Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Tim O'Brien

Jodrell Bank @jodrellbank.bsky.social · 8h

Edgar Neufeld, who has died aged 92, was a Jewish refugee from the Nazis who did his PhD here before pursuing an illustrious career at IBM and working in education and social justice. He was here when we tracked the carrier rocket of Sputnik 1 in October 1957. www.theguardian.com/technology/2...

Edgar Neufeld obituary

Other lives: Scientist who began working at IBM in the early days of computers and rose to become the company’s director for Europe

www.theguardian.com

3 10

Tim O'Brien @proftimob.bsky.social · 7h

Something to look forward to with @chrislintott.bsky.social

Jodrell Bank @jodrellbank.bsky.social · 21h

📹 Last chance to get your livestream tickets to Professor Chris Lintott’s upcoming lecture exploring the fascinating world of interstellar objects!

Learn about 3I/ATLAS, a small comet from a part of the galaxy never before seen up close: https://ow.ly/rw1O50X7R6U

A photo of Comet 3I/ATLAS crossing a dense star field, captioned 'Livestream: Interstellar Objects And Other Solar System Stories... With Prof. Chris Lintott, Thursday 9 October, 19.30 - 21.00.'

1 2

Tim O'Brien @proftimob.bsky.social · 1d

At recording of new @hannahpeel.bsky.social composition celebrating 80 yrs of @jodrellbank.bsky.social with the BBC Philharmonic. We'll be discussing it all on 30 Oct www.jodrellbank.net/events/in-co...

In Conversation with Hannah Peel and Tim O'Brien - Jodrell Bank

Join us for an exclusive evening with award-winning musician Hannah Peel, uncovering new ways of understanding the Universe through sound.

www.jodrellbank.net

3 10

Reposted by Tim O'Brien

Dr. Jessie Christiansen @aussiastronomer.bsky.social · 1d

Well I propose that the United Nations name ME the Director General of Dark Energy Studies and gift ME 500 hours of over-subscribed telescope time a year, if this is how we're doing things now.

Meg Schwamb @megschwamb.bsky.social · 2d

This is complete and utter pompous bullshit. It's telling that of the people proposing it wants to anoint themselves director general when every one of his claims of having discovered technosignature interstellar objects has been debunked by the planetary community. arxiv.org/pdf/2510.01405

arxiv.org

3 3 44

Reposted by Tim O'Brien

Meg Schwamb @megschwamb.bsky.social · 2d

This is complete and utter pompous bullshit. It's telling that of the people proposing it wants to anoint themselves director general when every one of his claims of having discovered technosignature interstellar objects has been debunked by the planetary community. arxiv.org/pdf/2510.01405

arxiv.org

10 22 78

Reposted by Tim O'Brien

Comma Press @commapress.bsky.social · 13d

Extremely fortunate to be able to take a team of writers to @jodrellbank.bsky.social, visit the SKAO, learn about the work being done there and even walk on the dish! 📡

Can’t wait to share the end result of this project with you, so watch this space… get it? 🔭🪐

1 3 15

Reposted by Tim O'Brien

Jodrell Bank @jodrellbank.bsky.social · 12d

🎵 Bluedot headliner Hannah Peel returns to #JodrellBank for an exclusive evening of music and discussion!

In conversation with Prof. Tim O’Brien, this event fuses science and storytelling to explore new ways of understanding the Universe through sound.

🎟️ www.jodrellbank.net/events/in-co...

Hannah Peel, a woman with red hair and a white shirt, performs on stage. Caption reads: ‘In conversation... with Hannah Peel and Tim O’Brien. Thursday 30 October, 19.30 - 21.00.’ The Jodrell at 80 and Real World Record logos are featured.

13 33

Tim O'Brien @proftimob.bsky.social · 22d

A and C aren't explained by dark energy. B can be, although not exclusively, of course. Perhaps they should have said the way in which Hubble's constant changes with time.

6

Tim O'Brien @proftimob.bsky.social · 22d

40 years ago, as a new PhD student, I'd talk to colleagues. Sometimes, I'd write or telephone. Very occasionally, send a fax. Then emails appeared and, eventually, overwhelmed. Now, we've added other channels, Teams and Slack, for example. Taking overwhelming to a whole new level. 😔

4

Tim O'Brien @proftimob.bsky.social · 26d

Hi, sorry to say, almost certainly not. Keep an eye on our other events at Jodrell as we continue to do interesting things but, not at the moment, in the form of weekend festivals.

