Bryan Gaensler
@scibry.bsky.social
Dean of Science at the University of California Santa Cruz (UCSC). Astronomer, sci-fi connoisseur, rugby league devotee, puzzled parent 🇦🇺🇨🇦. Opinions ∉ UCSC.
Santa Cruz CA, USA. He/him. bryangaensler.net
Santa Cruz CA, USA. He/him. bryangaensler.net
Well this is awesome. @clarivate.com has looked at the affiliations of those named “highly cited researchers” 11 years in a row. An incredible 24% listed a primary affiliation with @ucsantacruz.bsky.social - the highest of any public university on the planet.
Details: clarivate.com/academia-gov...
Details: clarivate.com/academia-gov...
November 8, 2025 at 8:54 PM
Well this is awesome. @clarivate.com has looked at the affiliations of those named “highly cited researchers” 11 years in a row. An incredible 24% listed a primary affiliation with @ucsantacruz.bsky.social - the highest of any public university on the planet.
Details: clarivate.com/academia-gov...
Details: clarivate.com/academia-gov...
It was very inspiring last night to hear from @ucscscience.bsky.social professor @roxannebeltran.bsky.social about her research, in which she uses tagged seals to explore our oceans. Just fourteen tagged seals can provide detailed data on 1% of the entire 3D volume of the world’s oceans every year!
October 26, 2025 at 10:04 PM
It was very inspiring last night to hear from @ucscscience.bsky.social professor @roxannebeltran.bsky.social about her research, in which she uses tagged seals to explore our oceans. Just fourteen tagged seals can provide detailed data on 1% of the entire 3D volume of the world’s oceans every year!
4.5 out of 5 stars to “The Mercy of Gods” by James A. Corey.
A great story of alien invasion and of timid scientists learning how to fight back. There is clearly lots of action and world building to come. Looking forward to the next instalment!
A great story of alien invasion and of timid scientists learning how to fight back. There is clearly lots of action and world building to come. Looking forward to the next instalment!
June 14, 2025 at 1:39 PM
4.5 out of 5 stars to “The Mercy of Gods” by James A. Corey.
A great story of alien invasion and of timid scientists learning how to fight back. There is clearly lots of action and world building to come. Looking forward to the next instalment!
A great story of alien invasion and of timid scientists learning how to fight back. There is clearly lots of action and world building to come. Looking forward to the next instalment!
We started this project 17 years ago, and at last here’s the paper! I’m pleased to present the Polarisation Sky Survey of the Universe’s Magnetism (POSSUM), a total game changer in our understanding of magnetic fields throughout the cosmos. 🧲 🌌📡
May 14, 2025 at 2:36 PM
We started this project 17 years ago, and at last here’s the paper! I’m pleased to present the Polarisation Sky Survey of the Universe’s Magnetism (POSSUM), a total game changer in our understanding of magnetic fields throughout the cosmos. 🧲 🌌📡
UCSC put on a special “Inspire NYC” event last night in New York, hosted by our Chancellor Cynthia Larive. It was such a privilege to do a deep dive into how the brilliant minds of my @ucscscience.bsky.social colleagues Kristy Kroeker and Heather Tallis work, and I enjoyed meeting many UCSC alums.
April 3, 2025 at 12:55 PM
UCSC put on a special “Inspire NYC” event last night in New York, hosted by our Chancellor Cynthia Larive. It was such a privilege to do a deep dive into how the brilliant minds of my @ucscscience.bsky.social colleagues Kristy Kroeker and Heather Tallis work, and I enjoyed meeting many UCSC alums.
Or in plain English: our telescope, which spans the continent, has pinpointed a flash that's 130 million light years away and that lasted for less than a millisecond, to a precision better than the size of a guitar pick viewed from 60 km away. 🤯
March 27, 2025 at 9:37 PM
Or in plain English: our telescope, which spans the continent, has pinpointed a flash that's 130 million light years away and that lasted for less than a millisecond, to a precision better than the size of a guitar pick viewed from 60 km away. 🤯
The dawn of a new era: the very first sub-arcsecond localization of a fast radio burst using the CHIME telescope and its outriggers.
Congratulations to the amazing group of students and postdocs who have led this incredible achievement over the past frenetic 11 days!
Congratulations to the amazing group of students and postdocs who have led this incredible achievement over the past frenetic 11 days!
March 27, 2025 at 9:36 PM
The dawn of a new era: the very first sub-arcsecond localization of a fast radio burst using the CHIME telescope and its outriggers.
Congratulations to the amazing group of students and postdocs who have led this incredible achievement over the past frenetic 11 days!
Congratulations to the amazing group of students and postdocs who have led this incredible achievement over the past frenetic 11 days!
It was such an honor to hear former Space Telescope director Bob Williams speak last night about the 30th anniversary of the Hubble Deep Field. And now he has both an asteroid (officially) and a quasar (unofficially) named after him!
March 26, 2025 at 2:40 PM
It was such an honor to hear former Space Telescope director Bob Williams speak last night about the 30th anniversary of the Hubble Deep Field. And now he has both an asteroid (officially) and a quasar (unofficially) named after him!
World’s largest pistachio!
February 15, 2025 at 5:48 PM
World’s largest pistachio!
Our research on fast radio bursts is above the fold! (on my phone) 🧪 🔭
January 25, 2025 at 9:47 PM
Our research on fast radio bursts is above the fold! (on my phone) 🧪 🔭
The NSF page is now gone.
