Dr David Robert Grimes
@drg.bsky.social
Cancer researcher, physicist, scoundrel. Author (#TheIrrationalApe / #GoodThinking). Science, Medicine, Foppish hair.
Alt socials: https://linktr.ee/drg1985
Alt socials: https://linktr.ee/drg1985
So @jamesheathers.bsky.social & I answer the burning question: does Cake cause Herpes? No, but one can torture the data to give that impression, and that's a problem. Promiscuous dichotomisation in biomedical science hugely increases spurious findings, best avoided
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
November 13, 2025 at 12:42 PM
So @jamesheathers.bsky.social & I answer the burning question: does Cake cause Herpes? No, but one can torture the data to give that impression, and that's a problem. Promiscuous dichotomisation in biomedical science hugely increases spurious findings, best avoided
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Seems everyone has a James Watson story. I met him when I was 27 in Oxford and he told me to fuck off after a joke at his expense, which admittedly I half deserved 🫠 www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
James D Watson, who co-discovered DNA’s twisted-ladder structure, dies aged 97
Nobel prize winner shaped medicine, crimefighting and genealogy, but later years marred by racist remarks
www.theguardian.com
November 8, 2025 at 5:33 PM
Seems everyone has a James Watson story. I met him when I was 27 in Oxford and he told me to fuck off after a joke at his expense, which admittedly I half deserved 🫠 www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
Kim Kardashian is wrong (shocker!) - moon landings certainly happened. As I showed before, Apollo had >400k staff who'd need be complicit. Chances of them keeping it secret? Virtually zero. Probability of a celebrity saying something daft, alas, approaches unity🤪 journals.plos.org/plosone/arti...
October 31, 2025 at 3:22 PM
Kim Kardashian is wrong (shocker!) - moon landings certainly happened. As I showed before, Apollo had >400k staff who'd need be complicit. Chances of them keeping it secret? Virtually zero. Probability of a celebrity saying something daft, alas, approaches unity🤪 journals.plos.org/plosone/arti...
To most Irish people, Mary McGee was the woman whose supreme court battle legalised contraception. To me, she was my aunt with a cheeky sense of humour & great laugh. Took this of her & my dad just a few weeks ago - RIP May, you'll be missed
www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2025...
www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2025...
October 29, 2025 at 9:48 AM
To most Irish people, Mary McGee was the woman whose supreme court battle legalised contraception. To me, she was my aunt with a cheeky sense of humour & great laugh. Took this of her & my dad just a few weeks ago - RIP May, you'll be missed
www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2025...
www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2025...
After that AI slop from Mick Wallace (not sharing, it's grim), hope President Connelly rejects the asinine nonsense from her former compatriots, Wallace & Daly. As I wrote in @bylinetimes.bsky.social their useful idiocy & propaganda vectoring is something she'll hopefully not enable..
October 26, 2025 at 8:15 PM
After that AI slop from Mick Wallace (not sharing, it's grim), hope President Connelly rejects the asinine nonsense from her former compatriots, Wallace & Daly. As I wrote in @bylinetimes.bsky.social their useful idiocy & propaganda vectoring is something she'll hopefully not enable..
Funny how the reprobates assaulting Garda in #Citywest get so worked up when they think an immigrant may have committed a crime, but don't give a damn otherwise. All this is just a figleaf for the worst people to pretend their racism is justified, or even laudable
October 21, 2025 at 8:07 PM
Funny how the reprobates assaulting Garda in #Citywest get so worked up when they think an immigrant may have committed a crime, but don't give a damn otherwise. All this is just a figleaf for the worst people to pretend their racism is justified, or even laudable
Reposted by Dr David Robert Grimes
guess who got a paper published called...
Cake Causes Herpes
(well @drg.bsky.social did i just helped by taking out all the rude words)
Cake Causes Herpes
(well @drg.bsky.social did i just helped by taking out all the rude words)
October 16, 2025 at 9:41 PM
guess who got a paper published called...
