Mike Simpson
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mdsimpson.co.uk
Mike Simpson
@mdsimpson.co.uk
Professional nerd, father, photographer, gamer, aspiring writer, sci-fi addict and code monkey.

- RSE at @ncl-rse.bsky.social
- Vice-president of @society-rse.org
- @softwaresaved.bsky.social Fellow

My views are my own 🇺🇦 🏳️‍🌈 🏳️‍⚧️

https://linktr.ee/mdsimpson
Reposted by Mike Simpson
💬 In our latest blog post #SSIFellow @mdsimpson.co.uk tells us more about delivering his “ConveRSE - Let’s Talk About Mental Health” talk at The Alan Turing Institute. Find out more about it and read the full story at www.software.ac.uk/blog/mental-...
January 15, 2026 at 2:57 PM
The recording of my "Let's Talk About Mental Health" talk from #RSECon25 is now online. The audio quality isn't great, but this is the full, extended discussion of what I've been up to on my @softwaresaved.bsky.social fellowship.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zup4...
ConveRSE - Let's Talk About Mental Health - Mike Simpson
Recorded at RSECon25 at Warwick University Sep 9-11 2025 https://rsecon25.society-rse.org/ Slides and full citation details: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17968167
www.youtube.com
January 8, 2026 at 8:00 AM
Reposted by Mike Simpson
Labour has good idea shock

From the new Private Eye, out now.
December 24, 2025 at 9:35 AM
The fact that these morons haven't realised yet that arresting her is only amplifying her message! 🤦🏻‍♂️
December 23, 2025 at 1:03 PM
The 12th (ish) and final game of my Year of Gaming challenge is Deliver Us Mars, an atmospheric, single-player story that I really enjoyed, despite not having played its predecessor.

mdsimpson.co.uk/2025/12/deli...
Deliver Us Mars – Year of Gaming 2025 – Mike Simpson
And so we reach month 12 and game 12(ish) of my 2025 Year of Gaming challenge. This month, I decided to play another game that’s been sitting in my library for a while; something a little different…
mdsimpson.co.uk
December 23, 2025 at 12:42 PM
I do so love getting packages from The Discworld Emporium (@discworldemporium.bsky.social).

(Spoiler alert, some of you may be getting Hogswatch presents from the #Discworld Emporium!)
December 23, 2025 at 12:23 PM
In this year's production of A Christmas Carol, the role of Scrooge will be played by... #Dog #BassetHound
December 14, 2025 at 5:06 PM
I know what I'm using as my out of office message this year! 🎄
December 13, 2025 at 10:56 PM
It's that time of year, when every app I open is trying to force me to look back on a year I'd rather not think about ever again! 🎁
December 13, 2025 at 12:51 PM
Only slightly disappointed not to be one of the new fellows anymore!

Congratulations everyone!
🧭 We are happy to announce our new #SSIFellows! Read more about this year's applications and the 2026 cohort at www.software.ac.uk/news/introdu...
December 11, 2025 at 8:45 PM
Reposted by Mike Simpson
💬 In our latest blog post #SSIFellow @mdsimpson.co.uk tells us more about his many roles at RSECon25 and his experience delivering a talk about mental health and the ConveRSE project. Find out more at
www.software.ac.uk/blog/convers...
December 8, 2025 at 10:24 AM
Mike's talking about himself in the third-person again! 😉

As an added bonus, there are some ConveRSE stickers on our stand and the SSI stand too.
If you're at #CIUK2025, come and say hi to Mike at our stand. We're in the Research Zone with our friends from The SSI (@softwaresaved.bsky.social), CAKE and more.
December 4, 2025 at 8:45 AM
The next game I chose for the challenge is Battlestar Galactica: Deadlock - a game that you can no longer actually buy. But I'm going to review it anyway!

mdsimpson.co.uk/2025/12/batt...
Battlestar Galactica: Deadlock – Year of Gaming 2025 – Mike Simpson
I had a few things lined up on my to-do list, but I wanted to try something a bit different from the other games I’ve been playing recently. And so, I started playing Battlestar Galactica: Deadlock.
mdsimpson.co.uk
December 4, 2025 at 8:00 AM
Reposted by Mike Simpson
Check out LABYRINTH, Vol. 0 - a collection of sci-fi and fantasy stories and artwork by @wraithmarked.bsky.social
and @hellofutureme.bsky.social on @kickstarter.com.

www.kickstarter.com/projects/wra...
LABYRINTH, Vol. 0
A new fantasy/sci-fi collection helmed by HelloFutureMe!
www.kickstarter.com
November 4, 2025 at 7:11 PM
I think I might be cursed!

