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Michael O’Neill

@michaeloneill.org
1.3K followers 1.3K following 567 posts

Inorganic Chemistry || University of Liverpool || Education || Blogging || Textbooks || www.michaeloneill.org || PERIODically Podcast supporter

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Michael O’Neill @michaeloneill.org · 19/09/2026
**new blog post** My MA dissertation on the closures of Chemistry Departments. My best attempt at explaining what's happening and why it's happening. www.michaeloneill.org/blog-1/2026/...
michaeloneill.org
Understanding the Closures of UK Chemistry Degrees — Michael O'Neill
My MA dissertation on the political economy underpinning the ongoing closures of Chemistry Departments
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Michael O’Neill @michaeloneill.org · 19/09/2026
New cat just dropped www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/9/...
aljazeera.com
New tiger cat species identified in Bolivia, first in over a century
Leopardus tilcayo is the first new living cat species named and described in more than a century.
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David Veevers @davidveevers.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Think of the combined CENTURIES of expertise lost here, the creativity, the knowledge, the depth and breadth of cultural learning and understanding, the generations of minds enriched and enlightened, the sheer weight of history that led to the establishment of these programmes. Purged. Destroyed.
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Ursula K. Le Guin Bot @leguinbot.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
The only thing that makes life possible is permanent, intolerable uncertainty: not knowing what comes next.
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Michael O’Neill @michaeloneill.org · 03/06/2026
Not being dramatic, but this probably signals the effective end of Chemistry in English Universities. An *efficient* Department loses something like £2k per Chemistry student per year; this change will roughly double that loss. Universities would be mad to keep teaching Chemistry.
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Michael O’Neill @michaeloneill.org · 09/09/2026
Frozen out of cloud services at work because 2G phone masts are being decommissioned, meaning I can no longer multi factor authenticate my way into things like my timetable. What a weird society we have constructed.
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Chemistry World @chemistryworld.com · 09/09/2026
There’s still time to register & to join us for the one-hour webinar today on the challenged facing pregnant chemists & what working safely can look like. Anna Slater & Mary Kate Lane will discuss the support needed for pregnant chemist at 3pm today. #ChemSky www.chemistryworld.com/webinars/wor...
chemistryworld.com
Working safely through pregnancy: a conversation for chemists and lab leaders
How safe is the lab when you're pregnant? Join our conversation on 9 September
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ViCEPHEC Conference @vicephec.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
#ViCEPHEC27 will be in Belfast. To get email updates, fill in this form: forms.cloud.microsoft/pages/respon...
forms.cloud.microsoft
Microsoft Forms
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Michael O’Neill @michaeloneill.org · 02/09/2026
Sincere Q: has anyone tried specific things which improved lecture attendance? I would like more students in the room this year, and would love to hear about what's worked for other people.
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Michael O’Neill @michaeloneill.org · 02/09/2026
Sincere Q: has anyone tried specific things which improved lecture attendance? I would like more students in the room this year, and would love to hear about what's worked for other people.
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Michael O’Neill @michaeloneill.org · 01/09/2026
**New blog post** reflections on some graffiti I saw in the library toilets. It was in pencil, which I found curious. www.michaeloneill.org/blog-1/2026/9/1/on-toilet-graffiti
michaeloneill.org
On Toilet Graffiti — Michael O'Neill
Reflections on some toilet graffiti I saw in the library
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Michael O’Neill @michaeloneill.org · 29/08/2026
What a lovely conference #ViCEPHEC26 was.
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Michael O’Neill @michaeloneill.org · 26/08/2026
Train time #ViCEPHEC26
Album cover of Stereo Mind Games by Daughter
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Michael O’Neill @michaeloneill.org · 24/08/2026
“Widening participation may require more intensive teaching, transition support, academic guidance and local infrastructure. These are not peripheral costs. They are part of what it means to deliver higher education well to a broader student population.”
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Michael O’Neill @michaeloneill.org · 21/08/2026
Cool Liverpool snake cancer story. news.liverpool.ac.uk/2026/08/21/w...
news.liverpool.ac.uk
‘World-first’ cancer treatment saves python after tumour destroys part of her jaw - University of Liverpool News
‘World-first’ cancer treatment saves python after tumour destroys part of her jaw
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Michael O’Neill @michaeloneill.org · 21/08/2026
Story about an expert witness using chat gpt to generate his report defending safety practices after an industrial explosion which killed workers. www.404media.co/show-how-3m-...
404media.co
‘Show How 3M Is 0% at Fault:’ Expert Witness Used ChatGPT to Write Report Defending Company in Deadly Explosion Lawsuit
ChatGPT prompts show how an expert witness report was created in a $61 million lawsuit over an explosion that killed three people.
