Bryan Gaensler
@scibry.bsky.social
Dean of Science at the University of California Santa Cruz (UCSC). Astronomer, sci-fi connoisseur, rugby league devotee, puzzled parent 🇦🇺🇨🇦. Opinions ∉ UCSC.
Santa Cruz CA, USA. He/him. bryangaensler.net
Santa Cruz CA, USA. He/him. bryangaensler.net
Pinned
Bryan Gaensler
@scibry.bsky.social
· Dec 1
I want the opening paragraphs of my obituary to contain at least one of the phrases "destroyed everything in the Universe" or "evil twin".
The passing of University of Melbourne Vice-Chancellor Emma Johnston is shocking news. Emma was a cyclone of energy and ideas, and was an inspiration to us all. She had only just started in this role. My thoughts are with her family as they confront this unimaginable loss.
Notice of the passing of the University of Melbourne Vice-Chancellor, Professor Emma Johnston AO
The University of Melbourne advises with deep sadness of the passing of Vice-Chancellor, Professor Emma Johnston AO, due to complications associated with cancer.
www.unimelb.edu.au
December 29, 2025 at 1:16 AM
The passing of University of Melbourne Vice-Chancellor Emma Johnston is shocking news. Emma was a cyclone of energy and ideas, and was an inspiration to us all. She had only just started in this role. My thoughts are with her family as they confront this unimaginable loss.
21 years ago today, I was lucky enough to get a front-row seat for the brightest explosion in history (and got the word “whoppingly" into the @nytimes.com. www.nytimes.com/2005/02/19/h...
'Whoppingly bright' gamma burst was a real looker (Published 2005)
www.nytimes.com
December 27, 2025 at 6:56 PM
21 years ago today, I was lucky enough to get a front-row seat for the brightest explosion in history (and got the word “whoppingly" into the @nytimes.com. www.nytimes.com/2005/02/19/h...
Would you like to join an inspiring team that's helping scientists, staff, & students do extraordinary things? I'm looking for a new executive assistant in the dean's office of @ucscscience.bsky.social.
Go to www.ucsc.edu/careers/ and search for job ID 83154. Initial review date is Jan 12, 2026.
Go to www.ucsc.edu/careers/ and search for job ID 83154. Initial review date is Jan 12, 2026.
December 17, 2025 at 10:30 PM
Would you like to join an inspiring team that's helping scientists, staff, & students do extraordinary things? I'm looking for a new executive assistant in the dean's office of @ucscscience.bsky.social.
Go to www.ucsc.edu/careers/ and search for job ID 83154. Initial review date is Jan 12, 2026.
Go to www.ucsc.edu/careers/ and search for job ID 83154. Initial review date is Jan 12, 2026.
Yesterday we launched @ucscscience.bsky.social’s new undergraduate research program with a fantastic planning retreat. More than 100 faculty, staff, and students came together to help design our approach and our programs!
December 14, 2025 at 12:38 AM
Yesterday we launched @ucscscience.bsky.social’s new undergraduate research program with a fantastic planning retreat. More than 100 faculty, staff, and students came together to help design our approach and our programs!
It was a packed house for the launch of @ucscscience.bsky.social’s new “Science in the Neighborhood” public lecture series this week. No surprise given that the speaker was our superbly eloquent Nobel laureate, Professor Carol Greider.
December 14, 2025 at 12:03 AM
It was a packed house for the launch of @ucscscience.bsky.social’s new “Science in the Neighborhood” public lecture series this week. No surprise given that the speaker was our superbly eloquent Nobel laureate, Professor Carol Greider.
We have lost a giant. Rest in peace, Joel.
In memoriam: UC Santa Cruz honors the passing of physicist and cosmologist Joel Primack, co-developer of the cold dark matter theory and a leader in linking science with public policy.
Please join us in honoring the life of a dedicated mentor and truly seminal scientist: bit.ly/4rDCZ7e
Please join us in honoring the life of a dedicated mentor and truly seminal scientist: bit.ly/4rDCZ7e
In Memoriam: Joel Primack
Distinguished emeritus professor was a towering figure in theoretical physics and cosmology, a visionary educator, dedicated mentor, and passionate advocate for the role of science in society
bit.ly
December 4, 2025 at 2:54 AM
We have lost a giant. Rest in peace, Joel.
I completely changed my listening habits this year!
December 4, 2025 at 2:11 AM
I completely changed my listening habits this year!
After 45 years of principled resistance to polishing my shoes, I finally gave in, and OMG, it’s the most satisfying and relaxing experience ever! Why did nobody tell me about this?? What other amazing activities like this are out there?
December 3, 2025 at 3:07 PM
After 45 years of principled resistance to polishing my shoes, I finally gave in, and OMG, it’s the most satisfying and relaxing experience ever! Why did nobody tell me about this?? What other amazing activities like this are out there?
Come hear a Nobel Laureate talk about her cutting edge research! Free and open to all.
Neighbors! Get the scoop on what your local Nobel laureate is working on now to reveal the roots of cancer and other diseases. Our NEW "Science in the Neighborhood" public lecture series kicks off w/ UCSC's Carol Greider!
