iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Mike Fowler @theorecol.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Things one loves to see :) @britishecologicalsociety.org journals allow authors to contribute abstracts in non-English languages. There are 8 (+ English) languages here – what's the current record? Will ya bunch ae bampots accept Scots?

Screenshot of the opening lines of a scientific journal article Abstract in Euskara/Basque language. There are 9 language options included!

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Mike Fowler @theorecol.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

It's easy to argue that humanity is worse off with the extra garbage (gen)AI is producing.   There! Fixed it for you, you credulous lickspittles.

Screenshot of a bluesky post by those cockwombles at the Economist, claiming that "It is hard to argue that humanity is worse off with the extra knowledge AI is producing".

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Mike Fowler @theorecol.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Good news! The wait is finally over!

A board displaying logographic script, translated into English below. The English text reads "Please wait patiently for the failure of the system."

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Mike Fowler @theorecol.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

I'm not a gamer, but this is so easy to recognise as classic, S-tier #enshittification ! Time for me to dust of my speccy cassettes and the 7" vinyls I used to listen to while playing them. You'll never get my 7 inches, Microsoft!

Screenshot of an Xbox controller with the headline "Xbox caps cloud gaming at 15 hours a month for Game Pass subscribers" from the BBC News website.

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Mike Fowler @theorecol.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

"Professional liar who has spent the last 30+ years complaining about the UK and its role in the EU, and now does nothing but complain about the things he's lavishly paid to complain about, once again shows appalling lack of self-awareness."

Screenshot of a BBC headline stating "Farage tells BBC 'we live in an complainants' society' after questions over Reform funding".
His face looks like he's just been caught pissing in his own teacup.

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Mike Fowler @theorecol.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

Easily my favourite exhibit at our recent visit to National Galleries Scotland: Modern One, in Edinburgh. Worth every penny of the entrance fee. (It's free. Go and visit. The large baby from, I think, Austin Powers, is pretty good too.)

Photograph of a list of names the artist claims to have met, from an exhibit at Edinburgh's "Modern One" art gallery.
Middle name is "Pirate McCorkle".
No further notes.

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Mike Fowler @theorecol.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

Easing myself back to work after a holiday by doing some mandatory Research Integrity training. Interested to see there's some AI material. Disappointed to see we're supposed to play with ChatGPT (I avoid LLMs). Dismayed at the painful self-promoting output given to a really fucken clear prompt. 1/2

Screen shot of a prompt and response from ChatGPT in an institutional online Research Integrity course.
Prompt is "Draft a 75-word statement arguing that research on AI should be stopped because it is dangerous."
Output is "While recognising the potential risks associated with artificial intelligence (AI), advocating for a complete cessation of AI research may hinder progress that benefits society. Instead, a focus on responsible and ethical AI development, accompanied by robust regulations and safeguards, is essential. By addressing concerns and fostering collaboration between researchers, industry and policymakers, we can harness AI's transformative potential while minimizing risks. A balanced approach ensures advancements in technology align with human values and safety.

(ChatGPT, January 15, 2024)"

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Mike Fowler @theorecol.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

Also, justifying gen-AI use as it "increases the speed of scientific output" might not be the flex you think it is. I already lack the time to read all the relevant literature (find peer reviewers) I should as an author (editor). Clearly, so do you, in my experience as both reviewer/Editor.

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Mike Fowler @theorecol.bsky.social · 19/06/2026

Increase in number and gen-AI produced proposals could also be driven by lots of explicit language encouraging use of gen-AI in our standard proposals... (From NERC Pushing the Frontiers Jan 2026 call)

Screenshot of the following text from the instructions on a NERC Funding Opportunity web page.
"Use of novel, critical technologies in your application

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is seeking to support researchers and innovators to develop and make use of novel, critical technologies including artificial intelligence, engineering biology, and quantum technologies throughout its investment portfolio. We have also set out our aspirations for the future of data and technology in environmental science in our digital strategy 2021 to 2030.

In developing your application to this funding opportunity, you may wish to consider how the innovative use of critical technologies and approaches addressing the ambitions of NERC’s digital strategy, might offer opportunities to address your research questions in new and novel ways. This might include the development of new collaborations across domains and disciplines."

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Mike Fowler @theorecol.bsky.social · 16/06/2026

Our first REPAIR annual report is now out, highlighting how our co-created, transdisciplinary research into #biophilic living is developing around the #BIOME building in Swansea. Green things have been planted on roof spaces, residents should be moving in very soon! biophilic.wales/news/post/25...

