Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Michael Paul Nelson @michaelpaulnelson.bsky.social · 3d

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Sweden: The country 'prescribed' by doctors

A cheeky new ad campaign claims that visiting the Nordic nation and embracing Swedish culture can improve your wellbeing – and it's turning to medical experts to make its case.

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Michael Paul Nelson @michaelpaulnelson.bsky.social · 4d

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Response to the ‘Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education’ | Office of the President

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Michael Paul Nelson @michaelpaulnelson.bsky.social · 4d

Right? Not even Doucheophales, Wankerphrates, or Pieceofcrapostotle were this bad!

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Michael Paul Nelson @michaelpaulnelson.bsky.social · 8d

Last installment of short films from the Arachne Project. What a nice series!

www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...

The Arachne Project - YouTube

A changing world and a changing vision of the role of humans in the world invite a radical reimagining of conservation. What emerging visions and values shou...

www.youtube.com

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Reposted by Michael Paul Nelson

Sarah Kendzior @sarahkendzior.bsky.social · 16d

Go buy THEY KNEW. It holds up even in the stupidest situations. In fact, the stupider the situation, the better it holds up!

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Michael Paul Nelson @michaelpaulnelson.bsky.social · 16d

We have a cool new post-doc appointment available at Oregon State, with secure private foundation funding!

Help us help organizations who aspire to "nature-centrism" become more "nature-centric."

#naturecentrism #sustainability #conservation #ecocentrism

hr.oregonstate.edu/open-postdoc...

Postdoctoral Research: Mainstreaming nature-centric thinking in organizations | Office of University Human Resources

hr.oregonstate.edu

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Michael Paul Nelson @michaelpaulnelson.bsky.social · 17d

Ursula Le Guin, The Lathe of Heaven

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Michael Paul Nelson @michaelpaulnelson.bsky.social · 18d

“I think scientists like me have a moral duty to let their panic about climate change be seen by the public. I don't understand how to be an engaged researcher while being expected to ignore the fact that I conduct my fieldwork in temperatures unsafe for a human body.”

www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

FIRST PERSON | I study climate change. This summer, it got too hot for me to do my field work | CBC News

Kathryn McRuer-Nicol was studying how Quebec salt marshes might hold answers to understanding and coping with the impacts of climate change. When she and her team started experiencing extreme heat and...

www.cbc.ca

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Reposted by Michael Paul Nelson

Governor Tim Walz @governorwalz.mn.gov · Sep 5

Alongside Tribal partners, we raised the flags of the 11 sovereign Tribal Nations on the Capitol Mall.

With these flags raised high, we’re honoring our government-to-government partnership and recognizing that our Indigenous neighbors are not in the past.

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Michael Paul Nelson @michaelpaulnelson.bsky.social · 20d

Idioms are fun.

Thin skinned - “The term originated from the literal sense of having a delicate skin,…later…used to describe someone who is easily hurt emotionally.”

Cry baby - “adult, overly sensitive, complains excessively, and cries easily over trivial matters, similar to how a baby behaves.”

Michael Paul Nelson @michaelpaulnelson.bsky.social · 20d

Mood, indeed!

To fellow forestry folks, name that chainsaw.

Bad Atheist @badatheist.bsky.social · 20d

Mood

Painting of a woman dancing with a chainsaw.

Michael Paul Nelson @michaelpaulnelson.bsky.social · 20d

It’s true!

Michael Paul Nelson @michaelpaulnelson.bsky.social · 21d

Nice piece featuring the work of colleague Mark Harmon.

Scientific American @sciam.bsky.social · 22d

Forest ecologist Mark Harmon has been exhaustively examining dead logs for 40 years, and he’s found a complex world few people see

He’s Spent 40 Years Studying Dead Trees—Here’s What He’s Found

Forest ecologist Mark Harmon has been exhaustively examining dead logs for 40 years, and he’s found a complex world few people see

www.scientificamerican.com

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Reposted by Michael Paul Nelson

Dr. Aaron Thierry @thierryaaron.bsky.social · Sep 6

"Scientists and modelers have not merely warned of the #ClimateCrisis - they have also, often unwittingly, contributed to it by reinforcing an uncritical faith in technological salvation & sidelining more structural social transformations"

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

In tech we trust: A history of technophilia in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) climate mitigation expertise

This article examines the technocentric bias that characterizes climate mitigation literature, focusing on the reports of the IPCC's Working Group III…

www.sciencedirect.com

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Michael Paul Nelson @michaelpaulnelson.bsky.social · Sep 2

“The European Union estimates there are now some 60 national and regional campaigns underway to attract non-European researchers”

theworld.org/stories/2025...

Europe wants to attract American scientists - The World from PRX

In the wake of federal funding cuts that threaten scientists’ jobs in the US, programs have emerged across Europe to attract those worried American scientists. The World’s Gerry Hadden reports from a ...

theworld.org

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Michael Paul Nelson @michaelpaulnelson.bsky.social · Aug 25

Yes!

Reposted by Michael Paul Nelson

Institute of Art and Ideas @iai.tv · Aug 16

Could all matter in the universe be conscious? | iai.tv/video/the-co...

Join as Professor of Philosophy @philipgoff.bsky.social argues that panpsychism is real and solves the deep problems of materialism and dualism that have plagued philosophy for centuries.

#consky #philsci #philsky

The consciousness puzzle

Could all matter in the universe be conscious? Professor of Philosophy Philip Goff argues that panpyschism is real and solves the deep problems of materialism and dualism that have plagued philosophy…

iai.tv

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Michael Paul Nelson @michaelpaulnelson.bsky.social · Aug 7

“I used to be frustrated by people’s lack of imagination…
Imagination is nothing to take for granted. It is one of the main qualities that fascist regimes attempt to outlaw. But they do not need to outlaw what is surrendered.”

sarahkendzior.substack.com/p/soul-strip...

Soul Stripping

Against AI, again.

sarahkendzior.substack.com

Michael Paul Nelson @michaelpaulnelson.bsky.social · Aug 4

Just devoured four @sarahkendzior.bsky.social books in a row - wonderful writing, impressive research, deep feeling, hard truths. I highly recommend the set!

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Michael Paul Nelson @michaelpaulnelson.bsky.social · Aug 2

“History is best told as a story of organised crime”

Better to know.

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‘Self-termination is most likely’: the history and future of societal collapse — Guardian US

An epic analysis of 5,000 years of civilisation argues that a global collapse is coming unless inequality is vanquished

apple.news

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Reposted by Michael Paul Nelson

David Ho @davidho.bsky.social · Jul 30

Motherfucking wind farms…

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Michael Paul Nelson @michaelpaulnelson.bsky.social · Jul 28

New paper, led by undergrad Laura Jost. One finding: "As years in nat. res. mangmt. increases, sense of belonging decreases for women and remains constant for men...[and] perceived public support increases for men and remains constant for women."
besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

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