Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Bella Duncan

Yashar Ali 🐘 @yasharali.bsky.social · 3d

Earlier this year, Dr. Jane Goodall sat down for an interview for Brad Falchuk’s new Netflix series, Famous Last Words.

The premise of the series is to interview people on the condition that the interview not air until the subject has passed away.

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Reposted by Bella Duncan

David Hood @thoughtfulnz.bsky.social · 3d

I preferred it when Prime Ministers believed things like every person deserved “someone to love, somewhere to live, something to do, and something to hope for”, and acted on those beliefs.

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Reposted by Bella Duncan

Ian Hall @ianhall.bsky.social · 3d

The Greenlandification of Antarctica

Antarctica is beginning to behave more like Greenland, with surface melt, ice dynamics, and climate feedbacks in Antarctica exhibiting "Greenland-like” traits, which have major implications for sea-level rise projections.

www.nature.com/articles/s41...

The Greenlandification of Antarctica - Nature Geoscience

Climate and ice sheet processes in Antarctica increasingly reflect those observed earlier in Greenland. Applying process insights from Greenland can improve projections of future Antarctic ice and climate behaviour.

www.nature.com

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Reposted by Bella Duncan

Astronomer Royal for Scotland | Catherine Heymans @astroroyalscot.bsky.social · 4d

Conventional wisdom says motherhood should wait for tenure as before you land a permanent post, #academia is just not that family friendly🙁

@carersinstemm.bsky.social are calling for change and to celebrate their new report, a Saturday🧵on parenting & academia! 1/9 👩‍🔬🧪🔭⚛️

ℹ️: carersinstemm.co.uk

From 2006. A younger and shell-shocked looking Catherine on a balcony holding a very tiny baby with the mountains of Vancouver in the background. The baby is so new, Catherine still has the pregnant bump.

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Reposted by Bella Duncan

Ian Hall @ianhall.bsky.social · 6d

Destabilization of Earth system tipping elements

(Review) suggesting key Earth system tipping points - like the Greenland Ice Sheet, Amazon rainforest, and AMOC - are losing stability and nearing critical thresholds

Interactions may mask warning signs

www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Destabilization of Earth system tipping elements - Nature Geoscience

A review of observation-based evidence suggests that four interconnected Earth system tipping elements have moved towards their critical thresholds, highlighting the need for better monitoring and increased mitigation efforts.

www.nature.com

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Reposted by Bella Duncan

Dr. Lucky Tran @luckytran.com · 7d

"If we lose hope, we're doomed."

We must continue Dr. Jane Goodall's mission and all fight for the future of the planet.

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David Cormack @davidcormack.bsky.social · 11d

We watch a people go through an attempted genocide, and we sit back and say you are no people. You have no state.

For you see, we are friends with both you and your murderer.

Luxon says we're friends with both Israel and Palestine

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Reposted by Bella Duncan

Julie Fairey (she/her) @juliefairey.bsky.social · 12d

Use “I” statements please Winston. The tens of thousands of NZers who marched, the thousands and thousands more who see this genocide for what it is and who know recognising Palestine is an important symbol of solidarity, your decision does not represent us.

NZ Herald app screenshot with photo of Winston Peters in front of NZ flags. Headline says “Watch: Winston Peters says NZ ‘not ready’ to recognise Palestinian statehood”

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Reposted by Bella Duncan

Bill Manhire @pacificraft.bsky.social · Nov 8

.

Gaza

The dead boy tries to open his eyes.
He wants to see the world he is leaving.
But there is nothing to see here,
nothing and nothing, and anyway he is gone.
His parents held him while he died
but they are both dead, too.
Or he held them, no one remembers.

.

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Andrew Geddis @acgeddis.bsky.social · 12d

Worth expressly noting that the ONLY reason given in Peters' speech for why AoNZ should recognise Israel and not Palestine as a state is that Palestine "does not control its own territory". So, we reward Israel for its illegal actions + will keep doing so until it chooses to stop.

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Reposted by Bella Duncan

Richard Hills @richardhills.bsky.social · 12d

In a race to stand for nothing, we are increasingly heading for first place.

henry cooke @henrycooke.bsky.social · 12d

BREAKING: Winston Peters says is NZ is "not ready" to recognise Palestinian statehood.

"We do not think the time is now."

He says recognition at this time would be "open for political manipulation by both Hamas and Israel".

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Reposted by Bella Duncan

Te Pūnaha Matatini @tepunahamatatini.bsky.social · 13d

In Aotearoa New Zealand, research grants don’t just fund research. They also pay for buildings, admin, IT, and even profit margins. That’s because institutions rely heavily on indirect cost recovery – aka “overheads” – to stay afloat 🧪🧵

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Reposted by Bella Duncan

Bella Duncan @antarcticabella.bsky.social · 22d

Geologists of bluesky, great opportunity at Otago Uni, NZ for a Lecturer in Earth Science! Special shout out to my #biomarker colleagues, the dept has a well set up, near new Org Geochem lab without a PI, with GCMS/FID and HPLC, if anyone wants a change of scene! ⚒🧪🥼🌊
otago.taleo.net/careersectio...

