Ammon Perkes
@alltheperkes.bsky.social
Computational ethologist (I like animals and coding). Ask me about vision based animal tracking.
Other topics may include rock climbing, DnD, and parenting.
PhD in cowbird courtship. Currently tracking clonal guppies in the Laskowski Lab at UC Davis.
Other topics may include rock climbing, DnD, and parenting.
PhD in cowbird courtship. Currently tracking clonal guppies in the Laskowski Lab at UC Davis.
Pinned
Ammon Perkes
@alltheperkes.bsky.social
· Apr 29
Bayesian updating for self-assessment explains social dominance and winner–loser effects
In animal contests, winners of previous contests often keep winning and losers keep losing. This coupling of previous experiences to future success, r…
www.sciencedirect.com
So I know there's a lot going on, BUT my paper just came out in AnBeh, so get in losers, we’re skeeting the science.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
tldr: @katelaskowski.bsky.social and I used Bayesian updating to model the winner effect and it’s a pretty good way to think about it
1/19 🧵
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
tldr: @katelaskowski.bsky.social and I used Bayesian updating to model the winner effect and it’s a pretty good way to think about it
1/19 🧵
I might seem like a luddite, but when I learned about LLMs, I thought they were super cool, and when chatGPT rolled out, I thought that was pretty neat too. It's the frantic shoving into everything, blockchain style, that annoys me
Anyway, meta's new segmentation model is neat:
ai.meta.com/sam3/
Anyway, meta's new segmentation model is neat:
ai.meta.com/sam3/
November 26, 2025 at 7:38 AM
I might seem like a luddite, but when I learned about LLMs, I thought they were super cool, and when chatGPT rolled out, I thought that was pretty neat too. It's the frantic shoving into everything, blockchain style, that annoys me
Anyway, meta's new segmentation model is neat:
ai.meta.com/sam3/
Anyway, meta's new segmentation model is neat:
ai.meta.com/sam3/
Zoom displacing Skype is going to be a minor footnote next to whatever company makes a working search engine and manages to replace Google.
Today I got so tired of google’s helpful, self-assured, and wrong answers to my programming question that I just quit.
Today I got so tired of google’s helpful, self-assured, and wrong answers to my programming question that I just quit.
November 26, 2025 at 2:51 AM
Zoom displacing Skype is going to be a minor footnote next to whatever company makes a working search engine and manages to replace Google.
Today I got so tired of google’s helpful, self-assured, and wrong answers to my programming question that I just quit.
Today I got so tired of google’s helpful, self-assured, and wrong answers to my programming question that I just quit.
Tried this, breaks everything, do not recommend.
If you use GMail, AI (Gemini) was turned on yesterday by default and now scans all of your content for machine learning. To turn off, go to Settings>General and scroll down. Uncheck the box for "Smart features."
There's other "Smart" add-ons as well, but that's the one that reads your content.
There's other "Smart" add-ons as well, but that's the one that reads your content.
November 22, 2025 at 10:24 PM
Tried this, breaks everything, do not recommend.
If I had a nickel for every time I was asked review a paper that is a bit outside my wheelhouse, but it'd been a while, so I accept, only to get, literally on the next day, a different review request that is so perfectly aligned to my interest that I can't help but say yes I would have 2 nickels.
November 19, 2025 at 7:53 PM
If I had a nickel for every time I was asked review a paper that is a bit outside my wheelhouse, but it'd been a while, so I accept, only to get, literally on the next day, a different review request that is so perfectly aligned to my interest that I can't help but say yes I would have 2 nickels.
Reposted by Ammon Perkes
AI slop gracing the cover of Royal Society B. Not only in AI yellow but scientifically nonsensical. Come on. I'm certain human photographs and artworks were ignored to platform ... this.
November 18, 2025 at 10:49 AM
AI slop gracing the cover of Royal Society B. Not only in AI yellow but scientifically nonsensical. Come on. I'm certain human photographs and artworks were ignored to platform ... this.
Reposted by Ammon Perkes
New preprint on the Sikkim mouse, a related species in the same genus as house mice.
