Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

prof-alistair.bsky.social @prof-alistair.bsky.social · 7h

SCHOLARS BEWARE! Last Friday just before COB here in Adelaide I was notified that an article of mine had been published online. Almost exactly 6 hours later I received this phishing email inviting me to follow a (doubtless dangerous) link to find out about my 'research award'.

#ScamAlert

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prof-alistair.bsky.social @prof-alistair.bsky.social · 19h

Alas and alack ... I'm old enough to remember when we had paper carrier bags BEFORE they were replaced by plastic ones. Perhaps we've already gone back to the old days? Or were the good old days when you had to carry things home wrapped up in newspapers in a string bag? Which old days I wonder? 😎😎😎

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prof-alistair.bsky.social @prof-alistair.bsky.social · 1d

A very dark but very funny movie. Appeals to a certain sense of humour only I suspect.

prof-alistair.bsky.social @prof-alistair.bsky.social · 1d

Its very good, isn't it? The rest of the collection of essays in 'The Ultimate Hidden Truth of the World. . .' isn't too shabby either. I'm currently read 'Pirate Enlightenment, or the Real Libertalia' but have yet to be disappointed by anything David Graeber's written.

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prof-alistair.bsky.social @prof-alistair.bsky.social · 2d

A very powerful exposition bu people who study such things of why what's happening in the USA is so dangerous. www.nytimes.com/2025/10/07/o... #politics #USA #Trump #Miller

Opinion | Trump Is Not Afraid of Civil War. Neither Is Stephen Miller.

www.nytimes.com

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prof-alistair.bsky.social @prof-alistair.bsky.social · 3d

If you're reading this and you're connected to UTS as staff, student or alumni, please engage with this survey. #academicsky

Thesiswhisperer @thesiswhisperer.bsky.social · 3d

Can you help us boost this signal? UTS colleagues are doing a governance project to talk back to the consultant led 'reform' of their university.

Please repost!! UTS people please have your say!

docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

UTS Governance Project Survey: A Staff-Led Collaborative Project

The UTS Governance Project is an independent, staff-led initiative to strengthen transparency, accountability and participation in how our university is run. Inspired by the ANU Governance Project, ...

docs.google.com

prof-alistair.bsky.social @prof-alistair.bsky.social · 3d

Mmmm ... "align their research with national priorities" sounds very Trumpian if you ask me ...

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prof-alistair.bsky.social @prof-alistair.bsky.social · 3d

Work in an Australian university? You really should be taking this short survey.

NTEU @nteunion.bsky.social · 3d

Take part in a groundbreaking workplace psychosocial safety census of all university staff in Australia, run by Pyschosocial Safety Climate Global Observatory. This an independent survey from University management and only open to staff.

Start here: nteu.info/census (takes 5-6min)

prof-alistair.bsky.social @prof-alistair.bsky.social · 4d

A true story straight out of John Le Carre. www.nytimes.com/2025/10/05/o...

Opinion | Someone Tipped Me Off About a Crypto Story. What I Found Was Crazy.

www.nytimes.com

prof-alistair.bsky.social @prof-alistair.bsky.social · 4d

Whatever I may think of the sentiments expressed in the video, this looks awfully like an AI-generated video. I'd be checking it provenance before I cited it in any of the articles I write as an academic! #Goodall #GenAI

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prof-alistair.bsky.social @prof-alistair.bsky.social · 4d

The best way of not seeing homeless people on the street is to provide them with somewhere to live at a rental they can afford. Its that simple. Very few people choose to live on the streets. A decent level of state welfare will solve that. Someone who doesn't agree isn't a liberal (the US sense).

prof-alistair.bsky.social @prof-alistair.bsky.social · 4d

I think just about every word in that piece of Trump-speech was wrong. Its hard to be that wrong but its the one thing he's really talented at. I wonder which university will have the b*lls to award him an honorary BA in Bullsh*t?

