Max Helmberger
@vermivorax.bsky.social
Teacher of applied entomology. Grew up off the grid. No kings, no slavers, no Nazis, and no suburban assholes who think they're country because they drive an $80,000 pickup truck.
Reposted by Max Helmberger
This is why OpenAI is selling so aggressively to education at all levels—they want to create entire generations of users incapable of reading, writing and thinking without ChatGPT to hold their hands
And teachers and professors should call this out for what it actually is
And teachers and professors should call this out for what it actually is
To bear out this rosy projection, HSBC assumes that OpenAI will become "as ubiquitous [...] as Microsoft 365" (345mm users worldwide) while bringing in 10x the number of users (3bn).
November 25, 2025 at 11:11 PM
This is why OpenAI is selling so aggressively to education at all levels—they want to create entire generations of users incapable of reading, writing and thinking without ChatGPT to hold their hands
And teachers and professors should call this out for what it actually is
And teachers and professors should call this out for what it actually is
Yeah, what happens when ChatGPT for students starts saying "your professor is lying to you"?
I don't understand how anyone can watch how blatantly Grok is manipulated to answer the way ownership desires it to and then act like the other LLM chatbots couldn't possibly be similarly but less obviously compromised to produce responses in whatever way corporate interests and priorities dictate.
November 24, 2025 at 4:04 PM
Yeah, what happens when ChatGPT for students starts saying "your professor is lying to you"?
Reposted by Max Helmberger
1) good, they should be prosecuted, they are responsible for countless deaths
2) always very funny when these people realize the extent to which their billionaire patrons could not possibly give less of a shit about them
2) always very funny when these people realize the extent to which their billionaire patrons could not possibly give less of a shit about them
'Suddenly exposed' DOGE employees fear prosecution after Musk abandoned them: report
www.rawstory.com/doge-employe...
www.rawstory.com/doge-employe...
'Suddenly exposed' DOGE employees fear prosecution after Musk abandoned them: report
Current and former Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) staffers are growing increasingly concerned that the work they did slashing government programs and eliminating jobs will come back to hau...
www.rawstory.com
November 22, 2025 at 7:41 PM
1) good, they should be prosecuted, they are responsible for countless deaths
2) always very funny when these people realize the extent to which their billionaire patrons could not possibly give less of a shit about them
2) always very funny when these people realize the extent to which their billionaire patrons could not possibly give less of a shit about them
Even leaving aside the massive conflicts of interest and ethical breaches present in Wakefield's paper, he "asked a question" with a case report which other scientists then used actual epidemiological studies to answer with a resounding no.
GOP Sen. Ron Johnson is crowing about Robert Kennedy Jr.’s CDC pushing debunked vaccine misinformation.
“Time to apologize to Dr. Andrew Wakefield and all the others who were maligned and vilified for simply asking the right questions,” he says.
Wakefield’s paper was *fraudulent.*
“Time to apologize to Dr. Andrew Wakefield and all the others who were maligned and vilified for simply asking the right questions,” he says.
Wakefield’s paper was *fraudulent.*
November 21, 2025 at 2:15 PM
Even leaving aside the massive conflicts of interest and ethical breaches present in Wakefield's paper, he "asked a question" with a case report which other scientists then used actual epidemiological studies to answer with a resounding no.
First it was "MMR causes autism via the gut". Then it was "thimerosal, which isn't in the MMR vaccine, causes autism via hormonal pathways". Then it was "aluminum, which also isn't in the MMR vaccine, causes autism via genetic pathways". Always moving the goalposts.
“Studies have not ruled out the possibility” is just code for “we can always move the goalposts and claim something else in the vaccines causes the autism”. Like yeah, no shit, you can’t prove a negative.
CDC has overhauled its website to assert that “the claim ‘vaccines do not cause autism’ is not an evidence-based claim”
November 20, 2025 at 9:05 PM
First it was "MMR causes autism via the gut". Then it was "thimerosal, which isn't in the MMR vaccine, causes autism via hormonal pathways". Then it was "aluminum, which also isn't in the MMR vaccine, causes autism via genetic pathways". Always moving the goalposts.
