Mark Histed
@markhisted.org
How brain neural nets do computations; we aim to understand differences in brain wiring, using lasers and neuro-AI.
Lab head, NIH. Prev: media policy for democracypolicy.network.
linktr.ee/markhisted; Pers. views; neuro posts: 🧠 /🧪
Lab head, NIH. Prev: media policy for democracypolicy.network.
linktr.ee/markhisted; Pers. views; neuro posts: 🧠 /🧪
I was just coming back here to say this. Yes, I was wrong to put it that way.
And these.
And these.
![Maurice [Wilkins] to maintain a dominant position that would allow him to think unhindered about DNA.. The thought could not be avoided that the best home for a feminist was another person's lab"
"The one aspect of the Jewish brain that is not first class is that Jews are said to be bad in thinking in three dimensions.. it is true"
"Women are supposedly bad at three dimensions"
"[Rosalind Franklin] couldn't think in three dimensions very well"
"[Rosalind Franklin] had Aspergers"
"People ask about [Rosalind Franklin] and 1 always say 'autism'"
"[Francis Crick] may have been a bit autistic"
"I think now we're in a terrible sitution where we should pay the rich people to have children.. if we don't encourage procreation of wealthier citizens, IQ levels will most definitely fall."
"Men are a bit strange and their strangest quality is their ability to understand mathematics"
"[Rosalind] Franklin couldn't do maths"
"Indians in [my] experience [are] servile.. because of selection under the caste system"](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:p66b7zkep57fp4rhrtktsdni/bafkreie6uqooav3vpmaugenjpofrznvtbieimx77czgkyeuohbljlq2uvu@jpeg)
November 8, 2025 at 2:20 PM
I was just coming back here to say this. Yes, I was wrong to put it that way.
And these.
And these.
There is an amazing book on misinformation, “Killer Underwear Invasion.” It is incredible how much of an impact it’s made on my kids.
Just a few days ago my kid saw something on TV and said proudly, “that’s man is like the puppy pinchers!”
Just a few days ago my kid saw something on TV and said proudly, “that’s man is like the puppy pinchers!”
November 7, 2025 at 3:25 PM
There is an amazing book on misinformation, “Killer Underwear Invasion.” It is incredible how much of an impact it’s made on my kids.
Just a few days ago my kid saw something on TV and said proudly, “that’s man is like the puppy pinchers!”
Just a few days ago my kid saw something on TV and said proudly, “that’s man is like the puppy pinchers!”
Yes. @chrisgeidner.bsky.social
captures the head-snapping feeling as Gorsuch worries about stripping powers from Congress in a way that is hard to fix.
“this thinking would have been helpful at several other points in the recent past, but, here we are.”
www.lawdork.com/p/trump-tari...
captures the head-snapping feeling as Gorsuch worries about stripping powers from Congress in a way that is hard to fix.
“this thinking would have been helpful at several other points in the recent past, but, here we are.”
www.lawdork.com/p/trump-tari...
November 6, 2025 at 4:18 AM
Yes. @chrisgeidner.bsky.social
captures the head-snapping feeling as Gorsuch worries about stripping powers from Congress in a way that is hard to fix.
“this thinking would have been helpful at several other points in the recent past, but, here we are.”
www.lawdork.com/p/trump-tari...
captures the head-snapping feeling as Gorsuch worries about stripping powers from Congress in a way that is hard to fix.
“this thinking would have been helpful at several other points in the recent past, but, here we are.”
www.lawdork.com/p/trump-tari...
Not following best writing practice here, but—the initial post of this explainer wasn't that good so I edited it for clarity. New version is already up.
I also added this section to explain how I think of 'illegal' vs. 'lawless'.
Hope this article helps someone.
I also added this section to explain how I think of 'illegal' vs. 'lawless'.
Hope this article helps someone.
November 4, 2025 at 11:02 PM
Not following best writing practice here, but—the initial post of this explainer wasn't that good so I edited it for clarity. New version is already up.
I also added this section to explain how I think of 'illegal' vs. 'lawless'.
Hope this article helps someone.
I also added this section to explain how I think of 'illegal' vs. 'lawless'.
Hope this article helps someone.
And of the things in the book so far this might be the most impt for change:
“The Supreme Court’s handpicked cases look … like a legislative agenda.”
Yes. The Court currently controls its own docket, which gives it extraordinary power.
Congress could dictate most of the cases the Court can hear.
