Dave Fernig @DaveFernig@social.cleverlibre.org
Biological Chemist. Blog https://ferniglab.wordpress.com
#Polysaccharides, #ExtracellularMatrix, fibroblast growth factors, #FGF, #Glycotechnology, #Sulfation.
Joined Nov 2022
Dave Fernig
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BTW - I’m absolutely delighted that we smashed our £90K crowdfunder target to make our 90-min documentary on Brexit.
This will be THE authoritative analysis. And it was funded by over 3,000 of you and counting (broke through 3,000 just now - 3,005 now!).
We’re also getting what we call “hive research” rolling to support the info-gathering. So if you know some key case studies/ data/ resources, please email: BrexitDoc@Byline.TV
Dave Fernig
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I saw that it was Aaron Swartz’ 36th birthday, and looked back at what I wrote about his case, and his suicide, almost ten years ago.
It all holds up, but it’s kind of darkly amusing to figure out that when I was writing this about how well people mask their depression I was profoundly depressed and nobody knew. So, QED, I guess?
https://www.popehat.com/2013/03/24/three-things-you-may-not-get-about-the-aaron-swartz-case/
@richvn Which likely is why GoP supporters have become so profoundly anti science, as shown by @jburnmurdoch recent analysis
Dave Fernig
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🏳️🌈
I forgot the captions so here it is
Elon Musk did not found Tesla, nor did he invent the car.
Tesla was founded and built originally by Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning.
Elon Musk isn't why SpaceX is successful, either.
That would be the real genius behind the rocket.
His name is Tom Mueller.
And Tom Mueller designed the successful rocket.
Elon Musk is not a genius, and he invents nothing.
He just buys companies and steals all the credit.
Dave Fernig
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Sci Am on being told to 'stay in your lane':
"Science is relevant to every element of society, including policy and politics.
As a publication committed to explaining the world around us, that means that every lane is our lane."
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/every-story-is-a-science-story/
Dave Fernig
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PhD studentship available for research on pregnancy and early childhood using Understanding Society
@iseressex
Can be MSc + Phd, or just PhD
Fully funded!
Full details: https://understandingsociety.ac.uk/research/studentships/pregnancy-and-early-childhood
Apply by 28 Feb
Dave Fernig
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UK Politics; Brexit; Law
“A plan by ministers to review or repeal all EU laws on the UK statute book by the end of 2023 has suffered another setback after the discovery of 1,400 additional pieces of legislation”
I’ll save the political analysis for someone else because all I have is: LOL 😆
#EURetainedLawBill #UKPolitics #JacobReesMogg #Brexit #RishiSunak
Dave Fernig
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I think one thing that bothers me a lot with anything tech related is that while, yes, a lot of things can definitely have improved UX that is more user friendly, a lot of other things already have great UX that has been polished for years but gets a lot of undeserved criticism simply for being different from the status quo and/or requiring even the smallest amount of learning or effort
and I honestly entirely blame corporations that over the last 20 years have done everything to create walled gardens with the promise of "we do everything for you, if you have to think while using a computer that means it's bad"
and it's terrifying how well that worked on so so so many people
sometimes things just require you to sit down for half an hour, read something, learn something, try something you're not used to. that's normal. that is simply how anything even remotely advanced has worked for the thousands of years. you don't pick up an electric drill and throw a tantrum because it doesn't work exactly like a screwdriver. computers are a tool that let you do things, and just like any other tool, may require putting at least the smallest amount of effort into learning something
it's honestly frustrating how normalized "nuh uh i got adopted by [corporation's walled garden] and this is where i live for the rest of my life. anything even slightly different is just bad. why would I ever consider anything else, that's effort and effort is bad" has become
I understand that habits can be very strong, and I get it, adjusting to new things takes time, but it's not the end of the world. "more complex" doesn't necessarily mean "worse", it just means you would need to learn and adjust. teaching math at school doesn't stop at pre-algebra, it goes all the way to trigonometry and calculus because there's a good reason for it to be more complicated than the basics. learn something new, it's good for you.
@louisa_noel @davidallengreen fairly standard issue patent though lacks the mythical ‘inventive’ step
@davidallengreen I for one would welcome others arguing about a comma, if only to reassure me people outside my profession are equally fixated 😂
Dave Fernig
boosted
Morning folks, time for my first Mastodon thread (!)
Ahead of the #midterms tomorrow, I want to talk about the tragic politicisation of science in the US.
It’s hard to pinpoint exactly when the Republicans became the anti-science party, but the process probably began in the 1980s, when the Christian right first emerged as a major force in conservative American politics.
Since then, the journey has been smooth and swift, and there is now a stunning partisan divide on confidence in science 😥
Dave Fernig
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Okay let’s give this thing a go.
In my column on Friday, I highlighted the shocking fact that Britons now have the worst access to healthcare in Europe, and this is causing worsening health
*1 in 6* UK adults needed medical examination or treatment in the last year but were unable to access it (due mainly to waiting lists), higher than in all 35 other European countries
This link is free for the first 300 readers -> https://enterprise-sharing.ft.com/redeem/da24c14e-795e-4ef7-9e5f-66e9c6178d97
Dave Fernig
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@tom4okstate @davidallengreen As a new newbie, if I follow someone (there is a nice fast way to port your Twitter follows) on another server then I see what they post. So being on a particular server doesn't seem to be so important in that respect. Finding new follows more of a challenge, but doubtless there are easy ways, easy once you know!
@davidallengreen As you note, there is always a learning curve, so far decent success, getting cross-server posts, a win!
Dave Fernig
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Some thoughts on the "Lexodus" from Twitter to Mastodon
And why Mastodon is inherently more attractive to any liberal and how it is geared for constructive exchanges
https://davidallengreen.com/2022/11/from-twitter-to-mastodon/
Dave Fernig
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Twitter was really useful for finding people to write about. I’d often stumble across incredible stories of discovery, innovation and leadership. I hope #ScienceMastodon can be the same. If you come across extraordinary, inspirational #WomenInSTEM / researchers from other historically excluded groups, please let me know! #TwitterMigration
Dave Fernig
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Dave Fernig
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It's really quite exciting starting up on Mastodon.
Rather like opening a door in a wall and suddenly finding you are in a party with some old friends and lots of new interesting people.
As one who was an early adopter of Twitter, it also is very reminiscent of the old days when I first realised how useful social media could be for meeting new people and learning new stuff.
Biological Chemist. Blog https://ferniglab.wordpress.com
#Polysaccharides, #ExtracellularMatrix, fibroblast growth factors, #FGF, #Glycotechnology, #Sulfation.
Joined Nov 2022
