iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Ben Brown-Steiner @drbs.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

... "That language was meant to address fears by the research community and some legislators that NSF, if its overall budget remained flat, might decide to grow TIP at the expense of its other directorates—a concern that now appears prescient."

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Ben Brown-Steiner @drbs.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

"... the agency appears to be defying a congressional directive in the final FY 2026 appropriations bill that “No [NSF] directorate shall receive more than a 5 percent reduction relative to the fiscal year 2024 enacted level.” ...

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Jeffrey Mervis @policyhound.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

Been wondering why NSF isn't spending most of its FY26 appropriation? A $1.5B tech initiative may be the reason. And big cuts to hundreds of research programs could be just the beginning of the bad news. www.science.org/content/arti...

science.org

Exclusive: NSF slashes research programs to support new tech initiative, insiders say

Unexpected shift in funds has meant sharp drop in grants this fiscal year

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Ben Brown-Steiner @drbs.bsky.social · 09/06/2026

This is very frustrating. I was a rotator for 3 years, and navigating COIs was already a major part of the workload, but an important part. I always respected how seriously everyone followed the COI guidelines. This will make it much more difficult to build good panels. And for what benefit?

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Ben Brown-Steiner @drbs.bsky.social · 29/05/2026

From my time as a NSF rotating Program Director: peer review has always been advisory. PDs made recommendations, our bosses made the ultimate funding decisions. Peer reviewers are experts that helped us make good recommendations, which were usually approved. Not saying the rest of this isn't bad.

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Ben Brown-Steiner @drbs.bsky.social · 29/05/2026

First publicatoin in 5 years! There's a general lack of guidance for outdoor workers & their exposure to wildfire smoke - especially wildland-urban interface (WUI) wildfire smoke. This Open Access commentary highlights data gaps & recommends some ways forward. www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

tandfonline.com

Highlighting gaps in knowledge and capabilities that limit decision-making to protect the health of outdoor workers exposed to wildfire smoke

Pollutants in smoke from wildland and wildland urban interface (WUI) fires present an increasing risk to outdoor workers, field technicians, and others as the frequency and severity of these fires ...

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Ben Brown-Steiner @drbs.bsky.social · 28/05/2026

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Dan Garisto @dangaristo.bsky.social · 27/05/2026

Scoop: NSF has been quietly blocking new funds and grants to four top universities: Duke, Harvard, Princeton, and Yale. Dozens of proposals from PIs at these universities—and their collaborators—have been stuck at the Office of Award Management awaiting finalization for months.

nature.com

Exclusive: NSF puts new research grants to top universities on hold

US science funder once again restricts awards to Harvard University and other research institutions.

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jenny (phire) @phirephoenix.com · 27/05/2026

Wikimedia Foundation just fired a long time lead developer of MediaWiki as well as its entire community team for unionizing. If you’re a donor, email donate@wikimedia.org to protest this move. medium.com/@jakeorlowit...

medium.com

Big Tech’s Anti-Labor Playbook Has Come for Wikipedia

TLDR: In ten days last month, the Wikimedia Foundation fired the longtime lead developer of MediaWiki and disbanded the team whose entire…

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Ben Brown-Steiner @drbs.bsky.social · 20/05/2026

Manx Shearwater (Puffinus puffinus) Anhinga (Anhinga anhinga) Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus) Winter Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes) Northing Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) (I have a theme here)

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Ben Brown-Steiner @drbs.bsky.social · 20/05/2026

Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata)

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Dan Garisto @dangaristo.bsky.social · 25/04/2026

Breaking: Trump has fired the membership of the National Science Board, which is oversees NSF. I have confirmed separately with multiple now-former members of NSB.

democrats-science.house.gov

Ranking Member Lofgren Reacts to Latest Trump Scheme to Undermine Science | House Committee on Science, Space and Technology

The House Committee on Science, Space and Technology

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Ben Brown-Steiner @drbs.bsky.social · 17/04/2026

I've been wondering: when the Artemis II crew were on the far side of the moon, did anyone look outwards? Into the void? Farther than any human has gone? Gives me chills.

