Theo Sanderson
@theo.io
researching viral pathogen genomics at @lshtm.bsky.social | theo.io / sandersonlab.org
Made a quick thing to generate these test prompts: theosanderson.github.io/wordblanker/ dang impressive ime
January 20, 2026 at 9:25 PM
Made a quick thing to generate these test prompts: theosanderson.github.io/wordblanker/ dang impressive ime
Reposted by Theo Sanderson
Really excited our paper about how H5N1 rapidly adapted to cattle (and how these adaptations also increased its ability to infect cells from the human respiratory tract) is now published! www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Polymerase mutations underlie early adaptation of H5N1 influenza virus to dairy cattle and other mammals - Nature Communications
Avian influenza jumped from wild birds into dairy cattle. Here, the authors report that two mutations in the viral polymerase helped the virus to quickly adapt to cattle. Mutations increased the polym...
www.nature.com
January 20, 2026 at 2:10 PM
Really excited our paper about how H5N1 rapidly adapted to cattle (and how these adaptations also increased its ability to infect cells from the human respiratory tract) is now published! www.nature.com/articles/s41...
need an aurora app that suppresses notifications when it's cloudy to avoid fomo :/
January 19, 2026 at 9:24 PM
need an aurora app that suppresses notifications when it's cloudy to avoid fomo :/
Reposted by Theo Sanderson
This photo was taken in 1911 using glass plate technology by Herbert Ponting who was part of Scott's Antarctic expedition,
The composition and detail are exquisite with the band of white snow/ice creating a perfect frame around the two people and the ship in the distance
Iconic imo
The composition and detail are exquisite with the band of white snow/ice creating a perfect frame around the two people and the ship in the distance
Iconic imo
January 17, 2026 at 7:12 AM
This photo was taken in 1911 using glass plate technology by Herbert Ponting who was part of Scott's Antarctic expedition,
The composition and detail are exquisite with the band of white snow/ice creating a perfect frame around the two people and the ship in the distance
Iconic imo
The composition and detail are exquisite with the band of white snow/ice creating a perfect frame around the two people and the ship in the distance
Iconic imo
my new job: life coach for llms
January 16, 2026 at 8:51 PM
my new job: life coach for llms
Reposted by Theo Sanderson
New post, on how AI is coming for open source software: kucharski.substack.com/p/will-your-...
Will your favourite open source software tools soon be closed off?
Freely available software relies on credit. AI is destroying that.
kucharski.substack.com
January 14, 2026 at 7:34 PM
New post, on how AI is coming for open source software: kucharski.substack.com/p/will-your-...
Reposted by Theo Sanderson
Want to get the data out of a PDF figure? As in, the actual data – not a rough trace-along-the-lines version?
I made an app you might like: adamkucharski.github.io/pdf2plot/
It all started a few years ago... 🧵
I made an app you might like: adamkucharski.github.io/pdf2plot/
It all started a few years ago... 🧵
January 13, 2026 at 9:12 PM
Want to get the data out of a PDF figure? As in, the actual data – not a rough trace-along-the-lines version?
I made an app you might like: adamkucharski.github.io/pdf2plot/
It all started a few years ago... 🧵
I made an app you might like: adamkucharski.github.io/pdf2plot/
It all started a few years ago... 🧵
gemini deep research is the most pretentious model out there
January 13, 2026 at 3:25 PM
gemini deep research is the most pretentious model out there
A policy @ncsc.gov.uk specifically advise against www.ncsc.gov.uk/blog-post/pr...
January 12, 2026 at 12:31 PM
A policy @ncsc.gov.uk specifically advise against www.ncsc.gov.uk/blog-post/pr...
Anyone have a good GHA yaml for making claude's code review more like codex? (Less fluff, less compliments!) The below doesn't seem to have done the trick
January 11, 2026 at 10:12 PM
Anyone have a good GHA yaml for making claude's code review more like codex? (Less fluff, less compliments!) The below doesn't seem to have done the trick
Following accounts like this is probably quite an effective way to convince others to move
Fantastic news that a government body is now on here. Zero excuse at this point for all others not doing the same
Passkeys provide an easier, faster and more secure way to log into online accounts than passwords.🗝️
Read more about how the NCSC is keeping pace with evolving technology⬇️
https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/collection/ncsc-annual-review-2025/chapter-03-keeping-pace-with-evolving-technology
Read more about how the NCSC is keeping pace with evolving technology⬇️
https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/collection/ncsc-annual-review-2025/chapter-03-keeping-pace-with-evolving-technology
January 11, 2026 at 6:47 PM
Following accounts like this is probably quite an effective way to convince others to move
What proportion of new production code for commercial software in 2028 will have been read by a human?
