iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Brian Romans @clasticdetritus.bsky.social · 19h

My gosh, these people are such losers. They see everything humanity does as only content to optimize/sell. In addition to AI-generated music, I foresee re-releases of existing recordings where AI has modified the audio to various degrees. They'll sell it as the next generation of 'remastering'.

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Brian Romans @clasticdetritus.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Recently learned about “cognitive surrender”, defined as 'adopting AI outputs with minimal scrutiny, overriding intuition and deliberation' –– the details of this research on cognition is outside my expertise, but I think this gets to the crux of why educators are alarmed osf.io/preprints/ps...

osf.io

OSF

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Brian Romans @clasticdetritus.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Third sentence of the abstract starts with: "Conventional research papers require readers to understand ..." Indeed they do.

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Brian Romans @clasticdetritus.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

check out this episode of Strong Songs, one of, if not *the*, best music podcasts out there strongsongspodcast.com/blogs/episod... (music podcast as in actually about the music, not just rock-critic-style commentary on popular culture; he gets really into harmony, melody, and rhythm aspects)

strongsongspodcast.com

S01E28 - "I Will Always Love You" by Dolly Parton

It takes an extremely strong song to top the charts three separate times in three separate decades, but "I Will Always Love You" is just such a song. Written and recorded (twice) by Dolly Parton and t...

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Brian Romans @clasticdetritus.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

received an email with a PDF 'certificate' for being a reviewer for a journal –– is this necessary? I mean, a friendly message thanking me is nice, I suppose, but do people really want a certificate? (are there situations where someone needs to prove they were a reviewer with this documentation?)

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Brian Romans @clasticdetritus.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

What do we mean when saying "AI" now? There are a lot of sweeping statements, spanning a huge range of perspectives. Are machine-learning techniques AI? Are language translation tools AI? Are people mostly referring to LLMs? I'm not saying I have the answers, but more specificity could help.

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Brian Romans @clasticdetritus.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

Iceland would be an otherworldly place to experience a total eclipse, but I'm guessing the chances of being cloudy/overcast are high this time of year (?) –– I hope it works out for everybody, I still think about being in totality in 2017

map showing path of totality for upcoming solar eclipse (from New York Times)

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Brian Romans @clasticdetritus.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

This obsession w/ productivity and optimization applied to everything (even hobbies) is their main argument to buy into their tech, we all need to be constantly 'accomplishing' things. I don't need a bot accusing me of being lazy. But, this is really just a way to deliver personalized ads to you.

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Brian Romans @clasticdetritus.bsky.social · 09/08/2026

I'm nearly done (one episode to go) with Jad Abrumrad et al.'s 12-part audio series about Fela Kuti –– I didn't know most of this history and context, is definitely worth a listen, very well done podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/f...

podcasts.apple.com

Fela Kuti: Fear No Man

Society & Culture Podcast · Series · In a world that’s on fire, what is the role of art? What can music actually…do? Can a song save a life? Change a law? Topple a president? Get you killed? In Fela K...

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Brian Romans @clasticdetritus.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

Future student in my class: "If you exclude all the parts I got wrong, I actually did very well on this assignment."

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Brian Romans @clasticdetritus.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

question for @rsimmon.bsky.social and anyone else into data viz: what are the latest-and-greatest web tools for choosing a color palette? I remember Color Brewer being decent, but there seem to be *a lot* now –– would like to have some customization (not be locked in to a palette)

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Brian Romans @clasticdetritus.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

early August is such a vibe –– it's still technically summer but the new academic year is hurtling towards us like a meteor, unstoppable and imminent did I get all the ambitious things done I wanted? of course not, but I did some of them! (and I focused on recharging)

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Brian Romans @clasticdetritus.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

for those doing stratigraphic characterization of outcrops, we've got a new methods paper out in @sedimentologika.bsky.social presenting a workflow that integrates on-the-ground data with drone imagery to correct distortions and restore depositional geometry ⚒️ oap.unige.ch/journals/sdk...

Part of Figure 5 from Peploe et al. (2026); see link to open-access paper in the main post

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Brian Romans @clasticdetritus.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

Yes, Vought and the rest may push this through and enact these changes regardless, but it's important to have the public comments, and analyses of the comments like this, on record. (Also, I appreciate the explanation of how they did their analysis of >50,000 comments.)

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Brian Romans @clasticdetritus.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

research and teaching advice from people who aren't directly involved in academic research and higher education (but want to influence its direction), updated for the current era (I haven't had this exact conversation with a single individual, but aspects of this occur from time-to-time)

summary of a genre of conversation I've had over the years

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Brian Romans @clasticdetritus.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

ouch, I don't use it everyday but has definitely been a useful tool for a lot of things I do for example, the kmz for DSDP/ODP/IODP sites is amazing for quickly learning what legacy data might be available for a specific area

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Brian Romans @clasticdetritus.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

I've enjoyed Carbon Brief's coverage/resources for years and this semi-monthly email newsletter is fantastic for getting an overview at a more 'relaxed' frequency and not in a social-media feed of mixed content –– I won't dive into every item in the newsletter, but it's useful to see it all together

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Brian Romans @clasticdetritus.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

many thanks to multiple Paleozoic mountain-building episodes, early Mesozoic rifting, and (potentially) regional uplift since the Miocene due to enigmatic mantle processes for providing us just enough elevation to lessen the severity of this heat wave

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Brian Romans @clasticdetritus.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

"NSF is trimming budgets for basic science programs by 20-30% even though overall budget is down just 3% ... the goal is to free up funds for a new $1.5 billion initiative ... meant to turn NSF-funded discoveries into new products and industries." The private sector should fund this initiative.

