Ben Dickson
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drbenomycin.bsky.social
Ben Dickson
@drbenomycin.bsky.social
270 followers 100 following 1.8K posts
Pākehā lecturing chem @ University of Waikato
Ex-academic precariat, still in the fight.
NZAS council and NZSR editorial board
Rides a 💖pink💖 bicycle.
he / him
Posts Replies Media Videos
Reposted by Ben Dickson
ernie.tedium.co
If you have been sharing that Malwarebytes article on the Gmail thing, you should note the giant correction up top.

www.malwarebytes.com/blog/news/20...
Update November 22. We’ve updated this article after realising we contributed to a perfect storm of misunderstanding around a recent change in the wording and placement of Gmail’s smart features. The settings themselves aren’t new, but the way Google recently rewrote and surfaced them led a lot of people (including us) to believe Gmail content might be used to train Google’s AI models, and that users were being opted in automatically. After taking a closer look at Google’s documentation and reviewing other reporting, that doesn’t appear to be the case. Gmail does scan email content to power its own “smart features,” such as spam filtering, categorisation, and writing suggestions. But this is part of how Gmail normally works and isn’t the same as training Google’s generative AI models. Google also maintains that these feature settings are opt-in rather than opt-out, although users’ experiences seem to vary depending on when and how the new wording appeared. It’s easy to see where the confusion came from. Google’s updated language around “smart features” is vague, and the term “smart” often implies AI—especially at a time when Gemini is being integrated into other parts of Google’s products. When the new wording started appearing for some users without much explanation, many assumed it signalled a broader shift. We’ve revised this article to reflect what we can confirm from Google’s documentation, as it’s always been our aim to give readers accurate, helpful guidance.
November 22, 2025 at 9:44 PM
drbenomycin.bsky.social
Shortly catching my first ever Queenstown bus and I realized that I've lived in Hamilton for 2 years and never caught a Hamilton bus... the cycling is just too convenient 😅
November 22, 2025 at 2:46 AM
Reposted by Ben Dickson
writerlaurabee.bsky.social
Gmail users!!

They've turned on AI scraping by default now...Here's how to turn it off.

Pass it on!!

www.malwarebytes.com/blog/news/20...
Gmail can read your emails and attachments to train its AI, unless you opt out
A new Gmail update may allow Google to use your private messages and attachments for AI training. Here's how to turn it off.
www.malwarebytes.com
November 21, 2025 at 9:11 AM
drbenomycin.bsky.social
Outrage baiting myself comparing tobacco harm to puberty blockers.

I don't know why I bother. The only consistent position this government has is being awful 😒
November 20, 2025 at 12:08 AM
drbenomycin.bsky.social
Latest COVID booster inspired by the Beatles White Album.

Number 9... Number 9...
November 18, 2025 at 10:58 PM
drbenomycin.bsky.social
BRB investing in spike club stocks
xkcd: Car Size
m.xkcd.com
November 17, 2025 at 10:56 PM
Reposted by Ben Dickson
angmcgaughran.bsky.social
Here is the publication link for those who want a closer look: dx.doi.org/10.1002/edn3...
November 16, 2025 at 7:57 PM
Reposted by Ben Dickson
nzic.bsky.social
In 12 months, the NZIC conference will be kicking-off in the beautiful Waikato! Plans are underway to bring you a diverse & inspiring programme. But, just in case you need convincing, here are some highlights from students who attended the 2024 conference.
www.cinz.nz/posts/studen...
Canterbury Branch student perspectives from the NZIC Conference in Dunedin, Nov 2024
Canterbury Branch student travel grant reports from the NZIC Conference, Dunedin, 24-28 November 2024
www.cinz.nz
November 15, 2025 at 2:54 AM
Reposted by Ben Dickson
liangrhea.bsky.social
For those saying James Watson's intellectual brilliance made his bigotry an acceptable trade-off, might I point out (Exhibit A below 👇) that one brain ought to be easily big enough to be a genius AND a decent human being. We don't call bigotry 'small mindedness' for nothing.
theladyred.bsky.social The_Lady_Red @theladyred.bsky.social · 21d
"The separation of the races is not a disease of colored people, but a disease of white people. I do not intend to be quiet about it."
~ Albert Einstein
picture Albert Einstein teaching a Physics Class to young black men (1946) In the twenty years before Einstein died, he almost never accepted invitations to speak at universities. In 1946 he broke his self-imposed rule to give an address and accept an honorary degree from a small, traditionally black university: Lincoln University in Pennsylvania. At Lincoln University he declared: "The separation of the races is not a disease of colored people, but a disease of white people. I do not intend to be quiet about it."
November 8, 2025 at 5:08 AM
drbenomycin.bsky.social
"His signal achievements, and the way he accomplished them, inflated his belief not only in his genius but also in how to succeed"

