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theorecol.bsky.social
Mike Fowler
@theorecol.bsky.social
1.4K followers 740 following 610 posts
Theoretical & Quantitative Ecologist. Dad. Whisky lover. Football coach. Relearning the drums. Not necessarily in that order.
See also @theorecol@ecoevo.social
He/him
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theorecol.bsky.social
Mike Fowler @theorecol.bsky.social · Oct 21
Welcome new followers (thanks to the ecology starter-pack!). I'll take this opportunity to publicise the Response Diversity Network: we seek to understand why species respond in diverse ways to environmental drivers, & the consequences. Join us!

responsediversitynetwork.github.io/RDN-website/
Welcome
responsediversitynetwork.github.io
Reposted by Mike Fowler
phdhurtbrain.bsky.social
I find the phrase “makes history” nonsensical. Have you seen the stuff historians study? Just dropping an old piece of farm equipment down a well or accidentally freezing to death in a glacier gives you a good shot at the history books
November 14, 2025 at 10:36 AM
Reposted by Mike Fowler
kevinslote.bsky.social
AI Sloppers: AI will put mathematicians out of jobs.

Me: Good. I’d rather be a clerk at a 1980s video store helping teenagers fight vampires or zombies or something.
November 13, 2025 at 2:28 PM
Reposted by Mike Fowler
hansonmark.bsky.social
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 table showing profit margins of major publishers. A snippet of text related to this table is below. 1. The four-fold drain 1.1 Money Currently, academic publishing is dominated by profit-oriented, multinational companies for whom scientific knowledge is a commodity to be sold back to the academic community who created it. The dominant four are Elsevier, Springer Nature, Wiley and Taylor & Francis, which collectively generated over US$7.1 billion in revenue from journal publishing in 2024 alone, and over US$12 billion in profits between 2019 and 2024 (Table 1A). Their profit margins have always been over 30% in the last five years, and for the largest publisher (Elsevier) always over 37%. Against many comparators, across many sectors, scientific publishing is one of the most consistently profitable industries (Table S1). These financial arrangements make a substantial difference to science budgets. In 2024, 46% of Elsevier revenues and 53% of Taylor & Francis revenues were generated in North America, meaning that North American researchers were charged over US$2.27 billion by just two for-profit publishers. The Canadian research councils and the US National Science Foundation were allocated US$9.3 billion in that year. A figure detailing the drain on researcher time. 1. The four-fold drain 1.2 Time The number of papers published each year is growing faster than the scientific workforce, with the number of papers per researcher almost doubling between 1996 and 2022 (Figure 1A). This reflects the fact that publishers’ commercial desire to publish (sell) more material has aligned well with the competitive prestige culture in which publications help secure jobs, grants, promotions, and awards. To the extent that this growth is driven by a pressure for profit, rather than scholarly imperatives, it distorts the way researchers spend their time. The publishing system depends on unpaid reviewer labour, estimated to be over 130 million unpaid hours annually in 2020 alone (9). Researchers have complained about the demands of peer-review for decades, but the scale of the problem is now worse, with editors reporting widespread difficulties recruiting reviewers. The growth in publications involves not only the authors’ time, but that of academic editors and reviewers who are dealing with so many review demands. Even more seriously, the imperative to produce ever more articles reshapes the nature of scientific inquiry. Evidence across multiple fields shows that more papers result in ‘ossification’, not new ideas (10). It may seem paradoxical that more papers can slow progress until one considers how it affects researchers’ time. While rewards remain tied to volume, prestige, and impact of publications, researchers will be nudged away from riskier, local, interdisciplinary, and long-term work. The result is a treadmill of constant activity with limited progress whereas core scholarly practices – such as reading, reflecting and engaging with others’ contributions – is de-prioritized. What looks like productivity often masks intellectual exhaustion built on a demoralizing, narrowing scientific vision. A table of profit margins across industries. The section of text related to this table is below: 1. The four-fold drain 1.1 Money Currently, academic publishing is dominated by profit-oriented, multinational companies for whom scientific knowledge is a commodity to be sold back to the academic community who created it. The dominant four are Elsevier, Springer Nature, Wiley and Taylor & Francis, which collectively generated over US$7.1 billion in revenue from journal publishing in 2024 alone, and over US$12 billion in profits between 2019 and 2024 (Table 1A). Their profit margins have always been over 30% in the last five years, and for the largest publisher (Elsevier) always over 37%. Against many comparators, across many sectors, scientific publishing is one of the most consistently profitable industries (Table S1). These financial arrangements make a substantial difference to science budgets. In 2024, 46% of Elsevier revenues and 53% of Taylor & Francis revenues were generated in North America, meaning that North American researchers were charged over US$2.27 billion by just two for-profit publishers. The Canadian research councils and the US National Science Foundation were allocated US$9.3 billion in that year. The costs of inaction are plain: wasted public funds, lost researcher time, compromised scientific integrity and eroded public trust. Today, the system rewards commercial publishers first, and science second. Without bold action from the funders we risk continuing to pour resources into a system that prioritizes profit over the advancement of scientific knowledge.
November 11, 2025 at 11:52 AM
Reposted by Mike Fowler
hansonmark.bsky.social
Scientists operate on principles of good faith. But this is just ridiculous. If you, dear reader, take nothing else away from The Drain paper, it is that publishers cannot be invited to the table any longer.

