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Alec MacKinnon

@alecmackinnon.bsky.social

490 followers 370 following 450 posts

Solar physicist, adult educator, human. Scottish. Retired; hopefully not yet moribund. Prog, jazz and indeed, surprising though it might be to the younger me, folk. Cycling

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Alec MacKinnon @alecmackinnon.bsky.social · Dec 6

here's a picture I made. Simulated tracks of 25 electrons passing through a gas (like air), each with its unique history of scattering off the gas atoms. Based on ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1991A%26..., work done for #solarflare purposes. The colours are random to make a pretty picture

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Alec MacKinnon @alecmackinnon.bsky.social · 12h

Lake District murky day #lakedistrict #coniston #yewdale #murky #autumnal

Stone wall snaking away into the distance, wood on its right side, rough pasture on its left, wooded hills shrouded in low cloud beyond

Autumnal trees in the foreground, hills behind wreathed in low cloud. All rather gray

A stream, an orange-coloured autumnal tree, some sheep on grass

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Reposted by Alec MacKinnon

Paul Halpern @phalpern.bsky.social · 15h

'The existence and validity of human rights are not written in the stars..

A large part of history is therefore replete with the struggle for those rights.. in which a final victory can never be won.

But to tire in that struggle would mean the ruin of society'

-Albert Einstein

#Einstein #Science

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Reposted by Alec MacKinnon

Dr. Ryan French @ryanjfrench.bsky.social · 1d

In 2024, the Sun reached the peak of its 11-year solar cycle. Over the year, the Sun produced hundreds of notable solar flares and coronal mass ejections! ☀️

I have uploaded a 13-minute YouTube video presenting the highlights of those events! Enjoy. youtu.be/WJxuxAA82uI?...

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Reposted by Alec MacKinnon

Dave Vetter @davidrvetter.bsky.social · 1d

Every day is a good day to point out that 92% of Reform's donations were found to come from figures and groups linked to the fossil fuel industry. @desmog.com

Nigel Farage’s Reform Party Has Accepted £2.3 Million from Fossil Fuel Interests, Climate Deniers, and Polluters Since 2019 Election

Reform UK has received more than £2.3 million from oil and gas interests, highly polluting industries, and climate science deniers since December 2019, amounting to 92 percent of the party’s donations...

www.desmog.com

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Reposted by Alec MacKinnon

Mixmaster Morris @mixmastermorris.bsky.social · 2d

2025 in a picture

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Reposted by Alec MacKinnon

Zack Polanski @zackpolanski.bsky.social · 2d

Ever since I finished Question Time, Reform have massively been on the attack.

Including a rant from Richard Tice entirely designed to distract from Reform and Russia.

Everyone should know about Nathan Gill, the bribes from Russia and the link to Reform.

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Alec MacKinnon @alecmackinnon.bsky.social · 3d

Sad days ☹️

Alec MacKinnon @alecmackinnon.bsky.social · 3d

One year ago today. Looked trashy, was great. Never seen them since #chocolatesnowball

A chocolate snowball on a wooden chopping board

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Alec MacKinnon @alecmackinnon.bsky.social · 3d

Where is his loyalty? The people of Clacton who put him in Westminster? Or his paymasters?

Otto English @ottoenglish.bsky.social · 4d

Twelve Jobs Nigel has earned over £1 million in additional income since the general election.

To understand the scale of it, since the July 2024 election he's earned roughly £100k more as a brand ambassador for Direct Bullion than Starmer gets as PM.

www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news...

Nigel Farage earns over £1m from 12 'second jobs' - check how much your MP earns

The Reform UK leader's most lucrative second jobs include hosting on GB News, serving as a brand ambassador for Direct Bullion and recording videos for Cameo

www.mirror.co.uk

Alec MacKinnon @alecmackinnon.bsky.social · 4d

described however as "a shameless gossip" by David Abulafia, biographer of Frederick II

John McCafferty @jdmccafferty.bsky.social · 4d

9 Oct 1221: b. Salimbene di Adam #Franciscan friar, theologian, & chronicler who is an important source for Italian history of the 13th century. (Parmezan)

