Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

eric lai @lucksmith.bsky.social · 1d

i have a workaround, genie granted my wish, and i wished for 5 more wishes

1 2

eric lai @lucksmith.bsky.social · 1d

sweet!

1

eric lai @lucksmith.bsky.social · 1d

my memory is a bit foggy, but i think my first paper was accepted without revisions. so i thought that's how science publication goes! (of course that paper was a certified banger).

1 5

eric lai @lucksmith.bsky.social · 1d

true story: we submitted a paper last month, and i thought i'd check on the status. i got an autoreply out of office from the handling editor, so i figured won't hear for a while. but then the head editor wrote and said, looks good, we'll take it!!

how come this kind of thing doesn't happen more?!?

2 18

Reposted by eric lai

the Mountain Goats @themountaingoats.bsky.social · 1d

GOOD MORNING TWO NEW MOUNTAIN GOATS SONGS ONE WHERE ME AND PETER BALKAN AND ADAM START CALCULATING HOW TO SURVIVE AFTER A SHIPWRECK & ONE WHERE ADAM EXITS STAGE LEFT NEVER TO BE SEEN AGAIN

30tgrs.ffm.to/coldatnight-...

The Mountain Goats - Cold at Night / Rocks in My Pockets

Choose your preferred music service

30tgrs.ffm.to

17 64 450

Reposted by eric lai

making art @marigoldmimsy.bsky.social · 2d

this is my artist video of how to fold a meander zine

it has 12 squares and if you use a regular sheet of printer paper, it will fold up to be smaller than a 3" square for your pocket

1 5

eric lai @lucksmith.bsky.social · 2d

i take this one personally 😠 #LaiLab

4

eric lai @lucksmith.bsky.social · 3d

my wife was just commenting today on pt barnum's ruse to get folks out of his sideshow museum, a sign proclaiming "this way to the egress"

eric lai @lucksmith.bsky.social · 3d

dear 🎵frenz, our cat (i think pickles) threw up on my bass. pls send sympathy, tx

@thelovelylab.bsky.social @slewzeus.bsky.social @burgesslab.bsky.social @benoitbruneau.bsky.social @chrmosimann.bsky.social @docdellaire.bsky.social @fish4walking.bsky.social @daphsci.bsky.social @wbderry.bsky.social

5 12

eric lai @lucksmith.bsky.social · 4d

really, not a word? 🐝

1

eric lai @lucksmith.bsky.social · 4d

listen: Why thousands of flies are on an oil rig in the middle of the ocean. Hoverflies laden with pollen flew 100s of miles across the water to pause at an oil rig in the North Sea.

www.npr.org/2025/10/03/n...

Why thousands of flies are on an oil rig in the middle of the ocean : Short Wave

In the North Sea — between the United Kingdom, Norway and Denmark — thousands of flies swarmed an oil rig. Engineer Craig Hannah noticed they’d stay still on the rig for hours, suddenly taking off all...

www.npr.org

3

Reposted by eric lai

FlyBase @flybase.bsky.social · 6d

It's #TechnicalAdvances update time; the papers added in September are here wiki.flybase.org/wiki/FlyBase.... Want your paper with with a new technique, reagent, or resource featured next month? Flag it when you #FTYP!

FlyBase:Papers with technical advances - FlyBase Wiki

Authors of the papers listed below suggest that they include a technical advance, new type of reagent, or resource likely to be useful for other researchers. Author suggestions have been collected via the Fast-Track Your Paper tool since October 2020, with those most recently submitted at the top. Please note, there will be a lag time before listed papers can be found on FlyBase (FBrf links will become active when available) and the submission date does not necessarily match the publication date of the paper.

wiki.flybase.org

7 7

eric lai @lucksmith.bsky.social · 5d

gonna be a plumbing showdown 💧

Reposted by eric lai

Drug Monkey @drugmonkey.bsky.social · 5d

More NIH chaos.

NICHD, NIMHD and NIAID Directors are all dismissed.

Princess Vimentin PhD | Cancer Biologist @princess-vimentin.bsky.social · 6d

Jeanne Marrazzo, director of NIAID, claimed that the Trump Administration’s actions
endangered research subjects, defied court orders & undermined vaccine research.

Earlier, Kennedy fired Susan Monarez of the CDC.

Resisting unethical policies costs you.

🧪🎁🔗
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/02/h...

Kennedy Fires N.I.H. Scientist Who Filed Whistle-Blower Complaint

www.nytimes.com

17 20

eric lai @lucksmith.bsky.social · 6d

auspicious morning 🪰

1 2

Reposted by eric lai

The Guardian @theguardian.com · 7d

Jane Goodall, world-renowned primatologist, dies aged 91

Jane Goodall Institute says ‘tireless advocate’ for natural world died in California during US speaking tour The world-renowned primatologist Jane Goodall has died at the age of 91, her institute has said. The Jane Goodall Institute announced that she had passed away of natural causes while in California as part of a US speaking tour. Continue reading...

www.theguardian.com

32 260 670

Reposted by eric lai

Jeremy Berg @jeremymberg.bsky.social · 6d

Nope. Not even close...

See "Hatch Act of 1939, An Act to Prevent Pernicious Political Activities" for more information.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hatch_Act

3 17 48

eric lai @lucksmith.bsky.social · 7d

i love coincidences! while passing through the lisbon portugal airport on my way home, i heard the person behind me pass advice to the people next to them regarding crater lake in oregon. so i asked them if know my college roommate who's a park ranger there, and answer was yes!!!

4

Reposted by eric lai

Max Kozlov @maxkozlov.bsky.social · 8d

Thousands fewer projects will be funded so success rates for grant applications hit all-time lows.

“That is extremely demoralizing,” says ex-extramural chief Mike Lauer. “We want people to be excited about being in science. This will do even more to chase people away from doing science in the US.”

1 16 44

eric lai @lucksmith.bsky.social · 8d

great visit to Le Génopode, University of Lausanne! double thanks to jean-yves roignant for inviting me here as well as to #EDRC2025 to discuss RNAmods, miRNAs, and 🪰!