Liz Batty
@lizbatty.bsky.social
Crisp-loving nerd. Bioinformatician and molecular microbiologist focused on tropical diseases. Live in Bangkok, do a podcast, drink coffee, go to the beach.
Reposted by Liz Batty
There's a new Briardene Book coming! The Recollections: Fragments from a Life in Writing by Christopher Priest will be out on 2 April. Read more, and pre-order, here: briardenebooks.uk/2026/02/17/t...
The Recollections by Christopher Priest: Pre-Orders and Events
Briardene’s next book, The Recollections: Fragments from a Life in Writing by Christopher Priest will be published on Thursday 2 April!
briardenebooks.uk
February 17, 2026 at 9:44 AM
There's a new Briardene Book coming! The Recollections: Fragments from a Life in Writing by Christopher Priest will be out on 2 April. Read more, and pre-order, here: briardenebooks.uk/2026/02/17/t...
Reposted by Liz Batty
hold on i gotta take this
February 13, 2026 at 2:33 AM
hold on i gotta take this
Reposted by Liz Batty
A personified AI agent submitted a github PR to matplotlib. The project maintainers closed the issue, then the AI (really, the developer controlling it) published a blog post on "its" blog accusing the project maintainers of discrimination, then the LLM (again, the developer) had to issue an apology
[PERF] Replace np.column_stack with np.vstack().T by crabby-rathbun · Pull Request #31132 · matplotlib/matplotlib
This PR addresses issue #31130 by replacing specific safe occurrences of np.column_stack with np.vstack().T for better performance.
IMPORTANT: This is a more targeted fix than originally proposed. ...
github.com
February 12, 2026 at 9:43 PM
A personified AI agent submitted a github PR to matplotlib. The project maintainers closed the issue, then the AI (really, the developer controlling it) published a blog post on "its" blog accusing the project maintainers of discrimination, then the LLM (again, the developer) had to issue an apology
Reposted by Liz Batty
A long time ago in a galaxy far away, there was a SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Our paper, led by @martibartfast.bsky.social
a) correcting errors in 4.5 million genomes & their phylogeny
b) improving representation of the Global South in public data
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
(thread 1/n)
a) correcting errors in 4.5 million genomes & their phylogeny
b) improving representation of the Global South in public data
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
(thread 1/n)
Addressing pandemic-wide systematic errors in the SARS-CoV-2 phylogeny - Nature Methods
This Resource paper presents a global SARS-CoV-2 phylogenetic tree of 4,471,579 high-quality genomes consistently constructed by Viridian, an efficient amplicon-aware assembler.
www.nature.com
February 9, 2026 at 3:16 PM
A long time ago in a galaxy far away, there was a SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Our paper, led by @martibartfast.bsky.social
a) correcting errors in 4.5 million genomes & their phylogeny
b) improving representation of the Global South in public data
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
(thread 1/n)
a) correcting errors in 4.5 million genomes & their phylogeny
b) improving representation of the Global South in public data
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
(thread 1/n)
Reposted by Liz Batty
Reposted by Liz Batty
they should make a movie series about how it’s irresponsible to use technology to mess with the natural order of things for profit
Xfinity has just released its Jurassic Park-themed Super Bowl ad that features a digitally de-aged Sam Neil, Laura Dern, and Jeff Goldblum. https://bit.ly/4rmRhrK
February 3, 2026 at 3:32 AM
they should make a movie series about how it’s irresponsible to use technology to mess with the natural order of things for profit
I aspire to be more Prune www.msn.com/en-us/news/w...
MSN
www.msn.com
January 31, 2026 at 12:17 PM
I aspire to be more Prune www.msn.com/en-us/news/w...
Reposted by Liz Batty
january 30th: a partially formed mr. blobby stands by the perimeter fence and screams for thirty seconds before disappearing
January 30, 2026 at 9:42 AM
january 30th: a partially formed mr. blobby stands by the perimeter fence and screams for thirty seconds before disappearing
A solid thread on the wildest video game promotions ever but this one takes the biscuit
this thing where squenix advertised hitman 2 by creating an elaborate LARP set and then had these british childrens comedians give agent 47 instructions over the radio comes to mind
www.youtube.com/watch?v=eh_6...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=eh_6...
