Nostr notes by Dr. Victoria Grinberg

Entry 7 in #52ArtWeeks Leiden is very pretty and the lanterns ...

2026-08-22T17:36:56Z

Entry 7 in #52ArtWeeks Leiden is very pretty and the lanterns pretty iconic.

#VicisArt #aquarelle #watercolor #watercolour #PenAndWash #mastoart #art

Ursula K. LeGuin's "Earthsea" cycle is an excellent ...

2026-08-21T15:26:42Z

Ursula K. LeGuin's "Earthsea" cycle is an excellent thing to re-read in your early 40ies, to see how different and still the same it feels in the middle of your life instead of the first quarter.

And this particular edition - hard to hold in your hands, impossible to carry with you, but containing quiet a few extra texts - is something I definitely recommend, too.

#VicisBooks #UrsulaKLeGuin #books #Earthsea

Weil das AI-Video der Sonnenfinsternis immer noch geboostet wird, ...

2026-08-16T07:53:20Z

Weil das AI-Video der Sonnenfinsternis immer noch geboostet wird, hier das echte:

▶️ https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Videos/2026/08/MTG-I1_captures_eclipse_path_of_totality_over_Europe

Aufgenommen von dem ESA & Eumetsat Meteosat Third Generation Imager satellite (MTG-I1).

Ich weiß, es ist nervig, aber boostet keine Videos etc. ohne Quellenangaben und ohne sie selbst überprüft zu haben - egal zu welchem Thema! Außer, sie kommen von einem Acocunt, dem ihr die (fachliche) Expertise zutraut, das selbst gemacht zu haben.

#VicisAstro #astrodon #astronomi #sofi #eclipse

yeah, but I still have to admit that that's not a science ...

2026-08-14T17:21:31Z

In reply to nevent1q…zmxw
_________________________

yeah, but I still have to admit that that's not a science place (and thus for me also not a learning and mostly not an intellectual interaction place).

Today's mixed feelings moment: I'm happy to see any bit ...

2026-08-14T16:57:31Z

Today's mixed feelings moment: I'm happy to see any bit of science (meta) discourse that makes it to here into the #fediverse (yay bridgy feed!), but it also is a sad reminder that most (well, pretty much all...) still happens on bluesky :(

(If you are not a scientist, this post isn't for you, sry...)

It's far too hot, so it's #gazpacho time. Following this ...

2026-08-13T15:16:35Z

It's far too hot, so it's #gazpacho time. Following this recipe here:

https://koechlkocht.com/rezept/gazpacho-kalte-gemuesesuppe/

This makes four big portions. Add some foccacia and you have a perfect summer lunch!

Cold soups win in summer! (I'm somewhat more of a salmorejo fan, but this is definitely the lighter, more veggie forward soup...)

#ViciCooks #recipe #food #essen #soup #ColdSoup

In case you are somewhere where you can't see the eclipse, my ...

2026-08-12T16:21:47Z

In case you are somewhere where you can't see the eclipse, my #ESA colleagues will be streaming from Spain here frpm 19:30 on:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRDx2xDR8NA

#Eclipse #astrodon

Do good things and talk about them. And if good things are done ...

2026-08-09T09:14:04Z

Do good things and talk about them. And if good things are done to you, for you, around you, also talk about then.

Because knowing may inspire others. Because folks feel lonely and caught in endless doom. Because we sometimes need a push to do something: it's easier if we know there is someone else, even of they are just a voice on the little screen in our pockets. Because we need to combat the negativity bias.

Ahaha, how cool is this? Yes, it's real! ▶️ ...

2026-08-04T10:20:28Z

Ahaha, how cool is this?

Yes, it's real!
▶️ https://www.esa.int/About_Us/Branding_and_Partnerships/ESA_and_Pokemon_team_up_to_celebrate_World_Space_Week

#ESA #astrodon #pokemon

A pretty crass image invoked by ESA's Director of Science, ...

2026-08-03T10:23:29Z

In reply to nevent1q…qks2
_________________________

A pretty crass image invoked by ESA's Director of Science, Prof. Carole Mundell, "we don't want to me enthombed on a planet surrounded by space debries, blinded by brifht satellites and deafened by radio interference".

#COSPAR2026 #astrodon

Important term in the Eutelsat talk: Aggregate impact ...

2026-08-03T08:01:46Z

In reply to nevent1q…z65a
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Important term in the Eutelsat talk:

Aggregate impact computation: asset constellation as a whole system, it's not just about an individual satellite (jup!).

#COSPAR2026 #astrodon

Two excellent slides from Piero Benvenuti from IAU CPS ...

2026-08-03T07:20:18Z

Two excellent slides from Piero Benvenuti from IAU CPS (https://cps.iau.org/ International astronomical union center for the protection of dark and quiet sky) at #COSPAR2026 in the "Dark and Quiet Sky" session discussing megaconstellations.

(Also emphasising that this is a transition to that happens broader and that the threat to the sky is just one example of.)

