lifesaving medication cheap and accessible. 🧪
February 11, 2026 at 4:06 PM
Banting, Best, Collip, et al announced initial results on the use of insulin to treat diabetes #OTD in 1922.
They later sold their patent to the University of Toronto for $1 each, hoping this would keep the lifesaving medication cheap and accessible. 🧪
They later sold their patent to the University of Toronto for $1 each, hoping this would keep the lifesaving medication cheap and accessible. 🧪
Every time I visit Facebook (already a mistake, I know), they try to sell me on their stupid AI filters like the one here. But it's actually an amazing example of AI completely missing the point and deleting the one part of the picture that actually mattered: the punchline of the original photo.
February 10, 2026 at 5:49 PM
Every time I visit Facebook (already a mistake, I know), they try to sell me on their stupid AI filters like the one here. But it's actually an amazing example of AI completely missing the point and deleting the one part of the picture that actually mattered: the punchline of the original photo.
Reposted by Sam Foley
I'm sorry the guy changing the rules on the fly is named what
I stand with County Executive Calvin Ball as he signs emergency legislation today prohibiting privately owned buildings from being used as ICE detention centers.
Howard County chose dignity, accountability, and its people. Tune into our event now:
bit.ly/4a2VtHw
Howard County chose dignity, accountability, and its people. Tune into our event now:
bit.ly/4a2VtHw
Redirecting...
bit.ly
February 7, 2026 at 2:34 PM
I'm sorry the guy changing the rules on the fly is named what
I wonder what percentage of current LLM usage is bot farms making fake social media posts? My intuition tells me it's probably in the realm of double-digit percentage of all LLM requests, but I have no way to back this up.
February 5, 2026 at 6:16 PM
I wonder what percentage of current LLM usage is bot farms making fake social media posts? My intuition tells me it's probably in the realm of double-digit percentage of all LLM requests, but I have no way to back this up.
Reposted by Sam Foley
"The microtubule GTP-tubulin cap size is modulated during cell division" is now available on @biorxivpreprint! This video by Anna Cassidy shows the tips of growing microtubules (EB1) and DNA (histone 2B) during metaphase. #Cellbiology
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
February 4, 2026 at 5:20 PM
"The microtubule GTP-tubulin cap size is modulated during cell division" is now available on @biorxivpreprint! This video by Anna Cassidy shows the tips of growing microtubules (EB1) and DNA (histone 2B) during metaphase. #Cellbiology
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
Reposted by Sam Foley
An intracellular meteor shower. EB3 comets tracking growing microtubule plus-ends in a cultured cell.
February 5, 2026 at 5:27 AM
An intracellular meteor shower. EB3 comets tracking growing microtubule plus-ends in a cultured cell.
Reposted by Sam Foley
The biggest issue is that, contrary to what many people who really should know better say, space is a bad place to vent heat. It is very hard to vent heat in near-vacuum. You may have heard that space is cold but "cold" is a very counterintuitive idea in an environment without much matter.
February 5, 2026 at 1:24 PM
The biggest issue is that, contrary to what many people who really should know better say, space is a bad place to vent heat. It is very hard to vent heat in near-vacuum. You may have heard that space is cold but "cold" is a very counterintuitive idea in an environment without much matter.
Reposted by Sam Foley
Take me down to the Parallax city where the far moves slow and the near moves quickly
February 1, 2026 at 3:40 PM
Take me down to the Parallax city where the far moves slow and the near moves quickly
What a depressing future we live in where the "tech industry" is actually just the advertising industry.
February 1, 2026 at 4:51 PM
What a depressing future we live in where the "tech industry" is actually just the advertising industry.
Reposted by Sam Foley
Imo the arXiv should impose an automatic ban the first time someone submits a preprint with a hallucinated reference in it. Zero tolerance policy.
January 31, 2026 at 6:54 PM
Imo the arXiv should impose an automatic ban the first time someone submits a preprint with a hallucinated reference in it. Zero tolerance policy.
Reposted by Sam Foley
A new study from Anthropic finds that gains in coding efficiency when relying on AI assistance did did not meet statistical significance; AI use noticeably degraded programmers’ understanding of what they were doing. Incredible.
