Cathy Abbott

Upside down plug sockets on a train table to accommodate chunky chargers

A simple but effective move- well played ScotRail 👍

'For example, in Edinburgh, the university sector's contribution is reckoned to be equivalent to ten Commonwealth Games as the University generates £7.52 billion per year to the UK economy compared with £740 million over seven years by the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth games'.

"Universities are not peripheral to Scotland's economy, rather they are anchor institutions that can generate £28.30 billion in annual economic impact, support 34,000 jobs through research funding, and create employment multiplier effects..."

digitalpublications.parliament.scot/ResearchBrie...

I would probably have had the same problem with male authors to be fair! Dickens, Jonathan Coe, Patrick Gale and err..

Uni leaders: We stand at an inflection point of unprecedented possibility, where the convergence of exponential technologies, human-centered innovation, and courageously reimagined mindsets.

Us: Can we get toilet paper with tensile strength greater than the torque needed to rotate the roll?

This is so interesting. I have been reading a lot of references for several recruitment rounds and just read a few that were generically positive and supportive but somehow told me *nothing* about the actual applicant. I am certain they were LLM generated- so different from the human-penned ones 😢

what even is the fucking point

Five women authors by whom I’ve read (and loved) at least five books:
Elinor Lipman
Anne Tyler
Kate Atkinson
Nina Stibbe
Joanna Trollope

(I could do this for ages, especially if I included children's authors -Noel Streatfeild, LM Montgomery, and dozens more if we dropped to 4 books)

"Precarity is the one constant of academic science. Themes of instability thread themselves through everything we do."

A brief blog post from me about the @ukri.org funding pause and who the real victims will be.

occamstypewriter.org/mindthegap/2...

#AcademicSky

If you want to tackle the "biggest problem holding neuroscience back right now" - comparing mechanisms of cognition across species - join us in @ox.ac.uk and @tcddublin.bsky.social . Please share!

3x Job Details below:

(fantastic article @suthanalab.bsky.social ) #neuroskyence #neurojobs

hahaha, perfect!

"innocently" 😀

(I should add that I said this in response to Mandelson being cleverer, I don't think this is AMB's defining characteristic- I'd go more for arrogant, predatory...)

I knew someone at uni who had been at school with AMB- I asked her what he was like and her one word description was "thick"

Please spread the word: the Structural Studies Division @mrclmb.bsky.social is looking for a new tenure-track, independent group leader with an exciting plan in any area of Structural (Molecular & Cell) biology, in discovery biology and/or methods development. 🥳

mrc.tal.net/vx/mobile-0/...

I used to work beside a group who identified the testis determining gene in mice- they told me there was a bit of the sequence, MALE, that was mutated in sex reversed mice. I think they were absolutely serious (and I could of course check if I could be bothered...😀)

Execllent meeting yesterday. Highlighted the pretty dsimal stats for progression for women academic staff but countered with a fantastic engagement session (I am barely visible above the monitor ☺️) and really superb talk from Omer @bayraktarlab.bsky.social

It's international day of women & girls in science. Whilst there's lots to celebrate, there remains much work to do to increase representation of women in science. At our event on Thurs, we'll reflect on barriers to career progression and the lack of parity at senior levels.
#WomenInScience

Even aside from the immediate issues around this specific vaccine, imagine the chilling effect this will have on R&D in future. What drug company is going to take this level of financial risk, only to be undone by some sort of pathological political lunancy?

The International Day of Women and Girls in Science is definitely one to celebrate. We have come a long way, and the future is bright and hopeful. But to get there, we need to keep acknowledging the systemic biases that sadly still exist nowadays 👇🏻

A year of inaction: why has the Royal Society allowed itself to be hollowed out by Elon Musk? occamstypewriter.org/scurry/2026/...

Well, I would say this, but Edinburgh Neuroscience absolutely values ideas and it's an extraordinarily collaborative environment. More than happy to chat!

(Anson, I feel I should explain, this is my other brother-in-law, not the one who had throat cancer- it is beginning to sound as though I make this stuff up!)

Yes, exactly his situation. Huge potential 🤞

Oh hope you feel better soon- my brother in law had the same type of surgery for the same cancer about 6 months ago, doing really well now. Keeping everything crossed for you.

Annette Dolphin (1951 - 2026) The Society is deeply saddened to share the news that Annette Dolphin, our former President, died early on the morning of 26 January 2026.

#neuroskyence #neurosci #PainResearch 🧪💊

By @physoc.bsky.social

A brilliant scientist and leader has left us. I taught about Dr. Dolphin's work on calcium channels and gabapentin in our pharmacology curriculum.

Remembering Annette Dolphin (1951 – 2026)

I know it's not really funny but there's something irresistable about this 😀

(assuming they do stick to their own preprint servers, of course)

Yes, not to mention the people employed on existing grants 🤬

No, quite. I suspect the "answer" is meant to be that one's curiosity can be diverted into one of the more prescriptive schemes...

Yes, wouldn't it....