Reposted by David RobinsonAda Loves Lace @adaloveslace.eurosky.social · 08/10/2026Save 'You and Yours' and scrap 'Moral Maze'. #bbcWATO #wato #bbcPM 1105
Reposted by David RobinsonPhilip Ball @philipcball.bsky.social · 06/10/2026The post on the Franklin DNA work by @matthewcobb.bsky.social is fantastic, though Matthew has understandably disabled comments, so mine are going here. The tl;dr is that history (including the history of science) is generally complicated and resists simple retrospective narratives (such as here... 23310
Reposted by David RobinsonTyron @tyron.bsky.social · 27/09/2026Just seen it's Wikipedia's 25th birthday. The greatest website online, and possibly the internet's greatest fruit 19765123
Reposted by David RobinsonBlue Note Records @bluenoterecords.bsky.social · 23/09/2026John Coltrane was born 100 years ago today September 23, 1926. Trane was still near the start of his remarkable creative journey when he went into Rudy Van Gelder’s living room studio on September 15, 1957 and recorded his first great masterpiece: “Blue Train.” bluenote.lnk.to/JohnColtrane... 08331
Reposted by David Robinsonmikea7719.bsky.social @mikea7719.bsky.social · 17/09/2026This playlist is superb, I always loved ‘Debris’ with Rod on backing vocals but the version on here is amazing. 084
Reposted by David RobinsonPlant Science Spotlight @plant-sci.bsky.social · 07/09/2026🌱🧬 Evidence challenges the idea of a root clock for lateral root priming. Limited oscillation domains and no phase memory suggest emergent tissue-level control—like phyllotaxis. New perspectives on root patterning. #plantscience @theplantcell.bsky.social academic.oup.com/plcell/artic...academic.oup.comThe (un)likelihood of clock-driven lateral root priming; a modeling explorationAbstract. Lateral root formation starts with priming, predisposing subsets of pericycle cells with the potential of future lateral root formation through s 044
Reposted by David RobinsonMatthew Cobb @matthewcobb.bsky.social · 07/09/2026I just published a brief account of Jim Watson’s life, aimed at students. It leans heavily on the insights of @nccomfort.bsky.social, whose biography of Watson will be out next year. Free link here: rdcu.be/M91CnnE3N4wa 74416
Reposted by David RobinsonJournal of Experimental Botany @jxbotany.bsky.social · 06/09/2026🌱📷 REVIEW 📷🌱 This review outlines available imaging platforms and analytical tools for root phenotyping and proposes crop-specific strategies for integrating root traits into breeding programmes for sustainable agriculture - Im et al. 🔗 doi.org/10.1093/jxb/... #PlantScience 🧪 0178
Reposted by David RobinsonShersingh Joseph Tumber-Dávila @josephtumber.bsky.social · 23/07/2026New post by postdoc Thomas Muratore "Exudation without foraging: What root economics gets wrong about carbon leaving the root" Highlighting his recent work published in @newphyt.bsky.social plantlifebelowground.wordpress.com/2026/07/22/e...plantlifebelowground.wordpress.comExudation without foraging: What root economics gets wrong about carbon leaving the rootNew Research by Thomas Muratore from Dartmouth College. The image above is a scanned fine-root system showing branching architecture, with numerous absorptive root tips extending from larger transp… 085
Reposted by David RobinsonNew Phytologist @newphyt.bsky.social · 22/07/2026Temporal delays in branch development contribute to vegetative meristem maintenance in perennial grasses Hjertaas et al. nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/share/KJDZ2N... 021
Reposted by David RobinsonPete Paphides @petepaphides.bsky.social · 17/07/2026In memory of Brian. There'll never be another.patreon.com“Despite my protestations to the contrary, he followed me round the house simulating the hiss of Max Roach’s hi-hat. Tsk, tsk, tsk!” Brian Case (1937-2026) | Pete Paphides“The lives of jazzmen and journalists are poles apart, the player operating on a short, ecstatic curve, the writer laboriously tweezing toge 82910
