Ned Dochtermann
@neddochtermann.bsky.social
Evolutionary ecology, quantitative genetics of behavior, evolutionary implications of trait covariance. he/him
http://neddochtermann.com
http://neddochtermann.com
This is one of my wife and I's favorite movies. We watch it regularly. In addition to Rickman, every performance is amazing. Rockwell's "DO I?" and Weaver's "Hold please" get repeated far more often than they probably should.
Parisot (the Director) tells a story about how Tim Allen just started crying after a scene one day
"I don't like these feelings i'm having." Says Tim. "I'm going back to my trailor" and walks off.
There's silence for a second.
"Oh my god." Says Rickman. "I think Tim just experienced acting."
"I don't like these feelings i'm having." Says Tim. "I'm going back to my trailor" and walks off.
There's silence for a second.
"Oh my god." Says Rickman. "I think Tim just experienced acting."
Galaxy Quest - a perfect movie, just a wonderful love letter to actors, sci-fi, Star Trek in particular, and to fandom - really deserves a proper physical release with decent extras. Think Weaver's right that releasing a R-rated cut would be fun, too.
December 22, 2025 at 4:06 PM
This is one of my wife and I's favorite movies. We watch it regularly. In addition to Rickman, every performance is amazing. Rockwell's "DO I?" and Weaver's "Hold please" get repeated far more often than they probably should.
I'm working on something that requires a lot of professional puffery. Unfortunately, I default to extreme self-deprecation and my colleague on the project is, well, Dutch.
I suspect the outcome might look something along the lines of:
"Dochtermann is just okay but we would really like the money"
I suspect the outcome might look something along the lines of:
"Dochtermann is just okay but we would really like the money"
December 9, 2025 at 7:44 PM
I'm working on something that requires a lot of professional puffery. Unfortunately, I default to extreme self-deprecation and my colleague on the project is, well, Dutch.
I suspect the outcome might look something along the lines of:
"Dochtermann is just okay but we would really like the money"
I suspect the outcome might look something along the lines of:
"Dochtermann is just okay but we would really like the money"
Accurate news reporting from yesterday’s joint lab meeting with @batsrkul.bsky.social‘s group.
December 5, 2025 at 5:24 PM
Accurate news reporting from yesterday’s joint lab meeting with @batsrkul.bsky.social‘s group.
Reposted by Ned Dochtermann
I am looking for a postdoc to work in our long-term system of food-caching mountain chickadees in the Sierra Nevada mountains. The expected start is April 2026. Please see details here: chickadeecognition.com/positions
If interested and qualified, please contact me directly (email on the website).
If interested and qualified, please contact me directly (email on the website).
POSITIONS
default description
chickadeecognition.com
October 28, 2025 at 5:49 PM
I am looking for a postdoc to work in our long-term system of food-caching mountain chickadees in the Sierra Nevada mountains. The expected start is April 2026. Please see details here: chickadeecognition.com/positions
If interested and qualified, please contact me directly (email on the website).
If interested and qualified, please contact me directly (email on the website).
I had been trying to adopt universal design approaches. However, given LLMs, I now think I have to move back to in person, paper and pen, for any exams. Similarly, LLM use is forcing a move back to other, more rigid, assessment methods.
I have shifted away from timed tests, but when I gave them, I'd always offer way more time than students would need. If it's a one-hour final, and it's scheduled for a three-hour block, then you don't need to worry about anyone "gaming the system."
As an educator, one of the most significant professional realizations I came to was that all our time limitations on tests are completely arbitrary. Is there a specific reason this is a 90 minute test? Because we think it should take that long or it's most convenient to us?
December 3, 2025 at 6:41 PM
I had been trying to adopt universal design approaches. However, given LLMs, I now think I have to move back to in person, paper and pen, for any exams. Similarly, LLM use is forcing a move back to other, more rigid, assessment methods.
Over the last two years I’ve seen “Yet, …” surge in use in place of “However, …”.
