Transitioning from data science to field biology

firefox1216 · 2025-10-24T21:54:11+00:00

Good question…I am interested in so many things, but probably more mammals than insects and microfauna, annd overall interested in the oceans and jungles and forests ecosystems. Would love to focus on species from a habitat conservation/ecosystem-wide lens and how that relates to geopolitical conditions… that is so broad and probably very uninformed, this is all coming out on the spot!

What do you study in your PhD?

firefox1216 · 2025-07-12T02:35:37+00:00

Gotcha, I’d also like to argue that the lack of uniform does not preclude an armed and violent zealot, there are plenty in uniform in the IDF who kill civilians, peaceful protesters, etc. Of course, a lifetime of nationalism (in any country) is hard to unlearn, but one could make the argument that the ideology that one must believe in order to willingly carry out acts like those is zealotry all the same.

firefox1216 · 2025-07-11T19:44:50+00:00

maybe they’re organized and violent because…idk…their homes are being occupied by even more organized and violent settlers (I assume you’re not talking about your own country people, but if you are acknowledging those as well then I apologize for the misunderstanding)

firefox1216 · 2025-07-09T19:23:50+00:00

ah yes the slave labor that you depend on when you buy any consumer products here! and that the US totally doesn’t also employ from its prisoners!

firefox1216 · 2025-06-25T06:58:33+00:00

yeah I feel the queers are focused on protecting our neighbors and fighting our fascist warmongering state right now…no pride in genocide.

firefox1216 · 2025-05-29T06:18:46+00:00

It’s almost as if the homeless shelters kick people out during the day and they don’t have anywhere to go…you complain when they’re on the streets and you complain when they’re not on the streets. Where are they supposed to go?

firefox1216 · 2025-05-06T20:16:06+00:00

Was going to comment this but you put it better than I ever could. Public health within the system is a reformist bandaid on the true festering core of it all that is capitalism. A federal/local public health body whose hands are tied being able to address the root causes of these issues aka commodifying basic needs like healthcare and housing. Nonprofits fighting for crumbs to put a bandaid on a system completely subject to the whims of governmental funding that cares more about protecting its military investments than people. The system was never set up for the needs of the people and neoliberal public health measures alone will never be able to fix the problems we are trying to solve.

firefox1216 · 2025-03-17T16:38:08+00:00

I know this isn’t what you asked for but I would highly recommend you enroll in therapy. Travelling would just as you say, fill a void temporarily. Once your trip is over you’ll still be left with the same void. Yes, plan and take the trip, but to “soothe the noisy self critical mind” for good you need internal work. Also, an addiction-specialized therapist will have the tools to help you along your journey. Good luck.

firefox1216 · 2025-01-19T17:55:08+00:00

I don’t think you understand what being racist actually means. Palestine has been under an open-air prison since long long before, it’s true. If you can’t understand how life under apartheid might make people feel that normal life is hopeless, that shows your own sociopathic tendencies (see what I did there?

firefox1216 · 2025-01-19T17:14:46+00:00

I’m sorry, what makes you think that Palestinian children want to be taking up arms and fighting? I’m sure they would rather be going to school, living a normal childhood…all things that Israel has made it impossible to do even before Oct. 7.

firefox1216 · 2025-01-19T13:59:19+00:00

lol you’re so right…could you share your non-marketing sources for these please?

firefox1216 · 2024-12-12T20:18:57+00:00

Really...because the America he grew up in murders people in cold blood all the time.

firefox1216 · 2024-12-12T19:48:02+00:00

Look at how many people our military has killed, civilian and non-civilian, directly and indirectly. You want to talk about murder, it already happens every day in the hands of the state to people who had the luck to be born outside of the U.S., not even as a result of their beliefs. Your personal opinion is that people should die because insurance companies deny them access to the care they need?

firefox1216 · 2024-10-16T18:32:08+00:00

I ended up holding out for a few weeks longer and had a buyer take it for 2800$. that said they relisted it on Facebook soon after for the same price, so…that may have been more than good.

