iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Rachel Penton (she/her) @rpenton.bsky.social · 16/12/2025

My former department is hiring! 🧠 Are you passionate about neuroscience and education? Join the faculty at UNC Chapel Hill to inspire and teach the next generation of neuroscientists. Apply now: 🔗https://unc.peopleadmin.com/postings/308455 #Neuroscience #TeachingJobs #AcademicJobs #HigherEd

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Reposted by Rachel Penton (she/her)

Lauren McKenzie @themckenziest.gay · 15/07/2025

;)

Person in a party hat giving a presentation and it says The greatest research skill you can have is being a nosy bitch who wants to find out

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Reposted by Rachel Penton (she/her)

The Transmitter @thetransmitter.bsky.social · 18/07/2025

An exciting collaboration is underway. @thetransmitter.bsky.social is partnering with @neuromatch.bsky.social to serve the computational neuroscience community and help connect neuroscientists across all career stages. www.thetransmitter.org/neuromatch-p... #neuroskyence

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Chanda Prescod-Weinstein 🌌 @chanda.blacksky.app · 18/07/2025

make art! if it's the end of the world, you might as well make art! if it's not the end of the world, then the future will be better because people made art right now!

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Reposted by Rachel Penton (she/her)

American Society for Cell Biology @ascbiology.bsky.social · 07/07/2025

Think worked examples are the key to learning? Think again! In a large active-learning genetics class, students believed worked examples were most useful—but actual test gains came from prediction-based exercises. From Elise Walck‑Shannon, Washington University 👩🔬 www.lifescied.org/doi/10.1187/...

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Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg @theradr.bsky.social · 22/06/2025

May every single human being on this planet be safe. May every single person be protected from harm. May we bring into being a time in which we are all free from those who do evil— together, speedily and in our days.

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Reposted by Rachel Penton (she/her)

Karen Cangialosi @karencang.bsky.social · 16/06/2025

Most higher ed #BiologyEducation research is done at 4 year institutions even though most biology education in higher ed happens at #CommunityColleges. Presented by Noah Courtney at the @alleninstitute.org in the #OpenScience in Undergrad Educ symposium.

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Karen Cangialosi @karencang.bsky.social · 17/06/2025

The amazing Carlos Goller speaking about #metagenomics at the @alleninstitute.org #OpenScience in Undergraduate Education Symposium! @rioscommunity.bsky.social

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Karen Cangialosi @karencang.bsky.social · 16/06/2025

Sam Donovan delivers an awesome keynote at the Allen Institute #OpenScience in Undergraduate Education Symposium. A brilliant articulation of the Open Ecosystem as connections between networks, gateways, community, science ed reform, #OER, #OpenScience & #OpenEducation providers, and so much more.

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allen institute @alleninstitute.org · 18/06/2025

Science is for everyone. Our Education & Engagement program empowers students, educators, and scientists to harness the power of real-world #OpenScience tools and data. 📽️ youtu.be/uDnCFnzDLec #EduSky #iTeachBio #Neuroskyence

youtu.be

Allen Institute Education and Engagement Program: Fostering the Next Generation of Scientists

YouTube video by Allen Institute

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Sam Donovan @samdonovan.net · 17/06/2025

Looking forward to day 2 of the Open Science in Undergraduate Education Symposium at @alleninstitute.org. So much great discussion about #openscience and #openeducation from @karencang.bsky.social Carlos Goller Davida Smyth Melissa Aikens @rpenton.bsky.social and many others.

Name tag from the Open Science in Undergraduate Education Symposium.

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AAUP @aaup.org · 10/03/2025

The AAUP wholly condemns this punitive weaponization of federal grant funding. This attempt to discipline & control a university campus is a transparent hallmark of authoritarian rule & harshly violates the central mission of education to serve the public good. www.nytimes.com/2025/03/07/n...

nytimes.com

White House Cancels $400 Million in Grants and Contracts to Columbia

The Trump administration blamed the university’s failure to protect Jewish students from harassment during protests last year over the war in Gaza.