Cake Causes Herpes
(well @drg.bsky.social did i just helped by taking out all the rude words)
Cake Causes Herpes
(well @drg.bsky.social did i just helped by taking out all the rude words)
Bizarre in a "free speech" country - that Kirk veered into conspiracy theory & religious cryptofascism is matter of public record. Going after people for this is like the apocryphal words of Galileo after his conviction for heresy "..and yet it moves.." edition.cnn.com/2025/10/14/p...
State Department says it has revoked visas from people who allegedly ‘celebrated’ Charlie Kirk’s murder | CNN Politics
The US State Department said it has revoked visas from at least six individuals who allegedly “celebrated” Charlie Kirk’s murder.
edition.cnn.com
October 15, 2025 at 7:09 PM
Bizarre in a "free speech" country - that Kirk veered into conspiracy theory & religious cryptofascism is matter of public record. Going after people for this is like the apocryphal words of Galileo after his conviction for heresy "..and yet it moves.." edition.cnn.com/2025/10/14/p...
Disappointing to see Joe Wicks fearmongering about ultra-processed foods. Aside from fact that data on UPFs is inherently confounded & often reflects things like poverty (an actual killer), this reel by Joshua Hill explains why such nonsense is so deeply harmful
www.instagram.com/reel/DPUGquB...
www.instagram.com/reel/DPUGquB...
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October 8, 2025 at 2:28 PM
Disappointing to see Joe Wicks fearmongering about ultra-processed foods. Aside from fact that data on UPFs is inherently confounded & often reflects things like poverty (an actual killer), this reel by Joshua Hill explains why such nonsense is so deeply harmful
www.instagram.com/reel/DPUGquB...
www.instagram.com/reel/DPUGquB...
Reposted by Dr David Robert Grimes
"Widespread and on the rise."
Today's article pick from Damn History, a free monthly newsletter for readers/writers of #popularhistory. Congrats to writer @drg.bsky.social!
Read/subscribe to Damn History: damn-history-16d93f.beehiiv.com/subscribe
www.bbc.com/future/artic...
Today's article pick from Damn History, a free monthly newsletter for readers/writers of #popularhistory. Congrats to writer @drg.bsky.social!
Read/subscribe to Damn History: damn-history-16d93f.beehiiv.com/subscribe
www.bbc.com/future/artic...
The strange history of the anti-vaccine movement
Vaccine scepticism may seem like a new, growing movement. It’s probably a lot older than you think.
www.bbc.com
October 8, 2025 at 1:20 PM
"Widespread and on the rise."
Today's article pick from Damn History, a free monthly newsletter for readers/writers of #popularhistory. Congrats to writer @drg.bsky.social!
Read/subscribe to Damn History: damn-history-16d93f.beehiiv.com/subscribe
www.bbc.com/future/artic...
Today's article pick from Damn History, a free monthly newsletter for readers/writers of #popularhistory. Congrats to writer @drg.bsky.social!
Read/subscribe to Damn History: damn-history-16d93f.beehiiv.com/subscribe
www.bbc.com/future/artic...
Do not mistake this as benign - breaking up MMR into separate shots is inherently antivaccine, as it promotes myth of "vaccine overload" & makes it much more unlikely people will get their children vaccinated. Also, single vaccines aren't available in USA!
www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...
www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...
Acting CDC director calls to 'break up' the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine into three shots
Individual vaccines for each virus aren't available in the U.S., and no published scientific evidence shows a benefit to separating the combined vaccine.
www.nbcnews.com
October 7, 2025 at 2:01 PM
Do not mistake this as benign - breaking up MMR into separate shots is inherently antivaccine, as it promotes myth of "vaccine overload" & makes it much more unlikely people will get their children vaccinated. Also, single vaccines aren't available in USA!
www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...
www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...
