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Brian Wasik

@brianrwasik.bsky.social
5.7K followers 543 following 3.1K posts

Virologist. Evolutionary biologist.

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Reposted by Brian Wasik
jamelle @jamellebouie.net · 1h
the funny thing about this of course is that "athenian democracy" was a cautionary tale to the framers, who saw it as unstable and prone to demagogues and tyrants like the one rubio works for
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Carl T. Bergstrom @carlbergstrom.com · 5h
If we do not immediately eliminate the death penalty in the United States we are not only a barbaric nation but a willfully vicious and bloodthirsty one with a "pro-life" court whose hypocrisy puts Robespierre to shame.
nytimes.com
Christa Pike, Confused After Failed Tennessee Execution, Is at Center of Legal Storm (Gift Article)
Her awareness and condition deepen ethical and legal questions after Tennessee’s failed attempt to execute her for murdering a classmate decades ago.
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Moby Dick @mobydickatsea.bsky.social · 4h
is this Moby Dick?
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Adam Rutherford @adamrutherford.bsky.social · 3h
Absolute trash, by trash people who are not scientists
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Angie Rasmussen @angierasmussen.bsky.social · 22h
Will Russian lab leak plague (?) become a pandemic? Is it a bioweapon? Is it even plague? WHO KNOWS?!? Fantastic epi @gidmk.bsky.social & I broke down what little we do know about the situation rasmussenretorts.substack.com/p/a-plague-u...
rasmussenretorts.substack.com
A Plague Upon Siberia
There was a lab leak at a plague research lab in Irkutsk. Does this mean the Black Death is back?
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FinTwitter @fintwitter.bsky.social · 2h
BLASTS RATTLE RIYADH, SAUDIS HIT BY DEADLIEST HOUTHI ATTACKS SO FAR - NYT
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James McInerney @jomcinerney.bsky.social · 3h
I have put this program online. I use it mostly for teaching about alignments, though it is a genuine aligner wrapper, as well as having a ProbCons-like aligner itself. www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zljs...
youtube.com
CRAIC Features
YouTube video by James Talks Genetics
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Gregg Gonsalves @gregggonsalves.bsky.social · 2h
What a great piece by Gigi Kwik Gronvall! www.nytimes.com/2026/10/08/o...
nytimes.com
Opinion | Here’s What Worries Me About the Russian Plague Scare (Gift Article)
America is not prepared for a major disease outbreak.
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Micah @rincewind.run · 11h
Trump: *says horrible thing* the media: he didn’t actually mean it Trump: no I definitely one hundred percent meant it
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Kathleen Bachynski @bachynski.bsky.social · 11h
It is unacceptable that public officials in charge of our health are not commenting on this. “Officials at the Department of Health and Human Services did not respond to requests for comment about the initiative. A spokesman for Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, the N.I.H. director, declined comment.”
nytimes.com
RFK Jr. Plans Vaccine Injury Initiative, Drawing Wary Eye From Experts
Vaccine safety experts say more research into the side effects would be welcome yet question whether the health secretary’s effort will be grounded in science.
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David Burbach 🇺🇸 @dburbach.bsky.social · 11h
Yarvin is basically one hop from the tech billionaires shaping US policy, and has been praised by VP Vance
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Will Ratcliff @wcratcliff.bsky.social · 16h
Out today in @nature.com: our review on how single cells evolve into multicellular organisms. With Ozan Bozdag, @kaitong25.bsky.social, Peter Yunker, and @matthewherron.bsky.social. rdcu.be/9ZuiKow9twKa For an overview, check out the video below.
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Brian Wasik @brianrwasik.bsky.social · 12h
Again, heed Grant, re: Lee. "Some of you always seem to think he is suddenly going to turn a double somersault, and land in our rear and on both of our flanks at the same time. Go back to your command, and try to think what we are going to do ourselves, instead of what Lee is going to do."
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Brian Wasik @brianrwasik.bsky.social · 12h
Interesting to learn that maybe Tillis is retiring less because of his cowardice - than he is an idiot who does not know the Constitution, Article I. Johnson will have no such authority or power. Just 1 schmuck among 435. The House is not a continuing body!
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Chris Hayes @chrislhayes.bsky.social · 14h
No AI for kids. Full stop.
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❤️🫀 momo (heartily good bad) 🫀❤️ @momo.thingsabout.xyz · 13h
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Ben McAdams (The Resurrection Arc) @purrtah.bsky.social · 21h
One of the Republican Senators that blocked redistricting in Indiana and was then primaried is endorsing Dem Bayh for Indiana Secretary of State
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Will Thorne @wbthorne.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
This graph is a good reason to introduce my new paper: By Generation and by Design: A Review of the Empirical Rent Control Literature. This paints a (somewhat) misleading picture of rent control evidence because it groups all rent control together regardless of design feature.
