Prof Ben Britton
@bmatb.expmicromech.com
Dyslexic atomic sorcerer @ UBC, Vancouver 🍁 (he/him & 🏳️🌈). 🐕 dad. 🇨🇦🇬🇧
Materials and Manufacturing Engineering (🔬⚛️), Clean Tech, Academic Governance (UBC Senate & Faculty Assoc.), EDI.
Leads @expmicromech.com.
Has too many hills to die on. Views own.
Materials and Manufacturing Engineering (🔬⚛️), Clean Tech, Academic Governance (UBC Senate & Faculty Assoc.), EDI.
Leads @expmicromech.com.
Has too many hills to die on. Views own.
Pinned
Prof Ben Britton
@bmatb.expmicromech.com
· Oct 24
Scheduling Matters — UBC Senate
The UBC Vancouver Senate is currently considering the timing of its main meetings, following a motion from the Agenda Committee and…
bmatb.medium.com
A brief blog piece that supports the proposal to move the #UBC Senate Meetings to a 4-6.30pm (currently 6-8.30pm).
bmatb.medium.com/scheduling-m...
bmatb.medium.com/scheduling-m...
Reposted by Prof Ben Britton
The quirky geology behind Olympic curling stones www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-...
Why curling rocks come from just two spots on Earth
The rocks used in the Olympic sport of curling come from one island in Scotland and one quarry in Wales. What makes them so special?
www.scientificamerican.com
February 10, 2026 at 1:45 PM
The quirky geology behind Olympic curling stones www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-...
Reposted by Prof Ben Britton
For the First Time, Olympics Ban PFAS Waxes in Snow Sports undark.org/2026/02/10/o...
For the First Time, Olympics Ban PFAS Waxes in Snow Sports
Since the 1980s, athletes have been using fluorinated waxes on their boards, giving them "ridiculous" speed. No longer.
undark.org
February 10, 2026 at 1:50 PM
For the First Time, Olympics Ban PFAS Waxes in Snow Sports undark.org/2026/02/10/o...
Reposted by Prof Ben Britton
NEW: There's been another round of layoffs at the lab formerly known as NREL.
Weeks after scrubbing “renewable energy” from its name, the National Laboratory of the Rockies in Golden has cut 134 staffers.
www.cpr.org/2026/02/09/n...
Weeks after scrubbing “renewable energy” from its name, the National Laboratory of the Rockies in Golden has cut 134 staffers.
www.cpr.org/2026/02/09/n...
National Lab of the Rockies, formerly NREL, lays off more than 130 employees
The cuts impacted staffers engaged in both research and operations at the lab.
www.cpr.org
February 9, 2026 at 11:34 PM
NEW: There's been another round of layoffs at the lab formerly known as NREL.
Weeks after scrubbing “renewable energy” from its name, the National Laboratory of the Rockies in Golden has cut 134 staffers.
www.cpr.org/2026/02/09/n...
Weeks after scrubbing “renewable energy” from its name, the National Laboratory of the Rockies in Golden has cut 134 staffers.
www.cpr.org/2026/02/09/n...
Reposted by Prof Ben Britton
“only” 8%
When it comes to rising electricity demand everyone talks about AI and data centres.
But their contribution to rising electricity demand is only 8% between 2025 and 2030.
The rest is largely electrification of transport, buildings and industry.
This says new @iea.org Electricity 2026 report.
But their contribution to rising electricity demand is only 8% between 2025 and 2030.
The rest is largely electrification of transport, buildings and industry.
This says new @iea.org Electricity 2026 report.
February 10, 2026 at 3:08 AM
“only” 8%
As a freshly minted (immigrant) Canadian, I sent this flowchart to a non-Canadian immigrant friend who also lives in Canada.
I have arrived 🍁
I have arrived 🍁
February 7, 2026 at 7:58 PM
As a freshly minted (immigrant) Canadian, I sent this flowchart to a non-Canadian immigrant friend who also lives in Canada.
I have arrived 🍁
I have arrived 🍁
Pondering over a recent discussion where we were discussing how to extend formal membership to someone a historically/systematically/persistently marginalized group in our layer of governance.
Suggestion was: oh they don't want our group, they should have a seat in that group.
This fruataits me 1/
Suggestion was: oh they don't want our group, they should have a seat in that group.
This fruataits me 1/
February 7, 2026 at 7:41 PM
Pondering over a recent discussion where we were discussing how to extend formal membership to someone a historically/systematically/persistently marginalized group in our layer of governance.
Suggestion was: oh they don't want our group, they should have a seat in that group.
This fruataits me 1/
Suggestion was: oh they don't want our group, they should have a seat in that group.
This fruataits me 1/
Reposted by Prof Ben Britton
Are you interested in Materials Characterization?
The Characterization @ UBC Research Cluster has just published a report which showcase some of the breadth of capabilities across #UBC - with Vancouver and Okanagan capabilities explored 🧪🔬🩻🍁
characterization.ubc.ca/news/februar...
The Characterization @ UBC Research Cluster has just published a report which showcase some of the breadth of capabilities across #UBC - with Vancouver and Okanagan capabilities explored 🧪🔬🩻🍁
characterization.ubc.ca/news/februar...
February 6, 2026 at 1:30 AM
Are you interested in Materials Characterization?
The Characterization @ UBC Research Cluster has just published a report which showcase some of the breadth of capabilities across #UBC - with Vancouver and Okanagan capabilities explored 🧪🔬🩻🍁
characterization.ubc.ca/news/februar...
The Characterization @ UBC Research Cluster has just published a report which showcase some of the breadth of capabilities across #UBC - with Vancouver and Okanagan capabilities explored 🧪🔬🩻🍁
characterization.ubc.ca/news/februar...
Are you interested in Materials Characterization?
The Characterization @ UBC Research Cluster has just published a report which showcase some of the breadth of capabilities across #UBC - with Vancouver and Okanagan capabilities explored 🧪🔬🩻🍁
characterization.ubc.ca/news/februar...
The Characterization @ UBC Research Cluster has just published a report which showcase some of the breadth of capabilities across #UBC - with Vancouver and Okanagan capabilities explored 🧪🔬🩻🍁
characterization.ubc.ca/news/februar...
February 6, 2026 at 1:30 AM
Are you interested in Materials Characterization?
The Characterization @ UBC Research Cluster has just published a report which showcase some of the breadth of capabilities across #UBC - with Vancouver and Okanagan capabilities explored 🧪🔬🩻🍁
characterization.ubc.ca/news/februar...
The Characterization @ UBC Research Cluster has just published a report which showcase some of the breadth of capabilities across #UBC - with Vancouver and Okanagan capabilities explored 🧪🔬🩻🍁
characterization.ubc.ca/news/februar...
Reposted by Prof Ben Britton
This is the Yale professor's explanation for why he described the physical attractiveness of a student in an email to Epstein. He explicitly says he regrets nothing about their association.
Again, I'm so happy Yale hired David Brooks to restore trust.
yaledailynews.com/articles/gel...
Again, I'm so happy Yale hired David Brooks to restore trust.
yaledailynews.com/articles/gel...
February 5, 2026 at 4:14 PM
This is the Yale professor's explanation for why he described the physical attractiveness of a student in an email to Epstein. He explicitly says he regrets nothing about their association.
Again, I'm so happy Yale hired David Brooks to restore trust.
yaledailynews.com/articles/gel...
Again, I'm so happy Yale hired David Brooks to restore trust.
yaledailynews.com/articles/gel...
Hmm closing out my day - I know I did some work today, but it feels like a bit of a blur.
A colleague warned me that this is what this little while may feel like 😔.
A colleague warned me that this is what this little while may feel like 😔.
As context - something big has happened in my personal life, and I don't want to get into that detail here (or elsewhere).
This has massively reduced my executive capacity for some tasks - even if it looks like I can still be "working".
Meanwhile lots of people are "can you do this thing for me…"
This has massively reduced my executive capacity for some tasks - even if it looks like I can still be "working".
Meanwhile lots of people are "can you do this thing for me…"
February 5, 2026 at 5:33 AM
Hmm closing out my day - I know I did some work today, but it feels like a bit of a blur.
A colleague warned me that this is what this little while may feel like 😔.
A colleague warned me that this is what this little while may feel like 😔.
The CIA Factbook fed some of my curiosity as a teenager/young adult - it sucks that these sorts of resources are being shut down.
The CIA just stopped publishing their World Factbook and took every page, including the archived copies of previous versions!
This sucks. It was public domain, so I recovered the 2020 edition (the last one published as a zip file) and shared it to GitHub simonwillison.net/2026/Feb/5/t...
This sucks. It was public domain, so I recovered the 2020 edition (the last one published as a zip file) and shared it to GitHub simonwillison.net/2026/Feb/5/t...
Spotlighting The World Factbook as We Bid a Fond Farewell
Somewhat devastating news today from the CIA: One of CIA’s oldest and most recognizable intelligence publications, The World Factbook, has sunset. There's not even a hint as to why they …
simonwillison.net
February 5, 2026 at 5:28 AM
The CIA Factbook fed some of my curiosity as a teenager/young adult - it sucks that these sorts of resources are being shut down.
As context - something big has happened in my personal life, and I don't want to get into that detail here (or elsewhere).
This has massively reduced my executive capacity for some tasks - even if it looks like I can still be "working".
Meanwhile lots of people are "can you do this thing for me…"
This has massively reduced my executive capacity for some tasks - even if it looks like I can still be "working".
Meanwhile lots of people are "can you do this thing for me…"
February 4, 2026 at 8:25 PM
As context - something big has happened in my personal life, and I don't want to get into that detail here (or elsewhere).
This has massively reduced my executive capacity for some tasks - even if it looks like I can still be "working".
Meanwhile lots of people are "can you do this thing for me…"
This has massively reduced my executive capacity for some tasks - even if it looks like I can still be "working".
Meanwhile lots of people are "can you do this thing for me…"
Reposted by Prof Ben Britton
Grant reviewers in Canada: Please see below and remember that you are NOT allowed to use AI for any aspect of grant review. It breaches applicant and data confidentiality, among other security risks.
My pet peeve about doing CIHR reviews is that they want reviewers to write a summary. The applicants have already written TWO SUMMARIES. Why? Why do I need to write one too? It's an absolute waste of energy and time.
February 4, 2026 at 7:45 PM
Grant reviewers in Canada: Please see below and remember that you are NOT allowed to use AI for any aspect of grant review. It breaches applicant and data confidentiality, among other security risks.
Reposted by Prof Ben Britton
So there's something to blame it on.
February 3, 2026 at 9:41 PM
So there's something to blame it on.
Turns out that I am still reeling that a professional society has shuttered its DEI programming and ~rebranded as "Impact and Engagement" activities.
February 3, 2026 at 8:54 PM
Turns out that I am still reeling that a professional society has shuttered its DEI programming and ~rebranded as "Impact and Engagement" activities.
Reposted by Prof Ben Britton
Vancouver isn't stationary, and moves around the globe ensuring it is always covered by precipitation.
February 3, 2026 at 2:06 PM
Vancouver isn't stationary, and moves around the globe ensuring it is always covered by precipitation.
Reposted by Prof Ben Britton
Because it lied when it was seventeen.
February 3, 2026 at 7:21 AM
Because it lied when it was seventeen.
Reposted by Prof Ben Britton
Administrative error
February 3, 2026 at 6:45 AM
Administrative error
Reposted by Prof Ben Britton
Atmospheric manipulation to minimize the disastrous results of Vancouverites' inability to drive in snow.
February 2, 2026 at 3:51 PM
Atmospheric manipulation to minimize the disastrous results of Vancouverites' inability to drive in snow.
Reposted by Prof Ben Britton
Tears from the hockey gods on the ineptitude of a team that can't even beat the Leafs.
February 2, 2026 at 4:11 PM
Tears from the hockey gods on the ineptitude of a team that can't even beat the Leafs.
Reposted by Prof Ben Britton
Practice run for the Plains of Spain.
February 2, 2026 at 3:26 PM
Practice run for the Plains of Spain.
Reposted by Prof Ben Britton
Vancouver is located on the plain in Spain.
February 2, 2026 at 3:24 PM
Vancouver is located on the plain in Spain.
Reposted by Prof Ben Britton
Revenge for giving the world Bryan Adams
February 2, 2026 at 3:21 PM
Revenge for giving the world Bryan Adams
Why does it always rain in Vancouver?
(Wrong answers only edition)
(Wrong answers only edition)
February 2, 2026 at 3:19 PM
Why does it always rain in Vancouver?
(Wrong answers only edition)
(Wrong answers only edition)
Reposted by Prof Ben Britton
Hot off the press - a letter from the Exec Chair of @ukri.org explaining his plans and in particular the financial position of STFC. It notes curiosity driven research is protected and will make up around half of UKRI spend over the coming period
www.ukri.org/news/open-le...
www.ukri.org/news/open-le...
Open letter from Ian Chapman to research and innovation community
UKRI Chief Executive outlines changes to UKRI investment approach, addressing concerns about research funding and the financial position of STFC.
www.ukri.org
February 1, 2026 at 5:02 PM
Hot off the press - a letter from the Exec Chair of @ukri.org explaining his plans and in particular the financial position of STFC. It notes curiosity driven research is protected and will make up around half of UKRI spend over the coming period
www.ukri.org/news/open-le...
www.ukri.org/news/open-le...