Ian Sudbery
@iansudbery.bsky.social
Senior Lecturer in Bioinformatics at the University of Sheffield. Likes gene regulation, 3' UTRs, non-coding RNA and dancing. He/Him/His
Also at [email protected]
Also at [email protected]
Tuesday my union offered to call off 2 weeks of strikes, in return for postponing the redudnacy of, maybe, 5 people for three months. Yesterday the uni wrote to all staff saying "not interested", unless we completely caved. Today we toured picket lines across campus:
@sheffielducu.bsky.social
@sheffielducu.bsky.social
November 27, 2025 at 3:35 PM
Tuesday my union offered to call off 2 weeks of strikes, in return for postponing the redudnacy of, maybe, 5 people for three months. Yesterday the uni wrote to all staff saying "not interested", unless we completely caved. Today we toured picket lines across campus:
@sheffielducu.bsky.social
@sheffielducu.bsky.social
Reposted by Ian Sudbery
A solicitor, Andrew Milne has been bullying leaseholders across Sheffield into paying him extraordinary sums, with no legal basis.
Why hasn't the SRA stopped him? Because he's conducted an extraordinary campaign against the SRA. 180 complaints. Two judicial reviews.
More here: buff.ly/LmLVegM
Why hasn't the SRA stopped him? Because he's conducted an extraordinary campaign against the SRA. 180 complaints. Two judicial reviews.
More here: buff.ly/LmLVegM
SRA urged to take action as we reveal solicitor has ‘purposely frustrated’ investigation
Solicitor Andrew Jonathan Milne delayed an official investigation into his alleged professional misconduct by overwhelming the regulator with complaints and threatening them with two injunctions se…
buff.ly
November 27, 2025 at 9:51 AM
A solicitor, Andrew Milne has been bullying leaseholders across Sheffield into paying him extraordinary sums, with no legal basis.
Why hasn't the SRA stopped him? Because he's conducted an extraordinary campaign against the SRA. 180 complaints. Two judicial reviews.
More here: buff.ly/LmLVegM
Why hasn't the SRA stopped him? Because he's conducted an extraordinary campaign against the SRA. 180 complaints. Two judicial reviews.
More here: buff.ly/LmLVegM
Reposted by Ian Sudbery
the genAI bubble relies on you conflating the genuinely tremendous potential of using machine learning for e.g. image recognition in radiotherapy, protein folding, simulations in power systems etc with the child abuse image generators and schizophrenic delusions generators
People on BlueSky: AI is useless! A stochastic parrot!
Mathematicians/biologists/physicists: It is already helping us do frontier technical research and in some cases solve open problems arxiv.org/pdf/2511.16072
(There are of course, as always, many caveats, but the paper is genuinely remarkable)
Mathematicians/biologists/physicists: It is already helping us do frontier technical research and in some cases solve open problems arxiv.org/pdf/2511.16072
(There are of course, as always, many caveats, but the paper is genuinely remarkable)
arxiv.org
November 26, 2025 at 4:11 PM
the genAI bubble relies on you conflating the genuinely tremendous potential of using machine learning for e.g. image recognition in radiotherapy, protein folding, simulations in power systems etc with the child abuse image generators and schizophrenic delusions generators
Reposted by Ian Sudbery
Imagine coming up with a proposal so stupid, so unworkable, so thoughtless, that it makes Robert Jenrick look sane by comparison.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Jury trials could be scrapped except in most serious cases
Only cases of alleged murder, rape or manslaughter will be decided by a jury under new proposals to cut court backlogs.
www.bbc.co.uk
November 25, 2025 at 4:04 PM
Imagine coming up with a proposal so stupid, so unworkable, so thoughtless, that it makes Robert Jenrick look sane by comparison.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Reposted by Ian Sudbery
Juries are not perfect.
Many of the worst miscarriages of justice have followed jury trials.
But the merit of juries is not so much the power they have, but the power they prevent others from having.
