Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Josh Allen @joshpallen.bsky.social · Nov 14

This week's new walking route is:

Birmingham - University of Birmingham

3.1 miles along the Worcester and Birmingham Canal, to the home of the Barber Insitute of Fine Art and some of Birmingham’s most impressive modernist sculptures and buildings

walkmidlands.co.uk/2024/11/14/b...

Birmingham - University of Birmingham

Walk from central Birmingham to the University of Birmingham in Edgbaston, mostly along the Worcester and Birmingham Canal. Walk goes to the Barber Institute.

walkmidlands.co.uk

2 16

WeRateDogs @weratedogs.com · Nov 21

This is Todd. He found a newborn kitten abandoned in his backyard. Immediately got to work caring for her and made sure she felt safe until she was able to be fostered. 13/10

a big dog with a white head and pink and black nose tilts his head up to sniff the teeny newborn kitten who’s being held in his human’s palm.

80 360 6.9K

Professor Anjali Goswami FRS @evoswami.bsky.social · Nov 16

I couldn’t find a starter pack for POCs working in STEM, so I started one myself - my network here is still small and I didn’t want to assume how people identify, so please reply or DM me if you want to be added!

go.bsky.app/BJkKQVR

110 260 850

Tara Coffin @taracoffin.bsky.social · Nov 28

‘Dig, Dig, Dinosaur’ book was a big hit at our early years class today. Thank you @evoswami.bsky.social for signing the books and writing each family a message. The families loved the special touch.

2

barneskidslitfest.bsky.social @barneskidslitfest.bsky.social · Nov 28

🎄OUR CHRISTMAS ART AUCTION FUNDRAISER IS LIVE🎄

Here's your chance to own original artwork from the UK's top illustrators AND help us provide over 21,000 places in 2025 FREE for state schools all over London

Start your Christmas shopping NOW! HO! HO! GO! www.jumblebee.co.uk/barneschildr...

2

Nina Lakhani @ninalakhani.bsky.social · Dec 3

It is 40 years since the Bhopal gas disaster - which killed at least 22,000 people as a direct result of exposure to the chemical leak, with >half a million people in Indian permanent injured. No-one from the US multinational has been held to account
www.amnesty.org/en/latest/ne...

Bhopal Gas Tragedy: 40 years of Injustice

As the world marks the 40th anniversary of the Bhopal Gas Tragedy, lessons to take from what happened on the awful night of 2 December 1984.

www.amnesty.org

1 22 34

Learn to Love to Read @l2l2r.bsky.social · Dec 5

Children's author, @evoswami.bsky.social, is dig dig digging deep for the @biggive.bsky.social Christmas Challenge this week! From 3rd-10th December, all donations to @l2l2r.bsky.social will be DOUBLED. Please help us reach our target by donating today and supporting our work: bit.ly/3Vk8O6q

2

Robin Ince @robinince.bsky.social · Dec 12

Still tickets left for Saturday’s family matinee

Robin Ince @robinince.bsky.social · Dec 11

This weekend’s nine lessons shows are pretty much sold out with the exception of our family matinee which has plenty of room on Saturday

www.kingsplace.co.uk/whats-on/com...

Nine Lessons and Carols for Curious People (Family Matinee) • Comedy • Kings Place

Robin Ince’s iconic Nine Lessons and Carols for Curious People presented by The Cosmic Shambles Network returns for its 15th outing in 2024!

www.kingsplace.co.uk

1 8 28

The Linnean Society of London @linneansociety.bsky.social · Jan 10

✨We're #Hiring! ✨

Our new role, Head of Membership and Development, will be responsible for the development of our community of members, comprising Fellows and Associates, and play a vital role in helping to build a vibrant, active and engaged community.

Learn more here:

www.linnean.org/the-...

Head of Membership and Development

This role will lead on engaging with our community of members and developing our fundraising

www.linnean.org

13 18

Tori Herridge @toriherridge.bsky.social · Mar 4

Once upon a time, in the late 1800s, people in Japan got really into breeding mice.

Coloured mice. Patterned mice. Even mice that danced.

They became known as Japanese Fancy Mice, and that caught the attention of researchers in Europe and America, who imported them for study.

2/n

20 150 440

Dr Julia Shaw @drjuliashaw.bsky.social · May 18

This is the funniest science writeup I've seen in a long time. It's about why cats are so perfectly evolved 🧪

Apparently lots of other animals have "tried to be cats" and the fact that other species have so much more variation is "because they suck" 😆

www.scientificamerican.com/article/cats...

Cats challenge standard biases in evolutionary biology. People have said to me, “What about bats? What about rodents? These groups have so many species doing all kinds of things.” And I'm like, “Yeah, because they suck.” They haven't figured out how to do anything well, so they keep trying different things.

9 140 560

JNCC @jncc.bsky.social · Jul 17

We were delighted that our Chief Scientist Dave Stone was invited to take part in a Parliamentary Roundtable exploring the latest science on climate & nature.

The roundtable was chaired by @evoswami.bsky.social Defra Chief Scientific Adviser & hosted by Minister @marycreagh.bsky.social

image of four people sat at a table in suits. One person is speaking

1 4 7

Professor Anjali Goswami FRS @evoswami.bsky.social · May 26

Can’t believe this interview made it onto Wait, wait. Also can’t believe that my half awake tweet from several years ago (though I stand by it) has gotten this much attention. Definitely regretting using the phrase “yeah, they suck” to describe all other animals…

Jeanne Timmons @mostlymammoths.bsky.social · May 26

Fun! @evoswami.bsky.social is quoted from the interview on @sciam.bsky.social by @katewong.bsky.social on "Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me" from @npr.org! (min 34:50)

www.npr.org/2025/05/24/1...

