Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Markus Deserno @markusdeserno.bsky.social · 8h

With a 10-foot seat post?

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Markus Deserno @markusdeserno.bsky.social · 8h

Aah, that word. “Older.” It burns. 🥲

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Markus Deserno @markusdeserno.bsky.social · 8h

To me, this story always had a different lesson: he showed that insects clearly don’t fly the way we thought they do. They don’t fly like planes, as most birds do, exploiting aerodynamic lift. Their flight is much more akin to helicopters, blowing air down.

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Markus Deserno @markusdeserno.bsky.social · 8h

Enshittification?

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Markus Deserno @markusdeserno.bsky.social · 9h

I want to congratulate the chemistry community that this year’s Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to profoundly chemical chemists! 👏

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Markus Deserno @markusdeserno.bsky.social · 20h

A very beautiful set of notes on Brownian dynamics of fluid membranes! I’m a big fan of creating clean notes to exorcise one’s own demons of incomprehension. You will not be disappointed to have your own understanding deepened! 👍 🧪

Sam Foley @physfoley.bsky.social · 23h

I wrote up some notes on Brownian dynamics of (nearly flat) Helfrich membranes to help myself learn, and decided to post them publicly in case anyone else finds them helpful. Starting from Stokes equations and going through stochastic simulation in Fourier space.

www.samuelfoley.com/misc/

Misc - Sam Foley

www.samuelfoley.com

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Markus Deserno @markusdeserno.bsky.social · 21h

Apparently, Eric Betzig also was incredulous when he learned what they gave him the prize for.

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Markus Deserno @markusdeserno.bsky.social · 1d

😳

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Markus Deserno @markusdeserno.bsky.social · 1d

Oh no! Oh mg god! I didn’t know. This is so very sad. My condolences to his family, friends, and his entire group at the MPI for the Science of Light.

Markus Deserno @markusdeserno.bsky.social · 1d

Never skip lunch because you’re “busy.”

(I live in a country where people don’t really “believe” in lunch and want to use the time “productively” for “lunch meetings.” I very regularly scold them for that!)

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Markus Deserno @markusdeserno.bsky.social · 1d

Power move: put some extra items on your to-do list such as:

* put shoes on
* eat lunch
* brush teeth
* go to bathroom

You feel enormously accomplished striking them off your list, especially if you use fancy scheduling software that keeps track of how much per day you check off! 💪

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Reposted by Markus Deserno

KOJAMF🤘🖤🤘 @kojamf.bsky.social · 3d

Dr. Jane Goodall filmed an interview with Netflix in March 2025 that she understood would only be released after her death.

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Markus Deserno @markusdeserno.bsky.social · 3d

It was a pleasure visiting you and speaking to so many great people in Barcelona! A big thanks to @torres-sanchez.bsky.social for inviting me! Had a great visit! 👍💪🙏

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Markus Deserno @markusdeserno.bsky.social · 3d

André Delambre thought so, too.

Reposted by Markus Deserno

Kirk Amundson @kirkamundson.bsky.social · 4d

UMass Amherst Biology is recruiting a tenure-track Assistant Professor in the area of Plant Physiology. Deadline Nov 1. Please spread the word and apply!

careers.massachusetts.edu/mob/en-us/jo...

Assistant Professor - Plant Physiology

The Department of Biology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst invites applications for a full-time, tenure-track Assistant Professor position in the area of Plant Physiology. The successful can...

careers.massachusetts.edu

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Markus Deserno @markusdeserno.bsky.social · 4d

Then please explain the New York Times.

Markus Deserno @markusdeserno.bsky.social · 4d

Featured in great detail in Disney’s film “The Living Desert.”

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Markus Deserno @markusdeserno.bsky.social · 6d

Pertinent:

Simple Answers

xkcd.com

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Reposted by Markus Deserno

Nigel Goldenfeld @nigelgoldenfeld.bsky.social · 6d

"Armed federal agents in military fatigues ... pulling men, women and children from their apartments, some of them naked... Agents approached or entered nearly every apartment in the five-story building, and U.S. citizens were among those detained for hours."

www.wbez.org/immigration/...

Massive immigration raid on Chicago apartment building leaves residents reeling: 'I feel defeated'

The Department of Homeland Security said federal agents with Border Patrol, the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives arrested 37 people in the raid.

www.wbez.org

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Markus Deserno @markusdeserno.bsky.social · 7d

The chaos at Berlin Airport because of ongoing cyberattack repercussions isn’t being improved by angry entitled passengers whining because they don’t get priority boarding with group 1. Dude, your name is on a flimsy paper list and your boarding card is handwritten! 🙄

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Markus Deserno @markusdeserno.bsky.social · 7d

Would love to be there with you, but I had to travel on…

Guten Appetit!

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Markus Deserno @markusdeserno.bsky.social · 7d

Dorothy Parker would be pleased.

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Markus Deserno @markusdeserno.bsky.social · 7d

To be fair, he tried his best to end it! 😉

Markus Deserno @markusdeserno.bsky.social · 7d

No more tattoos? 🤔

NBC News @nbcnews.com · 8d

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says "no more beards, long hair, superficial individual expression."

Hegseth says 'no more beards, long hair, superficial individual expression'

Hegseth said the Pentagon would crack down on "grooming standards." "No more beards, long hair, superficial individual expression," he vowed. "We’re going to

www.nbcnews.com

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Reposted by Markus Deserno

Fangwei Si @sifangwei.bsky.social · 8d

We are looking for a new colleague to join the vibrant and fast-growing biophysics community at CMU and in Pittsburgh! The City of Bridges also offers a unique combination of affordability, innovative ecosystems, and rich cultures. Please spread the word!

Markus Deserno @markusdeserno.bsky.social · 12d

I am super excited to announce that we have a tenure-track faculty position in biophysics open in the Department of Physics at Carnegie Mellon! 🧪

Interfolio link: apply.interfolio.com/174360

PLEASE, share widely across the blue skies!

Let me briefly explain what we're looking for:

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Tenure-track Position in Biophysics at Carnegie Mellon University, Department of Physics

Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Open Date: Sep 19, 2025

Description
The Department of Physics at Carnegie Mellon University invites applications for a tenure-track faculty position in biophysics. The appointment is intended to be at the Assistant Professor level, but exceptional candidates at a higher level may also be considered. We seek outstanding candidates with a strong record in cellular and subcellular biophysics. Topics of particular interest include, but are not limited to, uncovering how key characteristics of living systems arise from the interplay between supramolecular cellular structures, how the emergent cellular circuitry defines goals and enables robust decision making, and how metabolic resources are allocated. This encompasses understanding of how information is learned, stored, transduced, and processed across subcellular structures. Applicants with theoretical, data science, or experimental backgrounds within biological physics are encouraged to apply. The ideal candidate will strengthen and extend research programs of current biophysics faculty in the Department of Physics and collaborate with broader life science activities across many departments at CMU and the wider Pittsburgh area.

More details on Interfolio: https://apply.interfolio.com/174360

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