Dr. Kelley Hess
@khesser.bsky.social
Astronomer/Senior Researcher at Onsala Space Observatory/Chalmers University, Sweden; ultra runner, adventure racer, cyclist. Ironman WC 2012, 2014. Xterra World Champs 2014.
Pinned
Dr. Kelley Hess
@khesser.bsky.social
· Nov 14
What’s up new followers. Welcome to Bluesky! Tonight we had another amazing sunset at the Onsala Space Observatory (note the deer 🦌 !). I often tweet about telescopes and galaxies, with some running, bikes, and legos thrown in. I reskeet cool science, women’s sports, and other stuff.
Reposted by Dr. Kelley Hess
I’m biased bc I used to do a little fieldwork for the forest service in Yosemite, but they’re all neat. I had no idea they would do custom orders, though — it’s such a great idea for swag!
www.buff.com/us/coolnet-u...
www.buff.com/us/coolnet-u...
Yosemite National Park by Gretchen Leggitt
Lightweight Multifunctional neckwear made from recycled plastic bottles, delivering UPF 50 sun protection and evaporative cooling properites. Running, Jumping, Hiking, Fishing, Paddling, Camping - wha...
www.buff.com
February 14, 2026 at 9:31 PM
I’m biased bc I used to do a little fieldwork for the forest service in Yosemite, but they’re all neat. I had no idea they would do custom orders, though — it’s such a great idea for swag!
www.buff.com/us/coolnet-u...
www.buff.com/us/coolnet-u...
Reposted by Dr. Kelley Hess
As a Buffs fan, I absolutely love this idea, and look how great they are!
And if you didn’t know, but are a fan of the US National Parks, Buffs has an equally cool looking parks collection with unique designs for the big favorites.
And if you didn’t know, but are a fan of the US National Parks, Buffs has an equally cool looking parks collection with unique designs for the big favorites.
We got custom Buffs made for the Sweden SKA Science Days and other sweSRC and Nordic ARC node events this year, inspired by the telescopes and landscape of Onsala Space Observatory. The anticipation has been intense, but they turned out so well! 🤩 🔭 📡
February 14, 2026 at 5:42 PM
As a Buffs fan, I absolutely love this idea, and look how great they are!
And if you didn’t know, but are a fan of the US National Parks, Buffs has an equally cool looking parks collection with unique designs for the big favorites.
And if you didn’t know, but are a fan of the US National Parks, Buffs has an equally cool looking parks collection with unique designs for the big favorites.
We got custom Buffs made for the Sweden SKA Science Days and other sweSRC and Nordic ARC node events this year, inspired by the telescopes and landscape of Onsala Space Observatory. The anticipation has been intense, but they turned out so well! 🤩 🔭 📡
February 14, 2026 at 5:27 PM
We got custom Buffs made for the Sweden SKA Science Days and other sweSRC and Nordic ARC node events this year, inspired by the telescopes and landscape of Onsala Space Observatory. The anticipation has been intense, but they turned out so well! 🤩 🔭 📡
Reposted by Dr. Kelley Hess
Bluesky is the new science Twitter, new study by @whysharksmatter.bsky.social and Julia Wester concludes!
"Results show that for every reported professional benefit that scientists once gained from Twitter, scientists can now gain that benefit more effectively on Bluesky than on Twitter."
"Results show that for every reported professional benefit that scientists once gained from Twitter, scientists can now gain that benefit more effectively on Bluesky than on Twitter."
Scientists no Longer Find Twitter Professionally Useful, and have Switched to Bluesky
Synopsis. Social media has become widely used by the scientific community for a variety of professional uses, including networking and public outreach. For
academic.oup.com
February 13, 2026 at 10:08 PM
Bluesky is the new science Twitter, new study by @whysharksmatter.bsky.social and Julia Wester concludes!
"Results show that for every reported professional benefit that scientists once gained from Twitter, scientists can now gain that benefit more effectively on Bluesky than on Twitter."
"Results show that for every reported professional benefit that scientists once gained from Twitter, scientists can now gain that benefit more effectively on Bluesky than on Twitter."
