iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Prof Col Macpherson @colinmacpherson.bsky.social · 4h

Nick Mohammed reminding everyone that a geophysics degree isn’t just for Christmas. 🧪⚒️ @durhamearthsci.bsky.social www.instagram.com/reel/Dd6AvwT...

instagram.com

Instagram

Create an account or log in to Instagram - Share what you're into with the people who get you.

010

Reposted by Prof Col Macpherson

Steve Brusatte @stevebrusatte.bsky.social · 6h

🚨Postdoc job alert: Come work with my paleontology & evolution group in Edinburgh! Researcher in Cognitive Evolution Over Deep Time. You'll study how brains & neurons have evolved over time, and predict neuron count in extinct species! www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DTC355/p...

jobs.ac.uk

Postdoctoral Research Associate in Cognitive Evolution over Deep Time at The University of Edinburgh

Apply for the Postdoctoral Research Associate in Cognitive Evolution over Deep Time role on jobs.ac.uk, the top job board for academic positions in higher education. View details and apply now.

24050

Prof Col Macpherson @colinmacpherson.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Repost with an image of your favourite James Bond (wrong answers only)

Rab C. Nesbit - a dishevelled, unshaven, white man wearing a torn black jacket over a string vest with a dirty headband in greasy hair, pointing at the observer.

000

Prof Col Macpherson @colinmacpherson.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Geochemical prospecting for beskar. This was actually the topic of the class paper I set last year for @durhamearthsci.bsky.social second year igneous geochemistry students. ⚒️🌋🧪

020

Reposted by Prof Col Macpherson

Prof Col Macpherson @colinmacpherson.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

Geologist here. What a lot of nonsense. Everyone knows Edinburgh is built of Muesleith.

0252

Prof Col Macpherson @colinmacpherson.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Lucky enough earlier this week to get excellent view of the 2023-25 lava flows around the town of Grindavík (middle on coast), Blue Lagoon Resort and neighbouring geothermal plant (inland, middle-left) on the Reykjanes Peninsula, Iceland. 🌋⚒️🧪

View of Reykjanes Peninsula from aircraft showing the town of Grindavík surrounded by tongues of black lava flows

0161

Reposted by Prof Col Macpherson

Alice Roberts @profaliceroberts.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

I’ve reached the point - well actually, I reached it a while ago - where I’m militantly anti-AI. Fine - use it in bioscience labs and radiology where it might help analyse data more effectively. Use it sparingly for systems engineering. Everywhere else, it can fuck off.

1553136711

Reposted by Prof Col Macpherson

Brandon Bishop @brandontbishop.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Our answer is the same as it's ever been in times of methodological crisis: EXPLAIN ROCK, LOOK AT ROCK, LOOK AT MORE ROCKS. Beware of those who claim you've seen enough rocks....

2195

Reposted by Prof Col Macpherson

Katie Mack @astrokatie.com · 07/09/2026

This is one of the objections I have when people talk about how useful LLMs can be for literature searches or for any kind of search, really. Even beyond the biases that inevitably (and, in some cases, intentionally) show up, part of a good literature search is seeing information *in context.*

501872337

Prof Col Macpherson @colinmacpherson.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Unfortunately stichite in serpentinite is giving me Barney the Dinosaur vibes rather than Hulk #MinCup26

080

Reposted by Prof Col Macpherson

Mark Parrington @mparrington.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

The #Krakatau 🌋sulphur dioxide plume in the #CopernicusAtmosphere column integrated volcanic SO2 analysis, assimilating GOME-2, TROPOMI & IASI (+layer height) 🛰️ observations, valid for 6 Sept 00UTC. Data access➡️ ads.atmosphere.copernicus.eu/datasets/cam... @copernicusecmwf.bsky.social @ecmwf.int

Global map, centred on western Indonesia, showing the extent of the plume of column integrated mass density of volcanic SO2 as it extends from the Anak Krakatau volcano out to the Indian Ocean in the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service analysis valid for 00 UTC on 6 September.

12711

Prof Col Macpherson @colinmacpherson.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

Herd of cows. On a beach. In Fife, Scotland. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 🐄

Cows sitting or standing on a wide, sandy beach under a blue sky.

030

Reposted by Prof Col Macpherson

Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

'A prolonged fall in the number of international students applying to study in the UK means “the wheels are rapidly falling off” the student loan-funded higher education system in England, sector experts have warned.' The world's 2nd best university system being killed by malign neglect. 1/3

611270

Prof Col Macpherson @colinmacpherson.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

Mines extracting what? Factories making what?

