Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Heather Randell @heatherrandell.bsky.social · 11h

Kristina Douglass, one of the new MacArthur Geniuses, is an incredible archaeologist and a lovely person. Read about her and her work on how ancient communities in Madagascar adapted to environmental change:

www.npr.org/sections/goa...

A MacArthur 'genius' gleans surprising lessons from ancient bones, shards and trash

Kristina Douglass wanted to find out the truth about how past communities adapted to environmental change. Her revelatory work has earned her a MacArthur award.

www.npr.org

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Heather Randell @heatherrandell.bsky.social · 13h

New procrastination method unlocked! Get rooftop solar and obsessively check your app throughout the day to see how much energy your panels are producing 🌞📱📈

Solar app that gives me real time updates on my rooftop production.

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Heather Randell @heatherrandell.bsky.social · 1d

I ❤️ —

Shannon Stirone @shannonstirone.bsky.social · 1d

Here’s the thing I wish everyone could hold in their minds about writers—we love em dashes. We use em dashes. We are humans and not AI. We will not be deleting our em dashes just because AI uses them too. We were here first. You can pry my em dashes from my cold dead hands. F*ck AI.

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Heather Randell @heatherrandell.bsky.social · 2d

Potential five-alarm fire for medical research:

“By downgrading its peer review process, the NIH could allow political appointees who now occupy key positions to stop grants that typically would be funded, and to fund grants they prefer that don’t necessarily meet rigorous scientific standards.”

Mallory Harris, PhD @malar0ne.bsky.social · 3d

IMO this hasn't gotten enough attention: a recent memo at NIH announces that peer review will be devalued in determining which grants get funded, granting more power to political appointees to make decisions based on the admin's whims over scientific merit

kffhealthnews.org/news/article...

Changes at NIH Give Political Appointees Greater Power To Fund or Block Research - KFF Health News

The National Institutes of Health’s long-held standard of peer review for grantmaking has been subverted by President Donald Trump and NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya, who gave unprecedented power to po...

kffhealthnews.org

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Heather Randell @heatherrandell.bsky.social · 3d

Cheering squad for the Twin Cities Marathon this morning. I asked my three year old what she wanted to write on her sign, and she said “Love”.

💙🏃‍♀️🏃‍♂️🏃🩵

My kids cheering on the runners in the Twin Cities Marathon.

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Heather Randell @heatherrandell.bsky.social · 4d

“Sam Altman…debuted his Sora app, which creates alarmingly realistic videos of fake scenes. It could be TikTok with a lot more disinformation. You can use a text prompt to conjure terrorist attacks, election fraud, mass protests, war scenes and, no doubt, disturbing sexual scenarios.”

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Heather Randell @heatherrandell.bsky.social · 4d

Folks, we are so very screwed.

“We’re all dwelling in Uncanny Valley now, staring into our personal screens, not sure what’s real or fake, to the detriment of talking, dating, reading, living.”

Gift link:
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/04/o...

Opinion | When A.I. Came for Hollywood

www.nytimes.com

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Reposted by Heather Randell

Philip N Cohen @philipncohen.com · 7d

Not just an attack on academic freedom and democracy, but on science and knowledge creation, too. The end of the system where experts even nominally decide on research funding and priorities, replaced with a loyalty oath.

Brendan Nyhan @brendannyhan.bsky.social · 7d

Trump's higher ed ransom note is here - everyone would have to acquiesce to their unprecedented demands or not be "given priority for grants," plus they can demand "reimbursement" for "violations" www.wsj.com/us-news/educ...

A mechanism to enforce fealty. An attack on academic freedom and democracy

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Reposted by Heather Randell

Caroline Krafft @ckrafftc.bsky.social · 7d

📣 I am recruiting PhD student(s) in Public Affairs (Fall '26) at the Humphrey School, University of Minnesota! Come join me to work on Development/ Labor/ Education/ Gender/ ECD/ Inequality - in a top-ranked, fully-funded PhD program! Details: www.hhh.umn.edu/doctor-philo... #EconSky #PoliSky

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Public Affairs

The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Public Affairs offers rigorous, advanced study that prepares researchers to enter academia or join highly respected institutions involved in cutting edge research in ...

www.hhh.umn.edu

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Heather Randell @heatherrandell.bsky.social · 7d

Goodbye to one of my childhood heroes. What a life.

Gift link:
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/01/o...

Jane Goodall, Eminent Primatologist Who Chronicled the Lives of Chimps, Dies at 91

www.nytimes.com

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Heather Randell @heatherrandell.bsky.social · 8d

OMG. Not another Florida man.

www.nytimes.com/2025/09/29/u...