Sign up now. It's free and starts at 6pm on Dec. 11 at our coastal campus 🌊
Sign up now. It's free and starts at 6pm on Dec. 11 at our coastal campus 🌊
November 21, 2025 at 8:52 PM
Come hear a Nobel Laureate talk about her cutting edge research! Free and open to all.
Our Degree-Defining Experiences program at @ucscscience.bsky.social is now a year old, and the results have been transformational! As Zimin Cohen puts it: “This is the kind of science I want to do.”
Read more: news.ucsc.edu/2025/11/degr...
Read more: news.ucsc.edu/2025/11/degr...
Are you experienced? Students from first year of immersive-learning initiative share stories of profound impact
From aquatic adventures and mountaintop stargazing to lab work aimed at saving lives, students describe how the Degree-Defining Experiences Program fosters unforgettable moments and deepens meaning
news.ucsc.edu
November 20, 2025 at 3:45 PM
Our Degree-Defining Experiences program at @ucscscience.bsky.social is now a year old, and the results have been transformational! As Zimin Cohen puts it: “This is the kind of science I want to do.”
Read more: news.ucsc.edu/2025/11/degr...
Read more: news.ucsc.edu/2025/11/degr...
Not only did we launch the @ucsantacruz.bsky.social campaign in fine style this weekend, but I also fulfilled my lifelong dream of meeting SAMMY THE SLUG.
Now the work begins, to create new projects that will transform the lives of our students and make the world a better place.
Now the work begins, to create new projects that will transform the lives of our students and make the world a better place.
November 20, 2025 at 3:37 PM
Not only did we launch the @ucsantacruz.bsky.social campaign in fine style this weekend, but I also fulfilled my lifelong dream of meeting SAMMY THE SLUG.
Now the work begins, to create new projects that will transform the lives of our students and make the world a better place.
Now the work begins, to create new projects that will transform the lives of our students and make the world a better place.
Joel Primack was an extraordinary human being along so many axes. I treasured our interactions on so many topics, and can’t believe he’s gone. My thoughts are with Nancy, Samara, and their family. May his memory be a blessing. 🔭
November 14, 2025 at 1:36 AM
Joel Primack was an extraordinary human being along so many axes. I treasured our interactions on so many topics, and can’t believe he’s gone. My thoughts are with Nancy, Samara, and their family. May his memory be a blessing. 🔭
Well this is awesome. @clarivate.com has looked at the affiliations of those named “highly cited researchers” 11 years in a row. An incredible 24% listed a primary affiliation with @ucsantacruz.bsky.social - the highest of any public university on the planet.
Details: clarivate.com/academia-gov...
Details: clarivate.com/academia-gov...
November 8, 2025 at 8:54 PM
Well this is awesome. @clarivate.com has looked at the affiliations of those named “highly cited researchers” 11 years in a row. An incredible 24% listed a primary affiliation with @ucsantacruz.bsky.social - the highest of any public university on the planet.
Details: clarivate.com/academia-gov...
Details: clarivate.com/academia-gov...
It was very inspiring last night to hear from @ucscscience.bsky.social professor @roxannebeltran.bsky.social about her research, in which she uses tagged seals to explore our oceans. Just fourteen tagged seals can provide detailed data on 1% of the entire 3D volume of the world’s oceans every year!
October 26, 2025 at 10:04 PM
It was very inspiring last night to hear from @ucscscience.bsky.social professor @roxannebeltran.bsky.social about her research, in which she uses tagged seals to explore our oceans. Just fourteen tagged seals can provide detailed data on 1% of the entire 3D volume of the world’s oceans every year!
4.5 out of 5 stare to “On The Calculation Of Volume” (books 1 & 2) by Solvej Balle.
Yes, it’s a 24-hour time loop, but this is not the fun version of Groundhog Day or the second chances take of Palm Springs, but of descents into madness. Recommended.
www.goodreads.com/book/show/21...
Yes, it’s a 24-hour time loop, but this is not the fun version of Groundhog Day or the second chances take of Palm Springs, but of descents into madness. Recommended.
www.goodreads.com/book/show/21...
On the Calculation of Volume, Book I
Utterly riveting, Solvej Balle’s On the Calculation of …
www.goodreads.com
August 2, 2025 at 12:51 AM
4.5 out of 5 stare to “On The Calculation Of Volume” (books 1 & 2) by Solvej Balle.
Yes, it’s a 24-hour time loop, but this is not the fun version of Groundhog Day or the second chances take of Palm Springs, but of descents into madness. Recommended.
www.goodreads.com/book/show/21...
Yes, it’s a 24-hour time loop, but this is not the fun version of Groundhog Day or the second chances take of Palm Springs, but of descents into madness. Recommended.
www.goodreads.com/book/show/21...
Reposted by Bryan Gaensler
This is amazing news! 🎉 🎊 Michele's science contributions 🔭🧪 include space missions llike NASA's Cassini, and being astronomer royal places her in an ideal position to educate and inspire the public about astronomy!
