Italian sourdough starter microbiology has come good… crazy panettone for breakfast. This is v3.0… next is chocolate

Excellent.

Recipe with a health warning.

A good time to dust off this that Paul Manners and I wrote 3 years ago, arguing the nebulous term “research culture” excludes most of the university endeavour. We encouraged a pause. Feels like the REF2029 teams have landed in a sensible place. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-v...

Panettone sourdough is reaching maturity (and obsessive peak).

This is an excellent long read. I agree with the final paragraph “We’ve lost … understanding. We’ve replaced planning with market mechanisms, strategy with initiatives, and long-term thinking with political cycles.” Depressing, if you let it get to you.

3-4 quality street.

This is a remarkable finding: shingles live vaccine is protective in women against dementia, and delays dementia progression and death. It acts across the entire disease course (ie the sooner people get it the better) www.cell.com/action/showP...

Beautiful light today

We at @timeshighered.bsky.social modelled the impact of a £1,000 flat fee rather than 6% of fee income - flat fee saved Russell Group £100 million, with big increase in costs for some post-92s www.timeshighereducation.com/news/flat-fe...

Panettone making obsession has taken over my life. This is just the sourdough starter stage. Maybe I should get out and smell the grass or something.

Christmas tree or super-resolution neuronal culture image?

One day, this odd-looking sourdough starter (Levito madre) will be panettone.

Something hasn’t worked / isn’t working 👇 “…few raise research unprompted, and less than half of non-graduates in our poll were even fully aware that universities do research. Articulating this role and how it benefits lives is a clear imperative.” wonkhe.com/blogs/the-po...

Good thread and linked report. How could the ‘public’ be aware that universities conduct research? I wasn’t before I went to uni. Decades of public engagement and university sector lobbying doesn’t seem to have moved that much in understanding (Covid aside, maybe?)

Hardy souls

The Royal Botanical Gardens Edinburgh preparing for Christmas

Fair to say the comments on this don’t agree with the author… Augar is positive about the Skills White Paper for English FE/HE, whilst ignoring the gross underfunding over >a decade is now baked in.

It’s nice here. #seville #WinterShorteningStrategy

This morning’s glamorous walking partner

Positively calming.

No chance of action ahead of the Scottish Parliament elections next May, so this is in the long grass. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

(Yet another) stunning day. Grabbing every possible photon on my retinas before the inevitable winter..

Two headlines on the same day

Beautiful day in the Pentland hills, can definitely feel Autumn now

Dr Neils’ Garden at the foot of Arthur’s Seat is a hidden gem. It was the private garden or two local doctors who spent their lives terracing a slope and planting it. It’s now maintained by volunteers and is incredibly peaceful and beautiful

Quick sprint up Arthur’s Seat first thing. What a day

Looks like a great recipe.😅

One of Edinburgh’s lesser known castles on my walk this morning. (Although it does feature in Highlander, apparently). #craigmillar

Given that Advance HE provide most of the HE sector governance training and oversight, isn’t this rather marking their own homework?

But what are the implications for the unspoken university activity - teaching? Recruitment of talented academics depends upon research and innovation excellence, track record, infrastructure. Are we encouraging a sector of specialist universities?

Portobello beach ‘big busk’ yesterday… loads and loads of performers along the seafront. Some amazingly talented kids

I’m finding the current media discourse depressing. Even my previously held respect for Rylan has been challenged.

Nice do-er upper for the cost of a one bedroom flat in London search.savills.com/property-det...

Christmas lager making underway

Always feel a change in season when the Edinburgh festival ends. The big crowds leave, the sun is lower and there’s just a touch of autumn in the air

UK media this summer

Morning run. Absolutely perfect day again

Side eye

Can hear AC/DC playing from my bed 🤘

This highlights starkly that the levers university leadership have are reducing staff costs (64% now to 59% =c700 jobs) through consolidations reducing ‘middle managers’. Those people are doing things now that others will have to pick up (or not). Mid-career people are the future.

Scottish Funding Council intervenes. #Dundee #universities #Scotland

AutumnFest is an online learning festival for technical professionals working in UK universities and research institutes taking place 8-12 September. Register for a workshop (or several!) here: itss.org.uk/free-learnin...

Are you a researcher who could do with £8k to engage the public about your research working with a gallery, museum, library or archive? We’ll shortly be opening a call so I just wanted to give you a heads up this is coming www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/funding/shap...

Lochanagar Munro walk… 35000 steps, feet hurt but what a lovely day in 27°C Scottish highlands

Lochnagar was so dramatic today. Absolutely stunning

Cairn O’Mount (1500 ft) on the way north to climb Lochnagar

Long walk today up the Twin Cairn Law (hill) in the Scottish Borders. There are two large cairns at the top, legend says in memory of brothers who unknowingly fought each other in battle. The view from the top is to the Cheviot hill in England. There’s a little book in the cairn with a nice notebook