Mike Morrison
@mikemorrison.bsky.social
#betterposter guy · PhD, Work Psychology · Studying how to make scientists’ tools easier to use · Redesigning #ScientificPublishing @Curvenote.com · 📽️ Manifesto: https://youtu.be/WBjhxjWDiHw · Pathologically friendly 😀
Pinned
Mike Morrison
@mikemorrison.bsky.social
· Nov 18
Let's Make Science User-Friendly | Mike Morrison
YouTube video by I/O Shaken & Stirred
youtu.be
Hi!👋
I made that silly, viral YouTube cartoon that helped 250,000 of you redesign your research poster.
#betterposter
v1 t.co/wyXhiP5CKl
v2 t.co/q1g4SsSrlS
I use science & design to improve your experience with scientific articles, posters, publishing — and beyond!🧑🚀
Mission:
youtu.be/WBjhxjWDiHw
I made that silly, viral YouTube cartoon that helped 250,000 of you redesign your research poster.
#betterposter
v1 t.co/wyXhiP5CKl
v2 t.co/q1g4SsSrlS
I use science & design to improve your experience with scientific articles, posters, publishing — and beyond!🧑🚀
Mission:
youtu.be/WBjhxjWDiHw
Reposted by Mike Morrison
Hu & Bentler (1999) with >130k citations selected for huge citation and moderate actual impact--see Nils' rationale that a lot of citation use is unthinking or to stop thinking.
What then is the prototype of prototypes for the moderate citation impact and moderate actual impact?
What then is the prototype of prototypes for the moderate citation impact and moderate actual impact?
November 10, 2025 at 12:18 PM
Hu & Bentler (1999) with >130k citations selected for huge citation and moderate actual impact--see Nils' rationale that a lot of citation use is unthinking or to stop thinking.
What then is the prototype of prototypes for the moderate citation impact and moderate actual impact?
What then is the prototype of prototypes for the moderate citation impact and moderate actual impact?
Reposted by Mike Morrison
#SciComm community, I can use your help!
Please share:
1. Any resources or publications about developing a hands-on tabletop science outreach activity.
2. Any personal tips & tricks based on your experiences running this type of activities!
Thanks!
Please share:
1. Any resources or publications about developing a hands-on tabletop science outreach activity.
2. Any personal tips & tricks based on your experiences running this type of activities!
Thanks!
November 11, 2025 at 2:00 AM
#SciComm community, I can use your help!
Please share:
1. Any resources or publications about developing a hands-on tabletop science outreach activity.
2. Any personal tips & tricks based on your experiences running this type of activities!
Thanks!
Please share:
1. Any resources or publications about developing a hands-on tabletop science outreach activity.
2. Any personal tips & tricks based on your experiences running this type of activities!
Thanks!
Reposted by Mike Morrison
I've never seen a qualitative research paper with excellent figures (relevant, eye-catching, etc.).
They only rely on text and photos/screenshots to communicate.
#dataviz + #qualitative research seem opposed, no?
#scicomm #AcademicWriting
They only rely on text and photos/screenshots to communicate.
#dataviz + #qualitative research seem opposed, no?
#scicomm #AcademicWriting
November 10, 2025 at 11:07 PM
I've never seen a qualitative research paper with excellent figures (relevant, eye-catching, etc.).
They only rely on text and photos/screenshots to communicate.
#dataviz + #qualitative research seem opposed, no?
#scicomm #AcademicWriting
They only rely on text and photos/screenshots to communicate.
#dataviz + #qualitative research seem opposed, no?
#scicomm #AcademicWriting
What are some other "actually kind and not evil" software companies you've had a pleasant experience with?
I'll start:
@blackmagicdesign.bsky.social video editor gives so much for free
Eagle.cool is DAM perfect for $30 lifetime
@obsidian.md - Happily pay $8 for cloud sync on their free app.
I'll start:
@blackmagicdesign.bsky.social video editor gives so much for free
Eagle.cool is DAM perfect for $30 lifetime
@obsidian.md - Happily pay $8 for cloud sync on their free app.
November 5, 2025 at 7:32 AM
What are some other "actually kind and not evil" software companies you've had a pleasant experience with?
I'll start:
@blackmagicdesign.bsky.social video editor gives so much for free
Eagle.cool is DAM perfect for $30 lifetime
@obsidian.md - Happily pay $8 for cloud sync on their free app.
I'll start:
@blackmagicdesign.bsky.social video editor gives so much for free
Eagle.cool is DAM perfect for $30 lifetime
@obsidian.md - Happily pay $8 for cloud sync on their free app.
PSA: Last week, Affinity Studio (major Adobe Illustrator/Photoshop alternative) went completely 'free forever'.
