Bethan Clark
@bethanclark.bsky.social
PhD student interested in evo-devo studying cichlid fish pigmentation in Santos lab, Uni of Cambridge | Now based near Oxford | she/they
Reposted by Bethan Clark
Mm hm. No mention of the sexism Franklin was constantly forced to endure in this cosy little, “they were all respectful colleagues, actually” article.
![Comments from Watson and Crick reveal the gender harassment that Franklin endured in the lab. Throughout The Double Helix, Watson's famous 1968 book recounting the race to the famous structure, Watson condescendingly refers to Franklin as "Rosy," a nickname never used to
her face. "There was never lipstick to contrast with her straight black hair, while at the age of thirty-one her dresses showed all the imagination of English blue-stocking adolescents," he writes, though neglecting to critique his male colleagues' cosmetic or sartorial choices.
He adds that her "belligerent moods" interfered with Wilkins' ability to "maintain a dominant position that would allow him to think unhindered about DNA." For that reason, " [c]learly Rosy had to go or be put in her place. ... The thought could not be avoided that the best home for a feminist was in another person's lab." In the 1993 book Nobel Prize Women in Science, Crick was quoted as saying, "I'm afraid we always used to adopt-let's say, a patronizing attitude towards her."](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:icsm7hd2dok5lxddyrig4gbt/bafkreiewhgtr2ax623ct6za3ap67uvjdxz5sjac7nirhnhcohb4gl75xii@jpeg)
November 8, 2025 at 12:16 PM
Mm hm. No mention of the sexism Franklin was constantly forced to endure in this cosy little, “they were all respectful colleagues, actually” article.
Reposted by Bethan Clark
A Sharon Begley byline, almost 5 years after her death.
Upon hearing the news James Watson had died, a STAT reporter said in our Slack, "I wish I could read what Sharon would have written."
Incredible news: Sharon in fact did pre-write a Watson obit. And it is masterful and excoriating.
🧪🧬🧫
Upon hearing the news James Watson had died, a STAT reporter said in our Slack, "I wish I could read what Sharon would have written."
Incredible news: Sharon in fact did pre-write a Watson obit. And it is masterful and excoriating.
🧪🧬🧫
James Watson, dead at 97, was a scientific legend and a pariah among his peers
James Watson, the co-discoverer of the structure of DNA who died Thursday at 97, was a scientific legend and a pariah among his peers.
www.statnews.com
November 8, 2025 at 1:39 PM
A Sharon Begley byline, almost 5 years after her death.
Upon hearing the news James Watson had died, a STAT reporter said in our Slack, "I wish I could read what Sharon would have written."
Incredible news: Sharon in fact did pre-write a Watson obit. And it is masterful and excoriating.
🧪🧬🧫
Upon hearing the news James Watson had died, a STAT reporter said in our Slack, "I wish I could read what Sharon would have written."
Incredible news: Sharon in fact did pre-write a Watson obit. And it is masterful and excoriating.
🧪🧬🧫
Reposted by Bethan Clark
I like this piece a lot about Rosalind Franklin’s role in solving the structure of DNA. It really respects her as a full scientist - what she saw, what she didn’t appreciate, what could have been if she’d had true peers to support her, or had not died so young.
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
What Rosalind Franklin truly contributed to the discovery of DNA’s structure
Franklin was no victim in how the DNA double helix was solved. An overlooked letter and an unpublished news article, both written in 1953, reveal that she was an equal player.
www.nature.com
November 9, 2025 at 12:00 AM
I like this piece a lot about Rosalind Franklin’s role in solving the structure of DNA. It really respects her as a full scientist - what she saw, what she didn’t appreciate, what could have been if she’d had true peers to support her, or had not died so young.
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Reposted by Bethan Clark
If we let the paid employees of a small number of ethics-free AI companies dictate the directions in which our scholarship should develop and the ways in which researchers must go about their work now, we are indeed fucking ourselves over.
November 1, 2025 at 10:47 PM
If we let the paid employees of a small number of ethics-free AI companies dictate the directions in which our scholarship should develop and the ways in which researchers must go about their work now, we are indeed fucking ourselves over.
Reposted by Bethan Clark
friend shared this, immediately updated my settings
October 27, 2025 at 4:28 PM
friend shared this, immediately updated my settings
Reposted by Bethan Clark
The best way to counter this tactic is to familiarize yourself with the database of dogwhistles. The ADL is deeply problematic in so, so many ways, but they maintain the best and most solid database of symbolism: www.adl.org/resources/ha...
www.adl.org
October 22, 2025 at 7:26 AM
The best way to counter this tactic is to familiarize yourself with the database of dogwhistles. The ADL is deeply problematic in so, so many ways, but they maintain the best and most solid database of symbolism: www.adl.org/resources/ha...
Reposted by Bethan Clark
"Who decides what is normal development? Who decides what is natural biodiversity or pathological deviation? Who defines the distinction between defect and difference?"
Eugenic attacks on people who are disabled, neurodivergent, queer, trans... They are all linked by fear of diversity
Eugenic attacks on people who are disabled, neurodivergent, queer, trans... They are all linked by fear of diversity
Developmental Biology and Disability.
“Developmental biology is fundamentally beautiful. We are no less beautiful for our variation. Instead, perhaps we are more so. Perhaps we are remarkable. Perhaps we are full of wonder.”
Insightful post by Bethan ⬇️👀
thenode.biologists.com/developmenta...
“Developmental biology is fundamentally beautiful. We are no less beautiful for our variation. Instead, perhaps we are more so. Perhaps we are remarkable. Perhaps we are full of wonder.”
Insightful post by Bethan ⬇️👀
thenode.biologists.com/developmenta...
Developmental Biology and Disability - the Node
Hopeful monsters. Morphospace. Mutation. Natural variation. Mutagenesis screens. Polymorphism. Deformity. Phenotype. Disease. Adaptation. Anomaly.
thenode.biologists.com
October 6, 2025 at 2:51 PM
"Who decides what is normal development? Who decides what is natural biodiversity or pathological deviation? Who defines the distinction between defect and difference?"
Eugenic attacks on people who are disabled, neurodivergent, queer, trans... They are all linked by fear of diversity
Eugenic attacks on people who are disabled, neurodivergent, queer, trans... They are all linked by fear of diversity
Reposted by Bethan Clark
I suppose if the question here is 'why don't these fields produce new discoveries at the same rate as the sciences' the answer is a pretty obvious, 'because they're not funded like the sciences.'
We could do a lot of archaeology with, say, a few billion dollars a year!
We could do a lot of archaeology with, say, a few billion dollars a year!
October 13, 2025 at 2:42 PM
I suppose if the question here is 'why don't these fields produce new discoveries at the same rate as the sciences' the answer is a pretty obvious, 'because they're not funded like the sciences.'
We could do a lot of archaeology with, say, a few billion dollars a year!
We could do a lot of archaeology with, say, a few billion dollars a year!
Reposted by Bethan Clark
Who defines the distinction between defect and difference?
This is an incredibly important conversation and one that is close to my heart. A moving and eloquent article, from top to bottom.
This is an incredibly important conversation and one that is close to my heart. A moving and eloquent article, from top to bottom.
I wrote something on developmental biology and disability and put it up on the node last night:
thenode.biologists.com/developmenta...
I've been nervous to share because some of it veers a bit personal but they are thoughts that won't stay quiet. Would love to know what people think about it!
thenode.biologists.com/developmenta...
I've been nervous to share because some of it veers a bit personal but they are thoughts that won't stay quiet. Would love to know what people think about it!
Developmental Biology and Disability - the Node
Hopeful monsters. Morphospace. Mutation. Natural variation. Mutagenesis screens. Polymorphism. Deformity. Phenotype. Disease. Adaptation. Anomaly.
thenode.biologists.com
September 30, 2025 at 1:25 PM
Who defines the distinction between defect and difference?
This is an incredibly important conversation and one that is close to my heart. A moving and eloquent article, from top to bottom.
This is an incredibly important conversation and one that is close to my heart. A moving and eloquent article, from top to bottom.
I wrote something on developmental biology and disability and put it up on the node last night:
thenode.biologists.com/developmenta...
I've been nervous to share because some of it veers a bit personal but they are thoughts that won't stay quiet. Would love to know what people think about it!
thenode.biologists.com/developmenta...
I've been nervous to share because some of it veers a bit personal but they are thoughts that won't stay quiet. Would love to know what people think about it!
Developmental Biology and Disability - the Node
Hopeful monsters. Morphospace. Mutation. Natural variation. Mutagenesis screens. Polymorphism. Deformity. Phenotype. Disease. Adaptation. Anomaly.
thenode.biologists.com
September 30, 2025 at 9:38 AM
I wrote something on developmental biology and disability and put it up on the node last night:
thenode.biologists.com/developmenta...
I've been nervous to share because some of it veers a bit personal but they are thoughts that won't stay quiet. Would love to know what people think about it!
thenode.biologists.com/developmenta...
I've been nervous to share because some of it veers a bit personal but they are thoughts that won't stay quiet. Would love to know what people think about it!
Reposted by Bethan Clark
This, from the Quakers, is a pretty good example of how to resist pressure from bigot lobbying groups. Effectively “we legally can allow trans people to use the loo, we morally should, and we tried it and nothing bad happened”
www.quaker.org.uk
August 28, 2025 at 12:16 PM
This, from the Quakers, is a pretty good example of how to resist pressure from bigot lobbying groups. Effectively “we legally can allow trans people to use the loo, we morally should, and we tried it and nothing bad happened”
Reposted by Bethan Clark
I am one of the 14 authors who chose to leave the Polari Prize, and I find myself frustrated and saddened at the way this entire story has been represented. 1/
John Boyne says LGBTQ+ fiction prize backlash brought him ‘close to the edge’
John Boyne says LGBTQ+ fiction prize backlash brought him ‘close to the edge’
Gender critical novelist urges writers to reenter prize they boycotted and may ask judges not to shortlist his novella
The gender critical Irish novelist John Boyne has said he has been brought “very close to the edge” by the backlash to his inclusion on the longlist for a literary prize for LGBTQ+ authors.
Ten authors and two judges withdrew from the Polari prize and more than 800 writers and publishing industry workers signed a petition calling on Polari to remove Boyne’s novella Earth from its longlist. Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com
August 15, 2025 at 9:58 AM
I am one of the 14 authors who chose to leave the Polari Prize, and I find myself frustrated and saddened at the way this entire story has been represented. 1/
Reposted by Bethan Clark
And in particular I was struck by how it is the ability to 'do' a field - or at least *feel* like you are 'doing' a field - *in plain language* which invites this kind of response.
What LLMs have done to physics and many other STEM fields is brought the fake-doing-of-them into plain language. 3/
What LLMs have done to physics and many other STEM fields is brought the fake-doing-of-them into plain language. 3/
July 25, 2025 at 9:59 PM
And in particular I was struck by how it is the ability to 'do' a field - or at least *feel* like you are 'doing' a field - *in plain language* which invites this kind of response.
What LLMs have done to physics and many other STEM fields is brought the fake-doing-of-them into plain language. 3/
What LLMs have done to physics and many other STEM fields is brought the fake-doing-of-them into plain language. 3/
Reposted by Bethan Clark
But because there's no giant 'history formula,' no tables of strange symbols (well, amusingly, there *are* but you don't work with them until you are much deeper in the field), folks assume that history is easy, does not require special skills and so contemptible. 12/
July 25, 2025 at 9:59 PM
But because there's no giant 'history formula,' no tables of strange symbols (well, amusingly, there *are* but you don't work with them until you are much deeper in the field), folks assume that history is easy, does not require special skills and so contemptible. 12/
Reposted by Bethan Clark
There’s a thing in games where people want skill to matter in a very specific way - they want it to be possible for them to beat better player, but impossible for a less good player to beat them.
I feel like the same folks can only imagine a past where they are as well or better off than they are.
I feel like the same folks can only imagine a past where they are as well or better off than they are.
The thing to understand - which the people peddling these fantasies often don't - is that the desire here isn't the 'past,' but being an aristocrat in a tightly controlled, authoritarian society.
They imagine a narrow hierarchy where they are, by dint of birth, at the top.
Dreams of feudalism.
They imagine a narrow hierarchy where they are, by dint of birth, at the top.
Dreams of feudalism.
Quick question: Are people insane?
July 21, 2025 at 4:21 PM
There’s a thing in games where people want skill to matter in a very specific way - they want it to be possible for them to beat better player, but impossible for a less good player to beat them.
I feel like the same folks can only imagine a past where they are as well or better off than they are.
I feel like the same folks can only imagine a past where they are as well or better off than they are.
Reposted by Bethan Clark
The thing to understand - which the people peddling these fantasies often don't - is that the desire here isn't the 'past,' but being an aristocrat in a tightly controlled, authoritarian society.
They imagine a narrow hierarchy where they are, by dint of birth, at the top.
Dreams of feudalism.
They imagine a narrow hierarchy where they are, by dint of birth, at the top.
Dreams of feudalism.
July 21, 2025 at 4:07 PM
The thing to understand - which the people peddling these fantasies often don't - is that the desire here isn't the 'past,' but being an aristocrat in a tightly controlled, authoritarian society.
They imagine a narrow hierarchy where they are, by dint of birth, at the top.
Dreams of feudalism.
They imagine a narrow hierarchy where they are, by dint of birth, at the top.
Dreams of feudalism.
Reposted by Bethan Clark
There is a difference between separating the art from the artist... and separating the transaction from the art.
If your method of engagement with the art funnels funding to a hate group, or clout someone will weaponize it, the art is not the issue.
If your method of engagement with the art funnels funding to a hate group, or clout someone will weaponize it, the art is not the issue.
July 3, 2025 at 9:04 AM
There is a difference between separating the art from the artist... and separating the transaction from the art.
If your method of engagement with the art funnels funding to a hate group, or clout someone will weaponize it, the art is not the issue.
If your method of engagement with the art funnels funding to a hate group, or clout someone will weaponize it, the art is not the issue.
Reposted by Bethan Clark
Turning online archives into resources for training data not only exploits and devalues the archived works, but also renders these archives literally unusable. Like all extractivist business models, #genAI ultimately threatens to destroy its own foundations. It's not generative, but destructive
Just went looking for something at the excellent Hagley Digital Archives, and was greeted by the message below.
They're being overrun by bots, as "AI systems increasingly target sites like ours to train machine learning models."
The web is being murdered. So aggravating.
digital.hagley.org
They're being overrun by bots, as "AI systems increasingly target sites like ours to train machine learning models."
The web is being murdered. So aggravating.
digital.hagley.org
June 27, 2025 at 5:47 AM
Turning online archives into resources for training data not only exploits and devalues the archived works, but also renders these archives literally unusable. Like all extractivist business models, #genAI ultimately threatens to destroy its own foundations. It's not generative, but destructive
Reposted by Bethan Clark
It benefits those in control of society to have everyone think that it's impossible - physically, spirituality, biologically - to subvert the current order. Tudor social mores told people a commoner couldn't wear velvet, and patriarchy tells us that male and female are exclusive categories of being.
June 28, 2025 at 9:34 AM
It benefits those in control of society to have everyone think that it's impossible - physically, spirituality, biologically - to subvert the current order. Tudor social mores told people a commoner couldn't wear velvet, and patriarchy tells us that male and female are exclusive categories of being.
Reposted by Bethan Clark
There have been places and times where you couldn't wear certain fabrics if you weren't of the right class. Your place in the social hierarchy was seen as immutable as terfs think gender is today. It's all an imposition to serve the interests of power.
June 28, 2025 at 9:28 AM
There have been places and times where you couldn't wear certain fabrics if you weren't of the right class. Your place in the social hierarchy was seen as immutable as terfs think gender is today. It's all an imposition to serve the interests of power.
Reposted by Bethan Clark
And I do think it's helpful to think of queerness as part of normal human variation (because it is) but not as a defence of it specifically. I don't give a shit if people *do* choose to be queer. It would still be okay.
June 28, 2025 at 9:23 AM
And I do think it's helpful to think of queerness as part of normal human variation (because it is) but not as a defence of it specifically. I don't give a shit if people *do* choose to be queer. It would still be okay.
Reposted by Bethan Clark
"Literary style is not a puzzle you solve to get a little information treat" is my new motto.
This article is going to turn me into the Joker. Literary style is not a puzzle you solve to get a little information treat 😩😩😩
June 22, 2025 at 12:08 PM
"Literary style is not a puzzle you solve to get a little information treat" is my new motto.
Reposted by Bethan Clark
Irony is out. Joy is in. Find a niche thing to love and then love it unreservedly.
June 10, 2025 at 10:42 AM
Irony is out. Joy is in. Find a niche thing to love and then love it unreservedly.
Reposted by Bethan Clark
So what do we learn from this all this?
I think the paper is devastating for the notion that these systems have general reasoning capacities, in the sense of being able to develop and deploy simple algorithms to solve combinatorially difficult problems.
I think the paper is devastating for the notion that these systems have general reasoning capacities, in the sense of being able to develop and deploy simple algorithms to solve combinatorially difficult problems.
June 9, 2025 at 4:40 AM
So what do we learn from this all this?
I think the paper is devastating for the notion that these systems have general reasoning capacities, in the sense of being able to develop and deploy simple algorithms to solve combinatorially difficult problems.
I think the paper is devastating for the notion that these systems have general reasoning capacities, in the sense of being able to develop and deploy simple algorithms to solve combinatorially difficult problems.
Reposted by Bethan Clark
Worth a read
Lots of questions about Kobo, #kobowritinglife and how, when and why we are using AI. Putting "AI" in the same sentence as "authors", "books" or "publishers" makes a lot of alarm bells go off, and for good reason. 1/
June 3, 2025 at 6:19 AM
Worth a read