Hester Duffy

Actual copies of my actual book!

Me, an academic; has a potentially good idea for a study late in the evening, emails it to myself so I won't forget it. Also me; gets an email notification late in the evening, wonders who on earth is emailing me at this time of night.

#speirgorm, dev psych ling people, can anyone help?

This is very troubling.

Today I shall mostly be making soup and granola. Might even do a bit of knitting. It's a good thing I've never aspired to be cool, isn't it?

Dolly Parton and Tim Curry were both icons, and they both absolutely hurled themselves into creating and sharing joy, with humour and generosity. They were both utterly themselves, out loud and deliberately, regardless of who was watching. We should all be more Dolly and Tim.

Ooh, just spotted a nice garden path type sentence which would be great for psycholinguistics studies, except it's on Irish and I don't think anyone is investigating garden path processing as Gaeilge...

I've had a wonderful two weeks of Irish classes and stunning views in Glencolmcille, west Donegal. Was already planning to come back next year but the rainbow on my last night is a nice touch. #oideasgael

I have thought for a while that I'd like to learn the bodhrán, but I'm not really into trad music. This is really inspiring!

📢📢📢 Neuroscientists and psychologists with kids Did your research interests change as a result of (or after) having kids? Would you mind telling me how/why if it has? Appreciate a repost for reach…

What's your sign?

And once again I am forced to notice how quickly literally every pro gen-AI poster becomes really really weird. Like, are _any_ of them just, like, normal people who can have a reasonable conversation about it without getting super creepy or angry and aggressive and just, like, _weird_?

Interesting thread here. Having done a couple of academic integrity meetings due to suspected AI use, I just don't know how we move forward with this.

Stop scrolling and post two characters who bring you happiness.

"Verify your age" Through infant school I drank a third of a pint of room temperature milk through a thin blue plastic straw every day.

On Sunday, I found myself living the dream; the one where you have to take an exam you haven't revised for. But today I found out I passed with Credit, so I am now officially a qualified beekeeper!

This sounds like a late 90s dystopian sci fi movie, and yet somehow we're living in it. Do Not Like.

I know teens get hungry, and the cost of living is sky-rocketing but still, this seems a bit much.

There are a lot of very compelling reasons to be very resistant to genAI, but amongst them is the fact that pro-AI guys are just so _weird_ about it. Like, they talk about genAI like it's enacting humiliating revenge on everyone who ever bullied them and they're getting off on watching it. So weird.

Tentacles (R, pronounced like a Greek philosopher) was a little lonely, so I have just received a companion (L) which I have named Richard, because it has a crack in its bottom (don't we all?) and is therefore a little leaky. Thank you @roseschmits.bsky.social, it is stunning!

Introduce yourself with 10 bands/artists you've seen live. The Dubliners The Cure Terrorvision My Chemical Romance Hozier Alice in Chains The Prodigy Conan Gray Emilie Autumn Devotchka

I don't want to eat the rich. I say compost the rich, and that way we can grow sustainable food for the future.

For speakers of languages other than English, how many regular plural forms are there in those other languages? Like, English has three, technically, but we think of them as just one, plus lots of irregulars. Irish has lots (-aí, -anna, -acha, slenderisation) plus irregulars. I need other examples!

A modern-day St Gobnait. While obviously I condemn violence and also irresponsible beekeeping, I cannot help feeling a sneaking respect for this queen.

This is just horrifying. We need to be able to trust academic publishing. I don't know how we come back from this. GenAI is so toxic.

Bees are amazing. One of our colonies decided to swarm today, while we were doing a bit of tidying up in the apiary, so we got to watch the whole process, and then get them settled into a new home.

Been doing a bit of sewing, and I am very pleased with how this turned out. Just need some nice warm weather so I can wear it!

I'm pre-emptively blocking anyone I see responding to the Swalwell case with anything resembling "Innocent until proven guilty" as a reason why he should not be off the ticket immediately.

I will not be engaging in any way with the new Harry Potter thing because I do not want to fund transphobia. I will judge, harshly, anyone who chooses to engage with it. Some people may find that outrageously unfair, but this is a good thread about that feeling.

A bit of weekend baking; a carrot and courgette loaf topped with brown sugar and pecans. Nice texture, not too sweet, a nice fairly healthy treat for breakfast.

My girls are bringing in pure gold!

Ah, the most important day of the year for Irish people around the world when we reflect on who we are as a people and a culture. Yes, it's Hozier's birthday!

Instant earworm which also absolutely identifies my age.

A propos of nothing in particular, just because the horrors persist but so must we, this is my new (not new, 1970s danish) light fitting, picked up at auction, and newly installed.

📢 We’re hiring! The University of Warwick is recruiting for a full-time, permanent academic position in Psychology, available at either: 🔹 Assistant Professor 🔹 Associate Professor 📅 Application deadline: 5th April 2026

This sets a precedent which could ruin universities across the country. Devastating, particularly given how hard universities, and university staff, worked to do our best for our students in the most difficult of circumstances.

Come work at my place!

A lovely article from my brilliant colleague, about staying positive despite the awful weather. theconversation.com/how-to-stay-...

As an Irish learner and a beekeeper, this is very relevant to my interests! I named one of my hives after Gobnait and they took it rather too seriously and were quite feisty, whereas the hive I named after Valentine (also patron of beekeepers) were much calmer.

This really does sound simple but also like it would work.

This thread did not go where I thought it would, and is well worth a read.