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Nathaniel Comfort

@nccomfort.bsky.social

280 followers 130 following 400 posts

Historian of science & medicine and writer @ Johns Hopkins & Berkeley. History of genetics, eugenics, molecular biology, genomics. Also rock climbing, roots music, tattoos, dogs, humor. They’ll cut my sarcasm from my cold dead throat!

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Nathaniel Comfort @nccomfort.bsky.social · Mar 18

Hello world! I’m a historian of genetics who writes for both academic and gen’l audiences. Author of books on Barbara McClintock and medical genetics & eugenics + many articles. Currently writing a biog. of James Watson. Other loves= dogs, music around the world, inappropriate humor.

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Nathaniel Comfort @nccomfort.bsky.social · 2h

Feel better! I had that a few years ago, when I broke some ribs. Painful!

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Nathaniel Comfort @nccomfort.bsky.social · 5h

Did you get this pdf yet?

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Reposted by Nathaniel Comfort

Adam Rutherford @adamrutherford.bsky.social · 1d

Apropos of nothing much @ppfideas.bsky.social

www.ppfideas.com/episodes/the...

The History of Bad Ideas: Nobel Prizes

133

www.ppfideas.com

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Reposted by Nathaniel Comfort

Anthony Dornan @dornan.bsky.social · 1d

Now that’s just showing off.

Jason Shepherd @jasonsynaptic.bsky.social · 1d

#goals

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Nathaniel Comfort @nccomfort.bsky.social · 1d

He’s waiting for the big one: the Nobel Peace Prize in Science

Reposted by Nathaniel Comfort

Patrick McCray @patrickmccray.bsky.social · 1d

Nobel Prizes in 2025

University of California = 3
Donald J. Trump = 0

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Nathaniel Comfort @nccomfort.bsky.social · 3d

PSAC report continued, "So far, the increase of CO2 has been of the order of 10%, and the oceans are already experiencing some rise of temperature."

Future historians of climate change will note what idiots we were for understanding this existential problem & not robustly addressing it.
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"It is known that the carbon dioxide situation, as it has been observed within the last century, is one which might have considerable biological, geographical and economic consequences within the not too distant future. What is important is that with the rise of carbon dioxide, by way of exhaust gases from engines and other sources, there is a rise in the temperature of the atmosphere and oceans. It is estimated that a doubling of the carbon dioxide content of the atmosphere would produce an average atmospheric temperature rise of 3. 8 degrees Fahrenheit. This could be enough to bring about an immense flooding of the lower portions of the world's land surface, resulting from increased melting of glaciers. So far, the increase of carbon dioxide has been of the order of 10 percent, and the oceans are already experiencing some rise of temperature."

Nathaniel Comfort @nccomfort.bsky.social · 3d

The 1963 PSAC report said, "It is known that a "doubling of the carbon dioxide content of the atmosphere would produce an average atmospheric temperature rise of 3.8 degrees F" and predicted "immense flooding" of the low-lying areas because of glacial melting..." (cont)
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Nathaniel Comfort @nccomfort.bsky.social · 3d

In 1963, the Presidential Science Advisory Committee reported on the hazards of #climate change. They were v clear and matter-of-fact about it: CO2 levels were rising and the oceans were warming; if we don't do something soon, it could become catastrophic (quote in next post).
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Nathaniel Comfort @nccomfort.bsky.social · 3d

Goodall from the afterlife: send the tyrants into outer space; don’t lose hope

KOJAMF🤘🖤🤘 @kojamf.bsky.social · 3d

Dr. Jane Goodall filmed an interview with Netflix in March 2025 that she understood would only be released after her death.

Reposted by Nathaniel Comfort

Christopher Webb @cwebbonline.com · 5d

They’re baaack. 🤣

Repairs and all…

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Nathaniel Comfort @nccomfort.bsky.social · 5d

Lol!

Felicity Hannah @felicityhannah.bsky.social · 5d

This article manages to name her husband before it names… her.