#astrodon

Update after 8 hours at the conference venue: Two layers of anti ...

2026-08-02T14:19:42Z

In reply to nevent1q…9n35
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Update after 8 hours at the conference venue: Two layers of anti mosquito stuff on my skin (it feels awful, sticky and just bäääääääh) and they got under my t-shirt on the back (graaaaah!). 3 more hours to go, at least.

You'd think one would be over it at some point of one's ...

2026-08-02T14:12:48Z

You'd think one would be over it at some point of one's career.

But here I am, having submitted a report last week and the editor writes back saying

"thanks for a detailed and thoughtful report. exemplary actually. i find it very useful."

-- and I am PREENING myself on this.

Seriously, folks, never forget how happy a few words of real praise (there were some more details in there that show that the editor truly engaged) can make someone.

#Academia #astrodon

Mosquitoes inside the freaking conference venue 😭😭😭 ...

2026-08-02T08:03:56Z

Mosquitoes inside the freaking conference venue 😭😭😭

#COSPAR2026

Btw., the one main recipe that comes to mind from my repertoire ...

2026-07-31T20:39:09Z

In reply to nevent1q…n29r
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Btw., the one main recipe that comes to mind from my repertoire is this one:

https://smittenkitchen.com/2014/05/carrot-salad-with-tahini-and-crisped-chickpeas/

(The chili can be sprinkled on top by folks who want some.)

This can be declared into a main with more quinoa: https://www.carrotsforclaire.com/2014/07/31/gebackener-salat-mit-tahin-dressing-und-datteln-wir-koennen-nicht-wiederstehen/

So: I have friends coming over and I need interesting vegan ...

2026-07-31T19:50:50Z

So: I have friends coming over and I need interesting vegan recipes for a starter & a main that use no chili & no peppers of any kind. And no mushrooms or tofu.

Ideas?
Especially the main is... interesting, so far. I think I have one dish in my repertoire; I rely on chilies a lot.

Explicitly not something where you just go "just leave the chili out", though things where chili is added at the table would be fine.

("Ideas" means I am asking for something you cooked, not for general links ...)

Leave work. Realize you forgot the lanyard. But there is a ...

2026-07-31T19:33:19Z

Leave work. Realize you forgot the lanyard. But there is a conference next week and you want the lanyard. Go back. Pick lanyard. Leave work.

#ESA #pride

So, COSPAR in #Florence next week. If you have a personal (as in: ...

2026-07-30T08:43:56Z

So, COSPAR in #Florence next week.

If you have a personal (as in: you've been there!) restaurant recommendation, they are very welcome.

I'm adventurous and will eat good food everywhere, from hole in the wall to triple Michelin star. But I'm searching for the places that truly stood out to you for whatever reason, not for "this was an OK place".

(I got amazing restaurant recommendation for Cagliari this way on old twitter, so trying it here now.)

Boost welcome.

Socks for my 10th blood donation! If you can, please donate. The ...

2026-07-27T17:00:56Z

Socks for my 10th blood donation! If you can, please donate. The blood banks are especially emptry in summer, with many people travelling!

And if you are in the Netherlands within a reasonable distance from Leiden and don't want to go alone, I'm glad to go with you (yes, you can do everything in English!).

#BloodDonation #sanquin

There is a reason why I did not want to go to #COSPAR in Florence ...

2026-07-22T14:25:41Z

There is a reason why I did not want to go to #COSPAR in Florence (but I have to).

Today's dinner are Korean Marinated eggs (mayak gyeran) with ...

2026-07-21T17:50:06Z

Today's dinner are Korean Marinated eggs (mayak gyeran) with rice and Korean cucumber salad (oi muchim).

Eggs are nice, but not mind blowing enough to make them a repeat staple - since they require quiet some time to marinate, so are not a spontaneous meal. I may make them again if I have eggs I need to use and don't feel like omelette.

The cucumber salad is absolutely yum and definitely to be repeated!

#ViciCooks #food #essen #cooking #kochen #vegetarian #vegetarisch

I keep reminding myself that cute building sketches should not be ...

2026-07-19T16:30:53Z

I keep reminding myself that cute building sketches should not be confined to holidays - especially if you live in a place as picturesque as #Leiden (but I also firmly believe that you can find interesting views pretty much everywhere).

Here is a first attempt.

#VicisArt #aquarelle #watercolor #watercolour #InkAndWash #Leiden #UrbanSketching #52ArtWeeks #mastoart

Aus Gründen sollten wir alle noch mal Igor Levits spontanen ...

2026-07-17T08:59:38Z

Aus Gründen sollten wir alle noch mal Igor Levits spontanen Nachruf auf Margot Friedländer hören (und sehen):

▶️ https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9N7AaSwreAM

To start the day: today I really enjoyed this review of Ursula K. ...

