Eric J. Perkins, PhD (he/him)
@allostericsite.bsky.social
Dad, Mol. Biologist, reader, music listener, etc...Skeeting about STEM, SciComm, science nonprofits, & also parenting, food, fitness, travel, being a grumpy GenXer. Aspiring to be an ally to anyone who needs allies, here and IRL.
My 13yo just got back from her Model UN conference, where she had to represent the US (not her choice). Her take: “Never again! NOBODY wants to represent the US when it come to current events.” They’ve got to find someone who relishes playing the villain, I guess😒
January 24, 2026 at 8:47 PM
My 13yo just got back from her Model UN conference, where she had to represent the US (not her choice). Her take: “Never again! NOBODY wants to represent the US when it come to current events.” They’ve got to find someone who relishes playing the villain, I guess😒
As the spouse in my marriage who does nearly all the grocery shopping, I want hazard pay for today😩
January 24, 2026 at 3:13 PM
As the spouse in my marriage who does nearly all the grocery shopping, I want hazard pay for today😩
My daughter is only 16, but she already possesses a lifetime supply of lip balm (this pic just shows the top of layer of three).
January 21, 2026 at 1:30 PM
My daughter is only 16, but she already possesses a lifetime supply of lip balm (this pic just shows the top of layer of three).
I've been using @bandcamp.com for 80% of my music listening and buying for years because it gets more $$ into artists' hands, but with this announcement I'm moving towards using them exclusively. pitchfork.com/news/bandcam...
Bandcamp Announces Ban on AI Music
Music that is “generated wholly or in substantial part by AI” will now be taken down from the streaming service
pitchfork.com
January 16, 2026 at 2:08 PM
I've been using @bandcamp.com for 80% of my music listening and buying for years because it gets more $$ into artists' hands, but with this announcement I'm moving towards using them exclusively. pitchfork.com/news/bandcam...
I did not have to get many pages into Kaveh Akbar’s “Martyr!” before it got an entry into my Journal of Good Writing:
“The only people who speak in certainties are zealots and tyrants.”
“The only people who speak in certainties are zealots and tyrants.”
January 15, 2026 at 10:54 PM
I did not have to get many pages into Kaveh Akbar’s “Martyr!” before it got an entry into my Journal of Good Writing:
“The only people who speak in certainties are zealots and tyrants.”
“The only people who speak in certainties are zealots and tyrants.”
Could I give a talk about CRISPR benefits and risks? Sure.
Could I give such a talk in *German* like my 16yo tomorrow? Absolutely not.
Could I give such a talk in *German* like my 16yo tomorrow? Absolutely not.
January 9, 2026 at 11:17 PM
Could I give a talk about CRISPR benefits and risks? Sure.
Could I give such a talk in *German* like my 16yo tomorrow? Absolutely not.
Could I give such a talk in *German* like my 16yo tomorrow? Absolutely not.
Though I have very mixed feelings about AI images, my co-worker's very rapid rendering of my Slack rant this morning is frighteningly accurate.
January 8, 2026 at 1:57 PM
Though I have very mixed feelings about AI images, my co-worker's very rapid rendering of my Slack rant this morning is frighteningly accurate.
Reducing vaccination requirements AND raising health insurance costs is a bold move. One would think killing and/or bankrupting citizens would not be a good idea, yet here we are.
January 6, 2026 at 2:55 PM
Reducing vaccination requirements AND raising health insurance costs is a bold move. One would think killing and/or bankrupting citizens would not be a good idea, yet here we are.
I wrote about my catch-all New Year's resolution to just say "yes" to things in my local paper, The Belmont Voice.
belmontvoice.org/generations-...
(And yes, this column is already starting to bite me in the ass, but I asked for it...)
belmontvoice.org/generations-...
(And yes, this column is already starting to bite me in the ass, but I asked for it...)
Generations: Resolving to Say 'Yes'
Belmont columnist Eric J. Perkins shares how saying 'yes' shapes his life and why it’s his one New Year’s resolution every year.
belmontvoice.org
January 2, 2026 at 9:24 PM
I wrote about my catch-all New Year's resolution to just say "yes" to things in my local paper, The Belmont Voice.
belmontvoice.org/generations-...