Pro design software, now accessible to all PhD students. May start recommending this in my workshops.
www.affinity.studio/graphic-desi...
Pro design software, now accessible to all PhD students. May start recommending this in my workshops.
www.affinity.studio/graphic-desi...
November 4, 2025 at 4:03 PM
PSA: Last week, Affinity Studio (major Adobe Illustrator/Photoshop alternative) went completely 'free forever'.
Pro design software, now accessible to all PhD students. May start recommending this in my workshops.
www.affinity.studio/graphic-desi...
Pro design software, now accessible to all PhD students. May start recommending this in my workshops.
www.affinity.studio/graphic-desi...
Reposted by Mike Morrison
I see a huge opportunity for how the AT Protocol could reshape academic publishing. Imagine researchers publishing continuously and atomically — before, during, and after research projects — in public connected continuous streams of discovery and insight.
Some notes on how we can make Leaflet more useful for scientists and academic communities — touching on things like annotation, standalone doc publishing, new block types, post reactions, references & backlinks…
Second in a series, and intended as a living doc — we'd love to hear your thoughts!
Second in a series, and intended as a living doc — we'd love to hear your thoughts!
Towards Leaflet for Scientists
Lab Notes 011: ideas for now we might make Leaflet better for scientists, researchers, and academic communities
lab.leaflet.pub
October 31, 2025 at 12:42 PM
I see a huge opportunity for how the AT Protocol could reshape academic publishing. Imagine researchers publishing continuously and atomically — before, during, and after research projects — in public connected continuous streams of discovery and insight.
PI's of BSky: If you had to guess, What percentage of 2nd+ year PhD students in your lab have an @orcid.org?
October 16, 2025 at 5:02 PM
PI's of BSky: If you had to guess, What percentage of 2nd+ year PhD students in your lab have an @orcid.org?
Reposted by Mike Morrison
Last week at #ICSB2025, we shared how #MCP can make LLM-based agents reliable for #SystemsBiology.
MCP was barely known there. All the more reason for Cracking Shells to exist: simplifying onboarding for researchers.
#AIForScience
MCP was barely known there. All the more reason for Cracking Shells to exist: simplifying onboarding for researchers.
#AIForScience
October 11, 2025 at 10:07 PM
Last week at #ICSB2025, we shared how #MCP can make LLM-based agents reliable for #SystemsBiology.
MCP was barely known there. All the more reason for Cracking Shells to exist: simplifying onboarding for researchers.
#AIForScience
MCP was barely known there. All the more reason for Cracking Shells to exist: simplifying onboarding for researchers.
#AIForScience
Reposted by Mike Morrison
@mikemorrison.bsky.social will be sharing how #scientists and #SciComm folks can combine design and psychology principles to create engaging visual science communication tools.
Join this Friday, Oct 17 @ 2pm ET for this FREE webinar.
Sign up for Zoom link. waterwhys.org/seminar/fall...
Join this Friday, Oct 17 @ 2pm ET for this FREE webinar.
Sign up for Zoom link. waterwhys.org/seminar/fall...
October 15, 2025 at 2:06 PM
@mikemorrison.bsky.social will be sharing how #scientists and #SciComm folks can combine design and psychology principles to create engaging visual science communication tools.
Join this Friday, Oct 17 @ 2pm ET for this FREE webinar.
Sign up for Zoom link. waterwhys.org/seminar/fall...
Join this Friday, Oct 17 @ 2pm ET for this FREE webinar.
Sign up for Zoom link. waterwhys.org/seminar/fall...
Reposted by Mike Morrison
We’re proud to launch our SCMS — a platform that turns data, code, and figures into living, connected research ready to share and build on. Read the announcement here → bit.ly/3KGqHK8
October 7, 2025 at 5:30 PM
We’re proud to launch our SCMS — a platform that turns data, code, and figures into living, connected research ready to share and build on. Read the announcement here → bit.ly/3KGqHK8
Looking forward to speaking at Water Whys on Friday about applying psychology & design to improve science communication!
@mikemorrison.bsky.social will be sharing how #scientists and #SciComm folks can combine design and psychology principles to create engaging visual science communication tools.
Join this Friday, Oct 17 @ 2pm ET for this FREE webinar.
Sign up for Zoom link. waterwhys.org/seminar/fall...
Join this Friday, Oct 17 @ 2pm ET for this FREE webinar.
Sign up for Zoom link. waterwhys.org/seminar/fall...
October 15, 2025 at 5:02 PM
Looking forward to speaking at Water Whys on Friday about applying psychology & design to improve science communication!
Could use a few more participants in our study of scientific slide design. Got a sec to go through some example slides then rate them? 🙏
nimble.li/p9lxzlz9
As a bonus, you get to learn some random facts.