They can participate and carve a space, but they can't be part of shaping policy.

3/n
November 11, 2025 at 11:52 AM
Reposted by Mike Fowler
plashingvole.bsky.social
Uncanny.
Beavis. Or Butthead. The 47th President of the United States. Seriously.
November 12, 2025 at 11:00 AM
theorecol.bsky.social
Just in case anyone else needs a bit of this, this morning.
youtu.be/FaTcIzLk880?...
Ned's Atomic Dustbin - Kill Your Television (Video)
YouTube video by nedsatomicVEVO
youtu.be
November 12, 2025 at 10:28 AM
Reposted by Mike Fowler
orkneylibrary.bsky.social
Along with the toolboxes and drills we've just added 2 Wagner Wallpaper Strippers and 2 Cable Reels to our NEW loanable tool collection. And we'll be adding more items shortly so watch this space! 👀

Find out more about our loanable tool collection at: orkneylibrary.org.uk/tools/
A wallpaper stripper A cable reel
November 11, 2025 at 1:19 PM
theorecol.bsky.social
#PhD on the Metapopulation dynamics of pollinating bees under joint pesticide & habitat fragmentation pressure. Starts Sept 2026 based at Swansea and Bristol Unis.

More project details: bpb-eu-w2.wpmucdn.com/blogs.bristo...

BBSRC SWBio Doctoral Training Programme: www.findaphd.com/phds/program...
bpb-eu-w2.wpmucdn.com
November 11, 2025 at 10:46 AM
Reposted by Mike Fowler
blytheroad.bsky.social
“In the last year of the Conservative Government alone, 115 prisoners were released in error, including a series of serious offenders.

“At no point did this fact ever make the front pages of British newspapers, or lead news bulletins on the BBC.”
November 8, 2025 at 6:35 PM
Reposted by Mike Fowler
plaidcymru.bsky.social
A tax of 2% on wealth over £10 million would raise £24 billion every year 🤯

This could be used to fund our public services properly - from schools to hospitals.

While Reeves says we must all “do our bit”, Plaid Cymru believes it’s time for those with the broadest shoulders to pay their fair share.
November 7, 2025 at 12:08 PM
Reposted by Mike Fowler
danimontoya.bsky.social
I am pleased to announce a new postdoctoral position in Theoretical Ecology. More info here: info.bc3research.org/2025/11/06/p...
Postdoctoral position in agroecology for TRANSFORM Project
The Basque Centre for Climate Change (BC3) is offering a full-time postdoctoral research position to support activities within a Horizon Europe project. The project focuses on developing innovative cr...
info.bc3research.org
November 6, 2025 at 3:40 PM
theorecol.bsky.social
So, a few good things happened in the US and A today.

May you all enjoy this, which does not need to be ranked.