I'm still going to carry on with my review of the game for my Year of Gaming challenge, but by the time it comes out, you won't be able to buy it! 😂
November 13, 2025 at 8:01 AM
Reposted by Mike Simpson
You hit our funding goal in just 🔥🎆⚔️ 39 MINUTES! 🔥🎆⚔️THANK YOU. $44,000 in a single day. But we want LABYRINTH to be a place you can submit YOUR stories, your writing one day, paid at professional rates, and to do that—we need to go for stretch goals.
LABYRINTH, Vol. 0
A new fantasy/sci-fi collection helmed by HelloFutureMe!
www.kickstarter.com
November 5, 2025 at 3:27 PM
CinemaSins getting a bit too real in their Thunderbolts video!
November 11, 2025 at 8:01 AM
Check out LABYRINTH, Vol. 0 - a collection of sci-fi and fantasy stories and artwork by @wraithmarked.bsky.social
and @hellofutureme.bsky.social on @kickstarter.com.

www.kickstarter.com/projects/wra...
LABYRINTH, Vol. 0
A new fantasy/sci-fi collection helmed by HelloFutureMe!
www.kickstarter.com
November 4, 2025 at 7:11 PM
Reposted by Mike Simpson
Good.

This isn't instead of a proper wealth tax though, right, Rachel?
November 3, 2025 at 11:55 AM
The October game for my Year of Gaming challenge is one of the more recent purchases in my Steam backlog - Tales of Kenzera: Zau.

mdsimpson.co.uk/2025/10/tale...
Tales of Kenzera: Zau – Year of Gaming 2025
Autumn is well and truly here, and for my October game, it’s time to check out one of the more recent purchases in my Steam backlog.
mdsimpson.co.uk
November 1, 2025 at 10:00 AM
Reposted by Mike Simpson
Minority representation on TV causes outrage

From the new Private Eye, in shops now.
October 29, 2025 at 12:01 PM
I actually got to try out a few demos during this year's Next Fest, including Star Trek: Voyager – Across the Unknown, MARVEL Cosmic Invasion and The Oversight Bureau.

So, what did I think?

mdsimpson.co.uk/2025/10/next...
Next Fest 2025 Roundup – Mike Simpson
I got through the October game in my Year of Gaming challenge faster than expected, which gave me a chance to dive into some of the demos in this year’s Steam Next Fest.
mdsimpson.co.uk
October 25, 2025 at 9:01 AM
Reposted by Mike Simpson
Thank you to everyone who came to my talk at #RSECon25, and all the others over the last few months. It's been amazing to hear all the kind words and to see all the support for better #MentalHealth in our community.

Let's keep the conversation going: mdsimpson42.github.io/converse/joi...
October 8, 2025 at 7:01 AM
Reposted by Mike Simpson
ID cards would cost billions, be full of errors and won’t reduce irregular migration.

They haven’t worked in Europe or anywhere in the world, and they won’t work here

Take action and stop the ID card scheme 👇
https://action.goodlawproject.org/tell-keir-starmer-to-scrap-his-id-card-scheme
Tell Keir Starmer to scrap his ID card scheme
With his government in turmoil and Nigel Farage breathing down his neck, Keir Starmer has reached for the panic button, announcing a scheme for ID cards that would be compulsory to prove your right to...
action.goodlawproject.org
October 16, 2025 at 6:26 AM
Reposted by Mike Simpson
Today is #InternationalRSEDay! In our latest blog post, we share some of our team's biggest achievements and success stories from the last 12 month. #RSEDay2025

medium.com/newcastle-un...
Celebrating International RSE Day 2025
The 9th of October is International RSE Day 2025. This is a chance to celebrate the work of Research Software Engineers (RSEs) around the…
medium.com
October 9, 2025 at 7:30 AM