House mice are THE biomedical model organism, yet we know little about their comparative biology relative to other mice. Lots to discover and learn!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
House mice are THE biomedical model organism, yet we know little about their comparative biology relative to other mice. Lots to discover and learn!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org
November 17, 2025 at 3:02 PM
New preprint on the Sikkim mouse, a related species in the same genus as house mice.
House mice are THE biomedical model organism, yet we know little about their comparative biology relative to other mice. Lots to discover and learn!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
House mice are THE biomedical model organism, yet we know little about their comparative biology relative to other mice. Lots to discover and learn!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Ammon Perkes
November 15, 2025 at 10:13 PM
First they came for the Tylenol, and I said, "That is so weird, why are they coming for the Tylenol?"
Then they came for the Advil, and I said, "Wait, seriously, what is it with the Trump admin and pain killers?"
Then they came for the Advil, and I said, "Wait, seriously, what is it with the Trump admin and pain killers?"
JD Vance calls ibuprofen "useless medication" and implies it's not "necessary, safe and effective."
November 13, 2025 at 4:58 PM
First they came for the Tylenol, and I said, "That is so weird, why are they coming for the Tylenol?"
Then they came for the Advil, and I said, "Wait, seriously, what is it with the Trump admin and pain killers?"
Then they came for the Advil, and I said, "Wait, seriously, what is it with the Trump admin and pain killers?"
I'm just a little science guy, but I think most dems should feel an existential imperative to establish opposition credentials. At this point, even I could plausibly upset an establishment Dem just on the platform "Trump is off the rails and *insert incumbent here* is clearly not up to the task."
November 11, 2025 at 7:15 PM
I'm just a little science guy, but I think most dems should feel an existential imperative to establish opposition credentials. At this point, even I could plausibly upset an establishment Dem just on the platform "Trump is off the rails and *insert incumbent here* is clearly not up to the task."
Watching fantastic four again, and I think the reason most of the movie doesn’t work for me is the near constant, medium-tension background music stringing together short scenes without clear segues. The entire first act of the movie isn’t a movie, it’s a clip real
November 7, 2025 at 1:58 AM
Watching fantastic four again, and I think the reason most of the movie doesn’t work for me is the near constant, medium-tension background music stringing together short scenes without clear segues. The entire first act of the movie isn’t a movie, it’s a clip real
One of the best things about working in Academia is I can almost entirely ignore the time change. Be the stability you want to see in the world.
November 6, 2025 at 5:19 PM
One of the best things about working in Academia is I can almost entirely ignore the time change. Be the stability you want to see in the world.
Reposted by Ammon Perkes
Ski Free's icon went hard
November 6, 2025 at 5:09 PM
Ski Free's icon went hard
Reposted by Ammon Perkes
My lab at Indiana University is searching for a *postdoc* and *technician* to contribute to our work studying the evolution of social behavior using fruit flies as a model system. Details below, feel free to email me with any questions! More info on our research: saltzlab.com
November 5, 2025 at 4:56 PM
My lab at Indiana University is searching for a *postdoc* and *technician* to contribute to our work studying the evolution of social behavior using fruit flies as a model system. Details below, feel free to email me with any questions! More info on our research: saltzlab.com
In this economy?
November 3, 2025 at 4:07 PM
In this economy?
