Dr Joanna McKenzie
@jobob.bsky.social
Data nerd with a PhD in particle physics from before they discovered the Higgs. Loves Fantasy books and TV, drawing and painting, and sometimes I do running and cycling. Glasgow based. Tha mi ag ionnsachadh Gàidhlig.
Reposted by Dr Joanna McKenzie
November 22, 2025 at 7:36 PM
Quite a lot of the scientific method exists to mitigate the very human thing of doing a thing to prove themselves right instead of to uncover the truth.
Politicians or financers dictating research is a red flag because vested interests are bad for truth.
Politicians or financers dictating research is a red flag because vested interests are bad for truth.
wes streeting conducting trials on puberty blockers is no different from robert kennedy jnr conducting research in to links between autism and vaccinations.
it's a pantomime and a sham with predetermined outcomes designed to push a bigoted narrative.
it's a pantomime and a sham with predetermined outcomes designed to push a bigoted narrative.
November 22, 2025 at 2:20 PM
Quite a lot of the scientific method exists to mitigate the very human thing of doing a thing to prove themselves right instead of to uncover the truth.
Politicians or financers dictating research is a red flag because vested interests are bad for truth.
Politicians or financers dictating research is a red flag because vested interests are bad for truth.
So I have a minor foot injury (plantar fasciitis). It's painful, but only sometimes, and I'm still figuring it out.
My working theory is that it's mostly caused by my pacing on my concrete floors to get my step count.
My working theory is that it's mostly caused by my pacing on my concrete floors to get my step count.
November 22, 2025 at 1:10 PM
So I have a minor foot injury (plantar fasciitis). It's painful, but only sometimes, and I'm still figuring it out.
My working theory is that it's mostly caused by my pacing on my concrete floors to get my step count.
My working theory is that it's mostly caused by my pacing on my concrete floors to get my step count.
Reposted by Dr Joanna McKenzie
you'd think the forced displacement of 10 million people from one of the oldest centres of civilisation in human history would get a little more news attention than beltway journalists writing essays on how Olivia Nuzzi is a genius because they want to bone her and you'd be wrong
'Iran’s capital must be moved because the country “no longer has a choice,” President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Thursday in remarks carried by state media, warning that severe ecological strain has made Tehran impossible to sustain'
#Iran 🇮🇷
#Iran 🇮🇷
Iran president says capital move now a necessity as water crisis deepens
Iran’s capital must be moved because the country “no longer has a choice,” President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Thursday in remarks carried by state media, warning that severe ecological strain has mad...
www.iranintl.com
November 21, 2025 at 7:59 PM
you'd think the forced displacement of 10 million people from one of the oldest centres of civilisation in human history would get a little more news attention than beltway journalists writing essays on how Olivia Nuzzi is a genius because they want to bone her and you'd be wrong
If you stand at just the right place near me you can see them craning pylons into position...
November 20, 2025 at 11:38 PM
If you stand at just the right place near me you can see them craning pylons into position...
A couple of additional heads up - if you have more than one Gmail account you need to go into each account and do it separately. And also, this removes inbox categorisation too.
If you use GMail, AI (Gemini) was turned on yesterday by default and now scans all of your content for machine learning. To turn off, go to Settings>General and scroll down. Uncheck the box for "Smart features."
There's other "Smart" add-ons as well, but that's the one that reads your content.
There's other "Smart" add-ons as well, but that's the one that reads your content.
November 20, 2025 at 10:01 PM
A couple of additional heads up - if you have more than one Gmail account you need to go into each account and do it separately. And also, this removes inbox categorisation too.
Reposted by Dr Joanna McKenzie
For anybody who has ever pored over an atlas looking at mysterious and exotic locales, here is an atlas that lets you look back at mysterious and exotic times. It is a high resolution atlas of ancient roads (mostly Roman). It's fascinating to compare to the modern state.
itiner-e.org
itiner-e.org
itiner-e
itiner-e.org
November 20, 2025 at 7:45 AM
For anybody who has ever pored over an atlas looking at mysterious and exotic locales, here is an atlas that lets you look back at mysterious and exotic times. It is a high resolution atlas of ancient roads (mostly Roman). It's fascinating to compare to the modern state.
itiner-e.org
itiner-e.org
Reposted by Dr Joanna McKenzie
Nails it.
November 19, 2025 at 3:22 PM
Nails it.