January 23, 2025 at 5:05 PM
The NSF page is now gone.
Come to the #AAS245 town hall today to discuss the ethical and other challenges that we face in using AI in astronomy! 12.45pm in National Harbor 2.
(Below is what you get from ChatGPT when you ask for an optimistic and then a pessimistic view of astronomy and AI.) 🔭
(Below is what you get from ChatGPT when you ask for an optimistic and then a pessimistic view of astronomy and AI.) 🔭
January 15, 2025 at 3:17 PM
Come to the #AAS245 town hall today to discuss the ethical and other challenges that we face in using AI in astronomy! 12.45pm in National Harbor 2.
(Below is what you get from ChatGPT when you ask for an optimistic and then a pessimistic view of astronomy and AI.) 🔭
(Below is what you get from ChatGPT when you ask for an optimistic and then a pessimistic view of astronomy and AI.) 🔭
It’s a thrill to hear the Rossi Prize lecture at #AAS245 this morning. Marty Weisskopf, a giant of X-ray astronomy, is explaining how we can now measure X-ray polarization with the IXPE mission.
January 15, 2025 at 1:16 PM
It’s a thrill to hear the Rossi Prize lecture at #AAS245 this morning. Marty Weisskopf, a giant of X-ray astronomy, is explaining how we can now measure X-ray polarization with the IXPE mission.
Congratulations to @samayanissanke.bsky.social on winning the AAS HEAD mid-career prize! #AAS245 🔭
January 13, 2025 at 3:59 PM
Congratulations to @samayanissanke.bsky.social on winning the AAS HEAD mid-career prize! #AAS245 🔭
Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony are all clues, but all four are part of different answers?! The NYT puzzle editor is an evil genius.
December 4, 2024 at 3:03 PM
Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony are all clues, but all four are part of different answers?! The NYT puzzle editor is an evil genius.
Important advice: how to avoid gender bias when writing recommendation letters.
December 1, 2024 at 4:38 AM
Important advice: how to avoid gender bias when writing recommendation letters.
I want the opening paragraphs of my obituary to contain at least one of the phrases "destroyed everything in the Universe" or "evil twin".
December 1, 2024 at 4:34 AM
I want the opening paragraphs of my obituary to contain at least one of the phrases "destroyed everything in the Universe" or "evil twin".
How do I turn science mode on? 😒
November 26, 2024 at 4:11 AM
How do I turn science mode on? 😒
40th anniversary of the SETI Institute. Honoring co-founder Jill Tarter, and with video messages from Brian May and Jodie Foster!
November 21, 2024 at 4:38 AM
40th anniversary of the SETI Institute. Honoring co-founder Jill Tarter, and with video messages from Brian May and Jodie Foster!
Today is GIVING DAY at University of California, Santa Cruz, your 24-hour opportunity to support the projects that mean the most to you!
November 20, 2024 at 3:56 PM
Today is GIVING DAY at University of California, Santa Cruz, your 24-hour opportunity to support the projects that mean the most to you!
A special opportunity to gather together many of Matthew Bailes’ former and current students and postdocs at FRB2024.
November 7, 2024 at 7:18 AM
A special opportunity to gather together many of Matthew Bailes’ former and current students and postdocs at FRB2024.
7000 Australian academics were sent identical emails, seeming to be from a student, and asking about possible PhD projects. Just like in previous experiments in the USA, the student’s race had a big effect on whether they got a prompt reply, and whether the reply was supportive.
October 24, 2024 at 2:42 PM
7000 Australian academics were sent identical emails, seeming to be from a student, and asking about possible PhD projects. Just like in previous experiments in the USA, the student’s race had a big effect on whether they got a prompt reply, and whether the reply was supportive.
My heart is very full after attending UCSC Science graduation ceremonies this week for Cal Teach, ACE, Global & Community Health, and Coastal Science & Policy. So many amazing people who are poised to change the world. Congratulations, Banana Slugs!
June 14, 2024 at 12:14 AM
My heart is very full after attending UCSC Science graduation ceremonies this week for Cal Teach, ACE, Global & Community Health, and Coastal Science & Policy. So many amazing people who are poised to change the world. Congratulations, Banana Slugs!
It was a very special evening yesterday, where we celebrated our UCSC Science Distinguished Alumni Awards for 2024.
Congratulations to 3 extraordinary Banana Slugs who have each given so much back to the community: Dr Maximiliano Cuevas, Prof Jesús González & Dr Chuck Lawson!
Congratulations to 3 extraordinary Banana Slugs who have each given so much back to the community: Dr Maximiliano Cuevas, Prof Jesús González & Dr Chuck Lawson!
April 14, 2024 at 4:40 PM
It was a very special evening yesterday, where we celebrated our UCSC Science Distinguished Alumni Awards for 2024.
Congratulations to 3 extraordinary Banana Slugs who have each given so much back to the community: Dr Maximiliano Cuevas, Prof Jesús González & Dr Chuck Lawson!
Congratulations to 3 extraordinary Banana Slugs who have each given so much back to the community: Dr Maximiliano Cuevas, Prof Jesús González & Dr Chuck Lawson!
The right way to experience an eclipse.
April 8, 2024 at 5:24 PM
The right way to experience an eclipse.