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Michael O’Neill @michaeloneill.org · 20/08/2026
Walked past the LJMU UCU memorial for Jason Arday this morning. Lots of sunflowers, lots of rain.
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Michael O’Neill @michaeloneill.org · 12/08/2026
Police sirens blaring. Someone in Liverpool is doing eclipse crime.
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Laura Howes @laurahowes.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
They're all sold out here in Heidelberg, but if you have some, this is a primer for how they work cen.acs.org/safety/consu...
cen.acs.org
What are eclipse glasses, and how do they keep your eyes safe during an eclipse?
These cardboard-and-plastic glasses may seem flimsy, but they keep dangerous reactions from destroying your eyes
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Michael O’Neill @michaeloneill.org · 07/08/2026
Chemistry on the front page ❤️
Headline of newspaper front page reads: “every river and lake in England polluted with toxic chemicals”
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Michael O’Neill @michaeloneill.org · 06/08/2026
**New Blog Post** A quick run-down on Bronze, the *real* star of Blockbuster Sensation The Odyssey. www.michaeloneill.org/blog-1/2026/8/6/bronze-as-seen-in-the-odyssey
michaeloneill.org
Bronze (as seen in The Odyssey) — Michael O'Neill
A short piece on bronze, after watching the recent film about the Bronze Age hero Odysseus.
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Michael O’Neill @michaeloneill.org · 06/08/2026
**New Blog Post** A quick run-down on Bronze, the *real* star of Blockbuster Sensation The Odyssey. www.michaeloneill.org/blog-1/2026/8/6/bronze-as-seen-in-the-odyssey
michaeloneill.org
Bronze (as seen in The Odyssey) — Michael O'Neill
A short piece on bronze, after watching the recent film about the Bronze Age hero Odysseus.
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Michael O’Neill @michaeloneill.org · 06/08/2026
Very glad to hear this. A fantastic little museum.
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Sophie Benjamin @benjaminchem.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
Just seen that the Elemental Analysis service at London Met is closing! This is devastating for us UK inorganic synthesists. They have been such a great, reliable service. @londonmetuni.bsky.social #chemsky
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Michael O’Neill @michaeloneill.org · 02/08/2026
Spent the morning making a map of where you can grow #coffee. Simple comparison here uses temperature, elevation, and rainfall to map suitable areas (for arabica and robusta) in the year 2000 and the projections for 2050. It's about a 35% reduction in coffee-suitable land.
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Michael O’Neill @michaeloneill.org · 24/07/2026
**New Blog Post** Using the recent RSC report as a vehicle, a reflection on how I've thought about Class when teaching Chemistry in the UK over the last 10 years. www.michaeloneill.org/blog-1/2026/...
michaeloneill.org
Beyond Access? Class in Chemistry — Michael O'Neill
Reflections on a recent RSC report about socioeconomic status of the undergraduate Chemistry students
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Michael O’Neill @michaeloneill.org · 29/07/2026
we call it a "molecule" because it is a "little mole" send tweet
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Jim Dickinson @jimdickinson.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
NEW on Wonkhe: With curriculum reform converging on fewer, larger modules across the sector, Jim Dickinson argues that consolidation solves institutional problems while reallocating regret onto students least able to absorb it buff.ly/5xu4GGB
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Michael O’Neill @michaeloneill.org · 24/07/2026
**New Blog Post** Using the recent RSC report as a vehicle, a reflection on how I've thought about Class when teaching Chemistry in the UK over the last 10 years. www.michaeloneill.org/blog-1/2026/...
michaeloneill.org
Beyond Access? Class in Chemistry — Michael O'Neill
Reflections on a recent RSC report about socioeconomic status of the undergraduate Chemistry students
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Dr Laura Sangha @lsangha.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
"You are now historians. BUT very few of you will go on to be professional historians - so will you then cease to be historians? This is a question that we, staff at risk of redundancy, are asking ourselves too: will I still be a historian if I’m not at the University of Exeter in September?" 2/
A historian in fetching grey gown addresses a crowd of students in gowns and family members in summery outfits.
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Michael O’Neill @michaeloneill.org · 23/07/2026
He can direct you to the library
Seagull on top of a sign to the library
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Ada Palmer @adapalmer.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
A Chilean salmon farm now draws about 57% of its power from panels laid over the water, cutting roughly 136,000 litres of diesel a year and silencing the generators. With the noise gone, thousands of salmon have gathered in the shade beneath the arrays. Ecoportal buff.ly/CwczkbP #ShareGoodNewsToo
buff.ly
An island in Chile covered its waters with floating solar panels. Soon, thousands of salmon had turned them into their home
An island in Chile covered its waters with floating solar panels. Soon, thousands of salmon had turned them into their home and were all thriving.
