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Stephen Webb

@stephenxwebb.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy
4 followers 0 following 33 posts

Author of "Where is Everybody?", "Measuring the Universe", and various other astro-related books Latest book - "1956: A year of wonder in science fiction and […] 🌉 bridged from ⁂ mastodon.social/@stephenxwebb, follow @ap.brid.gy to interact

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Stephen Webb @stephenxwebb.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 04/10/2026
Have been doing some gardening for my elderly parents, using tools that are older than me. There's something deeply satisfying using tools that were built to last.
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Reposted by Stephen Webb
Jon S. von Tetzchner @jon.social.vivaldi.net.ap.brid.gy · 18/09/2026
There are clearly many reasons why people are switching to Vivaldi. Interestingly, my little survey shows that the top reasons have more to do with our values than particular features. The #1 reason (77%) is the fact that we do not have built in AI. #2 is […] [Original post on social.vivaldi.net]
Image shows survey results about things important to our userbase, also referred in the text.
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Reposted by Stephen Webb
Jonathan McDowell @planet4589.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
I am deeply honored to be awarded this year's Loftus Space Sustainability Award by the International Association for the Advancement of Space Safety. I'm looking forward to meeting colleagues in the space sustainability community at the IAASS meeting in Antibes next month.
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Stephen Webb @stephenxwebb.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 08/09/2026
My first visit to Liverpool's Walker Art Gallery today. Only had a couple of hours, but would have liked to have stayed all day. This was one of the highlights - Einstein by Epstein.
A bronze of Einstein (head and neck) sculpted by Epstein in 1933. The statue stands on an unadorned block. Plane background.
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Stephen Webb @stephenxwebb.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 02/09/2026
Got interviewed recently for a short film called "In the Great Silence". The teaser looks interesting! www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzljay0iHSU
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Stephen Webb @stephenxwebb.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 18/08/2026
Finally - some #rain
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Stephen Webb @stephenxwebb.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 12/08/2026
About 10 minutes to go before we get to 96% coverage of the Sun. It's already getting rather creepy. (The image is rubbish because it was made with a pinhole in a piece of card.) #eclipse
The sun in partial eclipse - nothing else in shot except for the clipped disc
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Stephen Webb @stephenxwebb.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 24/07/2026
A warm evening, and open air Shakespeare - "A Midsummer Night's Dream". Perfect!
An audience settling down in a forest clearing. A few costumed actors are standing beneath an old tree. A thatched building is in the background.
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Stephen Webb @stephenxwebb.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 17/07/2026
Garfield Sobers has died. Sad news. One of the greatest cricketers ever.
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Stephen Webb @stephenxwebb.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 22/06/2026
32C in the shade here, and the forecast is for even higher temperatures in the coming days. It's still June.
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Stephen Webb @stephenxwebb.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 10/06/2026
Came across a stone snowman in Varel today. The Wattenmeer is a beautiful place for walking.
Three large stones, one on top of the other, form the body of a snowman. A black hat, a carrot nose, a mouth and a stick (all made of stone) ensure that the formation can be recognised as a snowman. The structure stands on a small, flower-covered mound. It is beside a path that leads down to a stretch of water. In the background are some small boats. A blue sky contains some non-threatening clouds.
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Stephen Webb @stephenxwebb.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 19/05/2026
So #Boro are still in with a shout www.theguardian.com/football/2026/m…
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Stephen Webb @stephenxwebb.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 01/05/2026
Received my author copies of "1956" this morning. Always exciting to see a physical copy of a book. Depressing, though, to think that 70 years on we are still doing the same stupid stuff... #amWriting
A double page spread of a book, with each page containing a photograph of bomb damage
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Stephen Webb @stephenxwebb.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 28/04/2026
PSG Vs Bayern - what a terrific game of football
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Stephen Webb @stephenxwebb.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 24/04/2026
My book about the year 1956 is finally out! Researching it was a lot of fun. Am looking forward to receiving my author copies. link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-… #amwriting
link.springer.com
1956: A Year of Wonder in Science Fiction and Beyond
This book explores how the year’s landmark works—films such as Forbidden Planet and Invasion of the Body Snatchers
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Stephen Webb @stephenxwebb.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 17/04/2026
@leonteev Hope you have a lovely day!
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Stephen Webb @stephenxwebb.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 13/04/2026
York is such a beautiful city. Spent the afternoon mooching around it's many secondhand bookshops - a lovely way to spend a few spare hours.
The ruins of St Mary's Abbey in York. A wall is still standing, which hints at the size and grandeur that the building would once have possessed. But the roof and other walls were torn down. Behind the wall are trees. In front of the wall, a path winds through a lawn.
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Stephen Webb @stephenxwebb.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 26/03/2026
