Keith Smith 🪴🔭💻
fernleaf07.bsky.social
Keith Smith 🪴🔭💻
@fernleaf07.bsky.social
Fern enthusiast, occasional astronomer, writer of software that runs machines (firmware)

Fernleaf07.wordpress.com
https://www.youtube.com/@fernleaf07
Westport Astronomical Society
https://was-ct.org
Pinned
I received many followers in the last few days, many even today! Thank you. I hope my posts, especially about ferns, will be worth your while.

A fern picture to close this post.

[974]
[Alt]
New book on its way! For the last few years I’ve been working on ‘The First Hundred Hours, a story of Alien Invasion.’ Updates coming soon!
December 27, 2025 at 11:40 PM
Reposted by Keith Smith 🪴🔭💻
My final paper from my postdoc with @trevorrife.bsky.social is out! If you've ever manually counted or sorted seeds, sampled tissue with a hole punch, filled tubes or plates with beads/seeds this is for you!
dx.doi.org/10.1002/csc2...

Get the designs free here:
www.printables.com/model/135088...
Three‐dimensional‐printed tools to democratize global plant research
Affordable, customizable three-dimensional (3D)-printed tools can replace costly commercial equipment making plant research more accessible worldwide. 3D-printed tools improve speed, accuracy, and v...
dx.doi.org
December 26, 2025 at 4:45 PM
Reposted by Keith Smith 🪴🔭💻
If you're a multi-messenger astrophysicist 🔭🧪 with a particular interest in gravitational waves and neutrinos, please consider applying to our open faculty position within @grappainstitute.bsky.social at the University of Amsterdam. It's a great place to work, and AMS is a great place to live!!
Vacancy — Faculty position in GRAPPA Center of Excellence
<p>Do you enjoy working in an interdisciplinary research setting and do you want to be active in the area of gravitational-wave and multi-messenger astrophysics? The Gravitation and Astroparticle Physics Amsterdam (<a href="https://www.grappa.amsterdam/">GRAPPA</a>) Centre of Excellence at The University of Amsterdam is seeking to hire one assistant/associate professor. We are especially interested in candidates that can strengthen our connection to current and future gravitational-wave, neutrino, and electromagnetic observatories. We have a strong preference for a staff member who enhances the diversity of our staff and will prioritize applicants from members of underrepresented groups.</p>
werkenbij.uva.nl
December 27, 2025 at 1:25 PM
Reposted by Keith Smith 🪴🔭💻
Wow, xmas morning wind gusts up to 114 mph on Mount Hamilton, east of San Jose. Damaged the Lick Observatory. 🔭 🧪 bsky.app/profile/look...
December 26, 2025 at 8:54 PM
Reposted by Keith Smith 🪴🔭💻
In what could plausibly represent a Christmas miracle* SFU Geography has two (2) new tenure track hires. One is urban/climate, which I will repost below. The other is a Landscape Ecologist. Please share ... #academicsky

*actually just the good decisions of our new Dean
www.sfu.ca/geography/ab...
Assistant Professor of Landscape Ecology
www.sfu.ca
December 24, 2025 at 5:03 PM
Reposted by Keith Smith 🪴🔭💻
Fully-Funded PhD in Human Origins – University of Tübingen, Germany.
PhD role in archaeology & paleoecology.
Eligibility: Master’s degree.
Deadline: 31 January 2026.
Apply: higherjobz.com/fully-funded...

#AcademicJobs #ArchaeologyJobs #Paleoanthropology #GermanyJobs @unituebingen.bsky.social
Fully-Funded PhD in Human Origins at Tübingen, Germany | HigherJobz
Apply for a fully funded PhD in Human Origins at University of Tübingen, Germany. Eligibility is master’s degree. Deadline: 31 Jan 2026.
higherjobz.com
December 24, 2025 at 12:12 PM
Reposted by Keith Smith 🪴🔭💻
Telescope Types

xkcd.com/3182/
December 22, 2025 at 9:04 PM
Cacti at Dessert Greenhouse of Botanical Gardens of University of Bern, Botanischer Garten der Universität Bern

#cactus
December 20, 2025 at 9:45 PM
Reposted by Keith Smith 🪴🔭💻
Have you got a PhD in Statistics (or related field) and experience in Statistical Consulting? A continuing position at the Australian National University is now open 🇦🇺🦘🐨.

Would love to get an #rstats person if possible ☺️

Apply by 18 Jan 👉 jobs.anu.edu.au/jobs/course-... #statssky #statsky
Course Coordinator - Canberra / ACT, ACT, Australia
Classification: Academic Level BSalary package: $121,598 – 137,870 per annum plus 17% superannuation Terms: Full-time, Continuing (flexible arrangements, job share, or part time hours will be consider...
jobs.anu.edu.au
December 19, 2025 at 4:08 AM
Ginkgo tree at Botanical Garden of University of Bern, Botanischer Garten der Universität Bern
#tree #Bern
December 19, 2025 at 2:28 AM
Reposted by Keith Smith 🪴🔭💻
The Clavel Group is recruiting a new postdoc for two possible projects dealing with plant-virus interactions and selective autophagy! More (wordy) details below ⬇️🌱🦠
December 16, 2025 at 5:15 PM
Reposted by Keith Smith 🪴🔭💻
Confirmed now by a reputable source.
Rob Reiner, who directed such beloved Hollywood classics as 'This Is Spinal Tap,' 'Stand by Me' and 'When Harry Met Sally' after starring in the trailblazing sitcom 'All in the Family,' died Sunday along with his wife, Michele, in their Brentwood home. bit.ly/48UWXSi
December 15, 2025 at 3:43 AM
Reposted by Keith Smith 🪴🔭💻
As an author, when I see reviewer-requested experiments, the only conclusion I can reach is they don’t want to see the research published. If two out of three reviewers requested for additional experiments, I will simply try another journal.
December 13, 2025 at 11:20 PM
Reposted by Keith Smith 🪴🔭💻
✨ Paper spotlight ✨

