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Ben Lang

@benebular.bsky.social
957 followers 1.1K following 165 posts

another grad student phonetician in linguistics @ UCSD phonetics, neuroscience, bilingualism, sociolinguistics, computational social science languist.co

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Reposted by Ben Lang
Kevin M. Kruse @kevinmkruse.bsky.social · 10/01/2026
If you are a veteran, this kind of visible presence at anti-ICE protests is really valuable. These clowns all want to play dress-up soldier, so actual soldiers mocking them to their faces is devastating.
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Namnezia 🥑 @namnezia.bsky.social · 16/11/2025
Hear SfN members talking about the impact of federal funding cuts on brain research. #neuroskyence #sfn2025 www.npr.org/2025/11/14/n...
npr.org
Young brain researchers ponder other careers amid federal funding cuts
Cuts and disruptions to federal research funding are causing many young brain scientists to reconsider their career choice.
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Dr. Lucky Tran @luckytran.com · 30/08/2025
History shows us the opposite: Undermining and censoring scientists and experts is a central feature of authoritarianism.
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Wonder of Science @wonderofscience.bsky.social · 24/08/2025
A microscopic tardigrade going for a stroll through some algae. Credit: Sinclair Stammers
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Dante The K9 @dantethek9.bsky.social · 27/07/2025
Well, I'll be damned. It's royalty free and there's already six, generic manufacturers lined up. newatlas.com/infectious-d...
newatlas.com
The first 100% effective HIV prevention drug is approved and going global
An epidemic that's been sustained for 44 years might finally be quelled, with the milestone approval of the first HIV drug that offers 100% protection with its twice-yearly injections. It's a landmark...
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Bonnicula | Vampire Vtuber ⚧ @bonnicula.bsky.social · 28/07/2025
If you push for this censorship nonsense again as the Trump administration declares the very existence of queer people to be inherently pornographic I don't give a shit what party you're in so help me god I will work night and day to get you wretches out of office @schumer.senate.gov
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Ryan Marino, MD @ryanmarino.bsky.social · 18/07/2025
Stacey Sobelman
staceysobelman
ICE is offering a $45,000 SIGNING BONUS plus $100,000 starting salary.
I make $55,000 as a teacher in my 8th year with a Masters.
It was never true that wE dOn'T hAvE eNoUgH mOnEy to pay teachers more. It was always intentional. Education has been INTENTIONALLY defunded for decades because an educated populous is a threat to power. Read the books. Do the work. They are
TERRIFIED of education.
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Mark Copelovitch @mcopelov.bsky.social · 11/07/2025
Yes, we’re literally about to zero out funding for every Title VI area studies center at every university in the country, along with FLAS fellowship funding. A generation of human capital that feeds into our diplomatic & intelligence corps that will simply not exist. National security madness.
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50501: The People’s Movement ❌👑 @50501movement.bsky.social · 02/07/2025
These are the weak points. You know what to do. First thing tomorrow, use 5calls.org and raise hell.
Call these U.S. Representatives and tell them to vote NO on the “Big Beautiful Bill”:

AZ-06, Juan Ciscomani
CA-22, David Valadao
CA-40, Young Kim
CA-41, Ken Calvert
CO-08, Gabe Evans
FL-07, Cory Mills
FL-13, Anna Paulina Luna
FL-27, Maria Elvira Salazar
IA-01, Mariannette Miller-Meeks
IA-02, Ashley Hinson
IA-03, Zach Nunn
MI-07, Tom Barrett
MO-02, Ann Wagner
NJ-07, Tom Kean Jr.
NY-17, Mike Lawler
OH-07, Max Miller
OH-10, Mike Turner
OH-15, Mike Carey
PA-01, Brian Fitzpatrick
PA-07, Ryan Mackenzie
PA-08, Rob Bresnahan
PA-10, Scott Perry
TN-05, Andy Ogles
TX-15, Monica De La Cruz
VA-01, Rob Wittman
VA-02, Jen Kiggans
WI-01, Bryan Steil
WI-03, Derrick Van Orden
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Laura @tutusntinyhats.bsky.social · 18/06/2025
Another list of orgs that materially support trans people: www.autostraddle.com/this-trans-d...
autostraddle.com
This Trans Day of Remembrance, Show Up With Material Support (And Every Other Day, Too)
In the face of dehumanizing rhetoric and violence that turns our community members into statistics, it is our responsibility to care for one another and change the conditions that impact trans people’...
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Zohran Kwame Mamdani @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social · 12/06/2025
All gas, no breaks. Only you can make this poll a reality: zohranfornyc.com/events
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Nihil Dev 🇩🇰🇬🇱🇺🇦🇨🇦🇵🇸 @nihildev.bsky.social · 21/04/2025
Ever wonder how many lives have been saved by NIH-funded research - including your own? Enter any medical condition and instantly see how your tax dollars transformed science into survival. www.ourhealthroi.com
ourhealthroi.com
Our Health ROI
Explore how your tax dollars fund life‑saving medical research.
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Julian Sanchez @normative.bsky.social · 22/04/2025
I feel like we need to keep saying this because it’s so insane: This is a legal U.S. resident who has been detained for over a month now for his political opinions.
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Ben Lang @benebular.bsky.social · 13/03/2025
This is how my whole cohort feels being near to defending. 🫠
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Ben Lang @benebular.bsky.social · 11/03/2025
Incandescent with rage doesn’t even cut it for these feelings.
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Annika Barber @annikabarber.bsky.social · 24/02/2025
Wondering if your study section cancelled? I update this sheet daily. As of today, 56/124 study sections that should have met since Jan 2, 2025 have "not met as scheduled." docs.google.com/spreadsheets...
docs.google.com
2025 Study section tracking
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Ben Lang @benebular.bsky.social · 22/02/2025
I second this! Every little bit is helping. We’ve got this—together.
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Dr. Damien P. Williams, dread portent down from a mountain cave @wolven.blacksky.app · 19/02/2025
More from Judge Reyes
Judge Reyes: EO 14183 adopts the definitions of a separate executive order called Defending Women from Gender Ideology, Extremism and Restoring biological Truth to the federal government. And that EO states, "sex shall refer to an individual's immutable biological classification as either male or female." And it states that, "It is the policy of the United States to recognize two sexes, male and female." Do you see that or do you remember that?

Jason C. Lynch:! will take the court's word for it.

Judge Reyes: You understand, as a matter of biology, it's just incorrect that there are only two sexes, right?

Jason C. Lynch: Do I understand that to be incorrect as a biological matter?

Judge Reyes: Yes. It is incorrect as a biological matter. You understand that, right?

Jason C. Lynch: I don't understand that to be incorrect.

Judge Reyes: You understand that not everyone has an xx or an xy chromosome, right?

Jason C. Lynch: Honestly, no, I don't.

