Dr Rob
@robheighton.bsky.social
he/him • Doctor of Physics • Worldbuilder & Conlanger • Fan of Fantasy • Whovian • Amateur Enthusiast of Linguistics, Archaeology, Classics, and many other things
📍 UK • 📖 The Lost Land • 📺 The Brownstone
📍 UK • 📖 The Lost Land • 📺 The Brownstone
Pinned
Dr Rob
@robheighton.bsky.social
· Nov 12
Folks with any reach on Bluesky, please consider reposting so I can find friends old and new:
I'm Rob; I like fantasy books, maths and physics, ancient stuff and mythology, linguistics and music, British wildlife, and a whole bunch of other stuff. And I might occasionally mention Doctor Who
I'm Rob; I like fantasy books, maths and physics, ancient stuff and mythology, linguistics and music, British wildlife, and a whole bunch of other stuff. And I might occasionally mention Doctor Who
Reposted by Dr Rob
i heard both of these today:
"what are we solutioning here"
"we don't have a solve for that"
nouns and verbs, two ships passing in the night
"what are we solutioning here"
"we don't have a solve for that"
nouns and verbs, two ships passing in the night
February 5, 2026 at 2:58 AM
i heard both of these today:
"what are we solutioning here"
"we don't have a solve for that"
nouns and verbs, two ships passing in the night
"what are we solutioning here"
"we don't have a solve for that"
nouns and verbs, two ships passing in the night
Some local snowdrops in the rain
February 10, 2026 at 4:25 PM
Some local snowdrops in the rain
Reposted by Dr Rob
Other work of the Ladybird artists.
‘Goldfinch’
Artist: CF Tunnicliffe
‘Goldfinch’
Artist: CF Tunnicliffe
January 21, 2026 at 8:20 PM
Other work of the Ladybird artists.
‘Goldfinch’
Artist: CF Tunnicliffe
‘Goldfinch’
Artist: CF Tunnicliffe
Dreamt last night that I was undergoing trials to become a spy. My handler had me infiltrate one of our own government intelligence buildings as a test, and I was incredibly nervous because it was my first (fake) mission of the sort
February 10, 2026 at 8:30 AM
Dreamt last night that I was undergoing trials to become a spy. My handler had me infiltrate one of our own government intelligence buildings as a test, and I was incredibly nervous because it was my first (fake) mission of the sort
Reposted by Dr Rob
Mikhail Belomlinsky- Battle of the Five Armies (The Hobbit) 1976
February 5, 2026 at 9:46 PM
Mikhail Belomlinsky- Battle of the Five Armies (The Hobbit) 1976
Using genAI for art involved in the Olympics is ironic, because we've had technology "faster, higher, stronger" than humans for a long time. You can easily 'prompt' a machine to move faster than Usain Bolt, but we choose to value human excellence. Extend that to creativity.
February 8, 2026 at 12:34 PM
Using genAI for art involved in the Olympics is ironic, because we've had technology "faster, higher, stronger" than humans for a long time. You can easily 'prompt' a machine to move faster than Usain Bolt, but we choose to value human excellence. Extend that to creativity.
Reposted by Dr Rob
Me: I'd like to consider myself quite an agreeable person
Also me:
Also me:
OMFG, I just did an Etsy seller survey. Almost all the questions required you to pick one of these responses. See a problem?
February 7, 2026 at 1:06 AM
Me: I'd like to consider myself quite an agreeable person
Also me:
Also me:
Reposted by Dr Rob
A fragment of Roman terracotta tile with the imprints of a dog's paw that was discovered at Rochester in Kent. #FindsFriday
January 23, 2026 at 9:53 AM
A fragment of Roman terracotta tile with the imprints of a dog's paw that was discovered at Rochester in Kent. #FindsFriday
Okay, well ... this is one of the most wonderful things I have ever seen
February 6, 2026 at 5:22 PM
Okay, well ... this is one of the most wonderful things I have ever seen
Reposted by Dr Rob
Other work of the Ladybird artists.
A February Day
Artist: Rowland Hilder
A February Day
Artist: Rowland Hilder
February 5, 2026 at 8:28 PM
Other work of the Ladybird artists.
A February Day
Artist: Rowland Hilder
A February Day
Artist: Rowland Hilder
Just realised that, despite thinking about it a couple of years ago and intending to at least vaguely acknowledge it, I missed my 10,000-day birthday. It was back in November. Not important in the least, of course, but it's not like I'm going to make it to 100,000!
February 6, 2026 at 4:46 PM
Just realised that, despite thinking about it a couple of years ago and intending to at least vaguely acknowledge it, I missed my 10,000-day birthday. It was back in November. Not important in the least, of course, but it's not like I'm going to make it to 100,000!
Reposted by Dr Rob
Goodnight.
Hare, The Frost Pink Moon, Catherine Hyde.
Hare, The Frost Pink Moon, Catherine Hyde.
February 4, 2026 at 8:36 PM
Goodnight.
Hare, The Frost Pink Moon, Catherine Hyde.
Hare, The Frost Pink Moon, Catherine Hyde.
"So how are you doing these days?"
Me:
Me:
February 6, 2026 at 12:38 AM
"So how are you doing these days?"
Me:
Me:
Reposted by Dr Rob
'February' from Eliot Hodgkin's 'The Months, 1951. Other than a succulent stalk of forced rhubarb, and a florist's tulip, garden flowers now predominate. There's early primula allionii, dainty snowdrops, iris reticulata, celandine, sprays of daphne and winter jasmine, and two gladiolus bulbs.
