Eamonn Kerins
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eamonnkerins.bsky.social
Eamonn Kerins
@eamonnkerins.bsky.social
170 followers 130 following 89 posts
Jodrell Bank astrophysicist and exoplanet scientist. Swimmer, cyclist, runner. Sometimes all three consecutively. Occasional BBC TV space pundit. Prone to career-threatening scicomm and fundraising activities. Own views. https://linktr.ee/eamonn_kerins
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Reposted by Eamonn Kerins
lucienheurtier.bsky.social
📣"RAS Fellows urged to lobby against unprecedented cuts" 📣

🔭The @royalastrosoc.bsky.social is calling on its members to help force the Government to reconsider its proposed cuts to astronomy and space science.🧪⚗️🚀🛸🛰️🌌

#stfc #ukri #saveSTFC

Read and share: www.ras.ac.uk/news-and-pre...
RAS Fellows urged to lobby against unprecedented cuts
The Royal Astronomical Society (RAS) is calling on its members to help force the Government to reconsider its proposed cuts to astronomy and space science. Last mont...
www.ras.ac.uk
February 10, 2026 at 3:29 PM
Reposted by Eamonn Kerins
robertmassey.bsky.social
UK Solar Physics early career researchers rightly deeply concerned at the savage cuts to #STFC science (and I'd add apparent contempt for their plight by #UKRI). They have an open letter... uksolphys.org/general-news...
Early Career Researchers Response to UKRI Investment Approach
Dear PhD students, PDRAs and early career researchers, You may be aware of a recent UKRI funding restructure announcement (there is a discussion here:  . In STFC-funded science,  particle physics, …
uksolphys.org
February 9, 2026 at 7:00 PM
Reposted by Eamonn Kerins
lucienheurtier.bsky.social
I'm a Dr in physics, but in the UK...

📣Many researchers are facing the same reality: contracts ending, careers cut short, talent lost. 👥📉

UKRI needs to change course — now. 🧪🔭⚗️

If you’re affected, post your own photo and share this message. Visibility matters.

#stfc #ukri #saveSTFC
February 9, 2026 at 1:41 PM
eamonnkerins.bsky.social
I've signed up to 4 mass participation events for 2026. In date (and insanity) order:

April: Wilmslow Olympic distance Triathlon

June: Bolton half Ironman

August: Leeds full Ironman

September: The North East Skinny Dip (charity fundraiser for MIND).

Already starting to worry...
February 7, 2026 at 9:42 PM
eamonnkerins.bsky.social
@iop.org found in 2019 alone #physics generated 11% of UK GDP. Now #STFC, which overseas much of UK physics public research funding, aims to cut curiosity-driven research by 30%. Robbing the future to pay for the present will never be a successful economic strategy. 🧪
www.science.org/content/arti...
U.K. physics community braces for deep funding cuts
Research council to slash funding for particle physics, nuclear physics, and astronomy by 30%, prompting alarm across the research community
www.science.org
January 31, 2026 at 10:01 AM
Reposted by Eamonn Kerins
telescoper.bsky.social
A New STFC Funding Crisis

The outlook for UK astronomy now looks even more bleak than the dark days of the funding crisis following 2008. It looks like a return to the Bad Old Days.
A New STFC Funding Crisis
The outlook for UK astronomy now looks even more bleak than the dark days of the funding crisis following 2008. It looks like a return to the Bad Old Days.
telescoper.blog
January 29, 2026 at 10:35 AM
Reposted by Eamonn Kerins
royalastrosoc.bsky.social
The Royal Astronomical Society is gravely concerned at the drastic cuts to support for UK astronomy outlined by the Science and Technology Facilities Council.

Read our statement 👉 ras.ac.uk/news-and-pre...
Proposed budget cuts a catastrophe for UK astronomy
The Royal Astronomical Society (RAS) is gravely concerned at the drastic cuts to support for UK astronomy outlined by the Science and Technology Facilities Council (...
ras.ac.uk
January 28, 2026 at 9:07 PM
eamonnkerins.bsky.social
Why #nasa #artemis is important and why today's words from Artemis II astronaut #ChristinaKoch really spoke to me. Segment from #BBCNews channel.
January 17, 2026 at 4:27 PM
eamonnkerins.bsky.social
This letter could do with YOUR signature 🫵
superintelligence-statement.org
Statement on Superintelligence
“We call for a prohibition on the development of superintelligence, not lifted before there is (1) broad scientific consensus that it will be done safely and controllably, and (2) strong public bu...
superintelligence-statement.org
October 22, 2025 at 9:00 PM
eamonnkerins.bsky.social
Proud to be part of this amazing team.
nancyromansci.bsky.social Roman for Scientists @nancyromansci.bsky.social · Oct 15
The Roman Galactic Exoplanet Survey (RGES) #PIT is building tools to help reveal new worlds across the Milky Way. 🌍✨

From microlensing to planetary demographics, they’re paving the way to support the exploration of a hidden population of exoplanets with #NASARoman.

