Hubert Hickman
@hhickman.bsky.social
Empty nester dad of 4. Medical/research informatics since 1993. Mostly Python/R these days. Dog dad. Celiac.
Pinned
Here is my #birdoftheday photo #birds #osprey. Taken in Boston this summer. This osprey had a nice dinner that day.
Reposted by Hubert Hickman
Have you heard about this?
"As the govt shutdown drags on, buildings at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center (HQ for the Webb telescope among other missions) are being emptied without notice. Highly specialized equipment is at risk of being thrown away like trash."
h/t @climatebrad.hillheat.com
"As the govt shutdown drags on, buildings at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center (HQ for the Webb telescope among other missions) are being emptied without notice. Highly specialized equipment is at risk of being thrown away like trash."
h/t @climatebrad.hillheat.com
NASA may be quietly gutting an iconic campus with what it calls strategic closures, workers fear | CNN
Buildings at Goddard’s Maryland campus are being emptied and padlocked, sources say. NASA leadership has pushed back against the concerns.
www.cnn.com
November 9, 2025 at 9:45 PM
Have you heard about this?
"As the govt shutdown drags on, buildings at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center (HQ for the Webb telescope among other missions) are being emptied without notice. Highly specialized equipment is at risk of being thrown away like trash."
h/t @climatebrad.hillheat.com
"As the govt shutdown drags on, buildings at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center (HQ for the Webb telescope among other missions) are being emptied without notice. Highly specialized equipment is at risk of being thrown away like trash."
h/t @climatebrad.hillheat.com
Reposted by Hubert Hickman
Reposted by Hubert Hickman
Oh, yes they did!
November 8, 2025 at 5:55 PM
Oh, yes they did!
Sending this to my PhD epidemiologist kiddo.
Do you teach #rstats? Do your students complain about how lame and old-fashioned dplyr is? Don't worry: I have the solution for you: github.com/hadley/genzp....
genzplyr is dplyr, but bussin fr fr no cap.
genzplyr is dplyr, but bussin fr fr no cap.
GitHub - hadley/genzplyr: dplyr but make it bussin fr fr no cap
dplyr but make it bussin fr fr no cap. Contribute to hadley/genzplyr development by creating an account on GitHub.
github.com
November 7, 2025 at 12:13 AM
Sending this to my PhD epidemiologist kiddo.
Here is my #birdoftheday photo #birds #osprey. Taken in Boston this summer. This osprey had a nice dinner that day.
November 6, 2025 at 2:38 PM
Here is my #birdoftheday photo #birds #osprey. Taken in Boston this summer. This osprey had a nice dinner that day.
Reposted by Hubert Hickman
The Trump regime is East Winging the Goddard Space Flight Center, home to the 10,000 scientists and engineers in NASA science and engineering directorates.
BREAKING: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center is illegally closing 13 campus buildings (including ~100 laboratories).
Report coming from GESTA, the Goddard employee union
Report coming from GESTA, the Goddard employee union
November 4, 2025 at 10:44 PM
The Trump regime is East Winging the Goddard Space Flight Center, home to the 10,000 scientists and engineers in NASA science and engineering directorates.
Reposted by Hubert Hickman
Today’s fresh hell.
The Food and Drug Administration is restricting the use of fluoride supplements used to strengthen children's teeth.
FDA restricts use of kids' fluoride supplements citing emerging health risks
The Food and Drug Administration is restricting the use of fluoride supplements used to strengthen children’s teeth.
bit.ly
November 1, 2025 at 10:43 AM
Today’s fresh hell.
I am ready for the trick or treaters. I gave out half dollars and candy. Most of the kids don’t know about half dollars and the little ones treat it like a great treasure. I love to see their faces light up when I give them a bright shiny half dollar.
October 31, 2025 at 12:28 AM
I am ready for the trick or treaters. I gave out half dollars and candy. Most of the kids don’t know about half dollars and the little ones treat it like a great treasure. I love to see their faces light up when I give them a bright shiny half dollar.
Reposted by Hubert Hickman
Soooo...he lied.
The White House is demolishing the entirety of the East Wing to make way for President Trump’s $200 million ballroom, a construction project that is far more extensive than he initially let on, a senior administration official said on Wednesday.
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/22/u...
The White House is demolishing the entirety of the East Wing to make way for President Trump’s $200 million ballroom, a construction project that is far more extensive than he initially let on, a senior administration official said on Wednesday.
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/22/u...
