Vol. 26 - Fields are smaller from the outside
Transdisciplinary work means being wrong a lot - and that's good.
Vol. 25 - Curves bend
The world is warming, species are vanishing, and things look grim. But here's the thing about scary trends: they can change direction. From smallpox to the ozone layer, we've bent curves before.
Vol. 24 - Here is a revised version of your review with improved clarity
ChatGPT is not my peer. It should not review my papers.
Vol. 23 - "More research is needed"
“More research is needed” — OK, but which one?
Vol. 22 - teaching code in the age of AI
I'm embracing the challenge of teaching programming while navigating generative AI's impact on education.
Vol. 21 - Predictive models and the changing value of data
Because predictive models can do a lot more based on sequence data, we need a robust ABS system more than ever.
Vol. 20 - Encouraging deep reading (by turning a class into a grant panel)
Learn how I'm transforming my class on ecological networks through student-led discussions and research proposals, aiming for deeper understanding and collaboration.
Vol. 19 - Research projects and research programs
Lakatos' "The Methodology of Scientific Research Programs" challenges views on scientific progress and the importance of research programs over individual theories.
Vol. 18 - I don't like funny papers
The only fun scientific paper was written in 1981 by Isidore Nabi. It's been all downhill from here.
Vol. 17 - Orchestrating collaborative writing
Writing with many people is hard, but a strong process can make it work - read about the guidelines I use!
Vol. 16 - Fail Prof. (a very special episode)
My promotion to full prof. was denied. But this is not what I want to talk about. First, because although I had high hopes, I understood this to be a dry...
Vol. 15 - Maintaining scientific software is a great idea!
The slow, meditative art of maintaining scientific software and learning through code.
Vol. 14 - Maintaining scientific software is a bad idea
There is a reason GitHub’s open-source guide for creators starts with self-care. Maintaining code is a long-term endeavour, and more crucially, the skills...
Vol. 13 - Keeping a writing schedule (is a bad idea, maybe?)
Stop forcing daily writer's block, start using to-write lists.
Vol. 12 - Grading for progress and prioritization
I do not enjoy grading. Or grades. I think they often stand in between students and learning, by introducing performance anxiety where there should be...
Vol. 11 - My group's research interests are not (only) my own
Research topics that are interesting, and research topics that I find interesting, do not overlap entirely. Every once in a while, we do a little lab-wide...
Vol. 10 - Between the seconds on the chronograph
Ecologists spend a lot of time thinking about scales. If you search for “problem of scale” in Google Scholar, you get in response the entire corpus of...
Vol. 9 - Against Outreach
Academia's misguided obsession with outreach as a measure of performance excludes excellent researchers and hinders diversity in scientific evaluation.
Vol. 8 - Writing, uh, finds a way
Stomach bugs derail my plans for a productive week, but reminds me that there is value in putting things into perspective.
Vol. 7 - What happens to food webs after environmental catastrophes?
Over the past few years, with the help of truly fantastic grad students, I got more invested in the idea of using food web structure to get clues about the...