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David Ho @davidho.bsky.social · 13/03/2026

This should be the biggest weather and climate news on your radar today. You can send an email today to say why dismantling NCAR is a bad idea for everyone: NSF_NCAR@nsf.gov

nytimes.com

Trump Administration Readies Plans to Dismantle Renowned Science Lab

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Ben Brown-Steiner @drbs.bsky.social · 20/02/2026

Frankly, this whole thing was embarrassing. Glad the CWG report flubbed, and failed, & proud to be one of the authors of the @andrewdessler.com rebuttal, but can't help but feel 2nd-hand embarassment for the CWG authors, esp given how they come across in these emails. www.desmog.com/2026/02/13/t...

desmog.com

Trump EPA Abandons Climate Working Group Report in Endangerment Finding Repeal

Emails from the hand-picked, secretive group of climate crisis deniers revealed flaws in their methods and “animus” toward leading scientists.

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Dan Visioni @danvisioni.bsky.social · 16/02/2026

We already have over 40 signatures from US researchers and professors supporting NSF-NCAR and telling NSF to maintain control of the NCAR-Wyoming Supercomputer with NCAR! Do sign and share.

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Allison Crimmins @acrimmins.bsky.social · 12/02/2026

Greenhouse gases endanger human health and welfare

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Bob Kopp @bobkopp.net · 30/01/2026

@agu.org has a tool to help you submit a comment to NSF on the importance of NCAR: agu.quorum.us/campaign/154... #SaveNCAR

agu.quorum.us

Share your comments on NCAR with NSF

Tell NSF the future that you want for NCAR by 13 March

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Ben Brown-Steiner @drbs.bsky.social · 21/01/2026

About ten times a month I think about this headline from almost a decade ago

Headline: "Fossil leaves bear witness to ancient carbon dioxide levels"

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Ben Brown-Steiner @drbs.bsky.social · 21/07/2025

"Authoritarian regimes treat scientific evidence not as a tool calibrated by research, collaboration, and the free exchange of ideas, but as an obstacle to overcome."

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Ben Brown-Steiner @drbs.bsky.social · 21/07/2025

"That independence is why authoritarian regimes invariably target science and scientists. Authoritarianism acts as a relentless rip tide, pulling science beneath the surface of political control." (3/4)

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Ben Brown-Steiner @drbs.bsky.social · 21/07/2025

"Science can serve as an independent voice to help society assess complex challenges, guiding governments away from threats and toward informed actions that keep people safe and prosperous. It offers a vital way to evaluate policies and hold decisonmakers accountable for the results." (2/4)

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Ben Brown-Steiner @drbs.bsky.social · 21/07/2025

Just in case the reason for the current federal defunding of science in the USA isn't obvious: (From blog.ucs.org/melissa-finu... ): "Healthy democracies rely on scientific evidence to inform environmental policies, support public health, and promote technological advancement." (1/4)

blog.ucs.org

Science Caught in a Rip Tide: How Authoritarianism Sweeps Away Evidence-Based Policy

Independence is why authoritarian regimes invariably target science and scientists. Authoritarianism acts as a relentless rip tide, pulling science beneath the surface of political control.

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Ben Brown-Steiner @drbs.bsky.social · 17/12/2025

I can't believe this has to be said out loud: it would be idiocy of the highest order for the government to shutter NCAR. I have worked with and have been trained by NCAR scientists for almost 20 years. They've always done gold standard science, well before that phrase became politically poisoned.

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Damon Beres @damonberes.com · 04/11/2025

NEW: Common Crawl, the massive archiver of the web, has gotten cozy with AI companies and is providing paywalled articles for training data. They’re also lying to publishers who have asked for material to be removed. “The robots are people too,” CC’s exec director told us when we asked about this.

theatlantic.com

The Nonprofit Feeding the Entire Internet to AI Companies

Common Crawl claims to provide a public benefit, but it lies to publishers about its activities.

