Rachael French
@drrachaelf.bsky.social
Chair of Biology @SJSU, nerd, mom, Social Justice Ranger. The Matriarchy is Coming. She/Her. Opinions are my own. I swear a lot. drrachaelfrench on Threads.
Pinned
Rachael French
@drrachaelf.bsky.social
· Oct 19
In honor of being put on a science communicators list, I thought I’d bring back my most popular science communication thread from Twitter, before I never go there again.
This was in response to Ted Cruz asking AOC “what, exactly, is a Y chromosome?”
Read on if you want to know…
This was in response to Ted Cruz asking AOC “what, exactly, is a Y chromosome?”
Read on if you want to know…
Reposted by Rachael French
People getting mad here about anyone saying it's good that MTG and Trump are fighting. I teach democratization every semester. The first slide says 'elite fracture.' That's always where it starts. It's good when people with bad politics are fighting one another.
I do not regret to inform you that we are going to win
BASH: We have seen these attacks from the president at other people. It's not new. And I haven't heard you speak out about it until it was directed at you.
MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE: I think that's fair criticism. And I would like to say, humbly, I'm sorry for taking part in the toxic politics.
MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE: I think that's fair criticism. And I would like to say, humbly, I'm sorry for taking part in the toxic politics.
November 16, 2025 at 3:29 PM
People getting mad here about anyone saying it's good that MTG and Trump are fighting. I teach democratization every semester. The first slide says 'elite fracture.' That's always where it starts. It's good when people with bad politics are fighting one another.
Reposted by Rachael French
“There’s a difference between a 5 year old and a 15 year old.”
I mean yes, obviously, there is a difference. But that difference isn’t “It’s fine to have sex with one of them.”
I mean yes, obviously, there is a difference. But that difference isn’t “It’s fine to have sex with one of them.”
November 16, 2025 at 5:49 AM
“There’s a difference between a 5 year old and a 15 year old.”
I mean yes, obviously, there is a difference. But that difference isn’t “It’s fine to have sex with one of them.”
I mean yes, obviously, there is a difference. But that difference isn’t “It’s fine to have sex with one of them.”
Once again, Jurassic World: Rebirth, plot advancement dependent on biologists being careless.
Also, do we really think all predators attack all potential prey by default?
Also, do we really think all predators attack all potential prey by default?
November 16, 2025 at 5:24 AM
Once again, Jurassic World: Rebirth, plot advancement dependent on biologists being careless.
Also, do we really think all predators attack all potential prey by default?
Also, do we really think all predators attack all potential prey by default?
Once again, if you’re reduced to using the literal definitions of words rather than the commonly accepted meanings, odds are good your argument is shit.
Let us also not lose sight of how weird of an aside this is in the second graph
November 15, 2025 at 10:23 PM
Once again, if you’re reduced to using the literal definitions of words rather than the commonly accepted meanings, odds are good your argument is shit.
So, Pluribus: ye gods, do I hate this protagonist. (Which is the point.)
Also, this need they have to please her causes some really bad decisions.
Also, this need they have to please her causes some really bad decisions.
November 15, 2025 at 5:49 AM
So, Pluribus: ye gods, do I hate this protagonist. (Which is the point.)
Also, this need they have to please her causes some really bad decisions.
Also, this need they have to please her causes some really bad decisions.
Ouch.
But to be fair, Limp Bizkit is further in the past now than the Beatles were when I was a teenager.
But to be fair, Limp Bizkit is further in the past now than the Beatles were when I was a teenager.
14yo, describing a song: It's by one of those old bands, you know, like the Beatles
14yo: And there's a part where it says "hey ladies, hey fellas, and the people that don't give a fuck"--
Me: CHILD, ARE YOU TALKING ABT LIMP BIZKIT
14yo: Yeah, them!
14yo: And there's a part where it says "hey ladies, hey fellas, and the people that don't give a fuck"--
Me: CHILD, ARE YOU TALKING ABT LIMP BIZKIT
14yo: Yeah, them!
November 14, 2025 at 2:09 PM
Ouch.
But to be fair, Limp Bizkit is further in the past now than the Beatles were when I was a teenager.
But to be fair, Limp Bizkit is further in the past now than the Beatles were when I was a teenager.
Reposted by Rachael French
If you have tenure at Texas A&M and aren't maliciously emailing the president a dozen times every day to ask if you can say this or you can say that, then what's the point in having tenure?
COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) — Texas A&M adopts policy requiring professors to get OK from school president to discuss certain race and gender issues.
November 13, 2025 at 11:18 PM
If you have tenure at Texas A&M and aren't maliciously emailing the president a dozen times every day to ask if you can say this or you can say that, then what's the point in having tenure?
Motherfuckers, I have asked the ROTC not to do drills on the breezeway downstairs because we teach classes in this buildings. I don't care if it's raining, go out on the damn lawn.
November 13, 2025 at 8:15 PM
Motherfuckers, I have asked the ROTC not to do drills on the breezeway downstairs because we teach classes in this buildings. I don't care if it's raining, go out on the damn lawn.
Reposted by Rachael French
RE starbucks picket line--the relevant detail is "picket line, do not cross." Pass that along. Proclaiming that you are in no danger of doing so because you are too aesthetically pure to let Starbucks coffee pass your lips is...unhelpful and does not give the impression you perhaps imagine it does.
November 13, 2025 at 1:56 PM
RE starbucks picket line--the relevant detail is "picket line, do not cross." Pass that along. Proclaiming that you are in no danger of doing so because you are too aesthetically pure to let Starbucks coffee pass your lips is...unhelpful and does not give the impression you perhaps imagine it does.
Watching “Sliding Doors” for the first time somehow. And I keep wondering why it is this woman seems incapable of calling a man she’s hoping to talk to.