This seems increasingly the case regardless of field, publication, or country of author.
Is this LLM driven or just an emerging norm?
(I also don’t like it so it could be biased detection but I don’t think so)
This seems increasingly the case regardless of field, publication, or country of author.
Is this LLM driven or just an emerging norm?
(I also don’t like it so it could be biased detection but I don’t think so)
November 20, 2025 at 12:55 PM
Over the last two years I’ve seen “Yet, …” surge in use in place of “However, …”.
This seems increasingly the case regardless of field, publication, or country of author.
Is this LLM driven or just an emerging norm?
(I also don’t like it so it could be biased detection but I don’t think so)
This seems increasingly the case regardless of field, publication, or country of author.
Is this LLM driven or just an emerging norm?
(I also don’t like it so it could be biased detection but I don’t think so)
Reposted by Ned Dochtermann
November 14, 2025 at 5:39 PM
Check footnote 7. Personally, the formula notation has always made a lot more sense to me than the tidyverse "pipes".
Claus Wilke is starting a series on Python for data science. It’s liable to evoke strong reactions. I won’t take a position. I’m pretty good at R, but I’m a rank novice in Python. - Python is not a great language for data science. Part 1: The experience open.substack.com/pub/clauswil...
Python is not a great language for data science. Part 1: The experience
It may be a good language for data science, but it’s not a great one.
open.substack.com
November 14, 2025 at 8:46 PM
Check footnote 7. Personally, the formula notation has always made a lot more sense to me than the tidyverse "pipes".
Reposted by Ned Dochtermann
We wrote the Strain on scientific publishing to highlight the problems of time & trust. With a fantastic group of co-authors, we present The Drain of Scientific Publishing:
a 🧵 1/n
Drain: arxiv.org/abs/2511.04820
Strain: direct.mit.edu/qss/article/...
Oligopoly: direct.mit.edu/qss/article/...
a 🧵 1/n
Drain: arxiv.org/abs/2511.04820
Strain: direct.mit.edu/qss/article/...
Oligopoly: direct.mit.edu/qss/article/...
November 11, 2025 at 11:52 AM
We wrote the Strain on scientific publishing to highlight the problems of time & trust. With a fantastic group of co-authors, we present The Drain of Scientific Publishing:
a 🧵 1/n
Drain: arxiv.org/abs/2511.04820
Strain: direct.mit.edu/qss/article/...
Oligopoly: direct.mit.edu/qss/article/...
a 🧵 1/n
Drain: arxiv.org/abs/2511.04820
Strain: direct.mit.edu/qss/article/...
Oligopoly: direct.mit.edu/qss/article/...
Reposted by Ned Dochtermann
A lot of people are quoting this post and that's good because they should, AI sucks and robs us of something special and only mediocre uncreative piss-babies rely on it to make anything at all, fuck AI, p.s. Emma Thompson is now the president, sorry, that's just how it is
"I DON'T NEED YOU TO FUCKING REWRITE WHAT I'VE JUST WRITTEN!"
October 28, 2025 at 12:52 PM
A lot of people are quoting this post and that's good because they should, AI sucks and robs us of something special and only mediocre uncreative piss-babies rely on it to make anything at all, fuck AI, p.s. Emma Thompson is now the president, sorry, that's just how it is
Hi folks, Any recommendations of dissecting scopes with digital cameras that are sufficient for insect (cricket) morphometrics and relatively inexpensive (<2000)?
Thanks!
Thanks!
October 23, 2025 at 3:54 PM
Hi folks, Any recommendations of dissecting scopes with digital cameras that are sufficient for insect (cricket) morphometrics and relatively inexpensive (<2000)?
Thanks!
Thanks!
Reposted by Ned Dochtermann
I cannot believe our work is finally out there and in @journal-evo.bsky.social ! This was an enormous group effort!
