Rebecca Williams

Rebecca Williams

@volcanologist.bsky.social

Professor of Volcanology. Waffle about volcanoes, HigherEd, tea and occasional running. SFHEA & STEM ambassador. She/her.

3.7K followers901 following1.2K posts

Rebecca Williams reposted

The Royal Society
@royalsociety.org

For #BlackHistoryMonth, we're highlighting the achievements of the Black scientists, mathematicians and engineers who have made their impact on the modern world. Read our thread below.

Rebecca Williams reposted

Laura McAtackney
@lauramca.bsky.social

It will be a shock to noone that the campaigns against Professor Jason Arday - that continue even after they hounded him to death - are financed by far right-inclined millionaires who also finance far right think tanks, media, academic racists and Neo Nazis. bylinetimes.com/2026/10/21/j...

bylinetimes.comJason Arday Again Cleared of Plagiarism as His Attackers Launch an ‘Independent Inquiry’Backed by Reform UK megadonor Ben Delo, the Committee for Academic Freedom defended Arday’s accusers and has now commissioned a report into his appointment by Cambridge University
Rebecca Williams
@volcanologist.bsky.social

Call me naive but I didn't see the de-extinction scam to evil war animal scam transition coming.

Amy Feldman@amyfeldman7.bsky.social

*NEW* Colossal Biosciences’ Ben Lamm and Anduril’s Palmer Luckey team up on a new startup to genetically engineer war dogs for the military. Warhound comes out of stealth at $1.2B valuation For @forbes.com with @iainmartin.bsky.social and @mhunterhart.bsky.social www.forbes.com/sites/amyfel...

forbes.comBillionaires Palmer Luckey And Ben Lamm Spin Up Startup To Genetically Engineer Military DogsBen Lamm of de-extinction startup Colossal has teamed up with Palmer Luckey’s team at Anduril to create a dog that’s optimized for military use. The new “warhounds” will be cloned and gene edited.

Rebecca Williams reposted

Adam Rutherford
@adamrutherford.bsky.social

<Doctor Manhattan gif> War dogs. What I wrote last time. arutherford.substack.com/p/dire-wolve...

arutherford.substack.comDire wolves remain very extinctDespite what you are being fed, de-extinction is a con, full of gloss, bullshit and ghoulish greed.
Amy Feldman@amyfeldman7.bsky.social

*NEW* Colossal Biosciences’ Ben Lamm and Anduril’s Palmer Luckey team up on a new startup to genetically engineer war dogs for the military. Warhound comes out of stealth at $1.2B valuation For @forbes.com with @iainmartin.bsky.social and @mhunterhart.bsky.social www.forbes.com/sites/amyfel...

forbes.comBillionaires Palmer Luckey And Ben Lamm Spin Up Startup To Genetically Engineer Military DogsBen Lamm of de-extinction startup Colossal has teamed up with Palmer Luckey’s team at Anduril to create a dog that’s optimized for military use. The new “warhounds” will be cloned and gene edited.

Rebecca Williams reposted

Rob Larter
@polarrobs.bsky.social

Replying to @polarrobs.bsky.social

As I'm typing this I'm listening to misinformation on national radio about how good this decision will be for jobs and tax revenues. The truth is that many times more jobs would be created if the same investment was put into renewables. www.theguardian.com/environment/...

theguardian.comHeat pumps and insulation would cut UK living costs more than new oilfields, study suggestsWarm homes plan would create 50,000 jobs, compared with about 1,100 for Rosebank oilfield, thinktank finds

Rebecca Williams reposted

Suw
@suw.bsky.social

This is absolutely outrageous. Meta's new T&Cs are written such that "by using Meta platforms, publishers risk handing over AI rights to all their content – whether it is published via Meta or elsewhere." pressgazette.co.uk/news/faceboo...

pressgazette.co.ukPublishers urged to delete Facebook and Instagram accounts over T&Cs changeFacebook terms for publishers: News organisations urged to leave Meta platforms before 30 October or else lose AI rights.

