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Nathan Whitmore

@nathanww.bsky.social
86 followers 127 following 226 posts

I design tech for cognitive enhancement at the MIT Media Lab. he/him. Was @brain_juices on twitter.

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Reposted by Nathan Whitmore
Mineral Cup & Ore Cup @mineralcup.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
#MinCup26 Round 2 Match 7 It's blue skies ahead as multicoloured cubes of #Halite are up against the bubbly cool-toned #Chrysocolla. VOTE: www.mineralcup.org/2026/vote-re... RESULTS: www.mineralcup.org/2026/vote-re...
Split photo of seafoam green minerals. One one side, translucent sea foam-green cubes on a crust of milky-white crystals. On the other, bobby aqua-green milky-translucent crystals perched on a grainy grassy-green base rock
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Reposted by Nathan Whitmore
Grace @gracekind.net · 08/09/2026
P != NP by the way (OpenAI do NOT steal this)
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Nathan Whitmore @nathanww.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Seems like there's a significant market for a two wish willow.
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Nathan Whitmore @nathanww.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
At this point we should just bring back the theory that autism is caused by your child being abducted and replaced by a Fae child. That's not like..more wrong.
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Nathan Whitmore @nathanww.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
I'm attending the NYC neuromodulation conference this weekend! (Presenting our research on slow wave entrainment). Come say hi if you're around!
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Nathan Whitmore @nathanww.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
For folks who think a misaligned AI would likely cause human extinction: Why are there still mosquitoes? After all we want to get rid of mosquitoes. We are much more intelligent than mosquitoes. Their existence is a negative for pretty much every human preference. Yet mosquitoes are doing fine.
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Nathan Whitmore @nathanww.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
I see your SF AI billboards and raise you the Boston T ads
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Nathan Whitmore @nathanww.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
Normal people watching Backrooms: What?? don't go in there!!! Urban explorers watching Backrooms: ooooooh what's in there????
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Nathan Whitmore @nathanww.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
The fundamental contradiction with Bryan Johnson is that if you could actually reverse aging at a fundamental level, you wouldn't need a 4 in 1 skin peptide for the same reason 11 year olds don't need a skin peptide--your skin would just be nice on its own.
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Reposted by Nathan Whitmore
Gregg Gonsalves @gregggonsalves.bsky.social · 22/06/2026
Defend Public Health has launched an all-out, multipronged campaign to block proposed new OMB rules for federal grants, which threaten to politicize all federal funding, from medical research to grants for bridge repairs and disaster relief. www.defendpublichealth.org/press-releas...
defendpublichealth.org
Defend Public Health Launches Multi-Pronged Campaign Against OMB Grant Rules | Defend Public Health
Defend Public Health has launched an all-out, multipronged campaign to block proposed new Office of Management and Budget rules for federal grants, which threaten to politicize all federal funding, fr...
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Nathan Whitmore @nathanww.bsky.social · 20/06/2026
Tbh I don't really undertsand the hype around smart rings. They are essentially smart watches with more constraints on processing and sensing capability.
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Reposted by Nathan Whitmore
The Guardian @theguardian.com · 15/06/2026
Right now, we could be living through a hantavirus disaster. The world avoided that, and this is why | Devi Sridhar
theguardian.com
Right now, we could be living through a hantavirus disaster. The world avoided that, and this is why | Devi Sridhar
As the isolation period comes to an end for those caught up in the outbreak on a cruise ship, let’s celebrate a good news story, says Devi Sridhar of Edinburgh University
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Reposted by Nathan Whitmore
Kristian G. Andersen @kgandersen.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
On OMB's proposal to make all grants political: "Speak up! Now’s the time! Standing by the side of the room, glancing around nervously and hoping that somebody else does something will lead us to disaster. These are not normal times, so stop acting as if they are." www.science.org/content/blog...
science.org
Action! Action Now.