Planetary scientist Michele Dougherty made UK’s first female astronomer royal
Planetary scientist Michele Dougherty made UK’s first female astronomer royal
Physicist who worked on Nasa Cassini mission ‘absolutely delighted’ after being awarded 350-year-old title
A planetary scientist whose research revealed the possibility of extraterrestrial life on one of Saturn’s moons has been made the first female astronomer royal.
Prof Michele Dougherty, a leading space physicist who was a researcher for the Nasa Cassini mission, has been awarded the 350-year-old honorary title. Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com
July 30, 2025 at 10:44 AM
This is amazing news! 🎉 🎊 Michele's science contributions 🔭🧪 include space missions llike NASA's Cassini, and being astronomer royal places her in an ideal position to educate and inspire the public about astronomy!
One of the greatest scientist communicators of all time has passed on. The Science Division at UCSC was so fortunate to have had Tom Lehrer on our faculty for almost 30 years.
www.nytimes.com/2025/07/27/a...
www.nytimes.com/2025/07/27/a...
Tom Lehrer, Musical Satirist With a Dark Streak, Dies at 97
www.nytimes.com
July 27, 2025 at 9:41 PM
One of the greatest scientist communicators of all time has passed on. The Science Division at UCSC was so fortunate to have had Tom Lehrer on our faculty for almost 30 years.
www.nytimes.com/2025/07/27/a...
www.nytimes.com/2025/07/27/a...
4.5 out of 5 stars to “The Mercy of Gods” by James A. Corey.
A great story of alien invasion and of timid scientists learning how to fight back. There is clearly lots of action and world building to come. Looking forward to the next instalment!
A great story of alien invasion and of timid scientists learning how to fight back. There is clearly lots of action and world building to come. Looking forward to the next instalment!
June 14, 2025 at 1:39 PM
4.5 out of 5 stars to “The Mercy of Gods” by James A. Corey.
A great story of alien invasion and of timid scientists learning how to fight back. There is clearly lots of action and world building to come. Looking forward to the next instalment!
A great story of alien invasion and of timid scientists learning how to fight back. There is clearly lots of action and world building to come. Looking forward to the next instalment!
We started this project 17 years ago, and at last here’s the paper! I’m pleased to present the Polarisation Sky Survey of the Universe’s Magnetism (POSSUM), a total game changer in our understanding of magnetic fields throughout the cosmos. 🧲 🌌📡
May 14, 2025 at 2:36 PM
We started this project 17 years ago, and at last here’s the paper! I’m pleased to present the Polarisation Sky Survey of the Universe’s Magnetism (POSSUM), a total game changer in our understanding of magnetic fields throughout the cosmos. 🧲 🌌📡
So grateful for our amazing staff!
Meet Patricia Schell, Deana Tanguay, and Jeannette Peters, co-recipients of the UC Santa Cruz Science Division’s first Outstanding Staff Award. The award recognizes leadership, innovation, and "invisible labor." Join us in congratulating them! news.ucsc.edu/2025/04/scie...
April 18, 2025 at 10:46 PM
So grateful for our amazing staff!
UCSC put on a special “Inspire NYC” event last night in New York, hosted by our Chancellor Cynthia Larive. It was such a privilege to do a deep dive into how the brilliant minds of my @ucscscience.bsky.social colleagues Kristy Kroeker and Heather Tallis work, and I enjoyed meeting many UCSC alums.
April 3, 2025 at 12:55 PM
UCSC put on a special “Inspire NYC” event last night in New York, hosted by our Chancellor Cynthia Larive. It was such a privilege to do a deep dive into how the brilliant minds of my @ucscscience.bsky.social colleagues Kristy Kroeker and Heather Tallis work, and I enjoyed meeting many UCSC alums.
Or in plain English: our telescope, which spans the continent, has pinpointed a flash that's 130 million light years away and that lasted for less than a millisecond, to a precision better than the size of a guitar pick viewed from 60 km away. 🤯
March 27, 2025 at 9:37 PM
Or in plain English: our telescope, which spans the continent, has pinpointed a flash that's 130 million light years away and that lasted for less than a millisecond, to a precision better than the size of a guitar pick viewed from 60 km away. 🤯
The dawn of a new era: the very first sub-arcsecond localization of a fast radio burst using the CHIME telescope and its outriggers.
Congratulations to the amazing group of students and postdocs who have led this incredible achievement over the past frenetic 11 days!
Congratulations to the amazing group of students and postdocs who have led this incredible achievement over the past frenetic 11 days!
March 27, 2025 at 9:36 PM
The dawn of a new era: the very first sub-arcsecond localization of a fast radio burst using the CHIME telescope and its outriggers.
Congratulations to the amazing group of students and postdocs who have led this incredible achievement over the past frenetic 11 days!
Congratulations to the amazing group of students and postdocs who have led this incredible achievement over the past frenetic 11 days!
It was such an honor to hear former Space Telescope director Bob Williams speak last night about the 30th anniversary of the Hubble Deep Field. And now he has both an asteroid (officially) and a quasar (unofficially) named after him!
March 26, 2025 at 2:40 PM
It was such an honor to hear former Space Telescope director Bob Williams speak last night about the 30th anniversary of the Hubble Deep Field. And now he has both an asteroid (officially) and a quasar (unofficially) named after him!