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Grant McKinney

@gwmck.bsky.social
1K followers 1.2K following 200 posts

Designer of spectrometers. Amateur astronomer. Builder of droids. Climate advocate. Born at 320ppm.

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Reposted by Grant McKinney
Chris Gug @gugunderwater.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
Armed & dangerous! Lobsters have a early life stage called phyllosoma, wherein they drift through the open ocean, and have the coolest habit of taking stinging siphonophores prisoner for defense Shot on scuba, while drifting in the open ocean, out over the deep abyss, at night, far offshore
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Prof. Eliot Jacobson @climatecasino.net · 27/09/2026
Breaking News! Code: FUBAR!!! The preliminary Nino 3.4 sea-surface temperature for September 25th was 29.822°C. This breaks the previous highest temperature ever recorded in the region of 29.815°C, set on November 17th, 2015. The Climate 8-ball is exiting, stage right.
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Admirable Women @admirablewomen.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Occupational medicine pioneer Dr. Harriet Louise Hardy was born #OTD in 1906. Her discovery of the link between industrial beryllium exposure and fatal lung disease forced the fluorescent lamp industry to completely eliminate the toxic metal in 1949. #WomenInSTEM 🧵
A black-and-white portrait of a close-up view of Dr. Harriet Louise Hardy (1906–1993), the pioneering physician, industrial toxicologist, and foundational trailblazer in occupational medicine who famously discovered the link between industrial beryllium exposure and fatal lung disease. In this stark, high-contrast photograph, Dr. Hardy is positioned in a three-quarter profile facing right. She has dark, thick, textured hair styled in a short, practical mid-20th-century crop that is swept off her forehead. Her expression is calm, resolute, and contemplative, with a subtle, closed-lip smile and a focused gaze that conveys an intellectual, serious, and dignified mood. She wears a structured, dark tweed or plaid patterned blazer with fine geometric lines. The background is a solid, neutral gray, keeping the composition completely focused on Dr. Hardy.
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Mike Hoerger, PhD, MSCR, MBA @michael-hoerger.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
PMC COVlD Update, Sep 21, 2026 (US) 🔥13th COVlD wave 🔥40 states/territories with outbreaks (see Alt text) 🔥3.8 million estimated weekly infections 🔥Outbreaks in NYC 🔥Extremely high levels on the Big Island of HI Mask up and get boosted. 🧵THREAD (1/4)
The US has at least 34 states and territories with COVlD outbreaks. These include Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Guam, Hawai'i, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and West Virginia. Levels on the Big Island of Hawai’i are particularly high. Note also, the NYC area is seeing outbreaks.

