iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Isabel “Izzy” Black (Joely) @autisticalchemyst.bsky.social · 25/06/2025

Exciting news! I got the final list of objects and papyri documents for the @thejohnrylands.bsky.social catalogue. It's got three magical amulets showing the full progression of change from 150BCE to 500CE Egypt. I can now write about the whole transition. #AcademicSky #ClassicsSky

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Isabel “Izzy” Black (Joely) @autisticalchemyst.bsky.social · 20/06/2025

This is such a crime against humanity. Like listening to stuff on the bus out loud.

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Isabel “Izzy” Black (Joely) @autisticalchemyst.bsky.social · 19/06/2025

So I didn’t get the fellowship I applied for. Haven’t managed to get any job (academic and not) I’ve applied for in 18 months of applying. Feeling kind of dreadful. Please don’t do the getting a job in academia is hard. It’s bollocks awful everywhere. #AcademicSky

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Isabel “Izzy” Black (Joely) @autisticalchemyst.bsky.social · 17/06/2025

I should be working on a book proposal, a catalogue essay, and a book chapter. My brain can't stop planning a book that's all about the Moomin House. A whole book.

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Isabel “Izzy” Black (Joely) @autisticalchemyst.bsky.social · 17/06/2025

I'm starting to think the spectre of Marx doesn't want me reading Specters of Marx. Or maybe it's another ghost. This week I've got a GP appointment to look at my dodgy foot (a real medical term). @lizgloyn.bsky.social @bigfridge224.bsky.social

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Gautam Bhatia @gautambhatia88.bsky.social · 17/06/2025

We are now 50% funded! To get us through the next 50%: www.kickstarter.com/projects/str...

kickstarter.com

Strange Horizons 2026

A free weekly speculative fiction magazine with a global perspective.

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Isabel “Izzy” Black (Joely) @autisticalchemyst.bsky.social · 10/06/2025

The Butlerian Jihad should embrace this kind of disruption. Fill the internet with terrible information for the bots to scrape and feed to other bots.

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Stand Up for Science! @standupforscience.net · 10/06/2025

We dont often in life get to work with actual real-world heroes. That happened for us yesterday when Jenna and 300 of her brave #NIH colleagues allowed us to stand up with them against the Trump regime's war on science and health in America. TY Jenna & all #NIHheroes #StandUpForScience #SaveNIH

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Isabel “Izzy” Black (Joely) @autisticalchemyst.bsky.social · 10/06/2025

Maybe that was why Rafe seemed to think Indi was his mum. Apparently rats think humans and cats are just very big and very daft rats. They are insanely smart and curious but males especially are often too big for cats to consider taking on as prey.

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Isabel “Izzy” Black (Joely) @autisticalchemyst.bsky.social · 10/06/2025

We had a cat and four rats at one point. When she first encountered them, Rufus was still a baby. He nipped her on the nose and it definitely set the tone. Rafe meanwhile thought she was a big fluffy bed to sleep in.

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Isabel “Izzy” Black (Joely) @autisticalchemyst.bsky.social · 10/06/2025

This June is very weird for weather. Also I’m not going to make it to today’s reading group I’m afraid. Been a bit of an intense few days and Derrida is just too much!

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Isabel “Izzy” Black (Joely) @autisticalchemyst.bsky.social · 10/06/2025

It's warm now here. The rain was hard enough to bring down a tree last night but now it's like wandering around in a bath.

