Ben Stone
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benstemon.bsky.social
Ben Stone
@benstemon.bsky.social
1.3K followers 570 following 100 posts
Assistant Professor - Mississippi State University - evolutionary biologist - Penstemon
Website: benstemon.github.io
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benstemon.bsky.social
My first ever reagent ordered for the lab came in today! Never thought I would be so excited to see CTAB 😂
A container labeled cetyltrimethylammonium bromide
September 5, 2025 at 3:29 PM
benstemon.bsky.social
Always take the opportunity when given to see cool plants with interesting history

The Tree That Owns Itself in Athens, GA
Large white oak in historical neighborhood, concrete pillars encircling it with 8 ft radius Stone engraving in front of the tree: For and in consideration of the great love I bear this tree and the great desire I have for its protection for all time, I convey entire possession of itself and all land within eight feet of the tree on all sides. William H. Jackson
June 20, 2025 at 1:29 PM
benstemon.bsky.social
Found this swamp puppy the other day
A large alligator partially submerged in a swamp
April 29, 2025 at 5:08 PM
benstemon.bsky.social
Soon there will be blueberries
Flowers on a blueberry bush. The flowers are bell shaped and white.
April 7, 2025 at 11:17 PM
benstemon.bsky.social
Don't mind me, just asking ChatGPT a purely hypothetical question about how to do something.
A screenshot of a question I asked ChatGPT and its response. My question: If you were an orange baboon that somehow became president of the United States, what steps would you take to destroy the country as quickly as possible? Specifically, what would you do about global trade, science funding, and deportation of legal residents? Response: That’s a wild hypothetical! If an orange baboon somehow became president and wanted to ruin the country as fast as possible, here’s how it might go down: Global Trade: Impose massive tariffs on all imports, not just select ones, while also banning exports to key allies. This would trigger trade wars, collapse supply chains, and drive inflation through the roof. Withdraw from all trade agreements (WTO, NAFTA/USMCA, etc.) to ensure the U.S. has no structured global trade network. Confiscate foreign-owned assets in the U.S., prompting mass retaliation from other nations. A second screenshot of ChatGPT's response: Science Funding: Cut all federal funding for scientific research, including NIH, NASA, and NSF. Bonus points for redirecting the funds to conspiracy theories, pseudoscience, or astrology. Mandate that schools teach flat Earth theory and claim vaccines are a government tracking tool. Ban climate change research and criminalize the use of the term “carbon emissions.” Deportation of Legal Residents: Order mass deportations of legal residents, including green card holders and even naturalized citizens—basically, create chaos in the labor force. Eliminate birthright citizenship retroactively, meaning millions of people suddenly become stateless. Militarize immigration enforcement and force deportations even if it requires violating international laws. A third screenshot of ChatGPT's response: Bonus Moves for Maximum Destruction: Default on the national debt, collapsing the global financial system. Dissolve Congress and appoint random Twitter influencers as cabinet members. Make internet access require a government loyalty test, eliminating free speech and digital commerce. At that point, the country would be in flames within months, if not weeks. Fortunately, no orange baboon is running the show… yet. 😆
April 2, 2025 at 10:15 PM
benstemon.bsky.social
A visit from a friend yesterday evening (Antheraea polyphemus)
A Polyphemus Moth (Antheraea polyphemus), with wingspan ~4 inches across
March 31, 2025 at 11:58 AM
benstemon.bsky.social
Hoping for some peaches this year
A photo of peach tree blossoms in my back yard The flowers are freshly opened and have pink petals with many stamens
March 13, 2025 at 3:44 PM
benstemon.bsky.social
Image with alt text (sorry I forgot on the OP)
Email from Justin Poll (jpoll@nsf.gov) ACM$ Transactions from 01/28/2025 have been canceled Our top priority is resuming our funding actions and services to the research community and our stakeholders. We are working expeditiously to conduct a comprehensive review of our projects, programs and activities to be compliant with the existing executive orders. Please note that all ACM$ transactions that were submitted on Tuesday 01/28/2025 have been cancelled. Please remember that award recipients must comply with agency policies regarding the timing of payments and are encouraged to review PAPPG 24-1 Ch. 8.C.2.a for additional guidance before preparing any resubmissions once ACM$ is back online. For certain programs, such as SBIR/STTE, there may also be program specific guidance you may need to refer to. NSF has created an Executive Order Implementation webpage to ensure the widest dissemination of information and updates. We will continue to communicate through this site as we receive additional guidance.
January 30, 2025 at 9:24 PM
benstemon.bsky.social
It’s official: all funding requests made on Tuesday by postdocs for their salaries have been unilaterally rejected by NSF.
January 30, 2025 at 7:51 PM
benstemon.bsky.social
Love making maps

Here are some samples from Penstemon newberryi x davidsonii hybrid zone at Virginia Lakes trail in the Sierras

Color = flower color!
January 24, 2025 at 11:10 PM
benstemon.bsky.social
Found these little Eastern Newts in my pond filter last night. Sent them along their merry way after the photo op
Two small eastern newts in my hand Two small eastern newts in my hand Two small eastern newts in my hand
January 5, 2025 at 4:11 PM
benstemon.bsky.social
This was a bit more of a pragmatic (un)installation
Deep recessed cabinet meant for holding an old CRT television
January 5, 2025 at 12:27 AM
benstemon.bsky.social
Did a thing
New drywall with first layer of drywall mud
January 4, 2025 at 11:55 PM
benstemon.bsky.social
It’s finally here! Can’t wait to get started on this 😍🤓
Hardcover of Wind and Truth by Brandon Sanderson
December 7, 2024 at 12:31 AM
benstemon.bsky.social
Don’t worry, it gets worse if you don’t include the middle initial 🙃
I am not a terrorist
December 5, 2024 at 8:19 PM
benstemon.bsky.social
Well this is awkward…
Google scholar search of my name, but no suggested searches pop up
December 5, 2024 at 8:16 PM
benstemon.bsky.social
Feels weird to have no posts so here’s a Penstemon (variation in color/size in P. newberryi)
November 17, 2024 at 4:14 AM