Stephen Heard
@stephenbheard.bsky.social
Evolutionary ecologist & Boggle aficionado. Author: The Scientist's Guide to Writing; Charles Darwin's Barnacle and David Bowie's Spider. He/him.
Blog and book links: scientistseessquirrel.wordpress.com
Blog and book links: scientistseessquirrel.wordpress.com
If I had just cited Ursula Le Guin's "A Wizard of Earthsea" in a scientific paper, and if I was quite proud of myself for doing so, would I be TOO proud of myself?
November 25, 2025 at 6:21 PM
If I had just cited Ursula Le Guin's "A Wizard of Earthsea" in a scientific paper, and if I was quite proud of myself for doing so, would I be TOO proud of myself?
This is really good. You have to make readers care, and that means connecting the science to something they know, or something they can relate to.
Pitching a story about obscure science requires a different approach than one about a more familiar subject. But it can be done, writes TON/@bwfund.bsky.social @willvh.bsky.social. Here, he shows you how. 🧪
Isotopes, Archaea, and Cold-Water Physics—How to Sell Obscure Science Stories to Editors and Readers - The Open Notebook
Getting a story about unfamiliar and obscure fields such as geology, organic chemistry, or quantum mechanics off the ground often means jumping over hurdles—for editors and readers alike—that might no...
www.theopennotebook.com
November 25, 2025 at 5:57 PM
This is really good. You have to make readers care, and that means connecting the science to something they know, or something they can relate to.
I keep having to update the web page for my/our new book "Teaching and Mentoring Writers in the Sciences". Was to have been published Nov 18; then Dec 18; then Dec 31; now "early January". The reason (we're told): paper shortages at the printers!
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November 25, 2025 at 4:20 PM
I keep having to update the web page for my/our new book "Teaching and Mentoring Writers in the Sciences". Was to have been published Nov 18; then Dec 18; then Dec 31; now "early January". The reason (we're told): paper shortages at the printers!
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How should you pick a PhD research topic? One thing is for sure: don't do it the way I did it! scientistseessquirre... 🧪🌎
How should you pick a PhD research topic?
38 years ago this fall (ouch!), I decided that I should pursue a PhD and I started thinking about where I’d do that, and what kind of research interested me. If you’re at that stage right now – or …
scientistseessquirrel.wordpress.com
November 25, 2025 at 1:15 PM
How should you pick a PhD research topic? One thing is for sure: don't do it the way I did it! scientistseessquirre... 🧪🌎
Yup, fully agree. There are use cases for LLMs. This is 110% not one of them.
ChatGPT fake citations in a 1.6M$ report! Absurdly unprofessional by Deloitte, NL gov't should sue for a full refund. I expect in a few years this too may be seen as 'normal'. www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
N.L. asks Deloitte to carry out review after 'incorrect' citations found in $1.6M provincial health plan | CBC News
The Newfoundland and Labrador government says it's been in contact with the private company responsible for a new report meant to guide the province into the future, which was found to contain fake ci...
www.cbc.ca
November 24, 2025 at 9:03 PM
Yup, fully agree. There are use cases for LLMs. This is 110% not one of them.
Reposted by Stephen Heard
The Book Proposal Book ebook is 30% off right now at @princetonupress.bsky.social and so is Make Your Manuscript Work!
Use code PUP30 at checkout
Tell your friends & nemeses!
press.princeton.edu/our-authors/...
Use code PUP30 at checkout
Tell your friends & nemeses!
press.princeton.edu/our-authors/...
Portwood-Stacer, Laura
press.princeton.edu
November 24, 2025 at 2:18 PM
The Book Proposal Book ebook is 30% off right now at @princetonupress.bsky.social and so is Make Your Manuscript Work!
Use code PUP30 at checkout
Tell your friends & nemeses!
press.princeton.edu/our-authors/...
Use code PUP30 at checkout
Tell your friends & nemeses!
press.princeton.edu/our-authors/...
Since it's coming on what we might call "shopping season" - books are awesome, and supporting authors is awesomer. So I'll re-up this post: six easy ways to make an author happy. (Only one of them is "buy their book"!) scientistseessquirre...
