I feel this is an excellent example of how we massively overestimate the importance of one person (genius complex). I guarantee that the double helix would have been discovered irrespective of Watson, and his remaining contributions of racism and horribleness, far outweighs his stolen valour.

Hey folks, as news of Watson's demise spreads, please don't set aside his weighty legacy of misogyny and racism. He was truly among the worst of us. www.vox.com/2019/1/15/18...

One thing to do, especially if you’re a science writer or editor, is when you have occasion to mention the names of the discoverers of the structure of DNA, just say “Watson, Crick, and Franklin.” No one can stop us, and it is correct.

On the event of James Watson's death, I highly recommend this 2023 commentary from @matthewcobb.bsky.social and Nathaniel Comfort with crucial new insights into the discovery of the double helix. (And also check out Cobb's brand new biography of Francis Crick) www.nature.com/articles/d41...

This is correct, with one important caveat - most decisions on funding, admin, publishing, career, are made (and can be derailed) by people who by definition benefited the most from these metrics and incentives, and stand to lose the most by changing them.

The 🇨🇦 Standing Committee on Science and Research passed a modified resolution this afternoon that the requested ricouncil applicant and reviewer data can be aggregated and anonymized. Thanks to the many researchers who signed letters pointing out legitimate data privacy concerns. 👏👏

Thanks to @royalsocietynz.bsky.social for awarding me the Callaghan medal for Science Communication. Thanks to my many supporters, NZ communities for being curious, & the many people in various agencies who really do want to use evidence in decision-making. This is critical now, more than ever. 🌐🌏🧪

Very happy and proud to see this one published! Have a look at this global assessment of the effect – or lack of effect – of extra oxygen (hyperoxia) on ectotherm thermal tolerance! Led by @graham-raby.bsky.social and a team of incredible collaborators working on multiple taxa 🐟 🐠 🦀 🦐.

New paper out today in Ecology Letters! In this synthesis we dive into the equilibrium assumption in ecology - why it's everywhere in ecological theory, the evidence for it in nature, when meeting the assumption is important, how to achieve it in empirical research, and more! tinyurl.com/yh6kyysm

You might have seen that Siouxsie won her legal battle against the UoA, but even after the damages were awarded she ended up massively out of pocket. So she's asking for help - There's been lots of support already, which is cool to see - Siouxsie deserves it! www.pledgeme.co.nz/projects/852...

More necessary awareness: yes, parliament has the legal authority to do this. There are many reasons they should not. That it is legal does not mean it is ethical, necessary, non-destructive, or appropriate. It DEFINITELY doesn't mean it shouldn't be publicly opposed (👀 @u15ca.bsky.social )... /1

So for me a white guy who is heterosexual and pretty open about the disabilities I live with that may not be a big deal, but it doesn't take a genius to know that won't be the case for everyone. I can think of a tonne of bad faith uses for this kind of data and that is the point

This data must NOT be made public. Doing so would compromise researcher privacy (especially for vulnerable groups), undermine confidential peer review, and expose unpublished research. We support accountability, but it must preserve privacy and scientific integrity. #SupportOurScience

We're concerned about the SRSR motion requesting 25 years of disaggregated tri-council data. While we understand the data is intended to be anonymized, this wasn't explicitly stated in the motion – and the specific information requested could still enable re-identification when linked together.

Any such request is not only unethical, it is a violation of privacy laws. It’s tiresome to see American style attacks on EDI being taken up by Canadian politicians. Equity, diversity and inclusion are hallmarks of Canadian society and should be celebrated and emulated.

Canadian graduate students... how do you feel about members of parliament going through your transcripts and the personal information you disclosed in your applications in order to question whether you deserved your fellowship or not? @supportourscience.bsky.social

Halloween costumes to scare scientists (by @twisteddoodles.bsky.social) 🧪

Thanks for flagging this, Michael. People can also write to the SRSR committee members (email all at the same time is fine), and request a response: www.ourcommons.ca/committees/e... Ping @e4dca.bsky.social

Attn: Canadian researchers/ If you are looking for text/arguments to mix-n-match in a letter to your MP, the committee, Ministers, etc.. here is some. docs.google.com/document/d/1...

Yes! Contact them and sign this petition here —it’s not just about EDI data! So much personally identifying information for applicants and reviewers will not be protected! docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

Canadian researchers should be aware the there is a motion before the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science and Research to force Tricouncils to hand over disaggregated peer review data on all applications: Applicant names, profiles, demographics Reviewers names, profiles, comments, and scores

I find there's a huge mismatch between the standard advice that people give about scientific conference talks, and how people actually give talks. So I picked out the most important pieces of advice that are most often ignored. 🧪

We have to absolutely hammer this home: Science suffers without the values embedded in DEI 🧪

Quote: "To protect its biodiversity, New Zealand has embarked on an experiment that aims to eradicate all invasive species by the year 2050. Can the country pull it off? And how far should humans go to reverse the damage we've caused?" www.npr.org/2025/10/26/n...

