There are hills on the road, and then there are hills we carry within. This week’s Precious Cargo essay is about learning to climb both. open.substack.com/pub/precious...

ICOHTEC 2026: Call for Proposals is now open! The next Annual Meeting will take place 8–11 October 2026 at the Democritus University of Thrace (Greece), in collaboration with the Lab of Technologies, Research & Applications in Education and the Ethnological Museum of Thrace. Thread: 1/4 #histtech

I’ve just launched Research Notes Studio, where I support researchers and organisations with editing, research development, and grant-writing. If you’re preparing a manuscript or a proposal or know someone who is, please share www.researchnotesstudio.com

I’m very excited to share this: Research Notes Studio is now live www.researchnotesstudio.com. What started as a handful of research favours slowly grew into something larger. And somewhere between grant deadlines, and the strange luck of academic life, this little studio took shape. #envhum

New Precious Cargo essay. It’s about cycling while getting slapped by the wind, falling over at 6km/hr, and realising my son is having the time of his life while I question all my choices. open.substack.com/pub/electric... #cycling #cargobike

My son fell asleep somewhere between the lake and the roundabout, and the world seemed to soften. A new Precious Cargo essay on cycling, trust, and the art of carrying what matters. Read here: electricpunkah.substack.com/p/the-weight...

November reading list

I’ve started writing about my cycling adventures with my son. It’s a blog/journal with essays on movement, writing, and the art of keeping upright, called “Precious Cargo: A dad and his cargo bike trying to keep their balance”. And here’s the first post. electricpunkah.substack.com/p/trying-to-...

A few months ago, in order to stay in touch with academic research while I found my footing, I started helping former colleagues and some students with small research and editing tasks. These side projects reminded me how much I enjoy dealing with complex ideas.

Last weekend, I celebrated the first birthday (of many) of the best thing I’ve bought with my money!

With another round of postdoc applications going nowhere, I think it’s time to start seriously exploring a more stable, long-term path outside academia. I’d appreciate any guidance from historians/academics who’ve moved into another career. #altac #academictwitter

To those who’ve left academia: How did you find the motivation to finish your writing — papers, chapters, lingering commitments — once you knew it wouldn’t help your academic career anymore? I’m struggling with this and would really value hearing how you navigated it. #postac #leavingacademia

Woke up this morning with a sense of grief as an academic/research career seems more out of reach every day. It’s a grief for ideas left unexplored, for questions now gathering dust in closed notebooks, for the imagined futures built in archives and at conferences that may never come to pass.

Now that I have a bit more time to actually write for pleasure, I welcome you to Weathering Wednesdays, a blog that uses bits from my #weathering research @greenhouseuis.net to talk deeply about the weather, memory, metaphor, and emotions. www.weatheringcultures.com/weathering-w...

Hot off the press! My article on the relations between class, consumption and transitions to electric supply and technologies in late-19th and early 20th century Calcutta, published in the special issue “Affects of Energy Transition”. #histtech #histstm www.regeneration-journal.org/article/id/1...

Behind the bus stop glass - RHS Garden Bridgewater, 27 April 2025.

Now that I actually have a bit more time to read, write and reflect on my academic work, I will be starting a blog/newsletter called “Weathering Wednesdays” (a weekly letter about time, weather, seasons, and what gets left behind) on my project website www.weatheringcultures.com . #envhum #envhist

I've got a new website showcasing my @erc.europa.eu Marie Skłodowska-Curie postdoctoral project @greenhouseuis.net . The website will be updated as and when more research and writings are published. www.weatheringcultures.com

In 2 days my time as an MSCA fellow @greenhouseuis.net @unistavanger.bsky.social comes to an end. Outside of research, publications, submissions etc in the last 2 years, I’ve met some great people passionate about #envhum and #envhist. I’ve learnt much from them and can’t thank them enough.

One last Hafrsfjord sunset before our big move to the UK tomorrow morning. Thanks to everyone at @greenhouseuis.net for being so supportive over the past 2 years.

After yesterday’s chaos of Barnehage pickup and drop, and packing and shipping boxes for our big move back to the UK, there’s nothing better than spending a quiet morning in the new @unistavanger.bsky.social cafe to gather my thoughts and energy.

Making little contributions to big discussions in Technology & Culture. #envhist #envhum #histtech #histstm

My review of Diana J. Montaño’s @djmontano.bsky.social “Electrifying Mexico” is out now on @isisjournal.bsky.social www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/... #histtech #histstm

Got some really in-depth feedback on my book proposal and introduction for “Weathering Colonial Calcutta” at the @greenhouseuis.net WiP session this afternoon. Time to rewrite and think about pitching this to publishers.

