Gieljan de Vries
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gieljandevries.bsky.social
Gieljan de Vries
@gieljandevries.bsky.social
1.7K followers 870 following 850 posts
Writes about science, specialises in physics, nuclear and astro — ideally all at the same time. Em-dasher, forever-DM. Bluesky account #188,507, born at 338 ppm CO2. Dutch & English. He / him.
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gieljandevries.bsky.social
Aangesproken in de trein: “dat boek ziet er superinteressant uit, hoe is het?”

Leest als een trein, prikt gemakkelijke cliches door, geeft heerlijke context. Mooi werk van @remcobreuker.bsky.social. Lezen.

De lange, gelaagde zinnen die voortrazen als lawines krijg je er gratis bij.
Foto van nonfictieboek: De wereld volgens Noord-Korea - Remco Breuker. Op de cover zien we een nachtfoto van een straat in Noord-Korea met een flatgebouw, een stadsbus en felverlichte aanplakbiljetten met de grote leider. Foto van achterkant van nonfictieboek: De wereld volgens Noord-Korea - Remco Breuker. De tekst beschrijft het boek en geeft quotes over eerdere werken. Daarnaast een portretfoto van de auteur. Een stukje uit de flaptekst: “Een scherpzinnig boek over de onzichtbare, maar invloedrijke rol van Noord-Korea op het wereldtoneel.”
November 25, 2025 at 11:46 AM
gieljandevries.bsky.social
Got to visit the Dutch radwaste storage this week. Excellent tour, great explanations. Still wild to me you can saunter right over the cannisters with reprocessed waste.

Extra cool: their climate controlled low activity storage is also used as a museum depot.
Photo of two feet in green sneakers on a red floor. Two inlaid metal lids fill half of the field. Selfie - white male, brown+grey hair with a smidge of facial hair GODS IT IS ANXIETY-INDUCING TO WRITE THIS — in front of a concrete cask with red stenciled radioactivity sigil. Photo of stacked concrete cilinders and metal barrels. Statue in front of stacked concrete cilinders.
November 13, 2025 at 8:42 PM
gieljandevries.bsky.social
Dankzij die biografieën van @martijnvanc.bsky.social kom ik Goudsmit en Uhlenbeck nu ook overal tegen. Uit Oppenheimer-biografie Splinters van de Zon.
Photo of Oppenheimer-biography “splinters van de zon”, in Dutch. Featuring Dutch physicists Sam Goudsmit and George Uhlenbeck.
November 11, 2025 at 9:31 AM
gieljandevries.bsky.social
25 partijen (!) op het stembiljet. Sta je dan met je d20 🤷🏻‍♂️
#stemmen
Closeup photo of a white right hand, holding a blue 20-sided die.
October 29, 2025 at 6:45 AM
gieljandevries.bsky.social
Ha, niet alleen het fantastische boek van @melanieduring.com op de kop getikt bij Natuurmuseum Leeuwarden, maar alle exemplaren in de museumwinkel zijn ook nog eens gesigneerd!
Foto van een boek. Tekst: “De laatste lente van de dinosauriërs—de dinosaurus van uitsterving tot ontdekking // Melanie During”. Afbeelding: roze dinoskelet. Gesigneerd: “veel dinoleesplezier en een fijne tijdreis gewenst! liefs, Melanie” — met tekening van een plantenetende dino.
August 21, 2025 at 9:49 AM
gieljandevries.bsky.social
If you see this, I implore you to post a pic from your device without context.
Cosplay at its best: Pimp Vader and Boba Phat. They wear only the very finest.
July 18, 2025 at 9:56 AM
gieljandevries.bsky.social
If you see this, post your getaway vehicle
Black-and-white photo of a motorcycle-drawn chariot race.
May 3, 2025 at 6:51 AM
gieljandevries.bsky.social
En nog meer on-topic, maar wat langer dus als screenshot:
Screenshot of a quote from Terry Pratchett's novel Pyramids: "It's not generally realized that camels have a natural aptitude for advanced mathematics, particularly where they involve ballistics. This evolved as a survival trait, in the same way as a human's hand and eye coordination, a chameleon's camouflage and a dolphin's renowned ability to save drowning swimmers if there's any chance that biting them in half might be observed and commented on adversely by other humans." — Terry Pratchett, Pyramids
March 19, 2025 at 10:00 AM
gieljandevries.bsky.social
Happy Ides of March to all who celebrate
Salad stabbed with a gazillion knives
March 15, 2025 at 10:46 AM
gieljandevries.bsky.social
Hah, victory! Finally got my photo of Venus and Mercury. @huubeggen.bsky.social
Photo of the evening sky, the silhouette of a house and two leafless trees in the foreground. The planet Venus is visible as a bright star at the top of the photo; a bit above and to the right of the top of the leftmost tree is the faint dot of the planet Mercury.
