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Valentin Rodionov

@arbitraryeffect.bsky.social

1.5K followers 1.1K following 370 posts

Chemist. Neurodivergent. Orcophobe. Hand-tool woodworker. Faculty @ CWRU Macro. Lab website: rodionovlab.org

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Valentin Rodionov @arbitraryeffect.bsky.social · Mar 27

I think I should start identifying as an orcophobe.

By the way, orc ideology is quite popular in Russia:

www.tolkienguide.com/modules/newb...

Reposted by Valentin Rodionov

Becca @sciencelizard.bsky.social · 10h

More antifa www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKVn...

Tear the fascists down - Woody Guthrie

YouTube video by Mshrms

www.youtube.com

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Reposted by Valentin Rodionov

Carl T. Bergstrom @carlbergstrom.com · 11h

My first public political commentary was a letter I wrote as a high school kid to the Ann Arbor News excoriating efforts by Reagan and a GOP congress to criminalize flag-burning.

Amazing that 35 years after after Texas v. Johnson and United States v. Eichman, we're still dealing with this bullshit.

Trump Baselessly Claims He ‘Took the Freedom of Speech Away’ From Flag Burners

www.nytimes.com

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Reposted by Valentin Rodionov

Jen Rubin @jenrubin.bsky.social · 10h

ANTIFA:

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Reposted by Valentin Rodionov

Prof Anna Watts @profannawatts.bsky.social · 18h

Lol the Nobels can't even acknowledge women's contribution to discovery. But sure let's acknowledge The Machines.

Headline from an article in Nature this week that states "Prizes must recognize machine contributions to discovery. The future of science will be written by humans and machines together. Awards should reflect that reality."

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Valentin Rodionov @arbitraryeffect.bsky.social · 17h

With an automated tool I am developing, I have found at least 3000 papers in this journal with artificially inflated citation count. Spot-checking these indicates that many of these are either of hand-drawn spectra variety, or claim un-physical things. Like "crosslinking" a polymer with charcoal (!)

Reposted by Valentin Rodionov

Seth Abramson @sethabramson.bsky.social · 1d

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Reposted by Valentin Rodionov

Mike Feigin 🥯 @mikefeigin.bsky.social · 1d

“Could?” Let me be clear. A $100,000 H1B will kill our ability to do world class science in the US.

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Valentin Rodionov @arbitraryeffect.bsky.social · 1d

To conclude:

* The only thing Wiley care about is avoiding retractions/ exposure
* COPE rules are a joke, and only exist to help with coverup
* Friends don't let friends publish in Journal of Applied Polymer Science (supposedly largest scientific publication of quality research in polymer science)

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Valentin Rodionov @arbitraryeffect.bsky.social · 1d

Here are a few more doi's from the same journal, some already flagged on PubPeer, some not, all 💯 fabricated with hand-drawn or nonsensical spectra and PXRDs, and citation padding.

10.1002/app.57648
10.1002/app.56053
10.1002/app.56837

(the "IR spectrum" is Fig. S2, 10.1002/app.57648).

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Valentin Rodionov @arbitraryeffect.bsky.social · 1d

Or how do you make peace with the main scheme of the paper?

While the "initiator" is KMnO4/oxalic acid, PAN chains magically grow directly from chitosan. It must be magic, because this cannot be accomplished with chemistry.

This passed 🍐review, and has been on display in this journal for 15 years.

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Valentin Rodionov @arbitraryeffect.bsky.social · 1d

"We have asked the authors to provide a detailed explanation and supporting data to address the concerns. The authors were able to do so to our satisfaction, hence we consider the matter resolved. "

How do you "resolve" pixel-identical stretches of background in two NMR spectra?

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Valentin Rodionov @arbitraryeffect.bsky.social · 1d

Re-posting Dr. Wittmers' thread, with a some supporting info.

Fabian flagged a paper in J. Appl. Polym. Sci for region duplication in PXRD (see pubpeer.com/publications... ), and reported it to Wiley. I have found additional duplications and crazy chemistry.