This is (IMO) a prevalent and harmful feature of the way academia and funding systems work.

www.statnews.com/2025/11/07/j...
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 7, 2025 at 10:15 PM
drbenomycin.bsky.social
Somewhat perplexing that with all the pointless redesigning of things in Word M365 they still don't let you do a horizontal split view.

I have so much horizontal screen real-estate! I know there are ways to achieve this, but it should be a single button press... 😒
November 6, 2025 at 8:41 PM
Reposted by Ben Dickson
lcsnz.bsky.social
I'm sure it's totally coincidental that the AoNZ government's changes to the Marsden Fund have been followed by successful applications led by female investigators dropping from 55% to 33%, and successful applications led by Māori investigators dropping from 13% to 5%. 🫠 🧪
Information on the 2025 Marsden Fund round
Information about the number of funded proposals in the 2025 Marsden Fund round broken down by research area and institution, also including gender and ethnicity data
www.royalsociety.org.nz
November 5, 2025 at 9:16 PM
drbenomycin.bsky.social
If there are any international chemists who look at this idyllic picture and think they would love to travel to NZ for a conference - hit me up! I can't promise anything, but if you have a compelling story to tell, we'll definitely take a look.
nzic.bsky.social New Zealand Institute of Chemistry @nzic.bsky.social · 21d
Save the date! NZIC Conference 2026!

The NZIC 2026 conference organising committee invites you to set aside Sunday 15th - Thursday 19th November 2026 to join us in Kirikiriroa Hamilton. We're aiming to build a diverse programme weaving together all aspects of the chemistry 'life cycle'.
Buildings and trees on the University of Waikato Campus reflected in water.
November 4, 2025 at 12:21 AM
Reposted by Ben Dickson
nzic.bsky.social
The Ferrier Research Institute in Wellington is seeking a motivated PhD student to work on an exciting project at the interface of organic chemistry, peptide science, and antibiotic discovery, contributing to urgently needed new treatments.
www.wgtn.ac.nz/ferrier/stud...
Synthesis of ambocidin and novel analogues | Te Kāuru / Ferrier Research Institute | Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington
This is a unique opportunity to work at the interface of organic chemistry, peptide science, and antibiotic discovery, contributing to new treatments.
www.wgtn.ac.nz
November 2, 2025 at 11:06 PM
Reposted by Ben Dickson
tiwaiwaka.bsky.social
Mōrena e te whānau. Do any of you have contact with Emma Wehipeihana? Her linkedin bio says she's still on Twitter, but I'm not. I'd appreciate either an email address, or an introduction if possible? My DMs are open
November 1, 2025 at 9:53 PM
Reposted by Ben Dickson
angmcgaughran.bsky.social
A Conversation piece on our (@manpreetkdhami.bsky.social @sbirdy.bsky.social) quirky fake spiderweb research for eDNA biomonitoring, just out in time for Halloween. Paper forthcoming!

