It’s easy to lose the plot in the overwhelming proliferation of LLM and agentic benchmarks. In the last few months, I’ve found my sense of wonder diminish as I watch the numbers tick steadily up and the pelicans improve, but I don’t think this complacency is entirely appropriate. Real-world economic impact is probably the most … Continue reading “DerekBench”
I’m tired of trying to pretend that I follow college basketball, and looking at an empty bracket fills me with anxiety. What’s a sports-adjacent person to do? Well, if you’re like me, you simulate the entire tournament using win probabilities from 538 and let the pseudorandom whims of fate decide your bracket’s destiny. If you … Continue reading “How to fill out your bracket without knowing anything about basketball”
Two days ago, my roommates and I were trying to concoct a satirical genomics startup. We wanted an idea so ridiculous that no one could possibly believe it was real. Instead, we accidentally reinvented Vinome. Vinome claims to be “Your DNA Guide to Wines You’ll Love,” a service that will, for a cool $110 fee (or … Continue reading “We imagined a satirical genomics startup and accidentally reinvented Vinome”
I’ll be doing a panel with Mary Roach, Luke Dittrich, and Adam Piore on “The Science of Humans” at the LA Times Festival of Books. The event is on April 22 on the USC campus. Admission to the festival is free, but this panel requires a free ticket. Hope to see you there! More info about the … Continue reading ““The Science of Humans” at the LA Times Festival of Books”
Scientists have long thought that the method of delivery has a big impact on the microbiome of a young child. On page 191 of Systematic, I wrote, “In fact, babies who are delivered by cesarian section have significantly different microbiome compositions from those who are delivered vaginally, though it seems that these differences usually disappear with … Continue reading “Do babies born by C-section have different microbiomes? Maybe not so much.”
WGBH was kind enough to film the event I did at the Harvard Book Store a few weeks ago. Check out the video of the talk:
Thanks to everyone who came out to my talk at Reboot @ Qlabs last night! It was great to meet you all. Before the talk, I stopped by the Barnes and Noble in Union Square, and it seems they’ve given me the coveted Hitler placement: I promise that Systematic is at least 50% less depressing … Continue reading “Thanks for a great release day!”
Long story short: I wrote a book. You can order a copy at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or IndieBound, or you can pick one up at your favorite book store. Here’s the marketing-speak: A charismatic young scientist introduces us to the fascinating field that is changing our understanding of how the body works. SYSTEMATIC is … Continue reading “Systematic: How Systems Biology is Transforming Modern Medicine”
I’ll be doing a book signing and discussion for Systematic at the Harvard COOP on Thursday, February 16th at 7:00 PM. The event will be on the third floor, and it’s free. Hope to see you there!
I’ll be doing a free discussion and book signing for Systematic at the Harvard Book Store on Friday, February 17th at 3:00 PM. Hope to see you there!
The following is an excerpt from “Systematic: How Systems Biology is Transforming Modern Medicine,” a new book out February 7th. You can pick up a copy on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or IndieBound or at your favorite book store. Collecting fecal samples presumably wasn’t anyone’s idea of a fun time, but a team of scientists … Continue reading “Your Microbiome and You: An Excerpt from Systematic”
Long story short: I wrote a book. You can order a copy at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, IndieBound, or your favorite book store. Here’s the marketing-speak: A charismatic young scientist introduces us to the fascinating field that is changing our understanding of how the body works. SYSTEMATIC is the first book to introduce general readers to systems … Continue reading “Systematic — Coming February 7”