wow i was not entirely wrong

i need to know how biologists decide bacteria names? was this bacteria discovered in SF? fructilacto…sanfrancis…? how about fruit yogurt from SF? 😀

so what were they using until now? 🙄😀🙏

AI is starting to look like pseudoscience Not all of it, but some scientists are too eager to believe their own hype

In my latest column, I explain some of my reasons for being deeply skeptical about AI models that claim to understand DNA, genes, and genomes: stevensalzberg.substack.com/p/ai-is-star...

this is such a cool idea! because i am camera awkward, i will write a small thread on every book i read, once a week perhaps. i’m reading lilith’s brood trilogy’s book 1: dawn & i’m awestruck at how well butler understands gene therapy (book pub in 1987 🫨) so impressed by the consistency 🧬

one of those days i miss being in nyc even more…this is massive! feeling a lil hopeful today :)

The Programmable Genomics Lab at @umasschan.bsky.social
just officially launched our site!

We have a "simple" goal: to develop synthetic regulatory elements that target every cell type in every tissue, and control payload dosage/duration

Check it out!

programmable-genomics.github.io

REFLECTIONS ON AI IN THE CLASSROOM: How We are Not Using Al in the Classroom By Sonja Drimmer & Christopher J. Nygren Premise Prompt engineering is a term that has become commonplace since the widespread availability of generative AI applications like ChatGPT. The idea is that the outputs of the large language models (LLMs) on which these applications are based are only as good as the prompts that are input: vague prompts result in equally vague outputs. And thus was born the race to train for careers in prompt engineering. Unfortunately, the bubble seems to have burst before even the first generation of students was trained for this career outcome. We were given a prompt as an invitation to participate in this newsletter: "How are you using Al in the classroom?" While we have accepted this invitation, we are engaging in the most humanistic act we can imagine-refusing the prompt.

I just co-authored a piece with @cnygren.bsky.social on exactly this! It’s short!

static1.squarespace.com/static/55577...

No planets, no stars, no life, no time? This is what the Universe would be like if gravity had never existed What if there were no gravity? A look at a Universe without gravity and the effect on planets, stars and even life itself.

This piece by @govertschilling.nl is great fun! 🔭 #scicomm

“In a world with no gravity, there’s no need for the evolution of wings.

Legs aren’t really necessary either. And animals could be much larger than blue whales or dinosaurs, as weight no longer puts constraints on body size.”