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Brynn Paulsen

@brynnpaulsen.bsky.social

350 followers 260 following 240 posts

Cognitive Neuroscience PhD candidate @ the University of Colorado Boulder | @standupforscience.bsky.social staff | photojournalism

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Brynn Paulsen @brynnpaulsen.bsky.social · Aug 19

My new piece is live!

While the atrocities of RFK Jr. are many (and well beyond what can be summarized in a single blog post), we at @standupforscience.bsky.social have selected the nine most atrocious.

Read below 👇
www.standupforscience.net/blog/9-worst...

#ImpeachRFKNow

The 9 Worst RFK Jr. Decisions to Date — STAND UP FOR SCIENCE

RFK Jr.'s actions undermine scientific progress, public trust, and the health of millions. Stand Up For Science won't stand for it. Start here.

www.standupforscience.net

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Reposted by Brynn Paulsen

David Ho @davidho.bsky.social · 14h

Hey US scientists, the NY Times wants to hear from you if you've had your funding cut. 🌊🧪

Has Your Scientific Work Been Cut? We Want to Hear.

www.nytimes.com

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Brynn Paulsen @brynnpaulsen.bsky.social · 3d

This is my Roman Empire 🙇

Michael E. Mann @michaelemann.bsky.social · 3d

"How To Fight Anti-Science Forces w/ Michael Mann" | My conversation earlier today about my (and @peterhotezmdphd.bsky.social) new book, #ScienceUnderSiege, with @samseder.bsky.social and @emmavigeland.bsky.social on @majorityreport.bsky.social: www.youtube.com/watch?v=5V7u...

How To Fight Anti-Science Forces w/ Michael Mann | MR Live

YouTube video by The Majority Report w/ Sam Seder

www.youtube.com

Reposted by Brynn Paulsen

The Conversation U.S. @us.theconversation.com · 6d

Young children are capable of finding systematic solutions to complex problems without any instruction, contradicting long-held assumptions about cognitive development, according to a psychologist
buff.ly/226VzMZ 🧪

Children can be systematic problem-solvers at younger ages than psychologists had thought – new research

By cranking up the difficulty on the test task, researchers found that children are capable of finding systematic solutions to complex problems far earlier than psychologists had believed.

buff.ly

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Stand Up for Science! @standupforscience.bsky.social · 6d

Today is October 3rd, another day where we are calling to #ImpeachtheQuack!

Page which has the handwritten red text: “This guy is the worst, most useless and unqualified HHS Secretary I have ever met. DO NOT TRUST HIM. He is an incompetent QUACK!”

A picture of RFK Jr. with “Robert F Kennedy Jr.” written underneath it.

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Ryan Enos @ryanenos.bsky.social · 7d

Loyalty oaths for universities. The thing of the Third Reich. www.nytimes.com/2025/10/02/u...

Trump Administration Asks Colleges to Sign ‘Compact’ to Get Funding Preference

www.nytimes.com

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Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 8d

Some schools will be starved of resources. Other schools will be offered bribes. The end goal is the same. To make the universities an extension of the Trump administration. Shame on any of these institutions willing to take the bribes.

Letters on Wednesday were going out to solicit agreement and feedback from Vanderbilt University, Dartmouth College, the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Southern California, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Texas, the University of Arizona, Brown University and the University of Virginia, according to an administration official.

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Brynn Paulsen @brynnpaulsen.bsky.social · 8d

❤️❤️❤️ yay!!

Reposted by Brynn Paulsen

Colette Delawalla @cdelawalla.bsky.social · 10d

TURNS OUT data analysis skills are transferable.

Shout out to our staff entomologist-turned-resistance-fighter @lovettbr.bsky.social for this one...

ALSO, MY DISTRICT IS WINNING AND IT ISN'T BECAUSE I BOUGHT ANY QOG! @repnikema.bsky.social buckle up! You've got ducks headed your way.

Stand Up for Science! @standupforscience.bsky.social · 11d

"I would like to see the data" (Werner Herzog in the Mandalorian voice)

We wouldn't be scientists if our team didn't use R to make a visualization to share with the class. The yellower the district, the more Quack-O-Grams were sent! Will GA-05 keep the crown?

Send your own here! zurl.co/bLwwE

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Brynn Paulsen @brynnpaulsen.bsky.social · 13d

Please if you have ever read this paper go look at the second post in this thread to learn my new favorite fun fact.

Ira Hyman @irahyman.bsky.social · 13d

As long as I am noting cognitive psychologists who took important stands against the repression of science and academics, let me highlight someone else.

George Miller. For cognitive sorts, the famous 7 plus or minus two guy. Also in my academic family. In the magical number seven paper. 1/2

THE PSYCHOLOGICAL REVIEW
THE MAGICAL NUMBER SEVEN, PLUS OR MINUS TWO:
SOME LIMITS ON OUR CAPACITY FOR
PROCESSING INFORMATION
GEORGE A. MILLER
Harvard University

My problem is that I have been persecuted by an integer. For seven years this number has followed me around, has intruded in my most private data, and has assaulted me from the pages of our most public journals. This number assumes a variety of disguises, being sometimes a little larger and sometimes a little smaller than usual, but never changing so much as to be unrecognizable. The persistence with which this number plagues me is far more than a random accident. There is, to quote a famous senator, a design behind it, some pattern governing its appearances. Either there really is something unusual about the number or else I am suffering from delusions of persecution.

Brynn Paulsen @brynnpaulsen.bsky.social · 13d

I NEVER knew that context!! That’s incredible, this has been my favorite cognitive quote for a long time… thank you for sharing

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Brynn Paulsen @brynnpaulsen.bsky.social · 13d

As a cognitive psychologist currently working in the business of fighting fascism and defending science, this makes me so emotional.