Tim O'Brien @proftimob.bsky.social · 26d

Terrible events in US but this guy really needs to reconsider his approach

4

Tim O'Brien @proftimob.bsky.social · 26d

Lovely!

1

Tim O'Brien @proftimob.bsky.social · Sep 1

Perhaps in some form. Been a bit out of our hands.

1 2

Tim O'Brien @proftimob.bsky.social · Aug 28

"Are you Scunthorpe in disguise?"

2

Reposted by Tim O'Brien

Dr. Jessie Christiansen @aussiastronomer.bsky.social · Aug 21

Well I, an astronomer, can obviously think of no downsides to a company promising to launch a constellation of reflective mirrors into low-Earth orbit to increase daylight for folks on the ground.

A screenshot of the landing page for Reflect Orbital, promising "Sunlight on demand" in large, friendly orange letters.

54 110 530

Tim O'Brien @proftimob.bsky.social · Aug 21

Grab a pint in the Thomas Tallis alehouse

1

Reposted by Tim O'Brien

Paul Bernal @paulbernal.bsky.social · Aug 16

So, you mean 80% of graduates have benefited financially from it?

And, whisper it quietly, but *UNIVERSITY EDUCATION ISN’T JUST ABOUT SALARY*

32 100 470

Tim O'Brien @proftimob.bsky.social · Aug 17

Macclesfield on Mars? Legacy of Stargazing Live... daily.zooniverse.org/2016/04/04/m...

HiRISE Beautiful Mars (NASA) @uahirise.bsky.social · Aug 16

HiPOD: Spring Fans at Macclesfield

Gas blowing out from under the ice carries with it a load of dust that is deposited on the surface in a direction determined by the wind at the time of the eruption.

uahirise.org/hipod/ESP_06...
NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona
#Mars #science #NASA

Enhanced color cutout shows dark streaks on the polar terrain of Mars. The streaks are the result of sublimation, when a solid converts directly into a gaseous state and disrupts the surface, exposing darker materials. (NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona)

1 2 6

Tim O'Brien @proftimob.bsky.social · Aug 15

It's a bit like fitting cosmological models. They ought to agree with the present, but they tend to diverge into the future and into the past.

1 1

Tim O'Brien @proftimob.bsky.social · Aug 14

Predicting the future is a mug's game.

1 1

Tim O'Brien @proftimob.bsky.social · Aug 14

Me too 🌍

1 1

Tim O'Brien @proftimob.bsky.social · Aug 14

Not one of these pundits predicted united finishing in top four. They're going to look very silly come May. www.bbc.co.uk/sport/footba...

Premier League predictions 2025-26: BBC Sport pundits pick their top four

We ask 32 BBC Sport football pundits to predict who will win the Premier League title, and which clubs will finish in the top four this season.

www.bbc.co.uk

1 4

Reposted by Tim O'Brien

Romain Tartese @romiche29.bsky.social · Aug 12

Fuck around and find out. Frequent heatwaves are a direct consequence of decades of inaction, when not complicity, of western governments so that oil and gas companies continue making billions. But none of these "leaders" will have to face consequences.

Nahel Belgherze @wxnb.bsky.social · Aug 11

Historic heatwave unfolding in France.

Bordeaux just observed its hottest day on record with a provisional 41.6°C (107°F) — data since 1920. Red level extreme heat warnings are in force for the south of the country.

Sadly, this heatwave is far from over...

5 7

Tim O'Brien @proftimob.bsky.social · Aug 10

Ignoramus. Reform of course. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Derbyshire leader says special needs 'overdiagnosed' in schools

Alan Graves says there should be a national debate on the issue but is criticised by parents.

www.bbc.co.uk

1 5

Reposted by Tim O'Brien

Janice Tullock @jtullock.bsky.social · Aug 8

I’m pleased to see the Archives Basics guidance I wrote for The National Archives appear on their website. It’s designed for those with no experience at all, that may have been given responsibility for archives and need a quick overview. please share www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/archive-basi...

www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

3 2 14