“The Supreme Court’s handpicked cases look … like a legislative agenda.”
Yes. The Court currently controls its own docket, which gives it extraordinary power.
Congress could dictate most of the cases the Court can hear.
November 4, 2025 at 1:07 AM
And of the things in the book so far this might be the most impt for change:
“The Supreme Court’s handpicked cases look … like a legislative agenda.”
Yes. The Court currently controls its own docket, which gives it extraordinary power.
Congress could dictate most of the cases the Court can hear.
“The Supreme Court’s handpicked cases look … like a legislative agenda.”
Yes. The Court currently controls its own docket, which gives it extraordinary power.
Congress could dictate most of the cases the Court can hear.
“John Roberts was photographed inside the event with his arm around Laura Ingraham, a fmr Thomas clerk who later became a FOX entertainment host known for defending Trump.”
This was in 05. Before Ingraham was on Fox. But it illustrates how close Roberts is to political actors.
This was in 05. Before Ingraham was on Fox. But it illustrates how close Roberts is to political actors.
November 4, 2025 at 12:53 AM
“John Roberts was photographed inside the event with his arm around Laura Ingraham, a fmr Thomas clerk who later became a FOX entertainment host known for defending Trump.”
This was in 05. Before Ingraham was on Fox. But it illustrates how close Roberts is to political actors.
This was in 05. Before Ingraham was on Fox. But it illustrates how close Roberts is to political actors.
“A slap in the face to loyalists who have been building up the [right-wing] legal movement for 20 years.”
And that was in 2005.
It’s now been 40 years.
And I’m posting this because the rightwing legal movement has now, 40 years in, with control of SCOTUS, come to destroy US science.
And that was in 2005.
It’s now been 40 years.
And I’m posting this because the rightwing legal movement has now, 40 years in, with control of SCOTUS, come to destroy US science.
![nors retirement. Miers's nomination was met with was not "conservative" or doctrinaire enough. Unlike Roberts, she apparently could not be counted on reliably to take their side and use the Court to advance the right wing's political agenda. She was perceived to be another Souter: too fair. Leonard Leo briefly tried to save her nomination by citing her antiabortion efforts in the American Bar Association, even as his close compatriots were encouraged to mount the campaign against her, to make way for Leo's friend, US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit Judge Samuel Alito (a George H. W. Bush appointee).
Right-wing VIPs like Robert Bork-whose nomination to the Supreme Court was defeated after his extreme views of the law were exposed to the public-also opposed Miers. He called her selection a "slap in the face" to loyalists "who've been building up the [right-wing] legal movement for the last twenty years." It took only three weeks of pressure to get President Bush to bail on his old friend and withdraw Miers's name. The very next day Bush called](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:p66b7zkep57fp4rhrtktsdni/bafkreid7md3rq63uwwdtixzkfwlhbgh2dvbbkg2jfur2dc3w35ublduhoi@jpeg)
November 4, 2025 at 12:48 AM
“A slap in the face to loyalists who have been building up the [right-wing] legal movement for 20 years.”
And that was in 2005.
It’s now been 40 years.
And I’m posting this because the rightwing legal movement has now, 40 years in, with control of SCOTUS, come to destroy US science.
And that was in 2005.
It’s now been 40 years.
And I’m posting this because the rightwing legal movement has now, 40 years in, with control of SCOTUS, come to destroy US science.
Roberts is correct here on persistence, in this speech he gave to the private boarding school he attended.
John Roberts is following this advice. Let us do so too.
@brucebartlett.bsky.social has also written clearly on this topic. /10
John Roberts is following this advice. Let us do so too.
@brucebartlett.bsky.social has also written clearly on this topic. /10
November 4, 2025 at 12:09 AM
Roberts is correct here on persistence, in this speech he gave to the private boarding school he attended.
John Roberts is following this advice. Let us do so too.
@brucebartlett.bsky.social has also written clearly on this topic. /10
John Roberts is following this advice. Let us do so too.
@brucebartlett.bsky.social has also written clearly on this topic. /10
“The result in Citizens United vs FEC was *orchestrated* by the Roberts Court, which ordered an out-of-season oral argument” in time to affect the 2010 midterms.
To close watchers like Ms Graves, it’s long been obvious Roberts and his co-partisans on the court are carrying out a political plan.
To close watchers like Ms Graves, it’s long been obvious Roberts and his co-partisans on the court are carrying out a political plan.
