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Joseph E Thornton

@josephethornton.bsky.social

24 followers 43 following 8 posts

Academic psychiatrist with interest in AI Ethics

Joseph (Joe) Thornton is an American Biologist. He is a professor at the University of Chicago and a former Early Career Scientist of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. He is known for resurrecting ancestral genes and tracing the mechanisms by which proteins evolve new functions. .. more

Philosophy 62%

Biology 10%

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Joseph E Thornton @josephethornton.bsky.social · 2d

Praise God for the release of the Israeli hostages.
Praying with gratitude for a new hope for peace in the Middle East and in the world.
Congratulations to President Trump, team, and partners.

Reposted by Joseph Thornton

JAMA @jama.com · 26d

The 2023 Maui wildfires were linked to an increase in suicide and overdose deaths, with a 97% increase in Maui and a broader 46% rise across all Hawaiian Islands.

ja.ma/46uvZ2L

Line graph from JAMA shows predicted and observed monthly combined suicide and overdose death rates in Hawai'i from 2014-2023. A spike is visible in 2023. "Increases in Suicides and Overdoses During the 2023 Wildfires in Maui, Hawai'i"

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Reposted by Joseph Thornton

JAMA @jama.com · 26d

An estimated 440 excess deaths were attributed to the January 2025 wildfires in Los Angeles County, underscoring indirect health effects and the need for improved mortality tracking.

ja.ma/4gtC9Vc

JAMA Research Letter: "Excess Deaths Attributable to the Los Angeles Wildfires From January 5 to February 1, 2025." Study estimates 440 deaths from wildfires, considering direct, indirect, and related causes.

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Joseph E Thornton @josephethornton.bsky.social · Aug 13

Any use of weaponized robots is problematic. Couple that with the current misuse of power to round up people or deploy military to control domestic cites we are caught between two evils rooted in misuse of power. We do not know which is worse, misuse by humans or rogue AI robot weapons.

Reposted by Joseph Thornton

The San Francisco Standard @sfstandard.com · Aug 13

An SF startup is pitching Trump on militarizing humanoid robots

Meet the San Francisco startup looking to build the real-life Terminator

When employees asked whether Foundation would weaponize its robot, cofounder Mike LeBlanc responded: Are you a vegetarian? “If you are a meat-eater who doesn’t like that we kill the animals, I don't...

sfstandard.com

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Joseph E Thornton @josephethornton.bsky.social · Aug 13

Importance of walkable cities !

Reposted by Joseph Thornton

Eric Topol @erictopol.bsky.social · Aug 13

A natural experiment provides evidence for promoting moderate-vigorous physical activity: the importance of walkable cities
www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Countrywide natural experiment links built environment to physical activity - Nature

By analysing the smartphone data of 2,112,288 participants, in particular observing and comparing the activity of the same individual in two different environments, we find that increases in the walka...

www.nature.com

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Reposted by Joseph Thornton

JAMA @jama.com · Jul 11

Clinicians can enhance health outcomes for trauma-affected patients with trauma-informed care.

This JAMA Insights offers guidance on sensitive communication, personalized care, and collaborative decision-making.

https://ja.ma/45YHj8B

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Reposted by Joseph Thornton

JAMA @jama.com · Jul 10

Addressing patients’ expectations can enhance treatment outcomes and reduce adverse effects.

This JAMA Insights offers 4 communication strategies to improve patient-clinician interactions.

https://ja.ma/44CgTqP

Table. Goals, Communication Strategies, and Case Examples of Improving Patients’ Treatment Expectations

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Reposted by Joseph Thornton

Robert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · Jun 26

This is what I mean when I say the system is rigged.

Is it any wonder so many feel abandoned by our economy? People lose faith, and a demagogue fills the void.

This is why we must fix the system.

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Reposted by Martin McKee, Jocalyn Clark, Joseph Thornton

The BMJ @bmj.com · Jun 26

"We are watching the normalisation of actions that once drew widespread condemnation."