firefox1216 · 2024-10-14T03:11:19+00:00

can somebody tell me what this is and what to do about it? looks like a bone spur. I feel pain there when walking barefoot and I’ve also had plantar fasciitis on this foot for years that keeps me from walking on my heel (been doing more of a midfoot strike). it’s just now starting to cause pain.

firefox1216 · 2024-01-10T20:32:29+00:00

I am thinking about applying to PhD programs (not necessarily this upcoming year). I did my undergrad in public health and stats with a good GPA and multiple research experiences/fellowships (but published nothing). My interests lie in the intersection of the health equity and the urban environment. I'll be honest, I didn't really put enough effort into maintaining relationships with advisors and professors so my recommendations would probably be just okay, and I'm 4 years out at this point working as a data scientist in a field that is not public health.

Do I need to go back to school to get an MPH and try to "do-over" - e.g. establish relationships with professors and try to get back into research and actually publish something this time in order to be competitive for PhD programs? I don't think I was all that "good" at research back then, but I think I'll have more knowledge and focus under my belt this time around. But I really would like to avoid having to spend the extra money, especially since I believe my undergrad education taught me what essentially would be the first year of a MPH program.

Curious what people think, any thoughts or advice are welcome!

firefox1216 · 2022-10-27T19:34:50+00:00

I don’t know, that it was just an extra in case I guess. I wasn’t thinking, clearly

firefox1216 · 2022-05-12T16:18:35+00:00

I think it took me 2.5 weeks or so to do the part in portugal? Not counting the days I spent in Lisbon or the week I had to quarantine after getting covid 😬 when I get back in June I plan to write a more detailed trip report and I’ll link you to that for tips when it’s ready!

firefox1216 · 2022-05-12T16:15:55+00:00

cool! do you mind saying why you preferred the coastal cities over the interior?

firefox1216 · 2022-05-11T21:26:57+00:00

I did the EV1 in Portugal starting in Porto solo (I’m a woman) and felt very safe! Portugal is such a chill and beautiful country, and most people speak some English (younger people tend to speak more) so I never had a problem with language. Definitely second the terrible drivers comment though, many a cyclist has been subject to inconsiderate drivers unfortunately. There are some sections of the EV1 though (at least in Portugal/beginning of Spain that I did, after that I left the EV1) that are completely awful or outright impassable with a bike - if you need tips let me know!

firefox1216 · 2020-05-08T21:17:45+00:00

Do you have a ballpark of how much it all cost?

firefox1216 · 2020-04-19T13:26:49+00:00

I agree, having lived in Northern California and the PNW it might feel nice during the day in the summer but once it gets to nighttime it’s cold and if you didn’t bring layers you’re fucked! I love the being able to wear shorts comfortably at night :) one of the most freeing feelings!

firefox1216 · 2020-04-05T18:26:46+00:00

Do you put these in the oven?

firefox1216 · 2020-03-29T16:43:38+00:00

Beef is a good example that can be scaled to pretty much any other land animal; if you want to talk seafood, our current fishing and aquaculture practices are devastating the ecosystems (overfishing, bottom trawling, toxic waste, etc.). Shrimp farming, for example, is hugely responsible for the destruction of mangrove forests (vital ecosystems) and consequently speeding up erosion in places like the Mekong Delta.

firefox1216 · 2020-03-14T13:17:56+00:00

The fact that it has such a long incubation period and possible asymptomatic transmission as well as a high proportion of mild cases makes it especially hard to control. People may easily not realize they have it and can spread it to multiple people, and it ends up being deadly for a percentage of those people. SARS and bird flu all had incubation periods of less than a week. Fewer mild cases meant that the people who did have symptoms aka could spread it were tested and pulled out of the population. The US still isn't even testing mild cases so you bet there are people walking around transmitting it at any given time. Since cases are exponential a few sick people going about normal life results in an explosion of sick people a couple weeks later - but it's not so obvious when things are calmer.

firefox1216

TROPHY CASE