James Fleming

I have started using AI detector to make sure my human writing doesn't sound coincidentally like an AI because job apps have such strict word limits that I end up trying to optimise "word/information efficiency" rather than writing like a human and it keeps me up at night a little.

Chromosomal fusions shaped the genome of the greater hornwrack bryozoan (Flustra foliacea) (Linnaeus, 1758) The phylum Bryozoa is an understudied, yet commonly-occurring, globally distributed bilaterian metazoan organismal group. They have a colonial lifestyle and an evolutionary history that spans at least...

#marineinvert folks, not many #bryozoa genomes, here’s a new one, a Norwegian Flustra foliacea www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1... Genome is "large" (at c. 900Mb). Lead by Helle Baalsrud (NMBU) and Ole Tørresen (UiO). @ebpgenome.bsky.social Norway @kjetillsj.bsky.social

I know this is besides the point (a little), but also feel it's core to the cinemasins brand of pedantry.
It is... smug, irrelevant to the story and also... wrong?
Even taking their framework - the Carpathians and the Unita mountains are both angular. Its a self-satisfied, Dunning-Krugered Critique.

My new year's resolution this year was "learn how to draw". Bit the bullet in part because of the AI art stuff. I am not good yet, but steadily getting to a point where I am not embarrassed, which is good progress! It feels satisfying and fun

Exclusive: OpenAI lays groundwork for juggernaut IPO at up to $1 trillion valuation OpenAI is laying the groundwork for an initial public offering that could value the company at up to $1 trillion, three people familiar with the matter said, in what could be one of the biggest IPOs of all time.

And now we watch as, for the second time in my working life, the job market detonates due to the greedy con men and foolish trends.
How many times have I been asked how I will implement AI into my work in interviews and meetings in the last two years? Madness.

www.reuters.com/business/ope...

A young PI here in Mainz has a fabulous PhD position that will be filled soon! By you? Keywords: Social insects, ageing, gene expression. www.blogs.uni-mainz.de/fb10-evoluti...

I did NOT know this!

Assessing the impact of character evolution models on phylogenetic and macroevolutionary inferences from fossil data Understanding the evolution and phylogenetic distribution of morphologic traits is fundamental to macroevolutionary research. Despite decades of major advances and key insights from molecular systema...

🚨New paper out in Palaeontology! Check it out if you're interested morphological evolution, fossil phylogenetics, and macroevolution 🧪

"Assessing the impact of character evolution models on phylogenetic and macroevolutionary inferences from fossil data"

For the Americans I know you don’t hear much global news but Ireland just elected Catherine Connolly as our president by a laaaaandslide ✊🏽

I mean... 33 of 58 PMs went to 3 either Harrow, Westminster, or Eton. It's just observable that folks in power in the UK, are often public schoolkids, and "selection" starts early. At halls at Bristol I was 1 of a handful of comp kids (and 2025 intake was 25% private). It's hard to really debate...

Largest study of its kind shows AI assistants misrepresent news content 45% of the time – regardless of language or territory An intensive international study was coordinated by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and led by the BBC

Largest study of its kind shows AI assistants misrepresent news content 45% of the time – regardless of language or territory. www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/...

Gonna go see Perfect Blue in theaters. A pretty scary movie but thank god the internet isn’t real

Taking the first train home. All Night Karaoke!
We can be irresponsible once in a while, as a treat.

At the risk of Bonding Over Trauma, I am sorry that happened- that sounds pretty grim!
It really feels like academia is stuck (and I suspect a lot of this has to do with it never really shedding the structures in place from when it was a rich man's hobby, rather than a career)

That is absolutely true, you are right there. I don't tend to meet as many folks that stepped away from their PhDs in my day-to-day, but that's an oversight on my part

Yeah, there is something systematically wrong when almost every PhD graduate I speak to has some kind of trauma about it. I feel like I had great peers, a great supervisor and good non-academic support too, and even with that I graduated frayed at the edges.

Spotify has decided that I apparently exclusively want to listen to 80s City Pop today.
And... well... I'm *not complaining*

We’ve had a fantastic few days at #IUCNCongress. Today is the last day to learn more about our species discovery mission. Ocean Census is at Booth 136 in the Exhibition Hall.

I feel like this is especially true because, with all the AI slop/techbro nonsense, TRON is arguably more interesting and culturally relevant than it *ever could have been in 82*.
But in both 2000 and 2025, they dropped the ball on reviving a niche property (especially with the Jared Leto angle).

This is my second time ever in an Airport Lounge and I do have to admit, this is genuinely a better way of doing things.
Now I'm a little bitter about having been kept on the Outside all this time...

Nice to be back in Fukuoka!
Looking forward to seeing everyone for MeioScool!

Alright! Lets get this reassembly cooking!

What’s so mighty about meiofauna?

On the #Shinkai6500 expedition, JAMSTEC’s James Fleming is exploring the hidden world of meiofauna—where thousands, even tens of thousands, of new species may be waiting to be discovered.

@jamesfvfleming.bsky.social #JAMSTEC

PLEASE RETWEET.

Do these comments make the MS better? Absolutely, 100%. They are really good comments and great reviews, actually.
But also this MS was first ready for submission in the middle of last year and I want it to be finally over, please, soon.
(I know the answer here is "gitgud")

A thumbnail of virtual singer Kasane Teto swearing in "Birdbrain"

Youtube outdoing itself with the thumbnail tonight.

There are currently 9,492 marine sponge species recognised in WoRMS. 🧽 With more discoveries to be made, the Ocean Census Science Network needs more sponge experts.

Come and chat to us at the World Sponge Conference to find out how you can support species discovery.

@wscommunity.bsky.social

On the microscopes hunting for samples in sediment today. Or, as I like to call it "Animal, Vegetable, Microplastic".

Of the many writers to predict AI, only Douglas Adams got the tone right

For Dr Sonia Rowley, diving among gorgonian octocorals brings moments of pure excitement. Spotting a familiar species is like meeting an old friend, while discovering one for the first time is unforgettable.

Watch Gorgonians of the Mesophotic youtu.be/H_1n5CQgWo8