Ben de Bivort
@debivort.bsky.social
Drosophila neurobiologist. We study insect behavior and individuality using the tools of computational neuroethology.
Harvard Organismic and Evolutionary Biology & Center for Brain Science
https://debivortlab.org
fediverse: @[email protected]
Harvard Organismic and Evolutionary Biology & Center for Brain Science
https://debivortlab.org
fediverse: @[email protected]
Pinned
Ben de Bivort
@debivort.bsky.social
· Oct 8
Family-based selection: an efficient method for increasing phenotypic variability
This article introduces a model comparing various selection regimes for increasing phenotypic variability. Individuals with the same genotype, reared in id
academic.oup.com
Our new study modeling selection for (behavioral) variability has been covered in a lovely @genetics-gsa.bsky.social podcast featuring first author Shraddha Lall and @ecoevogal.bsky.social
academic.oup.com/g3journal/ad...
academic.oup.com/g3journal/ad...
Reposted by Ben de Bivort
A little color to start off the weekend – a vibrant monkey grasshopper, Paramastax sp., from Colombia. They really do look like this - no saturation or vibrance added during processing. #bugsky 🐙🌿
December 13, 2025 at 1:19 AM
A little color to start off the weekend – a vibrant monkey grasshopper, Paramastax sp., from Colombia. They really do look like this - no saturation or vibrance added during processing. #bugsky 🐙🌿
Reposted by Ben de Bivort
New paper covering what we think is a pretty nice and comprehensive overview over tools suitable for neuroethology in butterflies and moths.
Also, check out the whole special issue if you're an insect neuroethologist.
@neuroethology.org @dzg-neurobiology.bsky.social
doi.org/10.1007/s003...
Also, check out the whole special issue if you're an insect neuroethologist.
@neuroethology.org @dzg-neurobiology.bsky.social
doi.org/10.1007/s003...
Emerging tools to advance neuroethology in butterflies and moths - Journal of Comparative Physiology A
Journal of Comparative Physiology A - Butterflies and moths have played historically important roles in developing our understanding of both ecology and evolutionary biology, and neuroethology. In...
doi.org
December 12, 2025 at 10:04 AM
New paper covering what we think is a pretty nice and comprehensive overview over tools suitable for neuroethology in butterflies and moths.
Also, check out the whole special issue if you're an insect neuroethologist.
@neuroethology.org @dzg-neurobiology.bsky.social
doi.org/10.1007/s003...
Also, check out the whole special issue if you're an insect neuroethologist.
@neuroethology.org @dzg-neurobiology.bsky.social
doi.org/10.1007/s003...
Reposted by Ben de Bivort
Peer review is important and useful but we should focus our efforts on a small number of papers that matter (making big claims, using new approaches) and let the vast majority of work live on a preprint server to be judged by their utility over time to domain experts.
Springer-Nature statement
“Whilst the details of peer review are confidential, we can confirm that the article underwent two rounds of review from two independent peer reviewers, supporting an accept decision.”
How am I now expected to believe that two people looked at the paper twice and DGAF?
“Whilst the details of peer review are confidential, we can confirm that the article underwent two rounds of review from two independent peer reviewers, supporting an accept decision.”
How am I now expected to believe that two people looked at the paper twice and DGAF?
Riding the Autism Bicycle to Retraction Town
Does anyone *really* know their Factor Fexcectorn?
nobreakthroughs.substack.com
December 11, 2025 at 7:16 PM
Peer review is important and useful but we should focus our efforts on a small number of papers that matter (making big claims, using new approaches) and let the vast majority of work live on a preprint server to be judged by their utility over time to domain experts.
Reposted by Ben de Bivort
🚨 We are recruiting a full-time Research Programmer to push forward several exciting machine learning projects in the lab!
Work on computational behavior and joint neural/behavior models. Start date flexible, can be a pre-grad-school position or longer term.
recruiting2.ultipro.com/SCR1003TSRI/...
Work on computational behavior and joint neural/behavior models. Start date flexible, can be a pre-grad-school position or longer term.
recruiting2.ultipro.com/SCR1003TSRI/...
recruiting2.ultipro.com
December 10, 2025 at 4:40 PM
🚨 We are recruiting a full-time Research Programmer to push forward several exciting machine learning projects in the lab!
Work on computational behavior and joint neural/behavior models. Start date flexible, can be a pre-grad-school position or longer term.
recruiting2.ultipro.com/SCR1003TSRI/...
Work on computational behavior and joint neural/behavior models. Start date flexible, can be a pre-grad-school position or longer term.
recruiting2.ultipro.com/SCR1003TSRI/...
