Stephen Murphy (smurph)

Using Quarto to Write a Book I’ve spent the last couple of months revising my Data Visualization book for a second edition that, ideally, will appear some time in the next twelve months. As with the first edition, I’ve posted a c...

Using Quarto to write (and typeset) a book.

Ryan (and me) are hiring a PhD student! Sweden is a great country to do a PhD, see the link or ask us for more details, or share with potential students!

I *actually* always have wondered about this, being a botanist by training as well as a plant ecologist etc. Cool stuff.

Job Opportunity at University of Leeds: Associate Professor of Plant Science Associate Professor of Plant Science Salary: Grade 9 (£61,759 - £73,708 p.a, depending on experience)This role will be based on the university campus, with scope for elements of the job to be undertak...

Very excited to announce that we are hiring for three faculty positions at @universityofleeds.bsky.social in @bioscienceleeds.bsky.social: A/Prof Plant Science, A/Prof Animal Biology and Lecturer in Ecology, Zoology, Biodiversity or Ecosystem Management. Please do get in touch to chat. Links below:

wow!

Okay, this is both sick and spot on.

But many people are saying that it is making UNC and America great, Don. And how great is that?

Postdoc in Soil viral ecology - Vacancy at Aarhus University Vacancy at Department of Agroecology - Plant Pathology and Microbiology, Aarhus University

I'm hiring my first postdoc! Apply by 20/4/26, position #20443. Seeking an environmental microbiologist with experience in metagenomics (preferably viromics) and molecular biology. Experience with targeted metabolomics is a plus.
international.au.dk/about/profil...

Precision conservation: the rise of place-specific strategies where protection works best Conservation has long wrestled with a deceptively simple question: not whether to act, but where action will matter most. Forest restoration, protected areas, wildlife corridors, and enforcement patro...

👀

Highlight from Alex's thread (OP source in his notes):

"Since November 2022, the change in occupational mix [~ AI vs non AI] is not different than it has been in previous waves of technological change." As Alex notes, this means that so far the impact of AI (sensu lato) is ~ same as for other tech

New addition to my lecture on the perils of uncritical AI use.

This kind of bias is (one of many reasons) why I don't use it in my own research and writing.

Writers are now jumping the shark.

A screenshot from the New York Stock Exchange website saying that America 250 is ringing the opening bell tomorrow at 6:26 a.m.

I shit you not America 250 is ringing the opening bell at the NYSE tomorrow www.nyse.com/_events/NDE1...

In a hotel room, a brick wall that has obviously had a huge hole repaired

Pretty sure the Kool-Aid man stayed in this hotel room once

🌿 Postdoc opportunity in plant evolutionary ecology/genetics!

My lab in the Dept. of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology at the University of Michigan is recruiting a postdoctoral researcher to start Fall 2026.

We study plant adaptation, using weeds as model systems.

#Postdoc #EcoEvo

Pls RT!

With Iran War, Kalshi and Polymarket Bet That the Depravity Economy Has No Bottom Gambling markets have conveniently found a stance that allows them to continue to profit from death and war.

welcome to the depravity economy

Nature Report, Killed by Trump, Is Released Independently

Just yesterday, experts released a draft report--initially quashed by Trump 2.0 in its first ill-wrought days--revealing the grim reality of the country's ecological health. And yet politicians in Congress are poised to hand the keys to our future over to EnergyTech industries?

GTFOH.

Today, March 8, is #InternationalWomensDay2026. Autocratic govts are trying to revoke women's hard-earned rights; Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians are fighting to preserve them. When women have the opportunity to reach their potential, we all gain. #GiveToGain

"The Carney government's plan to protect jobs in the energy sector amounts to a list of existing policies that critics say aren't focused enough on those at risk of losing work. " CBC News

"There are no targets, there are no timelines, there is no way to evaluate progress, there is no way to evaluate whether it's consistent with the climate agenda and like net-zero," said Mertins-Kirkwood @policyalternatives.ca

...a "glorified press release.

More: www.cbc.ca/news/politic... #CDNpoli

Katrina Sunday!

Unpacking the effects of repression and civil disobedience I write a lot about protest and the ways that repression can escalate violence and lead to more disruptive tactics. So, I was delighted to read these recently published papers that help us understa…

This week, I focus on the recent research on repression and civil disobedience and how it helps us understand collective action and what we should expect to see as repression grows and activists mobilize to push back to draw attention to the growing polycrisis. danarfisher.com/2026/03/07/u...

I get yelled at for saying this but for many hundreds of years people went to university not to get diplomas or be employable but because immersion in the humanities was considered foundational to a good life, and school must return to its original purpose: the joy of learning.

The Great AI Arbitrage: making a killing before your client wises up There is a silent heist happening in the billable hours of every major software agency. We’ve entered a Golden Hour  - a brief, high-stakes ...

This is a great history lesson on the mispricing of labor as technology cuts costs.

I’ve written how hourly billing fields are in an interesting spot when AI does hours of work in minutes. How long until clients figure it out?

This article argues software development faces this given Claude Code.

move slow and repair things

A few years ago I coined the term toponesia for the loss of connection — a place-forgetfulness — that many notice later in life, compared with the fierceness of attachment in childhood.

If you teach statistics, this is a nice real-world example of a cumulative frequency graph: Measles is 'worse than expected' in Utah, officials say www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...

"SHIT"
"FUCK"
"NO"
"FUCK"
"SHIT"
"FUCK"

The Null Hypothesis is Always Wrong No two populations are identical for any trait. No two communities have the same species composition. No detectable phenotype is ever compl...

The Null Hypothesis is Always Wrong!

New blog post - check it out.

ecoevoevoeco.blogspot.com/2026/03/the-...

Coffee, straight out of my nose.