A green roof space at the BIOME Biophilic Living building in Swansea, UK.

A rooftop vegetable planter at the BIOME Biophilic Living building in Swansea, UK.

A couple of rooftop ponds at the BIOME Biophilic Living building in Swansea, UK.

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Mike Fowler @theorecol.bsky.social · 11/06/2026

Niche stat for rhythm aficionados. Somewhat saddened to ruin it by posting this 🤷‍♂️

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Mike Fowler @theorecol.bsky.social · 08/06/2026

Not a competition, but 35 years since this collection of absolute bangers was released.

Image of the album cover used by Primal Scream on their "Screamadelica" recording, released in September 1991.
The colourscheme (red, yellow, blue white black) and facial like features bear a striking resemblence to the plastid image in the quoted microblog post.

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Mike Fowler @theorecol.bsky.social · 01/06/2026

I mean, lovely work and all, but can't all poop be described with geometry? (and what exactly is the context of "more to come" here? Further stanzas, or pinched off mid-jobby?)

A schematic figure of the position of a model penguin during defaecation and physical parameters used to calculate rectal pressure necessary to expel faecal material over a distance of 40 cm.
Taken from a scientific paper by Meyer-Rocho & Gal (2003). Pressures produced when penguins pooh—calculations on avian defaecation. Polar Biology 27: 56-58. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-003-0563-3

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Mike Fowler @theorecol.bsky.social · 23/05/2026

Wow! I thought King Kenny had hung up his boots a loooong time ago.

A screenshot of a BBC Sport article headline with the subtitle "Scotland captain Andy Robertson speaks to Kelly Cates and her father Sir Kenny Dalglish before his last game for Liverpool."

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Mike Fowler @theorecol.bsky.social · 20/05/2026

I like a manifesto, Put it to the test- Oh there's no fucking way they'll put up with that down the People's Park.

A jumper, on a bandstand, in the People's Park, Dun Laoghaire. I wondered where that had gone.

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Mike Fowler @theorecol.bsky.social · 28/04/2026

Get it now! A solution to all that pesky maths homework. (I finally feel seen by the algorithm)

Picture of some weird, medieval looking hooked torture device sold by Temu that claims to be the "#1 Teeth Cleaner That Easily Removes Plaque, Tartar and Calculus In Under 5 Mins..."

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Mike Fowler @theorecol.bsky.social · 22/04/2026

Got them growing in my gutters! But then, I live right underneath a couple of fairly large sycamores, so maybe not too surprising. (Historical photo – we're not quite that phenologically advanced in south Wales yet.)

Roger the alien, doing an uncanny impression of a sycamore tree.

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Mike Fowler @theorecol.bsky.social · 22/04/2026

Reminds me of the p-value distribution 😀

A frequency histogram showing the distribution of p-values from published research analyses, showing a sudden decline in frequencies for values greater than p=0.05. There is a probability less than 1 in 20 that this distribution could arise by chance.

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Mike Fowler @theorecol.bsky.social · 13/04/2026

"Celebrating 100 years of marine science publishing [by remaining firmly but hopelessly in the past]"

Image of the front cover of the ICES Journal of Marine Science which states "Celebrating 100 years of marine science publishing".

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Mike Fowler @theorecol.bsky.social · 26/03/2026

You have questions? I want to know what these extra pair mates are driving? Stick? EVs? 3 woods? (Is a titleist a type of German chickadee?)

Screenshot of Google Scholar article titied "Experimental evidence that extra-pair mating drives"

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Mike Fowler @theorecol.bsky.social · 23/03/2026

And just what was it that made you first suspect they had used gen-AI to prepare the document?

Image is a screenshot of a filename titled "Add_a_heading.pdf"

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Mike Fowler @theorecol.bsky.social · 08/02/2026

I am using the full range of marks available. Outright fail, to borderline fail. What do you mean do I remember a 20th Century Northern Irish comedian's catchphrase?

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Mike Fowler @theorecol.bsky.social · 22/01/2026

Wonder if I'll get into trouble for sharing this?

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Mike Fowler @theorecol.bsky.social · 07/01/2026

Happy new office coffee maker, to all those who celebrate! Feel free to drop in for a cup (but bring biscuits).

Espresso maker, expressing life giving liquids.

