iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Tom Sheppard @sheppardtomd.bsky.social · 6h

Thought i would have a go at the #My9Albums that shaped my listening. So tricky. These at least were all albums i got into when exploring music in the early-mid 90's... #MusicSky

9 albums: The Velvet Underground & Nico; Automatic for the People (R.E.M); Siamese Dream (Smashing Pumpkins); Troublegum (Therapy?); Giant Steps (The Boo Radleys); Levelling the Land (The Levellers); Closer (Joy Division); The Stone Roses; Surfer Rosa/Come on Pilgrim (Pixies)

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Tom Sheppard @sheppardtomd.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

What a fantastic chemistry story!

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Dan Neidle @danneidle.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Luxury retailers want taxpayers to fund a 20% tax break for foreign tourists. They paid consultancy Cebr to claim this will raise £2.6bn for the UK. That convinced Sadiq Khan and Kemi Badenoch. But it's false: a free lunch. Four basic errors mask a £600m loss. Thread:

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Patrick Samphire 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 @patricksamphire.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Enid Blyton's books took a darker turn towards the end.

Gloucestershire. Five arrested for alleged terrorism offences after 'major incident' near RAF Fairford.

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Tom Sheppard @sheppardtomd.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

This evening was Beethoven's 5th Piano Concerto and 9th Symphony at the Royal Albert Hall. Fab, have always wanted to see the latter live and it didn't disappoint (the concerto was great too but i've seen that performed before!). #MusicSky

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Tom Sheppard @sheppardtomd.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

This time last week, Ruth and I had a parents' day off and went to Thorpe Park. Wowsers - have never been before but some spectacular rides. We particularly liked Hyperia, Stealth, and The Swarm. Hyperia in particular has an excellent switch from 'oh my god what i am doing?' to 'This is amazing' /1

The entire 238 ft high Hyperia rollercoaster track against a grey sky showing a steel track twisting and looping around, with a huge ascent hill in the foreground

The Swarm track against a grey sky, showing a seemingly inpossible loop of near vertical track ascending high into the air - i believe it's called a Top Hat.

The track for The Swarm against a bright blue sky showing a twist and a loop.

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Tom Sheppard @sheppardtomd.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Great stuff as always from @julietemckenna.bsky.social - really tried to make this one last but it was impossible. Loved the change of scene to Ireland. I mostly read non-fiction, but i have absolutely loved this series. Fab!

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Brian's Malt Musings 🥃 @maltmusings.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

Each September I complete a survey, recording the prices of a distillery's 18yo - a standard bottle which you might buy for a special occasion like a birthday. This year's results are in - let's see how things have changed. malt-musings.blogspot.com/2026/09/whis...

malt-musings.blogspot.com

Whisky Prices 2026 - 18yo

A blog about malt whisky

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T.J. Mitchell @workingstiff.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

Just this moment finished the chapter "The Mapmaker's Dilemma" in @jonnelledge.bsky.social's A Brief History of the World in 47 Borders, in which Elledge lays out how Google has been coerced or forced to draw different maps for users in different countries, eg Ukraine v Russia, India v Pakistan 1/8

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🇵🇸Martin “Doomsday” Pfeiffer🖖🏳️‍🌈 @nuclearanthro.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

Oh, outstanding. Well then. What about Ass Radium? "for rectal use, by men" "For restoring sex power" My research has some odd encounters/we did some in retrospect not great idea stuff (i mean at the time questionable)

A white box with faded gold label for 15 day course Vita Radium Suppositories as labeled and "guaranteed to contain real refined radium to be perfectly harmless"

Ad text for Vita Radium suppositories on gold paper that reads "for restoring sex power vita radium suppositories for rectal use by men, are [tonic?] restorers of sex and energizers for the entire nervous, glandular, and circulatory systems" and continues in that vein.

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Stephen Bush @stephenkb.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

But there are 11,000 to 12,000 cases of fraud every day in the United Kingdom alone, there are loads of fabulist memoirs and there are a decent amount of professors whose own output is hard to reconcile with their position. In an equal society, some frauds are black!

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Steve Peers @stevepeers.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

Ok, some thoughts, as an olde tyme academic, on the Arday tragedy. First, allegations about causes. We don't know what was in his mind, but many people are keen to blame him, or woke lefties/academia, or the media. Some people are absolutely certain that the media are faultless. 1/

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Tom Sheppard @sheppardtomd.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

Loving tbe fact that in security at Tokyo Haneda airport in the symbols showing things you are not allowed to bring through it has nunchuks and shuriken!

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Tom Sheppard @sheppardtomd.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

Tokyo! Busy day yesterday going up the Skytree, visiting the Kirby shop, the aquarium and then Team LabPlanet in the afternoon. Amazing city, and really nice to spend time here having barely seen Tokyo at all when i first visited Japan.

View over Tokyo from the Tokyo Skytree viewing platform.

