Stupidest headline of the year?

Our Prof Claire Horwell @clairehorwell.bsky.social led the GCRF-funded FACE-UP project on protecting children from urban air pollution. This new paper looks at children’s preferences for the style and design of respiratory protection. #DUresearch

Did you know that it's illegal to pour your drink down a street drain in the UK? I didn't know that. The Environmental Protection Act 1990 makes it an offence to dispose of waste in a way likely to pollute land or water, including pouring liquids into street drains. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Thought I would check the Kilauea webcam. What a view to wake up to! Thinking of all the USGS Volcanoes team and hoping federal agencies can get back to their jobs soon. www.youtube.com/live/BqmpkUd...

When all that matters is money … 🌏🚽 www.bbc.com/news/article...

We're hiring! Join us as an Associate Professor in Sustainable Earth Energy 🌍 Lead research in low-carbon geoenergy & energy storage, at one of the UK’s top universities. Apply by 31 Oct 2025 on this link👉 durham.taleo.net/careersectio... #DurhamUniversity #Hiring #ApplyToday

RIP #BiddyBaxter 😢. Biddy was a @durham-university.bsky.social graduate and edited #BluePeter for more than 20 years. Apparently she was the first Durham graduate to work for the BBC. Legendary Blue Peter editor Biddy Baxter dies at 92 www.bbc.com/news/article...

People returned to live in Pompeii's ruins, archaeologists say. They lived in the upper floors of ash-filled houses and excavated the lower floors as cellars! www.bbc.com/news/article...

I am insanely jealous that my son is about to see this! Screenshot from the live USGS Kilauea Volcano webcam (Hawaii).

There is a cuteness overload in my house right now!! They are just too floofy for words 😻 Not #Caturday. Not sorry!

🚨New papers🚨 Are you interested in the impact of volcanic plumes on aviation? Our research focused on the behavioural, psychological & physical health impacts of volcanic emissions encounters on aircraft occupants. appliedvolc.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.... www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

I've been quiet for a while. There's been a lot going on at home, so no spare time or headspace for social media. For those who've enjoyed my cat photos, our lovely Ned has been very unwell with FIP. Covid-19 antivirals have saved his life, and he's making a remarkable recovery. Hurrah for science!

It’s been quite a week. Some really good stuff and some really bad stuff happened. A lot of work got done but not enough work got done. The weather was glorious but I was indoors for much of it. But here’s my walk home and the heron which I haven’t seen for about a year. Happy May bank holiday!

Durham river bank on my way to work this morning. The wild garlic smells amazing and there is so much bird song. Shame about the graffiti and rubbish under the bench. People just don’t care…

Is it just in my world where it’s disrespectful to use the occasion of a funeral … the Pope’s funeral … for political discussion? Feels very inappropriate to me.

Sorry, not sorry, but I had to share this #Caturday photo!

Our former PhD student @isobelyeo.bsky.social (now at @noc.ac.uk) features in this article. Her team are investigating seismicity from the underwater volcanoes near Santorini. Could an almighty eruption destroy a dreamy Greek island? www.bbc.com/news/article...

Apologising for ‘upset caused’ is not an apology, @tobycarvery.bsky.social. How about apologising for chopping down this historic tree? 🌳 www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

#NIOSH is being ‘eliminated’. The US’s respirator testing and approval program gone. Labs will be dismantled shortly. Mining safety, hazard evaluation and other key occupational research teams disbanded. 🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯 But is it all a ‘big mistake’??? Seriously? www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

Well, we certainly think that Durham University is worth driving round the world for! www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Today’s partial solar eclipse from our garden.

The latest episode of Kīlauea’s 🌋eruption is producing huge lava fountains. I’ve rarely seen fountains high enough that the scoria cools and turns black while still in the fountain!! Thanks to the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory for the live feed! www.youtube.com/live/Gd2Tm5j...

Respirators for children often don’t fit them, should be better designed. New paper from @clairehorwell.bsky.social www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Hooray! The first paper of our FACE-UP project has finally been published! And this is actually the last week of funding! Literally too busy to write more now… so more later! www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Interested in Environmental Health? Like a compelling TV drama based on a true story? In that case, Toxic Town is for you. It’s a hard watch but worth it. www.netflix.com/gb/title/813...