March 4, 2025 at 6:11 PM
gieljandevries.bsky.social
In een trein naar Het Zuiden. Na ons den #alaaf.
Photo of the floor in a south-bound Dutch train, dark-grey and peppered with colourful confetti. Carnival season draws nigh.
February 26, 2025 at 4:06 PM
gieljandevries.bsky.social
In een trein naar Het Zuiden. Na ons den #alaaf.
Photo of the floor in a south-bound Dutch train, dark-grey and peppered with colourful confetti. Carnival season draws nigh.
February 26, 2025 at 4:05 PM
gieljandevries.bsky.social
Voor de maandagochtendploeg: probeer de KNMI weer-app. Dezelfde data (en meer!) als buienradar/buienalarm. En zonder de advertenties die zij om de gratis KNMI-data heenvouwen. Compleet met seismo en historische weer-info. Zo goed dat de commerciëlen zijn gaan huilen bij de rechter ;)
Screenshot of the free weather app by the Dutch weather service KNMI. The app features a radar showing coming precipitation, short and long-term predictions by location, even seismological readings from the KNMI's detection stations. Screenshot of the free weather app by the Dutch weather service KNMI. This screen shows the weather prediction of the day for a city, including times of sunrise/set and expected UV index. Screenshot of the free weather app by the Dutch weather service KNMI. The app even has seismological readings from the KNMI's detection stations. In this case, the map and text field feature an induced quake of 1.3 magnitude at 3.3 km depth in German Emlichheim. Screenshot of the free weather app by the Dutch weather service KNMI. The app features a radar showing coming precipitation, short and long-term predictions by location and a comparison with historical temperatures.
January 27, 2025 at 7:00 AM
gieljandevries.bsky.social
12/12 Final one! I thought I'd do a simple two-level dungeon, but then got inspired to sneak in secret rooms and corridors. Very fun to work out how to fit that all into a limited footprint.
Tabletop terrain - dungeon with a lower and upper level. On the lower level, two secret doors lead to corridors and hidden rooms beneath the upper level. Tabletop terrain - dungeon with a lower and upper level. On the lower level, two secret doors lead to corridors and hidden rooms beneath the upper level. Tabletop terrain - dungeon with a lower and upper level. On the lower level, two secret doors lead to corridors and hidden rooms beneath the upper level. Tabletop terrain - dungeon with a lower and upper level. On the lower level, two secret doors lead to corridors and hidden rooms beneath the upper level.
December 31, 2024 at 9:32 PM
gieljandevries.bsky.social
11/12 (aaargh my fingers on this small keyboard) Totally not a riff on the basin of a fission reactor. Small programmable LEDs are awesome to stick in a corner and change the vibe.
Tabletop terrain - ground floor and catwalk around a fantasy riff on a glowing blue basin of a fission reactor. Tabletop terrain - ground floor and catwalk around a fantasy riff on a glowing blue basin of a fission reactor. Tabletop terrain - ground floor and catwalk around a fantasy riff on a glowing blue basin of a fission reactor.
December 31, 2024 at 9:29 PM
gieljandevries.bsky.social
10/12 "Bridge over Wyvern Gorge" triggered a hartwarming riff on "bridge over troubled water" on the discord. Held together with copious amounts of whitestick poster putty and careful balancing.
Tabletop terrain - stone bridge over a rocky gorge. Around the central pillar, narrow stairs spiral down from the bridge to the water level where something made a nest in a shallow cave. Tabletop terrain - stone bridge over a rocky gorge. Around the central pillar, narrow stairs spiral down from the bridge to the water level where something made a nest in a shallow cave. Tabletop terrain - stone bridge over a rocky gorge. Around the central pillar, narrow stairs spiral down from the bridge to the water level where something made a nest in a shallow cave. Tabletop terrain - stone bridge over a rocky gorge. Around the central pillar, narrow stairs spiral down from the bridge to the water level where something made a nest in a shallow cave.
December 31, 2024 at 9:26 PM
gieljandevries.bsky.social
9/12 Got cheeky with the 12x12 footprint limit again and decided to do something with levels that cantilever and balance out over that 'legal' base. Precarious as all hell, but very fun to put together.
