Mark Histed
@markhisted.org
How brain neural nets do computations; we aim to understand differences in brain wiring, using lasers and neuro-AI.
Lab head, NIH. Prev: media policy for democracypolicy.network.
linktr.ee/markhisted
Pers. views
neuro posts: 🧠 /🧪
Lab head, NIH. Prev: media policy for democracypolicy.network.
linktr.ee/markhisted
Pers. views
neuro posts: 🧠 /🧪
Pinned
Mark Histed
@markhisted.org
· 20d
Saying bad ideas are bad isn't censorship
The core goal is a free and fair public debate, and billionaires promoting their favored speech tilts the free marketplace of ideas.
scienceandfreedomalliance.substack.com
The American right, including Jay Bhattacharya, is trying to weaponize free speech by crying censorship.
But freedom of speech isn't freedom of reach.
To fight back, scientific institutions should say that junk science is junk.
New post from me:
1/
But freedom of speech isn't freedom of reach.
To fight back, scientific institutions should say that junk science is junk.
New post from me:
1/
Yes. The Supreme Court is trying to let Trump centralize the whole government (cough, like Orban) with the one exception of central banking.
New in @vox.com: The Supreme Court is trying to let Trump centralize economic policymaking with the one exception of central banking.
Not surprisingly, Trump isn't respecting that line. And his new powers allow him to impact monetary policy regardless. www.vox.com/policy/47496...
Not surprisingly, Trump isn't respecting that line. And his new powers allow him to impact monetary policy regardless. www.vox.com/policy/47496...
The enormous stakes of Donald Trump’s fight with Jerome Powell
The Fed is the final frontier of his quest to dominate every economic institution.
www.vox.com
January 13, 2026 at 1:30 PM
Yes. The Supreme Court is trying to let Trump centralize the whole government (cough, like Orban) with the one exception of central banking.
Good stuff from Andrews.
Also, speaking of America being built on immigrants, there’s about a 99% chance that the family of interviewer Joseph Hudak were poor immigrants from Eastern Europe a century ago.
Also, speaking of America being built on immigrants, there’s about a 99% chance that the family of interviewer Joseph Hudak were poor immigrants from Eastern Europe a century ago.
This was the first thing I saw when I opened Instagram today
January 13, 2026 at 1:10 PM
Good stuff from Andrews.
Also, speaking of America being built on immigrants, there’s about a 99% chance that the family of interviewer Joseph Hudak were poor immigrants from Eastern Europe a century ago.
Also, speaking of America being built on immigrants, there’s about a 99% chance that the family of interviewer Joseph Hudak were poor immigrants from Eastern Europe a century ago.
Insanity. DC went through something like this, but not as severe or intense a few months ago. There still are ongoing daycare and school patrols here. 😡😡 Brownshirts are lower but NG still hangs around.
Strength to Minneapolis: we have your backs.
Strength to Minneapolis: we have your backs.
Stopping for a moment to acknowledge that it's absolutely nuts that everybody's schedule is now like "2:00 meeting, 3:00 daycare patrol, 4:00 emails." And we just...do it because what other choice is there?
January 13, 2026 at 1:06 AM
Insanity. DC went through something like this, but not as severe or intense a few months ago. There still are ongoing daycare and school patrols here. 😡😡 Brownshirts are lower but NG still hangs around.
Strength to Minneapolis: we have your backs.
Strength to Minneapolis: we have your backs.
Addgene gave our lab at #NIH the Blue Flame Award for making a plasmid requested at least 100 times by other scientists. It's a bicistronic stable opsin-GCaMP8s pair for pattern stim.
Congrats to @lafosse.bsky.social, Z Zhou, and B Akitake who led this work. 🥳🥳
Addgene
Congrats to @lafosse.bsky.social, Z Zhou, and B Akitake who led this work. 🥳🥳
Addgene
January 12, 2026 at 11:40 PM
Addgene gave our lab at #NIH the Blue Flame Award for making a plasmid requested at least 100 times by other scientists. It's a bicistronic stable opsin-GCaMP8s pair for pattern stim.
