“It feels like getting hit by a car right after you’ve barely survived a train wreck,”…one U.S. government scientist describes having her agricultural research facility largely shut down…as it struggles to cope with…staff reductions and…budget cuts. “It’s just been one blow after another.”

Australian higher ed has some serious governance issues. On the latest episode of the podcast Keith Dowding & @marijataflaga.bsky.social discuss their recent paper (with @francismarkham.bsky.social) on the solutions we need. Out now in your podcast feed or: whatnowwhatnext.buzzsprout.com

Student Success | The Library Wants to Know if You ‘Got Rejected’ The @ucsantacruz.bsky.social invited students to share their stories of rejection or failure to normalize the experience and create community. https://bit.ly/3IIBanX

“It feels like getting hit by a car right after you’ve barely survived a train wreck,”…one U.S. government scientist describes having her agricultural research facility largely shut down…as it struggles to cope with…staff reductions and…budget cuts. “It’s just been one blow after another.”

Botanist Kenji Suetsugu is revealing the secrets of plants that have given up photosynthesis to survive, drawing carbon and nutrients from fungi buried in the soil.

DNA from rum-soaked fishes chronicles century of environmental change

⚕️MedSky⚕️ The World Health Organization sounded the alarm Monday over soaring numbers of drug-resistant bacterial infections, compromising the effectiveness of life-saving treatments and rendering minor injuries and common infections potentially deadly.

From a final-year undergrad at Warwick: “My first year was not entirely perfect. For reasons no one really wants to hear about, I strongly recommend staying away from Cactus Jack Schnapps”

Can Animals Feel? — Beyond spirited dinner party debate, establishing which creatures have consciousness matters in terms of animal welfare and conservation policy. A Michigan State University philosophy scholar has added clarity to a messy philosophical debate. #AcademicSky

According to health data from more than 9 million adults in South Korea and the US, nearly everyone who develops heart disease and suffers a major cardiovascular event has one of four major risk factors in the lead-up. → www.sciencealert.com/huge-study-l... #medsky #heartdisease

Two very different years at Warwick: What university taught me about balance ‣ theboar.org/2025/10/two-... #academicsky #edusky

Jamel Shabazz’s evocative photos of Brooklyn’s Prospect Park

OpenAI is now worth US$500 billion (£373 billion), compared with US$157 billion last October. …Anthropic, has almost trebled its valuation. …The question is whether these values are realistic—or based on hype, excitement and unfounded optimism… we will only really know if it's a bubble if it bursts…

Housing type linked to cardiovascular death risk in older adults medicalxpress.com/news/2025-10... #medsky #cvdrisk

Unusual Brain Cell Type Linked to Progressive MS, Could Point to Therapeutics www.genengnews.com/topics/trans...

Married Nobel-winning economists move from US to Europe — “They have joined a growing number of senior scholars leaving the US higher education system as it faces unprecedented strain under the Trump administration.” @patrickjack.bsky.social‣ @timeshighered.bsky.social

Future proof your career: “For students today, choosing a major means choosing a future. And if you want a future that AI cannot replace, look to the fields where humanity matters most.” #AcademicChatter

According to health data from more than 9 million adults in South Korea and the US, nearly everyone who develops heart disease and suffers a major cardiovascular event has one of four major risk factors in the lead-up. → www.sciencealert.com/huge-study-l... #medsky #heartdisease

Jamel Shabazz’s evocative photos of Brooklyn’s Prospect Park

🎓Higher Education News🎓 The MIT has rejected a Trump administration proposal which detailed policies to follow in exchange for preferential access to federal funds.

What's the strongest muscle in the human body?

More than 20,000 arts graduates in the UK are earning below minimum wage, while other courses’ salaries vary greatly by both course and university standing. theboar.org/2025/10/grad... #academicsky

Here's the latest from @insidehighered.com on the second round of layoffs at the Department of Education:

The mood in parts of Australia’s national scientific agency is low after a mystery number of AI, robotics and data researchers were quietly let go within the last year. www.theguardian.com/australia-ne... #academicsky #scisky

▫️ #AcademicSky ▫️ Universities have collectively announced more than 12,000 job cuts in the last year, new analysis from the UCU suggests.

