Joe Hanson
@drjoehanson.bsky.social
Biologist, YouTube science dude. I moved to Austin back when it was still cool
I had the honor of seeing Watson's racism on display first-hand
In grad school, he was the invited guest for a speaker series I ran with other students. At dinner he looked my Latina classmate in the eye and said "Your people don't usually have the work ethic to succeed in this field!"
Bad guy.
In grad school, he was the invited guest for a speaker series I ran with other students. At dinner he looked my Latina classmate in the eye and said "Your people don't usually have the work ethic to succeed in this field!"
Bad guy.
In 1953 James Watson revealed the double helix structure of DNA
He spent the rest of his career revealing how great scientists can be awful people
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/07/s...
He spent the rest of his career revealing how great scientists can be awful people
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/07/s...
James Watson, Co-Discoverer of the Structure of DNA, Is Dead at 97
www.nytimes.com
November 7, 2025 at 9:44 PM
I had the honor of seeing Watson's racism on display first-hand
In grad school, he was the invited guest for a speaker series I ran with other students. At dinner he looked my Latina classmate in the eye and said "Your people don't usually have the work ethic to succeed in this field!"
Bad guy.
In grad school, he was the invited guest for a speaker series I ran with other students. At dinner he looked my Latina classmate in the eye and said "Your people don't usually have the work ethic to succeed in this field!"
Bad guy.
In 1953 James Watson revealed the double helix structure of DNA
He spent the rest of his career revealing how great scientists can be awful people
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/07/s...
He spent the rest of his career revealing how great scientists can be awful people
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/07/s...
James Watson, Co-Discoverer of the Structure of DNA, Is Dead at 97
www.nytimes.com
November 7, 2025 at 9:26 PM
In 1953 James Watson revealed the double helix structure of DNA
He spent the rest of his career revealing how great scientists can be awful people
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/07/s...
He spent the rest of his career revealing how great scientists can be awful people
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/07/s...
My kind of abundance
Australia has so much electricity from solar power that it is going to start offering free electricity to everyone for at least three hours during the day as the wholesale price of power goes negative
electrek.co/2025/11/04/a...
electrek.co/2025/11/04/a...
Australia has so much solar that it's offering everyone free electricity
Australia's extensive solar power penetration makes so much energy that the government wants to offer free electricity at peak hours.
electrek.co
November 6, 2025 at 8:38 PM
My kind of abundance
It's easy (and usually fun) to dump on pundits. But I think both of these things can be true
1. Very few Dems think algebra is racist or banning plastic bags is a big priority
2. Lots of people *think* D's are obsessed with these things because being a Democrat is historically unpopular and uncool
1. Very few Dems think algebra is racist or banning plastic bags is a big priority
2. Lots of people *think* D's are obsessed with these things because being a Democrat is historically unpopular and uncool
I don't think it helps the debate about what Democrats should do to pick an obscure thing that some Democrat somewhere may have said -- like on teaching eighth grade algebra -- and then attribute it to Democrats generally.
November 4, 2025 at 6:43 PM
It's easy (and usually fun) to dump on pundits. But I think both of these things can be true
1. Very few Dems think algebra is racist or banning plastic bags is a big priority
2. Lots of people *think* D's are obsessed with these things because being a Democrat is historically unpopular and uncool
1. Very few Dems think algebra is racist or banning plastic bags is a big priority
2. Lots of people *think* D's are obsessed with these things because being a Democrat is historically unpopular and uncool
When people learn with ChatGPT instead of following their own searches, they end up knowing less, caring less, and producing worse advice, even when the facts are the same.
Friction is an essential ingredient for learning! Convenience makes us shallow.
academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/ar...
Friction is an essential ingredient for learning! Convenience makes us shallow.
academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/ar...
Experimental evidence of the effects of large language models versus web search on depth of learning
Abstract. The effects of using large language models (LLMs) versus traditional web search on depth of learning are explored. A theory is proposed that when
academic.oup.com
October 28, 2025 at 3:14 PM
When people learn with ChatGPT instead of following their own searches, they end up knowing less, caring less, and producing worse advice, even when the facts are the same.
