iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

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MadScientist @mads100tist.bsky.social · 2h

There's literally more human content out there than you can listen to, and you'd rather ask a machine to show you an statistical average? Loser behavior

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Hypervisible @hypervisible.blacksky.app · 14h

Eugenics 🤝 ai www.nytimes.com/2026/09/29/h...

One of the things that is going to change is that we’re never ever again going to be able to be dominated by public officials who tell us, ‘Trust the experts,’” Mr. Kennedy said during the Tuesday session.

“If somebody tells you, ‘Masks work, trust the experts,’ A.I. may tell you otherwise,” he added. “If somebody tells you, ‘Social distancing works, trust the experts,’ A.I. may correct that. And if somebody tells you that a vaccine will prevent transmission and infection, or you need to take it to protect your grandmother, A.I. may say it actually doesn’t do that.”

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Iñaki Ruiz-Trillo @multicellgenome.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

We have a new branch in the family tree of animals: Atreyea- a previously unrecognized lineage among the closest unicell relatives of animals. Led by @konsmitsi.bsky.social & @freejakoba.bsky.social together with a fantastic team of collaborators. 🔗 papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.... #protistsOnSky

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Zen Faulkes @doctorzen.net · 17h

"Ozymandias? Loser. Very bad at branding. Didn't change the names of enough things. Didn't put his name on enough things. But people are saying that I am the most powerful person in history. So I can change the names of things and people will love the new names."

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Cathy Newman ⚜️🐘 @cenewman0.bsky.social · 20h

Devastated for the Fort Hays community about the closure of the Sternberg Museum of Natural History, and this letter from the univ president makes clear how dramatic reductions in state funding leave universities with no good options viable long-term. www.fhsu.edu/news/2026/09...

fhsu.edu

To the Fort Hays State University Community

I need to share a difficult decision with you, and I want to be transparent about how we arrived here, what it means, and who ultimately holds the power to change the path we are on.

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SapKrap @justanonymous.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

A family friend is in med school and wants to do derm. She told me the expectation for competitive applicants is 30 journal articles, so at least ten a year. I don't know any other field where this would be considered normal or acceptable.

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Richard Sever @richardsever.bsky.social · 23h

As I said here, complaints about journal behavior mistake a symptom for the cause www.timeshighereducation.com/opinion/acad...

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Mike Boylan-Kolchin @mbkplus.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Russ Vought's attack on the scientific apparatus is snowballing. Much stronger restrictions on the grant application process for the one (1) NSF call for basic astronomy research are going to be in place this year. www.nsf.gov/funding/oppo...

The MPS Astronomical Sciences Core Research program (Astro-Core) supports foundational research in the astronomical sciences. The program provides individual investigator and collaborative research grants for observational, theoretical, computational, artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI/ML), laboratory, and archival data studies in astronomy and astrophysics. The program also considers proposals for projects and tools that enable or enhance astronomical research. Proposals may span multiple disciplines and/or areas of study and may utilize multiple techniques. This program was formerly known as Astronomy and Astrophysics Research Grants (AAG).

Important Considerations: The Astro-Core program is anticipated to be especially competitive in Fiscal Year 2027. For this reason, please note the following:

Multiple submissions by the same lead principal investigator (PI), whether as part of a collaborative project or not, are strongly discouraged.

PIs who already have an active MPS Astronomical Sciences award that is not set to expire in the upcoming fiscal year should contact their cognizant Program Officer before considering submitting a proposal for another concurrent award.

As stated in the Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (Chapter IV.E), previously declined proposals may be resubmitted only after substantial revisions to take into account major comments or concerns from the prior review. Resubmissions that have not been sufficiently revised may be returned without review.

NSF recognizes that some research projects within this program may require more than three years to realize transformative research outcomes. Such proposals should include strong justification for the longer duration and the associated resources needed to undertake the project.

<alt-text truncated but continues to note that collaborative proposals must be well justified>

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Mark Copelovitch @mcopelov.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Who says they “don’t make enough money”? Compared to what? You don’t need to grant the far right authoritarian party’s premise. You can write that they’re using arbitrary numbers based on no standards that should not be taken seriously, & you can just say that plainly instead of stenographizing

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Alex Wild @alexwild.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Another museum in trouble

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Skye McDavid @skyemcdavid.com · 28/09/2026

I'm one of the scientists here. Sternberg Museum holds one of the most important pterosaur collections in the world. It is extremely important that the collection remains accessible for research, and it would be a tragedy for Kansas if it has to be transferred out of state.

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Zen Faulkes @doctorzen.net · 29/09/2026

Visited this recently, and it is very, very good, with a serious natural history collection that the public doesn't see.

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Zen Faulkes @doctorzen.net · 28/09/2026

As I wrote: "What work is worth being compensated for? What would be the terms and conditions for compensation? What happens when the work is inadequate? Who is invited to review and thus eligible for compensation?" www.kwglobal.com/blog/pay-pee...

kwglobal.com

Making “Pay Peer Reviewers” More Than a Slogan - KnowledgeWorks Global Ltd

In this post from ORIGINal Thoughts, author Zen Faulkes addresses a commonly posited solution to the reviewer shortage—compensating reviewers.

