Prof Ben Britton
@bmatb.expmicromech.com
Dyslexic atomic sorcerer @ UBC, Vancouver 🍁 (he/him & 🏳️🌈). 🐕 dad.
Materials and Manufacturing Engineering (🔬⚛️), Clean Tech, Academic Governance (UBC Senate & Faculty Assoc.), EDI.
Leads @expmicromech.com.
Has too many hills to die on. Views own.
Materials and Manufacturing Engineering (🔬⚛️), Clean Tech, Academic Governance (UBC Senate & Faculty Assoc.), EDI.
Leads @expmicromech.com.
Has too many hills to die on. Views own.
Pinned
Prof Ben Britton
@bmatb.expmicromech.com
· Oct 24
Scheduling Matters — UBC Senate
The UBC Vancouver Senate is currently considering the timing of its main meetings, following a motion from the Agenda Committee and…
bmatb.medium.com
A brief blog piece that supports the proposal to move the #UBC Senate Meetings to a 4-6.30pm (currently 6-8.30pm).
bmatb.medium.com/scheduling-m...
bmatb.medium.com/scheduling-m...
This is how I learn some geology, right?
January 16, 2026 at 3:21 PM
This is how I learn some geology, right?
My braces got tightened today.
6 hrs later... oww, and oww, and oww.
6 hrs later... oww, and oww, and oww.
January 16, 2026 at 4:10 AM
My braces got tightened today.
6 hrs later... oww, and oww, and oww.
6 hrs later... oww, and oww, and oww.
Solidarity to all my Canadian colleagues who are reviewing stacks of CVs right now.
January 16, 2026 at 2:20 AM
Solidarity to all my Canadian colleagues who are reviewing stacks of CVs right now.
My colleague highlights his experiences with the student evaluation/experience of instruction process that we are subjected to at UBC 👇
The termly reminder that yet again our employer has used a flawed instrument of labour control and surveillance.
Euphemistically called 'student experience of instruction' but used as a discipline tool to manage compliance to employer designs.
Euphemistically called 'student experience of instruction' but used as a discipline tool to manage compliance to employer designs.
January 15, 2026 at 3:28 PM
My colleague highlights his experiences with the student evaluation/experience of instruction process that we are subjected to at UBC 👇
Reposted by Prof Ben Britton
The termly reminder that yet again our employer has used a flawed instrument of labour control and surveillance.
Euphemistically called 'student experience of instruction' but used as a discipline tool to manage compliance to employer designs.
Euphemistically called 'student experience of instruction' but used as a discipline tool to manage compliance to employer designs.
January 15, 2026 at 3:06 PM
The termly reminder that yet again our employer has used a flawed instrument of labour control and surveillance.
Euphemistically called 'student experience of instruction' but used as a discipline tool to manage compliance to employer designs.
Euphemistically called 'student experience of instruction' but used as a discipline tool to manage compliance to employer designs.
Reposted by Prof Ben Britton
All these kinds of comments taint the record and there is no systematic mechanism of redress.
January 15, 2026 at 3:23 PM
All these kinds of comments taint the record and there is no systematic mechanism of redress.
Reposted by Prof Ben Britton
“Wikipedia represents something unprecedented: the only major platform on which truth emerges through transparent debate, rather than algorithmic opacity or corporate interests. Every edit is logged, every discussion archived”
Use the Wikipedia app.
🧪 #Knowledge
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Use the Wikipedia app.
🧪 #Knowledge
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
January 15, 2026 at 3:09 AM
“Wikipedia represents something unprecedented: the only major platform on which truth emerges through transparent debate, rather than algorithmic opacity or corporate interests. Every edit is logged, every discussion archived”
Use the Wikipedia app.
🧪 #Knowledge
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Use the Wikipedia app.
🧪 #Knowledge
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Reposted by Prof Ben Britton
So many of them want to complain about the content of the course, which is fair but has very little to do with the instructor.
And also having to read through my TAs' evaluations, (hopefully unintentional) sexism is rampant in the comments.
And also having to read through my TAs' evaluations, (hopefully unintentional) sexism is rampant in the comments.
January 14, 2026 at 3:35 PM
So many of them want to complain about the content of the course, which is fair but has very little to do with the instructor.
