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Michael Brown

@mjibrown.bsky.social
1.3K followers 249 following 2.6K posts

Astronomer, Monash academic, Conversation writer, cycling commuter or mamil. research.monash.edu/en/persons/mich…

PostsRepliesMedia
Reposted by Michael Brown
John F Wu @jwuphysics.bsky.social · 3h
I can't stop it's too much fun
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Michael Brown @mjibrown.bsky.social · 3h
Earthquake - well, tremor - in Melbourne just now.
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ARC Tracker @arc-tracker.bsky.social · 19h
ARC has given some details of how new Explore scheme will run ▶️ www.arc.gov.au/news-and-pub... ❗️There's a lottery❗️ Peer review yields 3 categories: highly competitive, competitive, uncompetitive. After funding highly competitive apps, competitive ones enter a lottery for remaining $.
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Tim Baxter @timinclimate.naruresearch.com.au · 15h
We're being taken for chumps. Again. I'm sure the country's so-called leaders are up to the task. What was that Donald Horne quote, again?
ieefa.org
China’s resales of Australian LNG strengthens case for prioritising domestic users
With Australia’s two largest LNG buyers – Japan and China – both reselling large volumes of Australian gas, there is a strong case for prioritising domestic users when it comes to utilising eastern Au...
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CosmicRami 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ @rami.spaceaustralia.com · 21h
There's so much to unpack in this .... but I think I can pretty much summarise it with: Big tech companies are forcing their way ahead with space-based dominance, with very little consideration for environmental impacts. This is nothing new. However, this looks more serious. 🧵👇
techcrunch.com
Google thinks SpaceX's Starship has to launch 1,800 times before space data centers get off the ground | TechCrunch
Google launched its first advanced chip into orbit to pave the way for space data centers.
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ABC News Bot (unofficial) @abcnewsbot.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Former federal minister De-Anne Kelly has been revealed as a co-founder of offshore casino LuckyBet.
abc.net.au
Howard-era minister voted to outlaw offshore casinos, then co-founded one
Former federal minister De-Anne Kelly has been revealed as a co-founder of offshore casino LuckyBet.
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ABC News Bot (unofficial) @abcnewsbot.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
The University of Newcastle has agreed to settle a class action lawsuit for $7.55 million after 163 students alleged it had engaged in misleading conduct after their engineering degree was found to be unaccredited.
abc.net.au
$7.55 million settlement awarded to students whose degrees were unaccredited
The University of Newcastle has agreed to settle a class action lawsuit for $7.55 million after 163 students alleged it had engaged in misleading conduct after their engineering degree was found to be unaccredited.
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Michael Brown @mjibrown.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
The Onion or Scientific Reports? Can be hard to tell at times. www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/d...
smithsonianmag.com
Journal 'Nature' Retracts Study About Ancient City's Destruction Linked to Biblical Story of Sodom
Around 1650 B.C.E., the Bronze Age city of Tall el-Hammam was wiped out by an unknown natural disaster
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Michael Brown @mjibrown.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
One for @boslough.bsky.social....
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Greg Jericho @grogsgamut.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
“Biggest improvement in housing affordability for 40 years”
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Louis @louisevans.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Skipped the Nazis, huh.
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Paul Karp @paulkarp.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
SCOOP: Australia eyes ripping up $2.3B immigration detention contract --new details of financial penalties being paid by Secure Journeys, US-owned private prison operator --Home Affairs asks AGS for all options including termination www.politico.com/news/2026/09...
politico.com
Australia eyes ripping up $2.3B immigration detention contract
ICE-linked contractor has been hit with millions in fines for its handling of immigration detention.
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Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 30/09/2026
alert the press -- Trump is conked out in the Oval Office again
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Michael Brown @mjibrown.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Quite the non sequitur. Perhaps auto-normative.
Some drivers are obsessed with riders being single file.
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Adam Bonin @adambonin.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
This is awesome: in lieu of autographs or selfies at events (this was from outside the XM Radio event in NYC this week), David Byrne now hands out this business card before cycling away. www.reddit.com/r/talkinghea...
FROM DAVID BYRNE
HELLO, NICE TO MEET YOU.
I NO LONGER SIGN AUTO GRAPHS OR POSE FOR SELFIES - OUTSIDE OF CHARITY OR OTHER SPECIAL EVENTS. HAVE A WONDERFUL REST OF YOUR DAY.
/s/ David Byrne
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Michael Brown @mjibrown.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Cars and trucks regularly dropping these on the road cannot be good. I hit this with a car tonight (heard it smack the underside) and then found it on the road. For bike riders it could be and has been lethal.