Reposted by Max Helmberger
A long shot, but does anyone know of an English translation of this book? De animalibus insectis libri septem by Ulysse Aldrovando, published 1602 wellcomecollection.org/works/dbtrvx2q
November 20, 2025 at 8:34 PM
A long shot, but does anyone know of an English translation of this book? De animalibus insectis libri septem by Ulysse Aldrovando, published 1602 wellcomecollection.org/works/dbtrvx2q
Reposted by Max Helmberger
This does feel like a major crossing of the Rubicon – the world's best-funded and in many ways most powerful public health agency is now actively pushing disinformation.
I know there's a *lot* going on to care about at the moment, but this one really is significant, and matters well beyond the US.
I know there's a *lot* going on to care about at the moment, but this one really is significant, and matters well beyond the US.
The CDC website now disseminates disinformation about vaccines, claiming erroneously that infant vaccines might cause autism, when we know conclusively that they do not. It is difficult to overstate just how dangerous this is. www.cdc.gov/vaccine-safe...
November 20, 2025 at 2:03 PM
This does feel like a major crossing of the Rubicon – the world's best-funded and in many ways most powerful public health agency is now actively pushing disinformation.
I know there's a *lot* going on to care about at the moment, but this one really is significant, and matters well beyond the US.
I know there's a *lot* going on to care about at the moment, but this one really is significant, and matters well beyond the US.
Reposted by Max Helmberger
xAI is currently in talks to raise $15 billion at a $230 billion valuation.
The flagship product is self-identified "MechaHitler" chatbot with training so warped it describes Elon Musk as more physically fit than LeBron James. It is powered by gas turbines poisoning South Memphis.
The flagship product is self-identified "MechaHitler" chatbot with training so warped it describes Elon Musk as more physically fit than LeBron James. It is powered by gas turbines poisoning South Memphis.
November 20, 2025 at 2:18 PM
xAI is currently in talks to raise $15 billion at a $230 billion valuation.
The flagship product is self-identified "MechaHitler" chatbot with training so warped it describes Elon Musk as more physically fit than LeBron James. It is powered by gas turbines poisoning South Memphis.
The flagship product is self-identified "MechaHitler" chatbot with training so warped it describes Elon Musk as more physically fit than LeBron James. It is powered by gas turbines poisoning South Memphis.
Reposted by Max Helmberger
Note for Democratic politicians: you don't have to start your condemnations of ICE raids with "We all want to catch violent criminals, but..." Just say "These raids have nothing to do with catching criminals and everything to do with terrorizing innocent minority groups."
November 20, 2025 at 1:54 AM
Note for Democratic politicians: you don't have to start your condemnations of ICE raids with "We all want to catch violent criminals, but..." Just say "These raids have nothing to do with catching criminals and everything to do with terrorizing innocent minority groups."
Reposted by Max Helmberger
i think if you want to have those disgusting LED headlights on your car, you should have to do a test where they blast you point blank with your own headlights and then you have 15 seconds to successfully complete some sort of vision-based task, and if you can't do it they push your car off a cliff
November 20, 2025 at 2:25 AM
i think if you want to have those disgusting LED headlights on your car, you should have to do a test where they blast you point blank with your own headlights and then you have 15 seconds to successfully complete some sort of vision-based task, and if you can't do it they push your car off a cliff
“Studies have not ruled out the possibility” is just code for “we can always move the goalposts and claim something else in the vaccines causes the autism”. Like yeah, no shit, you can’t prove a negative.
CDC has overhauled its website to assert that “the claim ‘vaccines do not cause autism’ is not an evidence-based claim”
November 20, 2025 at 7:52 AM
“Studies have not ruled out the possibility” is just code for “we can always move the goalposts and claim something else in the vaccines causes the autism”. Like yeah, no shit, you can’t prove a negative.