BREAKING: Maria Corina Machado "is receiving the @nobelprize.bsky.social for her tireless work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela and for her struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy."

“In uncertain times, higher education cannot just impart knowledge for specific jobs. We must foster adaptable, resilient, self-aware learners who can navigate any future.”

The Costs Students Don’t See Coming—and Why They Matter “Just 27% of students have a clear understanding of the full cost of attendance, and some report that unexpected expenses of as little as $100 could comprise their ability to stay enrolled.” From @insidehighered.com’s Student Voice survey

“AI is not invited into schools through a process of adoption, like buying a desktop computer or smartboard—it crashes the party and then starts rearranging the furniture. That means schools have to do something. Teachers feel this urgently.” #AI #AcademicSky #EduSky

▫️ #HIV ▫️ #MedSky ▫️ Antibody discovered that blocks almost all known HIV variants in neutralization assays

Your Life's Purpose Could Be Keeping Dementia at Bay, Study Finds

What past education technology failures can teach us about the future of AI in schools ‣ phys.org/news/2025-10... #academicsky #edusky #ai

“Her career begins with years of disciplined training, guided by senior, mostly male, coaches who decide who is worth fostering. Advancement requires constant proof of performance. Behind every job stand dozens of equally qualified competitors, all fighting for a place on a limited roster.”

A huge congratulations to the winners of UCL Open Science and Scholarship Awards 2025! 🎉🍾 Read the announcement on our latest blog post 👉 buff.ly/UBQGnKy UCL Staff and Students, celebrate with these colleagues at the awards presentation on Wednesday 22nd October 🏆 buff.ly/0aV34VC

🎓Higher Education🎓 Student turns up at university only to find course cancelled

⚕️MedSky⚕️ Researchers found 22 connections between viral infections and neurodegenerative conditions in the study of around 450,000 people.

Fraud is causing a crisis in science — “In 2023, 10,000 scientific papers were retracted after they were found to be fraudulent.”

Poll results reveal majority do not trust AI 'I trust AI the way a sailor trusts the sea. It can carry you far, or it can drown you'

Poll reveals public uncertainty over experimenting on conscious lab-grown 'minibrains'

Reeling in a big scientific discovery | The Harvard Gazette “Scientific discovery, according to William Kaelin, is a little bit like fishing: You can be taught how to bait a hook or cast a line, but there is an art to knowing where to look for the big one.”

I'll be speaking about my book on Oct. 7 at Lewes Public Library's Science and Society Lecture, which is webcast: www.capegazette.com/article/scie...

🩺MedSky🩺 Circular RNA expressed in exosomes may hold clues to how cells communicate in health and disease, researchers find.

Not all 'A's: Unconventional paths that led to Nobels

Jane Goodall was one of a few people to earn a PhD without an undergraduate degree. It was thought that her lack of formal academic training would allow her to remain unbiased by traditional thought and study the chimps with an open mind. It worked. ❤️

To keep the mind young, dance the tango

Study Traces Autism's Origin to The Rise of Human Intelligence

Congratulations to all! We want to recognize member of the @caltechlcssp.bsky.social Board of Directors Christian Frankenberg, Chandler Family Professor of Environmental Science & Engineering, Jet Propulsion Laboratory Research Scientist, Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences. @caltech.edu

Reeling in a big scientific discovery | The Harvard Gazette “Scientific discovery, according to William Kaelin, is a little bit like fishing: You can be taught how to bait a hook or cast a line, but there is an art to knowing where to look for the big one.”

💊MedSky💊 Death toll from drugs has more than doubled worldwide over past three decades, study finds ‣ medicalxpress.com/news/2025-10...

A new caffeine craze is brewing on social media — no kettle required. Caffeine pouches promise a fast, discreet hit of energy without the faff of brewing coffee or cracking open an energy drink. But while they may look like a harmless pick-me-up, experts warn they carry real risks, especially for…