Marc Robinson-Rechavi
@marcrr.bsky.social
He/Him. Evolution and Bioinformatics. Posts mine alone, in English (mostly) & French. Chair of @dee-unil.bsky.social, Prof at @fbm-unil.bsky.social, group leader at @sib.swiss. PI of @bgee.org
🦣 Main account: https://ecoevo.social/@marcrr
🦣 Main account: https://ecoevo.social/@marcrr
Pinned
Marc Robinson-Rechavi
@marcrr.bsky.social
· Nov 14
Pluralistic: Bluesky and enshittification (02 Nov 2024) – Pluralistic: Daily links from Cory Doctorow
pluralistic.net
Given the afflux of new science peeps here, and the lack of a similar increase of users at Mastodon, I'll post both here and there for the time being. Although I'm not convinced this place can escape the issues which affect any corporate owned social media pluralistic.net/2024/11/02/u...
Reposted by Marc Robinson-Rechavi
Although I actually agree that students got a rough deal during the pandemic, it's very difficult to read these accounts of them taking legal action because they think what was provided was not worth the money they paid for it. The hours and hours spent recording and editing lectures in lockdown...
More universities face Covid legal action after UCL settlement.
Campaign group representing 170,000 current and former students sends pre-action letters to 36 institutions.
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-u...
Campaign group representing 170,000 current and former students sends pre-action letters to 36 institutions.
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-u...
More universities face Covid legal action after UCL settlement - Research Professional News
Campaign group representing 170,000 current and former students sends pre-action letters to 36 institutions
www.researchprofessionalnews.com
February 16, 2026 at 7:57 PM
Although I actually agree that students got a rough deal during the pandemic, it's very difficult to read these accounts of them taking legal action because they think what was provided was not worth the money they paid for it. The hours and hours spent recording and editing lectures in lockdown...
Reposted by Marc Robinson-Rechavi
All while educators were also often home schooling, caring for people with COVID, some taught through having COVID themselves, coping with isolation, quarantine. We all know the toll of those times.
Everyone was trying their best. Was it good enough? But it was often the best they could do.
Everyone was trying their best. Was it good enough? But it was often the best they could do.
February 17, 2026 at 10:10 AM
All while educators were also often home schooling, caring for people with COVID, some taught through having COVID themselves, coping with isolation, quarantine. We all know the toll of those times.
Everyone was trying their best. Was it good enough? But it was often the best they could do.
Everyone was trying their best. Was it good enough? But it was often the best they could do.
Reposted by Marc Robinson-Rechavi
It was hard. People tried their best. It was unprecedented. Those trying to deliver the teaching were also living through it.
Educators love to educate. The pivot to online teaching was insanely fast. New technologies were learned. Entire new ways of teaching delivery made.
Educators love to educate. The pivot to online teaching was insanely fast. New technologies were learned. Entire new ways of teaching delivery made.
February 17, 2026 at 10:10 AM
It was hard. People tried their best. It was unprecedented. Those trying to deliver the teaching were also living through it.
Educators love to educate. The pivot to online teaching was insanely fast. New technologies were learned. Entire new ways of teaching delivery made.
Educators love to educate. The pivot to online teaching was insanely fast. New technologies were learned. Entire new ways of teaching delivery made.
Reposted by Marc Robinson-Rechavi
The news about students seeking compensation from universities for COVID teaching has made me quite sad.
I can't say what happened at those universities, or what those student's experience was. My present university did not appear to be in the list.
But what I can say is...
I can't say what happened at those universities, or what those student's experience was. My present university did not appear to be in the list.
But what I can say is...
February 17, 2026 at 10:10 AM
The news about students seeking compensation from universities for COVID teaching has made me quite sad.
I can't say what happened at those universities, or what those student's experience was. My present university did not appear to be in the list.
But what I can say is...
I can't say what happened at those universities, or what those student's experience was. My present university did not appear to be in the list.
But what I can say is...
