iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Matthew Tosh @matthewtosh.com · 17/08/2026

Got my first taste of a high explosive today. 😋 And I mean actual taste. No, Tosh hasn't lost it completely... yet. This was a microdose of GTN under the tongue, given to dilate my blood vessels during a CT scan. It is chemically identical to nitroglycerin. 💥

020

Matthew Tosh @matthewtosh.com · 13/08/2026

Thank you. I'm still here and loving every day that comes. 🙃 My brain has a habit of latching onto all manner of analytics when I'm in crisis - Monday was passer-by counting. 🤷‍♂️

010

Matthew Tosh @matthewtosh.com · 13/08/2026

It's great. I remember watching the '99 eclipse with fellow physics grads and was in awe of the umbra racing across the sky as we went in and out of totality.

020

Matthew Tosh @matthewtosh.com · 13/08/2026

Lovely clear view of yesterday's umbra.

110

Matthew Tosh @matthewtosh.com · 13/08/2026

I expected it to be more in the 10-20% bracket. Maybe my sample is too small. I'd rather not take repeat readings, hence my question.

000

Matthew Tosh @matthewtosh.com · 13/08/2026

Whilst lying on the pavement waiting for an ambulance earlier this week, I counted at least 35 people who walked past me (there may well have been more). 3 stopped to ask if I needed help. Is 8.5% representative of the proportion of people who help? I'm genuinely curious. 🤔

200

Matthew Tosh @matthewtosh.com · 05/08/2026

First thing this morning, I noticed a strange transparent liquid on the path outside. It's as if this substance had fallen from the sky. Has anyone else in the UK observed this?

020

Matthew Tosh @matthewtosh.com · 02/08/2026

To every PhD student, researcher, cardiologist, electrophysiologist, engineer, developer and everyone else that has ever worked on arrhythmia/sudden cardiac arrest therapies and ICD development: I, along with many others, owe you my life. Thank you. 🙏❤️‍🩹 #Cardiomyopathy #ARVC

151

Matthew Tosh @matthewtosh.com · 02/08/2026

It feels utterly surreal - you don't get to choose this lifestyle. But it does strengthen my resolve to continue with my science communication work and explore new ways of helping others.

010

Matthew Tosh @matthewtosh.com · 02/08/2026

In this past week, several people have asked what keeps me going in face of adversity. It's very simple: I woke up today. I've been close to dying three times in as many years. The latest was just over a week ago. I am immensely thankful for every single day that comes.

140

Matthew Tosh @matthewtosh.com · 29/07/2026

Update note: They are turning up the speed of my ICD pacemaker. The faster version of Matthew will consume biscuits at 1.5x the rate of standard speed Matthew. Upgrade to the Pro plan by sending chocolate-coated biscuits.

000

Matthew Tosh @matthewtosh.com · 16/07/2026

Today's choice of t-shirt has wholeheartedly been endorsed by @marinemumbles.bsky.social. I knew she'd understand. #BIGEvent26

010

Matthew Tosh @matthewtosh.com · 15/07/2026

Day 1 at #BIGEvent26 included a wander around a building I worked in regularly during the first 7-8 years of its opening. I had a bit of catching up to do @stemlearning.bsky.social National STEM Centre and met some former colleagues. Then I got distracted by the Lego. Very distracted.

LEGO Technic-style elephant model on a bookshelf. The elephant is built from grey struts, gears and panels, with its trunk lowered and legs standing on round supports.

Large LEGO model of a green space capsule with a cutaway doorway showing the detailed cream and grey interior, donated by the UK Space Agency.

Small LEGO train set on an oval track, with a yellow engine, red-and-white wagon and colourful track pieces on carpet. A small level crossing is in the centre of the track, complete with red and white barriers.

001

Matthew Tosh @matthewtosh.com · 15/07/2026

Yay! Thanks for sharing. I have a painting of a steam loco crossing the original bridge. Those stumps fascinated me as a child during visits to family. See you later!

110

Matthew Tosh @matthewtosh.com · 14/07/2026

York Minster is quite something without anyone in it. Even though I've experienced this before, I still wanted to allow myself a few minutes to pause and just take it in. Magical.

A view of the nave of York Minster, looking towards the West Window from the chancel crossing. The rear of the high alter is in the foreground.

130

Matthew Tosh @matthewtosh.com · 14/07/2026

Reciprocal view. When in York...

A view of the twin bell towers at the West End of York Minster, basking in the evening sun again a blue sky. On Bluesky. See what I did there?

010

Matthew Tosh @matthewtosh.com · 14/07/2026

Helloooo down there. I may have got slightly side-tracked en route to #BIGEvent26.

A view from the south-west tower of York Minster, looking down onto trees and buildings on the street below. Evening sun is creating long shadows on the road and pavements.

110

Matthew Tosh @matthewtosh.com · 30/06/2026

Everyone likes an illuminated LED.

000

Matthew Tosh @matthewtosh.com · 30/06/2026

They still want to have a heating timer on the wall with LEDs. 🤦🏼‍♂️ I can sort that. Doesn't need to be connected to anything though, does it? So long as they see a clock display and an illuminated LED, they should be happy.

