Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Caroline Proctor @caggles.bsky.social · Jul 30

There's something hugely satisfying when you're developing a new system and you've spent weeks doing architecture and writing helper functions and securing data, and then it all comes together into something you can SHOW people in a few days.

Caroline Proctor @caggles.bsky.social · Jul 1

I am not built for heat. There is an entire swampy ecosystem building up under my boobs and I don't think I'm ready for that kind of responsibility.

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Arthur Webber 🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈 @bernietranders.bsky.social · Jun 11

I’m watching parliament’s women and equalities committee grill Baroness Falkner and the EHRC so you don’t have to, follow along with this thread for a summary of what’s said

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Victoria McCloud 🏳️‍⚧️🌈‍♾️ @humanrightsvicky.bsky.social · Jun 10

** Latest ** This is the latest video from the Trans Exile Network, it is a very short speech (7 mins) which I made to the national GMB Union Annual Congress on 9th June 2025, yesterday as I post this.
youtu.be/6LCWFzf4vRs

GMB 2025 Speech

YouTube video by Trans Exile Network

youtu.be

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Michael Washington @adefwebserver.com · Jun 11

#NoSleepForICE #ICEOutOfLA - Hilton Garden Inn in #Arcadia

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Marina Veličković @marinavelickovic.bsky.social · Jun 10

by framing peaceful protests as only those protests that do not destroy or damage property the state/media/ideological apparatus(es) designate property as that which must be protected and citizens as those who can be subjected to violence *in order to protect property*

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UCU Commons @ucucommons.bsky.social · Apr 29

We've written a blog post full of steps everyone can take, right now, to support trans people following the Supreme Court ruling and the EHRC interim guidance. Thanks especially to @hagenilda.bsky.social for all her work on it! 🏳️‍⚧️

open.substack.com/pub/ucucommo...

Take action now for trans rights.

Some practical ways you can show your support for trans people in the wake of the 16th April Supreme Court ruling.

open.substack.com

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Caroline Proctor @caggles.bsky.social · Apr 29

In solidarity with the principles of trade unions, I will not be crossing a picket line this Friday, and I will therefore not be attending NEC as representative for the Midlands.

I urge UCU to work with Unite UCU to establish positive actions for resolution of this dispute.

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University and College Union (UCU) @ucu.org.uk · Apr 14

Auditors have raised serious concerns about Coventry University's financial future, putting hundreds of jobs at risk. UCU is calling for urgent transparency. Staff and students deserve clarity now. bit.ly/44m741F

Coventry University staff seek urgent answers following auditors' warning on institution's future

University and College Union (UCU) has called for immediate transparency from Coventry University after its recently published Annual Report and Financial Statements revealed a concerning warning from...

bit.ly

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Jillbles @jillbles.bsky.social · Apr 14

Hey, did you know there's an alternative to ChatGPT that makes sense economically and doesn't destroy the environment?
It's called English majors and they will happily fix all of your documents for the low price of health insurance and a living wage.

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Amy Ryall @amyryall.bsky.social · Apr 9

Solidarity with Nottingham University UCU as job cuts are announced.

They must be really missing their brilliant Agnes Flues too, more than usual.

University of Nottingham UCU branch @uonucu.bsky.social · Apr 9

And there it is. A shocking, appalling, and deeply disappointing announcement of an entirely unnecessary move from the university.

But this is exactly why we have already started organising .

University of Nottingham plans to cut more than 250 jobs

Announcing the consultation, the university said it was a "critical moment for universities across the UK".

www.bbc.co.uk

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Dr Dave Hitchcock @davehitchcock.bsky.social · Apr 4

Me again on another dimension of the UK universities crisis. This time I'm thinking about the huge risks to national security and government ability that it represents, and not in the ways you might think either.

Why Isn’t the UK University Crisis a National Security Emergency?

It really should be.

hitchcockian.medium.com

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Caroline Proctor @caggles.bsky.social · Apr 4

Seriously sprained my elbow a couple of weeks back, and it's still recovering. Going to the Skunk Anansie gig last night at Rock City didn't help, but I didn't care because it was absolutely epic and painkillers are wonderful things!

Today, though? Today I have painful regrets in my right arm.