Judge Reyes: It's actually kind of a really important point because this executive order is premised on an assertion that's not biologically correct. There are anywhere near about 30 different intersex examples. So someone who does not have just xx or xy chromosome is not just male or female. They're intersex. And there are over 30 potential different intersex examples. We've got genetic differences. We have people with xxx chromosomes. We have androgen insensitivity, xy genetically, that may have female external sex characteristics and internally have testes. There's a five alpha reductase deficiency that causes changes in testosterone metabolism, xy that may have female external genitalia or ambiguous genitalia. The point being, and I'm happy to have you guys brief this more if you want, but I'm telling you right now that there are people who are neither male or female. And so the premise of the executive order is just incorrect.
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Angie Voyles Askham @avaskham.bsky.social · 16/02/2025
Hey neuroscientists: were you, your lab or any of your ongoing projects caught up in any of the latest NIH firings? You can find me on Signal at avaskham.54 if you want to chat. 🧪 #neuroskyence
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Ben Lang @benebular.bsky.social · 10/02/2025
If you're communicating with your reps on a daily basis right now (as we all should be!), you can directly tell them that this is the language they should use when communicating this in their emails and anywhere in media. Give them the framing they need so everyone understands the consequences.
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Ygrene @ygrene.bsky.social · 08/02/2025
nice jam you’ve got there, be a real shame if someone pumped it up
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Dr. Lucky Tran @luckytran.com · 08/02/2025
The NIH announced it will slash billions of dollars of support to universities and research centers. This is one of the biggest attacks on science we have ever seen. It could dismantle the biomedical research system, shut down clinical trials, and halt development of treatments.
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Prof. Nicole Holliday @mixedlinguist.bsky.social · 04/02/2025
If anyone wants to talk to a linguist about why this list of words banned from federal grants is absurd, please get at me. The point is to make sure that no one can do social science (or really any science) at all. www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8Yjf5FH/
tiktok.com
The administration wants to make sure no one can do research at all with its list of banned words. Linguists know that the business of banning words is always repressive and anti-science. Stay aware! ...
TikTok video by Nicole Holliday
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Wolfy D. Lucca 🌗🐺 @spookalucca.tv · 28/01/2025
Erin out here doing the lord's work. Please support and listen to trans journalists on trans issues.
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Katie Mack @astrokatie.com · 23/01/2025
The price of eggs in the US is spiking, mostly due to #H5N1 bird flu. Solving the problem requires urgent, important communications from the CDC & FDA* and rapid development of research by the NIH** * Currently paused by Executive Order ** Grant reviews now all canceled www.kcur.org/news/2025-01...
kcur.org
Egg prices are soaring again. Here’s why and what to expect
Bird flu has killed millions of hens in recent weeks, shrinking the supply of eggs and hiking up prices at grocery stores.
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Gillian Branstetter @gbbranstetter.bsky.social · 20/01/2025
A reminder



Very few executive orders change policy immediately. They cannot immediately change
regulations, and they cannot change the law as established through statutes and the
courts. Rather, there will be steps that take time and follow a clear process (such as the
regulatory process requiring agencies to make notice, to solicit comments, to review such
comments, and then to issue final rules). In some instances, litigation is not only expected
but is also already being prepared.


