Brian O'Halloran
@playingwithdust.bsky.social
Die hard Cruyffian. Ex astrophysicist. QPR devotee, for my multiple sins. Single parent.
Pinned
Time for a (re) introduction for my new followers! I'm Brian, a fallen astrophysicist living on the Copper Coast in Waterford, Ireland. Most of my feed will be photos of this gorgeous part of the world, plus my astrophotography.
Oh, plus terrible football takes.
Oh, plus terrible football takes.
Reposted by Brian O'Halloran
What a great photo of Brazilian alpine skier Lucas Pinheiro Braathen, the first South American to ever win a medal at the Winter Olympic Games.
February 14, 2026 at 9:06 PM
What a great photo of Brazilian alpine skier Lucas Pinheiro Braathen, the first South American to ever win a medal at the Winter Olympic Games.
Reposted by Brian O'Halloran
Think about what that library could do with an extra $2 million a year
My employer, Univ. Colorado will pay OpenAI $2M/year under the banner of “equity”. That’s 54 full scholarships / year. Plus, our IT will be able to read our chatGPT logs, and our chats can be requested under public records law. No thanks. Surveillance is not equity
www.axios.com/local/boulde...
www.axios.com/local/boulde...
CU signs $2M OpenAI deal for ChatGPT access
Students and faculty will gain access to ChatGPT Edu starting in March under a three-year deal.
www.axios.com
February 14, 2026 at 9:51 PM
Think about what that library could do with an extra $2 million a year
Reposted by Brian O'Halloran
You may laugh, but the Macbeths are a much better role model for a marriage than Romeo and Juliet. They discuss their problems (killing the king of Scotland), share their hobbies (killing the king of Scotland), and resolve their conflicts (by killing the king of Scotland).
February 13, 2026 at 5:09 PM
You may laugh, but the Macbeths are a much better role model for a marriage than Romeo and Juliet. They discuss their problems (killing the king of Scotland), share their hobbies (killing the king of Scotland), and resolve their conflicts (by killing the king of Scotland).
Reposted by Brian O'Halloran
Really photo editing here by Hector Vivas of Getty Images. Composite of the women's snowboard halfpipe final, depicting all the female Olympians who competed.
February 14, 2026 at 6:00 PM
Really photo editing here by Hector Vivas of Getty Images. Composite of the women's snowboard halfpipe final, depicting all the female Olympians who competed.
Reposted by Brian O'Halloran
That's weird, she just told me that she didn't even race today.
February 14, 2026 at 8:01 PM
That's weird, she just told me that she didn't even race today.
Reposted by Brian O'Halloran
Last weekend, was looking at TV options as I was moving to fibre broadband. Was shocked that all providers offered only steaming options with no/little recording capability & was expensive.
I wanted Ire/UK TV + recording capability: this led me to this, the GigaBlue UHD Quad 4K Pro (1/n)
I wanted Ire/UK TV + recording capability: this led me to this, the GigaBlue UHD Quad 4K Pro (1/n)
February 14, 2026 at 4:02 PM
Last weekend, was looking at TV options as I was moving to fibre broadband. Was shocked that all providers offered only steaming options with no/little recording capability & was expensive.
I wanted Ire/UK TV + recording capability: this led me to this, the GigaBlue UHD Quad 4K Pro (1/n)
I wanted Ire/UK TV + recording capability: this led me to this, the GigaBlue UHD Quad 4K Pro (1/n)
Reposted by Brian O'Halloran
In Ireland, we don't call it Home Alone. We call Mo Chónaí Culkin and I think that's beautiful
February 14, 2026 at 1:00 PM
In Ireland, we don't call it Home Alone. We call Mo Chónaí Culkin and I think that's beautiful
Reposted by Brian O'Halloran
This matters because London has among the lowest vaccination rates for measles in England - there are many pockets of unvaccinated communities that could be at significant risk from a runaway outbreak:
🚨 EXCLUSIVE: Health officials are racing to contain a growing measles outbreak in London, which has struck down dozens of young children and affected 7 schools and a nursery.
UKHSA has warned an outbreak across London could see 40,000 - 160,000 cases:
www.thetimes.com/uk/healthcar...
UKHSA has warned an outbreak across London could see 40,000 - 160,000 cases:
www.thetimes.com/uk/healthcar...
London measles outbreak: more than 60 children infected
Cases are spreading between children in Enfield as the virus exploits low MMR vaccination rates, medical experts say
www.thetimes.com
February 14, 2026 at 6:49 PM
This matters because London has among the lowest vaccination rates for measles in England - there are many pockets of unvaccinated communities that could be at significant risk from a runaway outbreak:
Reposted by Brian O'Halloran
I see one of these I’m just leaving the shop. Absolutely no.
Dystopian future in Boots with the SAFER POD S3 dominating the aisles.
Put down the cleanser. You have 10 seconds to comply. You have 5 seconds to comply.
