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friendsofdarwin.bsky.social
Writer • #HebdenBridge offcumden • #CharlesDarwin fanboy • European Interested in where #science, #histsci and #nature intersect. Writing book about looking at the world through #Darwin ’s eyes. http://richardcarter.com http://friendsofdarwin.com
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The covers of all the books I’ve read so far in 2025. For my reviews, see: richardcarter.com/books-2025/

I’ve been going out into the garden each evening to look for the local barn owl, which I haven’t seen for MONTHS. This evening, I finally saw it: it’s OK! I’ve been worried sick!

Come and join us!

New book review: ‘Base Notes’ by Adelle Stripe…

New book review: ‘In the Dark Room’ by Brian Dillon…

New post about two David Hockney exhibitions I attended recently in the UK’s 2025 Capital of Culture (or Bradford, as we refer to it around here). richardcarter.com/sidelines/ho...

Spotted a treecreeper on our cherry tree this afternoon—the first I’ve seen in our garden since we moved here just under 24 years ago. That makes 58 wild bird species spotted in or from our garden.

This man is literally in charge of the NHS budget. Someone needs to explain to him that budgeting is about prioritising and moving planned funds around. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Lincoln Cathedral last week… Built by human beings. We have our moments. We are a talented species.

18-Jun: On this day in 1858, Charles Darwin received the biggest bombshell of his scientific career in the form of a letter from the distant Malay Archipelago. #HistSci friendsofdarwin.com/articles/wal...

Rising full strawberry moon, photographed through my study window during a late-night, insomnia-induced reading session last night.

My favourite Brian Wilson song… Whenever I listen to it, it makes me wonder, if this is Brain Wilson on his own, what on Earth were the other lads doing on all those Beach Boys albums? www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpN7...

One to bookmark for when Londoners complain about public transport… #TheNWRA www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

New book review: ‘The Genetic Book of the Dead’ by Richard Dawkins… richardcarter.com/reviews/book...

03-Jun: On this day in 1836, Charles Darwin visited the astronomer Sir John Herschel in Cape Town, South Africa. #HistSci

Our blue tits have fledged.

It’s getting harder and harder for those of us who don’t want anything to do with it to keep this AI shite out of our lives. wordpress.org/news/2025/05...

Catching up on Andor season 2… Never realised Yavin 4, famous for its rebel base, also harboured red grouse (Lagopus lagopus).

Our petition to Parliament to ban wind farms on protected peatland in England has 10000+ names! Thanks to all who’ve signed so far - let’s keep on keeping on and #protectourpeat #stopcalderdalewindfarm #teampeat #teamnature #teambat #teamnewt #walshaw #moor #peat #blanketbog

Giveaway klaxon! #lifelines

www.theguardian.com/world/2025/m...

New book review: ‘Is a River Alive?’ by Robert Macfarlane…

New book review: ‘Lifelines’ by Julian Hoffman…

How I'm keeping track of the links between chapters (i.e. chapter dependencies) in my Darwin book. #AmWriting

On Not Writing - my new substack for North Sea Poets. Now, back to my dwam* Dwam: Scots for daydream or waking trance. open.substack.com/pub/northsea...

Some personal thoughts on the recent death of the historian of science, Mario Biagioli #histsci thonyc.wordpress.com/2025/05/23/m...

TFW you insert a one-sentence callback to an earlier chapter by way of a joke. I love second drafts! #AmWriting #AmRevising

19-May: On this day in 1832 came the untimely death of Charles Darwin’s HMS Beagle shipmate Charles Musters (age c.12). Here’s the sad story…http://friendsofdarwin.com/articles/poor-little-musters/ #HistSci

16-May: On this day in 1861, John Stevens Henslow, Charles Darwin’s tutor and friend, died in Hitcham, Suffolk. Here’s an article I wrote about Henslow… friendsofdarwin.com/articles/hen... #HistSci

Called the doctor for a non-urgent appointment today and, 18 minutes later, he was taking my blood pressure!

If you’re in the EU and you opted out of Meta training generative AI on your Facebook, Threads and Instagram posts and pictures, Meta are requiring you to opt out *again* or they will continue training on your data. Users have until May 27 2025 to opt out again or forever lose the right […]

14-May: On this day in 1856, after almost 20 years exploring the subject, Charles Darwin finally began to write up his ideas on the evolution of species for publication. But events were to overtake him… #HistSci friendsofdarwin.com/articles/big...

Dawn-chorus cuckoo at 05:10 this morning, very close to the house. My first cuckoo in three springs. #HebdenBridge

The books I’ve read so far in 2025. For my reviews, see: richardcarter.com/books-2025/

Has the so-called ‘AI’ bubble burst yet?

Just paused ‘The Mandalorian’ to take a bathroom break. When my partner asked what I was doing, I replied, “This is the wee!”

Cracking book. Review to follow!