rburns.bsky.social

Pip is an expert in camouflage.
Yes, there really is a dog in this photo.

General Artificial Intelligence.

Science history: Alexander Fleming wakes up to funny mold in his petri dish, and accidentally discovers the first antibiotic — Sept. 28, 1928 Alexander Fleming was doing experiments with bacteria when he woke up to a strange mold growing in his petri dish. The "mold juice" would usher in the first antibiotic, penicillin, and would revolutio...

OTD: Fleming figures out penicillin. 🧪

#Mars

A swarm of spherical rovers, blown by the wind like tumbleweeds, could enable large-scale and low-cost exploration of the Martian surface.

www.europlanet.org/epsc-dps2025... 🧪 #PlanetSci

Video: field tests with the Tumbleweed Science Testbed. Credit: Team Tumbleweed/Sas Schilten.

Francis Collins, former NIH director on Stephen Colbert.

We will see mRNA research breakthroughs in other countries.The #NIH nurtures medical miracles from spark to treatment- Alzheimer’s to Huntington’s Disease to cancer.

You can’t just turn it off and then on again.

🧪Via @Brianwlegate on IG

The world is hot — and only getting hotter. Here's what places around the globe are doing to keep cool, from repainting surfaces and installing outdoor showers to planting trees and going underground. nyti.ms/46CXyqn

@darrengrimes_ X.com Facebook has demonetised me for being elected as a councillor. Council allowances are hardly riches, and I gave up a TV gig to serve my community. To support my work and hear exclusive livestreams with me and guests, please sign up (even free helps): darrengrimes.com Partner Monetisation Policy Political entity Pages, groups and accounts affiliated with an officeholder or electoral candidate are not eligible to use monetisation tools. Examples of things that we don't allow * Current elected and appointed government officials to use monetisation tools X Current political candidates to use monetisation tools * Political parties to use monetisation tools × Registered political committees to use monetisation tools x Government agencies and departments to use monetisation tools E Read in full Partner Monetisation Policy

Oh no how sad.

If only we could have had Jeremy...

Because it's not about facts (strictly scientific opinion) it's about emotions. BTW that's one reason why GAI doesn't offer an immediate apocalyptic threat.

No, that was 14 years of the Tories, with the maximum effect being through Johnson and the subsequent shambles.

Well the way it works is that ReformUKLtd selects highly emotionally charged topics - like child abuse - & with the aid of the mass & social media amplifies natural & strong feelings & weaponises them. It's not ReformUKLtd that intimidate, it's the feelings of the people, and very hard to counter.

As a member of the Labour Party for 65 years I can assure you that failing to "live by the polls" leads to extremely depressing (and damaging) outcomes. The problem with this democracy stuff is that it's not what you believe that matters, it's what the other guy believes & can't be dissuaded from.

Rubbish. Ideology: Thatcher Competence and corruption: Johnson

Why can’t humans just leave ocean creatures alone?

Richard Tice holidays with Russian oligarch on Riviera The Russian oligarch Vladimir Chernukhin and his wife, Lubov, have long been known for their generous support for the Conservative Party. Since 2012 Lubov has given the party at least £2.1 million, as...

Nothing to see here. Just Richard Tice holidaying with a Russian fossil fuel oligarch with a murky web of offshore companies & assuring him that a Reform UK government would create “an attractive regulatory environment" for such business interests.

You bet it would.
unherd.com/newsroom/ric...

I believe that the outcome of my Government's actions in the digital domain are more likely to be beneficial and more constrained than those of Palantir,Thiel and the other techbros. The hysteria is misplaced...

Johnson

Just give Trump your lunch money. He probably won't ask for it again.

Goodbye America...used to be nice knowing you...

Kennedy’s Vaccine Panel Votes to Limit Access to Covid Shots

🧪Kennedy's vaccine panel seems hell-bent on making it more difficult for Americans to get life-saving #vaccines.
Explore this gift article from The New York Times. You can read it for free without a subscription. www.nytimes.com/2025/09/19/h...

The Moon at waxing crescent phase in a blue daylight sky.

Morning Moon. 1140UT 29 June 2025. 🔭 🧪 🎨 #astrophotography #SciArt #photography #StormHour #ThePhotoHour

Illustration of an Osprey in flight, with wings spread wide.

Osprey illustration. From my book A Field Guide to the Connecticut River, Yale University Press, 2024. a.co/d/hIabRmS
🧪🌿🌎🪶 #sciart #wildlife #scicomm #sciviz #wildlifeart #illustration #scientificillustration #natureart #visualscicomm #scicomm #ctriver #connecticutriver #Osprey #birds #birdart

Europe is wooing American researchers with funding as the Trump administration cancels grants 🧪

t.co/EvQ9P6AmPf

The road to discovery - a collaborative effort towards new insights in blood plasma RNA profiling After more than seven years of research, our extracellular RNA quality control (exRNAQC) study has culminated in a scientific publication. This milestone is not just about sharing new findings – it represents the power of collaboration, determination, and the pursuit of scientific rigor.

Two authors of a study in Nature Communications explain the collaborative project on blood plasma RNA profiling, including how the team recognised every contributor’s role, highlighting that scientific progress thrives on openness, teamwork, and collective effort. #Academicsky #medsky 🧪

Wow. This whole piece about Natalie Phelps, from CBS and Ted Koppel.

Trump, Russell Vought and Musk attacked NIH—to privatize US science and harm universities.

And patients like Natalie have been harmed. She’s now waiting for her potentially life-saving treatment at #NIH. 🧪

Lots of dragonflies out and about during monthly sampling.
Fun fact, when dragonflies, like this male Slaty Skimmer, perch they often adjust the position of their abdomen relative to the sun to regulate their body temperature . 🧪

Technology is supposed to decrease teacher burnout – but we found it can sometimes make it worse Efforts to simplify teachers’ jobs through technology can backfire without a strong focus on teacher well-being.

🧵 addressing the argument: "AI won’t replace teachers, but it will save them time and make them more effective.”

Adding edtech doesn't necessarily save teachers time. A recent study found that LMSs sold to schools over the past decade+ as time-savers aren’t delivering on making teaching easier.

The best way to help the plovers nest safely From April to September, Norfolk’s beaches host a fragile miracle – and we each have a part

The plovers are back! From spring to late summer, these amazing birds nest on Norfolk’s beaches – and 11-year-old Amaya has written a brilliant short piece on things we can do to keep them safe when we go to the beach.

@eastangliabylines.co.uk

“Let’s deploy alligators to tear migrants to shreds when they try to cross - lol!!” Joking-not-joking!

America is now governed by far-right trolls who have been molded by an extremist online culture that is devoid of humanity or dignity and operates entirely on bizarre, disgusting stunts like this.

Watching a thing this morning that included ads begging for pickers (farm work picking blueberries) at $11/hr for 9-10 hours a day. In the summer. In Louisiana.

And they're whining they can't find anyone.