Noah Helman
@noahhelman.bsky.social
Founder at Industrial Microbes: Net-zero chemicals and materials for the Circular Economy. Interested in bio, baseball, beer, and big problems. (he/him)
Reposted by Noah Helman
Do your parent friends know there's a vaccine that can prevent one of the 10 most common types of cancer (both incidence and mortality) in the world?
November 26, 2025 at 11:12 AM
Do your parent friends know there's a vaccine that can prevent one of the 10 most common types of cancer (both incidence and mortality) in the world?
Reposted by Noah Helman
The homeowner saw on the security camera that a bear was playing on the outdoor swing every day, but couldn't get on.
So he had a bigger swing built, and this was the result.😎🤣💙☺️
So he had a bigger swing built, and this was the result.😎🤣💙☺️
October 10, 2025 at 3:23 AM
The homeowner saw on the security camera that a bear was playing on the outdoor swing every day, but couldn't get on.
So he had a bigger swing built, and this was the result.😎🤣💙☺️
So he had a bigger swing built, and this was the result.😎🤣💙☺️
Reposted by Noah Helman
The reason why older generations burnt the shit out of their meat and boiled the shit out of their vegetables, was your kid died if you didn't.
Medium rare steaks and roasted Brussels sprouts are a side effect of an intact food safety infrastructure
Medium rare steaks and roasted Brussels sprouts are a side effect of an intact food safety infrastructure
"The Agriculture Department will not require poultry companies to limit salmonella bacteria in their products, halting a Biden Administration effort to prevent food poisoning from contaminated meat."
www.seattletimes.com/business/usd...
www.seattletimes.com/business/usd...
USDA withdraws a plan to limit salmonella levels in raw poultry
The Agriculture Department says it is withdrawing a plan to limit salmonella bacteria in poultry products.
www.seattletimes.com
April 25, 2025 at 2:47 AM
The reason why older generations burnt the shit out of their meat and boiled the shit out of their vegetables, was your kid died if you didn't.
Medium rare steaks and roasted Brussels sprouts are a side effect of an intact food safety infrastructure
Medium rare steaks and roasted Brussels sprouts are a side effect of an intact food safety infrastructure
Reposted by Noah Helman
Disease prevalence in US states before & after vaccine introduction 🧪
From Edward Tufte & graphics.wsj.com/infectious-d...
From Edward Tufte & graphics.wsj.com/infectious-d...
September 4, 2025 at 6:01 PM
Disease prevalence in US states before & after vaccine introduction 🧪
From Edward Tufte & graphics.wsj.com/infectious-d...
From Edward Tufte & graphics.wsj.com/infectious-d...
Reposted by Noah Helman
At some point in the not too distant future the conventional wisdom will be that this was a period where the US focused on dumb shit while China took the lead in multiple domains
I vaguely remember tweeting something like the country that effectively captures this free energy source at scale will rule the 21st century. whelp.
August 30, 2025 at 2:59 AM
At some point in the not too distant future the conventional wisdom will be that this was a period where the US focused on dumb shit while China took the lead in multiple domains
Reposted by Noah Helman
Rightwing populists don’t like the results of science (e.g., #globalwarming is caused by burning fossil fuels), so they try to discredit science and scientists. Then they falsely claim there is a lack of public trust in science.
They really think they can easily fool you with this nonsense. 🙄
They really think they can easily fool you with this nonsense. 🙄
August 24, 2025 at 10:58 AM
Rightwing populists don’t like the results of science (e.g., #globalwarming is caused by burning fossil fuels), so they try to discredit science and scientists. Then they falsely claim there is a lack of public trust in science.
They really think they can easily fool you with this nonsense. 🙄
They really think they can easily fool you with this nonsense. 🙄
This guy was just awesome. Never met home but listened to and learned from Small Things Considered many times. Brought joy and wonder to the art of learning microbiology.
😔
😔
Elio Schaechter, eminent microbiologist and great human, leaves us his memoirs that tell the story of an extraordinary life: www.eliosmemoirs.org. What a fantastic and impactful journey!
Elio's Memoirs
www.eliosmemoirs.org
August 16, 2025 at 11:15 PM
This guy was just awesome. Never met home but listened to and learned from Small Things Considered many times. Brought joy and wonder to the art of learning microbiology.
😔
😔
Reposted by Noah Helman
Saddened to learn of the passing of Moselio "Elio" Schaechter—Distinguished Professor at Tufts, SDSU and UCSD—humanist and visionary leader in the fields of microbiology and scientific communication—mentor, friend, and inspiration to me and so many others
Small Things Considered
Big Things Achieved
Small Things Considered
Big Things Achieved
August 15, 2025 at 3:12 PM
Saddened to learn of the passing of Moselio "Elio" Schaechter—Distinguished Professor at Tufts, SDSU and UCSD—humanist and visionary leader in the fields of microbiology and scientific communication—mentor, friend, and inspiration to me and so many others
Small Things Considered
Big Things Achieved
Small Things Considered
Big Things Achieved
Reposted by Noah Helman
Research has an economic return multiplier >1. So taxes don't even really pay for research. Research more than pays for itself, the taxes are just used to kick-start the positive economic cycle. The more money invested in research, the better the economy.