1️⃣ <a href="https://poll.blue/p/uFXB0u/1" class="hover:underline text-blue-600 dark:text-sky-400 no-card-link" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-link="bsky">0-10%
2️⃣ <a href="https://poll.blue/p/uFXB0u/2" class="hover:underline text-blue-600 dark:text-sky-400 no-card-link" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-link="bsky">10-50%
3️⃣ <a href="https://poll.blue/p/uFXB0u/3" class="hover:underline text-blue-600 dark:text-sky-400 no-card-link" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-link="bsky">50%-90%
4️⃣ <a href="https://poll.blue/p/uFXB0u/4" class="hover:underline text-blue-600 dark:text-sky-400 no-card-link" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-link="bsky">>90%
📊 Show results
1️⃣ <a href="https://poll.blue/p/uFXB0u/1" class="hover:underline text-blue-600 dark:text-sky-400 no-card-link" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-link="bsky">0-10%
2️⃣ <a href="https://poll.blue/p/uFXB0u/2" class="hover:underline text-blue-600 dark:text-sky-400 no-card-link" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-link="bsky">10-50%
3️⃣ <a href="https://poll.blue/p/uFXB0u/3" class="hover:underline text-blue-600 dark:text-sky-400 no-card-link" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-link="bsky">50%-90%
4️⃣ <a href="https://poll.blue/p/uFXB0u/4" class="hover:underline text-blue-600 dark:text-sky-400 no-card-link" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-link="bsky">>90%
📊 Show results
January 11, 2026 at 1:19 AM
What proportion of new production code for commercial software in 2028 will have been read by a human?
1️⃣ <a href="https://poll.blue/p/uFXB0u/1" class="hover:underline text-blue-600 dark:text-sky-400 no-card-link" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-link="bsky">0-10%
2️⃣ <a href="https://poll.blue/p/uFXB0u/2" class="hover:underline text-blue-600 dark:text-sky-400 no-card-link" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-link="bsky">10-50%
3️⃣ <a href="https://poll.blue/p/uFXB0u/3" class="hover:underline text-blue-600 dark:text-sky-400 no-card-link" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-link="bsky">50%-90%
4️⃣ <a href="https://poll.blue/p/uFXB0u/4" class="hover:underline text-blue-600 dark:text-sky-400 no-card-link" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-link="bsky">>90%
📊 Show results
1️⃣ <a href="https://poll.blue/p/uFXB0u/1" class="hover:underline text-blue-600 dark:text-sky-400 no-card-link" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-link="bsky">0-10%
2️⃣ <a href="https://poll.blue/p/uFXB0u/2" class="hover:underline text-blue-600 dark:text-sky-400 no-card-link" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-link="bsky">10-50%
3️⃣ <a href="https://poll.blue/p/uFXB0u/3" class="hover:underline text-blue-600 dark:text-sky-400 no-card-link" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-link="bsky">50%-90%
4️⃣ <a href="https://poll.blue/p/uFXB0u/4" class="hover:underline text-blue-600 dark:text-sky-400 no-card-link" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-link="bsky">>90%
📊 Show results
Reposted by Theo Sanderson
i do feel a bit sad that i can't tell if this is real or not
January 9, 2026 at 8:58 PM
i do feel a bit sad that i can't tell if this is real or not
"She and Chen sent GISAID three emails in the weeks after, but never received any response. (GISAID says the emails came from Chen, whereas its agreement was with Stadler.)"
www.science.org/content/arti...
www.science.org/content/arti...
Fresh conflicts erupt around giant database for flu and COVID-19 sequences
Critics say “autocratic” behavior by GISAID could hamper response to a future pandemic
www.science.org
January 7, 2026 at 1:17 PM
"She and Chen sent GISAID three emails in the weeks after, but never received any response. (GISAID says the emails came from Chen, whereas its agreement was with Stadler.)"
www.science.org/content/arti...
www.science.org/content/arti...
