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Simon Higgins

@simonhiggins60.bsky.social
233 followers 175 following 862 posts

Emeritus Chemistry Prof., University of Liverpool. Still dabbling in molecular electronics. The rest of the time, I'm usually riding a bike, cooking (and eating) or reading. Volunteer at Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital.

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Simon Higgins @simonhiggins60.bsky.social · 1h
Because we're in a post-truth era where a massively corrupt crook and serial liar is President of the USA, a Temu version of him leads Reform hoping to be PM in the UK, and a significant proportion of the populations in both countries support them unconditionally.
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Simon Higgins @simonhiggins60.bsky.social · 1h
These days, when a journalist looks at the phenomenal and blatant corruption of Trump and his henchmen, and the activities of Temu Trump Farage over here, Archer's crimes probably seem small beer.
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Simon Higgins @simonhiggins60.bsky.social · 1h
Yeuch. Awful.
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Simon Higgins @simonhiggins60.bsky.social · 1h
Ian Hislop and Nick Newman did a parody of Archer's fiction, called Gush - it was a series on BBCR4 in the nineties. It's probably on Youtube, if you want an accurate satire of Archer's writing style without contributing to his estate.
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Simon Higgins @simonhiggins60.bsky.social · 1h
Poor little chap. Nothing worse than a poorly baby on holiday!
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Simon Higgins @simonhiggins60.bsky.social · 3h
Single winner for the Physics Nobel - very unusual in these days of collaborative, multimillion pound experiments and theory.
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Simon Higgins @simonhiggins60.bsky.social · 9h
Jeffrey Archer was apparently a particularly dedicated writer. According to #BBCR4Today, he died ‘between writing sessions’. Posthumous writing- I wonder how that went?
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Simon Higgins @simonhiggins60.bsky.social · 10h
I’ve heard that one before, so I suspect so had the phone person!
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Simon Higgins @simonhiggins60.bsky.social · 20h
Evidently he has a hard job grasping the concept called 'leadership'.
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Simon Higgins @simonhiggins60.bsky.social · 20h
Quite. Odd, that, isn't it? One wonders why.
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Reposted by Simon Higgins
Nature @nature.com · 05/10/2026
BREAKING: The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine has been awarded to Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel “for their discoveries concerning light-gated ion channels and optogenetics.” More to follow.
A photo of the Nobel medal
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Simon Higgins @simonhiggins60.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
On the basis of that Green Party policy it’s clear that all the Corbyn fruitcakes now call themselves Green.
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Simon Higgins @simonhiggins60.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
Is this something you’re writing or reviewing…?
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Simon Higgins @simonhiggins60.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
They should prosecute IDS for terrorism incitement as well.
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Simon Higgins @simonhiggins60.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
Sarah Pochin is as thick as a docker’s butty.
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Simon Higgins @simonhiggins60.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
IDS should be arrested on the same grounds as those people holding up signs saying they support Palestine Action. In fact his endorsement of terror is more egregious.
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Simon Higgins @simonhiggins60.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
I’ve already reviewed papers obviously written with AI, a minority of which have been obvious fabrications. And that’s in an experimental science.
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Simon Higgins @simonhiggins60.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
This has got hubristic disaster written all over it.
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Simon Higgins @simonhiggins60.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
We’re in our local Nepalese restaurant Sano Nepal Gateacre. It’s really phenomenal. Food is delicious, prices are reasonable and they’ve a decent wine list .
Mrs H enjoyed her appetiser in Sano Nepal Gateacre Liverpool.
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Simon Higgins @simonhiggins60.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
If this is true, surely market forces will mean salaries for cycle mechanics will sharply rise? Let's see.
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Simon Higgins @simonhiggins60.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
GOOD (says this Boomer).
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Simon Higgins @simonhiggins60.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Hmm. I was in their shoes 48 years ago.
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Simon Higgins @simonhiggins60.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Who the hell refereed this junk? Did anyone? Or was that done via A'I' as well?
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Simon Higgins @simonhiggins60.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Can I use her argument to claim I'm Irish and get an EU passport?
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Simon Higgins @simonhiggins60.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
It's also grossly hypocritical for a party that's supposedly green in outlook. Why align yourself with the Reformist Fair Fuel (sic) nutters?
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Simon Higgins @simonhiggins60.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
The zealotry of converts is a common thread throughout religions.
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Simon Higgins @simonhiggins60.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
This is how I feel when I'm sat surrounded by glamorous young things in the Uni branch of Costa!
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Simon Higgins @simonhiggins60.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
A regular journey for me a decade ago when my Mum lived alone in Grange over Sands. The ride from Liverpool to Arnside was decent, and there was a great fish and chip shop there.
