Having my mom send all my grade school report cards to Harvard so they have to hire me as a biochemist

🤯

2025 sucked. In 2026, we are taking back our science! We are excited to launch our Substack: The Science Fight Club. Read our first post, written by @cdelawalla.bsky.social, a review of 2025, a preview of 2026, and a big call to action. open.substack.com/pub/sciencef...

Wishing everyone here a happy, healthy, and resistance-filled 2026! We are going to win.

I'm fortunate to talk with @chanda.blacksky.app about When Trees Testify. Feb 6 @ 7 PM, Harvard Bookstore. Talked about Lessons From Plants & I'll keep writing books to talk w/BRILLIANT Chanda!❤️ Pre-order When Trees Testify (link in bio) AND Chanda's next book, The Edge of Space-Time, out in 2026.

Epoptosis?

I saw a tiktok that said: "You deserve a break. Stop healing. Crash Out. Choose Violence. Do. It. For. The. Plot" And i feel like this is the energy we should enter 2026 with

OMG @lizcookkc.bsky.social what a review (of the new Mahomes/Kelce restaurant in KC!!!)

I was told "if you don't use GenAI, you will be left behind". But the reality is people include GenAI slop in their work, and if you don't use GenAI, your work is already more careful, higher quality, and more authentic. I am not just talking about academic papers.

Attention Nicotiana benthamiana users! Certain strains of Agrobacterium (e.g. GV3101-pMP90) induce glandular trichomes because of cytokinin production by Agrobacterium. As this can influence assay outcome, we recommend testing several strains. See our preprint: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Jesus, what a grim day to be a human being

Pleased to share this thoughtful essay by Jess on my flower design project🌹🧬 As a small thank-you for spreading the work, I'm randomly giving away 5 of these new morphogenesis hoodies to whoever reposts this!

Everyone should read this insightful post by @kevinbakerwv.bsky.social! "LLMs did not create what economists . . . would call science’s incentive “structure.” Rather this technology arrived into this context, offering a faster way to produce the artifacts the system rewards."

Someone vandalized our anti-ICE #nativity, but we came back stronger than ever. It’s a piece of living art, and we’re not going to stop sharing our message of compassion and love. We get knocked down, but we get back up again - better and stronger. Love wins - never doubt it.

I added my name to this and so should all of you who are US citizens: Standupforscience.net/impeach-rfkjr

For me rn I’m so grateful for Lynda Barry, who takes all the preciousness out of being creative and puts all the punk back in!

The Overstory, just try me

@rephale.bsky.social announced that she introduced articles of impeachment against RFK Jr. on Wednesday. @standupforscience.bsky.social, a nonprofit that launched a petition to impeach Kennedy, stated its support for Stevens' effort. @cdelawalla.bsky.social www.medpagetoday.com/washington-w...

Damn

All #CellBio2025 attendees! Here’s our phenomenal lineup for our session on #SciArt & #SciComm: @ahnaskop.bsky.social, @jiwasa.bsky.social, @mag2art.bsky.social, @nat-prunet.bsky.social, and Julia Licholai. Please come by and spread the word! Huge thanks to @ascbiology.bsky.social and co-organizers!

Gratitutde to all NIH study section participants who are participating in rescheduled meetings now and in January. Thank you for your service and thanks also to the hard working NIH staff who are making these happen. 🥰🧪

One thing I always want to ask these masculinity entrepreneurs is why men can’t look to women as role models, and can’t see in women models of human virtue and thriving that are worth emulating. After all, women look to men for these all the time.

She shouldn't have to keep doing this by herself. She is supposedly a member of a political party and every single one of her *colleagues* should be BLASTING the fascist in chief. ALL OF THEM. Where is the solidarity???

heads up Portland! applications open for free office space at Meyer Memorial Trust for small progressive orgs ( budgets under $1M, "serving the Albina neighborhood, working in coalition or offering culturally specific programming") I just know one of y'all knows someone who could use this

Book recommendation: UNROOTED by Erin Zimmerman CW: graphic description of childbirth, gendered harassment, medical content. I figured I’d relate to a science memoir with a motherhood theme, but wow. the second half of the book was so relatable. #womeninstem #science #nonfiction #botany 🧪🧬🌱

👇🌿🧪

I'm beyond grateful that I discovered the Blanchet House café when we first moved to PDX. I've learned so much from the guests and the staff about creating community and mutual care. Please consider donating to help provide 3 free, low-barrier meals a day along with clothes and other support.