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Reposted by Rachel Penton (she/her)

Nature @nature.com · 06/03/2025

In an unprecedented move, the US National Institutes of Health has begun mass terminations of research grants that fund active scientific projects because they no longer meet “agency priorities”. go.nature.com/4bpG2It

go.nature.com

Exclusive: NIH to terminate hundreds of active research grants

Studies that touch on LGBT+ health, gender identity and DEI in the biomedical workforce could be terminated, according to documents obtained by Nature.

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Reposted by Rachel Penton (she/her)

Ms. Magazine @msmagazine.com · 27/02/2025

"Universities must be spaces of learning, not intolerance. It’s time to take action to protect and support the trans community."

buff.ly

Universities Must Do Better for the Trans Community - Ms. Magazine

Universities must be spaces of learning, not intolerance. It’s time to take action to protect and support the LGBTQ+ community.

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Kathleen Bachynski @bachynski.bsky.social · 27/02/2025

This is very bad. “A panel of scientific experts that advises the Food and Drug Administration on vaccine policy — and has been the target of criticism from Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — learned on Wednesday that its upcoming meeting to discuss next year’s flu vaccines has been canceled.”

nytimes.com

F.D.A. Cancels Meeting of Vaccine Experts Scheduled to Advise on Flu Shots

The cancellation plays into fears among scientists who worry that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will use his position as health secretary to sow doubts about vaccines.

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Reposted by Rachel Penton (she/her)

Carl T. Bergstrom @carlbergstrom.com · 27/02/2025

Nothing runs like a Deere, but they don’t back down either.

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Dr. Kaitlyn Casimo @kaitlyncasimo.bsky.social · 25/02/2025

Abstract deadline extended to March 3 for consideration for a talk! (And still 4/1 for posters!)

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allen institute @alleninstitute.org · 25/02/2025

#Neuroskyence students! We're brainstorming ways to support your development over this summer break, esp. given the changes in summer intern programs across our fields. What other opportunities would you like to see? Some ideas: undergrad-focused webinars, self-paced courses, challenges, etc.

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The Transmitter @thetransmitter.bsky.social · 25/02/2025

The landscape of diversity and inclusion in science funding has shifted. David Barker explains how neuroscientists must adapt and take action or risk losing ground on all of the progress made. #neuroskyence www.thetransmitter.org/funding/adap...

thetransmitter.org

Safeguarding diversity and inclusion funding in neuroscience

As DEI funding initiatives crumble, neuroscientists must change their approach to grant writing and communication and engage in constructive conflict.

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Alexandra Petri @petridishes.bsky.social · 25/02/2025

imagine WANTING to receive two million emails

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Reposted by Rachel Penton (she/her)

Katrina Miller @katrinamillerphd.bsky.social · 22/02/2025

i wrote about the impact of Trump’s DEIA shutdown across the sciences earlier this month. but i wanted to do a deeper dive into what it means to explicitly target accessibility — both for supporting scientists with disabilities & broader disability research itself: www.nytimes.com/2025/02/22/s...

nytimes.com

Accessibility Is Taking a Hit Across the Sciences (Gift Article)

Confusion has ensued about the future of programs and research supporting people with disabilities as a result of President Trump’s executive order.

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Reposted by Rachel Penton (she/her)

Dr. Becca @docbecca.bsky.social · 25/02/2025

Great write up at @thetransmitter.bsky.social on the seeming erasure of SABV in the new era of NIH. Gotta say The Transmitter is killing it the last few weeks, first to report on the Federal Register block and now this. Leading the charge! 💪 www.thetransmitter.org/policy/exclu...

thetransmitter.org

Exclusive: NIH appears to archive policy requiring female animals in studies

Such a shift would “put us back in the dark ages in terms of our science,” says neuroscientist Anne Murphy, who helped to formulate the original policy.