July 25, 2025 at 7:13 PM
Research has an economic return multiplier >1. So taxes don't even really pay for research. Research more than pays for itself, the taxes are just used to kick-start the positive economic cycle. The more money invested in research, the better the economy.
Reposted by Noah Helman
UN Secretary‑General António Guterres:
"Countries that cling to fossil fuels are not protecting their economies – they are sabotaging them. Driving up costs. Undermining competitiveness. Locking-in stranded assets. And missing the greatest economic opportunity of the 21st century."
"Countries that cling to fossil fuels are not protecting their economies – they are sabotaging them. Driving up costs. Undermining competitiveness. Locking-in stranded assets. And missing the greatest economic opportunity of the 21st century."
Secretary-General's remarks on Climate Action "A Moment of Opportunity: Supercharging the Clean Energy Age" [as delivered; scroll down for All-French] | United Nations Secretary-General
Excellencies, Ladies and gentlemen, Friends joining us from around the world, The headlines are dominated by a world in trouble. By conflict and climate chaos. By rising human suffering. By growing...
www.un.org
July 23, 2025 at 5:35 PM
UN Secretary‑General António Guterres:
"Countries that cling to fossil fuels are not protecting their economies – they are sabotaging them. Driving up costs. Undermining competitiveness. Locking-in stranded assets. And missing the greatest economic opportunity of the 21st century."
"Countries that cling to fossil fuels are not protecting their economies – they are sabotaging them. Driving up costs. Undermining competitiveness. Locking-in stranded assets. And missing the greatest economic opportunity of the 21st century."
Reposted by Noah Helman
These days, I'm thinking a lot about FDR's Four Freedoms that he thought everyone in the world had the right to:
Freedom of speech and expression
Freedom of worship
Freedom from want
Freedom from fear
THREAD 1/5
Freedom of speech and expression
Freedom of worship
Freedom from want
Freedom from fear
THREAD 1/5
July 12, 2025 at 6:54 PM
These days, I'm thinking a lot about FDR's Four Freedoms that he thought everyone in the world had the right to:
Freedom of speech and expression
Freedom of worship
Freedom from want
Freedom from fear
THREAD 1/5
Freedom of speech and expression
Freedom of worship
Freedom from want
Freedom from fear
THREAD 1/5
Reposted by Noah Helman
Like I've said before, if you have any doubts about climate change, just go to a super-boring insurance conference and listen to the super-boring panels where they dryly talk about the growing threat of disasters so catastrophic and unpredictable in scope they simply cannot be insured at any price.
Wild how the Fed chair saying that *entire regions of the United States* won’t be able to get a mortgage in the next decade barely registered as a news event
June 18, 2025 at 9:44 PM
Like I've said before, if you have any doubts about climate change, just go to a super-boring insurance conference and listen to the super-boring panels where they dryly talk about the growing threat of disasters so catastrophic and unpredictable in scope they simply cannot be insured at any price.
Reposted by Noah Helman
Reposted by Noah Helman
Reminder: Nobel-prize winning PCR (1983), used in basically all genetic tech today, was only possible because of extremophile bacterium discovered in 1964 in Yellowstone funded by a small ~$80k NSF grant with no obvious application at the time. #science 🧪
www.richmondscientific.com/how-a-discov...
www.richmondscientific.com/how-a-discov...
How a discovery in Yellowstone National Park led to the development of PCR - Richmond Scientific
A discovery in Yellowstone National Park led to the development of PCR, the gold-standard COVID-19 tests used to fight the global pandemic.
www.richmondscientific.com
June 8, 2025 at 9:09 PM
Reminder: Nobel-prize winning PCR (1983), used in basically all genetic tech today, was only possible because of extremophile bacterium discovered in 1964 in Yellowstone funded by a small ~$80k NSF grant with no obvious application at the time. #science 🧪
www.richmondscientific.com/how-a-discov...
www.richmondscientific.com/how-a-discov...
Reposted by Noah Helman
“Fixing climate change is too expensive.”
Um no. What’s really expensive is doing nothing.
Climate disasters cost billions—and those costs are rising fast. Climate solutions save money and lives, as well as building a better world for us all 🌏💚
Um no. What’s really expensive is doing nothing.
Climate disasters cost billions—and those costs are rising fast. Climate solutions save money and lives, as well as building a better world for us all 🌏💚
May 31, 2025 at 2:52 AM
“Fixing climate change is too expensive.”
Um no. What’s really expensive is doing nothing.
