Joseph W. Brown
@josephwb.bsky.social
Comp. evol. biol., fake ornithologist, LFHCfs, Luddite, CSH
I get down methodically
Without regard to my soul
tinyurl.com/G00gleSch0lar
HHGG bot: @whalepetunias.bsky.social
pfp: Chickens exposed to natural beard hair on a mannequin
hdr: socks & sandals
I get down methodically
Without regard to my soul
tinyurl.com/G00gleSch0lar
HHGG bot: @whalepetunias.bsky.social
pfp: Chickens exposed to natural beard hair on a mannequin
hdr: socks & sandals
Pinned
Joseph W. Brown
@josephwb.bsky.social
· Dec 28
I made this over the break. Why would I do such a thing? Am I some sort of #phylogenetics dork? Well... yes, but that's not why. To fully explain I'll have to do one of those sewing-strings-wrapped-around-a-spool dealies. 1/ 🧪
Reposted by Joseph W. Brown
If you’re still hunting for color tools, I’m working on a more user-friendly version of meodai.github.io/poline/ keeping you huedrated
November 23, 2025 at 12:42 AM
If you’re still hunting for color tools, I’m working on a more user-friendly version of meodai.github.io/poline/ keeping you huedrated
Reposted by Joseph W. Brown
Oops. Ooooooooooooops.
I do hope that nobody has been given or denied a job/promotion based on their SpringerNature citation counts in the past 15 years.
arxiv.org/pdf/2511.01675
h/t @nathlarigaldie.bsky.social
I do hope that nobody has been given or denied a job/promotion based on their SpringerNature citation counts in the past 15 years.
arxiv.org/pdf/2511.01675
h/t @nathlarigaldie.bsky.social
November 7, 2025 at 2:02 PM
Oops. Ooooooooooooops.
I do hope that nobody has been given or denied a job/promotion based on their SpringerNature citation counts in the past 15 years.
arxiv.org/pdf/2511.01675
h/t @nathlarigaldie.bsky.social
I do hope that nobody has been given or denied a job/promotion based on their SpringerNature citation counts in the past 15 years.
arxiv.org/pdf/2511.01675
h/t @nathlarigaldie.bsky.social
Reposted by Joseph W. Brown
Astonishing lack of taste by the British Museum.
November 23, 2025 at 4:41 PM
Astonishing lack of taste by the British Museum.
Reposted by Joseph W. Brown
We got published in Ecology&Evolution! We propose an equation from which we derive the fundamental equations of population ecology and evolutionary biology (the Price equation). #evobio #philbio onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
November 23, 2025 at 8:09 AM
We got published in Ecology&Evolution! We propose an equation from which we derive the fundamental equations of population ecology and evolutionary biology (the Price equation). #evobio #philbio onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
Reposted by Joseph W. Brown
I later found out that biology is not, in fact, boring. But you can certainly teach it in the most boring manner possible.
November 23, 2025 at 2:11 AM
I later found out that biology is not, in fact, boring. But you can certainly teach it in the most boring manner possible.
Reposted by Joseph W. Brown
idk how your day is going but today I got to meet two kittens that were rescued bc I told my friend that cats fit her lifestyle better than a dog and two are better than one. I present Bob (named by her youngest) and Palpatine (named by her oldest). Palpatine is extremely stupid so I love him more.
November 23, 2025 at 2:18 AM
idk how your day is going but today I got to meet two kittens that were rescued bc I told my friend that cats fit her lifestyle better than a dog and two are better than one. I present Bob (named by her youngest) and Palpatine (named by her oldest). Palpatine is extremely stupid so I love him more.
Reposted by Joseph W. Brown
✨ Excited to share our new In Brief article in The Plant Cell! Co-authored with Fabian and Bruno, our piece highlights work by Almeida-Silva and Van de Peer that uses spatial transcriptomics to uncover how gene and genome duplications shape plant evolution.
November 23, 2025 at 12:45 AM
✨ Excited to share our new In Brief article in The Plant Cell! Co-authored with Fabian and Bruno, our piece highlights work by Almeida-Silva and Van de Peer that uses spatial transcriptomics to uncover how gene and genome duplications shape plant evolution.
Reposted by Joseph W. Brown
A new #PhD opportunity supervised by @drmambobob.bsky.social and me at the @uniofreading.bsky.social on dragonfly and damselfly evolution!
It is competition funded through the CROCUS partnership, and involves a mix of palaeontology and comparative biology.
www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
It is competition funded through the CROCUS partnership, and involves a mix of palaeontology and comparative biology.
www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
November 22, 2025 at 1:26 PM
A new #PhD opportunity supervised by @drmambobob.bsky.social and me at the @uniofreading.bsky.social on dragonfly and damselfly evolution!
