Weekly Lab Report:

I am back from two weeks exploring coastal Far North
Queensland with the entire family. Snorkelling on the outer GBR off Port Douglas was a definite highlight.

Last week has seen the lab closed while electrical issues are investigated and remediated. Spectroscopy equipment from Adelaide has been set up on an optical table in a small lab.
My week was dominated by preparation for "Confirmation of Candidature", with planning all the tasks required by UniSQ and initial draft with semi-coherent words of 40% of the target page total.
Presentation slides planned in my mind!

(1/2)

As to be expected when holding a conference in Istanbul, the 1,300 urban planning academics at the AESOP Annual Congress 2025 are joined by plenty of cats.

OMG my consulting entity is up with these others! I started Snug House in 2015 to help Tasmanian homes become more energy effficent. In recent years, it's become less active with my PhD. But recentlyI have had more interest. Especially with the blower door testing and my expertise around climate (from my PhD). Good to see recognition. I am start to see that perhaps I will not be going into academia, rather I might be doing industry funded research and practice. #BuildingScience #PhDLife

Weekly lab update:
Last week saw the lab closed while a significant electrical fault was investigated (still ongoing). The highlight for me was completing the second draft of the theory paper.
These next two weeks will see me and the entire family at Port Douglas, including our road trip with two EVs.
#physics #phdlife #vacation

Meet the winners of the 2025 #DanceYourPhD contest
It's time again to honor the winners of the annual Dance Your PhD contest, where eager young scientists attempt to convey the concepts of their doctoral theses through dance.
There are four broad categories—physics, chemistry, biology, and social science—liberally defined. https://arstechnica.com/science/2025/05/meet-the-winners-of-the-2025-dance-your-phd-contest/
#PhD #PhDLife #PhDChat

We wish Alexandre de Sousa the best of
luck as he defends his PhD thesis in History on the Congresses of the Portuguese Republican Party on Monday 23 June.

https://ihc.fcsh.unl.pt/en/events/alexandre-sousa-phd/

@histodons
@histodon

Sometimes I feel that work at the university is all admin I might be able to do some writing afterwards....? #PhDLife

Working on my new zine, which is a rework of a zine that had writers block. This is a zine version of some research I found during my literature review. Getting ready for the zine fair in Hobart in October #zine #PhDLife

Had an interesting chat with another PhD student in my school. The three of us started the same month and all three of us are late to finish and struggling. Could it be that some things beyond our control have impacted our progress, something like a pandemic and campus renovations they need to stop holding us accountable for things we couldn’t control… but all three of us are close to finishing… we are committed, we are exhausted. The class of 2020 #PhDLife

Working on campus at the cafe #PhDLife

Annual review done. It was not so bad. At this stage they want to support me to get to the end. So I didn’t need to go full rage at them - they did get a run down of the “challenges” I experienced and were supportive and are on the same page. Just get the thing done and move on This last stage is so hard #PhDLife

I have my annual review tomorrow (the last one of my candidature) I inserted an entire page of what the university did or didn't do to made it hard for me during this PhD and what I had to do to overcome these roadblocks. Care factor zero a this point - I dare them to fire me #PhDLife

Diving into my thesis after a quiet morning drinking coffee and pottering around in my kitchen. It always feels soooo good doing this on cold rainy days. Now. Thesis!!!! #PhDLife

It’s the long weekend. I have no plans for THREE days. I am going to deep dive into my thesis. No interruptions. No meetings. Just pure intellectual joy #phdlife

Just had a meeting with my PhD Supervisor. Everything going to plan W00T! #phdlife

Prepping for PhD annual review next week. Year 4: I am running a long marathon that I need to finish but I am tired, no time for rest! #PhDLife