Reposted by Dr David Robert Grimes
Asked lots about this piece on Chronic Lyme disease, and disappointed in the @guardian (a publication I both subscribe and contribute to) for running it. Short thread explaining the multitude of problems with it, and why I consider it irresponsible to run as is..🧵
October 6, 2025 at 4:52 PM
Asked lots about this piece on Chronic Lyme disease, and disappointed in the @guardian (a publication I both subscribe and contribute to) for running it. Short thread explaining the multitude of problems with it, and why I consider it irresponsible to run as is..🧵
Asked lots about this piece on Chronic Lyme disease, and disappointed in the @guardian (a publication I both subscribe and contribute to) for running it. Short thread explaining the multitude of problems with it, and why I consider it irresponsible to run as is..🧵
October 6, 2025 at 4:52 PM
Asked lots about this piece on Chronic Lyme disease, and disappointed in the @guardian (a publication I both subscribe and contribute to) for running it. Short thread explaining the multitude of problems with it, and why I consider it irresponsible to run as is..🧵
Reposted by Dr David Robert Grimes
If you're a clinician or researcher in Ireland feeling a little overwhelmed by statistics, join myself & @cathalwalsh.bsky.social on 11th October in SJH for a 6-credit CPD Essential Medical Statistics, where we'll demystify things together. Tickets here!
www.eventbrite.ie/e/essential-...
www.eventbrite.ie/e/essential-...
Essential Medical Statistics and Evidence Appraisal
Learn how to interpret and apply essential medical statistics and evidence in a practical and engaging way at our upcoming event!
www.eventbrite.ie
September 30, 2025 at 1:28 PM
If you're a clinician or researcher in Ireland feeling a little overwhelmed by statistics, join myself & @cathalwalsh.bsky.social on 11th October in SJH for a 6-credit CPD Essential Medical Statistics, where we'll demystify things together. Tickets here!
www.eventbrite.ie/e/essential-...
www.eventbrite.ie/e/essential-...
Given the values espoused by Farage are chiefly racism and mendacity, I suppose it takes a particular kind of bravery to write a piece in a national newspaper this asinine...
October 6, 2025 at 10:09 AM
Given the values espoused by Farage are chiefly racism and mendacity, I suppose it takes a particular kind of bravery to write a piece in a national newspaper this asinine...
Just published: Influencers peddle expensive wares with "proven" benefits, but research quality of red & blue light therapy for skin conditions is terrible, utterly inconsistent, & biologically dubious..
journals.plos.org/plosone/arti...
journals.plos.org/plosone/arti...
Methodological issues in visible LED therapy dermatological research and reporting
Background The advent of mass-market Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) has seen considerable interest in potential dermatological applications of LED light photobiomodulation (PBM) for a range of condition...
journals.plos.org
October 2, 2025 at 8:46 AM
Just published: Influencers peddle expensive wares with "proven" benefits, but research quality of red & blue light therapy for skin conditions is terrible, utterly inconsistent, & biologically dubious..
journals.plos.org/plosone/arti...
journals.plos.org/plosone/arti...
If you're a clinician or researcher in Ireland feeling a little overwhelmed by statistics, join myself & @cathalwalsh.bsky.social on 11th October in SJH for a 6-credit CPD Essential Medical Statistics, where we'll demystify things together. Tickets here!
www.eventbrite.ie/e/essential-...
www.eventbrite.ie/e/essential-...
Essential Medical Statistics and Evidence Appraisal
Learn how to interpret and apply essential medical statistics and evidence in a practical and engaging way at our upcoming event!
www.eventbrite.ie
September 30, 2025 at 1:28 PM
If you're a clinician or researcher in Ireland feeling a little overwhelmed by statistics, join myself & @cathalwalsh.bsky.social on 11th October in SJH for a 6-credit CPD Essential Medical Statistics, where we'll demystify things together. Tickets here!
www.eventbrite.ie/e/essential-...
www.eventbrite.ie/e/essential-...
Donald Trump talking garbage on public health. Incidentally, notorious fraudster Andrew Wakefield also proposed breaking up the MMR into separate vaccines because he had patents on an alternative but like Trump he was feeding into "vaccine overload" myth..
September 26, 2025 at 4:05 PM
Donald Trump talking garbage on public health. Incidentally, notorious fraudster Andrew Wakefield also proposed breaking up the MMR into separate vaccines because he had patents on an alternative but like Trump he was feeding into "vaccine overload" myth..