Reposted by David RobinsonJames Bailey @drjamesbailey.bsky.social · 06/07/2026Hello, I’ve an event for my Muriel Spark biography next Weds (15th) at Waterstones Liverpool. We’ve sold barely any tickets, however, and it might be cancelled as a result. Please get a ticket if you’re nearby - it’ll be a lot of fun, and I’ll bring badges! www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/waterstone... 8111137
Reposted by David RobinsonPlant Systems Biology @psb-vib.bsky.social · 30/06/2026EPAPER from @rootdevelopment.bsky.social in @currentbiology.bsky.social www.cell.com/current-biol...cell.comEvolution of root systems in land plantsIn this review, Lakehal et al. chart the evolution of root systems, discussing key innovations in root morphology and the regulatory mechanisms that enabled land plants to adapt. They argue that crop ... 154
Reposted by David RobinsonMatthew Cobb @matthewcobb.bsky.social · 28/06/2026Ecology is complicated. Geoengineers beware. 172
Reposted by David RobinsonMarcus Chown @marcuschown.bsky.social · 27/06/2026“Capitalism is the astounding belief that the most wicked of men will do the most wicked of things for the greatest good of everyone." - John Maynard Keynes 06325
Reposted by David RobinsonStephen Heard @stephenbheard.bsky.social · 26/06/2026Currently amused by an Acknowledgements section that thanks "critics, invited and uninvited, who commented on earlier drafts". I feel you, brother. 🧪 1112
Reposted by David RobinsonT'Other Simon @tothersimon.bsky.social · 15/06/2026On a recent Adam Buxton podcast, he recommended a book called The Big Midweek, written by Steve Hanley - detailing his time as a member of The Fall. I'm about 2 hours from the end of the audiobook (read by Stewart Lee) and, honestly, I just don't want it to end. 6287
Reposted by David RobinsonDean Frey @dean.bsky.social · 10/06/2026Howlin' Wolf with his band at the Newport Folk Festival, July 1966 Sam Jones, Andrew McMahon, Hubert Sumlin & Howlin' Wolf. 📷 David Gahr youtube.com/watch?v=Oreu... 161
Reposted by David RobinsonLondon Review of Books @lrb.co.uk · 24/04/2026‘The fact that one of my academic colleagues is an atheist and not a Hizbullah-loving Shia didn’t save his house and its large library from Israeli bombs.’ Charles Glass reports from Beirut, now and in the 1970s. www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...lrb.co.ukCharles Glass · Diary: Beirut, Now and ThenLebanon’s civil war did not end in 1990. It assumed new forms and it isn’t over yet. Like my colleagues, I returned... 1154
Reposted by David Robinsonwomensartbluesky.bsky.social @womensartbluesky.bsky.social · 23/04/2026Irish artist, Katie Holten created a Tree Alphabet #womensart 7766175
Reposted by David RobinsonMike Kaspari @mikekaspari.bsky.social · 14/04/2026This MS's title is misleading—they did not measure plant nutrients. Species lists were tallied over time, each species was categorized as "N-loving" or not, and they show such species are now more common in some, less common in other habitats. *Individual plants* of a spp vary widely in nitrogen. 181
Reposted by David RobinsonMarcus Chown @marcuschown.bsky.social · 13/04/2026The Republican Party, like the Conservative Party, exists to make sure the rich stay in power & can make money. That’s why the Republicans are not standing up to or removing Trump. He’s doing exactly what the Party exists to do. They’d rather he didn’t expose the truth of the Party. But that’s all. 0269
Reposted by David RobinsonMike Kaspari @mikekaspari.bsky.social · 11/04/2026When you think of valuable elements, you think silver, gold, platinum. But you cannot eat silver, gold, platinum. What you can eat *is* grown with nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and a host of micronutrients. These are in abundance in good soils. But good soils are rare and growing rarer. 131
