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Alec MacKinnon

@alecmackinnon.bsky.social

490 followers 370 following 440 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 · 4h

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 · 4h

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 · 4h

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 · 6h

Strathaven, Culross, Bellochantuy

Alec MacKinnon @alecmackinnon.bsky.social · 17h

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 · 22h

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 · 22h

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 · 1d

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 · 1d

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 · 1d

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 · 1d

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 · 2d

prophetic

Tits McGee @scientits.bsky.social · 2d

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 · 2d

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 · 3d

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 · 3d

"In rust we trust" ha ha.

Alec MacKinnon @alecmackinnon.bsky.social · 3d

last night I journeyed through to Edinburgh to see the great Bob Drake. No pix, sorry. He had his encores planned so I did not get to shout out, "Some Accursed Things"!!! www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQlH... #bobdrake #avantrock #accursed

Bob Drake - Some Accursed Things (2001)

YouTube video by Endzeitstille

www.youtube.com

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Reposted by Alec MacKinnon

Sid Smith @sidsmith.bsky.social · 6d

What happens when you put members of Univers Zero, Acid Mothers Temple, and This Heat together?
Can you dig it? Yes, you Can. And should.
discusmusic.bandcamp.com/album/live-i...

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Alec MacKinnon @alecmackinnon.bsky.social · 5d

what an avant-rock supergroup. I was lucky enough to see the Glasgow gig so I know how exciting this will be! Wonderful it's been released

Reposted by Alec MacKinnon

Kathryn Tewson @kathryntewson.bsky.social · 5d

This is INCREDIBLE. The Bearded Vulture has multigenerational nests that last for hundreds of years, built in very secluded places — and they’re FULL OF ANTHROPOGENIC ARTIFACTS.

Jonathan C Slaght @jonathanslaght.com · 5d

super cool study found human artifacts in Bearded vulture nests, incl. "weaponry like a crossbow bolt and wooden lance, decorated sheep leather, and parts of a slingshot....a shoe made from twigs and grass is ~675-years-old." link to paper: doi.org/10.1002/ecy..... www.popsci.com/environment/... 🧪🌍🦉

Multi-generational vulture nests hold 700 years of human artifacts

Crossbow bolts, sandals, slingshots, and more.

www.popsci.com

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Alec MacKinnon @alecmackinnon.bsky.social · 6d

Trump and Vance, bit-part session players on Vought's video. Can't even keep time

The Daily Beast @thedailybeast.bsky.social · 6d

According to an AI-generated music video posted by the president on Thursday night, Russell Vought is the Grim Reaper.

Trump, 79, Posts Bizarre Grim Reaper-Themed AI Music Video

If the music video is to be believed, Russell Vought is the Grim Reaper.

trib.al

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Reposted by Alec MacKinnon

Simeon Schmauß @stim3on.bsky.social · 6d

This photo from the Perseverance rover captured in early March, may be my favorite Mars image from this year.

It shows Mars' smaller moon Deimos over the hills of the Nili Planum region in the dark skies before dawn. 🔭

Full res: flic.kr/p/2rwUwV7

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Simeon Schmauß

A picture of Mars taken during astronomical twilight (the sun was 13° below the horizon). It shows a dimly lit reddish landscape with some hills at the horizon. Deimos, Mars' smaller moon shines with a small halo in the pale sky above.

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Alec MacKinnon @alecmackinnon.bsky.social · 7d

There's so much awful stuff happening in the US, much of it under the radar of our media, it can be hard to keep track. But we need to because it'll be more of the same here if there's a Reform government

Liz Morrish @lizmorrish.bsky.social · 7d

You can bet this is very high up Reform's agenda.

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/02/u...

Trump Administration Asks Colleges to Sign ‘Compact’ to Get Funding Preference

www.nytimes.com

Alec MacKinnon @alecmackinnon.bsky.social · 7d

Our house is on Scotland. This was heading for a talk in a school in Greenock when I got a puncture. Boo

Globe of the world with a monopoly house blu-tacked over Scotland

Reposted by Alec MacKinnon

Karl Galle @karlgalle.bsky.social · 8d

This is not technically a sociology of science book but is in fact a rich text on how science and engineering happen under extreme conditions, in this case the origins & construction of the IceCube neutrino observatory at the South Pole: bookshop.org/p/books/the-... #STS #HistAstro 🔭

Me holding my copy (purchased secondhand as a deaccessioned library copy from Better World Books) of Mark Bowen's book, "The Telescope in the Ice: Inventing a New Astronomy at the South Pole."

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Alec MacKinnon @alecmackinnon.bsky.social · 9d

Well, the Telegraph, Mail, Express, they'll keep quiet about something that makes their mates look like traitors, but even the Guardian has said little. Why are Labour not shouting about it, keeping it in the headlines? Should be a great stick to beat them with.