Véronique Vitry

https://mastodon.social/@Verovitry

Metallurgy professor at UMONS, Belgium, amateur musician. In short, I like metal and noise.

Public Key

npub1xqrl3ttz2qsjutmkx8ckv7v6dc9hdzmrk4qw0c5nhtdm9dmx07ysnx7pz2

NIP-05 Address

verovitry_at_mastodon.social@momostr.pink

Profile Code

nprofile1qqsrqplc4439qgfw9amrrutx0xdxuzmk3d3m2s88u2fm4kajkan8lzgprpmhxue69uhhyetvv9ujumt0d4hhxarj9ecxjmnt38aq0x

Publishing to

relay.momostr.pink

Author Public Key

npub1xqrl3ttz2qsjutmkx8ckv7v6dc9hdzmrk4qw0c5nhtdm9dmx07ysnx7pz2

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Last Notes

2026-05-13 20:15:00 UTC

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luckily, my lab doesn't have a breakroom at the moment.
But frankly, it only works like that here when the professor is not that good. I know some. I know some that care about good work more than anything.
It's probably an universal human behaviour

2026-05-13 20:08:30 UTC

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no. Corporate doesn't publish much. They prefer keeping industrial secrets.
The plague of my field is academic wannabes. The ones that would do everything to climb to the top. See what I mean?

2026-05-13 20:04:06 UTC

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it is pathetic.
And frankly, bad results (this didn't work) are as valuable as good ones.
If you tell me 'we tried this and there's no way to make it work', I'll know to stay out of it and it'll save me time, money, and sanity.

2026-05-13 19:52:05 UTC

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no, it's more of the 'this thing will never be useful in anyway but let's act like it'll solve the energy crisis and the issue of raw materials'.
Can't tell if one is worse than the other.

2026-05-13 19:45:29 UTC

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there's fashion also in the hard sciences. I've just never been very fashion inclined. For science, clothes, or whatever else you can imagine.

2026-05-13 19:40:49 UTC

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recognition for great work in your own little work niche is a bit different in my opinion. We all should want that, if only to keep ourselves to high levels of work worthiness and soundness.

2026-05-13 19:23:48 UTC

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thanks for reminding us that the secret of a good life is what you make of what happens to you.
No one needs fame, glory or money to have a good life. We need love, achievement, friends, family.

2026-03-14 06:59:21 UTC

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I'll take that in mind for when I want to get rid of them for a few days...
Because the young one has also caught the virus

2026-03-14 06:51:50 UTC

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here it will be more 'taxiing' : bringing daughter and son to music lessons, the to a round of dungeons and dragons for the boy, the scouts for the other, and making dessert for the scouts' party.
It's time my oldest learns to drive....

2026-03-14 06:40:14 UTC

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parenting, work, and more parenting by going to the scouts' dinner party.

2026-02-18 15:16:40 UTC

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if it's just 'how this is a nice new coin', why even buy it?
You could just ask the owner to loan it to you and write the note anyway.
Or am I missing something?

2026-02-11 06:12:24 UTC

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class with masters students in the morning and with kiddies in the afternoon.
Guess which one will be more fun?

2026-02-10 22:49:13 UTC

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not every branch of natural science is as heavy on resources as particle experimental physics.
Give a pencil to a few mathematicians and theoretical physicists and you can also get solid research outputs. Except no one but them will understand it.

2026-02-01 07:10:32 UTC

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work... That's sad isn't it?
But class restarts tomorrow and I have not yet prepared my lessons.

2026-01-23 10:49:03 UTC

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since I have got my stable position, I've become a mix between teacher, manager, and copy-editor.
Sometimes I manage to discuss some science.

2026-01-20 16:08:23 UTC

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maybe it's because it looks easy to those that have no Idea of the amount of work and sweat hidden behind them?

2026-01-15 09:00:32 UTC

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definitely, science at its coolest.

2026-01-15 08:57:11 UTC

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Here are a few, even found the one with the sausages on it.
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/115/898/268/786/694/539/original/d54e8926cd6fee0c.jpeg
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/115/898/269/769/666/329/original/8274e85410e4cd9b.jpeg
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/115/898/271/615/695/339/original/fedc92a84c3d828c.jpeg
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/115/898/279/432/101/237/original/ff706068f56798c8.jpg

2026-01-15 08:45:24 UTC

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want pictures of the quickest ever BBQ?

2026-01-15 08:39:48 UTC

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I love blast furnaces and their slages. It was my first adventure in archaeometallurgy.
Built a modern materials - ancient techniques one in the faculty courtyard 10 years ago.
One of my best ever work memories.

2026-01-15 07:54:33 UTC

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one of my post doc is married to an archaeologist so we've started analysing metallic artefacts (and a few others, she's a specialist of ceramics) for her and a few others.
That's some of our coolest work

2026-01-15 07:51:01 UTC

@npub17x4…u7yh seen you're an archaeologist. Which kind?
As a metallurgist, I've got some interest in the field.

2026-01-15 07:40:58 UTC

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I wouldn't go there either if I was in your field. In engineering however, it's useful to find contacts at companies for students placement, projects and the like, and to help my alumni find jobs. But not really for real scientific networking. That's better done during coffee breaks at conferences.

2025-04-15 06:22:51 UTC

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I've noticed that admins that work closely with academics (some parts of research, accounts, faculty admins,...) tend to streamline their processes as much as possible for us, because they understand what we do.
And they explain why they require things from us, which helps when it's tedious.
But those that are far removed from us work as if in a bubble.

2025-04-15 06:18:55 UTC

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that's a great idea!
If I'm ever in the position, can I borrow it?

2025-04-15 05:50:10 UTC

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definitely.
And some of them don't even understand that by putting more admin pressure in academics, they're putting their own jobs at risk.
If we spend too much time on admin stuff, then our research and teaching suffers, and that's what brings the money in to pay for everyone.

2025-04-15 05:45:24 UTC

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of course we need admin and support. But we need them efficient and always mindful that the academic part is the core one.
I've dealt a lot with a UK university where they are actually stopping us from working.
- recruit a PhD student? You need approval by so many admin before you can even start advertising.
- a convention? 6 months and so many people.
- an NDA? My colleague doesn't even dare anymore. Takes months, ticket system.
That's the bulshit jobs! Not all admins are.