Here’s to you, Kohler

Ira Hyman @irahyman.bsky.social · 14d

Today I started my grad cognition class for our masters program (we’re on a quarter system).

After introductions, I start with a brief historical consideration of cognitive psychology. I note that the Gestalt school was a cognitive approach based in Germany.

We then talked about what happened. 1/

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Brynn Paulsen @brynnpaulsen.bsky.social · 16d

🎶 Tylenol, pregnancy, autism, vaccines🎶

Reposted by Brynn Paulsen

Stand Up for Science! @standupforscience.bsky.social · 16d

FACT CHECK: Acetaminophen (Tylenol) has no credible link with autism. Tylenol is the leading option to combat dangerous fevers during pregnancy — fearmongering around tried and tested medicine puts pregnant people and children at risk. #impeachthequack

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Brynn Paulsen @brynnpaulsen.bsky.social · 16d

One thing they don’t tell you about writing a dissertation is the absolute agony your shoulders are suddenly in 24/7 from slouching over a computer for nearly 100 hours a week.

I am… pain…

Reposted by Brynn Paulsen

scul diva ❌👑 @sculdiva.bsky.social · 16d

1. demonizes Tylenol
2. blames moms for causing autism by taking a pain killer for a fever or pain (nevermind risks of a high fever to a fetus)
3. recommends leucovorin, which is sold by Dr.Oz's iHerb
4. makes autism out to be worst thing a child could have, but cut kids' cancer research, etc

RFK Jr. Announces FDA Will Approve Leucovorin, a New Treatment for Autism. What Is It?

The folinic acid supplement will be prescribed for a subset of children with autism who have “cerebral folate deficiency,” but experts caution, “it’s not a cure."

people.com

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Brynn Paulsen @brynnpaulsen.bsky.social · 16d

that's...embarrassing

www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

Trump upbraids U.N. in speech, claiming ‘your countries are going to hell’

Trump blasted the U.N. for its focus on migration and climate change, calling global warming a “con job.”

www.washingtonpost.com

Reposted by Brynn Paulsen

Stand Up for Science! @standupforscience.bsky.social · 20d

Feeling overwhelmed by the political attacks on science? You're not alone, and you don’t have to face it alone!

Join Stand Up for Science's Action Hour to learn how to join our rapid-response effort to protect science and democracy. All scientists and allies welcome.

Register here: zurl.co/6S33y

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Reposted by Brynn Paulsen

Colette Delawalla @cdelawalla.bsky.social · 20d

🚨We’ve got the Quack-O-Gram video up on YouTube!🚨

Please share widely—Bobby “The Quack” Jr has to go. He’s unqualified, corrupt, and going to get people killed.

🐥It’s not to late to send a QOG or bundle of Quacks to Congress: www.standupforscience.net/quack-o-grams

youtu.be/wjET_T15qBk?...

Impeach Bobby "The Quack" Jr! Stand Up For Science Delivers Quack-O-Grams to Congress.

YouTube video by Stand Up for Science!

youtu.be

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Reposted by Brynn Paulsen

Stand Up for Science! @standupforscience.bsky.social · 22d

Whew. 15 min break. Let's recap:

> CDC officials learned of Covid vaccine recommendation change via X post
> RFK Jr. can't show scientific evidence for changing childhood vax schedule
> RFK Jr. gets no briefing from agency public health experts
> CDC officials "very nervous" about new ACIP

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Stand Up for Science! @standupforscience.bsky.social · 23d

@nytimes.com reports on the state of our vaccine policy – with the addition of five NEW advisors to the ACIP, 8 out of 12 appointees on the ACIP are openly vaccine-skeptic.

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Stand Up for Science! @standupforscience.bsky.social · 24d

It's a beautiful day to stand with federal employees and concerned citizens fighting to fund NASA! 🌟🌏🔭 Our space program shouldn't face cuts that compromise expert knowledge, scientific advancement, and human safety.

Sign the letter of support for our colleagues at NASA 🔗 linked in bio!

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Reposted by Brynn Paulsen

Stand Up for Science! @standupforscience.bsky.social · 24d

DON'T MISS YOUR CHANCE TO QUACK BACK 🐥‼️

Duck deliveries are incoming, but you still can put $3 to letting your Congressional representative know via. duck messenger to #ImpeachRFK and remove the Quack!

act.standupforscience.net/fundraising/...

Send your house representative a message: impeach and remove the quack! $3 = 1 rubber ducky hand delivered to your rep by a man in a duck costume!

A sea of yellow rubber ducks flooding the US capitol.

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Reposted by Brynn Paulsen

Greg Priest @gregpriest.bsky.social · 25d

Alexander von Humboldt was born OTD in 1769.

“[My] principal impulse … was the earnest endeavor to comprehend the phenomena of physical objects in their general connection, and to represent nature as one great whole, moved and animated by internal forces.”

🦋🦫🐋🌱🧪#HistSTM #PhilSci

H’s chart of plant distribution, featuring an image of Mount Chimborazo

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Brynn Paulsen @brynnpaulsen.bsky.social · 24d

With the recent loss of experts at CDC, others are already sounding the alarm. This may worsen in the coming months, with proposed budget cuts ~42% to usher in new waves of expertise loss at HHS.

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

#rfkjr
#hhs
#impeachthequack

‘Americans should be alarmed’: Experts say loss of expertise at CDC will harm US health

Top officials exited agency under RFK Jr’s leadership, and his anti-vax beliefs have dismayed medical community

www.theguardian.com

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Brynn Paulsen @brynnpaulsen.bsky.social · 25d

Make America Healthy Again except those with or who will go on to develop cancer

It’s time to kick the anti-science quacks of this admin to the curb. Let’s start with RFK - www.standupforscience.net/rfk-impeachm...