Hugh Pumphrey
@hughpumphrey.bsky.social
Reader in Atmospheric Sci, Sch. of GeoSciences, Uni. of Edinburgh, UK. Works on https://mls.jpl.nasa.gov/ . Walking, singing, Linux, bellringing, astronomy, geology, geophysics and meteorology. Dislikes extreme right or leftwing politics and nationalism.
Here is another informative read concerning the BBC situation from @lewisgoodall.com
goodallandgoodluck.substack.com/p/the-truth-...
goodallandgoodluck.substack.com/p/the-truth-...
The truth about impartiality at the BBC
And the hysteria of the current "crisis"
goodallandgoodluck.substack.com
November 11, 2025 at 6:56 AM
Here is another informative read concerning the BBC situation from @lewisgoodall.com
goodallandgoodluck.substack.com/p/the-truth-...
goodallandgoodluck.substack.com/p/the-truth-...
This from @bearlypolitics.co.uk is a ferocious take on the whole BBC story. All journalists and politicians should read it, and the govt should do something about it.
open.substack.com/pub/iratusur...
open.substack.com/pub/iratusur...
The Beeb Bleeds, the Telegraph Cheers, and Trump Claps From the Balcony
The people who always hated public broadcasting finally smell blood - and the BBC seems too tired and compromised to fight back.
open.substack.com
November 10, 2025 at 2:08 PM
This from @bearlypolitics.co.uk is a ferocious take on the whole BBC story. All journalists and politicians should read it, and the govt should do something about it.
open.substack.com/pub/iratusur...
open.substack.com/pub/iratusur...
Shows in #Edinburgh, just about. Would probably be clearly visible on the gravity meter, but the processing chain is stuck in a way that I need to get the IT team to fix :-(
November 9, 2025 at 12:33 PM
Shows in #Edinburgh, just about. Would probably be clearly visible on the gravity meter, but the processing chain is stuck in a way that I need to get the IT team to fix :-(
Remembrance Sunday: time for my annual sneak down the west attic of @stmaryskirk.bsky.social to check when the war memorial service is over, preceded by some nice half-muffled Grandsire Doubles. (1/2)
November 9, 2025 at 12:16 PM
Remembrance Sunday: time for my annual sneak down the west attic of @stmaryskirk.bsky.social to check when the war memorial service is over, preceded by some nice half-muffled Grandsire Doubles. (1/2)
This is definitely a thing for my climate science colleagues to consider adding to their lecture slides. It should also be waved under the noses of those politicians who are losing interest in aiming for net zero.
November 9, 2025 at 8:13 AM
This is definitely a thing for my climate science colleagues to consider adding to their lecture slides. It should also be waved under the noses of those politicians who are losing interest in aiming for net zero.
With the proviso in the replies, this is a painfully accurate analogy.
Lots of universities are starting to resemble football clubs that have no academy - some other unnamed institution will do all the professional training, won’t they?
The only difference is, in football managers are sacked for failing, not the team.
The only difference is, in football managers are sacked for failing, not the team.
Edinburgh University is closing the Institute for Academic Development. Download these student resources while you can. Making notes, reading strategies, time management, dissertations and so on.
CC licenses. Pdf and text only versions. #HE 🗃️
institute-academic-development.ed.ac.uk/study-hub/le...
CC licenses. Pdf and text only versions. #HE 🗃️
institute-academic-development.ed.ac.uk/study-hub/le...
November 7, 2025 at 10:35 AM
With the proviso in the replies, this is a painfully accurate analogy.
This is a really important read for people who have got excited about "vibe coding" and especially so for academics who think that LLMs solve the problem of how to teach students how to program.
I think I understand how it can be that LLMs are both exceptionally good and quite terrible at programming. It's because there are two entirely different skillsets that we both call "good at programming." LLMs have only one of them.
blog.genesmindsmachines.com/p/llms-excel...
blog.genesmindsmachines.com/p/llms-excel...
LLMs excel at programming—how can they be so bad at it?
My explanation for the mystery of why LLMs can be both exceptionally good and quite terrible at programming.
blog.genesmindsmachines.com
November 7, 2025 at 9:55 AM
This is a really important read for people who have got excited about "vibe coding" and especially so for academics who think that LLMs solve the problem of how to teach students how to program.
Now, some of you may, like me, disagree with @weegingerdug.bsky.social on some political issues. But this thread is fabulous and you should all read it.
