Evan Spotte-Smith (they/them)
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Evan Spotte-Smith (they/them)
@ewcss.info
3.7K followers 2.1K following 440 posts
Ad Astra Fellow, Asst. Prof. of Digital Chemistry, @ucddublin.bsky.social‬ |
Editor, @joss-openjournals.bsky.social |
Personal: ewcss.info |
Research group (@coreacter.org): CoReACTER.org |
ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-1554-197X |
All opinions mine
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Evan Spotte-Smith (they/them) @ewcss.info · Nov 13
Come join me in Ireland @ucddublin.bsky.social @ucdchemistry.bsky.social! Help us understand the messiness of cross-talk in metal-ion batteries!

#BattChat #NewPI #sustainability #electrochem
coreacter.org CoReACTER @coreacter.org · Nov 13
Please share!

The CoReACTER is hiring 1 PhD student (4 years, start date Sept. 1, 2026) to work on multi-scale modeling of reactivity in Li-ion and Na-ion batteries.

Apply by Jan. 16, 2026

#PhDjobs #PhDSky #CompChem #WomenInSTEM #LGBTQSTEM #BlackInSTEM #diversityinSTEM #LatinxSTEM #disabledinSTEM
www.ucd.ie
Reposted by Evan Spotte-Smith (they/them)
disabilitystor1.bsky.social
"Brown said that two weeks ago the UN found malnutrition rates among children in Um Baru in North Darfur to have reached 53 percent.
“This is three times higher than the standard emergency levels. I've actually never seen anything like this,” she told MEE, speaking from Port Sudan."
January 15, 2026 at 3:41 PM
Reposted by Evan Spotte-Smith (they/them)
alisabokulich.bsky.social
#philsci #STS #PhDSky #AIEthics
abeba.bsky.social Dr Abeba Birhane @abeba.bsky.social · 4h
are you displeased with today’s AI safety evaluation landscape and curious about what greater conceptual clarity, methodological soundness, and rigour in AI evaluation could look like? if so, consider coming to Dublin to pursue a PhD with me

apply here: aial.ie/hiring/phd-a...

pls repost
About the PhD: Audits and evaluation of AI systems — and the broader context that AI systems operate in — have become central to conceptualising, quantifying, measuring and understanding the operations, failures, limitations, underlying assumptions, and downstream societal implications of AI systems. Existing AI audit and evaluation efforts are fractured, done in a siloed and ad-hoc manner, and with little deliberation and reflection around conceptual rigour and methodological validity. This PhD is for a candidate that is passionate about exploring what a conceptually cogent, methodologically sound, and well-founded AI evaluation and safety research might look like. This requires grappling with questions such as: What does it mean to represent “ground truth” in proxies, synthetic data, or computational simulation? How do we reliably measure abstract and complex phenomena? What are the epistemological or methodological implications of quantification and measurement approaches we choose to employ? Particularly, what underlying presuppositions, values, or perspectives do they entail? How do we ensure the lived experiences of impacted communities play a critical role in the development and justification of measurement metrics and proxies? Through exploration of these questions, the candidate is expected to engage with core concepts in the philosophy of science, history of science, Black feminist epistemologies, and similar schools of thought to develop an in-depth understanding of existing practices with the aim of applying it to advance shared standards and best practice in AI evaluation. The candidate is expected to integrate empirical (for example, through analysis or evaluation of existing benchmarks) or practical (for example, by executing evaluation of AI systems) components into the overall work.
January 15, 2026 at 12:00 PM
Reposted by Evan Spotte-Smith (they/them)
abeba.bsky.social
are you displeased with today’s AI safety evaluation landscape and curious about what greater conceptual clarity, methodological soundness, and rigour in AI evaluation could look like? if so, consider coming to Dublin to pursue a PhD with me

apply here: aial.ie/hiring/phd-a...

pls repost
About the PhD: Audits and evaluation of AI systems — and the broader context that AI systems operate in — have become central to conceptualising, quantifying, measuring and understanding the operations, failures, limitations, underlying assumptions, and downstream societal implications of AI systems. Existing AI audit and evaluation efforts are fractured, done in a siloed and ad-hoc manner, and with little deliberation and reflection around conceptual rigour and methodological validity. This PhD is for a candidate that is passionate about exploring what a conceptually cogent, methodologically sound, and well-founded AI evaluation and safety research might look like. This requires grappling with questions such as: What does it mean to represent “ground truth” in proxies, synthetic data, or computational simulation? How do we reliably measure abstract and complex phenomena? What are the epistemological or methodological implications of quantification and measurement approaches we choose to employ? Particularly, what underlying presuppositions, values, or perspectives do they entail? How do we ensure the lived experiences of impacted communities play a critical role in the development and justification of measurement metrics and proxies? Through exploration of these questions, the candidate is expected to engage with core concepts in the philosophy of science, history of science, Black feminist epistemologies, and similar schools of thought to develop an in-depth understanding of existing practices with the aim of applying it to advance shared standards and best practice in AI evaluation. The candidate is expected to integrate empirical (for example, through analysis or evaluation of existing benchmarks) or practical (for example, by executing evaluation of AI systems) components into the overall work.
January 15, 2026 at 11:55 AM
Reposted by Evan Spotte-Smith (they/them)
researchireland.ie
Pathway awardee Dr Purabi Bhagabati at @dublincityuni.bsky.social is developing a sustainable alternative to PET plastic. Thinking of applying to the Research Ireland Pathway Programme? The HEI nomination deadline is 20th February 2026. For more visit: www.researchireland.ie/funding/pathway/
January 15, 2026 at 10:42 AM
Reposted by Evan Spotte-Smith (they/them)
williamngiam.github.io
Had a chuckle at this line from C. Thi Nguyen @add-hawk.bsky.social:

"After all, step counts are not the same as
health, and citation rates are not the same as wisdom".

How much freer would we be if we resisted quantification across all aspects of our life?
January 15, 2026 at 10:56 AM
Reposted by Evan Spotte-Smith (they/them)
eicathomefinn.bsky.social
'“Embedded precarity” in higher education is diminishing research quality as staff on short-term contracts favour “safer” work to secure future employment, according to the author of a new report.'

Royal Geographical Society maps important connections between precarity and research topics. 1/3
Use of fixed-term posts ‘stifling more critical research’
Scholars with short contracts seen as more likely to favour doing ‘safer’ work, with ‘serious ramifications’ for their disciplines
www.timeshighereducation.com
January 15, 2026 at 8:08 AM
Reposted by Evan Spotte-Smith (they/them)
laura-j-botzet.bsky.social
New paper – and my first ✨Registered Report✨: Do hormonal contraceptives affect women’s sexuality?

We studied both average effects and individual differences in effects using longitudinal data: doi.org/10.1177/2700...
Positive Treatment Effects and High Heterogeneity of Hormonal Contraceptive Use on Women’s Sexuality - Laura J. Botzet, Julia M. Rohrer, Lars Penke, Ruben C. Arslan, 2026
Different women experience hormonal contraceptives differently, reporting side effects on their sexuality that range from negative to positive. But research on ...
doi.org
January 15, 2026 at 8:14 AM
ewcss.info
The USA is starting needless conflicts, there's an uprising against an occupying force, and I'm terrified for everyone I care about

and here in Ireland, I start teaching ethics soon. I just requested approval for my first study on chemical education. We survive on small joys.

#ITeachChem ⚗️ #ChemEd
January 15, 2026 at 8:52 AM
Reposted by Evan Spotte-Smith (they/them)
drleonardbright.bsky.social
Texas A&M decided to publicly cancel my Ethics class, and share a false statement that I declined to provide information, which made it impossible for [them ] to request an exemption. See for yourself, if this statement is true.

They are getting creative!
tamu-aaup.bsky.social AAUP Texas A&M-College Station Chapter @tamu-aaup.bsky.social · 23h
ETHICS IS NOW CANCELED AT TEXAS A&M

Statement from Dr. Leonard Bright....
Statement from Dr. Leonard Bright concerning the Bush School of Government and Public Service
January 14, 2026 at 10:12 PM
Reposted by Evan Spotte-Smith (they/them)
d-macphee.bsky.social
“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...
January 15, 2026 at 3:09 AM
Reposted by Evan Spotte-Smith (they/them)
ubiquity75.xyz
If you’re in the planning stages of a conference intended to take place in the US…move it. Don’t do it.
January 15, 2026 at 6:36 AM
Reposted by Evan Spotte-Smith (they/them)
clancyny.bsky.social
Mo Ba is a Detroit high school student who arrived in the U.S. from Senegal in Jan. 2024 as a minor and is seeking asylum.

He needs $10,000 for his bond by this Friday, January 16th. He's already been in detention for 40 Days!

Mo's fund has only $420 of the $10,000. Please kick in what you can. 🙏🏼
January 14, 2026 at 2:06 AM
Reposted by Evan Spotte-Smith (they/them)
katie-drummond.bsky.social
Hey! @wired.com is doing a bunch of hiring. Here we go with a thread of five great jobs, with a few more coming shortly:

1) We are hiring a senior editor for our science desk, which means you get to work with geniuses like @timmarchman.bsky.social @mollytaft.com and @emilymullin.bsky.social
Senior Editor, Science
WIRED is where a better future is imagined. For three decades, we have been the indispensable guide to a world in constant transformation. We cover humanity’s biggest challenges, from climate change t...
condenast.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com
January 14, 2026 at 9:28 PM
Reposted by Evan Spotte-Smith (they/them)
tamu-aaup.bsky.social
More on the sudden and unexpected cancellation of Dr. Leonard Bright's class...
further statement from Dr. Leonard Bright
January 14, 2026 at 5:52 PM
Reposted by Evan Spotte-Smith (they/them)
ardenthistorian.bsky.social
Just the White House referencing “which way, western man” by William gayley Simpson (published by the National Alliance, the Neo Nazi group led by white nationalist William Luther Pierce of Turner Diaries fame) AND threatening Greenland in the same tweet.
katerqburns.bsky.social Kate Burns @katerqburns.bsky.social · 21h
“Which way, Greenland man?”
White House tweet- it’s a take on the old “which way western man” meme. It has two dogsleds at a road sign with two options. One the White House on china and Russia together?
January 14, 2026 at 7:18 PM
Reposted by Evan Spotte-Smith (they/them)
neillewisjr.bsky.social
A U.S. official confirmed the full list of countries will include Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Bhutan, Bosnia, Brazil, Burma, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Colombia, Cote d’Ivoire, Cuba, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dominica, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pakistan, Republic of the Congo, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Uruguay, Uzbekistan and Yemen.
January 14, 2026 at 8:53 PM
Reposted by Evan Spotte-Smith (they/them)
choo.bsky.social
Deep cuts to addiction and mental health service funding through SAMHSA, another gutting of health areas that will cost U.S. lives. This is yet another tragedy that will be tremendously hard to bounce back from

www.npr.org/2026/01/14/n...
Trump administration sends letter wiping out addiction, mental health grants
The Trump administration sent hundreds of letters Tuesday terminating federal grants supporting mental health and drug addiction services. The cuts could total as much as $2 billion.
www.npr.org
January 14, 2026 at 6:17 PM
Reposted by Evan Spotte-Smith (they/them)
chemjobber.bsky.social
The 2026 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List has 366 tenure-track positions and 69 teaching-only positions: docs.google.com/spreadsheets... #facultychemjobs #chemsky #chemchat ⚗️🧪
The 2026 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List
docs.google.com
January 13, 2026 at 7:49 PM
ewcss.info
⚗️🧪
bethanyhalford.bsky.social Bethany Halford @bethanyhalford.bsky.social · 1d
I'd like to chat with people who have applied for grad school in chem or biochem for fall 2026 for an article in C&EN (@cenmag.bsky.social) about how funding changes in the US are impacting admissions. If this is you, please fill out this form.

forms.office.com/r/5xUxaqEnfX
#chemsky #chemchat
Microsoft Forms
forms.office.com
January 14, 2026 at 5:41 PM
Reposted by Evan Spotte-Smith (they/them)
bcce2026.bsky.social
📣 #BCCE2026 abstract submissions are open for symposia, poster sessions, and birds-of-a-feather gatherings!

🔗 Abstract guidelines:
conferences.union.wisc.edu/bcce2026/sub...

🔗 Search in-person symposia:
conferences.union.wisc.edu/bcce2026/sub...

🗓 Deadline: March 1, 2026

#ChemEd #Chemistry
Illustration of a pink flamingo seated at a desk using a computer, with the screen displaying “Abstract Submitted” and “Submission Complete.” Text on the graphic reads “Request for abstracts is now open,” notes submission types (symposia, poster sessions, birds-of-a-feather gatherings), and highlights the March 1, 2026 deadline for BCCE 2026 at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
January 13, 2026 at 6:48 PM
Reposted by Evan Spotte-Smith (they/them)
solomonkurz.bsky.social
The 0.5.0 version of my {brms} + {tidyverse} translation of McElreath's "Statistical Rethinking" (2nd ed) is up!

solomon.quarto.pub/sr2/

1/3

#rstats
Statistical rethinking 2 with rstan and the tidyverse
solomon.quarto.pub
January 14, 2026 at 3:08 PM
Reposted by Evan Spotte-Smith (they/them)
maxkennerly.bsky.social
The motivation here is of course racism, but notice how the pretext for it is abject incompetence: "The pause will begin Jan. 21 and will continue indefinitely until the department conducts a reassessment of visa processing."

The Trump admin's own story is that they have no idea what they're doing.
January 14, 2026 at 4:24 PM
Reposted by Evan Spotte-Smith (they/them)
publisherswkly.bsky.social
The Independent Press Top 40 is a new weekly bestseller list that ranks the most popular fiction and nonfiction titles from indie publishers, as sold by American Booksellers Association member stores.
Independent Publishers Caucus Launches Bestseller List with ABA
The Independent Press Top 40 is a new weekly bestseller list that ranks the most popular fiction and nonfiction titles from indie publishers, as sold by American Booksellers Association member stores.
buff.ly
January 13, 2026 at 8:00 PM
Reposted by Evan Spotte-Smith (they/them)
piretavila.bsky.social
📢 I'm hiring! 3-year postdoc in theoretical evolutionary ecology at University of Helsinki 🇫🇮 Apply: jobs.helsinki.fi/job/Helsinki-Postdoctoral-Researcher-in-Theoretical-Evolutionary-Biology/1348955157/
#AcademicJobs #Postdoc #EvolutionaryEcology #TheoreticalEcology #ScienceJobs #AcademicChatter
Postdoctoral Researcher in Theoretical Evolutionary Biology
Postdoctoral Researcher in Theoretical Evolutionary Biology
jobs.helsinki.fi
December 29, 2025 at 11:43 AM