We provide an updated estimate of the number of buzz pollinated angiosperm species, genera, and families, look at consequences for diversification, number of transitions, and more!
We provide an updated estimate of the number of buzz pollinated angiosperm species, genera, and families, look at consequences for diversification, number of transitions, and more!
October 23, 2025 at 5:34 AM
I cannot believe our work is finally out there and in @journal-evo.bsky.social ! This was an enormous group effort!
We provide an updated estimate of the number of buzz pollinated angiosperm species, genera, and families, look at consequences for diversification, number of transitions, and more!
We provide an updated estimate of the number of buzz pollinated angiosperm species, genera, and families, look at consequences for diversification, number of transitions, and more!
As folks get news about promotion and tenure, first, congrats!.
Second, some unsolicited advice: Chairs & Deans don’t like the joke “My goal now is to be dead wood”.
Solid lede for promotion seminars though.
Second, some unsolicited advice: Chairs & Deans don’t like the joke “My goal now is to be dead wood”.
Solid lede for promotion seminars though.
October 22, 2025 at 5:16 PM
As folks get news about promotion and tenure, first, congrats!.
Second, some unsolicited advice: Chairs & Deans don’t like the joke “My goal now is to be dead wood”.
Solid lede for promotion seminars though.
Second, some unsolicited advice: Chairs & Deans don’t like the joke “My goal now is to be dead wood”.
Solid lede for promotion seminars though.
Reposted by Ned Dochtermann
Did a new one
August 7, 2025 at 6:46 PM
Did a new one
Reposted by Ned Dochtermann
Just to be super clear, if you’re phoning in your peer review to ai you should quit your job so someone else who actually likes science can have it.
October 16, 2025 at 11:37 PM
Just to be super clear, if you’re phoning in your peer review to ai you should quit your job so someone else who actually likes science can have it.
Same: heard that a colleague (in a different department) openly discussed using LLMs for "ideation" and I replied that it was amazing they outright admitted they were bad at their job. Pathetic.
Of course that could also probably have been inferred from the use of the word "ideation".
Of course that could also probably have been inferred from the use of the word "ideation".
when I hear this and remember @tressiemcphd.bsky.social characterized AI as mid, I wonder why this first faculty member (not OP) would tell on themselves so BRUTALLY
I’m in a room where a whole ass faculty member said “Chat GPT 5 would be able to write a better NSF proposal than me” and… well…
My inside thoughts got the best of me BC I said loud as fuck “that’s unfortunate, because there’s not a machine on earth that writes better than me.”
My inside thoughts got the best of me BC I said loud as fuck “that’s unfortunate, because there’s not a machine on earth that writes better than me.”
October 16, 2025 at 6:25 PM
Same: heard that a colleague (in a different department) openly discussed using LLMs for "ideation" and I replied that it was amazing they outright admitted they were bad at their job. Pathetic.
Of course that could also probably have been inferred from the use of the word "ideation".
Of course that could also probably have been inferred from the use of the word "ideation".
I too would like to move to the beach.
October 11, 2025 at 3:16 PM
I too would like to move to the beach.
We have an updated version of this preprint, available at:
ecoevorxiv.org/repository/v...
Fingers crossed the formal, final version will be out soon.
We think this highlights a major issue in how we study behavior (& more).
Thank you @sekharma.bsky.social & @itchyshin.bsky.social!
#evolution
ecoevorxiv.org/repository/v...
Fingers crossed the formal, final version will be out soon.
We think this highlights a major issue in how we study behavior (& more).
Thank you @sekharma.bsky.social & @itchyshin.bsky.social!
#evolution
October 8, 2025 at 1:06 PM
We have an updated version of this preprint, available at:
ecoevorxiv.org/repository/v...
Fingers crossed the formal, final version will be out soon.
We think this highlights a major issue in how we study behavior (& more).
Thank you @sekharma.bsky.social & @itchyshin.bsky.social!
#evolution
ecoevorxiv.org/repository/v...
