A lot of us have been supervised by bullies in some scientific role or another, and recognise that there is a problem where bullies keep getting given money so universities keep them around. What should funders do to dismantle this? Let's share ideas for how. Followed-only post to make it safe.

Yesterday I went to the EPSRC EDI Hub+ annual conference because I just became one of 33 Inclusion Advocates doing this: edihubplus.ac.uk/be-the-chang... My first impressions were that I still need to arrive early and ask people to turn the lights down so I can participate.

We bought a car Omggggggg

Little Car has got to the point where there are more broken things than I have fucks to give, so we are looking for the next one. First test drive this afternoon, I am bricking it and having visions of stalling on a huge roundabout even though I will probably be ok.

As a Black man with Tourette Syndrome, the Public Advocate has some thoughts on BAFTA, Pt. 1: Hear about his experience with Coprolalia, his thoughts on how BAFTA mishandled the moment, and the need for care for all who are harmed: Full video: youtu.be/FgaqKIxS4Hs

Now I've had the offer letter I can FINALLY tell the internet: I got the EPSRC Open Fellowship! From 1st April I am going to be at Sheffield for 5 years figuring out what happens with defects in beryllium intermetallics when you zap them and what it means for fusion, hopefully with 3 students!

Giving blood at the main donor centre was a good counter to the Epstein horror in the news. One end of the room is full of big dudes on their phones spending an hour donating platelets so some sick people can get better.

Just checked I had in fact done my self assessment tax return and it turns out I had filled in the boxes, saved it, but not pressed submit. But now I've actually done it, it still says "hey you could do this" when I log on. No. Dude. I've done it. There's a date stamp. Keep up. Not helping.

Stop sharing that video of the "ICE officers chasing a man in a bathtub", it's clearly AI, they all have exactly the same legs.

I had a nice couple of days in Birmingham helping people out and then doing some complicated TEM all day but now I am WRECKED. I had the flu starting Boxing Day and cancelled doing this last week but apparently I am still not entirely convalesced...

I think I need a little bit of advice from somebody who's been in charge of a research group - about an existing situation I'm not entirely sure how to deal with but feel like I somehow should. Does anybody have 5 minutes in the next few days to email or chat? [edited post - got your comment Bat!]

Colds used to hit me objectively worse than this when I was younger but this one *feels* worse. I think I'm angry about it this time. "How dare you, virus. Have you *seen* my to-do list? Day 10 should be clear kitchen windowsill and sand for painting, not lie on sofa sniffling!"

Oh for a car where the interior trim is held on with M6 bolts instead of stiff little clips and infinitely breakable plastic pieces.

Us: let's get loads of house stuff done between Christmas and New Year The Car: fuck you *breaks* The common cold: lol hi

Today started my day by explaining to safety services that if a product listing has "forbidden" in the description, somebody might conclude they're not allowed to get it. This conversation feels backwards somehow.

I had a filling in my top wisdom tooth yesterday then I made BAD CHOICES by eating toast. Now I have a stiff jaw but also a hole in my cheek where I bit it multiple times. I am a plonker But a plonker without a cavity I guess.

Shout out to @holidayinn.bsky.social who decided I need to lose £74 at Christmas because booking.com defaulted over and over again to December when I was trying to book and I clicked the wrong day but now they won't let me change the dates. Thanks a bunch you mean-spirited billionaires.

It's raining in our stupid house again but now we think we know why: our stupid builder failed to seal where the windows fit into the frames. So when it's finished raining in a couple of days I guess we have another thing to try fixing. Why does **everybody** see two women and want to cheat us??

Disability History Month events: here is how to support neurodivergent students. Disability History Month non-events: your microscope room is still so cold you can't use tweezers.

I have just done my fellowship interview! Phewwww I think it went ok but I find it hard to tell. Everybody was nodding and smiling anyway and they were nice. We'll see eh!

I just did my first tax return. I don't even have anything large and complicated and I'm still confused.

People Please tell me your experiences of hiring a car in a country that drives on the opposite side to your home country. What makes it easier to adapt? Already planning to sit in my car on some flat tarmac and practice changing gear "wrong" handed from the passenger seat. Any other advice?

We're home from Sicily. The cat is also home. I need a holiday after that.

We are going on holiday tomorrow. Mr Cat is going to the cattery this morning. We are all coming home on the 11th. I am SO ANXIOUS

Here's the link to check. bsky.app/profile/mode... Bet I'm on it. I swear like a chuffer sometimes

[paper from 1977] "The authors are particularly indebted to Mrs. M.H. Brady for preparation of the electron microscopy samples and for assistance in-TEM sample examination and data analysis" Why is she not FIRST AUTHOR That is literally THE ENTIRE STUDY you credit stealing bastards

"Side effects may include lethargy" *black and white streak gallops past, up and down the stairs a couple of times, attempts to eat headphones and paper* We're probably ok on that front

Shout out to Mr Cat, adopted as a problem biter in February, who went to the vet for an abcess today and stood there eating Lickelix while she examined it and cleaned it and did not bite anybody even once. He is a Very Good Boy.