2026-07-15T05:04:04Z

To start the day: today I really enjoyed this review of Ursula K. LeGuin's "Disposessed" that addresses quiet a number of points why it's "an ambiguous utopia" and the importance of this ambiguity:

▶️ https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/to-touch-the-dust-of-anarres/

Hey professional #astrodon folks! A pretty unique chance to ...

2026-07-14T16:06:14Z

Hey professional #astrodon folks!

A pretty unique chance to become my colleague at #ESA - working as a project scientist on our newly adopted galactic archaeology mission Arrakihs:

Job details: https://jobs.esa.int/job/Noordwijk-Project-Scientist/1414232033/

More about Arrakihs: https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/ESA_adopts_galactic_archaeology_mission_Arrakihs

Remember me asking about visibke mending for a L-tear in my linen ...

2026-07-12T15:24:28Z

Remember me asking about visibke mending for a L-tear in my linen pants?

I combined the recs I got here with some crafts I already knew how to do (cross stitch) for a 🌻-result that makes me very happy today.

Let's see how well it will hold!

Previous post asking for advice here: https://mastodon.social/@vicgrinberg/116613825744493665

#VisibleMending #repair #CrossStitch #Kreuzstich

Nostr event nevent1qqsvuxdcggnj4vphyc3yjn8em98s5j3etazs7hphzc0k5r2xz4p45wszyruadz624fnedk8v6l0gs65yrq2d74wdkpcp029nq6zu7mh9rftvxpfm37d

2026-07-10T17:17:19Z

RE: https://flipboard.com/@tagesspiegel/tagesspiegel-nachrichten-s5m3i3qjz/-/a-MKaL1WYbR2m0G2thN5OQVQ%3Aa%3A2598872424-%2F0

Herrlich... Am Ende entscheidet halt ein Heini nach eigenem Gutdünken; was ihm nicht passt, wird halt nicht ausgewählt. Unabhängigkeit? Ahaha...

In den USA regen wir uns gerade darüber auf, dass Trump bei wissenschaftlicher Begutachtung von Projekten politischen Einfluss nimmt und ihn im System einbaut. In der deutschen Kultur ist es schon da. (Der Preis bedeutet einiges an Geld, gerade für kleine Verlage vermutlich sogar sehr viel...)
nostr:note13n99xv8mmtgypkapxzhjets6slu08nm2mq8lsx6qnt6uu4y0l88szjrvlq

oh, I so feel you! (Says the person whose first mission she had ...

2026-07-10T08:26:10Z

In reply to nevent1q…s0fa
_________________________

oh, I so feel you! (Says the person whose first mission she had any involvement in during grad school was Athena, in it's pre-Juice-selection-design - to be launched as NewAthena in the late 2030ies ...)

BepiColombo mission is about to arrive at Mercury! It's a ...

2026-07-10T08:22:35Z

BepiColombo mission is about to arrive at Mercury!

It's a pretty nifty design: ESA's Mercury Planetary Orbiter (MPO) and JAXA's Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter (Mio) are travelling to #Mercury as a compostive spacecraft, stacked on top of a transfer module. So separation & arrival will happen in stages.

▶️ https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Images/2018/10/BepiColombo_arrival_at_Mercury_timeline?p

Planetary science is a good reminder that science needs long-term planning and foresight. #BepiColombo was launched in 2018!

#astrodon #space #ESA #JAXA #VicisAstro

congratulations on the (almost) submission?

2026-07-09T19:29:52Z

In reply to nevent1q…m4jq
_________________________

congratulations on the (almost) submission?

Btw., if you poop on the simple things (food, hobbies, fun ...

2026-07-08T20:10:57Z

Btw., if you poop on the simple things (food, hobbies, fun experiences, photos of pets or flowers, that kind of stuff...) I or people I like enjoy and share here, it's an instant block.

There is little enough happiness in this world (and in the #fediverse), so the only way to deal with folks who stomp it down even more is throwing them out of the conversation.

Joao Alves from Vienna, speaking as A&A editor in chief - ...

2026-07-03T16:24:17Z

In reply to nevent1q…v9cr
_________________________

Joao Alves from Vienna, speaking as A&A editor in chief - "Writing is Thinking: If we hand the writing to a machine, we quietly hand over the thinking too."

#astronomy #academia #AcademicChatter #EAS2026

Where astro publishing goes, will very much depend on what China ...

2026-07-03T15:57:20Z

In reply to nevent1q…qz3r
_________________________

Where astro publishing goes, will very much depend on what China is doing ...

#EAS2026 #astrodon

Marc Huertas-Company points out "Loss of Voice" as a ...

2026-07-03T13:41:19Z

In reply to nevent1q…hdp2
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Marc Huertas-Company points out "Loss of Voice" as a problem of LLM use (in writing scientific papers, even just to improve the language).

#astrodon #EAS2026

Another interesting article mentioned, to be read later: ...

2026-07-03T13:21:12Z

In reply to nevent1q…9djy
_________________________

Another interesting article mentioned, to be read later:

"Mathematicians are developing rules for AI use — other fields should follow"

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-01881-2

#EAS2026 #academicChatter #ai

"You are using a stochastic tool for something that should be ...

