My new children’s book is available in bookshops from today! Join Luke and Ruby in ‘The Experimenters’ on cosy adventures where you think, test, & experiment like a real scientist. It’s been so much fun working with with illustrator Sayani Mukherjee & publisher @littleislandbooks.bsky.social

Delighted to see my new book - The Experiment’s - at my local bookshop @ravenbooks.bsky.social . Published by @littleislandbooks.bsky.social with illustrations by Sayani Mukherjee , you can find the book in local bookshops all across Ireland

💙💛 New elective module for students working towards Gaisce Award UCD and @gaisceaward.bsky.social have partnered to launch a new elective module supporting undergraduate students who are registered for the Award or acting as President’s Award Leaders (PAL). www.ucd.ie/newsandopini...

Delighted to support this collaboration between UCD & Gaisce - The President’s Award. Looking forward to working with UCD students and staff who are pursuing Gaisce awards or supporting students as PALs (President Award Leaders).

Delighted to be speaking at ViCEPHEC this August.

Extraordinary

Finally a good use of science www.theguardian.com/food/2025/ap...

It is such an honour to have been elected as fellow of the @apsphysics.bsky.social (American Physical Society). Many thanks to them for inviting me to speak about public engagement with science at the conference of 15,000 physicists in California.

@daraobriain.bsky.social looking forward to the show on Friday night! Let me know if I can hook you up with liquid nitrogen for the act :) Shane

Fire! I’ll be talking to Claire Byrne on @rteradio1.bsky.social shortly about the science behind the flames

Great to be at the RDS for the ESB Primary Science Blast with UCD undergraduate students - the place is buzzing

Our ‘Why Trust Science?’ module at UCD has been exploring trust & the climate emergency (you can listen along open.spotify.com/episode/6xfI...). This week, we welcome Prof Jennie Stephens to lead a conversation on the importance of universities & how they might be transformative for climate action

Glad to see the top secret Dublin weather shield test worked well :)

UCD School of Education is inviting applications for 2 Ad Astra/Assistant Professorships in: 1. Children's Digital Futures 2. AI-Driven Educational Innovation Application deadline: February 21st More information: www.ucd.ie/adastrafello... #hiring #jobs #academicjob #ucd #research #academia

In this week’s ‘Why Trust Science’ module at UCD, we ask why mask wearing became contentious for some during the pandemic. We explore the complex relationships between scientists and politicians and ask what have we learned. Listen along to the associated podcast open.spotify.com/episode/3tN0...

UCD has two excellent opportunities for early career academics to join the School of Education: - Children’s Digital Futures - AI-driven Educational Innovation Salary Scale: €62,855 - €99,533 Closing date: 12:00 noon 21st Feb 2025 Visit UCD jobs page and search for job refs 018078 and 018079

Finally! www.theguardian.com/science/2025...

In this week’s ’Why Trust Science?’ class we will be joined by special guest Jane Davidson - chair of WalesNetZero2035; author of #FutureGen; and former Welsh cabinet minister. Looking forward to speaking with her on the power of education and the hope it offers in a climate emergency.

In this week’s ‘Why Trust Science?’ class we explore the public perceptions of science and ask if there is a crisis in trust in science?

What a week to start teaching a module titled ‘Why Trust Science?’. With students from right across the university, we will explore trust, expertise, socio-scientific issues, and how we can collectively respond.

Fantastic day with undergraduate students from UCD and Trinity College at the National Concert Hall as we kick off the 2025 season of Quavers to Quadratics - a programme that sees children play with ideas common to science and music

Education offers hope: it offers us ways to imagine future selves as individuals and as a society. The Young Scientist exhibition is a perfect example of this. It is hopeful. It is joyous. It is education at its best. www.irishtimes.com/opinion/edit...

Congratulations to these three incredible sisters who won this year’s BT Young Scientist. Congratulations also to all the other prize winners; to the participants taking part for the first time; and to the to the families and school communities who support all participants.