Reposted by David RobinsonDavid Quantick @quantick.bsky.social · 06/04/2026The greatest duo in the world: www.theguardian.com/music/2026/a...theguardian.com‘Barbara Windsor smacked our bottoms!’ Pet Shop Boys on showstopping visuals, horrified bosses – and snubbing the queenAs a 600-page doorstopper celebrates their groundbreaking costumes, gigs, sleeves and videos, the duo talk about ‘side-stepping the pop-star thing’ – and the naked trampolinist EMI had to censor 6357
Reposted by David RobinsonLondon Review of Books @lrb.co.uk · 05/04/2026‘Bliss doesn’t quite say it, but Banting may have accelerated the discovery of insulin precisely because of his sloppiness and egotism.’ Liam Shaw on diabetes, dogs and the discovery of insulin. www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...lrb.co.ukLiam Shaw · Bring me bimagrumab: Insulin WarsAs biochemical methods became more precise, the eventual identification of the magical substance, insulin, was... 075
Reposted by David RobinsonJohn Bistline @bistline.bsky.social · 01/04/2026This is my favorite climate change chart. Japanese monks, aristocrats, and emperors kept meticulous records of cherry blossom festivals for 1,200 years and accidentally built the world's longest climate dataset. 168183396897
Reposted by David RobinsonTom Reagan’s Witch’s Hat @rufustsuperfly.bsky.social · 25/06/2025It’s Sidney Lumet’s birthday. Love how he frames Pacino in long & medium shots in Dog Day Afternoon, allowing him to use all of his body to show his coiled, agitated energy. He knew that it’s not just about close ups, which is increasingly the norm now. The business with the potted plant is great. 67015
Reposted by David RobinsonCarsten Timmermann @ctimmermann.bsky.social · 31/03/2026Great little book, this. Very useful. 4354
Reposted by David RobinsonNew Phytologist @newphyt.bsky.social · 26/03/2026Acquisitive root exploration strategies help maintain higher peak sap flux rates during summer drought, but more root biomass does not Tran et al. nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/... 053
Reposted by David RobinsonTom Reagan’s Witch’s Hat @rufustsuperfly.bsky.social · 24/03/2026Nick Lowe is 77. Here he is distilling Steely Dan & Thin Lizzy to create 2.39m of pop perfection along with Dave Edmunds, Billy Bremner & Terry Williams aka Rockpile. Love his Riddler jacket. youtu.be/YEpr8kaczck?...youtu.beNick Lowe - “So It Goes” (Official Music Video)YouTube video by Yep Roc Records 48212
Reposted by David RobinsonTom Cox @dj-acid-reflux.bsky.social · 22/03/2026Note from my notebook (2017). 141004191
Reposted by David RobinsonNew Phytologist @newphyt.bsky.social · 20/03/2026Soil phosphorus drives subcontinental patterns of carbon-isotope discrimination across Australia Alam et al. @awcheesman.bsky.social @mdekauwe.bsky.social @ianjwright.bsky.social @lucascernusak.bsky.social nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/... 01813
Reposted by David RobinsonEoghan Daltun 🌍 @irishrainforest.bsky.social · 18/03/2026Ivy isn't a 'parasite', and it doesn't 'strangle' trees. Instead, it's a massively important natural part of forest ecosystems, providing food and shelter to a great range of animal inhabitants. But also, it's *beautiful*. 2030666
Reposted by David RobinsonWilliam (Bill) Sutherland @billsutherland.bsky.social · 14/03/2026How does holly become more prickly when grazed? The amazing world of epigenetics. youtu.be/6vtn54E-sdc?...youtu.beEnvironmental adaptation and phenotypic plasticity of hollyYouTube video by Bill Sutherland's Conservation Concepts 0165
Reposted by David Robinsoncharles-spillane.bsky.social @charles-spillane.bsky.social · 27/02/2026www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...sciencedirect.comIndividual variability in plants: From intra- to inter-individual variability and its response to the environmentIndividual variability refers to the differences observed among genetically identical plants or cells grown in the same environment. Phenotypic and tr… 001
