Stephen J. Gotts
@sjgotts.bsky.social
220 followers 450 following 13 posts
Cognitive neuroscientist interested in vision, conceptual processing, learning and memory. Views and opinions my own. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Stephen-Gotts
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Reposted by Stephen J. Gotts
New, from me: I break down all that is happening with the shutdown.
Shutdowns are bad. But only Trump and Russ Vought are brave enough to ask: what if shutdowns aren’t painful enough? How can we use this as an opportunity to target our political enemies? 🧵
donmoynihan.substack.com/p/the-shutdo...
The Shutdown Shitshow
As Trump uses the shutdown to settle scores, the public bears the cost
donmoynihan.substack.com
Reposted by Stephen J. Gotts
Very sad news…

The incredible D’Angelo has died.

A pioneer of the neo-soul movement, he was 51.

His musical legacy continues to have a massive impact today.

This means that his son, Michael, has lost both his mother, Angie Stone, and his father within just a matter of months.
Reposted by Stephen J. Gotts
NEW: There’s a disaster unfolding in Alaska right now. And no major network is covering it.

The remnants of Typhoon Halong battered western Alaska overnight. Homes, with people in them, have literally been swept into the Bering Strait.

At least 20 are missing. No comment from any federal agency.
Reposted by Stephen J. Gotts
Sad - it's starting to feel unlikely that we will be able to go to SFN this year since it seems like there's no end in sight to this shutdown. And travel was being canceled left & right pre-shutdown anyway. 😔 (I'm ok but feeling for junior trainees, tenure tracks, etc. who are stuck in this limbo).
If you’re coming to #SfN2025, check out the San Diego Symphony while you’re here in their gorgeous renovated hall close to the convention Ctr. Great programs! I’ll be at the concerts on Nov 15, 22, and 23 (w labbies). Come say hi if you spot me there.

www.sandiegosymphony.org/tickets-even...
Upcoming San Diego Symphony Performances
www.sandiegosymphony.org
Reposted by Stephen J. Gotts
Seriously, Judges *do no do things like this*

They don't give their opinion to the media

They don't criticize how SCOTUS works

This is them breaking the emergency glass, folks
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/11/u...
Federal Judges, Warning of ‘Judicial Crisis,’ Fault Supreme Court’s Emergency Orders
www.nytimes.com
Reposted by Stephen J. Gotts
NEW: @CDCgov hit hard by massive firings that several staff describe to me as a “bloodbath.”
Among those RIFd:
—leadership of the center for immunization and respiratory diseases;
—leadership of global health center
—leadership of the measles outbreak response; 1/4
Reposted by Stephen J. Gotts
BREAKING: Friday night massacre underway at CDC. Doznes of "disease detectives," high-level scientists, entire Washington staff and editors of the MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report) have all been RIFed and received the following notice:
Reposted by Stephen J. Gotts
Graphic from Nature tells an interesting story for 🇨🇦. Since 2000, 3 🇨🇦 born scientists have won prizes in physics, chemistry or medicine after leaving the country for the US. 2 UK born scientists won those prizes after moving to Canada. In that time, no 🇨🇦 born scientist has won for work done in 🇨🇦.
Reposted by Stephen J. Gotts
UPDATE: Plaintiffs seek an immediate TRO blocking any RIFs
s3.documentcloud.org/documents/26...
At 9:27 am today, October 10, 2025, OMB Director Russell Vought posted on social media:  “The RIFs have begun.”  This corroborates credible information Plaintiffs began receiving earlier this morning from multiple sources that OMB has directed federal agencies government-wide to begin issuing RIF notices today.  See Huddleston Declaration, filed herewith.   For all the reasons explained in Plaintiffs’ Motion for Temporary Restraining Order (ECF 17), these RIFS violate the Antideficiency Act and the Administrative Procedure Act, including by requiring agency employees to unlawfully work during the shutdown, unlawfully laying off employees during the shutdown, and improperly using the shutdown as the basis for the layoffs.  Plaintiffs therefore request an immediate TRO halting OMB from ordering agencies to implement RIFs, and halting the issuance of any RIF notices by any Defendant pending the Court’s already scheduled October 16, 2025 hearing on Plaintiffs’ motion.  Plaintiffs are available at any time for an earlier hearing.  Plaintiffs provided notice to counsel for Defendants this morning of these developments and requested confirmation that RIFs are not being issued today.  At 9:56 am, counsel for Defendants confirmed:  “Our understanding is that RIFs are taking place at certain agencies, and we are gathering the details to put in today’s filing as the court ordered.”
Reposted by Stephen J. Gotts
OMB head Russ Vought says RIFs have begun. In litigation challenging OMB's ability to RIF during a shutdown, OMB must provide more details by 3pm PT/ 6pm ET.
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
Russ Vought
@russvought
The RIFs have begun. The Court hereby ORDERS defendants to file a response to the motion for a TRO no later than October 10, 2025, at 3:00 p.m. PDT.  In their response, defendants SHALL address:  (1) the status of any currently planned or in-progress RIF notices to be issued during/because of the government shutdown, including the earliest date that those RIF notices will go out; (2) which of the defendant agencies anticipate issuing RIF notices during/because of the government shutdown and the estimated number of employees at the defendant agency who will receive such RIF notices; and (3) whether any employees at the defendant agencies have been ordered back to work during the government shutdown in order to effectuate the issuance of RIF notices. Defendants shall provide evidence (declarations, exhibits, etc.) in support of the above information.
Reposted by Stephen J. Gotts
@bbkogan.bsky.social adds the point that the work necessary to carry out mass firings is illegal during a shutdown.
Three key points:
1) The admin has been planning mass firings to begin in October since February
2) The work necessary to carry out mass firings is illegal during a shutdown, violating the Antideficiency Act, which carries a criminal penalty
3) This harms America, ridding us of talent and expertise
Russ Vought v @russvought
The RIFs have begun.
12:27 PM • 10/10/25 • 15K Views
Reposted by Stephen J. Gotts
“we are telling you right now that we do not intend to honor anything we agree to” is certainly a negotiating position one can take
Q: Rescission are something Dems have said is a reason for a lack of trust. What rescissions are you discussing?