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Dr Katie Twomey @k2mey.eurosky.social · 28/09/2026

This is quite cool. My university is the first organisation in the world to force Microsoft to allow us to turn off copilot summaries in Word 365, after a backlash against it from staff (including, very vocally, me). That cannot have been easy for our heroic IT people so hats very much off to them!

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PWHL @thepwhl.com · 28/09/2026

A NEW CHAPTER OF HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA 📺 Hockey Night in Canada returns December 5 with the 2026 Walter Cup Champion Montréal Victoire taking on PWHL Hamilton at 7PM ET!

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Zen Faulkes @doctorzen.net · 28/09/2026

I'm delighted! 😃 @thepwhl.com bringing women's sport to a Canadian institution! 🇨🇦 Hockey Night in Canada has been running in various forms in since 1931! (I think I suggested this team-up here, but can't find it in my posts now.) www.cbc.ca/sports/hocke...

cbc.ca

CBC/Radio-Canada announces return of Hockey Night in Canada in PWHL partnership | CBC Sports

CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada is returning for a 90th season this fall after all. But instead of six-plus months of NHL action, the longest-running sports program in the world will air eight prime time...

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Zen Faulkes @doctorzen.net · 28/09/2026

Any university professor who says with a straight face that AI tokens are more valuable for their research than students has either forgotten or abdicated wheat the job is.

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Antonio E. Porreca 🐳 @aeporreca.org · 27/09/2026

Imagine replacing people with tokens for plagiarism slot machines. This is why I take the extreme position that LLM-fuelled papers are not research, should not be read or cited, and should definitely count in one’s CV, but negatively.

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Dr Maggie J Watson @terngirl.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Musk lorikeet Trichoglossus concinnus in a grass tree Xanthorrhoea australis, Inverell, NSW photo by Ash Falconer

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Zen Faulkes @doctorzen.net · 28/09/2026

“Why shouldn’t scientific conferences have mascots?” [Finger on monkey’s paw curls]

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SK Winnicki, PhD 🏳️‍⚧️ @skwinnicki.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Doesn't surprise me that this is their (garbage) take But it does remind me that so many social movements (successful and failed alike) were driven by underemployed, overcredentialed, and aggrieved young people, even movements that primarily benefit other groups we're dangerous to the WSJ types

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Prof Gavin Yamey MD MPH @gavinyamey.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

This is why my eyes roll when anyone says “MAHA wants to do something about chronic diseases” No, it doesn’t MAHA’s leaders, RFK Jr & Jay Bhattacharya, run the US health & health research systems & they have DECIMATED chronic disease prevention What MAHA *says* is divorced from what it *does*

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Zen Faulkes @doctorzen.net · 27/09/2026

Hi new followers! If you’ve joined from the “Scientists who write science books” 📚 , I’ve written one 1️⃣ book, and it’s not about science so much as communication between academics (conference posters). I do have science books I want to write, but I hope you find this feed useful in the meantime!

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Lia @liasae.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

I am now keeping this on speed-dial

Edited old IBM printout in black caps on off-white paper.
'A computer can never be held accountable
Therefore a computer must always do the hacking haha what are they gonna do, put a computer in jail? Haha "oops it's alive" lmao'

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Zen Faulkes @doctorzen.net · 27/09/2026

🆕 📄 🤖➕🧪 “Support for using public funding for research drops when scientists use AI.” “34–40% of our sample would trust research findings and scientists less when AI is used.” doi.org/10.1016/j.re...

doi.org

Redirecting

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Mike the Mad Biologist and Trump's Press Corps Approver @mikethemadbiol.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

It’s a small thing, but as part of detrumpification, Bhattacharya needs to be removed from the hall.

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Zen Faulkes @doctorzen.net · 26/09/2026

Every assessment has an “iced coffee factor”: unwritten assumptions about what is “acceptable” that people differ wildly on and can’t even articulate until asked directly. Journal peer review? Iced coffee factor. Grant review? Iced coffee factor. Grad student applications? Iced coffee factor.

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Christophe 🔬 Leterrier @christlet.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Here's a balanced account of where the microscopy community stands on AI use by this year's Small World in Motion winner. My main issue is that no one seems to have seen the original data despite requests (no mention of it being reviewed by the organizers) www.the-scientist.com/allegations-...

the-scientist.com

Allegations of AI Use in Nikon Competition Spark Controversy | The Scientist

Microscopists raise concerns about inappropriate AI usage in Nikon's microscopy contest-winning video. Nikon stands their ground, citing no policy breach.

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Zen Faulkes @doctorzen.net · 25/09/2026

Ivan Oranksy of @retractionwatch.com says AI is creating "kind of meaningless" science, but "may be deceptive if you're not disclosing the AI use, it's not fraudulent, and it's not really slop." Except when it is DEFINITELY 💯 slop. Tell me images in this aren't slop ➡️ bit.ly/academic-slop

medpagetoday.com

Is AI Flooding Medical Journals With 'Meaningless' Research?