Holy moly I'm through to interview for my fellowship! Aaaaaa omg!

There was an MMC/EMAG! I nearly lost my voice. Lots of awesome science. I think I first went to EMAG 15ish years ago and the progress is astonishing. Also it continues to be the friendliest conference I ever saw. Proud to be involved ❤️ And now...science time

I was holding off on signing this to make sure it was actually useful but now I've seen multiple trans people sharing it, I'm in. Are you a cis woman who is fed up of being used as an excuse for the far right to harrass trans women? Click on the petition under here!

First Dreamliner crash: in India, just after takeoff, onto a doctors' hostel next to a hospital. 242 on board, at least 30 dead on the ground. Bloody hell. What caused that?! www.theguardian.com/world/2025/j...

Some scientists in China used my tomography technique on MOON ROCK and the paper is EVERYTHING. Irradiation! Iron nanoparticles! Getting oxygen on the moon! This is awesome! advanced.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

Right! I got my fellowship reviewer comments back, and they're pretty good, a few questions that I can answer, and one "why are you doing this as a fellowship instead of as a standard grant" to which the true answer is "because I'm too little to be allowed to apply for those". How to phrase that...

As well as politicians apparently making up statistics of their arse - having a lot of immigrants doesn't make you a land of strangers. It makes you a land of people whose friends are from different places. This is obvious cynical bollocks just to suck up to Trump and it's wank.

Letter to MP in support of trans rights: written. Car: stopped displaying symptoms the minute we set off to the vet/garage. Instead it picked two new ones. Garage man: mystified. Replacing coolant level sensor. Looking askance at instrument panel.

People who know AI things: when you use the udm=14 option with google to make it not show you the AI summary, does it *actually not make* the AI summary, or does it still make it and just not show you it?

The Pope died and one of his last acts when he knew he was going was to summon Vance? I bet that conversation included a good telling off.

Things that broke today: The car (mostly just pretending/gauge a bit loose or something) The cat (hopefully also just pretending to make me guilty about picking him up and evicting him from a chair) The UK Supreme Court (definitely not pretending)

Bits of that supreme court ruling are simply false. Sex is objectively not binary; there are people who are in between. Biological characteristics are not plain, unambiguous or self-explanatory. This is a bunch of old people pretending science isn't true because they'd prefer the world to be simple.

Ooookayyyy they have figured out a timescale for the dread fellowship. There were more than 500 applications over Open, Open Plus and Postdoctoral so they have got WORK to do. Reviews will come out 21st May Responses due back 5th June Interview invitations 11th July Interviews autumn. !!!!!

Right, now I have an official offer I can announce it: I have a job! At Birmingham, working on austenitic steels for fusion, starting in early May, for 30 months. If I get the fellowship, I leave early; if I don't get the fellowship, I'm still doing fusion. Hurray!

@montezumaschocs.bsky.social you made an easter egg of my favourite vegan black forest choc! ... Oh you put fudge inside full of milk. Bit of a bait-and-switch there. 😠

Bank of Scotland: no, just because I didn't renew my car insurance *with you* doesn't mean it's now illegal to drive my car, you twits. Other insurers exist. What a foolish email.

Missing vowels round on Only Connect: PNS CRT Contestant: OPEN SECRET Me: PENIS COURT

Right I had been keeping my Twitter account dormant because I cited the "writing with SpLD & depression" thread in my fellowship application. But I just decided, fuck that, and overcame the activation energy barrier to log in and deactivate the fucker. SO GOOD. Like cutting off a nasty toenail.

I had a job interview in Birmingham and ughhhh it was bad. I was so inarticulate. On the other hand, probably won't be commuting to Birmingham. Was heartened that they asked about EDI. Less heartened at the "guess what this question actually wants" style. So tired. SO tired.

Mr Cat has started walking on us purring at 4am which is cute but also we would quite like to sleep.

I got an interview for a postdoc in Birmingham looking at steels for the same bits of fusion reactors that my fellowship is about. I wasn't sure about applying but if I don't get the fellowship at least I would still have something in the field. But I probably won't get picked for the job either.

Duuude My former employer was "most improved" over the 3 years leading up to now in the QS World Rankings. And then they fucking fired us all, so...let's see what the next one says. I am sooo inclined to never publish the rest of my Be work from there. But it was good so I prob still will.