(And yes, this column is already starting to bite me in the ass, but I asked for it...)
belmontvoice.org/generations-...
(And yes, this column is already starting to bite me in the ass, but I asked for it...)
Me, heating up some leftover Chinese for Sunday lunch.
My brain: “I absolutely HAVE to know what the cast of ‘Mr. Belvedere’ is up to these days.”
Reason #89 I may not be entirely neurotypical.
My brain: “I absolutely HAVE to know what the cast of ‘Mr. Belvedere’ is up to these days.”
Reason #89 I may not be entirely neurotypical.
December 28, 2025 at 5:51 PM
Me, heating up some leftover Chinese for Sunday lunch.
My brain: “I absolutely HAVE to know what the cast of ‘Mr. Belvedere’ is up to these days.”
Reason #89 I may not be entirely neurotypical.
My brain: “I absolutely HAVE to know what the cast of ‘Mr. Belvedere’ is up to these days.”
Reason #89 I may not be entirely neurotypical.
Listening to holiday music in the car with my 16yo and "Baby It's Cold Outside" comes on.
Me: This might be my least favorite holiday song.
Daughter: We listened to this song in my Health class as a cautionary tale about consent.
Maybe the next generation will finally retire it?
Me: This might be my least favorite holiday song.
Daughter: We listened to this song in my Health class as a cautionary tale about consent.
Maybe the next generation will finally retire it?
December 19, 2025 at 4:51 PM
Listening to holiday music in the car with my 16yo and "Baby It's Cold Outside" comes on.
Me: This might be my least favorite holiday song.
Daughter: We listened to this song in my Health class as a cautionary tale about consent.
Maybe the next generation will finally retire it?
Me: This might be my least favorite holiday song.
Daughter: We listened to this song in my Health class as a cautionary tale about consent.
Maybe the next generation will finally retire it?
Well at least I’ve got this going for me.
December 17, 2025 at 11:44 AM
Well at least I’ve got this going for me.
My wife is picking my son up from his first semester of college today. He told us that he’s going to do a load of laundry at school *before* she picks him up. What kind of freak did we raise?
December 15, 2025 at 12:42 PM
My wife is picking my son up from his first semester of college today. He told us that he’s going to do a load of laundry at school *before* she picks him up. What kind of freak did we raise?
First thing I did with my new Garmin fitness tracker is deactivate the "body battery". I do not need my watch telling me I slept like $hit and my I'm starting my day with a 23% battery.
Next to go is the stress tracker. Yes, I know I was stressed for 100% of the day. Have you seen this president?
Next to go is the stress tracker. Yes, I know I was stressed for 100% of the day. Have you seen this president?
December 12, 2025 at 11:56 PM
First thing I did with my new Garmin fitness tracker is deactivate the "body battery". I do not need my watch telling me I slept like $hit and my I'm starting my day with a 23% battery.
Next to go is the stress tracker. Yes, I know I was stressed for 100% of the day. Have you seen this president?
Next to go is the stress tracker. Yes, I know I was stressed for 100% of the day. Have you seen this president?
Yeah, about that. The "liquid glass" display is awful, and the UI/UX designers I know agree. At least give us the option to toggle that garbage off. Way to fix something until it's broken.
Apple iOS 26.2—1 Billion iPhone Users Must Install New Update
Apple iOS 26.2—1 Billion iPhone Users Must Install New Update
iOS 26.2 comes just days after Apple issued new attack warnings to iPhone users around the world.
www.forbes.com
December 12, 2025 at 3:48 PM
Yeah, about that. The "liquid glass" display is awful, and the UI/UX designers I know agree. At least give us the option to toggle that garbage off. Way to fix something until it's broken.
Today I learned that the Latin name for the Northern Mockingbird is *Mimus polyglottos*, and though that seems a bit on-the-nose, I like it.
