Never write with A.I. “The problem with writing with A.I. is that it’s mentally enfeebling — an escalator toward a result when you really need to make a daily habit of taking the stairs.” — Bret Stephens, an Opinion columnist, NY Times www.nytimes.com/2026/08/04/o...

Opinion | I’m Begging You: Never Write With A.I.

It’s bad for your brain and worse for democracy.

nytimes.com

A new gene editing tool to treat Huntington’s disease was successfully demonstrated in mice. Read more here: news.illinois.edu/genetic-base...

Learn about the unique geology of campus buildings on the U. of I. Quad. Go Behind the Scenes on a tour with campus News Bureau physical sciences editor Lois Yoksoulian. Read more here: news.illinois.edu/lois-rocks-t...

Yes, dogs, cats and other warm-blooded animals are susceptible to the New World screwworm, says Dr. Clarissa Pimental de Souza, a professor of veterinary clinical medicine at the U. of I. Catching infestations early is the key to successful recovery. @vetmedillinois.bsky.social

Children’s biographies of scientists that emphasize their extraordinary intellect, talent or early scientific interest may deter children from studying science, says new research by Jessica Gladstone. @uofillinois.bsky.social @nyupress.bsky.social Read more here: news.illinois.edu/scientists-b...

Classics professor Eduardo García-Molina discusses how “The Odyssey” film compares with Homer’s epic poem and the story’s relevance today. Read more here: news.illinois.edu/how-does-the...

It's hard work harvesting the upside-down sunflower seeds. The finches are back again this year, a sign of midsummer.

Woohoo! So we'll deserved!

Becky Smith@rlsdvm.bsky.social · 2w ago

Now that it's been announced at the college, I guess I can share here - as of August 16, I will be promoted to full professor at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine!

Parents, please consider participating in our survey, “Associations Between Vaccine Hesitancy, Antibiotic and Over-The-Counter Use, and Trust in the Health Professions study”. We want to hear from you! redcap.link/VHAOT Also, please share with your friends!

People can visit Illinois’ only International Dark Sky Park at Middle Fork Forest Preserve in Champaign County. Julia Levy reports for @medillschool.bsky.social. buff.ly/rEEwhGi

‘Surreal’: Illinois’ only International Dark Sky Place attracts tourists worldwide

Illinois’ only International Dark Sky Place is drawing visitors worldwide while lawmakers work to reduce light pollution.

capitolnewsillinois.com

Our StratCom team had a wonderful introduction to the U. of I.'s Rare Book & Manuscript Library yesterday afternoon. So many amazing stories!

Extreme brood care makes honey bee larvae especially helpless in the early days of life. #Entomology professor Gene Robinson, the director of the Discovery Partners Institute at the U. of I. adds another facet to the scientific understanding of honey bees' social evolution.

University of Illinois News Bureau@news.illinois.edu · 3w ago

🐝Honey bee larvae are unable to detect odors that adult bees rely on for survival, a new study finds. This is likely a consequence of the bees’ social evolution, scientists say. @ibioillinois.bsky.social Read more here: news.illinois.edu/honey-bees-s...

U. of I. engineers introduce a three-dimensional thermal cloak. Instead of blocking heat, it carefully guides it around the object being hidden. Read more here: news.illinois.edu/new-3d-therm...

Useful resource…as I’m totally altering, yet again, another syllabus to try to counter-act problematic technology I never asked for…

Free-to-use Picture Resources for Writers

You have options other than Generative AI to illustrate your work When I still used Substack I posted the following Note: My opinion was challenged with two now-familiar rebuttals: 1. The vast majorit...

world.hey.com

For me, it's convincing the native voles not to eat the native plants. I've lost prairie dock, compass plant and native asters!

Becky Smith@rlsdvm.bsky.social · 3w ago

The hardest part of converting my yard to a pollinator paradise is convincing said pollinators that I'm not that when I'm hanging my laundry in said yard Minor sting retrieving a dropped clothespin from the brown-eyed Susan

Engineers have developed a new way to pull carbon dioxide directly from the atmosphere using a process similar to charging and discharging a battery: news.illinois.edu/new-electroc...