Impressive degree of mendacity to try insist on a Tylenol autism link, given its flatly contradicted by better data, like this study of >2 million Danish kids. There's a grim history of false "causes" for autism, a dogwhistle RFK Jr & Trump blowing..
jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
Acetaminophen Use During Pregnancy and Children’s Risk of Autism, ADHD, and Intellectual Disability
This nationwide cohort study with sibling control analysis examines the association of acetaminophen use during pregnancy with children’s risk of autism, ADHD, and intellectual disability.
jamanetwork.com
September 22, 2025 at 10:12 PM
Impressive degree of mendacity to try insist on a Tylenol autism link, given its flatly contradicted by better data, like this study of >2 million Danish kids. There's a grim history of false "causes" for autism, a dogwhistle RFK Jr & Trump blowing..
jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
Prediction: After today's announcement, Leucovorin will become the new ivermectin or hydroxychloroquine - an effective drug for one indication forced without evidence onto another condition for which it has no efficacy, ultimately causing harm...
September 22, 2025 at 2:29 PM
Prediction: After today's announcement, Leucovorin will become the new ivermectin or hydroxychloroquine - an effective drug for one indication forced without evidence onto another condition for which it has no efficacy, ultimately causing harm...
Danny Healy Rae's statements about autism today have prompted understandable anger from autism support groups. Rather than stick a boot in, it's worth unpacking his misconceptions because I hear them from parents all the time.. a short thread 🧵 www.thejournal.ie/danny-healy-...
TDs write to Ceann Comhairle to ask that Danny Healy Rae withdraw remarks about autism
The comments from Healy Rae have also been criticised as “unhelpful” and “misinformed” by the autism charity AsIAm.
www.thejournal.ie
September 18, 2025 at 6:00 PM
Danny Healy Rae's statements about autism today have prompted understandable anger from autism support groups. Rather than stick a boot in, it's worth unpacking his misconceptions because I hear them from parents all the time.. a short thread 🧵 www.thejournal.ie/danny-healy-...
Reposted by Dr David Robert Grimes
Why has this microRNA review paper been cited more than 2,000 times?
Our Sleuth in Residence @drg.bsky.social digs in
Our Sleuth in Residence @drg.bsky.social digs in
Why has this microRNA review paper been cited more than 2,000 times?
Earlier this year, Marc Halushka, a pathologist at Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, came across a review titled simply “MicroRNA,” an unusually short title in a big field. Looking deeper into the re…
retractionwatch.com
September 17, 2025 at 2:16 PM
Why has this microRNA review paper been cited more than 2,000 times?
Our Sleuth in Residence @drg.bsky.social digs in
Our Sleuth in Residence @drg.bsky.social digs in
Last week @gorskon.bsky.social worried Charlie Kirk may become the Horst Wessel of MAGA, a propaganda tool to go after opponents. Seems today that JD Vance confirms it. Straight out of autocratic regime playbook, and completely at odds with first ammendment...
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
JD Vance threatens crackdown on ‘far-left’ groups after Charlie Kirk shooting
Vice-president says White House will pursue those who praise Kirk’s death and groups that ‘promote terrorism’
www.theguardian.com
September 15, 2025 at 9:46 PM
Last week @gorskon.bsky.social worried Charlie Kirk may become the Horst Wessel of MAGA, a propaganda tool to go after opponents. Seems today that JD Vance confirms it. Straight out of autocratic regime playbook, and completely at odds with first ammendment...
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
Provocateurs always insist they just want to debate things, because debate gives dubious positions a platform & even veneer of respectability. The reality is that debate too often rewards the most mendacious & leaves us all more divided (too long for tweet, text below🔻) (1/2)
September 15, 2025 at 10:37 AM
Provocateurs always insist they just want to debate things, because debate gives dubious positions a platform & even veneer of respectability. The reality is that debate too often rewards the most mendacious & leaves us all more divided (too long for tweet, text below🔻) (1/2)
Two things are true; No one ever should ever be a victim of gun violence & Charlie Kirk built a career sowing division & hatred. It is possible to condemn his killing without hagiography, and note that he's being shown more empathy in death than he extended to others in life..
September 11, 2025 at 7:37 AM
Two things are true; No one ever should ever be a victim of gun violence & Charlie Kirk built a career sowing division & hatred. It is possible to condemn his killing without hagiography, and note that he's being shown more empathy in death than he extended to others in life..