I going to start the grey blending process this coming Wednesday. I fully expect to be orange for the next few months. Please pray for me.

I’m glad NPR included skeptical voices - because de-extinction is a dangerous fantasy - but we’ve seen this before. Colossal dangles a story/access, journalists take it and say other researchers have criticisms, and nothing changes save for an update to the I Can’t Believe It’s Not Mammoth! timeline

I teach a segment on conservation genetics in my molecular ecology class. My favorite moment is when my students realize that Colossal is just a bunch of conservation grifters. Technically, these guys would make more money by MORE species going extinct.

The science is as over-hyped and borderline fraudulent as the ethics are thorny (and that doesn't even count the George Church, friend of Epstein angle)

Benefit of in-class exam: I could work on this paper during the exam. Cost of in-class exam: I have to read everyone's handwriting.

It seems my backup HD just died. 😭

Things AI could do that would make my life better. 1) When I update my CV it could automatically update my FAR in digital measures (DM). 2) When I register for an on-campus workshop, it could update my FAR in DM, 2) When I received my student reviews, it could update my FAR in DM......

I honestly no longer understand what my job is.

Anyways.

A key phrase the FDA uses (used? ugh) is "may have complexities with regard to for peptide-related impurities." Not only can the intended peptide do damage, but there is often little or no quality control, so there can be other peptides with unknown action taken too.

Just got caught up on grading and OMG. My brain if fried!

Thoughts & prayers to the EPA :(

I'm sorry but WTF are we doing? The techbros really need to go touch grass rather than forcing their toys on everyone.

I thought someone from my lab just sent me a data file with spaces in the file name and I was going to be so disappointed. But, no, it was google sheets fault.

Real life view of me trying to figure out a problem with code that I wrote 4 years ago.

Grant submitted. I can now close all of the tabs to these reference papers.

And if you are signing up as a first-time reviewer, check our our "tips and tricks" for some guidance on being a constructive and collegial peer reviewer! doi.org/10.1093/conp...

Have you ever asked a PhD what their PhD was about and asked one additional question? They light up like little kids on their birthday full of cake.

When someone says „Scientists do not want you to know“ you can dismiss everything from there on. Scientists want you to know. They are desperate that you know. They can’t shut up about what they found out and want you to know.

This feels like a helpful primer for understanding AI in general. It makes programmers more efficient on the front end because they can generate more code. But it makes them less efficient afterwards because it vastly increases the amount of time they spend tweaking and fixing bugs.

I don't know what kind of personality I have, but it's the kind that gets annoyed when the font of the main text and the font in tables don't match.

Starting to think I should get a tattoo of Light rather than L.

Researchers in the US might be having feelings about writing grants atm-I know I am! We still need to write them. In this Evolution Exchange, I again chat with Sam Scheiner, who summarizes how to write a competitive proposal. His advice is gold, and helpful regardless of funder. Pls RT!

AI has huge promise for genomics -- but it has consistently failed at microbiome-based prediction. My new post on why simple models keep winning, where deep learning actually earns its place, and where the field is headed blekhman.substack.com/p/ai-keeps-f...

The transphobic anti homeless slimeball who used to be married to Kim Guilfoyle is absolutely not the leader of anything. He's the only candidate with more skeletons in his closet than Trump and the GOP will know about every last one. This is so stupid.

This is ✨propaganda✨

Israeli-US strike on girls’ elementary school in Minab killed 165 people and injured 96 others Kids. www.theguardian.com/world/2026/m...

Someone needs to talk me out of purchasing another OneStep RT-PCR system that I just found on eBay for the lab.

When I saw the news story about the girls school being bombed, one of my first thoughts was about how unlike American physics, Iranian physics is 50% women at the undergrad level and how some of those girls who had been murdered were going to be physicists one day

DO NOT LET ANY MEMBER OF CONGRESS WALK AROUND THINKING THEIR CONSTITUENTS DON’T CARE

I know this feels pointless but everyone has to call their congressional reps and say they oppose war with Iran and they oppose Trump illegally starting one without congressional approval — both congresscalllist.com

There is always a tweet.

People are always like what’s something you miss from the past and one of mine is antitrust laws

I have a tattoo appointment for the end of next month and my artist just posted new flash of L from Death Note. Once again I'm going to have to refrain myself from getting multiple tattoos in one day.

Why are there so many good undergraduate student applicants, yet I have so few positions available? 😭😭

Meal with Stanley Tucci >>>> hamburger at White House.

This should be a front-page scandal.

i cannot stop thinking about this man, who survived the Rohingya genocide but couldn’t survive border patrol. “He died trying to get home” is a gut punch

There are students on campus that are giving complements to everyone the come into contact with on campus. So far I've gotten, "I like your mug" and "I like your sweater". I hope these students ace all of their exams all semester.

Am I quoting someone from Reddit in my phylogenetics lecture? Yes, yes I am.

I have to teach phylogenetics today and while I love its use, I hate teaching it.

This test for my students is going to be so hard. I feel bad but I really want it to push their thinking. They are so use to black and white answers and this literally has none. It is all data interpretation and its one of the messier datasets in term of interpretation from my lab.

Brilliant thread from @aetiology.bsky.social The wellness grifters/anti-vaxxers like Casey Means & RFK Jr always ALWAYS accuse physicians, scientists, & regulators of being corrupted by industry when in fact THEY’RE the ones who are totally & utterly corrupted by hawking woo woo bullshit products

Hilary Knight got the question re: that phone call and the laughter at the Torrent presser. Her answer:

My controversial hot take: The Great Canadian Bake Off is better than The Great British Bake Off.

They found him. He died. Another murder by our immigration goon squads

Since yesterday, the Einstein AI cheatbot website underwent some rebranding. The tagline changed from "Einstein does the busywork so you don't have to," to "Einstein is the personal tutor every student deserves." In the FAQ, "How does Einstein do all this?" became "How does Einstein help me learn?"

Just spent 3 hours redoing R code for my class tomorrow because an R package update changed some of the default settings. At least the phylogenetic trees look prettier now.

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