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Anne Marie Conlon @annemarie.bsky.social · 21d

Posting an article about LinkedIn on Bluesky feels a little strange, but I think this piece is useful for anyone who breaks out in a sweat at the thought of actively 'networking' for their career: www.nature.com/articles/d41...

‘LinkedIn is like air to me’: the scientists who’ve cracked professional networking

Fans of the global social-media platform explain how best to harness its career-boosting and collaboration potential.

www.nature.com

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Reposted by Anne Marie Conlon

Adam Kucharski @adamjkucharski.bsky.social · May 7

Asked GPT to (impossibly) "write a Bluesky post 100% guaranteed to go viral"

Its suggestion: "just saw a guy confidently order a "croissantini" at the coffee shop and the barista nodded like that was a normal word. i live in a simulation."

Then I said "Make it more viral" and things got weird... 🧵

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Anne Marie Conlon @annemarie.bsky.social · Apr 25

Really great, moving piece from Patrick Freyne on the under-reported war in Sudan.

"When it happens to us, we will expect more people to care."

www.irishtimes.com/opinion/2025...

Patrick Freyne: Returning home from Chad, I feel there’s a glitch in western empathy

The Sudan war is the world’s biggest humanitarian disaster, but it seems our human compassion is taken up by other conflicts

www.irishtimes.com

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Reposted by Anne Marie Conlon

Richard Van Noorden @richvn.bsky.social · Apr 15

What's the most-cited paper published this century?

A @nature.com analysis reveals the 25 highest-cited papers published this century and explores why they are breaking records.

(With @helenpearson.bsky.social, @heidiledford.bsky.social and Matthew Hutson).
www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Exclusive: the most-cited papers of the twenty-first century

A Nature analysis reveals the 25 highest-cited papers published this century and explores why they are breaking records.

www.nature.com

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Anne Marie Conlon @annemarie.bsky.social · Mar 27

The AI can say "Taoiseach", "Sinn Féin", and "Micheál Martin" so I guess this is just a gap in the training data?

Anne Marie Conlon @annemarie.bsky.social · Mar 27

I just discovered that the @irishtimes.com AI has an Irish accent - but cannot pronounce 'Ceann Comhairle' (however bad you're imagining its take on it, it's worse): www.irishtimes.com/politics/oir...

Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy to face no-confidence vote next week as she denies Opposition claims

Bitter row over speaking rights dominated Dáil for second day as three opposition leaders called for Ms Murphy’s resignation

www.irishtimes.com

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Anne Marie Conlon @annemarie.bsky.social · Mar 27

The next person who tells me that marathons are bad for the knees will get a little talk on how they're actually good for my myelin elasticity! 🏃‍♀️

celestebiever.bsky.social @celestebiever.bsky.social · Mar 26

Two strands of my life collided this week when I covered marathons for @nature.com. I have run 14 marathons & happy to hear I've been flexing my myelin elasticity - with possible benefits! www.nature.com/articles/d41...

How marathons change runners’ brains: scans point to surprise energy source

After the gruelling races, levels of the nerve-cell insulator myelin were lower, suggesting the brain uses the fatty substance as fuel.

www.nature.com

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Reposted by Anne Marie Conlon

Nature @nature.com · Mar 10

Entries are now open for Nature’s 2025 #ScientistAtWork photo competition!

Capture a moment in your working day for the chance to win a cash prize, and see your winning image in Nature

https://go.nature.com/41Ff5Me

#ScientistAtWork 2025: Nature is seeking stunning photographic images that capture researchers’ working lives

Winners get a cash prize, and will have their image featured in Nature in print and online.

go.nature.com

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Reposted by Anne Marie Conlon

Nature @nature.com · Mar 7

The mood was defiant at many of the rallies, where chants of “Scientists will not be silenced”, “Facts over fear” and “What do we want? Peer review! When do we want it? Now!” were heard.

https://go.nature.com/3F8T6FX

‘Scientists will not be silenced’: thousands protest Trump research cuts

Researchers at Stand Up for Science rallies voice defiance against the policies of US President Donald Trump’s administration.

go.nature.com

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Anne Marie Conlon @annemarie.bsky.social · Mar 7

You are able to access for free - you just need to enter your email

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Reposted by Anne Marie Conlon

Nature @nature.com · Mar 7

J.P. Flores, a core organizer for today's rallies and a bioinformatics researcher at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, told Nature: “March 7 is the beginning — I don’t necessarily see it as the endpoint.” #StandUpForScience www.nature.com/articles/d41...

‘Scientists will not be silenced’: thousands protest Trump research cuts

Researchers at Stand Up for Science rallies voice defiance against the policies of US President Donald Trump’s administration.

www.nature.com

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Reposted by Anne Marie Conlon

Julian A Nowogrodzki @plantnerd.bsky.social · Mar 7

Boston #standupforscience signs come out

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Reposted by Anne Marie Conlon

Reuben Binns @rdbinns.bsky.social · Feb 25

Every major UK newspaper - left, right, broadsheet, tabloid - is running a front page campaign against copyright carveouts for AI training.