Season 1: Strange Things
Season 2: Stranger Things
Season 3: Really very strange things
Season 4: Bones doing the wrong things
Season 5: Strangest Things (coming soon)
Season 2: Stranger Things
Season 3: Really very strange things
Season 4: Bones doing the wrong things
Season 5: Strangest Things (coming soon)
October 30, 2025 at 6:12 AM
Season 1: Strange Things
Season 2: Stranger Things
Season 3: Really very strange things
Season 4: Bones doing the wrong things
Season 5: Strangest Things (coming soon)
Season 2: Stranger Things
Season 3: Really very strange things
Season 4: Bones doing the wrong things
Season 5: Strangest Things (coming soon)
Reposted by Ammon Perkes
Bumping this up one last time. I'm looking to hire graduate student(s) to work on an NSF-funded project to study elevational range shifts among dragonflies here in Colorado. @cudenverclas.bsky.social 🧪🌍🐙
Applications will be considered until Nov 1. See post below for more details
Applications will be considered until Nov 1. See post below for more details
October 24, 2025 at 12:24 PM
Bumping this up one last time. I'm looking to hire graduate student(s) to work on an NSF-funded project to study elevational range shifts among dragonflies here in Colorado. @cudenverclas.bsky.social 🧪🌍🐙
Applications will be considered until Nov 1. See post below for more details
Applications will be considered until Nov 1. See post below for more details
Reposted by Ammon Perkes
We're excited to be recruiting an NIH funded postdoc to work in the Coop lab at UC Davis. We're specifically interested in candidates who are want to work at the intersection of human genetics, GWAS, and population genetics modeling. Please RT
October 15, 2025 at 3:53 PM
We're excited to be recruiting an NIH funded postdoc to work in the Coop lab at UC Davis. We're specifically interested in candidates who are want to work at the intersection of human genetics, GWAS, and population genetics modeling. Please RT
Reposted by Ammon Perkes
A beautiful Bald Eagle circled overhead during our protest in Burnsville Minnesota and the crowd went wild
#NoKings #Minnesota
#NoKings #Minnesota
October 18, 2025 at 9:36 PM
A beautiful Bald Eagle circled overhead during our protest in Burnsville Minnesota and the crowd went wild
#NoKings #Minnesota
#NoKings #Minnesota
Reposted by Ammon Perkes
I saw a tragically AI-generated version of this poster, so I have recreated a 100% human-made version for all your protest sign needs.
October 18, 2025 at 4:00 PM
I saw a tragically AI-generated version of this poster, so I have recreated a 100% human-made version for all your protest sign needs.
Reposted by Ammon Perkes
Our best solution to this problem is encouraging random crushing
If you needed another reason to crush spotted lanternflies, here’s one that may hit close to home: they’re threatening your wine.
The spotted insects have developed a taste for grapevines.
The spotted insects have developed a taste for grapevines.
Spotted lanternflies are threatening your wine
Spotted lanternflies have developed an appetite for grapevines, endangering Virginia’s over $8 billion wine industry. The pests could reach California by 2033.
www.washingtonpost.com
October 17, 2025 at 4:11 PM
Our best solution to this problem is encouraging random crushing
For a long time my 2yo called every single hole he saw a rat hole. It was one of his first words.
October 16, 2025 at 4:28 PM
For a long time my 2yo called every single hole he saw a rat hole. It was one of his first words.
Reposted by Ammon Perkes
I'm recruiting a postdoc for my group (based in beautiful Eugene, OR). Please get in touch if you're interested, esp if you'd like to chat at #ASHG25!
We'll primarily work at the intersection of statistical and population genetics, and we also have active projects related to the ethical and social implications of human genetics (ELSI). Please get in touch if that's a combination that sounds interesting to you!
October 15, 2025 at 12:52 PM
I'm recruiting a postdoc for my group (based in beautiful Eugene, OR). Please get in touch if you're interested, esp if you'd like to chat at #ASHG25!
Reposted by Ammon Perkes
Spooky bird stories. Last year's Halloween comic.
October 14, 2025 at 2:25 PM
Spooky bird stories. Last year's Halloween comic.
Reposted by Ammon Perkes
This:
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Absolutely yes. And I'm proud that @asn-amnat.bsky.social has led the way on this with requiring code and data editors checking code for about five years now!
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Absolutely yes. And I'm proud that @asn-amnat.bsky.social has led the way on this with requiring code and data editors checking code for about five years now!
Stop treating code like an afterthought: record, share and value it
Scientists, research institutions, funders, libraries and publishers must all improve software practices.
www.nature.com
October 9, 2025 at 3:52 PM
This:
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Absolutely yes. And I'm proud that @asn-amnat.bsky.social has led the way on this with requiring code and data editors checking code for about five years now!
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Absolutely yes. And I'm proud that @asn-amnat.bsky.social has led the way on this with requiring code and data editors checking code for about five years now!
Reposted by Ammon Perkes
“Fundamentally, the premise of the document is inconsistent with our core belief that scientific funding should be based on scientific merit alone.” (gift article) Go, MIT!
M.I.T. Rejects a White House Offer for Special Funding Treatment
www.nytimes.com
October 10, 2025 at 4:46 PM
“Fundamentally, the premise of the document is inconsistent with our core belief that scientific funding should be based on scientific merit alone.” (gift article) Go, MIT!