Notices by Helen Czerski (helenczerski@fediscience.org), page 2

One of the biggest habits that humanity has to kick is that of seeing a human-free space and assuming it’s worthless/empty unless we fill it up with something. It’s happening with plans for the ocean, deforestation for “development”, talk of delivery drones filling the future sky, cube sats that will hide the stars. This “space” is the planetary engine, and it’s incredibly valuable NOW. doing all sorts of things that keep us alive & enrich our lives. We should protect it. #ocean #climate #Earth

Favourite summary of the current situation, from the Guardian and @firstdogonthemoon : https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/jul/07/twitter-is-burning-bluesky-is-smug-where-is-the-best-place-to-do-your-pathetic-doomscrolling?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

Whoever sorts out UK train pricing needs a stern talking to. Trains should be THE default option for any intercity journey and look at the mess of the pricing: London-Newcastle, 3h journey, £190-ish. Newcastle-Edinburgh, 1.5h journey, £25-ish (advance singles). And the really stupid thing is that for the return journey going from Edinburgh-Newcastle-London, I'll just stay on the same train.

Ooh, this year’s Astronomy Photographer of the Year shortlist has been released by Royal Museums Greenwich. And they’re (obviously, and as always) stunning: https://www.rmg.co.uk/whats-on/astronomy-photographer-year/galleries/2023-shortlist #science #photography #astronomy

I keep thinking back to this Microlino at Fully Charged Live. Reusable water bottles became acceptable, being vegan is now cool, and so is wearing vintage clothes. So who is going to step up to the critical task of making small cars fashionable? The trend towards giant SUVs is ludicrous, incredibly wasteful and dangerous, and bad for our cities. If you must use a car, it should be as small as possible. Where are the micro-car visionaries/influencers? WE NEED YOU. #cars #SUV #climate

A current worry: The only people with existing deep expertise in things like how the atmosphere/ocean/geosphere work are academics, who are ace at giving impartial evidence-based advice. But as lots of climate “solutions” companies spring up, these academics are consulting with them & in some cases leaving academia to work for them (often much better pay & working conditions) & are then limited in what they can tell the rest of us. So the public source of open unbiased expertise is at risk.

I have interviewed many hundreds of scientists for the BBC, Fully Charged and others over many years, and I can tell you that however nice, capable and well-intentioned they are, the ones working for companies ALWAYS have their boss and the company’s investors at the back of their minds. It’s never the same sort of conversation. So what happens when we, the public, need expertise and realise that we don’t have access to it any more, even though we paid for it to develop? #climate #OpenAccess

I would almost go back on Twitter just to re-tweet this. Almost, but not quite. I love Pam Ayers. Farewell, blue tick… #bluetick

The problem with talking about climate “solutions” is that it sounds like we’re just going to repair a broken piece of furniture and return everything to normal, all tidily fixed. That’s not what we’re facing. This is about a fundamental revolution in the way our energy & transport systems work, a complete overhaul of our polluting habits & THEN living with and adapting to the consequences of having burned the equivalent of a trillion tonnes of oil. #climate #ClimateSolutions #EnergyRevolution

Barbie have come a long way. This is ace news. Maggie Aderin-Pocock has her own Barbie! “The Barbie modelled on me is a space scientist with her own telescope. Girls should be shown that anything is possible”. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/mar/09/doll-barbie-space-scientist-inspires-girls-to-dream-bigger?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other #space #physics #women

Reading through the NERC guidelines for the next round of UK science funding, it seems as though they have lost all interest in "science that needs to be done" and want to focus entirely on new areas and high-risk activities. But you can't have those without a foundation, so where does the foundation come from now?

Hello Mastodon. I'm a physics/ocean academic, writer, broadcaster and general fidget who cares about physics, the ocean, bubbles, the future of energy and transport, healthy debate and ideas of all sorts. Next book: Blue Machine (about the physical nature of the ocean, told through history, culture & animals, out June 1st). Ideas: Fully Charged Show & Cosmic Shambles. Podcasts: host of Ocean Matters & regular interviewer for Intelligence Squared. Column for WSJ on everyday physics. Say hi!