Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Alice Sheppard @penguingalaxy.bsky.social · 5m

Ha!!!! Yep, that's me all too much of the time. Most unfortunately often just when it shouldn't be.

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Alice Sheppard @penguingalaxy.bsky.social · 7m

Hahaha I love sweary dodo chick (is it a dodo chick??) and thank you xx

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Reposted by Alice Sheppard

Stephen Cox But Spookier @stephencoxauthor.bsky.social · 1h

I'm a man, with two children, and seeing what my wife went through I absolutely defend women's reproductive freedoms. I think this is an essential issue on which men should stand up.

The Guardian @theguardian.com · 1h

Nigel Farage is cosying up to the US anti-abortion group that challenged Roe v Wade. Women in Britain should know that | Zoe Williams

ADF, a conservative Christian lobby group that counts among its allies JD Vance, has stated that its goal is to see abortion rights curtailed in Britain, says Guardian columnist Zoe Williams

www.theguardian.com

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Alice Sheppard @penguingalaxy.bsky.social · 11m

Ooooh I definitely need at least one of them this year. 2025 has been shitty. Just going to work out how many more I will need ...

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Alice Sheppard @penguingalaxy.bsky.social · 27m

Is there ever any time when a right-wing think tank does *not* come up with the solution "cut welfare benefits"?

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Alice Sheppard @penguingalaxy.bsky.social · 2h

Oooooh, it'll be great, she's a fantastic speaker!

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Reposted by Alice Sheppard

Alom Shaha @alomshaha.bsky.social · 2h

There’s Maths - why do we have a 24 hour day, 60 mins in an hour?
Science - how have motions of Earth and Moon determined how we define a day, a month, a year?
Engineering: what are similarities and differences between mechanical and electrical watches?
History: how did early humans tell the time?

Alom Shaha @alomshaha.bsky.social · 2h

Primary Teachers! I gave a talk about the science and history of timekeeping which seemed to go down really well (see message below). I’m not able to deliver the talk outside London but the book it’s based on is packed with stuff that your pupils will find interesting. www.dk.com/uk/book/9780...

Email text saying “Thank you so much for coming in today. The children really enjoyed it, as did I. It was even mentioned by parents and children in my parents' evening tonight. “

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Alice Sheppard @penguingalaxy.bsky.social · 9h

Home made pizza bagels sound DELICIOUS and I want one.

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Alice Sheppard @penguingalaxy.bsky.social · 11h

Very recently there was a consistent message: "If they say CRT is being taught in schools, ask them what they think CRT is, they won't be able to answer." And then they got bored with CRT and went on to DEI and demanded the sacking of any "DEI hire". And now it's "anteeefa". Something else tomorrow.

Alice Sheppard @penguingalaxy.bsky.social · 11h

Every year or two the right seems to make up a new pet word to make their supporters feel threatened and riled up. Feminazi, woke, critical race theory (or CRT), DEI (they NEVER spell that out) and now "anteeeefa" instead of antifascist. They never say what these words mean. Just "something bad".

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Alice Sheppard @penguingalaxy.bsky.social · 14h

Oh, what a pity

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Alice Sheppard @penguingalaxy.bsky.social · 14h

GROAN

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Alice Sheppard @penguingalaxy.bsky.social · 15h

I will deal with the dishwasher momentarily

(I do not want to deal with the dishwasher)

Micah @rincewind.run · 1d

Discworld QOTD, from Guards! Guards!

"‘I shall deal with the matter momentarily,’ he said. It was a good word. It always made people hesitate. They were never quite sure whether he meant he’d deal with it now, or just deal with it briefly. And no-one ever dared ask."

Micah @rincewind.run · 2d

Discworld QOTD, from Monstrous Regiment

“Keep out of the way of officers, ‘cos they ain’t healthy. That’s what you learn in the army. The enemy dun’t really want to fight you, ‘cos the enemy is mostly blokes like you who want to go home with all their bits still on. But officers’ll get you killed.”

Alice Sheppard @penguingalaxy.bsky.social · 18h

Oooffff, yeah

Alice Sheppard @penguingalaxy.bsky.social · 19h

And staff from other embassies did do basic decent things for their citizens, e.g. bring bottles of water for them when they were desperate with thirst.

