Dr. Phil

@Ti_Enjoli Wait, two years. Shit. That's even worse.

@Ti_Enjoli A year after reposting this, I'm basically doing a third postdoc. Sorta. I'm not sure it's a "real" postdoc since I'm not working for postdoc wages or hours and I'm not imagining I'll get a tenure-track position from this.

@TychoBrahe RE the 20 genes thing, she, Colossal, and other scientists are trying to write whole genomes, but the technology is not there yet. This is sort of like the moon landing: useless in and of itself, but getting there would be revolutionary engineeringbiologycenter.org

@TychoBrahe TLDR: doing it in lab is hard, and the concept of a species is also hard, the ethics behind doing so are hard (but $$$). Doing dinosaurs is flat out impossible sadly.

I mean, I probably couldn't do it, as I suggest in the post which accompanies the strip. I'll try next time I am sequencing a genome.

@GregTSargent Most democrats are arguing in good faith. Democrats on either side of whether Biden should step down are both trying to stop fascism. Doesn't make sense to insist the other side is "sneering" or "smug" here: the other side is not republicans being evil.

I'm puzzled by the sneering tone coming from those arguing to replace Biden. You may be right that Harris is a better bet. I lean toward that myself. But we don't effing know that with any real certainty. All paths ahead are profoundly risky. Enough with the smugness already.

@Caroline_Bartma I thought I had a great idea: FBS for muscle cell culture seems to work via growth factors, so we'd just use transgenic cell lines to avoid needing the growth factors. Turns out a lot of vegans also hate the idea of transgenic food...

@Caroline_Bartma It was especially wild with cultivated meat. "We made a hamburger without killing a cow... well not directly killing a cow anyway. And it cost $300k, most of which was because of the aborted cow stuff."

@mike_feigin ChatGTP!

@EileneSpear I heard "this is how you were convinced" and I have questions.

@NavinPokala @mehdirhasan NO! MUSK TEPIDLY POINTING OUT REALITY AND SCIENCE FROM BEFORE HE WAS BORN IS NOT A "GREAT POINT"!

No words.

@GidMK Thank you for your medical advice.

People sometimes ask me for specific health advice, and my answer is always the same: go and see a doctor Not because doctors are the be-all and end-all, but they are the only people LEGALLY REQUIRED to pay attention and care about you

@Noahpinion "Nobody wants to work anymore types" are very upset at people working.

This is awesome. Why would you not think this is awesome.

@DougJBalloon How much are billionaires paying Sinema to get her to go after every single aggressively stupid, unpopular position?

@GidMK I also heard pain med research and clinical trials have been nonexistent for decades because opiates were making so much money. No buisiness case for spending a ton of money for effective pain meds that weren't addictive and dangerous. >:-(

@GidMK Was recently reading a paper where they gave it to mice. Specifically to cause their livers to quickly become necrotic because it's great at that. I knew it could be bad for your liver, and cheap, but it was still a shock to see that as one of the most effective liver-killers.

I find it a bit wild that paracetamol, likely the most common painkiller, is only proven to work for a fairly small number of types of pain and has been proven NOT to work for acute back pain mja.com.au/journal/2021/2…

If you want to see the people getting married kiss, that was in the ceremony, but just go up and tell them they have to kiss in the reception. Is that creepy? Yes, but at least be the weird creepy uncle face to face rather than clinking your glass from your table at the back.

Went to a wedding this past weekend. The clinking glasses to force the bride and groom to kiss is weird and creepy. And it turns out it was because of a belief in evil spirits, or poison?!? Also all the other wedding traditions also came from dumb shit onehopewine.com/blog/shocking-…

@HeartlandSignal Republicans yap about means testing with everything but tax cuts. They're absolutely fine giving money to people who don't need it.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (DFL) explains why he rejected Republican lawmakers' attempts to means-test school meals for K-12 students: "The haves and the have-nots in the school lunchroom is not a necessary thing. Just feed our children."

@DougJBalloon Goddamnit. I feel seen AND you made me like DeSantis at least a little more. Reported.

Ron DeSantis is seen as the Awkward Candidate. Some voters can relate. - The Washington Post washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2023…