In 20 years, ‘Sinners’ will still mean something. That’s my opinion

terrific thread -

Best Twitter riposte of the day. I suspect there's snow in the mix, too.

This is what ecocide looks like.

Novartis has settled a lawsuit by the estate of Henrietta Lacks that alleged the pharmaceutical giant unjustly profited off her cells, which were taken from her tumor without her knowledge in 1951 and reproduced in labs to enable major #medical advancements, including the polio vaccine.

This thread is exactly what I needed this morning -

The destruction of schools and universities is an attempt to destroy the possibility of imagining a future. Judith Butler, Barnard College, Feb. 28, 2026 (paraphrased)

“UCLA neuroscientist Maryanne Wolf has shown that deep reading, defined as sustained immersion in a text, builds the cognitive circuits required for critical analysis, empathy and perspective-taking in ways that skimming, scrolling and short-form video simply cannot.”

The National Science Foundation is systematically being converted to the National AI and Quantum Research Foundation. “I see it as the administration exerting political control over what has traditionally been NSF’s ability to fund the best science.”

#science if you haven't already.

I feel like this kid should have paid attention in Horses 101.

UT System votes to limit 'controversial topics' in class, raising concerns about academic freedom www.kut.org/education/20...

Well, this is a bit of a plot twist.

WHAT? what sense does this make? it's not entirely clear he can handle the job of directing the NIH and now he's got another major remit?

New letter from BIO leadership... www.nsf.gov/bio/updates/...

BREAKING: FDA reverses course and will now review Moderna's flu vaccine, the company announced Wednesday www.statnews.com/2026/02/18/f...

My Latest: Texas Takes a Flamethrower to Higher Ed (and calls it "reform"). The enshittification of Texas universities by legislators who are aura farming has begun! abovethelaw.com/2026/02/texa...

Dear friends: I will visit the UK the last two weeks of April to conduct a book tour for *Freedom Ship*, to be published next month by @versobooks.bsky.social, and to screen my new film, *Becoming Benjaman Lay*, directed by Tony Buba. I’ll have info on specific events soon.

Two Rice University undergrads (freshmen!) built a digital mapping tool to track ICE activity. Students are OK. www.thenation.com/article/acti...

I’m beginning every panel I chair for the rest of my career with this frontal attack…

Fun news! @gcbias.bsky.social and I are teaching a 2-week online population genetics workshop this summer to raise money for the Center for Population Biology at UC Davis. We're trying to gauge interest -- please fill this out if you might be interested! And please share broadly!

When AI was added to a tool for sinus surgery: “Cerebrospinal fluid leaked from one patient’s nose. In another… a surgeon mistakenly punctured the base of a patient’s skull. In two other cases, patients suffered strokes after a major artery was accidentally injured” www.reuters.com/investigatio...

Holy shit: it's an RFP for the NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology (PRFB). Hello old friend www.nsf.gov/funding/oppo...

The State Dept is reviewing the online presence of all applicants for F,M,J,H1B visas. I warn clients all the time about the risks of international travel. Visa processing today is a minefield & it's key to weigh risks before going. This is one example of what we are seeing.

The Texas Education Agency has named former Assistant Attorney General Levi Fuller as the state's first Inspector General of Educator Misconduct – this as Texas toughens education policies.

“I’m on something of a campaign to strengthen Texas Monthly’s ties with our state’s universities. I’m eager to meet with folks on campus. I’m particularly ready to speak with students and teachers in journalism, media, and communications departments…“ 👇👇

Terrific - and utterly horrifying - thread:

Many of my science colleagues are not speaking out-I suspect due to the fear Phil notes, that they'll targeted for loss of funding. I hope they read this account of what happened at a faculty meeting at Frankfurt University in 1933 as the Nazi's took control 🧪 www.facinghistory.org/resource-lib...

Israel to end Doctors Without Borders work in Gaza

The CSU/OpenAI contract is set to expire June 30, 2026. Sign this petition: https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/cancel-chatgpt-edu-invest-in-humans/ for the CSU NOT to renew the contract and to use the savings to protect jobs at CSU campuses facing layoffs.

Smartest man in the game and he's telling you the press are cowards. Telling you someday everyone is gonna find out

A fascinating review on the role of Activin in organ induction. Isn't it wild that in Xenopus embryos, a piece of the animal cap can be induced with Activin at different concentrations and buffers to form the ❤️, kidney, the pancreas, head, tail, and even a whole embryoid 🤯: doi.org/10.1016/j.cd...

NEW: Here's my report on Texas A&M ending its gender studies program as part of its ongoing crackdown of teaching LGBTQ topics in the classroom (i also do not use the loaded phrase 'gender ideology' passively) www.chron.com/culture/arti...

reposting for anyone contemplating Stephen Miller's eventual fate, especially @jacobuzman.bsky.social - it's "the gnat the size of a pigeon" that makes it art

A profoundly destructive decision -

I have been waiting for this signal from Senator Rand Paul. Senator Paul, Chairman of Senate Homeland Security Committee follows House committee. Sends letters to heads of ICE, CBP, USCIS to testify in public hearing.

“We cannot pursue our mission to improve the health and well-being of all Americans while DHS agents are murdering, assaulting, and terrorizing people who call this country home…We believe ICE and CBP are a greater threat to the health of our nation than the lapse of HHS services.”

One of the best things I’ve read in a while:

It is important to read writers like M. Gessen. They teach Americans what many are still having trouble grasping. This is not just an unhinged president and untrained agency. Not “bad politics.” Not random. It is a systemic approach followed by authoritarians the world over as they grasp power.

Your written protocols and lab notebooks are a love letter to your future self (whether it’s you or a future lab member). Please be kind. Here are some critical things I have frequently noticed missing: (feel free to add yours in thread 🧵)

Well this about to be a disaster. Forget hESCs, hope nobody needs HEK cells or WI-38s or MRC-5s or or or 😩🧪

About damn time -

Incredibly helpful rundown from Aaron here about how ICE has been formally instructed to act outside the bounds of the constitution

This is the best speech, just from a pure rhetoric perspective - its sophistication and persuasiveness - that I've seen a politician deliver in a good long while. Really recommend watching or reading the whole thing.

The conference (agreement between House and Senate) appropriations bill that includes HHS and NIH was released this morning. www.appropriations.senate.gov/news/majorit... 1/5

📢📢 On this MLK Day, a reminder that faculty at Texas public colleges and universities are now uncertain whether or not they can legally teach Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter From Birmingham Jail.” ⬇️ thebarbedwire.com/2026/01/19/w...

I was late to this just coming out but the crazy idea here is to store transcriptome in Vault particles as a snapshot of the prior gene expression states!!!

terrific thread -

To honor MLK, Jr, I am actively judging the President of the United States by the content his character all day today.

I love this so much -