Put down the cleanser. You have 10 seconds to comply. You have 5 seconds to comply.
February 14, 2026 at 6:39 PM
I see one of these I’m just leaving the shop. Absolutely no.
Reposted by Brian O'Halloran
Well, FUCK. Here I was excited for my first grant as a faculty member…
“White House Withholds Funding for NASA Science Missions Despite Recent Budget Bill”
NASA has been forced to pause funds for Chandra X-Ray Observatory and other missions until further notice.
🔭🧪
gizmodo.com/white-house-...
“White House Withholds Funding for NASA Science Missions Despite Recent Budget Bill”
NASA has been forced to pause funds for Chandra X-Ray Observatory and other missions until further notice.
🔭🧪
gizmodo.com/white-house-...
White House Withholds Funding for NASA Science Missions Despite Recent Budget Bill
NASA has been forced to pause funds for Chandra X-Ray Observatory and other missions until further notice.
gizmodo.com
February 14, 2026 at 4:46 PM
Well, FUCK. Here I was excited for my first grant as a faculty member…
“White House Withholds Funding for NASA Science Missions Despite Recent Budget Bill”
NASA has been forced to pause funds for Chandra X-Ray Observatory and other missions until further notice.
🔭🧪
gizmodo.com/white-house-...
“White House Withholds Funding for NASA Science Missions Despite Recent Budget Bill”
NASA has been forced to pause funds for Chandra X-Ray Observatory and other missions until further notice.
🔭🧪
gizmodo.com/white-house-...
Reposted by Brian O'Halloran
A long thread on the GigaBlue UHD Quad 4K Pro PVR: allows me to combine/watch/record Saorview and Freesat on one box - the ability to stream multi room in high quality is the icing on the cake!
Last weekend, was looking at TV options as I was moving to fibre broadband. Was shocked that all providers offered only steaming options with no/little recording capability & was expensive.
I wanted Ire/UK TV + recording capability: this led me to this, the GigaBlue UHD Quad 4K Pro (1/n)
I wanted Ire/UK TV + recording capability: this led me to this, the GigaBlue UHD Quad 4K Pro (1/n)
February 14, 2026 at 6:05 PM
A long thread on the GigaBlue UHD Quad 4K Pro PVR: allows me to combine/watch/record Saorview and Freesat on one box - the ability to stream multi room in high quality is the icing on the cake!
Reposted by Brian O'Halloran
The sass of the person writing the minute by minute on England v Scotland is to be admired
February 14, 2026 at 5:29 PM
The sass of the person writing the minute by minute on England v Scotland is to be admired
Reposted by Brian O'Halloran
This rules. I love how delighted they all look!
February 14, 2026 at 4:59 PM
This rules. I love how delighted they all look!
A long thread on the GigaBlue UHD Quad 4K Pro PVR: allows me to combine/watch/record Saorview and Freesat on one box - the ability to stream multi room in high quality is the icing on the cake!
Last weekend, was looking at TV options as I was moving to fibre broadband. Was shocked that all providers offered only steaming options with no/little recording capability & was expensive.
I wanted Ire/UK TV + recording capability: this led me to this, the GigaBlue UHD Quad 4K Pro (1/n)
I wanted Ire/UK TV + recording capability: this led me to this, the GigaBlue UHD Quad 4K Pro (1/n)
February 14, 2026 at 6:05 PM
A long thread on the GigaBlue UHD Quad 4K Pro PVR: allows me to combine/watch/record Saorview and Freesat on one box - the ability to stream multi room in high quality is the icing on the cake!
Last weekend, was looking at TV options as I was moving to fibre broadband. Was shocked that all providers offered only steaming options with no/little recording capability & was expensive.
I wanted Ire/UK TV + recording capability: this led me to this, the GigaBlue UHD Quad 4K Pro (1/n)
I wanted Ire/UK TV + recording capability: this led me to this, the GigaBlue UHD Quad 4K Pro (1/n)
February 14, 2026 at 4:02 PM
Last weekend, was looking at TV options as I was moving to fibre broadband. Was shocked that all providers offered only steaming options with no/little recording capability & was expensive.
I wanted Ire/UK TV + recording capability: this led me to this, the GigaBlue UHD Quad 4K Pro (1/n)
I wanted Ire/UK TV + recording capability: this led me to this, the GigaBlue UHD Quad 4K Pro (1/n)
To go behind once to Blackburn at home is charity. To do it twice is incompetence.
Can imagine the crowd turning on JS given the recent form. #QPR
Can imagine the crowd turning on JS given the recent form. #QPR
February 14, 2026 at 3:48 PM
To go behind once to Blackburn at home is charity. To do it twice is incompetence.