Day two of the Young Scientist at the RDS. Looking forward to speaking with students from across Ireland today who have entered in the ‘chemistry, physics & maths’ category

Looking forward to speaking to young people from around the country at BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition 2025 as judging kicks off this afternoon. A real highlight of my academic year

Delighted to receive a copy of this book on “spaces of mental health and wellbeing” in the post. The wonderful @sheenahyland.bksy.social and I contributed a chapter on how the university as a lived space shapes students’ experiences and understandings of distress.

Looking forward to chatting to Claire Byrne in the next few minutes about the science Santy might be using to get the job done! @rteradio1.bsky.social

We are approaching full tilt #grandstretch

How might Santy fit down the chimney? How fast does he need to travel? How many presents do the elves have to make? And might weather affect his journey? Tune to @rteradio1.bsky.social this Friday morning: I’ll be chatting to Claire Byrne.

Thrilled to start a new role today as Assistant Professor in mental health in the Department of Psychology @maynoothuni.bsky.social. I look forward to working with new colleagues and continuing my teaching and research in mental health, belonging and hermeneutic phenomenology.

The kind people at @rte.ie have posted my piece on how science might help us imagine how Santy does his work www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2... I’ll be on with Claire Byrne this Friday at 10.45 with more

Antimatter deliveries and an expanding Universe- I’ll be on @newstalkfm.bsky.social at noon with this week’s science stories (with the indefatigable @jonathanmccrea.bsky.social )

2024 Favourite Reads🧵 8th year posting a list of books I've enjoyed

Yesterday Dr Teweldebrhan Abraha Reda graduated at UCD. Despite facing considerable adversity, he demonstrated tenacity and focus as he navigated his PhD journey. It was a pleasure to supervise his research and celebrate his wonderful achievement! Shuo, a current doctoral student of mine, is next!

This starter pack of UCD people on Blue Sky continues to grow

Trinity have finally confirmed that Science Gallery Dublin will not reopen. The focus has been on how much of a cultural loss this is (which I agree with), but it also represents a lot of job losses in a small, struggling sector. www.irishtimes.com/ireland/educ...

The combo of paper votes that are counted by hand and a single transferable vote proportional representation system make our democracy all the better. The sheer number of people involved is astounding

We are so fortunate to have a national broadcaster like RTE - glued to it all day #GE2024

Lots of happy faces and festive wear on campus today as UCD students mark the end of term and their ‘Christmas day’

I’ve found the general election campaign so disappointing and shortsighted. Climate change is, in my view, the most important political issue our generation faces. It hardly features in the election debate despite warning signs on our doorsteps

I’ve created a UCD starter pack - a group of academics, researchers, professional staff, and scholars. Let me know if you’d like to be added. go.bsky.app/K4sMoAt

💨⛈️☔️🌊

“In doing [your Gaisce award], you have become agents of change, shaping a brighter and more inclusive world.” - President Michael D Higgins www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2024...

Such a lovely day at Áras an Uachtaráin for the Gasice gold awards ceremony. President Higgins’ words were inspirational. Was delighted to speak to award recipients and hear about their experiences.

Excellent editorial in today’s Irish Times on why education barely features in Irish election debate www.irishtimes.com/opinion/edit...

Irish/Irish-based list of researchers, scientists, innovators and sci-tech people.

We had great fun recording a special episode of #Futureproof for Science Week! Tune in now on Newstalk FM, or find on your podcast feed. Thanks @jonathanmccrea.bsky.social and @shanedbergin.bsky.social

This week’s Futureproof was recorded live during Science Week. Tune to Newstalk at noon or listen back to hear myself, @jonathanmccrea.bsky.social and @abigailruthfreeman.bsky.social

‘I don’t think you understand what guide dogs do’. Gaston, the guide dog, suggests I read my own map on the Wicklow hills

Delighted to be back in Trinity College to speak on behalf of the sciences in the ‘lift raft’ debate at The Phil. Congratulations to our arts colleagues on their victory including Clare Moriarty. Note to self: Never get in to a debate with a philosopher