Becky Boulton
LightNews LightNews
banner
bb-phd.bsky.social
Becky Boulton
@bb-phd.bsky.social
34 followers 27 following 8 posts
Lecturer in Evolutionary Ecology at University of Stirling. Wasp lover. Occasional stand-up comic and (poor) musician.
Posts Replies Media Videos
Pinned
bb-phd.bsky.social
Becky Boulton @bb-phd.bsky.social · May 30
Warning - shameless self(wasp)-promotion coming up: On Wednesday I got to do a duet about wasps and how great they are with Greg James on the Radio 1 Breakfast show. You can listen here www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/... at about 38 minutes in.
Radio 1 Breakfast with Greg James - 29/05/2025 - BBC Sounds
Morning nonsense, star listeners and All the Latest Things...
www.bbc.co.uk
bb-phd.bsky.social
interested in learning about #wasps, #Scottishenlightenment and #pedagogy and being mildly amused - come to Bright club in Glasgow on Monday 10th November www.thestand.co.uk/performance/...
Bright Club Glasgow - The Stand Comedy Club
Bright Club is the thinking person variety night. Bright Club’s unique blend of comedy, academia and music has won support from New Scientist, The Guardian, ...
www.thestand.co.uk
November 6, 2025 at 7:31 PM
Reposted by Becky Boulton
ellileadbeater.bsky.social
PhD project on the evolution of animal memory now available in my research group, through the TREES DLA: www.trees-dla.ac.uk/projects/evo.... Come and join us if you're interested in the evolution of animal minds and you want to do some cool experimental evolution!
Evolutionary ecology of animal memory | TREES DLA
This project seeks to explore how memory evolves in response to the ecological tasks that animals face in their natural environment. Associative memory exists in some form in almost all animal species...
www.trees-dla.ac.uk
November 6, 2025 at 3:23 PM
bb-phd.bsky.social
I've signed up to swim 20km in August to raise money for @wwf.org.uk. If anyone is able to sponsor me it would be much appreciated - link is here
socialsync.app/fundraiser/c.... Donors will be rewarded with content featuring Panda 'helping' me with my swimming. Like this one...
August 7, 2025 at 8:22 PM
Reposted by Becky Boulton
meropsfieldcentre.bsky.social
During our spring field courses, we had some excellent luck with camera trap sightings. This beautiful Roe Deer doe and her fawn were recorded by our visitors from @stir.ac.uk and we couldn’t be happier to get a glimpse of this little family @bb-phd.bsky.social @zarahpattison.bsky.social
July 21, 2025 at 9:19 AM
Reposted by Becky Boulton
meropsfieldcentre.bsky.social
We spent a fantastic week hosting @stir.ac.uk for their Mediterranean field course. We’d like to say thank you to all involved, especially the students for their engagement and enthusiasm with their projects. Good luck with the rest of your studies! @bb-phd.bsky.social @zarahpattison.bsky.social
A group of twelve people smiling at the camera. They are viewed slightly from above and there is an old Mediterranean building in the background with an open courtyard.
June 30, 2025 at 8:21 AM
Reposted by Becky Boulton
npariente.bsky.social
Too poor to science: how wealth determines who succeeds in STEM

