this post was submitted on 04 Mar 2026

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897

Harvard Places Math Professor Martin Nowak on Paid Administrative Leave Over Epstein Ties (mander.xyz)

submitted 5 days ago by fossilesque@mander.xyz to c/science_memes@mander.xyz

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From his textbook “Evolutionary Dynamics: Exploring The Equations of Life.” In the last sentence of the preface, after a couple dozen acknowledgements that are literally just a list of names, he has one last special thanks that gets its own paragraph:

“I thank Jeffrey Epstein for many ideas and for letting me participate in his passionate pursuit of knowledge in all its forms”

Email Source: EFTA00984937

Harvard Places Math Professor Martin Nowak on Paid Administrative Leave Over Epstein Ties: https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2026/2/25/nowak-leave-epstein/

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[–] gravitas_deficiency@sh.itjust.works 223 points 5 days ago (4 children)

What in the French fried fuck, he gave a fucking shoutout to Epstein in the dedication of his textbook…?

[–] zout@fedia.io 82 points 5 days ago (4 children)

Not to be that guy, but Epstein wasn't always known to be the bad guy to the general public, and this professor might not have known about the not public stuff he was doing. I haven't read the article though, so maybe not.

Edit: read the article, Harvard only put the guy on leave because everything became public with the release of the Epstein files. It seems to be that this professor was in on it, and Harvard had taken action against him before but lifted the sanctions because of reasons.

[–] unexposedhazard@discuss.tchncs.de 64 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (2 children)

The title image literally quotes him asking "did you torture her"

[–] SkunkWorkz@lemmy.world 45 points 5 days ago (1 children)

That’s Epstein asking Nowak

[–] unexposedhazard@discuss.tchncs.de 22 points 5 days ago (4 children)

Ah true, but still a good example to show that Nowak should have known that Epstein had a screw loose.

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[–] merc@sh.itjust.works 8 points 5 days ago (2 children)

The book was published in October 2006.

In May 2006, Palm Beach police filed a probable cause affidavit that Epstein should be charged with four counts of unlawful sex with minors and one count of sexual abuse.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeffrey_Epstein#Alleged_trafficking_ring_and_blackmail_tapes

So, um...

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[–] KeenFlame@feddit.nu 8 points 5 days ago

You are that guy man right in your own special way you are that guy

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[–] Mulligrubs@lemmy.world 13 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

Oh no, I get paid for NOT WORKING.

the horror

i have learned my lesson

p.s. in the USA, most employees can be fired at ANY time, for any reason, you don't have to be found guilty, you can even be really good at your job and a great employee. It doesn't matter.

[–] snooggums@piefed.world 149 points 5 days ago (3 children)

I love how shitty people get paid vacations for being shitty.

[–] raman_klogius@ani.social 33 points 5 days ago

He got the jeevacations 💀💀

[–] protist@mander.xyz 7 points 5 days ago

If you just fire someone who can afford an attorney without going through the proper process, you're opening your organization up to a lawsuit

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[–] SethTaylor@lemmy.world 16 points 4 days ago

"in all its forms"

[ vomits violently ]

[–] BigMacHole@sopuli.xyz 8 points 3 days ago

Dumb LIBRULS! Can't even RAPE CHILDREN anymore without you Throwing a Fit!

-Your Republican Family!

[–] quoll@lemmy.sdf.org 81 points 5 days ago (2 children)

really impressed with the constant stream of high profile people that knew this was coming, having seen countless other epstein associates fall... but still just stayed in their public high profile roles.

like.... you could have got out ahead of this... or better yet faded into obscurity, changed your name and move to SE asia... but nope.

guess if you are fucked in the head enough to associate with pedo's you are fucked in the head enough to put up with this 🤷

[–] OwOarchist@pawb.social 44 points 5 days ago (1 children)

you could have got out ahead of this… or better yet faded into obscurity, changed your name and move to SE asia… but nope.

Why would he? The worst thing that has happened to him is that he's getting a paid vacation.

[–] Microw@piefed.zip 12 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Yet. There are dozens other who resigned (or were forced to resign) their jobs.

[–] reev@sh.itjust.works 22 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Oh noooooo, forced to resign, you say!?

[–] Randomgal@lemmy.ca 2 points 4 days ago

At the end of their careers with a golden parachute. Brutal.