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Nicole Rust @nicolecrust.bsky.social · 25/02/2025

Ever thought about writing for @thetransmitter.bsky.social? You should! It’s a great way to spread your message across the neuroscience community. Here’s how it works: 1️⃣ Read this: www.thetransmitter.org/editorial-po.... 2️⃣ Email a pitch: www.thetransmitter.org/contact-us/

thetransmitter.org

Editorial Policies

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bubbe yaga @ellearmageddon.bsky.social · 20/02/2025

i can only assume this is a film about a 20-year journey to find a lost cat

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Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal @jayapal.house.gov · 21/02/2025

ICYMI: I’m leading a constitutional amendment to undo Citizens United. After an election where a billionaire bought a seat as Shadow President, we must ensure our democracy is truly of, by, and for the people — not corporations and billionaire donors. truthout.org/articles/jay...

truthout.org

Jayapal Unveils Bill to End “Citizens United,” Slamming “Shadow President” Musk

The impact of “Citizens United” is clearer than ever with Elon Musk buying his way into power, Pramila Jayapal said.

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Adam Bonica @adambonica.bsky.social · 20/02/2025

6/ Authoritarians often disguise political purges as ‘cost-cutting’ or ‘efficiency’ measures. They claim the purges about streamlining government but are done to consolidate power. This is what’s happening now. And it’s only the start.

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Adam Bonica @adambonica.bsky.social · 20/02/2025

4/ The hardest hit agencies are those that regulate industry, protect public health, and expand access to education. Meanwhile, conservative-leaning agencies remain largely untouched. If this were about efficiency, we’d expect an even spread. Instead, we see clear ideological bias.

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Adam Bonica @adambonica.bsky.social · 20/02/2025

The DOGE firings have nothing to do with “efficiency” or “cutting waste.” They’re a direct push to weaken federal agencies perceived as liberal. This was evident from the start, and now the data confirms it: targeted agencies overwhelmingly those seen as more left-leaning. 🧵⬇️

Scatterplot titled “Empirical Evidence of Ideological Targeting in Federal Layoffs: Agencies seen as liberal are significantly more likely to face DOGE layoffs.”
• The x-axis represents Perceived Ideological Leaning of federal agencies, ranging from -2 (Most Liberal) to +2 (Most Conservative), based on survey responses from over 1,500 federal executives.
• The y-axis shows Agency Size (Number of Staff) on a logarithmic scale from 1,000 to 1,000,000.

Each point represents a federal agency:
• Red dots indicate agencies that experienced DOGE layoffs.
• Gray dots indicate agencies with no layoffs.

Key Observations:
• Liberal-leaning agencies (left side of the plot) are disproportionately represented among red dots, indicating higher layoff rates.
• Notable targeted agencies include:
• HHS (Health & Human Services)
• EPA (Environmental Protection Agency)
• NIH (National Institutes of Health)
• CFPB (Consumer Financial Protection Bureau)
• Dept. of Education
• USAID (U.S. Agency for International Development)
• The National Nuclear Security Administration (DOE), despite its conservative leaning (+1 on the scale), is an exception among targeted agencies.
• A notable outlier: the Department of Veterans Affairs (moderately conservative) also faced layoffs despite its size.

Takeaway:

The figure visually demonstrates that DOGE layoffs disproportionately targeted liberal-leaning agencies, supporting claims of ideological bias. The pattern reveals that layoffs were not driven by agency size or budget alone but were strongly associated with perceived ideology.

Source: Richardson, Clinton, & Lewis (2018). Elite Perceptions of Agency Ideology and Workforce Skill. The Journal of Politics, 80(1).

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allen institute @alleninstitute.org · 19/02/2025

#Neuroskyence educators - looking for ideas on how to broach the topic of science funding with your students? @analog-ashley.bsky.social shared tips and ideas in @thetransmitter.bsky.social from educators, incl. our own @rpenton.bsky.social! 🔗 www.thetransmitter.org/how-to-teach... #iteachbio

thetransmitter.org

How to teach students about science funding

As researchers reel over the uncertain state of U.S. federal funding, educating students on the business of science is more important than ever.

