John Benning
@jbenning.bsky.social
humanist, scientist, optimist | assistant professor, Cornell EEB
johnbenning.net
johnbenning.net
We're excited to share the final version of our paper, where we demonstrate how confounding remains a thorny problem for claims about causal genetic influences on human behavioral and socioeconomic outcomes. (w/ @jedidiahcarlson.com @oliviarxiv.bsky.social Ruth Shaw @arbelharpak.bsky.social) 🧵👇
November 7, 2025 at 7:06 PM
We're excited to share the final version of our paper, where we demonstrate how confounding remains a thorny problem for claims about causal genetic influences on human behavioral and socioeconomic outcomes. (w/ @jedidiahcarlson.com @oliviarxiv.bsky.social Ruth Shaw @arbelharpak.bsky.social) 🧵👇
incredible opportunity!!
Amy Angert and I are recruiting a #postdoc to participate in a collaborative NSF-funded study of demographic responses to climate across the geographic range of the scarlet monkeyflower. Please repost! jobs.ncsu.edu/postings/224...
November 7, 2025 at 3:30 PM
incredible opportunity!!
I am the most recent white male evolutionary biologist hired at Cornell. I’d like to provide essential context for readers mulling over Colin Wright’s commentary, “Cornell University discriminated against me.” 🧵
This guy *admits* he applied for "countless" tenure-track positions and ultimately had to leave academia because nobody would hire him. He claims, though, that Ivy League Cornell filled their position with a Black person who couldn't possibly be more qualified than him.
www.wsj.com/opinion/corn...
www.wsj.com/opinion/corn...
Opinion | Cornell University Discriminated Against Me
I was excluded from a candidate search on the basis of my race and have filed an EEOC complaint.
www.wsj.com
August 22, 2025 at 3:05 PM
I am the most recent white male evolutionary biologist hired at Cornell. I’d like to provide essential context for readers mulling over Colin Wright’s commentary, “Cornell University discriminated against me.” 🧵
Reposted by John Benning
I say we start by making it less financially appealing.
We need a ruthless anti-scam administration. A total crackdown on robocalls, MLMs, crytpo scams, get rich quick influencers, and fake supplement companies.
Steep penalties and enforcement structures with teeth.
We need a ruthless anti-scam administration. A total crackdown on robocalls, MLMs, crytpo scams, get rich quick influencers, and fake supplement companies.
Steep penalties and enforcement structures with teeth.
August 7, 2025 at 6:50 PM
I say we start by making it less financially appealing.
We need a ruthless anti-scam administration. A total crackdown on robocalls, MLMs, crytpo scams, get rich quick influencers, and fake supplement companies.
Steep penalties and enforcement structures with teeth.
We need a ruthless anti-scam administration. A total crackdown on robocalls, MLMs, crytpo scams, get rich quick influencers, and fake supplement companies.
Steep penalties and enforcement structures with teeth.
Published an op-ed in my hometown paper, advocating for the continued funding of American Science.
johnbenning.net/2025/08/01/a...
johnbenning.net/2025/08/01/a...
America leads the world in science and innovation. Let’s not throw that away.
Published July 2025 in my hometown paper, The Franklin Times. Part of the Science Homecoming initiative. KJ Muldoon was only a few days old when his parents received devastating news: their son was…
johnbenning.net
August 1, 2025 at 4:52 PM
Published an op-ed in my hometown paper, advocating for the continued funding of American Science.
johnbenning.net/2025/08/01/a...
johnbenning.net/2025/08/01/a...
Very stoked to tell y'all that I just started as an assistant prof in Cornell EEB!
More to come later, but for now, if you know folks looking to do a PhD in evolutionary ecology, they can chat with me about this awesome fellowship. 2-pg LOI is due July 31!
www.simonsfoundation.org/grant/simons...
More to come later, but for now, if you know folks looking to do a PhD in evolutionary ecology, they can chat with me about this awesome fellowship. 2-pg LOI is due July 31!
www.simonsfoundation.org/grant/simons...
https://www.simonsfoundation.org/grant/simons-graduate-fellowships-in-ecology-and-evolution/?tab=how-to-apply
t.co
July 10, 2025 at 6:35 PM
Very stoked to tell y'all that I just started as an assistant prof in Cornell EEB!
More to come later, but for now, if you know folks looking to do a PhD in evolutionary ecology, they can chat with me about this awesome fellowship. 2-pg LOI is due July 31!
www.simonsfoundation.org/grant/simons...