They mean a judge cannot just nod-along with prosecution evidence and give a guilty verdict.
Many of the worst miscarriages of justice have followed jury trials.
But the merit of juries is not so much the power they have, but the power they prevent others from having.
They mean a judge cannot just nod-along with prosecution evidence and give a guilty verdict.
November 25, 2025 at 7:12 PM
Juries are not perfect.
Many of the worst miscarriages of justice have followed jury trials.
But the merit of juries is not so much the power they have, but the power they prevent others from having.
They mean a judge cannot just nod-along with prosecution evidence and give a guilty verdict.
Many of the worst miscarriages of justice have followed jury trials.
But the merit of juries is not so much the power they have, but the power they prevent others from having.
They mean a judge cannot just nod-along with prosecution evidence and give a guilty verdict.
Reposted by Ian Sudbery
If everything is a top priority, then everything gets done quickly. That's basic management
November 25, 2025 at 8:15 PM
If everything is a top priority, then everything gets done quickly. That's basic management
Reposted by Ian Sudbery
I wish I didn’t have to share this. But the BBC has decided to censor my first Reith Lecture.
They deleted the line in which I describe Donald Trump as “the most openly corrupt president in American history.” /1
They deleted the line in which I describe Donald Trump as “the most openly corrupt president in American history.” /1
November 25, 2025 at 9:26 AM
I wish I didn’t have to share this. But the BBC has decided to censor my first Reith Lecture.
They deleted the line in which I describe Donald Trump as “the most openly corrupt president in American history.” /1
They deleted the line in which I describe Donald Trump as “the most openly corrupt president in American history.” /1
I can't believe that the government had announced an end to the right to trial by Jury, the original civil and human right, and where its reported at all, it's a minor headline on the third page of most news sources.
November 25, 2025 at 9:06 PM
I can't believe that the government had announced an end to the right to trial by Jury, the original civil and human right, and where its reported at all, it's a minor headline on the third page of most news sources.
Reposted by Ian Sudbery
🧵 1/ In bioinformatics, cutoffs rule everything.
What’s “significant”? What’s not?
Let’s talk thresholds—and how they shape your science.
What’s “significant”? What’s not?
Let’s talk thresholds—and how they shape your science.
November 22, 2025 at 2:15 PM
🧵 1/ In bioinformatics, cutoffs rule everything.
What’s “significant”? What’s not?
Let’s talk thresholds—and how they shape your science.
What’s “significant”? What’s not?
Let’s talk thresholds—and how they shape your science.
Reposted by Ian Sudbery
My alma mater, Leicester University, is dissolving its Geology Department leading to the loss of 14 staff. Palaeo is being completely axed, despite Leicester's long and storied history in this area (and its current strengths). Please sign this petition!!: www.change.org/p/save-geolo...
Sign the Petition
Save Geology at the University of Leicester
www.change.org
November 19, 2025 at 9:10 AM
My alma mater, Leicester University, is dissolving its Geology Department leading to the loss of 14 staff. Palaeo is being completely axed, despite Leicester's long and storied history in this area (and its current strengths). Please sign this petition!!: www.change.org/p/save-geolo...
Reposted by Ian Sudbery
people are actually very susceptible to just-so stories about human origins because listening to bullshit helped us survive on the savanna
fake evo-psych has cooked a lot of people's brains
November 18, 2025 at 1:48 AM
people are actually very susceptible to just-so stories about human origins because listening to bullshit helped us survive on the savanna
Reposted by Ian Sudbery
I am on strike this week, in support of colleagues placed at risk of compulsory redundancy.
www.ucu.org.uk/article/1423...
If you a student and want to know more/how to support the strike, see here: ucu.group.shef.ac.uk/industrial-a...
@sheffielducu.bsky.social
www.ucu.org.uk/article/1423...
If you a student and want to know more/how to support the strike, see here: ucu.group.shef.ac.uk/industrial-a...