Friction is an essential ingredient for learning! Convenience makes us shallow.
academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/ar...
Friction is an essential ingredient for learning! Convenience makes us shallow.
academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/ar...
Super cool that the FDA is out there telling doctors the opposite of what the president said as he was vibing through a press conference
September 25, 2025 at 5:05 PM
Super cool that the FDA is out there telling doctors the opposite of what the president said as he was vibing through a press conference
More people need to realize politics has devolved into sorting people into buckets and keeping them there
1. Pick position (e.g. vaccines r scary)
2. Signal "if you're one of us, you must believe [1]"
The reality of the position doesn't matter to these people. It's all just shepherding for power
1. Pick position (e.g. vaccines r scary)
2. Signal "if you're one of us, you must believe [1]"
The reality of the position doesn't matter to these people. It's all just shepherding for power
When I say that being anti-vaccine is a political identity now I mean literally. Look at the divide between MAGA and non-MAGA Republicans.
During COVID the Virality Project documented the extent to which political influencers who’d never commented on 💉 before got deep into the topic on all shots.
During COVID the Virality Project documented the extent to which political influencers who’d never commented on 💉 before got deep into the topic on all shots.
September 25, 2025 at 4:28 PM
More people need to realize politics has devolved into sorting people into buckets and keeping them there
1. Pick position (e.g. vaccines r scary)
2. Signal "if you're one of us, you must believe [1]"
The reality of the position doesn't matter to these people. It's all just shepherding for power
1. Pick position (e.g. vaccines r scary)
2. Signal "if you're one of us, you must believe [1]"
The reality of the position doesn't matter to these people. It's all just shepherding for power
Kakistocracy kills.
September 23, 2025 at 7:58 PM
Kakistocracy kills.
We can save RFK Jr some time here, because we already know a lot about acetaminophen and autism!
There’s no increased risk of autism from use of this drug. This isn’t based on some small study. It’s thanks to a beautiful study of literally millions of children…
wapo.st/4nkMdCO
There’s no increased risk of autism from use of this drug. This isn’t based on some small study. It’s thanks to a beautiful study of literally millions of children…
wapo.st/4nkMdCO
Trump administration set to tie Tylenol to autism risk, officials say
The Trump administration plans to tie Tylenol to autism risk while touting another drug, leucovorin, as a potential autism treatment.
wapo.st
September 21, 2025 at 11:48 PM
We can save RFK Jr some time here, because we already know a lot about acetaminophen and autism!
There’s no increased risk of autism from use of this drug. This isn’t based on some small study. It’s thanks to a beautiful study of literally millions of children…
wapo.st/4nkMdCO
There’s no increased risk of autism from use of this drug. This isn’t based on some small study. It’s thanks to a beautiful study of literally millions of children…
wapo.st/4nkMdCO
My woe was over the character limit
September 14, 2025 at 10:38 PM
My woe was over the character limit
Asimov wrote “Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent”
The loss of any life to political violence is a profound failure of humanity’s potential. We must resist the gravitational pull toward dehumanization and vengeance no matter how much we disagree with someone
Our future depends on it
The loss of any life to political violence is a profound failure of humanity’s potential. We must resist the gravitational pull toward dehumanization and vengeance no matter how much we disagree with someone
Our future depends on it
September 11, 2025 at 1:21 AM
Asimov wrote “Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent”
The loss of any life to political violence is a profound failure of humanity’s potential. We must resist the gravitational pull toward dehumanization and vengeance no matter how much we disagree with someone
Our future depends on it
The loss of any life to political violence is a profound failure of humanity’s potential. We must resist the gravitational pull toward dehumanization and vengeance no matter how much we disagree with someone
Our future depends on it
No one in Texas is surprised that the world epicenter of weird little brother energy is leading the charge on attacking academic wrongthink. Look at what they consider normal!