Thought-provoking read, especially in these times of questioning diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives
🧪
June 27, 2025 at 9:31 AM
Reposted by Becky Boulton
meropsfieldcentre.bsky.social
With the warm weather, there were many butterflies on the wing and students from @stir.ac.uk designed projects to survey their habitat preferences. Shady and sunlit meadows, plus an avenue of lavender in flower. They saw a real variety of species. @bb-phd.bsky.social @zarahpattison.bsky.social
Staff and students standing a long a river, holding a tape measure used to measure out a transect line. A Speckled Wood butterfly. A Common Swallowtail butterfly. Students surveying butterflies along a transect line following a row of lavender.
June 27, 2025 at 8:02 AM
Reposted by Becky Boulton
meropsfieldcentre.bsky.social
One student project from @stir.ac.uk involved assessing the behaviour of Pumpkinseed Sunfish in response to intrusion. Larger and smaller “males” approached the nest and the students monitored the nest-owner's response using our underwater cameras. @bb-phd.bsky.social @zarahpattison.bsky.social
Three students stood on a river bank, looking into the water. One is wading in. A student in shallow water at the edge of a river, deploying a weighted camera next to a Pumpkinseed Sunfish nest. A Pumpkinseed Sunfish nest viewed from above. There is an underwater camera aimed at it, and a fake Pumpkinseed Sunfish stimulus made of a printed and laminated cutout is being presented to it. A male Pumpkinseed Sunfish inspecting a printed and laminated cutout of a Pumpkinseed Sunfish.
June 27, 2025 at 8:37 AM
Reposted by Becky Boulton
sophiemowles.bsky.social
Always exciting to see the delicate first moments of emerging adult cicadas.
meropsfieldcentre.bsky.social Merops Field Centre @meropsfieldcentre.bsky.social · Jun 21
Day 1 with staff and students from @stir.ac.uk and we’ve fitted a lot in. We’ve toured the habitats, and trialled project ideas. Highlights were Black Arches moths in our moth trap, and newly emerging cicadas. It’s starting to get loud out here!
@bb-phd.bsky.social @zarahpattison.bsky.social
A group of people examining something on the ground in a pine forest. A Black Arches moth perched on a tree branch with green leaves in the background. A newly emerged cicada sitting on its exuvium. A group of people examining wild animal footprints at the edge of a river.
June 21, 2025 at 8:05 AM
Reposted by Becky Boulton
rebeccakoomen.bsky.social
🎊Fully funded PhD position on cooperative sustainability🌳

Are you curious about
🧒 developmental,
🌍 cross-cultural
🦧 species comparative
research on cooperative sustainability?

All info here or dm me with questions!
career2.successfactors.eu/sfcareer/job...
Please share! 🙏
Career Opportunities: PhD position Cooperative Sustainability (14208)
career2.successfactors.eu
June 5, 2025 at 9:27 AM
Reposted by Becky Boulton
shawan-chowdhury.bsky.social
Please share.
We have a fully-funded PhD position on animal migration. If interested, please apply by 27 July. More about us: shawanchowdhury.com. @idiv-research.bsky.social @monashbiol.bsky.social @uq-cbcs.bsky.social