The Chuckle Brothers Play Real Life Hitman
YouTube video by Square Enix UK
www.youtube.com
January 23, 2026 at 2:13 PM
A solid thread on the wildest video game promotions ever but this one takes the biscuit
Reposted by Liz Batty
"Those 18-year-olds – the first guinea pigs, the class who matriculated in 2012 – are now turning 31. And belatedly, the impact of the loans they were assured were a rock-solid investment in their futures is becoming apparent."
Some thoughts on student loans
www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-...
Some thoughts on student loans
www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-...
Britain's youth are living in Nick Clegg's shadow
All except the richest graduates since 2012 face a bespoke additional tax. No wonder they're radicalised
www.newstatesman.com
January 20, 2026 at 10:08 AM
"Those 18-year-olds – the first guinea pigs, the class who matriculated in 2012 – are now turning 31. And belatedly, the impact of the loans they were assured were a rock-solid investment in their futures is becoming apparent."
Some thoughts on student loans
www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-...
Some thoughts on student loans
www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-...
Reposted by Liz Batty
Q: How do I unlock Sunglasses Macron?
A: It's very difficult to unlock Sunglasses Macron in the course of a normal game because it requires a specific and unlikely sequence of events. While default Macron is ruler of France, the USA must choose the monarchy path and then lay claim to Greenland.
A: It's very difficult to unlock Sunglasses Macron in the course of a normal game because it requires a specific and unlikely sequence of events. While default Macron is ruler of France, the USA must choose the monarchy path and then lay claim to Greenland.
January 20, 2026 at 3:04 PM
Q: How do I unlock Sunglasses Macron?
A: It's very difficult to unlock Sunglasses Macron in the course of a normal game because it requires a specific and unlikely sequence of events. While default Macron is ruler of France, the USA must choose the monarchy path and then lay claim to Greenland.
A: It's very difficult to unlock Sunglasses Macron in the course of a normal game because it requires a specific and unlikely sequence of events. While default Macron is ruler of France, the USA must choose the monarchy path and then lay claim to Greenland.
nothing like a bracing bike ride through the freezing cold rain to remind you why you moved to a much warmer country
January 8, 2026 at 11:34 PM
nothing like a bracing bike ride through the freezing cold rain to remind you why you moved to a much warmer country
Reposted by Liz Batty
How likely is ‘likely’? Does ‘likely’ have a higher probability than ‘probable’? I put together a quick quiz so you can see how you interpret probability phrases, then see how you compare with others: probability.kucharski.io
January 3, 2026 at 4:15 PM
How likely is ‘likely’? Does ‘likely’ have a higher probability than ‘probable’? I put together a quick quiz so you can see how you interpret probability phrases, then see how you compare with others: probability.kucharski.io
The Forbidden Bovril
Advert, Cyclists’ Touring Club Gazette, May 1882: “Cyclists ride 100 miles ... without fatigue by the use of
BARRY'S BEEF & COCA LOZENGES,
Which are composed of the Finest Extract of English Beef, combined with the Concentrated Preparation of [cocaine].”
BARRY'S BEEF & COCA LOZENGES,
Which are composed of the Finest Extract of English Beef, combined with the Concentrated Preparation of [cocaine].”
January 3, 2026 at 8:21 PM
The Forbidden Bovril
Reposted by Liz Batty
You might be thinking, "CPSC, does a dry Christmas tree really burn that much faster than a well-watered tree?"
Friend, let's find out together by watching this PSA.
Friend, let's find out together by watching this PSA.
December 19, 2025 at 2:31 PM
You might be thinking, "CPSC, does a dry Christmas tree really burn that much faster than a well-watered tree?"
Friend, let's find out together by watching this PSA.
Friend, let's find out together by watching this PSA.
Reposted by Liz Batty
Years of politicians waxing lyrical about self driving cars, even passing legislation for it. Yet the rolling crisis for the DfT is a backlog of driving tests. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Meanwhile DVSA makes a loss on every driving test and can’t change the fee without legislation!
Meanwhile DVSA makes a loss on every driving test and can’t change the fee without legislation!
December 17, 2025 at 8:02 AM
Years of politicians waxing lyrical about self driving cars, even passing legislation for it. Yet the rolling crisis for the DfT is a backlog of driving tests. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Meanwhile DVSA makes a loss on every driving test and can’t change the fee without legislation!
Meanwhile DVSA makes a loss on every driving test and can’t change the fee without legislation!
Reposted by Liz Batty
The human cost of Trump's gutting of USAID: By the time Tor Top’s mother was sick with cholera, the nearby clinic had been shuttered for weeks. He bundled her into a canoe & paddled toward the nearest hospital, 8 hours away. Less than halfway into the journey, his mother died.
