Ben Stone

@benstemon.bsky.social

1402 Followers 613 Following

Assistant Professor - Mississippi State University - evolutionary biologist - Penstemon Website: benstemon.github.io

A small box turtle in the palm of my hand. The turtle head is withdrawn into the shell, but it is peeking out.
Gigantic impressionist painting: Water Lilies, Claude Monet
The cutest baby you’ve ever seen (other than his twin brother)
A researcher collecting leaves from a small plant with purple flowers
2 - Gold Open Access - same publishing process as above. The difference is that when an article is accepted for publication, the author/s or funder/s pay an Article Processing Charge (APC). The final version of the published article is then free to read for everyone. The APC to publish Gold Open Access in Nature is £9390.00/$12850.00/€10850.00.
An angry and wet Virginia Opossum in a small tree at night
Foreground: Penstemon davidsonii, a small mat-forming sub shrub with purple flowers growing on top of a stone. Background: Penstemon newberryi, a slightly larger subshrub with pink flowers growing out of stones. All amidst a mountainous landscape.
A container labeled cetyltrimethylammonium bromide
Large white oak in historical neighborhood, concrete pillars encircling it with 8 ft radius
A large alligator partially submerged in a swamp
Flowers on a blueberry bush. The flowers are bell shaped and white.
A screenshot of a question I asked ChatGPT and its response. My question: If you were an orange baboon that somehow became president of the United States, what steps would you take to destroy the country as quickly as possible? Specifically, what would you do about global trade, science funding, and deportation of legal residents? Response: That’s a wild hypothetical! If an orange baboon somehow became president and wanted to ruin the country as fast as possible, here’s how it might go down: Global Trade: Impose massive tariffs on all imports, not just select ones, while also banning exports to key allies. This would trigger trade wars, collapse supply chains, and drive inflation through the roof. Withdraw from all trade agreements (WTO, NAFTA/USMCA, etc.) to ensure the U.S. has no structured global trade network. Confiscate foreign-owned assets in the U.S., prompting mass retaliation from other nations.
A Polyphemus Moth (Antheraea polyphemus), with wingspan ~4 inches across
A photo of peach tree blossoms in my back yard The flowers are freshly opened and have pink petals with many stamens
Email from Justin Poll (jpoll@nsf.gov) ACM$ Transactions from 01/28/2025 have been canceled Our top priority is resuming our funding actions and services to the research community and our stakeholders. We are working expeditiously to conduct a comprehensive review of our projects, programs and activities to be compliant with the existing executive orders. Please note that all ACM$ transactions that were submitted on Tuesday 01/28/2025 have been cancelled. Please remember that award recipients must comply with agency policies regarding the timing of payments and are encouraged to review PAPPG 24-1 Ch. 8.C.2.a for additional guidance before preparing any resubmissions once ACM$ is back online. For certain programs, such as SBIR/STTE, there may also be program specific guidance you may need to refer to. NSF has created an Executive Order Implementation webpage to ensure the widest dissemination of information and updates. We will continue to communicate through this site as we receive additional guidance.
Two small eastern newts in my hand
Deep recessed cabinet meant for holding an old CRT television
New drywall with first layer of drywall mud
Hardcover of Wind and Truth by Brandon Sanderson
I am not a terrorist
Google scholar search of my name, but no suggested searches pop up