I can't remember the last time any political cause had such broad support, let alone one so anti-big tech and so economically consequential.

Newspaper stand with newspapers all carrying the front page Campaign 'make it fAIr'

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Anne Marie Conlon @annemarie.bsky.social · Feb 6

well, exactly! but I find the time-draining tools (instagram, whatsapp etc) are also still enriching my life enough for me to keep using them.... for now anyway!

Anne Marie Conlon @annemarie.bsky.social · Feb 6

...and to properly tag @helenpearson.bsky.social :)

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Anne Marie Conlon @annemarie.bsky.social · Feb 6

TIL a new term: ‘cognitive offloading’, the idea of using lists, phones, etc to lessen the demands on your brain.

I do this all the time - I basically let google be my memory! But is this damaging my *actual* memory?

@helenpearson.bsky.social has the full story:

www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Are the Internet and AI affecting our memory? What the science says

Search engines, GPS maps and other tech can alter our ability to learn and remember. Now scientists are working out what AI might do.

www.nature.com

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Reposted by Anne Marie Conlon

The Guardian @theguardian.com · Jan 18

A cold boiled egg pot may be a convenient shot of protein, but where’s the joy in that? | Lucy Dearlove

Somewhere between protein powders and chicken breasts in plastic containers, I fear the pursuit of wellness has become a thief of joy Last year, I needed to eat on the go between exercising and an evening class. Frequently, I would find myself striding…

www.theguardian.com

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Anne Marie Conlon @annemarie.bsky.social · Jan 29

“We keep giving the new administration the benefit of the doubt, but I don’t think that’s warranted here”, says an NIH scientist who asked not to be identified... “We need to give up the illusion of going back to normal.”

Nature's report on the chaos in US science:
www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Chaos erupts in US science as Trump’s team declares freeze on federal grants

The freeze’s effect on research is still unclear, but scientists fear ‘incalculable’ damage.

www.nature.com

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Reposted by Anne Marie Conlon

Reuters Institute @reutersinstitute.bsky.social · Jan 28

How audiences follow news on climate change?

This is the question at the heart of a new report by @waqasejaz.bsky.social @mitalilive.bsky.social @richardfletcher.bsky.social based on survey data from 🇧🇷 🇫🇷 🇩🇪 🇮🇳 🇯🇵 🇵🇰 🇬🇧 🇺🇸

Read here: https://buff.ly/4jwvTNG
7 findings in thread

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Anne Marie Conlon @annemarie.bsky.social · Jan 28

Interesting piece on AI slop on Quartz from @aftermath.site

AI articles have a note at the bottom:
“While we strive for accuracy and timeliness, due to the experimental nature of this technology we cannot guarantee that we’ll always be successful in that regard.” 🫣

aftermath.site/quartz-ai-ar...

G/O Media Is Publishing AI Slop Again - Aftermath

News site Quartz is publishing a whole lot of AI-generated articles

aftermath.site

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Reposted by Anne Marie Conlon

Patrick Freyne @patrickfreyne.bsky.social · Dec 14

I'm launching a new career as a demotivational speaker (thanks to everyone who got in touch this morning - it's nice to hear it strikes a chord) www.irishtimes.com/life-style/p...

Patrick Freyne: I am becoming a demotivational speaker – let’s all have an averagely productive December

I keep meeting people who are extremely burned out. I meet them so often that I’m beginning to think burnout is something that exists by design

www.irishtimes.com

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Anne Marie Conlon @annemarie.bsky.social · Nov 28

Oo I found him, it's @murrman5.bsky.social

A screengrab of a tweet that reads:

"no rapping tonight"
why?
"you rap about patrick swayze everytime, it's embarrassing"
ok
[after one beer]
uh oh y'all it's gettin kinda hazy

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Anne Marie Conlon @annemarie.bsky.social · Nov 28

Do share your Irish Bluesky recs though, and Swayzesky

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Anne Marie Conlon @annemarie.bsky.social · Nov 28

Sure, I could've just copied across my Twitter follow list, but where's the fun in that? This way I get to hunt down the random mix of Irish media, politics and comedy types plus UK science and politics journos... and that one person who made my favourite ever tweet about Patrick Swayze

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Anne Marie Conlon @annemarie.bsky.social · Nov 27

Even if you don't celebrate Thanksgiving, many of us use this time of year to show we appreciate our colleagues. In Nature this week, I spoke to researchers about how they give thanks to their lab-mates – from stickers to hidden chocolates.
@natureportfolio.bsky.social
www.nature.com/articles/d41...

How to thank your lab mates: eight ways to show gratitude at the end of year

Alongside secret Santas and seasonal parties, many laboratories develop traditions to show appreciation to colleagues — from sweets and mulled wine to quizzes and ice-skating trips.

www.nature.com

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