A picture of the Tokyo Skytree looking up from close to the base of the tower

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Jeremy Berg @jeremymberg.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

@dereklowe.bsky.social lets loose again (and I am still here for it). www.science.org/content/blog... 1/2

science.org

The Assault On Science Funding Continues

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ArtButMakeItSports @artbutmakeitsports.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

Mephisto, by Joaquín Espalter y Rull, 1872, 📸 by Dan Mullan

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Tom Sheppard @sheppardtomd.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

Obviously if France and England had both got to the final, the game would have been EXACTLY like last night's match, and nothing will convince me otherwise. #WorldCupFinal

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Tom Sheppard @sheppardtomd.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

Absolutely recommend going to see these guys (esp if you live near Cardif or Edinburgh!). Had a fantastic time and spent 7 hours in a moshpit for the first time in >20 Years. V much enjoyed seeing Wavves/Marmozets/Don Broco/Nothing but Thieves too! #MusicSky

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Bri Barbu @bribarbu.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

DCM has been here the whole time...but will its newfound amide-coupling abilities be a game changer? Yet another new thing from me @cenmag.bsky.social : cen.acs.org/synthesis/re...

cen.acs.org

Dichloromethane was an amide coupling reagent this whole time

Chemists make simple amides using only inexpensive lab chemicals

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Caroline Lucas @carolinelucas.bsky.social · 18/07/2026

Hard to think of a more deeply damaging start to Burnham’s premiership than giving green light to new oil & gas in N. Sea, if true. It won’t lower bills or lead to greater energy security but will drive an even hotter planet. What a terrible signal to give to rest of the world #ClimateVandalism

x.com

BBC Breakfast (@BBCBreakfast) on X

Andy Burnham will announce plans for new oil and gas drilling in the North Sea when he becomes prime minister on Monday, the BBC has been told. The announcement will form part of a flurry of policy m...

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Tom Sheppard @sheppardtomd.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

I am so impressed that they managed to get theough that.... What a game! #MEXvENG

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Tom Sheppard @sheppardtomd.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

Having got up at 1 and then 2 am there is only one way to approach #MEXvENG - pint of tea!

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Tom Sheppard @sheppardtomd.bsky.social · 26/06/2026

#DavidsMonthOfMusic #MusicChallenge 21 - a slow song (I am way behind now...) I am very late to the Biff - bought all their albums after watching their Glastonbury 2025 set on TV. Top band, with a lot of good (and interesting) tunes. No big riffs but great... music.youtube.com/watch?v=FqYf...

music.youtube.com

Machines

YouTube video by Biffy Clyro - Topic

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Ian Dunt @iandunt.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

No joy to be found today. No satisfaction. Just frustration and a profound sense of squandered opportunity iandunt.substack.com/p/the-traged...

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Tom Sheppard @sheppardtomd.bsky.social · 19/06/2026

#DavidsMonthOfMusic #MusicChallenge 19 - ...featuring somewhere you'd like to visit. Well i've never been there, but tbh i chose this mostly because it's a simply great song. Lot's of great stuff to discover in Cale's back catalogue! music.youtube.com/watch?v=x7Gv...

music.youtube.com

Amsterdam

YouTube video by John Cale - Topic

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Tom Sheppard @sheppardtomd.bsky.social · 18/06/2026

#DavidsMonthOfMusic #MusicChallenge 18 - A classical piece. Mostly i listen to Beethoven, and a bit of Haydn, but have really enjoyed a bit of Hümmel recently. His trumpet concerto is best known (and great!), but his minor key piano concertos are great! music.youtube.com/watch?v=bsY6...

music.youtube.com

Piano Concerto in A Minor, Op. 85: I. Allegro moderato

YouTube video by Bryden Thomson - Topic

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Tom Sheppard @sheppardtomd.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

Congratulations to my fantastic colleague Helen Hailes! #Chemsky (Take 2)

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Tom Sheppard @sheppardtomd.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

#DavidsMonthOfMusic #MusicChallenge 17 - a song with fall or fly in the title. Has to be one of my favourite Pogues somgs - great opener to a great album! music.youtube.com/watch?v=B4v6...

music.youtube.com

The Pogues - If I Should Fall From Grace With God

YouTube video by ThePoguesOfficial

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Tom Sheppard @sheppardtomd.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

Congratulations to my fantastic colleague Helen Hailes! #Chemsky

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Tom Sheppard @sheppardtomd.bsky.social · 16/06/2026

#DavidsMonthOfMusic #MusicChallenge 16 - a song by a band with more than one vocalist. Thi definitely has to be Hüsker Dü. Two great songwriters as well. This was the track that made me go out and buy New Day Rising ~20 Years ago - an exhilirating album! music.youtube.com/watch?v=82t4...

music.youtube.com

The Girl Who Lives On Heaven Hill

YouTube video by Hüsker Dü - Topic

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Tom Sheppard @sheppardtomd.bsky.social · 15/06/2026

#DavidsMonthOfMusic #MusicChallenge 15 - a live track Got to go for AC/DC as for me it's only their live tracks that really work - much more energy! music.youtube.com/watch?v=CakD...

music.youtube.com

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James O’Brien @mrjamesob.bsky.social · 12/06/2026

The most disgusting behaviour I’ve ever witnessed in public spaces was directed at Sadiq Khan by ‘anti-Ulez’ protesters, who of course received way more coverage, much of it friendly, than the scheme’s incredible success ever will.

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Simon Kuestenmacher @simongerman600.bsky.social · 12/06/2026

What’s the most common non-English main language in your London borough? HT @mapsporn

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Tom Sheppard @sheppardtomd.bsky.social · 04/06/2026

Been to see Sugar tonight which was a longstanding ambition having been a fan since the 90's. Probably now also ~20 years since i last saw @bobmould@bsky.social which was a mistake.. Great stuff! #Music

Sugar on stage at the Clapham Grand tonight

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Derek Lowe @dereklowe.bsky.social · 28/05/2026

An unapologetically angry post about what’s being done to US science:

science.org

The Current Crisis: What's Happening to Science in America

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