@sheffielducu.bsky.social
November 17, 2025 at 9:21 AM
I am on strike this week, in support of colleagues placed at risk of compulsory redundancy.
www.ucu.org.uk/article/1423...
If you a student and want to know more/how to support the strike, see here: ucu.group.shef.ac.uk/industrial-a...
@sheffielducu.bsky.social
www.ucu.org.uk/article/1423...
If you a student and want to know more/how to support the strike, see here: ucu.group.shef.ac.uk/industrial-a...
@sheffielducu.bsky.social
Reposted by Ian Sudbery
Saw the sun rise across the Pennines this morning as I was on my way to Sheffield, sadly I’m here because we’re on strike to stand against compulsory redundancies at Sheffield, the continued erosion of our working conditions & students’ learning conditions
@sheffielducu.bsky.social
@sheffielducu.bsky.social
November 17, 2025 at 12:05 PM
Saw the sun rise across the Pennines this morning as I was on my way to Sheffield, sadly I’m here because we’re on strike to stand against compulsory redundancies at Sheffield, the continued erosion of our working conditions & students’ learning conditions
@sheffielducu.bsky.social
@sheffielducu.bsky.social
Reposted by Ian Sudbery
On strike again to fight back against the relentless pursuit of damaging cuts and restructures by the appalling management at @sheffielduni.bsky.social We won't stand idly by while they continue to drive this institution into the ground! @sheffielducu.bsky.social
November 17, 2025 at 2:52 PM
On strike again to fight back against the relentless pursuit of damaging cuts and restructures by the appalling management at @sheffielduni.bsky.social We won't stand idly by while they continue to drive this institution into the ground! @sheffielducu.bsky.social
Reposted by Ian Sudbery
First day of #UCU @sheffielducu.bsky.social strike action today - trying to prevent further compulsory redundancies.
And a well attended rally afterwards with our comrades from @ucuhallam.bsky.social
And a well attended rally afterwards with our comrades from @ucuhallam.bsky.social
November 17, 2025 at 2:38 PM
First day of #UCU @sheffielducu.bsky.social strike action today - trying to prevent further compulsory redundancies.
And a well attended rally afterwards with our comrades from @ucuhallam.bsky.social
And a well attended rally afterwards with our comrades from @ucuhallam.bsky.social
Reposted by Ian Sudbery
This morning picket @sheffielducu.bsky.social 💪
November 17, 2025 at 1:09 PM
This morning picket @sheffielducu.bsky.social 💪
Reposted by Ian Sudbery
Back at the picket line again today. Here’s why: www.ucu.org.uk/article/1423... @sheffielducu.bsky.social @ucu.org.uk #SheffieldUCU #strike
November 17, 2025 at 12:33 PM
Back at the picket line again today. Here’s why: www.ucu.org.uk/article/1423... @sheffielducu.bsky.social @ucu.org.uk #SheffieldUCU #strike
Reposted by Ian Sudbery
Solidarity with @sheffielducu.bsky.social with their strike action beginning today. We need to defend HE against the onslaught of cuts and redundancies that threaten the ability to do creative, radical and important research!
November 17, 2025 at 10:03 AM
Solidarity with @sheffielducu.bsky.social with their strike action beginning today. We need to defend HE against the onslaught of cuts and redundancies that threaten the ability to do creative, radical and important research!
Reposted by Ian Sudbery
Someone told me a real story: an AI team worked hard on a model to decipher the immune cell function.
Someone with biology background: what data did you use for the training?
Someone with biology background: what data did you use for the training?
November 17, 2025 at 12:22 AM
Someone told me a real story: an AI team worked hard on a model to decipher the immune cell function.
Someone with biology background: what data did you use for the training?
Someone with biology background: what data did you use for the training?
You can now using markdown in Google Docs!
November 14, 2025 at 1:56 PM
You can now using markdown in Google Docs!
Lies I tell you, Lies!
The difference in time between now and I can has cheezburger
Is the same between I can has Cheezburger and the Berlin Wall falling
Is the same between I can has Cheezburger and the Berlin Wall falling
November 14, 2025 at 1:02 PM
Lies I tell you, Lies!