There are likely outbreaks in additional states. The summary statistic of 40 only includes counties with observed data, rather than estimated data. For example, Idaho, Louisiana, Maryland, and Tennessee likely have outbreaks, but monitoring is poor.
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Ron Filipkowski @ronfilipkowski.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
A minor detail is missing from the headline.
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Kees van der Leun @sustainable2050.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Glaciologist @matthias-huss.bsky.social shows that the centre of the Great Aletsch glacier in Switzerland (the biggest in the Alps) lost 6 meters(!) of thickness just this summer. "No words...", he adds on LinkedIn.
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Michelle says: Be kind. Always. ❤️ @snarkysillysad.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
@diche_mideros captures two red and green macaws flying side by side, their wings touching as they soar: #AGoodPlace
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Arp Bot 🤖 @arpbot.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Sloan Digital Sky Survey image of Arp 1, also known as NGC 2857. NGC 2857 is a spiral galaxy in the constellation Ursa Major. Credit: SDSS Source
A two-armed spiral galaxy with a small, bright, circular core. The muted, yellowish-green spiral arms wind tightly counterclockwise around the yellow core.
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tomwellborn3rd @wellborn.net · 10/09/2026
Waters off Baja are running 14 degrees above normal, a severe to extreme marine heatwave by NOAA's own scale, and that heat is riding straight into SoCal's record-humid summer. This is climate collapse in real time while the current administration guts the agencies athat track it.
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Richard @rvmrn69.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Good night everyone
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David Grimm @david-grimm.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
For years, scientists have argued that human births are difficult because of the way evolution shaped our pelvises for upright walking. But a new study argues that fetal sex may also play a role. Interesting story by @bridgetalex.bsky.social for @science.org
science.org
Why are human births so difficult? Male babies—not just upright walking—may be to blame
Analysis of 140 species suggests the risks of sons are offset by evolutionary advantages
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God @thegodshow.com · 08/09/2026
If you can look at this photo without your heart breaking, then you don’t have a soul.
Palestinian children watching Lion King in Gaza
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Tori Foote @toriatheisttori.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
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Matthias Rauls @dobsonaut.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Last Sturday night I unknowingly caught a supernova in the act. While taking an #astrophotography of Stephan's Quintett with my Celestron Origin, I just by chance captured an image of SN2026aaiv in NGC7331. What are the chances for such a coincidence? 90min of data processed in Pixinsight.
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Chris Gloninger @climatechris.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
Lowell passes about 100 miles west of Hawaii tonight. Hurricane warning for Kauai and Niihau, statewide emergency, up to 10 inches of rain in the forecast. Same week, LA got its first measurable rain in months, in September, off Marie from 770 miles out. Climate change is the threat multiplier.
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Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 02/09/2026
how i be getting around in my car now that Apple Maps and Google Maps are dead to me
pic of printed out paper Mapquest directions mounted to rearview mirror
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Pile Of Garbage @pileofgarbage.net · 01/09/2026
I love how Werner Herzog is ALWAYS like this:
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Sanfello @sanfello.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
Ah, c’era anche M101. Ho gli occhi pieni di stelle.
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Lev Parikian @levparikian.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
250 million birds flew across America last night, tracked by radar. Migration season is upon us, and it’s wilder than you could imagine. Birdcast’s live migration maps and forecasts (from Cornell Lab of Ornithology) are brilliant, and you can find them here. birdcast.org/migration-to...
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Barry Butler Photography @barrybutler9.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
High in the sky and the clouds cleared just in time to show the Blood Moon during the Partial Lunar Eclipse this evening. Captured at 11:19pm over Chicago.
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Freethinkers United For Change @freethinkersunite.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
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Kelly @broadwaybabyto.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
Covid is not over. Covid is airborne. Covid is still killing and disabling. The government pushed a “back to normal” narrative to protect the economy, not people’s lives. A layered approach works best! Boosters, respirator masks, clean air and staying home when sick can all reduce transmission.
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CJTO🍁🏳️‍🌈 @cjtoronto.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Henceforth, the Milky Way™ will now be known as the Great Canadian Galaxy. Thank you for your attention to this matter. #DumbestTimelinePossible
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DaughterOfDefiance @z-buck.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
And that folks, is how you do it.
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Michelle says: Be kind. Always. ❤️ @snarkysillysad.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Thursday morning calisthenics with this peacock spider: 🔊 #AGoodPlace Source: www.reddit.com/r/NatureIsFu...
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Norm Eisen @normeisen.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