Lecturer/Pūkenga - Geology

Click the link provided to see the complete job description.

otago.taleo.net

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Bella Duncan @antarcticabella.bsky.social · 22d

Unsure sorry 😔

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Bella Duncan @antarcticabella.bsky.social · 22d

Geologists of bluesky, great opportunity at Otago Uni, NZ for a Lecturer in Earth Science! Special shout out to my #biomarker colleagues, the dept has a well set up, near new Org Geochem lab without a PI, with GCMS/FID and HPLC, if anyone wants a change of scene! ⚒🧪🥼🌊
otago.taleo.net/careersectio...

Lecturer/Pūkenga - Geology

Click the link provided to see the complete job description.

otago.taleo.net

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Bella Duncan @antarcticabella.bsky.social · 27d

This anti-arts stance makes me so mad. I only did arts subjects in my last year at school (including art history!), and those are the skills I use everyday as a scientist. Critical thinking, writing skills, looking beneath the surface, all essential to scientific career.

Kate @knhannah.bsky.social · 27d

They are removing art history from the senior school curriculum. The 2 years of art history I did in the 90s are literally the knowledge I use the most in my everyday life, my career, & for joy.

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Reposted by Bella Duncan

Charlie Mitchell @comingupcharlie.bsky.social · Aug 22

Three waters has become a financial disaster for some councils. I spoke to a five-term mayor who says it has wrecked his council and the current reforms appear to be failing www.thepress.co.nz/nz-news/3607...

A mayor confronts the ‘ungodly’ price of three waters reform

The political battle over three waters is over, but the financial wreckage is just beginning.

www.thepress.co.nz

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Reposted by Bella Duncan

Ed Doddridge @edoddridge.bsky.social · Aug 20

"evidence is emerging for rapid, interacting and sometimes self-perpetuating changes in the Antarctic environment"
New review out today led by @climatenerilie.bsky.social brings together the rapid changes unfolding in the Antarctic. It's powerful, and sobering, reading.

Emerging evidence of abrupt changes in the Antarctic environment - Nature

Abrupt changes are developing across Antarctica’s ice, ocean and biological systems; some of these changes are intensifying faster than equivalent Arctic changes, potentially irreversibly, and their i...

www.nature.com

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Reposted by Bella Duncan

Alexander Luckmann @aluckmann.bsky.social · Aug 20

Academia may not give you job security, flexibility, or wealth, but it will let you unexpectedly connect to eduroam in foreign cities

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Bella Duncan @antarcticabella.bsky.social · Aug 19

Thanks for your mahi Eloise, you're an awesome climate communicator!!

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Reposted by Bella Duncan

Prof Helen Bostock @oceanhelen.bsky.social · Aug 18

The obsession with commercialisation of science and technology, but without funding the fundamental science - very short term thinking. If you want a sustainable research ecosystem you need to invest in fundamental research. Nz marsden fund was already underfunded- now more cuts! 🧪🔬🥼👩‍💻

Bella Duncan @antarcticabella.bsky.social · Aug 18

"The government has made it clear on several occasions that we want publicly funded research to focus on solving real world problems that can be commercialised". What a grim sentence.
www.rnz.co.nz/news/nationa...

Marsden Fund says it was given only a day's notice of further funding cuts

The Marsden Fund is among three contestable funds to lose millions to help set up the new Institute for Advanced Technology.

www.rnz.co.nz

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Bella Duncan @antarcticabella.bsky.social · Aug 18

"The government has made it clear on several occasions that we want publicly funded research to focus on solving real world problems that can be commercialised". What a grim sentence.
www.rnz.co.nz/news/nationa...

Marsden Fund says it was given only a day's notice of further funding cuts

The Marsden Fund is among three contestable funds to lose millions to help set up the new Institute for Advanced Technology.

www.rnz.co.nz

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Bella Duncan @antarcticabella.bsky.social · Aug 12

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

‘If these words reach you … Israel has succeeded in killing me’: the last words of a journalist killed in Gaza

Anas al-Sharif, an Al Jazeera reporter, was killed by an Israeli airstrike on Sunday night. This is the message he had prepared for his family, and his call for the world not to forget Gaza

www.theguardian.com

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Reposted by Bella Duncan

Michael Plank @michaelplanknz.bsky.social · Aug 6

A 29% cut to the Marsden Fund, plus major cuts to Endeavour, HRC and elsewhere 😠
With success rates already in single figures in some areas and funding not keeping pace with rising costs, this is devastating for New Zealand science

Juliet Gerrard @julietgerrard.bsky.social · Aug 5

www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/... Majority of Government’s $231m spend on Advanced Technology Institute funded through planned research funding cuts

Majority of Govt's $231m tech institute funded through research funding cuts

'It will be a cornerstone of our plan to grow a high-tech, high-value economy.'

www.nzherald.co.nz

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Reposted by Bella Duncan

Marc Daalder @marcdaalder.bsky.social · Jul 31

Was Simon Watts yesterday replaced with an identical, gas-powered android?

It's the only way to understand him signing an agreement to help the Pacific transition away from fossil fuels at 1pm and then vote to transition NZ back to fossil fuels just two hours later.
newsroom.co.nz/2025/08/01/s...

Simon Watts’ climate and fossil fuel hats sit uncomfortably

Comment: New gas drilling turns New Zealand away from a future of clean, cheap renewable power in pursuit of a dirty, costly fossil-fuelled past.

newsroom.co.nz

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