November 3, 2025 at 11:49 PM
“The result in Citizens United vs FEC was *orchestrated* by the Roberts Court, which ordered an out-of-season oral argument” in time to affect the 2010 midterms.
To close watchers like Ms Graves, it’s long been obvious Roberts and his co-partisans on the court are carrying out a political plan.
To close watchers like Ms Graves, it’s long been obvious Roberts and his co-partisans on the court are carrying out a political plan.
This is one of the most important and little-understood facts about Roberts: while he got credit for saving Obamacare, that looks like a longterm play to help his party: “his occasional nods at moderation allow him to more effectively realize his long-term agenda”
November 3, 2025 at 11:42 PM
This is one of the most important and little-understood facts about Roberts: while he got credit for saving Obamacare, that looks like a longterm play to help his party: “his occasional nods at moderation allow him to more effectively realize his long-term agenda”
I am reading a book on John Roberts and his Supreme Court’s decisions (😡), by @thelisagraves.bsky.social.
I don’t know if I’ll be able to get through it without venting. So, taking an idea from @davekarpf.bsky.social, here is a live thread. 1/
I don’t know if I’ll be able to get through it without venting. So, taking an idea from @davekarpf.bsky.social, here is a live thread. 1/
November 3, 2025 at 11:37 PM
I am reading a book on John Roberts and his Supreme Court’s decisions (😡), by @thelisagraves.bsky.social.
I don’t know if I’ll be able to get through it without venting. So, taking an idea from @davekarpf.bsky.social, here is a live thread. 1/
I don’t know if I’ll be able to get through it without venting. So, taking an idea from @davekarpf.bsky.social, here is a live thread. 1/
“we will need, the next time we have power, to do serious reform of the Supreme Court and do things like add new states…”
Short detour into history and Grover Cleveland, who in the 1880s and 90s understood they were admitting states into the Union to change the balance of power in the Senate.
Short detour into history and Grover Cleveland, who in the 1880s and 90s understood they were admitting states into the Union to change the balance of power in the Senate.
November 1, 2025 at 7:13 PM
“we will need, the next time we have power, to do serious reform of the Supreme Court and do things like add new states…”
Short detour into history and Grover Cleveland, who in the 1880s and 90s understood they were admitting states into the Union to change the balance of power in the Senate.
Short detour into history and Grover Cleveland, who in the 1880s and 90s understood they were admitting states into the Union to change the balance of power in the Senate.
Exactly.
The way I put it was “there are few effective ways to constrain a rogue president with legislation when a rogue Supreme Court wishes to let the president break longstanding law...”
@joshchafetz.bsky.social has done a good job enumerating political actions Congress could take.
The way I put it was “there are few effective ways to constrain a rogue president with legislation when a rogue Supreme Court wishes to let the president break longstanding law...”
@joshchafetz.bsky.social has done a good job enumerating political actions Congress could take.
October 30, 2025 at 10:44 PM
Exactly.
The way I put it was “there are few effective ways to constrain a rogue president with legislation when a rogue Supreme Court wishes to let the president break longstanding law...”
@joshchafetz.bsky.social has done a good job enumerating political actions Congress could take.
The way I put it was “there are few effective ways to constrain a rogue president with legislation when a rogue Supreme Court wishes to let the president break longstanding law...”
@joshchafetz.bsky.social has done a good job enumerating political actions Congress could take.
The civil service laws are fragile because of this:
"a judge-made constitutional order ... with the roles of Congress, the President, and the agencies increasingly being defined by the Supreme Court according to higher-law principles of its own making."
papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
"a judge-made constitutional order ... with the roles of Congress, the President, and the agencies increasingly being defined by the Supreme Court according to higher-law principles of its own making."
papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
October 30, 2025 at 8:07 PM
The civil service laws are fragile because of this:
"a judge-made constitutional order ... with the roles of Congress, the President, and the agencies increasingly being defined by the Supreme Court according to higher-law principles of its own making."
papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
"a judge-made constitutional order ... with the roles of Congress, the President, and the agencies increasingly being defined by the Supreme Court according to higher-law principles of its own making."
papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
The law is super clear.
I want to see the Federalist Society legal interpretation that argues “shall be paid“ somehow means “does not need to be paid.” Not putting it past them; they’ve made up a whole pseudo-literature about birthright citizenship. But we can see through this and will stop them.