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Isabel “Izzy” Black (Joely) @autisticalchemyst.bsky.social · 10/06/2025

I'll say this for Derrida. He's horrible to read but the horror did compel me to go out for a run. So there's that. #AcademicSky #Hauntology

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Isabel “Izzy” Black (Joely) @autisticalchemyst.bsky.social · 10/06/2025

Yesterday I submitted the edits for my first academic article to Studia Scandinavica. Moomins ahoy! Now I have finally opened the review, edit, and notes on my proposal for @edinburghup.bsky.social's editors. With deep apologies for my procrastination. *Bows* #AcademicSky

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Big Issue @bigissue.com · 28/05/2025

A History of the World in Six Plagues explores the myriad ways in which people people exerted their agency during the pandemic lockdown.

bigissue.com

How lockdowns through history have led to revolt and misinformation

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Isabel “Izzy” Black (Joely) @autisticalchemyst.bsky.social · 28/05/2025

My first academic article has been accepted for publication by Studia Scandinavica. It’s about Moominmamma’s handbag. Revisions due in three weeks. After @theconversation.com’s event last week I guess this makes me a Moominologist now. #academicsky

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Isabel “Izzy” Black (Joely) @autisticalchemyst.bsky.social · 28/05/2025

Yes that is absolutely factual and how we all live. Presumably she doesn’t get 100 emails a day about referencing from students either.

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Dr Ellie Mackin Roberts @elliemackinroberts.net · 05/05/2025

My not-hot take on the ‘why don’t UK universities aggressively pursue American academics cut adrift’ discussion is three-fold. One: there are a lot of brilliant un- and under-employed academics here already. Two: have you *seen* what’s happening in HE here? Three: immigrating isn’t that easy.

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Isabel “Izzy” Black (Joely) @autisticalchemyst.bsky.social · 20/04/2025

@moudhy.bsky.social’s Between Two Rivers has me doing one of my favourite things: hunting museum online catalogues for stuff. Usually for me it’s papyri and terracottas. Now it’s cuneiform tablets. I want to LOOK AT THEM ALL.

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Isabel “Izzy” Black (Joely) @autisticalchemyst.bsky.social · 18/04/2025

I’m really only here to say I decided to pick up @chuckwendig.bsky.social’s Wanderers a couple of months back because it was on offer. It’s mind-bendingly good so far. Very much recommend.

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Dr Vanessa @hpsvanessa.bsky.social · 18/04/2025

No #DigitalFriday today because it is a public holiday in the UK; take that work/life balance seriously and I'll see you all next week ;)

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Reposted by Isabel “Izzy” Black (Joely)

Gautam Bhatia @gautambhatia88.bsky.social · 11/04/2025

Public voting for the 2025 Locus Awards is open till April 15. THE SENTENCE has been long-listed in the best SF novel category, along with a ton of great work. If you’re so inclined, the voting link (open to all) is available here: poll.voting.locusmag.com

poll.voting.locusmag.com

Welcome to the Locus Awards Poll. Deadline for voting is April 15. You can return and edit or add to your ballot up until the deadline.

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Isabel “Izzy” Black (Joely) @autisticalchemyst.bsky.social · 13/04/2025

This. I teach because being with the students and helping them learn is the best bit.

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Isabel “Izzy” Black (Joely) @autisticalchemyst.bsky.social · 13/04/2025

The elites pointing at people who got into university saying “them, it’s all their fault because they did better than you at school.”

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Isabel “Izzy” Black (Joely) @autisticalchemyst.bsky.social · 13/04/2025

Has anyone done some analysis of the weird political obsession with appearing to be working class sympathetic by wearing wellies and high vis?

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Isabel “Izzy” Black (Joely) @autisticalchemyst.bsky.social · 13/04/2025

My favourite @thejohnrylands.bsky.social papyri discovery of the week: Proclus writes to Sarapion asking about his health. Everyone is worried for him. His daughter is annoyed she hasn’t had an update. “Can you tell dad to let me know he’s okay?” It’s so human and it’s 1700 yrs old. #skystorians

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Isabel “Izzy” Black (Joely) @autisticalchemyst.bsky.social · 13/04/2025

New plan. Add four more and attach them to each month. Your birth month is your hamster. Hamstomancy: predicting your future from your hamster chart.

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Isabel “Izzy” Black (Joely) @autisticalchemyst.bsky.social · 12/04/2025

God I secretly dream of being an earth wolf though. These should be like star signs. We should do horoscopes and assign each one to a random pocket of the year.

