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Adrian Mulholland

@adrianmulholla1.bsky.social
1.6K followers 1.6K following 77 posts

Professor of Chemistry, University of Bristol. Computational chemistry,enzyme catalysis, biomolecular simulation,HPC,antibiotic resistance.Views my own.

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Reposted by Adrian Mulholland
Derek Lowe @dereklowe.bsky.social · 15/10/2026
Can the LLM-based AI agents that are supposed to be able to help with scientific research distinguish real work from pseudoscience, from fraud, or from long-discredited retracted starting papers? Take a guess.
science.org
How LLMs Deal With Fraudulent Papers
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Reposted by Adrian Mulholland
Rafael Behr @rafaelbehr.bsky.social · 13/10/2026
Why the Kremlin was pro-Brexit and why it still matters even if 2016 meddling didn’t swing the result www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
theguardian.com
Brexiters can’t cope with the fact that Putin was cheering them on | Rafael Behr
Russian meddling probably didn’t affect the referendum result – but the Kremlin’s motives for wanting to undermine the EU still matter, says Guardian columnist Rafael Behr
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Danielle Beckman @daniellebeckman.bsky.social · 13/10/2026
Where does the Spike protein end up in the body? 🔬 Using DISCO-seq, researchers like me can now explore this in 3D by mapping SARS-CoV-2 Spike S1 across the bodies of mice. Could this help us better understand #LongCOVID? Lead by @harsharanbhatia.bsky.social at: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
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Prof Ian Hall @ianhall.bsky.social · 13/10/2026
🌊 Global analysis finds rain boosts ocean CO2 uptake by 13.6% beyond wind-driven effects. The key driver? Freshening changes carbonate chemistry, enhancing CO2 absorption. Ignore rain, and we may underestimate the ocean carbon sink by 10 ± 5%. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
nature.com
Global carbon dioxide flux into the surface ocean intensified by rain-induced dilution - Nature Geoscience
Climate models that do not consider the influence of rainfall on surface ocean CO2 uptake are underestimating the ocean carbon sink by about 10%, according to a reassessment of rainfall-related diluti...
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Prof Ian Hall @ianhall.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
2024 saw more extreme rainfall events worldwide than any year on record. Global warming set the stage, while El Niño and unusually warm tropical oceans helped intensify extremes early in the year. With El Niño strengthening, the lesson from 2024 matters: prepare. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
science.org
Record-setting heavy precipitation occurrence in 2024
Precipitation extremes have increased globally in recent decades, consistent with a warming climate. We find that 2024 experienced a record-high frequency of heavy (≥99th percentile; FP≥99) precipitat...
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Reposted by Adrian Mulholland
Prof Ian Hall @ianhall.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
🌊 Ocean acidification pushes Mediterranean marine calcifiers toward a tipping point A reminder that biodiversity loss isn’t just about how many species we lose, but it's also about what ecosystems can still do. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
nature.com
Ocean acidification pushes Mediterranean marine calcifiers toward a tipping point - Scientific Reports
Scientific Reports - Ocean acidification pushes Mediterranean marine calcifiers toward a tipping point
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Reposted by Adrian Mulholland
John Springford @johnspringford.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
Conservatives double the cost of net zero with spreadsheet error. Spiky comment from the Climate Change Committee, whose estimates they messed up www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
theguardian.com
Tories overstate net zero cost by nearly £500bn in apparent spreadsheet error
Exclusive: Badenoch’s flagship conference policy document cites £957bn estimate, twice the total in climate advisers’ data
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Prof Sam Illingworth @samillingworth.com · 05/10/2026
🌍 Why clearing land warms the planet Modelling deforestation and land change, researchers found the resulting warming tracks almost entirely how much sunlight the surface reflects, about 0.4°C per unit change. 🔗 doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-77834-0 #Climate #Science 🧪
doi.org
Global climate impact of land-surface change driven by radiative effects - Nature Communications
This study shows that the integrated temperature response to land-surface change scales linearly with the resultant shift in planetary albedo, demonstrating that non-radiative effects — which determin...