And also having to read through my TAs' evaluations, (hopefully unintentional) sexism is rampant in the comments.
And also having to read through my TAs' evaluations, (hopefully unintentional) sexism is rampant in the comments.
Reposted by Prof Ben Britton
As someone who gets hundreds of students going through his lab, despite none of them wanting to take any courses in that department except their own department forced them to for graduation requirements, you haven't seen rubbish scores ;)
January 14, 2026 at 3:32 PM
As someone who gets hundreds of students going through his lab, despite none of them wanting to take any courses in that department except their own department forced them to for graduation requirements, you haven't seen rubbish scores ;)
Reposted by Prof Ben Britton
UBC has released their SEI - which is nominally titled the "student experience of instruction", but was formally titled "student evaluation of instruction".
I am on the record, via the Senate, stating that I don't like how we do this - and I find the process quite damaging.
1/
I am on the record, via the Senate, stating that I don't like how we do this - and I find the process quite damaging.
1/
January 13, 2026 at 8:40 PM
UBC has released their SEI - which is nominally titled the "student experience of instruction", but was formally titled "student evaluation of instruction".
I am on the record, via the Senate, stating that I don't like how we do this - and I find the process quite damaging.
1/
I am on the record, via the Senate, stating that I don't like how we do this - and I find the process quite damaging.
1/
Reposted by Prof Ben Britton
One of the better pieces of advice I got when I was younger is that if you’re having a bad day, go to bed.
January 14, 2026 at 5:08 AM
One of the better pieces of advice I got when I was younger is that if you’re having a bad day, go to bed.
Reposted by Prof Ben Britton
If only someone could have predicted creepy assholes would behave like creepy assholes with the creepy asshole glasses
Filmed covertly, posted publicly: ‘Pickup’ trend grows in B.C.
Filmed covertly, posted publicly: ‘Pickup’ trend grows in B.C.
Imagine having a passing conversation with a stranger who flirts with you, and you decline, only to have a first-hand video of the encounter posted online without your knowledge, consent, or awareness that you’d been recorded in the first place.
bit.ly
January 14, 2026 at 4:37 AM
If only someone could have predicted creepy assholes would behave like creepy assholes with the creepy asshole glasses
Woo - a paper just accepted.
Amongst the long day, it's a happy little moment.
Amongst the long day, it's a happy little moment.
January 14, 2026 at 6:32 AM
Woo - a paper just accepted.
Amongst the long day, it's a happy little moment.
Amongst the long day, it's a happy little moment.
Reposted by Prof Ben Britton
A thoughtful thread on the problematic nature of quality assurance post secondary style.
UBC has released their SEI - which is nominally titled the "student experience of instruction", but was formally titled "student evaluation of instruction".
I am on the record, via the Senate, stating that I don't like how we do this - and I find the process quite damaging.
1/
I am on the record, via the Senate, stating that I don't like how we do this - and I find the process quite damaging.
1/
January 14, 2026 at 12:21 AM
A thoughtful thread on the problematic nature of quality assurance post secondary style.
Reposted by Prof Ben Britton
The UBC FA has done a good job of documenting some of this: www.facultyassociation.ubc.ca/bargaining/s...
Student Surveys: First, Do No Harm
This will be at least the third round of collective bargaining in which we have beseeched UBC to act like …
www.facultyassociation.ubc.ca
January 14, 2026 at 12:37 AM
The UBC FA has done a good job of documenting some of this: www.facultyassociation.ubc.ca/bargaining/s...
Reposted by Prof Ben Britton
I once had an evaluation that said I should be more perky. 😑
January 13, 2026 at 9:42 PM
I once had an evaluation that said I should be more perky. 😑
Reposted by Prof Ben Britton
It's officially in my record that some students have found that my voice is "too high".
January 14, 2026 at 12:32 AM
It's officially in my record that some students have found that my voice is "too high".
Reposted by Prof Ben Britton
Student feedback for instructors/lecturers can be helpful…except when it’s demonstrably not. Discuss.
UBC has released their SEI - which is nominally titled the "student experience of instruction", but was formally titled "student evaluation of instruction".
I am on the record, via the Senate, stating that I don't like how we do this - and I find the process quite damaging.
