Steve Buyske
@stevebuyske.bsky.social
Professor of Statistics at Rutgers University; mostly work in human genetics. https://statweb.rutgers.edu/buyske/
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8539-5416
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8539-5416
Reposted by Steve Buyske
the economic success of the U.S. is significantly built on the land grant universities and in particular their excellent agricultural science tradition.
Really important to stress that the Crown Jewels of the US higher education system were never the Ivies or elite SLACs (other countries have equivalents of these) but the well-funded, large, cheap, and excellently staffed public state university systems bringing high quality education to the masses.
One of the bragging rights that the US ed system had in the 20th century is that we didn't have education tracks. Essentially, any kid could go to a CC or state school & major in whatever they wanted to (obviously an oversimplification). I fear this aspect of the American dream is dying.
November 23, 2025 at 5:26 PM
the economic success of the U.S. is significantly built on the land grant universities and in particular their excellent agricultural science tradition.
Reposted by Steve Buyske
Over the last 10 months, the federal government has cracked down on political expression with a persistence and viciousness reminiscent of some of the darkest periods of U.S. history. Welcome to the Third Red Scare.
The First Amendment Won’t Go Quietly
Welcome to the third Red Scare.
www.theatlantic.com
November 10, 2025 at 3:54 PM
Over the last 10 months, the federal government has cracked down on political expression with a persistence and viciousness reminiscent of some of the darkest periods of U.S. history. Welcome to the Third Red Scare.
Reposted by Steve Buyske
As Ta-Nehisi Coates said last month:
“.. it’s either one of two things: either you’re cowards or you’re with him. And if you’re with him, you never believed in the things you were talking about to begin with.”
“.. it’s either one of two things: either you’re cowards or you’re with him. And if you’re with him, you never believed in the things you were talking about to begin with.”
Breaking News: Cornell University reached an agreement with the Trump administration that would restore hundreds of millions in funding to the university. It's expected to pay a $30 million fine to the government and to invest $30 million in agriculture and farming programs.
Cornell Reaches Deal with Trump Administration to Restore Research Funds
The Ivy League university had warned of layoffs after the Trump administration stripped it of funds this year. The cuts were among the deepest in higher education.
nyti.ms
November 7, 2025 at 5:30 PM
As Ta-Nehisi Coates said last month:
“.. it’s either one of two things: either you’re cowards or you’re with him. And if you’re with him, you never believed in the things you were talking about to begin with.”
“.. it’s either one of two things: either you’re cowards or you’re with him. And if you’re with him, you never believed in the things you were talking about to begin with.”
Reposted by Steve Buyske
Last time I saw him, he told me that eugenics had gotten a bad rap. That it was, in fact, a great thing. To be celebrated. As well as the usual racist & misogynistic rants.
But honestly the worst part was seeing the light die in fellow lab members eyes when they met their hero and got...that.
But honestly the worst part was seeing the light die in fellow lab members eyes when they met their hero and got...that.
Hey folks, as news of Watson's demise spreads, please don't set aside his weighty legacy of misogyny and racism. He was truly among the worst of us. www.vox.com/2019/1/15/18...
DNA scientist James Watson has a remarkably long history of sexist, racist public comments
“People say it would be terrible if we made all girls pretty,” he said in 2003. “I think it would be great.”
www.vox.com
November 8, 2025 at 12:17 AM
Last time I saw him, he told me that eugenics had gotten a bad rap. That it was, in fact, a great thing. To be celebrated. As well as the usual racist & misogynistic rants.
But honestly the worst part was seeing the light die in fellow lab members eyes when they met their hero and got...that.
But honestly the worst part was seeing the light die in fellow lab members eyes when they met their hero and got...that.
Reposted by Steve Buyske
Before her (too early) death, the amazing Sharon Begley wrote this piece on double helix co-discoverer James Watson and the racist and sexist pronouncements he seemed to revel in making in later life. Fascinating read about a troubling individual.
www.statnews.com/2025/11/07/j...
www.statnews.com/2025/11/07/j...
