Thanks for mentioning and recommending 'Perfect Days' @romanmars.bsky.social. We watched and _really_ enjoyed it last night.

He continued: “I’m kind of sicko; I love putting in the work. I love getting to practice. I love getting to live out my dreams. But at the end of the day, sometimes I just don’t understand the point."

100% agree @nicolecrust.bsky.social.
Equally strong recommendation for another book (roughly) in this same genre - Kathryn Schulz's 'Lost and Found'.

Good for you @tuthill.bsky.social. Both for serving on study section and sharing the/your experience with others.

Read the Politics and Opinion sections of any one newspaper with a skeptical eye, and, when possible, sampel the Politics and Opinions sections of multiple papers. (It's both interesting, and informative, to see what is and isn't said in the NYT and WSJ, for example...)

do read the Times— they have enormous resources and great reporters— but read the Politics and Opinion sections with a skeptical eye. And then read indep political news too- TPM, the Prospect, the Guardian, the Inquirer, ProPublica, etc.

Thanks for sharing this @rdhernand.bsky.social; this finally made it 100% clear (if it wasn't already) that I and others that have been watching from the sidelines need to jump into the fray. It's 'go time'.

Not exactly 'broadcasting', but I've reached out to two Republican-leaning folks in my circle:
• One didn't know what the NIH (or NSF) does and was open to learning more -> an opportunity to inform.
• The other is very familiar with NIH, but wasn't aware how this change will impact biotech.

Such conversations are important everywhere, but especially in 'Swing States' - e.g., Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Georgia, Arizona, etc..

Agree with Stephens that Dems should 'get to know Trump voters, and not just through data analysis or comments by their most idiotic, caricaturish champions. If Democrats continue to stereotype those voters as a bunch of racist, misogynistic yahoos, they will be unable to understand the country.'

Engage Republican-leaning family / friends with (i) verifiable info and (2) your opinion: 'Destroying the NIH, NSF, CDC, FDA, and USAID will (I) not save much $ and (iI) have a hugely negative impact…'
[A family member responded well to this, and even admitted he'd heard of the CDC but not NIH/NSF.]

So, what can scientists do?

- Talk to the public; try to drive public attention.
- Find other scientists to talk to and work with.
- Get universities and rich ppl involved.
- Work on the science attacks - but weave them together with the constitutional attacks.

More tomorrow. Be well.
9/9