Health professionals and institutions must move beyond neutrality and embrace their role as advocates for justice, write Miriam Orcutt and @martinmckee.bsky.social
www.bmj.com/content/389/...

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Joseph E Thornton @josephethornton.bsky.social · Jun 1

The recent history of AI in 32 otters
open.substack.com/pub/oneusefu...

Reposted by Joseph Thornton

Eric Topol @erictopol.bsky.social · May 25

p-tau217 has been available in the US for the past ~2 years (Quest and LabCorp)
the p-Tau217/Aβ42 ratio test (Lumipulse) was just approved by FDA last week for people with memory problems
gift link www.nytimes.com/2025/05/21/h...

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Reposted by Diarmid Campbell‐Lendrum, Joseph Thornton

WHO @who.int · May 14

When streets are safe for walking & cycling, people spend more time outdoors, supporting local businesses & keeping city centres alive.

👍Good for business
👍Great for communities
👍Essential for safer & healthier cities

🔗 bit.ly/4jPzXsa #RoadSafety #StreetsForLife

Illustration promoting car-free areas for road safety. A large "No cars" sign is shown alongside people walking, including an elderly person with a cane, a child, and market vendors. The background includes trees, buildings, a bicycle, and clouds. Text reads: “CAR-FREE areas boost businesses and make streets SAFER.”

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Reposted by Joseph Thornton

Ethan Mollick @emollick.bsky.social · May 13

In September, 2024, physicians working with AI did better at the Healthbench doctor benchmark than either AI or physicians alone.

With the release of o3 and GPT-4.1, AI answers are no longer improved on by physicians

Error rates appear to be dropping for newer AI models. openai.com/index/health...

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Reposted by Joseph Thornton

National Catholic Reporter @ncronline.bsky.social · May 6

Tomorrow afternoon, the Catholic Church's most secret and fascinating ritual will begin. Here is everything you need to know.

The conclave: A detailed explainer of the secret ritual that elects the pope

On May 7, in the Vatican's Sistine Chapel, the conclave for the election of the new pope — the Catholic Church's most secret and fascinating ritual — will begin.

bit.ly

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Joseph E Thornton @josephethornton.bsky.social · Apr 30

Love God and neighbor. The rules for AI described here imply humans vs machines. We need a strategy of love for faithful humans struggling with faithless humans in age of AI. www.cyberdefensemagazine.com/event-horizo...

www.cyberdefensemagazine.com

Reposted by Joseph Thornton

World News @brandedworldnews.bsky.social · Apr 29

Freak disappearance of electricity triggered power cut, says Spain PM Sánchez

#WorldNews #Politics #News

Freak disappearance of electricity triggered power cut, says Spain PM Sánchez

“This has never happened before,” said Sánchez, warning it may take longer than expected to restore power.

www.politico.eu

Reposted by Joseph Thornton

Eric Topol @erictopol.bsky.social · Feb 2

Our op-ed @nytopinion.nytimes.com today addresses the surprising results of recent medical studies that showed A.I. alone outperformed physicians using A.I. W/@rajpurkar.bsky.social
Here is a summary Table, an overview, and a gift link to the op-ed
erictopol.substack.com/p/when-docto...

When Doctors With A.I. Are Outperformed by A.I. Alone

Interpreting Some Surprising Results

erictopol.substack.com

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Joseph E Thornton @josephethornton.bsky.social · Nov 30

lnkd.in/enTQ8GGa. lnkd.in/eY9ZFg4z. 2/2

This link will take you to a page that’s not on LinkedIn

lnkd.in

Joseph E Thornton @josephethornton.bsky.social · Nov 30

Urge President Biden to commute the death sentences of the 40 men on federal death row. President Trump has outlined in Project 2025 that the people of death row shall see finality
Even if you support the death penalty these proposed executions are about political power.
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Joseph E Thornton @josephethornton.bsky.social · Nov 16