Reposted by Ben de Bivort
Here is your Wednesday Weevil, waving. It's a broad-nosed weevil, (unsure of the species), that I spotted on a dirt road in the mountains of Colombia in '23. I initially moved to pick it up because I thought it was a small piece of trash, like a bit of shiny candy wrapper. 🐙🌿📷 #BugSky
December 10, 2025 at 10:10 PM
Here is your Wednesday Weevil, waving. It's a broad-nosed weevil, (unsure of the species), that I spotted on a dirt road in the mountains of Colombia in '23. I initially moved to pick it up because I thought it was a small piece of trash, like a bit of shiny candy wrapper. 🐙🌿📷 #BugSky
Reposted by Ben de Bivort
Friends of mine's first publication as a PI showing the dangers of sublethal pesticide doses for honey bee behavior:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0269749125018585?dgcid=author
(gift link)
I feel happy for the author, but so sad for the bees!
#biology #pesticides #bees […]
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0269749125018585?dgcid=author
(gift link)
I feel happy for the author, but so sad for the bees!
#biology #pesticides #bees […]
Original post on mastodon.social
mastodon.social
December 10, 2025 at 1:31 PM
Friends of mine's first publication as a PI showing the dangers of sublethal pesticide doses for honey bee behavior:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0269749125018585?dgcid=author
(gift link)
I feel happy for the author, but so sad for the bees!
#biology #pesticides #bees […]
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0269749125018585?dgcid=author
(gift link)
I feel happy for the author, but so sad for the bees!
#biology #pesticides #bees […]
Reposted by Ben de Bivort
An absolute horrific nightmare of two AI bots caught in a loop with each other is the perfect example of the total nothingness of AI “brains”.
December 9, 2025 at 9:09 PM
An absolute horrific nightmare of two AI bots caught in a loop with each other is the perfect example of the total nothingness of AI “brains”.
Reposted by Ben de Bivort
Seaweed pressing as an art and a science: our newly reestablished herbarium collection at Scripps and the history behind it #Phycology
An art and a science: Scripps Oceanography showcases 5,000 seaweed pressings
UC San Diego’s Smith Seaweed Ecology Lab is digitizing its collection of more than 5,000 pressings and making it accessible to the public
www.sandiegouniontribune.com
December 9, 2025 at 6:36 PM
Seaweed pressing as an art and a science: our newly reestablished herbarium collection at Scripps and the history behind it #Phycology
Thinking of Adam today. One of the many positive effects he had on me was bringing me into the "family" of his quantitative behavior course at Champalimaud, a connection that lasted (at least) another 12 years.
Last night Adam Kampff, the glue, the light, the catalyst, the builder, the smile, left us. He and his work transformed the lives of many labs, scientists, students. He inspired and was generous to his last transformation, working tirelessly to set up a foundation to continue the work.Thank you!
December 9, 2025 at 7:26 PM
Thinking of Adam today. One of the many positive effects he had on me was bringing me into the "family" of his quantitative behavior course at Champalimaud, a connection that lasted (at least) another 12 years.
Reposted by Ben de Bivort
How do neural circuits generate the walking rhythm?
Using connectome simulations, @sarahpugly.bsky.social found a minimal central pattern generator (CPG) that produces oscillations in leg motor neurons. Same circuit motif for each 🪰 leg.
w @bingbrunton.bsky.social
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Using connectome simulations, @sarahpugly.bsky.social found a minimal central pattern generator (CPG) that produces oscillations in leg motor neurons. Same circuit motif for each 🪰 leg.
w @bingbrunton.bsky.social
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
December 9, 2025 at 5:50 PM
How do neural circuits generate the walking rhythm?
Using connectome simulations, @sarahpugly.bsky.social found a minimal central pattern generator (CPG) that produces oscillations in leg motor neurons. Same circuit motif for each 🪰 leg.
w @bingbrunton.bsky.social
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Using connectome simulations, @sarahpugly.bsky.social found a minimal central pattern generator (CPG) that produces oscillations in leg motor neurons. Same circuit motif for each 🪰 leg.
w @bingbrunton.bsky.social
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Ben de Bivort
Our Method of the Year 2025 is...drumroll please...EM-based connectomics!!
