Matthijs Dorst
@mattneuro.dorst-lab.org
Neuroscientist in Oslo. Former Editor. Mucking about with Voltage Imaging and patching. Aiming for a mix of fun, science, and funny science. Trying to be kind. He/him. https://dorst-lab.org/
Sadly, my feed is still strongly biased towards more senior academics. Would be great to see that change!
November 30, 2025 at 1:09 AM
Sadly, my feed is still strongly biased towards more senior academics. Would be great to see that change!
Your periodic reminder that the USA does not recognize the ICC, and has plans in place to invade the Netherlands and extradite any of its service members should they be tried for war crimes.
November 29, 2025 at 12:33 PM
Your periodic reminder that the USA does not recognize the ICC, and has plans in place to invade the Netherlands and extradite any of its service members should they be tried for war crimes.
In Sweden, the cheap supermarket glögg doesn't have much alcohol in it.
The lab's 95% ethanol bottles on the other hand...
The lab's 95% ethanol bottles on the other hand...
November 29, 2025 at 1:42 AM
In Sweden, the cheap supermarket glögg doesn't have much alcohol in it.
The lab's 95% ethanol bottles on the other hand...
The lab's 95% ethanol bottles on the other hand...
I'm sorry, did you just say *more* than the basal ganglia?
Blasphemy!
Blasphemy!
November 28, 2025 at 10:32 PM
I'm sorry, did you just say *more* than the basal ganglia?
Blasphemy!
Blasphemy!
As an aisle-seater, I concur.
November 28, 2025 at 12:25 PM
As an aisle-seater, I concur.
Therein also lies the problem: due to the enormous volume of published papers, SciRep depends on academic editors to handle submissions (Nature employs professional editors).
Most of those editors do great work; some, well, I think it is safe to say the selection process could use some scrutiny.
Most of those editors do great work; some, well, I think it is safe to say the selection process could use some scrutiny.
November 27, 2025 at 7:29 PM
Therein also lies the problem: due to the enormous volume of published papers, SciRep depends on academic editors to handle submissions (Nature employs professional editors).
Most of those editors do great work; some, well, I think it is safe to say the selection process could use some scrutiny.
Most of those editors do great work; some, well, I think it is safe to say the selection process could use some scrutiny.
This was published in Scientific Reports. VERY different journal than Nature. The only thing they have in common is that they are both published by SpringerNature.
Scientific Reports accepts pretty much everything that is scientifically sound (and evidently, some papers that aren't).
Scientific Reports accepts pretty much everything that is scientifically sound (and evidently, some papers that aren't).
November 27, 2025 at 7:26 PM
This was published in Scientific Reports. VERY different journal than Nature. The only thing they have in common is that they are both published by SpringerNature.
Scientific Reports accepts pretty much everything that is scientifically sound (and evidently, some papers that aren't).
Scientific Reports accepts pretty much everything that is scientifically sound (and evidently, some papers that aren't).
One has not truly stared into that black abyss and heard their own voice whisper back in songs of madness, until one has tried to stifle that ethereal electrical laughter which haunts an ephys rig.
What I'm trying to say is, if you don't know which rig has issues, they get to learn a fun new thing!
What I'm trying to say is, if you don't know which rig has issues, they get to learn a fun new thing!
November 26, 2025 at 9:40 PM
One has not truly stared into that black abyss and heard their own voice whisper back in songs of madness, until one has tried to stifle that ethereal electrical laughter which haunts an ephys rig.
What I'm trying to say is, if you don't know which rig has issues, they get to learn a fun new thing!
What I'm trying to say is, if you don't know which rig has issues, they get to learn a fun new thing!
So true! Ran into something similar the other day: I want to build an enclosure around a microscope, using aluminium extrusion. Thorlabs charges $65.46 for 1.1 meter; my local aluminium provider gets me the same stuff for $15 a meter. I'll take the non-science aluminium!
November 26, 2025 at 4:01 PM
So true! Ran into something similar the other day: I want to build an enclosure around a microscope, using aluminium extrusion. Thorlabs charges $65.46 for 1.1 meter; my local aluminium provider gets me the same stuff for $15 a meter. I'll take the non-science aluminium!
I recently offered to look over someone's college applications.
As a non-native speaker, his applications had some odd sentences and a few spelling mistakes; my immediate thought was: "this was definitely written by him". I genuinely think that worked in his favor: he got accepted everywhere!
