Lou Matthews
@palaeolou.bsky.social
Here for the pollen, sediment geochemistry, prehistory and baby goats 🐐
Reposted by Lou Matthews
November 20, 2025 at 7:29 PM
A while back, (possibly in twitter days) I saw a brilliant thread on how to intervene when someone is being harassed in public. It involved tips for standing with the person being harassed and not engaging with the perpetrators. Can anyone point me to a UK-specific resource? 1/2
November 21, 2025 at 1:39 PM
A while back, (possibly in twitter days) I saw a brilliant thread on how to intervene when someone is being harassed in public. It involved tips for standing with the person being harassed and not engaging with the perpetrators. Can anyone point me to a UK-specific resource? 1/2
Reposted by Lou Matthews
Oxford Brookes Uni students had a great time recently in #LyeValley #fen learning various coring techniques, studying peat & tufa sediments. They learnt what hard work it was! but some very interesting layers discovered, now for some lab study...
@friendlyevalley.bsky.social @palaeolou.bsky.social
@friendlyevalley.bsky.social @palaeolou.bsky.social
October 14, 2025 at 1:49 PM
Oxford Brookes Uni students had a great time recently in #LyeValley #fen learning various coring techniques, studying peat & tufa sediments. They learnt what hard work it was! but some very interesting layers discovered, now for some lab study...
@friendlyevalley.bsky.social @palaeolou.bsky.social
@friendlyevalley.bsky.social @palaeolou.bsky.social
Reposted by Lou Matthews
Last-minute cancellation for Friday 26 Sept #linocut #workshop in #York. Find out more: www.michellehughesdesign.com/lino-printin...
September 24, 2025 at 3:42 PM
Last-minute cancellation for Friday 26 Sept #linocut #workshop in #York. Find out more: www.michellehughesdesign.com/lino-printin...
Went to the big smoke. Saw archaeological bling. Interpretation panels at the London museum mudlarking exhibition were very well thought out.
August 30, 2025 at 8:25 PM
Went to the big smoke. Saw archaeological bling. Interpretation panels at the London museum mudlarking exhibition were very well thought out.
If the world is just a bit much, I heartily recommend feeding pygmy goats.
August 30, 2025 at 8:21 PM
If the world is just a bit much, I heartily recommend feeding pygmy goats.
Cate nails it again ♥️
look, i know you'll either believe me or you won't but please don't expect high profile politicians to have fixed moral centres. the role self selects for folks with focus groups where their brain should. the only thing they consistently stand for is the next election.
"I think in order to bring people together on this, we also have to take everyone seriously."
He's talking about bigots, let's not mince words.
He's talking about bigots, let's not mince words.
August 7, 2025 at 8:03 AM
Cate nails it again ♥️
Reposted by Lou Matthews
"cultural vandalism on a breathtaking scale"
"Professor Parry has defended the Change Proposals by stating that the ADB could easily have been cut altogether. She appears to regard the ADB as an academic unit within the gift of the dean rather than as a collaborative national institution" inside.org.au/the-jewel-in...
The jewel in the crown of the ANU • Inside Story
Celebrated by previous vice-chancellors, the Australian Dictionary of Biography and its fellow national project, the Australian National Dictionary, are threatened by university cuts
inside.org.au
July 22, 2025 at 5:13 AM
"cultural vandalism on a breathtaking scale"
Reposted by Lou Matthews
One of my favourite floodplain meadow plants - Pepper Saxifrage Silaum silaus. For it's amazing cinnamony smell of leaves and fruits mostly. And a good insect nectar source, like most Apiaceae.
@floodplainmead.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social
@floodplainmead.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social
June 29, 2025 at 3:54 PM
One of my favourite floodplain meadow plants - Pepper Saxifrage Silaum silaus. For it's amazing cinnamony smell of leaves and fruits mostly. And a good insect nectar source, like most Apiaceae.