I want to see the Federalist Society legal interpretation that argues “shall be paid“ somehow means “does not need to be paid.” Not putting it past them; they’ve made up a whole pseudo-literature about birthright citizenship. But we can see through this and will stop them.
October 30, 2025 at 4:18 AM
The law is super clear.
I want to see the Federalist Society legal interpretation that argues “shall be paid“ somehow means “does not need to be paid.” Not putting it past them; they’ve made up a whole pseudo-literature about birthright citizenship. But we can see through this and will stop them.
I want to see the Federalist Society legal interpretation that argues “shall be paid“ somehow means “does not need to be paid.” Not putting it past them; they’ve made up a whole pseudo-literature about birthright citizenship. But we can see through this and will stop them.
Famously, Kenneth Arrow in 1962 published a paper analyzing innovation (basic research) as an “information good” that markets in general fail to support.
Basically, once a scientist makes a discovery and publishes it, the information is available to all…
Basically, once a scientist makes a discovery and publishes it, the information is available to all…
October 30, 2025 at 12:02 AM
Famously, Kenneth Arrow in 1962 published a paper analyzing innovation (basic research) as an “information good” that markets in general fail to support.
Basically, once a scientist makes a discovery and publishes it, the information is available to all…
Basically, once a scientist makes a discovery and publishes it, the information is available to all…
And I was happy to be able to put up some refs to public goods.
“Some years ago, in a now classic series of articles [13] [14] [15], Paul A. Samuelson made a… distinction between public and private goods.”
Basic research is a true non-rivalrous and non-excludable public good.
“Some years ago, in a now classic series of articles [13] [14] [15], Paul A. Samuelson made a… distinction between public and private goods.”
Basic research is a true non-rivalrous and non-excludable public good.
![Public goods!
Public Goods
First published Wed Jul 21, 2021
The government plays a significant role in providing goods such as national defence, infrastructure, education, security, and fire and environmental protection almost everywhere.
These goods are often referred to as "public
ON THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE GOODS*
By OrTo A. DAVIS, Carnegie Institule of Tecinology
and ANDREW B. WHINSTON, Purdue Universily
I. Introduction
Some years ago, in a now classic series of articles [13] [14] [15], Professor Paul A. Samuelson made an admittedly polar distinction between public and private goods. Briefly, private consumption goods, like bread, must be parceled out among persons with one man getting a loaf more if another gets a loaf less, Thus, if zu represents the ith](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:p66b7zkep57fp4rhrtktsdni/bafkreicmddroql4etjotxyuw4ocjuowj3yjbscnn4qdwemlscheggli3oa@jpeg)
October 29, 2025 at 11:52 PM
And I was happy to be able to put up some refs to public goods.
“Some years ago, in a now classic series of articles [13] [14] [15], Paul A. Samuelson made a… distinction between public and private goods.”
Basic research is a true non-rivalrous and non-excludable public good.
“Some years ago, in a now classic series of articles [13] [14] [15], Paul A. Samuelson made a… distinction between public and private goods.”
Basic research is a true non-rivalrous and non-excludable public good.
I was at my kid’s soccer practice. ⚽️
October 29, 2025 at 11:50 PM
I was at my kid’s soccer practice. ⚽️
The second big reason is related:
Fundamental, basic science, the foundation of US tech and biotech innovation, is a public good in the economics sense.
As @josephestiglitz.bsky.social puts it: a key feature of public goods is that without the gov’t they are underprovisioned.
/last vid
Fundamental, basic science, the foundation of US tech and biotech innovation, is a public good in the economics sense.
As @josephestiglitz.bsky.social puts it: a key feature of public goods is that without the gov’t they are underprovisioned.
/last vid
October 29, 2025 at 11:49 PM
The second big reason is related:
Fundamental, basic science, the foundation of US tech and biotech innovation, is a public good in the economics sense.
As @josephestiglitz.bsky.social puts it: a key feature of public goods is that without the gov’t they are underprovisioned.
/last vid
Fundamental, basic science, the foundation of US tech and biotech innovation, is a public good in the economics sense.
As @josephestiglitz.bsky.social puts it: a key feature of public goods is that without the gov’t they are underprovisioned.
/last vid
The first big reason why NIH is irreplaceable?
Scale. The NIMH budget alone is $2.4 BILLION. NIH’s budget is around $48 billion. In comparison @hhmi.org is $1B, the fabulous American Cancer Society is around $150M. We are talking about the diff between millions and billions.
