beccadownes
@beccadownes.bsky.social
Nerdy management academic with a tech background (she/her/Dr).
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3278-5749
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3278-5749
Reposted by beccadownes
'to treat peer review as a throughput problem is to misunderstand what is at stake. Review is not simply a production stage in the research pipeline; it is one of the few remaining spaces where the scientific community talks to itself.' 1/3
AI is not a peer, so it can’t do peer review
If we still believe that science is a vocation grounded in argument, curiosity and care, we can’t delegate judgement to machines, says Akhil Bhardwaj
www.timeshighereducation.com
February 3, 2026 at 8:17 AM
'to treat peer review as a throughput problem is to misunderstand what is at stake. Review is not simply a production stage in the research pipeline; it is one of the few remaining spaces where the scientific community talks to itself.' 1/3
Peer review science relies, more than we care to admit, on what @zey.bsky.social calls "load bearing frictions" that make it difficult to fake good science, and on trust that most ppl also value science itself & won't cheat just for personal gain. This creates the wrong environment for that to hold.
OpenAI just released Prism, a LaTeX editor with embedded ChatGPT for free.
Writing a paper has never been easier.
Clogging the scientific publishing pipeline has never been easier.
It took me 54 seconds to write up an experiment I did not actually conduct.
prism.openai.com
Writing a paper has never been easier.
Clogging the scientific publishing pipeline has never been easier.
It took me 54 seconds to write up an experiment I did not actually conduct.
prism.openai.com
January 28, 2026 at 6:10 AM
Peer review science relies, more than we care to admit, on what @zey.bsky.social calls "load bearing frictions" that make it difficult to fake good science, and on trust that most ppl also value science itself & won't cheat just for personal gain. This creates the wrong environment for that to hold.
Reposted by beccadownes
1. The thing about science that these jokers don't understand is that science cannot be vibe-coded.
Whatever its flaws, the point with vibe coding is that you're trying to quickly make something that sorta works, where you can immediately sorta see if it sorta works and then sorta use it.
Whatever its flaws, the point with vibe coding is that you're trying to quickly make something that sorta works, where you can immediately sorta see if it sorta works and then sorta use it.
“The idea is to put ChatGPT front and center inside software that scientists use to write up their work in much the same way that chatbots are now embedded into popular programming editors.
It’s vibe coding, but for science.”
It’s vibe coding, but for science.”
OpenAI’s latest product lets you vibe code science
Prism is a ChatGPT-powered text editor that automates much of the work involved in writing scientific papers.
www.technologyreview.com
January 27, 2026 at 10:09 PM
1. The thing about science that these jokers don't understand is that science cannot be vibe-coded.
Whatever its flaws, the point with vibe coding is that you're trying to quickly make something that sorta works, where you can immediately sorta see if it sorta works and then sorta use it.
Whatever its flaws, the point with vibe coding is that you're trying to quickly make something that sorta works, where you can immediately sorta see if it sorta works and then sorta use it.
Reposted by beccadownes
Budget is on 28 May. If things get a tiny bit better, then it's only because in 2 short years, they got so much worse. Cuts to essential public services. Record out-migration of Kiwis. Failing child poverty. New Zealand can't afford more of this failed plan. Let's make this a one-term government.
January 27, 2026 at 10:14 PM
Budget is on 28 May. If things get a tiny bit better, then it's only because in 2 short years, they got so much worse. Cuts to essential public services. Record out-migration of Kiwis. Failing child poverty. New Zealand can't afford more of this failed plan. Let's make this a one-term government.
Reposted by beccadownes
Reposted by beccadownes
Just texted a friend "can you remind me when you're around tomorrow/overmorrow" and I just think if a few of us really gave it a try suuuper casually we could bring back this word for day after tomorrow next year
December 31, 2025 at 1:23 AM
Just texted a friend "can you remind me when you're around tomorrow/overmorrow" and I just think if a few of us really gave it a try suuuper casually we could bring back this word for day after tomorrow next year
Reposted by beccadownes
Love this short opinion piece on “mechanical bypass” in analogy to “spiritual bypass”.
The “machinal bypass” and how we’re using AI to avoid ourselves | PNAS
The “machinal bypass” and how we’re using AI to avoid ourselves
www.pnas.org
December 21, 2025 at 4:42 AM
Love this short opinion piece on “mechanical bypass” in analogy to “spiritual bypass”.
Reposted by beccadownes
"An academic discovers a paper attributed to him that does not exist has been cited 42 times" is a sentence with an actual referent in 2025.
Closing out my year with a journal editor shocker 🧵
Checking new manuscripts today I reviewed a paper attributing 2 papers to me I did not write. A daft thing for an author to do of course. But intrigued I web searched up one of the titles and that's when it got real weird...
Checking new manuscripts today I reviewed a paper attributing 2 papers to me I did not write. A daft thing for an author to do of course. But intrigued I web searched up one of the titles and that's when it got real weird...