Congrats to @lafosse.bsky.social, Z Zhou, and B Akitake who led this work. 🥳🥳
Addgene
Congrats to @lafosse.bsky.social, Z Zhou, and B Akitake who led this work. 🥳🥳
Addgene
Pick Big Fights, @warren.senate.gov. Yes.
Senator Warren's speech this morning on the future of the Democratic Party is no holds barred. From Epstein's pals in the halls of power to the billionaires trying to buy the media and former Senate colleagues who sold out, Warren and took aim at those holding the party back
January 12, 2026 at 10:36 PM
Pick Big Fights, @warren.senate.gov. Yes.
Reposted by Mark Histed
Guys I appreciate all the support but I want to be clear that there are thousands - maybe tens of thousands - of Minnesotans doing what I'm doing right now. Most are just everyday neighbors, nice old folks, college kids, baristas, who cannot abide what they're doing to OUR CITY and OUR NEIGHBORS.
January 12, 2026 at 7:23 PM
Guys I appreciate all the support but I want to be clear that there are thousands - maybe tens of thousands - of Minnesotans doing what I'm doing right now. Most are just everyday neighbors, nice old folks, college kids, baristas, who cannot abide what they're doing to OUR CITY and OUR NEIGHBORS.
"We cannot treat the civil service as a background institution. It is a central site of power. ...
Unchecked presidential control over the civil service imperils [gov't] capacity]".
Great piece.
One note: 1/
Unchecked presidential control over the civil service imperils [gov't] capacity]".
Great piece.
One note: 1/
New from @nicholasbednar.bsky.social at Can We Still Govern? Its a good day to talk about the limits of presidential power. The last year has shown how much power Presidents have over the civil service, and the need for other branches to limit it.
donmoynihan.substack.com/p/how-much-p...
donmoynihan.substack.com/p/how-much-p...
How Much Power Does the President Actually Have Over the Civil Service?
More than you think, which is why other branches need to step up
donmoynihan.substack.com
January 12, 2026 at 3:48 PM
"We cannot treat the civil service as a background institution. It is a central site of power. ...
Unchecked presidential control over the civil service imperils [gov't] capacity]".
Great piece.
One note: 1/
Unchecked presidential control over the civil service imperils [gov't] capacity]".
Great piece.
One note: 1/
Reposted by Mark Histed
Key psychological drama is how the conservative bloc compartmentalizes their shock over Trump in the Fed so that they learn absolutely nothing about the UET more generally. It’s an epic in cognitive dissonance.
January 12, 2026 at 1:36 PM
Key psychological drama is how the conservative bloc compartmentalizes their shock over Trump in the Fed so that they learn absolutely nothing about the UET more generally. It’s an epic in cognitive dissonance.
Reposted by Mark Histed
Presidentialism, in fact, was a grave mistake & sits at the root of our current inability to properly deal with the onslaught of lawless authoritarianism. The ministerial resignations & toppling of the Mad King prime minister would have happened months (years) ago under parliamentary government.
January 12, 2026 at 5:32 AM
Presidentialism, in fact, was a grave mistake & sits at the root of our current inability to properly deal with the onslaught of lawless authoritarianism. The ministerial resignations & toppling of the Mad King prime minister would have happened months (years) ago under parliamentary government.
Reposted by Mark Histed
Imagine starting new year seeing your paper published on January 1st where a long thought plasma stability limit has been overcome, a breakthrough in nuclear fusion, one of the most important scientific project for the future of humanity. What a success! 🧪⚛️🎢 #physic
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
January 11, 2026 at 10:59 PM
Imagine starting new year seeing your paper published on January 1st where a long thought plasma stability limit has been overcome, a breakthrough in nuclear fusion, one of the most important scientific project for the future of humanity. What a success! 🧪⚛️🎢 #physic
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Props to banker dude, but also worth noting that Powell’s org is one of
the only Trump opponents the Roberts Supreme Court has not thrown under the bus when presented the opportunity.
(This is because the Roberts Six are Republican Party operatives, and the Fed is important to R biz interests.)
the only Trump opponents the Roberts Supreme Court has not thrown under the bus when presented the opportunity.
(This is because the Roberts Six are Republican Party operatives, and the Fed is important to R biz interests.)