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Rachel Penton (she/her) @rpenton.bsky.social · 19/02/2025

Happy to contribute some teaching materials here. Grant criteria day was always a favorite--discussions were rich with thoughtfulness about how we do science, how we fund science, and how the students thought that could be improved.

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Kim Zetter @kimzetter.bsky.social · 18/02/2025

National Science Foundation fired nearly 170 workers this morning in Zoom call. This included workers who had completed a 1-yr requisite probation and shouldn't have been included in termination but were suddenly told recently that the 1-yr should have been 2-yrs, revoking their permanent status.

wired.com

National Science Foundation Fires 168 Workers as Federal Purge Continues

Firings at the NSF included permanent employees who had already completed their one-year probationary period, as well as at-will workers.

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Kim Zetter @kimzetter.bsky.social · 18/02/2025

NSF workers who didn't get fired this morning are sending angry emails to NSF management. Here's one of them:

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Alex Merz 🇺🇸🇨🇦🇺🇦 @merz.bsky.social · 19/02/2025

Very important story:

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Crystal Rogers, PhD @rogerslabucd.bsky.social · 19/02/2025

Pretty sad. Just got the email that CZI is canceling the second round of Diversity Leadership Awards. Private industry will definitely not fill the hole that NIH and NSF are leaving. 😢💔

Thank you for submitting your Letter of Intent (LOI) to CZI. We appreciate your interest in our work.

CZI has decided not to continue with the second round of its Science Diversity Leadership Awards. We are committed to supporting groundbreaking research that advances the frontiers of scientific knowledge in pursuit of our mission to cure, prevent, or manage all diseases by the end of the century. We will provide information on future funding opportunities.

We look forward to staying in touch.

Bil Clemons, Program Officer, CZI

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Neil Abrams @readthedetox.com · 16/02/2025

As a political scientist who studies countries that managed to stop the slide into authoritarianism, I can assure you that ***refraining from provoking the authoritarian*** is not how it works. Without further ado, I will now go tear out another chunk of hair.

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Dave Palmer @davepalmerusask.bsky.social · 17/02/2025

I tell this story in class every year. Acetylated salicylic acid and got a better product. Tried the same approach with morphine two weeks later. I like to imagine Felix sitting at the back of meetings for the rest of his career saying “Have you tried acetylating?” and everyone rolling their eyes

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Richard Silvia @yesrising.bsky.social · 17/02/2025

Encouraging everyone with every fiber of my being to read this entire substack by @hcrichardson.bsky.social — it is, written in fact without doubt to be read in horror by those of us who believe in the principles and values of the United States of America. 1 of 2 open.substack.com/pub/heatherc...

open.substack.com

February 16, 2025

The sixty-first Munich Security Conference, the world’s leading forum for talking about international security policy, took place from February 14 to February 16 this year.

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Cennydd Bowles @cennydd.com · 17/02/2025

My read on Severance: the moral separation modern capitalism urges us to adopt – i.e. that we can & should accept different ethical standards in business life vs. personal life – is actually a splintering of the self. Integrity doesn’t just mean honesty: it means wholeness.

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Hakim 🏳️‍🌈 @alsagone.bsky.social · 28/12/2024

Tapping the sign again

Tweet from PPathole

Tech enthusiasts: My entire house is smart

Tech workers: The only piece of technology in my house is a printer, and I keep a gun next to it so I can shoot it if it makes a noise I don't recognize

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Jeremy Berg @jeremymberg.bsky.social · 13/02/2025

Bluetorial: The rationale for the “NIH” indirect cost “plan” is based on misunderstood (unintentional or intentional) accounting and math The value of real government transparency

media.tenor.com

a cartoon of homer simpson holding a card

ALT: a cartoon of homer simpson holding a card

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