Liz Neeley
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lizneeley.bsky.social
Liz Neeley
@lizneeley.bsky.social
21K followers 2K following 11K posts
Founder of Liminal (LiminalCreations.com) & co-founder of Unbreaking (Unbreaking.org) Focused on turning knowledge into action. #science #communication #sensemaking #scicomm She/her. Married to Ed Yong.
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lizneeley.bsky.social
Oh no Ethan… I…
Will the typeface not fix me?
Screenshot of GoogleDrive with top file, most recently opened today, titled “The ongoing saga of Liminal typefaces”
October 31, 2025 at 1:16 PM
lizneeley.bsky.social
I did something unusual w/my first briefing point this week b/c the UVA deal raises my hackles.

No fees? Assurances of academic freedom? Great. where’s the catch?

I think it’s really odd that UVA president is required to *personally attest* there’s “no DEI here!” every 3 months until 2028.

Why?
10. UVA's president shall certify under penalty of perjury cach quarterly report as to the report's accuracy and UVA's full compliance with all the provisions in this Agreement. Such certification will state: → [Interim President or President] of the University of Virginia, hereby certify, to the best of my knowledge, and after reasonable review and investigation, that the accompanying quarterly report is accurate, and that the University of Virginia has maintained and implemented policies and procedures as well as training programs to ensure material compliance with the Agreement between the United States and the Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia dated [Effective Date]. The United States may make such inquiries as it deems necessary to verify the accuracy of such certification. If the United States concludes that the certifications are accurate, at the end of this Agreement, it will close the remaining Investigations and shall pursue no enforcement actions, grant or funding terminations, or monetary fines for alleged violations of Civil Rights Laws that took place prior to the pendency of this Agreement, and shall treat UVA as eligible for further grants, contracts, and awards in the ordinary course, without disfavored treatment based on events that took place prior 10 the date of the last such certification.
October 25, 2025 at 2:38 PM
lizneeley.bsky.social
The specifics of the RIFs I’ve seen in group chats have been staggering. Bracing & reminding myself these are specifically intended to cause fear & distress.

Please share URLs for any good trackers you seen as they emerge. (I want more than OMB’s version) fedscoop.com/trump-federa...
Table of how many federal employees have been laid off in the latest RIF (Reduction in Force). This is from an OMB legal filing from Oct 10. For each agency, it lists number of fired employees, RIF notice date, and whether the administrations has recalled any of those employees to do work. Total headcount is 4,100 across 8 agencies. Treasury (1446) and HHS (1200) are the most affected. EPA (30) had the fewest layoffs this time.
October 11, 2025 at 1:25 PM
lizneeley.bsky.social
Seems about right
Screenshot of a widget in my running app. It says my status is “fatigued”, and has a little illustrated person looking like they’re trying to catch their breath. Recovery is estimated at 35%, and it says I’ll be fully recovered in a mere 58 hours Huzzah.
October 4, 2025 at 6:59 PM
lizneeley.bsky.social
This is what I get for working on the weekend... (getting an error from congress.gov)
Screengrab that says Invalid SSL certificate Error code 526 Visit cloudflare.com for more information. 2025-09-14 00:34:47 UTC
September 14, 2025 at 12:36 AM
lizneeley.bsky.social
Bracing remarks from @scottwiener.bsky.social this morning at ASTC @sciencecenters.bsky.social. Absolute rejection of this administration’s spurious accusations of (the real & vile problem of) antisemitism to destroy science & higher ed
Senator Wiener stands at a podium at the ASTC annual conference. The (very large) screen behind him shows the camera feed over a colorful background of blue, yellow, and orange
September 8, 2025 at 4:30 PM
lizneeley.bsky.social
@evernote.bsky.social I cannot unsubscribe from your service - which I haven't used in years - b/c I cannot login. I never set up 2FA & I cannot answer the ludicrous form asking what IP address I last logged in from. AYFKM? I need a human to help me (& log this ridiculous issue).
August 26, 2025 at 10:49 PM
lizneeley.bsky.social
A while ago, we started a #FixItFriday tradition. We keep a running list - large & small, digital & analog, anything broken or annoying - and work on it together.

