Prof Col Macpherson
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colinmacpherson.bsky.social
Prof Col Macpherson
@colinmacpherson.bsky.social
650 followers 400 following 730 posts
Rock ̵e̵t̵ ̵ scientist @durhamearthsci.bsky.social 🧪⚒️
Husband, dad, typographical errer
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colinmacpherson.bsky.social
Picture of Ripley from Alien movies cowering but xenomorph is replaced by Mariah Carey with microphone
November 9, 2025 at 4:21 PM
colinmacpherson.bsky.social
The Stranglers, Newcastle City Hall, 21 October 2025 🖤🐀
Four musicians of The Stranglers dressed in black on stage at Newcastle City Hall. Blue and pink lighting with backdrop of band’s logo.
November 7, 2025 at 11:07 AM
colinmacpherson.bsky.social
Taken five years ago when I went to do a little rock herding in the vicinity. The strontian granodiorite (which does not contain the mineral strontianite) is one of the most beautiful rocks anywhere.⚒️🧪
Black, white, and pink rock (Strontian granodiorite) in foreground with geological hammer lying on ground in background.
October 31, 2025 at 1:02 PM
colinmacpherson.bsky.social
Two road signs. Top sign reads "SRON AN T-SITHEIN" in green above STRONTIAN in black. Lower sign reads "The village that gave its name to the element Strontium".
October 31, 2025 at 12:27 PM
colinmacpherson.bsky.social
Happy World Lemur Day!
Colin Macpherson and a ring-tailed lemur looking straight at the viewer
October 31, 2025 at 11:32 AM
colinmacpherson.bsky.social
The character John Hammond from Jurassic Park
October 30, 2025 at 7:07 PM
colinmacpherson.bsky.social
To identify birefringence use SEQUENCES of interference colours. Olivine phenocrysts in this Rio Grande alkali basalt demonstrate this for 4th order green. Magentas near top of orders are particularly useful for this. 🧪⚒️🌋 🧵1/2 #ThinSectionThursday
Two olivine phenocrysts in a plagioclase-pyroxene-vesicular matrix, viewed in cross polarised light. Both show interference colours ranging up to the fourth order. The variations (and tops of each order) have been annotated onto each crystal. Michel-Levy chart of interference colours annotated to show the distinctive magenta bands near to of each of first three orders.
October 30, 2025 at 1:31 PM
colinmacpherson.bsky.social
Imaginative ways to say "I doubt that very much" #37. PJ Wyllie, 1984. 🧪⚒️🌋 #ScienceWriting #scicomm
Part of page headed "Constraints on magma sources and products", reading: that adiabatic uprise of partly molten eclogite from a depth near 650km would transport it through the liquidus, producing superheated eclogite liquid with an embarrassingly high temperature for melt entering the lithosphere.
October 24, 2025 at 4:16 PM
colinmacpherson.bsky.social
Etendeka alkaline dolerite for #ThinSectionThursday. XPL view showing vibrant, equant olivine crystals (mid-right), and classic ophitic texture of plagioclase laths (black and white) surrounded by very large clinopyroxenes. 🧪⚒️
Cross polarised light view of a dolerite showing equant olivine crystals with second and third order interference colours (mid-right), with rest of slide comprising ophitic texture of plagioclase laths (first order black, grey and white) surrounded by two large clinopyroxene crystals, one showing lower second order interference colours and the other close to extinction.
October 23, 2025 at 9:50 AM
colinmacpherson.bsky.social
The Stranglers at City Hall Newcastle 21 October 2025 playing Duchess, first of their song I ever heard (many moons ago). Brilliant set. 🖤🐀
October 22, 2025 at 10:12 AM
colinmacpherson.bsky.social
Evening Shelob 👋
Spider at the centre of a web in the dark.
October 10, 2025 at 9:32 PM
colinmacpherson.bsky.social
Well that’s just marvellous
Take away coffee cup with bird droppings on lid
October 3, 2025 at 9:45 AM
colinmacpherson.bsky.social
Oh Jay, have I got a book for you …
Cover of Use of Weapons, by Iain M. Banks
October 2, 2025 at 6:23 PM
colinmacpherson.bsky.social
Spectacular concentric zoning and twinning of large titanaugite in essexite (nepheline monzogabbro) from Lennoxtown, Scotland. Plagioclase inclusions within the phenocryst align with zoning just as proximal groundmass plagioclase align with its edge. #ThinSectionThursday 🧪⚒️
Large clinopyroxene (titanaugite) crystal takes up much of field of view. Tin plane cuts from top left to bottom right separating twins showing different interference colours. Multiple concentric zones apparent in finer oscillation of interference colours. Plagioclase and olivine groundmass surrounds the phenocryst.
