iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Alyssa Drake @abdrake.bsky.social · 26/06/2026

On my way to work. 2nd floor journey in a row for £130 a pop.

Reposted by Alyssa Drake

Dr. Jessie Christiansen @aussiastronomer.bsky.social · 16/06/2026

"Do you use anxiety to stay productive or on time?" I don't understand the question, how else would people stay productive or be on time?!?!

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Reposted by Alyssa Drake

John Stott @jpsastro.bsky.social · 03/06/2026

Congratulations to @lancasteruni.bsky.social PhD student Harry Stephenson @hmostevo.bsky.social who passed his viva last month and has now had the corrections officially accepted. Here he is (after changing into his celebration outfit) with a proud supervisor and his internal examiner @vrooje.net 🔭🧪

Brooke, Harry and John. Harry wearing a space themed blazer.

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Alyssa Drake @abdrake.bsky.social · 15/06/2026

Well done Dr Harry Stephenson!

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Alyssa Drake @abdrake.bsky.social · 10/06/2026

I wish I had something to say that wasn't about trains or babies. I am v.boring.

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Alyssa Drake @abdrake.bsky.social · 22/04/2026

Expecting perfect train power supply for all future journeys (now that I have invested in heavy power pack to carry around).

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Alyssa Drake @abdrake.bsky.social · 13/04/2026

I love how they can just say "There will be no trains between Lancaster and Preston this week" 🫤

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Alyssa Drake @abdrake.bsky.social · 09/04/2026

It's one of those rare evenings where the sun is out... and both the power and the WiFi are working on the train! A moment of work-related peace. 🔭🌞🚂

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Alyssa Drake @abdrake.bsky.social · 25/03/2026

Grr why does train power never work 😡. I have time on my hands and a tired laptop after an afternoon marking presentations far from a socket. No work will be achieved on this train! 😠😠😠

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Alyssa Drake @abdrake.bsky.social · 17/03/2026

Something weird about my wfh view today. Omg it's #BlueSky!

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Alyssa Drake @abdrake.bsky.social · 24/02/2026

Motion to include some kind of laptop stand on trains 👩‍💻

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Alyssa Drake @abdrake.bsky.social · 18/02/2026

We typo'd our email to the nursery - the baby attends "Babay Room" now 😎

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Alyssa Drake @abdrake.bsky.social · 17/02/2026

When did the expression for "Excuse me" become "Sorry can you move?" 🫤

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Alyssa Drake @abdrake.bsky.social · 11/02/2026

Interestingly, our 🔭 department at Herts has got a special room for milkshakes. Now, I've never managed to get in, so not sure if this is where you can get hold of a milkshake, or you just have to stand in there to drink one.

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Alyssa Drake @abdrake.bsky.social · 05/02/2026

Found myself in need of a spoon at the adopted Lancaster office, but don't worry! SPAR sold me these handy desert spoons, which thankfully seem to work in the rain too.

Desert spoons. Yes, desert, not dessert.

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Reposted by Alyssa Drake

Chris Lintott @chrislintott.bsky.social · 02/02/2026

I've updated my post on the funding crisis heading for British astronomy: docs.google.com/document/d/1.... UKRI made clear that astro and particle physics are being subject to unique cuts due to rising costs elsewhere. This looks like a deliberate decision not to fund fundamental physics. 🔭 🧪

docs.google.com

Funding piece

Modern astronomy is full of marvels. In recent years we have rejoiced in the success of the James Webb Space Telescope, and been puzzled by the surprisingly vibrant early Universe it is showing us. We...

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Alyssa Drake @abdrake.bsky.social · 29/01/2026

Somewhere along the line turned into one of those people who will show you pictures of a baby you didn't want to see. Sorry about that.

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Alyssa Drake @abdrake.bsky.social · 27/01/2026

I am having a bad day 😂 - but nearly made it to Hatfield 🎉

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Alyssa Drake @abdrake.bsky.social · 22/01/2026

Rainbow as seen from my adoptive #astro desk yesterday! :)

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Alyssa Drake @abdrake.bsky.social · 21/01/2026

Welcomed back to work by the small grant rejection of course. Writing it was all-consuming for a few weeks (even while quite pregnant) - can't help but feel we need a better system. #Astronomy

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Alyssa Drake @abdrake.bsky.social · 21/01/2026

Back at work after ~7 months maternity leave. So happy to be back in the swing, but now with new dimensions of baby-missing and random complications. 🙂

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Alyssa Drake @abdrake.bsky.social · 10/09/2025

Matleave thoughts 2... I've been re-watching all of the "Educating [insert location]" series. I'm now really anxious about my GCSEs. 😫

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Alyssa Drake @abdrake.bsky.social · 10/09/2025

Matleave thoughts... thinking of starting a blog of nappy changing tales. Day 107: it's another Timmy-two-poos day 💩💩

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Reposted by Alyssa Drake

John Stott @jpsastro.bsky.social · 01/08/2025

For some reason all of the Chinese restaurants in town have been unavailable on delivery apps and/or closed for at least 2 days. Any ideas @beyond.radio ?

