Gary Oberbrunner
@gary.oberbrunner.com
Emmy-winning software dev, entrepreneur, scientist, sailor, jazz lover, vfx/film software guy, feminist, traveler. #longnowboston, #openfx, #emacs. More at https://oberbrunner.com
Pinned
Gary Oberbrunner
@gary.oberbrunner.com
· May 28
Deep-Time Timeline
deep-timeline.oberbrunner.com
Check out this little web app I made for fun: deep-timeline.oberbrunner.com. It lets you visualize world events through deep time. It uses logarithmic scaling, so you can see how the present (a day, a week, a year) smoothly fades into the very deepest past. Part of my work with #LongNowBoston.
Reposted by Gary Oberbrunner
I've finally got around to curating a selection of films about the #climate crisis 🎥
There's lot of mediocre climate films out there, but for me these stand out head & shoulders above the rest 🎞️
They make excellent resources for classrooms, lecture halls, or community cinema's 🎬
Thread:🧵Plz RT
There's lot of mediocre climate films out there, but for me these stand out head & shoulders above the rest 🎞️
They make excellent resources for classrooms, lecture halls, or community cinema's 🎬
Thread:🧵Plz RT
November 1, 2025 at 10:17 AM
I've finally got around to curating a selection of films about the #climate crisis 🎥
There's lot of mediocre climate films out there, but for me these stand out head & shoulders above the rest 🎞️
They make excellent resources for classrooms, lecture halls, or community cinema's 🎬
Thread:🧵Plz RT
There's lot of mediocre climate films out there, but for me these stand out head & shoulders above the rest 🎞️
They make excellent resources for classrooms, lecture halls, or community cinema's 🎬
Thread:🧵Plz RT
Reposted by Gary Oberbrunner
How to make complex data easy to grasp?
Visualization helps bring meaning into view 📈
#DataViz Weekly shows how it works.
Latest examples 👇
- AI industry links @tijd.be
- U.S. funding halt @nytimes.com
- TikTok watch-time @washingtonpost.com
- Global sea temps @gary.oberbrunner.com
Visualization helps bring meaning into view 📈
#DataViz Weekly shows how it works.
Latest examples 👇
- AI industry links @tijd.be
- U.S. funding halt @nytimes.com
- TikTok watch-time @washingtonpost.com
- Global sea temps @gary.oberbrunner.com
How Visualization Reveals Meaning in Data — DataViz Weekly
Discover how visualization reveals meaning in data, with new examples from De Tijd, NYT, The Post, and Gary Oberbrunner.
www.anychart.com
October 29, 2025 at 11:46 AM
How to make complex data easy to grasp?
Visualization helps bring meaning into view 📈
#DataViz Weekly shows how it works.
Latest examples 👇
- AI industry links @tijd.be
- U.S. funding halt @nytimes.com
- TikTok watch-time @washingtonpost.com
- Global sea temps @gary.oberbrunner.com
Visualization helps bring meaning into view 📈
#DataViz Weekly shows how it works.
Latest examples 👇
- AI industry links @tijd.be
- U.S. funding halt @nytimes.com
- TikTok watch-time @washingtonpost.com
- Global sea temps @gary.oberbrunner.com
Reposted by Gary Oberbrunner
It's almost as if a major portion of the city was built ignoring this: "In all, 99 percent of what’s been built in the Seaport in the last quarter-century is at risk of flooding by 2050, according to a recent analysis from the Metropolitan Area Planning Council." apps.bostonglobe.com/2025/10/metr...
A rising flood zone risk is affecting the Seaport, 10 percent of Boston's tax base
Buildings in the Seaport fund one-tenth of Boston’s property-tax base. Flood waters and sea level rise will soon put that at risk.
apps.bostonglobe.com
October 28, 2025 at 11:52 AM
It's almost as if a major portion of the city was built ignoring this: "In all, 99 percent of what’s been built in the Seaport in the last quarter-century is at risk of flooding by 2050, according to a recent analysis from the Metropolitan Area Planning Council." apps.bostonglobe.com/2025/10/metr...
Reposted by Gary Oberbrunner
Since 2013, five tropical cyclones would have been category 6 - if the traditional hurricane scale didn’t stop at 5.
Unlike, say, the Richter earthquake scale and the Celsius scale.
Hurricanes are getting so intense, scientists propose a Category 6
#Melissa
www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2024...
Unlike, say, the Richter earthquake scale and the Celsius scale.
Hurricanes are getting so intense, scientists propose a Category 6
#Melissa
www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2024...
Hurricanes are getting so intense, scientists propose a Category 6
The hypothetical new label could go to any tropical cyclone with sustained winds of at least 192 mph — an intensity that five storms have surpassed since 2013, the scientists said.
www.washingtonpost.com
October 28, 2025 at 4:30 AM
Since 2013, five tropical cyclones would have been category 6 - if the traditional hurricane scale didn’t stop at 5.
Unlike, say, the Richter earthquake scale and the Celsius scale.
Hurricanes are getting so intense, scientists propose a Category 6
#Melissa
www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2024...
Unlike, say, the Richter earthquake scale and the Celsius scale.
