Author | Lightnews

Patrick Heizer @patrickheizer.bsky.social · 11d

I've written about how the economic changes from AGI would necessitate a new social contract, and how we better start thinking about and implementing it now!

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Patrick Heizer @patrickheizer.bsky.social · 11d

AI has certainly occupied more of my mind share this year than I would've liked.

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Patrick Heizer @patrickheizer.bsky.social · 13d

How the periodic table explains the current economy.

My latest, "AI Bubble or Island Of Stability?"
open.substack.com/pub/thecount...

AI Bubble or Island Of Stability?

How the periodic table explains the current economy.

open.substack.com

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Patrick Heizer @patrickheizer.bsky.social · 15d

North America has the highest quality grasslands and savannas in the entire world.

We could and should be entirely independent from globalized meat production.

Any meat import is a policy error.

Patrick Heizer @patrickheizer.bsky.social · 17d

Protesting is all well and good, but if you really want to hurt the current (or any) administration, then stop spending money.

You vote every day with your dollars.

Henry Farrell @himself.bsky.social · 17d

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Patrick Heizer @patrickheizer.bsky.social · 17d

Hey Dads, go plant some fruit trees with your children.

You won't regret it.

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Patrick Heizer @patrickheizer.bsky.social · 18d

In the 41 House elections since 1944, Republicans have won >50.0% of the total vote four times.

Democrats have done it 24 times, and four times since 2006.

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Patrick Heizer @patrickheizer.bsky.social · 18d

The future contains more paths forward than you're imagining.

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Patrick Heizer @patrickheizer.bsky.social · 26d

"Unlike human cGAS, which inhibits DNA repair by homologous recombination in the nucleus, the naked mole rat enzyme has four amino acid changes that allow it to enhance DNA repair, thus delaying aging and enhancing life span."
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

A cGAS-mediated mechanism in naked mole-rats potentiates DNA repair and delays aging

Efficient DNA repair might make possible the longevity of naked mole-rats. However, whether they have distinctive mechanisms to optimize functions of DNA repair suppressors is unclear. We find that na...

www.science.org

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Patrick Heizer @patrickheizer.bsky.social · 26d

One aspect of the crisis of modernity is the decay of our capacities for both punishment and forgiveness.

My latest: thecounterpoint.substack.com/p/we-need-pu...

We Need Punishment; We Need Forgiveness

A diagnosis of modern society

thecounterpoint.substack.com

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Patrick Heizer @patrickheizer.bsky.social · Sep 28

Infinite Jest deserves every bit of acclaim it receives, but I wish more people also read The Pale King.

While unfinished, it contains as much genius, heart, and wisdom as Infinite Jest.

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Patrick Heizer @patrickheizer.bsky.social · Sep 27

My farm's very first pawpaw!!

I'm in a quiet and humble state of shock. I knew that this tree had flowered, but it was the only one, so I'd said, "oh, maybe next year!"

But I was mowing the orchard for the last time this year, and I noticed this single fruit in the mulch.

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Patrick Heizer @patrickheizer.bsky.social · Sep 25

Permethrin-treated baby wraps reduce the incidence of malaria by ~50%.

Extraordinary results from a "low-tech" intervention. www.nejm.org/doi/full/10....

Permethrin-Treated Baby Wraps for the Prevention of Malaria | NEJM

Malaria remains a major cause of childhood death in sub-Saharan Africa. We leveraged the traditional practice of mothers carrying children on their backs in cloth wraps to assess whether treating t...

www.nejm.org

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Patrick Heizer @patrickheizer.bsky.social · Sep 23

Please do NOT take either aspirin or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, etc.) instead of acetaminophen (Tylenol) during pregnancy without consulting your OBGYN first.

Both inhibit prostaglandin synthesis, an extremely important class of lipid compounds, which could put you or your baby at risk.

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Patrick Heizer @patrickheizer.bsky.social · Sep 23

Frederick, MD has one of the nicest downtowns in the US. It's a walkable core overflowing w/ local small businesses, historic buildings, & mature tree canopy.

But it didn't just happen. It took decades of active leadership & community involvement.

This book tells that story.

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Patrick Heizer @patrickheizer.bsky.social · Sep 22

The lawyers will be the ones who win out of all this.

People suing actimenophen manufacturers, actimenophen manufacturers suing the government, etc.

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Patrick Heizer @patrickheizer.bsky.social · Sep 22

First, Tylenol is a brand name, not a pharmaceutical. Actimenophen is the more correct word.

Second, women don't take an actimenophen for no reason; they take it because of fever, pain, etc. Without very well-controlled trials, it's impossible to sort out intertwined variables.

Eric Michael Garcia @ericmgarcia.bsky.social · Sep 22

REPOSTED: President Donald Trump plans to announce Monday that using Tylenol during pregnancy could contribute to autism risk. Trump will also highlight leucovorin, a cancer and anemia drug, as a potential therapy for people with autism.
www.politico.com/news/2025/09...

Trump administration to link Tylenol use to risk of autism

The president is expected to say that acetaminophen, the most commonly used pain reliever during pregnancy, should only be used for high fevers.

www.politico.com

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Patrick Heizer @patrickheizer.bsky.social · Sep 22

Erika Kirk forgiving her husband's murderer is extremely graceful and impressive. It reminded me of Pope John Paul II meeting with his shooter.

But words are only the beginning; true forgiveness requires action.

Actions are more powerful than words.

Patrick Heizer @patrickheizer.bsky.social · Sep 21

This book does an excellent job of teaching the basics to personal finance, no matter what stage in life you're at.

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Patrick Heizer @patrickheizer.bsky.social · Sep 21

The most underrated multi-generational personal finance hack:

Have your kids participate in 4H. Use the proceeds to fund a Roth IRA.

Even without a single additional dollar afterward, a fully funded Roth from ages 8 to 18 will be ~$2M at retirement.

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Patrick Heizer @patrickheizer.bsky.social · Sep 19

The latest scientific paper I co-authored has been published.

Our team investigated the effect of TGF-B on the ARKADIA-SKI axis for the stability of Treg cells, an anti-inflammatory T cell, which have shown promise as a cell therapy.
share.google/k6xMSDuRSntk...

Frontiers | Differential regulation of Treg stability in human naïve and effector Treg subsets by TGFβ-signaling via ARKADIA-SKI axis

IntroductionThe human FOXP3+ regulatory T (Treg) cells, a subset of CD4+ T cells with immunosuppressive function, are essential for the maintenance of immune...

share.google

Patrick Heizer @patrickheizer.bsky.social · Sep 18

My first official task as a member of the Frederick County Soil Conservation District: spending the day at the county fair teaching kids about the importance of soil!

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Patrick Heizer @patrickheizer.bsky.social · Sep 18

**To be clear, this is NOT medical advice**

We will see how quickly the cyst returns, but as of now, it was "worth it."

The sting and reaction definitely sucked, but ~48 hours of pain and swelling to get rid of a daily annoyance that I've had for years... I'll take it.

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Patrick Heizer @patrickheizer.bsky.social · Sep 18

I'm not sure if the inflammatory response cleaned up the cyst immunologically or if the pressure from the swelling mechanically "popped" it.

Regardless, it feels much better. Turned a daily low-grade annoyance into basically non-existent.

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Patrick Heizer @patrickheizer.bsky.social · Sep 18

A yellow jacket sting reduced my ganglion cyst by ~80%.

After a single sting in my hand, I had a "large local reaction" for ~48 hours: massive swelling w/o pulmonary, neuro, or GI symptoms.

Now that the swelling has resided, my ganglion cyst is basically gone.

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