DrTanyaMSmith.bsky.social

This week, Australian policymakers heard about the real and growing problem of climate misinformation. Stopping it would mean regulating the PR industry.

👉 theconversation.com/pr-firm...

RIP to Jane Goodall, who opened the world's eyes to our closest relatives. (Photo by NatGeo's Hugo Van Lawick)

Please for a *leisurely* visit to your favourite ex-pat?! With some advance notice I'll pop up a tent for you on 'the farm' and you can glamp with owls, possums and sugar gliders. A big echidna has been visiting lately too and digging up my native tree plantings. 🤨

New #SSRN #Preprint on #OxygenIsotopes and #TraceElements in Ancient #Teeth led by the amazing @jnavila.bsky.social and funded by @griffith.edu.au & #AustralianResearchCouncil #FutureFellowship.

#ArchaeologicalScience #BiologicalAnthropology & #EarthScience for the win!

dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn...

#talesteethtell #biologicalanthropology #teeth | Tanya M. Smith Looking forward to sharing some #TalesTeethTell next week for the Griffith Centre for Social and Cultural Research! All are welcome for a short and accessible introduction to #BiologicalAnthropology a...

www.linkedin.com/feed/update/...

Opinion | Stephen Colbert just modeled how to take a political stance without anger What we need right now are examples of people who understand the strength in empathy and the power of fair and even-keeled discussion.

"I think the solution is going to come from the people, from us: community action, collective service, connection and empathy. What we do need are examples of people who understand the strength in empathy and the power of fair and even-keeled discussion."
www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnb...

Is this Australia’s climate wake-up call? Official report reveals a hotter, harder future if we don’t act now The sobering assessment is a national call to action. The sooner Australia mitigates and adapts, the safer we will be.

Is this Australia’s climate wake-up call? Official report reveals a hotter, harder future if we don’t act now
theconversation.com/is-this-aust...

Great to see Senior Sergeant Donna MacGregor receiving the serious respect she deserves. We are lucky to have her as a member of the @aushumanbiology.bsky.social community!

Has meritocracy gotten the better of our universities? Why events at ANU are grounds for hope - ABC Religion & Ethics It’s not every day that the students and staff of a university succeed in forcing a vice-chancellor from office — that’s what happened last week at ANU, but why did change take so long when it was cle...

"If we want democratic universities then...When meritocrats consult, we must deliberate. Where meritocrats cherish distance, we need to seek proximity. If meritocrats show contempt, we ought to foster dignity—talk and listen respectfully, observe and act deliberately."
www.abc.net.au/religion/anu...

‘Publish or perish’ evolutionary pressures shape scientific publishing, for better and worse Scientists write papers to share their results – and gain prestige and advance their careers. In this competitive field, selection can favor AI-written papers, citation cartels, paper mills and more.

theconversation.com/publish-or-p...

How to be a scientist in a post-journal world When we created this site to write about things in science that need to be fixed, we chose not to start with publishing, even though it has been our preoccupation for decades.

Some interesting ideas here ~ would love to see the end of journal dominance, particular the pay-to-play ones!

How to be a scientist in a post-journal world
open.substack.com/pub/thescien...

Here's a #GiftLink for those who want to read the full NYT obit of historian of science & gender, Margaret Rossiter. www.nytimes.com/2025/08/29/s... #histSTM 🧪🗃️

Teeth record the hidden history of your childhood climate and diet The balance of different varieties of atoms inside a person’s teeth can reveal a week-by-week record of rainfall and protein consumption during their infancy.

Very sorry about this, as we didn't record it. Much of the content and articles are linked in this piece: theconversation.com/teeth-record...

2025: Environmental Futures Seminar - Tanya Smith - University of Wollongong – UOW Teeth as Proxies for Understanding Water Inputs and Past Seasonality

Looking forward to returning to the University of Wollongong tomorrow to talk about #Teeth as Proxies for Understanding Water Inputs and Past #Seasonality. #ArchaeologicalScience #BiologicalAnthropology #HumanEvolution #WomenInSTEM

Zoom link for 12:30pm AEST talk:
www.uow.edu.au/events/2025/...

