Simon Higgins
@simonhiggins60.bsky.social
Emeritus Chemistry Prof., University of Liverpool. Still dabbling in molecular electronics. The rest of the time, I'm usually riding a bike, cooking (and eating) or reading. Volunteer at Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital.
Comment in PubPeer about a recent interesting JACS molecular electronics paper; an alternative interpretation of the results: pubpeer.com/publications...
PubPeer - Bidirectional Single-Molecule Photoconductors Based on ESIPT
There are comments on PubPeer for publication: Bidirectional Single-Molecule Photoconductors Based on ESIPT (2025)
pubpeer.com
January 26, 2026 at 12:59 PM
Comment in PubPeer about a recent interesting JACS molecular electronics paper; an alternative interpretation of the results: pubpeer.com/publications...
Trump's Davos speech reminded me of something- I've been trying since to figure out what. Now I've succeeded; his speech patterns are similar to those of the drug-addled, dreadful American gangster media employee, Kudzuvine, in Tom Sharpe's 'Grantchester Grind'.
January 24, 2026 at 5:40 PM
Trump's Davos speech reminded me of something- I've been trying since to figure out what. Now I've succeeded; his speech patterns are similar to those of the drug-addled, dreadful American gangster media employee, Kudzuvine, in Tom Sharpe's 'Grantchester Grind'.
A pleasant interaction with a driver today; waved thanks to an Audi (!) driver who waited for 20 s or so while I negotiated a dangerous LH bend in primary position, then overtook me leaving a lane. It still does happen, sometimes.
January 24, 2026 at 3:01 PM
A pleasant interaction with a driver today; waved thanks to an Audi (!) driver who waited for 20 s or so while I negotiated a dangerous LH bend in primary position, then overtook me leaving a lane. It still does happen, sometimes.
We had a German teacher, who was shuffled off to our high school after a discipline incident at the associated junior school, where he brought in a katana, unsheathed it and put it on his desk, saying he hoped everyone would now behave. This was the 1970's; stuff like that happened all the time.
On this day in 1945, XV launch an audacious attack on the Japanese stronghold at Kangaw, Burma led by 3 Commando.
General Claude Auchinleck examines a Japanese sword captured at Kangaw. (Author’s Collection)
Find out more in Jungle Commandos
https://bit.ly/3IYyMci
#History
General Claude Auchinleck examines a Japanese sword captured at Kangaw. (Author’s Collection)
Find out more in Jungle Commandos
https://bit.ly/3IYyMci
#History
January 23, 2026 at 8:31 PM
We had a German teacher, who was shuffled off to our high school after a discipline incident at the associated junior school, where he brought in a katana, unsheathed it and put it on his desk, saying he hoped everyone would now behave. This was the 1970's; stuff like that happened all the time.
I'm not normally a fan of graphical abstracts (always hated having to make them), but as a wrinkly Pink Floyd fan I can't resist a shout-out for this one, from David Suárez-García, Darío Coto and Rubén Vicente's review of cyclopropenes in photochemical reactions; Chem. Eur. J. 2026, e03281.
January 23, 2026 at 5:40 PM
I'm not normally a fan of graphical abstracts (always hated having to make them), but as a wrinkly Pink Floyd fan I can't resist a shout-out for this one, from David Suárez-García, Darío Coto and Rubén Vicente's review of cyclopropenes in photochemical reactions; Chem. Eur. J. 2026, e03281.
'Everyone talks about the minerals. There’s so many there’s no rare earth, no such thing as rare earth. There’s rare processing. But there’s so much rare earth. And to get to this rare earth, you got to go through hundreds of feet of ice…’ Demented Don; making Ronald Reagan look like Demosthenes.
January 23, 2026 at 10:33 AM
'Everyone talks about the minerals. There’s so many there’s no rare earth, no such thing as rare earth. There’s rare processing. But there’s so much rare earth. And to get to this rare earth, you got to go through hundreds of feet of ice…’ Demented Don; making Ronald Reagan look like Demosthenes.
Remarkable lack of self-awareness in this article. I wonder if he actually wrote it himself this time, following this experience.
January 23, 2026 at 8:38 AM
Remarkable lack of self-awareness in this article. I wonder if he actually wrote it himself this time, following this experience.
Merseyside Police setting a great example at LHCH this morning. Double yellows outside the main entrance.