😬 www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

No way. This is abominable. Amazon forest felled to build road for climate summit www.bbc.com/news/article...

🚨New paper!🚨The paper explores the crystalline silica respiratory hazard from the CE 1315 Kaharoa eruption, Tarawera🌋, NZ and how this could feed into health hazard assessments for future rhyolitic eruptions in NZ and elsewhere. It is dedicated to Prof Jim Cole. www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

And now, Fuego is back into a period of Strombolian explosions, roughly every 15 minutes (started 45 minute ago). From the livestream at www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpqT...

Dawn at Fuego, Guatemala. The lava fountaining seems to be giving away to heavy ash venting. From www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpqT... live feed.

Fuego volcano🌋is in a period of lava fountaining. You can watch a live stream at www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpqT.... Recent research suggests that when this happens (as opposed to frequent, small Strombolian explosions), it may be rapidly ramping up to much larger explosions with pyroclastic flows.

I’m currently in Kathmandu (more on my trip later) and couldn’t help but share the beautiful fossiliferous limestone tiles in my hotel bathroom! Wonderful crinoid preservation! Likely 400 Ma from the Tethys Himalaya ⚒️ #fossils dmgnepal.gov.np/en/pages/gen...

The US embassies’ air quality data were sometimes the only reliable data in an entire country and influenced local air quality policies. We used the Indonesian US embassy data extensively and co-located our lo-cost PM sensors by their regulatory-grade ones. 😔 www.nytimes.com/2025/03/04/c...

Our Ed Llewellin has been working with colleagues at Luleå University, Sweden on a pioneering project to map the inside of lava tubes using autonomous drones! www.ltu.se/en/latest-ne...

So disappointed in this Labour government. I understand the need to increase defence spending but to take it from the international aid budget when Trump has decimated USAID, and when the Tories already decreased aid funding, with terrible consequences, is just awful. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Nice to have my career highlighted as part of this spotlight series by Durham University. www.durham.ac.uk/news-events/... @durhamearthsci.bsky.social @ihrr.bsky.social

Another very sad loss for New Zealand science/volcanology. Jim will be greatly missed. deaths.press.co.nz/nz/obituarie...

Poor Ned has been unwell. His left eye had the third eyelid coming across but also the pupil has a cloudy reflection. The vet thinks it might be a virus and has given him antibiotic eyedrops and eyedrops to mend the cornea. Hoping it’s nothing worse. No obvious injury. Any ideas? #Caturday

What a star! If only more people cared like Teddy does! I hope Hampshire County Council sorts out their recycling situation! www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

We can think of more important things... Like actually dealing with plastic pollution and #microplastics 😡

The effects of volcanic unrest/seismic swarms can be devastating and exhausting for local communities. The constant stress of the shaking… and waiting to see if the next tremor will be ‘the big one’. www.bbc.com/news/article...

#USAID saves lives! Despicable. USAID staff will be put on leave starting on Friday www.bbc.com/news/article...

Santorini on alert as tremors rattle island www.bbc.com/news/article...

Chaos in disguise, dead cat strategy & destructive proposal all in one: #Trump's proposal for an alternative to @who.int It will undermine trust & cooperation at a time when we need to strengthen #WHO We prebunk the idea & call on countries to reject it. www.bmj.com/content/388/... @bmj.com

Taken in December, this is a plane flying over the Potomac river (which is behind the Lincoln Memorial, shown) into Ronald Reagan Airport. Those planes are ever present across the DC skyline. Thinking of all the families of those who have died.

A tiny glimmer of light amongst the endless gloom. I hope her actions make people think. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

I highly recommend getting the flu jab. Getting flu is awful - high fever, bad cough, feeling exhausted for a few weeks. I've just had 'mild flu' because I had the flu jab. It's not been pleasant. I'm 10 days in and still have sore glands, mild cough, sinus pain but nothing like full blown flu.

Hard to overstate how catastrophic this is for global public health. The WHO has helped saved literally millions of lives, particularly those of children, from malnutrition, malaria, TB, HIV etc. Pure callous disregard for vulnerable humanity from Trump - as expected.