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Nathan Whitmore @nathanww.bsky.social · 09/05/2026
This is very reassuring. An infection in a flight attendant would be a signal that for whatever reason this hanta irus is transmitting more easily than it normally does. But with infection ruled out our picture is still very limited contagious spread www.reuters.com/business/hea...
reuters.com
KLM flight attendant tested negative for hantavirus infection, WHO says
The World ​Health Organisation on ‌Friday said a Dutch ​KLM flight ​attendant who had ⁠been in ​contact with ​a woman who died from a ​hantavirus infection ​in Johannesburg had tested ‌negative ⁠for a...
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Reposted by Nathan Whitmore
Ellen Pao @ekp.bsky.social · 06/05/2026
Lancet predicts 14M more deaths in the next 4 years. That includes almost half a million children under the age of 5. www.thelancet.com/article/S014...
thelancet.com
Evaluating the impact of two decades of USAID interventions and projecting the effects of defunding on mortality up to 2030: a retrospective impact evaluation and forecasting analysis
USAID funding has significantly contributed to the reduction in adult and child mortality across low-income and middle-income countries over the past two decades. Our estimates show that, unless the a...
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Nathan Whitmore @nathanww.bsky.social · 07/04/2026
I swear Gemini is trolling me
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Nathan Whitmore @nathanww.bsky.social · 04/04/2026
An interesting thing to think about is that recursive self improvement probably applies to humans too: it's pretty reasonable to think that we could make a researcher 15% more productive, enabling them to discover something that makes people 50% more productive, etc...
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Nathan Whitmore @nathanww.bsky.social · 02/04/2026
I actually think the reasons looksmaxxers do what they do are pretty straightforward. It's about developing a form of social capital that is intrinsic and can't be taken away
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Nathan Whitmore @nathanww.bsky.social · 21/03/2026
The children yearn for the mines.
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Nathan Whitmore @nathanww.bsky.social · 14/03/2026
I think the current weird state of the world makes more sense when you remember that we are quite literally living in the post apocalypse. It's been like 4 years since people were suddenly dropping dead on the street, of course things are weird.
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Nathan Whitmore @nathanww.bsky.social · 05/03/2026
I think one thing that's missing from the AI art discourse is the acknowledgement that some creative pursuits have always been about prompting and tuning. Like film/stage directors, screenwriters, composers, fashion designers...
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Nathan Whitmore @nathanww.bsky.social · 27/02/2026
Projections like this make me think we have actually reached a technological singularity (as Kurzweil defines it, a point at which the accelerating pace of change that makes predicting the future essentially impossible)
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Nathan Whitmore @nathanww.bsky.social · 22/02/2026
I feel like most people don't realize that if you have a Bluetooth or WiFi enabled device on you (earbuds, smartwatch, fitness thing) it is more or less constantly broadcasting a locator beacon. www.kold.com/2026/02/17/f...
kold.com
FBI using ‘signal sniffer’ technology to search for Nancy Guthrie’s pacemaker
The device is attached to low-flying aircraft to identify Bluetooth signals, like those emitted from pacemakers.
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Reposted by Nathan Whitmore
Side Quest Books & Games @sidequestbooks.bsky.social · 26/01/2026
Come by Wed-Sun. We’re also matching up to $150.
Poster says “Fuck ICE Fundraiser for LUCE & the Massachusetts Bail Fund. 10% of all shop sales and 100% of used book and game sales, 1/28-2/1 @ SQBG”
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Nathan Whitmore @nathanww.bsky.social · 23/01/2026
The Senate has to approve a budget next week which means that NOW is a great time to tell your senators to strip funding from ICE. This site has a script and contact info! 5calls.org/issue/dhs-bu...
