Ben Dicks⌬n
@drbenomycin.bsky.social
Pākehā lecturing chem @ University of Waikato
Ex-academic precariat, still in the fight.
NZAS council and NZSR editorial board
Rides a 💖pink💖 bicycle.
he / him
Ex-academic precariat, still in the fight.
NZAS council and NZSR editorial board
Rides a 💖pink💖 bicycle.
he / him
Reposted by Ben Dicks⌬n
For those saying James Watson's intellectual brilliance made his bigotry an acceptable trade-off, might I point out (Exhibit A below 👇) that one brain ought to be easily big enough to be a genius AND a decent human being. We don't call bigotry 'small mindedness' for nothing.
"The separation of the races is not a disease of colored people, but a disease of white people. I do not intend to be quiet about it."
~ Albert Einstein
~ Albert Einstein
November 8, 2025 at 5:08 AM
For those saying James Watson's intellectual brilliance made his bigotry an acceptable trade-off, might I point out (Exhibit A below 👇) that one brain ought to be easily big enough to be a genius AND a decent human being. We don't call bigotry 'small mindedness' for nothing.
"His signal achievements, and the way he accomplished them, inflated his belief not only in his genius but also in how to succeed"
This is (IMO) a prevalent and harmful feature of the way academia and funding systems work.
www.statnews.com/2025/11/07/j...
This is (IMO) a prevalent and harmful feature of the way academia and funding systems work.
www.statnews.com/2025/11/07/j...
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 7, 2025 at 10:15 PM
"His signal achievements, and the way he accomplished them, inflated his belief not only in his genius but also in how to succeed"
This is (IMO) a prevalent and harmful feature of the way academia and funding systems work.
www.statnews.com/2025/11/07/j...
This is (IMO) a prevalent and harmful feature of the way academia and funding systems work.
www.statnews.com/2025/11/07/j...
Somewhat perplexing that with all the pointless redesigning of things in Word M365 they still don't let you do a horizontal split view.
I have so much horizontal screen real-estate! I know there are ways to achieve this, but it should be a single button press... 😒
I have so much horizontal screen real-estate! I know there are ways to achieve this, but it should be a single button press... 😒
November 6, 2025 at 8:41 PM
Somewhat perplexing that with all the pointless redesigning of things in Word M365 they still don't let you do a horizontal split view.
I have so much horizontal screen real-estate! I know there are ways to achieve this, but it should be a single button press... 😒
I have so much horizontal screen real-estate! I know there are ways to achieve this, but it should be a single button press... 😒
Reposted by Ben Dicks⌬n
I'm sure it's totally coincidental that the AoNZ government's changes to the Marsden Fund have been followed by successful applications led by female investigators dropping from 55% to 33%, and successful applications led by Māori investigators dropping from 13% to 5%. 🫠 🧪
Information on the 2025 Marsden Fund round
Information about the number of funded proposals in the 2025 Marsden Fund round broken down by research area and institution, also including gender and ethnicity data
www.royalsociety.org.nz
November 5, 2025 at 9:16 PM
I'm sure it's totally coincidental that the AoNZ government's changes to the Marsden Fund have been followed by successful applications led by female investigators dropping from 55% to 33%, and successful applications led by Māori investigators dropping from 13% to 5%. 🫠 🧪
If there are any international chemists who look at this idyllic picture and think they would love to travel to NZ for a conference - hit me up! I can't promise anything, but if you have a compelling story to tell, we'll definitely take a look.
Save the date! NZIC Conference 2026!
The NZIC 2026 conference organising committee invites you to set aside Sunday 15th - Thursday 19th November 2026 to join us in Kirikiriroa Hamilton. We're aiming to build a diverse programme weaving together all aspects of the chemistry 'life cycle'.
The NZIC 2026 conference organising committee invites you to set aside Sunday 15th - Thursday 19th November 2026 to join us in Kirikiriroa Hamilton. We're aiming to build a diverse programme weaving together all aspects of the chemistry 'life cycle'.
November 4, 2025 at 12:21 AM
If there are any international chemists who look at this idyllic picture and think they would love to travel to NZ for a conference - hit me up! I can't promise anything, but if you have a compelling story to tell, we'll definitely take a look.
Reposted by Ben Dicks⌬n
The Ferrier Research Institute in Wellington is seeking a motivated PhD student to work on an exciting project at the interface of organic chemistry, peptide science, and antibiotic discovery, contributing to urgently needed new treatments.
www.wgtn.ac.nz/ferrier/stud...
www.wgtn.ac.nz/ferrier/stud...
Synthesis of ambocidin and novel analogues | Te Kāuru / Ferrier Research Institute | Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington
This is a unique opportunity to work at the interface of organic chemistry, peptide science, and antibiotic discovery, contributing to new treatments.
www.wgtn.ac.nz
November 2, 2025 at 11:06 PM
The Ferrier Research Institute in Wellington is seeking a motivated PhD student to work on an exciting project at the interface of organic chemistry, peptide science, and antibiotic discovery, contributing to urgently needed new treatments.
www.wgtn.ac.nz/ferrier/stud...
www.wgtn.ac.nz/ferrier/stud...
Reposted by Ben Dicks⌬n
Mōrena e te whānau. Do any of you have contact with Emma Wehipeihana? Her linkedin bio says she's still on Twitter, but I'm not. I'd appreciate either an email address, or an introduction if possible? My DMs are open
November 1, 2025 at 9:53 PM
Mōrena e te whānau. Do any of you have contact with Emma Wehipeihana? Her linkedin bio says she's still on Twitter, but I'm not. I'd appreciate either an email address, or an introduction if possible? My DMs are open
Reposted by Ben Dicks⌬n
A Conversation piece on our (@manpreetkdhami.bsky.social @sbirdy.bsky.social) quirky fake spiderweb research for eDNA biomonitoring, just out in time for Halloween. Paper forthcoming!
theconversation.com/spiders-insp...
theconversation.com/spiders-insp...
Spiders inspired biologists to create artificial webs to capture airborne DNA for biodiversity monitoring
Natural spiderwebs are good at capturing DNA from the environment, but artificial webs are cheap and provide better control – without harm to spiders.
theconversation.com
October 31, 2025 at 1:46 AM
A Conversation piece on our (@manpreetkdhami.bsky.social @sbirdy.bsky.social) quirky fake spiderweb research for eDNA biomonitoring, just out in time for Halloween. Paper forthcoming!
theconversation.com/spiders-insp...
theconversation.com/spiders-insp...
Reposted by Ben Dicks⌬n
As a reward for supporting @siouxsiew.bsky.social I've donated 6 signed copies of #TheCovidResponse. And if you want to know how important Siouxsie's case was for academic freedom in Aotearoa, I've written a piece for the NZSR on what I think it means: ojs.victoria.ac.nz/nzsr/article...
October 31, 2025 at 1:09 AM
As a reward for supporting @siouxsiew.bsky.social I've donated 6 signed copies of #TheCovidResponse. And if you want to know how important Siouxsie's case was for academic freedom in Aotearoa, I've written a piece for the NZSR on what I think it means: ojs.victoria.ac.nz/nzsr/article...
Reposted by Ben Dicks⌬n
At a time when academics are under sustained right-wing attack, Dr Siouxsie Wiles stood up to the neoliberal regime of university management and won, but it came at a cost. If you can, please consider supporting Siouxsie, one of the most courageous scholars I know.
www.pledgeme.co.nz/projects/852...
www.pledgeme.co.nz/projects/852...
Support Dr Siouxsie After She Supported Us! | PledgeMe
Support Dr Siouxsie to recover some of the money she spent fighting her legal case to protect employees experiencing online abuse
www.pledgeme.co.nz
October 30, 2025 at 5:52 PM
At a time when academics are under sustained right-wing attack, Dr Siouxsie Wiles stood up to the neoliberal regime of university management and won, but it came at a cost. If you can, please consider supporting Siouxsie, one of the most courageous scholars I know.
www.pledgeme.co.nz/projects/852...
www.pledgeme.co.nz/projects/852...
My grad students told me I'm not scary today. Am I doing it wrong? 🫣
October 29, 2025 at 4:06 AM
My grad students told me I'm not scary today. Am I doing it wrong? 🫣
In the ownest of goals Reti is quoted saying "This Government stands by its commitment to science and innovation and has nothing further to add to this story."
I would argue that "further" is unnecessary in that sentence.
I would argue that "further" is unnecessary in that sentence.
October 29, 2025 at 12:08 AM
In the ownest of goals Reti is quoted saying "This Government stands by its commitment to science and innovation and has nothing further to add to this story."
I would argue that "further" is unnecessary in that sentence.
I would argue that "further" is unnecessary in that sentence.
Reposted by Ben Dicks⌬n
If you're in Dunedin, I'll happily show you how to upload photos of storm damage to Wikimedia Commons so they can be used on Wikipedia. Come to the Otago Uni central library 12.30-1.30 today for a demo or drop in on me in the library 9-12 weekdays. I'm a terrible photographer...we need you!
October 23, 2025 at 8:42 PM
If you're in Dunedin, I'll happily show you how to upload photos of storm damage to Wikimedia Commons so they can be used on Wikipedia. Come to the Otago Uni central library 12.30-1.30 today for a demo or drop in on me in the library 9-12 weekdays. I'm a terrible photographer...we need you!
Is an "incomplete" on a paper, vs. a "fail" treated different in terms of student allowance, or other funding? Trying to understand students who clearly have no chance to pass a paper but attend the exam only to not write anything 🤷
I figure there must be a reason?
I figure there must be a reason?
October 23, 2025 at 8:42 PM
Is an "incomplete" on a paper, vs. a "fail" treated different in terms of student allowance, or other funding? Trying to understand students who clearly have no chance to pass a paper but attend the exam only to not write anything 🤷
I figure there must be a reason?
I figure there must be a reason?
Reposted by Ben Dicks⌬n
Taken from a teacher friend. The money is there, the government is choosing to use it for roads, landlords, tobacco companies, etc.
There is money. What there aren't any of is teachers. And nurses. And fire fighters.
#NZMegaStrike
There is money. What there aren't any of is teachers. And nurses. And fire fighters.
#NZMegaStrike
October 22, 2025 at 10:54 PM
Taken from a teacher friend. The money is there, the government is choosing to use it for roads, landlords, tobacco companies, etc.
There is money. What there aren't any of is teachers. And nurses. And fire fighters.
#NZMegaStrike
There is money. What there aren't any of is teachers. And nurses. And fire fighters.
#NZMegaStrike
I hid one of those "send me a chemistry joke in exchange for a chocolate bar" instructions in my first year practice problem set, and only one student responded (🫠).
I guess I have office snacks now...
I guess I have office snacks now...
October 22, 2025 at 10:23 PM
I hid one of those "send me a chemistry joke in exchange for a chocolate bar" instructions in my first year practice problem set, and only one student responded (🫠).
I guess I have office snacks now...
I guess I have office snacks now...
Can anyone help identify the starting point of this tortured phrase?
"So, this is indeed considered an Absolute Cinema moment across the oncology community"
Bonus points if you can figure out a reference to "Game of Molecule" in the context of combining chemistry and biologyl
I'm drawing blanks!
"So, this is indeed considered an Absolute Cinema moment across the oncology community"
Bonus points if you can figure out a reference to "Game of Molecule" in the context of combining chemistry and biologyl
I'm drawing blanks!
October 17, 2025 at 12:50 AM
Can anyone help identify the starting point of this tortured phrase?
"So, this is indeed considered an Absolute Cinema moment across the oncology community"
Bonus points if you can figure out a reference to "Game of Molecule" in the context of combining chemistry and biologyl
I'm drawing blanks!
"So, this is indeed considered an Absolute Cinema moment across the oncology community"
Bonus points if you can figure out a reference to "Game of Molecule" in the context of combining chemistry and biologyl
I'm drawing blanks!
Reposted by Ben Dicks⌬n
Neurologically speaking, there's no such thing as 'useless' subjects or 'rip-off' degrees
Insisting we should only teach useful subjects is like saying science should only do research that gives positive results
If you honestly believe that's how anything works, *your* education was the wasted one
Insisting we should only teach useful subjects is like saying science should only do research that gives positive results
If you honestly believe that's how anything works, *your* education was the wasted one
October 15, 2025 at 9:27 PM
Neurologically speaking, there's no such thing as 'useless' subjects or 'rip-off' degrees
Insisting we should only teach useful subjects is like saying science should only do research that gives positive results
If you honestly believe that's how anything works, *your* education was the wasted one
Insisting we should only teach useful subjects is like saying science should only do research that gives positive results
If you honestly believe that's how anything works, *your* education was the wasted one
Just for no reason at all... if you want to know what happened on October 14th in history we have Wikipedia right there.
That's all.
That's all.
October 14 - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
October 14, 2025 at 7:17 PM
Just for no reason at all... if you want to know what happened on October 14th in history we have Wikipedia right there.
That's all.
That's all.
Reposted by Ben Dicks⌬n
No startups, no science: How the Republican Administration switched off America's most important engine of economic success.
steveblank.com/2025/10/13/n...
steveblank.com/2025/10/13/n...
Steve Blank No Science, No Startups: The Innovation Engine We’re Switching Off
Tons of words have been written about the Trump Administrations war on Science in Universities. But few people have asked what, exactly, is science? How does it work? Who are the scientists? What d…
steveblank.com
October 14, 2025 at 6:42 PM
No startups, no science: How the Republican Administration switched off America's most important engine of economic success.
steveblank.com/2025/10/13/n...
steveblank.com/2025/10/13/n...
So... the way research is being funded in this country is an exit strategy?
If you were running an R&D department and felt that the R was done, it wouldn't be unusual (even if shortsighted) to fire the R people and focus on the D 🤷
Terribly ironic having Rutherford on our most valuable bank note.
If you were running an R&D department and felt that the R was done, it wouldn't be unusual (even if shortsighted) to fire the R people and focus on the D 🤷
Terribly ironic having Rutherford on our most valuable bank note.
October 14, 2025 at 6:51 PM
So... the way research is being funded in this country is an exit strategy?
If you were running an R&D department and felt that the R was done, it wouldn't be unusual (even if shortsighted) to fire the R people and focus on the D 🤷
Terribly ironic having Rutherford on our most valuable bank note.
If you were running an R&D department and felt that the R was done, it wouldn't be unusual (even if shortsighted) to fire the R people and focus on the D 🤷
Terribly ironic having Rutherford on our most valuable bank note.
Early(ish) career folk, if you haven't seen this call, please take a look! We've had a decent number of responses but we would like to get more representation from across the sector. The (extended) call technically ends tomorrow, but we can be flexible for promised submissions.
Call for Contributions: Early Career Researcher Perspectives on the Changing Research System
| New Zealand Science Review
ojs.victoria.ac.nz
October 13, 2025 at 9:16 PM
Early(ish) career folk, if you haven't seen this call, please take a look! We've had a decent number of responses but we would like to get more representation from across the sector. The (extended) call technically ends tomorrow, but we can be flexible for promised submissions.
Our school is recruiting a technical officer to support teaching and research in molecular and cellular biology, biomedical and biochemical programmes.
Please share with your networks: elhs.fa.ap1.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/Candid...
Please share with your networks: elhs.fa.ap1.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/Candid...
Technical Officer
Support teaching & research in molecular, cellular, biochemistry & biomedical science as part of a collaborative technical team.
elhs.fa.ap1.oraclecloud.com
October 13, 2025 at 2:49 AM
Our school is recruiting a technical officer to support teaching and research in molecular and cellular biology, biomedical and biochemical programmes.
Please share with your networks: elhs.fa.ap1.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/Candid...
Please share with your networks: elhs.fa.ap1.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/Candid...
Just under four hours left (@ 0803) to vote in the Hamilton City Council election. It's at 24.8% voter turn out and I can tell you that the people who absolutely voted are the same ones who will turn up to consultations and complain about the SHAPE of a roundabout.
Why let them choose!? Vote!
Why let them choose!? Vote!
October 10, 2025 at 7:04 PM
Just under four hours left (@ 0803) to vote in the Hamilton City Council election. It's at 24.8% voter turn out and I can tell you that the people who absolutely voted are the same ones who will turn up to consultations and complain about the SHAPE of a roundabout.
Why let them choose!? Vote!
Why let them choose!? Vote!
Reposted by Ben Dicks⌬n
PSA! have you dropped in your council voting papers? Do it today or tomorrow latest. And don't forget to vote YES to Māori wards.
October 9, 2025 at 11:36 PM
PSA! have you dropped in your council voting papers? Do it today or tomorrow latest. And don't forget to vote YES to Māori wards.