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Alyssa Drake @abdrake.bsky.social · 28/07/2025

When did it become "fill out" instead of "fill in"? (Forms...)

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Alyssa Drake @abdrake.bsky.social · 09/07/2025

So long DurNAM, it was good while it lasted! #NAM2025

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Alyssa Drake @abdrake.bsky.social · 06/07/2025

Guess where I'm off to after my eye test! #NAM2025

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Reposted by Alyssa Drake

Richard Alexander @richardalexander.bsky.social · 12/05/2025

Astronomers' chat here recently: i) authors complaining that their referee report is late. ii) referees complaining about how many review requests they get. iii) editors complaining that it's hard to find referees. No idea what the solution is, but it feels like the system is close to breaking... 🔭

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Alyssa Drake @abdrake.bsky.social · 09/05/2025

Guess who just wasted a few hours marking the model answers (that she wrote herself) instead of the student's work? At least I passed.

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Alyssa Drake @abdrake.bsky.social · 30/04/2025

Some kind of joke in here about Drakes too... 🦆

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Alyssa Drake @abdrake.bsky.social · 29/04/2025

Final day of CPAD (enroute to our PGCerts/gaining FHEA as lecturers at Herts🤞)

Name card and pens on the teaching course

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Alyssa Drake @abdrake.bsky.social · 14/03/2025

Nice views across Hatfield tonight. First time for everything.

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Alyssa Drake @abdrake.bsky.social · 13/03/2025

Congratulations to Isobel! :)

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Alyssa Drake @abdrake.bsky.social · 10/03/2025

One problem with giant hot-desking offices is that I am unable to control the volume of my sighs 😬😅

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Alyssa Drake @abdrake.bsky.social · 10/03/2025

Look out for this session at NAM 2025! Exciting!

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Alyssa Drake @abdrake.bsky.social · 28/02/2025

I wonder how many injuries are caused by frustration at bureaucracy. Would also be interesting to look for statistically significant peaks in the location of particular universities :)

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Alyssa Drake @abdrake.bsky.social · 27/01/2025

Listening to the recording of my lab - apparently I am incapable of pronouncing "literature" or "google" which is quite fascinating!

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Alyssa Drake @abdrake.bsky.social · 20/01/2025

Survived Day 1 of semester B 😱 including one more viva from semester A, my first semester B lab (3 hrs!) and tutorial (1 hr). Now staring into the distance, before dealing with all the angry people and things I haven't done.

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Alyssa Drake @abdrake.bsky.social · 17/01/2025

Saw a car with a bumper sticker this morning that said "I'm more annoyed than you". I would bet anything that this is not true.

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Alyssa Drake @abdrake.bsky.social · 15/01/2025

Starting to wonder whether I need to take annual leave to get through viva time e.g. You're booked up for the full week with viva-ing, prepping and marking... but the rest of the job doesn't stop! Sorry, everyone/thing else.

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Alyssa Drake @abdrake.bsky.social · 13/01/2025

It's that time of year again, 30 MSc vivas this week. 10 down today. 😥

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Reposted by Alyssa Drake

University of Hertfordshire Observatory @observatory.herts.ac.uk · 10/01/2025

It's a frosty day here at Bayfordbury 🔭❄️

A low-angled view of four telescope domes, with frosty grass in the foreground

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Reposted by Alyssa Drake

Royal Astronomical Society @royalastrosoc.bsky.social · 10/01/2025

📝 Job vacancy 📝 The Royal Astronomical Society wishes to appoint an Editor for its flagship members' magazine Astronomy & Geophysics. Want to apply or find out more? Visit: ras.ac.uk/news-and-press/news/job-v…

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Alyssa Drake @abdrake.bsky.social · 06/01/2025

Solemnly turning off my out-of-office ❌🎄🎁❌

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Alyssa Drake @abdrake.bsky.social · 20/12/2024

You know, if you went to the hospital for some emergency or other, and you didn't know how long you'd be there, it'd cost at least £7 to park 🫠 (I don't know what melting face means but it feels appropriate)

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