forgotten regular

The recent release of the Jeffrey Epstein files by the U.S. Department of Justice has renewed public scrutiny on the wealthy financier’s connections across various sectors. While much of the media coverage focuses on high-profile celebrities and political figures, a notable portion of the documents highlights connections within higher education.

It’s important to emphasize: being named in the files does not imply wrongdoing. Most references involve email correspondence, academic meetings, or research-related interactions. Nevertheless, the documents shed light on how Epstein leveraged his wealth and influence to interact with academic institutions and scholars.

Professors and Academic Leaders Documented

Based on public reporting and analysis of the unsealed documents, several professors and academic leaders appear in the files:

Harvard University

• Lawrence H. Summers – Former President of Harvard University. His correspondence with Epstein largely concerns academic programs and scholarly discussions.

• Martin A. Nowak – Professor of mathematics and biology, listed in documents regarding academic meetings and research collaborations.

• Lisa Randall – Physics professor; documented email exchanges with Epstein.

• Stephen M. Kosslyn – Psychology professor; previously involved in recommending Epstein for academic programs.

Yale University

• Nicholas Christakis – Sociology professor; corresponded with Epstein regarding academic research and discussions.

• David Gelernter – Computer science professor; engaged in multiple professional email exchanges.

• Benoit Mandelbrot (deceased) – Mathematician referenced in correspondence regarding scholarly work.

Duke University

• Dan Ariely – Behavioral economics professor; documented interactions with Epstein related to research matters.

Other Academic Figures

• Alan M. Dershowitz – Harvard Law School professor emeritus, appearing in correspondence primarily regarding legal and scholarly topics.

• Lawrence Krauss – Physicist; involved in discussions documented in the files.

• Robert Trivers – Rutgers University professor, referenced in connection with research funding interactions.

What This Means

Being mentioned in the Epstein files does not imply criminal conduct. Universities and individual professors have clarified that their interactions with Epstein were professional and related to academic work.

Yet the documents reveal the extent to which Epstein sought to cultivate influence in elite academic circles, ranging from funding initiatives to personal correspondence with renowned scholars. This raises important questions about ethics, philanthropy, and the responsibilities of academic institutions in vetting benefactors.

Final Thoughts

The Epstein files serve as a reminder that even academic environments are not immune to the influence of wealth and power. As higher education continues to navigate funding pressures and partnerships, transparency and accountability remain crucial.

(Screenshot from Spoutible.com)

Wow.

They gave it to a Latina woman. And a Venezuelan no less.

I was hoping the Nobel committee would not bow to pressure to honour FOTUs, but I didn't expect them to give him a full-on raised middle finger like this. Delightful!

Category 5 Tantrum incoming.

(The dark side of this is that there will probably be some economic retaliation against Norway, harassment of Nobel committee members, and considerably more murderous retaliation against Venezuelans.)

Edit: Holy shit, I haven't watched the presentation ceremony yet, but apparently the presenter gave a speech stating that they recognize democracy as a precondition for peace, and, while never mentioning the Felon by name, giving a list of authoritarian practices that's basically everything he's doing.

This year’s pick is aimed at undermining Venezuela’s socialist govt to serve US interests.

Here is a recent post where Trump praises Machado as a “freedom fighter”:

Why do you ruin yourself for me. Why do you ruin yourself, just to save me.To push me away from the prophecy. I will never die on you or die for you.

All the empty bottles and mindless words can drown out my voice. You can never escape from a woman who loves you. You can never truly escape from the woman you love.

In the back of your mind, i paint pastels and nightsky.No prophecy is gonna take me away. So please be alive and think of me when you see a cat or an orange or those lemon mints you used to fight me over.

I don’t know if this letter will reach you or if the winds will swallow the words before they find their way to your hands. But here I am, writing, because that is all I can do.

The nights here are long and the days are a blur.

In the mess of every hour, I have come to understand how fragile life is.

A man is here, laughing, speaking, breathing and then he is not.

I am scared.

And I shouldn't be.

Soldiers aren’t meant to fear, we are taught to be iron, to be duty bound, to be something unbreakable but I am not.

I am just a man, and I want to live.

I want to come back to you.

Every night before I close my eyes, I think of you.

I see you in the golden light of home, in the laughter I have not heard in so long and the more I think of you, the more afraid I become, because you are slipping from my grasp like a dream upon waking.

I reach for you, but war has a way of stealing even the things we hold closest.

What if I lose you to the distance?

What if you lose me to the war?

I do not know if broken hearts can be mended. I only know that mine still beats for you, even in this place where so many hearts have stopped.

If I do not return, remember me not as a soldier, but as the man who loved you.

Yours,