Am in Highgate to see "Tom Lehrer is Teaching Math and Doesn't Want to Talk to You" again. Highly recommended!
A lifesize cardboard cutout of a young, suited Tom Lehrer standing in front of a microphone
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Stephen Webb @stephenxwebb.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 03/03/2026
Hay fever has started. Sigh...
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Stephen Webb @stephenxwebb.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 02/03/2026
Sad news. Dan Simmons, author of Hyperion and The Terror, dies aged 77 www.theguardian.com/books/2026/mar/…
theguardian.com
Dan Simmons, author of Hyperion and The Terror, dies aged 77
Award-winning science fiction and horror writer died in Colorado on 21 February with family at his side
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Astronomer Royal for Scotland | Catherine Heymans @astroroyalscot.bsky.social · 06/02/2026
🔊 Calling UK early career researches in astro, particle & nuclear physics. Please sign this open response to the proposed cuts at STFC ⚛️🧪🔭 "Protecting the UK's reputation as a science superpower requires not only investment, but continuity, confidence, and people" ✍️ ecr-openletter-stfc.github.io
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Jon S. von Tetzchner @jon.social.vivaldi.net.ap.brid.gy · 15/01/2026
At Vivaldi we continue to make choices that are different from our competitors. We have chosen to not integrate AI or crypto, but instead we integrate a wealth of other features, based on the wishes of our users. We are a European company with most of the team based in Norway and Iceland, a few […]
social.vivaldi.net
Original post on social.vivaldi.net
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Stephen Kotowych 🇨🇦 @ourmankoto.bsky.social · 12/01/2026
Oof. Hoping for a full and speedy recovery for Sheila Williams.
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Stephen Webb @stephenxwebb.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 31/12/2025
Well New Year's Eve has officially started for us: have just watched "Dinner for One"
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Stephen Webb @stephenxwebb.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 30/12/2025
Have just learned that John Varley died a few weeks ago. Sad news. One of the greatest #SF writers of all time.
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Stephen Webb @stephenxwebb.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 24/12/2025
Breakthrough Listen Observations of 3I/ATLAS with the Green Bank Telescope at 1-12 GHz arxiv.org/abs/2512.19763 The authors rule out isotropic continuous-wave transmitters above 0.1W at the location of 3I/Atlas. A mobile phone is roughly an isotropic continuous-wave transmitter at a […]
mastodon.social
Original post on mastodon.social
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Stephen Webb @stephenxwebb.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 19/12/2025
Have switched from Firefox to Vivaldi - so far, I'm very happy with that decision
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Stephen Webb @stephenxwebb.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 21/11/2025
Just submitted the manuscript of "1956: A Year of Wonder" to the publishers. It's a good feeling to have it finished and out of the way. #amWriting
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Stephen Webb @stephenxwebb.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 18/10/2025
CN Yang has died aged 103. He was one of the great physicists www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202510/18/W…
chinadaily.com.cn
China's first Nobel laureate, Yang Chen-Ning, dies, aged 103
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Stephen Webb @stephenxwebb.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 15/10/2025
Spent yesterday at Cliveden. Some beautiful autumn colours on display
Photo of trees, with red, orange and yellow leaves, beside a small pond. A pagoda is in the distance.
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Stephen Webb @stephenxwebb.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 24/09/2025
Just got bitten on the forehead by some insect. I now have a unicorn-sized swelling...
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Stephen Webb @stephenxwebb.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 22/09/2025
Chen Ning Yang is 103 years old today! www.nobelprize.org/prizes/physics/1…
nobelprize.org
Chen Ning Yang – Biographical - NobelPrize.org
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Stephen Webb @stephenxwebb.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 17/09/2025
Spent yesterday at Greenway, Agatha Christie's summer residence - an interesting place
A large, white, three-storied house with a gravelled path to the front and side. The house overlooks a well-kept lawn, and there are trees to either side.
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Stephen Webb @stephenxwebb.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 09/08/2025
And so another football season begins. Come on #Boro
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Stephen Webb @stephenxwebb.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 27/07/2025
Oh no. Have just learned that Tom Lehrer has died. I loved his songs and his humour. He was a true genius. He was 97, so his death is not a surprise. But it is sad news. #RIP
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Stephen Webb @stephenxwebb.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 26/07/2025
In my line of work I get more than my fair share of crank emails, usually involving the whereabouts of ET. In recent months, though, the frequency of these emails has increased. It's all thanks to ChatGPT and its relatives. LLMs are able to spit out nonsense at a rate I just can't keep up with […]
mastodon.social
Original post on mastodon.social
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Stephen Webb @stephenxwebb.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 22/07/2025
Gorgeous evening at the 17th century village, and the Villagers are about to play "Much Ado About Nothing". Perfect!
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Stephen Webb @stephenxwebb.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 22/06/2025
The astrodon server is closing and I have to relocate. Time then, I guess, for another introduction. #Boro supporting Northerner exiled on the South Coast of England. Interested in the #FermiParadox, the cosmological #DistanceLadder, the relation between #Science and #ScienceFiction - and have […]
mastodon.social
Original post on mastodon.social
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