Reposted by Max Helmberger
just outright disinformation — American Lysenkoism wreaking havoc and endangering our lives
CDC has overhauled its website to assert that “the claim ‘vaccines do not cause autism’ is not an evidence-based claim”
November 20, 2025 at 2:32 AM
just outright disinformation — American Lysenkoism wreaking havoc and endangering our lives
Reposted by Max Helmberger
They're so fucking stupid and don't realize it. The only reason many white students can afford graduate degrees is because foreign students pay for the programs and allow them to be economically efficient. Without foreign students, many programs will now simply collapse. Genius.
The White House just blasted this out under the headline "Good News You May Have Missed"
November 19, 2025 at 11:52 PM
They're so fucking stupid and don't realize it. The only reason many white students can afford graduate degrees is because foreign students pay for the programs and allow them to be economically efficient. Without foreign students, many programs will now simply collapse. Genius.
BREAKING: Shovel company makes money in gold rush
November 19, 2025 at 9:28 PM
BREAKING: Shovel company makes money in gold rush
Reposted by Max Helmberger
JAMA study: NIH grant terminations disrupted 3.5% of active clinical trials, affecting over 74,000 patients and resulting in a $1.81 billion funding loss. More than 115 active cancer trials were disrupted. www.ajmc.com/view/nih-gra...
NIH Grant Terminations Disrupt 1 in 30 Clinical Trials, Impacting Over 74,000 Participants | AJMC
Infectious disease was hit hardest by funding cuts to NIH grant for clinical trials that did not align with the Trump administration's priorities.
www.ajmc.com
November 19, 2025 at 8:31 PM
JAMA study: NIH grant terminations disrupted 3.5% of active clinical trials, affecting over 74,000 patients and resulting in a $1.81 billion funding loss. More than 115 active cancer trials were disrupted. www.ajmc.com/view/nih-gra...
Reposted by Max Helmberger
Look, I know we're all sick of hearing "if this had happened with any other president ..." but it's absolutely true and absolutely can't be forgotten.
For some reason, this nation gives this idiotic spoiled brat a free pass from things that would destroy the administration of any other person.
For some reason, this nation gives this idiotic spoiled brat a free pass from things that would destroy the administration of any other person.
When asked if there was anything "incriminating" in Epstein's emails, Trump pointed a finger in a female reporter's face and snapped. 'Quiet. Quiet, Piggy.'
people.com/donald-trump...
people.com/donald-trump...
Donald Trump Snaps at Female Reporter Who Asks About Epstein Files: 'Quiet Piggy'
Donald Trump Says 'Quiet Piggy' to Female Reporter Asking About Epstein Files
people.com
November 18, 2025 at 1:29 AM
Look, I know we're all sick of hearing "if this had happened with any other president ..." but it's absolutely true and absolutely can't be forgotten.
For some reason, this nation gives this idiotic spoiled brat a free pass from things that would destroy the administration of any other person.
For some reason, this nation gives this idiotic spoiled brat a free pass from things that would destroy the administration of any other person.
Reposted by Max Helmberger
I'm old enough to remember when "armed agents of the federal government raiding churches on Christmas" was not, in fact, a cornerstone of the Republican Party's agenda.
"Agencies within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, including ICE, ERO, and CBP intend to implement a comprehensive plan to target Spanish-speaking churches across the country during the upcoming holiday season between Thanksgiving, Nov. 27, and Christmas, Dec. 25."
Exclusive: Trump DHS Plans Immigration Raids on Churches Over Holidays
The Trump Dept. of Homeland Security is briefing federal agencies on plans for immigration enforcement operations inside churches over holidays.
thisweekinworcester.com
November 18, 2025 at 12:32 PM
I'm old enough to remember when "armed agents of the federal government raiding churches on Christmas" was not, in fact, a cornerstone of the Republican Party's agenda.
The people who screeched about "learning loss" will surely take action against this, right?
November 18, 2025 at 12:44 PM
The people who screeched about "learning loss" will surely take action against this, right?