5calls.org
Defund ICE (UPDATED 1/22) - PASSED HOUSE, SENATE VOTE NEXT WEEK ⭑ 5 Calls
Updates January 22, 2026: By a 220-207 vote, the House has passed H.R. 7147, the standalone DHS appropriations bill. Republican Rep. Massie (KY) voted …
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Reposted by Nathan Whitmore
Acyn @acyn.bsky.social · 11/01/2026
FOX: Where’s the protest against the regime that's killing people in the street right now? Trent: They are doing those today. It’s called the ICE protests FOX: Are they talking about Iran at the ICE protests? Trent: No, I think they are talking about the regime that is shooting people in the face
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Reposted by Nathan Whitmore
Adam Kucharski @adamjkucharski.bsky.social · 03/01/2026
How likely is ‘likely’? Does ‘likely’ have a higher probability than ‘probable’? I put together a quick quiz so you can see how you interpret probability phrases, then see how you compare with others: probability.kucharski.io
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Nathan Whitmore @nathanww.bsky.social · 03/01/2026
Probably unpopular take but I think monetizing apps/websites with crypto mining was a good idea we gave up on too soon. It gets around the problems of ad funding, it's a natural solution for spam/bot control and the downside of extra compute is not that bad especially if managed well.
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Reposted by Nathan Whitmore
Matt Novak @paleofuture.bsky.social · 22/12/2025
And now someone has uploaded a version that wasn't filmed off a TV. There's also the torrent link there, which is probably the fastest way to download the 60 Minutes segment on CECOT if you want to save the file locally to your computer.
archive.org
Pulled 60 Minutes segment on CECOT : CBS : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive
This is a screen recording of a 60 Minutes segment about the Centro de Confinamiento del Terrorismo (CECOT) prison in El Salvador, which was intended to be...
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Reposted by Nathan Whitmore
Kit Yates @kityates.bsky.social · 16/12/2025
Adopt ‘air hygiene’ ratings—like food hygiene—for indoor spaces. Independent SAGE designed such a ‘scores on the doors’ system, yet progress is minimal. Make clean air as normal as clean water: visible standards, accountability, and incentives to improve. 9/10
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Reposted by Nathan Whitmore
Kit Yates @kityates.bsky.social · 16/12/2025
Flu is surging. What can we do about it? Layered protections—vaccination, isolation with liveable sick pay, and clean air—enabled by government and institutions. BMJ Opinion by Stephen Reicher, @martinmckee.bsky.social & @profstevegriffin.bsky.social www.bmj.com/content/391/...
bmj.com
Vaccinate, isolate, ventilate: will we finally learn the lessons from covid this flu season?
With flu surging again, Stephen Reicher and colleagues draw on the experience of covid-19 to argue that predictable winter pressures demand more than individual responsibility, they also require syste...
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Nathan Whitmore @nathanww.bsky.social · 16/12/2025
I think one of the best things about AI search engines is how they foster curiosity by lowering the bar to asking questions, which is where creativity comes from.
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Nathan Whitmore @nathanww.bsky.social · 08/12/2025
Well that's a bit ominous...
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Nathan Whitmore @nathanww.bsky.social · 15/11/2025
Come say hi if you're going to #sfn25 and want to chat about cognitive enhancement, sleep, or memory! I'm around starting this evening and will be postering on Tuesday morning !
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Nathan Whitmore @nathanww.bsky.social · 10/11/2025
One odd implication of the AI doom argument is that (super)intelligence is a sort of fungible power that can shape most things to your will. Eg do you believe that had Kamala been sufficiently smart, she would have won the election? Could she win the election in Russia? In China?
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Reposted by Nathan Whitmore
Josh Marshall @joshtpm.bsky.social · 09/11/2025
Sounds like the squishes in the senate caucus are ready to pull the plug with no ACA changes. This is real. If you want to register your opinion you shld call yr senator in the next hour. They not only want to reopen w/nothing. They want cover from their colleagues who still want to hold out.
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Nathan Whitmore @nathanww.bsky.social · 09/11/2025
The cool thing about prediction markets is that they are basically a way to monetize special interests.
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Nathan Whitmore @nathanww.bsky.social · 07/11/2025
Tonight at 6 eastern time: Come talk about the craziest solutions to cool the planet (and whether we should do them) www.twitch.tv/philososcien...
twitch.tv
philososcienceing - Twitch
Join us for philosophizing about science (philososciencing) for a bit!