#scienceUX
nimble.li/p9lxzlz9
As a bonus, you get to learn some random facts.
#scienceUX
October 7, 2025 at 11:56 AM
Could use a few more participants in our study of scientific slide design. Got a sec to go through some example slides then rate them? 🙏
nimble.li/p9lxzlz9
As a bonus, you get to learn some random facts.
#scienceUX
nimble.li/p9lxzlz9
As a bonus, you get to learn some random facts.
#scienceUX
Reposted by Mike Morrison
It's time to talk visual science communication again!
@waterwhysua.bsky.social is back with unique conversations around visual science communication including @mikemorrison.bsky.social Oct. 17.
Free talks every other Friday on Zoom start tomorrow. Register now waterwhys.org/seminar/fall... #SciComm
@waterwhysua.bsky.social is back with unique conversations around visual science communication including @mikemorrison.bsky.social Oct. 17.
Free talks every other Friday on Zoom start tomorrow. Register now waterwhys.org/seminar/fall... #SciComm
October 2, 2025 at 1:12 PM
It's time to talk visual science communication again!
@waterwhysua.bsky.social is back with unique conversations around visual science communication including @mikemorrison.bsky.social Oct. 17.
Free talks every other Friday on Zoom start tomorrow. Register now waterwhys.org/seminar/fall... #SciComm
@waterwhysua.bsky.social is back with unique conversations around visual science communication including @mikemorrison.bsky.social Oct. 17.
Free talks every other Friday on Zoom start tomorrow. Register now waterwhys.org/seminar/fall... #SciComm
Reposted by Mike Morrison
Big believer that posters are better than talks at conferences. After presentating my first #BetterPoster at #ESA2025, that has only been reinforced.
August 12, 2025 at 11:22 PM
Big believer that posters are better than talks at conferences. After presentating my first #BetterPoster at #ESA2025, that has only been reinforced.
😍 So happy to see this. HHMI is going to create so much positive change in scientific publishing with this.
Now that big funders are embracing the preprint, we can focus on upgrading the preprint to be better than the journal article ever was. Born #openacces makes so much possible.
Now that big funders are embracing the preprint, we can focus on upgrading the preprint to be better than the journal article ever was. Born #openacces makes so much possible.
HHMI adopts Plan U journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...
September 25, 2025 at 10:15 AM
😍 So happy to see this. HHMI is going to create so much positive change in scientific publishing with this.
Now that big funders are embracing the preprint, we can focus on upgrading the preprint to be better than the journal article ever was. Born #openacces makes so much possible.
Now that big funders are embracing the preprint, we can focus on upgrading the preprint to be better than the journal article ever was. Born #openacces makes so much possible.
Reposted by Mike Morrison
better than average science day?
• sperm whale eating a giant squid confirmed
• HHMI policy: preprints as most important form of publication
• sperm whale eating a giant squid confirmed
• HHMI policy: preprints as most important form of publication
September 24, 2025 at 11:32 PM
better than average science day?
• sperm whale eating a giant squid confirmed
• HHMI policy: preprints as most important form of publication
• sperm whale eating a giant squid confirmed
• HHMI policy: preprints as most important form of publication
Reposted by Mike Morrison
HHMI adopts Plan U journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...
September 24, 2025 at 6:08 PM
HHMI adopts Plan U journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...
Reposted by Mike Morrison
Across two studies, we found that short conversations with ChatGPT led climate sceptics to report lower confidence in their sceptical views and small increases in pro-environmental intentions.
You can read the article here:
doi.org/10.1038/s415...
You can read the article here:
doi.org/10.1038/s415...
September 21, 2025 at 5:49 AM
Across two studies, we found that short conversations with ChatGPT led climate sceptics to report lower confidence in their sceptical views and small increases in pro-environmental intentions.
You can read the article here:
doi.org/10.1038/s415...
You can read the article here:
doi.org/10.1038/s415...
As a species, can we please agree to write all dates like "Sep 10" instead of 10/9 or 9/10?
Signed,
– An American expat in Hong Kong who is not sure if this Australian yogurt is expired.
Signed,
– An American expat in Hong Kong who is not sure if this Australian yogurt is expired.
September 15, 2025 at 9:41 AM
As a species, can we please agree to write all dates like "Sep 10" instead of 10/9 or 9/10?
Signed,
– An American expat in Hong Kong who is not sure if this Australian yogurt is expired.
Signed,
– An American expat in Hong Kong who is not sure if this Australian yogurt is expired.
Reposted by Mike Morrison
What do you think will be the short- and long-term consequences of these new payment limits in #AcademicPublishing?
Do you think publishers will just raise their rates to the new cap?
🧪
Do you think publishers will just raise their rates to the new cap?