120

Matthew Tosh @matthewtosh.com · 30/06/2026

Sci-comm: I've finally helped my parents understand how to get best from a heat pump, thanks to jugs of water and a leaky container. They understand the "trickle mindset" as opposed to the surge mindset.

101

Matthew Tosh @matthewtosh.com · 28/03/2026

Congratulations and thank you to the organisers of today's #CardiomyopathyUK patient conference. I cannot emphasise how uplifting it is to hear about latest research and to speak to other patients. Great to see @thehearthive.bsky.social there too.

A slide from the Digital Health session, outling how patient arrhythmias could be better managed using a range of interlinked technologies and patient data.

020

Matthew Tosh @matthewtosh.com · 28/09/2025

I have just missed my face and poured water all down myself whilst trying to take a tablet. People put me in charge of explosives, you know.

110

Matthew Tosh @matthewtosh.com · 08/09/2025

Huge thanks to everyone who made the Festival such a brilliant night. Here’s to the sparks — big and small — that keep us going. Whether you’re outdoors amongst nature or finding a quiet moment at home, I hope you discover something today worth celebrating. Here's one of mine! ✨

Rocks'y, the Lancashire Heeler, on her back. She is being tummy-tickled by Matthew’s hand. The dog is looking straight at the camera.

000

Matthew Tosh @matthewtosh.com · 08/09/2025

For me, it was hearing the crowd’s energy and seeing fireworks light the night sky. For you, it might be a walk outside, a chat with a friend, or simply resting when you need to. Whatever shape they take, those small victories deserve to be celebrated.

110

Matthew Tosh @matthewtosh.com · 08/09/2025

If you’re having a rough day, please know this: progress isn’t about “carrying on as normal”. It’s about noticing and celebrating the little wins — a moment of laughter, finishing a task, enjoying a view. Small sparks of joy matter and can change the feel of a whole day.

Looking out over a calm sea at Burnham-on-Sea beach at dusk. A bit of the beach is visible in the foreground. I love watching the sea and this image always makes me smile.

110

Matthew Tosh @matthewtosh.com · 08/09/2025

What you don’t always see behind the microphone is that I live with a progressive heart condition. It’s unpredictable, exhausting and mentally challenging. Yet standing there on Saturday, part of the atmosphere and joy, reminded me how powerful it is to keep finding things that lift you up.

A section of an ECG trace showing abnormal rhythms (a premature ventricular contraction couplet).

100

Matthew Tosh @matthewtosh.com · 08/09/2025

🔥 What a weekend at the Festival of Fireworks, Catton Hall! Thousands gathered under the night sky for a spectacle of colour, sound and shared awe — and I had the privilege of being host. 🎤 Nights like these remind me why live events matter. 👇 [Thread]

A dark sky filled with spectacular golden brocade (glitter) shell bursts, over the top of 11 pink and gold mines erupting from the ground, with 22 45-degree gold-glitter comet punctuations.

A photo of my announcer's script, showing the start of my 4pm announcement.

The control point, with four individual firing systems (all FireOne in this photo). They are set up on trestle tables, with laptop screens visible and the lids of the hard-plastic cases of the control panels open. Some of the crews can be seen in the background chatting in small groups.

120

Matthew Tosh @matthewtosh.com · 28/06/2025

Thank you - they were great, weren't they? Yes, that's exactly the kind of thing we are hoping to do. 🙂

010

Matthew Tosh @matthewtosh.com · 20/06/2025

The absolute winner of the day: Seeing lab-grown human heart cells beating together in a dish...absolutely mind-blowing! I saw the very cells that drive every heartbeat, all contracting in unison. 🫀 Even with my science background, this felt magical and deeply moving. #CureHeart #research

072

Matthew Tosh @matthewtosh.com · 20/06/2025

Thanks to @thebhf.bsky.social funding, #CureHeart Labs progress is real - though breakthroughs take time. Genuine partnership between patients and enthusiastic scientists is building practical hope for better treatments. #CureHeart #BHF #PatientEngagement #PPIE #GeneTherapy

000

Matthew Tosh @matthewtosh.com · 20/06/2025

We also heard about BOLD #MRI, which measures heart muscle oxygen use and could detect early changes before standard echo or #CMR. I was really excited by this (typical physicist 😄). This imaging technique could help diagnose and monitor #cardiomyopathy earlier and more accurately.👇

100

Matthew Tosh @matthewtosh.com · 20/06/2025

CureHeart is developing ASOs - molecules that “switch off” faulty genes at the RNA stage. 🤯 Their effects can be reversed if needed, adding safety. Delivery systems are becoming more targeted, making heart-specific therapy more realistic.👇

100

Matthew Tosh @matthewtosh.com · 20/06/2025

Earlier this week, I was fortunate to be part of a #Cardiomyopathy UK visit to #CureHeart Labs @ox.ac.uk . We went behind the scenes to see cutting-edge work on inherited heart conditions. Lots of uplifting conversations between researchers and patients giving real hope for progress.👇

120

Matthew Tosh @matthewtosh.com · 16/04/2025

So today's decision by the UK's Supreme Court is difficult to absorb. I fear it will empower those taking aim at #trans folk. It's a bizarre and scary state of affairs that we find ourselves in.

