Funding research, fighting divestment

"Details about oil majors contributing hundreds of millions of dollars to top universities to build relationships that could help the industry avoid taking climate action were inside thousands of pages of documents unveiled Tuesday by Democrats on the House Oversight and Accountability and the Senate Budget committees.

Of the files released Tuesday, many show the extraordinary lengths energy giants have gone to in order to maintain public support for the oil industry — a major employer that’s also one of the nation’s top corporate climate polluters.

Companies have acknowledged, then flat-out ignored, stark warnings about the fate of the planet in relation to their activities."

Big Oil document dump spotlights industry influence in academia

@academicchatter

#academia #climate #AcademicChatter

Big Oil document dump spotlights industry influence in academia - E&E News by POLITICO

Democrats will focus on what they see as damning evidence of the industry's inaction on climate change during a hearing Wednesday.

^{Emma Dumain, Corbin Hiar (E&E News)}

Oh #Drosophila , never change.

The gene "degrees of kevin bacon (dokb)" has polymorphisms present that regulate social network behaviour.

"We named this gene degrees of kevin bacon (dokb) after the parlor game “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon” where participants choose an arbitrary Hollywood actor and determine the shortest path that connects that individual to Kevin Bacon via film roles."

#AcademicChatter

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-47499-8

The gene “degrees of kevin bacon” (dokb) regulates a social network behaviour in Drosophila melanogaster - Nature Communications

The structure of a social network is thought to be heritable in many animals, including humans. Here, Rooke and colleagues identify a gene, which they name “degrees of kevin bacon (dokb)”, that is expressed in the central nervous system of Drosophila…

^Nature

Timely reminder that disabilities are fluid. A person may be symptomatic one day and fine the next. A student may not need accommodations during the semester, but the end of the term rush may make accommodations very necessary. This does NOT mean the student is faking it or taking advantage of you.

#AcademicAbleism #AcademicChatter #InclusiveTeaching #HigherEd

How can you be a better leader and mentor?

In our last #ECR webinar, three PIs shared their experiences and insights on leadership and mentorship, focusing on the practices that led them to succeed in their roles. #AcademicChatter
https://youtu.be/Or9Bb78_wAg

ECR Webinar: Leadership and mentorship for early-career researchers

The road through academic career progression can seem uncertain. How can you be sure you’re making the right steps? How can you make the leap from one career...

^YouTube

‘We need to slow down scientific publishing’

'We focus on metrics to evaluate a scientist’s career: how many articles they have published, how many times they were cited, what was the impact factor of all these articles. '

https://english.elpais.com/science-tech/2024-04-26/elisabeth-bik-expert-in-scientific-integrity-we-need-to-slow-down-scientific-publishing.html

#publishing #science #stem #academicchatter

Elisabeth Bik, expert in scientific integrity: ‘We need to slow down scientific publishing’

The Dutch microbiologist has been voluntarily searching for duplicate, erroneous or retouched academic images for more than 10 years and warning universities and scientific journals about it

^{Beatriz Olaizola (Ediciones EL PAÍS S.L.)}

Huge huge news that puts #Canada 🇨🇦 back on the map of destinations for global research. Long overdue, but welcome just the same.

#AcademicChatter #CanadaPolitics

Wanna help a master student to accomplish her thesis about the embodiment of emotions?
You can do by answering this survey!
It should not take you more than 5 or 10 min and you don't need to be familiar with robots or AI to answer.

https://fracorrao99.questionpro.com/t/AahVGZ2Azh

Thanks in advance!
Boosts appreciated!

#academicChatter

This article really resonates with me. The current system is untenable and most university administrations have taken away any agency that faculty have in the system.

It's time for a major change.

#academia #academicchatter

https://voicesofacademia.com/2024/04/05/its-not-your-fault-that-academic-life-is-getting-harder-by-glen-ohara/

It’s Not Your Fault That Academic Life is Getting Harder by Glen O’Hara

Universities are in trouble, and it’s not just money we’re talking about. They are living through something of a crisis of confidence, even of trust and faith. More and more, I find myself, and my …

^{Voices of Academia}