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Kai Kupferschmidt @kakape.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
"Information from Russia has been incomplete, confusing, and contradictory." My colleague @martinenserink.bsky.social on what we know so far about the possible plague death in Russia and the implications. 🧪
science.org
Possible plague death at a Siberian lab baffles scientists
Much is unclear about the tragedy, but plague researchers say there is “zero” chance of an epidemic
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rax ‘levon honkers’ king @raxkingisdead.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
a little louder for the cheap seats in the back
One of the biggest myths is that men rape by mistake. Like, "Oh, they need consent training." But research is very clear: Sexual violence is not a mistake. It is an intentionally made decision by people who know they don't have consent. They just don't prioritize consent over things like status, power, domination, and sexual gratification.
For my research, I got a certificate of confidentiality from the National Institutes of Health, so my notes couldn't be subpoenaed. One of the reasons I call them perpetrators in my work is because every single person I interviewed confessed in that context. The first question I would ask them was, "When you received that email from Title IX that you were under investigation, did you know what it was about?" Every perpetrator I interviewed said "yes." If sexual assault were a miscommunication, you would be wondering, What have I possibly done wrong? That is not the way that any of them reacted because they knew.
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Brian Wasik @brianrwasik.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
Determined to mix up that Discourse today, huh? Haha
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James O'Malley @jamesomalley.co.uk · 07/10/2026
Holy shit. Someone has decompiled the Adobe suite, rebuilt it in Rust and released it as open source. Either all software is dead or the US copyright laws are about to receive an update. getartcraft.com/apps
getartcraft.com
Crafting Apps: open-source creative tools
Image editing, vector illustration, video, photography, PDFs, motion graphics and page layout: seven native, open-source apps from the ArtCraft team, built in Rust and free to use.
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ryan cooper @ryanlcooper.com · 07/10/2026
a “banana republic” is precisely when the political system is dominated by overweening corporate interests
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Patrick Wyman @patrickwyman.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
Trump and his allies have spent most of the past decade doing the administrative equivalent of ripping bundles of wiring out of the walls. When everything's trundling along, you don't necessarily notice the missing wiring. When something goes very wrong, suddenly the damage becomes apparent.
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Dr. Nahid Bhadelia @bhadeliamd.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
We have issued a late breaking update to this report based on US and WHO statements, at end of report. RFI and follow up: Russia reports anti-plague institute researcher died from pneumonia of unknown etiology, unrelated to lab work via @beaconbio.bsky.social - beaconbio.org/en/report/?r...
beaconbio.org
BEACON
Track biological threats, share vital information, and collaborate on solutions for community protection and preparedness.
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The Fig Economy @figgityfigs.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
Sometimes my wife and I like to send each other text messages as though they’re democratic fundraising messages, and I believe she has produced the jewel of the form.
, it's
and I
have some personal news to share with you.
Being a mom is one of the greatest joys of my life, and I feel deeply that we should have salad tonight
This year has been challenging in many ways, and I have immense gratitude for the kindness and support of family, community, and people like you who have continued to stand by me through everything. It means the world, and I wanted you to be among the first to know that squash is in the oven and kale is in the fridge.As many of you are aware, ve been navigating one of the most challenging periods of my day while waiting for dinner.
Facing baseless federal hunger brought on by not eating since lunch, fighting for the working kids of this country, and now caring for a mean toddler and helping him grow up in a world that isn't always easy. But it has also reminded me exactly why I do this work and who I do it for.
I will never stop working to eat dinner. I will never stop fighting for what is right, even when there is also some feta in the fridge. And I will never stop being so very thankful that you are by my side in this important work and that there is tahini in the pantry for dressing
With love and gratitude,
stop to end
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Chris Geidner @chrisgeidner.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
Also, no, I am not letting Sam Alito’s not-even-in-an-opinion rants — many of which are years-old speeches reiterating the same grievances he’s been making constantly to anyone who will listen — lead to the exact coverage now that he clearly so desperately craves.
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SAG-AFTRA @sagaftra.org · 06/10/2026
We celebrate Eva Marie Saint, who died today at 102. A #SagAftraMember since 1947, Saint won an Oscar for her film debut in 'On the Waterfront' and starred in 'North by Northwest.' An advocate for organized labor, she leaves an enduring example for generations of union members.
Eva Marie Saint looking into the camera. 
Photo credit: PhotofestMarlon Brando and Eva Marie Saint in 'On the Waterfront.' 
Photo credit: Columbia Pictures/Photofest © Columbia PicturesCary Grant and Eva Marie Saint in 'North by Northwest.' Photo credit: Photofest
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onion person @junlper.beer · 06/10/2026
one of the deepest sicknesses in the world are the people who feel personally attacked over other people getting the same rights as them
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Brian Wasik @brianrwasik.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
Yeah, impeaching Bove off the bench and making an example of him has to be near top of 2027 agenda.