New electrochemical device targets climate change by sucking CO2 out of air – News Bureau

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Engineers have developed a new way to pull carbon dioxide directly from the atmosphere using a process similar to charging and discharging a battery — an advance that could help address the planet’s excess CO2 problem.

news.illinois.edu

Rita Dove joined us in April to share her award-winning poetry and the stories behind her work. ✨ If you missed the reading, now’s your chance to experience it! The recording is now available on Media Space and ready to watch. ➡️ go.illinois.edu/DoveReading

New study by EEB's Associate Professor Phil Anderson compares cactus thorns & dinosaur teeth to reveal insights into biological puncture tool performance and evolution. Fascinating biomechanics research! 🧪 🧪 🔗 buff.ly/8l0TESp

From cactus thorns to dinosaur teeth: Study analyzes biological puncture tool performance | School of Integrative Biology | Illinois

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sib.illinois.edu

Anderson is a superstar. Check out his fantastic description of his work in The Conversation. theconversation.com/cacti-spines...

Cacti spines, snake fangs, snail love darts – oh my! How function drives the evolution of nature’s puncture tools

What do cacti spines and wasp stingers have in common? What about snail genitalia and shark teeth?

theconversation.com

School of Integrative Biology at Illinois (SIB)@ibioillinois.bsky.social · 4w ago

New study by EEB's Associate Professor Phil Anderson compares cactus thorns & dinosaur teeth to reveal insights into biological puncture tool performance and evolution. Fascinating biomechanics research! 🧪 🧪 🔗 buff.ly/8l0TESp

#Illinois researchers are recruiting people with planned Cesarean deliveries to try a mindfulness-based intervention to cope with postpartum pain. Know anyone eligible? English: redcap.healthinstitute.illinois.edu/surveys/?s=N... Spanish: redcap.healthinstitute.illinois.edu/surveys/?s=7...

Wait! What is that orange and blue bird standing with Killeen and Isbel?!

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Kingfisher@illinois1867.bsky.social · last yr.

Celebrating Chancellor Jones’ graduation!! 🧡💙

The Interdisciplinary Health Sciences Institute has announced TWO Brain Health Center Proposal Planning Grants are now available. Requirements below 🔽🔽🔽🔽🔽 healthinstitute.illinois.edu/research-sup...

We have exciting new for Illinois Brain researchers who are interested in pursuing large-scale research proposals! IHSI is thrilled to announce Brain Health Center Proposal Planning Grants for Illinois researchers working in the broad area of brain health!

If any of your students would like to write about their experience for Behind the Scenes, please have them reach out: news.illinois.edu/category/cam... I'm assuming you have great pix!

CliMAS Illinois@climasillinois.bsky.social · last mo.

Our second cohort of students enrolled in ATMS 324, led by @vortexjeff.bsky.social viewed this supercell today near Akron, Colorado

Dr. Edward Bouchet (born in New Haven, CT in 1852) was among the first Americans in U.S. history to earn a Ph.D. in physics. The son of a formerly enslaved father, Dr. Bouchet earned his doctorate from Yale in 1876.

Illinois researchers developed bubble-generating microparticles to clean tenacious biofilms from surgical instruments and infected wounds. Read more here: news.illinois.edu/scrubbing-bu...

🌡️New research by civil and environmental engineering professor Lei Zhao found that urban heat islands may not be as extreme in temperature and variability as some surface-temperature-based maps suggest. Read more here: news.illinois.edu/new-ai-assis...

From fangs to spines to tusks, nature has invented countless puncture tools, and scientists have long sought to explain what makes them so effective. A new study answers some fundamental questions about how their shape influences how they work. Read more here: news.illinois.edu/from-cactus-...

Hi I’m Tommy McElrath! I’m a beetle evolutionary biologist who mostly works in entomology collections. Currently based in Urbana, IL at the Illinois Natural History Survey.