
Science journalist, Alicia Patterson Fellowships. Fund for Investigative Journalism. AAAS Fellow, Antarctican. formerly @WSJ
New York
Joined May 2010
- Tweets10.5K
- Following2K
- Followers5.8K
- Likes23.6K
Pinned Tweet
Good news for the future of in-depth independent reporting: The Alicia Patterson Foundation is joining forces with The Fund for Investigative Journalism fij.org/
Robert Lee Hotz retweeted
A few readers have taken me to task for “missing the point of the film,” which is apparently that Elizabeth Holmes is unknowable and everything is ambiguous. Here’s my response: She went after Tyler Shultz and Erika Cheung with everything she had. I was threatened with litigation on a daily basis for months on end. It was a ruthless cover-up of a breathtaking fraud, and she was at the controls. Just a little context for those who have forgotten or didn’t follow the original story. By the way, I loved the film. #BestPicture, IMO.
A ton of people have asked me for my thoughts about “You Can See Everything,” the new Elizabeth Holmes documentary. Here they are: nytimes.com/2026/10/17/busin… via @NYTimes
Robert Lee Hotz retweeted
On this day in 1911, Roald Amundsen and four companions left the Bay of Whales to begin their historic journey to the South Pole.
With 52 Greenland dogs, four sledges and meticulous planning, they set out across Antarctica's frozen wilderness. Less than two months later, they became the first humans to reach 90° South. More at antarcticreport.com
#OnThisDay #Antarctica #SouthPole #RoaldAmundsen #PolarHistory #TheAntarcticReport
Robert Lee Hotz retweeted
Snímek složený z 578 jednotlivých 8sekundových expozic pořídil 📷Brendan Larsen 9. září 2026 mezi 20:18 a 22:13 místního času nedaleko novozélandské sopky Mt. Taranaki. Na snímku je 14450 stop po přibližně 1400 jednotlivých družicích.
Robert Lee Hotz retweeted
Jack H. Hetherington's Siamese cat, Chester, famously co-authored a 1975 physics paper under the pseudonymous pen name F.D.C. Willard.....
In 1975, physicist Jack H. Hetherington submitted a paper on low temperature physics to the journal Physical Review Letters. After finishing the manuscript, he realized he had written “we” throughout the entire paper instead of “I”. At the time, journals expected papers written in the plural to have multiple authors.
Rather than rewrite the entire manuscript, Hetherington added a co author. That co author was his Siamese cat, Chester. The cat was listed under the name F.D.C. Willard, a playful reference to “Felis Domesticus, Chester” and the cat’s father, Willard. The paper was accepted and published, and the cat technically became a published physicist.
The story became widely known later when colleagues discovered the joke, and Hetherington openly confirmed it. Even better, copies of the paper were reportedly signed by Willard with a paw print.
#drthehistories
Robert Lee Hotz retweeted
We have most of our fall books up at tivolibooks.com & they are a compelling collection indeed. Please take a look & place an order. Independent publishing cannot survive on congratulations, no matter how robust. We're also on Amazon, B&N, etc. Thanks from Tivoli Books.
Robert Lee Hotz retweeted
This might be the best use of AI I've ever seen. If we're doomed to be unoriginal from here on out, I'll take 1920s silent-era/German expressionist tributes over Grok's hyperreal, soft-porn/Instagram-face look any day.
Robert Lee Hotz retweeted
Sweden is reintroducing printed books and handwriting into its classrooms. Once celebrated as a leader in digital education, the country is now directing significant resources toward traditional textbooks while limiting the use of tablets and screens, particularly for young students.
Swedish authorities attribute this policy shift to mounting evidence that excessive screen time may have harmed reading proficiency and basic skill development. The government has also announced plans to ban digital learning tools for children under six years old.
Scientific research on handwriting provides insight into the rationale. When children write by hand, they engage multiple brain areas responsible for motor control, visual processing, memory, focus, and language. Unlike typing, this process demands precise coordination of fine movements alongside letter recognition and word formation. Studies indicate that such multisensory engagement enhances letter knowledge, spelling, reading acquisition, and memory retention.
Printed books may similarly promote stronger comprehension. Research shows that people often retain information more effectively from physical pages than from digital displays. The tangible nature of paper offers spatial references that aid memory organization. In contrast, screen based reading, especially when interrupted by notifications or hyperlinks, can fragment attention and reduce deep focus.
