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Richard Easther

@rjme.bsky.social

Father, husband, scientist, Kiwi diaspora returnee, prof @aucklanduni.bsky.social‬ - opinions mine. He/Him Science: https://cosmology.auckland.ac.nz Blog: https://excursionset.com Newsletter: https://buttondown.com/excursionset

3,405 Followers  |  368 Following  |  3,330 Posts  |  Joined: 28.04.2023
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Posts by Richard Easther (@rjme.bsky.social)

Thanks for the tip-off!

02.03.2026 08:37 — 👍 1    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

Everyone has a plan until they punch themself in the face

02.03.2026 04:09 — 👍 32    🔁 11    💬 4    📌 0
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Rare ‘blood moon’ total lunar eclipse to loom over North America, Australia and New Zealand Eclipse will feature a deep, coppery-red full moon on 3 March, with scientists predicting the best times to see it

@rjme.bsky.social mentioned!

www.theguardian.com/science/2026...

02.03.2026 02:05 — 👍 4    🔁 2    💬 0    📌 0

(Actually, thinking about, the not-really-ex-Nazi thing is a bit harsh on Teller; whatever faults the man had that, being a Nazi was certainly not one of them)

01.03.2026 10:01 — 👍 1    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

"Mein Fuhrer, I can walk!" Edward Teller crossed with Werner von Braun.

01.03.2026 09:27 — 👍 3    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0

Possibly the best movie ever.

01.03.2026 09:21 — 👍 1    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0
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As a professional military strategist, I just wanted to make sure everyone has a full understanding of the American strategy in Iran, thank you for your attention to this matter

28.02.2026 08:27 — 👍 6133    🔁 1816    💬 157    📌 93

George Lucas is a birder?https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Jizz

27.02.2026 21:28 — 👍 1    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

I think it's about urban design as much as "culture".

27.02.2026 08:42 — 👍 3    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0

Well, good luck combing this guy.

26.02.2026 23:05 — 👍 1    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

Yep, but they feel great for boomers.

26.02.2026 22:47 — 👍 4    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
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a woman in a purple sweater says they are the same picture ALT: a woman in a purple sweater says they are the same picture

None whatsoever.

26.02.2026 11:30 — 👍 1    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

It's a "no hair" theorem not a "no fur" theorem 🐈‍⬛

26.02.2026 05:54 — 👍 8    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0
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One of these things is not like the others.

25.02.2026 19:14 — 👍 11    🔁 1    💬 3    📌 0
A black hole - on closer inspection actually a fluffy black cat who’s made himself perfectly smooth and spherical on his favoured sheepskin rug. One triangular ear (and is that a tiny glistening fang?) gives the game away.

A black hole - on closer inspection actually a fluffy black cat who’s made himself perfectly smooth and spherical on his favoured sheepskin rug. One triangular ear (and is that a tiny glistening fang?) gives the game away.

Currently detecting regular vibrational pulses from a nearby black hole … 🕳️ …

Could be signs of intelligent life - any astrophysicists able to advise? #nzpets

26.02.2026 04:47 — 👍 148    🔁 20    💬 8    📌 1

Gay friend of mine traveled here in the 90s - she was a bit nervous about how that would go in rural areas. Came back and reported zero homophobia but quite a bit of anti-Americanism.

26.02.2026 03:15 — 👍 1    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

Pretty bespoke Wikipedia page for our Bruce.

26.02.2026 01:27 — 👍 1    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0

Anything that was big in your final year of high school works for me.

26.02.2026 00:34 — 👍 2    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
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Help Auckland Transport get it right on Green Lane West - Greater Auckland Picture this. You’re a Council, keen for more housing in a compact, liveable city. A chunk of former horse-racing land is up for grabs, on a major route across the heart of the isthmus, close to a par...

Green Lane West in the heart of the isthmus is home to new housing, key bus routes...and the measliest painted bike lanes.

In 2023, Auckland Transport designed a protected two-way cycleway—but then shelved it.

Now we're daylighting that plan, to ask: WHY?
www.greaterauckland.org.nz/2026/02/26/h...

25.02.2026 21:57 — 👍 20    🔁 11    💬 0    📌 2

A couple of VUW friends said they hoped we wouldn't poach him after rumours started circulating about his candidacy -- no higher praise than that in academia.

25.02.2026 21:44 — 👍 2    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0
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One of these things is not like the others.

25.02.2026 19:14 — 👍 11    🔁 1    💬 3    📌 0
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Prepping for the new term. Telling the students they can use AI for assignments because that's our rule for 2026.

And that they should use it carefully -- you don't get a robot to lift your weights in the gym.

Asked Meta-AI for a picture of a gym robot.

And the first shot is a keeper.

25.02.2026 04:20 — 👍 71    🔁 16    💬 11    📌 2

I got a lot of questions today about next week's lunar eclipse and why it was visible in some places and not others.

25.02.2026 12:14 — 👍 5    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0

That should be "long form"

25.02.2026 07:48 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

This specific one is a big first year "astronomy w pictures" course. Long for u/g writing is the toughest area I think.

25.02.2026 06:23 — 👍 1    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0

70% of the assessment is in person AI-free tests.

25.02.2026 06:10 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

Brilliant.

25.02.2026 04:50 — 👍 3    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
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Prepping for the new term. Telling the students they can use AI for assignments because that's our rule for 2026.

And that they should use it carefully -- you don't get a robot to lift your weights in the gym.

Asked Meta-AI for a picture of a gym robot.

And the first shot is a keeper.

25.02.2026 04:20 — 👍 71    🔁 16    💬 11    📌 2

The Mayor of Wellington has decided to swim...

... undeterred.

25.02.2026 01:28 — 👍 26    🔁 7    💬 1    📌 0

Did he bring his kids?

25.02.2026 00:59 — 👍 7    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0