#AcademicChatter

2026-02-21

Professor Agatha "Agy" Nimble, the Pro Vice-Chancellor Education. She enters the room lightfootedly, a winning smile on her face. She is the never-say-no Anglican Bishop, caring, soft-voiced, immovable.

Professor Nimble does not teach anymore. But she runs her own workshops on how to transform your teaching.

She absolutely loves every comment, idea, criticism made by a participant. She prepared a slide beforehand, listing all the interesting things that participants have said and learnt during the day.

She is the author of the University's "Teaching The Magical Way" strategy and heads the curriculum transfomation process. She may or may not believe in it herself, but she knows that she would find it easy to implement, if only she could clone herself sufficiently many times to place herself in each of our roles. Her workshop has shown us how to do it. She is very empathetic and she forgives us that we don't see the way yet.

She will not change the plan.

#AcademicChatter

2026-02-21

Just came out : #droughtstress and #barkbeetles caused in 2018-2020 a strong tree mortality and thus a widespread #ForestDisturbance across Central Europe. The authors observed post-disturbance regeneration in nearly 900 plots across 10 countries : the good news: recovery was robust. The bad news : 75% of the regenerating seedlings are projected to be **outside of their climatic niche** by the end of the century under even moderate #climatechange (RCP4.5)
This suggests to me that "leaving forests alone" is not the best way to adapt them to #ClimateChange. There is just not sufficient local #Biodiversity
doi.org/10.1111/gcb.70734
#Forests
#AcademicChatter
#PlantScience
#UMRSilva because some colleagues participated :-)

2026-02-20

A few colleagues at universities across the country recently launched a group for discussing teaching - "patisseries et pédagogie," they're calling it - and invited me along for the ride. We had our second meeting today. It was great. Unsurprisingly, many of us have the same concerns. Equally unsurprisingly, some have come up with interesting approaches for addressing them. I wish we'd done this years ago.

Start your own group today!

#academia #AcademicChatter #HigherEd

Eli Roberson (he/him)thatdnaguy@genomic.social
2026-02-20

#Academia #AcademicChatter

I went to grad school and wanted to do academic research because I think that it's worth knowing things. We can't predict what research will lead to improved life and a better society. That's why you have to search widely to find worthwhile things.

But man. The longer I'm in the more I see the corporatizing of science and research. Bad people retained b/c they make money. Good people working their tails off for nothing. It's disheartening to see it fall apart.

Nate Gaylinnngaylinn@tech.lgbt
2026-02-20

I got invited to update my last paper with some extra material. So, I went back and started probing deeper, and it has been a journey!

Wait, is this really doing what I thought?

If it's not, does that undermine everything I was saying? Or can both stories be true?

Is this even interesting any more? Is there a real effect, or is it just an illusion?

It is behaving systematically, though, with measurable effects. So I can identify the principles...

And I can use that to propose a better, simpler solution than the one I found through simulated evolution!

Which sorta proves that using an evolutionary algorithm here was overkill.

Except I was only able to design a better solution because of what I learned from my evolutionary experiment!

Honestly, it feels really good. This is how science is supposed to be, I think. I'm excited to add this new chapter to the paper, and get a little more progress and closure on this idea, even if it's not what I set out to do, or expected!

#academicchatter

Antonio M. Noguésamnogues@sciences.social
2026-02-20

Nothing beats a brief "entertainment break" from paperwork like responding to a condescending editorial email. After three decades of upholding scientific standards, I think I've earned the right to value my expertise.

If they can charge for almost everything, they can pay for the brainpower. Until their business model evolves, my "reject" button remains firmly active.

Back to work now! ✍️📖

#academicchatter #review #publishing

@academicchatter
@anthropology
@sociology
@politicalscience

2026-02-20

RE: mastodon.social/@MetaArXiv/116

Yet another example of how so-called "#AI" entrenches existing problems in academic research.