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The Onion @theonion.com · 30/09/2026
"Everyone knows Frodo’s the hero of Lord Of The Rings, but he’s not in this case, which—I mean, evil is a form of innovation, right?” — Peter Thiel
theonion.com
Creatively Tapped-Out Peter Thiel Launches Startup Called ‘Frodo, But Evil’
BUENOS AIRES—After exhausting a significant amount of his intellectual energy in a series of company launches, a creatively tapped-out Peter Thiel announced Tuesday a new startup called “Frodo, But Ev...
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mattie lubchansky @mattielubchansky.com · 29/09/2026
awoke this morning with a Vision
that diagram showing  the SUV blind spot in the front but it's lowly worm driving his little applemobile
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Michael Brown @mjibrown.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
If it’s just stealing fuel then I can see why Trump and Rubio have a greater interest than the British police. www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...
theguardian.com
No explosives found in three vans searched near RAF Fairford, say police
Head of Counter Terrorism Policing defends decision to bail five British men arrested in connection with incident
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Space.com @space.com · 28/09/2026
Boeing's Starliner won't launch astronauts until 2028 (and may need a new rocket), NASA says www.space.com/space-explor...
space.com
Boeing's Starliner won't launch astronauts until 2028 (and may need a new rocket), NASA says
"NASA is uncertain as to when … human-rating certification for the Starliner will be obtained."
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Michael Brown @mjibrown.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Has anyone checked the teacup weather forecast? Stormy with scattered bail? www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...
theguardian.com
Five UK nationals arrested near RAF Fairford released on bail
Police say alleged offences could have been committed ‘knowingly or unknowingly’ on behalf of a foreign state
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Chelsea Harvey @chelseaeharvey.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
NEW - Conservative orgs are filing records requests by the dozens at public universities, demanding documents from climate researchers. @lesleyclark.bsky.social @corbinhiar.bsky.social & I have uncovered more than 100 requests, a campaign targets/allies say is an effort to derail climate litigation
politico.com
Inside the anti-climate campaign against researchers
A POLITICO investigation reveals more than 100 open records requests demanding documents from climate scientists nationwide.
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Steve Chambers @planningtransport.co.uk · 28/09/2026
Thanks for reminding me of this.
A short history of traffic engineering show walk, cycle, transit and car routes over time with cycling and walking getting worse.
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Dan Diamond @ddiamond.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Russell Brand, who's awaiting trial in London next month on rape and sexual assault charges, will moderate a panel at DC's MAHA summit tomorrow on reforming a U.S. health agency
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Paul Voosen @voosen.me · 28/09/2026
New Horizons is now *three days away* from shutting off its two heliophysics instruments, simply because NASA has not provided the $2M in funding it had promised to the mission last year or this year. There is no science basis for shutting these off. Our earlier coverage:
science.org
NASA’s New Horizons mission may shut down two instruments over lack of funding
Decision risks “incalculable loss” of data from the edge of the Sun’s influence, scientists say
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Michael Brown @mjibrown.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Yes he says crazy stuff about climate change but he says other things too that highlight broader ugly ideas.
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Shayan Sardarizadeh @shayan86.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
An AI-enhanced version of a grainy image that appears to be authentic and shows several men being arrested in relation to the ongoing incident at RAF Fairford is currently being shared on multiple platforms. A SynthID check reveals that the enhanced image was generated with OpenAI.
AI-enhanced version of an authentic image showing arrests at RAF Fairford
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Greg Jericho @grogsgamut.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
We’re buying subs from the US because insane nutters on Govt think we need to defend ourselves against China, which the US is proposing to sell weapons to…
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Alejandra Caraballo @esqueer.net · 27/09/2026
The before and after it's even more haunting.
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Michael Brown @mjibrown.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Seen this before. youtu.be/cL4FzGYrHQk?...
youtu.be
Arnold Via Satellite! 'To Clone Wienerscnitzel! Jingle all the way! 11/3/04
YouTube video by Bobblehead Conan
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Alejandra Caraballo @esqueer.net · 27/09/2026
Google finally updated some of its satellite images of Gaza and my god, it's horrific. The entirety of Rafah has been demolished. The majority of Khan Younis is in ruins. Entire towns completely leveled and erased of the map.
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Michael Brown @mjibrown.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
People used to (wrongly) criticise the Ramones for limited range, but they knew more than one note and usually moved onto another song in 2 minutes.