Today's 30-second fix: to remove AI "preview" from search results, here's the setting for Chrome users: www.reddit.com/r/techsuppor...
Screenshot from Reddit. User is zensnapple, posting 6 months ago. Thread says "How to turn off Google AI Overview in Chrome SOLVED Open Chrome and put chrome://settings/searchEngines in the search box. A tab will open which brings you to Search Engine > Manage Search Engines and Site Search. Click on the Add button by the Site Search update. A box will open. Fill in the form with the following: Name: AI Free Web Shortcut: @web URL: {google:baseURL}search?q=%s&udm=14 You’ll now see AI Free Web in the list of search engines. Click on the three stacked dots on the right side of AI Free Web on the list. Select Make Default. From now on, google functions pretty much like it did back when it was good. Good luck out there."
July 25, 2025 at 3:50 PM
lizneeley.bsky.social
My final bullet point was about the NAS State of the Science address. Well…

I especially appreciated @needhibhalla.bsky.social thoughtful commentary bsky.app/profile/need...
And everyone who sees this lack of leadership for what it is. bsky.app/profile/angi... & arstechnica.com/science/2025...
Screenshot: “The National Academies hosted its second annual State of the Science address. E&E News headlined its coverage, “National Academies president plays it safe.” Ars Technica’s went with, “Facing an extreme budget, the National Academies hosted an event that ignored it.” These are kinder assessments than most I’ve seen.” The last sentence is highlighted for effect
June 7, 2025 at 4:26 PM
lizneeley.bsky.social
A silly conversation led us into learning a little bit about maritime flags. Tag yourselves.

"Keep clear of me; I am maneuvering with difficulty"
"I am on fire and have dangerous cargo on board"
"You are running into danger"

I'm "Stop carrying out your intentions & watch for my signals"
screenshot of wikipedia page entry about marintime flat. It shows a white flag with a blue cross, technically described as "argent, a cross azure" it means "Stop carrying out your intentions and watch for my signals."
May 23, 2025 at 3:46 PM
lizneeley.bsky.social
The Researcher Support Consortium lists NIH Certificates of Confidentiality (CoC) as a 'particularly strong safeguard' researchersupport.org/certificates...
But I see that system is now unavailable grants.nih.gov/news-events/...

Trying to parse the notice - anyone have direct experience/insight?
Screenshot saying "Certificate of Confidentiality (CoC) System is Temporarily Unavailable May 1, 2025 NIH is currently undergoing a renewal of the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) approval for the NIH Certificate of Confidentiality (CoC) system. NIH will not be accepting requests to the CoC system or Institutional Official verifications for non-NIH funded research during this time. There will be an update on the CoCs for Research Not Funded by NIH page by July 2025. Note that the CoCs for NIH-funded studies (i.e., deemed issued CoCs) are not affected. Categories: Top Stories Topics: Human Subjects"
May 21, 2025 at 2:18 AM
lizneeley.bsky.social
Today (May 20) is World Bee Day, a moment to appreciate these small marvels.

I am poking around iNaturalist to see the species people are finding in my city - www.inaturalist.org/observations.... Which species are keeping your landscape alive?
Screenshot of iNaturalist page, where search has been set to "bees" and "Oakland, CA" There is an underlying map, with observations marked by orange dots, and each one can be opened to see photograph and species information.
May 20, 2025 at 3:11 PM
lizneeley.bsky.social
Sorry to report that the link doesn’t work
Screenshot of STAT website Page Not Found Sorry, the page you were looking for doesn't exist or has been moved.
May 20, 2025 at 12:48 PM
lizneeley.bsky.social
Weekly debrief on what's happening in science & higher ed is up!

- grant terminations: not just *how much* but *WHO*
- HHMI stops all competition, including Hanna Gray
- @alondra.bsky.social resigns with a powerful statement
- Do we even have a CDC director?