Make a song Scottish
Fly me to Dunoon
Chanson Dalmuir
That's A Moray
Coming In the Ayr Tonight
Twenty four Hours from Tolsta
Naver Gonna Give You Up
Born on the Forth of July
Fly me to Dunoon
Chanson Dalmuir
That's A Moray
Coming In the Ayr Tonight
Twenty four Hours from Tolsta
Naver Gonna Give You Up
Born on the Forth of July
November 7, 2025 at 6:54 AM
Now, some of you may, like me, disagree with @weegingerdug.bsky.social on some political issues. But this thread is fabulous and you should all read it.
Slightly weird that it took Sky to do this, but at least somebody did. Now it is time for the UK Govt to do something about it.
news.sky.com/story/the-x-...
news.sky.com/story/the-x-...
How the world's richest man is boosting the British right
How the world's richest man is boosting the British right
news.sky.com
November 6, 2025 at 12:26 PM
Slightly weird that it took Sky to do this, but at least somebody did. Now it is time for the UK Govt to do something about it.
news.sky.com/story/the-x-...
news.sky.com/story/the-x-...
This row of cherry trees in the Meadows, #Edinburgh are providing their second week of colour of the year. It is a pity that as I was going past, the light was as flat and dull as it could possibly be without actually being dark.
November 6, 2025 at 8:39 AM
This row of cherry trees in the Meadows, #Edinburgh are providing their second week of colour of the year. It is a pity that as I was going past, the light was as flat and dull as it could possibly be without actually being dark.
This. What is more, every politician who is trying to extricate the UK from the ECHR can absolutely f**k right off and never come back. That would be you, Mr. Farage, and you, Mrs. Badenoch.
Seventy-five years ago, Britain helped create the European Convention on Human Rights, a promise of life, liberty, and fairness under the law.
It has strengthened justice, protected victims, and upheld equality. These rights are ours to defend.
It has strengthened justice, protected victims, and upheld equality. These rights are ours to defend.
November 4, 2025 at 9:37 AM
This. What is more, every politician who is trying to extricate the UK from the ECHR can absolutely f**k right off and never come back. That would be you, Mr. Farage, and you, Mrs. Badenoch.
It's #benchmarkMonday ! This very tidy example is near the University of #Edinburgh King's Buildings.
(It is this one: www.bench-marks.org.uk/bm26548 )
(It is this one: www.bench-marks.org.uk/bm26548 )
November 3, 2025 at 9:27 AM
It's #benchmarkMonday ! This very tidy example is near the University of #Edinburgh King's Buildings.
(It is this one: www.bench-marks.org.uk/bm26548 )
(It is this one: www.bench-marks.org.uk/bm26548 )
Splendid rainbow this morning as I crossed the Royal Mile ( #Edinburgh ) on my commute. That is the Bank of Scotland on the right, so maybe there really is a pot of gold at that end of the rainbow.
November 3, 2025 at 9:24 AM
Splendid rainbow this morning as I crossed the Royal Mile ( #Edinburgh ) on my commute. That is the Bank of Scotland on the right, so maybe there really is a pot of gold at that end of the rainbow.
If you have any interest in the mapping of Britain and Ireland you should be following @natlibscot.bsky.social . Their online maps cover the entire UK (not just Scotland) and (as per this post) pre-1920s Ireland as well.
We've just added more historic Ordnance Survey maps of Ireland to our website. You can now compare first edition one-inch to the mile maps dating from the 1860s to 1870s with second edition maps published between 1898 and 1902. maps.nls.uk/os/one-inch-...
November 3, 2025 at 9:06 AM
If you have any interest in the mapping of Britain and Ireland you should be following @natlibscot.bsky.social . Their online maps cover the entire UK (not just Scotland) and (as per this post) pre-1920s Ireland as well.
Yesterday's quake in Afghanistan detected in #Edinburgh on the @raspishake.bsky.social . No signal from the gravity meter, sorry, it is stuck.
November 3, 2025 at 7:21 AM
Yesterday's quake in Afghanistan detected in #Edinburgh on the @raspishake.bsky.social . No signal from the gravity meter, sorry, it is stuck.
I am forever losing penknives so it was a nice change to find one (on a beach in Tunisia: bsky.app/profile/hugh... ) It was not usable until I dismantled it and bent the locking spring back to its original shape. I now need to find whether it is less legal to carry than a Swiss Army knife.
November 2, 2025 at 12:15 PM
I am forever losing penknives so it was a nice change to find one (on a beach in Tunisia: bsky.app/profile/hugh... ) It was not usable until I dismantled it and bent the locking spring back to its original shape. I now need to find whether it is less legal to carry than a Swiss Army knife.
Worth a read, especially if you believe Farage the fag ash fuhrer when he says that it is "ordinary people" putting up flags.