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[–] Nurse_Robot@lemmy.world 84 points 5 days ago

Fucking gross

[–] Gathorall@lemmy.world 60 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (2 children)

Massaschusetts is an at-will state. Was "rich pedophile" added as a protected class at some point or why does does he get a paid vacation for this?

[–] Arcka@midwest.social 9 points 5 days ago

He may have an employment contract in place which gives additional protections. It's much more likely for a Harvard professor than your average worker.

[–] nBodyProblem@lemmy.world 2 points 4 days ago

He certainly has tenure:

[–] lobut@lemmy.ca 74 points 5 days ago (1 children)

These people need to be put underneath the school.

Yes, I sound "barbaric" and we're a society of laws and all that, but it seems we're obviously not. This information was just sat on, fucking disgusting people.

[–] wolframhydroxide@sh.itjust.works 43 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (1 children)

The united states has not been a society of laws since at least 2020, and anyone telling you otherwise is either blind, stupid, lying, or some combination of the three

(I count the supreme court overturning settled law and all branches of government abetting treason as the actual final point of breakdown of the rule of law in this country)

[–] Deceptichum@quokk.au 41 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (2 children)

Anyone telling you the US was a society of laws before 2020 was a white cishet middle or upper class male.

[–] wolframhydroxide@sh.itjust.works 17 points 5 days ago (1 children)

I would still say it was a country of laws, but that is not the same thing as a country of justice.

[–] derry@midwest.social 7 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Laws for thee to bind Laws for me to be free. -the oligarchs

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[–] entropiclyclaude@lemmy.wtf 39 points 5 days ago (4 children)

Harvard punishes child rapists with a paid vacation?

[–] HCSOThrowaway@lemmy.world 35 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (4 children)

Administrative Leave starts when a formal investigation begins. You're basically calling for Chapter 10 of a book to be over when Chapter 1 barely started.

In other words, your question amounts to:

"An investigation started? Shouldn't it be over before it began?"

No, that's not how investigations work.

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[–] modus@lemmy.world 7 points 5 days ago (6 children)

It was just a little statutory torture. I don't see what the problem is.

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[–] eru@mouse.chitanda.moe 5 points 5 days ago

he hasn't been investigated yet

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[–] neuromorph@lemmy.world 26 points 5 days ago

knowledge in all its forms.... gross

[–] Avicenna@programming.dev 21 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (1 children)

Well I am sure Harvard benefited from all the money he brought to the department via Epstein. So the only way Harvard can come clean is to donate a similar amount of money to independent charities that fight against child slavery, human trafficking etc.

Btw, here is the full context for the email:

[–] Agent641@lemmy.world 4 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Why would you torture your own spy?

The plot makes no sense.

[–] Avicenna@programming.dev 1 points 3 days ago

Have you seen the piece of paper Epstein scribbled his ideas on? Lets say he is severly devoid of intelligible ideas.

[–] Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 25 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (5 children)

of courses its harvard, these top university often produces Elitist, or some wierd psychopath. the same university that dint want ASIANs in the school, because there is not enough white people there.

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[–] epicshepich@programming.dev 17 points 5 days ago

From Wiktionary:

knowledge: (archaic or law) Sexual intimacy or intercourse (now usually in phrase carnal knowledge). [from 15th c.]

[–] minorkeys@lemmy.world 10 points 4 days ago

I'm a generally forgiving and understanding person but it's hard to argue these people shouldn't simply be shot.

[–] outerspace@lemmy.zip 16 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Brings some perspective into the meaning of the word "smart", people can be smart and stupid at the same time!

[–] spinne@sh.itjust.works 19 points 5 days ago

I don't think any of what he did was stupid. He wanted to do evil shit to children, he did evil shit to children. The shout-out was a boast, a dogwhistle to other monsters like him, and a thank you to the person who helped him torture children. To him, he was giggling behind his hand because he was getting away with it. He still hasn't faced any kind of criminal penalty, and it doesn't seem likely he will, if the American prosecutions for this are any indicator.

[–] neuromorph@lemmy.world 7 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (1 children)

maybe it was response to a tough Test question on of his models complained about?

checks date... after 2008, when he was a known child prostitute solicitor........ ummm....

[–] NotASharkInAManSuit@lemmy.world 13 points 5 days ago

*child rape slave trafficker

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