Rebecca Williams reposted

Mike MacFerrin
@icesheetmike.myatproto.social

A FOIA request this week got me thinking about this. They wanted “raw, unredacted versions of digital elevation models” (DEMs) we create over a specific coastal region. Like, they want “secret” stuff. We sent our public-facing DEMs, lists of source data, + GitHub code to turn former ➡️ latter.

Mike MacFerrin@icesheetmike.myatproto.social

Know what I'd love to see? A qualitative study of FOIA requests to science agencies. I've worked at public institutions on environmental datasets a while. FOIAs are part of the job. Some are genuine & helpful. Many are a weird window into psychology of *what people ~think~ the gov't is up to.*

Rebecca Williams
@volcanologist.bsky.social

Just as I'm setting the GroClock and turning out the lights, my 6 year old suddenly sits bolt upright and with a look of deadly serious asks... "Mummy. What does a T-Rex do when they get an itch? They have such short arms!" 🦖😂

Rebecca Williams
@volcanologist.bsky.social

Cue a demonstration of all the places he gets an itch, & how hard that would be for a T-Rex. He then experimented with rolling pig-in-dirt style & rubbing bear-against-a-tree style. All the while I'm trying not to laugh and get too engrossed in a thought experiment and instead get him to sleep. 😴

Rebecca Williams reposted

Jeremy Bassis
@bassisjeremy.bsky.social

Ho boy, do I have a story for you. The question of how ice breaks has been central to glaciology for well over a century.

Glen@gergyl.bsky.social

Didn't know this was especially controversial. Unsupported vertical ice obviously has a structural limit, determined by the distribution of internal fractures, especially ~vertical ones. Vertically fractured ice becomes a column crushing problem. Details are what's not known, and consequences?

Rebecca Williams
@volcanologist.bsky.social

I wonder if my inherent hatred of AI and my intense resistance to it, comes from decades of watching that "You wouldn't steal a car" advert every time I wanted to watch a DVD.

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Rebecca Williams reposted

BMC
@bmc.springernature.com

In a study published in the Journal of Applied Volcanology, the authors debunk 18 common misconceptions about volcanoes and share how proper communication can save lives during natural disasters. 🌍

bit.lyGetting the story straight: common misconceptions around volcanoes and eruptions with case studies of recent events - Journal of Applied VolcanologyThe ability to rapidly disseminate scientific knowledge across the world has never been greater. This is paralleled by the ability of rumors to spread equally far and fast. Popular misconceptions can take root and, without correction, take on the appearance of facts. Commonly misunderstood topics include those with attention-grabbing phrasing (e.g. “Pacific Ring of Fire”, “supervolcanoes”, or “mega-tsunamis”), the intersection of volcanic research with high-profile science topics (climate or human health), aspirational science goals (eruption forecasts), and basic terminology (volcanic ash versus smoke, or magma “chambers”). In this paper, we describe eighteen misconceptions grouped in six themes (seismology, volcanoes and climate, systems and structures, volcanic hazards, timescales, photographs and footage) commonly encountered by volcanologists who are actively engaging with the public and media both during and between eruptions. Each misconception description is accompanied by takeaway points and summaries of recent research to assist the reader with the information necessary to describe the issues. Finally, we present seven case studies where incorrect information was widely shared and counteracted at well-known volcanoes and recent eruptions at Mount Agung (Bali, Indonesia), Mount Etna (Sicily, Italy), Kīlauea (Hawaii, U.S.A.), Tajogaite (La Palma, Spain), La Soufrière (St. Vincent), Taal Volcano (Philippines), and Yellowstone caldera (U.S.A.). This work is intended to help both volcanologists and non-specialists get the story straight, and to effectively communicate processes and scales of volcanism and volcanic hazards, impacts, and risks.