James Watson, dead at 97, was a scientific legend and a pariah among his peers
James Watson, the co-discoverer of the structure of DNA who died Thursday at 97, was a scientific legend and a pariah among his peers.
www.statnews.com
November 7, 2025 at 9:39 PM
Before her (too early) death, the amazing Sharon Begley wrote this piece on double helix co-discoverer James Watson and the racist and sexist pronouncements he seemed to revel in making in later life. Fascinating read about a troubling individual.
www.statnews.com/2025/11/07/j...
www.statnews.com/2025/11/07/j...
Reposted by Steve Buyske
toddlers victorious
Back for Day 2 of Sandwich Guy’s trial. In government opening statement: “This case is about the fact that you can’t go around throwing stuff at people when you’re mad.”
November 6, 2025 at 7:54 PM
toddlers victorious
Reposted by Steve Buyske
Donald Trump is telling his own Justice Department that it owes him $230 million, @qjurecic.bsky.social writes. "The goal is not just dictatorial power, but the ostentatious performance of dictatorial power."
Trump to DOJ: Pay Up
The goal is not just dictatorial power, but ostentatious performance.
bit.ly
October 23, 2025 at 9:15 PM
Donald Trump is telling his own Justice Department that it owes him $230 million, @qjurecic.bsky.social writes. "The goal is not just dictatorial power, but the ostentatious performance of dictatorial power."
Reposted by Steve Buyske
@qjurecic.bsky.social is answering your questions about the role of the courts and the expansion of executive power during the second Trump administration. Ask her anything at 2 p.m. ET: www.reddit.com/r/Law_and_Po...
October 23, 2025 at 5:33 PM
@qjurecic.bsky.social is answering your questions about the role of the courts and the expansion of executive power during the second Trump administration. Ask her anything at 2 p.m. ET: www.reddit.com/r/Law_and_Po...
Reposted by Steve Buyske
After 2024, pundits brushed off the Resistance as cringe. I submit: Yes, it was. And cringe is good. Cringe, in fact, will save democracy.
Resistance Is Cringe
But it’s also effective.
www.theatlantic.com
October 18, 2025 at 1:53 PM
After 2024, pundits brushed off the Resistance as cringe. I submit: Yes, it was. And cringe is good. Cringe, in fact, will save democracy.
Reposted by Steve Buyske
Donald Trump might soon find that the same thing making the indictments of officials such as James Comey and Letitia James possible is exactly what will undermine the Justice Department’s ability to win convictions, Quinta Jurecic argues.
Trump’s Revenge Tour
The president is getting the indictments he wants, but the next phase will be much harder.
bit.ly
October 10, 2025 at 6:00 PM
Donald Trump might soon find that the same thing making the indictments of officials such as James Comey and Letitia James possible is exactly what will undermine the Justice Department’s ability to win convictions, Quinta Jurecic argues.
Reposted by Steve Buyske
Printing presses kept their letters in cases.
Capital letters went in the upper case.
Smaller letters went in the lower case.
This is why we say ‘UPPER CASE’ and ‘lower case.’
Ok, but what did we call them before the invention of the printing press?
MAJUSCULE and minuscule.
Capital letters went in the upper case.
Smaller letters went in the lower case.
This is why we say ‘UPPER CASE’ and ‘lower case.’
Ok, but what did we call them before the invention of the printing press?
MAJUSCULE and minuscule.
October 10, 2025 at 1:18 PM
Printing presses kept their letters in cases.
Capital letters went in the upper case.
Smaller letters went in the lower case.
This is why we say ‘UPPER CASE’ and ‘lower case.’
Ok, but what did we call them before the invention of the printing press?
MAJUSCULE and minuscule.
Capital letters went in the upper case.
Smaller letters went in the lower case.
This is why we say ‘UPPER CASE’ and ‘lower case.’
Ok, but what did we call them before the invention of the printing press?
MAJUSCULE and minuscule.