Our Editorial introduces our choice and highlights six Comments and other related content in this special issue. Please join us in celebrating EM-based connectomics! 🎉🧠🔬
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Our Editorial introduces our choice and highlights six Comments and other related content in this special issue. Please join us in celebrating EM-based connectomics! 🎉🧠🔬
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Method of the Year 2025: electron microscopy-based connectomics - Nature Methods
A large network of interconnected neurons serves as the basis of brain function and of behavior. Methodological advances have enabled the reconstruction of large-scale and even whole-brain connectomes...
www.nature.com
December 8, 2025 at 4:59 PM
Our Method of the Year 2025 is...drumroll please...EM-based connectomics!!
Our Editorial introduces our choice and highlights six Comments and other related content in this special issue. Please join us in celebrating EM-based connectomics! 🎉🧠🔬
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Our Editorial introduces our choice and highlights six Comments and other related content in this special issue. Please join us in celebrating EM-based connectomics! 🎉🧠🔬
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Ben de Bivort
Want to carry a PhD in London, in one of the best Universities in the world?
We have two calls for PhD students to join our lab at Imperial College. Deadline January 12th. More details for applications in the link below. Feel free to keep in touch!
We have two calls for PhD students to join our lab at Imperial College. Deadline January 12th. More details for applications in the link below. Feel free to keep in touch!
Available Jobs – gilestro laboratory
lab.gilest.ro
December 5, 2025 at 12:05 PM
Want to carry a PhD in London, in one of the best Universities in the world?
We have two calls for PhD students to join our lab at Imperial College. Deadline January 12th. More details for applications in the link below. Feel free to keep in touch!
We have two calls for PhD students to join our lab at Imperial College. Deadline January 12th. More details for applications in the link below. Feel free to keep in touch!
Reposted by Ben de Bivort
We discovered individual honey bees typically have their own preferred route and, in the vicinity of nearby landmarks, fly repeatedly very nearly the same trajectory.
@mnjeschke.bsky.social @martinegelhaaf.bsky.social recently found similar in bumble bees in lab-based tunnel experiments.
4/9
@mnjeschke.bsky.social @martinegelhaaf.bsky.social recently found similar in bumble bees in lab-based tunnel experiments.
4/9
December 6, 2025 at 2:01 PM
We discovered individual honey bees typically have their own preferred route and, in the vicinity of nearby landmarks, fly repeatedly very nearly the same trajectory.
@mnjeschke.bsky.social @martinegelhaaf.bsky.social recently found similar in bumble bees in lab-based tunnel experiments.
4/9
@mnjeschke.bsky.social @martinegelhaaf.bsky.social recently found similar in bumble bees in lab-based tunnel experiments.
4/9
Reposted by Ben de Bivort
Have you ever wondered what you would find if you could keep your eyes on a bee for more than a few meters? Us, too!
preprint (with videos!) + thread 🧵
Precise, individualized foraging flights in honey #bees 🐝 revealed by multicopter drone-based tracking
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
1/9
preprint (with videos!) + thread 🧵
Precise, individualized foraging flights in honey #bees 🐝 revealed by multicopter drone-based tracking
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
1/9
December 6, 2025 at 2:01 PM
Have you ever wondered what you would find if you could keep your eyes on a bee for more than a few meters? Us, too!
preprint (with videos!) + thread 🧵
Precise, individualized foraging flights in honey #bees 🐝 revealed by multicopter drone-based tracking
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
1/9
preprint (with videos!) + thread 🧵
Precise, individualized foraging flights in honey #bees 🐝 revealed by multicopter drone-based tracking
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
1/9
Reposted by Ben de Bivort
Sigh. Science is under assault on every front.
I never heard of a Science Museum bomb threat.
I never heard of a Science Museum bomb threat.
Police respond to Mass. museum after reported bomb threat | Click on the image to read the full story
Police respond to Mass. museum after reported bomb threat
No injuries have been reported.
www.wcvb.com
December 5, 2025 at 10:27 PM
Sigh. Science is under assault on every front.
I never heard of a Science Museum bomb threat.
I never heard of a Science Museum bomb threat.
Reposted by Ben de Bivort
The final version of the clonal raider ant reference brain is now out OA in @currentbiology.bsky.social:
🐜 🧠 🐜 🧠 🐜 🧠 🐜 🧠 🐜 🧠 🐜
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
🐜 🧠 🐜 🧠 🐜 🧠 🐜 🧠 🐜 🧠 🐜
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
December 5, 2025 at 4:30 PM
The final version of the clonal raider ant reference brain is now out OA in @currentbiology.bsky.social:
🐜 🧠 🐜 🧠 🐜 🧠 🐜 🧠 🐜 🧠 🐜
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
🐜 🧠 🐜 🧠 🐜 🧠 🐜 🧠 🐜 🧠 🐜
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Reposted by Ben de Bivort
Drosophila colleagues--Please submit nominations for the Larry Sandler Award. which recognizes excellent recent graduates who have completed a PhD in Drosophila research. Details are below and at this link:
genetics-gsa.org/drosophila-2...
genetics-gsa.org/drosophila-2...