Florida Man Is Accused of Killing, Cooking and Eating Pet Peacocks

www.nytimes.com

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Reposted by Heather Randell

jimi adams @jimiadams.bsky.social · 8d

I want the ones *not* included in "some" to have to publicly defend their position.

JVG 骨 @jasonv.bsky.social · 8d

Absolute all-timer sentence in today's @nytimes.com

"some legal experts have called it a crime to summarily execute civilians" says today's New York Times, continuing their long tradition of whitewashing fascism

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Reposted by Heather Randell

Elle Ess @viamarsala18.bsky.social · 8d

The North Star Promise is just one of those things we have to protect with everything we have.

Heather Randell @heatherrandell.bsky.social · 8d

This is great news for Minnesota! Enrollment is up across the system thanks to improved recruitment strategies, easier ways to apply, and the “North Star Promise, a new program that makes tuition free for Minnesotans whose families meet certain income requirements.”

www.mprnews.org/story/2025/0...

After dropping during the pandemic, Minnesota universities see an enrollment spike

Across the state, colleges and universities are welcoming more freshmen to their campuses this fall. And while they don't have official numbers yet, many are reporting higher than usual enrollment.

www.mprnews.org

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Heather Randell @heatherrandell.bsky.social · 8d

This is great news for Minnesota! Enrollment is up across the system thanks to improved recruitment strategies, easier ways to apply, and the “North Star Promise, a new program that makes tuition free for Minnesotans whose families meet certain income requirements.”

www.mprnews.org/story/2025/0...

After dropping during the pandemic, Minnesota universities see an enrollment spike

Across the state, colleges and universities are welcoming more freshmen to their campuses this fall. And while they don't have official numbers yet, many are reporting higher than usual enrollment.

www.mprnews.org

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Reposted by Heather Randell

Michael Paarlberg @mpaarlberg.bsky.social · 9d

I think the Trump admin assumed no one would try to find out who the people on the boats they blew up really were

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Reposted by Heather Randell

Daniel Aldrich @danielaldrich.bsky.social · 9d

This new chapter for former island residents is no fairy tale. They say their new homes are substandard, with rainwater seeping through doorways, malfunctioning appliances and flooded yards causing costly repairs floodlightnews.org/isle-de-jean...

As millions face climate relocation, the nation’s first attempt sparks warnings and regret

Three years after a federally funded move, Indigenous residents of Louisiana’s Isle de Jean Charles report broken homes — and promises

floodlightnews.org

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Reposted by Heather Randell

Neal Caren @haphazardsoc.bsky.social · 12d

Carolina Sociology is hiring!

• Tenure-track in computational sociology or advanced quantitative methods
• Open rank in population health.

unc.peopleadmin.com/postings/307...
unc.peopleadmin.com/postings/307...

Assistant Professor

This Assistant Professor position will teach graduate and undergraduate courses, conduct research in the field of Sociology, participate in departmental service, and mentor graduate students.

unc.peopleadmin.com

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Heather Randell @heatherrandell.bsky.social · 12d

“In contrast to the West, where election cycles have constrained consistent climate action, China plays a long game—planning decades into the future. And it doesn’t like to make promises it can’t keep.”

Gift link:
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/26/o...

Opinion | China Is the Adult in the Room on Climate Now

www.nytimes.com

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Heather Randell @heatherrandell.bsky.social · 13d

We went with TruNorth. They were recommended by a friend who works in the solar industry and they’ve been great to work with!

Heather Randell @heatherrandell.bsky.social · 13d

Making strides towards electrifying my home.

Solar panels ✔️
Heat pump water heater ✔️
Mini-splits for heating when it’s not too cold out ✔️

The tax rebates are going away soon but there still may be time to get solar panels this year, and there is certainly time to get energy efficient appliances!

My house with our newly installed solar panels on the roof.

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Heather Randell @heatherrandell.bsky.social · 15d

Shana Tova 🍎🍯

In this coming year may our families be healthy, may our country regain its senses, and may Palestine be free.

My daughter dipping an apple in honey for Rosh Hashanah.

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Heather Randell @heatherrandell.bsky.social · 20d

This bumper sticker cheered me up. In this day and age I will take all the tiny moments of joy I can!

Car with a bumper sticker that says “I Break for Tapirs”.

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Heather Randell @heatherrandell.bsky.social · 21d

It’s a hell of a time to be an academic, but we’ve gotta keep on keeping on in the name of our students 🩷💚🩵

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Heather Randell @heatherrandell.bsky.social · 21d

I’m on medical leave this semester and just got a card from some of my students. Their notes reminded me that teaching is the most rewarding of jobs. I’m lucky to get to know students from across the globe who truly believe in the promise of a better world. The kids are alright!

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Heather Randell @heatherrandell.bsky.social · 21d

This is fantastic work Colin, and it's nice to see that you collaborated with Chris on it. SESYNC for the win!

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