"Unlike human cGAS, which inhibits DNA repair by homologous recombination in the nucleus, the naked mole rat enzyme has four amino acid changes that allow it to enhance DNA repair, thus delaying aging and enhancing life span." www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

One aspect of the crisis of modernity is the decay of our capacities for both punishment and forgiveness. My latest: thecounterpoint.substack.com/p/we-need-pu...

Infinite Jest deserves every bit of acclaim it receives, but I wish more people also read The Pale King. While unfinished, it contains as much genius, heart, and wisdom as Infinite Jest.

My farm's very first pawpaw!! I'm in a quiet and humble state of shock. I knew that this tree had flowered, but it was the only one, so I'd said, "oh, maybe next year!" But I was mowing the orchard for the last time this year, and I noticed this single fruit in the mulch.

Permethrin-treated baby wraps reduce the incidence of malaria by ~50%. Extraordinary results from a "low-tech" intervention. www.nejm.org/doi/full/10....

Please do NOT take either aspirin or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, etc.) instead of acetaminophen (Tylenol) during pregnancy without consulting your OBGYN first. Both inhibit prostaglandin synthesis, an extremely important class of lipid compounds, which could put you or your baby at risk.

Frederick, MD has one of the nicest downtowns in the US. It's a walkable core overflowing w/ local small businesses, historic buildings, & mature tree canopy. But it didn't just happen. It took decades of active leadership & community involvement. This book tells that story.

First, Tylenol is a brand name, not a pharmaceutical. Actimenophen is the more correct word. Second, women don't take an actimenophen for no reason; they take it because of fever, pain, etc. Without very well-controlled trials, it's impossible to sort out intertwined variables.

Erika Kirk forgiving her husband's murderer is extremely graceful and impressive. It reminded me of Pope John Paul II meeting with his shooter. But words are only the beginning; true forgiveness requires action. Actions are more powerful than words.

The most underrated multi-generational personal finance hack: Have your kids participate in 4H. Use the proceeds to fund a Roth IRA. Even without a single additional dollar afterward, a fully funded Roth from ages 8 to 18 will be ~$2M at retirement.

The latest scientific paper I co-authored has been published. Our team investigated the effect of TGF-B on the ARKADIA-SKI axis for the stability of Treg cells, an anti-inflammatory T cell, which have shown promise as a cell therapy. share.google/k6xMSDuRSntk...

My first official task as a member of the Frederick County Soil Conservation District: spending the day at the county fair teaching kids about the importance of soil!

A yellow jacket sting reduced my ganglion cyst by ~80%. After a single sting in my hand, I had a "large local reaction" for ~48 hours: massive swelling w/o pulmonary, neuro, or GI symptoms. Now that the swelling has resided, my ganglion cyst is basically gone.

With paternity time over, I'm back in the saddle developing next-generation cell and gene therapies.

I am finding out the hard way that yellow jacket stings are more severe than honeybee stings.

Chestnuts and coonhound at dawn.

Quite the melancholy came over me when I realized that it's been over ten years since this tweet.

You should be reading Albert Camus.

"People are now planting bombs in the tramways of Algiers. My mother might be on one of those trams. If that is justice, then I prefer my mother." - Albert Camus

I have finally read, consolidated, and culled my to-read stack down to a single bookcase. Which book should I read next?

Spent the sunrise cleaning up a fencerow along the road that I had a crew clean up. Filled two large trash bags with litter. At least I got a half barrow of cans out of it.

Lab-grown meat is often pushed as a solution to many problems with the modern agricultural system. Aside from many technological & economic hurdles, there are even deeper foundational reasons that it shouldn't be pursued. My latest: thecounterpoint.substack.com/p/the-many-f...

2025 and people still believe that "brain damage happens in 100% of people who get COVID." Hysteria. Plain and simple.

Remember the "scientists" and "advocates" who claimed that the majority of the population would develop Long COVID?

Blue Glade Farm's bees near dawn on a slightly foggy summer morning.

This pawpaw is now already taller than my reach.

Lost feeling in my arm an hour ago but I don't dare move.

My latest scientific paper has been published! This part of a series of papers and adds to the thesis that progeria is not "aging" but a biophysical breakdown of the nuclear lamina. share.google/w2seDV7OiTWw...

This piece made a very minor contribution to the world; I believe I'm the first person to bring this Bismarck quote to the internet: "If we do not prepare for ourselves the role of the hammer, there will be nothing left but that of the anvil."

Another subtle sign of mass American affluence: you never hear about kids unable to afford basic sports equipment. It was a major plot point in The Sandlot. Living NBA legends couldn't afford a basketball. Camus played goalkeeper so his shoes would last longer.

Otto von Bismarck is one of the most impactful people to have shaped the modern world, yet few know anything about him. I genuinely believe he is one of the most important figures for our age. Why? Because of artificial intelligence. thecounterpoint.substack.com/p/if-agi-is-...

It's a tough life being a coonhound.

Wow. Hard to find the words. I walked into one of the chestnut orchards to get some updated pictures, & I noticed our very first chestnut bur. Now, I'd guess there aren't any nuts in it, but it's still one of the steps on a decades long journey. Humbling. Surreal.

Your annual reminder that consumer fireworks should be illegal. Superfluous waste that does nothing but pollute the environment, injure people, and disturb the peace.

Flowers on the farm, July edition:

It really is insane that the GOP is known as the party of fiscal responsibility. Every Democrat since Carter has decreased the deficit. Every Republican since Eisenhower has increased the deficit.

There are no words for the absurdity that is the GOP cutting the Child Tax Credit in 2022 but now proposing to give an extra tax deduction to seniors in 2025. Just stealing from working families to give to the Boomers.

The first chestnut of the 2024 cohort to grow taller than its tree tube.

Took the girls down to Baltimore for a day at the National Aquarium and Inner Harbor. We're all going to sleep well tonight.

Just over three years ago, I planted our first pawpaws. They were basically twigs. Today I noticed that one of them is taller than me.

My opinion on the NYC mayoral primary: I don't have one because I don't live there! Just happy it'll be over soon so I can stop hearing about it.

At least here in Maryland, pawpaw seedlings will do just fine in full, 80%+ sun. However, my impression is that they do grow better in the first two years with mostly shade. Compare these four seedlings, two in a tomato cage, two in shade cloth, just a few feet apart.

Only 11 hours? I just woke up from an 11 year coma and I didn't miss much at all: the GOP is still trying to pass tax cuts for the rich, hamstring our government, all while bombing the Middle East and saddling future generations with trillions in debt!

Lily season:

On the bright side, maybe some of my mutuals and I will be deployed to the same Iranian mountainside. Can't wait to meet y'all in person!

Scenes from one of the chestnut orchards, freshly mowed:

If you've ever wondered why the strongest available liquor is 95% ethanol, this essay will answer that.

I return to my "Our Fundamental Problem" series w/ a follow-up meant to further define the techno-moral landscape of civilization & a potential problem that is developing: that humanity won’t end w/ a bang, but a whimper. Let's discuss moonshine & cats. thecounterpoint.substack.com/p/our-fundam...

The EPA is "reconsidering" the ban on asbestos, a known and proven carcinogen. Russia is one of the main producers of asbestos.

This week we started doing a chore chart with our two year old. She'll get a prize when the entire sheet is filled. I think it's going pretty well.