December 4, 2025 at 4:41 PM
Drosophila colleagues--Please submit nominations for the Larry Sandler Award. which recognizes excellent recent graduates who have completed a PhD in Drosophila research. Details are below and at this link:
genetics-gsa.org/drosophila-2...
genetics-gsa.org/drosophila-2...
Reposted by Ben de Bivort
Science is a source of authority and expertise. Trumpism cannot have competing authorities or sources of evidence that conflict with its ideology. Expertise of any kind is a despised special interest.
It is a huge political and strategic error to think that science is not a target.
It is a huge political and strategic error to think that science is not a target.
December 4, 2025 at 5:07 PM
Science is a source of authority and expertise. Trumpism cannot have competing authorities or sources of evidence that conflict with its ideology. Expertise of any kind is a despised special interest.
It is a huge political and strategic error to think that science is not a target.
It is a huge political and strategic error to think that science is not a target.
Reposted by Ben de Bivort
Pro tip: you can use em dashes and not get accused of llm use if you’re bad at spotting typos.
December 4, 2025 at 5:02 PM
Pro tip: you can use em dashes and not get accused of llm use if you’re bad at spotting typos.
Reposted by Ben de Bivort
Celebrating the Rajan Lab’s papers at #NeurIPS2025! Stop by to chat with these talented students and postdocs 🎉
December 4, 2025 at 4:08 PM
Celebrating the Rajan Lab’s papers at #NeurIPS2025! Stop by to chat with these talented students and postdocs 🎉
Reposted by Ben de Bivort
I sat for a long while with my complicated feelings about "vibe coding". It is _genuinely_ empowering for many — opening a door to creating with code that otherwise would never exist. Also? It enables a dangerous dependency that could be a path to serfdom for coders. www.anildash.com/2025/12/02/v...
Vibe Coding: Empowering and Imprisoning - Anil Dash
A blog about making culture. Since 1999.
www.anildash.com
December 2, 2025 at 10:32 PM
I sat for a long while with my complicated feelings about "vibe coding". It is _genuinely_ empowering for many — opening a door to creating with code that otherwise would never exist. Also? It enables a dangerous dependency that could be a path to serfdom for coders. www.anildash.com/2025/12/02/v...
Reposted by Ben de Bivort
@nature.com asked me to write an op-ed on the perspective of the AI reviewing process, prompted by the recent partnership between @biorxivpreprint.bsky.social and @qedscience.bsky.social
Hope my perspective adds value to the conversation.
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Hope my perspective adds value to the conversation.
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
AI reviewers are here — we are not ready
Artificial intelligence promises rapid and polite feedback on papers — but we must first review the reviewer.
www.nature.com
December 3, 2025 at 10:56 AM
@nature.com asked me to write an op-ed on the perspective of the AI reviewing process, prompted by the recent partnership between @biorxivpreprint.bsky.social and @qedscience.bsky.social
Hope my perspective adds value to the conversation.
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Hope my perspective adds value to the conversation.
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Reposted by Ben de Bivort
Holy shit. Why call it a university if it's actually a professional certification program?
TX Tech has a flow chat for guidance on what can be taught in the university system. Two things:
1. Very little content seems to be permitted. This is partisan control of the curriculum.
2. I would not enjoy teaching under these conditions, but I really would not want to be a Chair or Dean.
1. Very little content seems to be permitted. This is partisan control of the curriculum.
2. I would not enjoy teaching under these conditions, but I really would not want to be a Chair or Dean.
December 2, 2025 at 12:45 AM
Holy shit. Why call it a university if it's actually a professional certification program?
Reposted by Ben de Bivort
Again, as with all the other federal budget cuts that are incinerating 20-25% of the funding & the entire budget model of every R1 university in 🇺🇸, this is a five-alarm emergency that requires immediate, loud, collective condemnation by our university presidents. Total 🦗 as it’s all being gutted.
November 27, 2025 at 4:05 PM
Again, as with all the other federal budget cuts that are incinerating 20-25% of the funding & the entire budget model of every R1 university in 🇺🇸, this is a five-alarm emergency that requires immediate, loud, collective condemnation by our university presidents. Total 🦗 as it’s all being gutted.