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Holden Thorp

@holdenthorp.bsky.social
19K followers 1.1K following 882 posts

Editor-in-Chief of Science and Professor of Chemistry and Medicine at George Washington University. Opinions not those of AAAS. holdenthorp.substack.com/about #ActuallyAutistic

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Reposted by Holden Thorp
Charles Piller @charlespiller.bsky.social · 07/06/2025
Important perspective - America is ceding the lead in creating the future | Science via @holdenthorp.bsky.social www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
science.org
America is ceding the lead in creating the future
The renowned American management consultant and author Peter Drucker is often credited as saying that “the best way to predict the future is to create it”—a view that applies to science as much as to ...
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Candice Odgers @candiceodgers.bsky.social · 07/06/2025
“The global enterprise will adapt to the lack of American leadership, but the steep loss for the country itself is unambiguous. The United States will no longer have the same window into the technologies of the future that will allow it to shape and anticipate commercial and societal advances.”
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Alondra Nelson @alondra.bsky.social · 06/06/2025
“Scientific knowledge is, fortunately, a public good, and as such, its benefits transcend international boundaries. But relinquishing its prominence in creating the future is nothing short of devastating for the United States.”
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Holden Thorp @holdenthorp.bsky.social · 06/06/2025
Marcia McNutt has been saying that the US is doing a huge experiment with China as the control. The global scientific community will still produce knowledge. But not being in the lead has bad implications for US flourishing. My column: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
science.org
America is ceding the lead in creating the future
The renowned American management consultant and author Peter Drucker is often credited as saying that “the best way to predict the future is to create it”—a view that applies to science as much as to ...
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Eric Topol @erictopol.bsky.social · 05/06/2025
He's right. "Nothing short of devastating" By @holdenthorp.bsky.social @science.org www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
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Gregg Gonsalves @gregggonsalves.bsky.social · 06/06/2025
@holdenthorp.bsky.social has been willing to stand up for science again and again. Thank you.
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Jake Yeston @jakeyeston.bsky.social · 05/06/2025
More from @holdenthorp.bsky.social in @science.org "A world where the United States is no longer leading the scientific enterprise will still benefit from science [...] The global enterprise will adapt to the lack of American leadership, but the steep loss for the country itself is unambiguous."
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Holden Thorp @holdenthorp.bsky.social · 26/05/2025
Will be interesting to see how much national coverage this gets. Would be huge in an earlier time.
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Eric Topol @erictopol.bsky.social · 25/05/2025
Front page, NYT today Nothing has been proven to reverse Alzheimer’s disease, including this false claim gift link www.nytimes.com/2025/05/21/w...
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Leah @leah.myatproto.social · 25/05/2025
Autism is a spectrum and we are getting better at identifying it and helping people navigate life with it.
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Holden Thorp @holdenthorp.bsky.social · 25/05/2025
Strong story by @nidhisubs.bsky.social on adults learning we have autism. Thanks for the shoutout and for bringing awareness to our experiences. www.wsj.com/science/adul...
wsj.com
Why More Adults Than Ever Are Being Diagnosed With Autism
A surge in diagnoses of autism spectrum disorder reveals a shift in awareness and understanding of the condition.
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Eric Michael Garcia @ericmgarcia.bsky.social · 25/05/2025
I oscillate daily between wishing we still have Steve Silberman's voice to offer some moral clarity in the midst of RFK Jr.'s lies about autism and thinking "Thank God Steve isn't alive to see this." NeuroTribes was an essential book for me understanding myself. I miss my friend so much.
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Holden Thorp @holdenthorp.bsky.social · 24/05/2025
I went through RFK’s famous autism press conference and compared what he said to the actual paper he was (supposedly) talking about. There were a few inconsistencies. @ericmgarcia.bsky.social open.substack.com/pub/holdenth...
open.substack.com
What the secretary's own data say about his autism comments
Comparing RFK's statements at the press conference to what is in the actual CDC paper
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Holden Thorp @holdenthorp.bsky.social · 23/05/2025
My interview on @nbcnews.com about Harvard and other higher ed/science attacks. (4 min mark) www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-pre...
nbcnews.com
Trump’s tariff threats on EU and Apple raise ‘concern’ over market volatility
President Trump threatens new tariffs on the European Union and Apple products. Former Chancellor of the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Holden Thorp discusses why Americans should be concern...