All at
buttondown.com/liminalcreat...
Screenshot of Dr. Alondra Nelson's photo (grey jacket, serious look on her face, sitting at what looks like Congressional testimony) Text says May 13, 2025 4:00 AM PT Why I’m Resigning from Positions at the National Science Foundation and Library of Congress by Alondra Nelson Contributor Nelson is the Harold F. Linder Professor at the Institute for Advanced Study and a researcher, author, policy advisor, and... In her Nobel lecture in 1993, the writer Toni Morrison observed: "Oppressive language does more than represent violence; it is violence; does more than represent the limits of knowledge; it limits knowledge. Whether it is obscuring state language or the faux-language of mindless media; whether it is the proud but calcified language of the academy or the commodity driven language of science; whether it is the malign language of law-without-ethics, or language designed for the estrangement of minorities, hiding its racist plunder in its literary cheek—it must be rejected, altered and exposed." The aim of my resignation is to break free of powers that seek to limit knowledge and silence voice. To signal that certain boundary lines have been crossed. To insist that advisory roles must expand knowledge and be more than appendages to predetermined decisions.
May 17, 2025 at 7:13 AM
lizneeley.bsky.social
"Indeed, the Court holds the President likely must request Congressional cooperation to order the changes he seeks, and thus issues a temporary restraining order to pause large-scale reductions in force in the meantime."
Screenshot of a court order that says: CONCLUSION. The Court concludes where it began. The President has the authority to seek changes to executive branch agencies, but he must do so in lawful ways and, in the case of large-scale reorganizations, with the cooperation of the legislative branch. Many presidents have sought this cooperation before; many iterations of Congress have provided it. Nothing prevents the President from requesting this cooperation—as he did in his prior term of office. Indeed, the Court holds the President likely must request Congressional cooperation to order the changes he seeks, and thus issues a temporary restraining order to pause large-scale reductions in force in the meantime. A temporary restraining order is, by definition, temporary. The Court will not consider defendants' request for a stay of execution of the temporary restraining order, as doing so would render the exercise pointless. The Court must promptly proceed to consideration of a preliminary injunction. Plaintiffs' motion for a preliminary injunction shall be filed no later than Wednesday, May 14, 2025 at 4:00 p.m. (PDT) and shall not exceed 25 pages; defendants' opposition is due by Monday, May 19, 2025 at 4:00 p.m. (PDT) and shall not exceed 25 pages. The Court shall hold a preliminary injunction hearing in person on Thursday, May 22, 2025 at 10:30 a.m. SO IT IS ORDERED. Dated May 9, 2025. Susan Illston, United States District Judge
May 10, 2025 at 4:03 AM
lizneeley.bsky.social
I love a bookshop.

I hate that Amazon & Barnes & Noble are ‘coincidentally’ pushing huge sales this weekend www.vulture.com/article/amaz...

But I adore a comms team that helps people share their messages. The graphics in my post and other fantastic assets at www.bookweb.org/independent-...
A graphic that looks like brown cardbox says “Algorithms don’t throw parties. Indies do. Indie Bookstore Day, April 26” In the background is a cozy image of a bookstore with a slate blue wall, beautiful carpet, white paper garland and stars and greenery decorating the shelves. It’s beautiful.
April 26, 2025 at 2:12 PM
lizneeley.bsky.social
It’s Independent Bookstore Day!!

It’s a one-day party, and it’s just what we need. 50 states, 1400+ shops + Bookshop.org

You’re not just buying a book. You’re buying into your community.

#IndieBookstoreDay
Orange poster that says Let’s Celebrate!” In the center is a white and blue circle that says “Independent Bookstore Day. Saturday April 26, 2025”, decorated with cute little graphics of bunting, stars, and fireworks. The rest of the text says “Can’t wait to see you then. One Day. Fifty States. 1400+ Bookstores. #IndieBookstoreDay”
April 26, 2025 at 2:12 PM
lizneeley.bsky.social
www.nytimes.com/2025/04/24/h...
Screenshot of New York times story by Roni Caryn Rabin April 24, 2025 Updated 6:05 p.m. ET After an outcry from scientists and health experts, federal health officials on Thursday said they would restore funding to the Women’s Health Initiative, one of the largest and longest studies of women’s health ever carried out. Screenshot of New York times article "H.H.S. had informed the leaders of the research team that it would terminate contracts for the W.H.I.’s regional centers in September, although the clinical coordinating center, based at Fred Hutch Cancer Center in Seattle, would be funded through at least January 2026. As of early Thursday evening, the investigators had not been informed the grants were being restored"
April 25, 2025 at 1:15 AM
lizneeley.bsky.social
Screenshot of New York Times headline: Federal Officials Promise to Restore Funding to Women’s Health Initiative Subdeck: The decades-long research effort has contributed to thousands of research papers, altering medical care for women around the world.
April 25, 2025 at 1:13 AM
lizneeley.bsky.social
If you use Google calendar** you may be seeing an uptick in spam there. Fun! Definitely what we all need.