'It's not fraudulent, and it's not really slop,' one expert says

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Claire Zagorski, PhD, MSc, EMT-P @clairezagorski.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

I hate it so much. This can happen to you too. A year ago, almost everyone doubted this would happen. I had faculty at other schools telling me I was hysterical. (Irony!) Watch for the installation of right wing figureheads without an academic background. Watch for assaults on faculty governance.

BREAKING NEWS
UT cuts all Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies courses from core curriculum

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LSE Impact @lseimpactblog.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

🗣️"Conversations about who gets credit also tend to happen far too late, at the writing-up stage, by which point the people who did early technical work may no longer be in the room, and may simply be missed." #AcWri #AcademicPublishing

blogs.lse.ac.uk

For a decade CRediT has quietly reshaped academic authorship – what comes next? - LSE Impact

The CredIT taxonomy has become a feature of academic publishing, but has its potential for creating research insights been fully exploited?

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Trevor A. Branch @trevorabranch.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

You may not be aware that the latest NSF proposal for funding specifically cuts out all page charges from grants, i.e. they will not absolutely not pay for articles to be open access. Given a choice between buying two laptops for students or one open-access article ($3000)...

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Mariah McCourt @monsterteatime.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

A lot of my gn work is adaptations and let me tell you; if you try to do it this way you are going to get the worst slop imaginable. I've seen what other co's have produced with this kind of thing. They are a MESS with truly no value. This is a collaborative medium for a reason.

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Simon Cleary @simoncleary.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Nikon seem to have admitted awarding an AI-generated video 1st place in the Small World in Motion contest, which has a rule forbidding AI-generated entries:

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Amanda Shendruk @not-ship.com · 24/09/2026

One of the msot famous data visualizations of all time actually does a lot of things wrong. No axes, no labels, no text or numbers at all! But does that make it a bad chart? www.not-ship.com/warming-stri...

not-ship.com

No axes, no labels, no numbers: How this chart became a climate change icon

A data visualization designed to start conversations, not report numbers

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Lembas Eater @waybread.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

The problem with education is that it's a solved problem. Students need small classes, individual attention, lots of writing, lots of feedback, access to a well-stocked library, time to think, and time to talk with their peers. We just don't like the answer, so we keep trying to do other stuff.

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Jeff Lockhart @jwlockhart.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

At least where I got my PhD, if I wasn't sure what I found, how it worked, if it was useful or significant, nobody pretended I accomplished anything.

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Ainsley S @americanbeetles.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

pls note the bats have been carefully depicted HANGING FROM THEIR LITTLE BRANCHES on this radial phylogeny (bats drawn by Fiona Reid, whose portfolio is here --> fionareid.ca)

section of the central bat phylogeny figure from this new bat phylogeny paper; the representative bat from each family is hanging from the taxon label by its little toesies

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Cell Press @cellpress.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

"Fire amoeba" found in hot spring breaks heat tolerance record, as it's able to survive temperatures up to 158F (70C)--the highest of any complex organism. Learn more in Cell: www.cell.com/cell/fulltex... Angela M. Oliverio & colleagues @cp-cell.bsky.social

first page of Cell paper: "A geothermal amoeba sets a new upper temperature limit for eukaryotes"

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Zen Faulkes @doctorzen.net · 23/09/2026

Thinking about how some scientists might support AI 🤖 for research because they see it as a way to circumvent journal paywalls. Haven’t seen anyone say this specifically, but I wonder if any are thinking 💭 along those lines.

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Bethany Brookshire @beebrookshire.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Many things to think about in here. I'm sure @chriscmooney.bsky.social and Lewenstein could have used another 10,000 words to unpack it all. Some thoughts: 1. The most popular science voices HAVE ALWAYS BEEN communicators. Not journalists. theconversation.com/is-science-j...

theconversation.com

Is science journalism dying? Comparing a ‘science crash’ 40 years ago to today

While science journalism layoffs pile up and publications shutter, more science communication than ever is available via other online venues.

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Neal Hockley @nealhockley.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Chatting only yesterday with colleagues about how AI is partly just an old fashioned story of incentives. AI is, partly, a paywall breaking, copyright evading machine. If there's no incentive to produce intellectual property, it won't be produced.

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MadScientist @mads100tist.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

"embrace slop to create things that do not exist from a sample that was probably donated by some kid with the premise of studying their disease" Conflating AI and genAI on purpose is loser behavior and Nikon Small World will always have that label to me 🧪

A screencap from the interview where the researcher says"

His advice to other researchers considering entering the competition is straightforward: “Take care of the sample, use as little light as possible when working with living cells, and embrace AI to reveal the hidden beauty in your data. Most importantly, keep recording. The best moment usually appears right after you decide to stop.”

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Jim Woodgett @jwoodgett.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

There’s a concerted campaign to undermine EDI in Canada. The evidence behind EDI policies reducing excellence are based on abysmal, flawed evidence. Look at who feels threatened by equity, diversity and inclusion. They’re the least diverse, least equitable and most exclusive people. Just no.

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