Reposted by Marc Robinson-Rechavi
To be honest, I like the idea of an alternative Chinese zodiac using critters with similar names, like year of the tiger beetle or year of the dragonfly 😅🤔
February 17, 2026 at 11:58 AM
To be honest, I like the idea of an alternative Chinese zodiac using critters with similar names, like year of the tiger beetle or year of the dragonfly 😅🤔
Reposted by Marc Robinson-Rechavi
i still can't accept the fact that we've cycled back to horse year so i'm declaring this to be the year of the horseshoe crab in defiance
February 17, 2026 at 11:33 AM
i still can't accept the fact that we've cycled back to horse year so i'm declaring this to be the year of the horseshoe crab in defiance
Reposted by Marc Robinson-Rechavi
I don't think many people appreciate the sheer scale of the shitstorm the software industry is in the process of churning up. Claude may be 5% of OSS code, but it and other tools now absolutely dominate closed source code, and we've known for a while that their output is filled with vulnerabilities
February 16, 2026 at 3:46 PM
I don't think many people appreciate the sheer scale of the shitstorm the software industry is in the process of churning up. Claude may be 5% of OSS code, but it and other tools now absolutely dominate closed source code, and we've known for a while that their output is filled with vulnerabilities
Reposted by Marc Robinson-Rechavi
this is fine
https://cyberplace.social/@GossiTheDog/116080909947754833
> So I started looking through Claude commits on GitHub, there’s over 2m of them and it’s about 5% of all open source code this month.
> I saw the same class of vulns being introduced over, and over, again - several a minute.
https://cyberplace.social/@GossiTheDog/116080909947754833
> So I started looking through Claude commits on GitHub, there’s over 2m of them and it’s about 5% of all open source code this month.
> I saw the same class of vulns being introduced over, and over, again - several a minute.
Kevin Beaumont (@GossiTheDog@cyberplace.social)
Today in InfoSec Job Security News:
I was looking into an obvious ../.. vulnerability introduced into a major web framework today, and it was committed by username Claude on GitHub. Vibe coded, basic...
cyberplace.social
February 16, 2026 at 3:28 PM
this is fine
https://cyberplace.social/@GossiTheDog/116080909947754833
> So I started looking through Claude commits on GitHub, there’s over 2m of them and it’s about 5% of all open source code this month.
> I saw the same class of vulns being introduced over, and over, again - several a minute.
https://cyberplace.social/@GossiTheDog/116080909947754833
> So I started looking through Claude commits on GitHub, there’s over 2m of them and it’s about 5% of all open source code this month.
> I saw the same class of vulns being introduced over, and over, again - several a minute.
Reposted by Marc Robinson-Rechavi
We are thrilled to announce that, thanks to the support of our institutional subscribers, all Royal Society subscription journals will be open access in 2026 through #S2O. Researchers can read all articles and publish #OpenAccess in our eight subscription journals for free buff.ly/4Lu9VpW
February 16, 2026 at 10:27 AM
We are thrilled to announce that, thanks to the support of our institutional subscribers, all Royal Society subscription journals will be open access in 2026 through #S2O. Researchers can read all articles and publish #OpenAccess in our eight subscription journals for free buff.ly/4Lu9VpW
Reposted by Marc Robinson-Rechavi
Measles is a bellwether. Because it’s the most contagious vaccine-preventable disease, when vaccination rates drop, it’s the first to start spreading.
Now we’ve got mumps rolling up.
Expect more.
This is just the beginning of RFK Jr.’s successful infectious disease reintroduction plan.
Now we’ve got mumps rolling up.
Expect more.
This is just the beginning of RFK Jr.’s successful infectious disease reintroduction plan.
Maryland health officials warn providers about an upsurge in mumps cases
Maryland health officials are warning about an uptick in cases of mumps.
www.thebanner.com
February 14, 2026 at 11:34 PM
Measles is a bellwether. Because it’s the most contagious vaccine-preventable disease, when vaccination rates drop, it’s the first to start spreading.
Now we’ve got mumps rolling up.
Expect more.
This is just the beginning of RFK Jr.’s successful infectious disease reintroduction plan.
Now we’ve got mumps rolling up.