The men who raised the flags
Nigel Farage says this summer’s movement was led by ‘ordinary people’ expressing their patriotism. That’s not what we found
Brilliant work from @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social and @manchestermill.bsky.social
www.birminghamdispatch.co.uk/the-men-who-...
Nigel Farage says this summer’s movement was led by ‘ordinary people’ expressing their patriotism. That’s not what we found
Brilliant work from @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social and @manchestermill.bsky.social
www.birminghamdispatch.co.uk/the-men-who-...
The men who raised the flags
Nigel Farage says this summer’s movement was led by ‘ordinary people’ expressing their patriotism. That’s not what we found
www.birminghamdispatch.co.uk
November 2, 2025 at 11:16 AM
Worth a read, especially if you believe Farage the fag ash fuhrer when he says that it is "ordinary people" putting up flags.
Clearing out the greenhouse today. A few last bits of produce coming in . . .
November 1, 2025 at 2:38 PM
Clearing out the greenhouse today. A few last bits of produce coming in . . .
Message on the door of discontent has changed to ask people to return their national @ucu.org.uk strike ballot, now that we are past the date for the @ucuedinburgh.bsky.social local one. (1/2)
November 1, 2025 at 2:19 PM
Message on the door of discontent has changed to ask people to return their national @ucu.org.uk strike ballot, now that we are past the date for the @ucuedinburgh.bsky.social local one. (1/2)
Nice to see my long-time colleague Ciaran Beggan (of @bgs.ac.uk ) appearing in the media again.
A weak spot in the Earth’s magnetic field has nearly doubled in surface area since 2014.
BGS Geophysicist Ciarán Beggan appeared on @earthskyscience.bsky.social's podcast to explain why this is happening, and what the consequences might be.
Watch the full episode: www.youtube.com/watch?v=az8K...
BGS Geophysicist Ciarán Beggan appeared on @earthskyscience.bsky.social's podcast to explain why this is happening, and what the consequences might be.
Watch the full episode: www.youtube.com/watch?v=az8K...
November 1, 2025 at 9:40 AM
Nice to see my long-time colleague Ciaran Beggan (of @bgs.ac.uk ) appearing in the media again.
Your example of Betteridge's law for today.
Are the deadly US strikes on alleged drug vessels legal? reut.rs/4oj1Drq
Are the deadly US strikes on alleged drug vessels legal?
Some legal experts say the strikes may violate international law as well as U.S. laws against murder and prohibitions on assassination.
reut.rs
November 1, 2025 at 8:29 AM
Your example of Betteridge's law for today.
I don't know where these "Ozymandias in the style of . . . " poems are coming from. But they are cheering my day up. And this one is marvellous.
I am the very model of an ancient trunkless leg of stone,
My shattered visage lies half buried with a sandy sneering frown,
The sculptor carved my arrogance upon these broken lifeless things,
My name is Ozymandias, the self-describèd King of Kings!
My shattered visage lies half buried with a sandy sneering frown,
The sculptor carved my arrogance upon these broken lifeless things,
My name is Ozymandias, the self-describèd King of Kings!
October 30, 2025 at 4:25 PM
I don't know where these "Ozymandias in the style of . . . " poems are coming from. But they are cheering my day up. And this one is marvellous.
The more awareness we can build for this situation, the better. Please go to keepandroidopen.org and do whatever is relevant to your country.
Google is basically trying to ruin Android for all of us, if you're like me and don't want Android to become a worst iOS, please read this and share it around.
keepandroidopen.org
keepandroidopen.org
Keep Android Open
Advocating for Android as a free, open platform for everyone to build apps on.
keepandroidopen.org
October 30, 2025 at 9:11 AM
The more awareness we can build for this situation, the better. Please go to keepandroidopen.org and do whatever is relevant to your country.
Lots of you posting this because it hits the nail firmly on the head. Do plz either repost @privateeyenews.bsky.social's own post or credit them in yours.
Minority representation on TV causes outrage
From the new Private Eye, in shops now.
From the new Private Eye, in shops now.
October 29, 2025 at 1:43 PM
Lots of you posting this because it hits the nail firmly on the head. Do plz either repost @privateeyenews.bsky.social's own post or credit them in yours.
No idea who this dude is, but his message is important so give it a listen.
Today, Nigel Farage will present a ten-minute bill to Parliament calling for the UK to leave the ECHR. Here’s why this is significant, but not necessarily as alarming as it might seem.
October 29, 2025 at 12:09 PM
No idea who this dude is, but his message is important so give it a listen.