Author | Lightnews

Amanda KK @theetreefern.bsky.social · 6d

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Amanda KK @theetreefern.bsky.social · 6d

It’s a little hard to explain, but the fabric gives enough that they work as slip ons. Allbirds actually makes some slip on styles, now that I think about it.

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Amanda KK @theetreefern.bsky.social · 6d

Another thumbs up for On sneaks, but try them on in person since they make so many different styles. Allbirds are also very comfortable for long days.

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Reposted by Amanda KK

Demetre Daskalakis @drdemetre.bsky.social · Sep 1

www.nytimes.com/2025/09/01/o...

Opinion | We Ran the C.D.C.: Kennedy Is Endangering Every American’s Health

www.nytimes.com

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Amanda KK @theetreefern.bsky.social · Aug 16

This rings true w GeminiDR too. Tried prompting for a specific author on a narrow topic, using 4 example refs. Output had Frankenstein refs with made-up DOIs. Iteratively correcting the errors eventually got me the same 4 refs back, but nothing new. Next author, even worse. So, I ❤️ PubMed.

Carl T. Bergstrom @carlbergstrom.com · Aug 16

Just in case there was any doubt, ChatGPT 5.0 still makes up completely random citations that don't exist and should not be used for literature search.

1. David Ackerly (UC Berkeley)

While his most-cited work is on leaf size and SLA, he also wrote explicitly about plasticity in leaf traits, including shape, in the context of ecological strategies.

Example: Ackerly (1997), “Allocation, leaf display, and growth in fluctuating light environments: A comparative study of deciduous and evergreen species” (Oecologia). This emphasizes how plasticity in leaf traits mediates adaptation to light.

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Amanda KK @theetreefern.bsky.social · Aug 8

Seems like you’d want some sort of semantic layer mapping to the language used in a conversational request, no? Btw when my husband tried this yesterday with Claude, it had the same issue then corrected itself.

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Amanda KK @theetreefern.bsky.social · Aug 3

A nice change from #KarlTheFog and drizzle

White fir and lodgepole pines against a blue sky

Reposted by Amanda KK

RootsAction @rootsaction.org · Jul 10

A local NYC baseball coach says he fended off ICE agents during a recent practice.

Youman Wilder said caught feds questioning youth about where they're from & country of origin, so, he told feds to back off & kids to not answer!

Shoutout all of our local heroes!

A Baseball Coach Says He Fended Off ICE Agents Questioning Kids on the Upper West Side

The baseball field in Riverside Park near 72nd Street and Youman Wilder. Photo 1: Google Maps. Photo 2: Courtesy of

www.westsiderag.com

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Reposted by Amanda KK

Eric Columbus @ericcolumbus.bsky.social · Jun 17

Please read and share this statement from Sophie and Colin Hortman, children of Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark.

(via WCCO reporter Caroline Cummings on X)

"We are devastated and heartbroken at the loss of our parents, Melissa and Mark. They were the bright lights at the center of our lives, and we can't believe they are gone. Their love for us was boundless. We miss them so much.
"We want everyone to know that we are both safe and with loved ones. We are grateful for the outpouring of love and support we have received, and we appreciate your respect for our family's privacy as we grieve.
"Our family would like to thank law enforcement for their swift action that saved others and for the coordination across communities that led to the arrest of the man who murdered our parents. We especially would like to thank the officers who were first on the scene to our parents' home and their heroic attempts to rescue our mom and dad.
"Our parents touched so many lives, and they leave behind an incredible legacy of dedication to their community that will live on in us, their friends, their colleagues and co-workers, and every single person who knew and loved them.
"If you would like to honor the memory of Mark and Melissa, please consider the following:
• Plant a tree.
• Visit a local park and make use of their amenities, especially a bike trail.
• Pet a dog. A golden retriever is ideal, but any will do.
• Tell your loved ones a cheesy dad joke and laugh about it.
• Bake something — bread for Mark or a cake for Melissa, and share it with someone.
• Try a new hobby and enjoy learning something.
• Stand up for what you believe in, especially if that thing is justice and peace.
"Hope and resilience are the enemy of fear. Our parents lived their lives with immense dedication to their fellow humans. This tragedy must become a moment for us to come together. Hold your loved ones a little closer. Love your neighbors. Treat each other with kindness and respect. The best way to honor our parents' memory is to do something, whether big or small, to make our community just a little better for someone else."

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Amanda KK @theetreefern.bsky.social · Jun 14

Many good signs at the SF #NoKingsDay march. One of my favorites.

A peaceful protest against tyranny at Dolores Park.

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Amanda KK @theetreefern.bsky.social · Jun 14

Waited for the light to change crossing 5th Avenue outside Bergdorf’s with Candace Bergen

R.L. Stine Cold Steve Austin @bolt451.bsky.social · Jun 13

Right folks. Feeling rather down at the moment so bringing back an oldie

Please Quote this with your most minor celebrity interaction

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Amanda KK @theetreefern.bsky.social · May 10

Yes, it’s the final death flower. Gorgeous, but her end.