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Caroline Proctor @caggles.bsky.social · Mar 31

On today, trans day of visibility, as on every other day I stand and shout that trans rights are human rights.

Solidarity, love and support for all trans colleagues and friends who face utter bullshit every day for just existing.

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Matilda Fitzmaurice @matildaf.bsky.social · Mar 26

For #UCU migrant members:

UCU Migrant Members' Standing Committee is running a vital survey to gather member experiences of institutional support for visa-related expenses.

The survey link is here: yoursay.ucu.org.uk/s3/Migrant-s...

Deadline for responses is Friday 11th April.

Migrant survey 2025

yoursay.ucu.org.uk

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Oli Mould @olimould.bsky.social · Mar 26

My thruppence on the current crisis across the UK university sector: THREE cheap easy wins that the government could implement to solve the short term issue, thereby helping us discuss the long term ones.

tacity.co.uk/2025/03/26/t...

Three Immediate, Cost-Free Interventions to Avert Collapse in UK Higher Education

UK higher education (HE) is undergoing a profound and deeply unsettling crisis. Universities across the country including Newcastle, Cardiff, UEA, Dundee and many others (seemingly by the day) are …

tacity.co.uk

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University of Nottingham UCU branch @uonucu.bsky.social · Mar 13

Shout out to our UCU colleagues across the Midlands + the UK, esp Coventry University UCU for their Alternative Open Day this Sat (15/3/25). Coventry is just one of many UKHE institutions whose VC is pushing redundancies + reductions of terms and conditions for staff.

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Dreadnought Holiday @dreadships.bsky.social · Mar 10

Sounds worrying - despite the presence of copious water, as the old COSHH sheets call it, fire on ships (especially ships carrying very flammable stuff) is a very dim prospect indeed.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cg...

Oil tanker and cargo vessel collide in North Sea

Lifeboats and firefighting teams are on the scene, after two ships collide off the coast of East Yorkshire.

www.bbc.co.uk

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Mark Gongloff @markgongloff.bsky.social · Mar 5

Stunning new visualization of global temperatures since 1940, from @hausfath.bsky.social

www.theclimatebrink.com/p/visualizin...

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Andrew Freedman @afreedma.bsky.social · Mar 3

NEW: The Trump admin has informed NOAA that two buildings that are critical for weather forecasting will have their leases canceled. If this comes to pass, it's a really big deal. Includes weather fcst nerve center in College Park, Md.: www.axios.com/2025/03/03/d...

DOGE moves to cancel NOAA leases at critical forecasting centers

NOAA's nerve center of national weather forecasting is on a lease cancellation list.

www.axios.com

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Caroline Proctor @caggles.bsky.social · Feb 20

You know size isn't everything.

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John Gallagher @earlymodernjohn.bsky.social · Feb 17

The sad thing is that email and admin have taken over academic life so much that many of us have to squeeze in the poisoning of minds on evenings and weekends.

George Parker @georgewparker.bsky.social · Feb 17

Kemi Badenoch this morning: "A country cannot be successful if its people and intellectual elite don’t believe in it. This means dealing with the poisoning of minds through higher education."

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Kyle Cheney @kyledcheney.bsky.social · Feb 18

Quite an exchange here between Judge Reyes and DOJ attorney on how "pronoun usage" affects military readiness.

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Shannon Mattern @shannonmattern.bsky.social · Feb 18

“Many say that while they still love their work — and particularly working with students — they don’t know how long they can maintain their current pace. ‘Most of us are working seven days a week just to keep up… That’s not sustainable at all.’”

Higher Education Is Exhausted

Some don’t see a future in a sector battling for its very existence.

www.chronicle.com

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Michael Abberton 🇺🇦🇸🇩 @michaelabberton.bsky.social · Feb 7

Vitally important that people vote in the UCU elections - to reclaim our union and for a union that is member-led and seeks to listen to - and not educate - its members. #UCUelections #CampusTradeUnions www.timeshighereducation.com/opinion/stri...

Striking over pay amid the UK’s financial crisis is misguided at best

The work of lobbying policymakers to make HE a higher priority is undermined by the endless pantomime of UCU’s internal politics, says Dyfrig Jones

www.timeshighereducation.com

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