Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Helena Pérez Valle @helenapvalle.bsky.social · 2d

Also, people are sleeping on Honey. Honey is the Delicate of this album. (No, I’m not saying it’s as good as Delicate but it is the most intimate love song in this album. Even if I don’t necessarily like the whole “bitched called me honey/sweetheart just to put me down” motif).

Helena Pérez Valle @helenapvalle.bsky.social · 3d

shame to have her be just really good.

Helena Pérez Valle @helenapvalle.bsky.social · 3d

while ago) that people stop giving them honest criticism. And I have to wonder if that’s what’s happening here. Either that her collaborators think she can do no wrong or that they know it’s gonna sell anyway.
I hope it’s not the case. I love TS and I think she can be brilliant. It would be a ->

1

Helena Pérez Valle @helenapvalle.bsky.social · 3d

disappointment with the album. The lyric writing isn’t as tight as it should be.
TS has made her name partly for her lyrics and storytelling and I have to wonder whether in this case she’s simply had less editing. It happens to many of the greats when they hit it big (though Taylor hit it big a ->

1

Helena Pérez Valle @helenapvalle.bsky.social · 3d

Obviously, my feelings about Life of a Showgirl (the song) reveal my second (minor) disappointment with this album. It’s not what I expected. I wanted more storytelling, in a fun boppy way. But that’s ok: Taylor is an expert in giving us what we need, not what we want.
Which brings me to my main ->

1

Helena Pérez Valle @helenapvalle.bsky.social · 3d

a little wink to the gaylors.
And then there’s Life of a Showgirl. Here, I get what I had hoped the album would be. A story that reflects back on the singers. The feeling of the showgirl world.
The way Samantha sings “took pills and played tennis” scratches my brain just right. A hit for me.

1

Helena Pérez Valle @helenapvalle.bsky.social · 3d

bad bitch) fantastic, and has one of my favourite bridges in the album, which is coincidentally the point in the album where I most feel like I’m getting a glimpse into her feelings for Travis.
Actually Romantic is a lot of fun, and the bridge (TS’s signature) slaps. Also, I personally see it as ->

1

Helena Pérez Valle @helenapvalle.bsky.social · 3d

definitely Ruin the Friendship. The beautiful runs. The imagery. The specifics. The gut wrenching turn at the end. It’s close to a perfect TS song. The writing is tight for this one. But this is not me saying that TS can only write sad songs.
Eldest Daughter is (despite the rhyming of savage and ->

1

Helena Pérez Valle @helenapvalle.bsky.social · 3d

the imagery. It’s a very and very abstract song for me, almost feels like it could have been written by anyone. I want the specifics of Taylor.
But these are the two songs I like the least in this album, and we have ten more songs that are in my view a lot better.
My particular highlight is ->

1

Helena Pérez Valle @helenapvalle.bsky.social · 3d

about a bad situation (one that is annoying right now but likely temporary) that needs to be weathered. That’s not upbeat. What’s the storm inside a teacup she and her love have to shelter from? Essentially, I find the writing here not always on theme.
In Fate of Ophelia, again, I’m missing the ->

1

Helena Pérez Valle @helenapvalle.bsky.social · 3d

being a slightly cliched sentence, what does this mean in context? This song is meant to be about how she’s finally found someone who brightens up her sky. That’s quite a dark line for that context. Similarly, “this is just a storm inside a teacup/a temporary speed bump”. She’s clearly talking ->

1

Helena Pérez Valle @helenapvalle.bsky.social · 3d

talking about a very specific problem she has with how people view her and her dating life and then she tells a very specific story about running into her ex with their girlfriend at a party. It’s razor sharp and specific. In Opalite, Taylor sings “Life is a song, it ends when it ends”. Besides ->

1

Helena Pérez Valle @helenapvalle.bsky.social · 3d

very specific imagery, and specific situations (I think she gets this style from country). Neither Opalite nor Fate of Ophelia fall into this category of writing. I’ll admit they’re bops, but many of Taylor’s previous bops (e.g. Shake it Off) also tell a specific story. In Shake it off she’s ->

1

Helena Pérez Valle @helenapvalle.bsky.social · 3d

I’ve been listening to LOAS for almost a week now (yay!), and I think I can now give my thoughts on the album. My first impression was not good. I don’t like the lead single and I also do not like Opalite. I think the writing there doesn’t work. I think TS is especially strong when she conjures ->

1

Helena Pérez Valle @helenapvalle.bsky.social · 5d

Why is beehiv superior? I’ve been considering publishing some writing and have no idea where’s good.

1

Helena Pérez Valle @helenapvalle.bsky.social · 8d

Well… fuck me.

Helena Pérez Valle @helenapvalle.bsky.social · 11d

Jane Goodall’s died. Her books were part of what got me into biology. Sad to lose such a powerful voice especially considering the rate of destruction of ecosystems she fought to protect.

Helena Pérez Valle @helenapvalle.bsky.social · 11d

Yes, they should be told, but if you don’t know who it is, start with the present editor who can clarify with the authors. Hopefully there’s some sort of error (data was meant to be released and wasn’t),

2

Helena Pérez Valle @helenapvalle.bsky.social · 11d

In first instance, contact the editor of the paper you are reviewing. They should be able to raise this with the authors. Depending on their response, and whether the previous article was published with the same journal, go from there.

1

Helena Pérez Valle @helenapvalle.bsky.social · 18d

I first learned about Huntington’s in the earlyish 2000s. My dad was reading Genome and told me about it. It’s one of the reasons I became interested in genetics. In my lifetime, we’ve gone from discovering its genetic basis to treating it with gene therapy.
It’s magical. Science opens doors.

1

Reposted by Helena Pérez Valle

Jo Wolfe, PhD @jopabinia.bsky.social · 20d

🚨 Exciting new crab preprint! A Japanese team found that sideways walking only evolved once! Maybe carcinization itself is necessary but not sufficient to go sideways?

When it's lost, the species that go forward have alternate anti predation behaviors. 🧪🦑🦀

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Evolution of sideways locomotion in crabs

The evolutionary change in the mode of locomotion is often a major evolutionary event, triggering diversification. Sideways locomotion is a defining feature of true crabs (Brachyura) and may have cont...

www.biorxiv.org

4 18 75

Helena Pérez Valle @helenapvalle.bsky.social · 20d

This is a really cool thread of cool pictures and cool scientists!

David Ho @davidho.bsky.social · May 23

If you’re a climate/energy person, I will take your portrait pro bono.

George Monbiot @georgemonbiot.bsky.social · May 23

After far too many years, I've got myself a new Guardian byline pic, very kindly taken pro bono by Nick Bowring. It was getting like The Picture of Dorian Gray in reverse.
Embrace the ravages of time!

Reposted by Helena Pérez Valle

Mekka Okereke @mekka.mekka-tech.com · Sep 8

It's 2025, and there are still people that haven't accepted the fact that there is no path out of this mess that doesn't involve:

1) People that aren't Black...

2) Advocating for, and fighting for...

3) People that are Black.

None.

3 130 990

Reposted by Helena Pérez Valle

Mekka Okereke @mekka.mekka-tech.com · Sep 8

Yes, I've praised some of Einstein's views, and been critical of some of his views. That's not contradictory at all. That's how it's supposed to work.

I'm not saying Einstein never had a bad take.

I'm saying that Einstein recognized that "Science is neutral! It doesn't have politics!"🤡 is silly.

2 56 860

Helena Pérez Valle @helenapvalle.bsky.social · Sep 10

They’re really cool! Are these ones you have? A great library, may start adding to my reading list.

1