September 10, 2025 at 1:19 PM
No one in Texas is surprised that the world epicenter of weird little brother energy is leading the charge on attacking academic wrongthink. Look at what they consider normal!
The board is wrong. But politics is a game of perceptions more than it is about reality (which I wish wasn’t true but 🤷♂️). And plenty of bad actors have been able to make these perceptions more salient/popular, and retcon reality in order to erode trust in institutions.
None of this is an accident!
None of this is an accident!
The Washington Post editorial board is essentially endorsing the backlash against public health, and only Florida took it too far. This is pandemic revisionism at its worst, and completely erases how layers of public health protections did so much to save lives before vaccines were available.
September 5, 2025 at 12:02 AM
The board is wrong. But politics is a game of perceptions more than it is about reality (which I wish wasn’t true but 🤷♂️). And plenty of bad actors have been able to make these perceptions more salient/popular, and retcon reality in order to erode trust in institutions.
None of this is an accident!
None of this is an accident!
When you remember that much of the modern GOP mission revolves around weakening institutions by eroding our trust in them, this seems like a big win for them
Only 26% of Americans say they "somewhat" trust RFK Jr's medical advice. The rest do not.
Those are horrifically bad poll numbers.
thehill.com/policy/healt...
Those are horrifically bad poll numbers.
thehill.com/policy/healt...
thehill.com
September 4, 2025 at 5:09 PM
When you remember that much of the modern GOP mission revolves around weakening institutions by eroding our trust in them, this seems like a big win for them
Had no idea these guys were into BJJ
Niels Bohr (left) spent years sparring with Albert Einstein (right), who insisted that the world has more concrete properties than quantum mechanics suggests. Reality proved weirder than Einstein had believed.
www.quantamagazine.org/its-a-mess-a...
www.quantamagazine.org/its-a-mess-a...
August 28, 2025 at 4:46 PM
Had no idea these guys were into BJJ
The quacks and hucksters have invented a remarkable self-reinforcing perpetual persecution machine:
Refuse to engage with their ideas, and it confirms their ideas are being suppressed
But criticize their ideas, and it confirms that the "establishment" is conspiring to protect entrenched beliefs
Refuse to engage with their ideas, and it confirms their ideas are being suppressed
But criticize their ideas, and it confirms that the "establishment" is conspiring to protect entrenched beliefs
August 22, 2025 at 8:16 PM
The quacks and hucksters have invented a remarkable self-reinforcing perpetual persecution machine:
Refuse to engage with their ideas, and it confirms their ideas are being suppressed
But criticize their ideas, and it confirms that the "establishment" is conspiring to protect entrenched beliefs
Refuse to engage with their ideas, and it confirms their ideas are being suppressed
But criticize their ideas, and it confirms that the "establishment" is conspiring to protect entrenched beliefs
The problem here is they are taking a reasonable point of view (you should be able to feel safe in your city and not be surrounded by garbage and dangerous drugs) and then turning around and criminalizing the mere existence of people they refuse to help get off the streets or give medical care to
JD Vance on homelessness: "I don't know why we accepted that it was reasonable to have crazy people yelling at our kids. You should not have to cross the street in downtown Atlanta to avoid a crazy person yelling at your family. Those are your streets."
August 21, 2025 at 6:58 PM
The problem here is they are taking a reasonable point of view (you should be able to feel safe in your city and not be surrounded by garbage and dangerous drugs) and then turning around and criminalizing the mere existence of people they refuse to help get off the streets or give medical care to
Anyway, it's obvious why a place dedicated to "the increase and diffusion of knowledge" would scare these people
The authoritarians are mad at the Smithsonian for challenging the circa-1940s Disney version of history that they so badly want to be true, but it's clear that the US government REALLY wanted it to be a place for fossils and cool rocks (great idea)
govtrackus.s3.amazonaws.com/legislink/pd...
govtrackus.s3.amazonaws.com/legislink/pd...
