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An Open-Source Maintainer’s Guide to Free, Everyday Work Tools
When you’re looking for software to help you manage a project, like a PhD or a wider project, every “must-have” app seems to come locked behind a hefty monthly subscription. As a PhD student, I don’t have unlimited money for tech! Luckily, there are countless brilliant open-source alternatives out there that get the job done…
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PhD Reflections: 2 Years In
As of last week, I am officially a third year PhD student! Calling myself a third year has felt very grown up and a bit surreal. I’m currently reading the Fourth Wing series, and in that book, third year students are the most senior and expected to lead others and be prepared to go to…
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What is my PhD about? (In simple terms)
This blog is inspired by a blog post from PhDemi, where she says that she feels that in order for her research to be useful, it must be understandable – and I couldn’t agree more! Much of academia is inaccessible to the general population because hidden away behind walls of unnecessarily confusing language. Not only…
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World Space Week!
World Space Week (4–10 October) is here, and this year’s theme, Living in Space, invites us to imagine what it means to exist beyond our little blue planet. From astronauts living and experimenting aboard the International Space Station to engineers designing lunar habitats, it’s a theme that celebrates human ingenuity and creativity. But “living in…
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Starplot Glasgow – Stargazing from Your Browser
I’m very excited to share a new little project I’ve been working on: Starplot Glasgow. It’s a web app that lets you generate star plots of the night sky as seen from Glasgow. You can choose the date, time, and plot type, then sit back and enjoy a colourful map of the stars overhead.
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From First Draft to First Author: My Journey to Publishing in an Academic Journal
I’ve recently reached a huge milestone in my PhD journey: publishing my first ever first-author paper in an academic journal. For many academics, seeing your research in print is a proud and defining moment, and I can confirm it feels every bit as rewarding as I’d hoped. The journey to get there isn’t always straightforward,…
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Finding Calm in the Chaos: How I Stay Motivated as a PhD Student
Recently, I had the chance to speak at the 2025 BCS SIGiST conference, where the theme was “Finding Calm in the Chaos.” It really resonated with me, because so much of the PhD experience is exactly that: balancing freedom and flexibility with the uncertainty and disarray that often come with it. The conference made me…
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Reaching for the Stars: My Week at the European Space Agency
I imagine that taking off in an aeroplane is nowhere near as exhilarating as blasting off into space on top of a rocket. But if any flight were to come close, it would be the one taking me to the European Space Agency to fulfill a lifelong dream. This was me on the 5th May…
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Good things I read or saw this month – April 2025
This post was inspired by a similar blog post by Beth Marshall from the start of 2024, so I’ve had this layout sat in my drafts for a good while! This month, I’ve come across a few cool articles, books, events and tools that I wanted to share, and also bookmark things for my future…
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PhD Reflections: 1 Year In
It’s official: I’m a second year PhD student..! What a surreal thought that is. I made it through my first year. I am now no longer a rookie student. I’m letting that sink in a bit as a write this blog. Finishing the first year of my PhD fills me with immense pride and motivation…
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She Codes the Cosmos 