Rest in peace to Jane Goodall, whose tireless advocacy for primates has brought us closer than ever to the Planet of the Apes becoming a terrifying reality

Heartfelt thanks to the Scottish parliament for keeping its political disasters on a level I can actually tolerate.

Right. My students working two part time jobs and/or having an hour and a half commute to uni because they have to live at home due to the cost of student accommodation lack drive and vigour. Sure thing, Peter. The UK Govt still haven't a clue about the realities of universities today.

Me, begrudgingly dressing for academic processions: www.instagram.com/reel/DNwz2nH...

Congratulations to all the shows that won Emmys, they sound cool, I’ll definitely check them out when I’m done watching 500 episodes of Antiques Roadshow

Yes! I've been saying this for years, AI can at best be an accelerator for expertise; using it without any is utter folly. Teach it critically, to graduates.

Outstanding news that should be shared.

Wonderful #vicephec25, as always!

Update: I am on the way to Liverpool and I did not do the shirt thing.

If anyone's heading over/up/down to @vicephec.bsky.social next week, check out the presentation by Strathclyde student sgchem.bsky.social , who used TikTok to punch up our prelabs! Previously of the YouTube Paper fame, with @lemackz.bsky.social royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/...

We did an open-access thing! Prelabs, what instructors (you) typically do in them, and what y'all think about them! Now with added "Outwith". pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/... with @edinburghchem.bsky.social colleagues Ben and Mairi, @chemistryncl.bsky.social Cristina, and @annajkirkham.bsky.social !

For those arriving for satellite activities, #ViCEPHEC25 is just two weeks away. If you haven't already, this is another great opportunity to follow the conference starter pack. Get in touch if you'd like to be added to this - it is a work in progress. go.bsky.app/FffPieC

We are fitting our own kitchen (not the royal we! Marrying an engineer has some benefits) and I actually used Duct Tape to Tape up a Duct and I've never been more devastated to realise I was previously stupid.

Seriously considering printing up a custom shirt for @vicephec.bsky.social that just says "Do your SFHEA already", figure I'll probably end up Orient Expressed by about 25% of the delegates.

The @advancehe.bsky.social awards are out - congrats to new chemistry #NationalTeachingFellow @drkevinmorgan.bsky.social ! And recognition for @uni-of-warwick.bsky.social "We are Chemistry" team in the #CATE.

With the decline of paper money and the "I'll have you know it's legal tender" conversation, us Scots need a new friction to export, so once again I find myself saying "it's a real word, albeit rarely used outwith Scotland"

In about ten years time, any universities depending on international students from China is going to start seeing this come through as well.

So pleased that Taskmaster has added "Jason Mantzoukas, chaotic good" to the pantheon of positive male role models in media (alongside the entirety of the Fellowship, ofc). No longer am I forced to choose between a natural sprinter and a vegetable thief.

As well as the official @vicephec.bsky.social satellites, if anyone's around early and likes weird underground tourism, I'm going t'Williamson Tunnels at 11am. Maybe a few spaces left? williamsontunnels.com/visit-the-tu... Inspired by the truly wild writeup here: www.reddit.com/r/HobbyDrama...

Happy Benzday! Year! Something.

Two weeks until abstract submissions for #ViCEPHEC25 close on Friday May 9th! Available formats: Talks, Lightning Talks, Workshops, Posters, Lab Sessions. Email [email protected] if you need to ask questions before submitting through the portal. forms.microsoft.com/Pages/Respon...

Can’t wait to get into the lab today and test out our latest Eco burner

Yes! I've been comparing AI to a calculator for years. Why do we still learn maths the hard way? "A.I.’s most revolutionary potential is helping experts apply their expertise better and faster. But for that to work, there has to be experts."

Teaching lab chemist types, 100% cotton or polycotton blend for teaching-specific lab coats? I'm aware of the flammability profiles, but I have a feeling that it's not a trivial decision due to durability, splash permeation, and low/no use of flame in UG teaching.