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Simon Higgins @simonhiggins60.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
I wouldn't mind if it was cycling! The endless promotion of one's own podcast is what gets me irritated.
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Simon Higgins @simonhiggins60.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Looks like a bargain compared with the UK's HS2 anyway.
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Simon Higgins @simonhiggins60.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Let's hope that Mr Volker at least postdocs with someone whose mentoring style is better, before he becomes a group leader himself. Or he's going to develop into a major-league bully with his own group. Seen it sooo often.
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Simon Higgins @simonhiggins60.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Our little road is behind a gate. We've often had Hello Fresh boxes left by the gate, whereupon some local scrote nicks it in the five minutes it takes me to see the delivery text and go outside to collect it.
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Simon Higgins @simonhiggins60.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
And not only the Today programme- extended advert on last night's The One Show (I don't watch this but Mrs H does tend to flop in front of it after work), as well!
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Simon Higgins @simonhiggins60.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
It's one reason I rather dread the inevitable downsizing in a few years.
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Simon Higgins @simonhiggins60.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Amazing that the Romans knew about cobalt oxide as an additive for blue glass, when the element itself wasn't isolated until the 18th century. Remarkable colour.
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Simon Higgins @simonhiggins60.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
My institution is offering me a session on how to harness generative AI in my academic writing, run by Nature Masterclasses. They really are pushing this stuff at us, aren't they? Maybe I'm a Luddite but I'm not tempted.
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Simon Higgins @simonhiggins60.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
You could set up your own institution with that lot.
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Simon Higgins @simonhiggins60.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
He’s going to have to change his handle to Shippers Unhinged.
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Simon Higgins @simonhiggins60.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
‘Flood the zone with shit’ was the phrase Steve Bannon used. It’s deliberate.
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Simon Higgins @simonhiggins60.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
The French tactics were ridiculous. And not just killing off their best domestique with 100 km to go; at one point the entire team except Seixas was pulling on the front- everyone else was like 'OK, thanks for that, you go for it'. And I couldn't understand the Belgian plan. If they had one.
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Simon Higgins @simonhiggins60.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
None of the signatories is actually capable of writing legibly, which is interesting.
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Simon Higgins @simonhiggins60.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Damn right. I went a couple of years early. The small loss of pension was more than compensated by not having to endure the subsequent university management evolutions, massive teaching load expansion and having to deal with student cheating with, sorry, adoption of, AI.
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Simon Higgins @simonhiggins60.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
I’m cutting him some slack on the grounds his father just died. I couldn’t even speak at my Dad’s funeral without breaking down so credit to him for actually holding it together.
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Reposted by Simon Higgins
The Crusader Project @crusaderproject.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Today’s favourite #warart Dazzle-ships in Drydock at Liverpool, by Edward Wadsworth, 1919 Craig Moore on Facebook @dreadships.bsky.social #navalhistory #maritimehistory
Four dock workers cleaning the hull of a merchant ship in dry dock. The ship is wearing dazzle camouflage, and the painting has arranged the sides of the dock and other ships wearing dazzle in the back in such a way as to blend the picture creating some serious eye strain.
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Simon Higgins @simonhiggins60.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Something to relate to my retired organic colleagues next time we do lunch! Thanks.
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Simon Higgins @simonhiggins60.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Link to local strike hardship fund collection: www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding...
justgiving.com
Help raise £10000 to support the Nottingham UCU hardship fund – JustGiving Crowdfunding
Iʼm raising money to support the Nottingham UCU hardship fund. Support this JustGiving Crowdfunding Page.
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Simon Higgins @simonhiggins60.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
From Berichte, 1889, on attempts to isolate thioacetone: '...our attempts in this direction failed due to the fact that the substance possesses a dreadful odour, which spreads in an astonishingly short time and fouls entire districts of the city.' City was Freiburg. #chemsky
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Simon Higgins @simonhiggins60.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
They’ve probably recruited a Director of Institutional Change at a salary of 6 figures, plus an underling for each Faculty, to ‘manage’ this.
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Simon Higgins @simonhiggins60.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
I agree. Thanks to the University Superannuation Scheme, my state pension would be a luxury allowing me 2-3 extra holidays a year, if I didn't have a bad conscience that has driven me largely to give it away to good causes, at least for now.
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Simon Higgins @simonhiggins60.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
I was startled to hear we import large amounts of diesel from the US. Always naively assumed it was all refined here, but refineries have been closing.
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