Reposted by Ian Sudbery
![[Scene is a kitchen - a middle aged woman called JANET is boiling peas at the stove. A younger more colourfully dressed woman named LIZ approached her.]
JANET:
Ugh...
LIZ:
What's up?
JANET:
I am so bored of cooking peas!
LIZ:
Have you tried...
AI peas?
JANET:
AI peas?
LIZ:
They're peas with AI!
[Liz holds up to us a packet of peas labelled: Pea-i AI - Peas with AI].
LIZ:
Al-powered peas harness the potential of your peas
JANET:
What
LIZ [Now a voiceover as we cut to a whizzy technology diagram of peas all connected by meaningless dotted lines]
Why not take your peas to the next level with Al Peas' new Al tools to power your peas?
[Show a techno diagram of a pea with a label reading 'AI' pointing to a random zone in it]
LIZ:
Each pea has Al in a way we haven't quite worked out yet but it's fine
[Show Janet and Liz now in a Matrix-style world of peas]
LIZ:
With Al peas you can supercharge productivity and make AI work for your peas!
JANET:
What
LIZ:
Shut up
LIZ:
Our game-changing Pea-Al gives you the freedom to unlock the potential of the power of the future of your peas workflow
From opening the bag of peas
to boiling the peas
to eating the peas
To spending millions on adding Al to the peas and then having to work out what that even means.
JANET:
Is it really necessary to-
LIZ [Grabbing Janet by the collar]:
THE PEAS HAVE GOT AI, JANET
[Cut to an advert ending screen, with the bag of peas and the slogan:
AI PEAS: Just 'Peas' for god's sake buy the AI peas.
[Ends]](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:4m3we4apbjayclzcnhwe3pfp/bafkreiayqa37f7kik7l7s7fbtfp2sir5ckb662ry2lylinyjrfa2rkvvka@jpeg)
Reposted by Ian Sudbery
Powerful read processing with matchbox https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.11.09.685711v1
November 11, 2025 at 9:47 PM
Powerful read processing with matchbox https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.11.09.685711v1
Tip for authors: If you keep telling me how insightful/perceptive/interesting/relevant my comments are in your response to reviewers, I'm not going to think you respect me, I'm going to think you used genAI to write the response.
November 11, 2025 at 11:53 AM
Tip for authors: If you keep telling me how insightful/perceptive/interesting/relevant my comments are in your response to reviewers, I'm not going to think you respect me, I'm going to think you used genAI to write the response.
Reposted by Ian Sudbery
yes. being a leftwing ex-Orthodox Jew, I maybe straddle a wider range of views among my friends and family than some (than many?)
it may be shocking to learn that: every bias I have ever seen the BBC accused of, I have also heard someone else say they have the precise opposite one
it may be shocking to learn that: every bias I have ever seen the BBC accused of, I have also heard someone else say they have the precise opposite one
In response to some of the comments:
If you agree with *all* the reporting of a news organisation that is both independent *and* non-partisan, then it's very unlikely to be independent and non-partisan.
This is true regardless of your politics.
Agreeing with all its reporting is the wrong test
If you agree with *all* the reporting of a news organisation that is both independent *and* non-partisan, then it's very unlikely to be independent and non-partisan.
This is true regardless of your politics.
Agreeing with all its reporting is the wrong test
Information underpins democracy and the BBC is a key part of that.
We need to protect our institutions
open.substack.com/pub/christin...
We need to protect our institutions
open.substack.com/pub/christin...
November 11, 2025 at 10:47 AM
yes. being a leftwing ex-Orthodox Jew, I maybe straddle a wider range of views among my friends and family than some (than many?)
it may be shocking to learn that: every bias I have ever seen the BBC accused of, I have also heard someone else say they have the precise opposite one
it may be shocking to learn that: every bias I have ever seen the BBC accused of, I have also heard someone else say they have the precise opposite one