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Six easy ways to make an author happy
I’ve written and published two books now – The Scientist’s Guide to Writing and Charles Darwin’s Barnacle and David Bowie’s Spider – and wow, have I learned a lot. I’ve learned about scientific wr…
scientistseessquirrel.wordpress.com
November 24, 2025 at 2:02 PM
Since it's coming on what we might call "shopping season" - books are awesome, and supporting authors is awesomer. So I'll re-up this post: six easy ways to make an author happy. (Only one of them is "buy their book"!) scientistseessquirre...
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This is interesting! (The HypeDetector analysis, I mean, not the data centre article).
HypeDetector: # Linguistic Analysis: Misleading Language and Rhetorical Techniques Based on my analysis of the TechCrunch article "Rising data center electricity use risks blackouts during winter sto poe.com/s/HUi70cMw69tE… (my bot for detecting misleading language) #AI #hype #NewsCoverage
November 21, 2025 at 3:24 PM
This is interesting! (The HypeDetector analysis, I mean, not the data centre article).
Just mentioned in a paper, for the second time, the myxobacterium "Myxococcus llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogochensis".
Yes, I used cut-and-paste. If the likelihood of my misspelling something could exceed 100%, this is one where it would.
Yes, I used cut-and-paste. If the likelihood of my misspelling something could exceed 100%, this is one where it would.
November 21, 2025 at 3:22 PM
Just mentioned in a paper, for the second time, the myxobacterium "Myxococcus llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogochensis".
Yes, I used cut-and-paste. If the likelihood of my misspelling something could exceed 100%, this is one where it would.
Yes, I used cut-and-paste. If the likelihood of my misspelling something could exceed 100%, this is one where it would.
Reposted by Stephen Heard
It’s terrible to think that we are nearly to the end of November and need to start Christmas shopping!
But, hey, that also means it is the perfect time to encourage you to buy copies of the beautifully illustrated Ghosts Behind Glass from your local or online bookstore to give away as gifts!
But, hey, that also means it is the perfect time to encourage you to buy copies of the beautifully illustrated Ghosts Behind Glass from your local or online bookstore to give away as gifts!
Ghosts Behind Glass
How museums display extinct species—and what these exhibits say about us. While it’s no longer possible to encounter a dodo in the wild, we can still come face-to-face with them in museums. The rema...
press.uchicago.edu
November 21, 2025 at 1:51 PM
It’s terrible to think that we are nearly to the end of November and need to start Christmas shopping!
But, hey, that also means it is the perfect time to encourage you to buy copies of the beautifully illustrated Ghosts Behind Glass from your local or online bookstore to give away as gifts!
But, hey, that also means it is the perfect time to encourage you to buy copies of the beautifully illustrated Ghosts Behind Glass from your local or online bookstore to give away as gifts!
Reposted by Stephen Heard
Beautiful pink Monotropa uniflora. I miss stumbling across these guys on my weekly nature walks . #plantsky #naturephotography
November 20, 2025 at 3:40 PM
Beautiful pink Monotropa uniflora. I miss stumbling across these guys on my weekly nature walks . #plantsky #naturephotography
Reposted by Stephen Heard
Big news: I’m writing a book!!
I’ll be writing & illustrating a beginner’s guide to appreciating wildlife in cities/suburbs, & how all of us can make our neighborhoods better for those animals.
Thank you to my book agent @ericsmithrocks.bsky.social & the folks at Storey for believing in this book!
I’ll be writing & illustrating a beginner’s guide to appreciating wildlife in cities/suburbs, & how all of us can make our neighborhoods better for those animals.
Thank you to my book agent @ericsmithrocks.bsky.social & the folks at Storey for believing in this book!
November 20, 2025 at 2:26 PM
Big news: I’m writing a book!!
I’ll be writing & illustrating a beginner’s guide to appreciating wildlife in cities/suburbs, & how all of us can make our neighborhoods better for those animals.
Thank you to my book agent @ericsmithrocks.bsky.social & the folks at Storey for believing in this book!
I’ll be writing & illustrating a beginner’s guide to appreciating wildlife in cities/suburbs, & how all of us can make our neighborhoods better for those animals.
Thank you to my book agent @ericsmithrocks.bsky.social & the folks at Storey for believing in this book!