010

Matthew Tosh @matthewtosh.com · 16/04/2025

I am #pansexual... I don't really "see" a person's sex or gender. I don't mean that in a demeaning way. It's more that throughout my life, I've always seen the person and that's what has attracted me, irrespective of their sex or gender identity.

120

Matthew Tosh @matthewtosh.com · 16/04/2025

I've been having a break from social media lately to preserve my mental wellbeing, but today I really need to say this: However you identify; M, F, MTF, FTM, non-binary, gender-fluid or neutral, YOU ARE VALID. 🏳️‍⚧️ #Trans friends enrich my world. I can't imagine it without you. xx

140

Matthew Tosh @matthewtosh.com · 29/03/2025

This morning's partial #SolarEclipse, evidenced by my solar panels. 😎 Cool, eh?

A power-time output chart, showing a reduction in output between 10am and midday.

081

Matthew Tosh @matthewtosh.com · 26/03/2025

For the first time ever, I'm actually able to attend an @equitybwm.bsky.social meeting. We've had some amazing speakers today and now we are onto serious union business. Very glad to be part of this. Together we are Stronger.

Headed meeting papers on a table in the foreground, showing the union name "EQUITY". The content is not visible (cropped out). In the background are union members out of focus.

121

Matthew Tosh @matthewtosh.com · 18/03/2025

Bring extra sparkle to your festival with a science and maths infused fire and art mashup. Drop me a line if you are interested. I adapt the size and scale of the shows for each venue. #STEAM #STEM #artistry #pyrotechnics #PyroArtistry #safety #SciComm

Matthew is on stage in a large Victorian City Hall venue, with a high arched ceiling and theatrical lighting overhead. In the foreground is the audience who are watching the show. A six-metre high wall of pyrotechnic gold and silver sparks is erupting at the front of the stage with dramatic effect.

011

Matthew Tosh @matthewtosh.com · 17/03/2025

A stonking finish to British Science Week at the weekend, with headline shows at #ColliderFest. I left a little decorative post-show souvenir at City Hall. 😄 #Hull #BSW25

A theatre lighting truss with colourful paper streamers hanging from it.

010

Matthew Tosh @matthewtosh.com · 12/03/2025

Lovely to join the friendly @benendenbells.bsky.social ringers this evening, although it did require a lot of knots in my rope. Me and my high heels... 😆 #bellringing

A vertically hanging bellrope with three figure of eight knots in it. A blurred ringer is sitting in the background.

040

Matthew Tosh @matthewtosh.com · 12/03/2025

Mid #BSW25 school shows. I was very tempted to shave my head, paint myself blue and hit the table with fluorescent sticks.

A very blue, darkly-lit stage containing a table and some black wooden boxes. The photo is so blue that it is almost not worth posting.

010

Matthew Tosh @matthewtosh.com · 09/03/2025

VIDEO: Bit of chat in the press this weekend about peal ringing. But what actually *is* peal ringing? vimeo.com/1063590192/d... #bellringing #VoiceOver

Picture of Chilcompton church and tower on a sunny summer day. The tower is Norman style with castlellations around the top.

010

Matthew Tosh @matthewtosh.com · 08/03/2025

Mega! Imagine if you inflated it and then squashed it... whoopus flatusbread maximus.

110

Matthew Tosh @matthewtosh.com · 08/03/2025

Tosh downtime this afternoon is taking me back to my degree year abroad, when I first discovered Moroccan cuisine.

A plate of ground spices, arranged individually in small piles, including chilli flakes, coriander, cumin, turmeric, cayenne pepper, paprika and cinnamon.

000

Matthew Tosh @matthewtosh.com · 07/03/2025

I suddenly have an urge to fire something in celebration, however my shows aren't until next week. MUST RESIST. #ScienceWeek

Matthew's left hand holding a pyrotechnic device and positioning it on a mounting frame. The device is made from cardboard, is cylindrical and painted black on the exterior.

030

Matthew Tosh @matthewtosh.com · 07/03/2025

Happy Science Week to you. Happy Science Week to you. Happy Science Week dear Britain. Happy Science Week to you. British #ScienceWeek officially starts today. 🥳 #BSW #BSW2025

050

Matthew Tosh @matthewtosh.com · 28/02/2025

18 months on, and this still feels surreal, even for a clued-up #scicomm pro! A clinic in another part of the country can access the implant INSIDE my body to check that I am safe. 🤯 Flippin' marvellous! 🫀😀 #ACM #AVC #ARVC #cardiomyopathy

Screenshot of a mobile device showing an ICD monitoring app. The message on the screen says: "Checking your heart device... This may take several minutes. Keep the app open and your mobile device nearby."

010

Matthew Tosh @matthewtosh.com · 27/02/2025

This time of year = Site visits and consultancy. Bit soggy under foot, but lovely sunny spells are a bonus. 🙂

A grassy park, with a line of trees on the horizon - deliberately framed to be ambiguous.

010