Ben Dickson

@drbenomycin

Pākehā lecturing chem @ University of Waikato Ex-academic precariat, still in the fight. NZAS council and NZSR editorial board Rides a 💖pink💖 bicycle. he / him

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Ben Dickson@drbenomycin· 14d

Citation needed?

Screenshot of text reading: The Free Speech Union ‒ which exists to defend free speech

Ben Dickson@drbenomycin· 25d

Exciting... terrifying... exciting... terrifying. This is me convening a conference, but when you see the faces on this poster you know it's going to be a good one. These are just some of our amazing speakers! Abstract submissions close Wednesday, 12 August 2026 at 11.00pm NZST. Tell everyone!

A poster advertising the New Zealand Institute of Chemistry conference.

Key details are:
Conference runs 15th - 19th November 2026.
Abstract submissions close Wednesday, 12 August 2026 at 11.00pm NZST.

A list of plenary speakers is included:

André Isaacs
Martin Banwell
colette Boskovic
Jolon Dyer
Gwendolyn Lawrie
Nigel Perry
Lisa Pilkington
Ziyun Wang
Elizabeth Yuriev

Ben Dickson@drbenomycin· 26d

My clock is cooler than yours

A black clock with a white face. The numbers are replaced by cartoons of elements from progressing from hydrogen to magnesium. It exudes an aura of undeniable coolness.

Ben Dickson@drbenomycin· 26d

Lol... "Feedback can be submitted via this link." That link:

Screenshot of website showing "Requested page not found" plus further details of likely causes that are not relevant to the intended meaning of the screenshot.

Ben Dickson@drbenomycin· Jul 12

Striding right into the new Trimester with a 9am class and new (very overdue) shoes 😍

A photo of legs terminating in brown suede shoes. They have been equipped with rainbow laces as a subtle hint that the bigot of the world should take a long walk off a short pier.

Ben Dickson@drbenomycin· Jul 10

SpongeBob SquarePants holds his hands apart with a rainbow in between. Above the rainbow the word "Excipients" appears.

Ben Dickson@drbenomycin· Jun 26

It's all in the delivery 😏

An image of Emperor Palpatine (bad guy from Star Wars) with the text "Come Join us!!!" superimposed on it

Ben Dickson@drbenomycin· Jun 26

The festival is underway! Waikato Symphonic Band and Schools Band are on Sunday.

A table of the festival programme. The categories are Band Performances, Solo Performances, Ensemble Performances and Workshops.

Apologies, extracting all the timetable information for alt text is beyond me, but if you have a specific query please ask in a comment.

Ben Dickson@drbenomycin· Jun 25

It's not a lolly scramble.

Two ambulance officers stand in front of an ambulance station scribed out in light on a concrete pad bare other than an ambulance. The text reads 'We urgently need 10 new ambulance stations. Today only every donation doubled "

Ben Dickson@drbenomycin· Jun 13

Took the kids and had a nice time in the sun with a bunch of really normal people. Good speeches, happy vibes. 100% would go again.

Two people dressed in bright colours standing at a protest rally carrying trans and pride progress flags. One holds a rainbow sign saying "A bill can't erase people, identity or science. Trans rights are human rights". The other holds a pink and blue sign saying "Policing genitals is very weird".

Ben Dickson@drbenomycin· May 25

Cool... new ChemDraw autoinstalled at some point and while it has a fancy redesigned logo it otherwise appears completely borked. I guess instead of working with my VERY expensive productivity software I'll spend time trying to make it usable instead... *SIGH*

The splash screen for the ChemDraw software. It features a green hexagon with rounded points and stylised CD in its centre, the text ChemDraw, the company name "revvity signals" and some amorphous green blobs.

A screen shot of the ChemDraw app. All of the user-interface buttons are lacking symbology so the software is essentially unusable.

Ben Dickson@drbenomycin· May 20

I was reminded of this today. From 2021, and still bad science is getting trotted out to justify bigotry. Personally, if you need to be conscious of someone's gender to value them as a person you need to take a long look at yourself. You're not a good person. From: scientists.org.nz/press-releases

Press Release from the New Zealand Association of Scientists

Science and Gender
As an organisation, the New Zealand Association of Scientists (NZAS) recognises the importance of inclusiveness and kindness in science. Transgender, intersex, and gender diverse Kiwis experience significant discrimination within our society. This is partially due to our science system’s inability to even engage with them as part of our population - only this year has Stats NZ offered guidance for collecting sex and gender data which addresses the full scope of gender diversity in Aotearoa.
Additionally, misinformed claims of ‘science’ are often used as a tool of oppression against these groups. It concerns us to see incorrect claims being made that ‘science’ supports the definition of all humans into one of two categories based on assignment of sex at birth. We see science as one of the most important ways we have of learning and talking about ourselves, our world, and everyone within it (we are, after all, scientists). The NZAS recognises that the scientific consensus tells us that gender cannot be reduced down to any simple combination of an individual’s chromosomes, hormones, genitalia, or any other characteristic: it is not a simple binary. The principles of inclusiveness and kindness in science tell us to engage with people as who they are, recognising the world around us, and within us, as it is rather than as we think it should be.
Despite the challenges they face, we already work with trans, gender diverse, and intersex scientists of all genders. They are working and leading in science in Aotearoa as scientists and equals. We support them and all efforts to make science and society in Aotearoa safer for everybody, by taking the stance that this is not only the moral thing to do, nor only the scientifically most valid perspective: supporting trans, gender diverse, and intersex scientists of all genders produces better science for all of society.