Expect more.
This is just the beginning of RFK Jr.’s successful infectious disease reintroduction plan.
Reposted by Marc Robinson-Rechavi
You may laugh, but the Macbeths are a much better role model for a marriage than Romeo and Juliet. They discuss their problems (killing the king of Scotland), share their hobbies (killing the king of Scotland), and resolve their conflicts (by killing the king of Scotland).
February 13, 2026 at 5:09 PM
You may laugh, but the Macbeths are a much better role model for a marriage than Romeo and Juliet. They discuss their problems (killing the king of Scotland), share their hobbies (killing the king of Scotland), and resolve their conflicts (by killing the king of Scotland).
Reposted by Marc Robinson-Rechavi
and for those in ecology & evolution, there is also the DAFNEE database which hilights specifically ethical journals in that field dafnee.isem-evolution.fr and that we also exploited to build where to publish. Thanks @nicolasgaltier.bsky.social for the exchanges!
DAFNEE, a Database of Academia Friendly jourNals in Ecology and Evolution
dafnee.isem-evolution.fr
February 10, 2026 at 3:02 PM
and for those in ecology & evolution, there is also the DAFNEE database which hilights specifically ethical journals in that field dafnee.isem-evolution.fr and that we also exploited to build where to publish. Thanks @nicolasgaltier.bsky.social for the exchanges!
Reposted by Marc Robinson-Rechavi
Dear all, I'm happy to present you a side project done with @diegoharta.bsky.social @phylogenetrips.bsky.social & Lucas Baudouin regarding the publication landscape in Biology: wheretopublish.github.io 1/4
Where to Publish?
wheretopublish.github.io
February 10, 2026 at 9:42 AM
Dear all, I'm happy to present you a side project done with @diegoharta.bsky.social @phylogenetrips.bsky.social & Lucas Baudouin regarding the publication landscape in Biology: wheretopublish.github.io 1/4
Reposted by Marc Robinson-Rechavi
FOR THE RECORD: one year on, I lay out clearly how Elon Musk FRS has breached the @royalsociety.org’s code of conduct, why the Society’s failure to defend its values has been so damaging, & what they need do to recover their standing in the scientific community. occamstypewriter.org/scurry/2026/...
February 11, 2026 at 6:39 PM
FOR THE RECORD: one year on, I lay out clearly how Elon Musk FRS has breached the @royalsociety.org’s code of conduct, why the Society’s failure to defend its values has been so damaging, & what they need do to recover their standing in the scientific community. occamstypewriter.org/scurry/2026/...
Reposted by Marc Robinson-Rechavi
February 13, 2026 at 12:43 PM
Reposted by Marc Robinson-Rechavi
I expect to see more of these promises of future research. Grant funding is getting fierce, their grandiose claims are less scrutinised bsky.app/profile/leom...
And yes, The Conversation should have brakes on this, passing through their editorial team and supported by a university press officer.
And yes, The Conversation should have brakes on this, passing through their editorial team and supported by a university press officer.
I know it's tongue-in-cheek, but there's truth there. Many, eg institutional comms, don't celebrate results as much as the promise of research. Grants funded are shared more often and wider than papers.
Because the success rate is much lower, getting a grant is a greater feat than publishing it.
Because the success rate is much lower, getting a grant is a greater feat than publishing it.
maybe phd programs should skip the research training part and train people to write applications, instead, since that's all you'll have time to do anyway
February 12, 2026 at 8:52 AM
I expect to see more of these promises of future research. Grant funding is getting fierce, their grandiose claims are less scrutinised bsky.app/profile/leom...
And yes, The Conversation should have brakes on this, passing through their editorial team and supported by a university press officer.
And yes, The Conversation should have brakes on this, passing through their editorial team and supported by a university press officer.