You can report specific invites, or better, go into settings and limit who can add events to your calendar. Default settings are wild.

**I'm not saying you should or asking for advice, thanks!
Screenshot of Google Calendar settings. In Settings / General / Event Settings there is a drop-down menu offering "Add invitations to my calendar" and three options: 1 "From everyone", 2 "Only if the sender is known" (selected in screenshot) or 3 "When I respond to the invitation in email"
April 18, 2025 at 2:01 PM
lizneeley.bsky.social
I flew home from #SciTalk25 last night, so this week’s Meeting the Moment debrief was written at altitude, while I watched lightning pulse in thunderclouds.

What’s happening in science & higher ed: buttondown.com/liminalcreat...

Thread to come after some much needed coffee and hiking.
April 5, 2025 at 3:02 PM
lizneeley.bsky.social
I’m also at #SciTalk25 today.

@moefeliu.bsky.social is sharing her incredible work with Aquí Nos Cuidamos - www.aquinoscuidamos.org + Ciencia CoLab - www.cienciacolab.org + her SACNAS film Coming Home -
sciencecommunicationlab.org/science-vide...

She’s changed so many lives (including mine)
Mónica Féliu-Mójer stands on a low stage in front of a very large screen. She looks gorgeous in bold print black and red palazzo pants. The screen projects a collage of media clips of Spanish-language news coverage from her work during the early years of COVID with Aquí Nos Quidamos.
April 3, 2025 at 1:51 PM
lizneeley.bsky.social
It's just before 1:00pm PT on a non-holiday Monday, and this is what the Social Security Office online services portal says
This service is not available at this time. Please try again during our regular service hours (Eastern Time): Day Service Hours Monday-Friday 5:00 a.m. - 1:00 a.m. Saturday 5:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m. Sunday 8:00 a.m. - 11:30 p.m. Federal Holidays Same hours as the day the holiday occurs.
March 31, 2025 at 7:48 PM
lizneeley.bsky.social
Very glad to see that @standupforscience.bsky.social is partnering with @indivisible.org for the April 5 Day of Action - standupforscience2025.org/upcoming-act... Science advocates must deploy new skills, find common cause & build large-scale solidarity. This is a great starting place.
Graphic poster in red, white, and dark teal with a megaphone image and text that says “HANDS OFF! OUR SCIENCE STAND UP FOR SCIENCE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH INDIVISIBLE NATIONAL DAY OF ACTION APRIL 5TH, 2025 FIND AN EVENT NEAR YOU STAND UP FOR SCIENCE
March 29, 2025 at 3:55 PM
lizneeley.bsky.social
I recently found a pack of flashcards.

I realize I’ve created a little daily ritual out of pulling the front card, thinking about how it relates to my work (sometimes arguing with & critiquing the card, lol), and writing up notes.

It’s a quick Obsidian warm-up. A sort of… tech tarot? It’s nice.
Photo of a pair of glossy, monochrome flashcards. They have white text on a charcoal background and simple, graphic greyscale iconography filling the top half of the cards. There are more in the colorful “Laws of UX” box in the background. The brand promise is “Build better user interfaces with psychology principles.” The visible pair are titled “Affordances” (concentric square visual, on left) and “Signifiers” (concentric dots in a diamond formation) on the right. The text for each says “Affordances: Define what actions are possible with an object or interface based on the capabilities of the user. “Signifiers: Visible or audible clues that communicate the appropriate action within a system.”
March 20, 2025 at 9:22 PM