Holden Thorp
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holdenthorp.bsky.social
Holden Thorp
@holdenthorp.bsky.social
Editor-in-Chief of Science and Professor of Chemistry and Medicine at George Washington University. Opinions not those of AAAS. https://holdenthorp.substack.com/about #ActuallyAutistic
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Welcome to BlueSky! I'm the editor-in-chief of Science and former college prez/provost. I used to tweet about everything over at the bad place, but it was bad for my soul. Here I post about science, neurodiversity, music, life in DC and central FL, and how to support the scientific community.
Reposted by Holden Thorp
Reposted by Holden Thorp
“The global enterprise will adapt to the lack of American leadership, but the steep loss for the country itself is unambiguous. The United States will no longer have the same window into the technologies of the future that will allow it to shape and anticipate commercial and societal advances.”
Marcia McNutt has been saying that the US is doing a huge experiment with China as the control. The global scientific community will still produce knowledge. But not being in the lead has bad implications for US flourishing. My column:
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
America is ceding the lead in creating the future
The renowned American management consultant and author Peter Drucker is often credited as saying that “the best way to predict the future is to create it”—a view that applies to science as much as to ...
www.science.org
June 7, 2025 at 12:08 PM
Reposted by Holden Thorp
“Scientific knowledge is, fortunately, a public good, and as such, its benefits transcend international boundaries. But relinquishing its prominence in creating the future is nothing short of devastating for the United States.”
Marcia McNutt has been saying that the US is doing a huge experiment with China as the control. The global scientific community will still produce knowledge. But not being in the lead has bad implications for US flourishing. My column:
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
America is ceding the lead in creating the future
The renowned American management consultant and author Peter Drucker is often credited as saying that “the best way to predict the future is to create it”—a view that applies to science as much as to ...
www.science.org
June 6, 2025 at 6:56 PM
Marcia McNutt has been saying that the US is doing a huge experiment with China as the control. The global scientific community will still produce knowledge. But not being in the lead has bad implications for US flourishing. My column:
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
America is ceding the lead in creating the future
The renowned American management consultant and author Peter Drucker is often credited as saying that “the best way to predict the future is to create it”—a view that applies to science as much as to ...
www.science.org
June 6, 2025 at 2:44 PM
Reposted by Holden Thorp
He's right. "Nothing short of devastating"
By @holdenthorp.bsky.social @science.org
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
June 5, 2025 at 8:41 PM
Reposted by Holden Thorp
@holdenthorp.bsky.social has been willing to stand up for science again and again. Thank you.
June 6, 2025 at 9:36 AM
Reposted by Holden Thorp
More from @holdenthorp.bsky.social in @science.org "A world where the United States is no longer leading the scientific enterprise will still benefit from science [...] The global enterprise will adapt to the lack of American leadership, but the steep loss for the country itself is unambiguous."
"percentage of papers published in Science with at least one corresponding author with funding from the US federal government has been declining over the past 7 years [...] 54 to 44%. By contrast, the number of published papers originating from China has doubled...."

