Ammon Perkes
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alltheperkes.bsky.social
Ammon Perkes
@alltheperkes.bsky.social
Computational ethologist (I like animals and coding). Ask me about vision based animal tracking.

Other topics may include rock climbing, DnD, and parenting.

PhD in cowbird courtship. Currently tracking clonal guppies in the Laskowski Lab at UC Davis.
Pinned
So I know there's a lot going on, BUT my paper just came out in AnBeh, so get in losers, we’re skeeting the science.

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

tldr: @katelaskowski.bsky.social and I used Bayesian updating to model the winner effect and it’s a pretty good way to think about it

1/19 🧵
Bayesian updating for self-assessment explains social dominance and winner–loser effects
In animal contests, winners of previous contests often keep winning and losers keep losing. This coupling of previous experiences to future success, r…
www.sciencedirect.com
First they came for the Tylenol, and I said, "That is so weird, why are they coming for the Tylenol?"
Then they came for the Advil, and I said, "Wait, seriously, what is it with the Trump admin and pain killers?"
JD Vance calls ibuprofen "useless medication" and implies it's not "necessary, safe and effective."
November 13, 2025 at 4:58 PM
I'm just a little science guy, but I think most dems should feel an existential imperative to establish opposition credentials. At this point, even I could plausibly upset an establishment Dem just on the platform "Trump is off the rails and *insert incumbent here* is clearly not up to the task."
November 11, 2025 at 7:15 PM
Watching fantastic four again, and I think the reason most of the movie doesn’t work for me is the near constant, medium-tension background music stringing together short scenes without clear segues. The entire first act of the movie isn’t a movie, it’s a clip real
November 7, 2025 at 1:58 AM
One of the best things about working in Academia is I can almost entirely ignore the time change. Be the stability you want to see in the world.
November 6, 2025 at 5:19 PM
Reposted by Ammon Perkes
Ski Free's icon went hard
November 6, 2025 at 5:09 PM
Reposted by Ammon Perkes
My lab at Indiana University is searching for a *postdoc* and *technician* to contribute to our work studying the evolution of social behavior using fruit flies as a model system. Details below, feel free to email me with any questions! More info on our research: saltzlab.com
November 5, 2025 at 4:56 PM
In this economy?
What's gonna be on your thanksgiving plate?
November 3, 2025 at 4:07 PM
Season 1: Strange Things
Season 2: Stranger Things
Season 3: Really very strange things
Season 4: Bones doing the wrong things
Season 5: Strangest Things (coming soon)
October 30, 2025 at 6:12 AM
Reposted by Ammon Perkes
Bumping this up one last time. I'm looking to hire graduate student(s) to work on an NSF-funded project to study elevational range shifts among dragonflies here in Colorado. @cudenverclas.bsky.social 🧪🌍🐙

Applications will be considered until Nov 1. See post below for more details
October 24, 2025 at 12:24 PM
Reposted by Ammon Perkes
We're excited to be recruiting an NIH funded postdoc to work in the Coop lab at UC Davis. We're specifically interested in candidates who are want to work at the intersection of human genetics, GWAS, and population genetics modeling. Please RT
October 15, 2025 at 3:53 PM
Reposted by Ammon Perkes
A beautiful Bald Eagle circled overhead during our protest in Burnsville Minnesota and the crowd went wild
#NoKings #Minnesota
October 18, 2025 at 9:36 PM
Reposted by Ammon Perkes
I saw a tragically AI-generated version of this poster, so I have recreated a 100% human-made version for all your protest sign needs.
October 18, 2025 at 4:00 PM
Reposted by Ammon Perkes
Our best solution to this problem is encouraging random crushing
If you needed another reason to crush spotted lanternflies, here’s one that may hit close to home: they’re threatening your wine.

The spotted insects have developed a taste for grapevines.
Spotted lanternflies are threatening your wine
Spotted lanternflies have developed an appetite for grapevines, endangering Virginia’s over $8 billion wine industry. The pests could reach California by 2033.
www.washingtonpost.com
October 17, 2025 at 4:11 PM
For a long time my 2yo called every single hole he saw a rat hole. It was one of his first words.
October 16, 2025 at 4:28 PM
Reposted by Ammon Perkes
I'm recruiting a postdoc for my group (based in beautiful Eugene, OR). Please get in touch if you're interested, esp if you'd like to chat at #ASHG25!
We'll primarily work at the intersection of statistical and population genetics, and we also have active projects related to the ethical and social implications of human genetics (ELSI). Please get in touch if that's a combination that sounds interesting to you!
October 15, 2025 at 12:52 PM
Reposted by Ammon Perkes
Spooky bird stories. Last year's Halloween comic.
October 14, 2025 at 2:25 PM
Reposted by Ammon Perkes
This:
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Absolutely yes. And I'm proud that @asn-amnat.bsky.social has led the way on this with requiring code and data editors checking code for about five years now!
Stop treating code like an afterthought: record, share and value it
Scientists, research institutions, funders, libraries and publishers must all improve software practices.
www.nature.com
October 9, 2025 at 3:52 PM
Reposted by Ammon Perkes
“Fundamentally, the premise of the document is inconsistent with our core belief that scientific funding should be based on scientific merit alone.” (gift article) Go, MIT!
M.I.T. Rejects a White House Offer for Special Funding Treatment
www.nytimes.com
October 10, 2025 at 4:46 PM
Reposted by Ammon Perkes
Does a total solar eclipse trigger singing a new dawn chorus?
"It's an empirical question!"

If you were at the @animbehsociety.bsky.social #ABS2025 session honoring Steve Nowicki you saw @rosvall-lab.bsky.social talk about this awesome work! Now in @science.org

#prattle 💬
#bioacoustics
October 10, 2025 at 6:48 PM
I got to see Jane Goodall speak in a very small auditorium in Mississippi when I was like 10 years old. In retrospect, I don't know how we got her down there, but I will never forget her pulling out pitch perfect chimpanzee calls. It's honestly one of my most vivid childhood memories.
October 2, 2025 at 5:20 PM
I have never heard someone pronounce FAFO out loud.

There are words never meant to be uttered.
“To our enemies: FAFO”

(holds for applause that doesn’t come)

Cringey awkward moment as Hegseth summons all 🇺🇸 generals to hear him do a one-man show about how strong we are
September 30, 2025 at 5:07 PM
Looking for a PhD? This is a dream opportunity with one of the coolest labs around.
**PhD POSITIONS** I am recruiting 1-2 PhD students to work on sociality and cognition in Monk Parakeets, starting Fall 2026. Full ad is here: hobsonresearch.com/index.php/20... (please help spread the word!)
September 23, 2025 at 9:44 PM
Reposted by Ammon Perkes
**PhD POSITIONS** I am recruiting 1-2 PhD students to work on sociality and cognition in Monk Parakeets, starting Fall 2026. Full ad is here: hobsonresearch.com/index.php/20... (please help spread the word!)
September 23, 2025 at 6:58 PM
He's right tho. Name brand pain-killers? In this economy?
Trump: "I just recommend strongly that you don't use Tylenol ... I just want to say it like it is. Don't take Tylenol. Don't take it! Fight like hell not to take it."
September 22, 2025 at 10:07 PM
It’s the same story every year: fall arrives and campus is crowded with a bunch of turkeys that don’t seem to know how to navigate a roundabout
September 22, 2025 at 4:54 PM