More to come later, but for now, if you know folks looking to do a PhD in evolutionary ecology, they can chat with me about this awesome fellowship. 2-pg LOI is due July 31!
www.simonsfoundation.org/grant/simons...
Reposted by John Benning
We begin reviewing applications next week!
April 29, 2025 at 3:57 PM
We begin reviewing applications next week!
Reposted by John Benning
hey hope you were having a good day before you read this
March 17, 2024 at 6:35 PM
hey hope you were having a good day before you read this
Reposted by John Benning
The Kreiner and Carley Labs at @UChicago E&E are co-hiring a Lab Manager/Research Technician position in Plant Evolutionary Ecology & Genomics!
Please see the link for more details and instructions on how to apply: bit.ly/UChiPlantTec...
Please see the link for more details and instructions on how to apply: bit.ly/UChiPlantTec...
February 29, 2024 at 6:07 AM
The Kreiner and Carley Labs at @UChicago E&E are co-hiring a Lab Manager/Research Technician position in Plant Evolutionary Ecology & Genomics!
Please see the link for more details and instructions on how to apply: bit.ly/UChiPlantTec...
Please see the link for more details and instructions on how to apply: bit.ly/UChiPlantTec...
Reposted by John Benning
I have been following the discussion around how best to represent and label human genetic variation, and thought it might also be worth discussing an aspect of the broader context. 1/n
February 28, 2024 at 10:23 PM
I have been following the discussion around how best to represent and label human genetic variation, and thought it might also be worth discussing an aspect of the broader context. 1/n
Reposted by John Benning
New from @jedidiahcarlson.com and I, and with a personal guarantee that there are no AI images. We discuss conceptual and methodological practices in mainstream human genetics that contribute to misappropriation by scientific racists through their own fringe counter-research & online memes.
Frontiers | Typological thinking in human genomics research contributes to the production and prominence of scientific racism
<p>Public genomic datasets like the 1000 Genomes project (1KGP), Human Genome Diversity Project (HGDP), and the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD)...
www.frontiersin.org
February 19, 2024 at 7:03 PM
New from @jedidiahcarlson.com and I, and with a personal guarantee that there are no AI images. We discuss conceptual and methodological practices in mainstream human genetics that contribute to misappropriation by scientific racists through their own fringe counter-research & online memes.
PSA for ppl sympathetic to hereditarian arguments: it should give you pause that of the academics ascribing to genetic determinism, few are biologists. Exceedingly few are experimental biologists. It's v hard to believe simplistic genetic narratives once you actually... 1/
February 1, 2024 at 5:58 PM
PSA for ppl sympathetic to hereditarian arguments: it should give you pause that of the academics ascribing to genetic determinism, few are biologists. Exceedingly few are experimental biologists. It's v hard to believe simplistic genetic narratives once you actually... 1/
Reposted by John Benning
excited to see this out! Haoran put in a *ton* of work on this really cool, classic system
Genomic evidence for supergene control of Darwin's 'complex marriage arrangement' - the tristylous floral polymorphism https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.01.15.575583v1
Genomic evidence for supergene control of Darwin's 'complex marriage arrangement' - the tristylous floral polymorphism https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.01.15.575583v1
Tristyly is a sexual polymorphism characterized by three flower morphs with reciprocal stigma and an
www.biorxiv.org
January 18, 2024 at 3:51 AM
excited to see this out! Haoran put in a *ton* of work on this really cool, classic system
Reposted by John Benning
Please help spread the word! I made a feed for ecology evolution ECR on all things career-related :) Feed + more details here: bsky.app/profile/did:...
🌏🧪 #AcademicSky #ScienceSky #PhDChat
🌏🧪 #AcademicSky #ScienceSky #PhDChat
Welcome to the Ecology Evolution ECR careers feed!
It's geared towards highlighting jobs, funding opportunities, and general career chats for early-career researchers. Contribute by tagging posts with #EcoECRcareer
Ground rules:
- no unpaid/pay-to-play opportunities
- use alt text
- be respectful
It's geared towards highlighting jobs, funding opportunities, and general career chats for early-career researchers. Contribute by tagging posts with #EcoECRcareer
Ground rules:
- no unpaid/pay-to-play opportunities
- use alt text
- be respectful
January 9, 2024 at 10:01 AM
Please help spread the word! I made a feed for ecology evolution ECR on all things career-related :) Feed + more details here: bsky.app/profile/did:...