It is competition funded through the CROCUS partnership, and involves a mix of palaeontology and comparative biology.
www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
It is competition funded through the CROCUS partnership, and involves a mix of palaeontology and comparative biology.
www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
Reposted by Joseph W. Brown
Super happy to share the *first* lab publication. Out today in Molecular Ecology - a review of methods used to identify repeated adaptation using genomic data (1)
Molecular Ecology | Molecular Genetics Journal | Wiley Online Library onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Molecular Ecology | Molecular Genetics Journal | Wiley Online Library onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
November 22, 2025 at 5:53 PM
Super happy to share the *first* lab publication. Out today in Molecular Ecology - a review of methods used to identify repeated adaptation using genomic data (1)
Molecular Ecology | Molecular Genetics Journal | Wiley Online Library onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Molecular Ecology | Molecular Genetics Journal | Wiley Online Library onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Reposted by Joseph W. Brown
“You may not believe me, but I just had a bald eagle drop a cat through my windshield,” the incredulous driver said on the recorded 911 call. “It absolutely shattered my windshield.”
The dispatcher calmly responded, “OK. I do believe you, honestly,” then laughed.
The dispatcher calmly responded, “OK. I do believe you, honestly,” then laughed.
Motorist in North Carolina tells 911: 'I just had a bald eagle drop a cat through my windshield'
A motorist in western North Carolina escaped injury when a cat carcass crashed into her windshield. The incident happened along a highway near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
apnews.com
November 22, 2025 at 3:54 AM
“You may not believe me, but I just had a bald eagle drop a cat through my windshield,” the incredulous driver said on the recorded 911 call. “It absolutely shattered my windshield.”
The dispatcher calmly responded, “OK. I do believe you, honestly,” then laughed.
The dispatcher calmly responded, “OK. I do believe you, honestly,” then laughed.
I detect some reticulate evolution in my phylogenetic reconstruction :/
Untitled by Ibram Lassaw, 1983
https://botfrens.com/collections/212/contents/137411
https://botfrens.com/collections/212/contents/137411
November 22, 2025 at 5:07 PM
I detect some reticulate evolution in my phylogenetic reconstruction :/
Reposted by Joseph W. Brown
“History shows us that the right to literacy came at a heavy cost…those oppressed recognized that literacy is liberation. To my students & to anyone who might listen, I say: Don’t surrender to AI your ability to read, write & think when others once risked their lives & died for the freedom to do so”
I Set A Trap To Catch My Students Cheating With AI. The Results Were Shocking.
"Students are not just undermining their ability to learn, but to someday lead."
www.huffpost.com
November 21, 2025 at 3:26 AM
“History shows us that the right to literacy came at a heavy cost…those oppressed recognized that literacy is liberation. To my students & to anyone who might listen, I say: Don’t surrender to AI your ability to read, write & think when others once risked their lives & died for the freedom to do so”
Reposted by Joseph W. Brown
“In botanical terms, this is called a ‘f🍀in’ vibe’” - An intro to moss: www.instagram.com/reel/DRU8h3h...
Planthony on Instagram: "Welcome to Mossachusstts (the arboretum in Seattle) 🌿🌈✨🌌"
2,916 likes, 108 comments - saintplanthony on November 21, 2025: "Welcome to Mossachusstts (the arboretum in Seattle) 🌿🌈✨🌌".
www.instagram.com
November 22, 2025 at 3:04 PM
“In botanical terms, this is called a ‘f🍀in’ vibe’” - An intro to moss: www.instagram.com/reel/DRU8h3h...
Reposted by Joseph W. Brown
AI works* like "I have a friend who knows how to do that, I'll ask her"
you still don't know how
if the friend isn't there, you still can't do it
you won't learn how. why would you, your friend can do it
(ps you have to pay your friend, the cost will go way up it's run at a loss)
*when it works
you still don't know how
if the friend isn't there, you still can't do it
you won't learn how. why would you, your friend can do it
(ps you have to pay your friend, the cost will go way up it's run at a loss)
*when it works
glad to see pushback
learning and skill growth happen when what we knew going into a problem weren't enough to answer and move on. AI flatters you to feel you know enough to get an answer out (often not right, but even if it were!), user doesn't have to become more capable, becomes dependent on it.
learning and skill growth happen when what we knew going into a problem weren't enough to answer and move on. AI flatters you to feel you know enough to get an answer out (often not right, but even if it were!), user doesn't have to become more capable, becomes dependent on it.
‘Study after study shows that students want to develop these critical thinking skills, are not lazy, and large numbers of them would be in favor of banning ChatGPT and similar tools in universities’, says @olivia.science www.ru.nl/en/research/...
November 9, 2025 at 3:01 PM
AI works* like "I have a friend who knows how to do that, I'll ask her"
you still don't know how
if the friend isn't there, you still can't do it
you won't learn how. why would you, your friend can do it
(ps you have to pay your friend, the cost will go way up it's run at a loss)
*when it works
you still don't know how
if the friend isn't there, you still can't do it
you won't learn how. why would you, your friend can do it
(ps you have to pay your friend, the cost will go way up it's run at a loss)
*when it works
Reposted by Joseph W. Brown
"We have a thing on Earth..." began Arthur. "Had," corrected Zaphod. "... called tact. Oh never mind."
November 21, 2025 at 2:41 PM
"We have a thing on Earth..." began Arthur. "Had," corrected Zaphod. "... called tact. Oh never mind."