Tabletop terrain - levels of a cult/temple/library complex on thin pillars over a lava sea. Tabletop terrain - levels of a cult/temple/library complex on thin pillars over a lava sea. Tabletop terrain - levels of a cult/temple/library complex on thin pillars over a lava sea.
December 31, 2024 at 9:23 PM
gieljandevries.bsky.social
8/12 Another arena build. Once I finished it, I realised the people on the top seats wouldn't be able to see into the pit below. Decided to make a variant where gravity is wonky enough that the "pit" floor is at right angles to the rest of the structure.
Tabletop terrain - arena build with stairs leading down to an arena Tabletop terrain - arena build with stairs leading down to an arena Tabletop terrain - arena build with stairs leading down to an arena Tabletop terrain - arena build with stairs leading down to an arena
December 31, 2024 at 9:21 PM
gieljandevries.bsky.social
7/12 One of my submissions to the @dwarvenforge.bsky.social 12x12 contest, using the over-the-top dice tower by @dropouttv.bsky.social. Turned it into some kind of fighting pit. With a VIP balcony of course.
Tabletop terrain - fighting pit with seating on three sides and a giant skull wall on the fourth. Tabletop terrain - fighting pit with seating on three sides and a giant skull wall on the fourth. Tabletop terrain - fighting pit with seating on three sides and a giant skull wall on the fourth. Tabletop terrain - fighting pit with seating on three sides and a giant skull wall on the fourth.
December 31, 2024 at 9:18 PM
gieljandevries.bsky.social
6/12 I've been reading through the Barrowmaze megadungeon and wanted to try and create a barrow / hilly grave. Bit crowded because I pushed together all the trees to fit on the 12x12 footprint. Runestones from @fenrisgames.com.
Tabletop terrain - barrow with a spectre inside, hovering over a dead adventurer in front of an opened tomb. Tabletop terrain - barrow with a spectre inside, hovering over a dead adventurer in front of an opened tomb. Tabletop terrain - barrow with a spectre inside, hovering over a dead adventurer in front of an opened tomb. Tabletop terrain - barrow with a spectre inside, hovering over a dead adventurer in front of an opened tomb.
December 31, 2024 at 9:15 PM
gieljandevries.bsky.social
5/12 I have only two of these sloping pieces and wanted to do a harbor ramp with them. Worked out well in this prison tower build - those Wizkids guillotine and gibbet pieces are nasty.
Tabletop terrain - harbor with gibbet outside a prison tower Tabletop terrain - harbor with gibbet outside a prison tower Tabletop terrain - harbor with gibbet outside a prison tower
December 31, 2024 at 9:12 PM
gieljandevries.bsky.social
4/12 Evil wizard's lair over water. I was inspired by Nate from @dwarvenforge.bsky.social, who showed how you can stack and invert stairs to create a floating effect. Accessories from Galladoria, who aren't on here. Why not?
Tabletop terrain - floating lich lair. Tabletop terrain - floating lich lair. Tabletop terrain - floating lich lair. Tabletop terrain - floating lich lair.
December 31, 2024 at 9:10 PM
gieljandevries.bsky.social
3/12 Every time these contests set me restraints, I want to find an edge interpretation. (It's not for a reward except for the joy of creativity anyway.) This one was inspired by "not touching the ground". A web of bug tunnels and chambers.
Tabletop terrain - Series of bug tunnels and chambers. Tabletop terrain - Series of bug tunnels and chambers. Tabletop terrain - Series of bug tunnels and chambers. Turns out some of the accessories are UV reactive!
December 31, 2024 at 9:08 PM
gieljandevries.bsky.social
2/12 Watch tower on a rocky island. The four quadrants of the build are each one level higher than the next, with stairs between them.
Tabletop terrain - watch tower on a rocky island. The four quadrants of the build are each one level higher than the next, with stairs between them. Tabletop terrain - watch tower on a rocky island. The four quadrants of the build are each one level higher than the next, with stairs between them. Tabletop terrain - watch tower on a rocky island. The four quadrants of the build are each one level higher than the next, with stairs between them.
December 31, 2024 at 9:05 PM
gieljandevries.bsky.social
1/12 This temple also uses pieces from @fenrisgames.com, who sells an awesome set of miniature panels cast from the Temple of Apollo at Bassa.
Tabletop terrain - an ancient Greek temple with a bridge leading up to it and a basement with marble panels Tabletop terrain - an ancient Greek temple with a bridge leading up to it and a basement with marble panels Tabletop terrain - an ancient Greek temple with a bridge leading up to it and a basement with marble panels
December 31, 2024 at 9:03 PM