Grateful to @science.org.au for creating the 2020 STEM Women Changemakers program, and giving three of us a chance to reunite five years later at #SAGE2025breakingsilos! Awesome to see Ruwangi Fernando & Mary McMillian and to meet Anna-Maria Arabia. Onwards!!

Universities have lost their way, but cost-cutting and consultants are not the answer Last week in Sydney, we saw a melodrama acted out that could stand in for the state of Australian universities more generally.

Timely article as I storm Sydney for the #SAGE2025 conference to reunite @science.org.au 2020 STEM Women Changemakers & push for systemic change in Australian #DEI / #EDI work.

Universities have lost their way, but cost-cutting and consultants are not the answer
theconversation.com/universities...

Deeply appreciated and identified with your personal story. Thank you for not hiding who you are!

Look forward to reading your book too.

Incredible courage from @drdemography.com - so needed this powerful example in our sycophant post-truth world.

(Please DM me if you ever make it to the Gold Coast so the @nteunion.bsky.social can celebrate you here too!)

I urge every Australian scholar, and every Australian citizen concerned about the future of our public universities, to sign this petition initiated by the Australian Historical Association.

It is with great sadness that we share the news of the passing of Emeritus Professor Charles Oxnard on the 27th of June at the age of 91. We extend our deepest condolences to Eleanor and their sons, Guy and Hugh, and to their extended families.

Teeth record the hidden history of your childhood climate and diet The balance of different varieties of atoms inside a person’s teeth can reveal a week-by-week record of rainfall and protein consumption during their infancy.

More #TalesTeethTell - including a new study of #Climate from #OxygenIsotopes!

American science is in crisis. It’s a great opportunity for Australia to snap up top scientists As the US cuts science funding and international cooperation, Australia and other countries see a chance to capitalise on this American brain drain.

As a former American scientist hired as a-target-of-opportunity in Oz nine years ago- this piece lacks important nuance. See Susan Forde's
‪@aunz.theconversation.com review from June 30th before entertaining romantic ideas of an easy academic life Down Under.

theconversation.com/american-sci...

This was such a pleasure to record with @hlusko.bsky.social!

Great to consider the ways that #BiologicalAnthropology and #Paleoanthropology research evolves, while also celebrating the power of #Collaboration, #Friendship, and #TalesTeethTell.

Timely topics for #AcademicExpats and #Tooth People!

‘The customer is always right’: why some uni teachers give higher grades than students deserve To understand the causes of ‘grade inflation’, a new study sought the opinions of those closest to the phenomenon: university teachers.

"To maintain the quality and reputation of higher education in Australia, we need to have an open and honest discussion about grade inflation in our universities." Not just a problem in Australia- when I taught @harvard.edu average was one mark below perfection!

theconversation.com/the-customer...

Australia’s university system is ‘battered’ and ‘broken’ – a new book surveys the wreckage and offers some solutions Our universities require a major overhaul. Reform is possible, but only if a government is prepared to take up the challenge.

“…we are rapidly burning through our next generation of university teachers and researchers.” - Graeme Turner

Timely and on point review of his book by my awesome colleague @griffith.edu.au Susan Forde

theconversation.com/australias-u...

No Katie, not the 'Vid again!!!

@drtanyamsmith.bsky.social presenting on inferring stress histories from trace elements, their promises and pitfalls from tooth histology. Referred to the neonatal line as a birth certificate - we love it! #isph2025

Ancient #Teeth People for the Win!

Always enjoy hearing the state-of-the-art on #bone #biology from @natalieasims.bsky.social ~ currently delivering a great keynote at #isph2025 !!@isph2025.bsky.social

On my way up to awesome #Brisbane for #isph2025 @isph2025.bsky.social & sharing my 10:30 poster on #BiologicalRhythms & #ToothHistology - look forward to chatting over a cuppa.