Reposted by Joseph W. Brown
Agree. I strongly believe that using AI to summarize information is a strong form of outsourcing your thinking.
Summarization is crystallizing your thoughts, and -- at least for topics you are still trying to learn -- you can't afford to let an LLM do that in your stead.
Summarization is crystallizing your thoughts, and -- at least for topics you are still trying to learn -- you can't afford to let an LLM do that in your stead.
Relying on ChatGPT to teach you about a topic leaves you with shallower knowledge than Googling and reading about it, according to new research that compared what more than 10,000 people knew after using one method or the other.
Shared by @gizmodo.com: buff.ly/yAAHtHq
Shared by @gizmodo.com: buff.ly/yAAHtHq
November 21, 2025 at 1:13 PM
Agree. I strongly believe that using AI to summarize information is a strong form of outsourcing your thinking.
Summarization is crystallizing your thoughts, and -- at least for topics you are still trying to learn -- you can't afford to let an LLM do that in your stead.
Summarization is crystallizing your thoughts, and -- at least for topics you are still trying to learn -- you can't afford to let an LLM do that in your stead.
Reposted by Joseph W. Brown
After 10 Fridays, 10 flowers, and 100+ drawings, the Florédex is complete! ✨
Come take a tour of the design and science behind 10 iconic flowers 🌺🧵
Come take a tour of the design and science behind 10 iconic flowers 🌺🧵
November 21, 2025 at 9:59 AM
After 10 Fridays, 10 flowers, and 100+ drawings, the Florédex is complete! ✨
Come take a tour of the design and science behind 10 iconic flowers 🌺🧵
Come take a tour of the design and science behind 10 iconic flowers 🌺🧵
Reposted by Joseph W. Brown
🤖🫧
Relying on ChatGPT to teach you about a topic leaves you with shallower knowledge than Googling and reading about it, according to new research that compared what more than 10,000 people knew after using one method or the other.
Shared by @gizmodo.com: buff.ly/yAAHtHq
Shared by @gizmodo.com: buff.ly/yAAHtHq
November 21, 2025 at 12:17 PM
🤖🫧
Reposted by Joseph W. Brown
omg squee kitty and hog friends
November 21, 2025 at 11:55 AM
omg squee kitty and hog friends
Milo Goes To Graduate School.
Reminder that my lab is seeking graduate students for fall 2026. As part of @oupaleobiology.bsky.social, my lab uses a combination of fossils, statistical phylogenetics, fieldwork, & computational approaches to investigate macroevolutionary dynamics in the marine biosphere. Link w/ more info below:
November 20, 2025 at 4:44 PM
Milo Goes To Graduate School.
There are two types of people: those that align with MtM, and those that align with FtF. The latter are out of their freakin' gourds.
November 20, 2025 at 4:01 PM
There are two types of people: those that align with MtM, and those that align with FtF. The latter are out of their freakin' gourds.
Reposted by Joseph W. Brown
MORE good news: A Canadian bill is just about to receive Royal Assent (yes this is a thing) and soon, if your parent is a Canadian citizen who spent 1,095 days of physical presence in Canada before you were born, you will be a citizen regardless of where you were born and where you live.
November 20, 2025 at 3:48 PM
MORE good news: A Canadian bill is just about to receive Royal Assent (yes this is a thing) and soon, if your parent is a Canadian citizen who spent 1,095 days of physical presence in Canada before you were born, you will be a citizen regardless of where you were born and where you live.
Reposted by Joseph W. Brown
Our latest paper is out with @adiop.bsky.social and @gmdouglas.bsky.social. We analyzed the extent of homologous recombination between bacterial species (introgression) and how it affects species borders (it can vary a lot depending on the approach used to classify species!). rdcu.be/eQAMf
Introgression impacts the evolution of bacteria, but species borders are rarely fuzzy
Nature Communications - It is commonly thought that bacterial species borders tend to be fuzzy, due to frequent exchange of DNA. Here, Diop et al. quantify the patterns of gene flow between core...
rdcu.be
November 18, 2025 at 9:01 PM
Our latest paper is out with @adiop.bsky.social and @gmdouglas.bsky.social. We analyzed the extent of homologous recombination between bacterial species (introgression) and how it affects species borders (it can vary a lot depending on the approach used to classify species!). rdcu.be/eQAMf
Reposted by Joseph W. Brown
New species 🚨, not one, not two, 13 new bush frogs from Northeast India!!!
One of the exciting revisions I've been involved in for a few years now is out today. It is led by @bitupan-herp.bsky.social, a PhD. student who will soon be a doctor.
One of the exciting revisions I've been involved in for a few years now is out today. It is led by @bitupan-herp.bsky.social, a PhD. student who will soon be a doctor.
November 20, 2025 at 9:13 AM
New species 🚨, not one, not two, 13 new bush frogs from Northeast India!!!
One of the exciting revisions I've been involved in for a few years now is out today. It is led by @bitupan-herp.bsky.social, a PhD. student who will soon be a doctor.
One of the exciting revisions I've been involved in for a few years now is out today. It is led by @bitupan-herp.bsky.social, a PhD. student who will soon be a doctor.