December 19, 2025 at 5:45 PM
"An academic discovers a paper attributed to him that does not exist has been cited 42 times" is a sentence with an actual referent in 2025.
Reposted by beccadownes
Another way to restart the world’s idea machine is to restore funding and grants to universities, researchers, and artists.
America, you have spoken loud and clear: You do not like AI. But what if AI is the way to restart the world’s idea machine?
We’re running out of good ideas. AI might be how we find new ones.
What if the best use of AI is restarting the world’s idea machine?
www.vox.com
December 16, 2025 at 3:35 AM
Another way to restart the world’s idea machine is to restore funding and grants to universities, researchers, and artists.
Reposted by beccadownes
I'm hiring a postdoc -- come and do awesome cosmology with great people in one of the nicest cities in the world (not that I'm biased or anything) 🔭 🧪
cosmology.blogs.auckland.ac.nz/2025/12/12/p...
cosmology.blogs.auckland.ac.nz/2025/12/12/p...
Post-doc @ Auckland
Looking for a cosmology post-doc at the University of Auckland
cosmology.blogs.auckland.ac.nz
December 12, 2025 at 10:12 AM
I'm hiring a postdoc -- come and do awesome cosmology with great people in one of the nicest cities in the world (not that I'm biased or anything) 🔭 🧪
cosmology.blogs.auckland.ac.nz/2025/12/12/p...
cosmology.blogs.auckland.ac.nz/2025/12/12/p...
And as a picture, it has no meaning. It's not aesthetically pleasing and it has no content. Why are they on a beam? Why are they above that city? Why are they bobble-heads?
At best it's an attempt to recast them as working class labourers but as bsky.app/profile/sifi... says, that's grotesque.
At best it's an attempt to recast them as working class labourers but as bsky.app/profile/sifi... says, that's grotesque.
I guess it's fitting that it's a reimagined, worse version of someone else's artwork
December 12, 2025 at 6:40 PM
And as a picture, it has no meaning. It's not aesthetically pleasing and it has no content. Why are they on a beam? Why are they above that city? Why are they bobble-heads?
At best it's an attempt to recast them as working class labourers but as bsky.app/profile/sifi... says, that's grotesque.
At best it's an attempt to recast them as working class labourers but as bsky.app/profile/sifi... says, that's grotesque.
Reposted by beccadownes
Broke: social media ban
Woke: everyone media ban
Bespoke: butlerian jihad
Woke: everyone media ban
Bespoke: butlerian jihad
December 10, 2025 at 7:34 AM
Broke: social media ban
Woke: everyone media ban
Bespoke: butlerian jihad
Woke: everyone media ban
Bespoke: butlerian jihad
Reposted by beccadownes
If you want students to do well in life, including in their careers, then give them the tools to forge their own path. They don’t know what tools they might need, and neither do we. We should be offering them a rich array of skills, rather than pretending we are a widget factory.
December 9, 2025 at 5:08 PM
If you want students to do well in life, including in their careers, then give them the tools to forge their own path. They don’t know what tools they might need, and neither do we. We should be offering them a rich array of skills, rather than pretending we are a widget factory.
Would university online learning management systems (used to deliver course-related information, lecture slides, and to submit assignments) like Canvas qualify? Definitely if the course uses discussion boards. Even without, arguably yes.
The purpose of that tech is to connect people
#nzpol
The purpose of that tech is to connect people
#nzpol
In other bait news, Catherine Wedd's "Social Media (Age-Restricted Users) Bill" defines a "social media platform" thusly, which is some bullshit because surely it would categorise SMS as such.
December 9, 2025 at 4:49 AM
Would university online learning management systems (used to deliver course-related information, lecture slides, and to submit assignments) like Canvas qualify? Definitely if the course uses discussion boards. Even without, arguably yes.
The purpose of that tech is to connect people
#nzpol
The purpose of that tech is to connect people
#nzpol
Reposted by beccadownes
Hey, so guess what I did? 🧵
Can I prove Deloitte used AI to write this report? No. But that would honestly be the less embarrassing option. The research in this report is below par for a 1st year undergrad, where they even bother to show research.
Let's unpack some of the mistakes I found.
#nzpol
Can I prove Deloitte used AI to write this report? No. But that would honestly be the less embarrassing option. The research in this report is below par for a 1st year undergrad, where they even bother to show research.
Let's unpack some of the mistakes I found.
#nzpol
Just noting which consultancy wrote this report and the history of their reports for public agencies internationally. Anyone check the footnotes of this one?
www.rnz.co.nz/news/politic...
www.rnz.co.nz/news/politic...
Hundreds of job cuts proposed in new report to Wellington City Council
Wellington City Council could save tens of millions of dollars through cost-cutting, such as reducing staff, according to a new report.
www.rnz.co.nz
December 8, 2025 at 11:45 PM
Hey, so guess what I did? 🧵
Can I prove Deloitte used AI to write this report? No. But that would honestly be the less embarrassing option. The research in this report is below par for a 1st year undergrad, where they even bother to show research.