We do not want to encourage anticipatory obedience, rather than asserting what is and is
not happening at a given moment.
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Ben Lang @benebular.bsky.social · 15/01/2025
I have had 10 undergraduate RAs working with me on Praat segmentation for the last 4 quarters in a row and they are all learning so much and doing such a great job and I am excited for this next generation of phoneticians.
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Ben Lang @benebular.bsky.social · 28/12/2024
Best pie: lemon merengue Best ice cream: honeycomb (from Van Leeuwen) Best donut: specifically the vanilla-frosted sprinkles cake donut at VG’s Bakery in Cardiff, CA Best bar: lemon bars Best cake: coconut cake from Gramercy Tavern, NYC Best other: milk butterchew from See’s Candies
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Philip Bump @pbump.com · 14/12/2024
Sometimes you don’t need to do your own research. www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
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Ben Lang @benebular.bsky.social · 12/12/2024
Me: “Wow, production studies are a lot of work. I should do a perception study next.” Me: “Wow, perception studies are a lot of work. I should do a production study next.” Reader, I believe there is no end in sight to this cycle.
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Prasad Jallepalli, MD, PhD @prasad.bsky.social · 01/12/2024
“NIH produces an astounding return on investment to the American taxpayer. In Fiscal Year 2022, NIH research funding supported 568,585 jobs and generated $96.84 billion in economic activity — that’s $2.64 of economic activity for every $1 of research funding.” www.researchamerica.org/2023-oped-us...
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Ben Lang @benebular.bsky.social · 01/12/2024
Feel like there’s a lot of new people here so here’s a reintroduction: I’m a phonetician and cognitive scientist interested in how your brain produces, perceives, and learns the sounds of the world’s spoken languages.
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Ben Lang @benebular.bsky.social · 28/11/2024
Hey #linguistics, I've created a starter pack for phoneticians, speech people, and phriends. If you feel like I've left someone out or you have suggestions, just lmk! I want more spectrograms on my feed so let's make that happen. go.bsky.app/LPrwcbq
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Ben Lang @benebular.bsky.social · 20/11/2024
I followed a lot of really cool people here, but now the linguists in my feed have disappeared into a sea of people. Oops.
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Ben Lang @benebular.bsky.social · 19/11/2024
Anyone have a favorite Arabic speech corpus in *MSA* and not a specific dialect? I’ve checked through LDC, but want to know if there are others I should be aware of.
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Ben Lang @benebular.bsky.social · 19/11/2024
Great! I’ll take it!
media.tenor.com
a close up of a cartoon character with green eyes and brown hair
Alt: a close up of Ben 10 with green eyes and brown hair
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Regina Lapate @lapate.bsky.social · 11/11/2024
📢 New job alert: The Dept. of Psychological & Brain Sciences at UCSB is hiring a new Director for our Brain Imaging Center! Join us in sunny Santa Barbara and please help spread the word! (Full Professor position—due by Dec 2) 🧠 🌊 recruit.ap.ucsb.edu/JPF02858
recruit.ap.ucsb.edu
Brain Imaging Center Director, Psychological & Brain Sciences
University of California Santa Barbara is hiring. Apply now!
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kwisatz haderade (#FreeSkylar) @booksandbows.bsky.social · 08/11/2024
no but unironically if you are young and don't know much about the AIDS crisis and how the queer community mobilized in response to it, now is a fucking awesome time to learn.
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Ro Salarian @rosalarian.bsky.social · 08/11/2024
Over the next few months, we're gonna see some queer/trans folks go back into the closet/detransition for their own safety, especially in rural areas. This is not the same as assimilation or compliance, and these folks are not "traitors." This is camouflage. This is strategy.
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Ben Lang @benebular.bsky.social · 07/11/2024
So what’s the over under on deleting accounts on that other website vs. deleting posts and going inactive? I don’t wanna give any traffic, but I also want control of my data and likeness if needed.
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Ben Lang @benebular.bsky.social · 26/09/2024
The best part about being on fellowship this year is that I get to just delete Canvas entirely from my brain for 12 months.
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Ben Lang @benebular.bsky.social · 13/08/2024
I have dealt with Qualtrics data output before, and I have ways to make it look good, but they sure did not choose the best format for anyone when it comes to .csv exports.
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Gretchen McCulloch @gretchenmcculloch.com · 10/08/2024
Today in linguists are NOT KIDDING when we say that your knowledge of language includes the ability to understand sentences that have never before been said. arstechnica.com/science/2024...
arstechnica.com
Pass the mayo: Condiment could help improve fusion energy yields
Controlling a problematic instability could lead to cheaper internal fusion.
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Prof. Nicole Holliday @mixedlinguist.bsky.social · 06/08/2024
My work on Kamala Harris' speech style is featured in today's Berkeley News! news.berkeley.edu/2024/08/06/a...
news.berkeley.edu
A UC Berkeley linguist explores what Kamala Harris's voice and speech reveal about her identity - Berkeley News
"When we talk about Kamala Harris as a modern candidate, she is in some ways embodying all of the ways the country has moved on from the idea that you can only be one thing at once."
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Ben Lang @benebular.bsky.social · 12/07/2024
Taking an actual break from PhD things really does allow your brain to come up with better ideas for the PhD lol
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Ben Lang @benebular.bsky.social · 21/06/2024
Real weird how the emails all just simultaneously end once the quarter is over (for me, a graduate student).
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David Marshall @illdave.bsky.social · 18/06/2024
I can't remember a tech campaign this relentless.
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Ben Lang @benebular.bsky.social · 17/05/2024
I think in my future syllabi, I am going to say that students can get in touch with me via email OR Canvas, not email AND Canvas.
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