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Gregg Gonsalves @gregggonsalves.bsky.social · 28/08/2025

#NIH is hanging by a thread. The #CDC has been decimated. #RFK Jr. and Russell #Vought are psychopaths--I don't say this frivolously--they are cold, calculating, inflicting violence on millions through public policy. It is where we are right now. These men are not normal. 1/

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Ben Brown-Steiner @drbs.bsky.social · 06/08/2025

Cannot possibly interpret this other than a malicious signal of intent -- disturbing, upsetting, unfortunately unsurprising: Sections suddenly missing from Congressional Constitution website (Wayback Machine comparison): web.archive.org/web/diff/202...

web.archive.org

Wayback Machine

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Ben Sanderson @benmsanderson.bsky.social · 30/07/2025

Right then... A quick review of the DOE's new 'critical review' of climate science. Whether it's worth a formal community response - I'm still not sure, but here's my first thoughts /thread/

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Ben Brown-Steiner @drbs.bsky.social · 28/07/2025

To be led by a thief is to offer up your most precious treasures to be stolen. To be led by a liar is to ask to be told lies. To be led by a tyrant is to sell yourself and those you love into slavery.” ― Octavia E. Butler, Parable of the Talents (2/2)

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Ben Brown-Steiner @drbs.bsky.social · 28/07/2025

Pair that with this Octavia E. Butler quote: “Choose your leaders with wisdom and forethought. To be led by a coward is to be controlled by all that the coward fears. To be led by a fool is to be led by the opportunists who control the fool. (1/2)

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David Ho @davidho.bsky.social · 04/05/2025

I think a lot about what Carl Sagan said in one of his final interviews.

"WE'VE ARRANGED A society based on science and technology, in which nobody understands anything about science technology. And this combustible mixture of ignorance and power, sooner or later, is going to blow up in our faces. Who is running the science and technology in a democracy if the people don't know anything about it?"
"Science is more than a body of knowledge, it's a way of thinking. A way of skeptically interrogating the universe with a fine understanding of human fallibility. If we are not able to ask skeptical questions, to interrogate those who tell us that something is true, to be skeptical of those in authority, then we're up for grabs for the next charlatan, political or religious, who comes ambling along."

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Stephan Lewandowsky @lewan.uk · 24/07/2025

The details here are particularly harrowing, especially the stories of other people who were not so lucky. I don't understand why anyone would take the risk of visiting the U.S. under these circumstances.

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Ben Brown-Steiner @drbs.bsky.social · 22/07/2025

Always good to review how the federal government does (or does not) get budgets passed (Note: It is messy/dysfunctional and has been getting messier and more dysfunctional over time): www.aaas.org/news/federal...

aaas.org

The Federal Budget Process 101 | American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)

The complicated annual budget cycle can be difficult for outsiders to follow. The below summary helps to explain the process.

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Ben Brown-Steiner @drbs.bsky.social · 21/07/2025

"Authoritarian regimes treat scientific evidence not as a tool calibrated by research, collaboration, and the free exchange of ideas, but as an obstacle to overcome."

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Ben Brown-Steiner @drbs.bsky.social · 21/07/2025

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Ben Brown-Steiner @drbs.bsky.social · 21/07/2025

blog.ucs.org

Science Caught in a Rip Tide: How Authoritarianism Sweeps Away Evidence-Based Policy

Independence is why authoritarian regimes invariably target science and scientists. Authoritarianism acts as a relentless rip tide, pulling science beneath the surface of political control.

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Ben Brown-Steiner @drbs.bsky.social · 21/07/2025

"...Science can serve as an independent voice to help society assess complex challenges, guiding governments away from threats and toward informed actions that keep people safe and prosperous. It offers a vital way to evaluate policies and hold decisonmakers accountable for the results..." (2/4)

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Dr. David Miller 🏳️‍🌈 @davidimiller.bsky.social · 10/07/2025

🧪 BREAKING (good news): Senate subcommittee says NO! to Trump's proposed slashes to NASA & NSF funding. Today, the subcommittee said to keep NASA + NSF funding at $33.9 billion, the same as in FY24. See 7:15 below. Full Senate appropriations committee meets tomorrow about it. 🧵 1/3

appropriations.senate.gov

Subcommittee Markup of the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act | United States Senate Committee on Appropriations

United States Senate Committee on Appropriations

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Ben Brown-Steiner @drbs.bsky.social · 03/07/2025

It's an outrageous move on their part. Shame shame shame.

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Nicholas Fitzkee @fitzkeelab.bsky.social · 02/07/2025

As someone who has greatly benefited from the NSF MRI program, I'm sad to see that the 2025 submission window was canceled. www.nsf.gov/funding/oppo...

nsf.gov

Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) Program:

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