Dr Urska Demsar
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udemsar.bsky.social
Dr Urska Demsar
@udemsar.bsky.social
760 followers 170 following 99 posts

Associate Professor. GIScience, Movement Analytics and hiking/walking photos.

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Environmental science 43%
Computer science 17%
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udemsar.bsky.social
Dr Urska Demsar @udemsar.bsky.social · Mar 12
New paper with @beatezein.bsky.social & @jedalong.bsky.social:

⭐A new data-driven paradigm for the study of avian migratory navigation⭐

We propose how the multi-modal multi-scale nature of navigation could be studied w/ data mining, machine learning & AI.

link.springer.com/article/10.1...
A new data-driven paradigm for the study of avian migratory navigation - Movement Ecology
Avian navigation has fascinated researchers for many years. Yet, despite a vast amount of literature on the topic it remains a mystery how birds are able to find their way across long distances while ...
link.springer.com

Reposted by Urška Demšar

carlbovisnature.bsky.social
Carl Bovis @carlbovisnature.bsky.social · 1d
What it looks like when a Blue Tit flies straight at you! 😳😁😍🐦

Taken yesterday at RSPB Greylake in Somerset. 😊
#birds 🪶
Please browse my shop for great Christmas present ideas for nature lovers, including calendars, books, jigsaw puzzles, tea-towels and more.. here;
www.carlbovis.com/shop-3 🐦❤️
A Blue Tit flying straight towards the camera with wings and legs tucked in like a dart

Reposted by Gavin A. Schmidt, Martin Paul Eve, Lesley A. Hall , and 8 more

mcnees.bsky.social
Robert “The Baste God” McNees @mcnees.bsky.social · 2d
Journalist challenge: Use “Machine Learning” when you mean machine learning and “LLM” when you mean LLM. Ditch “AI” as a catch-all term, it’s not useful for readers and it helps companies trying to confuse the public by obscuring the roles played by different technologies. 🧪

Reposted by Urška Demšar

operations.esa.int
ESA Operations @operations.esa.int · 3d
☀️ Lessons from the November 2025 solar storm

Last week, Earth was hit by a large solar storm. The event provided an opportunity for multiple ESA missions, whether orbiting Earth or far into deep space, to collect radiation data, which is now being analysed.

www.esa.int/Space_Safety...

Reposted by Meredith Broussard, James M. Bullock, Elena Litchman , and 20 more

us.theconversation.com
The Conversation U.S. @us.theconversation.com · 3d
Relying on ChatGPT to teach you about a topic leaves you with shallower knowledge than Googling and reading about it, according to new research that compared what more than 10,000 people knew after using one method or the other.

Shared by @gizmodo.com: buff.ly/yAAHtHq

Reposted by Urška Demšar, Grant McKenzie

platialanalysis.bsky.social
Platial Analysis Lab @platialanalysis.bsky.social · 3d
Registration is now open for the 6th Spatial Data Science Symposium (#SDSS2025)! Registration is free but space is limited, so register soon. Check out the list of thematic sessions, accepted papers, keynotes, and interview. sdss2025.spatial-data-science.net#register
Spatial Data Science Symposium 2025
December 4-5 | Distributed & Online. The symposium aims to bring together researchers from both academia and industry to discuss experiences, insights, methodologies, and applications, taking…
sdss2025.spatial-data-science.net

Reposted by Urška Demšar

eumetsat.int
EUMETSAT @eumetsat.int · 4d
We have officially taken control of #Sentinel6B! 🕹️

Now on the way to its nominal orbit, it will soon fly in tandem with Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich to ensure precise cross-calibration before becoming the world’s new reference mission for ocean altimetry. 🌊