Reposted by Marc Robinson-Rechavi
For #darwinday, in Neuchatel at #biology26, the Swiss organismal biology conference. Some live-posting might ensue.
https://biology26.ch/
https://biology26.ch/
biology26.ch
biology26.ch
February 12, 2026 at 8:23 AM
For #darwinday, in Neuchatel at #biology26, the Swiss organismal biology conference. Some live-posting might ensue.
https://biology26.ch/
https://biology26.ch/
This is a really odd take. We know what RNA is and its importance since the dawn of molecular biology. We've been measuring RNA by in situ hybridization, RT-PCR, ESTs, microarrays, then RNA-seq, to understand genome function since before genomics.
Researchers are launching a Human RNome Project to map every bit of RNA and its chemical modifications, and this work could transform how we treat cancer, neurological disorders and more
buff.ly/KCr3yRR
🧪🩺
buff.ly/KCr3yRR
🧪🩺
RNA is key to the dark matter of the genome − scientists are sequencing it to illuminate human health and disease
Researchers are embarking on the RNA equivalent of the Human Genome Project, including sequencing all the chemical modifications that make cells unique.
buff.ly
February 12, 2026 at 7:02 AM
This is a really odd take. We know what RNA is and its importance since the dawn of molecular biology. We've been measuring RNA by in situ hybridization, RT-PCR, ESTs, microarrays, then RNA-seq, to understand genome function since before genomics.
Reposted by Marc Robinson-Rechavi
Philosophy and anxiety is the worst mix because I can always win the argument with the therapist and by which I mean, anxiety wins
February 11, 2026 at 7:51 AM
Philosophy and anxiety is the worst mix because I can always win the argument with the therapist and by which I mean, anxiety wins
Reposted by Marc Robinson-Rechavi
Abstract submission and registration for the *10th Euro Evo Devo Meeting 2026* at University of Glasgow (June 8-12, 2026) is open. Early bird deadline: March 5, 2026. More info: https://www.evodevoconference26.com/ #conference
February 7, 2026 at 11:11 PM
Abstract submission and registration for the *10th Euro Evo Devo Meeting 2026* at University of Glasgow (June 8-12, 2026) is open. Early bird deadline: March 5, 2026. More info: https://www.evodevoconference26.com/ #conference
Reposted by Marc Robinson-Rechavi
@grundrza.bsky.social is also great on the chilling effect this censorship in Florida is having on classes. The haphazard and random nature of who gets targeted is designed to make everyone terrified.
February 6, 2026 at 3:00 PM
@grundrza.bsky.social is also great on the chilling effect this censorship in Florida is having on classes. The haphazard and random nature of who gets targeted is designed to make everyone terrified.
Reposted by Marc Robinson-Rechavi
And here is the course announcement: www.sib.swiss/training/cou...
February 6, 2026 at 3:49 PM
And here is the course announcement: www.sib.swiss/training/cou...
Reposted by Marc Robinson-Rechavi
one of the greatest human triumphs of my lifetime is the relentless, unceasing, heroic effort by DECADES' worth of doctors and scientists to find a cure for a disease much of the world didn't take seriously for years because it predominantly affected a community they thought kinda deserved it
Just because good news is worth celebrating:
There is now a Prep medication that is an *every six month* injection.
HIV has, effectively, a vaccination.
There is now a Prep medication that is an *every six month* injection.
HIV has, effectively, a vaccination.
February 7, 2026 at 1:37 AM
one of the greatest human triumphs of my lifetime is the relentless, unceasing, heroic effort by DECADES' worth of doctors and scientists to find a cure for a disease much of the world didn't take seriously for years because it predominantly affected a community they thought kinda deserved it
Reposted by Marc Robinson-Rechavi
No joke: I got angry hate mail today for writing an obituary of a Black woman scientist—because the person felt she did didn’t deserve the recognition.
Which just makes me want to share it again: www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Which just makes me want to share it again: www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Gladys Mae West obituary: mathematician who pioneered GPS technology
She made key contributions to US cold-war science despite facing huge barriers as a Black woman.
www.nature.com
February 6, 2026 at 9:09 AM
No joke: I got angry hate mail today for writing an obituary of a Black woman scientist—because the person felt she did didn’t deserve the recognition.
Which just makes me want to share it again: www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Which just makes me want to share it again: www.nature.com/articles/d41...