Annette Raffan
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annetteraffan.bsky.social
Annette Raffan
@annetteraffan.bsky.social
Searching for nature-based solutions in grasslands + soil, and the way we think and handle knowledge; postgraduate researcher @UoA, writer @KnowledgeEcology, photographer; 👩‍🔬 soil ecophysicist; thinks too much
This sentence, quoted from Dr Daniel Swain in a @theguardian.com article today, deserves some appreciation:

“This increase in hydroclimate whiplash, via the exponentially expanding atmospheric sponge, offers a potentially compelling explanation.”
January 15, 2025 at 4:06 PM
What's wrong with the postal system?

Pre 2023, I sent 4000+ #postagestamps orders all over the world. I could count on one hand how many got lost.

I've sent about 30 in the last 4 months and already I'm on my second hand of lost orders!! #royalmail

RIP My #smallbusiness, The Posted Stamp
January 14, 2025 at 7:58 AM
Life is ...

... a #cat in a beanbag chair

Makes a good hashtag for today: #satcat
January 11, 2025 at 12:33 PM
Reposted by Annette Raffan
Behold the Proctor musket! First, load your powder (soil) then your shot (a large bung)…
January 9, 2025 at 4:12 PM
Yes, yes I have. Thank you.

I don't care that it is AI that is giving me validation, I'll take it.
January 9, 2025 at 6:53 AM
Rediscovering my teenage love that is #EagleEyeCherry. Remember when we used to buy and listen to music on CDs... 😱? I bought his first three albums in #woolworths. Oh the history.

Recommend a listen if you're wanting to try out some new #music.

www.youtube.com/channel/UC9C...
Eagle-Eye Cherry
The official YouTube channel of Eagle-Eye Cherry. New album 'Back on Track' out January 27 - https://eagle-eye.ffm.to/back-album Europe Tour 2023 - bnds.us/lia7sn
www.youtube.com
January 8, 2025 at 6:49 AM
Reposted by Annette Raffan
I have just started as President of the British Society of Soil Science. This is a tremendous organisation with over 900 members, spanning from students to educators, technicians, scientists, professionals and basically anyone with an interest in soils. Read more- soils.org.uk/blog/welcome...
Welcome from our new President - British Society of Soil Science
Professor Paul Hallett from the University of Aberdeen has officially commenced his term as British Society of Soil Science President for 2025 and 2026, as of 1 January. Prof Hallett works in the Scho...
soils.org.uk
January 6, 2025 at 12:26 PM
Listening to the rain pour down, makes me think how each droplet adds up to make a flood - just like all fragments have the ability to become something much bigger and more substantial one day✨🌧️

Anyone else find inspiration in rainy days? 💭

#PhDLife #writing #ideas
January 5, 2025 at 9:52 PM
Looking for inspiration on how to present cold hard #science to people? Have a look at @tjpower.bsky.social
Check out these example two slides he presented today at Ali Abdaal's ' #Productivity Spark' workshop.

✔ uncomplicated
✔ reference included
✔ use of colour
✔ great labels

tjpower.co.uk
January 4, 2025 at 6:18 PM
Today I wondered what 'pros and cons' stood for. When 'con' means 'with' it was a bit tricky to work out. Turns out it comes from a 16th century #Latin phrase 'pro et contra'.

Now, do I get bonus points for #writing the Latin in my #PhD thesis without it sounding ... odd ... 🤔
January 3, 2025 at 5:39 PM
Day 2 of my morning pages done. This morning I wrote about my dreams and how we can become blinded by the environment in which we find ourselves in, or expose ourselves to.

Try writing 3 pages of 'stream of consciousness #writing' in the morning ... You might surprise you...
January 3, 2025 at 6:36 AM
Enjoying some holiday reading and creative activities #books #creativity

Anyone else read this?

Am looking forwards to trying out the activities for the next 12 weeks and beyond.
January 2, 2025 at 8:02 PM
My first post of 2025 is published! In this reflection I look back at what went well and what didn't go so well in 2024.

Now it's all about 2025. 🥂

https://www.knowledgeecology.me/my-2024-journey-what-worked-what-didnt-and-whats-next/
My 2024 Journey: What Worked, What Didn't, and What's Next
A look back at 2024, what worked and what didn't, and a look forwards to 2025.
www.knowledgeecology.me
January 1, 2025 at 11:00 AM
Reposted by Annette Raffan
I’m making a comeback by explaining why I stopped blogging patthomson.net/2025/01/01/p...
Patter is back
Patter has been missing in action since the end of August. A bad case of blogging burn-out you might ask? Well, yes that’s true. I have been writing this patter thing for twelve years and I did hav…
patthomson.net
January 1, 2025 at 7:25 AM
🎉 Happy New Year! 🎉
with love from an AI image generator
January 1, 2025 at 6:40 AM
#coffee #science and #baking all in one video

I must be in heaven 🤣

🙏 @jameshoffmann.bsky.social

youtu.be/o3AMALUTp8o?...
The Ultimate Tiramisu Recipe
YouTube video by James Hoffmann
youtu.be
December 19, 2024 at 5:55 PM
Claude is my BFF.
December 19, 2024 at 5:23 PM
If anyone is slow to grow, it's me. But I'm at peace with that, because I understand the ecological principles behind it.

One day, I'm sure everything I'm doing now will pay off.

#ecology #blog #newsletter #scicomm

open.substack.com/pub/knowledg...
The Ecology Behind Why Your Progress Feels Slow (And Why That's OK): 🧠 Brain STREAM 2️⃣8️⃣
If anyone is slow to grow, it's me. But I'm at peace with that, because I understand the ecological principles behind it.
open.substack.com
December 17, 2024 at 6:26 AM
Ever think about why things take a while to get going? Sometimes (i.e. every day 🤣) I find working on the same thing day-after-day a long slog.

But I've come to trust it will all come together in the end.

Because ecological principles say it will...

knowledgeecology.substack.com/p/the-ecolog...
The Ecology Behind Why Your Progress Feels Slow (And Why That's OK): 🧠 Brain STREAM 2️⃣8️⃣
If anyone is slow to grow, it's me. But I'm at peace with that, because I understand the ecological principles behind it.
knowledgeecology.substack.com
December 16, 2024 at 2:33 PM
All ready to go for the @jameshoffmann.bsky.social decaf #coffee tasting. So excited, I thought it was yesterday and then realised I had to wait another 24hrs 🤣 I'm using Coffee Apothecary's kit. #decafproject
December 15, 2024 at 2:53 PM
It's that time of year when my husband and I jostle to get first dibs on dates for trips away in 2025; why does everything want to seem to happen around the same time?

Every year, the first two weeks in June are the worst. We will hardly see each other in June this year!
a black background with yellow letters that say i 'm first
ALT: a black background with yellow letters that say i 'm first
media.tenor.com
December 14, 2024 at 8:13 AM
I'm currently delving into old articles and documents as I investigate #grassland plant species effects on #soil structure.

👇 If you work on temporary grasslands, I'd recommend reading The Clifton Park System of Farming. Originally published in 🚨1898🚨 it...

A🧵

journeytoforever.org/farm_library...
journeytoforever.org
December 12, 2024 at 7:35 AM
Looks like I have joined Bluesky... 👋

So here's some 'blue sky' to show you a large part of what I do: #phd on #grasslands ; #plants and #soil #scientist

👇
December 11, 2024 at 6:48 AM