Read more about it here: bit.ly/4oPmrHB

Reposted by Urška Demšar, Nathan Richardson, Kathleen Kennedy

friendsofmidway.bsky.social
Friends Of Midway Atoll (FOMA) @friendsofmidway.bsky.social · 4d
#Wisdom is back!
The world’s oldest known living banded bird, Mōlī (Laysan albatross) queen, has returned to Kuailhelani (Midway Atoll). #Birds

udemsar.bsky.social
Dr Urska Demsar @udemsar.bsky.social · 5d
www.insidehighered.com/news/tech-in...
AI Likely Driving Surge in Letters to the Editor
In the three years since large language models went mainstream, the number of new authors publishing a high volume of letters to the editor in scientific journals has also surged. Researchers say ther...
www.insidehighered.com

Reposted by Matthew J. Silk, Urška Demšar

xavh.bsky.social
Xav Harrison @xavh.bsky.social · 7d
Fully funded NERC GW4+ PhD Opportunity - *Understanding The Spread of Antimicrobial Resistance by Migratory Birds*

Supervised by me, @stubearhop.bsky.social (Exeter) & Patricia Brekke (ZSL). Application deadline 8th January. Please get in touch for more info

www.findaphd.com/phds/project...

Reposted by Urška Demšar

vincentledvina.bsky.social
Vincent Ledvina @vincentledvina.bsky.social · 9d
This is wild! Here is a mosaic image combining satellite passes from NOAA 21, Suomi NPP, and NOAA 20 showing the auroral oval very extended during the geomagnetic storm earlier this week. I have annotated where the typical auroral oval rests over the north geomagnetic pole.

Reposted by Urška Demšar

Reposted by Urška Demšar

Reposted by Urška Demšar

vincentledvina.bsky.social
Vincent Ledvina @vincentledvina.bsky.social · 11d
Check out this crazy mosaic image of the auroral oval from space on the night of Nov 11-12!

You an can see just how extended the oval was due to the impressive solar storm that impacted and delivered a G4 (Kp 9-) geomagnetic storm - the third strongest of solar cycle 25!

Reposted by Urška Demšar

begin-standrews.bsky.social
BEGIN St Andrews @begin-standrews.bsky.social · 11d
🌍✨
Our final 2025 seminar is with
@alel.bsky.social, a Lecturer in Sustainability + Urban Data Science at the University of Edinburgh

"Leveraging Geographic Data for Sustainable and Inclusive Mobility"

Date: Tues 25th November 2025 @ 2pm UK time (online)

Register here: tinyurl.com/2e7dvvy3
✨🌍

Reposted by Katharine Hayhoe, Fabián Muniesa, Urška Demšar

bgs.ac.uk
British Geological Survey @bgs.ac.uk · 12d
We have upgraded our geomagnetic forecast today (12 November 2025) to the highest intensity level amid an ongoing solar storm.

Current predictions suggest that the activity will result in potentially the largest solar storm to hit our planet in over two decades.

Reposted by Devi Sridhar, Urška Demšar

theguardian.com
The Guardian @theguardian.com · 12d
Covid vaccines may increase the lifespan of cancer patients – this could be a game changer | Devi Sridhar
Covid vaccines may increase the lifespan of cancer patients – this could be a game changer | Devi Sridhar
A study suggests mRNA vaccines could help the body fight malignant cells, says Prof Devi Sridhar, chair of global public health at the University of Edinburgh
www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Katharine Hayhoe, Tuomas Mattila, Akiko Suwa‐Eisenmann , and 3 more

efisherwx.bsky.social
Eric Fisher @efisherwx.bsky.social · 12d
Aurora color guide! What creates the different shades?

Different atoms getting "excited" at different altitudes

The bright reds are a sign of a particularly intense event

Reposted by Urška Demšar

vincentledvina.bsky.social
Vincent Ledvina @vincentledvina.bsky.social · 12d
The Kp has reached a maximum value of 9- so far during this event. This is the same as the October 2024 storm in terms of Kp, but still shy of a G5 classification which needs a full Kp 9. Still very impressive, though!