@floodplainmead.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social
@floodplainmead.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social
Reposted by Lou Matthews
Visited Somerford Mead, a recreated (from arable) floodplain haymeadow nr Oxford. Looking good, but surprised to see that even here the Rough Hawksbeard Crepis biennis (last photo) is gaining ground as it is in all dry verges & meadows locally
@floodplainmead.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social
@floodplainmead.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social
June 29, 2025 at 3:36 PM
Visited Somerford Mead, a recreated (from arable) floodplain haymeadow nr Oxford. Looking good, but surprised to see that even here the Rough Hawksbeard Crepis biennis (last photo) is gaining ground as it is in all dry verges & meadows locally
@floodplainmead.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social
@floodplainmead.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social
Reposted by Lou Matthews
Did I mention how important skilled #volunteers are to maintaining Oxford's special calcareous fens? 3 #scythers get on with the summer cutting, felling reed & avoiding Common Valerian& marsh thistle. 1 vol carefully chops reed in a patch of fleabane, left uncut
@freshwaterhabitats.bsky.social
@freshwaterhabitats.bsky.social
June 20, 2025 at 3:51 PM
Did I mention how important skilled #volunteers are to maintaining Oxford's special calcareous fens? 3 #scythers get on with the summer cutting, felling reed & avoiding Common Valerian& marsh thistle. 1 vol carefully chops reed in a patch of fleabane, left uncut
@freshwaterhabitats.bsky.social
@freshwaterhabitats.bsky.social
Reposted by Lou Matthews
![5-panel comic. (1) [teacher with long hair next to whiteboard] TEACHER: I’m supposed to give you the tools to do good science. (2) [teacher addressing students] But what *are* those tools? Methodology is hard and there are so many ways to get incorrect results. What is the magic ingredient that makes for good science? (3) TEACHER: To figure it out, I ran a regression with all the factors people say are important: [embedded list in sub-panel, cut off at end] Outcome variable: correct scientific results. Predictors: collaboration; skepticism of others’ claims; questioning your own beliefs; trying to falsify hypotheses; checking citations; statistical rigor; blinded analysis; financial disclosure; open data (4) TEACHER: The regression says two ingredients are the most crucial: 1) genuine curiosity about the answer to a question, and 2) ammonium hydroxide. (5) STUDENT: Wait, why did *ammonia* score so high? How did it even get on the list? LONG HAIR: ...And now you’re doing good science!](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:cz73r7iyiqn26upot4jtjdhk/bafkreigzaphhj4mfgfrxddlvdmw47335gnwzqbfqvrnff5x4oovgpf36nq@jpeg)
June 12, 2025 at 8:28 PM
Reposted by Lou Matthews
June 11, 2025 at 8:12 PM
Reposted by Lou Matthews
![4-panel comic. (1) PERSON to two listeners [in inset panel]: When the Greeks departed, they left behind a horse as a gift. [horse faces people in front of a tower] (2) We took it as a gesture of peace, but it carried a secret payload. [horse in between people] (3) One night, from within the horse, *another, smaller horse emerged!* [big horse looks behind at smaller horse] (4) PERSON: Our guards have been unable to determine the inner horse’s objective, but it has begun to show an interest in our oats. PERSON 2 from off-panel: An attack on Troy’s food supply! PERSON 3 from off-panel: How *dare* they!?](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:cz73r7iyiqn26upot4jtjdhk/bafkreidwodctqhahl4pmr2wbgboyhw5bgd6cwchh6xpp4sbtlsqmcbny2e@jpeg)
June 5, 2025 at 9:22 PM
Reposted by Lou Matthews
Congratulations NERC on 60 yrs of leadership in environmental science. In celebration NERC published its new 10-year vision, launched at the Royal Society.
The Forward Look for Environment Science www.ukri.org/publications...
The Forward Look for Environment Science www.ukri.org/publications...
June 3, 2025 at 6:54 AM
Congratulations NERC on 60 yrs of leadership in environmental science. In celebration NERC published its new 10-year vision, launched at the Royal Society.
The Forward Look for Environment Science www.ukri.org/publications...
The Forward Look for Environment Science www.ukri.org/publications...