Let's unpack some of the mistakes I found.
#nzpol
Can I prove Deloitte used AI to write this report? No. But that would honestly be the less embarrassing option. The research in this report is below par for a 1st year undergrad, where they even bother to show research.
Let's unpack some of the mistakes I found.
#nzpol
Reposted by beccadownes
December 2, 2025 at 8:48 AM
Reposted by beccadownes
Generative AI is this weird little ferret that is carrying a tall pole with a red flag at the top, and it roots out the worst pre-existing problems in society and plants a little slop-flag in them
eg: how companies have made scientific publishing into a for-profit low quality content mill
eg: how companies have made scientific publishing into a for-profit low quality content mill
"Runctitiononal features"? "Medical fymblal"? "1 Tol Line storee"? This gets worse the longer you look at it. But it's got to be good, because it was published in Nature Scientific Reports last week: www.nature.com/articles/s41... h/t @asa.tsbalans.se
November 27, 2025 at 8:00 PM
Generative AI is this weird little ferret that is carrying a tall pole with a red flag at the top, and it roots out the worst pre-existing problems in society and plants a little slop-flag in them
eg: how companies have made scientific publishing into a for-profit low quality content mill
eg: how companies have made scientific publishing into a for-profit low quality content mill
I don't care if you think I'm an AI. Or if proof-readers try to take them out. I'm never giving up my em dashes.
November 22, 2025 at 5:54 PM
I don't care if you think I'm an AI. Or if proof-readers try to take them out. I'm never giving up my em dashes.
Reposted by beccadownes
I think user pays is a silly philosophy for infrastructure in general but if New Zealand has nowhere near the traffic volumes to fund these roads then…why do we need these roads?
Hard choices lie ahead, Bishop says, as he explains funding the $56 billion in motorways promised by the Government would require a nearly 50c per litre lift in petrol taxes.
Transport Minister Chris Bishop says funding $56b in roads a 'challenge'
Hard choices lie ahead, Bishop says, as he explains funding the $56 billion in motorways promised by the Government would require a nearly 50c per litre lift in petrol taxes.
dlvr.it
November 19, 2025 at 3:49 AM
I think user pays is a silly philosophy for infrastructure in general but if New Zealand has nowhere near the traffic volumes to fund these roads then…why do we need these roads?
Rebecca's law: As an academic discussion grows longer, the probability of concluding that capitalism is to blame approaches one.
(With apologies to Godwin en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godwin%...)
(With apologies to Godwin en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godwin%...)
November 13, 2025 at 5:33 AM
Rebecca's law: As an academic discussion grows longer, the probability of concluding that capitalism is to blame approaches one.
(With apologies to Godwin en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godwin%...)
(With apologies to Godwin en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godwin%...)
Reposted by beccadownes
Tomorrow is the Fifth of November – but let’s forget Guy Fawkes and his actions against an arrogant Protestant king and instead look to our own history: the unlawful attack on Parihaka and, by extension, Māori sovereignty.
🧵
#kikorangi
🧵
#kikorangi
November 4, 2025 at 5:34 AM
Tomorrow is the Fifth of November – but let’s forget Guy Fawkes and his actions against an arrogant Protestant king and instead look to our own history: the unlawful attack on Parihaka and, by extension, Māori sovereignty.
🧵
#kikorangi
🧵
#kikorangi
Using AI for research is a trip.
Ex: Gemini gives me 5 sources, the first 3 don't exist. I Google the titles (to double check they don't exist) & the Google AI summary gives me a complete explanation of the articles that don't exist including "their" key arguments & findings.
Crazy-making.
Ex: Gemini gives me 5 sources, the first 3 don't exist. I Google the titles (to double check they don't exist) & the Google AI summary gives me a complete explanation of the articles that don't exist including "their" key arguments & findings.
Crazy-making.
November 4, 2025 at 1:52 AM
Using AI for research is a trip.
Ex: Gemini gives me 5 sources, the first 3 don't exist. I Google the titles (to double check they don't exist) & the Google AI summary gives me a complete explanation of the articles that don't exist including "their" key arguments & findings.
Crazy-making.
Ex: Gemini gives me 5 sources, the first 3 don't exist. I Google the titles (to double check they don't exist) & the Google AI summary gives me a complete explanation of the articles that don't exist including "their" key arguments & findings.
Crazy-making.
Reposted by beccadownes
what is the point of having Society if we aren't using it as a means to take care of each other
October 27, 2025 at 10:45 PM
what is the point of having Society if we aren't using it as a means to take care of each other
Reposted by beccadownes
Sign this petition about the Regulatory Standards Bill, please
petitions.parliament.nz/212f27b2-98f...
petitions.parliament.nz/212f27b2-98f...
October 24, 2025 at 9:38 PM
Sign this petition about the Regulatory Standards Bill, please
petitions.parliament.nz/212f27b2-98f...
petitions.parliament.nz/212f27b2-98f...