Reposted by Dr Joanna McKenzie
When people say that Wuthering Heights doesn't have anything to do with race or that no film has engaged with race, what they mean is that for them Romani people do not count and they also haven't been paying attention. I'm going to share a little material from a recent talk. Content note: racism 1/
November 14, 2025 at 1:31 AM
When people say that Wuthering Heights doesn't have anything to do with race or that no film has engaged with race, what they mean is that for them Romani people do not count and they also haven't been paying attention. I'm going to share a little material from a recent talk. Content note: racism 1/
I know complaining about smartwatches and fitness trackers is a bit of a thing I keep coming back to, but I am so annoyed by the fact that my Garmin ran out of battery this morning before I went for 90 minutes of errands /on foot/ and I can't manually log the steps.
November 19, 2025 at 2:06 PM
I know complaining about smartwatches and fitness trackers is a bit of a thing I keep coming back to, but I am so annoyed by the fact that my Garmin ran out of battery this morning before I went for 90 minutes of errands /on foot/ and I can't manually log the steps.
A couple of people I follow here had a conversation about what books you'd leave out for the NY Times journalist to see. I'm like, that's a fun game...
... But I couldn't take part because I could not imagine a scenario where I'd think like that. It is not how I'm wired.
... But I couldn't take part because I could not imagine a scenario where I'd think like that. It is not how I'm wired.
November 18, 2025 at 8:43 AM
A couple of people I follow here had a conversation about what books you'd leave out for the NY Times journalist to see. I'm like, that's a fun game...
... But I couldn't take part because I could not imagine a scenario where I'd think like that. It is not how I'm wired.
... But I couldn't take part because I could not imagine a scenario where I'd think like that. It is not how I'm wired.
This is billionaire thinking, btw. They think because they're rich now they'll still be rich after a crisis that reduces the population, Thanos-style. But they won't be. Society is what gives money its worth. You can have all the money but if there's no people your car's broken and so's the road.
Honestly can't shake the feeling that what we're actually doing is refusing to change our behaviour to mitigate the climate crisis while making sure those impacted by it have the grace to just die in their wildfires / floods / resource wars.
No, I'd say it's racists and those pandering to them.
November 16, 2025 at 6:42 PM
This is billionaire thinking, btw. They think because they're rich now they'll still be rich after a crisis that reduces the population, Thanos-style. But they won't be. Society is what gives money its worth. You can have all the money but if there's no people your car's broken and so's the road.
Honestly can't shake the feeling that what we're actually doing is refusing to change our behaviour to mitigate the climate crisis while making sure those impacted by it have the grace to just die in their wildfires / floods / resource wars.
November 16, 2025 at 11:38 AM
Honestly can't shake the feeling that what we're actually doing is refusing to change our behaviour to mitigate the climate crisis while making sure those impacted by it have the grace to just die in their wildfires / floods / resource wars.
Reposted by Dr Joanna McKenzie
Bit of good news...
Rail worker who saved passengers from stabbings leaves hospital
Samir Zitouni's family say they are
www.bbc.co.uk
November 15, 2025 at 8:45 PM
Bit of good news...
Reposted by Dr Joanna McKenzie
We need to get rid of the 12 week limit to abortion access for many reasons. But forcing a teenage asylum seeker who is having mental health problems, possibly due to being pregnant, to go to court to access care is abhorrent
www.irishtimes.com/crime-law/co...
www.irishtimes.com/crime-law/co...
High Court sanctions termination of 15-year-old girl’s pregnancy
Girl told doctors she would ‘cut the baby out myself’ if termination not permitted
www.irishtimes.com
November 15, 2025 at 6:29 PM
We need to get rid of the 12 week limit to abortion access for many reasons. But forcing a teenage asylum seeker who is having mental health problems, possibly due to being pregnant, to go to court to access care is abhorrent
www.irishtimes.com/crime-law/co...
www.irishtimes.com/crime-law/co...
You know I sometimes muse that I get really erratic exposure to news now that I'm here on Bluesky rather than twitter. Which is true, but I think I've been downplaying the impact of paywalled news articles.
If I hit a paywall I'm not reading and I probably won't be sharing either.
If I hit a paywall I'm not reading and I probably won't be sharing either.
November 15, 2025 at 6:24 PM
You know I sometimes muse that I get really erratic exposure to news now that I'm here on Bluesky rather than twitter. Which is true, but I think I've been downplaying the impact of paywalled news articles.
If I hit a paywall I'm not reading and I probably won't be sharing either.
If I hit a paywall I'm not reading and I probably won't be sharing either.
Reposted by Dr Joanna McKenzie
JD Vance owns a company that buys American real estate and sells it to foreign investors. They specifically target Americans in crisis to buy their property for less than it is worth.
JD Vance: "A lot of young people are saying housing is way too expensive. Why is that? Because we flooded the country with 30 million illegal immigrants who were taking houses that ought by right go to American citizens."
November 13, 2025 at 10:54 PM
JD Vance owns a company that buys American real estate and sells it to foreign investors. They specifically target Americans in crisis to buy their property for less than it is worth.
