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Rachel Mitchell

@funeco.bsky.social

Plant ecologist at University of Arizona, professor, plant and pet lover, parent, baker. Expect ecology, pet, plant, and baking content.

775 Followers  |  1,913 Following  |  155 Posts  |  Joined: 03.12.2024  |  2.2801

Latest posts by funeco.bsky.social on Bluesky

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Just in case you ever forget that #rejectionistherule this was the ranking on a grant declined yesterday by the NSF.

30.09.2025 17:02 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

They aren't screening for testicular cancer by squishing balls, though they could! Wonder why that might be?

03.09.2025 21:40 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

I was literally just thinking about this. You know how they could, but don't screen for testicular cancer? Wonder why? Your modern doctor doesn't mean to cause pain, but our technology is a legacy of ignoring women's pain and discomfort. AND mammograms are inaccurate and lead to painful biopsies

03.09.2025 21:39 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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People Are Being Involuntarily Committed, Jailed After Spiraling Into "ChatGPT Psychosis" People experiencing "ChatGPT psychosis" are being involuntarily committed to mental hospitals and jailed following AI mental health crises.

futurism.com/commitment-j...

21.08.2025 19:39 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

It's good to know that this happens at places like Uchicago as well as UA. Last year we had a big whoopsiedoodle miscalculation of 250 million that led to a shortfall of 170 million. The incompetence is absolutely staggering. Insult to injury, a huge contributor was spending on sports.

25.07.2025 16:08 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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Food Systems Resource Economics Fellow, Stanford Law School in School of Law, Stanford, California, United States *NOTE: This position has been deemed critical/has specific funding, has been approved by the Law School for posting, and is exempt from the hiring...

Are you a natural resource or agricultural economics PhD or postdoc interested in real world policy work? Come work with CEPP's growing food team on quantifying subsidies in the dairy and beef industry!

If not, pass the word!

careersearch.stanford.edu/jobs/food-sy...

21.07.2025 23:14 β€” πŸ‘ 13    πŸ” 5    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 0

But does offloading these relatively easy tasks (that some might argue help you think more deeply about what you are doing) outweigh emissions/data center costs/human toll?

10.07.2025 21:30 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

Cutting until you hit something vital is the capitalist way.

10.07.2025 19:26 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Who is this article kidding? Error prone, probabilistic, hallucinating AI is coming for my University job!

10.07.2025 03:24 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

So many ecological processes are highly tied to VPD. Here, Atmospheric aridity strongly influences fire behavior.

10.07.2025 03:16 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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#terriertuesday #outoffocus Midge says "smile!"

08.07.2025 03:38 β€” πŸ‘ 37    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 0
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The Percentage of Tasks AI Agents Are Currently Failing At May Spell Trouble for the Industry The best AI Agents are currently failing about 70 percent of the tasks assigned to them, as investments are expected to drop off a cliff.

The percentage of tasks AI "agents" are currently failing at may spell trouble for the industry... futurism.com/ai-agents-fa...

06.07.2025 02:04 β€” πŸ‘ 218    πŸ” 60    πŸ’¬ 13    πŸ“Œ 13
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Springer Nature book on machine learning is full of made-up citations Would you pay $169 for an introductory ebook on machine learning with citations that appear to be made up? If not, you might want to pass on purchasing Mastering Machine Learning: From Basics to Ad…

You can't make this stuff up folks:
retractionwatch.com/2025/06/30/s...

01.07.2025 13:57 β€” πŸ‘ 6    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 1
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Check out it's black-bellied cousin, the Kaibab squirrel!

30.06.2025 17:50 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Had this happen with my CAREER. So heartbreaking.

30.06.2025 17:36 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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A nice apricot sourdough loaf today #breadsky

28.06.2025 20:28 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Student review stating "I WILL NEVER MIX UP SEVERITY AND INTENSITY"

Student review stating "I WILL NEVER MIX UP SEVERITY AND INTENSITY"

Taught Fire Ecology for the first time this past semester. Just checked my course reviews: my work here is done.

24.06.2025 20:35 β€” πŸ‘ 6    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

For me, the biggest concern with these plants in the Sonoran basin and range is their transformative nature; increased fuel loads and continuity in a fire sensitive system during the pyrocene will transform the Sonoran.

24.06.2025 17:06 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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ML45159 - Bronzed Cowbird (Bronzed) - Macaulay Library Macaulay Library ML45159; Β© Geoffrey A. Keller; Arizona, United States

Today a bronzed cowbird sang to me at very close quarters. One of the most bizarre bird songs I have ever heard from the gorgeous little parasite.
macaulaylibrary.org/asset/45159

23.06.2025 02:56 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

I love both shows!!!

22.06.2025 01:37 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

What show? Asking for a friend...

22.06.2025 00:10 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

Every time I type ratio it comes out ration. Also bouteloueaueuea....

21.06.2025 03:34 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Abundance-weighted traits are the mechanistic link, here!

19.06.2025 15:59 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Having had close encounters with one of those authors, the invasive species denialism is completely irrational, cherry-picked, and emotional. Great Science and Nature fodder though.

19.06.2025 03:08 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

my hottest educational take is that schools should actively, non-punitively teach students how to admit when they don't know something, aren't sure or have made a mistake, with various teaching frameworks adapted to support this ideal, because people who can't admit fault are breaking the world

18.06.2025 21:13 β€” πŸ‘ 5343    πŸ” 1490    πŸ’¬ 81    πŸ“Œ 116

Post an insect that looks like it's generated by AI, but isn't!

I found one of these in my yard for the first time ever after being an Arizona resident for 30 years. Giant mesquite bug (5th instar; Thasus neocalifornicus)
Glamor shot vs the one in my yard. #inverts

18.06.2025 21:29 β€” πŸ‘ 14    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

We also have a pending submission program that hasn't updated since we submitted in January...R2I2. I suspect that one is also dead in the water.

17.06.2025 17:38 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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#terriertuesday #terriertuned Midge's theme song is Donna Summer's "Bad Girl", deployed liberally when she is chewing something she stole underneath a bed

17.06.2025 16:26 β€” πŸ‘ 61    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 0

Your own post mentions that the applications are similar...so it isn't as though the women aren't as qualified. Recognizing that you've fucked up and excluded women for years, and then accepting more of them that are equally as qualified as men to right that wrong doesn't seem like an issue.

17.06.2025 13:01 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Smart, snuggly, with jaws like a hyena. I've had dogs for 24 years and I will never have another breed after having a border. Midge, murderer of lizards.

17.06.2025 01:11 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

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