Benjamin Sulman
@bsulman.bsky.social
Ecosystem scientist and computational modeler. Living in Knoxville, TN, formerly of Madison, WI
Pinned
Benjamin Sulman
@bsulman.bsky.social
· Jul 3
After all these years I finally built a flux tower! Well, @sciencebails.bsky.social and
Geoff Schwaner did most of the work 😁 Salt marsh near Port Arthur, TX
Geoff Schwaner did most of the work 😁 Salt marsh near Port Arthur, TX
Reposted by Benjamin Sulman
"If you forget your login, call our wonderful school secretary, Marjorie. No, you can’t just call the office to tell Marjorie your kid is sick; you’ll need to call the office to retrieve your PITA login information, then log in to PITA to tell PITA your kid is sick."
Our School District Can Now Keep Track of Your Child with Just Three Terrible Apps
Other than lawsuits, losing track of a child is every school district’s worst nightmare. We haven’t lost anyone yet, but an EdTech company has pain...
buff.ly
November 11, 2025 at 2:40 AM
"If you forget your login, call our wonderful school secretary, Marjorie. No, you can’t just call the office to tell Marjorie your kid is sick; you’ll need to call the office to retrieve your PITA login information, then log in to PITA to tell PITA your kid is sick."
Reposted by Benjamin Sulman
This a big deal: "China’s carbon dioxide emissions have been flat or falling for 18 months"
China's economy has grown by ~5% in the last year, so this comprehensively debunks the idea (again) that emissions are tied to growth. So yes, faster progress needed, but this is how you turn the corner.
China's economy has grown by ~5% in the last year, so this comprehensively debunks the idea (again) that emissions are tied to growth. So yes, faster progress needed, but this is how you turn the corner.
China’s CO2 emissions have been flat or falling for past 18 months, analysis finds
World’s biggest polluter on track to hit peak emissions target early but miss goal for cutting carbon intensity
www.theguardian.com
November 11, 2025 at 9:20 AM
This a big deal: "China’s carbon dioxide emissions have been flat or falling for 18 months"
China's economy has grown by ~5% in the last year, so this comprehensively debunks the idea (again) that emissions are tied to growth. So yes, faster progress needed, but this is how you turn the corner.
China's economy has grown by ~5% in the last year, so this comprehensively debunks the idea (again) that emissions are tied to growth. So yes, faster progress needed, but this is how you turn the corner.
Reposted by Benjamin Sulman
New #FATESmodel job focused on fire modeling at UCIrvine :) recruit.ap.uci.edu/JPF09965
Postdoctoral Scholar: Remote Sensing to FATES: Wildfire Impacts on Western U.S. Forests
University of California, Irvine is hiring. Apply now!
recruit.ap.uci.edu
November 11, 2025 at 7:24 AM
New #FATESmodel job focused on fire modeling at UCIrvine :) recruit.ap.uci.edu/JPF09965
Reposted by Benjamin Sulman
A particular interest of mine has been how Earth system processes, including terrestrial methane cycling, have been perturbed by past warming events. Our new paper, led by Wuhan colleagues, is another contribution to that understanding!
pubs.geoscienceworld.org/gsa/geology/...
pubs.geoscienceworld.org/gsa/geology/...
November 11, 2025 at 10:19 AM
A particular interest of mine has been how Earth system processes, including terrestrial methane cycling, have been perturbed by past warming events. Our new paper, led by Wuhan colleagues, is another contribution to that understanding!
pubs.geoscienceworld.org/gsa/geology/...
pubs.geoscienceworld.org/gsa/geology/...
Amazing meteorological analysis of the storm that sunk the Edmund Fitzgerald, with archive satellite images!
The 50th Anniversary of the Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald: A New Perspective on an Old Storm: cimss.ssec.wisc.edu/satellite-bl...
November 11, 2025 at 1:07 AM
Amazing meteorological analysis of the storm that sunk the Edmund Fitzgerald, with archive satellite images!
Reposted by Benjamin Sulman
Last week, I took my kids to a city farm in Dublin, and had a magical adventure in the World Of Soil.
observer.co.uk/news/columni...
observer.co.uk/news/columni...
No half-term visit to Dublin would be complete without a visit to World of Soil | The Observer
observer.co.uk
November 10, 2025 at 9:18 AM
Last week, I took my kids to a city farm in Dublin, and had a magical adventure in the World Of Soil.
observer.co.uk/news/columni...
observer.co.uk/news/columni...
Peatland coverage from Doug the worm! 💖💖💖 Soils are the best
November 10, 2025 at 7:19 PM
Peatland coverage from Doug the worm! 💖💖💖 Soils are the best
Reposted by Benjamin Sulman
I'm so worried about what'll happen when our kids are old enough to have phones!!!! 😮😮😮
![A meme depicting a woman staring at her phone with one hand on her head, with the following text below:
IS YOUR CHILD TEXTING ABOUT THE WRECK OF THE EDMUND FITZGERALD?
What your Great Lakes maritime history-obsessed teen's text messages actually mean:
brb = bell rang bro
rofl = rang out for lost (crew)
bff = big freakin' freigher
lol = Load of Ore on the Lake
smh = shift minutes to hours
glhf = Great Lakes hella freighter
tbh = taconite be haulin'
stfu = steer the freighter upwind
tfw = that freakin' witch (of November)
asl = a ship lost
gg = Gitche Gumee
idc = immoderate deadweight capacity
btw = beneath the waves
afk = a freighter kaput
hbd = hauler's beacon down
ily = iron load yonder
jk = just [24] kilometers
lmao = lost my abyssal ore
nbd = north bound draft
glhf = good lord, hold flooding
omg = obliteratingly massive gales
tmi = too much iron
wtf = White Fish (Bay)](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:ccm7gttkbfs2eyyrlpshmeun/bafkreib6ughtj23oqdskaisavrueyn6fijujbp2e663h6p6ukx74lbibyu@jpeg)
October 31, 2025 at 5:10 PM
I'm so worried about what'll happen when our kids are old enough to have phones!!!! 😮😮😮
Reposted by Benjamin Sulman
Quoted supporting our counterparts and friends at the Alaska Earthquake Center. The cost of the U.S. tsunami warning and mitigation effort is really a pittance. None of it has ever been adequately funded in any administration, and now things are worse. ⚒️ www.nbcnews.com/science/tsun...
U.S. tsunami warning system, reeling from funding and staffing cuts, is dealt another blow
Seismic monitoring stations in Alaska are closing after a denied federal grant, risking delayed tsunami warnings for people living on the West Coast.
www.nbcnews.com
November 9, 2025 at 7:03 PM
Quoted supporting our counterparts and friends at the Alaska Earthquake Center. The cost of the U.S. tsunami warning and mitigation effort is really a pittance. None of it has ever been adequately funded in any administration, and now things are worse. ⚒️ www.nbcnews.com/science/tsun...
Reposted by Benjamin Sulman
We're hiring in history of science at UW Madison! TT Assistant Professorship with a focus on water. Joint appointment between the History and Integrated Liberal Studies depts, and part of a university-wide hiring cluster on earth/sustainability science. jobs.wisc.edu/jobs/profess... #STS #HSMT
Professor of History - Madison, Wisconsin, United States
Current Employees: If you are currently employed at any of the Universities of Wisconsin, log in to Workday to apply through the internal application process.Job Category:FacultyEmployment Type:Regula...
jobs.wisc.edu
November 6, 2025 at 7:37 PM
We're hiring in history of science at UW Madison! TT Assistant Professorship with a focus on water. Joint appointment between the History and Integrated Liberal Studies depts, and part of a university-wide hiring cluster on earth/sustainability science. jobs.wisc.edu/jobs/profess... #STS #HSMT
Reposted by Benjamin Sulman
🚨Job Alert!🚨Faculty Position in Low-Temperature #Geochemistry at University of New Mexico ⚒️ 🧪#geology
unm.csod.com/ux/ats/caree...
unm.csod.com/ux/ats/caree...
Assistant Professor-LowTemp Geochemistry-Earth and Planetary Sciences
The Department of Earth and Planetary
Sciences (EPS) at the University of New Mexico invites applications for a
tenure-track Assistant Professor pos...
unm.csod.com
November 7, 2025 at 1:08 PM
🚨Job Alert!🚨Faculty Position in Low-Temperature #Geochemistry at University of New Mexico ⚒️ 🧪#geology
unm.csod.com/ux/ats/caree...
unm.csod.com/ux/ats/caree...
Reposted by Benjamin Sulman
Does anyone have specific leaf area (SLA) or leaf mass per area (LMA) measurements for adult leaves of #Eucalyptus pellita or #Corymbia tessellaris that they'd be willing to share with me?
🧪 #PlantTraits #ecophysiology #physiology #WildOz #botany #ecology #AusTraits
🧪 #PlantTraits #ecophysiology #physiology #WildOz #botany #ecology #AusTraits
November 6, 2025 at 1:20 AM
Does anyone have specific leaf area (SLA) or leaf mass per area (LMA) measurements for adult leaves of #Eucalyptus pellita or #Corymbia tessellaris that they'd be willing to share with me?
🧪 #PlantTraits #ecophysiology #physiology #WildOz #botany #ecology #AusTraits
🧪 #PlantTraits #ecophysiology #physiology #WildOz #botany #ecology #AusTraits
Reposted by Benjamin Sulman
If you're looking for a faculty position at the intersection of ecology and computing (both broadly defined), please apply to this joint search between the CEE Department and the College of Computing at MIT: cee.mit.edu/people/share...
Faculty Position in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the Schwarzman College of Computing - cee.mit.edu
The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE), together with the Schwarzman College of Computing (SCC) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge MA, seeks candidate...
cee.mit.edu
November 5, 2025 at 7:27 PM
If you're looking for a faculty position at the intersection of ecology and computing (both broadly defined), please apply to this joint search between the CEE Department and the College of Computing at MIT: cee.mit.edu/people/share...
Reposted by Benjamin Sulman
November 5, 2025 at 12:34 PM
Reposted by Benjamin Sulman
imagine how good these ents would be
March 13, 2024 at 10:42 PM
imagine how good these ents would be
Reposted by Benjamin Sulman
Whitefish is the highest value fishery in Lake Michigan (estimated value ~$2.8 million last year), but invasive zebra/quagga mussels have contributed to the population declining by 75% in the last 2 decades. Now, the Wisconsin DNR is proposing limiting commercial harvest www.wpr.org/news/dnr-lim...
DNR proposes limiting commercial whitefish harvest after steep population decline
The Wisconsin DNR is proposing to reduce the commercial harvest on whitefish in Lake Michigan as the population has seen a dramatic decline.
www.wpr.org
November 3, 2025 at 6:02 PM
Whitefish is the highest value fishery in Lake Michigan (estimated value ~$2.8 million last year), but invasive zebra/quagga mussels have contributed to the population declining by 75% in the last 2 decades. Now, the Wisconsin DNR is proposing limiting commercial harvest www.wpr.org/news/dnr-lim...
Reposted by Benjamin Sulman
it’s essential that scientists, decisionmakers, & end users codevelop forecast tools & information. Close integration ...would focus scientific innovation on user-defined needs of what is useful and actionable, allowing scientists to build tools that meet those needs. eos.org/opinions/sci...
Scientists Must Join Forces to Solve Forecasting’s Predictability Desert - Eos
To strengthen societal resilience to worsening natural hazards, siloed Earth system science communities must collaborate to understand conditions that favor skillful subseasonal-to-seasonal forecasts.
eos.org
October 31, 2025 at 11:03 AM
it’s essential that scientists, decisionmakers, & end users codevelop forecast tools & information. Close integration ...would focus scientific innovation on user-defined needs of what is useful and actionable, allowing scientists to build tools that meet those needs. eos.org/opinions/sci...
Reposted by Benjamin Sulman
Important pedantry. This is interesting in part because he explains it well enough that I think most laypeople will understand why the pedantry matters. Journalists should take notice!
So, I hate to be this guy, but as the director of Yale’s new program on attribution science (!?), uh, most of the commentary on Bluesky about Hurricane Melissa and climate change has been… not quite right
October 31, 2025 at 9:15 AM
Important pedantry. This is interesting in part because he explains it well enough that I think most laypeople will understand why the pedantry matters. Journalists should take notice!
Reposted by Benjamin Sulman
This is a bad idea. Recruiting talented people from other countries is a good thing. American universities have been very good at it in particular. Recruiting talented people tends to benefit everyone. We should keep doing it. I am speaking in short sentences for the benefit of the Governor.
Florida Universities to Stop Hiring Foreign H-1B Workers Under DeSantis Plan
www.nytimes.com
October 30, 2025 at 12:54 PM
This is a bad idea. Recruiting talented people from other countries is a good thing. American universities have been very good at it in particular. Recruiting talented people tends to benefit everyone. We should keep doing it. I am speaking in short sentences for the benefit of the Governor.
Reposted by Benjamin Sulman
For those who may be interested Ameriflux Youtube posted the Fluxnet Early Career Webinar on Writing & Peer Review Process for Early Career Researchers
www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwBM...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwBM...
October 30, 2025 at 9:25 AM
For those who may be interested Ameriflux Youtube posted the Fluxnet Early Career Webinar on Writing & Peer Review Process for Early Career Researchers
www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwBM...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwBM...
Reposted by Benjamin Sulman
I find there's a huge mismatch between the standard advice that people give about scientific conference talks, and how people actually give talks.
So I picked out the most important pieces of advice that are most often ignored. 🧪
So I picked out the most important pieces of advice that are most often ignored. 🧪
The best scientific talk advice that gets ignored
Here are some prescriptions for a case of UCPS (Unengaging Conference Presentation Syndrome).
scienceforeveryone.science
October 28, 2025 at 9:24 PM
I find there's a huge mismatch between the standard advice that people give about scientific conference talks, and how people actually give talks.
So I picked out the most important pieces of advice that are most often ignored. 🧪
So I picked out the most important pieces of advice that are most often ignored. 🧪
Reposted by Benjamin Sulman
Oh hey, a reason to be hopeful: groves of American chestnut trees have once again become self-reproducing in the wild.
Turned off comments so 12 people don't show up to tell me why this is actually very sad. Be happy, you assholes.
Turned off comments so 12 people don't show up to tell me why this is actually very sad. Be happy, you assholes.
Nearly a Century Ago, American Chestnut Trees Died Off. Now, Hikers Can Walk Among Them Again.
Efforts to restore the American chestnut comprise "one of the most epic conservation stories ever told.”
share.google
October 28, 2025 at 6:48 PM
Oh hey, a reason to be hopeful: groves of American chestnut trees have once again become self-reproducing in the wild.
Turned off comments so 12 people don't show up to tell me why this is actually very sad. Be happy, you assholes.
Turned off comments so 12 people don't show up to tell me why this is actually very sad. Be happy, you assholes.
This book my daughter brought home is seriously one of the best treatments of gen AI that I've read... Impact on writing and art, cheating, creepy pushiness, eating into the things you enjoy doing, addictive potential...
October 26, 2025 at 12:18 PM
This book my daughter brought home is seriously one of the best treatments of gen AI that I've read... Impact on writing and art, cheating, creepy pushiness, eating into the things you enjoy doing, addictive potential...
Reposted by Benjamin Sulman
Here’s where it gets personal for me. When I was 9, I started experiencing suicidal ideation … disinterested in living, and at least some of the time contemplating death and how it might happen … It’s easy to imagine how I would have used programs like these chatbots.
Perry: How can AI be used ethically when it’s been linked to suicide?
"It’s not on us, on you and me, to use AI ethically or responsibly. It’s on the companies to build safe, reliable, ethical products," David M. Perry writes.
www.startribune.com
October 26, 2025 at 6:58 AM
Here’s where it gets personal for me. When I was 9, I started experiencing suicidal ideation … disinterested in living, and at least some of the time contemplating death and how it might happen … It’s easy to imagine how I would have used programs like these chatbots.