051

Prof Col Macpherson @colinmacpherson.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

This bad boy hasn’t seen active service in a long time!

Hole punch sitting on an open ring binder containing papers.

150

Reposted by Prof Col Macpherson

Athena Kugblenu @athenakugblenu.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

The Guardian once asked me 'what one change would you make to achieve Black equality in Britain?' and it feels appropriate to share my answer again

Athena Kugblenu: Allow Black people to be mediocre too!
Athena Kugblenu
I would like to replace #blackexcellence with #blackmediocrity. True equality is when our talent:recognition ratio is allowed to be as broad as white people’s. Lewis Hamilton had to win two Formula One titles before he bagged BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 2014; Greg Rusedski only had to get battered by Pat Rafter to win his. Kwasi Kwarteng steered the economy towards an iceberg and got sacked. Jeremy Hunt drove the NHS over a cliff, now he’s chancellor. Don’t get me started on how many football clubs get ruined by freshly retired white footballers while very qualified Black managers are overlooked. When the arc of the moral universe bends towards Black people failing upwards as their peers do, we will be in the promised land.

544700870

Reposted by Prof Col Macpherson

Durham University @durham.ac.uk · 06/08/2026

Confused about carbon capture and the different ways it can be done? Professor Jon Gluyas @durhamearthsci.bsky.social explains the often-confusing landscape around this and why time is short. www.durham.ac.uk/research/cur...

Fossil fuel power stations with smoke coming out of their chimneys.

012

Prof Col Macpherson @colinmacpherson.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

Pallasites are so often shown cut and polished - still beautiful in their raw form though. 😍🧪⚒️

0152

Reposted by Prof Col Macpherson

authodizer @doktrock.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

🚨Job Alert ‼️ 🚨 Hard-rock geologist with expertise in bedrock structure for mapping metamorphic terranes at Connecticut Geological Survey #geology ⚒️ www.jobapscloud.com/CT/sup/bulpr...

jobapscloud.com

Environmental Analyst 3

We are hiring for Environmental Analyst 3.

058

Reposted by Prof Col Macpherson

Department of Earth Sciences at Durham University, UK @durhamearthsci.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝗲𝗶𝘀𝗺𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗞𝘆𝘂𝘀𝗵𝘂 𝗘𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗵𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗸𝗲 🌐 After the Magnitude 6.8 earthquake that struck the Kumamoto region, Japan, today, Tuesday, July 28, 2026, at 4:27 PM local time, the exposition seismometer displayed at the entrance of the Department received its signal!

2269

Reposted by Prof Col Macpherson

Bill Haneberg @haneberg.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

A year or two ago, an AI-boosting petro-bro—a geologist if memory serves—suggested on a different platform that the entire USGS core facility should be shuttered because anything of value had been digitized and maintaining physical samples was a waste of money. He couldn't have been more wrong! ⚒️

23213

Reposted by Prof Col Macpherson

Oliver T Lord @olivertlord.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

We're hiring in the School of Earth Sciences @bristoluni.bsky.social: NERC-funded PDRA in Petrological Controls on Ore Genesis. Arizona fieldwork, synchrotron work at Diamond, and high-pressure experiments on how subduction zones concentrate copper. Closes 5 Aug: www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DSG652/s...

jobs.ac.uk

Senior Research Associate in Petrological Controls on Ore Genesis at University of Bristol

Discover an exciting academic career path as a Senior Research Associate in Petrological Controls on Ore Genesis at jobs.ac.uk. Don't miss out on this job opportunity - apply today!

065

Reposted by Prof Col Macpherson

Durham University @durham.ac.uk · 22/07/2026

Professor @clairehorwell.bsky.social from @durhamearthsci.bsky.social has been part of a NASA Working Group reviewing the health risks of Martian dust for future human explorers. Find out more: www.nasa.gov/general/esta...

1113

Reposted by Prof Col Macpherson

Paul Byrne @theplanetaryguy.com · 20/07/2026

Fifty-seven years ago today. Happy International Moon Day!

Buzz Aldrin stands beside the United States flag at Tranquility Base, the Apollo 11 landing site.