1/
I am on the record, via the Senate, stating that I don't like how we do this - and I find the process quite damaging.
1/
January 13, 2026 at 9:26 PM
Student feedback for instructors/lecturers can be helpful…except when it’s demonstrably not. Discuss.
UBC has released their SEI - which is nominally titled the "student experience of instruction", but was formally titled "student evaluation of instruction".
I am on the record, via the Senate, stating that I don't like how we do this - and I find the process quite damaging.
1/
I am on the record, via the Senate, stating that I don't like how we do this - and I find the process quite damaging.
1/
January 13, 2026 at 8:40 PM
UBC has released their SEI - which is nominally titled the "student experience of instruction", but was formally titled "student evaluation of instruction".
I am on the record, via the Senate, stating that I don't like how we do this - and I find the process quite damaging.
1/
I am on the record, via the Senate, stating that I don't like how we do this - and I find the process quite damaging.
1/
Reposted by Prof Ben Britton
If you're a politician in Canada and still using X, you haven't been paying attention - or you care more about monetization than morals.
@maxfawcett.bsky.social lays it out with crayons why you shouldn't be there. No matter which party you rep.
#Canada
www.nationalobserver.com/2026/01/12/o...
@maxfawcett.bsky.social lays it out with crayons why you shouldn't be there. No matter which party you rep.
#Canada
www.nationalobserver.com/2026/01/12/o...
Twitter is a litmus test for Canada
With Twitter, the medium really is the message — one that should be clearly unacceptable for our elected officials and political leaders.
www.nationalobserver.com
January 13, 2026 at 2:28 PM
If you're a politician in Canada and still using X, you haven't been paying attention - or you care more about monetization than morals.
@maxfawcett.bsky.social lays it out with crayons why you shouldn't be there. No matter which party you rep.
#Canada
www.nationalobserver.com/2026/01/12/o...
@maxfawcett.bsky.social lays it out with crayons why you shouldn't be there. No matter which party you rep.
#Canada
www.nationalobserver.com/2026/01/12/o...
Reposted by Prof Ben Britton
I wish someone would do a similar poll in Canada. I think you would get the same result, and it might spur the federal government into doing something.
#Canpoli #Cdnpoli
#Canpoli #Cdnpoli
Has there ever been any poll showing the public this united? yougov.co.uk/technology/a...
January 13, 2026 at 12:52 PM
Reposted by Prof Ben Britton
We now live in a world where lies from authorities have become the norm, and its tough to navigate. At UNC we're currently navigating a new rule from the State BOG mandating that all syllabi be public information. This raises many concerns but my current issue is a set of lies we were told 1/n
January 13, 2026 at 12:38 PM
We now live in a world where lies from authorities have become the norm, and its tough to navigate. At UNC we're currently navigating a new rule from the State BOG mandating that all syllabi be public information. This raises many concerns but my current issue is a set of lies we were told 1/n
Reposted by Prof Ben Britton
Oh look, more evidence of MDPI and Frontiers being troublesome publishers that you should avoid.
We've got ISSUES. Literally.
We scraped >100k special issues & over 1 million articles to bring you a PISS-poor paper. We quantify just how many excess papers are published by guest editors abusing special issues to boost their CVs. How bad is it & what can we do?
arxiv.org/abs/2601.07563
A 🧵 1/n
We scraped >100k special issues & over 1 million articles to bring you a PISS-poor paper. We quantify just how many excess papers are published by guest editors abusing special issues to boost their CVs. How bad is it & what can we do?
arxiv.org/abs/2601.07563
A 🧵 1/n
January 13, 2026 at 12:33 PM
Oh look, more evidence of MDPI and Frontiers being troublesome publishers that you should avoid.
Reposted by Prof Ben Britton
Thread 👇🏽👇🏽👇🏽
Many fellows of the @royalsociety.org (FRS) are incredibly good scientists with a wide reach.
Yet, as the society, & the president of the society, react and engage in public discussions of at least one fellow and their conduct, the "brand" and relevance of the society continues to be at risk.
1/
Yet, as the society, & the president of the society, react and engage in public discussions of at least one fellow and their conduct, the "brand" and relevance of the society continues to be at risk.
1/
January 12, 2026 at 8:25 PM
Thread 👇🏽👇🏽👇🏽