Reposted by Stephen Heard
When I posted about hyberbole in science communication, there was an interesting split in responses: scientists hate the idea, non-scientists are fine with it. So I dig into that a bit: scientistseessquirrel.wordpress.com/2025/11/18/t...
“This changes everything” redux: opinions about “pathological pedantry”
A few weeks ago, I wrote about “This changes everything” – a common rhetorical device that’s used to signal excitement and importance, but that is never fully and literally true. (I’d deployed “thi…
scientistseessquirrel.wordpress.com
November 18, 2025 at 1:11 PM
When I posted about hyberbole in science communication, there was an interesting split in responses: scientists hate the idea, non-scientists are fine with it. So I dig into that a bit: scientistseessquirrel.wordpress.com/2025/11/18/t...
Reposted by Stephen Heard
Apropos ... Let's not make public-facing scicomm sound more complicated and scarier than it is!
It typically requires a perspective larger than your last study. You unpack why your topic is interesting/important and community progress. It's not so hard to do well if you are thoughtful /1.
It typically requires a perspective larger than your last study. You unpack why your topic is interesting/important and community progress. It's not so hard to do well if you are thoughtful /1.
November 19, 2025 at 2:06 PM
Apropos ... Let's not make public-facing scicomm sound more complicated and scarier than it is!
It typically requires a perspective larger than your last study. You unpack why your topic is interesting/important and community progress. It's not so hard to do well if you are thoughtful /1.
It typically requires a perspective larger than your last study. You unpack why your topic is interesting/important and community progress. It's not so hard to do well if you are thoughtful /1.
If you're a book author looking to move from publishing with university presses to publishing with trade presses, I learned something today that seems important. Short thread.
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November 19, 2025 at 2:14 PM
If you're a book author looking to move from publishing with university presses to publishing with trade presses, I learned something today that seems important. Short thread.
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Reposted by Stephen Heard
I can't say enough good things about @cragcrest.bsky.social's Book Proposal Boot Camp! I've been trying to get a proposal done for years, and this helped me get up to speed and actually writing. christieaschwanden.com/the-book-pro...
The Book Proposal Boot Camp, Winter 2026
A workshop to help you do the work. This eight-week workshop takes place virtually, via Zoom. The workshop is aimed at people who either have a book idea that needs more development or who have a d…
christieaschwanden.com
November 17, 2025 at 3:48 PM
I can't say enough good things about @cragcrest.bsky.social's Book Proposal Boot Camp! I've been trying to get a proposal done for years, and this helped me get up to speed and actually writing. christieaschwanden.com/the-book-pro...
Occasional reminder that if you're interested in the history and practice of scientific writing, and folks who give advice about scientific writing, I made a starter pack: go.bsky.app/TwZVnjU
November 18, 2025 at 4:44 PM
Occasional reminder that if you're interested in the history and practice of scientific writing, and folks who give advice about scientific writing, I made a starter pack: go.bsky.app/TwZVnjU
Reposted by Stephen Heard
Passed a car with a license plate that said “NOCOLON” and I can’t decide if they have a GI problem or just strong opinions about academic book titles.
November 18, 2025 at 3:04 PM
Passed a car with a license plate that said “NOCOLON” and I can’t decide if they have a GI problem or just strong opinions about academic book titles.
When I posted about hyberbole in science communication, there was an interesting split in responses: scientists hate the idea, non-scientists are fine with it. So I dig into that a bit: scientistseessquirrel.wordpress.com/2025/11/18/t...
“This changes everything” redux: opinions about “pathological pedantry”
A few weeks ago, I wrote about “This changes everything” – a common rhetorical device that’s used to signal excitement and importance, but that is never fully and literally true. (I’d deployed “thi…
scientistseessquirrel.wordpress.com
November 18, 2025 at 1:11 PM
When I posted about hyberbole in science communication, there was an interesting split in responses: scientists hate the idea, non-scientists are fine with it. So I dig into that a bit: scientistseessquirrel.wordpress.com/2025/11/18/t...
Currently writing a paper in Google Docs and I hate it. Oh, it's functional enough - but in principle my coauthors could be watching every keystroke and I prefer to feel stupid privately vs publicly.
