Alec MacKinnon
@alecmackinnon.bsky.social
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
Pinned
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
I followed the medieval Scottish #astronomer and astrologer Michael Scot to Toledo, Spain daceblog.blogspot.com/2025/12/tole...
Toledo, take 0
We (Margaret and I) followed Michael Scot to Toledo in Spain. Well, we travelled eight centuries after him and by train but his memory took ...
daceblog.blogspot.com
December 17, 2025 at 7:26 PM
I followed the medieval Scottish #astronomer and astrologer Michael Scot to Toledo, Spain daceblog.blogspot.com/2025/12/tole...
Reposted by Alec MacKinnon
The administration dismantling NCAR is scientific vandalism, much like the Taliban demolishing cultural artifacts.
www.theguardian.com/world/2001/m...
www.theguardian.com/world/2001/m...
December 17, 2025 at 2:04 PM
The administration dismantling NCAR is scientific vandalism, much like the Taliban demolishing cultural artifacts.
www.theguardian.com/world/2001/m...
www.theguardian.com/world/2001/m...
NCAR? F**king hell. Barbarians. They won't "make America great again" by turning away from science
Trump administration to dismantle key climate research center
Any such plan "would set back our nation’s ability to predict, prepare for, and respond to severe weather and other natural disasters,” said Antonio Busalacchi, who oversees the center: www.washingtonpost.com/climate-envi...
Any such plan "would set back our nation’s ability to predict, prepare for, and respond to severe weather and other natural disasters,” said Antonio Busalacchi, who oversees the center: www.washingtonpost.com/climate-envi...
Trump administration to dismantle key climate research center
Russell Vought, who directs the White House Office of Management and Budget, announced plans to split up the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado, citing concerns about “clima...
www.washingtonpost.com
December 17, 2025 at 2:29 PM
NCAR? F**king hell. Barbarians. They won't "make America great again" by turning away from science
Reposted by Alec MacKinnon
On the trail of the medieval Scottish savant Michael Scot, we visited Toledo in Spain daceblog.blogspot.com/2025/12/tole...
Toledo, take 0
We (Margaret and I) followed Michael Scot to Toledo in Spain. Well, we travelled eight centuries after him and by train but his memory took ...
daceblog.blogspot.com
December 16, 2025 at 10:41 PM
On the trail of the medieval Scottish savant Michael Scot, we visited Toledo in Spain daceblog.blogspot.com/2025/12/tole...
On the trail of the medieval Scottish savant Michael Scot, we visited Toledo in Spain daceblog.blogspot.com/2025/12/tole...
Toledo, take 0
We (Margaret and I) followed Michael Scot to Toledo in Spain. Well, we travelled eight centuries after him and by train but his memory took ...
daceblog.blogspot.com
December 16, 2025 at 10:41 PM
On the trail of the medieval Scottish savant Michael Scot, we visited Toledo in Spain daceblog.blogspot.com/2025/12/tole...
Reposted by Alec MacKinnon
"We still do not know the origin of the Universe’s supermassive black holes. But we now know it is probable that they seeded galaxies"
#science #scicomm #astronomy
#science #scicomm #astronomy
We must stop Trump from slashing research into black holes
Scientists are making huge advances in understanding these keys to the universe
newhumanist.org.uk
December 16, 2025 at 6:09 PM
"We still do not know the origin of the Universe’s supermassive black holes. But we now know it is probable that they seeded galaxies"
#science #scicomm #astronomy
#science #scicomm #astronomy
Reposted by Alec MacKinnon
December 15, 2025 at 9:50 PM
December 15, 2025 at 9:50 PM
Getting going music this morning: Wassail by The Magpie Arc. Great, heavy, Led Zeppelin-ish folk-rock youtu.be/wNz02yBs4ds?... #folkrock #folkmusic
Wassail
YouTube video by The Magpie Arc - Topic
youtu.be
December 15, 2025 at 9:58 AM
Getting going music this morning: Wassail by The Magpie Arc. Great, heavy, Led Zeppelin-ish folk-rock youtu.be/wNz02yBs4ds?... #folkrock #folkmusic
Reposted by Alec MacKinnon
15 Dec 1673: d. Margaret Cavendish, duchess of #Newcastle, author, natural philosopher, who among many other things wrote early Science Fiction #otd (eebo)
December 15, 2025 at 8:54 AM
15 Dec 1673: d. Margaret Cavendish, duchess of #Newcastle, author, natural philosopher, who among many other things wrote early Science Fiction #otd (eebo)
I haven't been out the house for days. I walked the 10 minutes to the supermarket for paracetamols but the shelves were empty - guess the whole country has the same flu. But the walk home through the #cemetery was super atmospheric
December 14, 2025 at 6:10 PM
I haven't been out the house for days. I walked the 10 minutes to the supermarket for paracetamols but the shelves were empty - guess the whole country has the same flu. But the walk home through the #cemetery was super atmospheric
Reposted by Alec MacKinnon
In an ominous ruined harbor, Saint Augustine of Hippo encounters a tiny child trying to empty the sea. Wonderfully chilling scene from 1623 by François de Nomé, whose day is today.
December 13, 2025 at 5:35 PM
In an ominous ruined harbor, Saint Augustine of Hippo encounters a tiny child trying to empty the sea. Wonderfully chilling scene from 1623 by François de Nomé, whose day is today.
Reposted by Alec MacKinnon
The fact is no presenter has ever had to leave the BBC for expressing conservative views, or even explicitly endorsing a right-wing party.