Rebecca Williams reposted

Amelia Bain
@amelia-bain.bsky.social

🌋Interested in common misconceptions around #volcanic activity? Check out this article in #JAV which takes a deep dive into misinformation that spread during recent volcanic crises and how they were countered 👇

BMC@bmc.springernature.com

In a study published in the Journal of Applied Volcanology, the authors debunk 18 common misconceptions about volcanoes and share how proper communication can save lives during natural disasters. 🌍

bit.lyGetting the story straight: common misconceptions around volcanoes and eruptions with case studies of recent events - Journal of Applied VolcanologyThe ability to rapidly disseminate scientific knowledge across the world has never been greater. This is paralleled by the ability of rumors to spread equally far and fast. Popular misconceptions can take root and, without correction, take on the appearance of facts. Commonly misunderstood topics include those with attention-grabbing phrasing (e.g. “Pacific Ring of Fire”, “supervolcanoes”, or “mega-tsunamis”), the intersection of volcanic research with high-profile science topics (climate or human health), aspirational science goals (eruption forecasts), and basic terminology (volcanic ash versus smoke, or magma “chambers”). In this paper, we describe eighteen misconceptions grouped in six themes (seismology, volcanoes and climate, systems and structures, volcanic hazards, timescales, photographs and footage) commonly encountered by volcanologists who are actively engaging with the public and media both during and between eruptions. Each misconception description is accompanied by takeaway points and summaries of recent research to assist the reader with the information necessary to describe the issues. Finally, we present seven case studies where incorrect information was widely shared and counteracted at well-known volcanoes and recent eruptions at Mount Agung (Bali, Indonesia), Mount Etna (Sicily, Italy), Kīlauea (Hawaii, U.S.A.), Tajogaite (La Palma, Spain), La Soufrière (St. Vincent), Taal Volcano (Philippines), and Yellowstone caldera (U.S.A.). This work is intended to help both volcanologists and non-specialists get the story straight, and to effectively communicate processes and scales of volcanism and volcanic hazards, impacts, and risks.

Rebecca Williams reposted

Lisa Messeri
@lmesseri.bsky.social

“Perhaps the most relevant issue is that by releasing this trove of material in this manner, the companies are in the process of destroying the ecosystem that made it possible for this work,” she said." To me, this is the crux. Science is a human, community endeavor. They are destroying science.

nytimes.com‘Breathtaking,’ ‘Devastating’: Mathematics Reels After New OpenAI Release (Gift Article)Hundreds of new A.I.-generated findings moved the frontiers of higher math in a single day — dispelling any doubt that the field is forever changed.

Rebecca Williams reposted

Lisa Messeri
@lmesseri.bsky.social

Replying to @lmesseri.bsky.social

strong statement from the Association for Human Mathematicians. "Releasing over 700 files at once is not a demonstration of scholarship, but a demonstration of power. We urge mathematicians to discontinue their work with OpenAI and to return to a vision of science that centers human understanding."

ahmath.orgStatements — AHM

Rebecca Williams reposted

Alice Roberts
@profaliceroberts.bsky.social

“You could almost believe that the real purpose of government was to do the bidding of corporations, foreign states and the ultra-rich... Will Burnham allow the mob rule of private business to keep dominating our lives…?” @georgemonbiot.bsky.social asks: www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

theguardian.comPalantir is worming its way into the British state – it’s time to curb this controversial US company’s influence | George MonbiotTom Watson has said ‘mob rule’ must not decide public contracts. Perhaps he should take a look at his new employer, says Guardian columnist George Monbiot

Rebecca Williams reposted

Conor Fitzpatrick
@fitzparticle.bsky.social

Hard to see this as anything other than Govt interference in funding decisions, ie 'death of Haldane'. Did DSIT, now DBIST, let UKRI pull existing funding lines to bung UK public money at a US company? www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r... @psiquantum.bsky.social any comment?

researchprofessionalnews.comGovernment’s quantum facility bid fast-tracked at UKRI amid cutbacks - Research Professional NewsExclusive: ‘Wildcard’ proposal to Infrastructure Fund approved as projects including Cern experiment upgrade lost backing

Rebecca Williams reposted

Daniel Kibblesmith
@kibblesmith.bsky.social

Every movie, song, and book that you love was made without the technology that people who don’t make art are now insisting is necessary for making art.

