Nicholas A. Christakis

@nachristakis.bsky.social

22K followers 580 following 1K posts

Sterling Professor of Social and Natural Science at Yale University. Sociologist. Network Scientist. Physician. Author of Apollo's Arrow; Blueprint; Connected; and Death Foretold. Director of the Human Nature Lab: https://humannaturelab.net .. more

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Nicholas A. Christakis is a Greek American sociologist and physician known for his research on social networks and on the social, economic, biological, and evolutionary determinants of human welfare. He is the Sterling Professor of Social and Natural Science at Yale University, where he directs the Human Nature Lab. He is also the co-director of the Yale Institute for Network Science. .. more

Public Health 23%

Physics 18%

Posts Replies Media Videos

Nicholas A. Christakis @nachristakis.bsky.social · 2h

Still, a scientist should not avoid doing work that might be used for bad ends for fear that it might be abused. The primary commitment of a scientist is to the truth.

Nicholas A. Christakis @nachristakis.bsky.social · 2h

Here is the full reading of what my teacher, the botanist and Yale professor Arthur Galston, had to say about this challenge scientists can face, long ago, when he found that his work on plant hormones was unexpectedly used in Agent Orange:

The Galston Answer

youtube.com/watch?v=nUL0...

The Galston Answer

YouTube video by For the Love of Science

youtube.com

Nicholas A. Christakis @nachristakis.bsky.social · 2h

The solution to the challenge of others abusing one's scientific discoveries is to stay engaged. The work of a scientist doesn't stop upon publication.

Nicholas A. Christakis @nachristakis.bsky.social · 2h

I faced this challenge (of others abusing my work) when our paper on the social contagion of obesity appeared in 2007. People (and headlines) said you should "ditch your fat friends." I didn't expect this negative framing, or the death threats. I was very troubled by this.

www.nejm.org

Nicholas A. Christakis @nachristakis.bsky.social · 2h

New "For the Love of Science" short vlog:

What to Do if Your Work Is Abused

What should scientists do if their work is used for bad purposes?

youtube.com/watch?v=KoAg...

What to Do if Your Work is Abused

YouTube video by For the Love of Science

youtube.com

Reposted by Nicholas A. Christakis

Chris Bail @chrisbail.bsky.social · 5h

Dr. Nicholas Christakis (@nachristakis.bsky.social ) will be joining us as a Keynote Speaker at the Conference on Society-Centered AI 2026 Feb 12-14th! Learn more and Register here: sites.duke.edu/scai/

Nicholas A. Christakis @nachristakis.bsky.social · 6h

Yup! "This puts liberal critics of things like diversity statements in a bind. They’ve gotten what they want via a route that involved political pressure they oppose. How should internal critics of university illiberalism, of which you’ve been a vocal one, negotiate this weird situation?"

Randall Kennedy Is Afraid. He Thinks You Should Be Too.

The Harvard law professor on federal extortion, DEI overreach, and why defeating Trump in court won’t be enough.

www.chronicle.com

Reposted by Nicholas A. Christakis

Guy Grossman @guygrossman.bsky.social · 7h

Videos Contradict Trump Administration Account of ICE Shooting in Minneapolis www.nytimes.com/video/us/100...

Video: Videos Contradict Trump Administration Account of ICE Shooting in Minneapolis

An analysis of footage from three camera angles shows that the motorist was driving away from — not toward — a federal officer when he opened fire.

www.nytimes.com

Nicholas A. Christakis @nachristakis.bsky.social · 10h

Reaults like these have long suggested (eg Simon Conway Morris) that if there are exoplanets similar to earth, any life there might resemble terrestrial life in certain ways. Ecology is a powerful factor in evolution. www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Convergent genome evolution shaped the emergence of terrestrial animals - Nature

Comparisons of 154 genomes from 21 animal phyla and outgroups have been used to reconstruct ancestral adaptation to life on land across 11 distinct terrestrialization events, revealing strong evidence...

www.nature.com

Reposted by Anne Applebaum, Colin F. Camerer, Richard E. Lenski , and 10 more Anne Applebaum, Colin F. Camerer, Richard E. Lenski, Nicholas A. Christakis, Patrick Dunleavy, Leigh Sparks, Juan Cole, Stacy D. VanDeveer, Glenn H. Shepard, Anne Norton, Daryl Adair, Ann Bartow, Andrew Rudalevige

The Tennessee Holler @thetnholler.bsky.social · 16h

WITNESS: "I just can't let this narrative of self-defense go any further. That’s absolutely not what it was… ICE agents didn’t let anyone help her for 15 minutes, then medics couldn’t get through with their ambulance.”

