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Prof Ben Britton

@bmatb.expmicromech.com

2.8K followers 1.2K following 2.8K posts

Dyslexic atomic sorcerer @ UBC, Vancouver 🍁 (he/him & 🏳️‍🌈). 🐕 dad. Materials and Manufacturing Engineering (🔬⚛️), Clean Tech, Academic Governance (UBC Senate & Faculty Assoc.), EDI. Leads @expmicromech.com. Has too many hills to die on. Views own.

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Prof Ben Britton @bmatb.expmicromech.com · Apr 16

Academic Freedom at #UBC has been on my mind quite a bit recently - in light of the proposed new Senate Policy - also recently due to very helpful discussions with colleagues, and the open letter that's been circulating.

Here are some of my thoughts:
bmatb.medium.com/academic-fre...

#AcademicSky

Academic Freedom @ UBC

As a tenured professor and active participant in UBC governance, I have been closely following ongoing discussions about academic freedom…

bmatb.medium.com

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Prof Ben Britton @bmatb.expmicromech.com · 27m

When the AI bubble bursts, it will be very painful 😭.

This isn't a statement that it shouldn't be burst, the "AI industry" is built on theft and false promises

The Verge @theverge.com · May 26

Nick Clegg says asking artists for use permission would ‘kill’ the AI industry

Paul McCartne, Elton John and others signed an open letter.

buff.ly

Reposted by Prof Ben Britton

Rosa Lafer-Sousa @rosalafersousa.bsky.social · 21h

Over the weekend ICE abducted an NIH contractor when he showed up to a courthouse for his green card hearing. He is documented. His wife is a citizen.

He is also member of the skeleton crew of animal care staff that works through a shutdown, to ensure the health and wellbeing of research animals.

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Prof Ben Britton @bmatb.expmicromech.com · 9h

I have huge issues with the Nobel Prizes, but I can always commend Laureates who use their new platforms to do good.

AFP News Agency @en.afp.com · 10h

"It is going to be disastrous if this continues"

Nobel Prize physics laureate John Clarke says Trump cuts will 'cripple' US scientific research

u.afp.com/SmAy

Prof Ben Britton @bmatb.expmicromech.com · 9h

Still boggled that the US government is shut down.

Prof Ben Britton @bmatb.expmicromech.com · 12h

Some people are: "these renovations will help your career and scientific output"

Me: ish. I could do good science with the few instruments I have already installed. The new ones are for everyone else to use...

Prof Ben Britton @bmatb.expmicromech.com · 13h

Today has included 3 hrs of renovations discussions 🫠.

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Reposted by Prof Ben Britton

Patrixmythical Beast @patri.xyz · 2d

The intrinsic lesson is that you CAN absolutely bully the mods into banning someone. You just can't accurately predict who that someone might be.

Big Red Button ass bullshit, if you ask me

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Prof Ben Britton @bmatb.expmicromech.com · 2d

Yep - though I also saw what the leader of the opposition has been building a platform on, and it feels like a right-wing, diminishing-power country, swing all around

Prof Ben Britton @bmatb.expmicromech.com · 2d

Me: oh I am quite tired at the moment...

Also me: let's run 2x 10 km laps for a relay.

Waffles was obliging for one of the laps though, which did make it more fun 🐕

(He got more cheers than I did, obviously)

Photo of a white guy (me) running on a path with a dog (dog)

Prof Ben Britton @bmatb.expmicromech.com · 2d

I had to double check which party was now in power when I saw this article first...

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Reposted by Prof Ben Britton

Kevin M. King @kevinmking.bsky.social · 2d

Every time someone wants to decide something on merit alone

Angry goose chasing someone while asking "How do you define merit?"

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Reposted by Prof Ben Britton

Phil Plait @philplait.bsky.social · 4d

Oh dang. This is an excellent analogy.

Richard Kadrey @richardkadrey.bsky.social · 4d

The mystery of medical diagnosis!

Anyone: Why are there suddenly so many AHDH diagnoses?
Dr. Jen: Same reason there are suddenly more stars after we built telescopes.

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Reposted by Prof Ben Britton

ianVisits @ianvisits.co.uk · 5d

In memoriam...