Trump Is Demolishing the White House’s East Wing to Make Way for His Ballroom
www.nytimes.com
October 22, 2025 at 7:50 PM
Soooo...he lied.
The White House is demolishing the entirety of the East Wing to make way for President Trump’s $200 million ballroom, a construction project that is far more extensive than he initially let on, a senior administration official said on Wednesday.
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/22/u...
The White House is demolishing the entirety of the East Wing to make way for President Trump’s $200 million ballroom, a construction project that is far more extensive than he initially let on, a senior administration official said on Wednesday.
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/22/u...
Reposted by Hubert Hickman
The White House is asking people not to share pictures of the East Wing because it’s even worse today.
October 21, 2025 at 10:54 PM
The White House is asking people not to share pictures of the East Wing because it’s even worse today.
I buy more American soybeans than China.
October 22, 2025 at 11:01 AM
I buy more American soybeans than China.
Reposted by Hubert Hickman
In 1972, a whistleblower leaked to the press the details of the highly unethical & racist Tuskegee Syphilis Experiments run by the United States Public Health Service. Because of that (and other unethical experiments) Congress passed the National Research Act of 1974, which includes the IRB process.
The entire HR department at the CDC is gone. Everyone at the IRB, which makes sure studies are conducted ethically and rigorously, and the ethics office, which oversee conflicts of interest for CDC leaders and advisory committee members, were also let go.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
‘Instability and confusion’ as CDC slashes 1,300 jobs before reinstating half
Trump administration says 700 notices were sent in error, while top CDC officer says ‘they didn’t think through what they were doing’
www.theguardian.com
October 14, 2025 at 5:22 PM
In 1972, a whistleblower leaked to the press the details of the highly unethical & racist Tuskegee Syphilis Experiments run by the United States Public Health Service. Because of that (and other unethical experiments) Congress passed the National Research Act of 1974, which includes the IRB process.
Reposted by Hubert Hickman
Current benchmarks for medical LLMs create an "evaluation illusion." They use simplified data and tasks that don't reflect complex clinical reality. Automated metrics also fail to assess safety and utility, meaning high scores don't translate to real-world value.
#MedSky #MedAI #MLSky
#MedSky #MedAI #MLSky
The evaluation illusion of large language models in medicine - npj Digital Medicine
While large language models (LLMs) hold promise for transforming clinical healthcare, current comparisons and benchmark evaluations of large language models in medicine often fail to capture…
www.nature.com
October 8, 2025 at 4:15 PM
Reposted by Hubert Hickman
Tulane "terminated an academic director this summer after the syllabus she'd helped create for an infectious disease class was rejected by a newly hired instructor because it included an academic article about a polio outbreak in Gaza."
#Louisiana #USA #Gaza #Palestine #Israel #Healthcare #Genocide
#Louisiana #USA #Gaza #Palestine #Israel #Healthcare #Genocide
Tulane changes syllabus, fires academic director over Gaza article • Louisiana Illuminator
Some say that the incident is yet another glimpse of the tense climate experienced on local and national campuses by people who support Palestine.
lailluminator.com
October 6, 2025 at 7:04 PM
Tulane "terminated an academic director this summer after the syllabus she'd helped create for an infectious disease class was rejected by a newly hired instructor because it included an academic article about a polio outbreak in Gaza."
#Louisiana #USA #Gaza #Palestine #Israel #Healthcare #Genocide
#Louisiana #USA #Gaza #Palestine #Israel #Healthcare #Genocide
Reposted by Hubert Hickman
This is why we fund scientists to study things like oyster slobber even if you don’t think it sounds important
⚠️ Chinese researchers have invented bone glue that mimics how oysters stick to surfaces underwater.
The adhesive can reportedly repair orthopedic fractures in 2-3 minutes, even in blood-rich environments, and is bioabsorbable.
interestingengineering.com/science/chin...
The adhesive can reportedly repair orthopedic fractures in 2-3 minutes, even in blood-rich environments, and is bioabsorbable.
interestingengineering.com/science/chin...
China's oyster-inspired 'bone glue' bonds fractures in minutes
A new oyster-inspired Bone-02 adhesive can revolutionize bone repair without metal fasteners.
interestingengineering.com
September 30, 2025 at 10:35 PM
This is why we fund scientists to study things like oyster slobber even if you don’t think it sounds important
Reposted by Hubert Hickman
if you’re in line to get raptured, STAY IN LINE
September 22, 2025 at 9:44 PM
if you’re in line to get raptured, STAY IN LINE
These buttons are giving me some old school mainframe control panel vibes.