Ben Dickson@drbenomycin· May 11

Snap!

A photo of a bunk in a cabin. The bunk has stripped blue and green bedding on it.

Ben Dickson@drbenomycin· May 4

Copyediting standards seem pretty terrible at journals right now. For example, I'm reading a J. Med Chem article (10.1021/acs.jmedchem.5c03255) where someone has clearly done a 'find and replace' for "ki" -> italic(K)subscript(I) How does this stuff get through, these journals charge $$$$$$$$$$$$$$

The word "pharmacokinetic" with the KI stylised as if they're a standalone symbol italic K, subscript I.

Ben Dickson@drbenomycin· Apr 18

As a kid I always thought it was quite strange that Tip Top was spelled Jip Jop given how it's pronounced. Similar vibe...

Ben Dickson@drbenomycin· Apr 16

Took me a couple of tries though 😅

Screenshot of game score, the key text is 47.96/50 and #172,920 of 2,237,478

Ben Dickson@drbenomycin· Apr 8

According to this www.immigration.govt.nz/study/once-y... Master's and PhD students CAN work without limit on hours on a student visa (although a limit is often in the scholarship agreement). They very much should not have to, it's not desirable for them or their supervisor, but they can 🥲

Screenshot text reads:

PhD and Masters research students
There is no limit on the hours you can work if you are enrolled in a doctoral degree (PhD) or Research Masters programme at a New Zealand tertiary institution.

If you work full-time, you must also keep studying full-time.

Ben Dickson@drbenomycin· Mar 18

I guess there are small mercies...

Screenshot from website with text reading:

Why did you change the wind barbs to arrows?
Our user research showed a strong preference towards arrows. In future, we plan to provide the ability for users to select their preferred option.

Ben Dickson@drbenomycin· Mar 12

Oh là là là là ! This wee moment delighted me so much

I head and shoulders picture of a mid-20's white man with eyes downcast and the caption "There were no books. Okay."

Ben Dickson@drbenomycin· Mar 3

Sorry not sorry, in my head this goes: Kate: Hey insta, generate a picture of me Insta: ok...

Ben Dickson@drbenomycin· Feb 4

I desperately tried to find this late last year, but you were gone, but now you're back and I have had some exciting developments! There were ~7 of them in early December, and right now there's another just blooming 🤩🤩🤩

A bunch of pale pink flowers with three green leaves behind them

Ben Dickson@drbenomycin· Jan 31

Thanks for the tip!

A photo of the bright moon in the night sky

Ben Dickson@drbenomycin· Jan 1

I'm... not sure what to do with this. Perhaps I'll adjust my walk.

Screenshot of a post by Merriam-Webster that reads:

Take a screenshot of this GIF, and whichever new word you land on is YOUR word for 2026.

Let's. Go.

The word shown in the screenshot is "Sultry".

Ben Dickson@drbenomycin· Sep 19

Staaahhhp call the police, unpermitted cuteness on display in Kirikiriroa

A couple wearing brightly coloured jumpers and sunglasses sits on outdoor tiered seating in the sun. The centerpiece of the photo is two large almond croissants being held up to the camera, one for each of the happy and hungry couple.

A couple sit on tiered seating in the sun wearing sunglasses and brightly coloured jumpers. In the background is a tandem bicycle with bright pink helmets hanging on the handlebars.

Ben Dickson@drbenomycin· Sep 19

Phase 1: Complete. Ft. Cycle past Gardens, cycle along river past rowing clubs and waka ama. Total vibes

A tandem bicycle parked on a city street. Brightly coloured helmets hang from the handlebars (pink and blue).

Ben Dickson@drbenomycin· Sep 15

This gave me whiplash...

Screenshot of text saying:

A separate group of church leaders, the Coalition of Ministers Supporting Israel in New Zealand, said in a statement it distanced itself from the groups that protested.

Ben Dickson@drbenomycin· Sep 6

This is a great opportunity to introduce kids to all the different wind instruments, and inspire them to play. Heck, if you've played an instrument in the past and enjoy the concert, maybe you'll be inspired to join for the next programme... so we can become a large community band! 😁

Advertisement for a concert, text on a music themed background, plus images of a trumpet and a saxophone.

The text reads:

Join Waikato Symphonic Band for our concert "Loco-motifs and Symphonic Shenanigans" 3PM, Saturday 20th September, St Aidan's Church, 24 Thames Street. Entry free or by koha.

Ben Dickson@drbenomycin· Aug 23

Different train vibe today, northbound again to Huntly

Ben Dickson@drbenomycin· Aug 14

Over on the IG... I never knew you had this double life! Flattering no doubt 😅 That app is buuuuuggy

A screenshot of a notification from Instagram. The icon is the comedian Melanie Bracewell and the notification says: "Melanie Bracewell invited you to join their channel: ChemScrapes"

Ben Dickson@drbenomycin· Aug 2

Saturday shopping 🚲🚲🥰