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Reposted by Adrian Mulholland
Science Magazine @science.org · 05/10/2026
Exclusive: A new analysis refutes James Watson’s claim that he was the first to recognize the significance of the famed photograph 51. scim.ag/4rTKck8
scim.ag
How did Rosalind Franklin miss the helix in her iconic DNA image? She didn’t
New analysis refutes James Watson’s claim he was first to recognize significance of famed photograph 51
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Adrian Mulholland @adrianmulholla1.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
www.bbc.com/news/article...
bbc.com
Swiss glaciers suffer 'disastrous' year of ice loss
Scientists say such rapid melting is no longer surprising given the pace of climate change.
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Adrian Mulholland @adrianmulholla1.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
Indonesia Carstensz Pyramid: Papua's 'eternal snow' on Puncak Jaya is about to disappear forever
Climate change is transforming Papua's snowy peaks, which hold scientific value and spiritual significance.
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Reposted by Adrian Mulholland
Financial Times @financialtimes.com · 19/09/2026
AI chatbots give wrong answers to financial queries ‘most of the time’ ft.trib.al/oImlEFY
ft.trib.al
AI chatbots give wrong answers to financial queries ‘most of the time’
Report finds some chatbots ignored upcoming tax changes and hallucinated rules
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Reposted by Adrian Mulholland
Chemistry World @chemistryworld.com · 18/09/2026
‘Our study tells us there are many diverse coronaviruses in nature we know very little about,’ says Kosuke Takada at the University of Osaka. How does the furin cleavage site identified in a Parnell’s moustached bat coronavirus help us understand Covid-19? www.chemistryworld.com/news/does-th...
chemistryworld.com
Does the discovery of a new coronavirus upend the Covid-19 lab-leak hypothesis?
Sequence found in Sars-CoV-2 had never been seen in another bat coronavirus until now
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Rafael Behr @rafaelbehr.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
On Russia’s pastiche of democracy and lessons for countries that want to preserve the real thing www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
theguardian.com
To understand the threat to our real democracy, watch Putin's fake one | Rafael Behr
As Russians vote this weekend, remember that Britain is not immune to the cynical tactics and corrosion of trust that keep him in power, says Guardian columnist Rafael Behr
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Ewan Gibbs @ewangibbs.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
The loud debate over North Sea drilling is a convenient distraction which obscures the real problems of Britain's ongoing failure to create many good jobs in renewables or deliver energy security. @pancholewis.bsky.social and I writing for @uk.theconversation.com. theconversation.com/north-sea-dr...
theconversation.com
North Sea drilling is a distraction: low-carbon transition hinges on prioritising people and jobs
Industrial renewal coupled with social reforms could support a green transition away from carbon-intensive industries while narrowing social inequalities.
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Dr Eleanor Shaw @eleanorshaw.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Fancy coming to work with me at the British Library? Part time for 18 months, collecting oral histories about covid and thinking about covid commemoration. www.nationalmuseums.org.uk/jobs/job/228...
nationalmuseums.org.uk
Jobs - National Museum Directors' Council Website
Association of directors and chief executives of the UK's national museums, galleries, libraries and archives.
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David Cleary @bacterioskeptic.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Senior Bioinformatician role at UKHSA Porton tinyurl.com/vwfpza8a
tinyurl.com
Senior Bioinformatician at UK Health Security Agency — Porton, England, United Kingdom | LinkedIn Jobs
Apply for Senior Bioinformatician at UK Health Security Agency in Porton, England, United Kingdom. Full-time Mid-Senior level role. See responsibilities, qualifications, and similar jobs on LinkedIn.