🌏🧪 #AcademicSky #ScienceSky #PhDChat
🌏🧪 #AcademicSky #ScienceSky #PhDChat
Reposted by John Benning
The Kern-Ralph CoLab is looking for postdocs to join us in Oregon!
January 9, 2024 at 12:25 PM
The Kern-Ralph CoLab is looking for postdocs to join us in Oregon!
Reposted by John Benning
Defining fitness in evolutionary ecology
A primer we hope will be of use to all learners!
#evolution #plantscience 🧪🌍🌎🌏
A primer we hope will be of use to all learners!
#evolution #plantscience 🧪🌍🌎🌏
JA and OA @ijpsjournal.bsky.social
Primers on the Plant Sciences: Defining fitness in evolutionary ecology
@smwadgymar.bsky.social, @seemasheth.bsky.social, @emjo.bsky.social, Megan deMarche, Jill Anderson
www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/epdf/10....
#PlantScience
Primers on the Plant Sciences: Defining fitness in evolutionary ecology
@smwadgymar.bsky.social, @seemasheth.bsky.social, @emjo.bsky.social, Megan deMarche, Jill Anderson
www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/epdf/10....
#PlantScience
January 7, 2024 at 8:57 PM
Defining fitness in evolutionary ecology
A primer we hope will be of use to all learners!
#evolution #plantscience 🧪🌍🌎🌏
A primer we hope will be of use to all learners!
#evolution #plantscience 🧪🌍🌎🌏
made a few updates to the EcoEvo Jobs app -- a lil more data, marginal histograms and, for the masochists, the ability to plot your own stats for comparison 🙃
Check it out here:
john-benning.shinyapps.io/shiny/
Check it out here:
john-benning.shinyapps.io/shiny/
January 2, 2024 at 9:57 PM
made a few updates to the EcoEvo Jobs app -- a lil more data, marginal histograms and, for the masochists, the ability to plot your own stats for comparison 🙃
Check it out here:
john-benning.shinyapps.io/shiny/
Check it out here:
john-benning.shinyapps.io/shiny/
Reposted by John Benning
I write about why and how should we talk about behavioral heritability [ gusevlab.org/projects/hsq... ]. A partial response to the Hastings Report [ pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37078667/ ], which I found to be important but also fundamentally flawed in it's proposed solutions. Key points 🧵 :
December 29, 2023 at 9:07 PM
I write about why and how should we talk about behavioral heritability [ gusevlab.org/projects/hsq... ]. A partial response to the Hastings Report [ pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37078667/ ], which I found to be important but also fundamentally flawed in it's proposed solutions. Key points 🧵 :
trying to think more about how genetic architecture of a trait in a population can change between environments. eg, mainly additive effects in env_1, mainly cytonuclear effects in env_2.
anyone have favorite papers touching on this idea? #evolution #genetics
anyone have favorite papers touching on this idea? #evolution #genetics
December 29, 2023 at 5:03 PM
trying to think more about how genetic architecture of a trait in a population can change between environments. eg, mainly additive effects in env_1, mainly cytonuclear effects in env_2.
anyone have favorite papers touching on this idea? #evolution #genetics
anyone have favorite papers touching on this idea? #evolution #genetics
Do you think about range expansions, dispersal evolution, invasions?? Check out our new preprint:
"Environmental gradients mediate dispersal evolution during biological invasions" doi.org/10.1101/2023...
"Environmental gradients mediate dispersal evolution during biological invasions" doi.org/10.1101/2023...
December 18, 2023 at 5:22 PM
Do you think about range expansions, dispersal evolution, invasions?? Check out our new preprint:
"Environmental gradients mediate dispersal evolution during biological invasions" doi.org/10.1101/2023...
"Environmental gradients mediate dispersal evolution during biological invasions" doi.org/10.1101/2023...
Reposted by John Benning
Really excited for Sasha Bishop's defense tomorrow! If you are interested in global change, resurrection experiments, and multivariate trait evolution, you will enjoy this talk!!
December 15, 2023 at 1:37 AM
Really excited for Sasha Bishop's defense tomorrow! If you are interested in global change, resurrection experiments, and multivariate trait evolution, you will enjoy this talk!!
Anyone have any experience with Bayesian hurdle models where there are *two* sequential Bernoulli processes, followed by a Poisson?
December 14, 2023 at 11:23 PM
Anyone have any experience with Bayesian hurdle models where there are *two* sequential Bernoulli processes, followed by a Poisson?