Happy new year, sinners!

Is that EST or GMT?

Happy new year folks! 🥳 I wish you all health and happiness in 2026. I look forward to meeting more of you in person this year. For those working in research, may the unicorn of innovation guide and inspire your journeys! 🦄

2025 has been a slightly weird year for me. I had surgery (again), qualified as a Scottish lawyer, left London and moved to Glasgow, found a new apartment and job.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Thousands gather as Scotland starts Hogmanay party Thousands of people, some dressed as Vikings carrying flaming torches, marched through Scotland's capital of Edinburgh as a procession kicked off the country's world-famous New Year celebrations. #AFPVertical

Up Helly Aa Vikings kick off Edinburgh's Hogmanay celebrations, 2014, photo by Murdo MacLeod (Guardian).

"I think we should improve society somewhat"

It is true, there is indeed a deep-fill steak pie of a thread about the New Year's steak pie tradition: threadinburgh.scot/2024/01/02/t...

Anyone for a pint?

It's really not so bad a neighbourhood to live in.

I'm not mansplaining. I'm transforming lives!

Interpretative dance?

The story, time and again, is that gains are broad and small and losses are localized and deep. There are towns in northern England that are generationally traumatized from the shutting of coal mines forty years ago.

Yikes

I think I smell burnt toast.

Cladonia (C. pyxidata, I think) lichen. NWT, Canada. #lichen #fungi #fungifriends

A few years ago, through luck and vibes, I managed to produce this blue colored bean variety. This was an early step in trying to answer the question, [paraphrased] "Why isn't blue as common as red in beans, even though they're both anthocyanins and the plant has the genes for both?"

Art of the day Karl Peter Röhl (1890-1975) [Germany] — ‘Untitled’, 1926. India ink and gouache on composition board (65 × 50 cm).

Another ironic headline from the Mail.

A life-sciences job in Boston used to be a sure path to a high-paying career, but empty labs and unemployed grads now herald tougher times in the city

On this day in Canadian parliamentary history - December 28, 1971 - The House meets and congratulates Prime Minister Trudeau on the birth of his son, future Prime Minister Trudeau.

My sleep/wake cycle is completely screwed up. #sleepfail

Because god has forsaken us.

#GVerse Maggie Smith and Joan Plowright roasting Judi Dench for getting all the roles is genuinely the best thing you’ll see today.

🇬🇧 Almost 20 years of wage stagnation. I rarely hear a UK politician talk about this.

My “well not going back” moment was when a job in Oxford came up that was perfectly suited to my skill set - head of a new journalism center on China - and the pay was literally 1/4th of what I would expect for the same job in the US.

My favorite factoid is that the average Brit outside of London makes less than the average West Virginian but has to deal with a housing market comparable to California. America is a country of extreme wealth and extreme inequality, both things can be true at once

STOP THE TRAINS SEND THEM BACK

Europe races to placate pharma “The message drugmakers have been at pains to convey for some time is that without policy changes, Europe will fall further behind the US on innovation and access to medicines & may struggle to keep pace with China’s rapid progress.” giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...

*looks at the mirror* Not great; not terrible

the two genders

🔥🔥🔥🌇

Did you know London used to run at least some buses and tubes on Chrsitmas Day, and they were all free? www.ltmuseum.co.uk/collections/...

unironically a good idea

Happy second anniversary of the Tory government’s announcement that pints of wine could be stocked on Britain’s shelves for the first time ever thanks to Brexit.

Great to see the random headline news generator back in action

Why humans should be more like hedgehogs - www.ft.com/content/b89c... via @FT

why am i the way i am? well, i watched movies like this as a child.

Lmao look at the state of linear television

We noticed.