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Holden Thorp @holdenthorp.bsky.social · 23/05/2025
US universities should welcome talent from all over the world, no doubt. But now might be a good time for law and business schools to stop running full pay masters programs to prop up their money losing JD and MBA programs. Just too fragile and rankings not worth it.
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Joshua J. Friedman @joshuajfriedman.com · 23/05/2025
NEW: Judge Burroughs GRANTS Harvard's requested TRO against the Trump administration, blocking it from revoking Harvard's ability to enroll international students during early court proceedings.
ORDER GRANTING PLAINTIFF'S
MOTION FOR A TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDER
For purposes of Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 65(b), the President and Fellows of
Harvard College ("Plaintiff") has made a sufficient showing that it has provided notice to
Defendants Department of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, Immigration and Customs
Enforcement, Todd Lyons, Department of Justice, Pamela Bondi, Student and Exchange Visitor
Program, Jim Hicks, Department of State, and Marco Rubio (collectively, "Defendants") and that, unless its Motion for a Temporary Restraining Order ("TRO"), [ECF No. 4 (the "Motion")],
is granted, it will sustain immediate and irreparable injury before there is an opportunity to hear
from all parties. Thus, a TRO is justified to preserve the status quo pending a hearing and the Plaintiff's Motion is GRANTED.
Accordingly, Defendants, their agents, and anyone acting in concert or participation with
Defendants are hereby enjoined from:
A. Implementing,
instituting, maintaining, or giving effect to the revocation of
Plaintiff's SEVP certification;
B. Giving any force or effect to the Department of Homeland Security's May 22, 2025
Revocation Notice.

It is so ordered
May 23, 2025
/s/Allison D. Burroughs
ALLISON D. BURROUGHS
U.S. DISTRICT JUDGE
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Holden Thorp @holdenthorp.bsky.social · 23/05/2025
Harley Kilgore finally gets what he wanted after 80 years. I guess we should be surprised it lasted this long.
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Prof Peter Hotez MD PhD DSc(hon) @peterhotezmdphd.bsky.social · 23/05/2025
thehill.com/homenews/adm...
Detailing how autism occurs autism genes occurring in early fetal, with some input on environmental exposures in early pregnancy
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Holden Thorp @holdenthorp.bsky.social · 23/05/2025
Proud to know Sally. Duke school mom FTW.
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Holden Thorp @holdenthorp.bsky.social · 23/05/2025
I'm not aware of a problem in intercollegiate athletics that can't be traced to the over-involvement of the board. Now UNC has "the most talked-about relationship in America." Sending strength to my former colleagues having to deal with this. www.vanityfair.com/news/story/b...
vanityfair.com
Veteran Sportswriter Pablo Torre Says the Bill Belichick–Jordon Hudson Saga Is More Shakespeare Than TMZ
The tabloid drama ensnaring the NFL’s greatest coach, according to Torre, a popular podcaster and newly minted ‘Morning Joe’ regular, “is fundamentally a story about power.”
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Holden Thorp @holdenthorp.bsky.social · 22/05/2025
Listen to @ericmgarcia.bsky.social for real talk about autism. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/r...
podcasts.apple.com
What RFK Jr. Doesn’t Get About Autism
Podcast Episode · Radio Atlantic · 05/22/2025 · 26m
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Chloë R McKenzie @chloermckenzie.bsky.social · 21/05/2025
Success in academia often has more to do with luck, patronage and the job market than “hard work”. Good academics acknowledge this. I worked hard, but I was in the right place at the right time on occasion. Historians far more talented than I have fallen between the cracks.
Illustration showing a graduation ceremony, with speaker addressing graduates: “Let the example of my fluke success guide nearly all of you to crushing disappointment”.
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Brian Jay Jones @brianjayjones.com · 19/05/2025
This is good news. And no, poor families do NOT have to have Netflix to access Sesame Street. Netflix will release episodes to PBS the *same day* they drop on Netflix, which is significantly better than the prior deal with HBO, which delayed episodes for 9 MONTHS before porting them over to PBS.
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Hank Green @hankgreen.bsky.social · 17/05/2025
The RFK Jr. version of health, where health creates health and healthy people don't get sick and the thing that keeps you healthy is /living the right way/ is very seductive to a lot of people. It also places the burden of illness back on the ill, which decreases the value of human life.