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Alice Sheppard @penguingalaxy.bsky.social · 19h

I get why it takes balls to criticise Israel when they and hundreds of others will turn round and accuse you of supporting the Holocaust if you do.

But it's interesting they say "they knew they were taking a risk". You can't say you know Israel will act violently but is also the good guy.

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Alice Sheppard @penguingalaxy.bsky.social · 19h

God, this is a sickening read, even with her emphasis that Palestinians are treated worse. The flotilla wasn't hurting anyone. The Swedish politicians and embassy staff do not come out looking great - refusing to stand up for basic humanity.

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Alice Sheppard @penguingalaxy.bsky.social · 20h

"This is not about me or the others from the flotilla. There are thousands of Palestinians, hundreds of whom are children, who are being held without trial right now, and many of them are most likely being tortured," she says.

Philip O'Connor @philipoconnor.bsky.social · 1d

Aftonbladet's interview with Greta Thunberg is now available in English - it raises many serious questions, not least about the Swedish govt. effectively abandoning its citizens to torture because it doesn't agree with their politics. A thundering disgrace.
www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/a/25...

Greta Thunberg: “They kicked me every time the flag touched my face”

– Greta Thunberg on her days in Israeli captivity Beating, kicking, and threats of being gassed in cages. Greta Thunberg and several others from the flotilla ar

www.aftonbladet.se

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Alice Sheppard @penguingalaxy.bsky.social · 20h

We cut the fairy lights off their battery pack and moved the very strong magnet around the copper wire coil, which we had tied to the fairy lights. It made the fairy lights light up! So in this case it was "taking the sciencey person's random idea and making it reality". That was truly special.

Alice Sheppard @penguingalaxy.bsky.social · 20h

Hmmm, this is tricky, because the sciencey person wants to be involved in choosing what it is, and (if they're me) is mortified when they can't figure out how to work it, e.g. a slide rule. But one time my now husband got me copper wire, magnets and fairy lights to do an experiment I'd thought up.

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Reposted by Alice Sheppard

Matthew Hodson @matthewhodson.bsky.social · 2d

I have trans women friends who’ve been living authentically for decades - how are they going to start using the gents?
I have a tall cis female friend who’s now scared to use ladies loos because she’s been harassed several times.
This code is both cruel and unworkable.
Please write to your MP.

TransActual @transactualuk.bsky.social · 2d

🚨This is an emergency🚨

This Government is currently sitting on an EHRC Code of Practice that will lead to the segregation and exclusion of trans people in public life.

Use our tool to email your MP: tinyurl.com/scrap-the-bathroom-ban

@transsolidarity.bsky.social
#ScrapTheBathroomBan

Image of a flashing red siren. Text reads: Scrap the Bathroom Ban This is an emergency. Tell your MP to say no to segregation. Write to your MP: tinyurl.com/scrap-the-bathroom-ban

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Reposted by Alice Sheppard

Barleybap @barleybap.bsky.social · 22h

Remember that time that techbros and major corporations told us jpgs of terrible monkey art were going to change the world, people were like "Nah pal, I'm good", and within just a few years it all fell apart spectacularly? That was rad. Let's do that again.

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Reposted by Alice Sheppard

Petra Boynton @petraboynton.bsky.social · 1d

Don't know how many times I need to say it but advice giving and harm prevention are important, specialist skills. All of us can learn them, but automating 'help' via the massive environment-destroying plagiarism generator is not the answer and remains a danger.

www.theguardian.com/technology/2...

ChatGPT ‘upgrade’ giving more harmful answers than previously, tests find

Campaigners ‘deeply concerned’ about response to prompts about suicide, self-harm and eating disorders

www.theguardian.com

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Alice Sheppard @penguingalaxy.bsky.social · 1d

Oooooh, it's got very heavy and is seeing the Universe squashed up and its time has slowed down so we're living much faster than it is. But hitherto unimaginable? Is that faster than light? Is the Shed bound to the laws of physics ...?

Alice Sheppard @penguingalaxy.bsky.social · 1d

Hah, you too! It was definitely astronomy that lured me into the internet properly all those years ago!

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