New, @propublica.org
New, @propublica.org
Trump Officials Celebrated With Cake After Slashing Aid. Then People Died of Cholera.
Behind closed doors in Washington, top advisers made a series of decisions that had devastating repercussions for the poorest country on earth. We went to South Sudan and found people who died as a re...
www.propublica.org
December 15, 2025 at 10:37 AM
The human cost of Trump's gutting of USAID: By the time Tor Top’s mother was sick with cholera, the nearby clinic had been shuttered for weeks. He bundled her into a canoe & paddled toward the nearest hospital, 8 hours away. Less than halfway into the journey, his mother died.
New, @propublica.org
New, @propublica.org
@lentesta.bsky.social enjoyed your comparison of WDW vs Tokyo prices. From my visit to TDL, I think food is a little cheaper (a burger and drink is ~$10, churro is ~$4), merch is much cheaper (~$15 for a set of ears!) and public transit from the airport is under $10. You'd break even pretty quickly!
December 15, 2025 at 12:30 PM
@lentesta.bsky.social enjoyed your comparison of WDW vs Tokyo prices. From my visit to TDL, I think food is a little cheaper (a burger and drink is ~$10, churro is ~$4), merch is much cheaper (~$15 for a set of ears!) and public transit from the airport is under $10. You'd break even pretty quickly!
Reposted by Liz Batty
Two men meet in the carpark of a Leeds hospital. They sit on a bench and start chatting. One of them has a bomb in their backpack and the other must talk them out of using it. A mindblowing and entirely true story that reads like a thriller. as.ft.com/r/13756c02-0...
‘It’s just a bomb’
[FREE TO READ] The true story of two strangers and an extraordinary act of courage
as.ft.com
December 13, 2025 at 9:10 AM
Two men meet in the carpark of a Leeds hospital. They sit on a bench and start chatting. One of them has a bomb in their backpack and the other must talk them out of using it. A mindblowing and entirely true story that reads like a thriller. as.ft.com/r/13756c02-0...
Reposted by Liz Batty
Read to the end. NPR asked why the Trump team ended a low-cost program that cured millions of tropical diseases w drugs donated by pharma. The spokesperson replied with an NPR headline—“Farewell to USAID”—and said: “What do you think farewell meant?” www.npr.org/sections/goa...
The fight to beat neglected tropical diseases was going well. 2025 could change that
The campaign to prevent and treat these diseases has seen great success thanks to a USAID program. Now that program is gone.
www.npr.org
December 11, 2025 at 5:25 PM
Read to the end. NPR asked why the Trump team ended a low-cost program that cured millions of tropical diseases w drugs donated by pharma. The spokesperson replied with an NPR headline—“Farewell to USAID”—and said: “What do you think farewell meant?” www.npr.org/sections/goa...
Reposted by Liz Batty
Time again for my favorite christmas post ever, one that still makes me laugh every time i read it
December 23, 2024 at 7:30 PM
Time again for my favorite christmas post ever, one that still makes me laugh every time i read it
Reposted by Liz Batty
Fantastic column by @sarahoconnorft.ft.com who is not wrong about phantom heads (!!!) either:
Why Britain doesn’t have enough dentists
Plenty of trained foreigners want to work, but slots for the qualification exam seem as hard to get as Glastonbury tickets
www.ft.com
December 9, 2025 at 2:21 PM
Fantastic column by @sarahoconnorft.ft.com who is not wrong about phantom heads (!!!) either:
@chloroformtea.bsky.social is it helpful at all to know that the JD Salinger answer was a complete guess
December 6, 2025 at 6:17 AM
@chloroformtea.bsky.social is it helpful at all to know that the JD Salinger answer was a complete guess
LL107 day 14: ok I lost through terrible point assignments, but at least my love of musical theatre helped me answer two questions?
December 4, 2025 at 10:10 AM
LL107 day 14: ok I lost through terrible point assignments, but at least my love of musical theatre helped me answer two questions?
Reposted by Liz Batty
GUYS
GUYS
MY BROTHER MADE ME THE MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL BUSTS
GUYS
MY BROTHER MADE ME THE MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL BUSTS
December 1, 2025 at 9:40 PM
GUYS
GUYS
MY BROTHER MADE ME THE MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL BUSTS
GUYS
MY BROTHER MADE ME THE MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL BUSTS