Darin Takemoto
@dtake01.bsky.social
Weeder of woods. Interests: statistics, bioinformatics, music, games.
Despite the claims of RFK Jr. there still is no autism epidemic, just improved detection. Again. medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09...
Study uncovers no evidence of autism epidemic despite claims
Many people, including U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., say autism rates have reached epidemic proportions. But while the prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) ha...
medicalxpress.com
Antisense-RNA therapy results in improvements in an ALS patient caused by a rare mutation in the CHCHD10 gene. Eight other patients with mutations in the same gene have been given the therapy. www.nature.com/articles/d41...
First for RNA therapy: man with rare motor-neuron disease improves after treatment
Gene-targeting treatments could be used to treat other people with rare forms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
nature.com
As we should endeavor to understand the full breadth of human genomic variation and not just European variation, indigenous collaborations will become more important. doi.org/rppn
Ten simple rules for elevating Indigenous partnerships in research
doi.org
Another day, another report detailing US war crimes. www.npr.org/2026/09/17/n...
U.N.-backed experts cite possible U.S. war crimes in Iran, including a school attack
Human rights experts commissioned by the U.N. say they have found "reasonable grounds" to believe the U.S. committed war crimes in Iran, including a strike on a school in the southern city of Minab.
npr.org
Spatial transcriptomics can be really powerful, but the data are quite noisy and it is really expensive, so only use it if you need it for the problem at hand. doi.org/rpmz
Ten quick tips for spatial transcriptomics analysis
Author summary Spatial transcriptomics (ST) lets researchers measure gene expression while preserving the tissue location of each measurement. Where a cell sits, and which cells surround it, shape how...
doi.org
Now even Ed Sheeran is saying it was the promoter's decision www.today.com/video/ed-she...
Ed Sheeran’s Opening Acts Drop out in Solidarity With Macklemore
Fallout is growing over rapper Macklemore’s removal from Ed Sheeran’s tour with now every one of Sheeran’s music openers and his onstage band announcing that they would no longer take part in the tour...
today.com
The new Macklemore video everyone’s talking about. You might think it’s about Palestine, but it’s bigger than that. It’s about social media controlling what we see, hear, and think. It’s a call to action. Whew… “fucked up.” youtu.be/sn9EKC9nqU4?...
MACKLEMORE - fucked up (official video)
YouTube video by Macklemore
youtu.be
Macklemore is being criticized for standing up for people and against genocide and imperialism. What a world. www.aljazeera.com/video/newsfe...
Macklemore defends ‘Free Palestine’ call after Ed Sheeran concert backlash
Macklemore is facing backlash from pro-Israel groups after saying ‘Free Palestine’ while opening for Ed Sheeran.
aljazeera.com
A Wikipedia editor put it well: "You almost want to pat them on the head and say 'Yes, of course it will' in the same way you'd tell a small child that Santa Claus will be delivering their presents."
I'm keen on AI having a transformational impact on human health. But these cure projections are wildly off-base and impossible.
Describe your musical taste in three artists, no genres: Bobbi Humphrey Cowboy Junkies La Santa Cecilia
The cyclospora outbreak has reached 13,895 cases across 47 states. The FDA has recalled 1.6 million eggs due to salmonella contamination. Screwworm cases continue to rise. And we’ve just surpassed 2,500 measles cases — breaking 2025’s record. “Make America Healthy Again.”
41 years ago, Carl Sagan gave a clear and elegant explanation of the science behind global warming.
Lake Meade is running out of water. This is outrageous. We are in deep trouble
El-Sayed: "It means holding people like RFK Jr accountable for the DOGE-ing of our public health, for which we now need to be dodging lettuce across the state of Michigan for fear of getting explosive diarrhea, which nobody ever thought you be a consequence of electing Donald Trump, but here we are"
Animaris Rex is an 18-metre-long walking 'beach animal' propelled by the wind, created by Theo Jansen as a fusion of art and engineering. Original post
16 months after a young girl died in a gene-editing trial, the study's entry in clinicaltrial. gov has finally been updated to acknowledge the death. The move comes after @science.org and @retractionwatch.com revealed the fatality 1/ science.org/content/arti...
ClinicalTrials.gov
clinicaltrials.gov
I really recommend the 2022 documentary “It’s Quieter in the Twilight,” which profiles the scientists working in relative obscurity to keep the Voyager spacecraft operating—many of them past retirement age, but unwilling to quit until the Voyagers do. It was very sweet and thought-provoking.
The US State Department acknowledged 'an unfortunate error' after the highly inaccurate African map caused a stir.
US government mislabels countries on map of Africa at global conference
The US State Department acknowledged 'an unfortunate error' after the highly inaccurate African map caused a stir.
aljazeera.com
"In an extraordinary development all 55 Uefa members resolved not to participate in future World Cups or other Fifa-run events, saying in a statement that they “unanimously and unequivocally reject” the proposals" www.theguardian.com/football/202...
Uefa agrees to boycott Fifa competitions if World Cup sell-off plans proceed
Uefa nations have agreed to boycott all Fifa tournaments if the global governing body continues with its plan to sell off stakes in the World Cup
theguardian.com
Just wow. Infantino's FIFA is the most corrupt organization associated with sports, and that's saying something. www.nytimes.com/athletic/747...
FIFA plans to sell a stake in the World Cup: How much for and why is Gianni Infantino doing it?
The proposal has been widely criticized, with European soccer's governing body UEFA saying it "crosses a line."
nytimes.com
A vessel-based clotting switch reduced arterial clots and vascular blockages in mice without increasing bleeding risk. In 74 patients, higher S1P levels also tracked with lower clotting activity. doi.org/hccfsr
Natural clotting 'switch' may one day reduce reliance on blood thinners to prevent heart attacks and strokes
Cardiovascular conditions such as strokes or heart attacks are among the most common causes of death in Germany. Today, treatment and prevention are primarily based on so-called platelet aggregation inhibitors and anticoagulants—types of medication commonly referred to as blood thinners.
medicalxpress.com
The death of a girl in an n-of-1 Chinese base-editing trial last year is disclosed for the first time. The family paid $860,000 for the trial, and were not told of serious side effects found in primate studies with the base editor. doi.org/rgzs
Exclusive: Death of girl in Chinese gene-editing trial was never made public
Parents want accountability after study went disastrously wrong, Science and Retraction Watch investigation reveals
doi.org
Some useful tips if you want to use AI to make a graphical abstract for a journal article. Useful for those (like me) who are artistically-challenged. www.nature.com/articles/d41...
How to use AI to make a graphical abstract in minutes
Artificial intelligence is a democratizing force for those without graphic-design experience, as long as it is used conscientiously.
nature.com
Are MAHA guidances backed by good science? TL;DR one of the five guidances have reasonable scientific basis. Not great when government health guidances bat at the Mendoza line. www.nature.com/articles/d41...
How does Make America Healthy Again hold up against scientific scrutiny?
Researchers share their views on the US health policy spanning topics from vaccines to nutrition.
nature.com
Five authors, including Harvard geneticist George Church, pulled their names from a recent commentary paper in Nature Methods, potentially due to a “potential U.S. government restriction” on collaborations with three blacklisted BGI units. No U.S. authors are in the final author list. doi.org/rf57
Did U.S. scrutiny of foreign research drive prominent geneticist to decline authorship?
George Church moved to paper’s acknowledgements section, triggering exodus
doi.org
