20 August, 2025 – Episode 1026 – What is Your Science Policy ?

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This Week: Interview with Adriana Bankston, Jakalopes, Bat Hugs, Mystery Skull, Autism, Flowers for Robots, Baby Brains, Decoding Inner Speech, Space Threats, And Much More Science!

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Authoritarianism… is nothing new.
It rears its ugly head every half century or so…
Manages to persist malignantly in some places
Until it can be removed from power
What follows is a slow process of reforming society
around freedoms lost, truths forbidden, and progress towards peace and prosperity

At some point, the generation that suffered, fought, and overcame
the past authoritarian movement
Dies
collective memory fades

Struggles of modern life evoke nostalgia
for an age that never existed
At first, it is a form of escapism
An indulgence in magical thinking
An over idealised past
Stripped of all its failings

Power-hungry narcissists pounce on the opportunity
Readorn themselves in the pageantry of strong men
Promising a return to the mythical old ways as a path to the future
Arrogance, ignorance, and revisionism promenading as pride

Manufactured hatred is presented as a justifiable cause
Placing the failure of the world to be perfect
Upon the weakest, the most vulnerable targets
With increasingly divisive rhetoric blaming the others
All those others… so many others that it’s hard to see
Who would even be left if every other went away

Anyone who pushes back on the propaganda,
Who challenges lies with truth
Becomes a co-conspirator
Becomes another
Journalists, teachers, historians, scientists, comedians
It doesn’t matter who you are
If you are not licking the boot, it will be at your neck
Until you fight back
And fight we will, with…
This Week in Science

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The Interview!

We want to welcome our guest, Adriana Bankston, PhD, advocate for scientific research and innovation at the federal level. You can find her on her Substack, her YouTube Channel, and on Instagram and Bluesky.

Andrea Bankston has a Ph.D. in Biochemistry, Cell and Developmental Biology from Emory University, and currently works as an AAAS SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY POLICY FELLOW to support federal scientific research and innovation in the U.S. House of Representatives. Adriana works at the intersection of scientific research, higher education, and STEM workforce development with a focus on science policy to advance our nation forward through evidence-based practices and inspire the next generation to get involved. SHE IS AN ADVOCATE for scientific research and innovation at the federal level. WELCOME TO TWIS, ADRIANA!

Dr. Kiki, the gang, and Adriana get a little political in this interesting interview you’ll want to listen to again and again!

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Blair’s Animal Corner!

Who saw the jackalope headlines??
It’s really not a big deal, we promise.

Who wants a bat hug??
I do I do! …but you can hold the dead mouse.

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Science News With Justin!

Mystery Greek Hominin Skull
Mystery hominin skull gets an intriguing new date range

Epilepsy Drugs
Reversing autism symptoms with epilepsy drugs

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Some Science stories with Kiki!

Flowers For Robots
Are we redesigning nature for robot nurture?

Baby Brains
Do microbes manipulate baby brains?

Decoding Inner Speech
Can your internal thoughts be decoded now?

Who Knew?
Space threats are being oversold?!?

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This Week in Science Questions!

Do you have questions that you want us to answer? Send us your questions (Like, what is your science policy?)! We will do our best to have answers!

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Leave us a message on our Facebook page, email Dr. Kiki, or find us on Mastodon Social if you can!

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Take a blast into the past…

What were we discussing at this time last year? This time last year We discussed Not So Wow, Global Humidification, Dodo’s, Electron Excitement, Food Delivery, Humpback Whales, Spiders, Mammoths, Better Brain Movies, Building Memories, Photonic Consciousness, And Much More Science to Know!

This week 10 years ago TWIS we discussed The Drinkable Book, DNA Data Storage, Lice Resistance, Ancient Bone Tales, Brainy Mice, Glowing Lizards!, Sperm For Life!, Gut Bacterial Blindness?, Glass Paint, Sweetgrass Solution, New Alcoholism Drugs, One Scan Rules, Freshening Football Helmets, Wiki Science Trolls, Meteoric Life, And Much More! Take a blast into the past with TWIS!

If You love TWIS, and all the science news we pronounce each week, please consider making a donation to the This Week in Science podcast.

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