Nicole St. Denis
@nicolestdenis.bsky.social
Scientist, science communicator, smartass. Founder and Principal @ High-Fidelity Science Communications. Thoughts are my own, but then so is the company. She/Her
Not to mention the environmental impacts! If you claim to care about the planet but you use AI instead of your own brain, sorry but you really don’t. You’re literally mortgaging all of our futures to avoid writing an email and you should be ashamed of that
If you're using AI to write essays, eulogies, a text to your wife, I do think less of you as a person. Ceding your mental and creative abilities to a machine is an embarrassing thing and people should be ashamed to admit doing it in public.
![[quoting a tweet by fractalcounty that reads, “today I learned that there are actual people irl who get genuinely upset if they catch you using chatgpt. like they view it as a serious moral failing in certain circles”]](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:hppum4l25hcczzffastsicpq/bafkreihjvnz2ttxl7z4a2b3a4kylubobgvqxmjhwz6yuetuztzoc4g2s4y@jpeg)
August 3, 2025 at 1:35 PM
Not to mention the environmental impacts! If you claim to care about the planet but you use AI instead of your own brain, sorry but you really don’t. You’re literally mortgaging all of our futures to avoid writing an email and you should be ashamed of that
Absolutely god-tier name-occupation synergy
July 11, 2025 at 12:23 PM
Absolutely god-tier name-occupation synergy
My kid, running into his last day of school before summer: “Enjoy your last 6 hours of freedom, mom!”
June 26, 2025 at 12:27 PM
My kid, running into his last day of school before summer: “Enjoy your last 6 hours of freedom, mom!”
Last night I threw some dirty clothes into a laundry basket in a dark room and it responded with a reproachful “rrrrrp”.
Not sorry, cat. You know what goes on in there and that’s on you
Not sorry, cat. You know what goes on in there and that’s on you
June 26, 2025 at 11:06 AM
Last night I threw some dirty clothes into a laundry basket in a dark room and it responded with a reproachful “rrrrrp”.
Not sorry, cat. You know what goes on in there and that’s on you
Not sorry, cat. You know what goes on in there and that’s on you
Reposted by Nicole St. Denis
An MIT study of 54 participants found ChatGPT users had lower brain activity, weaker memory, and less creativity than Google or unaided writers.
ChatGPT users brain activity declined over time, relied on copy-paste, and couldn’t recall what they wrote.
The brain is a muscle, use it or lose it.
ChatGPT users brain activity declined over time, relied on copy-paste, and couldn’t recall what they wrote.
The brain is a muscle, use it or lose it.
ChatGPT's Impact On Our Brains According to an MIT Study
The study, from MIT Lab scholars, measured the brain activity of subjects writing SAT essays with and without ChatGPT.
time.com
June 19, 2025 at 11:24 AM
An MIT study of 54 participants found ChatGPT users had lower brain activity, weaker memory, and less creativity than Google or unaided writers.
ChatGPT users brain activity declined over time, relied on copy-paste, and couldn’t recall what they wrote.
The brain is a muscle, use it or lose it.
ChatGPT users brain activity declined over time, relied on copy-paste, and couldn’t recall what they wrote.
The brain is a muscle, use it or lose it.
Reposted by Nicole St. Denis
ON TOP of the ethical reasons to not use AI, it's also
1) bad at what it does
2) literally makes you stupider
3) has HUGE environmental costs: every search is equivalent to pouring out an entire bottle of water. It's not worth it to generate a cutesy emoji or have it write an error-riddled draft.
1) bad at what it does
2) literally makes you stupider
3) has HUGE environmental costs: every search is equivalent to pouring out an entire bottle of water. It's not worth it to generate a cutesy emoji or have it write an error-riddled draft.
AI was trained on my books (without my permission and against my will) so this annoys me. I never use AI. Not for research, not for images, not for writing. AI used me.
I keep seeing reports of non-AI users being told that an AI detector has dubbed their work AI generated, and it makes me insane because:
1) AI detection tools *are themselves AI* and thus entirely bullshit; and
2) if an AI was trained on your works, of COURSE it’ll flag you as sounding “like” AI!
1) AI detection tools *are themselves AI* and thus entirely bullshit; and
2) if an AI was trained on your works, of COURSE it’ll flag you as sounding “like” AI!
June 15, 2025 at 2:32 PM
ON TOP of the ethical reasons to not use AI, it's also
1) bad at what it does
2) literally makes you stupider
3) has HUGE environmental costs: every search is equivalent to pouring out an entire bottle of water. It's not worth it to generate a cutesy emoji or have it write an error-riddled draft.
1) bad at what it does
2) literally makes you stupider
3) has HUGE environmental costs: every search is equivalent to pouring out an entire bottle of water. It's not worth it to generate a cutesy emoji or have it write an error-riddled draft.