Reposted by Theo Sanderson
I also got this, but I thought it was kind of interesting, and did their survey to see how well it did (spoiler: it was bad). As I mention in a reply to the OP, I don't see an obvious problem with the research (other than that their AI is bad at doing the thing they want it to do).
somebody at UChicago is feeding preprints to LLMs without authors' consent, in a research study
they have the gall to suggest to authors they've opted-in that they volunteer to evaluate the LLMs' suggestions regarding their own work.
lol, lmao even. here is the invite and my reply
they have the gall to suggest to authors they've opted-in that they volunteer to evaluate the LLMs' suggestions regarding their own work.
lol, lmao even. here is the invite and my reply
January 7, 2026 at 11:49 AM
I also got this, but I thought it was kind of interesting, and did their survey to see how well it did (spoiler: it was bad). As I mention in a reply to the OP, I don't see an obvious problem with the research (other than that their AI is bad at doing the thing they want it to do).
This seems positive?
January 3, 2026 at 1:56 PM
This seems positive?
Reposted by Theo Sanderson
Cough Radar
Track respiratory health trends with Cough Radar.
sleepcycle.com
December 27, 2025 at 6:30 PM
Reposted by Theo Sanderson
On the first day of Christmas (in about 2014), @duckswabber.bsky.social gave to me - a partridge in a pear tree.
Happy Christmas everyone!
Happy Christmas everyone!
December 25, 2025 at 8:03 AM
On the first day of Christmas (in about 2014), @duckswabber.bsky.social gave to me - a partridge in a pear tree.
Happy Christmas everyone!
Happy Christmas everyone!
Bike-couriered by the editor himself. An illustrious publication!
December 24, 2025 at 12:42 PM
Bike-couriered by the editor himself. An illustrious publication!
December 21, 2025 at 2:19 PM
Reposted by Theo Sanderson
This smells distinctly like collider bias and/or selection bias and/or regression to the mean... You simply can't select teen prodigies, and world class athletes rom databases, and go run regressions without serious consideration of the selection process!
"Most top achievers (Nobel laureates and world-class musicians, athletes, chess players) demonstrated lower performance than many peers during their early years. Across the highest adult performance, peak performance is negatively correlated with early performance" www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Recent discoveries on the acquisition of the highest levels of human performance
Scientists have long debated the origins of exceptional human achievements. This literature review summarizes recent evidence from multiple domains on the acquisition of world-class performance. We re...
www.science.org
December 20, 2025 at 3:48 PM
This smells distinctly like collider bias and/or selection bias and/or regression to the mean... You simply can't select teen prodigies, and world class athletes rom databases, and go run regressions without serious consideration of the selection process!
Reposted by Theo Sanderson
NEW: Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook has just announced the BIGGEST EVER reforms to national policy to deliver more homes! Here are the five biggest: 🧵
December 16, 2025 at 2:56 PM
NEW: Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook has just announced the BIGGEST EVER reforms to national policy to deliver more homes! Here are the five biggest: 🧵
Reposted by Theo Sanderson
To Opus 4.5: "Artifact, no react, with an interactive explainer of how octaves work - should include buttons to press to make sounds and frequency visualizations, make the design minimal, but have a lot of subtle puns" tools.simonwillison.net/octave-expla...
The Octave — A Sound Relationship
tools.simonwillison.net
December 1, 2025 at 4:17 PM
To Opus 4.5: "Artifact, no react, with an interactive explainer of how octaves work - should include buttons to press to make sounds and frequency visualizations, make the design minimal, but have a lot of subtle puns" tools.simonwillison.net/octave-expla...
Reposted by Theo Sanderson
3/ Jean Pierre Musabyimana (Rwanda Biomedical Centre) welcomed the addition, saying: “Having Pathoplexus support the inclusion of the Marburg virus will tremendously benefit our work in Rwanda and the region.”
November 28, 2025 at 12:37 PM
3/ Jean Pierre Musabyimana (Rwanda Biomedical Centre) welcomed the addition, saying: “Having Pathoplexus support the inclusion of the Marburg virus will tremendously benefit our work in Rwanda and the region.”
Reposted by Theo Sanderson
In light of record submission rates and a large volume of AI-generated slop, SocArXiv recently implemented a policy requiring ORCIDs linked in the OSF profile of submitting authors, and narrowing our focus to social science subjects. Today we are taking two more steps:
/1
/1
November 27, 2025 at 2:54 PM
In light of record submission rates and a large volume of AI-generated slop, SocArXiv recently implemented a policy requiring ORCIDs linked in the OSF profile of submitting authors, and narrowing our focus to social science subjects. Today we are taking two more steps:
/1
/1