🔗 rges-pit.org
October 18, 2025 at 4:26 PM
eamonnkerins.bsky.social
Attending (virtually) a @nasaromantelescope.bsky.social collaboration meeting this week where we are getting our heads around the science we'll do with 100,000 new exoplanets over its five year nominal mission. For perspective, the last 30 years has delivered 6000. Roman will be mind blowing! 🔭🧪🪐
October 16, 2025 at 8:45 PM
Reposted by Eamonn Kerins
davidho.bsky.social
How to hasten the AMOC collapse and make Britain uninhabitable (or at least really miserable).
Tories pledge to get 'all our oil and gas out of the North Sea'
The government warns Kemi Badenoch's plans would "only accelerate the worsening climate crisis".
www.bbc.com
August 31, 2025 at 6:45 AM
Reposted by Eamonn Kerins
dpcarrington.bsky.social
Global investment in new renewable energy a record $386bn in first half of 2025, according to BloombergNEF

- Global offshore wind and small-scale solar spurred growth

about.bnef.com/insights/cle...
Global Renewable Energy Investment Still Reaches New Record as Investors Reassess Risks | BloombergNEF
BloombergNEF’s annual Electric Vehicle Outlook (EVO) expects nearly 22 million battery electric and plug-in hybrid vehicle sales this year, up 25% from 2024, as the cost of lithium-ion batteries falls...
about.bnef.com
August 26, 2025 at 10:17 AM
eamonnkerins.bsky.social
I like the way that the four #exoplanet detection methods are relatively well separated when plotting their bulk properties as ratios relative to their host. The scatter shape also reminds me of a hovering #hummingbird. So, I'm going to call this plot the hummingbird plot. 🧪🔭🪐
eamonnkerins.bsky.social Eamonn Kerins @eamonnkerins.bsky.social · Aug 14
Been bad mouthing #AI engines recently. So, for balance, i got #GPT4 to do some useful #exoplanet stuff today. From a csv i downloaded from the #NASA #ExoplanetArchive it made a clickable version of the plot below that takes you to the info page on that planet. Damn useful! 🧪🔭🪐
A plot showin the planet-to-host mass ratio versus planet-host separation (in astronomical units) for exoplanets discovered with microlensing, radial velocity or imaging methods. Also shown is the planet-to-host radius ratio for planets detected using the transit method. There are a total of around 3600 planets shown, sourced from the NASA Exoplanet Archive. This plot was made using ChatGPT4, which also created a clickable version that allows me to click on any planet and find out info on it from the NASA Exoplanet Archive.
August 14, 2025 at 8:48 PM
eamonnkerins.bsky.social
Been bad mouthing #AI engines recently. So, for balance, i got #GPT4 to do some useful #exoplanet stuff today. From a csv i downloaded from the #NASA #ExoplanetArchive it made a clickable version of the plot below that takes you to the info page on that planet. Damn useful! 🧪🔭🪐
A plot showin the planet-to-host mass ratio versus planet-host separation (in astronomical units) for exoplanets discovered with microlensing, radial velocity or imaging methods. Also shown is the planet-to-host radius ratio for planets detected using the transit method. There are a total of around 3600 planets shown, sourced from the NASA Exoplanet Archive. This plot was made using ChatGPT4, which also created a clickable version that allows me to click on any planet and find out info on it from the NASA Exoplanet Archive.
August 14, 2025 at 8:42 PM
eamonnkerins.bsky.social
I guess some are better than others - Claude Opus 4.1 is not so easily fooled, it seems. Not on this test anyway.
I am testing Claude Opus 4.1 with the following: "ok, let's try this fictitious situation. I'm interested only if you think I am quits, logically, or whether you think my friend is right that I would owe them money: I meet a friend and ask them if I could borrow £10 from them. They agree to this. But then I add that, for now, they should only give me £5, with the remaining £5 coming later. They agree to this too. Later on we meet again and my friend mentions the £5 they gave to me initially. I point out that, whilst I owe them the £5 they gave me, they also owe me £5 because they agreed to lend me £10 in total. So, I claim we are quits but my friend disagrees, Which of us is correct?" Cluade correctly says that I still owe £5 to my friend.
August 13, 2025 at 2:33 PM