“Sometimes public service requires standing firm in the face of threats, which is what this unambiguously is”
How did the banker dude get here before the leaders of every self-mythologizing media organization or even Congress
How did the banker dude get here before the leaders of every self-mythologizing media organization or even Congress
Video message from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome H. Powell:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=KckG...
www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/s...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=KckG...
www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/s...
January 12, 2026 at 2:39 AM
Props to banker dude, but also worth noting that Powell’s org is one of
the only Trump opponents the Roberts Supreme Court has not thrown under the bus when presented the opportunity.
(This is because the Roberts Six are Republican Party operatives, and the Fed is important to R biz interests.)
the only Trump opponents the Roberts Supreme Court has not thrown under the bus when presented the opportunity.
(This is because the Roberts Six are Republican Party operatives, and the Fed is important to R biz interests.)
The Trump regime does not know what a bad move they are making to directly demonize wine moms.
They are one of the core volunteer populations opposed to Trump and have been for years, and there is lots more room for them to mobilize.
They are one of the core volunteer populations opposed to Trump and have been for years, and there is lots more room for them to mobilize.
January 12, 2026 at 12:42 AM
The Trump regime does not know what a bad move they are making to directly demonize wine moms.
They are one of the core volunteer populations opposed to Trump and have been for years, and there is lots more room for them to mobilize.
They are one of the core volunteer populations opposed to Trump and have been for years, and there is lots more room for them to mobilize.
Bill Ackman has come up with a way to tax house sales. After you get that mortgage, hope you don’t ever need to move!
(Ackman doesn’t appear to realize that that’s what this is.)
(Ackman doesn’t appear to realize that that’s what this is.)
Lmfao what an awesome proposal. One reason you need a 90% income tax rate at this level is these guys are too stupid to have the amount of power they do. Like giving a glock to a 4 year old
January 11, 2026 at 7:46 PM
Bill Ackman has come up with a way to tax house sales. After you get that mortgage, hope you don’t ever need to move!
(Ackman doesn’t appear to realize that that’s what this is.)
(Ackman doesn’t appear to realize that that’s what this is.)
On NIH, rightwing thinktanks, and the future of science.
I wrote up something about the Mike Lauer IFP interview and what he seems to miss about science politics.
Science today is deeply tied up with democracy, politics, and the law. We must all work together. 🧪
I wrote up something about the Mike Lauer IFP interview and what he seems to miss about science politics.
Science today is deeply tied up with democracy, politics, and the law. We must all work together. 🧪
Yesterday an interview was posted with Mike Lauer about the state of science.
It's good in many ways, but there are some serious problems.
I will write more later. But for now: I agree with Lauer...
Yesterday an interview was posted with Mike Lauer about the state of science.
It's good in many ways, but there are some serious problems.
I will write more later. But for now: I agree with Lauer’s c...
www.linkedin.com
January 11, 2026 at 5:43 PM
On NIH, rightwing thinktanks, and the future of science.
I wrote up something about the Mike Lauer IFP interview and what he seems to miss about science politics.
Science today is deeply tied up with democracy, politics, and the law. We must all work together. 🧪
I wrote up something about the Mike Lauer IFP interview and what he seems to miss about science politics.
Science today is deeply tied up with democracy, politics, and the law. We must all work together. 🧪
Reposted by Mark Histed
“in the 13 appellate courts, there is increasingly such a thing as a Trump judge…Ninety-two percent of their total votes were in favor of the administration.”
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/11/u...
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/11/u...
Trump’s ‘Superstar’ Appellate Judges Have Voted 133 to 12 in His Favor
www.nytimes.com
January 11, 2026 at 2:02 PM
“in the 13 appellate courts, there is increasingly such a thing as a Trump judge…Ninety-two percent of their total votes were in favor of the administration.”
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/11/u...
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/11/u...
Reposted by Mark Histed
"We must never be shy about characterizing the university as one of the key means of realizing the human need to know, to understand, and to search for truth. It must be repeated endlessly and with all the infinite variations that will come over time."
"In every society fallen to authoritarianism, the state goes after the press first+ closes in on universities next.
All of us who live, work,+learn within the university should think of our institution as part of the larger constitutional structure of the nation."
www.chronicle.com/article/univ...