September 21, 2025 at 4:04 AM
These buttons are giving me some old school mainframe control panel vibes.
Reposted by Hubert Hickman
EXCLUSIVE: Tom Homan was investigated for accepting $50,000 from undercover FBI agents. Trump's DOJ shut it down.
Tom Homan was investigated for accepting $50,000 from undercover FBI agents. Trump's DOJ shut it down.
The FBI and Justice officials closed the investigation, which a Justice Department appointee had called a “deep state” probe in early 2025.
www.msnbc.com
September 20, 2025 at 8:03 PM
EXCLUSIVE: Tom Homan was investigated for accepting $50,000 from undercover FBI agents. Trump's DOJ shut it down.
Google fiber is here ! Symmetric speedy goodness. I also have the GFiber phone - I occasionally use my old Polycom phone and my ‘home’ phone number rings it, my lovely old 1940 Western Electric 302 rotary phone, and my cell phone. #fiberinternet #rotaryphone
September 20, 2025 at 7:02 PM
Google fiber is here ! Symmetric speedy goodness. I also have the GFiber phone - I occasionally use my old Polycom phone and my ‘home’ phone number rings it, my lovely old 1940 Western Electric 302 rotary phone, and my cell phone. #fiberinternet #rotaryphone
Reposted by Hubert Hickman
The Department of Statistics at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln is under threat of closure, with tenured faculty facing dismissal. This is a small but globally impactful department.
Please consider writing a letter of support. Your voice could make a real difference.
Please consider writing a letter of support. Your voice could make a real difference.
September 19, 2025 at 4:28 AM
The Department of Statistics at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln is under threat of closure, with tenured faculty facing dismissal. This is a small but globally impactful department.
Please consider writing a letter of support. Your voice could make a real difference.
Please consider writing a letter of support. Your voice could make a real difference.
Reposted by Hubert Hickman
I am beyond excited to announce that ggplot2 4.0.0 has just landed on CRAN.
It's not every day we have a new major #ggplot2 release but it is a fitting 18 year birthday present for the package.
Get an overview of the release in this blog post and be on the lookout for more in-depth posts #rstats
It's not every day we have a new major #ggplot2 release but it is a fitting 18 year birthday present for the package.
Get an overview of the release in this blog post and be on the lookout for more in-depth posts #rstats
ggplot2 4.0.0
A new major version of ggplot2 has been released on CRAN. Find out what is new here.
www.tidyverse.org
September 11, 2025 at 11:20 AM
Reposted by Hubert Hickman
Register today www.bakerinstitute.org/event/scienc...
September 3, 2025 at 10:20 PM
Register today www.bakerinstitute.org/event/scienc...
Reposted by Hubert Hickman
Did you know your MacBook has a sensor that knows the exact angle of the screen hinge?
It’s not exposed as a public API, but I figured out a way to read it and make it sound like an old wooden door.
It’s not exposed as a public API, but I figured out a way to read it and make it sound like an old wooden door.
September 6, 2025 at 8:44 PM
Did you know your MacBook has a sensor that knows the exact angle of the screen hinge?
It’s not exposed as a public API, but I figured out a way to read it and make it sound like an old wooden door.
It’s not exposed as a public API, but I figured out a way to read it and make it sound like an old wooden door.
Dances With Gary
Ruin a movie by making it about Gary
Twelve Angry Garys
Twelve Angry Garys
Ruin a movie by making it about Gary.
The Gary Syndrome
The Gary Syndrome
September 3, 2025 at 12:58 AM
Dances With Gary
Reposted by Hubert Hickman
I had serious doubts about CDC Director Monarez’s willingness to stand up against RFK Jr.’s personal mission to destroy public health in America—I’m glad that I was wrong.
If there are any adults left in the White House: we cannot let RFK Jr. burn what's left of CDC. FIRE HIM.
If there are any adults left in the White House: we cannot let RFK Jr. burn what's left of CDC. FIRE HIM.
New C.D.C. Director Resists Ouster as Other Officials Resign
www.nytimes.com
August 28, 2025 at 12:52 AM
I had serious doubts about CDC Director Monarez’s willingness to stand up against RFK Jr.’s personal mission to destroy public health in America—I’m glad that I was wrong.
If there are any adults left in the White House: we cannot let RFK Jr. burn what's left of CDC. FIRE HIM.
If there are any adults left in the White House: we cannot let RFK Jr. burn what's left of CDC. FIRE HIM.