The latest from Anthropic: using Anthropic's products makes you worse at your job
How AI assistance impacts the formation of coding skills
Anthropic is an AI safety and research company that's working to build reliable, interpretable, and steerable AI systems.
www.anthropic.com
January 30, 2026 at 11:47 PM
A new study from Anthropic finds that gains in coding efficiency when relying on AI assistance did did not meet statistical significance; AI use noticeably degraded programmers’ understanding of what they were doing. Incredible.
Reposted by Sam Foley
Am I asking too much to ask that the Director of the National Institutes of Health gets his facts approximately correct?
There are examples that would illustrate his point, but this is not it.
This really makes me crazy; it reflects lack of knowledge, scholarship, and care.
13/14
There are examples that would illustrate his point, but this is not it.
This really makes me crazy; it reflects lack of knowledge, scholarship, and care.
13/14
January 30, 2026 at 7:58 PM
Am I asking too much to ask that the Director of the National Institutes of Health gets his facts approximately correct?
There are examples that would illustrate his point, but this is not it.
This really makes me crazy; it reflects lack of knowledge, scholarship, and care.
13/14
There are examples that would illustrate his point, but this is not it.
This really makes me crazy; it reflects lack of knowledge, scholarship, and care.
13/14
Why?? Why in the world would you impose this kind of idiotic restriction?
January 29, 2026 at 11:24 PM
Why?? Why in the world would you impose this kind of idiotic restriction?
Reposted by Sam Foley
“You have been asleep since November,” said Frog.
“Well then,” said Toad, “a little more sleep will not hurt me.”
“Well then,” said Toad, “a little more sleep will not hurt me.”
January 28, 2026 at 2:37 PM
“You have been asleep since November,” said Frog.
“Well then,” said Toad, “a little more sleep will not hurt me.”
“Well then,” said Toad, “a little more sleep will not hurt me.”
Work from home status: comfy cozy
January 27, 2026 at 8:08 PM
Work from home status: comfy cozy
Reposted by Sam Foley
(Dude suddenly stops pushing his broom across the floor of the Death Star)
Does this look like a big laser to anyone else
Does this look like a big laser to anyone else
Palantir employees are pressing company leadership over its work for ICE in internal company Slacks obtained by @wired.com
"In my opinion ICE are the bad guys. I am not proud that the company I enjoy so much working for is part of this."
Scoop from @makenakelly.bsky.social
"In my opinion ICE are the bad guys. I am not proud that the company I enjoy so much working for is part of this."
Scoop from @makenakelly.bsky.social
Palantir Defends Work With ICE to Staff Following Killing of Alex Pretti
“In my opinion ICE are the bad guys. I am not proud that the company I enjoy so much working for is part of this,” one worker wrote on Slack.
www.wired.com
January 27, 2026 at 2:51 AM
(Dude suddenly stops pushing his broom across the floor of the Death Star)
Does this look like a big laser to anyone else
Does this look like a big laser to anyone else
Reposted by Sam Foley
On Foundings: 254 years later, my town holds a parade every year celebrating the night fed up Rhode Islanders captured and burned a customs enforcement ship after heavy handed official harrassment. No one ever snitched. #GaspeeAffair
January 25, 2026 at 3:09 AM
On Foundings: 254 years later, my town holds a parade every year celebrating the night fed up Rhode Islanders captured and burned a customs enforcement ship after heavy handed official harrassment. No one ever snitched. #GaspeeAffair
Reposted by Sam Foley
Imagine this in a trial.
Devastating first-hand witness to Alex Pretti's killing
Declaration filed in federal court:
"I don't know why they shot him. He was only helping. I was five feet from him and they just shot him."
Devastating first-hand witness to Alex Pretti's killing
Declaration filed in federal court:
"I don't know why they shot him. He was only helping. I was five feet from him and they just shot him."
January 25, 2026 at 1:20 AM
Imagine this in a trial.
Devastating first-hand witness to Alex Pretti's killing
Declaration filed in federal court:
"I don't know why they shot him. He was only helping. I was five feet from him and they just shot him."
Devastating first-hand witness to Alex Pretti's killing
Declaration filed in federal court:
"I don't know why they shot him. He was only helping. I was five feet from him and they just shot him."