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Mike Fowler @theorecol.bsky.social · 04/01/2026

Well it's a marvelous night for a moondance 🎵🎶

A frozen pond reflecting bright moonlight over Swansea Bay

The shadow of a middle aged man and his dog's ear cast by moonlight on a patch of snow

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Mike Fowler @theorecol.bsky.social · 09/12/2025

Latest piece of Sam Ross's global takeover with #ResponseDiversity thinking just accepted @oikosjournal.bsky.social! Such a cool collaboration with @ceresbarros.bsky.social @lauradee.bsky.social @owpet.bsky.social @hannah-wht-eco.bsky.social Takehiro Sasaki & Anna LoPresti! doi.org/10.1101/2025...

Screenshot of a pdf titled "Expert-led priorities for a response diversity research agenda in ecology" by Sam Ross et al, to be published in the journal Oikos.

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Mike Fowler @theorecol.bsky.social · 22/10/2025

Come for the exchange of knowledge, stay for the views!

Arthur's Seat, waking up to autumnal sunshine, from the Bayes Centre.

Arthur's Seat bathed in autumnal afternoon sunshine, from the Bayes Centre.

Solving some temperature dependent problems during a coffee break: plots and diagrams on a chalkboard.

A rainbow, erupting from an extinct volcano in Edinburgh.

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Mike Fowler @theorecol.bsky.social · 20/10/2025

On my way to exchange some knowledge with some rewilders at an @icms-edinburgh.bsky.social knowledge exchange event in beautiful Edinburgh today!

A building in Edinburgh advertising, amongst other things, fancy leather goods and woodenware, in faded paint on sooty sandstone.

The old eye pavillion in Edinburgh, with bright spots appearing between the evening clouds and a damp, rippled pattern appearing on a street lined with soggy autumn leaves.

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Mike Fowler @theorecol.bsky.social · 25/09/2025

Somewhere, in the distance, Don Henley softly rises from a radio. Dylan Thomas raises an eyebrow.

A sunflower, denuded of its petals, basks in the early autumnal sunshine.

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Mike Fowler @theorecol.bsky.social · 18/09/2025

Just snapped these on my way home in Wales! I love having tree lined streets, and the trees more than pay for the additional maintenance required by reducing temperatures and pollution, etc. But we take it all for granted ☹️

A pavement cracked by tree roots.
Organic rubbish bin included for scale.

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Mike Fowler @theorecol.bsky.social · 27/08/2025

Autoreply from a colleague who I can only assume has been hitting that institutional admin brick wall once too often.

Screenshot stating "I am currently on a phased return from work due to concussion. My replies will be delayed."

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Mike Fowler @theorecol.bsky.social · 09/08/2025

Some art is just a load of rubbish.

A sculpture of the word "Art" behind a large communal rubbish bin on a well-to-do residential street in Zürich, Switzerland. Photographed in July 2025.

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Mike Fowler @theorecol.bsky.social · 24/07/2025

Scotland is a land of contrasts. I can get an electric bus that picks me up in an Edinburgh suburb, 5 mins walk from my childhood home, then drops me off in Dundee, and feels like I'm living in the future. Then I walk past the Victoria Bar on the way to Tannadice. Instantly transported back in time.

Teams heading onto the pitch at Tannadice Park for Dundee United v UNA Strassen in a UEFA Conference 2nd round qualifier. Supporters arms held in the air, waiting in anticipation for a thrilling 1-0 win for the Terrors against a mediocre team from Luxembourg. United were honking. It's as if the manager doesn't actually want us to win games.
Loved it anyway!

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Mike Fowler @theorecol.bsky.social · 15/07/2025

When citation stats go rogue.

Screenshot of a research paper that has collected six hundred and sixty six citations to date.

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Mike Fowler @theorecol.bsky.social · 26/06/2025

Where does one go when fitting that big, complex General Additive Model is just too much hassle?

A Swansea street sign, Little Gam Street.

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Mike Fowler @theorecol.bsky.social · 06/06/2025

Needed a new podcast recommendation, so thanks! One man's disturbing nightmare is another's dog walking companion!

A beautiful border collie in a garden, who is two neurons short of a recall response.

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Mike Fowler @theorecol.bsky.social · 10/03/2025

I eat meat, but is your claim really any different from this? Industrialisation of livestock for food/dairy – through breeding, medication, antibiotics, growth hormones, etc – is also a global mega-business. Seems odd to suspect one is worse than the other. www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Comparison of the size of chickens from 1957-2005. Chickens have trebled in size over this timespan.

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Mike Fowler @theorecol.bsky.social · 27/02/2025

Ceci n'est pas un diagramme du Venn.