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Isabel “Izzy” Black (Joely) @autisticalchemyst.bsky.social · 12/04/2025

I’ll come back and look at this in a bit. We have a thing at the John Rylands that may have been part of a scam from Roman Egypt. It’s a timeless play.

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Isabel “Izzy” Black (Joely) @autisticalchemyst.bsky.social · 11/04/2025

That would be wonderful! I wasn't able to stay for questions, but I'd only overwhelm the whole seminar. I've been learning digital exhibit platforms and wanted a more engaging thing to do. I love storytelling, so IDN looks like an exciting way to do that.

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Isabel “Izzy” Black (Joely) @autisticalchemyst.bsky.social · 11/04/2025

I wasn’t going to attend @archaeobruja.bsky.social’s talk today because I was having a bad anxiety day. Then I did. It was so inspirational. Made me see I could combine storytelling with ancient research for this fellowship proposal. Now I’m all excited. #AcademicSky #Skystorians.

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Society for Classical Studies @scsclassics.bsky.social · 11/04/2025

The Ancient Worlds, Modern Communities initiative provides mini-grants of up to $2,000 to support public engagement projects. The next deadline is May 16, 2025! To learn more about the initiative, please visit: classicalstudies.org/outreach/anc...

Ancient Worlds, Modern Communities: Mini-grants of up to $2,000 for public projects that engage individuals, groups, and communities in critical discussion of and creative expression related to the ancient Mediterranean, the global reception of Greek and Roman culture, and the history of teaching and scholarship in the field of classical studies. Next Deadline: May 16, 2025. Scan QR Code to learn more.

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Isabel “Izzy” Black (Joely) @autisticalchemyst.bsky.social · 11/04/2025

In the same club. Been on the hunt for a year now.

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Isabel “Izzy” Black (Joely) @autisticalchemyst.bsky.social · 11/04/2025

Just had a whole conversation about this with @antiquityj.bsky.social. Although it was mostly a geometry war because these animals are all oblong and Pliny did insist that oblong is The Best Shape.

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Isabel “Izzy” Black (Joely) @autisticalchemyst.bsky.social · 11/04/2025

Octagonalism for the win. also how did I mention trianglers but not note they’ve always had solid Pythagorean support.

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Isabel “Izzy” Black (Joely) @autisticalchemyst.bsky.social · 11/04/2025

I’m supposed to be writing a research proposal but instead I am lying here crying with anxiety.

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Isabel “Izzy” Black (Joely) @autisticalchemyst.bsky.social · 11/04/2025

The Trianglers are probably already writing vindictive posts on Reddit as we speak.

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Isabel “Izzy” Black (Joely) @autisticalchemyst.bsky.social · 11/04/2025

I have a quote somewhere in my PhD research from Pliny remarking that oblong is the best shape. The hottest take on shapes since Euclid still relevant today.

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David Connolly BAJR @bajr-badger.bsky.social · 11/04/2025

Field Archaeologists at all levels Archaeological Research Services Salary: £24,730 - £34,980 ( Pay Award Pending ) Closing Date: 31/05/25 Location: UK wide www.bajr.org/job-ad/field...

bajr.org

Field Archaeologists at all levels - BAJR - British Archaeology Jobs and Resources

Salary: £24,730 - £34,980 ( Pay Award Pending )Closing Date: 31/05/25Location: On sites across the UK

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Lukas Engelmann @engelmal.bsky.social · 11/04/2025

"research activity conducted by Universities is fantastically loss-making," Vivien Stern, @universities-uk.bsky.social on BBC4 today Reckless choice of word to describe a public good, produced by public service institutions, charities and their workforce. This is what got us into this mess.

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Gautam Bhatia @gautambhatia88.bsky.social · 08/04/2025

I’ll be speaking on speculative fiction and alternative futures this Friday evening, in Bhopal. Please drop by if you’re free.

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