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Chanda Prescod-Weinstein 🌌 @chanda.blacksky.app · 28/09/2026
Fryer was suspended from supervising students at Harvard due to sexual misconduct 🤡
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Michael Brown @mjibrown.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Men creating god in their own image.
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Michael Brown @mjibrown.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
From the perspective of education, should we be feeding some made up niche stuff into AI (perhaps very specifically for our subjects) and then seeing if it comes back to us?
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Carl Zimmer @carlzimmer.com · 27/09/2026
Four days ago, a scientist was surprised by the news that Anthropic discovered new virus genes for making DNA. He says he’s been studying them for years—and feeding his data to Anthropic’s AI as part of his own research. Coincidence? Here’s my story. nyti.ms/3VSWayc
nyti.ms
Did Anthropic’s A.I. Really Make a Scientific Discovery on Its Own? (Gift Article)
An expert at the University of Copenhagen said his team had been sharing its research with the company’s A.I. model, Claude, and that its new finding matched their work.
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Michael Brown @mjibrown.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Decent article on AI and university marking. Perhaps most importantly, it highlights an accelerated cynicism cycle that could break higher education as overworked students and academics skip core work while dethought leaders encourage AI use. www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
theguardian.com
Academics and AI marking: a welcome aid for overworked staff or a sloppy shortcut?
Educational institutions find themselves suddenly confronted with a fork in the road
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András Forgács W @andraswf.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Nazis don't want you to remember their crimes
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Michael Brown @mjibrown.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Far right party doing far right money things. www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
theguardian.com
‘Cash grab’: One Nation demands up to $630,000 from Victorian election candidates
Exclusive: Many applicants left feeling ‘used, lied to, misled and gaslit’, complaint letter seen by Guardian Australia says
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Michael Brown @mjibrown.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
The private education providers are creating a mess that’s impacting international students attending (and helping fund) public universities in Australia. www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
theguardian.com
Private colleges around Australia offering last-minute discounts for diploma allegedly ‘misused by shonks’
Federal government to deregister graduate diploma of management in October over fears it was being used by ‘non-genuine’ students to remain in country
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Ed Overbeek @edoverbeek.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
If you’re wondering why Science would publish this, it’s because they hired a writer who’s also a flunky for the AI industry. If you’re wondering why Science would let a flunky for the AI industry cover AI… that’s a great question.
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Guardian Australia @australia.theguardian.com · 26/09/2026
Regrets? Even three decades on from Rats in the Ranks, legendary film-maker Bob Connolly has a few
theguardian.com
Regrets? Even three decades on from Rats in the Ranks, legendary film-maker Bob Connolly has a few
Documentary screened at more than 40 international film festivals and won multiple awards for its depiction of the Shakespearean skullduggery of local politics * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast It’s one of the most celebrated documentaries to come out of Australia, but film-maker Bob Connolly still harbours misgivings about Rats in the Ranks, a fly-on-the-wall tale of skullduggery at inner-Sydney’s Leichhardt council. “I have huge regrets about the film, huge regrets,” Connolly, 81, says on the 30th anniversary this month of the release of the film he made with his late partner, Robin Anderson, in 1996. Continue reading...
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Kevin M. Kruse @kevinmkruse.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
When Richard Nixon was desperate for a friendly crowd after the country rose up in protest over the invasion of Cambodia, he went to Knoxville for a rally at the football stadium. It was a very friendly crowd for him. Trump, not so much
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Michael Brown @mjibrown.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
We didn’t expect our knife throwing machine to do this…
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Alex Gibney @alexgibneyfilm.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
The trailer for my new film, "Musk," has just been released.
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Luke LeBrun @lukelebrun.ca · 26/09/2026
Tech companies suddenly decide they can, in fact, moderate content on their platforms after all
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David Ho @davidho.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
A meme featuring the "Agatha Harkness Winking" scene from the show WandaVision, showing Kathryn Hahn's character wearing a dark sweater over a light collared shirt while making an exaggerated, sarcastic winking face with her mouth wide open. Overlaying the bottom of the image is white capital text reading, "NO, AS A CLIMATE SCIENTIST, MY PROJECT DOESN'T INVOLVE ANY WORK THAT COULD BE INTERPRETED AS CLIMATE CHANGE RESEARCH," satirically implying the exact opposite of what is stated.
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David Ho @davidho.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Wtaf is this question my university just asked me about my project?
Does the project involve any work that could be interpreted as promoting DEIA, climate change research, or non-compliant to any Presidential Executive Orders?
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Ketan Joshi @ketanjoshi.co · 25/09/2026
Climate defiance are legends. Amazon are a fossil fuel company. Why are do they get climate week invites??
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