Reposted by Lou Matthews
It's scything, scything and & more scything time in #LyeValley #fen. Reed, reed sweet grass & rank grass - late May/June is the time to take them down to reduce vigour & take nutrients away in risings to encourage more biodiversity @friendlyevalley.bsky.social @freshwaterhabitats.bsky.social
May 29, 2025 at 12:03 PM
It's scything, scything and & more scything time in #LyeValley #fen. Reed, reed sweet grass & rank grass - late May/June is the time to take them down to reduce vigour & take nutrients away in risings to encourage more biodiversity @friendlyevalley.bsky.social @freshwaterhabitats.bsky.social
Reposted by Lou Matthews
![[Person with ponytail wearing lab coat hands balloon to another person in front of a springboard, a magnet hanging from above, and then a target] PERSON WITH PONYTAIL to Person 2: Rub this balloon against your head, then go jump past that magnet toward the target on the wall. [caption] Before the bathroom scale was invented, the only way to weigh people was mass spectrometry.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:cz73r7iyiqn26upot4jtjdhk/bafkreid7lnvd7afmasx3nxi6anxmyhbatpaw54za3kiw3eaoclrf722faq@jpeg)
Reposted by Lou Matthews
Delighted to welcome our first Common Spotted orchid flowers in #LyeValley #fen, but Ooohh...now our Common Cotton grasses are shedding fluff & seed like snow... @friendlyevalley.bsky.social @freshwaterhabitats.bsky.social
#Oxfordshirefens @bsbibotany.bsky.social
#Oxfordshirefens @bsbibotany.bsky.social
May 28, 2025 at 2:40 PM
Delighted to welcome our first Common Spotted orchid flowers in #LyeValley #fen, but Ooohh...now our Common Cotton grasses are shedding fluff & seed like snow... @friendlyevalley.bsky.social @freshwaterhabitats.bsky.social
#Oxfordshirefens @bsbibotany.bsky.social
#Oxfordshirefens @bsbibotany.bsky.social
Reposted by Lou Matthews
Orkney Gothic
Whoever was responsible for designing the Historic Scotland information board at Wideford Hill Cairn deserves a medal for it.
May 22, 2025 at 7:07 PM
Orkney Gothic
Reposted by Lou Matthews
Nestling down amongst the sedge bases in #LyeValley #fen time to notice the small lilac-purple flowers of insectivorous butterworts & their strange star-shaped yellow-green sticky leaves that trap and digest tiny midges. @friendlyevalley.bsky.social #Oxfordshirefens @freshwaterhabitats.bsky.social
May 18, 2025 at 8:56 PM
Nestling down amongst the sedge bases in #LyeValley #fen time to notice the small lilac-purple flowers of insectivorous butterworts & their strange star-shaped yellow-green sticky leaves that trap and digest tiny midges. @friendlyevalley.bsky.social #Oxfordshirefens @freshwaterhabitats.bsky.social
Reposted by Lou Matthews
Watching BBC News. Good grief, that Chris Mason's a pointless gobshite.
Don't just gibber on about how the UK/EU deal is 'complex'. Tell us what it is. Give some real context to the blethering vox pops.
OK, rant over. As you were.
Don't just gibber on about how the UK/EU deal is 'complex'. Tell us what it is. Give some real context to the blethering vox pops.
OK, rant over. As you were.
May 19, 2025 at 9:21 PM
Watching BBC News. Good grief, that Chris Mason's a pointless gobshite.
Don't just gibber on about how the UK/EU deal is 'complex'. Tell us what it is. Give some real context to the blethering vox pops.
OK, rant over. As you were.
Don't just gibber on about how the UK/EU deal is 'complex'. Tell us what it is. Give some real context to the blethering vox pops.
OK, rant over. As you were.
Reposted by Lou Matthews
oof. i should get this as a tattoo
I need to do a thing and I don't wanna do the thing, dammit
May 19, 2025 at 10:31 PM
oof. i should get this as a tattoo
Reposted by Lou Matthews
At the most excellent 'what is Wild?' conference today, organised by @ianthewildside.bsky.social and colleagues, we were asked 'what was your most wild moment?' I think this is a contender mas.to/@palaeo_lou/...
Lou Matthews (@palaeo_lou@mas.to)
Attached: 1 video
#AnswersOnAPostcard what can a muntjac deer do to really upset a badger?! #badgercam
mas.to
May 8, 2025 at 7:34 PM
At the most excellent 'what is Wild?' conference today, organised by @ianthewildside.bsky.social and colleagues, we were asked 'what was your most wild moment?' I think this is a contender mas.to/@palaeo_lou/...
I swear I'm cursed. This is the 5th time I've stayed in a hotel where the fire alarm has gone off and I've had to stand outside waiting for the all-clear. Thankfully they were all false alarms.
May 6, 2025 at 8:50 PM
I swear I'm cursed. This is the 5th time I've stayed in a hotel where the fire alarm has gone off and I've had to stand outside waiting for the all-clear. Thankfully they were all false alarms.