Reposted by Max Helmberger
Trump's campaign to kill an industry where America runs a massive trade surplus is succeeding
New foreign student enrollment in the US fell 17% this fall www.washingtonpost.com/education/20...
How foreign student enrollment is shifting in the U.S., in 6 charts
Foreign student enrollment in U.S. colleges has stalled, with a 17 percent decline in new students this fall after Trump policy changes, a key survey shows.
www.washingtonpost.com
November 17, 2025 at 2:12 PM
Trump's campaign to kill an industry where America runs a massive trade surplus is succeeding
Reposted by Max Helmberger
i want to put this in front of conservative pundits who defended this raid bsky.app/profile/raws...
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem should resign and be criminally charged, according to critics who seized on a report revealing that zero people who were arrested in a high-profile raid were charged with a crime.
'Noem should resign over this': Fury over alleged DHS 'child kidnapping and trafficking'
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem should resign and be criminally charged, according to critics who seized on a report revealing that zero people who were arrested in a high-profile raid were charged with a crime.ProPublica recently reported on the DHS raid on an apartment building that was al...
bit.ly
November 16, 2025 at 5:05 PM
i want to put this in front of conservative pundits who defended this raid bsky.app/profile/raws...
Reposted by Max Helmberger
i can’t talk about sports gambling anymore without sounding like a crank but i do believe legalized sports gambling is like 15-20% responsible for our current dystopia
The Athletic polled hundreds of players from across the NBA, NFL, MLB and NHL about their opinions surrounding how sports betting impacts players — the responses were haunting.
November 15, 2025 at 3:26 AM
i can’t talk about sports gambling anymore without sounding like a crank but i do believe legalized sports gambling is like 15-20% responsible for our current dystopia
Billionaires should not be allowed to exist. No one person deserves that level of wealth and the power that comes with it.
Billionaires are more publicly involved in politics than ever—and Americans aren’t loving it.
Americans Want Billionaires Out Of Politics—And Think They’re A Threat To Democracy, Poll Shows
Billionaires are more publicly involved in politics than ever—and Americans aren’t loving it.
www.forbes.com
November 15, 2025 at 4:19 PM
Billionaires should not be allowed to exist. No one person deserves that level of wealth and the power that comes with it.
And people thought trans athletes were ruining the integrity of sports...
A new national poll on sports gambling from Sacred Heart:
- 79% say the recent scandals have shaken their trust in the NBA, 38% say its shaken trust a lot.
- 90% are worried about corruption across sports.
- 75% of gambler believe corruption is more widespread than the NBA
- 79% say the recent scandals have shaken their trust in the NBA, 38% say its shaken trust a lot.
- 90% are worried about corruption across sports.
- 75% of gambler believe corruption is more widespread than the NBA
November 15, 2025 at 3:32 AM
And people thought trans athletes were ruining the integrity of sports...
Reposted by Max Helmberger
USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins plans to make all SNAP recipients reapply and prove "that they literally are vulnerable and they can’t survive without it.”
The 'genuinely disabled'
The 'literally vulnerable'
They keep moving the goalposts.
They were never going to fund SNAP. It's eugenics:
The 'genuinely disabled'
The 'literally vulnerable'
They keep moving the goalposts.
They were never going to fund SNAP. It's eugenics:
Trump administration will require SNAP participants to reapply for benefits
Food aid recipients are already required to recertify their information regularly. But the move is part of USDA chief Brooke Rollins’ effort to overhaul the program.
www.politico.com
November 14, 2025 at 11:09 PM
USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins plans to make all SNAP recipients reapply and prove "that they literally are vulnerable and they can’t survive without it.”
The 'genuinely disabled'
The 'literally vulnerable'
They keep moving the goalposts.
They were never going to fund SNAP. It's eugenics:
The 'genuinely disabled'
The 'literally vulnerable'
They keep moving the goalposts.
They were never going to fund SNAP. It's eugenics: