Mike Wiser
@drmikewiser.bsky.social
Evolutionary biologist, teaching-track professor (knowledge transmitter), board game and cat enthusiast, budding archer, teller of Dad jokes. Sarcasm doesn't have to be mean. Also a "damn greenblooded hobgoblin". Ursula said I'm cool. I read a lot.
🏳️🌈🧫 👨
🏳️🌈🧫 👨
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Mike Wiser
@drmikewiser.bsky.social
· Nov 11
Since I seem to suddenly have a bunch of new followers: Hello!
I'm a full time, non tenure track, teaching-focused biology faculty member. (There are some non abusive options here; it isn't all just adjuncting) My PhD is in evolutionary biology, but half the time I'm teaching molecular biology.
I'm a full time, non tenure track, teaching-focused biology faculty member. (There are some non abusive options here; it isn't all just adjuncting) My PhD is in evolutionary biology, but half the time I'm teaching molecular biology.
Reposted by Mike Wiser
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related:
a. college isn’t trade school
b. liberal arts education has immeasurable benefits
c. a great liberal arts education shouldn’t cost students this much
a. college isn’t trade school
b. liberal arts education has immeasurable benefits
c. a great liberal arts education shouldn’t cost students this much
February 4, 2026 at 10:49 PM
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Reposted by Mike Wiser
Anyway. Moral of the story: She is brave and in the right circumstances sheep can be very creepy and we should probably write more horror about them.
The end.
The end.
February 4, 2026 at 9:20 PM
Anyway. Moral of the story: She is brave and in the right circumstances sheep can be very creepy and we should probably write more horror about them.
The end.
The end.
This is going to sound like humblebrag, but there is legitimately a sense of satisfaction in not being a massive pain to a food service worker who made a simple mistake.
February 4, 2026 at 12:36 AM
This is going to sound like humblebrag, but there is legitimately a sense of satisfaction in not being a massive pain to a food service worker who made a simple mistake.
Credit where credit's due: the student admitted it as soon as shown the evidence.
I do not want to spend my one wild and precious life policing cheating on quizzes.
I also do not want to let extremely obvious cheating go unchallenged.
If you're going to cheat in my class, please do so in a way that is not so obvious that it sends the message that you think I'm oblivious.
I also do not want to let extremely obvious cheating go unchallenged.
If you're going to cheat in my class, please do so in a way that is not so obvious that it sends the message that you think I'm oblivious.
February 3, 2026 at 8:53 PM
Credit where credit's due: the student admitted it as soon as shown the evidence.
Unless your version of society intervening is something along the lines of an actually functional artificial womb, then the answer is overwhelmingly no.
Society has no business making people to have a child they don't want to have and/or with someone they don't want to have a kid with.
Society has no business making people to have a child they don't want to have and/or with someone they don't want to have a kid with.
📢 “A huge amount of men between the age of 15 and 50 will not pass on their genes. They will effectively die out of the gene pool ... Should society intervene?” Steven Bartlett asked last year.
Two top podcasters have identified a global decline. The problem, they say, is women
www.smh.com.au
February 3, 2026 at 7:21 PM
Unless your version of society intervening is something along the lines of an actually functional artificial womb, then the answer is overwhelmingly no.
Society has no business making people to have a child they don't want to have and/or with someone they don't want to have a kid with.
Society has no business making people to have a child they don't want to have and/or with someone they don't want to have a kid with.
I thought the difference was that patios are built on the ground and porches are often elevated.
let me start an entirely inconsequential debate: are patios ALWAYS on the back of your place, vs. are porches ALWAYS on the front?
Like if I say "i'm on my porch," I 100% mean I'm on the front of my place, if I say "I'm on my patio" I think I could credibly be in front or behind (but mostly behind)
Like if I say "i'm on my porch," I 100% mean I'm on the front of my place, if I say "I'm on my patio" I think I could credibly be in front or behind (but mostly behind)
February 3, 2026 at 5:13 AM
I thought the difference was that patios are built on the ground and porches are often elevated.
Reposted by Mike Wiser
Take me down to the Parallax city where the far moves slow and the near moves quickly
February 1, 2026 at 3:40 PM
Take me down to the Parallax city where the far moves slow and the near moves quickly
Reading about the pilgrimages people are taking to the Pizza Hit Classic locations has me day dreaming whether we could adapt an adult Book-It program to reward people for checking sources with personal pan pizzas.
February 2, 2026 at 11:40 PM
Reading about the pilgrimages people are taking to the Pizza Hit Classic locations has me day dreaming whether we could adapt an adult Book-It program to reward people for checking sources with personal pan pizzas.
I do not want to spend my one wild and precious life policing cheating on quizzes.
I also do not want to let extremely obvious cheating go unchallenged.
If you're going to cheat in my class, please do so in a way that is not so obvious that it sends the message that you think I'm oblivious.
I also do not want to let extremely obvious cheating go unchallenged.
If you're going to cheat in my class, please do so in a way that is not so obvious that it sends the message that you think I'm oblivious.
February 2, 2026 at 10:28 PM
I do not want to spend my one wild and precious life policing cheating on quizzes.
I also do not want to let extremely obvious cheating go unchallenged.
If you're going to cheat in my class, please do so in a way that is not so obvious that it sends the message that you think I'm oblivious.
I also do not want to let extremely obvious cheating go unchallenged.
If you're going to cheat in my class, please do so in a way that is not so obvious that it sends the message that you think I'm oblivious.
Relevant to a thread I see with quote posts disabled: in the category of "books I do not own a copy of myself", the book I have bought the most often is And Tango Makes Three. Which I have given to somewhere near a dozen friends when they first had a kid.
February 1, 2026 at 7:51 PM
Relevant to a thread I see with quote posts disabled: in the category of "books I do not own a copy of myself", the book I have bought the most often is And Tango Makes Three. Which I have given to somewhere near a dozen friends when they first had a kid.
“You could turn this place into flats, Mitch is thinking, as he spots the cars ahead. Property development, that’s the game to be in. Bribe a few local councilors, no one tries to kill you, you get to choose color schemes. Maybe he’ll have a think about it when this is all over. If he survives.”
February 1, 2026 at 5:50 PM
“You could turn this place into flats, Mitch is thinking, as he spots the cars ahead. Property development, that’s the game to be in. Bribe a few local councilors, no one tries to kill you, you get to choose color schemes. Maybe he’ll have a think about it when this is all over. If he survives.”
Reposted by Mike Wiser
Tell me five classes you took in college
Introduction to Harp Performance
Behavioral Genetics
Ancient Egyptian Archeology
Physical Chemistry
Modern Russian Art
One (1) of those was a general education credit
Introduction to Harp Performance
Behavioral Genetics
Ancient Egyptian Archeology
Physical Chemistry
Modern Russian Art
One (1) of those was a general education credit
tell me five classes you took in college
shakespeare in the 20th century
international relations theory
the making of the american national myth
biochemistry + molecular modeling lab
wines
shakespeare in the 20th century
international relations theory
the making of the american national myth
biochemistry + molecular modeling lab
wines
Never mind the jobs you had, tell me five classes you took in college
Urban politics
Urban sociology
Mid 20th century U.S. History
Gender and Politics
World History (I'm sorry for sleeping through this at 8am, but the prof was so nice in office hours, I will always pay that forward)
Urban politics
Urban sociology
Mid 20th century U.S. History
Gender and Politics
World History (I'm sorry for sleeping through this at 8am, but the prof was so nice in office hours, I will always pay that forward)
January 31, 2026 at 12:53 AM
Tell me five classes you took in college
Introduction to Harp Performance
Behavioral Genetics
Ancient Egyptian Archeology
Physical Chemistry
Modern Russian Art
One (1) of those was a general education credit
Introduction to Harp Performance
Behavioral Genetics
Ancient Egyptian Archeology
Physical Chemistry
Modern Russian Art
One (1) of those was a general education credit
The winter Oympics start in a bit less than a week. I generally care less for the winter than the summer games, but there are a few that are still pretty good for spectators. A few suggestions:
February 1, 2026 at 5:17 AM
The winter Oympics start in a bit less than a week. I generally care less for the winter than the summer games, but there are a few that are still pretty good for spectators. A few suggestions:
I quite liked this trilogy, but the 3rd book isn't as strong as the previous 2.
Cached US #KindleBookGiveaway: 10 copies of The Amulet of Samarkand (Bartimaeus Book 1) by Jonathan Stroud, which I *have* but apparently haven't read yet. sigh. And yet here I am reading Starship Mage books. Stupid eyes and brain, only able to read one book at a time.
January 31, 2026 at 7:29 PM
I quite liked this trilogy, but the 3rd book isn't as strong as the previous 2.
To any hearth spirits/folk reading this:
I can keep a secret, offer you a warm place to sleep, and have no trouble leaving some bread and milk out. I even have some places I can buy homeycomb.
I do have cats, though, and that feels like a good thing to disclose.
I can keep a secret, offer you a warm place to sleep, and have no trouble leaving some bread and milk out. I even have some places I can buy homeycomb.
I do have cats, though, and that feels like a good thing to disclose.
January 31, 2026 at 3:12 PM
To any hearth spirits/folk reading this:
I can keep a secret, offer you a warm place to sleep, and have no trouble leaving some bread and milk out. I even have some places I can buy homeycomb.
I do have cats, though, and that feels like a good thing to disclose.
I can keep a secret, offer you a warm place to sleep, and have no trouble leaving some bread and milk out. I even have some places I can buy homeycomb.
I do have cats, though, and that feels like a good thing to disclose.
I do so love needing to make an appointment to get a refill on a prescription I've taken for years, and finding out that the next available appointment at the provider is 3 months later.
Thankfully this practice will refill during the time between scheduling and occurring.
Thankfully this practice will refill during the time between scheduling and occurring.
January 31, 2026 at 2:34 PM
I do so love needing to make an appointment to get a refill on a prescription I've taken for years, and finding out that the next available appointment at the provider is 3 months later.
Thankfully this practice will refill during the time between scheduling and occurring.
Thankfully this practice will refill during the time between scheduling and occurring.
Learn about personal finance these days, and you'll inevitably read about FIRE (Financial Independence Retire Early). This started as essentially an idea of committing to living lifelong as a broke college student, which one could fund via ~10 years of saving 60-70% from an engineering salary.
January 31, 2026 at 1:46 AM
Learn about personal finance these days, and you'll inevitably read about FIRE (Financial Independence Retire Early). This started as essentially an idea of committing to living lifelong as a broke college student, which one could fund via ~10 years of saving 60-70% from an engineering salary.
Reposted by Mike Wiser
A new study from Anthropic finds that gains in coding efficiency when relying on AI assistance did did not meet statistical significance; AI use noticeably degraded programmers’ understanding of what they were doing. Incredible.
The latest from Anthropic: using Anthropic's products makes you worse at your job
How AI assistance impacts the formation of coding skills
Anthropic is an AI safety and research company that's working to build reliable, interpretable, and steerable AI systems.
www.anthropic.com
January 30, 2026 at 11:47 PM
A new study from Anthropic finds that gains in coding efficiency when relying on AI assistance did did not meet statistical significance; AI use noticeably degraded programmers’ understanding of what they were doing. Incredible.
@nuclearanthro.bsky.social I feel the need to tell you that in this series of videos I've been watching about how hard it is to predict the future, the presenter has offered the idea of a romance story about the two Nuclear Briefcase guys (American and Russian) falling in love at a summit.
January 31, 2026 at 12:55 AM
@nuclearanthro.bsky.social I feel the need to tell you that in this series of videos I've been watching about how hard it is to predict the future, the presenter has offered the idea of a romance story about the two Nuclear Briefcase guys (American and Russian) falling in love at a summit.
Tell me five classes you took in college
Introduction to Harp Performance
Behavioral Genetics
Ancient Egyptian Archeology
Physical Chemistry
Modern Russian Art
One (1) of those was a general education credit
Introduction to Harp Performance
Behavioral Genetics
Ancient Egyptian Archeology
Physical Chemistry
Modern Russian Art
One (1) of those was a general education credit
tell me five classes you took in college
shakespeare in the 20th century
international relations theory
the making of the american national myth
biochemistry + molecular modeling lab
wines
shakespeare in the 20th century
international relations theory
the making of the american national myth
biochemistry + molecular modeling lab
wines
Never mind the jobs you had, tell me five classes you took in college
Urban politics
Urban sociology
Mid 20th century U.S. History
Gender and Politics
World History (I'm sorry for sleeping through this at 8am, but the prof was so nice in office hours, I will always pay that forward)
Urban politics
Urban sociology
Mid 20th century U.S. History
Gender and Politics
World History (I'm sorry for sleeping through this at 8am, but the prof was so nice in office hours, I will always pay that forward)
January 31, 2026 at 12:53 AM
Tell me five classes you took in college
Introduction to Harp Performance
Behavioral Genetics
Ancient Egyptian Archeology
Physical Chemistry
Modern Russian Art
One (1) of those was a general education credit
Introduction to Harp Performance
Behavioral Genetics
Ancient Egyptian Archeology
Physical Chemistry
Modern Russian Art
One (1) of those was a general education credit
Currently making the totally normal end-of-week calculation: what is my best option to eat a dinner made entirely of egg rolls tonight?
January 30, 2026 at 9:48 PM
Currently making the totally normal end-of-week calculation: what is my best option to eat a dinner made entirely of egg rolls tonight?
Neither math nor physics are my particular area of focus, but I got to the level in each of them of having to accept things that are *obviously nonsense* but which are defensible in each domain.
this is certainly what some people WANT you to believe, yes
Maths and physics are objective and humanities is subjective.
That's the difference.
That's the difference.
January 30, 2026 at 4:57 PM
Neither math nor physics are my particular area of focus, but I got to the level in each of them of having to accept things that are *obviously nonsense* but which are defensible in each domain.
I enjoy the fact that I live a life whereby letting a friend know about free stuff from the campus Surplus Store that might be of use to the local makerspace community they're involved in is just a normal occurrence.
It's a pleasant confluence of factors.
It's a pleasant confluence of factors.
January 30, 2026 at 4:49 PM
I enjoy the fact that I live a life whereby letting a friend know about free stuff from the campus Surplus Store that might be of use to the local makerspace community they're involved in is just a normal occurrence.
It's a pleasant confluence of factors.
It's a pleasant confluence of factors.
Reposted by Mike Wiser
"Not only don't people work less when they are guaranteed an income, they might actually put in more effort at work. And the fact that they have more money to spend leads to the creation of more jobs."
Nobel Prize–winning economists Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo
Nobel Prize–winning economists Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo
January 29, 2026 at 5:55 PM
"Not only don't people work less when they are guaranteed an income, they might actually put in more effort at work. And the fact that they have more money to spend leads to the creation of more jobs."
Nobel Prize–winning economists Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo
Nobel Prize–winning economists Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo
I've been a personal reference for several people getting security clearances, starting with a college friend who got a summer internship doing SysAdmin at Sandia. My impression has mostly been "has a security clearance" most often means "needs to be able to use a computer somewhere secure"
I think a lot of people outside the government confuse "has a security clearance" for "knows something" when at least in Army terms what it more often means is something like "everything in Afghanistan was done on secret-level computers so if you wanted to do anything at all you needed a clearance"
January 30, 2026 at 1:34 AM
I've been a personal reference for several people getting security clearances, starting with a college friend who got a summer internship doing SysAdmin at Sandia. My impression has mostly been "has a security clearance" most often means "needs to be able to use a computer somewhere secure"