Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Ali J. Birkett @alijbirkett.bsky.social · 8d

Looking forward to seeing this photo exhibition "Limestone: Life Between the Cracks" in the local libraries of South Cumbria close to the beautiful locations where the photos were taken! 🌿

Thanks for the opportunity to help produce the exhibition @limestonepavements.bsky.social!
#SciComm #Ecology

Limestone Pavement Partnership @limestonepavements.bsky.social · Jul 28

Carly is currently working with photographer Oana Bakovic to show the beauty and ecology of limestone pavements. Thanks to the @britishecologicalsociety.org we will be producing an exhibit for libraries in Cumbria. This orchid was captured at Gait Barrows.

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Ali J. Birkett @alijbirkett.bsky.social · Aug 10

Very frightening if this is true.
Terrifying that I won't be very surprised if it is.

Dave Vetter @davidrvetter.bsky.social · Aug 8

Head of NASA Sean Duffy intends to destroy a satellite that collects key data on carbon dioxide and plant health, by causing it to burn up in the atmosphere. The U.S. Dept of Agriculture and private agriculture firms use the data to forecast crop yield, drought conditions and more.

Why a NASA satellite that scientists and farmers rely on may be destroyed on purpose

The Trump administration has asked NASA staffers to draw up plans to end at least two satellite missions that measure carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, according to current and former NASA employees.

www.npr.org

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Ali J. Birkett @alijbirkett.bsky.social · Aug 8

I'm not sure what it says about me that I could immediately recognise the Park Grass experiment from just the thumbnail of this @scishow.bsky.social video!
youtu.be/bFXd7EIXiiA?...

#LongTermExperiment #Agriculture #Ecology #Nitrogen #Science #Evolution

@ect-uk.bsky.social
@rothamsted.bsky.social

One of the World’s Oldest Experiments is This Patch of Grass

YouTube video by SciShow

youtu.be

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Ali J. Birkett @alijbirkett.bsky.social · May 22

Sorry for the Bluesky silence. It's been a very busy few months:
- designing Edinburgh Science Festival events 🎭🧪
- preparing for new projects 🤔
- taking a bit of personal time 🥾

Expect more posts in the near future!
#SciComm #science #PublicEngagement

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Ali J. Birkett @alijbirkett.bsky.social · Apr 7

Sharing STEM stories (science, technology, engineering and maths) with people is such a joy! 😁

It's a privilege to be part of the Edinburgh Science events development team... and to moonlight as one of our science communicators at my third Edinburgh Science Festival opening party!
#SciComm #STEM

Ali in a ocean blue tshirt talking enthusiastically with a group of adults building small robots at an activity table

Ali in a ocean blue tshirt talking enthusiastically with a group of people building small robots at an activity table

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Ali J. Birkett @alijbirkett.bsky.social · Feb 17

An enlightening threat with lots of info I had no idea about before. An informative #MondayMorning breakfast read!
#ecology #reintroduction #wolf

Adam F. Smith 🇺🇦🇮🇪 @adamfsmith.bsky.social · Feb 15

Sorry, but while I believe it is spread in good faith, I think this is a good time to call out this common mistruth in the Irish ecological community.

Indulge me for a minute, I just finished 5 years in Europe working with wolves, lynx, and deer.

"Lack of wolves" is not the problem. Short🧵

Ola Løkken Nordrum @olaln.bsky.social · Feb 15

Deer population 'out of control' due to lack of wolves.

There are no ifs or buts, if we want to restore Ireland’s decimated ecosystems, we must reintroduce apex predators.

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Ali J. Birkett @alijbirkett.bsky.social · Feb 5

I've got a lot of work to do today.
Feels like a classic disco tunes sort of day.

a disco ball hanging from the ceiling in a room

Alt: a turning disco ball hanging from the ceiling in a room

media.tenor.com

Ali J. Birkett @alijbirkett.bsky.social · Jan 30

Wow. 😟😡

RSPB @rspb.bsky.social · Jan 29

Stop worrying about bats and newts? No Rachel Reeves MP – start worrying about the future of our economy if we tear down the nature it depends on.

Nature isn’t a blocker; it’s the foundation of growth.

