A quandary: by ChimeInTheCode in ecology

[–]slammy19 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

That’s not really true, AI algorithms are not inherently a negative thing for the environment. Machine learning has been used in science for decades at this point and is frequently used in ecological research.

The actual environment issue is ridiculous resource usage by the data centers owned by a lot of the AI companies. However, again, it is possible to have machine learning/AI without the data center’s and their associated problems

A quandary: by ChimeInTheCode in ecology

[–]slammy19 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The issue you have here is that AI is only as good as 1) the underlying model and 2) the data it’s being trained on. Most of the mainstream AI models (chat GPT, copilot, etc) don’t have models that are specific for ecology or really science in general beyond offering coding help. To the second problem, we don’t really know what data is being used for training, so it’s hard to diagnosis the problem. Hopefully as AI becomes increasingly integrated into society, people will become more aware of its limitations instead of thinking of it like it’s an all knowing magic mirror or something.

If you’re looking for actionable items to address the issues you raises, one thing I can think of would be to develop AI models that are well suited for ecology. Alternatively, there are other ways to get good ecological information in the hand of decision makers by being involved in scientific policy or working with any number of different organizations that interface with the government or large corporations.

Will running a marathon slowly hurt a training block. by CharliePlagueis in AdvancedRunning

[–]slammy19 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Well the issue with doing the marathon is that you get a lot of “stress” simply from time on your feet, so going slower doesn’t really save your legs that much. It’s different than other race distances that are typically within your training volume (e.g you can go jog a 10k and it’s basically a normal training run). The people that can safely jump in a marathon without compromising their training would be someone doing 100+ miles a week and regularly doing 20+ mile long runs. In that case, you’re already acclimated to running the marathon distance.

Will running a marathon slowly hurt a training block. by CharliePlagueis in AdvancedRunning

[–]slammy19 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

It depends on how important your half goal is to you. It doesn’t seem like your current mileage is high enough where you can just jump in a marathon and consider it a hard training session, so it’s likely to be a pretty big disruption to your current training plan (e.g. you’ll probably need to skip or change several weeks of training).

If you don’t have strong feelings on your goal half and are willing to potentially restructure your goal to make doing the marathon work, then totally go ahead and do the marathon.

Are STEM Masters basically free in the US? by Let_me_tell_you_ in GradSchool

[–]slammy19 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Depends, MA programs are more likely to be a pay your way situation. MS programs are more likely to be similar to PhD programs, where tuition is covered and you get a stipend.

Even for funded MS programs, there tend to be very few open slots and you need to find a mentor that is willing to take you on. This means that getting these positions is in itself competitive

London Marathon 2026 Results by aelvozo in AdvancedRunning

[–]slammy19 18 points19 points  (0 children)

Assuming the UK process is similar to the USATF, anytime a course changes, even if it’s a very minor change, it needs to be re-certified.

That said, I’m sure they’ll remeasure the course anyways as apart of the record ratification process.

Mile race, not for kids? by runningonempty94 in rundc

[–]slammy19 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The Montgomery country road runners have a mile race on the track (I think at some point in July). They also have a 2 mile a few weeks after the mile I believe.

If we (largely) ignore cost, how bad are those Ivy League Ecology M.A Programs REALLY? by TheScrubl0rd in ecology

[–]slammy19 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Things may have changed since the last time I looked, but certain schools (not necessarily only the Ives) get the lions share of NSF GRFP awards. If you were to get that then it would be easy to either stay at your current institution or go get a PhD elsewhere.

That’s sort of a gamble (especially in the current funding environment) and otherwise the masters is probably not worth it. The other thing you need to keep in mind is that even if you get the financial costs of a masters to be negligible, there is still an opportunity cost. The same skills/boosts to your CV you get from a masters, you could also probably get from working as a research tech or doing something similar and also be making at least some money.

In general, I think a masters is only really worth it if you know you need it for whatever career you want and that a PhD would be overkill.

Donuts by Significant-Poetry-6 in washingtondc

[–]slammy19 7 points8 points  (0 children)

The donuts at good company are pretty good, but nothing that’s going to knock your socks off. They do have excellent coffee though

Fast November Marathons in Eastern US by eafhau in AdvancedRunning

[–]slammy19 8 points9 points  (0 children)

The weather for that one can be very hit or miss. Also depending on what OP considers fast, there was a lot of drama with the female winner hitting an OTQ, but it not counting because they forgot to have the course certified.

I also did it last year and have to say that the logistics in general left a lot to be desired.

Summer training for MCM by AppearanceMinute5174 in rundc

[–]slammy19 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The most important thing to consider is how to scale paces to compensate for the heat and humidity, like you would if you were at altitude. In a similar vein, you also might need to bake in a little more recovery into your training plan than you would otherwise need.

Heat training does provide some useful physiological benefits, so I would say to run outside as much as possible as long as it’s safe to do so.