October 2, 2025 at 11:41 AM
colinmacpherson.bsky.social
"that smells good"
Black dog looking over a leg
October 2, 2025 at 11:17 AM
colinmacpherson.bsky.social
Co-pilot does not disagree
Picture of Co-Pilot output with prompt: "Is co-pilot going to be the death of us all?" and response: "Not unless you're planning to challenge me to a game of chess and bet your life on it [laughing emoji] Seriously though, the idea that AI like Copilot could be dangerous is a valid concern—but it's not a foregone conclusion. Like any powerful technology, it depends on how it's used, who's using it, and what safeguards are in place. Copilot is designed to be helpful, transparent, and safe. I don’t make decisions for people, I don’t act independently, and I don’t have access to anything unless you give it to me. That said, there are broader debates about AI’s role in society—ranging from job displacement and misinformation to ethical dilemmas and long-term risks. Some thinkers, like Nick Bostrom and Eliezer Yudkowsky, warn about existential threats if AI becomes superintelligent without proper alignment. Others argue that the real danger is overhyping AI and ignoring more immediate issues like bias, surveillance, or economic inequality. If you're curious, I can walk you through the most compelling arguments on both sides. Want to explore the optimistic view or the cautionary one first?"
September 25, 2025 at 11:39 AM
colinmacpherson.bsky.social
Sodalite-rich portion of lajuvrite from Ilimaussaq, Greenland. Large, euhedral (isometric) sodalite crystals are black in XPL. Interstitial aegirine augite shows green masking over strong interference colours. Collected by the late Henry Emeleus #ThinSectionThursday 🧪⚒️
Black euhedral crystals of sodalite take up most of view. Between these, vividly coloured clinopyroxene (aegirine) show up clearly.
September 18, 2025 at 1:00 PM
colinmacpherson.bsky.social
It is skinnier and has less of a bell end.
"trombone, used to vary the length of the tube to change pitch, but is distinct from later trombones by its smaller, more cylindrically-proportioned bore, and its less-flared bell. Unlike the earlier slide trumpet from which it"
September 12, 2025 at 12:59 PM
colinmacpherson.bsky.social
In 2019 @durhamearthsci.bsky.social welcomed Holmes's granddaughter (Mary, in scarf) and great granddaughter (Tahareh, plaid skirt) to the Arthur Holmes Building. Picture includes me (tallest) and Prof Jon Gluyas holding his copy of "Holmes". ⚒️🧪🧵1/2
Three women and three men standing in a group in an office space.
September 11, 2025 at 4:10 PM
colinmacpherson.bsky.social
wuuf
Black dog leaning its muzzle on a leg and looking towards camera.
September 11, 2025 at 3:00 PM
colinmacpherson.bsky.social
In XPL, exquisite exsolution in alkali feldspar (perthite). Hints of granophyric intergrowth with quartz. Riebeckite (Fe3+ rich) amphibole is somewhat masked but edged in places with vivid interference colours of Fe3+ bearing biotite. Granite from Mt Tremont, NH, USA #ThinSectionThursday 🧪⚒️
Cross Polarised Light view of large lath-like perthite crystals showing very fine-scale exsolution. Also contains amorphous, rather dull amphibole crystals with more distinctive (brighter coloured) biotite at some margins. Quartz also present showing limited granophyric intergrowth with perthite.
September 11, 2025 at 11:26 AM
colinmacpherson.bsky.social
Jerry and George play fighting without coming to actual blows.
September 10, 2025 at 10:12 AM
colinmacpherson.bsky.social
Drove through on Monday, can confirm the place looked pretty dead.
Joking aside, the Ceres study is going straight into my annual ice volcanoes lecture for @durhamearthsci.bsky.social students!🧪⚒️🌋🚀🌙
Road entering Fife village of Ceres, place names on both sides of road.
August 27, 2025 at 9:48 AM
colinmacpherson.bsky.social
A man and woman both wearing Elizabethan men’s costumes shaking hands.
August 15, 2025 at 1:02 PM
colinmacpherson.bsky.social
Dawdle
Rock band Rush. Two guitarists in front of a drummer.
August 13, 2025 at 11:34 AM