Join us Wednesday 19 March at 8pm GMT for #LTHEchat to discuss integrating study skills into the curriculum led by Carolina Kuepper-Tetzel @drckt.bsky.social and Emily Nordmann @emilynordmann.bsky.social lthechat.com/2025/03/16/l...

Good day for nanotechnologists, who will be able to find a use for all those incredibly tiny violins. What did they expect to happen?

When British racists elected a swivel-eyed moron that tanked the economy, a lettuce took care of it within a few months. Curious to see how it pans out over the pond.

It's the most wonderful time of the year [introductory aromatics for year 2, with a demonstration that doubles as lunch afterwards]

I very much hope the Royal Society make some kind of public statement about the issues raised in Kit's important thread. I had some recent personal success relating to the RS but I won't be able to give it any publicity until they clarify their position.

Look what arrived! A certain @rsc.org book by @drjohnodonoghue.bsky.social

organic lab skitter, anyone got a go-to bench safe replacement for hexane for normal-phase TLC? Considering octane but assume the volatility/viscosity will muck things up a lot.

How I hoped I'd look in a suit vs how I actually look:

$100/night hotel: hi. we have you for 3 nights. checkout’s whenever. enjoy the 24 hour gym & pool that smell like chlorine & feet, in that order. unlimited breakfast - you can eat costco sausages til you die for all we care $275/night hotel: OHHH, so his royal highness expects FREE WIFI, does he???

Thanks for the clarification, guys.

Broke: I used a 5-point Likert scale Woke: I used a 4-point Likert scale Bespoke:

Really excited to announce this forthcoming symposium from RSC Chemistry Education Research Group. We are looking forward to highlighting and celebrating the amazing work of Dr @aud2526.bsky.social OBE HonFRSC with a symposium in her honour. Registration: forms.office.com/e/pYCZn297em #chemsky

The Journal of Chemical Education is my absolute mainstay venue for papers, and I hoped that the ACS, as a body independently funded by a load of our diverse overseas university library money amongst other sources, would be free of this pre-compliance rubbish.

How I think I look when I teach / How I actually look when I teach.

If snakes were wide

**New Blog** What is #ViCEPHEC25 and why should you go? A short description of the Variety in Chemistry/Physics Higher Education Conference, aimed particularly at people who haven't been before. #iTeachChem #iTeachPhys www.michaeloneill.org/blog-1/2025/2/2/what-is-vicephec-and-why-should-you-go

The #ViCEPHEC25 website is live! Follow this account for updates on BSky, and consider submitting an abstract - we are trying to widen the range of formats presentations can take this year. vicephec2025.weebly.com

Since researching erasing my twitter, getting hilariously mis-targeted ads for selective wipers: "Scrub your timeline of unfortunate past utterances, to avoid the spectre of woke cancellation!" Mate, I thought "doing a historical racism" was an entry requirement at this point.

I don't post much personal stuff here, but the reason I've been even quieter than normal in December is because honeymoon! Four years after the wedding! Back now. It was alright.

Have been interested to hear bits and pieces from colleagues about the Chem Kitchen project @imperialchemistry.bsky.social over the years, and a fuller account of student experience has just come out in J Chem Ed (OA). #ChemEdResearch #ChemistsWhoCook

Day three of doing Advent of Code in google sheets:

I’d like Scottish Twitter to appear here whole-heartedly if only because it’s the only time you’ll see “Scottish” and “Bluesky” next to each other.

📢 SAVE THE DATE! The RSC Chemistry Education Research Group's Methods in Chemistry Education Research 2025 (#MICER25) conference will be held at Edinburgh Napier University on Wednesday 21 May 2025. More details soon! @cerg.bsky.social #ChemEdResearch

Let's talk about Models! I want to collect model organisms/systems/objects/molecules across all of STEMM. What are your favourite Model Somethings? Bonus for weird origins! There's Drosophila, the Newell Teapot, Benchy the 3d-printed tugboat, and the concept of running Doom on any computer.