January 22, 2026 at 9:40 AM
Merseyside Police setting a great example at LHCH this morning. Double yellows outside the main entrance.
Paging @royalsociety.org , @royalsocietypublishing.org .
Last year, we made the decision to step away from X.
The Royal Irish Academy is committed to creating, convening, and sharing knowledge for the public good and as an organisation we value Independence; Integrity; Curiosity; Openness and Rigour.
In our view, X no longer aligns with these values
The Royal Irish Academy is committed to creating, convening, and sharing knowledge for the public good and as an organisation we value Independence; Integrity; Curiosity; Openness and Rigour.
In our view, X no longer aligns with these values
January 18, 2026 at 3:30 PM
Paging @royalsociety.org , @royalsocietypublishing.org .
Tour de France Stage 2 2027 is going to finish in Liverpool. This will be epic! I'll probably go and watch it on Belmont though- a favourite local training ride.
January 16, 2026 at 10:24 AM
Tour de France Stage 2 2027 is going to finish in Liverpool. This will be epic! I'll probably go and watch it on Belmont though- a favourite local training ride.
Just caught up with a pretty devastating analysis of the 'remarkable' single molecule junction studies of Xuefeng Guo, by Maarten van Kampen on 'For Better Science', a summary and expansion of earlier analyses by him and others on PubPeer: forbetterscience.com/2025/11/03/n....
Not a single molecule
“Nothing helps more to happily resolve such “scientific controversies” than replacement data, and this is exactly what Prof. Guo and his group provided in their response. ” …
forbetterscience.com
January 13, 2026 at 8:48 PM
Just caught up with a pretty devastating analysis of the 'remarkable' single molecule junction studies of Xuefeng Guo, by Maarten van Kampen on 'For Better Science', a summary and expansion of earlier analyses by him and others on PubPeer: forbetterscience.com/2025/11/03/n....
He's had an outstanding career and leaves at the pinnacle after winning the Giro so well last year. Given just how hard and all-consuming the sport has become recently, you can't blame him.
🇬🇧 Simon Yates announces shock retirement from cycling
The reigning 🇮🇹 Giro d'Italia champion will retire from cycling with immediate effect, announcing the news via social media on Wednesday. He leaves the sport at 33 years of age.
📰 www.domestiquecycling.com/en/news/simo...
📸 Cor Vos
The reigning 🇮🇹 Giro d'Italia champion will retire from cycling with immediate effect, announcing the news via social media on Wednesday. He leaves the sport at 33 years of age.
📰 www.domestiquecycling.com/en/news/simo...
📸 Cor Vos
January 7, 2026 at 3:12 PM
He's had an outstanding career and leaves at the pinnacle after winning the Giro so well last year. Given just how hard and all-consuming the sport has become recently, you can't blame him.
I never thought we’d see the day that the USA, even under Trump, would become a rogue state. But it’s well on the way. Trump is behaving like a senile Mafia don.
January 7, 2026 at 8:33 AM
I never thought we’d see the day that the USA, even under Trump, would become a rogue state. But it’s well on the way. Trump is behaving like a senile Mafia don.
And meanwhile we have the Leader of the Opposition telling us on #BBCR4today that net zero should be abandoned, we should be drilling the N Sea again and building more petrol vehicles. Is she scientifically illiterate or just dishonest?
As we edge towards an irreversible point, the climate becomes less of a challenge to manage and adapt to and more a hostile environment in which many will struggle just to live.
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
It is not the Earth’s future at stake in the climate crisis – it is ours | Letters
Letters: As we edge towards an irreversible point, the climate becomes less a challenge to manage and more a hostile environment in which many will struggle to live, writes Keith Nicholls. Plus letter...
www.theguardian.com
January 6, 2026 at 8:28 AM
And meanwhile we have the Leader of the Opposition telling us on #BBCR4today that net zero should be abandoned, we should be drilling the N Sea again and building more petrol vehicles. Is she scientifically illiterate or just dishonest?
Not for me. You don't bounce very well at >60.
The Utrecht morning rush hour in the snow did not disappoint!
January 5, 2026 at 11:43 AM
Not for me. You don't bounce very well at >60.
I've seen various ex-pro cyclist 10K runs publicised and had the smug 'my PB's better than that!' reaction, but... not this time. Sub 30 is pretty impressive!
