Daniel Hoffmann 🌼

I love Atkinson for non-technical text. For more technical texts I prefer IBM Plex Sans (free, open source) because it is almost as legible but has much better coverage of symbols.

Anti-CD19 CAR T cells for pediatric patients with treatment-refractory autoimmune diseases | Nature Medicine In a case series of eight pediatric patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, dermatomyositis or systemic sclerosis, autologous anti-CD19 CAR T cell therapy was feasible, safe and effective in reducing disease activity.

Children with severe autoimmune diseases: small study shows that CAR-T cells could be an effective treatment. www.nature.com/articles/s41...

If you enjoy a healthy diet, there is more good news: your diet alone may add about two years to your life. Large study looks at effects of diet on life expectancy. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

During sleep immune cells relocate to the brain and gobble up waste there. Experiments in flies. www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Exercise rewires the brain — boosting the body’s endurance The more mice exercise, the more connections form between some neurons in their brains, study finds.

Endurance: exercise leads to specific brain changes that are crucial for better endurance. Experiments with mice. www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Point of no return: a hellish ‘hothouse Earth’ getting closer, scientists say | Climate crisis | The Guardian Continued global heating could set irreversible course by triggering climate tipping points, but most people unaware

If your plan is to read only 1 newspaper article this year, let it be this one, please.
www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Part 3 of the series on "The anti-propaganda vaccine of critical thinking", here on "flood the zone".
mathstodon.xyz/@Daniel_Hoff...

Light and Time (4) Wood engravings by John Altringham and poems by Daniel Hoffmann

Mountains inspire awe, which is easy to feel but hard to express. The duet of engraving & poem "Sgùrr nan Gillean" by @johnaltringham.bsky.social & me tries to capture this emotion with minimal means. Last planned installment of our "Light and Time" series.

Free at open.substack.com/pub/blots/p/...

I have not given up on your suggestion! In the meantime I recommend "Climbing Suilven" by Norman MacCaig, one of several MacCaig poems about Suilven. After your suggestion I read a bit about Suilven and became aware of MacCaig's poems, which I like a lot. So, thank you!

Obesity is associated with severe courses of infections. Large observational study. www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...

The anti-propaganda vaccine of critical thinking (2): they are watching you

Social media as dreamland for professional propagandists.

mathstodon.xyz/@Daniel_Hoff...

Increasing applied pesticide toxicity trends counteract the global reduction target to safeguard biodiversity The 15th United Nations Biodiversity Conference (COP15) obligates all countries to reduce pesticide risks by 50% by 2030. In this study, we derived the trends of total applied toxicity (TAT) globally ...

Even if the total amount of applied pesticides decreases, their ecological impact may still increase. This study looks at both. I would not call the results encouraging.
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

The Duty-Free Tobacco Sector and Lobby - Tobacco Tactics What is the Duty-Free Tobacco Sector? The duty-free industry is comprised of global, regional, and national operators that sell goods to international travellers which are exempt from paying certain l...

The duty-free tobacco sector undermines public health, decreases government revenue and increases illicit trade.

Our new #TobaccoTactics page examines the role of tobacco companies, global policy responses, and arguments used by the duty-free tobacco lobby.

www.tobaccotactics.org/article/the-...

Light and Time (3) Wood engravings by John Altringham and poems by Daniel Hoffmann

A giant knife blade of rock, Forcan Ridge in the Scottish Highlands cuts into the sky. The 3rd "Light and Time" duet (4 planned) pairs a splendid engraving by @johnaltringham.bsky.social & a poem by me on the mountain as part of a cycle that is shaping it.

Free at open.substack.com/pub/blots/p/...

"The anti-propaganda vaccine of critical thinking" is planned as a series of posts with hopefully helpful tips.

mathstodon.xyz/deck/@Daniel...

Thank you for the encouraging feedback and for the suggestion! We had neither the plan to include it nor to exclude it. I like it and I promise you that I will spend some time listening to what it tells me. If it's a poem that also resonates with John, there is a chance.

Light and Time (2) Wood engravings by John Altringham and poems by Daniel Hoffmann

A spectacular geological formation on the Isle of Skye has inspired the second "Light and Time" duet of a wood engraving by @johnaltringham.bsky.social, and then a poem by me. Enjoy!

Free at open.substack.com/pub/blots/p/...

So is your position that e-cigarette use causes less harm than smoking?

So are they safe or are they not safe?

One reason for loving science is how graciously we sometimes deal with errors. www.science.org/doi/full/10....

Some viruses (e.g. HIV) mutate quickly, making persistent immunization difficult. In this study researchers have engineered a vaccine with HIV antigens mounted on a DNA origami scaffold. Better at generating broadly neutralizing antibodies. www.science.org/doi/abs/10.1...

Oh, you are helping a lot.
This exchange is a treasure trove.

So you mean that using e-cigarettes are safe.

Classic propaganda trick: implying that I have claimed something (that I haven't) and then disproving that claim. It's called the "straw man". I went with the students through Carl Sagan's "Baloney Detection Kit". You are using all tools. It is very instructive.
I admire your glossy material.

Light and Time (1) Wood engravings by John Altringham and poems by Daniel Hoffmann

The wood engravings of @johnaltringham.bsky.social speak to me, often in the form of a poem. So I was happy when John agreed on a project, in which we show his and my work side-by-side. Share our joy in creating & savouring nature-inspired art.

Free at blots.substack.com/p/light-and-...

I highly recommend the work by the Tobacco Control Research Group (@tcrgbath.bsky.social):
www.bath.ac.uk/research-gro...
such as:
www.tobaccotactics.org
For instance until recently it was beyond my imagination that addiction-perpetuating propaganda can be framed as "harm reduction".

Cardiopulmonary Impact of Electronic Cigarettes and Vaping Products: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association | Circulation Vaping and electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use have grown exponentially in the past decade, particularly among youth and young adults. Cigarette smoking is a risk factor for both cardiovascular and...

doi.org/10.1161/CIR....

International Network of Nicotine Consumer Organisations (INNCO) - Tobacco Tactics The International Network of Nicotine Consumer Organisations (INNCO) was formally set up in June 2016, and registered as a civil society organisation in Switzerland three months later, when it set up ...

Your posts are effectively promoting continued nicotine addiction in the guise of harm reduction.

You have been Executive Director at INNCO, an organization indirectly funded by Big Tobacco.

www.tobaccotactics.org/article/inte...

International Network of Nicotine Consumer Organisations (INNCO) - Tobacco Tactics The International Network of Nicotine Consumer Organisations (INNCO) was formally set up in June 2016, and registered as a civil society organisation in Switzerland three months later, when it set up ...

Your posts are effectively promoting continued nicotine addiction in the guise of harm reduction.

You have been Executive Director at INNCO, an organization indirectly funded by Big Tobacco.

www.tobaccotactics.org/article/inte...

International Network of Nicotine Consumer Organisations (INNCO) - Tobacco Tactics The International Network of Nicotine Consumer Organisations (INNCO) was formally set up in June 2016, and registered as a civil society organisation in Switzerland three months later, when it set up ...

Your posts are effectively promoting continued nicotine addiction in the guise of harm reduction.

You have been Executive Director at INNCO, an organization indirectly funded by Big Tobacco.

www.tobaccotactics.org/article/inte...