2026-07-03T13:05:10Z

In reply to nevent1q…ervz
_________________________

"You are using a stochastic tool for something that should be deterministic."

David Hogg: Journal are critical. ** Astrophysics is the ...

2026-07-03T11:28:33Z

In reply to nevent1q…vr0l
_________________________

David Hogg:

Journal are critical.
** Astrophysics is the astrophysics literature. **

journals do many things:
- gate
- edit
- preserve
- disseminate
- support reproducibility

#EAS2026 #astrodon #academia

Haven't read this yet, leaving it as reference: "A&A ...

2026-07-03T11:25:48Z

In reply to nevent1q…aj83
_________________________

Haven't read this yet, leaving it as reference:

"A&A community survey on the future of scientific publishing
Credibility over speed, fairness over profit, human judgment over automation"

▶️ https://www.aanda.org/articles/aa/full_html/2026/06/aa61365-26/aa61365-26.html

And here a shorter summary: https://www.aanda.org/2026-press-releases/3205-a-a-community-survey-reveals-strong-support-for-quality-fairness-and-human-oversight-in-scientific-publishing

#astrodon #academia #AcademicChatter

Should we improve access to readers if this builds barriers for ...

2026-07-03T11:21:16Z

In reply to nevent1q…8era
_________________________

Should we improve access to readers if this builds barriers for the authors? ==> Shifting the barrier & concerns about equity and integrity, predatory publishing ...

Session on AI & open access in modern astronomy publishing is ...

2026-07-03T11:17:09Z

Session on AI & open access in modern astronomy publishing is about to start. Wanna take bets on how depressing it will be? Very/extremely/wtf ...

(Rhetoric question.)

Some closing words on a discussion on the future of European ...

2026-07-01T16:25:44Z

Some closing words on a discussion on the future of European astronomy at #EAS2026, addressed to early career researchers:

Xavier Barcons: keep pushing for cooperation, don't give up on this.

Samaya Nissanke: Don't take European leadership for granted, don't take ESA and ESO granted. Keep fighting for the European model of cooperation. But also: Keep the science central to what you are doing, keep having fun and keep the reason why you can to astronomy precious to you.

#astrodon #astronomy

We are all stardust. The oxygen you breath? That comes from dying ...

2026-06-29T07:24:48Z

We are all stardust.

The oxygen you breath? That comes from dying massive stars, ending their life in a supernova.

The iron in your blood? Some from massive stars dying, but mainly fron white dwarfs, the leftovers of dwarf stars like our own Sun, exploding.

Carbon, the basis of life? Mostly from dying low mass stars.

The gold ring on your finger? Mostly from merging neutron stars, leftovers from supernovae.

#VicisAstro #astrodon #astronomy #astrophysics

the early stars could have been quiet some bit more massive ...

2026-06-27T16:58:09Z

In reply to nevent1q…cdeu
_________________________

the early stars could have been quiet some bit more massive according to some ideas, but not to make a million solar mass black hole directly - but maybe enough to make seeds big enough to enable tge growth through follow up mergers (with normal small black holes it's indeed unlikely to work as the only process).

-- could be via mergers of many stellar mass black holes, indeed ...

2026-06-27T16:52:59Z

In reply to nevent1q…l02f
_________________________

-- could be via mergers of many stellar mass black holes, indeed especially if some of them early on were especially big. Could be directly through collapse of the first gas clouds or could be what we call "primordial", through density fluctuations really shortly after the beginning of the Universe in the Big Bang. That's currently one of the majir questions of astro - if you ask me, it's likely some kind of mix especially of the first two since neither idea seems to 100% work.

"How come there is such a massive gap between black holes and ...

2026-06-27T16:50:36Z

In reply to nevent1q…4xfn
_________________________

"How come there is such a massive gap between black holes and super massive black holes?" do you mean gap in the mass? There isn't - there are "small" black holes that form at the end of life of massive stars when they explode as supernova. They are from a few to a few ten solar masses a bit hard to find, but we know a bunch of them.

Supermassive black holes in centers of galaxies are much more massive - millions to billions solar masses. We are not yet 100% sure how they formed --

Scales of the Universe: Out Sun is five billion years old and ...

2026-06-27T15:48:17Z

Scales of the Universe:

Out Sun is five billion years old and will live another five billion.

A star with ten times the mass, lives some twenty million years, larger stars have an even shirter lifetime.

A star with half the mass of the Sun will live hundred billion years. Our universe is 13.7 billion years old -- the oldest low mass stars are not even past their teenage years yet.

#VicisAstro #astrodon #SciComm #astrophysics #astronomy

Believe me, you need this bit of space ASMR today: ...

2026-06-24T10:09:51Z

Believe me, you need this bit of space ASMR today:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DtFRq1cgcc

Background info:

▶️ https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Euclid/ESA_s_Euclid_captures_the_Milky_Way_s_crowded_heart

You are looking at the largest and most detailed image ever made of our Milky Way galaxy’s centre in visible light.

