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Dr. Katharine Dickson

@metaomicsnerd.bsky.social
17K followers 7.7K following 9.1K posts

Microbiome science by training; climate policy by calling. Professional anti-methanogen crusader. I 分かる some 日本語. Opinions my own. She/her. 🇺🇸. ☸️ (Jōdo Shinshū). Owner of @cowburpsbot.bsky.social Portfolio: tinyurl.com/katharinedickson

PostsRepliesMedia
Reposted by Dr. Katharine Dickson
Gerry Doyle @mgerrydoyle.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
imagine seeing a scene like this and thinking "yes, this is good" just speaking personally here it makes me incandescent with rage
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Dr. Katharine Dickson @metaomicsnerd.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
All the people I knew as a postdoc are gone from Davis now and I have this sinking feeling: do I have to force myself to become an outdoorsy person to socialize with people in their 30s and 40s around here I'm an indoor cat yo
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Dr. Katharine Dickson @metaomicsnerd.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-i...
theguardian.com
Trump and Hegseth want men to take risky testosterone boosters. It’s all based on shoddy science
Hoping to win back male voters, the Trump White House is pushing the regressive idea that one hormone could be a magic elixir of masculinity
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Dr. Katharine Dickson @metaomicsnerd.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
A man who needs his female partner to be lesser than him isn't manly or mature; he's just someone who (thinks he) needs a handicap and can't play on a level playing surface.
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Reposted by Dr. Katharine Dickson
jamelle @jamellebouie.net · 27/09/2026
reading this, it does seem as if “rationalism” is an elaborate intellectual architecture designed primarily to support the idea that if you were born white, male and clever then you are the genetic elite and entitled to rule.
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Reposted by Dr. Katharine Dickson
Richard Waite @waiterich.bsky.social · 28/11/2023
Yep. For anyone working on climate, prepare to inhabit the messy space between “everything and everyone is doomed” and “everything and everyone is saved” for the rest of your life
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Reposted by Dr. Katharine Dickson
Ste Jormur @stejormur.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Dril tweet reading "if you ask me this election could end about 100 different ways:
1) trump gets 0% of the vote
2) trump gets 1% of the vote
3) trump gets 2% o"
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Dr. Katharine Dickson @metaomicsnerd.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
If they ask what issue matters most, say “State capacity,” then patiently explain potholes, permitting, public health, climate implementation, staffing, and other tidbits of bureaucracy until the moderator regrets asking.
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Dr. Katharine Dickson @metaomicsnerd.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Why would you post about iced coffee at an interview when you can post about Fat Bear Week instead? explore.org/fat-bear-week
explore.org
Fat Bear Week 2026 - Explore.org
Explore.org is the world's leading philanthropic live nature cam network and documentary film channel. Our mission is to champion the selfless acts of others, create a portal into the soul of humanity...
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Reposted by Dr. Katharine Dickson
Timnit Gebru @timnitgebru.blacksky.app · 26/09/2026
I am now reading @poisonivy.bsky.social's account which starts with "I’ve dropped a few articles about my experiences at Vibecamp, and interactions in the Rationalist / Effective Altruist corner of the TESCREAL diaspora." Because nothing seems to take these people out 😡
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Reposted by Dr. Katharine Dickson
Abdul El-Sayed @abdulelsayed.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
It now costs the truck drivers on average $1,200 to fill up a single tank because of the war in Iran. Mike Rogers said it's a win-win-win. Are you winning?
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Dr. Katharine Dickson @metaomicsnerd.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
I took a look at my follower count and I've apparently broken 17.2k! You know what I think of that? That's 17.2k people I can be in community with, have conversations with, and learn from. So I want to take a moment to thank you all for being here.
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Dr. Katharine Dickson @metaomicsnerd.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
they are coming for contraception
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Dr. Katharine Dickson @metaomicsnerd.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
I'm getting tired of seeing a glut of AI executives, VCs, and computer scientists yelling about AI revolutionizing entire scientific fields on LinkedIn when none of them have likely been the people on the ground having to do the dirty work of making sure their methods and data are actually solid.
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Reposted by Dr. Katharine Dickson
Dr Earhart Sampson PhD 🌎 🇨🇦 🇺🇲 🇲🇽 🇩🇰 🇺🇦 @earhart.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
This is true. www.nytimes.com/2026/09/18/b...
nytimes.com
The Working Class Face a ‘Class Ceiling’ in Elite Occupations
Being female or a person of color has long been seen as a disadvantage in hiring and promotion. A new study of college professors shows that class may loom as large.
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Dr. Katharine Dickson @metaomicsnerd.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
static.klipy.com
Huh Cat
Alt: peering cat.
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Reposted by Dr. Katharine Dickson
Andy Craig @andycraig.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Great system where the body with the power to declare, fund, and authorize wars can repeatedly vote "we don't approve of this war, stop it" and it has no effect.
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Reposted by Dr. Katharine Dickson
The War Horse @thewarhorsenews.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
We obtained early data from the Marine Corps’ new fitness standards for women in combat roles after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered that women serving in combat jobs be scored against the male fitness test standard. thewarhorse.org/hegseth-mari...
thewarhorse.org
Hegseth Made the Fitness Test Harder for Women in Combat Roles. Most Female Marines Are Passing
Data shows almost all Marine females serving in combat roles have met or exceeded Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's new physical fitness standard.
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Richard Waite @waiterich.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
*whispers* a lot of what this describes are practices that increase resilience of agricultural systems, rather than mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions which is ok but companies shouldn’t confuse the two in people’s minds for actual carbon claims, data are needed, not “this is regenerative”
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Reposted by Dr. Katharine Dickson
Abdul El-Sayed @abdulelsayed.bsky.social · 23/08/2026
We're being told that if we sacrifice the rights of some people, then the rest of us get to keep our rights. We all know that's some BS.
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Naomi Klein @naomiaklein.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
First excerpt from End Times Fascism! So happy The Guardian went for the part of the book about the wonder of THIS world, and the people doing everything to commit to it. www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-i...
theguardian.com
The end times fascists are plotting their escape from our world. Our mission is clear
An unholy alliance is working toward an apocalyptic future from which only a chosen few will emerge unscathed. It’s becoming clear how we stop them
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Reposted by Dr. Katharine Dickson
Michael Clemens @mclem.org · 12/09/2026
The unstoppable @mhackman.bsky.social of @wsj.com reported on this over the summer, when most of us had only heard disturbing rumors.
wsj.com
Exclusive | U.S. Weighs $100,000 Fee for Foreign Students Wanting to Work After Graduation
The proposed policy would particularly affect Silicon Valley, Wall Street and universities.
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Reposted by Dr. Katharine Dickson
David Ho @davidho.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
I resigned from ExxonMobil today. I spent the last three years doing fossil fuel extraction research at both BP and ExxonMobil. Neither company is acting responsibly. They are racing to maximize extraction while the window to act closes, and gambling with our lives. More below.
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Katie Hinde @mammalssuck.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
"The whole “Oh no, our models went rogue” thing … When a bridge collapses, you don’t analyze whether the bridge was ethical or sentient or why it decided to collapse. You ask, who is the person who built this bridge to be so flimsy?" www.wired.com/story/one-of...
wired.com
One of AI’s Fiercest Critics Says All the Doom Talk Is ‘Meant to Distract Us’
Timnit Gebru argues that AI companies are stoking fears of extinction to avoid discussing actual harms, like autonomous weapons.
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onion person @junlper.beer · 11/09/2026
it’s wild that the heritage foundation wrote in text that the assault on trans woman particularly in sports is their first step in their efforts to completely abolish all Title IX protections and liberals still don’t believe it’s about more than trans women in sports
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Dr. Katharine Dickson @metaomicsnerd.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Every time someone says something about "ikigai" or "tsundoku" or some other exoticizing remark about Japanese words I like to tell them I practice ikiru (生きる), the Japanese concept of maintaining physiological homeostasis.
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Reposted by Dr. Katharine Dickson
Yousef Baig @yousefbaig.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
The entire Bee opinion staff was let go today. I’m sad for my friends and former colleagues. Robin is a fearless and dedicated journalist who gives a shit. She is well-sourced and speaks her truth. Sacramento is better because of her work. These layoffs are a major blow to journalism in California.
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public health guy @publichealthguy1.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
📈📈📈
Gas Station Price Sign Using Scientific Notation