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Nathan Whitmore @nathanww.bsky.social · 24/10/2025
Tonight: It's almost Halloween, so it's time for the creepiest animals! 6:30 eastern time at www.twitch.tv/philososcien...
twitch.tv
philososcienceing - Twitch
Join us for philosophizing about science (philososciencing) for a bit!
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Nathan Whitmore @nathanww.bsky.social · 22/10/2025
Communism in the US is a lot like quicksand in that we all grew up thinking it was gonna be a much bigger issue than it is.
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Nathan Whitmore @nathanww.bsky.social · 19/10/2025
This Consumer Reports lead story shows a lot about what we get wrong in talking about chemicals in food. The main claim is that protein powders often contain "unsafe" levels of lead. Which is bizarre because there's no safe level of lead other than 0 lead. www.consumerreports.org/lead/protein...
consumerreports.org
Protein Powders and Shakes Contain High Levels of Lead - Consumer Reports
CR tests of 23 popular protein powders and shakes found that most contain high levels of lead.
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Nathan Whitmore @nathanww.bsky.social · 15/10/2025
Everyone loves evidence-based practices until the evidence says to eat a clove of raw garlic. (By everyone I mean me)
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Nathan Whitmore @nathanww.bsky.social · 10/10/2025
Highly recommend tracking your mood and activities because if you have a terrible day you can be like oh well at least I collected some data to improve my life
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Nathan Whitmore @nathanww.bsky.social · 08/10/2025
It's darkly ironic how many people will tell you that AI damages critical thinking skills solely on the basis of "it seems like it"
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Nathan Whitmore @nathanww.bsky.social · 03/10/2025
Is BPA really bad for you? Did getting rid of lead make us better people? Tonight we're talking about poisons, toxins, and how we study them! 7 PM eastern time at www.twitch.tv/philososcien...
twitch.tv
philososcienceing - Twitch
Join us for philosophizing about science (philososciencing) for a bit!
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Reposted by Nathan Whitmore
Puff the Magic Hater @mskellymhayes.bsky.social · 02/10/2025
We need a bigger national spotlight on this building raid, fam. Agents dropped from helicopters onto the roof. Citizens and non-citizens alike were dragged from their homes in the night. People who weren't kidnapped during the raid had their belongings seized after the fact. This is madness.
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Nathan Whitmore @nathanww.bsky.social · 26/09/2025
What is the ideal amount of Teflon in your food? If you said zero Teflon, you're *wrong*--according to the winner of this year's Ig-Nobel Prize in Chemistry! Join us at 9 eastern time to chat about the year's weirdest science at the Ig-Nobels! www.twitch.tv/philososcien...
twitch.tv
philososcienceing - Twitch
Join us for philosophizing about science (philososciencing) for a bit!
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Nathan Whitmore @nathanww.bsky.social · 20/09/2025
Finally read the ai-2027.com scenario and my main impression is that this is real heavy on geopolitics for a team that knows nothing about geopolitics. Like if your thesis is that the fate of the world will be decided by a US-China arms race, shouldn't you involve some people who...study that?
ai-2027.com
AI 2027
A research-backed AI scenario forecast.
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Nathan Whitmore @nathanww.bsky.social · 18/09/2025
Our next stream is tonight at 6:45 Eastern time! Come chat about the fake (and real) science that's been viral on social media recently! www.twitch.tv/philososcien...
twitch.tv
philososcienceing - Twitch
Join us for philosophizing about science (philososciencing) for a bit!
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Nathan Whitmore @nathanww.bsky.social · 12/09/2025
Tonight at 6:30: Monsanto, sketchy pesticide science, and how safe is our food? Come chat at 6:30 www.twitch.tv/philososcien...
twitch.tv
philososcienceing - Twitch
Join us for philosophizing about science (philososciencing) for a bit!
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