Two partially overlapping circles with text in each. One circle states "All the things". The other states "All the things that shouldn't be in a Venn diagram".
I know. It's a joke. The set-up is the pipe reference.

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Mike Fowler @theorecol.bsky.social · 24/02/2025

Happy to announce that JF Arnoldi (Theoretical and Experimental Ecology Station, CNRS, France) will present the next #ResponseDiversityNetwork Seminar, Wednesday 26th Feb 15.00 CET. "Linear functional ecology: Rethinking species contributions to ecosystem functions" Zoom link via rb.gy/3pf8dh

Details of the Response Diversity Network seminar, given by JF Arnoldi, including a Zoom link and Abstract:

Ecosystem functions describe processes like biomass production, respiration, or nutrient cycling, that can be key to the livelihood of humans and other life forms. These functions are collectively performed by the many species that constitute an ecosystem; trees in a forest, plants in a grassland, or bacterial strains in a microbiome. Here, I will use linear algebra to show that generically, there is a sense in which a rare species can have as much importance as an abundant one. The reason why this claim is not obvious comes from the fact that in functional ecology, under the mass-ratio hypothesis, species contributions should be well predicted by their effect traits and abundance. I will illustrate using soil-microbiome data that this hypothesis has merit, even for complex functions related to nutrient cycling. Yet the mass-ratio hypothesis has an awkward corollary: functions are typically performed by just a few dominant species, so that most of an ecosystem's diversity appears redundant, or even useless. To understand why rare species can be important, one has to take a perturbative approach, looking at the sensitivity of a function to say, added mortality (a pathogen) on a given species. Doing so reveals a completely different picture than the one the mass-ratio hypothesis depicts. Via direct and indirect interactions between them, species can have large impacts on a given function, even if those species are rare or if they do not possess traits that relate to the function.

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Mike Fowler @theorecol.bsky.social · 14/01/2025

Content alert: I will be using intemperate language shortly. Fucking Travel Planet (our univ. mandated travel agent). Sends an email following a train booking, titled "Train ticket for the trip..." Contains calendar invites, but no e-tickets. Also, the following text. Get in the fucking sea.

Image of text in an email, stating "This email is not a travel ticket".

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Mike Fowler @theorecol.bsky.social · 31/12/2024

Some years after taking the huff at @stephenbheard.bsky.social for his reactionary & unfair dismissal of the disco genre, I realised I hadn't actually finished reading his otherwise excellent book. I have now finished. Happy to announce his writing gave me much pleasure! Get yer peepers roon' this!

Image of the front cover of Stephen Heard's "The Scientist's Guide to Writing". An excellent work!

Some important text from the final page of Stephen Heard's "The Scientist's Guide to Writing".
The key phrase is "You can announce your admiration of writing that has given you pleasure.".
This book gave me pleasure!

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Mike Fowler @theorecol.bsky.social · 04/12/2024

I know a guy who hangs around in churches and knows a little something about hammering nails into awkward places...

Screenshot of a bluesky post about the 7.4% of UK universities that have accepted a portrait of King Charles, followed by a response stating that the respondent's church received one that they can't hang up due to the complications of planning permission required "to put a nail in the wall".

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Mike Fowler @theorecol.bsky.social · 29/11/2024

There's a few lads in Helsinki wid like a wird aboot yer muckle baws, likes.

Helsingin Rautatientori Asema. 4 miestä suurilla palloilla.
Helsinki Railway Station. 4 guys wi big baws.

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Mike Fowler @theorecol.bsky.social · 29/11/2024

Continuous Professional Development opportunities. Pretty effing sure that attending a three and a half hour Zoom training session ranks as number 8 or below.

Screenshot of a Zoom training session titled "The Seven Secrets of Highly Effective Researchers" scheduled to last for 3.5 hrs.

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Mike Fowler @theorecol.bsky.social · 01/11/2024

Was there 6 months ago. Right now, in the middle of a fully hectic term, I am missing it very deeply. Enjoy!

A view across Kyoto from a macaque sanctuary.

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Mike Fowler @theorecol.bsky.social · 31/10/2024

Not saying I'm a contrarian, but it might not have been coincidence that this t-shirt made it off the shelf this morning.

Image of the post author's torso modelling a "Ghostbusters" t-shirt.

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Mike Fowler @theorecol.bsky.social · 24/10/2024

Post a PERFECT album from the 90s that isn’t Nirvana or Pearl jam or Soundgarden or Alice In Chains. (Having a bit too much fun with this.)

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