All of us who live, work,+learn within the university should think of our institution as part of the larger constitutional structure of the nation."
www.chronicle.com/article/univ...
Universities Need a New Defense
The authoritarian threat is growing. The old playbook won’t work.
www.chronicle.com
January 11, 2026 at 1:38 PM
"We must never be shy about characterizing the university as one of the key means of realizing the human need to know, to understand, and to search for truth. It must be repeated endlessly and with all the infinite variations that will come over time."
Criticize me if you want, but this shows the weakness and emptiness of both David French and TCW. This is amoral.
People who equate murderers and their victims are bad people.
David French is showing bad values here. Say bad things are bad, sir.
People who equate murderers and their victims are bad people.
David French is showing bad values here. Say bad things are bad, sir.
In case there’s any doubt about what TCW means here, his subsequent retweet of David French makes it clear
January 11, 2026 at 5:17 AM
Criticize me if you want, but this shows the weakness and emptiness of both David French and TCW. This is amoral.
People who equate murderers and their victims are bad people.
David French is showing bad values here. Say bad things are bad, sir.
People who equate murderers and their victims are bad people.
David French is showing bad values here. Say bad things are bad, sir.
Reposted by Mark Histed
some good vibes:
This is a remarkably cool and fun trick to measure speed in camera images. Just use a checkerboard!
Robot football kicker video is so fun.
credit @crunchlabs.bsky.social
This is a remarkably cool and fun trick to measure speed in camera images. Just use a checkerboard!
Robot football kicker video is so fun.
credit @crunchlabs.bsky.social
January 11, 2026 at 2:23 AM
some good vibes:
This is a remarkably cool and fun trick to measure speed in camera images. Just use a checkerboard!
Robot football kicker video is so fun.
credit @crunchlabs.bsky.social
This is a remarkably cool and fun trick to measure speed in camera images. Just use a checkerboard!
Robot football kicker video is so fun.
credit @crunchlabs.bsky.social
My kid turns on YouTube to watch @crunchlabs.bsky.social, and the first thing we see is a Donald Trump ad.
Zero pro-democracy ads. Zero rebuttal ads. This happens over and over.
Just because quant election analysis shows 2026 votes aren’t needed doesn’t mean the right move is no ads for DC.
Zero pro-democracy ads. Zero rebuttal ads. This happens over and over.
Just because quant election analysis shows 2026 votes aren’t needed doesn’t mean the right move is no ads for DC.
January 11, 2026 at 2:09 AM
My kid turns on YouTube to watch @crunchlabs.bsky.social, and the first thing we see is a Donald Trump ad.
Zero pro-democracy ads. Zero rebuttal ads. This happens over and over.
Just because quant election analysis shows 2026 votes aren’t needed doesn’t mean the right move is no ads for DC.
Zero pro-democracy ads. Zero rebuttal ads. This happens over and over.
Just because quant election analysis shows 2026 votes aren’t needed doesn’t mean the right move is no ads for DC.
Exactly. We will fight and we will win.
And there is no state monopoly on media. But billionaire control of media – from Fox to WSJ to CNN to CBS to Twitter to Facebook – is likely the difference between Trump at 20% approval, and where he’s at now. It’s worth at least 10 percentage points.
And there is no state monopoly on media. But billionaire control of media – from Fox to WSJ to CNN to CBS to Twitter to Facebook – is likely the difference between Trump at 20% approval, and where he’s at now. It’s worth at least 10 percentage points.
They don’t have the juice or manpower for it. This is not late 1930s Germany. There is no state monopoly on media. They are wildly unpopular.
The goal here is martial law. It’s martial law. Let’s be clear about that.
January 10, 2026 at 9:19 PM
Exactly. We will fight and we will win.
And there is no state monopoly on media. But billionaire control of media – from Fox to WSJ to CNN to CBS to Twitter to Facebook – is likely the difference between Trump at 20% approval, and where he’s at now. It’s worth at least 10 percentage points.
And there is no state monopoly on media. But billionaire control of media – from Fox to WSJ to CNN to CBS to Twitter to Facebook – is likely the difference between Trump at 20% approval, and where he’s at now. It’s worth at least 10 percentage points.