Can imagine the crowd turning on JS given the recent form. #QPR
Can imagine the crowd turning on JS given the recent form. #QPR
Reposted by Brian O'Halloran
Did a thing for Newstalk/Off The Ball on Ratcliffe. Everyone who disagreed posted personal comments, some pretty nasty stuff. Can this be good for the “cause”? Or is impotent rage and abuse an acceptable world view now? Clicked on a FB thing about Elastica, pure misogyny. Social media was a mistake.
February 14, 2026 at 3:37 PM
Did a thing for Newstalk/Off The Ball on Ratcliffe. Everyone who disagreed posted personal comments, some pretty nasty stuff. Can this be good for the “cause”? Or is impotent rage and abuse an acceptable world view now? Clicked on a FB thing about Elastica, pure misogyny. Social media was a mistake.
Reposted by Brian O'Halloran
"That's here. That's home. That's us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives." —Carl Sagan
Voyager 1 captured the "Pale Blue Dot" image #OTD in 1990. 🧪 🔭 🔵
Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Voyager 1 captured the "Pale Blue Dot" image #OTD in 1990. 🧪 🔭 🔵
Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech
![The "pale blue dot" photo. It shows three or four colored beams of light – optical artifacts – passing from the left side of the image to the right. The background is dark, empty space. In the topmost light beam is a single pale blue pixel. That's Earth. Sagan's quote is printed on the image. It reads ""We succeeded in taking that picture [from deep space], and, if you look at it, you see a dot. That's here. That's home. That's us. On it, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever lived, lived out their lives. The aggregate of all our joys and sufferings, thousands of confident religions, ideologies and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilizations, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every hopeful child, every mother and father, every inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every superstar, every supreme leader, every saint and sinner in the history..."](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:6435lftcmpvxasbkrtsw22i7/bafkreicpbthbsbsmlfm3fjysre3sbt3gyu2gjxmacrnofhibatrts2xwga@jpeg)
February 14, 2026 at 1:12 PM
"That's here. That's home. That's us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives." —Carl Sagan
Voyager 1 captured the "Pale Blue Dot" image #OTD in 1990. 🧪 🔭 🔵
Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Voyager 1 captured the "Pale Blue Dot" image #OTD in 1990. 🧪 🔭 🔵
Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Reposted by Brian O'Halloran
So the rest of us who use drones in Cork City for recreation, search and rescue, geographical surveys etc have to step aside while the skies above the city are handed over to a private enterprise. #cork www.irishexaminer.com/business/com...
Drone delivery firm Manna seeks permission to fly in Cork airspace
Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) confirmed Manna as the beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operator that has requested permission to fly over Cork City
www.irishexaminer.com
February 12, 2026 at 11:44 AM
So the rest of us who use drones in Cork City for recreation, search and rescue, geographical surveys etc have to step aside while the skies above the city are handed over to a private enterprise. #cork www.irishexaminer.com/business/com...
Reposted by Brian O'Halloran
Timelapse over 4 weeks (Jan 19 - Feb 13) showing the steady brightening of Comet MAPS as it dives towards the sun.
February 14, 2026 at 12:03 PM
Timelapse over 4 weeks (Jan 19 - Feb 13) showing the steady brightening of Comet MAPS as it dives towards the sun.
Reposted by Brian O'Halloran
Another thrilling #ValentinesDay at #WBYeats house
February 14, 2026 at 10:04 AM
Another thrilling #ValentinesDay at #WBYeats house
It's terrible that this year, the only thing I got for Valentine's Day is...a HDMI switch.
(Which I bought myself).
#singlelife
(Which I bought myself).
#singlelife
February 14, 2026 at 10:09 AM
It's terrible that this year, the only thing I got for Valentine's Day is...a HDMI switch.
(Which I bought myself).
#singlelife
(Which I bought myself).
#singlelife
This is a great photo
#Scotland v #Netherlands.
#GraemeSouness is fouled in the box.
#Scotland was awarded a penalty kick and won the match, but they failed to qualify for the next stage anyway.
#Worldcup1978 #1978worldcup.
#GraemeSouness is fouled in the box.
#Scotland was awarded a penalty kick and won the match, but they failed to qualify for the next stage anyway.
#Worldcup1978 #1978worldcup.
February 14, 2026 at 10:01 AM
This is a great photo
Reposted by Brian O'Halloran
Roses are red
Violets are blue
You said we weren’t doing Valentines this year
You told me, last week, not to get you anything
Violets are blue
You said we weren’t doing Valentines this year
You told me, last week, not to get you anything
February 14, 2026 at 8:41 AM
Roses are red
Violets are blue
You said we weren’t doing Valentines this year
You told me, last week, not to get you anything
Violets are blue
You said we weren’t doing Valentines this year
You told me, last week, not to get you anything
Reposted by Brian O'Halloran
can you imagine how disappointed you’d be if you knew nothing about this book and only picked it up for this particular cover
February 14, 2026 at 8:23 AM
can you imagine how disappointed you’d be if you knew nothing about this book and only picked it up for this particular cover