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Reposted by Adrian Mulholland
Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Starting at 9:30 this morning, MPs on the Science and Technology Committee will examine the government's decision to abolish DSIT (and presumably discuss the potential impact of this change). committees.parliament.uk/event/28207/...
committees.parliament.uk
15 September 2026 - Machinery of government changes - Oral evidence - Committees - UK Parliament
09:00 - Room 8, Palace of Westminster
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Philip Ball @philipcball.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Here's a paper that presses all my nerdy buttons: biomolecular hydration, phase separation, condensates. Among other things, it confirms yet again how important water in the cell is for molecular function. www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
sciencedirect.com
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Adrian Mulholland @adrianmulholla1.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
Thread
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The Guardian @theguardian.com · 10/09/2026
Russia is raining death on Ukraine’s women and children. Our hands shake but we keep going for love | Alina Sarnatska
theguardian.com
Russia is raining death on Ukraine’s women and children. Our hands shake but we keep going for love | Alina Sarnatska
Our skin has thickened into armour, but I do not want survival to take away my tenderness towards others – or myself, says author and playwright Alina Sarnatska
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Reposted by Adrian Mulholland
EMBL @embl.org · 01/09/2026
Recruitment for the EMBL International PhD Programme is officially open! 📣 At EMBL, we train young scientists to become skilled and creative future leaders in academia, industry and other sectors. Start your career in the life sciences with us! 🔎 Read more and apply here: bit.ly/4x9Edss
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Alexis Rohou @alexisrohou.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Genentech Structural Biology is hiring a Principal Scientist - please share! We're looking for someone with expertise in solving structures and in computational techniques related to dynamics - MD, ensemble modeling, ensemble docking, and/or related methods.
careers.gene.com
Principal Scientist, Structural Biology in South San Francisco, California, United States of America | Research & Development at Genentech
Apply for Principal Scientist, Structural Biology job with Genentech in South San Francisco, California, United States of America. Research & Development at Genentech
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Prof Ian Hall @ianhall.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
One of the most misunderstood points about 1.5°C: Crossing it doesn’t mean we’ve lost. It’s not a cliff edge, and every /°C still matters. Using the article’s metaphor: the climate freight train may have passed one marker... but we can still hit the brakes. theconversation.com/yes-passing-...
theconversation.com
Yes, passing 1.5 C of global warming is cause for alarm, but not despair
Exceeding 1.5 C of global warming is a giant warning flag telling us not to give up, but to redouble our efforts to slam on the brakes on climate change.
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Dr Kelly Birtwell @kellybirtwell.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
This has been a fantastic project to be involved in. The toolkit is freely available for anyone who wants to find out more about what research is, & how to get involved as a participant, or in helping design research ( #PPIE #Co-production). Useful for autistic & non-autistic people, & researchers.
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Sam Freedman @samfr.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
New post: With climate change now visible all around us opponents of action are changing tack. Dismantling their new attacks helps identify a hidden structure in political argument that is often used to try and kill popular + necessary policies. (£/free trial) samf.substack.com/p/how-to-kil...
samf.substack.com
How to kill a popular policy
Opposing action to tackle climate change is getting tricker.
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Reposted by Adrian Mulholland
Chemistry World @chemistryworld.com · 27/08/2026
‘Transparent & secure international collaborations create perspectives that deepen our understanding of global challenges, promote scientific discovery and strengthen US innovations,’ says University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign spokesperson Patrick Wade. www.chemistryworld.com/news/30-us-u...
chemistryworld.com
30 US universities ordered to audit foreign research partnerships
Pentagon says review must be finished by the end of August to maintain federal funding
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Natasha Loder @natashaloder.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Controversy sells. Careful science journalism is slower, less theatrical and harder work. Channel 4’s The Great ADHD Myth? aims its fire at the pharmaceutical industry but its shot lands on patients.My analysis. #adhd #neurodiversity overmatter.substack.com/p/anatomy-of...
overmatter.substack.com
Anatomy of a TV disaster: why ADHD is not a social construct
ADHD UK has complained to Ofcom that Channel 4’s The Great ADHD Myth? is misleading and harmful
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Alexander Clarkson @aphclarkson.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
Always find it fascinating how long it takes for Whitehall to figure out the blindingly obvious when it comes to relations with the EU
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Reposted by Adrian Mulholland
Met Office - weather and climate @metoffice.gov.uk · 13/08/2026
Temperatures have now provisionally exceeded 37°C 🌡️ Before 2026, the UK had recorded 37°C or higher on only six occasions. This year alone, we've already reached that mark three times.
