Ben Dickson

I propose a new concept called "storm years". Essentially there are 100 storm years in a solar year, and all the 1 in 100 year probability weather events are all now operating in storm years.

Better living everyone 🫠

Maybe it's apropos... like many modern NZ scientists he went overseas to continue working in the field 🫠

TIL worms and sails share the word. Up till now I was clewless

Roses are red, Violets are Blue.
Make this a One Term Govt.
Happy Valentines Day

Wanderlust Uni Students Can Now Swap Cities In NZ Victoria University of Wellington Vice-Chancellor Nic Smith says it is imperative for universities to collaborate like this for the greater good.

In a world of NZ universities trying to compete each other into oblivion this is actually refreshing and super cool to see!

Now do PhDs and ECRs!

I finally got so sick of this that I uninstalled it and my PC ran well for the first time in ages.

This morning it appears to have somehow reinstalled itself and my woes are back. 🤔🤔🤔

Why is it always big oil lobbying, where is big solar and big battery? Surely there's money to be made 🥴

All while stripping basic science research to the bone and removing scientific oversight of the Marsden Fund. Shambolic

My stomach never makes as much noise as during exam invigilation... can be heard clean across the room!

No! Last I looked this wasn't a thing, I'll have to take a peek because I'm also increasingly dissatisfied with ChemDraw

The IMB at the University of Queensland is looking for a new Mass Spectrometry Facility Manager. See details below.
Closing date 13th of February.

uq.wd3.myworkdayjobs.com/en-GB/uqcare...

Guess who saw this post and almost cracked another joke about font choice before realizing I did that last time 😂

I'm so over MS Office. If it wasn't for that damned ChemDraw integration...

The reform is failing... (1/5)

NZAS: "We have 500% overheads in some cases."
Kathryn Ryan: "What??? Where is that happening?"
NZAS: "In some of our PROs."

NB: Overheads are a necessary part of institutions, but it means something needs fixing when they approach 10 times international norms.

Is stagnating science funding leaving NZ more exposed to hazards? The scientists' association says reform of science funding has stagnated, and leaves the country exposed to worsening hazards.

Co-President Dr Lucy Stewart spoke to Kathryn Ryan on Nine to Noon this morning about the continued failure of the government's science sector reforms to make necessary change (or provide desperately needed funding increases)

Only one flower left, but the extent of the plants is fairly impressive given it has only been two years!

Indeed! I use the hoya as a reminder of that when I'm feeling impatient in my office ☺️

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

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 🤩🤩🤩

The statement highlights one piece, but if you have a thirst for more check out our ongoing efforts to produce an issue dedicated to the woes of our research system: ojs.victoria.ac.nz/nzsr/issue/v...

A photo of the bright moon in the night sky

Thanks for the tip!

30th birthday

While it feels like a hacky-hack on top of a pile of ridiculousness, on Windows PowerToys text extractor should at least remove some barriers to checking stuff because an OCR shouldn't care about the spaces.

Also... I see an advantage in accepting PDFs like this, easy to detect cheating attempts!

29200 hours after your birthday. They end another 29200 hours later.

I'm shocked that in 2026 that's what the inaugural board looks like. Time travel is real!

As the Aotearoa/NZ research system shifts around us, it's important to hear from the voices within, especially those who are the future of the system!

It has been an absolute privilege for the New Zealand Science Review to work with early career researchers (ECRs) to get their experiences on record

A new soil lecturer position available at the University of Waikato (equivalent to Assistant Professor in US terms).
elhs.fa.ap1.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/Candid...

It's telling that many of these ECRs felt that having their name on their piece would prejudice their future in the system. This collection may be eye-opening for some of you, and for others you'll just nod along in recognition. Either way, it's here for now, and for the future.

Please take a look!

As the Aotearoa/NZ research system shifts around us, it's important to hear from the voices within, especially those who are the future of the system!

It has been an absolute privilege for the New Zealand Science Review to work with early career researchers (ECRs) to get their experiences on record

Questions mount after MethaneSat embarrassment The Auditor-General is considering a closer look at MBIE’s $29m investment in the failed satellite, while its US backers are unsure if insurance money will fund a replacement.

Looks like @methanesat.bsky.social is back in the news along with the calls for the Auditor General to take a look at it. (Plus "vocal critic", Richard Easther. C'est moi, I guess.)

www.thepost.co.nz/business/360...

Just yesterday someone undertook me after a merge and I didn't spot their gray/silver car until they were alongside me even though I was aware it existed because I'd seen it was going to end up behind me in the merge.

Now if they had fluorescent yellow stripes...

It's a hilarious premise really given cars themselves aren't required to be high vis