Was never a problem for Jeremy Clarkson. Was never a problem for Andrew Neil. Was never a problem for Alan Sugar
Was never a problem for Jeremy Clarkson. Was never a problem for Andrew Neil. Was never a problem for Alan Sugar
Robin Ince reveals to last night’s audience at a recording of Infinite Monkey Cage that the BBC has forced him to resign over his support of trans people
December 13, 2025 at 4:36 PM
The fact is no presenter has ever had to leave the BBC for expressing conservative views, or even explicitly endorsing a right-wing party.
Was never a problem for Jeremy Clarkson. Was never a problem for Andrew Neil. Was never a problem for Alan Sugar
Was never a problem for Jeremy Clarkson. Was never a problem for Andrew Neil. Was never a problem for Alan Sugar
How nice to see a particularly charming face from our childhoods in the news for being not dead
Happy 100th birthday Dick Van Dyke!
a man in a hat is dancing in a crowd of people
ALT: a man in a hat is dancing in a crowd of people
media.tenor.com
December 13, 2025 at 9:16 AM
How nice to see a particularly charming face from our childhoods in the news for being not dead
Reposted by Alec MacKinnon
Not today, Death, I am still checking my emails.
April 14, 2025 at 12:12 PM
Not today, Death, I am still checking my emails.
Reposted by Alec MacKinnon
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Days after FIFA awarded Trump a fake peace prize, DOJ moves to drop charges in FIFA corruption case www.nytimes.com/2025/12/10/n...
U.S. Moves to Drop Charges in International Soccer Corruption Case
www.nytimes.com
December 12, 2025 at 10:06 AM
👇
Time to go back to physical libraries and asking people you know
googled something and clicked a link to a website I'd never heard of that looked like a forum, read the discussion and realized the person asking a question and all of the answers were all LLM generated, the entire website was a fake forum pretending to be people asking/answering questions
December 12, 2025 at 7:53 AM
Time to go back to physical libraries and asking people you know
This morning in our house we're getting going to Jane Weaver youtu.be/hKzzR4J4RMU?...
Jane Weaver - Love In Constant Spectacle (Official Video)
YouTube video by firerecords
youtu.be
December 10, 2025 at 9:22 AM
This morning in our house we're getting going to Jane Weaver youtu.be/hKzzR4J4RMU?...
"No AI books on the shelf" would be a very strong selling point for me
How is this not a red line for a book retailer? That Daunt isn't prepared to make a principled stand on this rather than weasel away about the market is ludicrous (tho' not entirely unsurprising). It's also a massive Public foot in the Relations mouth.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Waterstones would sell books written by AI, says chain's boss
James Daunt says booksellers instinctively have
www.bbc.co.uk
December 8, 2025 at 12:12 PM
"No AI books on the shelf" would be a very strong selling point for me
Reposted by Alec MacKinnon
It's raining now but it was a good cycling morning earlier, dry, still. I paused on the Partick-Govan bridge for snapshots #glasgow #cycling #fairlightcycles
December 7, 2025 at 2:13 PM
It's raining now but it was a good cycling morning earlier, dry, still. I paused on the Partick-Govan bridge for snapshots #glasgow #cycling #fairlightcycles
Reposted by Alec MacKinnon
“Students learn how to spot deception across subjects: in maths, they see how statistics can be manipulated; in art, they explore how images can convey misleading messages; in history, they study famous propaganda campaigns; & in Finnish, they examine [how] words can be used to confuse or mislead.”
Finland has emerged as a global leader in countering “fake news”. Here's how they've done it
Teaching when to trust
As fake news accelerates, we need to teach our children how to think critically. Finnish schools are leading the charge
newhumanist.org.uk
December 8, 2025 at 5:54 AM
“Students learn how to spot deception across subjects: in maths, they see how statistics can be manipulated; in art, they explore how images can convey misleading messages; in history, they study famous propaganda campaigns; & in Finnish, they examine [how] words can be used to confuse or mislead.”
It's raining now but it was a good cycling morning earlier, dry, still. I paused on the Partick-Govan bridge for snapshots #glasgow #cycling #fairlightcycles
December 7, 2025 at 2:13 PM
It's raining now but it was a good cycling morning earlier, dry, still. I paused on the Partick-Govan bridge for snapshots #glasgow #cycling #fairlightcycles
Reposted by Alec MacKinnon
Some Sunday listening! In our new album the Kp index, a measure of geomagnetic activity, from six solar rotations is sonified and then imbibed with the flavours of early chant, jazz and ambience. Enjoy! 🔆🌎🎼🎵🎹
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Hidden Melodies of the Kp Index, by Sounds of Space Project
9 track album
soundsofspaceproject.bandcamp.com
December 7, 2025 at 10:04 AM
Some Sunday listening! In our new album the Kp index, a measure of geomagnetic activity, from six solar rotations is sonified and then imbibed with the flavours of early chant, jazz and ambience. Enjoy! 🔆🌎🎼🎵🎹
⬇️
⬇️
Why neoliberalism will ultimately be self-defeating. God knows what sort of rubble we'll have to rebuild from though
This. “Businesses” get destroyed by bad decisions, changes in consumer fashion, hostile takeovers, or just plain bad luck.
Business is about risk. Institutions need to be about stability, otherwise everything is at risk, all the way down.
Business is about risk. Institutions need to be about stability, otherwise everything is at risk, all the way down.
the reason its bad to run universities like businesses is that almost all businesses fail on any reasonable timeline of evaluation.
hudson's bay made it the longest and even they only got to about half an oxford of longevity
hudson's bay made it the longest and even they only got to about half an oxford of longevity
December 7, 2025 at 11:50 AM
Why neoliberalism will ultimately be self-defeating. God knows what sort of rubble we'll have to rebuild from though