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Brian Romans @clasticdetritus.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

I heard something very similar when visiting with an old friend (who is also in marketing) recently –– they are in a management/leadership role and are flooded with bland AI crap from their team members (especially new-hires) –– and it's not that the AI stuff is wrong, just generic and lacking value

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Brian Romans @clasticdetritus.bsky.social · 12/06/2026

how interesting, looking at the creatures that end up settling on ice-rafted debris (aka 'dropstones') at the seabed www.nature.com/articles/d41... a nice figure from the corresponding paper

Panel A of Figure 1 from Krumpen et al. (2026); 10.1038/s41586-026-10630-4 depicting how rocky debris that was embedded within glacial ice ends up on the seafloor and then a site for benthic organisms to settle.

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Brian Romans @clasticdetritus.bsky.social · 03/06/2026

is this real? this was a serious statement? I hope I'm missing some important context, e.g., automation in relation to a very specific types of research tasks.

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Brian Romans @clasticdetritus.bsky.social · 03/06/2026

When will the private sector use their influence to defend the U.S. scientific enterprise? Industry has benefitted from public investment in science for decades. If they don't support this degradation, they need to be aggressively and visibly lobbying Congress. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

science.org

Another red alert for American science

Although research has bipartisan support in the US Congress, and trust in science is above 75% across the country, the Trump administration seems as determined as ever to mortally wound the nation’s s...

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Brian Romans @clasticdetritus.bsky.social · 01/06/2026

What an absolute legend this vessel is and forever will be. I was fortunate enough to go on three expeditions (2012, 2018, 2023). I snapped this pic in Oct 2023 (at the end of Exp400) in Reykjavík. We disembarked and were about to board that bus to drive away and I stepped aside for a moment 🥲

The JR (JOIDES Resolution) docked in Reykjavík, Iceland in October 2023

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Brian Romans @clasticdetritus.bsky.social · 29/05/2026

imagine if the 'masculine charisma' he's seeking is a commitment to serve/help others (family, community, etc) with modesty and hard work –– instead, the model of 'manly' that these 20-somethings have seen most of their life is self-aggrandizing, bullying narcissism www.nytimes.com/2026/05/28/u...

screenshot of this text from the linked article:

"Vincent McKibben, 25, a computer hardware engineer in Austin, Texas, grew up in a liberal family but enjoys the irreverent banter offered by right-leaning voices like Mr. Rogan. Recently, however, he has started to worry that the heterodox “manosphere” preys on buzzy culture war issues to attract attention, rather than offering substantive solutions.

But that has not left him entirely enthusiastic about Democrats. He said that the clinical, policy-driven voices on the left felt “very academic” and lacked a masculine charisma that people could latch onto."

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Brian Romans @clasticdetritus.bsky.social · 27/05/2026

I'm old enough to have watched those pretending to be experts in climate science now pretend to be experts in battery chemistry

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Brian Romans @clasticdetritus.bsky.social · 18/05/2026

in the training I'm now required to take by my institution about use/misuse of generative AI, the video starts off saying that AI is streamlining and boosting productivity –– so, 'streamlining' means spending my valuable time on compliance about the thing that claims to be streamlining 😑

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Brian Romans @clasticdetritus.bsky.social · 14/05/2026

💯!!! these notes keep us going –– I got one earlier this week in the genre of "I didn't think I would like this class at the beginning, but you made it interesting", which made me genuinely feel better (in a visceral way)

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Brian Romans @clasticdetritus.bsky.social · 08/05/2026

Canvas is back up! ... live shot of me downloading all the final-project reports and exporting the grade book just in case we get locked out again 😅

static.klipy.com

Busy Cat Typing on Laptop Meme

ALT: Busy Cat Typing on Laptop Meme

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Brian Romans @clasticdetritus.bsky.social · 07/05/2026

oh boy, Canvas (our learning mgmt system) has been hacked and everyone on campus is locked out ... just in time for the end of the semester 🫨 an article from a couple days ago about this: www.insidehighered.com/news/tech-in...

insidehighered.com

“PAY OR LEAK”: Hackers Target Big Higher Ed Vendor

The criminal extortion group ShinyHunters breached Instructure last week. The hackers, who have also attacked individual universities, demanded the ed-tech giant pay up or face a data leak.

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Brian Romans @clasticdetritus.bsky.social · 05/05/2026

To the students (and their parents) who agree with this, then do not enroll in college. You don't have to be here! I will continue to devote my efforts and time to delivering the best education I can to the students who want to be here. If you think it's all a waste, then please take another path.

