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Fergus Murray

@fergus.oolong.co.uk

7K followers 5.1K following 7.9K posts

Monotropic writer, science tutor, autistic community organiser and independent researcher. Based in Edinburgh. Formerly @MxOolong elsewhere. they/them. https://linktr.ee/0olong

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Pinned

Fergus Murray @fergus.oolong.co.uk · Jan 24

I thought I might make a pinned thread of my threads here (some of which are effectively photo albums) starting with this long Introductory thread:

bsky.app/profile/ferg...

Fergus Murray @fergus.oolong.co.uk · Nov 14

Hi everyone!

I'm Fergus Murray. I'm a science person, writer of nonfiction, and #Autistic community organiser (Chair of @amasedin.bsky.social). Also #ADHD, but I often just say I'm monotropic.

I'm here to post and learn more about #neurodiversity, politics, science, language and other things.

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Fergus Murray @fergus.oolong.co.uk · 26m

Why are you so determined to defend a party that refuses to make our electoral system more democratic, even though it would definitely prevent a Reform majority, and which keeps telling people Reform are basically right about immigration, while persecuting trans and disabled people?

Demand better.

Reposted by Fergus Murray

reed eliot 🤌 🤌 @reedeliot.bsky.social · 10h

Hundreds of people

Did you all know you can be one of hundreds of people keeping your neighbors safe?

Practice early and often.

Slackermom @slackermom.bsky.social · 11h

Was just at a neighborhood school at dismissal. Hundreds of people with whistles surrounding the school and stationed down every block making sure ICE doesn’t snatch anyone. The same is happening at all the schools around here. I love my neighborhood and I love Chicago.

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Fergus Murray @fergus.oolong.co.uk · 45m

A beautiful poem by Cryptonaturalist @jarodkanderson.bsky.social about reframing the past.

www.patreon.com/posts/140934...

Until | Cryptonaturalist

www.patreon.com

Reposted by Fergus Murray

Adam Serwer @adamserwer.bsky.social · 1d

www.wweek.com/culture/2025...

Can you put into words what that purpose is? You and the frog have really become icons of this protest.

There’s been a nice overall whimsy that has shown up. The frog is amazing. We had a bunch of other inflatable people here last night, too. I saw people playing Twister the other day.

What they rely on is fear. So by coming out in an absurdist manner, it speaks to them, to some extent, that we’re actually not that afraid.

It also dismantles their narrative a little bit. When they try to describe this situation as “war-torn,” it becomes much harder to take them seriously when they have to post a video saying [U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security] Kristi Noem is up on the balcony staring over the Antifa Army and it’s, like, eight journalists and five protesters and one of them is in a chicken suit.

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Fergus Murray @fergus.oolong.co.uk · 11h

Petition to send @stevemould.bsky.social to space

youtu.be/NtZaP8VMv0c?...

NASA took my bead experiment to the ISS

YouTube video by Steve Mould

youtu.be

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Fergus Murray @fergus.oolong.co.uk · 11h

Yeah, that was true as long as a large chunk of the left thought it had a home in the Labour Party - even when it rarely had much influence.

It was very efficient at sucking people in, because the electoral system is so hostile to parties outside of the Big Two.

Fergus Murray @fergus.oolong.co.uk · 12h

I can't help but suspect that at least some of the people most responsible for this strategy knew full well that it'd be a disaster for the party, but there must have been others who genuinely lacked the political insight to foresee that the left would find somewhere else to go. Also right, centre.🤦🏼‍♀️

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Fergus Murray @fergus.oolong.co.uk · 13h

My dominant emotion about what's happened to the Labour Party is still bitterly angry, but I it is also very funny that the ruling clique seems to have thought that alienating the left and chasing the bigot vote would be a winning strategy for them.

This was predictable.
youtu.be/6D95iJr5w_g?...

How Far Can The Green Party Go?

YouTube video by Politicoteacher

youtu.be

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Reposted by Fergus Murray

🇨🇦 🇫🇯 @docautie.bsky.social · 1d

We just published "Decolonizing autism research: Integrating indigenous ways of knowing, being, and doing" journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...

Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.

journals.sagepub.com

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Reposted by Fergus Murray

aslynn's tremendous 'tism horror show 👻 🎃 @audhd-psychnp.com · 1d

#AutRes Results and Importance: The findings indicate that peer-support programs generally have a positive impact, including improved self-esteem, academic performance, and overall well-being.

Impact of peer-support programs for individuals with autism: A systematic review - Monica HM Verkooijen, Marjolijn Ketelaar, Max van Woerden, Wouter G Staal, Indira Tendolkar, Janneke R Zinkstok, 2025

The neurodiversity approach recognizes autism as a natural variation of human experience, emphasizing unique strengths while acknowledging social and behavioral...

journals.sagepub.com

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Reposted by Fergus Murray

Rory @roryreckons.bsky.social · 23h

As someone who loved the direction autism research was starting to head with more autistic researchersand autistic people included. Having a second fucking version of the Wakefield bullshit diverting millions of research dollars to chasing an absolute myth makes me livid to be honest.