3/
Scale. The NIMH budget alone is $2.4 BILLION. NIH’s budget is around $48 billion. In comparison @hhmi.org is $1B, the fabulous American Cancer Society is around $150M. We are talking about the diff between millions and billions.
3/
October 29, 2025 at 11:42 PM
The first big reason why NIH is irreplaceable?
Scale. The NIMH budget alone is $2.4 BILLION. NIH’s budget is around $48 billion. In comparison @hhmi.org is $1B, the fabulous American Cancer Society is around $150M. We are talking about the diff between millions and billions.
3/
Scale. The NIMH budget alone is $2.4 BILLION. NIH’s budget is around $48 billion. In comparison @hhmi.org is $1B, the fabulous American Cancer Society is around $150M. We are talking about the diff between millions and billions.
3/
Someone asked me the other day*:
How do we replace all the science that’s being lost across the US as NIH, NSF etc are being lawlessly destroyed?
The answer is: we cannot. It is impossible.
The task now is to defend #NIH and public funding for medical research.
1/ 🧪 #neuroscience
How do we replace all the science that’s being lost across the US as NIH, NSF etc are being lawlessly destroyed?
The answer is: we cannot. It is impossible.
The task now is to defend #NIH and public funding for medical research.
1/ 🧪 #neuroscience
October 29, 2025 at 11:35 PM
Someone asked me the other day*:
How do we replace all the science that’s being lost across the US as NIH, NSF etc are being lawlessly destroyed?
The answer is: we cannot. It is impossible.
The task now is to defend #NIH and public funding for medical research.
1/ 🧪 #neuroscience
How do we replace all the science that’s being lost across the US as NIH, NSF etc are being lawlessly destroyed?
The answer is: we cannot. It is impossible.
The task now is to defend #NIH and public funding for medical research.
1/ 🧪 #neuroscience
“Smaller local media outlets: the best coverage overall.”
Fascinating score-based analysis of coverage of the #NoKings day, by @mediaanddemocracy.bsky.social .
They calculated a grade for front pages based on headline size, placement, etc.
mediaanddemocracyproject.substack.com/p/analysis-o...
Fascinating score-based analysis of coverage of the #NoKings day, by @mediaanddemocracy.bsky.social .
They calculated a grade for front pages based on headline size, placement, etc.
mediaanddemocracyproject.substack.com/p/analysis-o...
October 29, 2025 at 11:01 PM
“Smaller local media outlets: the best coverage overall.”
Fascinating score-based analysis of coverage of the #NoKings day, by @mediaanddemocracy.bsky.social .
They calculated a grade for front pages based on headline size, placement, etc.
mediaanddemocracyproject.substack.com/p/analysis-o...
Fascinating score-based analysis of coverage of the #NoKings day, by @mediaanddemocracy.bsky.social .
They calculated a grade for front pages based on headline size, placement, etc.
mediaanddemocracyproject.substack.com/p/analysis-o...
Here’s @gregsargent.bsky.social today on “pick big fights.” The shutdown was one of those fights, and centering the shutdown debate around lawlessness and healthcare appears to have helped the fight against fascism.
“Leaning into controversy.” Yes.
newrepublic.com/arti...
“Leaning into controversy.” Yes.
newrepublic.com/arti...
October 28, 2025 at 9:03 PM
Here’s @gregsargent.bsky.social today on “pick big fights.” The shutdown was one of those fights, and centering the shutdown debate around lawlessness and healthcare appears to have helped the fight against fascism.
“Leaning into controversy.” Yes.
newrepublic.com/arti...
“Leaning into controversy.” Yes.
newrepublic.com/arti...
I mentioned this idea, that empirical approaches alone are not the answer in complex systems, in the neuro context, in this recent paper.
When I say models here I was referring to math models, but the point is that data alone is not enough.
www.annualreviews.or...
When I say models here I was referring to math models, but the point is that data alone is not enough.
www.annualreviews.or...
October 27, 2025 at 9:03 PM
I mentioned this idea, that empirical approaches alone are not the answer in complex systems, in the neuro context, in this recent paper.
When I say models here I was referring to math models, but the point is that data alone is not enough.
www.annualreviews.or...
When I say models here I was referring to math models, but the point is that data alone is not enough.
www.annualreviews.or...