Scientifically, the data will be used for microlensing surveys to find exoplanets - and is now fully publicly available. As are the pretty images if you want them as a desktop backgrounds, of course!

#ESA #Euclid #space #astronomy #astrodon

Eryngium alpinum. With many thanks to ...

2026-06-20T16:29:25Z

Eryngium alpinum.

With many thanks to [@FloraIncognita_DE](https://wisskomm.social/@FloraIncognita_DE ) for identification!

OMG, OMG... My friend is using the art from a postcard I made and ...

2026-06-08T10:58:39Z

OMG, OMG... My friend is using the art from a postcard I made and sent them for their wedding invitation 😍

#VicisArt #aquarelle #watercolor #watercolour

Whoooosh! It's really impressive (and scary) standing next to ...

2026-06-07T12:55:28Z

Whoooosh!

It's really impressive (and scary) standing next to one. They are FAST.

#Leiden #netherlands #niederlande #windmill

Pride month @ #ESA (ESAC/Madrid) ...

2026-06-01T06:11:53Z

Pride month @ #ESA (ESAC/Madrid)

Since I need a single quiet office for a lot 1:1 with my ...

2026-05-29T08:02:28Z

Since I need a single quiet office for a lot 1:1 with my postdocs, I got the office of our Welfare Officer for a few days since they only need it on certain days.

I feel seen by this pillow and the reminder it sends me ...

First time for everything, huh? Today, I've used a hotel gym. ...

2026-05-26T19:47:34Z

First time for everything, huh?

Today, I've used a hotel gym. Brought my own skipping rope (ouch! It user to be so simple as a kid and while the body remembers the movement, I did not use to tire that quickly with 10...) and otherwise only used the sad excuse of a yoga mat (still better than the hard hotel room floor with not enough space to move) for a half a hour of pilates round, but hey...

I guess I am "I need to do sport while travelling for work to stay healthy" years old now.

vortrag? Ich war da vor ein paar Wochen, coole location...

2026-05-24T09:27:39Z

In reply to nevent1q…rh3h
_________________________

vortrag? Ich war da vor ein paar Wochen, coole location...

Heh... Since I'm travelling for 5+ weeks, I left my ebike ...

2026-05-22T12:56:56Z

Heh... Since I'm travelling for 5+ weeks, I left my ebike with a friend who wanted to try using it to get to work. Of course she is now getting one of her own. Spreading the ebike love 💚

#biking #fahrrad #ebike #mdrza

Riva del Garda. #VicisArt #mastoart #art #aquarelle #watercolor ...

2026-05-21T10:34:44Z

Riva del Garda.

#VicisArt #mastoart #art #aquarelle #watercolor #watercolour #handmade #lagoDiGarda

Hi Dutch speaking folks - I'm searching for a Dutch magazine ...

2026-05-20T08:35:09Z

Hi Dutch speaking folks - I'm searching for a Dutch magazine to improve my Dutch.

In German, I like "Katapult" (https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katapult_%28Magazin%29?wprov=sfla1): a pop sci magazine focusing on geography, sociology, etc. with a focus on maps & infographics. It summarizes current research (always with citations) in **not too complex language** in articles of varying length, including short ones.

Anything like this in Dutch? Topics can vary (any humanities, language, science...), print preferred. Boosts welcome.

It's by far not our first time in (Northern) Italy and still ...

2026-05-18T06:21:29Z

It's by far not our first time in (Northern) Italy and still partner and I kept wondering how the landscape kept being "the Italy we know from art". Until it finally clicked yesterday: this is exactly the landscape that all of them - Dürer and Goethe and Rilke and all the other names - passed through.

And yes, even without the ingrained cultural reference, the landscape is just very beautiful.

#LagoDiGarda #photography #nature #landscpae #italy #italien

Always fun to see that people haven't changed that much - ...

2026-05-17T18:55:11Z

Always fun to see that people haven't changed that much - courtiers playing board games on frescos in Arco Castle.

And we here are about to settle down for another game of SkyTeam to wind down the evening...

#boardgames #brettspiele #LagoDiGarda

I thought about chatting about the Guardian 100 best novels of ...

2026-05-17T11:19:44Z

I thought about chatting about the Guardian 100 best novels of all time list https://www.theguardian.com/books/ng-interactive/2026/may/12/the-100-best-novels-of-all-time, because this used to be a fun way to have conversations about books & "classics" in particular (& I very often like "classics").

But instead, I'm annoyed that it's once again so anglo-centric and I don't want to talk about books written in English.

So: tell me about books that should be on this list thay weren't originally written in English!

Mine below ⬇️

#bookstodon #books #buecher

Eine der wichtigsten Sachen, die einem die Arbeit in der ...