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Holden Thorp @holdenthorp.bsky.social · 18/05/2025
Was such a thrill to speak to the MD graduates at UAB medicine. holdenthorp.substack.com/p/doctors-ar...
holdenthorp.substack.com
Doctors are important science communicators
Speaking to the MD graduates at UAB Medical School Commencement
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Eric Michael Garcia @ericmgarcia.bsky.social · 17/05/2025
People have said how important it was for Walz as a football coach to start a GSA alliance. It's also a pretty big deal to see a veteran, football coach and hunter to completely support his neurodivergent son showing emotion. I wrote this here. www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnb...
This embrace of how Gus Walz expresses himself also has larger policy implications. If society chooses not to see neurodivergent behaviors negatively, then it can start from the point of asking what support systems neurodivergent people need in order to live their fullest selves. This reorients decades of policy that focused on “combating” developmental disabilities more toward serving them and changing the world around them.

Far too often, well-meaning people feel the need to defend neurodivergent or disabled people. But Tim and Gus Walz offer a challenge to those same people; not to consistently defend or excuse them, but to treat their types of love as valid as anything else.
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Rep. Jamie Raskin @raskin.house.gov · 16/05/2025
“Poor man wanna be rich. Rich man wanna be king. The king ain’t satisfied ‘til he rules everything.”—Springsteen, Badlands
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Holden Thorp @holdenthorp.bsky.social · 17/05/2025
Had a blast at UAB medical school. They gave me an MD hood with Caltech colors so congratulations to Caltech on the launch of their medical school! (And no, I didn’t prescribe anything when I had it on.)
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Holden Thorp @holdenthorp.bsky.social · 16/05/2025
I had a blast at Olin College. Just the kind of engineers we need!! open.substack.com/pub/holdenth...
open.substack.com
My speech to the graduates at the Olin College of Engineering
Special place for the kind of engineers we need
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Marcos Castro e Silva, PhD 🇧🇷 @macscastro.bsky.social · 16/05/2025
🚨 Our new paper is out in Science! We analyzed 2,723 high-coverage whole genomes from Brazilians to explore how five centuries of colonization, forced migration, and admixture have shaped genetic diversity and impacted health. 📄 science.org/doi/10.1126/... 🧵👇
science.org
Admixture’s impact on Brazilian population evolution and health
Brazil, the largest Latin American country, is underrepresented in genomic research despite boasting the world’s largest recently admixed population. In this study, we generated 2723 high-coverage who...
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Holden Thorp @holdenthorp.bsky.social · 16/05/2025
Getting excited to talk to the graduates of Olin College of Engineering!!
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Jeff Greene @jeffgreene.bsky.social · 15/05/2025
Important efforts at communicating the value and importance of higher education to the public, by @holdenthorp.bsky.social and others. Higher education needs to do more of this! The more we share, the better Americans will feel about what we do. I believe that. #AcademicSky #EduSky
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Holden Thorp @holdenthorp.bsky.social · 15/05/2025
Beautiful and so true for so many. Moms whose kids were diagnosed contact me frequently. @ericmgarcia.bsky.social #actuallyautistic
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Holden Thorp @holdenthorp.bsky.social · 15/05/2025
Proud to sign this letter with my cherished colleagues to remind folks that public universities are carrying out the work of higher education in ways that benefit the citizens of their states and beyond. www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...
washingtonpost.com
Opinion | We ran 10 flagship state colleges. The war on higher ed won’t stop with Harvard.
Plus, the radical jurisprudence of the late David Souter.
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The New York Times @nytimes.com · 14/05/2025
Audra McDonald’s version of “Rose’s Turn,” in the latest Broadway revival of “Gypsy,” is reaching audiences on a deeper level than any other song being performed on Broadway at the moment, Ben Brantley writes.
nytimes.com
Audra McDonald’s ‘Gypsy’ Showstopper Is a Revelation
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David Malakoff @davidmalakoff.bsky.social · 13/05/2025
Another scoop from Jeff Mervis (@policyhound.bsky.social): NSF's ~1400 grant terminations have disproportionately affected PIs from groups underrepresented in science: women, racial & ethnic minorities, & those with disabilities. 1/3 www.science.org/content/arti...
science.org
Trump officials take steps toward a radically different NSF
Efforts to shrink staff, budget, and focus have alarmed members of Congress
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Alondra Nelson @alondra.bsky.social · 13/05/2025
"For me, the answer now lies in refusal, the withdrawal of participation from systems that require dishonesty as the price of belonging." Today I am resigning from the National Science Board and the Library of Congress Scholars Council. I wrote about my decision in TIME. time.com/7285045/resi...
time.com
Why I’m Resigning from the NSF and Library of Congress
I cannot participate in systems that require dishonesty as the price of belonging.