Going through some notes to write the introduction to my book, and I’m shocked “Weathering Colonial Calcutta” wasn’t my first choice of title for the project. I’m glad it’s what I eventually ended up with. #weathering #envhum #envhist

This looks incredible. Thought of British author and psychotherapist Ruth Allen (initially trained as geologist of Himalayan mountain building.) Also: "beginning with visual lightning talks, where participants introduced themselves and their research... using a single image or text" #Weathering

My weathering research could use a bit of “Van Gogh and the Seasons”! @princetonupress.bsky.social #envhum #envhist #arthistory

Excited to share a report on the #weatheringworkshop @greenhouseuis.net. Read the full report here: www.uis.no/en/research/... #envhist #envhum #histstm

Ticking things off the to-do list. Just need to finish the book Introduction before the whole thing gets discussed in @greenhouseuis.net works-in-progress seminar in February. #envhum #envhist #histstm

The final event of the year was the MSCA Workshop “Affect and Material Cultures of Weathering”, on 10-11 December, organized by @electricpunkah.bsky.social and @melinabuns.bsky.social.

Visiting the @greenhouseuis.net library today to immerse in the collection of environmental humanities books

After 2 days of being on a high of discussions in #weatheringworkshop and the excitement of amazing collaborative possibilities that lie ahead, the reality of #academicprecarity hits hard today. I want to continue doing what I love, but might not even be in academia in a couple of months’ time.

Very much enjoyed the #weatheringworkshop at the Greenhouse @ University of Stavanger. Great conversations with interdisciplinary group interested in material cultures of weather #envhum

I was extremely happy to be part of this #WeatheringWorkshop @greenhouseuis.net! Thank you for organizing it @electricpunkah.bsky.social & @melinabuns.bsky.social!

Two wonderful days of discussing weather(ing), affect and material cultures. Lots to think and do in the coming days. #weatheringworkshop @greenhouseuis.net @finnarne.me @rhiggitt.bsky.social @melinabuns.bsky.social #envhum #envhist

Writing on chalkboards is tough, but there was no better way to gather all the thoughts and ideas that have emerged from all the discussions at the #weatheringworkshop @greenhouseuis.net #envhum #envhist

#weatheringworkshop @greenhouseuis.net @unistavanger.bsky.social has begun. Interesting discussions already emerging in the visual lighting talks.

I am heading to @electricpunkah.bsky.social's workshop on Affect and Material Cultures of Weathering and this will have to feature somewhere in our discussions!

1 week to go! @greenhouseuis.net @unistavanger.bsky.social #histtech #histstm #envhist #envhum

There are still a couple of days left of autumnal November, but December is right around the corner, so here's the overview of amazing #envhum events happening at the @greenhouseuis.net in the final month of 2024! ❄️

Just 2 weeks to go for the Affect and Material Cultures of Weathering workshop @greenhouseuis.net! We have an exciting workshop format and can’t wait for all the participants to arrive and begin our stimulating discussions! @melinabuns.bsky.social

New week, new book! @emilyherring.bsky.social

The key to mindful living is to submit your articles, manuscripts and proposals! 😄

Exciting news for former, current & future Linda Hall Library research fellows! We are now offering free digital scans to alumni of our fellowship program. (Thanks to my colleagues @jasonwdean.com & @jdavis025.bsky.social for making this possible!) www.lindahall.org/about/news/l... #FellowFriday

Planned the details of the “Affect and Material Cultures of Weathering” workshop earlier today with @melinabuns.bsky.social. Looking forward to some exciting discussions in December! #envhum #envhist #materialcultures #weathering #histstm

One of the things that academic precarity does is make decisions about attending conferences really difficult. I want to submit a panel/paper to #ESEH2025 because the theme perfectly matches my current research project. But I don’t know if I’ll have a job or even be in academia in August next year.

Waving the @greenhouseuis.bsky.social flag at the inauguration of the Centre for Anthropocene History at KTH Stockholm!

I’m thinking about playing sounds of dial up modems in the background as eduroam struggles this morning.

The author of “Round-About Notes in India” in the 6 July 1877 edition of the Indian Charivari has probably the best segue into the main argument of his article: “If you look at a map of India you will perceive it comes down to a point, which reminds me that I should do the same.”