2026-05-17T09:47:28Z

Eine der wichtigsten Sachen, die einem die Arbeit in der naturwissenschaftlichen Forschung beibringen kann, ist die Fähigkeit, Komplexität und Kompliziertheit auszuhalten ohne ins "magische Denken" zu verfallen (und ja, klappt nicht bei allen).

Kolleg*innen können Rechnung oder Analysen machen oder Werkzeuge entwickeln, die ich niemals könnte.

Es ist aber trotzdem die gleiche Mathe und die gleiche Physik, auch wenn ich (ob meiner eigenen Fähigkeiten) nicht jeden Schritt nachvollziehen kann.

Detailed drawings of flowers with deconstructed colors are now ...

2026-05-16T09:44:43Z

Detailed drawings of flowers with deconstructed colors are now officially a series, I guess 😊

Directly drawing with liners is fun, there are no mistakes and no corrections, everything becomes the final drawing - and flowers and plants are a thankful subject because they can so easily be adapted from thw reference photo. Good to stop my perfectionist tendencies and just draw.

#LagoDiGarda #VicisArt #aquarelle #watercolor #drawing

I have a bit of time on my hands, so let's do another 24h ...

2026-05-13T16:49:45Z

I have a bit of time on my hands, so let's do another 24h round of #AskAnAstrophysicist, but this time it's a thematic one.

⭐ What do you want to ask an astrophysicist about stars? ⭐

(I am a professional astrophysicist, part of whose work concerns itself with high mass stars & their winds and I've also taught a variety of astro university courses)

Boosts welcome. I may not be able to reply to all in case of many questions.

#SciComm #WissKomm

#SilentSunday #photography #patterns ...

2026-05-10T11:51:03Z

#SilentSunday #photography #patterns

Good vacation morning ☕ ⛰️ #LagoDiGarda ...

2026-05-10T06:09:41Z

Good vacation morning ☕ ⛰️

#LagoDiGarda

#TIL I learned what orange blossoms look like. They are pretty. ...

2026-05-09T19:02:16Z

#TIL I learned what orange blossoms look like. They are pretty. And also they smell A LOT.

(Look, I never lived in a place where oranges would grow! And I prefer succulents and cactii as house plats.)

7:30 is definitely too early for taking a train, especially on ...

2026-05-09T05:28:21Z

7:30 is definitely too early for taking a train, especially on the first day of my vacation. But I think it's worth it.

* gave a well-visited talk at Stuttgart Planetarium yesterday - met Iris Volk (npub1zpl…28de), though very shortly, and had audience questions from female teenagers 😍
* finally made it in person to my amazing publishing house, had a lovely tour and a chat about possibly more books (tbc)

If you are a (major, especially) account and you posted something ...

2026-05-01T16:23:14Z

If you are a (major, especially) account and you posted something that turned out to be wrong, please either delete the post or correct it.

People will not read the correction you posted in an extra post below and not the comments by other people, they'll keep sharing the original wrong post.

Heute, 7 Uhr abends im Nicolaus Copernicus Planetarium Nürnberg ...

2026-04-29T07:03:19Z

Heute, 7 Uhr abends im Nicolaus Copernicus Planetarium Nürnberg mein Vortrag zu "Schwarze Löcher: Schwere Kost, leicht verdaulich" 😊

Ich freue mich, euch da zu sehen - gerne hallo sagen wenn ihr von hier seid 💫

▶️ https://planetarium.nuernberg.de/programm/schwarze-loecher

#astrodon #WissKomm

"Good to see you live, I'm seeing you on the TV often ...

2026-04-27T08:06:36Z

"Good to see you live, I'm seeing you on the TV often recently".

Heh, never thought I would be greeted that way by the secretary of my old PhD institute 😅

#astrodon #scicomm #wisskomm

"Zur schwankenden Weltkugel" - Toller Buchladen, absolut ...

2026-04-25T08:04:36Z

"Zur schwankenden Weltkugel" - Toller Buchladen, absolut zu empfehlen.

Viel Inspiration auf den Regalen und Tischen.

Herrliche Unterhaltung mit der Besitzerin über eins der Bücher, das ich gekauft habe (Manès Sperber) "weil sie hat es aus Prinzip im Regal stehen, auch wenn es niemand kauft". Und ich hatte die Chance, es zu kaufen, weil es im Regal stand.

Nostr event nevent1qqsg3jydfuatxtt6f645c5yc8mcacggtnamygg32rhn52hr7g3l8dqgzyruadz624fnedk8v6l0gs65yrq2d74wdkpcp029nq6zu7mh9rftvx9le7n5

2026-04-12T21:06:33Z

#SilentSunday

It's gonna be a long day, but at least I got to start it by ...

2026-03-24T08:25:00Z

It's gonna be a long day, but at least I got to start it by petting Micky, the ESA/ESTEC cat.

#CatsOfMastodon #ESA #estec

Great blog by Pat Thompson on academic writing: ▶️ ...