Screenshot of a BBC Politics tweet shows Chancellor Rachel Reeves speaking at a podium during a live broadcast of her speech. The quote at the top reads, “We are reducing the environmental requirements placed on developers when they pay into a nature restoration fund… they can focus on getting things built and stop worrying about the bats and the newts,” as she addresses the audience. In the background, there are large screens displaying the live stream of the speech, with a banner at the bottom reading “Kickstarting Economic Growth.”

Ali J. Birkett @alijbirkett.bsky.social · Jan 27

I'm fascinated by how engineers are improving sustainablity and welfare in #food by 'making the invisible visible' to producers.
👏 Thanks @cynthianaydani.bsky.social, Dave Scott, Ken Loades, Chris Jones, Susannah Bolton and Ross Robertson for teaching me, and to Elsie the cow of course 🐄! #SciComm

Ali, wearing a dark green Edinburgh Science branded tshirt, stands grinning beside a life-sized model of a brown and white Ayrshire dairy cow, with the glass roof of an exhibition gallery in view behind her

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Ali J. Birkett @alijbirkett.bsky.social · Jan 27

Highlight of 2024: collaborating with experts to develop Future Farming, showing the potential of #engineering careers in #agriculture and #aquaculture to secondary school students, thanks to @raeng.org.uk.
🏆And now it's shortlisted for an Engineering Matters Award!
www.linkedin.com/posts/edinbu...

Edinburgh Science on LinkedIn: #raengingenious #futurefarming #engineeringmatters #careershive #stem…

🏆 Future Farming: A Celebration of Innovation and Inspiration! 🏆 We’re thrilled to share that our Future Farming activity has been nominated for an…

www.linkedin.com

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Ali J. Birkett @alijbirkett.bsky.social · Jan 25

The world is full of so many interesting things! I'm having one of those afternoons where I'm not getting anything done because I keep finding new things to look up. I WILL finally make it into the kitchen sometime before teatime, I hope! 😜 #AlwaysCurious

a frog wearing glasses is reading a book with the words so much to learn so little time

Alt: Gif of a green caterpillar-like "bookworm" wearing glasses wuth their eyes going side to side as they read a book. Text underneath says "so much to learn so little time"

media.tenor.com

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Ali J. Birkett @alijbirkett.bsky.social · Dec 28

Scottish-based scientists: come and share your work on an Edinburgh Science Festival stage with #FameLab 2025! Application deadline: Sunday 5 Jan.

Details: www.edinburghscience.co.uk/festival/fam...

#EdSciFest
#SciComm #research #storytelling #communication #STEM #WomenInSTEM #science

FameLab UK - Edinburgh Science

www.edinburghscience.co.uk

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Ali J. Birkett @alijbirkett.bsky.social · Dec 10

Are you a #science researcher or student? ✅️
Looking for an amazing #SciComm opportunity to develop your #communication skills and share your work with a live festival audience? ✅️
Based in #Scotland? ✅️
Well I hope you've got your application in for #FameLab!
www.edinburghscience.co.uk/festival/fam...

FameLab UK - Edinburgh Science

www.edinburghscience.co.uk

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Reposted by Ali J. Birkett

Prof Sam Illingworth @samillingworth.com · Dec 4

🐝 Limestone Quarries & Wild Bees

A study from @britishecolsoc.bsky.social finds abandoned quarries can be vital habitats for 114 bee species, including 35 endangered ones, when managed well. Connectivity & floral diversity are key.

🔗 besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

#SciComm 🧪

Landscape diversity, habitat connectivity, age and size determine the conservation value of limestone quarries for diverse wild bee communities

Observed negative effects of high woody vegetation cover on bee communities highlight the importance of local management to reduce shrub encroachment and reset successional processes in limestone qua....

besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com

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Ali J. Birkett @alijbirkett.bsky.social · Nov 27

This is a fascinating piece of #bumblebee research! Read the main thread and @hcslambert.bsky.social's interesting answer to questions too.

#ecology #insect #flower #phenology
Love that I'm discovering things like this again thanks to this place

Harriet Lambert @hcslambert.bsky.social · Nov 27

🌟 Throwback to my 2020 research published in @science.org 🌼🐝We showed how bumble bees actively shape their environment—making plants flower earlier to meet their needs. Nature’s engineers in action!🧪🌏
Sharing this for anyone who missed it—let’s dive in![1/17] 👇

Graphical abstract of science paper 'bumble bee damage plant leaves and accelerate flower production' with a list of the authors on a grey background. On the left is a watercolour illustration of a bumble bee damaging a plant leaf with the description 'when hungry for pollen, bumble bees use their mouthparts and mandibles to damage plant leaves'. this illustration is connected by a orange arrow to a watercolour drawing of a flowering yellow black mustard plant with a bumble bee. This has the description: 2) the damage inflicted by bees causes plants to flower earlier than paired control plants.