JOHNSON: We have more than $37t in debt. We're doing everything we can to get us back to sound fiscal responsibility. What does that include? A rescission package is part of our process
Reposted by Stephen J. Gotts
News: Bari Weiss just sent a memo to staffers at CBS News asking them to produce a memo explaining "how you spend your working hours—and ideally, what you've made (or are making) that you're most proud of."

One CBS News staffer puts it like this to me: "We just got Elon Musked."
Reposted by Stephen J. Gotts
It was never about “free health care for illegals.” This is always what it was about. They have no intention of “fixing” the ACA, they intend to defund it.
Reposted by Stephen J. Gotts
A glimpse at what #NeuroAI brain models might enable: a topographic vision model predicts stimulation patterns that steer complex object recognition behavior in primates. This could be a key 'software' component for visual prosthetic hardware 🧠🤖🧪
Reposted by Stephen J. Gotts
Reposted by Stephen J. Gotts
Picture here is from 1992. LA riots. Ive seen this called bad news judgment. In any real journalism outfit this is more like a firing offense. I basically say such things. Beyond belief.
CNN @cnn.com · 9d
"President Donald Trump and his top aides are using the word 'insurrection' more frequently to describe anti-ICE protests in places like Portland," writes Zachary B. Wolf. https://cnn.it/4pWYmzr
Reposted by Stephen J. Gotts
SEAN DUFFY: Burbank -- zero controllers came to work. I don't support that. They should come to work. They're supposed to come to work. But ...

KILMEADE: They didn't even miss a paycheck yet. So why aren't they coming to work?
Reposted by Stephen J. Gotts
Judge Diane Goodstein crossed the Trump administration last month. Yesterday, her home burned, her husband was injured and it's being investigated for arson.

www.postandcourier.com/news/crime/s...
Judge blocks South Carolina from giving DOJ millions of voters' data
Sep. 3, 2025 Judge's house on fire
Reposted by Stephen J. Gotts
The sequel to We Want Them Infected is done!

COVID killed 1.2 million Americans while vaccines saved millions.

Yet, disinformation superspreaders were empowered, where they are taking a wrecking ball to science & medicine.

How did that happen?🧵

sciencebasedmedicine.org/everyone-els...
Everyone Else is Lying to You: My Book is Done!
The pandemic’s biggest disinformation superspreaders are now in charge. How did this happen?
sciencebasedmedicine.org
Reposted by Stephen J. Gotts
True. And much of that was due to government contracts— not just Bell system funding.
Fundamental / basic science is a public good that markets do not support well. Only the public, through government, has the time horizon needed to make that investment rational.
Sometimes I think about how from 1935-1975ish, Bell Labs produced an insane amount of revolutionary science and technology, including 11 Nobel Prizes, the transistor, UNIX, C, the laser, the solar cell, information theory, etc. The secret? Provide scientists with ample, steady, no-strings funding.
sites.stat.columbia.edu
Reposted by Stephen J. Gotts
Nationalize all Golf Courses

That way, when government shuts down, so does golf. You'll never see another shutdown again.