Reposted by Dr Joanna McKenzie
NEW: Pope Leo XIV will share a meal this Sunday with Alessia Nobile and four fellow transgender Catholic activists, during the Vatican’s Jubilee of the Poor — marking the most significant public encounter shared between a pope and the trans community.
NEW: Transgender Activists to Dine with Pope Leo XIV during Sunday's Jubilee for the Poor
Papal luncheon with trans advocate Alessia Nobile set for Sunday at Vatican’s Jubilee of the Poor, highlighting a legacy of outreach and hopes for continued inclusion.
open.substack.com
November 14, 2025 at 1:05 AM
NEW: Pope Leo XIV will share a meal this Sunday with Alessia Nobile and four fellow transgender Catholic activists, during the Vatican’s Jubilee of the Poor — marking the most significant public encounter shared between a pope and the trans community.
Reposted by Dr Joanna McKenzie
a “Space Force”, if you will
November 13, 2025 at 2:27 PM
a “Space Force”, if you will
The NHS Bureaucracy? You mean the people who, for instance, handle making appointments?
You... You still think you have too many of them?
Have you ever phoned a doctor??
You... You still think you have too many of them?
Have you ever phoned a doctor??
Ah, I see this time the politician crowing about "modernising the NHS" and "saving billions cutting bureaucracy" is wearing a red rosette. I genuinely wonder if any minister for health has ever actually considered the role of administration within the National Health Service.
November 13, 2025 at 8:39 AM
The NHS Bureaucracy? You mean the people who, for instance, handle making appointments?
You... You still think you have too many of them?
Have you ever phoned a doctor??
You... You still think you have too many of them?
Have you ever phoned a doctor??
In case anyone is wondering how far the world has changed since I was twelve, today the youngest came up with a product idea, modelled it in software licensed through school, exported it, and 3d printed it. He was able to test it before bedtime. It helps him open cans when the tab is slippery.
November 12, 2025 at 10:01 PM
In case anyone is wondering how far the world has changed since I was twelve, today the youngest came up with a product idea, modelled it in software licensed through school, exported it, and 3d printed it. He was able to test it before bedtime. It helps him open cans when the tab is slippery.
Anyone in West Scotland managed to actually get a flu jab this year who isn't on the vulnerable list? I looked up Boots appointments and there's very few and those very inconvenient. (midmorning workday 20 mins drive away at a store with no car park type inconvenient, I mean)
November 12, 2025 at 8:29 PM
Anyone in West Scotland managed to actually get a flu jab this year who isn't on the vulnerable list? I looked up Boots appointments and there's very few and those very inconvenient. (midmorning workday 20 mins drive away at a store with no car park type inconvenient, I mean)
I'm not sure that having athletes parading naked in front of a jury is exactly the win for women's rights we were being sold?
November 11, 2025 at 11:16 PM
I'm not sure that having athletes parading naked in front of a jury is exactly the win for women's rights we were being sold?
Reposted by Dr Joanna McKenzie
The problem isn't just that large parts of politics and media have given up on rational climate policy.
It's also that parties in Government know that the supportive public must now judge them against an agenda of denial instead of against the science, so they don't really need to try.
It's also that parties in Government know that the supportive public must now judge them against an agenda of denial instead of against the science, so they don't really need to try.
🧵/ How far does the public support net zero?
Support: 60%
Oppose: 25%
Net support by party
Green: +81
Lib Dem: +67
Lab: +64
Con: +11
Reform: -44
yougov.co.uk/politics/art...
Support: 60%
Oppose: 25%
Net support by party
Green: +81
Lib Dem: +67
Lab: +64
Con: +11
Reform: -44
yougov.co.uk/politics/art...
November 11, 2025 at 1:54 PM
The problem isn't just that large parts of politics and media have given up on rational climate policy.
It's also that parties in Government know that the supportive public must now judge them against an agenda of denial instead of against the science, so they don't really need to try.
It's also that parties in Government know that the supportive public must now judge them against an agenda of denial instead of against the science, so they don't really need to try.
Reposted by Dr Joanna McKenzie
NEW: Rachel Reeves signals she intends to remove the two-child cap *in full*
"I don't think a child should be penalised because they're in a bigger family through no fault of their own," she tells BBC.
"I don't think a child should be penalised because they're in a bigger family through no fault of their own," she tells BBC.
November 10, 2025 at 3:05 PM
NEW: Rachel Reeves signals she intends to remove the two-child cap *in full*
"I don't think a child should be penalised because they're in a bigger family through no fault of their own," she tells BBC.
"I don't think a child should be penalised because they're in a bigger family through no fault of their own," she tells BBC.