Portable air filters clean indoor air from smoke, dust, pet dander, viruses, and more. They are cheap & simple to make — I’ve built several — and nearly silent to run. *There is no downside.* Should be in every workplace, community space, school, daycare, medical facility, & home.

As universities embrace AI, a debate emerges. Proponents see a tool to enhance learning, while critics fear it stifles critical thinking and de-skills students. Rapid adoption is forcing a rethink of academic assessment. #AcademicSky #MLSky

I know everyone is busy and gets a ton of emails. I do too. But when you're an ECR at a new institution desperately trying to connect with people to put forward a grant application... for the love of god please reply to emails. We need grants to keep our jobs. #AcademicSky #ScienceSky #MedSky

Compositional data needs models that respect its constraints. I show how Dirichlet regression with GPs captures nonlinear environmental effects on plant communities while respecting the dependence of the data #rstats #dataviz ecogambler.netlify.app/blog/plant-c...

Correlation isn’t causation, as the mantra goes—but statistical noise in correlational data can reveal causal information. When X and Y are causally linked, their noise tends to be asymmetric & this can guide #CausalInference. Check out our 📃👇 doi.org/10.1111/nous... #philsky #philsci #StatsSky #HPS

You don't have to judge Columbus by the standards of today. His tenure as governor of Hispaniola was so horrific that he was dragged back to Spain in chains to answer for his many crimes. Plus he never set foot on any land that would ever be a part of the United States of America.

New paper on winter limnology of Lake Ontario now out- “Unique thermal mixing patterns in Lake Ontario revealed by novel year-round observations of thermal stratification” Open access link at aslopubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....

Some updates research funding and policy from Switzerland, Australia and the UK, and what it might all mean for the upcoming budget in Canada.

We're excited to announce Community Conversations, a new #webinar series in partnership with @sebiology.bsky.social 🤝 This is geared towards #EarlyCareer researchers. Our first speaker is @sjcfishy.bsky.social Sign up here: buff.ly/MTC7R6B #ConPhys #SEBcareers #ECR #PhD #conservation

More professors in the United States have been fired for controversial views in the past week than any other week in all of American history. www.insidehighered.com/opinion/colu...

Reflecting on what we’ve done and what more we can do to advance #equity in 🇨🇦#AquaticSciences in a new blog post blog.cdnsciencepub.com/equity-for-ea Thanks to @jaimegrimm.bsky.social @roberthechler.bsky.social @bradhowell.bsky.social @kirkwoodlab.bsky.social and non-bsky authors for this collab 💙💧

Calling all nonbinary scientists! There is one week left to submit your abstracts for The First International Symposium of Nonbinary Scientists, November 1-3, 2025. Abstracts from any field of research are welcome. Priority abstract submissions will close on October 3. Details in the link below!

My former PhD student, Dr. Madi Landrum, is giving a talk on her very cool (hot?!) research this Friday! Check it out! 🔥 🧪 #BEASTLab

Anyone in need of excellent #teaching resources (UG and postgrad) for #ecology and #conservation? Bill has created some amazing explainer videos, and they're all free and ready for you to use. Enjoy. #AcademicSky 🧪🌍

From yesterday, my Toronto Star op-ed on the notwithstanding clause. www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...

Four societies (@iaglr.bsky.social, @scas-scsa.bsky.social, @csee-scee.bsky.social, @aslo.org) that I belong to are having their conferences in May 2026, incl. two at the same time:/ I guess my lab will have to divide and conquer where we go. Still, fortunate to have options that are all in Canada:)

According to data provided by Statscan to the OECD, Canada's tertiary education system is experiencing BY FAR the fastest public disinvestment of any country in the developed world. (I am not sure the specific figures are 100% accurate, but the conclusion is still irrefutable)

🌊 One-quarter of freshwater species are at risk of extinction, warns the IUCN Red List. From crabs to fish, these creatures are vital for ecosystems and human livelihoods. Pollution, habitat loss, and invasive species drive this crisis.🐟🦐 📷 IUCN 🗞️ iucn.org/press-releas...

Hot off the press! 🧑‍🔬🧪 "Making aquatic sciences more diverse, equitable, inclusive, and accessible: Perspectives on how individuals can take action in their professional practice" authors.elsevier.com/c/1lnYH1MRgT... 🧵1/5

It was a pleasure to see this initiative through from idea conception to webinar to publication, all thanks to the panelists and co-organizers. This paper offers practical advice for incorporating #DEIA into your professional practice.

The evolutionary context of an invasion greatly influences the resulting impact. It can mediate whether native species go extinct and ecosystems become disrupted. Here is an example (one of many).

New #PeatPaper by Lees et al. in #HydrologicalProcesses "The Sponge Analogy Problem: Moving Towards Clearer Communication of Peatland Hydrological Processes" #peatlands #hydrology #scicomm onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

Nice work Simon Stewart @troybaisden.bsky.social @icdugg.bsky.social et al. #Lakes are Earth’s eye indeed. 🧪