Reposted by Mark Histed
As we take stock of all the changes at NIH after almost a year of the administration’s shift toward an autocratic presidentialism, it is vital we not lose sight of the fundamental philosophy that allowed NIH to thrive: basic research is a public good and ought to be funded and administered as such.
Yesterday an interview was posted with Mike Lauer about the state of science.
I strongly disagree with it.
I will write more later. But for now: I agree w/ Lauer’s central points about budgets and paperwork and institutional incentives. But he seems to not realize the political minefield he is in.
I strongly disagree with it.
I will write more later. But for now: I agree w/ Lauer’s central points about budgets and paperwork and institutional incentives. But he seems to not realize the political minefield he is in.
January 10, 2026 at 6:49 PM
As we take stock of all the changes at NIH after almost a year of the administration’s shift toward an autocratic presidentialism, it is vital we not lose sight of the fundamental philosophy that allowed NIH to thrive: basic research is a public good and ought to be funded and administered as such.
Yesterday an interview was posted with Mike Lauer about the state of science.
I strongly disagree with it.
I will write more later. But for now: I agree w/ Lauer’s central points about budgets and paperwork and institutional incentives. But he seems to not realize the political minefield he is in.
I strongly disagree with it.
I will write more later. But for now: I agree w/ Lauer’s central points about budgets and paperwork and institutional incentives. But he seems to not realize the political minefield he is in.
January 10, 2026 at 6:34 PM
Yesterday an interview was posted with Mike Lauer about the state of science.
I strongly disagree with it.
I will write more later. But for now: I agree w/ Lauer’s central points about budgets and paperwork and institutional incentives. But he seems to not realize the political minefield he is in.
I strongly disagree with it.
I will write more later. But for now: I agree w/ Lauer’s central points about budgets and paperwork and institutional incentives. But he seems to not realize the political minefield he is in.
Reposted by Mark Histed
Such a helpful podcast from the great @lawfaremedia.org team — @annabower.bsky.social, @ericcolumbus.bsky.social, and @michael-feinberg.bsky.social — on the Minneapolis shooting and the legal issues surrounding state prosecutions of federal officers.
Lawfare Daily: The Legal Fallout After a Fatal ICE Shooting in Minneapolis
What is the legal framework governing state prosecutions of federal officers?
www.lawfaremedia.org
January 9, 2026 at 6:15 PM
Such a helpful podcast from the great @lawfaremedia.org team — @annabower.bsky.social, @ericcolumbus.bsky.social, and @michael-feinberg.bsky.social — on the Minneapolis shooting and the legal issues surrounding state prosecutions of federal officers.
This is wrong: “Science is doing OK,” Ms. Zimmermann, of @aaas.org, said. “Things are not bad at all, given our expectations.”
No. I might guess that this quote was taken out of context, meant to be solely about the budgeting process. Because the agencies are still being corrupted internally.
No. I might guess that this quote was taken out of context, meant to be solely about the budgeting process. Because the agencies are still being corrupted internally.
Congress Is Reversing Trump’s Steep Budget Cuts to Science
www.nytimes.com
January 10, 2026 at 3:04 PM
This is wrong: “Science is doing OK,” Ms. Zimmermann, of @aaas.org, said. “Things are not bad at all, given our expectations.”
No. I might guess that this quote was taken out of context, meant to be solely about the budgeting process. Because the agencies are still being corrupted internally.
No. I might guess that this quote was taken out of context, meant to be solely about the budgeting process. Because the agencies are still being corrupted internally.
Reposted by Mark Histed
This is so incredibly heart-breaking. To Jay Bhattacharya and Matthew Memoli at NIH--you have betrayed the entire scientific community. Deeply committed staff are leaving in droves--because you are destroying the institution. Shame on you. www.statnews.com/2026/01/10/n...
The NIH has lost its scientific integrity. So we left
“We can no longer lend our credibility to an organization that has lost its integrity,” write four scientists and administrators who recently resigned from the NIH.
www.statnews.com
January 10, 2026 at 2:28 PM
This is so incredibly heart-breaking. To Jay Bhattacharya and Matthew Memoli at NIH--you have betrayed the entire scientific community. Deeply committed staff are leaving in droves--because you are destroying the institution. Shame on you. www.statnews.com/2026/01/10/n...