Reposted by David RobinsonKevin Mitchell @wiringthebrain.bsky.social · 24/02/2026Should biology put complexity first? www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... - excellent essay by @philipcball.bsky.social. I would add epistasis to polygenicity and pleiotropy as a ubiquitous and fundamental phenomenon, not some optional complication that we can try to account for afterwardssciencedirect.comShould biology put complexity first?The dictum “Everything should be made as simple as possible, but no simpler” poses a problem for biology. How simply can it be told without doing dama… 910132
Reposted by David RobinsonStephen Heard @stephenbheard.bsky.social · 17/02/2026If there is one soap box I'd like to endorse with all my writing soul, IT'S THIS ONE. 76010
Reposted by David RobinsonJames Kenney @jfkenney.bsky.social · 29/01/2026I promise, I deliver: as deep a dive as you're going to get on Peter Yates' brilliant BREAKING AWAY, w photos, script excerpts and making-of info. tremblesighwonder.com/2026/01/28/n... 1310826
Reposted by David RobinsonThe Bear @bearlypolitics.co.uk · 29/01/2026So weird how standing up to a would-be authoritarian bully is really popular. Almost like voters respond to competence, backbone, and not treating them like idiots. I can think of a few politicians in the UK who should be taking notes from Mr Carney. 422052
Reposted by David RobinsonMarkonthemaps (Mark Ovenden) @markonthemaps.bsky.social · 20/12/2025Enough said: 0287
Reposted by David RobinsonDavid McArdle @davemcardle.bsky.social · 19/12/2025Blindingly simple and bleedingly obvious. 23011
Reposted by David RobinsonLondon Review of Books @lrb.co.uk · 08/12/2025‘The wind turbine and the Catapult building advertise Blyth’s centrality to the carbon-free economy of the future. They advertise it, but I don’t quite believe it, and neither, judging by the local popularity of Reform, does Blyth.’ @jamesmeek.bsky.social: www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...lrb.co.ukJames Meek · Ten-Foot Chopsticks: The North-East TransitionThe ghost of the industrial revolution haunts Britain. The language of today’s politicians, of unlocking and... 042
Reposted by David RobinsonJeremy (Harpsichord Enjoyer) @gogdog.bsky.social · 07/12/2025Good on Penn Jillette. Having to come to terms with your entire political identity and philosophy being wrong is not easy and most people could never do it. 12294232134
Reposted by David RobinsonAnnals of Botany @annbot.bsky.social · 02/12/2025What do people usually get wrong about plants? “I think many people do not realize how dynamic plants are throughout their lifetimes. As plants growth up, they undergo tremendous shifts in form and function…” (8/9) 111
Reposted by David RobinsonHarry Wallop @harrywallop.co.uk · 02/12/2025Great culture can save lives. Literally. Amazing letter in today’s @thetimes.com about Tom Stoppard 144117794045
Reposted by David RobinsonDouglas Cheape @douglascheape.bsky.social · 17/11/2025I am the ghost of Christmas Future Perfect Subjunctive; I will show you what would have happened were you not to have changed your ways. 213933
Reposted by David RobinsonDouglas Cheape @douglascheape.bsky.social · 19/11/2025Just got back from the doctor's. The bad news is that tests have revealed I have Onomatopoeia. Naturally concerned, I asked, 'What's that?' 'I'm afraid,' he replied, looking up from his notes with a serious expression. 'It's exactly what it sounds like.' 313341
Reposted by David RobinsonLondon Review of Books @lrb.co.uk · 16/11/2025‘Liverpool went from having a single slave ship in 1709 to more than a hundred six decades later. By 1795 it controlled almost half of the European slave trade.’ John Kerrigan on Atlantic slavery: www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...lrb.co.ukJohn Kerrigan · No Illusions: Syntax of SlaverySlavery was accepted across most of the early modern world. No one wanted to be a slave, except when the alternative was... 13214