Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Joey Pickard

Bookshop.org @bookshop.org · 8d

Can’t decide what to buy on Prime Day?

Try: absolutely nothing, and then go support indie bookstores instead 📚

Joey Pickard @bootlegbryos.bsky.social · 16d

‘Other investors’ means Trumps son in law, so I look forward to the next Star Wars Jedi game telling me that the empire is great and actually always was. I assume also now you can only build walls in the Sims

Kotaku @kotakudotcom.bsky.social · 18d

Report: Saudi Arabia And Other Investors Nearing $50 Billion Deal To Buy EA

Saudi Arabia & Other Investors Nearing $50 Billion Deal To Buy EA

The massive deal might be announced officially as soon as next week according to sources with knowledge of the situation

kotaku.com

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Chuck Wendig @chuckwendig.bsky.social · 17d

Sure, let's eat and review this Shrek Ass of an apple --

Apple Review #4: Knobbed Russet

Holy fucking shit, look at this Shrek-Ass Apple. Sorry, I’m getting ahead of myself. Before we begin, a note on how (and why) I’m reviewing these. The why, first. Once upon a time, ther…

terribleminds.com

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Spotlight on Corruption @spotlightcorruption.org · 19d

🚨 BREAKING: The former leader of Reform UK in Wales, Nathan Gill, has pleaded guilty to #bribery, admitting he received corrupt payments as a Brexit Party MEP in exchange for making statements in the European Parliament to promote Russia’s interests in #Ukraine.

Reform UK’s ex-leader in Wales Nathan Gill pleads guilty to bribery charges

Gill admits to eight charges while an elected member of the European parliament

www.theguardian.com

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JCarlos Villarreal @jcarlosvillarreal.bsky.social · 22d

I am glad to be part of the largest paper on bryophyte genomics. Spearheaded by Shanshan Dong and Yang Liu ( Fairy Lake Botanical Garden) presents: "A comprehensive super-pangenome analysis, incorporating 123 newly sequenced bryophyte nuclear genomes......"
www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Bryophytes hold a larger gene family space than vascular plants - Nature Genetics

A super-pangenome analysis incorporating 123 newly sequenced bryophyte genomes reveals that bryophytes exhibit a larger number of unique and lineage-specific gene families than vascular plants.

www.nature.com

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Heneb: The Trust for Welsh Archaeology @henebtwa.bsky.social · 28d

YFORY! | TOMORROW!

Ymunwch â Heneb a Buglife ar-lein am noson o Natur a Threftadaeth. Darlith AM DDIM. Archebwch le yma: heneb.org.uk/cy/event/dar...

Join Heneb and Buglife online for an evening of Nature and Heritage. FREE lecture. Book here: heneb.org.uk/event/henebs...

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Mark Walters @mark-walters.bsky.social · Sep 14

There’s an interesting series of 5 free online paleobotany lectures via the Oxford University Botanic Garden this autumn. You can book all 5 lectures here (scroll down webpage to ‘Get your tickets now’ button) www.obga.ox.ac.uk/event/dr-san... #paleobotany

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Joey Pickard @bootlegbryos.bsky.social · Sep 13

As I approach old age (30) it’s pretty rare I find myself out for late nights. Zero chance of missing Matt Stewart’s stand up show this week though, he made it all the way from Melbourne to Swansea! Great time, still laughing and a nice distraction from *gestures at the bin fire we call the UK*

A crowd in front of empty chairs with a background from the Australian comedian Matt Stewart’s show, Bad Boy, before the show starts

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Peatland ECR Action Team @peatlandecr.bsky.social · Sep 12

🚨📸 About 2 weeks left to send in your best #wildlife in a #peatland shot and publish in the 2026 edition of #PeatCalendar

Email to: [email protected]

Deadline: 30 September

Promotional poster for the “2026 PEAT Calendar” by the Peatland ECR Action Team. The calendar theme is “Wildlife.” The poster announces that photo submissions are open until September 30, 2025. The background features a scenic photo of a wooden boardwalk leading through a peatland toward snow-capped mountains under a colorful sunset sky. Photo credit: Justinas Sakas.

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Joey Pickard @bootlegbryos.bsky.social · Sep 12

I will be! It’s on my list of things to do for my desk week I’ve booked in next week so keep your eyes on the inbox

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Mike Shewring @mikeshewring.bsky.social · Sep 11

Only photo I got

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Joey Pickard @bootlegbryos.bsky.social · Sep 11

The only photo I managed to take today, if you look closely you can even see the rain! Despite the very changeable weather it was nice to be on Castell Nos peatland site again after a year to see how it’s doing. Also nice to be with other bog nerds from the @peatlandcymru.bsky.social NPAP team

A view of Castell Nos peatland restoration area, near Maerdy, Rhondda

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Rob Thomas @robthomasbirds.bsky.social · Sep 10

Annual report of the small but mighty Initiative for Nature Conservation Cymru (INCC) @inccymru.bsky.social - and yes, as a trustee I am biased ;)

www.natureconservation.wales

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Haven Ecology @havenecology.bsky.social · Sep 10

Some very nosey company for NVC surveys today. Personal space doesn’t translate into farm horse apparently

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Haven Ecology @havenecology.bsky.social · Sep 4

Alongside the hammering rain that seems to have made itself at home over the past couple of weeks, the other challenge I’ve noticed is finding time to post work updates alongside the annual August fieldwork rush. NVC surveys have been enjoyable despite the weather though!