The president has NO authority to make lists of voters & tell the Postal Service who gets a ballot That power belongs to Congress & to the states, which have passed no such law. @campaignlegal.org & @democracydefendersfund.org are in court to put and end to these shenanigans @ms.now👇 -TN
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Karen Attiah @karenattiah.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
BREAKING: After the Washington Post fired me last year for speaking the truth in the wake of the Charlie Kirk killing, I fought back. And I'm happy to announce: I won my case against the Washington Post. They have been ordered to reinstate me immediately. www.nytimes.com/2026/08/24/b...
nytimes.com
Washington Post Ordered to Rehire Fired Columnist Karen Attiah
An arbitrator ordered the newspaper to reinstate Karen Attiah, who was fired after posting about “white men who espouse hatred and violence” following Charlie Kirk’s killing.
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Greenpeace International 🌍 @greenpeace.org · 20/08/2026
🚨 OCEAN HEAT: We are entering uncharted territory. Record-breaking ocean temperatures are pushing ecosystems closer to dangerous tipping points. Fossil fuel corporations and big polluters are gambling with a liveable planet for profit.
Line graph of Niño 3.4 sea-surface temperature anomalies from 1982–2026. The red 2026 line rises from around -0.7°C in January to nearly +2.7°C by mid-August, far above most previous years. Source: Climate Reanalyzer, using NOAA OISST v2.1 data.
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Astronomical Delights @sciencesational.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
To the immediate & lower right of the cypress tree is Venus. Computer reconstructions of the sky over Saint-Rémy show Venus in the correct region of the eastern sky during the relevant period. In a letter to Theo, Van Gogh also referred to a bright morning star at the time of the painting.
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Starship Celtica ☀️ @starshipceltica.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
12 August total eclipse imaged by Marina Prol www.esa.int/ESA_Multimed... The 12 August 2026 total solar eclipse captured by #yourESA community member Marina Prol in Galicia, Spain. The image shows the meadows of Espiñeira, Cospeito (Lugo), during totality.
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Ed Maibach @maibached.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
Yikes! Rising levels of carbon pollution (C02) appears to be changing our blood chemistry, which may affect our brain functioning. Stop burning fossil fuels. @docsforclimate.bsky.social @gchalliance.bsky.social @climatepsychiatry.bsky.social @climatepsychol.bsky.social @coveringclimatenow.org
link.springer.com
Carbon dioxide overload, detected in human blood, suggests a potentially toxic atmosphere within 50 years - Air Quality, Atmosphere & Health
Anthropogenic activities are increasing the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere. There is mounting experimental evidence that lifetime exposure to these increasing atmospheric CO2 levels ...
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bbeach.bsky.social @bbeach.bsky.social · 15/08/2026
Heatwaves and earthquakes. www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
nytimes.com
Toll During One Week of Scorching Europe June Heat Wave: 16,000 Deaths (Gift Article)
Deaths spiked in northwest Europe in June, where countries were unprepared for extreme heat that hit much of the continent.
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suzette sommer @suzette.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
Weather is never going to be innocuous and inconsequential ever again, is it. 🤦🏻‍♀️
charlieangus.substack.com
What Keeps Me Up at Night
Rising temperatures in the Pacific will blow away any previous “Super” El Niño by a “truly mind-blowing margin.” - Zeke Hausfather
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MeidasTouch @meidastouch.com · 14/08/2026
🚨EXCLUSIVE: Military families and service members are now describing horrific conditions across MULTIPLE ships: human waste flooding bathrooms, virtually no food, water or soap, months without port calls, exhausted crews, and no end in sight. This crisis is far bigger than just the Lincoln.
meidasnews.com
Not Just the Lincoln: Families Describe Human Waste, No Food, No End in Sight Across Multiple Ships
Since MeidasTouch began reporting on conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, messages have poured in to MeidasTouch from military families and service
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Dr. Sandra Steingraber 🏳️‍🌈 @ssteingraber1.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
Japan has added a new heat category that translates as “cruelly hot.” Also potato harvests are failing in South Korea. Lee Jae Myung: “We need to make efforts for a fundamental overhaul of the national crisis system…extreme weather is becoming the new normal.” www.theguardian.com/world/2026/a...
theguardian.com
Potatoes ‘boil’ in the ground as record heatwave sweeps across swathes of Asia
South Korean farmers are suffering in record heat, as Hong Kong reports its highest ever temperature and Japan swelters through newly designated ‘cruelly hot’ days
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Nereide @drnereide.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
1/9 In 2019, a Warsaw research team presented the first 3D map of the Milky Way in the journal Science. The map is based on direct distances to thousands of Cepheids. A pioneering achievement, still widely cited. 🔭🧪⚛️ #galactic #astronomy #universe
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CN Lester 🏳️‍⚧️ @cnlester.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
The stark naked reality of short-term individualistic greed standing in the way of our species' survival - I don't know if it's ever been this obvious in my life time.
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Hourly Cosmos @hourlycosmos.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
Hubble Observes Glowing, Fiery Shells of Gas - From Goddard Space Flight Center - flic.kr/p/dYRAp3
It may look like something from "The Lord of the Rings," but this fiery swirl is actually a planetary nebula known as ESO 456-67. Set against a backdrop of bright stars, the rust-colored object lies in the constellation of Sagittarius (The Archer), in the southern sky.

