Mike Simpson
Professional nerd, father, photographer, gamer, aspiring writer, sci-fi addict and code monkey.
- RSE at @ncl-rse.bsky.social
- Vice-president of @society-rse.org
- @softwaresaved.bsky.social Fellow
My views are my own 🇺🇦 🏳️🌈 🏳️⚧️
linktr.ee/mdsimpson
- This week, Feathers and I are at a meeting for RSE Leaders & Aspiring Leaders in Leeds, hosted by the N8CIR
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- New blog post: Reflections on my 2025 "Year of Gaming" challenge. mdsimpson.co.uk/2026/01/refl...
- Feathers is on the road again! This time we're attending a DisCouRSE focus group on Team Culture and Leadership in the dRTP space.
- Reposted by Mike Simpson💬 In our latest blog post #SSIFellow @mdsimpson.co.uk tells us more about delivering his “ConveRSE - Let’s Talk About Mental Health” talk at The Alan Turing Institute. Find out more about it and read the full story at www.software.ac.uk/blog/mental-...
- The recording of my "Let's Talk About Mental Health" talk from #RSECon25 is now online. The audio quality isn't great, but this is the full, extended discussion of what I've been up to on my @softwaresaved.bsky.social fellowship. www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zup4...
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- The fact that these morons haven't realised yet that arresting her is only amplifying her message! 🤦🏻♂️
- The 12th (ish) and final game of my Year of Gaming challenge is Deliver Us Mars, an atmospheric, single-player story that I really enjoyed, despite not having played its predecessor. mdsimpson.co.uk/2025/12/deli...
- I do so love getting packages from The Discworld Emporium (@discworldemporium.bsky.social). (Spoiler alert, some of you may be getting Hogswatch presents from the #Discworld Emporium!)
- In this year's production of A Christmas Carol, the role of Scrooge will be played by... #Dog #BassetHound
- I know what I'm using as my out of office message this year! 🎄
- It's that time of year, when every app I open is trying to force me to look back on a year I'd rather not think about ever again! 🎁
- Only slightly disappointed not to be one of the new fellows anymore! Congratulations everyone!
- 🧭 We are happy to announce our new #SSIFellows! Read more about this year's applications and the 2026 cohort at www.software.ac.uk/news/introdu...
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- Mike's talking about himself in the third-person again! 😉 As an added bonus, there are some ConveRSE stickers on our stand and the SSI stand too.
- If you're at #CIUK2025, come and say hi to Mike at our stand. We're in the Research Zone with our friends from The SSI (@softwaresaved.bsky.social), CAKE and more.
- The next game I chose for the challenge is Battlestar Galactica: Deadlock - a game that you can no longer actually buy. But I'm going to review it anyway! mdsimpson.co.uk/2025/12/batt...
- I think I might be cursed! I'm still going to carry on with my review of the game for my Year of Gaming challenge, but by the time it comes out, you won't be able to buy it! 😂
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- CinemaSins getting a bit too real in their Thunderbolts video!
- Check out LABYRINTH, Vol. 0 - a collection of sci-fi and fantasy stories and artwork by @wraithmarked.bsky.social and @hellofutureme.bsky.social on @kickstarter.com. www.kickstarter.com/projects/wra...
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- The October game for my Year of Gaming challenge is one of the more recent purchases in my Steam backlog - Tales of Kenzera: Zau. mdsimpson.co.uk/2025/10/tale...
- Reposted by Mike SimpsonMinority representation on TV causes outrage From the new Private Eye, in shops now.
- I actually got to try out a few demos during this year's Next Fest, including Star Trek: Voyager – Across the Unknown, MARVEL Cosmic Invasion and The Oversight Bureau. So, what did I think? mdsimpson.co.uk/2025/10/next...
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- Reposted by Mike SimpsonToday is International RSE Day, where we celebrate the Research Software Engineers making vital contributions to research all over the world. Join the celebration by sharing your stories and successes. #InternationalRSEDay #RSEDay2025
- Thank you to everyone who came to my talk at #RSECon25, and all the others over the last few months. It's been amazing to hear all the kind words and to see all the support for better #MentalHealth in our community. Let's keep the conversation going: mdsimpson42.github.io/converse/joi...
- In September, I finally got around to playing Shadown Tactics: Blades of the Shogun. This one has been on my to-do list for a LONG time. So, how does it hold up? mdsimpson.co.uk/2025/10/shad...
- Reposted by Mike SimpsonThe Online Safety Act sure has made being online more dangerous.
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- Silence is not golden. Silence is deeply suspicious! #Fatherhood
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- Reposted by Mike Simpson🧭 In his latest blog post, #SSIFellow @mdsimpson.co.uk reflects on his experience at the N8 CIR RSE Annual Meetup where he shared insights about his Fellowship and his work supporting mental health in the RSE community. Read more at www.software.ac.uk/blog/n8-cir-...
- Reposted by Mike SimpsonThe @softwaresaved.bsky.social fellowship programme is back and I talked to 3 new fellows of the 2025 cohort in this new episode [EN] of #code4thought. If you want to find out what Esther, Mike & Niko are up to tune into your podcast app, YouTube podcast or simply codeforthought.buzzsprout.com
- Thanks! I will share the recording as soon as it's uploaded.