2026-03-19T12:56:06Z

Great blog by Pat Thompson on academic writing:

▶️ https://patthomson.net/2026/03/08/getting-comfortable-with-being-uncomfortable/

"Academic writing is a form of thinking. It’s not the transcription of thoughts already completed, but a process of thinking itself. One of the ways we make writing harder than it needs to be is by writing as though our argument has arrived fully formed, rather than being wrestled into shape over several drafts."

This is why you *need* to write yourself, even and especially when writing is hard!

#AcademicChatter #PhD

heh :D And congratulations, too!

2026-03-17T14:29:01Z

In reply to nevent1q…uztk
_________________________

heh :D And congratulations, too!

It's not about numbers, but still, they play some role. Here ...

2026-03-17T14:10:40Z

It's not about numbers, but still, they play some role. Here a nice one for me: sometimes during the last week, I've passed the 4000 citations limit.

#astrodon #XraysAreTheBestRays

Ich kann's mir leider immer noch nicht anschauen, weil ...

2026-03-15T06:40:45Z

Ich kann's mir leider immer noch nicht anschauen, weil Geoblocking, aber hier die ZDF-Reihe "Geheimnisvolles Universum", bei der ich als eine der sprechenden Expert*innen mitmachen durfte:

▶️ https://www.zdf.de/dokus/geheimnisvolles-universum-100

(Die Reihe wurde auf Englisch aufgenommen, daher gedubbt, dh ich spreche da nicht mit meiner Stimme, falls ihr die aus den Podcasts kennt...)

#astrodon #WissKomm #astronomie

Someone asked me (rhetorically) why I post here. Also: do I want ...

2026-03-10T19:52:18Z

Someone asked me (rhetorically) why I post here. Also: do I want followers?

Of course it's more fun with more people. But I don't post in a way that aims to increase follower numbers:

* I post in two languages (& boost in more).
* I generally boost too much.
* I do not focus on one topic (science, politics, food, random photos, outreach, insiders clearly for astro/research colleagues, train complains, books, museum visits, etc.)

For me, it's about the random encounters. 1/3

Fast and tasty! Daily fresh! 🐥 #photography #UrbanPhotography ...

2026-03-06T15:03:49Z

Fast and tasty! Daily fresh! 🐥

#photography #UrbanPhotography #amsterdam #heron #birds

"People are always the ends, not merely the means. [...] When ...

2026-03-03T12:34:30Z

In reply to nevent1q…muw8
_________________________

"People are always the ends, not merely the means. [...]

When we employ a graduate student to perform some work, it absolutely must be because the graduate student will benefit from that work, not merely because that work needs to get done."

3/6

#astrodon #astrophysics #science #AcademicChatter

"Practice of astrophysics cannot be learned from reading. ...

2026-03-03T12:33:06Z

In reply to nevent1q…5ltd
_________________________

"Practice of astrophysics cannot be learned from reading. [...] If you want to become an astrophysicist, it isn’t sufficient to read or take classes. You have to do it, and doing it requires doing novel things, that haven’t been done before, and which connect to important scientific questions in the literature."

2/6

#astrodon #astrophysics #science #AcademicChatter

I talked about David W. Hogg's "Why do we do ...

2026-03-03T12:32:22Z

I talked about David W. Hogg's "Why do we do astrophysics?" in our seminar today. Thank to Aleks Scholz (npub1s06…hd76) who posted about it here first!

I can only encourage everyone working in or interested in science and/or fundamental research to read it, it has broad relevance and the crucial parts, to me, are not even the LLM ones, but the ones that define the basis on which LLM use in astro is discussed.

▶️ https://arxiv.org/abs/2602.10181v1

A few quotes:

1/6

#astrodon #astrophysics #science #AcademicChatter

There is the kind of positive news framing that sets my teeth on ...

2026-03-01T07:41:17Z

There is the kind of positive news framing that sets my teeth on edge - taking a bit of positive development and turning it into a full "things are going in the right direction" proclamation. It's dangerous, in more than one of way, and often disrespectful to people who made the change happen.

1/5

Good morning from the local gang! #Leiden #parakeet #Birds ...

2026-03-01T07:21:49Z

Good morning from the local gang!

#Leiden #parakeet #Birds

Sometimes it's back to the basics - pan fried oyster ...

2026-02-22T18:54:27Z

Sometimes it's back to the basics - pan fried oyster mushrooms (mushrooms, olive oil, salt, pepper, a few drops of lemon juice and a tiny bit of garlic) with a side salad.

We had the mushrooms +salad for a first time in a restaurant back in (high) school times and since then the dish makes a regular appearance on the menu.

#ViciCooks #cooking #kochen #vegan #food

we actually still learning a lot of new things about our own ...

2026-02-20T07:24:44Z

In reply to nevent1q…u4t5
_________________________

we actually still learning a lot of new things about our own galaxy's structure and don't fully understand it! It's generally just hard to know more about the galaxy we are stuck jn vs the ones we see from the outside: https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Images/2025/01/The_best_Milky_Way_map_by_Gaia

ni

2026-02-20T07:19:59Z

In reply to nevent1q…p6qm
_________________________

ni

Partner and I have a recycling system for uniqlo merino wool ...

