Toby Rodel 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️🦕🦖
@astrotobe.bsky.social
(They/Them)
PhD astronomer studying exoplanets at Queen’s University Belfast
Lover of dinosaurs
PhD astronomer studying exoplanets at Queen’s University Belfast
Lover of dinosaurs
I’m sad I’ve never got a truly personal crank email yet. There was one guy who thought the earth’s spin axis was a physical iron rod and included me on a big mailing list. But other than that, it’s just automated invites from fake journals and conferences.
I’m going to need everyone who’s reporting on AI psychosis and how it’s making people, especially men, come up with theories of everything to please talk with the scientists who have been getting multiple emails from “theory of everything” guys for decades
September 6, 2026 at 8:20 PM
I’m sad I’ve never got a truly personal crank email yet. There was one guy who thought the earth’s spin axis was a physical iron rod and included me on a big mailing list. But other than that, it’s just automated invites from fake journals and conferences.
Reposted by Toby Rodel 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️🦕🦖
The Hoff Crab is neither a crab nor is it David Hasselhoff. It is a Yeti Crab, which is neither a Yeti nor a Crab but a sub-group of Squat Lobsters, which are not lobsters, they're Anomurans, like Mole Crabs, which are neither moles, nor crabs.
September 2, 2026 at 11:15 AM
The Hoff Crab is neither a crab nor is it David Hasselhoff. It is a Yeti Crab, which is neither a Yeti nor a Crab but a sub-group of Squat Lobsters, which are not lobsters, they're Anomurans, like Mole Crabs, which are neither moles, nor crabs.
I watched NBCs “Surviving Earth”. I like that it showed off some more obscure prehistoric animals and environments. I did find the storytelling frustratingly cliched at many points. The focus on mass extinctions was fun and gave it a unique spin over other recent documentaries.
August 31, 2026 at 6:13 PM
I watched NBCs “Surviving Earth”. I like that it showed off some more obscure prehistoric animals and environments. I did find the storytelling frustratingly cliched at many points. The focus on mass extinctions was fun and gave it a unique spin over other recent documentaries.
The peace process in Northern Ireland requires a legitimate legal route to unification. A UK prime minister saying that is “off the table” is unbelievably reckless and ignorant.
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said a united Ireland referendum is “off the table”.
jrnl.ie/7144247
jrnl.ie/7144247
British PM Andy Burnham says a united Ireland referendum is 'off the table'
Burnham made the remarks while speaking to reporters in Belfast, where he is meeting with political parties to discuss budget pressures in Northern Ireland.
jrnl.ie
August 27, 2026 at 8:53 PM
The peace process in Northern Ireland requires a legitimate legal route to unification. A UK prime minister saying that is “off the table” is unbelievably reckless and ignorant.
Reposted by Toby Rodel 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️🦕🦖
📢 Calling U.K. astronomers and physicists📢
There is a Westminster Hall debate on “Future of science facilities and laboratories” next Tuesday (1 Sep). Contact your MP and urge them to attend.
More details at: ras.ac.uk/news-and-pre...
There is a Westminster Hall debate on “Future of science facilities and laboratories” next Tuesday (1 Sep). Contact your MP and urge them to attend.
More details at: ras.ac.uk/news-and-pre...
Astronomy cuts to be discussed at Westminster
The Royal Astronomical Society (RAS) welcomes an upcoming debate at the Houses of Parliament about cuts impacting astronomy and encourages all Fellows to
contact the...
ras.ac.uk
August 27, 2026 at 5:21 PM
📢 Calling U.K. astronomers and physicists📢
There is a Westminster Hall debate on “Future of science facilities and laboratories” next Tuesday (1 Sep). Contact your MP and urge them to attend.
More details at: ras.ac.uk/news-and-pre...
There is a Westminster Hall debate on “Future of science facilities and laboratories” next Tuesday (1 Sep). Contact your MP and urge them to attend.
More details at: ras.ac.uk/news-and-pre...
I think academics should tease upcoming papers like musicians do albums
August 20, 2026 at 8:01 PM
I think academics should tease upcoming papers like musicians do albums
Reposted by Toby Rodel 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️🦕🦖
Democratic Socialism: Myth Vs. Fact https://theonion.com/democratic-socialism-myth-vs-fact/
August 19, 2026 at 10:00 PM
Democratic Socialism: Myth Vs. Fact https://theonion.com/democratic-socialism-myth-vs-fact/
Consider, I can completely encrust my messenger bag in pins and still see them when I carry it around.