In this image of ESO 456-67, it is possible to see the various layers of material expelled by the central star. Each appears in a different hue - red, orange, yellow, and green-tinted bands of gas are visible, with clear patches of space at the heart of the nebula. It is not fully understood how planetary nebulae form such a wide variety of shapes and structures; some appear to be spherical, some elliptical, others shoot material in waves from their polar regions, some look like hourglasses or figures of eight, and others resemble large, messy stellar explosions - to name but a few.

Image Credit: ESA/Hubble and NASA

NASA image use policy.

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission.

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Onisillos @onisillos.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
“I think it has already failed.” www.nature.com/articles/d41...
nature.com
Polio should have been eradicated by now. What’s plan B?
Amid funding cuts and political barriers, researchers are asking whether the campaign can ever succeed, and what to do next.
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Hoodlum 🇺🇸 @nothoodlum.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
“You said the 2020 election was rigged by either Venezuela or China. When you called that fella in Georgia pleading for 11,780 votes, was that part of the rigging, or part of the 6-year investigation? Just one more thing, sir, who was president while all this rigging took place?”
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ℝ𝕖𝕓𝕖𝕝𝕓𝕝𝕦𝕖 @rebelb1ue.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
He`s hell bent on eliminating the Constitution.
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Dr. Jeroen W.P. Wijnendaele @drdragases.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
I am once again begging Hollywood to stop using the Greek alphabet for an Ancient World movie, if they can't afford to even throw a couple of quid at anyone with an inkling of the language. Unless they really think audiences are dying to see THS THDPSSSSPS
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Michelle says: Be kind. Always. ❤️ @snarkysillysad.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
First-ever footage of a Barreleye Fish captured deep beneath the Atlantic Ocean: #AGoodPlace Source: www.reddit.com/r/Damnthatsi...
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Fat Nixon is a Traitor 🇺🇦 🟦🟧🚩 @lbusdoor90.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
I completely understand 1930-40s Germany now.
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licia @astra99.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
The Euclid telescope found 31 ancient quasars, including two from when the universe was just 670 million years old. These giants shone with the light of a trillion suns. It’s remarkable how supermassive black holes could form so rapidly in cosmic infancy.
news.ucsb.edu
Scientists Discover Oldest Quasars Yet, Shining with the Light of a Trillion Suns in Early Universe
Astronomers using the European Space Agency's Euclid space telescope have discovered 31 of the most ancient quasars in the early universe. This includes two record-breaking quasars that existed when t
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Katie Mack @astrokatie.com · 14/07/2026
About to be on CKFR's The Early Edition to talk about quantum mechanics! www.am1150.ca
am1150.ca
Home Page : AM 1150
AM 1150 is Kelowna’s source for news, talk, and sports — delivering breaking news, local stories, and live radio coverage.
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Flingjore @flingjore.com · 13/07/2026
Evolutionary biologists finally admit that high intelligence does not require making friends. A new octopus study completely dismantles the idea that big brains only evolve for social networking, proving that solitary sea creatures get incredibly smart just by navigating complicated neighborhoods.
nautil.us
How the Rule-Breaking Octopus Is Rewriting the Evolution of Intelligence - Nautilus | Science
How the Rule-Breaking Octopus Is Rewriting the Evolution of Intelligence: Cephalopods are loners, but they’re also intelligent
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Budd @n7eoj.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
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The Ukrainian Review @theukrainianreview.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
🇫🇮 Finland has created a large-scale network of shelters under Helsinki, capable of accommodating almost a million people, — The Times. There are about 5,500 bunkers under the capital. In peacetime, some of complexes are used as sports centers, swimming pools, saunas and other public spaces.
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Astronomy Bot @astronomybot.bsky.social · 12/07/2026
Astronomy Picture Of the Day - APOD Title: Galaxy NGC 474: Shells and Star Streams Date: 2026-07-12 #APOD #NASA
Image posted by astronomybot
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