Fingers crossed the formal, final version will be out soon.
We think this highlights a major issue in how we study behavior (& more).
Thank you @sekharma.bsky.social & @itchyshin.bsky.social!
#evolution
Reposted by Ned Dochtermann
Our newest paper is out in Methods in Ecol Evol @methodsinecoevol.bsky.social :) amazing team effort - we show that the traditional way of analyzing comparative data lacks finesse. besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/action/oidcS... w/ @itchyshin.bsky.social Yefeng Yang, Losia Lagisz & Ayumi Mizuno
October 2, 2025 at 3:26 PM
Our newest paper is out in Methods in Ecol Evol @methodsinecoevol.bsky.social :) amazing team effort - we show that the traditional way of analyzing comparative data lacks finesse. besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/action/oidcS... w/ @itchyshin.bsky.social Yefeng Yang, Losia Lagisz & Ayumi Mizuno
Reposted by Ned Dochtermann
my lab has moved to @iubiology.bsky.social! We're getting the #newlab set up here and excited to interact with @iu-cisab.bsky.social, @bdsc.bsky.social, and more! I'd love to hear from prospective lab members, especially prospective PhD students, postdocs, and technicians. more info: saltzlab.com
October 3, 2025 at 3:10 PM
my lab has moved to @iubiology.bsky.social! We're getting the #newlab set up here and excited to interact with @iu-cisab.bsky.social, @bdsc.bsky.social, and more! I'd love to hear from prospective lab members, especially prospective PhD students, postdocs, and technicians. more info: saltzlab.com
Always great when a software's documentation contradicts things it can easily do. Arrggh.
(felt incompetent, might delete later)
(felt incompetent, might delete later)
October 1, 2025 at 2:31 PM
Always great when a software's documentation contradicts things it can easily do. Arrggh.
(felt incompetent, might delete later)
(felt incompetent, might delete later)
Was reading a paper and recalled how after giving a plenary at my home society, career high point, an NAS fellow said something to the effect of ”I had low expectations but that was actually interesting”. Thanks! 🤣
Those are the kinds of expectations I can hopefully continue to meet!
Those are the kinds of expectations I can hopefully continue to meet!
September 25, 2025 at 12:49 AM
Was reading a paper and recalled how after giving a plenary at my home society, career high point, an NAS fellow said something to the effect of ”I had low expectations but that was actually interesting”. Thanks! 🤣
Those are the kinds of expectations I can hopefully continue to meet!
Those are the kinds of expectations I can hopefully continue to meet!
Reposted by Ned Dochtermann
Science is dominated by male native-English-speakers with elevated affluence. It's a demographic that makes up less than 3% of the total global population. If someone wants to keep politics out of science, they are comfortable enforcing the status quo that benefits them (a small privileged group).
September 23, 2025 at 4:20 AM
Science is dominated by male native-English-speakers with elevated affluence. It's a demographic that makes up less than 3% of the total global population. If someone wants to keep politics out of science, they are comfortable enforcing the status quo that benefits them (a small privileged group).
Reposted by Ned Dochtermann
SquidSim is the coolest package - it let's you build complex hierarchical data structures and then simulate data from the world you create. The best tool for doing proper power analyses and testing how well your models can uncover the 'truth'. I've been recommending it to everyone!
Interested in simulating the kind of data that you might commonly find in evolutionary and ecological studies?
Then we have the R package for you - squidSim!!
Check our new preprint:
ecoevorxiv.org/repository/v...
Then we have the R package for you - squidSim!!
Check our new preprint:
ecoevorxiv.org/repository/v...
squidSim: a flexible R package for structured and reproducible simulations in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
ecoevorxiv.org
September 15, 2025 at 5:08 PM
SquidSim is the coolest package - it let's you build complex hierarchical data structures and then simulate data from the world you create. The best tool for doing proper power analyses and testing how well your models can uncover the 'truth'. I've been recommending it to everyone!