December 10, 2025 at 12:25 PM
Today I learned that the Latin name for the Northern Mockingbird is *Mimus polyglottos*, and though that seems a bit on-the-nose, I like it.
I broke a fairly long Wordle streak today and I am taking comfort in the knowledge that I am never going to play Wordle again.
December 9, 2025 at 5:03 AM
I broke a fairly long Wordle streak today and I am taking comfort in the knowledge that I am never going to play Wordle again.
And this is why I listen to music on Tidal and not Spotify. And if you want to support artists even more, buy their stuff on @bandcamp.com. They will get ALL the money today, which is #BandcampFriday.
📈 Here's how much money Los Camp! make from streaming...
On the occasion of #SpotifyWrapped, we thought now would be a good time to share some cold, hard stats about how much money our band makes from streaming royalties.
📖 tinyurl.com/LCwrapped
On the occasion of #SpotifyWrapped, we thought now would be a good time to share some cold, hard stats about how much money our band makes from streaming royalties.
📖 tinyurl.com/LCwrapped
December 5, 2025 at 1:36 PM
And this is why I listen to music on Tidal and not Spotify. And if you want to support artists even more, buy their stuff on @bandcamp.com. They will get ALL the money today, which is #BandcampFriday.
Congratulations to @addgene.bsky.social depositors @jourdainlab.bsky.social, @mpercharde.bsky.social, and @alejofraticelli.bsky.social (and maybe some future Addgene depositors?) on this honor!
www.addgene.org/Alexis_Jourd...
www.addgene.org/Michelle_Per...
www.addgene.org/Alejo_Rodrig...
www.addgene.org/Alexis_Jourd...
www.addgene.org/Michelle_Per...
www.addgene.org/Alejo_Rodrig...
December 4, 2025 at 2:21 PM
Congratulations to @addgene.bsky.social depositors @jourdainlab.bsky.social, @mpercharde.bsky.social, and @alejofraticelli.bsky.social (and maybe some future Addgene depositors?) on this honor!
www.addgene.org/Alexis_Jourd...
www.addgene.org/Michelle_Per...
www.addgene.org/Alejo_Rodrig...
www.addgene.org/Alexis_Jourd...
www.addgene.org/Michelle_Per...
www.addgene.org/Alejo_Rodrig...
I’m pretty sure the best place to hide Xmas presents from my 16yo would be under the recycling bin that she’s supposed to empty at least once a week, but carefully avoids at all costs.
December 2, 2025 at 2:07 AM
I’m pretty sure the best place to hide Xmas presents from my 16yo would be under the recycling bin that she’s supposed to empty at least once a week, but carefully avoids at all costs.
My Thanksgiving to-do list vs. my friend’s. Outcome was the same—we both fed a bunch of people. But whoo-doggy did we use different tactics (and, okay, his probably tasted better)😆
November 28, 2025 at 6:04 AM
My Thanksgiving to-do list vs. my friend’s. Outcome was the same—we both fed a bunch of people. But whoo-doggy did we use different tactics (and, okay, his probably tasted better)😆
My 16yo did not like the cool song I just made up called “I’m On Vacation Already And You’re Not”🎶🎵
November 25, 2025 at 1:00 AM
My 16yo did not like the cool song I just made up called “I’m On Vacation Already And You’re Not”🎶🎵
My wife, in Germany for a landmark birthday, has never used emojis in her text messages before. I guess she just needed the right occasion 😏
November 24, 2025 at 9:34 PM
My wife, in Germany for a landmark birthday, has never used emojis in her text messages before. I guess she just needed the right occasion 😏
Five pounds of butter is probably enough for Thanksgiving, right?🧈🧈🧈🧈🧈
November 23, 2025 at 5:13 PM
Five pounds of butter is probably enough for Thanksgiving, right?🧈🧈🧈🧈🧈
Just a few days in to our building’s food drive. I’m sorry for the necessity, but grateful for the generosity of my colleagues.
November 12, 2025 at 5:58 PM
Just a few days in to our building’s food drive. I’m sorry for the necessity, but grateful for the generosity of my colleagues.