January 5, 2026 at 11:33 AM
I've seen various ex-pro cyclist 10K runs publicised and had the smug 'my PB's better than that!' reaction, but... not this time. Sub 30 is pretty impressive!
Trump has told the UK that if we want tariff relief we need to buy chlorinated chicken from the US! 🤢🐔 Let’s tell the orange imperialist to get lost. Sign the petition to keep chlorine-washed chicken off our shelves:
January 4, 2026 at 9:16 AM
Trump has told the UK that if we want tariff relief we need to buy chlorinated chicken from the US! 🤢🐔 Let’s tell the orange imperialist to get lost. Sign the petition to keep chlorine-washed chicken off our shelves:
There's something about being in a bike race that alters your personality. I have resorted to this kind of 'encouragement' of break companions, in a way I'd never dream of doing in any other context. www.facebook.com/reel/1883274...
557K views · 3.1K reactions | He wasn't happy with them 😬 Alex Richardson had some words of encouragement for his breakaway companions at the 2024 Lincoln Grand Prix in the final kilometres 😅 | Monume...
He wasn't happy with them 😬 Alex Richardson had some words of encouragement for his breakaway companions at the 2024 Lincoln Grand Prix in the final kilometres 😅
www.facebook.com
December 31, 2025 at 11:55 AM
There's something about being in a bike race that alters your personality. I have resorted to this kind of 'encouragement' of break companions, in a way I'd never dream of doing in any other context. www.facebook.com/reel/1883274...
It’s data like this that makes me despair whenever I hear motorists moan about cyclists going through red lights. apple.news/Aek58NT-NSKC...
More than 1,500 drivers caught repeatedly ignoring red traffic lights — LBC
More than 1,500 people were caught driving through red traffic lights in Britain on multiple occasions in four years, new figures show.
apple.news
December 31, 2025 at 11:26 AM
It’s data like this that makes me despair whenever I hear motorists moan about cyclists going through red lights. apple.news/Aek58NT-NSKC...
We had to have a massive clear-out of elderly chemicals at Liverpool Uni, not long before I retired, but I am surprised this is also an issue in US schools: pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/...
Hazardous Chemicals Pile Up in K–12 Science Laboratories
As US teachers discover more and more legacy chemicals in schools, funding for cleanup is hard to find. Educators, nonprofits, and local governments are stepping in to help.
pubs.acs.org
December 29, 2025 at 2:17 PM
We had to have a massive clear-out of elderly chemicals at Liverpool Uni, not long before I retired, but I am surprised this is also an issue in US schools: pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/...
Just turned the residual bird carcass into stock, but... Mrs H has just made herself a sandwich using leftover stuffing (and an avocado).
December 29, 2025 at 1:15 PM
Just turned the residual bird carcass into stock, but... Mrs H has just made herself a sandwich using leftover stuffing (and an avocado).
Merry Christmas to all fellow followers of the Rule of St. Delia of Norwich. Bread sauce done! What’s next?
December 25, 2025 at 9:32 AM
Merry Christmas to all fellow followers of the Rule of St. Delia of Norwich. Bread sauce done! What’s next?
One of Mrs H’s Xmas presents from colleagues. Someone has the right idea about my wife!
December 24, 2025 at 5:25 PM
One of Mrs H’s Xmas presents from colleagues. Someone has the right idea about my wife!
Schoolboy error with the catering tonight; started chilli con carne, discovered at the appropriate point that there were no tinned tomatoes left. Always check your ingredients before you start, folks. Luckily, found a tube of puree.
December 21, 2025 at 7:41 PM
Schoolboy error with the catering tonight; started chilli con carne, discovered at the appropriate point that there were no tinned tomatoes left. Always check your ingredients before you start, folks. Luckily, found a tube of puree.
Just caught up with the new Ineos Grenadiers kit. It'll stand out alright- for all the wrong reasons; it's absolutely hideous. I mean, white shorts... really? www.cyclingnews.com/pro-cycling/...
Designed to 'stand out' – Ineos Grenadiers opt for white shorts and bright orange 2026 racing kit
British team cause a stir with new racing colours
www.cyclingnews.com
December 17, 2025 at 5:30 PM
Just caught up with the new Ineos Grenadiers kit. It'll stand out alright- for all the wrong reasons; it's absolutely hideous. I mean, white shorts... really? www.cyclingnews.com/pro-cycling/...