Rebecca Williams reposted

Mount St. Helens Archive (On Leave)
@mtsthelensarchive.bsky.social

Physiographic illustration is a craft, honed over years of careful attention to detail. After May 18, the USGS published this triptych of Mount St. Helens by cartographer Tau Rho Alpha and geologist Jim Moore, with the support of David Jones. Just how did the north face change? See for yourself.

Rebecca Williams reposted

Liz Hide
@themuseumofliz.bsky.social

How museum objects are classified shapes the research questions that are applied to them - and this is why we need to involve communities in provenece research @jcniala.bsky.social reminding us about musuems' lack of neutrality #CTConf26

Rebecca Williams reposted

Prof Susie Maidment
@tweetisaurus.bsky.social

Did you know that you can subscribe to the #FossilFiles podcast for as little as 1/8th of a South Kensington pint per month?

Prof Susie Maidment@tweetisaurus.bsky.social

Latest on the #FossilFiles: a bonus episode for our Patreon subscribers on a paper that looks at opportunities and attitudes towards fieldwork among ECRs by @whosyourmammal.bsky.social www.patreon.com/posts/170786...

patreon.comAre we failing the next generation of palaeontologists? The future of fieldwork [Full Bonus Episode] | The Fossil Files PodcastNew finds in palaeontology are dependent on people getting out in the field and digging up fossils, but are the next generation of palaeonto
Rebecca Williams
@volcanologist.bsky.social

Yes, but also, I just find this deeply sad. I love reading to my kids. We've done it from birth, before they could really listen along to the story. It's bonding, soothing, enjoyable. Following the stories together as we snuggle, a shared experience. Glorious. Why wouldn't you read if you could?

Jess Calarco@jessicacalarco.com

It's telling that men would rather try to invent tech to replace humans' role in caregiving than step up as equal partners in parenting. Telling, that is, in that it shows how financial capitalism and patriarchy work together to dissuade men from doing "unprofitable" labor, like the work of care.

Rebecca Williams
@volcanologist.bsky.social

Why are tech bros so intent to strip us of the most joyful elements of human endeavour? Thinking, creating, shared social experience, all getting outsourced to tech when these are the things that make human existence wonderful.

Rebecca Williams reposted

The Fossil Files Podcast
@thefossilfiles.bsky.social

Did mammals evolve live birth more than once?! New fossils discoveries from South Africa and Argentina reveal some cute Triassic mammal babies, one *in ovo* and one captured in histology. So where DID mammal babies come from? 👶🥚🦡 1/2

Rebecca Williams reposted

British Geological Survey
@bgs.ac.uk

A historic watercolour has been unearthed on the back of a Dryburgh geological field map🗺️ The beautiful painting, believed to have been made by geologist Benjamin Neeve Peach while on fieldwork in the early 1870s has been discovered in the BGS archives. Learn more: www.bgs.ac.uk/news/histori...

Rebecca Williams reposted

Fumihiko Ikegami
@fikgm.bsky.social

A legendary publication from Japan Association for Quaternary Research, back in 1996, is recently made freely available from quaternary.jp/links/books/... . And I have reformatted the PDF to an HTML website. Now the text is fully translated to English by GPT-6.1! docs.ikgm.net/Tephras_in_J...

docs.ikgm.netInventory of Quaternary Outcrops —Tephras in Japan—Inventory of Quaternary Outcrops —Tephras in Japan— — 1996 scholarly volume, corrected OCR and faithful translation

Rebecca Williams reposted

Dr. Katie I.
@hellyeahcorks.bsky.social

ESPECIALLY if you have tenure. Years after I left a toxic grad school situation, I sailed with a member of my former dept. He said he was glad I was doing well now, bc he saw what my old advisor was doing to their students. It was all I could do not to yell 'THEN WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY SOMETHING?"

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