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nab26

@nab26@astrodon.social

Research in astronomical adaptive optics.
Amateur connoiseur of biscuits.
All opinions my own but in good faith!

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elizabethtasker , to random
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I have landed in the UK and acquired a truly Great British snack!

nab26 ,
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@elizabethtasker After two weeks in Japan, I am currently convinced the population could be fractured into those keen on this ingirisu delight, and those you need simply nod to. They dig salty and umami. Vegemite or Marmite...dunno...

nab26 ,
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@elizabethtasker Plenty of ginger beer in Japan... haven't tried any!

nab26 ,
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@elizabethtasker Ah shame. I figure they'd be up for our tongue tingling fiery stuff.. Especially the boozy ones. Something else for them to discover!

nab26 ,
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@elizabethtasker It is becoming more common (which can be problematic sometimes!)

https://crabbiesgingerbeer.com/

I also remember one brand falling afoul of strict US laws because it had naturally occurring 0.5% l. >-/

elizabethtasker , to random
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I’ve bought a cheerful lime green basket for my exercise bike, so I can drop my controllers into it when cycling through the virtual worlds of holofit! It also takes my phone which is handy, as I often listen to an audiobook at the same time, lose track and have to hit the 30s rewind button 😅 (Also, yes, much entertainment is needed to get me onto a bike with any regularity…!)

nab26 ,
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@elizabethtasker Brilliant! I sometimes use a cycling top (pockets on the back) but this is genius...never seen such a compact basket sold before.

nab26 ,
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@elizabethtasker Ah my usual way of finding things on Amazon is seeing them IRL (or in a photo) and going "Ooh, where did you get that!" and then being sent a link 😊 because I rarely think like that. Thanks!

elizabethtasker , to random
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(Europlanet Science Congress) is being held hybrid this year, and has an exciting program that includes a session on using new tools such as in planetary science outreach.

But... it's 50 Euro per abstract submission, with no guarantee of acceptance. That's a fairly big punch when the Japanese yen is super weak.

nab26 ,
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@elizabethtasker @YetAnotherGeekGuy Usually those reviews are free right? Done out of the goodness of researchers hearts and so funded by their own funding (implicitly). So a good question is: what is this €50 actually for? To prevent junk abstracts? (In the age of A.I. that's borderline plausible...in other fields.) To get the whole thing off the ground?

elizabethtasker , to random
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This week, we're hitting the shop floor for a big design that (I hope) will ultimately become a space for a conference.

So far... it's a doughnut.

Is this to remind attendees that they better getting running around this track to burn off eating too many pastries? We shall see...

nab26 ,
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@knud @elizabethtasker I look forward to reading this. I work in instrumentation and I am attending our main meeting (every two years) this year and it would be interesting how our sub-field (astronomical adaptive optics) fits into the bigger picture.

Right now I am about to transition to being the chair of Durham University Physics Dept's sustainability committee so would like to invite anyone on any topic connected to sustainability (VR conferences, impacts of astro research) to talk to me.

nab26 ,
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@elizabethtasker @knud 😆 Definitely then! (I will actually be in Tōkyō...well Yokohama then Tōkyō in mid-June so happy to meet for a coffee and chat if that can work then.) I think many people here aren't very familiar with V.R. potential...I am 100% not!...and it could be valuable for our work (often 3D with instruments) with remote participants.

nab26 ,
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@elizabethtasker Yes indeed, SPIE. Ah well. We're also going to enjoy seeing Japan afterwards. But after that, I should have time to spend on this topic again!

elizabethtasker , to random
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After a rather frustrating week of correspondence, we’re hitting the sakura-themed 🌸 Starbucks and reading about worlds where cherry blossom might really be in February.

OK, that’s a lie. We know very little about most exoplanets other than the majority would snuff you out faster than I snuffed out that doughnut 🍩. Which was quick.

nab26 ,
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@elizabethtasker Maybe they vape doughnuts out there? Never donuts though.

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