Derek Hennen, Ph.D.

When somebody terrible like RFK Jr says things like this, it’s tempting to respond with “but what about algebra?” This is actually a normal response because you’re engaging with the claims earnestly. The trouble is, he’s not lying to learn from you. A much better response is “You’re wrong, bigot”.

Advice for U.S. Government Scientists: Lessons Learned From the ‘Muzzling’ of Their Canadian Counterparts • I wrote this for The Revelator right before the second Trump administration started, and people called me alarmist.

Something I wish more people would realize.

JUST POSTED: Today at The NYT we are publishing a major investigation into how President Trump used his executive powers to expose millions of Americans to greater cancer risks. A six month-long investigation built on more than 10,000 pages of FOIA records. Read it www.nytimes.com/2026/10/24/c...

Trump has made more stock trades in his second term than all 535 members of Congress combined.

Congratulations - we made it to gummy bug season!!! 🥳 😋 Female giant pecan scales hide in the bark of trees (often hickories & pecans) until Sept./Oct. when they emerge & call the fly-like males to mate. You can see the males are very eager 😂 #Kuwaniidae: #Neosteingelia texana North Carolina, USA

I wrote an explainer of the evil, terrible thing that almost happened with our tax dollars in Guinea-Bissau defector.com/the-u-s-fund...

We found that as of right now 73% of your campaign donation goes back to the consultants and vendors (!!!), four times more than just 20 years ago. Only 13% to ads. Even I was shocked.

Just as a private equity firm buys out a corporation and strips it for parts, a consultant class is raiding the Democratic Party and getting “generationally wealthy” along the way New from me and @adambonica.bsky.social newrepublic.com/article/2163...

I think that these people should have simply been nice to their children

farritor and kliger are the two who i want to see in orange jumpsuits being hauled off to prison

There is absolutely no viable path forward for this country that doesn’t hinge on extreme accountability for everyone involved in this administration. They’re going to whine about politicization and credulous media types will echo them, but the thing is, they’ve committed tons of obvious crimes!

Over the last decade, there were two hypotheses: H1: the political right genuinely cared about threats to speech from the left. H2: they were using campus speech wars to impose their values and silence dissent. Today, the answer is clear, but I can't find any of the H1 people admitting their error.

Sam Altman said people are just gonna have to die in order to implement AI. In the very same week, Anthropic claimed it’s a human rights violation to be mean to the computer. These people need to be held accountable. They think lines of code are a person with rights but living people are debris.

Natural history museums are at an inflection point that started with the auctioning of dinosaurs. If Fort Hays State (Sternberg) or Drexel (Acad.Nat.Sci.) think they can monetize collections (i.e., sell natural history specimens); museums become safety deposit boxes instead of research institutes.

Seems like people really like this episode which is so cool! If you want to support us making weird silly stuff like this (and sometimes serious stuff too) please consider becoming a hyperfixed premium member. We are completely independent and your support will go to health insurance for the team!

Latest update on the Sternberg Museum closure. Never has so little been said in so many words There's also this little gem of weaselspeak "Mason said museum staff, the university’s provost and dean are beginning work on a long-term revisioning process" www.hdnews.net/2026/10/05/b...

It's hard not to fall in love with microsnails.

There’s an update at the link that if the museum can raise enough money, they can stay open for another year. Click the link in the OP to learn more or donate here: foundation.fhsu.edu/save-sternbe...

Hey yeah, friendly reminder that men denying or minimizing the work of women and taking credit for it themselves happens so much we have a NAME for it. (It’s the Matilda Effect.) 2nd fun fact: I’ve written many bios of women in STEM at this point and this is *always a factor in their history*

Today is the fifth day of the public losing access to The Academy of Natural Sciences. We can change that. save-the-academy.org youtu.be/v-R1t4YlYJ8?...

Just listened to this great piece on @scifri.bsky.social about the importance of collections. www.sciencefriday.com/segments/are... Consider making a donation at any level to support your local natural history collection. Support @utkherbarium.bsky.social here herbarium.utk.edu/give/

Hey, I’m just asking questions. Ignorant questions, bigoted questions, questions that have been repeatedly answered for many years. Sorry, but I’m not listening to answers right now; I’m far too busy asking questions. It’s called being intellectually curious.

Killed. NSF’s SBE was killed, in violation of law. The President does not have the power to choose to kill programs at a whim by defunding them. The imperial presidency was a mistake and we are in a separation of powers constitutional crisis.

The fault lies with tax cuts for the rich and the systematic dismantling of public education by the Republican party. richardconniff.substack.com/p/another-na...

Another reason why your healthcare shouldn't be tied to your employment status.

Jason Cryan, from the Natural History Museum of Utah, and Barbara Thiers, formerly of the New York Botanical Garden, join Host Flora Lichtman to discuss the challenges of running a natural history museum.

Massive new review paper out on the causes of insect population declines. It's not great news, BUT if we pay attention, we can still turn things around. 🧪🦋 academic.oup.com/aesa/advance...

We're providing multiple $5k awards for invertebrate conservation research! 🦋 xerces.org/dewind - work with a clear connection to butterfly & moth conservation 🪲 xerces.org/bandrosky - work directly relevant to ANY invert in decline 🧑🏽‍🔬 Eligibility: Current grad or undergrad student 🗓 Deadline: Dec 1

BREAKING: Ukrinform, the state news agency of Ukraine, reports that a Russian drone has struck the National Academy of Sciences in central Kyiv, causing a fire. Last month, we reported on a visit to one of the research groups housed within the complex, which studies fungi across the country.

Studio clean up! A series of drawings for the book Livsfarlig Leksikon some years ago. I offer these drawings for Kr.1900/ $200/ €190, and throw in a complimentory book. These are made with Copic Marker on Schoellershammer paper, size 11" x 8" (28 x 20,5 cm). Just send a pm if you´d like one!

It's a great time to watch the best sci-fi series ever!

Isle of Reveries on Steam: store.steampowered.com/app/3100970/...

A big inspiration for Isle of Reveries was the Boss Keys series by @gamemakerstoolkit.com where they chart out Zelda dungeons. Here's the chart for the third dungeon, where you change the temperature back and forth at two spots to warp the layout of the entire dungeon #screenshotsaturday #indiegame

This is the master key to deciphering contemporary debates about free speech. www.lrb.co.uk/blog/2026/se...

Watching the new @miniminuteman.bsky.social video about the abrupt and stupid decision of Drexel University to close the Academy of Natural Sciences, and I was mad about it before and now I'm REALLY mad about it www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxyf...

The Clemson University Arthropod Collection is 100 years old and still going strong! Grateful to the university for helping us celebrate this milestone. news.clemson.edu/a-century-of...