Protest sign from MN that says, “DEARLY BELOVED. WE ARE GATHERED HERE TODAY TODISMANTLE THIS THING CALLED ICE.” with a picture of Prince in the left hand lower corner.
10/10 ICE protest sign
So over the holidays I watched Before Sunrise with J. She was bored/found it too cringe and walked out. I’m bummed she won’t see Before Sunset, and the utterly perfect Nina Simone song in the last scene.
You saw Nina Simone in person? Wow.
Five concerts seen with women lead singers
Liz Phair
Sleater-Kinney
Bikini Kill
Lady Gaga
Taylor Swift
…. And many more. You?
This line graph illustrates the percentage change in agency staff levels from the previous year for nine major U.S. federal scientific and health organizations between the fiscal years 2016 and 2025. The agencies tracked include the CDC, Department of Energy, EPA, FDA, NASA, NIH, NIST, NOAA, and NSF. For the majority of the timeline between 2016 and 2023, the agencies show relatively stable fluctuations, generally staying within a range of +5% to -5% change per year. However, there is a dramatic and uniform plummet starting in the 2024–25 period. Every agency depicted shows a sharp downward trajectory, with staffing losses ranging from approximately -15% to over -25%. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) shows the most significant decline, dropping to roughly -26%, while the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) shows the least severe but still substantial drop at approximately -15%.
This is the most astonishing graph of what the Trump regime has done to US science. They have destroyed the federal science workforce across the board. The negative impacts on Americans will be felt for generations, and the US might never be the same again.
www.nature.com/immersive/d4...
💚💚💚💚💚
It’s a little hard to explain, but the fabric gives enough that they work as slip ons. Allbirds actually makes some slip on styles, now that I think about it.
Another thumbs up for On sneaks, but try them on in person since they make so many different styles. Allbirds are also very comfortable for long days.
This rings true w GeminiDR too. Tried prompting for a specific author on a narrow topic, using 4 example refs. Output had Frankenstein refs with made-up DOIs. Iteratively correcting the errors eventually got me the same 4 refs back, but nothing new. Next author, even worse. So, I ❤️ PubMed.
Seems like you’d want some sort of semantic layer mapping to the language used in a conversational request, no? Btw when my husband tried this yesterday with Claude, it had the same issue then corrected itself.
White fir and lodgepole pines against a blue sky
Pinedrops on a trail
Hyssop and columbine flowers
A nice change from #KarlTheFog and drizzle
A local NYC baseball coach says he fended off ICE agents during a recent practice.
Youman Wilder said caught feds questioning youth about where they're from & country of origin, so, he told feds to back off & kids to not answer!
Shoutout all of our local heroes!
"We are devastated and heartbroken at the loss of our parents, Melissa and Mark. They were the bright lights at the center of our lives, and we can't believe they are gone. Their love for us was boundless. We miss them so much. "We want everyone to know that we are both safe and with loved ones. We are grateful for the outpouring of love and support we have received, and we appreciate your respect for our family's privacy as we grieve. "Our family would like to thank law enforcement for their swift action that saved others and for the coordination across communities that led to the arrest of the man who murdered our parents. We especially would like to thank the officers who were first on the scene to our parents' home and their heroic attempts to rescue our mom and dad. "Our parents touched so many lives, and they leave behind an incredible legacy of dedication to their community that will live on in us, their friends, their colleagues and co-workers, and every single person who knew and loved them. "If you would like to honor the memory of Mark and Melissa, please consider the following: • Plant a tree. • Visit a local park and make use of their amenities, especially a bike trail. • Pet a dog. A golden retriever is ideal, but any will do. • Tell your loved ones a cheesy dad joke and laugh about it. • Bake something — bread for Mark or a cake for Melissa, and share it with someone. • Try a new hobby and enjoy learning something. • Stand up for what you believe in, especially if that thing is justice and peace. "Hope and resilience are the enemy of fear. Our parents lived their lives with immense dedication to their fellow humans. This tragedy must become a moment for us to come together. Hold your loved ones a little closer. Love your neighbors. Treat each other with kindness and respect. The best way to honor our parents' memory is to do something, whether big or small, to make our community just a little better for someone else."
Please read and share this statement from Sophie and Colin Hortman, children of Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark.
(via WCCO reporter Caroline Cummings on X)
A peaceful protest against tyranny at Dolores Park.
Many good signs at the SF #NoKingsDay march. One of my favorites.
Waited for the light to change crossing 5th Avenue outside Bergdorf’s with Candace Bergen
Yes, it’s the final death flower. Gorgeous, but her end.
An agave plant sending up a flower spike
Our #agave plant, Daughter of Panofsky, has decided to send up a flower spike after 10 years of good times in the garden. It’s grown over a foot this week! Cool to watch, but I’ll be sad to see her go.
A hummingbird perched on purple flowers, overlooking the San Francisco skyline
If you look really, really closely, there’s a hummingbird perched on the echia flowers, enjoying the skyline. #SanFrancisco #hummingbird #Couldn’tGetAnyCloserAlas
My PhD dissertation was supported by a NSF fellowship. Beyond the support, knowing my ideas were competitive and fund-able helped me believe I could belong in science. #WithoutNSF I wouldn’t be where I am today.
We do a simplified version of cassoulet in the Instant Pot. Start with some good dried beans, add bacon, alliums, carrots for the base, then wine, stock, sausage. Decadent and good for a couple of meals. www.huffpost.com/entry/cassou...
20 years? This is one of those albums where I hear a song on KEXP (usually This Year, transcendent) and my world stops.
Thank you Harvard. Columbia, please take note.
High Line pigeon
#CelebrityPigeon NYC
of all the things the administration is doing, i am a little mystified by this effort to completely destroy the science, technology and medical research sector in the united states
Loved this book, and deeply appreciated when Ben Barres gave me advice and encouragement during a tough time in my training. Such an inspiring neuroscientist and kind person. Rest in power, your inspiration endures.
A reminder that if the government can send migrants to a prison camp without any due process, it can send U.S. citizens there, too. I know because this happened to me and my family in 1942.
I’ve seen unc-22 come through EMS screens (more ancient times!), but I don’t ever think I did nicotine assays.
Chemical structure of diacetyl, which smells like butter, on a coffee mug
Excited to use my new Chemistry of Coffee mug. Diacetyl is the smell of C. elegans 🪱 chemotaxis experiments from long ago, and this makes me inordinately happy.
Fantastic article, well worth reading. Captures the grit and beauty of persisting through earning a science PhD, and the myriad ways that NIH spending has benefited our world.