I have two:
1. I once bitched out Gob for trashing a dressing room that I had to clean afterwards, including scraping *something* that spelled “Gob” off the wall (they insisted that Sum41 had framed them, but also avoided eye contact with me for their entire show and left the room spotless)
1/2
1. I once bitched out Gob for trashing a dressing room that I had to clean afterwards, including scraping *something* that spelled “Gob” off the wall (they insisted that Sum41 had framed them, but also avoided eye contact with me for their entire show and left the room spotless)
1/2
Right folks. Feeling rather down at the moment so bringing back an oldie
Please Quote this with your most minor celebrity interaction
Please Quote this with your most minor celebrity interaction
June 14, 2025 at 3:26 AM
I have two:
1. I once bitched out Gob for trashing a dressing room that I had to clean afterwards, including scraping *something* that spelled “Gob” off the wall (they insisted that Sum41 had framed them, but also avoided eye contact with me for their entire show and left the room spotless)
1/2
1. I once bitched out Gob for trashing a dressing room that I had to clean afterwards, including scraping *something* that spelled “Gob” off the wall (they insisted that Sum41 had framed them, but also avoided eye contact with me for their entire show and left the room spotless)
1/2
Um, this is amazeballs. Please share widely so it reaches as many American friends as possible!
Seeing what's happening in the USA and globally, created this small tool based on a bunch of years making banners and signs 🏳️🌈✊
Banner Planner v1.0: Sizes, materials, making methods based on the budget, situation and people you have contributing to make signs.
iancapstick.github.io/bannerapp/ba...
Banner Planner v1.0: Sizes, materials, making methods based on the budget, situation and people you have contributing to make signs.
iancapstick.github.io/bannerapp/ba...
Banner Planner v1.0 - Make Your Message Heard
Free tool to help activists create perfect banners based on budget, skills, and timeline. Get custom recommendations for materials and techniques.
iancapstick.github.io
June 14, 2025 at 2:49 AM
Um, this is amazeballs. Please share widely so it reaches as many American friends as possible!
Reposted by Nicole St. Denis
When planning your next vacation here are some good tips on avoiding ICE, the US Marines, having your phone seized and illegal detention.
June 11, 2025 at 12:28 PM
When planning your next vacation here are some good tips on avoiding ICE, the US Marines, having your phone seized and illegal detention.
Reposted by Nicole St. Denis
Google and Meta search both report that Cape Breton Island has its own time zone 12 minutes ahead of mainland Nova Scotia time because they are both drawing that information from a Beaverton article I wrote in 2024
June 10, 2025 at 12:50 AM
Google and Meta search both report that Cape Breton Island has its own time zone 12 minutes ahead of mainland Nova Scotia time because they are both drawing that information from a Beaverton article I wrote in 2024
It is impossible to do demolition work without getting Peter Gabriel stuck in your head. I haven’t decided if that’s good or bad yet
June 9, 2025 at 1:17 PM
It is impossible to do demolition work without getting Peter Gabriel stuck in your head. I haven’t decided if that’s good or bad yet
Reposted by Nicole St. Denis
Apropos of nothing I feel like one of the most important things to help your kids develop is an ability to self-regulate.
June 5, 2025 at 7:24 PM
Apropos of nothing I feel like one of the most important things to help your kids develop is an ability to self-regulate.
Reposted by Nicole St. Denis
must be incredibly frustrating and disheartening to have federal funding that was promised to you for important work suddenly and arbitrarily ripped away
“In light of the President's statement about cancellation of my government contracts, @SpaceX will begin decommissioning its Dragon spacecraft immediately”
June 5, 2025 at 8:15 PM
must be incredibly frustrating and disheartening to have federal funding that was promised to you for important work suddenly and arbitrarily ripped away
Reposted by Nicole St. Denis
🇨🇦🚨Job Alert🚨🇨🇦
Canada Excellence Research Chair (C$5 or C$10M, 8 yr budget)
U Toronto, Dept of Biochem/LabMedPath
*Was just told they're looking for a structural biologist using cryoEM* (related to infectious disease?)
Are you an established PI ready to move to 🇨🇦?
research.utoronto.ca/funding-oppo...
Canada Excellence Research Chair (C$5 or C$10M, 8 yr budget)
U Toronto, Dept of Biochem/LabMedPath
*Was just told they're looking for a structural biologist using cryoEM* (related to infectious disease?)
Are you an established PI ready to move to 🇨🇦?
research.utoronto.ca/funding-oppo...
2026 Canada Excellence Research Chair Opportunities | Research & Innovation
research.utoronto.ca
May 31, 2025 at 12:46 PM
🇨🇦🚨Job Alert🚨🇨🇦
Canada Excellence Research Chair (C$5 or C$10M, 8 yr budget)
U Toronto, Dept of Biochem/LabMedPath
*Was just told they're looking for a structural biologist using cryoEM* (related to infectious disease?)
