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Sue S

@sjsbunchberry.bsky.social

140 followers 460 following 200 posts

Mathematician, trade unionist, cat staff, cornus canadensis stan. I spell badly on both sides of the Atlantic. She/her. Opinions my own. Black lives matter. (Picture of Dactylorhiza maculata as no Cornus canadensis in my camera)

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Sue S @sjsbunchberry.bsky.social · 5d

If the Doctor had travelled back to early 19th century Yorkshire and gone on a caper with Anne Lister, it would explain a lot #Frauds

Sue S @sjsbunchberry.bsky.social · 9d

Can’t speak to the book, but the cover pic is fab

Tom Gauld @tomgauld.bsky.social · 9d

I have ten of these PHYSICS FOR CATS pins to give away! Share the post below👇 for a chance to win one. (UK only: you can share from anywhere but I can't send you a pin).

A pin badge depicting a black cat floating in a black void orbited by colourful particles.

Sue S @sjsbunchberry.bsky.social · 15d

Posted my ballot in the @ucuedinburgh.bsky.social dispute over management’s drastic unnecessary budget cuts. That expression on my face is what a fed up academic looks like.

An exasperated looking Edinburgh University professor putting an envelope in a red postbox

Sue S @sjsbunchberry.bsky.social · Sep 8

I am ashamed to be a citizen of the US right now

jamelle @jamellebouie.net · Sep 8

no surprised that brett ”almost certainly flunked his remedial classes” kavanaugh thinks the constitution authorizes a race-based federal “papers please” regime. quick, someone ask him what he thinks of the fugitive slave act.

Chris Geidner @chrisgeidner.bsky.social · Sep 8

This is a paragraph Brett Kavanaugh wrote on his little computer and then sent out into the world:

Sue S @sjsbunchberry.bsky.social · Sep 7

PS The pre-announced course was also significantly over, and a runner told me on the day that he'd complained and was told they were gonna re-do it to be accurately 25k. I'm not seeing how this squares with their story now, but 🤷

Sue S @sjsbunchberry.bsky.social · Sep 7

In any case, if your route will be significantly longer than runners are expecting, it would be good practice to alert the runners to this on the day. #runsky 4/4

Sue S @sjsbunchberry.bsky.social · Sep 7

I just want to say that I walked the advertised route the previous week and I don't remember a bridge that might have collapsed. But, you know, I could be wrong. Maybe. And maybe the infamous general public removed signs. Who knows. 3/

Sue S @sjsbunchberry.bsky.social · Sep 7

"... This was due to a last minute re-route on event morning in order to avoid a collapsed bridge, which added on some extra distance. We sadly also experienced general public removing signs from the route. We are very sorry that this was the case." 2/

Sue S @sjsbunchberry.bsky.social · Sep 7

UPDATE: I complained yesterday about the route and signage of the Edinburg #trailescape. They've now put the following sort of apology up: "If you took part in the 25km at Edinburgh 2025, your distance may be longer... 1/

Sue S @sjsbunchberry.bsky.social · Sep 6

As I said, I had a great time: a beautiful day for a tough run in the hills, I'm grateful to #trailescape for designing a good and challenging course. But I will think twice about another event with them.

Sue S @sjsbunchberry.bsky.social · Sep 6

If I had gotten lost in the last few k of a race which I already expected to be over I would have been really ticked.

Sue S @sjsbunchberry.bsky.social · Sep 6

And signage was poor. The last few k of the race was the Water of Leith path from Colinton Tunnel to Saughton Park. There were at least two confusing unsigned junctions which I could navigate as a local who knows the path, but other folk were going the wrong way until I called them back!

Sue S @sjsbunchberry.bsky.social · Sep 6

The course was way long - 17.7 miles = 28.5 k according to my Garmin watch. This caught a lot of people out.

Sue S @sjsbunchberry.bsky.social · Sep 6

I saw several people chucking away disposable bottles of water at the start of the race, and it seemed clear they'd just brought them to comply with the rules, not planning to carry them. Not so great for a supposedly zero waste event.

Sue S @sjsbunchberry.bsky.social · Sep 6

Rules for what kit to have on the day also changed - as an example, I bought my kit on the basis that I would need to carry 500ml of water, and then on the day was told I needed to carry 1L. (1L is a ridiculous requirement for a 25k btw.)

Sue S @sjsbunchberry.bsky.social · Sep 6

The lead-up to the event was disorganised. I walked the posted course the week before, and the course on the day was different. This meant the course wasn't fixed far enough in advance for runners to be able to prep.

Sue S @sjsbunchberry.bsky.social · Sep 6

I ran the "25k" #trailescape in Edinburgh today, and while I had a great time myself, I cannot recommend this event to other folk on #runsky .

Sue S @sjsbunchberry.bsky.social · Aug 31

That is not a petty gripe!

Sue S @sjsbunchberry.bsky.social · Aug 29

If they do this, it will destroy research and graduate education in STEM in the US

Catherine Rampell @crampell.bsky.social · Aug 29

Trump admin planning to change student visas from lasting for duration of academic program to fixed 4-yr term, and then much harder to renew
Could destroy US ability to attract global talent, particularly those seeking advanced degrees in STEM. The median time to complete a PhD is 5.7 yrs per NSF.

Trump Deals A New Immigration Blow To International Students

Trump officials have proposed a new rule limiting international students to fixed periods of entry, making a U.S. education more precarious.

Sue S @sjsbunchberry.bsky.social · Aug 21

This is a powerful piece.

Lydia Polgreen @polgreen.bsky.social · Aug 21

I wrote about Israel’s assassination of Anas al-Sharif, a brave journalist in Gaza, and the work of local journalists everywhere. www.nytimes.com/2025/08/21/o...

Opinion | He Was the Face and Voice of Gaza. Israel Assassinated Him.

www.nytimes.com

Sue S @sjsbunchberry.bsky.social · Aug 13

Or the Scottish system when it's allowed to actually work

Sue S @sjsbunchberry.bsky.social · Aug 13

Now that I understand you I agree with you. Hopefully I get some credit from my U.S. liberal arts degree and women's studies minor, though I had to pick up most of my sci hist by reading on my own. But at least I can learn from reading due to the liberal arts degree.

Sue S @sjsbunchberry.bsky.social · Aug 13

HPS? sez the USA edicated sort of scientist

Sue S @sjsbunchberry.bsky.social · Aug 2

I'm sorry that you were right

Sue S @sjsbunchberry.bsky.social · Aug 2

Ooh. Thanks for the tip