Article reads:
Woman named as Archbishop of Canterbury in historic first

The 63-year-old archbishop-designate is married to Eamonn Mullally, with whom she has two children. Originally from Woking in Surrey, she was the UK's chief nursing officer from 1999 to 2004.

Nathaniel Comfort @nccomfort.bsky.social · 6d

New book alert! @cohenjon.bsky.social's latest could cure what ails you.

Jon Cohen @cohenjon.bsky.social · 7d

My book, Planning Miracles: How to Prevent Future Pandemics, comes out next week. It's not about flawed COVID responses. It's about scientific efforts to develop better vaccines, treatments, masks, surveillance--and to move more quickly...as one world.
www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/690752...

Planning Miracles by Jon Cohen: 9780593321225 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books

A groundbreaking book about the past, present, and future of pandemics, and a behind-the-scenes portrait of the intrepid and innovative community of scientists working tirelessly to stop the next one ...

www.penguinrandomhouse.com

Nathaniel Comfort @nccomfort.bsky.social · 6d

Ikr? I mean, to a significant extent, "medical inhumanities" is what you (and others) do!

Nathaniel Comfort @nccomfort.bsky.social · 6d

Details! ;)

Nathaniel Comfort @nccomfort.bsky.social · 6d

Status report.

man under tarp in boat extending hands for support

Nathaniel Comfort @nccomfort.bsky.social · 6d

Medical Inhumanities! I just invented a new oppressed scholarly discipline

we’re gonna need @drlindseyfitz.bsky.social on this

Nathaniel Comfort @nccomfort.bsky.social · 6d

well, with our new Crash Course in Horror and Medical Inhumanities, absolutely

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Reposted by Nathaniel Comfort

Dr. Ayah Nuriddin @ayahnerd.bsky.social · 6d

Honestly we wouldn't even need 3 weeks, we could set him straight in like 4 days lol

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Reposted by Nathaniel Comfort

Jeremy Berg @jeremymberg.bsky.social · 6d

My quote of the day

Jane Goodall

The part that always shocked me was the inter-community violence among the chimps: the patrols and the vicious attacks on strangers that lead to death. It's an unfortunate parallel to human behavior - they have a dark side just as we do. We have less excuse, because we can deliberate, so I believe only we are capable of true calculated evil.

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Nathaniel Comfort @nccomfort.bsky.social · 6d

Jane Goodall was heavily responsible for my developing love of animals as a kid. Still is.

Rest in Primates, Dr. G

www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/art...

How Jane Goodall changed what we know about chimps

Newly revealed images shed light on her research breakthroughs, how she became famous, and the photographer she loved.

www.nationalgeographic.com

Nathaniel Comfort @nccomfort.bsky.social · 6d

Give me this guy MWF 10:00-10:50 am for three weeks, make sure he does the reading, and I’ll wallop him with the history of eugenics.

Or ask @ayahnerd.bsky.social

Vanessa is the name of the Doctor! @hpsvanessa.bsky.social · 6d

Regret to inform everyone that the manatee-farming 1970s-protein-bro ended his book (literally) by saying the only solution to the global population explosion is actually "euthanasia of imperfect newborns" so we got to the hard-yikes in the end, as we all expected we might.

Vanessa is the name of the Doctor! @hpsvanessa.bsky.social · 16d

Currently reading a 1970s original protein-bro & his big 'feed the globe' ideas are

a) Kill all apex predators (bears, lions, etc) who compete with us for animal protein
b) Start farming manatees

Can't wait to write up this stuff.

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Nathaniel Comfort @nccomfort.bsky.social · 6d

duh.

Nathaniel Comfort @nccomfort.bsky.social · 6d

👎

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Nathaniel Comfort @nccomfort.bsky.social · 7d

my variation on this is, “I’ll teach you HOW to think, but I won’t tell you WHAT to think.”

both are serviceable. I think.

Jacqueline Antonovich @jackiantonovich.bsky.social · 7d

“I’ll teach you what I know, but I won’t tell you what to think.”

Is a thing I often say.

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