#PhDposition #Ecology #Conservation #Migration #Rstats #AcademicTwitter
June 25, 2025 at 5:52 AM
bb-phd.bsky.social
Wonderful week on the @stir.ac.uk field biology course at the amazing @meropsfieldcentre.bsky.social. Good bugs, good chat and good food. Students and staff all agree 10/10. Massive thanks to @sophiemowles.bsky.social and Fabrizio!
June 25, 2025 at 8:34 PM
Reposted by Becky Boulton
meropsfieldcentre.bsky.social
Day 1 with staff and students from @stir.ac.uk and we’ve fitted a lot in. We’ve toured the habitats, and trialled project ideas. Highlights were Black Arches moths in our moth trap, and newly emerging cicadas. It’s starting to get loud out here!
@bb-phd.bsky.social @zarahpattison.bsky.social
A group of people examining something on the ground in a pine forest. A Black Arches moth perched on a tree branch with green leaves in the background. A newly emerged cicada sitting on its exuvium. A group of people examining wild animal footprints at the edge of a river.
June 21, 2025 at 8:03 AM
Reposted by Becky Boulton
meropsfieldcentre.bsky.social
We spent day 2 with @stir.ac.uk exploring the Camargue. We were lucky to see 7 species of heron including Squacco Herons and even Little Bitterns in the reedbeds. Further south, we saw the famous flamingos and had great views of a European Pond Terrapin @bb-phd.bsky.social @zarahpattison.bsky.social
A student looking through a telescope in a reedbed. A Squacco Heron on a fallen tree in a pond. A European Pond Terrapin. A student taking photos of Greater Flamingos with their mobile phone.
June 23, 2025 at 8:17 AM
Reposted by Becky Boulton
meropsfieldcentre.bsky.social
We took staff and students from @stir.ac.uk to the Causse Méjean to experience this unique site. We had an impressive vulture fly-by as well as seeing a Booted Eagle carrying a lizard. On to the Przewalski Horse breeding area, where we had great views. @bb-phd.bsky.social @zarahpattison.bsky.social
A Booted Eagle carrying a Western Green Lizard. Students and staff examining flowers in a short meadow. Staff and students looking through telescopes and binoculars on a viewing platform. There is a cliff rising in the background. A male Przewalski's Horse with some grass in its mouth.
June 24, 2025 at 5:58 AM
bb-phd.bsky.social
Warning - shameless self(wasp)-promotion coming up: On Wednesday I got to do a duet about wasps and how great they are with Greg James on the Radio 1 Breakfast show. You can listen here www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/... at about 38 minutes in.
Radio 1 Breakfast with Greg James - 29/05/2025 - BBC Sounds
Morning nonsense, star listeners and All the Latest Things...
www.bbc.co.uk
May 30, 2025 at 12:11 PM
Reposted by Becky Boulton
bb-phd.bsky.social
Undergrad in the life sciences? Want to do a research placement over the summer but also need a job - NERC are running the REP scheme again, paid summer research placements to widen participation in the life sciences. Details here iapetus2.ac.uk/new-rep-sche...
REP Scheme
Summer Research Experience placements for current undergraduate students.Applications for 2025 are now open. Please see our list of projects and How to Apply, below, to start your application. Ov...
iapetus2.ac.uk
April 10, 2025 at 7:45 AM
bb-phd.bsky.social
Undergrad in the life sciences? Want to do a research placement over the summer but also need a job - NERC are running the REP scheme again, paid summer research placements to widen participation in the life sciences. Details here iapetus2.ac.uk/new-rep-sche...
REP Scheme
Summer Research Experience placements for current undergraduate students.Applications for 2025 are now open. Please see our list of projects and How to Apply, below, to start your application. Ov...
iapetus2.ac.uk
April 10, 2025 at 7:45 AM
Reposted by Becky Boulton
asab.org
Fascinating #ASABWinter2024 plenary talk this morning by Malin Ah-King, tracing the history of perception of females in evolutionary science. It took surprisingly long for researchers to discover active female sexual strategies♀️

Her book on the topic here: link.springer.com/book/10.1007...
Malin Ah-king in front of a slide reading Production of ignorance about females in sexual selection A repeated pattern of male-centric investigations first Loss of acquired knowledge Undermining the authority of certain knowers Widely acknowledged citation hierarchy/taxonomic ignorance
December 12, 2024 at 10:34 AM
Reposted by Becky Boulton
fhillemann.bsky.social
the fantastic Antica Čulina's plenary "Doing credible science – why would you care?" covering struggles with first meta analyses as a PhD student, issues with the current research and reward system, and challenges and benefits of transitioning to a new, open, and more reliable system
#ASABWinter2024
full lecture room for Antica Čulina's plenary on Doing credible science – why would you care? Slide show's how she struggled with her first meta analyses -- values don't match, missing information, unclear methods another slide summarising issues, including issues with data collection (incorrect control group, no blinding of data) etc
December 12, 2024 at 2:56 PM
Reposted by Becky Boulton
cbenvenuto.bsky.social
I was aware about language barriers in science, but not at the extent explained by @tatsuya-amano.bsky.social. Eye opening talk #ASABWinter2024, thank you so much! Great advises for publishers and conference organizers! @asab.org
December 13, 2024 at 10:21 AM
Reposted by Becky Boulton
drmariarorvang.bsky.social
Global research shows that it takes non-native English speaking scientists 51% more time to write a paper! Barriers and biases in academia with respect to language. Thought-provoking plenary by Tatsuya Armano at #asabwinter2024 👏🏼

#biasesinscience #languagebarriers
December 13, 2024 at 10:23 AM