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Brian Romans @clasticdetritus.bsky.social · 03/05/2026

this iris in our backyard blooms every year in the first few days of May #bloomscrolling

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Brian Romans @clasticdetritus.bsky.social · 25/04/2026

is one of those times where multiple things converge –– two proposal deadlines + the end of the semester with several other obligations 🫨 –– just need to get through the next couple of weeks of working essentially all-day-everyday and can take a breather and regroup

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Brian Romans @clasticdetritus.bsky.social · 20/04/2026

interesting piece about the similarities and differences between the energy shocks of the 2020s and those of the 1970s ember-energy.org/latest-insig...

ember-energy.org

The New Twin Fossil Shock | Ember

How the energy crises of the 2020s speed up the electric age

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Brian Romans @clasticdetritus.bsky.social · 10/04/2026

the beauty and drama of this image, my gosh

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Brian Romans @clasticdetritus.bsky.social · 08/04/2026

discussing the last deglaciation (~20-10 ka) in my undergrad gen-ed climate course this week and want to incorporate more about the marine biosphere –– for example, what were effects of meltwater pulses (e.g., MWP-1a) on marine life? (besides the drowning of shallow-water corals from SL rise)

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Brian Romans @clasticdetritus.bsky.social · 05/04/2026

"The project isn't the deliverable. The project is the vehicle. The deliverable is the scientist that comes out the other end." I encourage grad student advisors (and grad students) to read this. All the pithy hot takes miss the point, this is a breath of fresh air. ergosphere.blog/posts/the-ma...

ergosphere.blog

The machines are fine. I'm worried about us.

On AI agents, grunt work, and the part of science that isn't replaceable.

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Brian Romans @clasticdetritus.bsky.social · 04/04/2026

Maybe some are going to chatbots, but others (me 👋) have ditched most social media and are spending time doing things in the physical world w/ real people –– and I have several text threads w/ friends and others that are fun and engaging (and that don't need to be broadcast b/c come on who cares)

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Brian Romans @clasticdetritus.bsky.social · 04/04/2026

beautiful day here 😎 –– did some spring cleanup of the moss between flagstone in our little backyard garden, which is basically removing the tiny debris that is covering the tiny plants –– it's either meditative or tedious depending on my mood

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Brian Romans @clasticdetritus.bsky.social · 31/03/2026

my guess is that this particular ultra-wealthy person is an outlier –– it seems that most that get to this level of wealth have at least one component (likely multiple) of the 'Dark Triad' personality traits and are focused on wealth-as-power www.nytimes.com/2026/03/30/o...

nytimes.com

Opinion | Craigslist Made Me Rich. Giving the Money Away Is Easy.

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Brian Romans @clasticdetritus.bsky.social · 24/03/2026

I don't have any data to back this up, but ... (a great way to start, right?) ... I feel like students are submitting assignments as close as possible to the deadline more than they used to. As if the stated deadline (e.g., 11:59pm in Canvas) is the "target" instead of simply sometime before then.

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Brian Romans @clasticdetritus.bsky.social · 21/03/2026

"In a bid to make sure a repeat of last year’s scandal does not happen, the competition's official Tossmaster, Kyle Mathews, has enlisted a specialist rock expert to help protect the championship's integrity." Tossmaster! 🤩

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Brian Romans @clasticdetritus.bsky.social · 20/03/2026

BlueSky is one of the few social media sites I'm still on at this point (and, even then, I don't engage much) –– maybe this leads to increasing enshitification and the demise of the platform and my mood is that if these tech companies fail and go under, oh well techcrunch.com/2026/03/19/b...

techcrunch.com

Bluesky announces $100M Series B after CEO transition | TechCrunch

The additional funds have been used to scale Bluesky's team, while the company continues to develop Bluesky's app and the underlying ATProto that powers it.

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Reposted by Brian Romans

U.S. Scientific Ocean Drilling @us-sciod.bsky.social · 05/02/2026

Hello BlueSky! We’re here to bring you the latest opportunities and news in U.S. scientific ocean drilling and amplify the work of our community and partners. This account is managed by the U.S. Scientific Ocean Drilling Coordination Office (SODCO).

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Brian Romans @clasticdetritus.bsky.social · 03/02/2026

Excited that this paper, led by former PhD student Natalia Varela (based on her dissertation), is now out! We use the occurrence & characteristics of thin, silty turbidites from the Ross Sea to interpret Antarctic Bottom Water outflow since ~3.3 Ma. agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/...

Photograph of a sediment core highlighting thin (<0.5 cm) silt to very fine sand beds. Tick marks on left side are each one millimeter. From Figure 3 of Varela et al. (2026).

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Brian Romans @clasticdetritus.bsky.social · 31/01/2026

My advice to undergraduates: Do *not* sign on to a PhD just because it's a 'next step' and you don't know what else to do. A master's program is a much better option in that scenario. You can find out if you genuinely enjoy the endeavor and, if not, it's only 2 years and you get a great degree! 1/2

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