#metaScience #metaresearch #academia #academicChatter #NoAI #maihT3k

2026-02-20

My students, having made it through a semester of "intro to slightly advanced stats" #AcademicChatter

The Drake meme. Upper panel: rectangle. Lower panel: continuous uniform density function
2026-02-20

@libroraptor this is unfortunately more than usual. And shows that neither the authors nor the reviewers did their job. And suggests that the rest of the paper is not of sufficient quality as well. We should be able to record bad citations
#AcademicChatter #AcademicPublishing

Javier Manuel Martín Alonsojmma1980
2026-02-19

It's fascinating how the same voices lamenting the 'broken academic system' are the first to dismiss anyone trying to contribute from outside it.

'Independent researcher' shouldn't be a red flag; it's often the only option left when the system fails to accommodate non-standard ideas.

We keep working. The data (and the 1348 clones on 2/18) speaks for itself. github.com/JavierMartinAlonso1

I am an enthusiastic microbiologist in search of a host institute for a SNSF or ERC Starting Grant in Switzerland. I am particularly interested in how human pathogens adapt to their different environments and niches. Please contact me if you know of a suitable institute. Thanks for boosting!
#startinggrant #hostinstitute #academicchatter #academia #switzerland #SNSF #ERC

2026-02-19

Today between teaching sessions: students exchange what they stream, hockey or curling?
S1: But you’re Swiss, you need to watch hockey!
S2: But in curling we still have options!
S1:
S2: I mean, the women have options in both 😁
S1: 😐
S2: Honestly, curling is more exciting, the Swiss Women team will win hockey anyway
S1: But yoy need to stream hockey!

#AcademicChatter #TeachingIsFun 🏒 🥌 🇨🇭

*S1 is male, S2 is female, both are future engineers :)

2026-02-19

RE: fediscience.org/@JeromeDqn/116

Thank you guys for the #boost. But I am still looking for more dynamicists and nonlinear dynamics lovers ☀️🙏

#nodyn #science #academicchatter

Talia HussainTalia@mstdn.social
2026-02-19

A colleague is submitting a (hopefully) last round of revisions on an article. Between submission and publication, the entire editorial board has left, set up and published their first issue of a whole new journal 🤯

#academicChatter

Koen Hufkens, PhDkoen_hufkens
2026-02-19

I'm reviewing for a special issue, which I now deeply regret. Not in the least because most published work does not meet my personal (open science) standards.

Sadly, AI also makes this job worse as it gives anyone the power to write long empty and seemingly convincing rebuttals (i.e. you didn't answer the question).

Björn Brembsbrembs
2026-02-19
Ergative Absolutiveergative@wandering.shop
2026-02-19

Good morning, the Art History department is inviting me to a research seminar entitled 'Is the Side Wound of Christ a Vulva?'

Yes, a tired question by now, but this seminar brings to the table 'material traces of use, [showing] that images of the Wound of Christ were heavily rubbed, touched, and licked. This use-wear evidence would have considerable ramifications for the meaning of these images, if the medieval users had in fact interpreted them as vulvas.'

#academicChatter

Dr. Victoria Grinbergvicgrinberg
2026-02-19

People not mincing words: "The whole academic system is fucked."

(A not to be named senior person at the "Compact Objects in 3D" Lorentz Workshop)

Dr. Victoria Grinbergvicgrinberg
2026-02-19

Conference day 1: clean shaved faces. Nice open hair. Hugging people you haven't seen for a year. Asking your overseas colleagues how the jetlag is doing. Slowly starting up discussions, with mostly senior folks involved.

Conference day 4: stubble. (Unwashed) Hair in braids. Rings under the eyes. Quietly nodding to each other over the 3rd cup coffee before the start of the first session. Heated but friendly back and forth in every discussion session between everyone.

Dr. Doro (she/her)ditsch42@troet.cafe
2026-02-19

Women counter in the seminar this morning: 1/12.
#AcademicChatter #WomenInPhysics #WomenInSTEM

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