August 18, 2026 at 6:16 PM
Consider, I can completely encrust my messenger bag in pins and still see them when I carry it around.
Finally, the Astro-paleo crossover I’ve been looking for.
This is a pleasing factoid: the Nancy Grace Roman space telescope is the same size and weight as a T-Rex!
Countdown: 15 days to launch!
🚀 AUG 30, 2026 11:26 UTC
ℹ️: science.nasa.gov/mission/roma...
Countdown: 15 days to launch!
🚀 AUG 30, 2026 11:26 UTC
ℹ️: science.nasa.gov/mission/roma...
August 17, 2026 at 1:02 AM
Finally, the Astro-paleo crossover I’ve been looking for.
Reposted by Toby Rodel 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️🦕🦖
UK press culture is so utterly depraved
August 16, 2026 at 7:41 AM
UK press culture is so utterly depraved
I’ve added my name to this petition and so should you. The UK press led a targeted racist harassment campaign that lead directly to a suicide. My colleagues in Academia should not stay silent on this. goodlawproject.org/s/abb8a1
Jason Arday: Demand a public inquiry now | Good Law Project
Commission an immediate public inquiry into how to ensure a responsible press given its contribution to Dr Arday’s tragic death.
goodlawproject.org
August 15, 2026 at 4:53 PM
I’ve added my name to this petition and so should you. The UK press led a targeted racist harassment campaign that lead directly to a suicide. My colleagues in Academia should not stay silent on this. goodlawproject.org/s/abb8a1
Reposted by Toby Rodel 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️🦕🦖
Sign our petition to call for climate action here: buff.ly/IrLHG0f
August 13, 2026 at 3:44 PM
Sign our petition to call for climate action here: buff.ly/IrLHG0f
Reposted by Toby Rodel 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️🦕🦖
A point I've not seen before and a strong one!
I wrote about a reason not to use generative AI in your writing that I haven't seen anyone talking about. Once I realized this, banning GenAI in our lab's writing became a no-brainer. Feel free to share, I think this is probably useful especially for trainees: www.carlsonlab.bio/thoughts/the...
The only reason you’ll ever need not to write with AI — The Carlson Lab
Over the last year, our lab has been developing a policy on AI use. To do this, we did three main things: We read a lot of academic publications and tech news. We set up an #ai channel on our la...
www.carlsonlab.bio
August 11, 2026 at 1:04 PM
A point I've not seen before and a strong one!
Reposted by Toby Rodel 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️🦕🦖
"This is based on what I feel" is the foundation of all 'science' on the right, including when it comes to trans people.
Trump: "The MMR I think should be taken separately. This is based on what I feel."
August 11, 2026 at 9:22 AM
"This is based on what I feel" is the foundation of all 'science' on the right, including when it comes to trans people.
Reposted by Toby Rodel 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️🦕🦖
Can we start a counter petition to have it re-redirected through the exact spot.
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Harry Potter fans force relocation of £430m undersea cable to avoid Dobby’s ‘grave’
Power cable linking UK and Ireland now passes near Bronze Age human burial remains instead of fictional grave on Welsh beach
www.theguardian.com
August 10, 2026 at 9:38 AM
Can we start a counter petition to have it re-redirected through the exact spot.
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Reposted by Toby Rodel 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️🦕🦖
Call me old-fashioned, but I do think we could be losing our sense of proportion. www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Harry Potter fans force relocation of £430m undersea cable to avoid Dobby’s ‘grave’
Power cable linking UK and Ireland now passes near Bronze Age human burial remains instead of fictional grave on Welsh beach
www.theguardian.com
August 10, 2026 at 9:25 AM
Call me old-fashioned, but I do think we could be losing our sense of proportion. www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Reposted by Toby Rodel 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️🦕🦖
I understand that funding bodies want to go all in on AI as the shiny new innovation thing. But if all the grants start going to AI at the expense of everything else then the research sector is going to end up looking like a farm with dozens of threshers hacking away in a field with no wheat.