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Joey Pickard @bootlegbryos.bsky.social · Sep 2

Nice! The mycologists I know always tell me to smell Hygrocybe to figure out what it is, did it smell of anything strongly?

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Joey Pickard @bootlegbryos.bsky.social · Sep 2

For those who have never had the joys of wading through a stream or crawling through dense vegetation looking for water voles to inform your peat restoration constraints, here’s a close up of the target from the second photo showing the droppings, and also a burrow in the bank

Burrow at water level (centre) that curves up and out of the stream

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Joey Pickard @bootlegbryos.bsky.social · Sep 2

Very atmospheric (c.f. rainy) day out in the Rhondda doing water vole surveys for Lost Peatlands sites at Mynyndd Ton and then Cwmparc. Great to have @inccymru.bsky.social with us as well for the day. Been a while since I’ve been in the Cwm and it’s fantastic, despite the razor sharp tussock sedge

Two surveyors in a greater tussock sedge filled fen feature at Cwmparc, Rhondda

Spot the water vole droppings (they’re next to the target)

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Joey Pickard @bootlegbryos.bsky.social · Aug 22

Stunning place for a puncture! I know the Skoda Yeti has its fans and it’s served me pretty well on my peaty and ecology adventures but file this one under ‘how to ruin a car by giving it stupid sized wheels’. I miss my Land Rover every day.

A Skoda yeti having its front drivers side wheel replaced on a gravel track

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BES - Peatlands and Wetlands group @bes-peatlandsgroup.bsky.social · Aug 20

Interested in #wetlands and #peatlands? Want to be part of a growing network to help promote these ecosystems?

We are looking for new ECR committee members

Email for more information (in link below):

www.britishecologicalsociety.org/content/peat...

@britishecologicalsociety.org

Peatlands and Wetlands Group - British Ecological Society

Providing a forum to unite researchers working across all aspects of peatland and wetland science.

www.britishecologicalsociety.org

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Joey Pickard @bootlegbryos.bsky.social · Aug 15

Some interesting bog employment opportunities coming out for those on the peatlands and wetlands feed!

Countryside Jobs Service @countrysidejobs.bsky.social · Aug 15

@ulsterwildlife.bsky.social wants to appoint a PEAT+ Peatland Restoration Manager. Full time, fixed term to 31 March 2029, unless renewed. Northern Ireland, various locations

Ulster Wildlife: PEAT+ Peatland Restoration Manager advertised with CJS

Salary: £38,579 to £41,806. Access to employer’s contributory pension scheme - maximum 10% per annum. Contract type: Fixed term to 31 March 2029, unless renewed. Working hours: Full time Location:…

c-js.uk

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Jon Pountney @jonpountney1.bsky.social · Aug 13

No tickets needed! Just turn up on the night!

Jon Pountney @jonpountney1.bsky.social · Aug 12

VALLEYS BOOK EVENT!

THURSDAY 25TH OF SEPTEMBER, STORYVILLE BOOKS @storyvillebooks.bsky.social PONTYPRIDD, 7PM. PIZZA FROM ZUCCO!

Writers/poets/designers! @dantyte.bsky.social, Rhian Elizabeth, @sionmun.bsky.social, Patrick Jones and @seanrees.bsky.social

Come along and celebrate the Valleys!

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Joey Pickard @bootlegbryos.bsky.social · Aug 15

I have two weddings of good friends to go to next summer, both of which now pale into insignificance compared to my excitement at getting tickets to see My Chemical Romance in July

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Mike Peacock @peatymike.bsky.social · Aug 13

Cycling through the Swedish agricultural landscape today. Found a ditch. It illustrates nicely how ditches can be refuges for biodiversity, including wetland species, when wetlands and wildness have vanished from the surrounding fields.

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Chuck Wendig @chuckwendig.bsky.social · Aug 12

SAY GOODBYE TO YOUR MEMORIES, THEY'RE KILLING THE EARTH, ALSO WE'RE BUILDING NEW AI CENTERS feels absurdly farcical and dystopian while perfectly illustrating Stage 4 End-Stage Capitalism in all its dipshit horror.

The Journal @thejournal.ie · Aug 12

The UK government has urged people to delete old pictures and emails as 'data centres require vast amounts of water to cool their systems'.
http://jrnl.ie/6788643

UK government advises people to delete old photos and emails as England faces water shortfall

The UK government has urged people to delete old pictures and emails as ‘data centres require cast amounts of water to cool their systems’.

jrnl.ie

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