(Another time I'll tell you all about my inability to remember the difference between the Michaels Marra and McDonald, which is rarely a trial.)

youtu.be/jrkOQuRYCIQ?...
The Doobie Brothers: Tiny Desk Concert
YouTube video by NPR Music
youtu.be
November 5, 2025 at 10:40 PM
theorecol.bsky.social
Hey Cat-I-farted, show me a classic example of "why not both?" that also includes just a dash of "and pay for it all yourself, you obscene fucknugget"
October 30, 2025 at 10:17 PM
Reposted by Mike Fowler
watts-km.bsky.social
more PhD info here www.linkedin.com/posts/efuent...
October 29, 2025 at 4:25 PM
theorecol.bsky.social
Come for the exchange of knowledge, stay for the views!
Arthur's Seat, waking up to autumnal sunshine, from the Bayes Centre. Arthur's Seat bathed in autumnal afternoon sunshine, from the Bayes Centre. Solving some temperature dependent problems during a coffee break: plots and diagrams on a chalkboard. A rainbow, erupting from an extinct volcano in Edinburgh.
October 22, 2025 at 4:41 PM
theorecol.bsky.social
Our Biophilic Living project needs a Research Assistant to help us map Stakeholders, the development of the Green Infrastructure movement & Green Infrastructure Training in Wales, to improve design, delivery and maintenance of biodiverse GI.
More info & application:
www.swansea.ac.uk/jobs-at-swan...
Research Assistant
We are looking for a Research Assistant with outstanding organisational and communication skills
www.swansea.ac.uk
October 22, 2025 at 11:30 AM
theorecol.bsky.social
On my way to exchange some knowledge with some rewilders at an @icms-edinburgh.bsky.social knowledge exchange event in beautiful Edinburgh today!
A building in Edinburgh advertising, amongst other things, fancy leather goods and woodenware, in faded paint on sooty sandstone. The old eye pavillion in Edinburgh, with bright spots appearing between the evening clouds and a damp, rippled pattern appearing on a street lined with soggy autumn leaves.
October 20, 2025 at 9:35 PM
theorecol.bsky.social
I have just submitted a manuscript as corresponding author for the first time in... ...

Wait what? How long?





#Reviewer2 – we're on the same side, I promise.
a woman in a blue and white striped shirt says please pretend to be nice
ALT: a woman in a blue and white striped shirt says please pretend to be nice
media.tenor.com
October 17, 2025 at 4:18 PM
theorecol.bsky.social
Ah got in wan wee fecht and ma mami got feart and said
"Yer movin wi yer aunty and uncle in Bellshill"
October 17, 2025 at 11:55 AM
theorecol.bsky.social
Oh em flipping gee!

www.bbc.co.uk/sport/live/c...
Sumo Wrestling LIVE: Watch Grand Sumo Tournament from Royal Albert Hall, London
Follow live BBC Coverage of the Grand Sumo Tournament from Royal Albert Hall, London as it returns for the first time in 34 years.
www.bbc.co.uk
October 15, 2025 at 9:10 PM
theorecol.bsky.social
Petition to rephrase all YaxleyLennon headlines as:

"... Stephen Yaxley Lennon, who identifies as something not indicated on his birth certificate, ..."
October 15, 2025 at 8:24 PM
Reposted by Mike Fowler
gregjenner.bsky.social
“Copyright growing pains” is one hell of a euphemism for the biggest IP theft in history
October 14, 2025 at 7:09 PM
Reposted by Mike Fowler
iite-ecotheory.bsky.social
📣We will be back soon for a new series! 🎉

Our first speaker will be Chris Klausmeier @chrisklausmeier.bsky.social on Tuesday 21 October:

⭐Microbial cross-feeding coexistence and collapse, spatial patterns and population cycles⭐

As ever, free for all to join!
Link+details: iite.info/seminar/
October 9, 2025 at 9:27 AM
Reposted by Mike Fowler
ucu.org.uk
70,000 HE academic staff.

Almost half of teaching only staff.

Two-thirds of research-only academic staff.

ALL on fixed term contracts.

This isn’t flexibility, it’s exploitation.

Live tomorrow at 7 PM we expose the hypocrisy at the top of HE: youtube.com/live/rZRbCP0YJ…
Insecurity of fixed term posts
October 8, 2025 at 8:07 AM
theorecol.bsky.social
I am, dear followers, quite confident the people responsible will continue to avoid responsibility.
@ucu.org.uk
#JoinAUnion
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Vote of no confidence in Swansea University vice chancellor over job cuts - BBC News
UCU members at Swansea University pass a vote of no confidence in its vice chancellor due to job cuts.
www.bbc.co.uk
October 7, 2025 at 8:31 PM