Sure, he hasn’t called you for a week after seeing you talking to your ex. But you could call him…
Sure, he hasn’t called you for a week after seeing you talking to your ex. But you could call him…
November 11, 2025 at 8:25 PM
Watching “Sliding Doors” for the first time somehow. And I keep wondering why it is this woman seems incapable of calling a man she’s hoping to talk to.
Sure, he hasn’t called you for a week after seeing you talking to your ex. But you could call him…
Sure, he hasn’t called you for a week after seeing you talking to your ex. But you could call him…
Reposted by Rachael French
This move is based on pseudoscientific nonsense. Just ftr.
The International Olympic Committee is set to ban trans and intersex women from competition. This is despite the fact that for 20 years, the IOC has allowed trans athletes to compete and only 1 has ever competed and none have ever won a medal.
www.the-independent.com/sport/olympi...
www.the-independent.com/sport/olympi...
IOC set to introduce blanket ban on transgender women in female sport
The ban is reportedly expected to come into effect early next year
www.the-independent.com
November 11, 2025 at 3:05 AM
This move is based on pseudoscientific nonsense. Just ftr.
Re: Pluribus…I will never stop being salty about how careless biologists in TV/film apparently have to be to advance the plot.
November 10, 2025 at 12:07 AM
Re: Pluribus…I will never stop being salty about how careless biologists in TV/film apparently have to be to advance the plot.
Reposted by Rachael French
Let me get this right… a sufficient number Senate Democrats appear to be willing to reopen government to alleviate air travel for upper & upper-middle income people at the expense of access to healthcare for lower income people. Yes?
November 9, 2025 at 8:05 PM
Let me get this right… a sufficient number Senate Democrats appear to be willing to reopen government to alleviate air travel for upper & upper-middle income people at the expense of access to healthcare for lower income people. Yes?
The Emperor’s New Groove is by far the funniest Disney film ever.
November 9, 2025 at 9:25 PM
The Emperor’s New Groove is by far the funniest Disney film ever.
Do I have the only teenager who does not want to learn to drive?
I am the one doing the driving of the driving , here. Because somebody who isn’t me needs to take these kids to school someday
I am the one doing the driving of the driving , here. Because somebody who isn’t me needs to take these kids to school someday
November 9, 2025 at 12:06 AM
Do I have the only teenager who does not want to learn to drive?
I am the one doing the driving of the driving , here. Because somebody who isn’t me needs to take these kids to school someday
I am the one doing the driving of the driving , here. Because somebody who isn’t me needs to take these kids to school someday
Reposted by Rachael French
I have had a long week, but mostly a successful one. And I think I may just go home early.
November 7, 2025 at 11:40 PM
I have had a long week, but mostly a successful one. And I think I may just go home early.
People literally try to make us think this guy is nice by saying he did the absolute least required of a human being in interacting with other human beings.
Shows you they know how low the bar actually is, and also possibly shows you what terrible people they are.
Shows you they know how low the bar actually is, and also possibly shows you what terrible people they are.
Dr Oz on the guy who collapsed in the Oval Office: "The president, God bless him, called the wife from the Oval Office giving her updates on how her husband was doing. When you actually know the man as a human being, not as a political actor, you have to love him."
November 7, 2025 at 4:04 PM
People literally try to make us think this guy is nice by saying he did the absolute least required of a human being in interacting with other human beings.
Shows you they know how low the bar actually is, and also possibly shows you what terrible people they are.
Shows you they know how low the bar actually is, and also possibly shows you what terrible people they are.
Reposted by Rachael French
The Trump admin is making the planes run on time in the same way that Mussolini made the trains run on time—by not actually doing it, but by pressuring everyone to just say that’s what’s happening.
If you just cancel flights, then they're actually not late! Brilliant stuff from Sean Duffy here
November 7, 2025 at 2:59 PM
The Trump admin is making the planes run on time in the same way that Mussolini made the trains run on time—by not actually doing it, but by pressuring everyone to just say that’s what’s happening.
Reposted by Rachael French
Re-upping this:
I should mention this again: Worldbuilders Market worldbuildersmarket.com/search?q=mar... has Murderbot and Sanctuary Moon merchandise where the proceeds go to charity. At this point as far as I know there is no other licensed official merchandise.
Search: 16 results found for "martha wells"
Worldbuilders Market is the official online shop of Worldbuilders, a geek-centered nonprofit supporting humanitarian efforts worldwide. We carry a wide variety of officially licensed merchandise from ...
worldbuildersmarket.com
November 7, 2025 at 3:04 PM
Re-upping this:
Reposted by Rachael French
“How can we make it so that all human beings have enough?”
Superhuman intelligence: well the people who have way too much need to give something up
Techbros: no no no CHANGE THE ALGORITHM
Superhuman intelligence: well the people who have way too much need to give something up
Techbros: no no no CHANGE THE ALGORITHM
November 7, 2025 at 3:05 PM
“How can we make it so that all human beings have enough?”
Superhuman intelligence: well the people who have way too much need to give something up
Techbros: no no no CHANGE THE ALGORITHM
Superhuman intelligence: well the people who have way too much need to give something up
Techbros: no no no CHANGE THE ALGORITHM
Reposted by Rachael French
If a superhuman intelligence came into being and we said, “how do we end scarcity?” I promise you the people who had one hand on the plug to that superhuman intelligence would pull that plug if the AI gave the actual answer, because they don’t want to end scarcity.
November 7, 2025 at 3:04 PM
If a superhuman intelligence came into being and we said, “how do we end scarcity?” I promise you the people who had one hand on the plug to that superhuman intelligence would pull that plug if the AI gave the actual answer, because they don’t want to end scarcity.