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Michael O’Neill @michaeloneill.org · 20/07/2026
My brain in my head: ViCEPHEC My fingers on my keyboard: VICPEHEC
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Plashing Vole @plashingvole.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
Congratulations to the government on saving 2700 jobs by nationalising British Steel. Now, about the 18,000 university jobs lost in the last 18 months, with more coming…
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Michael O’Neill @michaeloneill.org · 15/07/2026
Maybe a silly question, but is the weight of a litre of room temp/pressure air just… zero? Not the mass, the weight.
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Michael O’Neill @michaeloneill.org · 12/07/2026
Bringing financial ruin upon my friends by casually mentioning how well air-conditioned the Waterstones cafe is.
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Michael O’Neill @michaeloneill.org · 09/07/2026
FINAL CALL for sign-up to the HEG Network meeting in August. It can be a nice way to spread out your @vicephec.bsky.social travel and have some slower conversations before the conference gathers pace.
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Michael O’Neill @michaeloneill.org · 09/07/2026
FINAL CALL for sign-up to the HEG Network meeting in August. It can be a nice way to spread out your @vicephec.bsky.social travel and have some slower conversations before the conference gathers pace.
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Michael O’Neill @michaeloneill.org · 04/07/2026
Ok so I am seeing the case for 0, but am increasingly veering into thinking it might be -2.
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Michael O’Neill @michaeloneill.org · 03/07/2026
I guess that there is an oxidation state which is the most common one. As in, the most common oxidation state in the world. Been thinking about it all day. I imagine it is probably -1.
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Michael O’Neill @michaeloneill.org · 30/06/2026
**New Blog Post** A commentary on edits I made to a section of my SFHEA application, trying to articulate how my understanding of the SFHEA application criteria changed over time. www.michaeloneill.org/blog-1/2026/6/30/the-history-of-an-sfhea-application
michaeloneill.org
The History of an SFHEA Application — Michael O'Neill
A commentary on edits I made to a passage to my SFHEA application to try and explain what I realised along the way
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Michael O’Neill @michaeloneill.org · 30/06/2026
Sign up is open for the HEG Network meeting which will be in Nottingham the day before @vicephec.bsky.social. Lots of people are simply unaware of it! You don't need to be an RSC member to come, and it can be a nice way to spread out the travel and meet people in a structured and low-stakes way.
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Michael O’Neill @michaeloneill.org · 25/06/2026
Happy "please remember to unscrew your ether bottles by a quarter-turn" day to all who celebrate.
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Michael O’Neill @michaeloneill.org · 23/06/2026
Just seen the graphs for the square root of (s-electron) ionisation energies, which are shockingly linear. pubs.acs.org/doi/pdf/10.1...
Graphs of root ionisation energy for the 1s, 2s, and 3s electrons vs atomic number. The lines are all very straight.
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Elisabeth Parés Pujolràs @epares.bsky.social · 21/06/2026
... and this is for people who *did* have advanced skills to begin with. It is important for students to realise you should demand an education that teaches *you* how to learn, understand and do things, rather than cheating you out of this opportunity www.nature.com/articles/d41...
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Michael O’Neill @michaeloneill.org · 17/06/2026
The RSC HEG Network meeting will be on the afternoon of Wednesday August 26th (the day before @vicephec.bsky.social) in Nottingham. You can join EITHER an escape room OR an LEGO Serious Play session. You do not need to be an RSC member to come. Sign up here: forms.cloud.microsoft/Pages/Respon...
forms.cloud.microsoft
Microsoft Forms
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Michael O’Neill @michaeloneill.org · 15/06/2026
Debate on the impact of the "University of the Air" tomorrow, the policy impetus behind the formation of the Open University. One of the most extraordinary educational institutions Britain ever developed. commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-bri...
commonslibrary.parliament.uk
Impact of the University of the Air White Paper on lifelong learning opportunities
There will be a debate on the impact of the University of the Air White Paper on lifelong learning opportunities on Tuesday 16 June at 2:30pm. The debate will last 90 minutes and be led by Patrick Hur...
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Michael O’Neill @michaeloneill.org · 11/06/2026
Discovering today that the neutron was discovered in Liverpool, which is cool. news.liverpool.ac.uk/2026/06/04/n...
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Michael O’Neill @michaeloneill.org · 03/06/2026
Not being dramatic, but this probably signals the effective end of Chemistry in English Universities. An *efficient* Department loses something like £2k per Chemistry student per year; this change will roughly double that loss. Universities would be mad to keep teaching Chemistry.
23025
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Joe Sarling @joesarling.bsky.social · 21/05/2026
Number of universities in the QS Top 100 world ranking by country in 2026 USA = 27 UK = 17 Australia = 8 China = 5 South Korea = 5 A top five UK service sector export (c.£25bn) that we should probably support and champion more if we want to maintain an advantage.
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