A table of top temperatures so far. The highest currently at 37.6°C at Charlwood.
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Chemistry World @chemistryworld.com · 03/08/2026
‘Science has posed something of a conundrum for UK government in the recent past, with successive administrations changing their minds over where it should live, and with whom’, writes Patrick Walter. @patdwalter.bsky.social www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/its-...
chemistryworld.com
It’s time for consensus on science’s place in government
The latest shake-up of UK science policy oversight brings uncertainty to a sector that needs stability to succeed
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David Henig @davidheniguk.bsky.social · 02/08/2026
Since some folk are back on covid lessons, here's what I find most interesting - that the vast majority of people and countries reacted and adapted magnificently, but that this has broadly been forgotten in our modern day grumpy online culture.
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London & Southeast🔅 @thesnowdreamer.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
The supposed cool day this week and it still climbed to 26.8C at Heathrow over 2C warmer than average. Remarkable month the average July high in London has been 29.3C an astonishing +5.4C above 1991-2020 climo and +6.8C on 1961-1990 climate period. Staggering. (1/2)
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Carl T. Bergstrom @carlbergstrom.com · 31/07/2026
Nature did a short piece on our preprint about how LLMs will affect the practice of science; my more detailed thread is below.
nature.com
Scientists using LLMs will ‘do more, less well’, modelling study predicts
Research suggests that the combination of incentives to publish and the use of large language models will lead to more papers, but they will be less refined.
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Reposted by Adrian Mulholland
Met Office - weather and climate @metoffice.gov.uk · 31/07/2026
In our latest press release we take an early look at the July stats: just how dry has it been? bit.ly/45xyDEF
A map of the UK for showing the total rainfall amount for the 1 - 30 July 2026 compared with the average for the full month. 
You would normally expect a total of around 97% of average at this point in the month, but the UK is currently tracking its third driest July on record with only 35% of average rainfall. 

England and Wales have seen less than 20% of their average rainfall for the month.
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Nahel Belgherze @wxnb.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
Bordeaux, France, has now recorded more days above 40°C in 2026 alone than during the entire 105-year period from 1920 (when observations began) to 2025. This is deeply shocking.
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Peter Gleick @petergleick.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
Another thing predicted by climate science decades ago.
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Prof. Eliot Jacobson @climatecasino.net · 27/07/2026
In case you're counting, the planet is now on day 6 reaching a global surface temperature above 17.0°C. The only other years reaching 17.0°C since records began in 1940, and likely in the last 120,000 years, were 2023 and 2024. Next year will be much hotter.
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Dave Vetter @davidrvetter.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
🚨NEW from me: leading climate scientist @rahmstorf.bsky.social tells me of his anger after witnessing firsthand the devastating Gironde wildfires - which he ties directly to politicians' inaction on fossil fuels.
forbes.com
Climate Scientist Fleeing Wildfires: ‘We’re In A Race Against Time’
Professor Stefan Rahmstorf escapes out-of-control wildfires in France, and warns fossil fuel inaction is supercharging climate disasters.