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Ali J. Birkett @alijbirkett.bsky.social · Nov 26

It is Richard! Well spotted.
You can take the lass out of Lancashire... 😉

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Ali J. Birkett @alijbirkett.bsky.social · Nov 26

I've been out of the field lab for a long while. Who are the #DungBeetle researchers in #Farming and #ecology and #biogeography to follow on here to get me up to speed?

#AlwaysCurious #biodiversity #SustainableFarming #insect #invertebrate #entomology

A large shiny dung beetle about the size of a the face of a digital wrist watch sits on the side of someone's hand. On its right, its black wing case is open and it's stretching its delicate looking transparent wing out to the side

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Reposted by Ali J. Birkett

Dr Ruby (she/her) @paperwhispers.bsky.social · Nov 25

Blue sky is the 'nice app' where white people make starter packs about their interest or research area but somehow do not notice that these lists are all white and then further do not engage when this pointed out. But you are not racist, right?

18 55 250

Reposted by Ali J. Birkett

Hana Ayoob @hanaayoob.co.uk · Nov 20

ScienceWrite, a UK scheme for aspiring STEM writers from minoritised backgrounds, is open for 2025 applications!

The 3rd year @romatheengineer.bsky.social & I are running this, with support from @royalsociety.bsky.social & I am SO EXCITED

Deadline 3rd Jan #SciComm 🧪

www.sciencewrite.co.uk

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Ali J. Birkett @alijbirkett.bsky.social · Nov 19

Hi Jaime! Any chance you could add me to your #SciComm starter pack? Hope you have a lovely day!

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Ali J. Birkett @alijbirkett.bsky.social · Nov 17

Very poignant thread from @be-sciencey.bsky.social. Would be great for the #SciComm community over here to better than it's ever been elsewhere. I'm mostly here to discover and learn instead of share, but would be interested to follow this conversation. Thanks for getting it started Helen!

Reposted by Ali J. Birkett

Steve Thackeray @thackers.bsky.social · Nov 8

Hi #freshwater folks 👋 The Freshwater Biological Association have announced a new initiative to assess one of our rarest fish, the Arctic charr, in Windermere.

There is a crowd funder, too, to support the work ☺️

(And here's a bit of #SciArt from me!)

🧪💦

www.fba.org.uk/lake-distric...

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Ali J. Birkett @alijbirkett.bsky.social · Nov 14

Hello to all the new Blueskyers 👋
Welcome!

Ali J. Birkett @alijbirkett.bsky.social · Oct 24

Hello! Excited to find people on here!

I'm a former field ecology / biogeography researcher and "dung beetle botherer", now working full time in science communication, helping to share the science stories of others. Day-job with Edinburgh Science, by "night" sharing science at music festivals!

A dung beetle walking on a person's hand in a green hilly landscape

Ali stood outside a brightly coloured stall at Glastonbury Festival sharing conversation with people about science

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Ali J. Birkett @alijbirkett.bsky.social · Nov 14

Going to have a full read of this later, but a brief look suggests it's a really useful resource for researchers and research-adjacent professionals alike. Thanks @uoylibrary.bsky.social !

University of York Library @uoylibrary.bsky.social · Nov 13

We've written a Researcher's Guide to Bluesky!

It's a bit like all those other useful guides to Bluesky, but with several useful insights from University of York academics about using the platform, and we'd love it if it was reposted far and wide...

>> blogs.york.ac.uk/library/2024...

🧵 below

The Researcher’s Guide to Bluesky – The Library, Learning, Archives and Wellbeing Blog

blogs.york.ac.uk

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Ali J. Birkett @alijbirkett.bsky.social · Oct 24

Ah the things you find yourself doing for work! 🤷 What are you doing with your Thursday afternoon?
#SciComm #PublicEngagement #Events #Science #Pollinators

Hands cutting hundreds of cotton "ear cleaning buds" in half. Behind is a plastic tray containing artificial apple flowers with ear buds for stamens, and a pot of artists' paintbrushes

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