theconversation.com/spiders-insp...
Spiders inspired biologists to create artificial webs to capture airborne DNA for biodiversity monitoring
Natural spiderwebs are good at capturing DNA from the environment, but artificial webs are cheap and provide better control – without harm to spiders.
theconversation.com
October 31, 2025 at 1:46 AM
Reposted by Ben Dickson
hendysh.bsky.social
As a reward for supporting @siouxsiew.bsky.social I've donated 6 signed copies of #TheCovidResponse. And if you want to know how important Siouxsie's case was for academic freedom in Aotearoa, I've written a piece for the NZSR on what I think it means: ojs.victoria.ac.nz/nzsr/article...
October 31, 2025 at 1:09 AM
Reposted by Ben Dickson
joannakidman.bsky.social
At a time when academics are under sustained right-wing attack, Dr Siouxsie Wiles stood up to the neoliberal regime of university management and won, but it came at a cost. If you can, please consider supporting Siouxsie, one of the most courageous scholars I know.
www.pledgeme.co.nz/projects/852...
Support Dr Siouxsie After She Supported Us! | PledgeMe
Support Dr Siouxsie to recover some of the money she spent fighting her legal case to protect employees experiencing online abuse
www.pledgeme.co.nz
October 30, 2025 at 5:52 PM
drbenomycin.bsky.social
My grad students told me I'm not scary today. Am I doing it wrong? 🫣
October 29, 2025 at 4:06 AM
drbenomycin.bsky.social
In the ownest of goals Reti is quoted saying "This Government stands by its commitment to science and innovation and has nothing further to add to this story."

I would argue that "further" is unnecessary in that sentence.
October 29, 2025 at 12:08 AM
Reposted by Ben Dickson
thneed.bsky.social
If you're in Dunedin, I'll happily show you how to upload photos of storm damage to Wikimedia Commons so they can be used on Wikipedia. Come to the Otago Uni central library 12.30-1.30 today for a demo or drop in on me in the library 9-12 weekdays. I'm a terrible photographer...we need you!
October 23, 2025 at 8:42 PM
drbenomycin.bsky.social
Is an "incomplete" on a paper, vs. a "fail" treated different in terms of student allowance, or other funding? Trying to understand students who clearly have no chance to pass a paper but attend the exam only to not write anything 🤷

I figure there must be a reason?
October 23, 2025 at 8:42 PM
Reposted by Ben Dickson
brekekekiwi.bsky.social
Taken from a teacher friend. The money is there, the government is choosing to use it for roads, landlords, tobacco companies, etc.
There is money. What there aren't any of is teachers. And nurses. And fire fighters.
#NZMegaStrike
I don't need more money. I would like more money. The new English curriculum for Years 9 and 10 was released last Sunday. I now have about two months to totally rewrite two years worth of courses, come up with work, assessments, and also find tens of thousands of magical dollars for new resources, so that we can implement them at the start of next year. (That time-estimate assumes I'll work through about half of my holidays, as I usually do. I could work through the rest. You know, like politicians don't.) I'm paid okay - I'm not paid enough for that. I know the argument that money is thin on the ground, and we can't be greedy but let's do the stats: This government gave $300 million worth of tax breaks to the tobacco industry. This government has given $2.9 billion (with a "B") of tax breaks to landlords. This government has committed $4 billion to build some more roads in Wellington. This government spent $140 million to not buy some ferries. No, you read that wrong - they didn't buy ferries. They _didn't_ buy ferries. They spent $140 million to not-buy them. There is no $140 million, _and_ no ferries. This government has committed $10 million to 215 students because those students go to schools that David Seymour likes. If there was no money, I'd get that. But there is money. What there aren't any of is teachers. And nurses. And firefighters.
October 22, 2025 at 10:54 PM
drbenomycin.bsky.social
I hid one of those "send me a chemistry joke in exchange for a chocolate bar" instructions in my first year practice problem set, and only one student responded (🫠).

I guess I have office snacks now...
October 22, 2025 at 10:23 PM
drbenomycin.bsky.social
Can anyone help identify the starting point of this tortured phrase?

"So, this is indeed considered an Absolute Cinema moment across the oncology community"

Bonus points if you can figure out a reference to "Game of Molecule" in the context of combining chemistry and biologyl

I'm drawing blanks!
October 17, 2025 at 12:50 AM