Reposted by Steve Buyske
Excited to share our recent work characterizing a type 2 diabetes (T2D) polygenic risk score (PRS) in a collaboration that included 244,637 T2D cases and 637,891 controls, led by @boyaguo.bsky.social! (1/3)
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Polygenic risk score for type 2 diabetes shows context-dependent effects across populations - Nature Communications
Polygenic risk scores can help identify individuals at higher risk of type 2 diabetes. Here, the authors characterise a multi-ancestry score across nearly 900,000 people, showing that its predictive value depends on demographic and clinical context and extends to related traits and complications.
www.nature.com
October 9, 2025 at 4:00 AM
Excited to share our recent work characterizing a type 2 diabetes (T2D) polygenic risk score (PRS) in a collaboration that included 244,637 T2D cases and 637,891 controls, led by @boyaguo.bsky.social! (1/3)
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Steve Buyske
This week, our colleague Dr. Mark Bray came under attack by Turning Point USA’s Rutgers chapter for his public scholarship. Rutgers AAUP-AFT and the Rutgers Adjunct Faculty Union condemn this campaign and stand in solidarity with our colleagues. Read our full statement here: https://loom.ly/BDXasRY
October 8, 2025 at 9:02 PM
This week, our colleague Dr. Mark Bray came under attack by Turning Point USA’s Rutgers chapter for his public scholarship. Rutgers AAUP-AFT and the Rutgers Adjunct Faculty Union condemn this campaign and stand in solidarity with our colleagues. Read our full statement here: https://loom.ly/BDXasRY
Reposted by Steve Buyske
Trump wants to see troops in American cities. To him, the factual and legal rationale behind those deployments is unimportant.
Trump Is Destroying One of America’s Oldest Traditions
America has always had a strong aversion to seeing the military on the country’s streets. That is not stopping the current president.
www.theatlantic.com
October 7, 2025 at 7:50 PM
Trump wants to see troops in American cities. To him, the factual and legal rationale behind those deployments is unimportant.
Reposted by Steve Buyske
The Comey indictment shows how thoroughly Trump has already corrupted the Department of Justice, Quinta Jurecic argues.
The Comey Indictment Is an Embarrassment
The Justice Department should never have brought such a shoddy case.
bit.ly
September 26, 2025 at 6:50 PM
The Comey indictment shows how thoroughly Trump has already corrupted the Department of Justice, Quinta Jurecic argues.
Reposted by Steve Buyske
It’s influencer hour at the FBI. Quinta Jurecic on Kash Patel’s handling of the Charlie Kirk investigation:
The Influencer FBI
The skill set required to succeed online may not always translate to effective law enforcement.
bit.ly
September 12, 2025 at 8:00 PM
It’s influencer hour at the FBI. Quinta Jurecic on Kash Patel’s handling of the Charlie Kirk investigation:
Reposted by Steve Buyske
Just did this for a Y5 that's 2.5 months late. It supports 60% of my (90% soft money) salary, so for the past few months I've been wondering if I still have a job or not.
So much riding on such absurd, cruel, and opaque practices with overworked NIH staff caught in the middle doing their best.
So much riding on such absurd, cruel, and opaque practices with overworked NIH staff caught in the middle doing their best.
Here is a word cloud of the words that were missing from the noncompetitive renewal awards but had been present in the parent award.
3/4
3/4
September 10, 2025 at 12:17 AM
Just did this for a Y5 that's 2.5 months late. It supports 60% of my (90% soft money) salary, so for the past few months I've been wondering if I still have a job or not.
So much riding on such absurd, cruel, and opaque practices with overworked NIH staff caught in the middle doing their best.
So much riding on such absurd, cruel, and opaque practices with overworked NIH staff caught in the middle doing their best.
Reposted by Steve Buyske
What Data Management looks like in the real world 😊
Researcher: Here’s some data, can you wrangle it?
DM: Sure! Do I have everything I need?
Researcher: Yep!
The next 6 months: A series of back and forth emails about missing files, unclear values, and why things are the way that they are.
Researcher: Here’s some data, can you wrangle it?
DM: Sure! Do I have everything I need?
Researcher: Yep!
The next 6 months: A series of back and forth emails about missing files, unclear values, and why things are the way that they are.
August 27, 2025 at 4:02 PM
What Data Management looks like in the real world 😊
Researcher: Here’s some data, can you wrangle it?
DM: Sure! Do I have everything I need?
Researcher: Yep!
The next 6 months: A series of back and forth emails about missing files, unclear values, and why things are the way that they are.