View from the office yesterday.
📡 🔭 ❄️
📡 🔭 ❄️
February 12, 2026 at 11:36 AM
View from the office yesterday.
📡 🔭 ❄️
📡 🔭 ❄️
Reposted by Dr. Kelley Hess
OK BUT THE SOURCING AND CONSTRUCTION OF OLYMPIC CURLING STONES IS SO FREAKING COOL i'm glad people are yapping about this
(i did not Understand a damn thing about curling until quite recently and am low-key mildly obsessed now)
(i did not Understand a damn thing about curling until quite recently and am low-key mildly obsessed now)
Yes, we talked to a geologist who curls about the very special geology of curling's stones, please enjoy
Why curling rocks come from just two spots on Earth
The rocks used in the Olympic sport of curling come from one island in Scotland and one quarry in Wales. What makes them so special?
www.scientificamerican.com
February 10, 2026 at 7:06 PM
OK BUT THE SOURCING AND CONSTRUCTION OF OLYMPIC CURLING STONES IS SO FREAKING COOL i'm glad people are yapping about this
(i did not Understand a damn thing about curling until quite recently and am low-key mildly obsessed now)
(i did not Understand a damn thing about curling until quite recently and am low-key mildly obsessed now)
Reposted by Dr. Kelley Hess
Swedish language PSA: The mixed doubles curling gold medal winners are named "Wranå", not "Wranaa" as is used in the official Olympic games broadcasts and results. "Å" is an actual letter in the Swedish alphabet, just like "ä" and "ö". Its pronunciation is similar to the "o" in "gold."
February 10, 2026 at 9:48 PM
Swedish language PSA: The mixed doubles curling gold medal winners are named "Wranå", not "Wranaa" as is used in the official Olympic games broadcasts and results. "Å" is an actual letter in the Swedish alphabet, just like "ä" and "ö". Its pronunciation is similar to the "o" in "gold."
Today, in Jevons Paradox…
HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW: “.. In our in-progress research, we discovered that AI tools didn’t reduce work, they consistently intensified it.”
hbr.org/2026/02/ai-d...
hbr.org/2026/02/ai-d...
February 10, 2026 at 10:00 PM
Today, in Jevons Paradox…
Reposted by Dr. Kelley Hess
Look around. The case for more, not less, liberal arts education remains stronger than ever.
Bad Bunny has a consulting historian. news.wisc.edu/pop-star-bad...
Pop star Bad Bunny needed a Puerto Rican history scholar. UW–Madison had just the one.
Bad Bunny collaborated with UW–Madison history professor Jorell Meléndez-Badillo on Puerto Rican narratives that accompany the new album “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS.”
news.wisc.edu
February 9, 2026 at 5:54 AM
Look around. The case for more, not less, liberal arts education remains stronger than ever.
Reposted by Dr. Kelley Hess
No joke: I got angry hate mail today for writing an obituary of a Black woman scientist—because the person felt she did didn’t deserve the recognition.
Which just makes me want to share it again: www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Which just makes me want to share it again: www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Gladys Mae West obituary: mathematician who pioneered GPS technology
She made key contributions to US cold-war science despite facing huge barriers as a Black woman.
www.nature.com
February 6, 2026 at 9:09 AM
No joke: I got angry hate mail today for writing an obituary of a Black woman scientist—because the person felt she did didn’t deserve the recognition.
Which just makes me want to share it again: www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Which just makes me want to share it again: www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Reposted by Dr. Kelley Hess
Our flagship public universities are already not "public" universities. Soon, they'll either be fully privatized, or they'll be "universities." The question for places like UW - Madison is which one we'll become. Others have already made their choices. And the rest simply haven't admitted this yet.
Here is UW - Madison's budget. Our <largest> funder is the federal government. 25%. It used to be the state. Either way, the university in its current form ceases to exist if these federal cuts really happen. But The. Public. Doesn't. Know. This. And our leaders are absent from the public debate.