528184

Prof Col Macpherson @colinmacpherson.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

RIP Kevin Keegan. Ultimate competitor in everything he did. We never called them "water cooler moments" when I was a kid, but this was most definitely one when he was on Superstars. youtu.be/n4OzPrskdqU?...

youtu.be

Kevin Keegan falls off his bike during BBC Superstars 1976

YouTube video by Southstandred

000

Reposted by Prof Col Macpherson

Ele Willoughby @minouette.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

Happy birthday to brilliant trailblazing US #geologist & prof Florence Bascom (1862-1945) 👩🏼‍🔬🐡🧪⚒️ #histsci who championed women’s education, & used polarizing microscopes for detailed petrographic analysis to show that rocks previously identified as sedimentary were in fact metamorphosed volcanic 🧵

My linocut portrait of geologist Florence Bascom as a young woman from neck up, in blue, looking at the viewer with her curly hair pulled back wearing a blouse with large lace collar on green vinyl. Behind her are two geological cross-sections with layers carved with different patterns to indicate different rock materials in black. Below on either side are two circular diagrams: these are thin sections of rhyolite printed in pale beige, brown, and black.

28128

Prof Col Macpherson @colinmacpherson.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

Fascinating. Shout out to the spirit of Stuart Boyd (with the equal oldest citation from this paper) who was a pioneer investigating nitrogen in high temp rocks and the solid Earth. ⚒️🧪🌋🌍

020

Prof Col Macpherson @colinmacpherson.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

Congratulations to all @durhamearthsci.bsky.social students who graduated from @durham.ac.uk today at @durhamcathedral.bsky.social, and to one luck soul who received their dogree. ⚒️🧪👨‍🎓👩‍🎓🐕

Queue of people wearing colourful graduates robes in the stone carved corridor of Durham University cloisters

Durham University graduates and families in front of Durham Cathedral

031

Reposted by Prof Col Macpherson

Durham University @durham.ac.uk · 07/07/2026

Many congratulations to alumnus Ross Forbes. Ross has been awarded an Honorary Doctor of Science for his contribution to heritage, culture and community engagement in County Durham.

111

Prof Col Macpherson @colinmacpherson.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

This art🤝geology is rather wonderful ⚒️🧪

090

Reposted by Prof Col Macpherson

Joanne Harris @joannechocolat.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

The only advantage humans have over other living things is their brain power. Outsourcing that now to AI seems like an open door to extinction...

1126047

Prof Col Macpherson @colinmacpherson.bsky.social · 05/07/2026

As a tennis commentator Andrew Castle is “inferior in every way”. Can’t wait for him to be gone.

120

Reposted by Prof Col Macpherson

Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

'Our Inquiry found that white working class parents are more likely than others to say they want their children to have a better education than they had themselves: 94 per cent say this, compared with 91 per cent of all parents.' 1/3

wonkhe.com

Higher education needs to earn back the trust of white working class families

The independent inquiry into white working class educational outcomes found a lack of trust in higher education, not in aspiration. Anne-Marie Canning explains

1126

Reposted by Prof Col Macpherson

VolcanoDiscovery @volcano.link · 03/07/2026

#Krakatau #volcano (Sunda Strait, Indonesia): new eruptive phase - The volcano entered a new eruptive activity recently. The satellite imagery from 2 July over the area detected a heat anomaly in the crater and ash emissions. Moreover, the local volcano observatory informed about the activity a...

volcanodiscovery.com

Krakatau volcano (Sunda Strait, Indonesia): new eruptive phase

032

Reposted by Prof Col Macpherson

Alisa Bokulich @alisabokulich.bsky.social · 25/06/2026

Loch Monar geologic folds ⚒️

Alisa pointing to rocks with swirls & folds

27210

Reposted by Prof Col Macpherson

Dr. Jonathan Foley @globalecoguy.bsky.social · 25/06/2026

I especially love this diagram.

5248582012

Reposted by Prof Col Macpherson

Glen O'Hara @gsoh31.bsky.social · 25/06/2026

This is one of the dumbest and saddest things I've ever seen. We should not think of universities in this way, and if we do that'll destroy everything that is both useful and good about them. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

bbc.co.uk

Find out which university degrees could earn you most across your lifetime

New data suggests which university degrees have the highest and lowest financial returns over a lifetime.

62629179

Reposted by Prof Col Macpherson

Durham University @durham.ac.uk · 23/06/2026

New research has found why powerful seabed flows can be so damaging to internet cables on the ocean floor. An international team, including Matthieu Cartigny @geogdurham.bsky.social, offers a framework for better predicting these events and protecting infrastructure. 🔗 Read more: brnw.ch/21x3zhE

143

Reposted by Prof Col Macpherson

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution @whoi.edu · 19/06/2026

What’s boiling hot, full of minerals, and provides food for the hungry masses? 🤤 👉Find out what’s cooking in the deep sea: go.whoi.edu/think-deep

03812