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Prof Ben Britton @bmatb.expmicromech.com · 5d

And he's a very good boy when it comes to microscopy 🔬🐕

A photo of my dog sitting calmly under the control table for the microscope

Prof Ben Britton @bmatb.expmicromech.com · 5d

He also accepts that we have to go into work...

Waffles sitting and looking straight at the camera

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Prof Ben Britton @bmatb.expmicromech.com · 5d

Proof of sleepy floof.

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Prof Ben Britton @bmatb.expmicromech.com · 5d

My dog is an amazing not morning dog. I can have my entire breakfast while he just chills in bed.

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Prof Ben Britton @bmatb.expmicromech.com · 6d

I am not surprised about this decision - given what I heard on the ground when I was back visiting.

The health of the UK post secondary sector is a mess, and part of this is due to overwork and underpay of "on the ground" academic staff.

Solidarity to colleagues getting ready for a picket line.

University and College Union (UCU) @ucu.org.uk · 6d

NEW: Staff at Imperial College London will strike for 10 days this autumn over pay and conditions.

Jo Grady: “Staff are the backbone of Imperial and deserve an actual pay rise. Striking is a last resort, but members have had enough and are prepared to fight back”

www.ucu.org.uk/article/1421....

Imperial staff to strike next week in pay and conditions row

Staff at Imperial College London will take ten days of strike action over the next two months in a row over pay and conditions, the University and College Union announced today

www.ucu.org.uk

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Prof Ben Britton @bmatb.expmicromech.com · 6d

And yes - many may just be waking up to the true colors of the leadership of the RS.

Some of us sadly have seen this before in our engagement with them directly on some quite important issues already. 😭

Prof Ben Britton @bmatb.expmicromech.com · 6d

I can respect some of the actions of a society like this, while also withdrawing my labour and support for the society as a whole. I used to lots of free things for them, and help grow their "soft power" in all things science - under this leadership it doesn't feel like a good use of my time.

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Prof Ben Britton @bmatb.expmicromech.com · 6d

We wonder why progress in enabling an inclusive culture is so slow, the slowness is a feature of the system that enables this sort of paper shuffle and dithering, while power is "maintained" in the face of internal & external threat.

Prof Ben Britton @bmatb.expmicromech.com · 6d

… people may say: "oh but having a policy is helping down the line on YY, don't scrap it!"

If the policy lets you get away with washing actions at the top, is the policy effecting the change you think it is? Or is it simply letting business as usual continue while good people rearrange deck chairs.

Prof Ben Britton @bmatb.expmicromech.com · 6d

If you as a society make a leadership decision that flies in the case of a "core policy" regarding inclusion and belonging, then just do the next step and scrap the policy so people can see what you are actually standing for…

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Prof Ben Britton @bmatb.expmicromech.com · 6d

If you are shocked by this outcome, you haven't been paying attention to the abdication of leadership in the RS that's been in place for some time.

Choice 1: echo policy in culture & action
Choice 2: shuffle papers on the desk, and pretend* you are taking action

*In leadership, no action is action

James Ball @jamesrball.com · 6d

The Royal Society has met to discuss Elon Musk – and they’re NOT removing his fellowship. They are criticising him publicly, but stopping short of actual removal.

This feels like the kind of compromise that will please *absolutely nobody*.

“I am increasingly concerned over threats to the values that allow science to flourish. Today at a meeting of the Royal Society’s Council, I led a discussion regarding some of those threats.

“Science thrives when individuals and institutions have the freedom to carry out research without fear of discrimination, censorship, or other restrictions that would hinder their work. In support of that, Council believes that it is not the role of the Royal Society to police the personal political opinions of individual Fellows and disciplinary procedures should not be initiated because of a Fellow’s social and political views.

“However, the Society can and will criticise Fellows who act in a way that runs counter to the values of tolerance, courtesy and respect for others that allow science to flourish. Elon Musk’s contribution to the ‘Unite the Kingdom’ rally is an example of a growing tendency towards the use of the language of violence, and narratives of division and polarisation. This language and these narratives threaten the values that enable science to thrive and the Royal Society rejects them, from wherever they originate.”

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Prof Ben Britton @bmatb.expmicromech.com · 7d

… of despair?

(/s, if anyone Important reads this)