2026-02-08T09:50:08Z

Partner and I have a recycling system for uniqlo merino wool sweaters. He wears them for years until they end up in the wrong laundry and get washed too hot, at which point I inherit the shrunken down sweaters and wear them again for years.

Having a #fairphone is fun: I've never experienced so much ...

2026-02-05T11:11:02Z

Having a #fairphone is fun: I've never experienced so much bonding over a device.

People go "oh, you also have a fairphone?" and start a conversation 💚 And you suddenly feel extra connected to them.

Wenn ihr in der Nürnberger Gegend seid und gerne was über ...

2026-01-31T08:16:01Z

Wenn ihr in der Nürnberger Gegend seid und gerne was über schwarze Löcher lernen wollt - ich halte am 29. April einen Vortrag am Nürnberger Planetarium:

https://bz.nuernberg.de/programm/planetarium/astronomie/vortraege/schwarze-loecher-schwere-kost-leicht-verdaulich-00960-20261

Eventuell gibt es auch eine Signierstunde 😊

#astrodon #astronomie #nürnberg #WissKomm

Polenta, or, to be precise, mămăligă (I found Romanian ...

2026-01-30T18:52:38Z

Polenta, or, to be precise, mămăligă (I found Romanian cornmeal in a speciality shop a while ago!) with roasted butternut, Brussel sprout and onions with fresh thyme served with feta and sour cream.

One of my currently favorite winter meals. Even better if you manage to get one of the really strong Romanian cheeses... But feta is lovely, too.

#ViciCooks #vegetarian #recipe #cooking #kochen #food

I was always upset that my PhD advisor would read printouts of my ...

2026-01-30T17:57:14Z

I was always upset that my PhD advisor would read printouts of my paper drafts and correct my LaTeX by hand in the margins. I mean, not even seeing the code...?

Now I'm reading paper drafts by my PhD students and collaborators as PDFs and also correcting their TeX code because I cannot stand wrong font for maths or wrong spaces between numbers and units. I wish I could stop, but I just can't...

It's all my PhD advisor's fault! *shakes fist in the direction of her old institute*

The most important bit of info at work today 😻 #CatsOfMastodon ...

2026-01-29T16:25:18Z

The most important bit of info at work today 😻

#CatsOfMastodon #esa #estec

Two minutes of zen. (An old video of a kinetic artwork that ...

2026-01-27T08:23:20Z

Two minutes of zen.

(An old video of a kinetic artwork that partner made during the pandemic lockdowns, found while installing the new phone.)

#art #mastoart #woodworking

RE: https://mamot.fr/@ploum/115923251561577968 Everyone who ever ...

2026-01-22T11:47:51Z

RE: https://mamot.fr/@ploum/115923251561577968

Everyone who ever plans to be teaching and is forced to make their students take exams (especially in the academic environment but also outside) should read this.

There is SO much to learn and think about from this post, not just about chatbots but so much more.
nostr:note1ay5y8e853scsfppun5dvq089es490g2f2yqaxdxlu0v4r5zd5uxqueak7n

ich weiß nicht so recht, ob ich mich an die anderen der ...

2026-01-21T19:23:19Z

In reply to nevent1q…0tw0
_________________________

ich weiß nicht so recht, ob ich mich an die anderen der Haarteppich-Bücher wagen soll. Ich liebe ja das experimentelle an dem Buch, die anderen klingen eher nach 08/15 Romanen ... Lasse mich aber vom Gegenteil überzeugen!

I'm so late with my 2025 reading wrap up 🙀 🥳 53 books - ...

2026-01-21T18:59:22Z

I'm so late with my 2025 reading wrap up 🙀

🥳 53 books - finally more than 52!

Some statistics:
24 by women, 18 by men
22 in translation
29 in German, 24 in English
18 countries (Albania, Argentina, Austrialia, Austria, Canada, China, Ecuador, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Poland, South Africa, Sweden, UK, Ukraine, USA) that the authors are from
28 new to me authors (not counting anthologies)

Book discussions welcome :)

#ViciReads #bookstodon #reading #books #buecher #lesen

It was a bit of an adventure with the local post office in ...

2026-01-09T10:26:06Z

It was a bit of an adventure with the local post office in Santiago, but all seven postcards from this trip are now on their way to their owners (one in the USA, one in Spain, two in Germany and three in the Netherlands). Let's see if they arrive... 😬

The 8th one stayed with our host in El Chaltén.

#VicisArt #aquarelle #watercolor #watercolour #ink #MastoArt

Today I learned that when iceberg debris - clear bits of ice ...

2026-01-04T22:13:01Z

Today I learned that when iceberg debris - clear bits of ice diamond - reach the shore of the glacier lake, the waves playing with them make a lovely trickling sound, almost like music, while the ice glitters in sunlight, sequin-like.