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Amanda KK @theetreefern.bsky.social · May 10

Our #agave plant, Daughter of Panofsky, has decided to send up a flower spike after 10 years of good times in the garden. It’s grown over a foot this week! Cool to watch, but I’ll be sad to see her go.

An agave plant sending up a flower spike

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Amanda KK @theetreefern.bsky.social · May 5

If you look really, really closely, there’s a hummingbird perched on the echia flowers, enjoying the skyline. #SanFrancisco #hummingbird #Couldn’tGetAnyCloserAlas

A hummingbird perched on purple flowers, overlooking the San Francisco skyline

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Amanda KK @theetreefern.bsky.social · May 4

My PhD dissertation was supported by a NSF fellowship. Beyond the support, knowing my ideas were competitive and fund-able helped me believe I could belong in science. #WithoutNSF I wouldn’t be where I am today.

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Amanda KK @theetreefern.bsky.social · Apr 26

We do a simplified version of cassoulet in the Instant Pot. Start with some good dried beans, add bacon, alliums, carrots for the base, then wine, stock, sausage. Decadent and good for a couple of meals. www.huffpost.com/entry/cassou...

How To Make This Legendary French Recipe In Just 1 Hour

This French classic usually takes at least two days to make, but the Instant Pot and a few shortcuts can speed it up.

www.huffpost.com

Amanda KK @theetreefern.bsky.social · Apr 25

20 years? This is one of those albums where I hear a song on KEXP (usually This Year, transcendent) and my world stops.

the Mountain Goats @themountaingoats.bsky.social · Apr 24

didn't know @tombreihan.bsky.social was working on this -- an intense read for me that brings up many memories, both of the time the album came out, the times that led to its writing, and the time since.

LonelyPhDs @lonelyphds.bsky.social · Apr 24

@themountaingoats.bsky.social gets even better with age www.stereogum.com/2304727/moun...

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Amanda KK @theetreefern.bsky.social · Apr 14

Thank you Harvard. Columbia, please take note.

Piali Sengupta @senguptalab.bsky.social · Apr 14

Harvard stands up.
www.harvard.edu/research-fun...

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Amanda KK @theetreefern.bsky.social · Apr 13

#CelebrityPigeon NYC

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Reposted by Amanda KK

jamelle @jamellebouie.net · Apr 9

of all the things the administration is doing, i am a little mystified by this effort to completely destroy the science, technology and medical research sector in the united states

Science Magazine @science.org · Apr 9

Exclusive: Weeks after President Donald Trump’s administration ordered NIH to pull $250 million in biomedical research grants to Columbia University, the agency is freezing all remaining grant money owed to the university until further notice. scim.ag/4if5Rg1

NIH freezes all research grants to Columbia University

Amid negotiations with Trump, the university could risk losing nearly $700 million

scim.ag

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Amanda KK @theetreefern.bsky.social · Apr 9

Loved this book, and deeply appreciated when Ben Barres gave me advice and encouragement during a tough time in my training. Such an inspiring neuroscientist and kind person. Rest in power, your inspiration endures.

MIT Press @mitpress.bsky.social · Apr 8

We're disappointed to see Ben Barres's powerful book "The Autobiography of a Transgender Scientist" among the ~400 titles removed from the Naval Academy Library. Needless to say, we're proud to have published his book and will keep it — and his memory — alive.

The Coming Out of a Transgender Scientist

"I know that I am making the right decision because whenever I think about changing my gender role, I am flooded with feelings of relief."

thereader.mitpress.mit.edu

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Reposted by Amanda KK

George Takei @georgetakei.bsky.social · Apr 7

A reminder that if the government can send migrants to a prison camp without any due process, it can send U.S. citizens there, too. I know because this happened to me and my family in 1942.

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Amanda KK @theetreefern.bsky.social · Apr 8

I’ve seen unc-22 come through EMS screens (more ancient times!), but I don’t ever think I did nicotine assays.

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Amanda KK @theetreefern.bsky.social · Apr 7

Excited to use my new Chemistry of Coffee mug. Diacetyl is the smell of C. elegans 🪱 chemotaxis experiments from long ago, and this makes me inordinately happy.

Chemical structure of diacetyl, which smells like butter, on a coffee mug

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Amanda KK @theetreefern.bsky.social · Apr 5

Fantastic article, well worth reading. Captures the grit and beauty of persisting through earning a science PhD, and the myriad ways that NIH spending has benefited our world.

Angie Rasmussen @angierasmussen.bsky.social · Apr 5

I have had it up to here with people who complain that NIH-funded research hasn’t made enough progress or contributed enough.

The generations of amazing scientists trained in US programs—who have gone on to work in government, academia, & industry alike—are a priceless return on investment.

Prasad Jallepalli, MD, PhD @prasad.bsky.social · Apr 4

www.nytimes.com/2025/04/03/o...

Really important piece to share widely. Too many Americans don’t know how severe a threat this Administration poses to our scientific infrastructure, global leadership, and health security

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