- Got to meet nerd royalty at #RSECon25: the hilarious Matt Parker (@standupmaths.bsky.social). 🤓
- Top 10 places not to be when they test the emergency alert: a busy train carriage! 🙃
- Come and say hi if you see me at #RSECon25 next week, and stop by the @softwaresaved.bsky.social stand to pick up the brand-new, version 2.0 "Let's Talk About Mental Health" leaflets and stickers. mdsimpson42.github.io/converse/
- Reposted by Mike SimpsonAn ‘ultracrepidarian’ (19th century) is one who loves to give their opinion, at length, on matters they know nothing about.
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- For my Year of Gaming challenge this month, I decided to try another game that pushes me slightly out of my comfort zone: Hardspace Shipbreaker. mdsimpson.co.uk/2025/08/hard...
- In September, I'll be back on the road, bringing my talk to #RSECon25, #RSAA25 and @theturing.bsky.social. I'll discuss what I've been up to so far, the ConveRSE website and future plans for my @softwaresaved.bsky.social Fellowship.
- Anyone else playing Apocalypse Bingo? 😬
- Inventor of the real-life Torment Nexus from the book "Don't Create the Torment Nexus" is surprised that it is being used for torment.
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- Reposted by Mike Simpson🧭 We are pleased to announce that applications for the SSI Fellowship Programme 2026 are now open! The deadline to apply is Mon 6 Oct. Find out more and access further resources at www.software.ac.uk/news/ssi-fel...
- This month, things didn't quite go to plan with my Year of Gaming Challenge. On the upside, I ended up playing a few demos instead. Here are my first impressions of the Absolum, Dispatch and Songs of Silence demos. mdsimpson.co.uk/2025/08/july...
- Reposted by Mike Simpson🧭 We are pleased to announce that applications for the SSI Fellowship Programme 2026 will be open from Mon 11 Aug to Mon 6 Oct 2025. An introductory Fellowship Programme Launch Webinar will be held on Thu 21 Aug. Find out more at www.software.ac.uk/news/fellows...
- Reposted by Mike SimpsonPls respect my boundaries 💙 Anything you’d add?
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[Not loaded yet] - Aaand the porn-bots are here! NOW it feels like Twitter!
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- Reposted by Mike Simpson💬 #SSIFellow @mdsimpson.co.uk has launched a new initiative names ConveRSE. The website will serve as a hub for mental health information and support, including updates on his fellowship and collaborations with others in the community. Find out more at www.software.ac.uk/blog/convers...
- It feels like, with all our human ingenuity, it should be possible to make straw that lasts longer 10 seconds but less than 10 million years! 🤔
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- This month, I finally got around to playing Hi-Fi Rush, a rhythm action game where you have to save the world by smashing robots to the beat with a guitar. Does it make sense? No! Was it fun? Absolutely! mdsimpson.co.uk/2025/06/hi-f...
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- USB fan + power bank = portable cooling! 😎
- Great discussion on Dealing with Anxiety (and #MentalHealth in general) from Jimmy Carr, of all people! www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fYm...
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- Huge thanks to everyone from @ukceh.bsky.social who organised and showed up for my @softwaresaved.bsky.social #MentalHealth talk today. It's a nerve-wracking talk to give, but everyone was so kind and welcoming. Nice to see some familiar faces too! 😊
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- One of the many, many highlights from @softwaresaved.bsky.social #CollabW25 was getting to meet my fellow Fellows and hearing about all the fascinating and varied work that everyone is doing. Still feeling amazed and honoured to be among them!
- This week, I'm heading to Lancaster, Durham and (virtually, unfortunately!) The Netherlands to deliver my @softwaresaved.bsky.social Fellowship #MentalHealth talk. Wish me luck!
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- My 'new' game for May is Marvel's Midnight Suns, a tactical RPG from the makers of XCOM. On paper, it's the perfect game for me, but I was initially hesitant to play it. Was I right to be cautious? mdsimpson.co.uk/2025/05/marv...
- Well, I'm off, it's just me and the dog in the house... and, of course, it's raining! Oh well, time to get away from the screens for a bit and start a new #Lego set. 🤓
- Heading home after another amazing CW. It was great to catch up with faces old and new. Thank you to those who talked to me about mental health, I'm feeling inspired and excited to move forward. Thank you to Kyro and everyone at @softwaresaved.bsky.social for pulling it off once again! #CollabW25
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- Delighted to announce 'ConveRSE' - the new online hub for #MentalHealth information, resources and support for people in the research software community - at @softwaresaved.bsky.social #CollabW25. More details and opportunities to contribute to follow in the coming weeks.
- Racing through the beautiful Scottish countryside in glorious sunshine on my way to @softwaresaved.bsky.social #CollabW25. Excited for another few days of ideas and conversations, and giving my lightning talk, of course!
- Who's the worst guard dog in the whole damn world? #BassetHound #Dog
- Last week, I qualified as a Mental Health First Aider to help me prepare for talking about #MentalHealth as part of my @SoftwareSaved.bsky.social Fellowship. I'll be at CW25 next week and I will have news of some other upcoming talks soon.