Researcher: Here’s some data, can you wrangle it?
DM: Sure! Do I have everything I need?
Researcher: Yep!
The next 6 months: A series of back and forth emails about missing files, unclear values, and why things are the way that they are.
Reposted by Steve Buyske
The risk of Trump’s attacks on mail-in ballots is less that he will succeed in muzzling the franchise and more that the president will—as he did in 2020—kick up enough doubt that many Americans no longer trust election results, @qjurecic.bsky.social writes:
Trump Has No (Legal) Power to Mess With the Election
But that won’t stop him from finding ways to make chaos.
bit.ly
August 21, 2025 at 12:30 PM
The risk of Trump’s attacks on mail-in ballots is less that he will succeed in muzzling the franchise and more that the president will—as he did in 2020—kick up enough doubt that many Americans no longer trust election results, @qjurecic.bsky.social writes:
Reposted by Steve Buyske
World War IV will be fought with hoagies
August 17, 2025 at 2:01 PM
World War IV will be fought with hoagies
Reposted by Steve Buyske
Donald Trump’s plan to leverage the Department of Justice against his enemies “is not generating the results he might have hoped for,” Quinta Jurecic argues. American criminal law appears to be a less flexible tool than he’d hoped—at least for now.
Trump’s Revenge Campaign Has a Weakness
Prosecuting his enemies is turning out to be more difficult than he’d hoped—at least for now.
bit.ly
August 14, 2025 at 12:30 PM
Donald Trump’s plan to leverage the Department of Justice against his enemies “is not generating the results he might have hoped for,” Quinta Jurecic argues. American criminal law appears to be a less flexible tool than he’d hoped—at least for now.
Reposted by Steve Buyske
We lived in Silicon Valley for 5 yrs and let me tell you. The conversations b/w him, a public K-12 school psych, and me, a genetic epidemiologist, are basically us screaming "wtf is wrong with people" and "that's not how that works" back & forth until we tire out enough to just stare at the wall.
Apparently, Silicon Valley thinks eugenics is the only way to save humanity from AI-fueled extinction. They insist their eugenics isn't bad eugenics, because theirs involves parents choosing to screen and selectively implant embryos based on genetically predicted IQ. But choice is a slippery slope.
August 14, 2025 at 2:10 PM
We lived in Silicon Valley for 5 yrs and let me tell you. The conversations b/w him, a public K-12 school psych, and me, a genetic epidemiologist, are basically us screaming "wtf is wrong with people" and "that's not how that works" back & forth until we tire out enough to just stare at the wall.
Reposted by Steve Buyske
We never left.
I wrote about “Predatory Data” by @anitachan.bsky.social in Nature’s summer reading list. Such a great work demonstrating the persistence of eugenics in all its many forms while offering a better way forwards.
Maybe not a fun beach read, but absolutely essential for these times.
I wrote about “Predatory Data” by @anitachan.bsky.social in Nature’s summer reading list. Such a great work demonstrating the persistence of eugenics in all its many forms while offering a better way forwards.
Maybe not a fun beach read, but absolutely essential for these times.
July 17, 2025 at 1:52 PM
We never left.
I wrote about “Predatory Data” by @anitachan.bsky.social in Nature’s summer reading list. Such a great work demonstrating the persistence of eugenics in all its many forms while offering a better way forwards.
Maybe not a fun beach read, but absolutely essential for these times.
I wrote about “Predatory Data” by @anitachan.bsky.social in Nature’s summer reading list. Such a great work demonstrating the persistence of eugenics in all its many forms while offering a better way forwards.
Maybe not a fun beach read, but absolutely essential for these times.
Reposted by Steve Buyske
A fun reminder that a loss of 60,000 jobs in and around academia is ~50% more than all coal mining jobs in the entire country.
The US could see a 30-40% decline in new international student enrollment, resulting in nearly $7 billion in lost revenue and more than 60,000 fewer American jobs. https://www.nafsa.org/fall-2025-international-student-enrollment-outlook-and-economic-impact
August 4, 2025 at 12:02 AM
A fun reminder that a loss of 60,000 jobs in and around academia is ~50% more than all coal mining jobs in the entire country.