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Jon and Jeff ask the age old question, when do the statistics get so wonky you call in the quants? The gang minus one talk about the trade-offs between learning new, powerful techniques and just collaborating with folks who have already climbed that mountain (e.g. statisticians and quantitative ecologists). Also, old car or new car? Doom metal or screamo? Did you know we are the world's leading ecology podcast? So much and more on this episode of Major Revisions!
Music:
Pallbearer - "An Offering of Grief" Planes Mistaken for Stars - "Copper and Stars" Major Revisions, the Playlist on Spotify Follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @Major_Revisions
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Grace, Jon, and Jeff give a primer on the funding mechanisms at the National Science Foundation (NSF) as well as talk about the recent changes there. The gang also lament poison ivy, oak mites, and chiggers while also providing a stern warning about Benadryl. Be careful kids.
Jon and Jeff interview Atticus Stovall of the University of Virginia, a lidar guru and all-around nice person, live from the top of a mountain at the University of Tennessee Biological Station near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Atticus gives his thoughts on forest ecology and solar induced fluorescence as well while also telling some stories about traveling to Toolik, New Mexico, and many places in between. The gang also establish Combos as the null model for gas station snack food.
Music:
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band - Rocky Top George Jones - White Lightin'
Grace, Jon, and Jeff talk about a recent paper in Nature E & E on how sampling bias affects science and policy. The gang also tally the results of last year's Impact Factor draft (and it's not that close). Jon gets a Twitter handle he will never use, we come up with several great spin-off podcast ideas, there are lots of bugs, and of course life, the universe, and everything else.
Grace, Jon, and Jeff talk about the new Resources page on the Major Revisions website as well as their own thoughts about what helped them get to where they are, at least the practical aspects. Lots of North Woods references, talk about Gluten-free food, and greatly over-due World Cup banter.
Grace, Jon, and Jeff talk about their favorite scientists from any form of fiction . . .with some big surprises. They also cover who they don't like so much. A lot fewer surprises there. I mean really? How on earth did Indiana Jones get tenure? We also run "The Big Bang Theory" through the ringer again. Also, grocery stores. To an alarming degree really.
Grace, Jon, and Jeff talk about recent op-eds in Nature and Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment on the culture of science and ecology in particular. How do we build strong lab culture? How do we think about and do science in the 21st Century? Is the underlying culture of science at risk? Also, Jeff's car was eaten by rats and we talk MDPI journals and how you can publish multiple OA articles for free, if they are well-prepared.
Links
Health Tips for Research Groups - Norris et al. in Nature Maintaining the Culture of Ecology - Lindenmayer and Likens, 2018 Music "Kids These Days" - Shakey Graves "Treat the Youths Right" - Jimmy Cliff Subscribe to Major Revisions, the playlist on Spotify! Follow us on Instagram @major_revisions
In episode 38 we welcome Brady Hardiman to the show! Brady is an Assistant Professor of Urban Ecology in the department of Forestry and Natural Resources at Purdue University (Go Boilermakers!). We talk about urban ecology, macrosystems, time management, mentorship, being a new professor, and setting up a lab and creating a positive and supportive atmosphere in that lab.
Also, submit ideas on papers for our Classics in Ecology series (majorrevisionsshow@gmail.com)
Music
Sun Kil Moon - "Carry Me Ohio" The Elms - "Back to Indiana" 
Grace, Jon, and Jeff talk about the Gleason, 1926 classic, "The individualistic concept of the plant association" a real barn-burner of a piece that forms one of the foundational pieces of community ecology--despite its controversial reception at the time. The group also chat up the first part of the Dynamic Ecology controversial ideas in ecology piece, why Jeff is a terrible biologist, and talk trash about Kant.
"It has sometimes been assumed that the various stages in a successional series follow each other in a regular and fixed sequence, but that is frequently not the case" - Henry Gleason In "The individualistic concept of the plant association," Gleason details the myriad problems with the idea of the "climax" community and goes on further to question even the validity of rigid vegetation community structures. His work was not well-received during this life time, even if many ecologists knew he was on to something, but it did find a renaissance late in the 20th century and still informs current ecological theory and work. 
Grace, Jon, and Jeff keep the classics in ecology series going, this time with Raymond L. Lindeman's 1942 piece, "The Trophic-Dynamic Aspect of Ecology." This seminal piece not only codified the idea of the ecosystem, but features the famous (infamous?) ooze diagram. The gang also lament March Mammal Madness and the ups and downs of spring time.
Links:
March Mammal Madness Lindeman, 1942 Email us your suggestions for classics in ecology! MUSIC: "Mammal" - They Might Be Giants "Cascades" - Fleet Foxes |
Major Revisions