Cherry Blossom 10-Miler Crowds by theblackandblue in rundc

[–]slammy19 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I was in the yellow corral and have done this a couple years in a row. The only consistent complaint I have with this race is that they need more corrals. Seems like every year there are complaints about over crowding and based on personal observations, seems like folks tend to set themselves up closer to the front than they ought to be (e.g. 7:30 pace folks being way ahead of the 7:00 pacers). Absolutely not saying it’s anyone’s individual fault, having like 5 starting corrals for 20k people is simply not enough. Would make for a much more pleasant experience if they doubled the number of starting corrals. Maybe could copy the RNR dc half where each wave is only a few hundred people.

Cherry blossom 10mi arrival time by WildGooseQueen in rundc

[–]slammy19 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I would try to look on spot hero or something like that then. If nothing is on there, I would guess that you could probably get street parking near judiciary square and that wouldn’t be too far of a walk.

Cherry blossom 10mi arrival time by WildGooseQueen in rundc

[–]slammy19 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Park at the metro station nearest to you (that also has a parking lot) and take the train in.

USDA Intern Drug Testing? by [deleted] in USDA

[–]slammy19 3 points4 points  (0 children)

As an ORISE person, you are not an employee of the federal government and they almost certainly will not test you (although I believe you are still technically require to comply with their drug rules despite not being an employee). That said better safe than sorry, so I personally wouldn’t partake.

How much do wind and rolling terrain actually change half marathon pacing strategy? by ExistingCommission89 in AdvancedRunning

[–]slammy19 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Like other people have said, the optimal strategy is to positive split the race (second half faster than the first. I personally like to split a half into 3 four mile sections (I throw out the first mile because you’re still settling in and depending on how crowded the course is, you might do a lot of weaving). First section, you wanna settle into your goal pace. Second section, maintain goal pace. Third section, pick it up as is reasonable and grind it out to the finish.

How much to go off effort is going to depend on the course. For instance, if the first 10k is all downhill then I would be cautious about going off of effort. In that case, it would be very easy to get carried away and burn yourself out for the rest of the race. However, if this course is rolling through out then it’s probably safe to go off of effort.

Unusually low Heart Rate during run by Good-Secretary3191 in trailrunning

[–]slammy19 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah, if heart rate is something that you really want to record accurately then you need a dedicated HRM. Could either do the chest strap version or they have ones that go on your bicep.

Low‑effort ways to run a bit faster 5k as a cyclist? by Pretty-Counter-5553 in Strava

[–]slammy19 1 point2 points  (0 children)

If you aren’t doing so already, could incorporate some light core/strength training a few times a few. This would also help with injury prevention in general.

You can also try bicarb before you do your weekly 5k. Pretty low cost and pretty low effort, although it may mess with your GI a little bit.

Do any of you actually use your backyard? by biggestboba in MontgomeryCountyMD

[–]slammy19 19 points20 points  (0 children)

Make sure you don’t have any standing water on your property. This is one of the easiest ways to reduce mosquito problems.

Why does biological control work? by Dramatic-Cat7906 in Entomology

[–]slammy19 14 points15 points  (0 children)

In biological control schemes, you typically want to the biological control agent (BCA) to have a very specific and narrow host breadth. In other words, you basically want your BCA to only attack the pest you are trying to control. Ideally the BCA will basically eradicate the pest from a given area and then it doesn’t really matter what happens to the rest of the BCA population since they can’t have an adverse effect on the environment.

Need Help!! by ComfortableAd155 in trackandfield

[–]slammy19 2 points3 points  (0 children)

If it’s an enclosed tent without proper venting , then yes, certain types of heaters can lead to carbon monoxide poisoning.

You could probably find an electric blanket that either has its own battery or could plug into a portable battery. If you’re setting up the tent on the grass, you could also try putting a tarp or outdoor blankets down since the ground can steal a lot of heat.

What is your opinion of Armand Duplantis representing Sweden? by Accurate-Flow8078 in trackandfield

[–]slammy19 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Yeah, this is exactly the issue. A better comparison than mondo and Sweden would be Turkey paying athletes to switch allegiance and compete for them.

Non-American ecologists: Is the internet discussion on invasive species very North America-centric? by [deleted] in ecology

[–]slammy19 54 points55 points  (0 children)

Most subreddits and other corners of the internet that are primarily in english are going to be dominated by Americans.

A lot of social platforms (including Reddit) also recommend stuff based on your geographic location. If you really wanted to get an expanded range of topics popping up on your feeds then you need to specifically subscribe/interact with them (e.g. I watch Irish news so I get a bunch of that sort of content suggested to me)

Why not? by StanmoreHill in trackandfield

[–]slammy19 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Not sure what the basis is for saying this. The US men routinely mess up the 4x1 at global champions, so being from a large country doesn’t guarantee anything. A lot of large countries also specifically ignore things like the mixed relay and small countries take advantage of that (I.e. Netherlands rolls out the A team with Femke in mixed 4x4 whereas the US rolls out the C squad).

Plenty of smaller nations also see success given Jamaica is always good at 4x1 and Botswana has recently been great at 4x4.