This approach does not reject technology entirely. Computers and tablets continue to serve important roles in research, group projects, accessibility features, and interactive exercises. Education specialists emphasize the need for thoughtful integration, applying digital resources where they prove most effective while safeguarding core practices such as handwriting, printed materials, and direct teacher instruction.
Sweden's policy change mirrors growing international discussions about optimal screen time in schools. As educators worldwide evaluate the benefits and drawbacks of digital tools, many are reconsidering when traditional methods may better support fundamental learning.
Robert Lee Hotz retweeted
Scientists have created one of the most detailed 3D reconstructions of a human cell (eukaryotic cell) ever produced.
This groundbreaking model, often termed a "Cellular Landscape Cross-Section Through a Eukaryotic Cell," combines data from X-ray tomography, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and cryo-electron microscopy to map molecular structures in extreme detail.
Robert Lee Hotz retweeted
"Stumbling blocks" in front of countless front doors in Germany. A reminder of those who once lived there and were victims of the Nazi regime....
Known as Stolpersteine (“stumbling stones”), these small brass plaques are embedded in sidewalks across Europe to mark the last known residence of victims of Nazi persecution. Each stone lists a name, year of birth, and fate, often including deportation and place of death.
The project was initiated in 1992 by German artist Gunter Demnig and has since expanded to more than 75,000 stones in over 20 countries, making it the largest decentralized memorial in the world. They commemorate not only Jewish victims, but also Romani people, political prisoners, LGBTQ individuals, and others targeted by the regime.
Placement directly outside former homes is intentional, connecting individuals to specific addresses rather than abstract memorials.
Each Stolperstein is installed by hand and polished regularly, often by local residents or volunteers who maintain the memory of those named.
© Reddit
#archaeohistories
I'm a data scientist @OurWorldinData and I need help from a botanist or someone local to Kyoto, Japan! 🌸
We present one of the world’s longest climate records: 1,200 years of peak cherry blossom dates in Kyoto.
The researcher who maintained it, Professor Yasuyuki Aono, sadly passed away last year.
Robert Lee Hotz retweeted
Hey New York, no one likes unnecessary scaffolding.
Thankfully, we have a plan — and John Wilson is here to help break it down.
Robert Lee Hotz retweeted
The FDA won’t tell Americans where their generic drugs are made, so ProPublica did it instead.
Use information from your prescription label to locate the factory and see if the plant has a history of inspection violations.
projects.propublica.org/rx-i…
Robert Lee Hotz retweeted
Thread on the A24325G mutation.
Yet another obscure reason why we can tell that Covid started at Huanan market.
Robert Lee Hotz retweeted
For the first time, scientists have measured atmospheric gases from the late Pliocene, yielding data that could help to predict the future climate newscientist.com/article/251…
Robert Lee Hotz retweeted
It’s not every day that one gets to listen to a former British Prime Minister recite from memory the opening passages of The Iliad in Ancient Greek, with no notes, in response to a random question from an undergraduate—and all while wearing what appear to be Thomas The Tank Engine socks. But today was one such day.
My thanks to my good friend Brad LaMorgese for the opportunity to see the colorful and comic Boris Johnson speak tonight at the University of Dallas.
Robert Lee Hotz retweeted
14,000 routers are infected by malware that's highly resistant to takedowns arstechnica.com/security/202…
Robert Lee Hotz retweeted
this is so much more masculine to me than hunting
HERO! A man jumped into a still frozen pond to rescue one of the Central Park coyotes which had fallen through the ice this afternoon #whatisnewyork
Readers added context they thought people might want to know
The video of the March 11 Central Park pond rescue shows a domestic dog, not a coyote. The original reel and reposts identify the animal as a dog: instagram.com/reel/DVwR57uCa…
Robert Lee Hotz retweeted
the boom in autism therapy is Medicaid’s fastest-growing jackpot : $29 million to treat 84 kids wsj.com/health/healthcare/au…
The terrible trio strike again @cdweaver @mcgint @annawmathews
Robert Lee Hotz retweeted
Antarctic sea ice extent in 2026 neared the long-term summer average after four years of extreme lows, yet remained below the 1981–2010 norm, highlighting ongoing climate variability. phys.org/news/2026-03-antarc…



