the ONION
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Dr. Katharine Dickson @metaomicsnerd.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
May my remaining manuscripts leave my life with the dignity and efficiency of guests who recognize that the party ended three hours ago.
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Dr. Katharine Dickson @metaomicsnerd.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Today I found out we have a mobile mechanic in Davis! Also today my car started and refused to run.
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Reposted by Dr. Katharine Dickson
GOLIKEHELLMACHINE @golikehellmachine.com · 09/09/2026
i would really like a member of congress to ask these execs whether they understand what labs who study and possess the most dangerous infectious diseases on earth have to do, in terms of security and safeguards, and then ask whether their companies have similarly stringent protocols
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Reposted by Dr. Katharine Dickson
Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò @olufemiotaiwo.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
i'm gonna say one more thing about this. one other aspect of this particular knot of anti-intellectualism is innumeracy. if I told you flooding was a problem in some neighborhood and we needed to figure out how to redistribute water, you probably wouldn't say "oh you mean like a cup?!"
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Faine Greenwood @faineg.com · 09/09/2026
"surely it is insidious Chinese propaganda that's making normal people hate and fear us, instead of how we say stuff like this on main all the time" - the big American genAI companies
I don't know what my probabilities are on literal extinction, but I think there are a number of ways AI could go poorly for humanity, and at the current frankly terrifying pace humanity will be quite lucky if we manage to find and stay on the narrow path between all the bad outcomes.  