Are you an established PI ready to move to 🇨🇦?
research.utoronto.ca/funding-oppo...
Canada Excellence Research Chair (C$5 or C$10M, 8 yr budget)
U Toronto, Dept of Biochem/LabMedPath
*Was just told they're looking for a structural biologist using cryoEM* (related to infectious disease?)
Are you an established PI ready to move to 🇨🇦?
research.utoronto.ca/funding-oppo...
Reposted by Nicole St. Denis
We were so close to eradicating HIV in our lifetimes. I will never get over the cruelty & hate.
"Roughly 1,500 babies have been born HIV-positive every day since January 21, because Musk cut off their mothers’ medication." prospect.org/power/2025-0...
Go, Elon, and Never Darken Our Doors Again
The worst ultra-billionaire on Earth says he’s leaving government. Let’s hope he actually does it.
prospect.org
May 30, 2025 at 3:29 PM
We were so close to eradicating HIV in our lifetimes. I will never get over the cruelty & hate.
Reposted by Nicole St. Denis
🚨ATTENTION MOMS🚨
Friday, May 30th at 3pm
Meet me outside of the CDC with your pregnant bellies, your babies, your toddlers, your strollers, your signs, and your baby gear.
We are standing up for science and vaccines!
@standupforscience.bsky.social
RSVP: actionnetwork.org/events/moms-...
Friday, May 30th at 3pm
Meet me outside of the CDC with your pregnant bellies, your babies, your toddlers, your strollers, your signs, and your baby gear.
We are standing up for science and vaccines!
@standupforscience.bsky.social
RSVP: actionnetwork.org/events/moms-...
May 29, 2025 at 2:12 AM
🚨ATTENTION MOMS🚨
Friday, May 30th at 3pm
Meet me outside of the CDC with your pregnant bellies, your babies, your toddlers, your strollers, your signs, and your baby gear.
We are standing up for science and vaccines!
@standupforscience.bsky.social
RSVP: actionnetwork.org/events/moms-...
Friday, May 30th at 3pm
Meet me outside of the CDC with your pregnant bellies, your babies, your toddlers, your strollers, your signs, and your baby gear.
We are standing up for science and vaccines!
@standupforscience.bsky.social
RSVP: actionnetwork.org/events/moms-...
Reposted by Nicole St. Denis
It pains me to say this, but if you are not a US citizen, you should not attend scientific conferences in the US, visit US institutions, or otherwise travel to our country.
Right now it's not worth the risk.
Hopefully that will change. If it doesn't, science in the US is sunk anyway.
Right now it's not worth the risk.
Hopefully that will change. If it doesn't, science in the US is sunk anyway.
May 26, 2025 at 1:54 AM
It pains me to say this, but if you are not a US citizen, you should not attend scientific conferences in the US, visit US institutions, or otherwise travel to our country.
Right now it's not worth the risk.
Hopefully that will change. If it doesn't, science in the US is sunk anyway.
Right now it's not worth the risk.
Hopefully that will change. If it doesn't, science in the US is sunk anyway.
Reposted by Nicole St. Denis
Hi. Hello.
Take your best 100 level lecture to a patio with queso and margs…and call it a teach in. This is not hard, y’all!
#standupforscience
#summerfightforscience
Take your best 100 level lecture to a patio with queso and margs…and call it a teach in. This is not hard, y’all!
#standupforscience
#summerfightforscience
As a part of the @standupforscience.bsky.social Summer Fight for Science campaign, we want to host 1000 teach ins across the US between now and Sept 30th.
Yeah, it’s a big, hairy, audacious goal. I know.
Here is a running list of ideas, please scoop and do! 🧵🪡
Yeah, it’s a big, hairy, audacious goal. I know.
Here is a running list of ideas, please scoop and do! 🧵🪡
May 21, 2025 at 11:47 AM
Hi. Hello.
Take your best 100 level lecture to a patio with queso and margs…and call it a teach in. This is not hard, y’all!
#standupforscience
#summerfightforscience
Take your best 100 level lecture to a patio with queso and margs…and call it a teach in. This is not hard, y’all!
#standupforscience
#summerfightforscience
Reposted by Nicole St. Denis
Holding Israel accountable is not support for Hamas it’s support for humanity and the rule of law. Without it, we are not a civilization but a collection of beasts walking upright.
May 20, 2025 at 11:46 AM
Holding Israel accountable is not support for Hamas it’s support for humanity and the rule of law. Without it, we are not a civilization but a collection of beasts walking upright.
Your semi-regular reminder that academic publishing is the biggest scam there is
May 16, 2025 at 11:42 PM
Your semi-regular reminder that academic publishing is the biggest scam there is
I will never not crack up at the sheer adorableness of the provincial—yes, provincial—phone book
May 14, 2025 at 12:23 PM
I will never not crack up at the sheer adorableness of the provincial—yes, provincial—phone book