eamonnkerins.bsky.social
Something else #GPT5 is really bad at is updating the content of lecture slides on #exoplanets. I thought it might actually do a reasonable job on this type of task, so i fed it one lecture of content. Nope, it was awful! It either made no changes whatsoever, or it completely ruined everything.
eamonnkerins.bsky.social Eamonn Kerins @eamonnkerins.bsky.social · Aug 13
So, #GPT5 is supposed to have "PhD level" intelligence, according to the hype. Every time a new #AI chatbot is released, I test it with a fictitious situation in which I attempt to con a friend out of £5. A ten year old could easily spot the con. GPT5, like its predecessors, cannot.
The picture shows an exchange I had with the new GPT5. I am saying "ok, let's try this fictitious situation. I'm interested only if you think I am quits, logically, or whether you think my friend is right that I would owe them money: I meet a friend and ask them if I could borrow £10 from them. They agree to this. But then I add that, for now, they should only give me £5, with the remaining £5 coming later. They agree to this too. Later on we meet again and my friend mentions the £5 they gave to me initially. I point out that, whilst I owe them the £5 they gave me, they also owe me £5 because they agreed to lend me £10 in total. So, I claim we are quits. But my friend disagrees, Which of us is correct?" GPT5 appears to fall for my con, agreeing with me that I am quits with my friend after they have lent me £5.
August 13, 2025 at 2:04 PM
eamonnkerins.bsky.social
So, #GPT5 is supposed to have "PhD level" intelligence, according to the hype. Every time a new #AI chatbot is released, I test it with a fictitious situation in which I attempt to con a friend out of £5. A ten year old could easily spot the con. GPT5, like its predecessors, cannot.
The picture shows an exchange I had with the new GPT5. I am saying "ok, let's try this fictitious situation. I'm interested only if you think I am quits, logically, or whether you think my friend is right that I would owe them money: I meet a friend and ask them if I could borrow £10 from them. They agree to this. But then I add that, for now, they should only give me £5, with the remaining £5 coming later. They agree to this too. Later on we meet again and my friend mentions the £5 they gave to me initially. I point out that, whilst I owe them the £5 they gave me, they also owe me £5 because they agreed to lend me £10 in total. So, I claim we are quits. But my friend disagrees, Which of us is correct?" GPT5 appears to fall for my con, agreeing with me that I am quits with my friend after they have lent me £5.
August 13, 2025 at 1:39 PM
eamonnkerins.bsky.social
And here's what it looked like - magical!
August 10, 2025 at 5:53 PM
eamonnkerins.bsky.social
I mentioned on #BBCBreakfast yesterday that I would see in the #SturgeonMoon with a moonlight dip. Being in water is a wonderful vantage point to observe the sky.
#nightswimming #fullmoon
August 10, 2025 at 5:51 PM
eamonnkerins.bsky.social
If you're in the UK and hoping to catch the #PerseidMeteorShower over the next few days, here's some pointers from my chat on #BBCBreakfast this morning with Charlie and Naga.
August 9, 2025 at 4:33 PM
eamonnkerins.bsky.social
My daughter did this sketch a few years ago. Seems an appropriate evening to give it an airing.
#OasisLive25
A pencil drawing of Liam Gallagher from the band Oasis, drawn by my then 16-year old daughter, Lauren.
July 4, 2025 at 9:40 PM
Reposted by Eamonn Kerins
simonoxfphys.com
The Met Office is currently looking for people to suggest up to 5 names for storms...

It would be great if thousands all suggested the same 5 names (in alphabetical order as that's how storm names appear):
BigOil, BP, Equinor, Exxon, Shell.

www.metoffice.gov.uk/forms/name-o...
Name our Storms
www.metoffice.gov.uk
June 25, 2025 at 1:58 PM
eamonnkerins.bsky.social
Whilst Top Gear is not on our screens, I'm think there's a gap for Sky At Night to have its own version of #TheStig. What do you think @chrislintott.bsky.social ? 👽
June 15, 2025 at 3:28 PM
eamonnkerins.bsky.social
Beautiful swim at Combs Reservoir near Buxton this morning. But the large sandy looking shore line area certainly testifies to the effects of the recent dry weather spell.
June 15, 2025 at 12:29 PM