Trevor Caughlin

Confused writing is usually a symptom of confused thinking. As we struggle to clarify writing, we clarify our thoughts. AI writing aids rob us of that struggle, leaving clean-looking text and thoughts still confused for lack of inspection. Writing is not just a product; it is a diagnostic tool.

a man wearing a plaid shirt and a beanie looks down ALT: a man wearing a plaid shirt and a beanie looks down

artisanal, small-batch switchgrass

aerial and satellite imagery from before and after a river restoration project in central Idaho, USA

new paper, led by @nkolarik.bsky.social: monitoring outcomes of ecological restoration is challenging. Satellite imagery could help, but interpretation requires statistics that can identify breakpoints in messy time-series data. We provide a practical guide: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

a man stands in front of a sign that says ' usted leadership for a stronger america ' ALT: a man stands in front of a sign that says ' usted leadership for a stronger america '

after more than 15 years as a scientist, I just submitted my first preprint

Life is all about making choices, and stats is no exception. You can either select the best predictive model out of a big set OR you can look at p-values from a model. Not both! Good news is choosing between prediction vs inference often streamlines workflows and makes writing more logical.

Yay! Welcome back

A map of tree crowns in southwestern Panama, showing satellite imagery of a tropical landscape

A scientist surveying trees in a pastoral landscape with a GPS unit

🚨 New paper, led by Cristina Barber. We used high-resolution aerial imagery to study tree mortality in a tropical landscape. Large, isolated trees were most likely to die--alarming finding! @ecologicalsociety.bsky.social esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

This article is not pro-AI: "Preserving art, literature, and philosophy will require no less than the creation of an environment totally and uncompromisingly committed to abolishing the linguistic alienation created by AI and reintroducing students to the indispensability of their own voice."

Given that a substantial number of people will likely read AI-based summaries of our scientific papers, how should we be adapting our writing style? Are there stylistic or structural choices that will make writing more palatable to our AI overlords?

Images of Dutch urban biking infrastructure. #Dutch

IMPORTANT: The Dutch invested €595 million annually on urban biking, resulting in €19 BILLION saved in public health care costs alone. That’s how smart governments do the math on investing in better mobility.

Let’s be clear— it wastes public money to NOT do it.

#CityMakingMath HT @modacitylife.com

Welcome to Save The U.S. National Science Foundation A Girl Looking at a Physics Model TAKE ACTION Save NSF is a coalition of concerned scientists and allies who are working to save funding for scientific grants through the U.S. National Science Foundation. Our mission is to support and advocate for the continuation of vital research and innovation in various scientific fields. NSF funding is critical to this work. Join us in our endeavor to ensure a sustainable future for scientific exploration and discovery.

I am so heartened to this seriously AWESOME #SaveNSF website go up today!!!!

Has a take action toolkit with:

1. Press outreach templates
2. Social media toolkit
3. Elected official outreach
4. Talking points

Check it out and share widely!!!! Likely more to come.

www.savensf.com

Congrats! Adding to my reading list

The College That Conservatives Took Over The overhaul of New College of Florida stoked fear on the left and excitement on the right. Two years in, what’s really changed?

Was going to post something pithy about how the takeover of New College relates to state of higher ed...but I can't. This place was my alma mater. Its quirks nourished me and I am heartbroken to see it destroyed www.chronicle.com/article/the-...

Cuts to scientific research would sap innovation, leading to slower productivity growth and, as a result, permanently lower economic output.

“It is going to be a decline forever,” said Ignacio González, one of the study’s authors. “The U.S. economy is going to be smaller.”

Trump’s Cuts to Science Funding Could Hurt U.S. Economy, Study Shows (Gift Article) Reducing federal support for research and development could cause long-run economic damage and reduce government revenue.

government investments in research aids the economy!!!
“... a lot of our increase in living standards seems to be coming from public investment in scientific research,” said Fieldhouse, economist and author of study. “The rates of return are just really high.” www.nytimes.com/2025/04/30/b...

A shrub in a desert landscape covered in yellow flowers

A bumper year for bitterbrush flowers in Boise foothills

Such a disappointment when Ridley Scott reframed the aliens in an anthropocentric context?

enjoyed this book on accessory dwelling units in American cities. Zoning for single family homes is not working for many of us; ADUs are emerging as a solution. Author convincingly makes the case that policy solutions, including formalizing "illegal" ADU setups, can help alleviate housing scarcity

Wow! I love this. Any chance of a tshirt version?

65???

They’re in Hot Water in Idaho. Here’s Why That’s a Good Thing. (Gift Article) Nearly 500 buildings in the state capital get their heat from a clean, renewable source located deep in the ground.

Proud of my hometown, Boise Idaho, for serving as a global leader in geothermal energy www.nytimes.com/2025/03/25/c...

This is great. Thank you for sharing

Tenure clock extensions are a scam! Don't fall for it!

We’re making it happen… but the need and timing seems to be accelerating, EO data is an incredible value, and the barriers to entry have been lowering for a while now. The time is now!

Love the idea of a humanitarian satellite constellation

Thanks Miguel!

Thanks Matt!