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Chemistry World @chemistryworld.com · 27/07/2026
Extremophiles are organisms that thrive in unimaginably hostile environments. Join us for a free webinar on Thursday to hear how we can learn from extremophiles, as experts explore what the organisms can tell us about life on other planets: @rsc.org #ChemSky www.chemistryworld.com/webinars/one...
chemistryworld.com
One small step for microorganisms: what extremophiles on Earth can teach us about life on other planets
Learn how some of the tiniest organisms thrive in the harshest environments - join us on 30 July
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Adrian Mulholland @adrianmulholla1.bsky.social · 26/07/2026
The road to Hell. Brave firefighters
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Reposted by Adrian Mulholland
Prof Ian Hall @ianhall.bsky.social · 25/07/2026
When wildfires, floods or heatwaves strike, the question isn’t “Did climate change cause this?” It’s “How much worse did climate change make it?” theconversation.com/how-do-scien...
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Chemistry World @chemistryworld.com · 24/07/2026
How do low-energy, life-sustaining environments here on Earth mimic conditions on other planets, and what can extremophiles teach us? Register here for our free one-hour webinar & hear from experts: www.chemistryworld.com/webinars/one...
chemistryworld.com
One small step for microorganisms: what extremophiles on Earth can teach us about life on other planets
Learn how some of the tiniest organisms thrive in the harshest environments - join us on 30 July
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Christopher Webb @cwebbonline.com · 25/07/2026
Reality doesn’t care about political talking points. This isn’t because Spain and France forgot to rake the forest. This is climate change, plain and simple, and it’s only going to get worse. 🚨 Nearly 200,000 people are running for their lives from out-of-control wildfires.
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David Henig @davidheniguk.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
Those pushing to "bring back manufacturing" generally appear to have very little idea of how sophisticated the world has become, and how this involves millions of inter connections.
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Chemistry World @chemistryworld.com · 24/07/2026
On this day in 1892, Alice Augusta Ball was born and in our latest podcast episode, The Chemical Breakdown looks back on her groundbreaking work & legacy. Listen here: #ChemSky www.chemistryworld.com/podcasts/50-...
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Carl T. Bergstrom @carlbergstrom.com · 23/07/2026
1. The new Trump / Kratsios plan for US science appears explicitly designed to destroy US universities. Diverting money to tech donors is probably just a bonus. Gift link.
nytimes.com
Trump’s Plan for Science: More Money for A.I., Less for Universities (Gift Article)
Michael Kratsios, President Trump’s science adviser, proposed overhauling how the government funds research. Democrats said Mr. Trump’s actions had weakened science.
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Marc Hudson @marchudson.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
From the LinkedIn of an academic I have a lot of respect for.
Last week, I emailed a (previously?) respectable journal in my field to let them know that a recent article I had been hoping to cite had hallucinated hashtag#AI references and that the author should be asked to update their article with credible citations to support their arguments. 

Someone from the admin team responded to say, basically, that they weren't going to do anything about it. 

I feel like this is how academic credibility dies. The main recourse I have in the face of AI slop is academic papers. If you can't trust journal articles to contain established evidence (even though the system has never been perfect) then I don't know how we can make policy recommendations, advise NGOs and charities, design credible experiments, etc., etc. 

My only hope is that this is the trigger that begins to kill the profiteering publishing system and the 'quantity over quality' performance criteria under which we all are drowning - but I have a feeling that all of academia will need an overhaul to maintain any kind of credibility.
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Anne Applebaum @anneapplebaum.wsocial.eu · 25/07/2026
This is an outrageous attack on the Smithsonian, on the professionals who work there and the Americans who love it. Like the Bolsheviks deliberately destroying churches www.washingtonpost.com/style/2026/0...
washingtonpost.com
Trump orders warning signs near Smithsonian, escalating fight over history
The president’s executive order calls for signage near the National Museum of American History cautioning visitors about “inaccurate information.”
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Adam Schwarz @adamjschwarz.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
When the story of why humanity didn't stop climate change is written, it will feature front pages like this. Even as the skies blacken with climate change-induced wildfires, right wing media continue their relentless crusade against measures to tackle it.
The Times: Net zero risks blackouts. Below a photo of French wildfires.
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