Reposted by Anne Applebaum, Nicholas A. Christakis, John Horgan , and 11 more Anne Applebaum, Nicholas A. Christakis, John Horgan, Rosemary A. Joyce, Jonathan M. Gilligan, Daniel W. Drezner, David R. Miller, Aaron Sojourner, Roopika Risam, Stacy D. VanDeveer, Kate Starbird, Greg Linden, Albin Wagener, Manisha Sinha

All In with Chris Hayes @allinwithchris.bsky.social · 18h

@chrislhayes.bsky.social: “A 37-year-old American citizen, the mother of a young child is dead tonight. She was shot in the face by an agent of the federal government, and that government has spent the day telling despicable lies about her.”

Reposted by Nicholas A. Christakis

Nicholas A. Christakis @nachristakis.bsky.social · 20h

It can’t be a good sign when @bellingcat.com must turn its gaze from Iranian or Russian state actors to American ones. To our deep shame.

Bellingcat @bellingcat.com · 21h

Using imagery online of the shooting by an ICE agent in Minneapolis, we’ve created an animated sequence which highlights the approximate positioning of officers and vehicles at the scene. The red dot represents the agent who fired the shots. Yellow dots are other agents who arrived at the scene.

Nicholas A. Christakis @nachristakis.bsky.social · 21h

Another extraordinary event in our history: militarizing our own streets and shooting our own civilians. The video footage is incredibly damning, and consistent with deliberate killing. I hope justice prevails and the officer who shot her and his whole chain of command is brought to justice.

The New York Times @nytimes.com · 21h

An ICE agent shot and killed a woman in Minneapolis on Wednesday, the latest in a series of shootings by federal agents during immigration enforcement operations. In the last four months alone, immigration officers have fired on at least nine people.

Deadly Minneapolis Encounter Is the 9th ICE Shooting Since September

All those targeted in the shootings were fired on while in their vehicles.

nyti.ms

Reposted by Nicholas A. Christakis

The New York Times @nytimes.com · 21h

Deadly Minneapolis Encounter Is the 9th ICE Shooting Since September

All those targeted in the shootings were fired on while in their vehicles.

nyti.ms

Reposted by Nicholas A. Christakis, Rosemary A. Joyce, Carol J. Adams

Bellingcat @bellingcat.com · 21h

Reposted by Nicholas A. Christakis, David Rothschild, David R. Miller

Marc Elias @marcelias.bsky.social · 21h

Today once again proved that everyday citizens protesting their government are braver than the titans who own the largest media corporations, run the biggest law firms and lead the most powerful technology companies.

Reposted by Nicholas A. Christakis

Boston Review @bostonreview.bsky.social · 21h

“The truth is that police do lie, all the time, about issues big and small. Police perjury is a core function of policing, critical to both the viability of the institution and maintaining control over the public’s understanding of who should be feared and who should be protected.“

Reposted by Nicholas A. Christakis, Brendan Nyhan, Matthew P. McAllister

Constantine @ajaxsinger.bsky.social · 21h

Renee Nicole Good, 37. Married mother of a six year old, was unarmed and driving away when she was shot and killed in her car this morning by a member of the United States Government.

‘She was an amazing human being:’ Mother identifies woman shot, killed by ICE agent

Renee Nicole Good, 37, lived in the Twin Cities with her partner.

www.startribune.com

Reposted by Nicholas A. Christakis

Nicholas A. Christakis @nachristakis.bsky.social · 1d

Texas A&M philosophy professor was to teach his usual introductory class on "Contemporary Moral Issues" and the syllabus included two days on "race and gender ideology." He does not "advocate" for any position. Readings include Plato and others. But it’s a non-starter for this university. Shame.