This hits really close to home! I am all about being silly and bringing my two sides (serious scientist and ridiculous person) to work. Life is too short and too hard to save the fun for later. ❤️

Very happy to share that this paper is now online on @currentbiology.bsky.social !! 🥳🧪 Check out the final published verion here: www.cell.com/current-biol... #mimuluspropaganda

My favorite from an @hhmi.org scientist: “the great thing about optogenetics is it keeps the riff raff out of the field.”

😱

Big news: I’m writing a book!! I’ll be writing & illustrating a beginner’s guide to appreciating wildlife in cities/suburbs, & how all of us can make our neighborhoods better for those animals. Thank you to my book agent @ericsmithrocks.bsky.social & the folks at Storey for believing in this book!

Science People: We at NSF are still recovering/catching up/getting our lives together. But the agency posted these FAQs about post-shutdown resumption of operations which might answer a lot of Qs for you: www.nsf.gov/resumption-o...

After much deliberation and a grueling interview process, I’m pleased to announce that I’ve accepted a new job and will not need any financial support from my parents to cover the high costs of childcare going forward. #AmericanDream #ThisIsYourCity

"we raise our voices in solidarity to unequivocally proclaim the holiness of transgender, nonbinary, and intersex people, as well as the recognition of the entire spectrum of gender identity and expression." 💚 🏳️‍⚧️ 💚

Happy LGBTQ+ in STEM Day! I’m celebrating with the dapper Invisible Enby, who is a queer fashion metaphor for the way dark matter shapes visible matter in the cosmos. Want to learn more? Preorder my new book, where they appear! 🧪 www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/746817...

Sure. Just one question: How?

“A professor’s having sex with his student constitutes a *pedagogical* failure: that is a failure to satisfy the duties that arise from the teacher-student relationship” faculty who attempt to or succeed in having sex with students are failing at their jobs yalelawjournal.org/pdf/Srinivas...

A bad thing is unfolding at NIH this week: It looks like the Trump administration is trying to replace key civil servant scientific leaders, the Institute Directors, with political hires. These directors control the NIH budget, tens of billions. A bit of a video explainer here: 1/ 🧪

NSF is open again! A few comments: *Please be patient. During a shutdown NSF employees cannot open computers or respond to emails. *Merit review will continue. However panels won’t resume until after Dec 8th. *POs remain excited and committed to advancing science and the scientific workforce.

@naascarabidopsis.bsky.social @bar-plantbio.bsky.social @plantteaching.bsky.social

I’m as big a fan of Bluesky as anyone, and this is pretty upsetting. substack.com/@sarahkendzi...

We are beyond excited to reveal the full line-up for our Environmental Signaling in Plants summer school 2026! Registration is now open here eps.sites.uu.nl - we look forward to seeing you in Utrecht on 24th-26th August!

"We’re done waiting for Dems to find their spine. We can’t afford a weak & cowardly Democratic Party while the authoritarians invade our cities, terrorize our communities, & threaten our democracy. We get the party we demand, & we intend to demand a Democratic Party that fights.” — @indivisible.org

"Some people say this; however, others say this. . . Only when you stand a little closer . . . do you notice . . . that there is zero, less than zero, stress put on the relation between those two “sides,” or their histories, or their sponsors, or their relative evidentiary authority, or any of it. "

Once again I am begging everyone to stop the "wine moms" commentary (I am NOT saying the OP did this, but it's happening in quotes). Ask yourself why you need to give these protestors such an irrelevant and disrespectful social media tag. Then get out to a protest yourself.

If you have a James Watson story you'd like to share with me, DM me here or msg me on signal, dsamorod.25

Yuck

HUGE NEWS! Because of Democratic pressure, Oregon SNAP recipients are reporting their cards have the FULL November benefits!   Everyone who called out Trump for using hungry children and seniors as a bargaining chip has WON with tremendous results!!