prof-alistair.bsky.social @prof-alistair.bsky.social · 5d

@thephdplace.bsky.social For PhD students everywhere. Ever wondered if your doctoral viva or PhD oral examination makes any difference? A just-published article demonstrates it can and does. Open access and free to read. #PhD #researchdegree #doctorate www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

Does the viva matter? PhD student experiences of the oral examination and its contribution to examination outcome and researcher development

The typical doctoral examination comprises the assessment of a written thesis or other artefact followed by a viva involving the candidate and two or more examiners. Australian universities general...

www.tandfonline.com

prof-alistair.bsky.social @prof-alistair.bsky.social · 5d

Have you ever wondered whether your doctoral viva or PhD oral examination makes any difference? Wonder no more! A just-published article demonstrates it can and does. Open access and free to read. #PhD #researchdegree #doctorate www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

Does the viva matter? PhD student experiences of the oral examination and its contribution to examination outcome and researcher development

The typical doctoral examination comprises the assessment of a written thesis or other artefact followed by a viva involving the candidate and two or more examiners. Australian universities general...

www.tandfonline.com

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prof-alistair.bsky.social @prof-alistair.bsky.social · 7d

Absolutely. Cruelty plain simple.

prof-alistair.bsky.social @prof-alistair.bsky.social · 7d

Car thefts at police stations are next ... No, only joking ...

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prof-alistair.bsky.social @prof-alistair.bsky.social · 8d

Satire's been on shaky ground since Henry Kissinger was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. (Thanks Tom Lehrer.)

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prof-alistair.bsky.social @prof-alistair.bsky.social · 8d

Time to remove her peerage? It seems like a fairly heavy breach of fair play, old chaps!

prof-alistair.bsky.social @prof-alistair.bsky.social · 9d

Having been a member of many university examination boards both as an internal and an external examiner I simply cannot conceive of how this tragedy could have happened. Where were the subject tutor & course leader? Failure is relatively rare. You'd notice & question it. www.bbc.com/news/article...

Glasgow student took his own life after 'tragic' university error

Ethan Brown, 23, of Coatbridge, was told he didn't have the grades to graduate in December 2024.

www.bbc.com

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prof-alistair.bsky.social @prof-alistair.bsky.social · 11d

"Golf has the ability to unite people. Golf teaches you very good life lessons. It teaches you etiquette. It teaches you how to play by the rules. It teaches you how to respect people. Sometimes this week we didn’t see that." But, when the US has a #POTUS who cheats at golf, what's to be expected.

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prof-alistair.bsky.social @prof-alistair.bsky.social · 11d

Currently in press, due out very soon, a paper answering the question, 'does the viva or oral examination of the PhD make a difference?' & adding to the literature on the research student's experience of the viva voce. (Spoiler alert: the viva can make a different in a significant number of cases.)

prof-alistair.bsky.social @prof-alistair.bsky.social · 12d

Chilling. www.chronicle.com/article/hear...

‘Heartbreaking’ and ‘Cruel’: A Texas State Professor on His Firing and Why He’s Suing

Colleagues describe a climate of fear.

www.chronicle.com

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prof-alistair.bsky.social @prof-alistair.bsky.social · 13d

If reason is to manage non-regular immigration, it won't work. Don't need a digital ID to cross the channel in a dingy. If its to only allow authorised people to work, there's already a functioning NI number system. Cheaper to build on that. If its to give shedloads of cash to digital giants -BINGO!

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prof-alistair.bsky.social @prof-alistair.bsky.social · 13d

I'm not particularly religious but if there's a God and they're vindictive I don't want to meet them. If they're good that'll be ok but I read multiple books concurrently because a good God won't let me die until I get to the end of any book I'm reading & I never will. My theory! #books #reading

prof-alistair.bsky.social @prof-alistair.bsky.social · 16d

This one of those situations when I wonder if Jesus is using Australian Central Standard Time, GMT, or Pacific Standard Time to plan the rapture ...