As a non-native speaker, his applications had some odd sentences and a few spelling mistakes; my immediate thought was: "this was definitely written by him". I genuinely think that worked in his favor: he got accepted everywhere!
November 26, 2025 at 2:53 PM
I recently offered to look over someone's college applications.
As a non-native speaker, his applications had some odd sentences and a few spelling mistakes; my immediate thought was: "this was definitely written by him". I genuinely think that worked in his favor: he got accepted everywhere!
As a non-native speaker, his applications had some odd sentences and a few spelling mistakes; my immediate thought was: "this was definitely written by him". I genuinely think that worked in his favor: he got accepted everywhere!
On a totally unrelated note: I will soon be recruiting a PhD student to join my lab and do some voltage imaging! Hit me up, it'll be great!
November 26, 2025 at 2:40 PM
On a totally unrelated note: I will soon be recruiting a PhD student to join my lab and do some voltage imaging! Hit me up, it'll be great!
Strong sense of deju-vu upon seeing your photo; such a great place to visit!
bsky.app/profile/matt...
bsky.app/profile/matt...
November 26, 2025 at 2:38 PM
Strong sense of deju-vu upon seeing your photo; such a great place to visit!
bsky.app/profile/matt...
bsky.app/profile/matt...
Oooh, it's got rings, nice! o7
November 25, 2025 at 8:38 PM
Oooh, it's got rings, nice! o7
I just bought a replacement battery for my 8 year old semi-smart-watch. Haven't installed it yet because the process is quite involved, but if the new battery gives me another 5+ years, I'll be a happy camper.
It does what I need it to do. Aside from the battery, I have no reason to buy a new one.
It does what I need it to do. Aside from the battery, I have no reason to buy a new one.
November 25, 2025 at 7:37 PM
I just bought a replacement battery for my 8 year old semi-smart-watch. Haven't installed it yet because the process is quite involved, but if the new battery gives me another 5+ years, I'll be a happy camper.
It does what I need it to do. Aside from the battery, I have no reason to buy a new one.
It does what I need it to do. Aside from the battery, I have no reason to buy a new one.
Or disciplines. Some fields just take a really long time to produce results. Learning to patch-clamp felt like crawling along, compared to my friends who were gathering vast amounts of data with sequencing.
And then hiring committees wonder why they can't find "good" electrophysiologists...
And then hiring committees wonder why they can't find "good" electrophysiologists...
November 23, 2025 at 3:28 PM
Or disciplines. Some fields just take a really long time to produce results. Learning to patch-clamp felt like crawling along, compared to my friends who were gathering vast amounts of data with sequencing.
And then hiring committees wonder why they can't find "good" electrophysiologists...
And then hiring committees wonder why they can't find "good" electrophysiologists...
Ah, fair; I expect with more experience, you're less likely to second-guess whether the authors properly addressed some minor issues. But that was something I still struggled with after a year.
November 23, 2025 at 3:24 PM
Ah, fair; I expect with more experience, you're less likely to second-guess whether the authors properly addressed some minor issues. But that was something I still struggled with after a year.
On the one hand, yes: I have never put a manuscript through more than 2 or 3 revisions, and almost always stuck to the decision made after the first round of reviews.
But I think full-time editors are also more likely to send a manuscript back to reviewers for minor revisions.
But I think full-time editors are also more likely to send a manuscript back to reviewers for minor revisions.
November 23, 2025 at 2:46 PM
On the one hand, yes: I have never put a manuscript through more than 2 or 3 revisions, and almost always stuck to the decision made after the first round of reviews.
But I think full-time editors are also more likely to send a manuscript back to reviewers for minor revisions.
But I think full-time editors are also more likely to send a manuscript back to reviewers for minor revisions.
Reposted by Matthijs Dorst
Macrobild av några små murgröneblad med kanterna klädda i taggiga frostkristaller.
November 23, 2025 at 7:48 AM
Macrobild av några små murgröneblad med kanterna klädda i taggiga frostkristaller.
I've used Google docs for this, but it takes a bit of work to convert Zotero references in a word document into something that works on google docs (i.e., you can't just copy paste them in).
November 22, 2025 at 5:49 PM
I've used Google docs for this, but it takes a bit of work to convert Zotero references in a word document into something that works on google docs (i.e., you can't just copy paste them in).