Reposted by Urška Demšar

stephyardley.bsky.social
SolarSteph 🌞 @stephyardley.bsky.social · 12d
Here’s our one-two-three punch! 🥊 🥊🥊 According to the latest run of the HUXt model the third CME is expected to impact on 13th November at around 13 UT. This is going to be a tiring couple of days 😅 #SpaceWeather #StephsStormWatch

Reposted by Dawn J. Wright, Urška Demšar

platialanalysis.bsky.social
Platial Analysis Lab @platialanalysis.bsky.social · 12d
The program for the 6th Spatial Data Science Symposium is now online. Registration will open soon. The symposium is Dec 4 & 5. Plan to check out the Thematic Sessions, Paper Sessions, Emerging Researchers Panel, Keynotes, and Interview. sdss2025.spatial-data-science.net/program.html

Reposted by Urška Demšar

vincentledvina.bsky.social
Vincent Ledvina @vincentledvina.bsky.social · 12d
NOAA SWPC has modeled the X5.1 CME, and it's a strong one! Impact is around Nov 12, 14 UT. A G4/Kp 8/SEVERE geomagnetic storm watch has been issued for Nov 12.

#heliophysics #aurora #spaceweather

Reposted by Urška Demšar

robinlovelace.bsky.social
Robin Lovelace @robinlovelace.bsky.social · 13d
The 10th Mobile Tartu Conference & PhD School will take place June 7-10, 2026, in Tartu, Estonia! Celebrating two decades of human mobility studies with a focus on large origin-destination datasets. Learn more and sign-up here: mobiletartu.ut.ee #MobileTartu #HumanMobility #Transport #DataScience
Mobile Tartu Conference 2026 – Mobile Tartu Conference is organized by The Mobility Lab of the University of Tartu. Mobile Tartu Conference focuses on mobile big data analytics for just and sustainable societies..
The Mobility Lab of the University of Tartu welcomes you to the 10th Mobile Tartu Conference!
mobiletartu.ut.ee

Reposted by Dorothy Bishop, Colin F. Camerer, Ben C. Sheldon , and 35 more

hansonmark.bsky.social
Mark A. Hanson @hansonmark.bsky.social · 13d
We wrote the Strain on scientific publishing to highlight the problems of time & trust. With a fantastic group of co-authors, we present The Drain of Scientific Publishing:

a 🧵 1/n

Drain: arxiv.org/abs/2511.04820
Strain: direct.mit.edu/qss/article/...
Oligopoly: direct.mit.edu/qss/article/...
A table showing profit margins of major publishers. A snippet of text related to this table is below. 1. The four-fold drain 1.1 Money Currently, academic publishing is dominated by profit-oriented, multinational companies for whom scientific knowledge is a commodity to be sold back to the academic community who created it. The dominant four are Elsevier, Springer Nature, Wiley and Taylor & Francis, which collectively generated over US$7.1 billion in revenue from journal publishing in 2024 alone, and over US$12 billion in profits between 2019 and 2024 (Table 1A). Their profit margins have always been over 30% in the last five years, and for the largest publisher (Elsevier) always over 37%. Against many comparators, across many sectors, scientific publishing is one of the most consistently profitable industries (Table S1). These financial arrangements make a substantial difference to science budgets. In 2024, 46% of Elsevier revenues and 53% of Taylor & Francis revenues were generated in North America, meaning that North American researchers were charged over US$2.27 billion by just two for-profit publishers. The Canadian research councils and the US National Science Foundation were allocated US$9.3 billion in that year. A figure detailing the drain on researcher time. 1. The four-fold drain 1.2 Time The number of papers published each year is growing faster than the scientific workforce, with the number of papers per researcher almost doubling between 1996 and 2022 (Figure 1A). This reflects the fact that publishers’ commercial desire to publish (sell) more material has aligned well with the competitive prestige culture in which publications help secure jobs, grants, promotions, and awards. To the extent that this growth is driven by a pressure for profit, rather than scholarly imperatives, it distorts the way researchers spend their time. The publishing system depends on unpaid reviewer labour, estimated to be over 130 million unpaid hours annually in 2020 alone (9). Researchers have complained about the demands of peer-review for decades, but the scale of the problem is now worse, with editors reporting widespread difficulties recruiting reviewers. The growth in publications involves not only the authors’ time, but that of academic editors and reviewers who are dealing with so many review demands. Even more seriously, the imperative to produce ever more articles reshapes the nature of scientific inquiry. Evidence across multiple fields shows that more papers result in ‘ossification’, not new ideas (10). It may seem paradoxical that more papers can slow progress until one considers how it affects researchers’ time. While rewards remain tied to volume, prestige, and impact of publications, researchers will be nudged away from riskier, local, interdisciplinary, and long-term work. The result is a treadmill of constant activity with limited progress whereas core scholarly practices – such as reading, reflecting and engaging with others’ contributions – is de-prioritized. What looks like productivity often masks intellectual exhaustion built on a demoralizing, narrowing scientific vision. A table of profit margins across industries. The section of text related to this table is below: 1. The four-fold drain 1.1 Money Currently, academic publishing is dominated by profit-oriented, multinational companies for whom scientific knowledge is a commodity to be sold back to the academic community who created it. The dominant four are Elsevier, Springer Nature, Wiley and Taylor & Francis, which collectively generated over US$7.1 billion in revenue from journal publishing in 2024 alone, and over US$12 billion in profits between 2019 and 2024 (Table 1A). Their profit margins have always been over 30% in the last five years, and for the largest publisher (Elsevier) always over 37%. Against many comparators, across many sectors, scientific publishing is one of the most consistently profitable industries (Table S1). These financial arrangements make a substantial difference to science budgets. In 2024, 46% of Elsevier revenues and 53% of Taylor & Francis revenues were generated in North America, meaning that North American researchers were charged over US$2.27 billion by just two for-profit publishers. The Canadian research councils and the US National Science Foundation were allocated US$9.3 billion in that year. The costs of inaction are plain: wasted public funds, lost researcher time, compromised scientific integrity and eroded public trust. Today, the system rewards commercial publishers first, and science second. Without bold action from the funders we risk continuing to pour resources into a system that prioritizes profit over the advancement of scientific knowledge.

Reposted by Urška Demšar

stephyardley.bsky.social
SolarSteph 🌞 @stephyardley.bsky.social · 14d
📊 Latest HUXt forecast shows 2 CMEs from AR4274 arriving on 12 Nov at ~4 & 15UT respectively. AR4274 is delivering a one-two punch!⚡️🥊 G2+ storm conditions increasingly likely. Aurora prospects strong for northern UK despite poor weather forecast.
#SpaceWeather #StephsStormWatch

Reposted by Urška Demšar

vincentledvina.bsky.social
Vincent Ledvina @vincentledvina.bsky.social · 14d
Direct hit! A beautiful, full-halo CME is now leaving the Sun following the X1.2 flare, and it's heading right for us. We'll have to see what the models think about this one, but we now have two Earth-directed CMEs coming at us and a good chance for geomagnetic storms Nov 11-12.

Reposted by Urška Demšar

mobileharv.bsky.social
Harvey J. Miller @mobileharv.bsky.social · 15d
Name one thing the Romans have done for us
‘Google Maps’ for Roman roads reveals vast extent of ancient network
A high-resolution digital map nearly doubles the known length of the ancient road network.
www.nature.com

Reposted by Urška Demšar

cloudymamma.bsky.social
Cloudymamma @cloudymamma.bsky.social · 17d
Friday flyover…

daily for weeks we hear the noise of literally thousands of pink footed geese travelling south filling the skies over the Scottish Highlands

This is only a small bunch this morning, you hear them coming long before you see them !

@rspbscotland.bsky.social #Birds #Scotland