Rob Knell
@robknell.bsky.social
Evolutionary ecologist working on, amongst other things, mating systems and adaptation. Knows enough stats to be dangerous and inflicts R on the innocent. Takes photos of animals. Also running/triathlon/technical diving.
Pinned
Rob Knell
@robknell.bsky.social
· Dec 15
Biostatistics vignette
cran.r-project.org
#Biostatistics R package: interactive learnr tutorials on statistics ranging from frequency distributions to model selection. Videos, text explanations, quizzes and coding exercises. cran.r-project.org/web/packages...
Reposted by Rob Knell
I've been avoiding reading articles on the death of James Watson, co-discoverer of #DNA's structure.
That is, until I saw that @statnews.com published one by Sharon Begley, a renowned science writer who passed in 2021.
Yes, you read that right.
www.statnews.com/2025/11/07/j...
🧪 (1/5)
That is, until I saw that @statnews.com published one by Sharon Begley, a renowned science writer who passed in 2021.
Yes, you read that right.
www.statnews.com/2025/11/07/j...
🧪 (1/5)
James Watson, dead at 97, was a scientific legend and a pariah among his peers
James Watson, the co-discoverer of the structure of DNA who died Thursday at 97, was a scientific legend and a pariah among his peers.
www.statnews.com
November 8, 2025 at 7:22 PM
I've been avoiding reading articles on the death of James Watson, co-discoverer of #DNA's structure.
That is, until I saw that @statnews.com published one by Sharon Begley, a renowned science writer who passed in 2021.
Yes, you read that right.
www.statnews.com/2025/11/07/j...
🧪 (1/5)
That is, until I saw that @statnews.com published one by Sharon Begley, a renowned science writer who passed in 2021.
Yes, you read that right.
www.statnews.com/2025/11/07/j...
🧪 (1/5)
Quote from the late and unlamented James Watson: “Anyone who would hire an ecologist is out of his mind”. I find myself proud to be a member of a group that he disliked. 🧪
November 8, 2025 at 2:11 PM
Quote from the late and unlamented James Watson: “Anyone who would hire an ecologist is out of his mind”. I find myself proud to be a member of a group that he disliked. 🧪
Reposted by Rob Knell
Human Geography at Leicester is facing closure. Staff contracts are to end in June 2026; students are to be relocated to other universities, or taught out by a maximum of two (!) teaching-only staff. Other departments and subjects are facing closure, too. Please join the demo!
November 6, 2025 at 9:26 AM
Human Geography at Leicester is facing closure. Staff contracts are to end in June 2026; students are to be relocated to other universities, or taught out by a maximum of two (!) teaching-only staff. Other departments and subjects are facing closure, too. Please join the demo!
So given recent news I’ve been doing a bit of reading on James Watson. It’s hard to find anything positive to say about this sexist and racist bigot who happened to get in on the scientific discovery of the century. 🧪
November 8, 2025 at 1:11 AM
So given recent news I’ve been doing a bit of reading on James Watson. It’s hard to find anything positive to say about this sexist and racist bigot who happened to get in on the scientific discovery of the century. 🧪
Reposted by Rob Knell
PhD position at the University of Bristol (with me!) entitled 'The legacy impacts of extreme climate events on animal behaviour, physiology, and fitness'.
Fully funded and is available for UK-domiciled students of black heritage. Please reach out with any questions.
tinyurl.com/5n7s8yp9
Fully funded and is available for UK-domiciled students of black heritage. Please reach out with any questions.
tinyurl.com/5n7s8yp9
Funded PhD open to UK-domiciled, home fee applicants of Black African, Black Caribbean or other Black or mixed Black heritage - The legacy impacts of extreme climate events on animal behaviour, physio...
PhD Project - Funded PhD open to UK-domiciled, home fee applicants of Black African, Black Caribbean or other Black or mixed Black heritage - The legacy impacts of extreme climate events on animal beh...
www.findaphd.com
October 21, 2025 at 9:00 AM
PhD position at the University of Bristol (with me!) entitled 'The legacy impacts of extreme climate events on animal behaviour, physiology, and fitness'.