I am heartened by the many costly actions OpenAI has taken recently (detailed in several recent posts), but regardless of what you think of OpenAI, this is not a problem that can be solved by any one company (or country) in isolation.  We need coordination to be able to approach future capability increases with an appropriate degree of caution and humility, and we need it yesterday.
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Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò @olufemiotaiwo.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
if it took you 5 seconds of contemplation to think of an alternative you should take at least another 5-10 to at least consider the possibility that it at least crossed the minds of 1 or 2 of the people who dedicate their lives and research careers to dealing with the problems we post about on here
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Dr. Katharine Dickson @metaomicsnerd.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
You can’t just post Tweets by apocalypse-predicting Anthropic employees without posting the comments, folks. That’s where the juice is!!!
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Reposted by Dr. Katharine Dickson
Justin Hendrix @justinhendrix.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
"Job postings and interviews with senior security officials at Anthropic show that the frontier AI lab is building out an extensive monitoring system to keep tabs on activists who oppose the rapid development of artificial intelligence."
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A.R. Moxon @juliusgoat.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
Our society's unfathomable cruelty to homeless people is not just morally unjustifiable, but more expensive than housing people would be. Cruelty against the homeless is an unaffordable luxury. Abandoning homeless people to avoid offending the Protestant work ethic is an unaffordable luxury.
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Dr. Katharine Dickson @metaomicsnerd.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
Right wing male misogynists' purported standards for stripping women of their rights would, in fact, strip said male misogynists of their rights thoroughly if they were held to the same.
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Dr. Katharine Dickson @metaomicsnerd.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
One of the little blessings of having a doctorate is being able to answer "Miss or Mrs.?" with "Dr."
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Dr. Katharine Dickson @metaomicsnerd.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Steve Hilton wants to cut 10% of the California state workforce. Say no to Hilton, vote Becerra. www.sacbee.com/news/politic...
sacbee.com
Steve Hilton proposes paid family leave expansion funded by 10% workforce cut
The Republican hopeful for governor says the plan is aimed at working-class families. His rival says the math isn’t there.
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Reposted by Dr. Katharine Dickson
Christopher Webb @cwebbonline.com · 03/09/2026
This iconic 1971 photo of Gloria Steinem and Dorothy Pitman Hughes has always said so much without saying a word. Two women. Two raised fists. One shared fight for equality. Dorothy passed in 2022. Now Gloria is gone too. Two giants who helped change America. Rest in power, Gloria. ✊🏼✊🏾
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Seth Abramson @sethabramson.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
They have every intention of rigging this election and trying to steal it And these are the same people who spent a decade falsely claiming elections are rigged It's the biggest, longest con in U.S. political history, and the whole country is its victim
cnn.com
USPS whistleblower describes new plans for voting by mail hidden from the public | CNN Politics
The US Postal Service effort to develop a sweeping new system for verifying mail ballots has invited a host of IT concerns among agency officials, with some describing the process internally as a “sh*...
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Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
We will see what happens in November, but forcefully telling elected officials that you will punish them for limiting voting access is exactly the way to go.
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Dr. Katharine Dickson @metaomicsnerd.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
My short-haired sisters: use men’s hair styling products. They are formulated for short cuts, stronger hold, texture, separation, and low shine. Plus you don’t have to pay the pink tax.
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Reposted by Dr. Katharine Dickson
Aaron Reichlin-Melnick @reichlinmelnick.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
It's like a parody, but it's deadly serious; the Commerce Department (which includes Census, NOAA, and others) has outright deleted "don't alter or suppress scientific findings for political reasons" from its scientific integrity rules. Seriously.
Protecting against "inappropriate influence" is no longer a "hallmark" of scientific integrity

The Commerce Department updated its policy for promoting a "culture of scientific integrity" in January 2025, days before Trump's second inauguration.

A new Trump administration order bans the Census Bureau and the Bureau of Economic Analysis from using statistical “noise,” or data for fuzzing survey results, to protect people’s privacy in their statistics.

The 2025 version included bans on attempts to shape or interfere in data collection, statistical analysis and other scientific activities "against well-accepted scientific methods and theories or without scientific justification."

The department's policy, the 2025 version said, involves ensuring scientific findings at its agencies "are not suppressed, delayed, or altered for political purposes and are not subjected to inappropriate influence," as well as making sure there's "independent review of facilities, methodologies, and other scientific activities as appropriate to ensure scientific integrity."

That language is missing, however, in the Trump administration's revision of the policy, according to an NPR analysis of text posted on the Commerce Department's website.

And while the revision adopts a definition for "scientific integrity" that is similar to the previous version, it no longer says that "protection from inappropriate influence" is among the "hallmarks of scientific integrity."
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Dr. Katharine Dickson @metaomicsnerd.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
Scott Yenor, once again, needs to iron my skirt.
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Dr. Katharine Dickson @metaomicsnerd.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
The weather forecast in Davis says “sunny” and it is extremely not sunny. I would like to talk to the weather manager.
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Dr. Katharine Dickson @metaomicsnerd.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
One of the things that especially baffles me about the “kids are getting trans surgeries at school!!!” argument is: The logistical absurdity. ...
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Dr. Katharine Dickson @metaomicsnerd.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
I just came across a guy on LinkedIn who was concerned that his son was worried about AI taking jobs, so did a whole entrepreneurship experience thing with him. I don’t like LinkedIn much.
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Dr. Katharine Dickson @metaomicsnerd.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
I was today years old when I learned an astonishing amount of commercial bioinformatics is just respectable open source software wearing an enterprise trenchcoat.
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