Climate disasters cost billions—and those costs are rising fast. Climate solutions save money and lives, as well as building a better world for us all 🌏💚
Um no. What’s really expensive is doing nothing.
Climate disasters cost billions—and those costs are rising fast. Climate solutions save money and lives, as well as building a better world for us all 🌏💚
Reposted by Noah Helman
We must remind people that investment in science is crucial for our health, for our economy, and for our future.
Science is an investment and so if you’re business minded, it’s basically an offer you can’t refuse!
Thank you!
Science is an investment and so if you’re business minded, it’s basically an offer you can’t refuse!
Thank you!
March 7, 2025 at 11:06 PM
We must remind people that investment in science is crucial for our health, for our economy, and for our future.
Science is an investment and so if you’re business minded, it’s basically an offer you can’t refuse!
Thank you!
Science is an investment and so if you’re business minded, it’s basically an offer you can’t refuse!
Thank you!
Reposted by Noah Helman
Harrison, whose plasma contained a rare antibody, rolled up his sleeve 1,173 times from 1954 to 2018. The Australian is credited with helping 2.4 million babies and advancing scientific research.
James Harrison, whose blood donations saved over 2 million babies, has died
Harrison, whose plasma contained a rare antibody, rolled up his sleeve 1,173 times from 1954 to 2018. The Australian is credited with helping 2.4 million babies and advancing scientific research.
www.npr.org
March 4, 2025 at 2:06 AM
Harrison, whose plasma contained a rare antibody, rolled up his sleeve 1,173 times from 1954 to 2018. The Australian is credited with helping 2.4 million babies and advancing scientific research.
@catalyst-pod.bsky.social, @volts.wtf, @mliebreich.bsky.social : I would like to understand better the subsidies for the fossil fuel and chemicals industries, and of course, the (geo)politics. Podcast topic, anyone?
ourworldindata.org/how-much-sub...
ourworldindata.org/how-much-sub...
How much in subsidies do fossil fuels receive?
Estimates range from less than $1 trillion to $7 trillion. Where do these numbers come from?
ourworldindata.org
February 6, 2025 at 6:51 PM
@catalyst-pod.bsky.social, @volts.wtf, @mliebreich.bsky.social : I would like to understand better the subsidies for the fossil fuel and chemicals industries, and of course, the (geo)politics. Podcast topic, anyone?
ourworldindata.org/how-much-sub...
ourworldindata.org/how-much-sub...
Reposted by Noah Helman
Ice is melting at the North Pole in midwinter.
Temperatures at north pole 20C above average and beyond ice melting point
Scientists say unusually mild temperatures linked to low-pressure system over Iceland directing strong flow of warm air towards north pole
www.theguardian.com
February 5, 2025 at 5:23 AM
Ice is melting at the North Pole in midwinter.
Can we please agree to phase out fossil fuel subsidies? With the right schedule, we could:
* Encourage cleaner solutions
* Cut emissions
* Save that money for other purposes
* Avoid serious disruptions to our economy
ourworldindata.org/fossil-fuel-...
* Encourage cleaner solutions
* Cut emissions
* Save that money for other purposes
* Avoid serious disruptions to our economy
ourworldindata.org/fossil-fuel-...
Fossil fuel subsidies: If we want to reduce greenhouse gas emissions we should not pay people to burn fossil fuels
Repealing subsidies is not easy, but it is possible – and the world is slowly making progress in this direction
ourworldindata.org
January 15, 2025 at 5:49 AM
Can we please agree to phase out fossil fuel subsidies? With the right schedule, we could:
* Encourage cleaner solutions
* Cut emissions
* Save that money for other purposes
* Avoid serious disruptions to our economy
ourworldindata.org/fossil-fuel-...
* Encourage cleaner solutions
* Cut emissions
* Save that money for other purposes
* Avoid serious disruptions to our economy
ourworldindata.org/fossil-fuel-...
Reposted by Noah Helman
NEW PAPER: Decarbonization isn't just about climate—it's also about public health. We find that economy-wide CO2 reductions can lead to widespread improvements in air quality and health benefits, ranging from $65 billion to $250 billion annually by 2035.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
November 12, 2024 at 5:50 PM
NEW PAPER: Decarbonization isn't just about climate—it's also about public health. We find that economy-wide CO2 reductions can lead to widespread improvements in air quality and health benefits, ranging from $65 billion to $250 billion annually by 2035.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Reposted by Noah Helman
Never forget that greenhouse gas emissions and and economic growth decoupled a LONG time ago. Anyone who tells you that our economy depends on ever-increasing use of fossil fuels is mistaken at best, and lying at worst, and they've been wrong for at least 20 years.
November 11, 2024 at 11:26 PM
Never forget that greenhouse gas emissions and and economic growth decoupled a LONG time ago. Anyone who tells you that our economy depends on ever-increasing use of fossil fuels is mistaken at best, and lying at worst, and they've been wrong for at least 20 years.