"Look! Steve has now written and deleted the same word six times... think he'll go for seven??"
"Look! Steve has now written and deleted the same word six times... think he'll go for seven??"
November 17, 2025 at 7:00 PM
Currently writing a paper in Google Docs and I hate it. Oh, it's functional enough - but in principle my coauthors could be watching every keystroke and I prefer to feel stupid privately vs publicly.
"Look! Steve has now written and deleted the same word six times... think he'll go for seven??"
"Look! Steve has now written and deleted the same word six times... think he'll go for seven??"
Reposted by Stephen Heard
🍃📣Upcoming CSEE Event! Join us online on Nov. 26th for a panel discussion Q&A on faculty positions. CSEE members will receive the link in their mailbox. (Event in English) #CSEE #online #paneldiscussion #eeb
November 13, 2025 at 1:47 PM
🍃📣Upcoming CSEE Event! Join us online on Nov. 26th for a panel discussion Q&A on faculty positions. CSEE members will receive the link in their mailbox. (Event in English) #CSEE #online #paneldiscussion #eeb
Reposted by Stephen Heard
Helpful, but possibly more helpful to those with low vision:
Fewer words, bigger.
Fewer words, bigger.
periodic reminder of the existence of Atkinson Hyperlegible, a free font available from the Braille Institute designed to improve readability for people with low vision
I use it in talks because it's pretty and also because, as an audience member, I am perpetually squinting at people's slides
I use it in talks because it's pretty and also because, as an audience member, I am perpetually squinting at people's slides
Atkinson Hyperlegible Font - Braille Institute
Read easier with Atkinson Hyperlegible Font, crafted for low-vision readers. Download for free and enjoy clear letters and numbers on your computer!
www.brailleinstitute.org
November 17, 2025 at 12:16 PM
Helpful, but possibly more helpful to those with low vision:
Fewer words, bigger.
Fewer words, bigger.
Reposted by Stephen Heard
Marie-Josée Fortin (@utoronto.ca), a globally recognized leader in spatial ecology with a career dedicated to advancing spatial analysis in ecological research, has been awarded the Miroslaw Romanowski Medal. #COEE2025
November 14, 2025 at 3:05 PM
Marie-Josée Fortin (@utoronto.ca), a globally recognized leader in spatial ecology with a career dedicated to advancing spatial analysis in ecological research, has been awarded the Miroslaw Romanowski Medal. #COEE2025
Reposted by Stephen Heard
Ghosts Behind Glass has been officially published by @uchicagopress.bsky.social!
If you are looking for an absolutely gorgeous book that tackles a deeply serious topic, this is a perfect choice. Would make a really thoughtful Christmas gift.
press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/bo...
If you are looking for an absolutely gorgeous book that tackles a deeply serious topic, this is a perfect choice. Would make a really thoughtful Christmas gift.
press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/bo...
Ghosts Behind Glass
How museums display extinct species—and what these exhibits say about us. While it’s no longer possible to encounter a dodo in the wild, we can still come face-to-face with them in museums. The rema...
press.uchicago.edu
November 13, 2025 at 12:33 PM
Ghosts Behind Glass has been officially published by @uchicagopress.bsky.social!
If you are looking for an absolutely gorgeous book that tackles a deeply serious topic, this is a perfect choice. Would make a really thoughtful Christmas gift.
press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/bo...
If you are looking for an absolutely gorgeous book that tackles a deeply serious topic, this is a perfect choice. Would make a really thoughtful Christmas gift.
press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/bo...
This is the coolest thing I have ever read about a dishwasher!
(And even if the bar wasn't that low, it would still be very cool)
🧪
(And even if the bar wasn't that low, it would still be very cool)
🧪
For our sins, we just ordered a new dishwasher. The one we used for 13 years gave up the ghost a couple of years ago and has sat dormant in the kitchen while we did the washing up in the sink ever since. The new one has Zeolith drying technology...
November 14, 2025 at 12:29 PM
This is the coolest thing I have ever read about a dishwasher!
(And even if the bar wasn't that low, it would still be very cool)
🧪
(And even if the bar wasn't that low, it would still be very cool)
🧪