Ego Nwodim talks Poker Face and how to get an SNL crowd to swear in unison : Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!

This week, special guest Ego Nwodim joins panelists Tom Papa, Dulceé Sloan, and Hari Kondabolu

www.npr.org

1 1 7

Jeanne Timmons @mostlymammoths.bsky.social · May 26

Fun! @evoswami.bsky.social is quoted from the interview on @sciam.bsky.social by @katewong.bsky.social on "Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me" from @npr.org! (min 34:50)

www.npr.org/2025/05/24/1...

Ego Nwodim talks Poker Face and how to get an SNL crowd to swear in unison : Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!

This week, special guest Ego Nwodim joins panelists Tom Papa, Dulceé Sloan, and Hari Kondabolu

www.npr.org

2 6

Professor Anjali Goswami FRS @evoswami.bsky.social · May 19

Thank you! The saddest thing is I don’t even have a cat now, ever since my beloved Chairman Meow (Figure 1) passed away. Family allergies mean we couldn’t get another one so I’m stuck with a dog, who is lovely but so evolutionary pliable that it’s frankly embarrassing.

My beloved cat, Chairman Meow, perfectly cool even as my old dog Eli chews on his head. Amongst a perfect species, Chairman was the most perfect specimen, ergo the most perfect being ever to exist.

1 3

Professor Anjali Goswami FRS @evoswami.bsky.social · May 19

Love that this interview is making people laugh! Of course as a scientist, I don’t think perfection is a biologically realistic concept, but, if it were, surely cats are our best example of it. Not least because cats couldn’t care less if we think they are perfect or not & I worship them for it!

Dr Julia Shaw @drjuliashaw.bsky.social · May 18

This is the funniest science writeup I've seen in a long time. It's about why cats are so perfectly evolved 🧪

Apparently lots of other animals have "tried to be cats" and the fact that other species have so much more variation is "because they suck" 😆

www.scientificamerican.com/article/cats...

1 3 27

koenfucius @koenfucius.bsky.social · May 19

“Cats have nailed one thing so well that they all do it and just come up with slightly different sizes. They're not jacks-of-all-trades; they're masters of one.”

Evolutionary biologist @evoswami.bsky.social explains why 🐈‍⬛ 🐈 are perfect evolutionarily:

buff.ly/qMc1Ql6

1 6

Professor Anjali Goswami FRS @evoswami.bsky.social · May 12

One fine day in the Los Alamitos Formation!

1 2 44

Professor Anjali Goswami FRS @evoswami.bsky.social · May 11

I’ve asked my colleagues here who are far more knowledgeable than I. They say that Patagotitan is far more complete and has a better size estimation than Argentinasaurus, and that estimate suggests that it is bigger (and longer)

1 1 3

Professor Anjali Goswami FRS @evoswami.bsky.social · May 11

Hello from Patagonia and Patagotitan!

2 8 74

Professor Anjali Goswami FRS @evoswami.bsky.social · May 9

From balmy Brazil to a much chillier Patagonia…

1 3 40

Professor Anjali Goswami FRS @evoswami.bsky.social · May 8

That’s right! And Brasilodon next to it. Amazing preservation- they look better than a lot of modern skulls!

1

Professor Anjali Goswami FRS @evoswami.bsky.social · May 8

Catching up with our Triassic kin in Porto Alegre

1 3 27

James Mulqueeney @jamesmulqueeney.bsky.social · Apr 27

Thrilled to share my second PhD paper with @tomezard.bsky.social & @evoswami.bsky.social focused on the application of landmark-free geometric morphometrics! 🎉 Excited to contribute to advancing shape analysis techniques in biology. Check it out here: doi.org/10.1186/s128...

Assessing the application of landmark-free morphometrics to macroevolutionary analyses - BMC Ecology and Evolution

The study of phenotypic evolution has been transformed in recent decades by methods allowing precise quantification of anatomical shape, in particular 3D geometric morphometrics. While this effectiven...

doi.org

2 28 70

Professor Anjali Goswami FRS @evoswami.bsky.social · Apr 24

I absolutely love that this new article about my appointment as DEFRA chief science adviser managed to squeeze in my obsession with Zelda! 🧝‍♀️🗡️🎮

www.linkedin.com/posts/global...

#globalindian #anjaligoswami #womeninstem #scienceforchange… | Global Indian

What started with a childhood tiger sighting in India has now led her to the UK govt as Chief Scientific Adviser at Defra. From decoding the past to guiding climate action, she’s bringing deep-time th...

www.linkedin.com

1 27

Professor Anjali Goswami FRS @evoswami.bsky.social · Apr 9

Thanks, Nick!

1

Professor Anjali Goswami FRS @evoswami.bsky.social · Apr 9

Exciting times ahead!

www.gov.uk/government/n...

New Chief Scientific Adviser appointed

Professor Anjali Goswami becomes Defra’s new Chief Scientist

www.gov.uk

24 22 200

Professor Anjali Goswami FRS @evoswami.bsky.social · Apr 4

Come join us @linneansociety.bsky.social Monday, April 7 at 6pm for a fascinating talk by world-renowned tiger expert Prof Uma Ramakrishnan from @ncbsbangalore.bsky.social as she tells us about how cutting-edge genomics is helping to save wild tigers in India!

www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/how-geneti...

How Genetics Explain Tigers and Secure Their Future

How cutting edge genomics is being applied to one of the most charismatic carnivores on earth.

www.eventbrite.co.uk

1 10

Professor Anjali Goswami FRS @evoswami.bsky.social · Mar 23

A very mature sourdough starter

1 5

Professor Anjali Goswami FRS @evoswami.bsky.social · Mar 12

When 100 years old you reach, look this good you will not

3