(🧵 1/7) … Root cell wall plasticity in iron homeostasis: An overlooked frontier in plant nutrition
nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
December 10, 2025 at 5:19 AM
Reposted by Keith Smith 🪴🔭💻
Edible plant families:
Actinidiaceae🥝
Apiaceae🥕
Arecaceae🥥
Bromeliaceae🍍
Ericaceae🫐
Fagaceae🌰
Lauraceae🥑
Musaceae🍌
Oleaceae🫒
Vitaceae🍇
Amaryllidaceae🧄🧅
Asteraceae🥬🌻
Fabaceae🥜🫘
Poaceae🌽🌾
Rutaceae🍊🍋
Cucurbitaceae🥒🎃🍉🍈
Solanaceae🍆🥔🍅🌶️🫑
Rosaceae🍏🍎🍐🍓🍑🍒
December 9, 2025 at 10:29 PM
Reposted by Keith Smith 🪴🔭💻
How plants push roots through hard soil.

Researchers have discovered how plant roots penetrate compacted soil by deploying a well-known engineering principle.
How plants push roots through hard soil
Researchers have discovered how plant roots penetrate compacted soil by deploying a well-known engineering principle.
www.futurity.org
December 6, 2025 at 2:53 PM
Reposted by Keith Smith 🪴🔭💻
Comprehensive analysis of proteins associated with light responses and stress tolerance in the gametophyte of the fern Dryopteris affinis ssp. affinis https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2025.12.05.692567v1
December 5, 2025 at 4:01 PM
Reposted by Keith Smith 🪴🔭💻
Fay-Wei Li was interviewed by Ologies Podcast, a top 5 science show in Apple podcasts! Tune in to hear about fern evolution, ferns not to have in your house, the most expensive ferns, tastiest ferns, mathematical mysteries, and a genome that makes no sense. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/p...
Pteridology (FERNS) with Fay-Wei Li
Podcast Episode · Ologies with Alie Ward · 12/03/2025 · 1h 4m
podcasts.apple.com
December 4, 2025 at 3:49 PM
Reposted by Keith Smith 🪴🔭💻
Looking for a #PhDposition in #PlantScience ?
Our #IMPRS @mpi-mp-potsdam.bsky.social and @unipotsdam.bsky.social is #hiring !

📅 Apply by 10 January 2026

More info:
👉 www.mpimp-golm.mpg.de/IMPRS-PhD

Please share this post to plant it in the right feed 🌱 #PlantSciJobs
November 28, 2025 at 8:05 AM
Matonia pectinata is a beautifully-shaped fern, and the family it belongs to can be traced back to the Late Triassic. When researching I often make reference sheets like this of the most useful figures, photos & illustrations I can find. Most pics from iNaturalist or Flickr. #paleobotany #botany
November 29, 2025 at 2:12 AM
Reposted by Keith Smith 🪴🔭💻
November 28, 2025 at 1:15 PM
Reposted by Keith Smith 🪴🔭💻
Why aren’t there square trees or mammals with wheels?

A new study of fern stems shows how linked traits — developmental constraints — shape the limits and possibilities of evolution.

buff.ly/CeWtabg
🧪🌱
Fern stems reveal secrets of evolution – how constraints in development can lead to new forms
Is an organism a sum of its parts, or should they be considered as a whole? New research on ferns shows how the way scientists understand evolution affects how they study life.
buff.ly
November 26, 2025 at 5:35 AM
Reposted by Keith Smith 🪴🔭💻
Applications due by Dec. 1st.
Our department at UBC is hiring for a professor of forest ecophysiology, including "tree ecophysiology; plant abiotic or biotic stress physiology; forest mortality and climate change responses; forest carbon balance; tree water relations; or nutrient use." Learn more at: tinyurl.com/5da56f5c
November 23, 2025 at 2:28 AM
Reposted by Keith Smith 🪴🔭💻
🔭
Interested in pursuing a PhD in Astrophysics?

The Centre for Astrophysics Research @herts.ac.uk is advertising many projects, including some I'm supervising on Galaxies, Black Holes and Cosmology!

Deadline: February 2nd 2026

www.herts.ac.uk/research/cen...

#astro #cosmology #PhD #uniofherts
Research degrees and studentships
Postgraduate Research Opportunities
www.herts.ac.uk
November 18, 2025 at 1:37 AM
Reposted by Keith Smith 🪴🔭💻
🔍 Read: Scientists have discovered a fern from South China that naturally forms tiny crystals containing rare earth elements (REEs). This breakthrough opens the door to a promising new way of "green mining".

phys.org/news/2025-11...
Chinese team finds a fern that makes rare earth elements
Scientists have discovered a fern from South China that naturally forms tiny crystals containing rare earth elements (REEs). This breakthrough opens the door to a promising new way of "green mining"…
phys.org
November 15, 2025 at 12:56 PM