August 6, 2026 at 11:06 AM
I understand that funding bodies want to go all in on AI as the shiny new innovation thing. But if all the grants start going to AI at the expense of everything else then the research sector is going to end up looking like a farm with dozens of threshers hacking away in a field with no wheat.
You’re absolutely right, it’s not just X, it’s Y and moreover it’s Z.
August 4, 2026 at 12:50 PM
You’re absolutely right, it’s not just X, it’s Y and moreover it’s Z.
No one would have believed in the early years of the 21st century that this world’s skies were being watched keenly and closely by intelligences far greater than Martians. And that said intelligences thought “hey that one looks like a marshmallow!”
#PPOD: NASA's Curiosity Mars rover captured these clouds just after sunset on March 19, 2021, the 3,063rd Martian day, or sol, of the rover's mission. The image is made up of 21 individual images stitched together and color corrected so that the scene appears as it would to the human eye. 🧪 🔭
August 3, 2026 at 3:13 PM
No one would have believed in the early years of the 21st century that this world’s skies were being watched keenly and closely by intelligences far greater than Martians. And that said intelligences thought “hey that one looks like a marshmallow!”
Reposted by Toby Rodel 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️🦕🦖
"There are shades of the departed Starmer government in this saga: @ukri.org wants to tell a big story about science funding going up, but instead is mired in a row over a fairly minor sum.... One does not have to be an astronomer to know that optics matter." 👌🔭
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
The Guardian view on the Lovell telescope: budget cuts to physics are bad science and worse politics | Editorial
Editorial: Funders have picked a damaging fight with scientists and the public. They should reconsider their plans
www.theguardian.com
August 1, 2026 at 8:17 AM
"There are shades of the departed Starmer government in this saga: @ukri.org wants to tell a big story about science funding going up, but instead is mired in a row over a fairly minor sum.... One does not have to be an astronomer to know that optics matter." 👌🔭
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
When UK policy is following this close behind Trump something has gone horribly wrong
The attacks on science continue, and billions are shifted into artificial "intelligence."
📝 @drcarpineti.bsky.social www.iflscience.com/trump-admini...
📝 @drcarpineti.bsky.social www.iflscience.com/trump-admini...
July 29, 2026 at 3:55 PM
When UK policy is following this close behind Trump something has gone horribly wrong
I think it’s important to mention the overall budget to UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) has *increased*. They’re just “re-prioritising” and cutting funds to curiosity based research in favour of avenues with perceived short term economic impacts. AI startups get mentioned a lot in this regard.
Short-sighted, stupid cuts to the UKRI budget include shutting down Jodrell Bank, the icon of British astronomy. (Many other cuts too, including 20% to our brand new @vrubinobs.bsky.social). Interesting politically to shut down a major facility in...um..Manchester 🔭 www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Jodrell Bank's Lovell telescope faces axe in science cuts, BBC understands
Astronomers warn it would tear the heart out of UK science, and leave a generation untrained.
www.bbc.co.uk
July 27, 2026 at 7:39 PM
I think it’s important to mention the overall budget to UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) has *increased*. They’re just “re-prioritising” and cutting funds to curiosity based research in favour of avenues with perceived short term economic impacts. AI startups get mentioned a lot in this regard.
You think at a time like this the U.K. would be stepping up to exploit the gap left by these decisions and become a world leader in science…
Admirable clarity @science.org
July 27, 2026 at 4:17 PM
You think at a time like this the U.K. would be stepping up to exploit the gap left by these decisions and become a world leader in science…
Reposted by Toby Rodel 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️🦕🦖
The Royal Astronomical Society is shocked and dismayed to hear that the UK's iconic Jodrell Bank Observatory is at risk of closure amid a slew of catastrophic budget cuts.
Read our full statement here: ras.ac.uk/news-and-pre...
Read our full statement here: ras.ac.uk/news-and-pre...
July 27, 2026 at 1:36 PM
The Royal Astronomical Society is shocked and dismayed to hear that the UK's iconic Jodrell Bank Observatory is at risk of closure amid a slew of catastrophic budget cuts.
Read our full statement here: ras.ac.uk/news-and-pre...
Read our full statement here: ras.ac.uk/news-and-pre...