Wiley's response? All 💯 👍

#ChemSky

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Reposted by Valentin Rodionov

Fabian Wittmers - PubPeer: Archasia Belfragei @academic-integrity.bsky.social · 2d

(1/x) Some thoughts on a recent case: I raised concerns about an article published in 2010 w/ Wiley's IACR team in August 2025. I considered the problems to be severe and clearly indicative of manipulated data (see image below): Sarhan et al. 2010 (DOI: 10.1002/app.32522) pubpeer.com/publications...

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Reposted by Valentin Rodionov

Timnit Gebru @timnitgebru.bsky.social · 2d

Back in the day people used to have a slide at the end of their presentations saying "and that's how the brain works" as an inside joke about Hinton since he was known to talk confidently out of his ass.

Now, the Nobel committee brought this upon us like they give the peace prize to genociders.

⚡️🌙 @dystopiabreaker.xyz · 5d

anyway, here is 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics winner Geoffrey Hinton discussing what we know about large AI models on 60 Minutes.

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Reposted by Valentin Rodionov

Being Liberal ®🗽🏳️‍🌈 @beingliberal.bsky.social · 2d

“We’re not talking about delays… We’re talking about the end of it.” Bill Nye’s latest warning is a wake-up call for anyone who cares about progress. Are we ready to listen?
www.newsletter.samuel-warde.com/p/bill-nyes-...

Bill Nye's Dire Warning of an 'Extinction-Level Event'

The Trump Administration’s Assault on Science

www.newsletter.samuel-warde.com

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Reposted by Valentin Rodionov

Andrea Junker @strandjunker.com · 2d

You can joke about Pam Bondi’s ridiculous unprofessionalism all you want, but I’m deeply shocked by it: She acts as if she fears absolutely no consequences, convinced that there will be no more political power transfers. — This should shake everyone to their core.

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Reposted by Valentin Rodionov

Nadine Smith @nadinesmith.bsky.social · 2d

This is wrong.

They need to use irresistible Krispy Kremes if they hope to get a bite at all.

#MockeryNotObedience

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Valentin Rodionov @arbitraryeffect.bsky.social · 2d

Yes.

So you voted to confirm a Kushner. Got it.

Reposted by Valentin Rodionov

PessoaBrain @pessoabrain.bsky.social · 3d

Michael X Cohen on why he left academia/neuroscience.
mikexcohen.substack.com/p/why-i-left...

Why I left academia and neuroscience

Don't worry, this isn't yet another story of rage-quitting.

mikexcohen.substack.com

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Reposted by Valentin Rodionov

Federico Adolfi @fedeadolfi.bsky.social · 3d

**Me at a Halloween party**

Them, looking at my costume: what are you supposed to be?

Me: that’s a great question! Let’s think about it carefully step by step. You’re asking about my costu—

Them: no stop it

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Reposted by Valentin Rodionov

For Better Science @forbetterscience.bsky.social · 3d

Why science fraud is not a crime
forbetterscience.com/2025/10/07/w...

Why science fraud is not a crime

“Science is an activity based on uncertainty. […] Methodological errors […] cannot be treated as crimes. The risk is criminalizing scientific practice itself, inhibiting innovatio…

forbetterscience.com

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Reposted by Valentin Rodionov

For Better Science @forbetterscience.bsky.social · 3d

These people...
forbetterscience.com/2021/05/03/k...
Unless "working" is his codeword for "faking"...

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Reposted by Valentin Rodionov

AF @arkansasfred.bsky.social · 3d

Sports are meant to be endured, never enjoyed.

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Reposted by Valentin Rodionov

Jeremy Berg @jeremymberg.bsky.social · 3d

In my earlier post regarding PubMed (bsky.app/profile/jere...), I meant to indicate that PubMed does not appear to be being updated at its historical pace, not that fewer papers were being published.

I apologize for any confusion.

Here is a thread with some more analysis.

1/6

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Reposted by Valentin Rodionov

Dr. Emily Arndt 🏳️‍⚧️ @brachinus.bsky.social · 3d

Is that because…AI is a fraud?

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 3d

Dr Oz: "We have an advantage with AI. You know why? We don't think the way fraudsters think. That's just not what our minds do. The bank managers don't think about bank fraud. They want to do loans and help businesses. Fraudsters think about fraud. So the AI can think the way a fraudster thinks."

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