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Holden Thorp @holdenthorp.bsky.social · 13/05/2025
It is still true that @alondra.bsky.social is the leader we need. Perfection here. time.com/7285045/resi...
time.com
Why I’m Resigning from the NSF and Library of Congress
I cannot participate in systems that require dishonesty as the price of belonging.
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Amanda Katz @katzish.bsky.social · 13/05/2025
Huge loss for the Post—a giant talent and one of its top writers by traffic—is huge gain for the Atlantic. @petridishes.bsky.social is what my friends like to call an American original—a unique voice you can spot from a mile off www.theatlantic.com/press-releas...
theatlantic.com
The Atlantic Hires Alexandra Petri as Staff Writer
None
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Holden Thorp @holdenthorp.bsky.social · 13/05/2025
Excited to talk to the graduates of UAB Medical School on Saturday!
uab.edu
Holden Thorp, Ph.D., to deliver UAB Heersink School of Medicine 2025 commencement address - Heersink School of Medicine News
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Holden Thorp @holdenthorp.bsky.social · 12/05/2025
Agreed. Go @usha.bsky.social
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Holden Thorp @holdenthorp.bsky.social · 12/05/2025
👀
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Holden Thorp @holdenthorp.bsky.social · 12/05/2025
Great illustration of the kind of support neurodivergent young people need and can benefit from.
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Anne Fausto-Sterling @birdlady.bsky.social · 11/05/2025
"there are principles around which all scientists unite—those of evidence, independence, process, and inclusion. " #science #blackinstem #QueerinSTEM #TransinSTEM www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
science.org
Come together, right now
The chaos, conflicting information, firings, and hurtful rhetoric of the Trump administration’s approach to science over the past month are causing anxiety, grief, and concern for the scientific commu...
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Jacob Kramer-Duffield @jaykaydee.bsky.social · 11/05/2025
ESPN doesn't mention this because they are a huge part of the problem here, but this is 100% downstream of MLB's (and all the other major sports') full-throated embrace of gambling. It's a cancer that's already ruining lives and it's only going to get worse.
espn.com
McCullers: Family got death threats during loss
A team spokesperson said the Astros notified both the Houston Police Department and Major League Baseball security about the threats made at Lance McCullers Jr. and his family.
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McSweeney's @mcsweeneys.net · 08/05/2025
"You said autistic children are a burden. That they ruin families. That they’ll never pay taxes or write poems. That they are, in essence, collateral damage. I’d like to introduce you to my daughter."
buff.ly
An Open Letter to Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Who Thinks My Daughter is a Tragedy
Dear Mr. RFK Jr., (The “dear” is tradition. Don’t mistake it for affection.) You said autistic children are a burden. That they ruin families. That...
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Pam Herd @pamherd.bsky.social · 10/05/2025
As we point out in Science, the Trump proposal to convert NIH program officer jobs into political appointments (Schedule F) will mean, that instead of actual scientific experts, people like "Big Balls" will choose how to direct NIH funds. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
The past few months at NIH and NSF preview how politicized scientific agencies would operate. Funding choices that reflected the consensus of some of the best scientists in the world were reversed by nonscientists. Program officers have, at points, been told not to communicate with the scientific community or have had their engagement limited. Scientific agencies have been directed to effectively reduce the flow of funds to a trickle by adding new layers of redundant review and red tape and even violating court orders to reinstate cancelled grants.
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Holden Thorp @holdenthorp.bsky.social · 10/05/2025
This illustrates perfectly the strategy. This soundbite is nonsense if you understand what the Library of Congress is. But on social media without context, it’s perfect for their audience. Same things going on in science.
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Adriana Bankston @abankston.bsky.social · 10/05/2025
On the NSF 75th anniversary, useful tools to support a critical agency for this country’s future. @holdenthorp.bsky.social @jpflores.rbind.io @needhibhalla.bsky.social @kvasquez.bsky.social @dkthomp.bsky.social #SaveNSF #research #science
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