February 1, 2026 at 3:28 PM
'February' from Eliot Hodgkin's 'The Months, 1951. Other than a succulent stalk of forced rhubarb, and a florist's tulip, garden flowers now predominate. There's early primula allionii, dainty snowdrops, iris reticulata, celandine, sprays of daphne and winter jasmine, and two gladiolus bulbs.
A new word for me today: THRENODY, defined in the Oxford English Dictionary as "a song of lamentation"
February 5, 2026 at 12:48 AM
A new word for me today: THRENODY, defined in the Oxford English Dictionary as "a song of lamentation"
Reposted by Dr Rob
Artists have always loved to sketch!
Sketch of a sparrow from Egypt dated c. 1479–1458 BC.
Some 3,500 years ago in Egypt, artists used flakes of limestone as sketchpads!
MMA excavations 1922-23, Deir el-Bahri. 📷 The Met www.metmuseum.org/art/collecti...
#Archaeology
Sketch of a sparrow from Egypt dated c. 1479–1458 BC.
Some 3,500 years ago in Egypt, artists used flakes of limestone as sketchpads!
MMA excavations 1922-23, Deir el-Bahri. 📷 The Met www.metmuseum.org/art/collecti...
#Archaeology
February 3, 2026 at 10:59 AM
Artists have always loved to sketch!
Sketch of a sparrow from Egypt dated c. 1479–1458 BC.
Some 3,500 years ago in Egypt, artists used flakes of limestone as sketchpads!
MMA excavations 1922-23, Deir el-Bahri. 📷 The Met www.metmuseum.org/art/collecti...
#Archaeology
Sketch of a sparrow from Egypt dated c. 1479–1458 BC.
Some 3,500 years ago in Egypt, artists used flakes of limestone as sketchpads!
MMA excavations 1922-23, Deir el-Bahri. 📷 The Met www.metmuseum.org/art/collecti...
#Archaeology
Y'all would not believe the abuse this entailed on the wonderful app of X
Wait, they've made the woman who hatched from an egg alongside her other three quadruplet siblings after the storm god seduced their mum in the form of a swan BLACK?? Whatever happened to historical accuracy!
February 4, 2026 at 11:12 AM
Y'all would not believe the abuse this entailed on the wonderful app of X
Reposted by Dr Rob
Stained glass fragment, 15th century, Netherlands
(Victoria and Albert Museum, London)
(Victoria and Albert Museum, London)
January 17, 2026 at 8:51 PM
Stained glass fragment, 15th century, Netherlands
(Victoria and Albert Museum, London)
(Victoria and Albert Museum, London)
Ea-nāṣir only got away with his fraudulent practices because the police officer investigating the case was terrible at his job. Sub-standard copper!
February 2, 2026 at 5:55 PM
Ea-nāṣir only got away with his fraudulent practices because the police officer investigating the case was terrible at his job. Sub-standard copper!
Reposted by Dr Rob
Happy #Imbolc to those who celebrate!
We've reached the halfway point between the Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox. Here, a profusion of snowdrops and aconites at St Botolph's Churchyard in Swyncombe, in the #Chilterns, UK.
#WildFlowerHour
[archive 📷]
We've reached the halfway point between the Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox. Here, a profusion of snowdrops and aconites at St Botolph's Churchyard in Swyncombe, in the #Chilterns, UK.
#WildFlowerHour
[archive 📷]
February 1, 2026 at 8:40 PM
Happy #Imbolc to those who celebrate!
We've reached the halfway point between the Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox. Here, a profusion of snowdrops and aconites at St Botolph's Churchyard in Swyncombe, in the #Chilterns, UK.
#WildFlowerHour
[archive 📷]
We've reached the halfway point between the Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox. Here, a profusion of snowdrops and aconites at St Botolph's Churchyard in Swyncombe, in the #Chilterns, UK.
#WildFlowerHour
[archive 📷]
Wait, they've made the woman who hatched from an egg alongside her other three quadruplet siblings after the storm god seduced their mum in the form of a swan BLACK?? Whatever happened to historical accuracy!
February 1, 2026 at 10:08 PM
Wait, they've made the woman who hatched from an egg alongside her other three quadruplet siblings after the storm god seduced their mum in the form of a swan BLACK?? Whatever happened to historical accuracy!
Reposted by Dr Rob
Happy #Imbolc, ushered in by Brigid and her hare. Nature is stirring, there’s a full moon. The winter is ebbing away. The seeds scattered last year are waking up. Pat yourself on the back , you’ve made it through another winter.
February 1, 2026 at 8:42 AM
Happy #Imbolc, ushered in by Brigid and her hare. Nature is stirring, there’s a full moon. The winter is ebbing away. The seeds scattered last year are waking up. Pat yourself on the back , you’ve made it through another winter.
Earlier this evening I was reading about the brumation of grass snakes, and as I was googling my eyes went to a search response that included "... especially when the dragon is brumating ..."
A moment later I disappointedly realised it was a website about caring for bearded dragon pets
A moment later I disappointedly realised it was a website about caring for bearded dragon pets
January 31, 2026 at 12:00 AM
Earlier this evening I was reading about the brumation of grass snakes, and as I was googling my eyes went to a search response that included "... especially when the dragon is brumating ..."
A moment later I disappointedly realised it was a website about caring for bearded dragon pets
A moment later I disappointedly realised it was a website about caring for bearded dragon pets
Reposted by Dr Rob
Garment Plaque in the Shape of a Stag
Kazakhstan
6th–5th century BCE
(Met Museum)
Kazakhstan
6th–5th century BCE
(Met Museum)
January 24, 2026 at 11:18 AM
Garment Plaque in the Shape of a Stag
Kazakhstan
6th–5th century BCE
(Met Museum)
Kazakhstan
6th–5th century BCE
(Met Museum)