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Fergus Murray @fergus.oolong.co.uk · 17h

Weirdness as resistance is a beautiful and important thing.
bsky.app/profile/elin...

Eel-AIEEEE @elindur.at.app.wafrn.net · 1d

There's a certain poetry to this. A frog was co-opted by the alt-right movement and turned into a fascist symbol. Now, the frogs are striking back against fascism. I love this. Also, STAY WEIRD, PORTLAND, you amazing, beautiful weirdos ;u;

The Oregonian @oregonian.com · 1d

Things are happening at Portland's ICE facility tonight.

Read more of our protest coverage here: www.oregonlive.com/crime/2025/1...

Fergus Murray @fergus.oolong.co.uk · 17h

I've never been to Portland, but there's a lot of it in the Weird Pride feed lately, and I approve.
bsky.app/profile/did:...

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Fergus Murray @fergus.oolong.co.uk · 22h

When you empty the dirt out of your roomba, and then you realise it's staring at you

A pile of fluff and dust, lying in a bin, with a single googly eye looking at me

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Reposted by Fergus Murray

The Nerve @thenerve.news · 1d

‘It feels good – and quite strange – to think I could vote for what I believe in…’

@natashawalter.bsky.social reports on why young women are flocking to @greenparty.org.uk, won over by @zackpolanski.bsky.social’s stance on topics such as Palestine, refugee rights and economic injustice 🌱

Photo of Zack Polanski. Text: Natasha Walter: why young women are flocking to the Greens

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Fergus Murray @fergus.oolong.co.uk · 1d

Excellent short video about the five tastes, and whether there could be 'artificial' versions of them, like the way there are artificial sweeteners. @stevemould.bsky.social

youtube.com/shorts/zoTuS...

Are you a super taster?

YouTube video by Steve Mould

youtube.com

Reposted by Fergus Murray

Stephanie Burgis @stephanieburgis.bsky.social · 1d

Awful and important.

These are real children suffering due to bigoted political movements. It has to stop. Let trans kids (and adults) be who they know themselves to be.

Sophie Molly @sophiemolly.co.uk · 1d

www.thepinknews.com/2025/10/09/n...

17-year-old trans girl's suicide over NHS wait times was preventable says coroner

A 17-year-old trans girl's death by suicide over NHS wait times could have been prevented with swift intervention, a coroner has ruled.

www.thepinknews.com

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Reposted by Fergus Murray

ABS @abs.ventures · 4d

Extraordinary. 'the BBC scrapped their interview with Polanski ... citing the need to cover last week’s Manchester synagogue terror attack.

Polanski, who is both Jewish, and from Manchester, was bumped by the show just days prior to airing, say the party.'

Byline Times @bylinetimes.bsky.social · 4d

🔴BBC Laura Kuenssberg Show Accused of Anti-Green Bias After Cancelling Zack Polanski Interview

The new Green Party leader was the only major party leader not to have been granted a conference interview on the flagship BBC show

bylinetimes.com/2025/10/06/b...

BBC Laura Kuenssberg Show Accused of Anti-Green Bias After Cancelling Zack Polanski Interview

The new Green Party leader was the only major party leader not to have been granted a conference interview on the flagship BBC show

bylinetimes.com

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Fergus Murray @fergus.oolong.co.uk · 1d

Some fallen sycamore leaves.
#Acer #Autumn

A close-up of a leaf with dramatic colouring: green-yellow veins, with deep brown areas been them.

A slightly backlit leaf, mostly sunset-red, with dirty green shades near the base.

A leaf with vivid red veins, with the areas in between ranging from yellow to red to orange to green, and back to yellow again.

A red leaf with paler areas between the veins.

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Fergus Murray @fergus.oolong.co.uk · 1d

Yeah, it's fine now.

Reposted by Fergus Murray

Mark Ungrin @mark-ungrin.bsky.social · 6d

Is there a field of psychology that helps people pushed into bad decisions escape the commitment-bias trap?

I.e. finding a way out for people who have done real harm, and keep doing more because the cognitive dissonance of facing what they've already done is too much to bear?

#MedSky

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Reposted by Fergus Murray

Kevin M. Kruse @kevinmkruse.bsky.social · 2d

Bray is a historian at Rutgers who received death threats after landing on Turning Points USA's Professor Watchlist. As a result, he announced he was moving to Europe. And then this happened.

This kind of harassment and abuse of scholars is Charlie Kirk's legacy and it's only getting worse.

Mark Bray @mark-bray.bsky.social · 2d

“Someone” cancelled my family’s flight out of the country at the last second.

We got our boarding passes. We checked our bags. Went through security. Then at our gate our reservation ‘disappeared.’

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Fergus Murray @fergus.oolong.co.uk · 1d

Pronounced Stow-knee?

Fergus Murray @fergus.oolong.co.uk · 2d

I hope your review gets accepted!

I have mixed feelings about spending thousands of words on things that are deeply annoying and shit, but there is something to be said for it.

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Fergus Murray @fergus.oolong.co.uk · 2d

In defence of not being able to pronounce Welsh placenames: the pure Welsh ones are beautifully phonetic for the most part, but I get bewildered by some of the ones that combine Welsh spelling with English...