February 5, 2026 at 10:27 PM
Our flagship public universities are already not "public" universities. Soon, they'll either be fully privatized, or they'll be "universities." The question for places like UW - Madison is which one we'll become. Others have already made their choices. And the rest simply haven't admitted this yet.
Just wrapped up a great meeting of the 3rd Sweden SKA Science Days! 50+ people and folks online, 8+ countries represented, a myriad of science topics from proto-planetary disks to galaxies to cosmic rays to the epoch of reionization, & lively discussions about machine learning in the SKA era. 🔭 📡
February 5, 2026 at 7:11 PM
Just wrapped up a great meeting of the 3rd Sweden SKA Science Days! 50+ people and folks online, 8+ countries represented, a myriad of science topics from proto-planetary disks to galaxies to cosmic rays to the epoch of reionization, & lively discussions about machine learning in the SKA era. 🔭 📡
Reposted by Dr. Kelley Hess
Block this fucker.
February 1, 2026 at 5:58 PM
Block this fucker.
Reposted by Dr. Kelley Hess
This is Jerry Lawson. He invented the video game cartridge for the Fairchild Channel F system. Because of his invention, many consoles had cartridges and CD formats and would become the norm.
The Atari 2600, NES, Genesis, and many consoles wouldn't exist without him.
Happy Black History Month.
The Atari 2600, NES, Genesis, and many consoles wouldn't exist without him.
Happy Black History Month.
February 1, 2025 at 11:04 PM
This is Jerry Lawson. He invented the video game cartridge for the Fairchild Channel F system. Because of his invention, many consoles had cartridges and CD formats and would become the norm.
The Atari 2600, NES, Genesis, and many consoles wouldn't exist without him.
Happy Black History Month.
The Atari 2600, NES, Genesis, and many consoles wouldn't exist without him.
Happy Black History Month.
A colleague just got off the phone & said a Chinese satellite 🛰️ is going to crash into Sweden this afternoon. Wait. WHAT?
In the interest of not causing an international incident: there is *ten hour* uncertainty on this, and Swedish civil defense issued a warning: www.svt.se/nyheter/utri...
In the interest of not causing an international incident: there is *ten hour* uncertainty on this, and Swedish civil defense issued a warning: www.svt.se/nyheter/utri...
Kinesisk rymdraket faller okontrollerat – kan påverka flygtrafik
Rymdskrot kan falla över södra Sverige under fredagen, uppger Myndigheten för civilt försvar. ”Vi har under dagen samverkat med berörda aktörer och händelsen är under uppsikt”, uppger myndigheten. Det...
www.svt.se
January 30, 2026 at 12:41 PM
A colleague just got off the phone & said a Chinese satellite 🛰️ is going to crash into Sweden this afternoon. Wait. WHAT?
In the interest of not causing an international incident: there is *ten hour* uncertainty on this, and Swedish civil defense issued a warning: www.svt.se/nyheter/utri...
In the interest of not causing an international incident: there is *ten hour* uncertainty on this, and Swedish civil defense issued a warning: www.svt.se/nyheter/utri...
Reposted by Dr. Kelley Hess
I'm not sure people do think of sand in terms of the composition, as people are happy with black (iron oxides), green (olivine), and pink (coral) sands being sand. Using grain size to distinguish between gravel, sand, and mud comes intuitively to most people, even if they don't use the term
January 28, 2026 at 9:58 PM
I'm not sure people do think of sand in terms of the composition, as people are happy with black (iron oxides), green (olivine), and pink (coral) sands being sand. Using grain size to distinguish between gravel, sand, and mud comes intuitively to most people, even if they don't use the term
Reposted by Dr. Kelley Hess
What a fucking disaster.
Not only are OpenAI and the likes unleashing this shit on the world, they are deliberately leaning into the harms that their business model causes with products like Prism.
Not only are OpenAI and the likes unleashing this shit on the world, they are deliberately leaning into the harms that their business model causes with products like Prism.
Research Notes of the AAS in particular, which was set up to handle short, moderated contributions especially from students, is getting swamped. Often the authors clearly haven’t read what they’ve submitting, (Descriptions of figures that don’t exist or don’t show what they purport to)
January 28, 2026 at 6:38 AM
What a fucking disaster.