Fully funded and is available for UK-domiciled students of black heritage. Please reach out with any questions.
tinyurl.com/5n7s8yp9
Fully funded and is available for UK-domiciled students of black heritage. Please reach out with any questions.
tinyurl.com/5n7s8yp9
Reposted by Rob Knell
Nature suggests you use their "Manuscript Adviser" bot to get advice before submitting
I uploaded the classic Watson & Crick paper about DNA structure, and the Adviser had this to say about one of the greatest paper endings of the century:
I uploaded the classic Watson & Crick paper about DNA structure, and the Adviser had this to say about one of the greatest paper endings of the century:
November 3, 2025 at 1:55 PM
Nature suggests you use their "Manuscript Adviser" bot to get advice before submitting
I uploaded the classic Watson & Crick paper about DNA structure, and the Adviser had this to say about one of the greatest paper endings of the century:
I uploaded the classic Watson & Crick paper about DNA structure, and the Adviser had this to say about one of the greatest paper endings of the century:
Reposted by Rob Knell
Interested in doing a PhD in theoretical ecology and evolution? Come join us in Bern!
We have an open PhD position (application deadline 9 January 2026) in "Theory of fitness landscapes" at @unibe.ch 🤓⛰️📊👩💻🎓: banklab.github.io/positions/
Please share widely!
#QueerInSTEM #DisabledInSTEM #BlackInSTEM #WomenInSTEM #CarersInSTEM #AcademicSky #HigherED
Please share widely!
#QueerInSTEM #DisabledInSTEM #BlackInSTEM #WomenInSTEM #CarersInSTEM #AcademicSky #HigherED
November 3, 2025 at 10:17 AM
Interested in doing a PhD in theoretical ecology and evolution? Come join us in Bern!
Reposted by Rob Knell
Academics in Assyria in the 7th c BC complain that admin is preventing them from doing research and teaching
November 3, 2025 at 10:04 AM
Academics in Assyria in the 7th c BC complain that admin is preventing them from doing research and teaching
Reposted by Rob Knell
Is Madagascar possibly home to a giant, black fossa - about twice the size of the scientifically recognized species? The article at Tet Zoo now has a good number of reader comments ... tetzoo.com/blog/2025/10... #mammals #carnivorans #carnivora
The Amazing Giant Black Fossa — Tetrapod Zoology
Is there a bigger, badder, blacker fossa alive in Madagascar?
tetzoo.com
November 3, 2025 at 12:50 PM
Is Madagascar possibly home to a giant, black fossa - about twice the size of the scientifically recognized species? The article at Tet Zoo now has a good number of reader comments ... tetzoo.com/blog/2025/10... #mammals #carnivorans #carnivora
Reposted by Rob Knell
🦀 news (with apologies for subjecting you to that horrible pun in the headline...)
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
Long time, no sea: more than 100m red crabs migrate on Christmas Island, delighting conservationists
Authorities report progress in controlling pests – the yellow ant invaders – that are threatening the charismatic crustaceans
www.theguardian.com
October 26, 2025 at 5:58 PM
🦀 news (with apologies for subjecting you to that horrible pun in the headline...)
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
Homage to Xavier Bou: little swifts at the Olifants River high-water bridge, Kruger National Park. Unstacked from video taken with an Iphone 14. #birds #photography #SouthAfrica #iPhone
October 26, 2025 at 5:39 PM
Homage to Xavier Bou: little swifts at the Olifants River high-water bridge, Kruger National Park. Unstacked from video taken with an Iphone 14. #birds #photography #SouthAfrica #iPhone
Just want to thank @qmul.bsky.social for once again giving me confidence that my decision to leave was correct www.reddit.com/r/AskAcademi... #academia #phd
From the AskAcademiaUK community on Reddit
Explore this post and more from the AskAcademiaUK community
www.reddit.com
October 24, 2025 at 7:15 PM
Just want to thank @qmul.bsky.social for once again giving me confidence that my decision to leave was correct www.reddit.com/r/AskAcademi... #academia #phd
Reposted by Rob Knell
(this post copied over from The Other Place, after I was reminded of it by another release form)
October 22, 2025 at 5:25 PM
(this post copied over from The Other Place, after I was reminded of it by another release form)
A couple of really skanky hyaenas from the Kruger Park. #wildlife #photography #kruger #hyaena #filthhound
October 22, 2025 at 5:28 PM
A couple of really skanky hyaenas from the Kruger Park. #wildlife #photography #kruger #hyaena #filthhound
I think if I see one more university document that tells me my objectives should be SMART I will need some primal scream therapy.
October 21, 2025 at 6:17 PM
I think if I see one more university document that tells me my objectives should be SMART I will need some primal scream therapy.