www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
America is ceding the lead in creating the future
The renowned American management consultant and author Peter Drucker is often credited as saying that “the best way to predict the future is to create it”—a view that applies to science as much as to ...
www.science.org
June 5, 2025 at 6:09 PM
Will be interesting to see how much national coverage this gets. Would be huge in an earlier time.
May 26, 2025 at 2:04 PM
Reposted by Holden Thorp
Front page, NYT today
Nothing has been proven to reverse Alzheimer’s disease, including this false claim
gift link www.nytimes.com/2025/05/21/w...
May 25, 2025 at 2:51 PM
Reposted by Holden Thorp
Autism is a spectrum and we are getting better at identifying it and helping people navigate life with it.
May 25, 2025 at 1:45 PM
Strong story by @nidhisubs.bsky.social on adults learning we have autism. Thanks for the shoutout and for bringing awareness to our experiences. www.wsj.com/science/adul...
Why More Adults Than Ever Are Being Diagnosed With Autism
A surge in diagnoses of autism spectrum disorder reveals a shift in awareness and understanding of the condition.
www.wsj.com
May 25, 2025 at 12:38 PM
Reposted by Holden Thorp
I oscillate daily between wishing we still have Steve Silberman's voice to offer some moral clarity in the midst of RFK Jr.'s lies about autism and thinking "Thank God Steve isn't alive to see this." NeuroTribes was an essential book for me understanding myself. I miss my friend so much.
NeuroTribes by Steve Silberman feels like one of the most important books to read in the moment. Our autistic brothers and sisters are facing a wave of persecution from RFK Jr. and his Woo Thugs, gotta educate ourselves so we can stand up for them.
I have shallow knowledge of South Asian history so The Vortex by Scott Carney and Jason Miklian was a revelation. I had no idea Bangladeshi independence was intertwined with so many critical world events, even nuclear brinksmanship. Check it out, audiobook is available from Brooklyn Public Library!
May 25, 2025 at 12:59 AM
I went through RFK’s famous autism press conference and compared what he said to the actual paper he was (supposedly) talking about. There were a few inconsistencies. @ericmgarcia.bsky.social open.substack.com/pub/holdenth...
What the secretary's own data say about his autism comments
Comparing RFK's statements at the press conference to what is in the actual CDC paper
open.substack.com
May 24, 2025 at 8:27 PM
US universities should welcome talent from all over the world, no doubt. But now might be a good time for law and business schools to stop running full pay masters programs to prop up their money losing JD and MBA programs. Just too fragile and rankings not worth it.
INBOX: Here’s the message that Interim Dean John Goldberg sent to the Harvard Law School community earlier today regarding support for international students amid the Trump administration’s efforts to revoke the university’s student exchange certification.
May 23, 2025 at 6:31 PM
Reposted by Holden Thorp
NEW: Judge Burroughs GRANTS Harvard's requested TRO against the Trump administration, blocking it from revoking Harvard's ability to enroll international students during early court proceedings.
May 23, 2025 at 3:52 PM
Harley Kilgore finally gets what he wanted after 80 years. I guess we should be surprised it lasted this long.
A new proposal by the White House could further politicize the NIH

Thousands made their reservations about the rule known

“There is a threat of more politics, more instability, [and] loss of people who have the institutional memory”

w/ @mmolteni.bsky.social 🧪

www.statnews.com/2025/05/23/n...
Scientists protest White House plan to put political appointees in charge of grant-making
Trump administration proposal is seen as a way to make NIH institute and center directors political appointees.
www.statnews.com
May 23, 2025 at 2:58 PM
Reposted by Holden Thorp
May 23, 2025 at 2:52 PM
Proud to know Sally. Duke school mom FTW.
May 23, 2025 at 1:32 PM
I'm not aware of a problem in intercollegiate athletics that can't be traced to the over-involvement of the board. Now UNC has "the most talked-about relationship in America." Sending strength to my former colleagues having to deal with this. www.vanityfair.com/news/story/b...
Veteran Sportswriter Pablo Torre Says the Bill Belichick–Jordon Hudson Saga Is More Shakespeare Than TMZ
The tabloid drama ensnaring the NFL’s greatest coach, according to Torre, a popular podcaster and newly minted ‘Morning Joe’ regular, “is fundamentally a story about power.”
www.vanityfair.com
May 23, 2025 at 1:30 PM
Listen to @ericmgarcia.bsky.social for real talk about autism. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/r...
What RFK Jr. Doesn’t Get About Autism
Podcast Episode · Radio Atlantic · 05/22/2025 · 26m
podcasts.apple.com
May 22, 2025 at 6:27 PM
Reposted by Holden Thorp
Success in academia often has more to do with luck, patronage and the job market than “hard work”.
Good academics acknowledge this.
I worked hard, but I was in the right place at the right time on occasion. Historians far more talented than I have fallen between the cracks.
May 21, 2025 at 7:16 AM
Reposted by Holden Thorp
This is good news. And no, poor families do NOT have to have Netflix to access Sesame Street. Netflix will release episodes to PBS the *same day* they drop on Netflix, which is significantly better than the prior deal with HBO, which delayed episodes for 9 MONTHS before porting them over to PBS.
“Sesame Street” has found itself a new home.

Netflix announced that the decades-old public educational television program will premiere its 56th season on the global streaming giant, along with 90 hours of previous episodes.
‘Sesame Street’ is coming to Netflix with new streaming deal
“Sesame Street” will release episodes on both PBS Kids and Netflix later this year.
www.washingtonpost.com
May 19, 2025 at 3:45 PM
Reposted by Holden Thorp
The RFK Jr. version of health, where health creates health and healthy people don't get sick and the thing that keeps you healthy is /living the right way/ is very seductive to a lot of people. It also places the burden of illness back on the ill, which decreases the value of human life.
May 17, 2025 at 2:28 AM