Not only are OpenAI and the likes unleashing this shit on the world, they are deliberately leaning into the harms that their business model causes with products like Prism.
Not only are OpenAI and the likes unleashing this shit on the world, they are deliberately leaning into the harms that their business model causes with products like Prism.
Reposted by Dr. Kelley Hess
If you ever installed Twitter (or X or Grok) on the App Store, you can submit a report of abusive content and ask them to remove the apps from the App Store.
Just click the “Report a Problem” link on the app’s page in the App Store.
Just click the “Report a Problem” link on the app’s page in the App Store.
January 10, 2026 at 3:45 AM
If you ever installed Twitter (or X or Grok) on the App Store, you can submit a report of abusive content and ask them to remove the apps from the App Store.
Just click the “Report a Problem” link on the app’s page in the App Store.
Just click the “Report a Problem” link on the app’s page in the App Store.
Reposted by Dr. Kelley Hess
I'm a resident of the Twin Cities. A small team and I spent 3 days sculpting this for a competition/festival in extremely cold temperatures. We were disqualified for political messaging and one of the organizers defaced it. I have no regrets and I have never been more proud to be Minnesotan. (cont)
January 25, 2026 at 11:16 PM
I'm a resident of the Twin Cities. A small team and I spent 3 days sculpting this for a competition/festival in extremely cold temperatures. We were disqualified for political messaging and one of the organizers defaced it. I have no regrets and I have never been more proud to be Minnesotan. (cont)
Woohoo! 🎉 Congrats to Barbara Šiljeg on having her most recent paper accepted, and for successfully defending her PhD @rug.nl this week! The lesson here is that one needs to resolve HI single-dish detections in order to properly ID their optical counterparts and to constrain their kinematics. 🔭 🧪 📡
Not so-dark: High resolution HI imaging of J0139+4328 and identification of an optical counterpart. Barbara Šiljeg et. al. https://arxiv.org/abs/2601.12513
January 22, 2026 at 3:16 PM
Woohoo! 🎉 Congrats to Barbara Šiljeg on having her most recent paper accepted, and for successfully defending her PhD @rug.nl this week! The lesson here is that one needs to resolve HI single-dish detections in order to properly ID their optical counterparts and to constrain their kinematics. 🔭 🧪 📡
I need at least 3 more folk to sign up for my Edinburgh Adult Education Programme archaeology classes at Craigentinny, or the course will be cancelled. If you know anyone who might be interested, please let them know. Thank you!
adulteducationedinburgh.spydus.co.uk/cgi-bin/spyd...
adulteducationedinburgh.spydus.co.uk/cgi-bin/spyd...
January 22, 2026 at 11:50 AM
Reposted by Dr. Kelley Hess
Great aurora visible in Dwingeloo yesterday!
January 20, 2026 at 10:08 AM
Great aurora visible in Dwingeloo yesterday!
Reposted by Dr. Kelley Hess
✨Auroras✨ over Groningen,NL during the first after-conference day of @rockyworlds.bsky.social This planet is just so incredible! Looking forward for the talks, sessions and activities the rest of the week🌌
January 20, 2026 at 6:34 AM
✨Auroras✨ over Groningen,NL during the first after-conference day of @rockyworlds.bsky.social This planet is just so incredible! Looking forward for the talks, sessions and activities the rest of the week🌌
Underrated: Gothenburg is one of the best connected cities in Europe (I love living here!). Copenhagen, Stockholm, and Oslo are all within a 3.5 hour train ride. I got up at a not insane time and will be in Oslo before lunch. 🥰🚄🚆Almost forgot I needed a passport. 🤦♀️
January 20, 2026 at 7:36 AM
Underrated: Gothenburg is one of the best connected cities in Europe (I love living here!). Copenhagen, Stockholm, and Oslo are all within a 3.5 hour train ride. I got up at a not insane time and will be in Oslo before lunch. 🥰🚄🚆Almost forgot I needed a passport. 🤦♀️