August 14, 2025 at 5:24 PM
Anyway, it's obvious why a place dedicated to "the increase and diffusion of knowledge" would scare these people
The authoritarians are mad at the Smithsonian for challenging the circa-1940s Disney version of history that they so badly want to be true, but it's clear that the US government REALLY wanted it to be a place for fossils and cool rocks (great idea)
govtrackus.s3.amazonaws.com/legislink/pd...
govtrackus.s3.amazonaws.com/legislink/pd...
August 14, 2025 at 5:22 PM
The authoritarians are mad at the Smithsonian for challenging the circa-1940s Disney version of history that they so badly want to be true, but it's clear that the US government REALLY wanted it to be a place for fossils and cool rocks (great idea)
govtrackus.s3.amazonaws.com/legislink/pd...
govtrackus.s3.amazonaws.com/legislink/pd...
As an Austinite I don’t think I’m alone in preferring that 78-year-old Doggett retires, lets Casar win the new district (Greg rules), and Doggett can be a shoe-in for Austin mayor in 2028 to protect the city from the mentally incompetent Texas state government
August 14, 2025 at 1:31 AM
As an Austinite I don’t think I’m alone in preferring that 78-year-old Doggett retires, lets Casar win the new district (Greg rules), and Doggett can be a shoe-in for Austin mayor in 2028 to protect the city from the mentally incompetent Texas state government
Yes. Hahaha. YES
Prepare for me to be insufferable, potentially for the next 160 days or longer
🤘😎 Hook ‘em
Prepare for me to be insufferable, potentially for the next 160 days or longer
🤘😎 Hook ‘em
August 12, 2025 at 8:09 PM
Yes. Hahaha. YES
Prepare for me to be insufferable, potentially for the next 160 days or longer
🤘😎 Hook ‘em
Prepare for me to be insufferable, potentially for the next 160 days or longer
🤘😎 Hook ‘em
For surveys like this, you can usually attribute the high uncertainties about obvious things (e.g. Earth orbits the sun) to lack of education or question confusion
The more alarming trend is that since 2021, conspiracy thinking has noticeably increased and agreement with science has decreased
The more alarming trend is that since 2021, conspiracy thinking has noticeably increased and agreement with science has decreased
August 7, 2025 at 5:24 PM
For surveys like this, you can usually attribute the high uncertainties about obvious things (e.g. Earth orbits the sun) to lack of education or question confusion
The more alarming trend is that since 2021, conspiracy thinking has noticeably increased and agreement with science has decreased
The more alarming trend is that since 2021, conspiracy thinking has noticeably increased and agreement with science has decreased
The USA continues to leap face-first onto the rake of scientific self-owns faster than any other country in modern history. From energy to medical R&D and everything in between, just a stunning trajectory of ignorance and squandered opportunity. The future demands better
August 6, 2025 at 3:47 PM
The USA continues to leap face-first onto the rake of scientific self-owns faster than any other country in modern history. From energy to medical R&D and everything in between, just a stunning trajectory of ignorance and squandered opportunity. The future demands better
We teach about the Lysenkoism when we want to showcase how politics can push a nation’s science to become deadly pseudoscience.
In the future, I wonder if they’ll replace that lesson with RFKJrism
In the future, I wonder if they’ll replace that lesson with RFKJrism
August 6, 2025 at 5:48 AM
We teach about the Lysenkoism when we want to showcase how politics can push a nation’s science to become deadly pseudoscience.
In the future, I wonder if they’ll replace that lesson with RFKJrism
In the future, I wonder if they’ll replace that lesson with RFKJrism
TikTok has absolutely cratered people’s narrative attention spans. I make educational YouTube videos with deliberate acts to build story, and I purposely loop back to ideas to reinforce then, but if it takes longer than 3 minutes to watch then inevitably someone comments “get to the point”
August 1, 2025 at 12:50 AM
TikTok has absolutely cratered people’s narrative attention spans. I make educational YouTube videos with deliberate acts to build story, and I purposely loop back to ideas to reinforce then, but if it takes longer than 3 minutes to watch then inevitably someone comments “get to the point”