🧪
It's outrageous that taxpayer dollars were ever used to pay more than $2000 to publish a single article.
While it does cost money to have research peer-reviewed and published, the system doesn't make sense when the big publishers are making more money than Google or Amazon.
🧪 #SciPub #AcademicSky
While it does cost money to have research peer-reviewed and published, the system doesn't make sense when the big publishers are making more money than Google or Amazon.
🧪 #SciPub #AcademicSky
NIH details options for limiting its payments for open-access publishing fees
Other publishing proposals would scrap reimbursements or pay peer reviewers, unprecedented steps for a major government funder
www.science.org
September 8, 2025 at 9:12 PM
What do you think will be the short- and long-term consequences of these new payment limits in #AcademicPublishing?
Do you think publishers will just raise their rates to the new cap?
🧪
Do you think publishers will just raise their rates to the new cap?
🧪
Reposted by Mike Morrison
2, please 2.
Which would you prefer?
1. ChatGPT
2. Google & The entire internet --- but without ads, spammy content, etc. Like recipe sites would just give you the recipe with photos.
1. ChatGPT
2. Google & The entire internet --- but without ads, spammy content, etc. Like recipe sites would just give you the recipe with photos.
September 5, 2025 at 9:41 AM
2, please 2.
Reposted by Mike Morrison
This is also why, whenever I eventually manage to get a recipe I like, I hold on to it for dear life (and so I save the actual recipe part in my phone's telephone book - as if it were a person)
Which would you prefer?
1. ChatGPT
2. Google & The entire internet --- but without ads, spammy content, etc. Like recipe sites would just give you the recipe with photos.
1. ChatGPT
2. Google & The entire internet --- but without ads, spammy content, etc. Like recipe sites would just give you the recipe with photos.
September 5, 2025 at 8:57 AM
This is also why, whenever I eventually manage to get a recipe I like, I hold on to it for dear life (and so I save the actual recipe part in my phone's telephone book - as if it were a person)
Which would you prefer?
1. ChatGPT
2. Google & The entire internet --- but without ads, spammy content, etc. Like recipe sites would just give you the recipe with photos.
1. ChatGPT
2. Google & The entire internet --- but without ads, spammy content, etc. Like recipe sites would just give you the recipe with photos.
September 5, 2025 at 8:51 AM
Which would you prefer?
1. ChatGPT
2. Google & The entire internet --- but without ads, spammy content, etc. Like recipe sites would just give you the recipe with photos.
1. ChatGPT
2. Google & The entire internet --- but without ads, spammy content, etc. Like recipe sites would just give you the recipe with photos.
Reposted by Mike Morrison
This is fascinating but frustrating to hear. I already wrote my paper. I am waiting to see if it is accepted by the journal. The conclusion is extremely abstract and counterintuitive without carefully laying out the reasoning that built it. My first book follows this pattern though. #writersky
💯 This is exactly what I've been trying to say in like 100 workshops and videos on research posters.
State a conclusion, then defend it.
Versus working up to it over 500 words that people won't spend the time to read.
State a conclusion, then defend it.
Versus working up to it over 500 words that people won't spend the time to read.
Interesting article suggesting we turn all of what we are taught in academia about how to write stuff on its head...
I think this is exactly the sort of thing @mikemorrison.bsky.social et al have been saying with posters. While there is "logic" to how we learn to do it, if your audience hasn't...
I think this is exactly the sort of thing @mikemorrison.bsky.social et al have been saying with posters. While there is "logic" to how we learn to do it, if your audience hasn't...
September 2, 2025 at 6:38 AM
This is fascinating but frustrating to hear. I already wrote my paper. I am waiting to see if it is accepted by the journal. The conclusion is extremely abstract and counterintuitive without carefully laying out the reasoning that built it. My first book follows this pattern though. #writersky
Doctors Without Borders goes #betterposter! 🥳
Our #ScienceUX community created an evidence-based poster template to improve science communication at the MSF Pediatric conference this year.
Video explains design choices:
youtu.be/1QoYDeYu59k
Our #ScienceUX community created an evidence-based poster template to improve science communication at the MSF Pediatric conference this year.
Video explains design choices:
youtu.be/1QoYDeYu59k
Helping Doctors Without Borders improve their research posters
YouTube video by Mike Morrison, PhD
youtu.be
September 1, 2025 at 5:20 PM
Doctors Without Borders goes #betterposter! 🥳
Our #ScienceUX community created an evidence-based poster template to improve science communication at the MSF Pediatric conference this year.
Video explains design choices:
youtu.be/1QoYDeYu59k
Our #ScienceUX community created an evidence-based poster template to improve science communication at the MSF Pediatric conference this year.
Video explains design choices:
youtu.be/1QoYDeYu59k