Louie Rombaut, PhD

Wel, no surprise that Coyne used his blog (whyevolutionistrue) to argue with the SSE/SSB/ASN letter about definitions of sex. I'm not going to engage deeply with the letter here. Like any committee-drafted text it reflects compromises; I agree with some phrasing but some could have been clearer 1/N

The obsession with the relative size of gametes only makes sense in certain research contexts. It is misguided to make human policy out of that definition. A nuanced understanding of human sex and gender can coexist with curiosity about the general male-female pattern we see across species.

I think it’s the terminology that rubs people the wrong way. There’s a whole spectrum of distributions that can be called a ‘spectrum’ from unimodal, to uniform to bimodal. Similarly, I don’t think any biologist would insist that ‘binary’ means no ambiguities ever.

A lot of people who actually agree on the facts are talking past each other. Practicing scientists routinely use a binary model of sex while fully aware that ambiguous cases exist in every species at a low rate. In the context of this EO it is more relevant to emphasize the latter.

Letter from the SSE/SSB/ASN councils on the scientific understanding of sex and gender, pls RT

Donald Trump's NIH Pick Just Launched a Controversial Scientific Journal The journal’s editorial board includes multiple scientists, such as Trump health nominees Jay Bhattacharya and Marty Makary, who opposed Covid public health measures.

Here's Wired on that new journal from RealClear.

www.wired.com/story/trump-...

I first encountered rigorous MLS in Sean Rice’s Evolutionary Theory, and I have to admit that it struck me as ‘heretical’ at first. If someone had come up to me with only a verbal argument for MLS I’d have thought they were a crank! I was raised on Dawkins like many in my generation.

Exclusive: how NSF is scouring research grants for violations of Trump’s orders The US National Science Foundation has unfrozen grant funding, but it continues to scrutinize research projects, sowing turmoil.

NEW: We obtained the directions NSF program officers are following to review all grants for compliance with the Trump EOs and the turmoil it has created in an agency mandated to broaden STEM participation. Our story: www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Trump Is Doing Exactly What He Said He Would. Who Could Have Predicted That? Maybe the oligarchs deserve what’s coming. But the rest of us don’t.

Complacency about the Musk/Trump administration has been a self-defeating prophecy open.substack.com/pub/paulkrug...

Elon Musk Wants to Get Operational Control of the Treasury’s Payment System. This Could Not Possibly Be More Dangerous Until Further Notice: Comprehensive coverage of the Trump-Musk Treasury Payments Crisis of 2025

www.crisesnotes.com/elon-musk-wa...

Every single one of these pages has been removed:

Archive:
web.archive.org/web/20240912...

Read the accompanying Research Briefing here: rdcu.be/d79gV

The Evolution of Using Shed Snake Skin in Bird Nests | The American Naturalist Abstract Many species of birds use shed snake skin in nest construction, but this behavior remains poorly understood. Ecological context is likely key for understanding how this unusual, but widesprea...

Why do some birds incorporate shed snake skin in their nest? Rohwer et al. suggest that the evolution of this unique but wide spread behavior is dependent upon nest morphology and most commonly observed in cavity nesting species. Read now ahead of print!
www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/...

This morning our petition has passed 52,000 signatures. We're halfway to 100k, when we can secure a debate.

We think driven grouse shooting should be banned. If you do too, please add your name and share:

petition.parliament.uk/petitions/70...

A timescale for the evolutionary history of sea spiders (Arthropoda: Pycnogonida) Abstract. Sea spiders (Arthropoda: Pycnogonida) are an ancient lineage of chelicerates represented by a single living order, Pantopoda, and a patchy fossil

Sea spiders (Pycnogonida) are an ancient Class of chelicerates with a fascinating evolutionary tale. A new study we just published on the EJLS uncovers their evolutionary history! 🧵 #Evolution #TheLinneanSociety #SeaSpiders #Arthropoda

academic.oup.com/evolinnean/a...

It seems #DeepSeek would rather not talk about certain events on June 4th 1989. 🫢

I really love learning uplifting and important facts, but may I suggest also including links to primary sources? Keep up the good work!

Is good old-fashioned beef not good enough for you? I guess to be ‘woke’ nowadays it’s all about horses. What next? Zebras?

a cartoon says hey everybody an old man 's talking while bart simpson looks on ALT: a cartoon says hey everybody an old man 's talking while bart simpson looks on

Bluetorial-A dream and a bit of a nightmare

Serving as Editor-in-Chief at Science was fascinating. I greatly enjoyed working with talented and committed editorial, news, graphics, and production staff. But the inside look into scientific publishing and AAAS was also deeply disillusioning.

Looks interesting! Will definitely read through it soon.

I think you’re exactly right. The good news is that there’s a whole field of statistics called ‘causal inference’ where you can admit you’re looking for causes at the cost of making explicit your assumptions about the network of causal effects- not always straightforward!

Or the more subtle but more insidious ‘Our drug increases your survival chances by 1% but we’re going to emphasize just how statistically significant that is in our sample of 10,000 people’

I’m hoping to start my own science YouTube channel soon. What resources would you recommend for learning science communication other than learning from creators I like and good old fashioned trial and error?

They were very professional about it in a middle management sort of way. I didn’t end up at Cambridge but at Sheffield instead.

I have a Dutch accent. When I went for my interview at Cambridge I tried my best to do a BBC English accent to make the interviewer more comfortable. It didn’t go down well.

🌿 Hi Bluesky! I'm fresh out of doing a PhD in evolutionary biology and I'm starting a science YouTube channel sharing new research in ecology and evolution for people who never grew out of their enthusiasm for science. I'm excited. Follow for updates! 🌿

Has Bluesky replaced X for scientists? Take Nature’s poll The research community has flocked to the social-media platform Bluesky. Tell us about your experience.

@nature.com is keen to find out how scientists are using @bsky.app and whether it has become their go-to social-media platform. Do you use Bluesky? Has it replaced Xitter? We want to hear from you.

www.nature.com/articles/d41...

#eXit

288? Those are rookie numbers my friend. My inbox runs so many thousands of unopened emails deep that the bottom ones have fossilized!

The point you make about different traits or measurements is a good one. This is not meant to be a real scientific graphic, just a way of thinking about it.

I offer this visual aid to shed more light than heat. Vote A, B, C or D to clarify what you believe is true. Maybe we all really just agree?