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Jane Coaston @janecoaston.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
they're all just lying, it is tremendous lying, but it is just lying
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jamelle @jamellebouie.net · 06/10/2026
interesting that conservatives were militantly “we must reward hustle” when the target was affirmative action at elite universities and now, when faced with the success of south asians and other groups, it is “i think we are too meritocratic”
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Boo!-per Lund @cooperlund.online · 06/10/2026
Every thing the President does is going to be interpreted in an official capacity, which is why the President must speak clearly and thoughtfully at all times. If the President does not do that, it is not on us to bail him out, he is failing at doing his job.
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Dan Froomkin/Press Watch/Heads Up News @froomkin.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
Another thing to tear down in 2029: www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
nytimes.com
Inside Trump's Plan to Fence Off a Historic Protest Site
The president’s proposal to enclose a park in Washington could alter how the space has been used for generations.
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The Associated Press @apnews.com · 06/10/2026
BREAKING: Former Deputy AG Sally Yates will lead a review of Cornell's handling of sexual assault and harassment reports, the university said.
bit.ly
Cornell brings in ex-Justice official Sally Yates to review school’s handling of sex assault claims
Cornell University trustees have announced that former Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates will review how the university handles sexual misconduct complaints.
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Alan Elrod @aselrod.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
I wrote about the Cornell rape case, specifically about how MAGA responses to it highlight the male supremacism on the American right. www.liberalcurrents.com/the-illusion...
liberalcurrents.com
The Illusion of Consent: A Rape at Cornell and the MAGA Right
For the new right, when a man is accused of rape, he is first and foremost a victim of feminism.
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Ryan J. Reilly “paints a vivid and urgent portrait of… disarray” @ryanjreilly.com · 06/10/2026
First on @nbcnews.com: www.nbcnews.com/politics/jus...
nbcnews.com
FBI whistleblower says White House pushed unconstitutional probe of protesters
The former analyst says supervisors were told not to put things in writing, so many of the directives came in face-to-face meetings.
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David Simon @audacityofdespair.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
I want this lying, sundowning grifter to continue speaking off-the-cuff, emptying his hollow soul into microphones in every swing state he can reach in the next month. I want him out there every day, revealing some fresh thread of malignant, fatuous idiocy. I think he's now a political plague.
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TPM @talkingpointsmemo.com · 06/10/2026
Despite her recent statements, she has, over the past year and a half — through the Trump administration's countless illegal impoundments, funding freezes and pocket rescissions — done little to actually rein the executive branch in.
talkingpointsmemo.com
Susan Collins Voted to Confirm Russ Vought. Is She Having Second Thoughts?
In recent weeks, as the Office of Management and Budget Director Russ...
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Dave Itzkoff @ditzkoff.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
Oh brother.
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Geoff Brumfiel @gbrumfiel.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
The IceCube neutrino detector has won the 2026 Nobel Prize in physics. The Trump administration has proposed slashing its budget in half in 2027.
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Bill @bill-of-lefts.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
I think parts of the right are radicalizing further *precisely because* Donald Trump is a failure—they have no positive outcome to point to, so they can only maintain their ego by imaging the left as a literally satanic force
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Boo!-per Lund @cooperlund.online · 06/10/2026
Nobody has ever said “cortisol” and made a point that didn’t make me worried they weren’t vaccinating their children
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darth™️ @darthbluesky.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
star wars
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Brian Wasik @brianrwasik.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
People will hear me yelling some 700mi East.
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Mina Kimes @minakimes.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
Me when my parents rented DEEP IMPACT from Blockbuster
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Joel S. @joelhs.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
Seems like if you're going to make a national story out of Hasan Piker, who campaigned a few times with the Democratic Senate candidate in Michigan, saying Israel causes antisemitism, you should also make a national story out of the favorite intellectual of the US Vice President supporting Hitler.
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Brian Wasik @brianrwasik.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
Congrats, Jordan!
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Elizabeth Jacobs, PhD @elizabethjacobs.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
Pennsylvania has now reported: -At least 1004 measles cases -198 hospitalizations -Five deaths Only four of the cases had been vaccinated. Sure, we’ve got some numbers here, but the damage from RFK Jr.’s malicious treachery is actually incalculable.
wbaltv.com
Pennsylvania measles cases reach more than 1,000. Track outbreaks in your state
Measles cases have surged in 2026, and Pennsylvania reported more than a thousand cases as of Monday.
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Dan Vergano @danvergano.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
First Birth Cohort Eligible for Chickenpox Vaccine Had a Sharp Drop in Shingles Cases www.epicresearch.org/articles/fir...
epicresearch.org
First Birth Cohort Eligible for Chickenpox Vaccine Had a Sharp Drop in Shingles Cases
The share of adults diagnosed with shingles between 2019 and 2026 rose steeply with age, from about 7 per 10,000 among those born between 2006 and 2008 to 182 per 10,000 among those born between 1968 ...
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