Reposted by Rob Knell
Just returned from a 10-day expedition in Kuala Belalong, Brunei, with @taxonexpeditions.bsky.social. We found many stalk-eyed flies, mostly Diopsidae, but also these Themara true fruit flies (Tephritidae). Not sure which species: both T. ampla and T. hirsuta have been found there before.
October 18, 2025 at 10:24 AM
Just returned from a 10-day expedition in Kuala Belalong, Brunei, with @taxonexpeditions.bsky.social. We found many stalk-eyed flies, mostly Diopsidae, but also these Themara true fruit flies (Tephritidae). Not sure which species: both T. ampla and T. hirsuta have been found there before.
Anyone else who's up late watching Kona... massive respect to our girl LCB for keeping going when she was obviously almost dead and also to Reece for havng the sense to pull her off the course. My goodness I have not seen anything like that. Holey moley. #triathlon #ironman
October 12, 2025 at 12:07 AM
Anyone else who's up late watching Kona... massive respect to our girl LCB for keeping going when she was obviously almost dead and also to Reece for havng the sense to pull her off the course. My goodness I have not seen anything like that. Holey moley. #triathlon #ironman
The UK Higher Ed crisis continues, and the government continues to do diddly-squat about it, despite being the cause of it. #universities #UK #funding
Thousands more university jobs cut as financial crisis deepens
University workers will vote on national strike action this month over a 1.4% pay offer made in the summer.
www.bbc.co.uk
October 10, 2025 at 6:52 AM
The UK Higher Ed crisis continues, and the government continues to do diddly-squat about it, despite being the cause of it. #universities #UK #funding
Good stuff: not so long ago we thought these beautiful birds were on their way out forever. Also an object lesson in how the BINGOs can fail if they don't understand the local community. #wildlife #birds #conservation
An Indonesian songbird once nearly extinct in the wild, the Bali starling, is making a comeback through community-led conservation.
Villages embraced traditional awig-awig regulations to protect the starling, creating powerful cultural, social and financial deterrents to poaching.
Villages embraced traditional awig-awig regulations to protect the starling, creating powerful cultural, social and financial deterrents to poaching.
Indigenous-led protections spark Bali starling’s recovery in the wild
NUSA PENIDA, Indonesia — Two young conservation workers rattle up on a motorbike and dismount at the edge of a coconut grove. Picking through husks, fallen fronds and stray plastic bottles, they scan…
news.mongabay.com
October 5, 2025 at 6:29 PM
Good stuff: not so long ago we thought these beautiful birds were on their way out forever. Also an object lesson in how the BINGOs can fail if they don't understand the local community. #wildlife #birds #conservation
I'm asking my MSc #wildlife #conservation students to write a 2000 word costed research proposal with ethics statement, data management etc... just wondering if anyone has any examples that they might be OK to share? Would be super helpful. 🧪 Mine are mostly v. long and technical.
September 25, 2025 at 7:19 AM
I'm asking my MSc #wildlife #conservation students to write a 2000 word costed research proposal with ethics statement, data management etc... just wondering if anyone has any examples that they might be OK to share? Would be super helpful. 🧪 Mine are mostly v. long and technical.
Reposted by Rob Knell
Per capita consumption of margarine correlates with The divorce rate in Maine (r=0.993)
September 22, 2025 at 1:35 PM
Per capita consumption of margarine correlates with The divorce rate in Maine (r=0.993)
As always @tetzoo.bsky.social gives us the facts on the latest cryptozoological frenzy
This #LochNessMonster photo is doing the rounds on social media, accompanied by a fake story about it being real, and new, and attached to a specific eyewitness event. I see people on Facebook groups thinking that the photo is the 'real deal', sigh. However... 1/n
September 19, 2025 at 7:43 PM
As always @tetzoo.bsky.social gives us the facts on the latest cryptozoological frenzy
I was a member of staff at QMUL when Edmund Burke was VP for Science and Engineering. Having seen his management style I am not remotely surprised by this.
A state of emergency in Welsh and UK higher education
Bangor University staff in vice chancellor vote of no confidence
UCU union members at Bangor University passed a motion of no confidence due to staff and budget cuts.
www.bbc.co.uk
September 19, 2025 at 8:52 AM
I was a member of staff at QMUL when Edmund Burke was VP for Science and Engineering. Having seen his management style I am not remotely surprised by this.