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Alec MacKinnon @alecmackinnon.bsky.social · 4d

here's an exciting job for a solar radio astronomer, developing cutting-edge solar activity monitoring infrastructure in the Azores Archipelago raege-az.pt/en/researche... #heliophysics #solarphysics #solarradio (nothing to do with me! - questions to RAEGE_Az)

Researcher Position – SOLAR-Az Project - RAEGE-Az

Researcher Position – SOLAR-Az Project Project Overview The SOLAR-Az project aims to establish a cutting-edge solar activity monitoring infrastructure in the Azores Archipelago, integrating it into th...

raege-az.pt

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Alec MacKinnon @alecmackinnon.bsky.social · 4d

Who can afford to stay out until the early hours when it's upwards of seven quid for a pint?

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Alec MacKinnon @alecmackinnon.bsky.social · 4d

Words of Advice from William S #Burroughs and indeed Material (Bill Laswell) youtu.be/iIB1-EeuZHI?...

Words Of Advice - Material featuring Williams Burroughs

YouTube video by marc higgins

youtu.be

Alec MacKinnon @alecmackinnon.bsky.social · 4d

Strathaven, Culross, Bellochantuy

Alec MacKinnon @alecmackinnon.bsky.social · 5d

Ha ha, sorry, not clever at all, totally simple minded. Not being able to edit your posts is really irritating, yes but I don't know any smart way round it

Alec MacKinnon @alecmackinnon.bsky.social · 5d

well, you'd have to ask the people who were there on that particular night. But if all you knew about them was Chasing Cars you might feel they were on the yucky side

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Alec MacKinnon @alecmackinnon.bsky.social · 5d

a weekend of #Astronomy lifelong learning. For many years I worked on this sort of adult education in the Glasgow area: courses, day schools, even a residential weekend school under the dark skies of the Highlands. it's great it's still going in Oxford lifelong-learning.ox.ac.uk/courses/the-...

The Enigmatic Universe: Astronomy Weekend

Join us for a celebration of human progress in understanding “The Enigmatic Universe”, using the latest advances in astronomy and planetary science. All are welcome at this weekend event, directed by ...

lifelong-learning.ox.ac.uk

Alec MacKinnon @alecmackinnon.bsky.social · 5d

I do this because I think there's a very narrow window, probably just a few minutes, for most people to see them. Reposting once or twice means they'll be seen by people who missed them first time (I would like them to be seen of course!). Some other people do this much more than me

Reposted by Alec MacKinnon

Alec MacKinnon @alecmackinnon.bsky.social · 5d

Our morning walk in Linn Park is particularly beautiful at this time of year #autumn #glasgow #leavesturning

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Alec MacKinnon @alecmackinnon.bsky.social · 5d

Some years ago I went to see Low, in the Glasgow ABC. "Hey, you guys coming to see Snow Patrol here tomorrow night?" Sparhawk asked us. Don't think he was ready for the chorus of "nooo!!!"s

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Alec MacKinnon @alecmackinnon.bsky.social · 5d

Our morning walk in Linn Park is particularly beautiful at this time of year #autumn #glasgow #leavesturning

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Alec MacKinnon @alecmackinnon.bsky.social · 6d

prophetic

Tits McGee @scientits.bsky.social · 6d

I rewatched They Live (1988) last night

*mild spoilers*

It's been a while since I've watched it and I'd forgotten that 2025 was the year mentioned by the alien as the year they'd have full control over Earth

Reposted by Alec MacKinnon

womensartbluesky.bsky.social @womensartbluesky.bsky.social · 6d

Girl in the East Wind with Ravens Passing the Moon, 1893 by Glasgow School artist Frances MacDonald #WomensArt

Painting of a stylised white woman in a pale green dress standing facing left in front of a full moon as five or more ravens fly past to the left against a dark sky

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Alec MacKinnon @alecmackinnon.bsky.social · 7d

of course if you like this you should support Mr Drake's efforts: bdstudio.bandcamp.com/album/the-sk...

The Skull Mailbox and Other Horrors, by Bob Drake

25 track album

bdstudio.bandcamp.com

Alec MacKinnon @alecmackinnon.bsky.social · 7d

"In rust we trust" ha ha.