Hurricanes are getting so intense, scientists propose a Category 6
#Melissa
www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2024...
Largest *increase* in net CO₂ emissions was last year. 3.5ppm over 2023. More human-caused emissions, carbon sinks failing (both land & ocean), & wildfires fueled by extreme heat. CO₂ is now over 423 ppm. wmo.int/media/news/c...
Carbon dioxide levels increase by record amount to new highs in 2024
The WMO Greenhouse Gas Bulletin said continued emissions of CO2 from human activities and an upsurge from wildfires were responsible, as well as reduced CO2 absorption by “sinks” such as land ecosyste...
wmo.int
October 19, 2025 at 11:58 AM
Largest *increase* in net CO₂ emissions was last year. 3.5ppm over 2023. More human-caused emissions, carbon sinks failing (both land & ocean), & wildfires fueled by extreme heat. CO₂ is now over 423 ppm. wmo.int/media/news/c...
Great #NoKings rally on Boston Common right now! It's huge, the weather is gorgeous,and the energy is fantastic. This IS what democracy looks like!
October 18, 2025 at 5:52 PM
Great #NoKings rally on Boston Common right now! It's huge, the weather is gorgeous,and the energy is fantastic. This IS what democracy looks like!
Check out a new thing I made: globe-viz.oberbrunner.com. As a #sciviz and #climate guy I wanted to show what's happening to ocean temps. Please share!
Daily Global Sea Surface Temperature Visualization
Interact with a 3D globe to compare daily sea surface temperatures, anomalies, and trends using NASA’s OISST dataset.
globe-viz.oberbrunner.com
October 17, 2025 at 11:07 PM
Check out a new thing I made: globe-viz.oberbrunner.com. As a #sciviz and #climate guy I wanted to show what's happening to ocean temps. Please share!
What times we live in, when even David Brooks says "Will enough Americans rise up to reverse the tide of populist authoritarianism? The Filipinos did it under Marcos. One morning the autocrats woke up and were no longer in control; the marchers were. That needs to happen here." tinyurl.com/uvdtxne9
America Needs a Mass Movement—Now
Without one, America may sink into autocracy for decades.
www.theatlantic.com
October 15, 2025 at 7:13 PM
What times we live in, when even David Brooks says "Will enough Americans rise up to reverse the tide of populist authoritarianism? The Filipinos did it under Marcos. One morning the autocrats woke up and were no longer in control; the marchers were. That needs to happen here." tinyurl.com/uvdtxne9
Reposted by Gary Oberbrunner
MIT President Sally Kornbluth just issued a statement to the campus community saying NO to Trump’s authoritarian compact
“And fundamentally, the premise of the document is inconsistent with our core belief that scientific funding should be based on scientific merit alone.”
“And fundamentally, the premise of the document is inconsistent with our core belief that scientific funding should be based on scientific merit alone.”
October 10, 2025 at 1:47 PM
MIT President Sally Kornbluth just issued a statement to the campus community saying NO to Trump’s authoritarian compact
“And fundamentally, the premise of the document is inconsistent with our core belief that scientific funding should be based on scientific merit alone.”
“And fundamentally, the premise of the document is inconsistent with our core belief that scientific funding should be based on scientific merit alone.”
Reposted by Gary Oberbrunner
MIT rejects "the Compact"
orgchart.mit.edu/letters/rega...
orgchart.mit.edu/letters/rega...
Regarding the Compact | MIT Organization Chart
orgchart.mit.edu
October 10, 2025 at 2:06 PM
MIT rejects "the Compact"
orgchart.mit.edu/letters/rega...
orgchart.mit.edu/letters/rega...
Reposted by Gary Oberbrunner
One of the greatest errors in K-12 education, in my opinion, is prioritizing trigonometry and calculus over statistics. Yes, trig and calc are important for many professions. Statistics are important for literacy.
oh noooo
September 6, 2025 at 3:19 PM
One of the greatest errors in K-12 education, in my opinion, is prioritizing trigonometry and calculus over statistics. Yes, trig and calc are important for many professions. Statistics are important for literacy.
Reposted by Gary Oberbrunner
Some good news 🧪⚛️
August 28, 2025 at 12:37 AM
Some good news 🧪⚛️
Reposted by Gary Oberbrunner
‘It’s a warning, set to a dance beat’: Jon Batiste on his new song urging climate action 20 years after Katrina #Climate
‘It’s a warning, set to a dance beat’: Jon Batiste on his new song urging climate action 20 years after Katrina
The global music star, whose home town of New Orleans was devastated by the hurricane in 2005, says ‘people power’ can change the world
www.theguardian.com
August 28, 2025 at 11:22 AM
‘It’s a warning, set to a dance beat’: Jon Batiste on his new song urging climate action 20 years after Katrina #Climate
Reposted by Gary Oberbrunner
My latest just out in VACCINE @sciencedirect.bsky.social www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
August 27, 2025 at 9:52 PM
My latest just out in VACCINE @sciencedirect.bsky.social www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Reposted by Gary Oberbrunner
This interesting article highlights how #climatechange presents both opportunities and challenges.
In Australia, community batteries store solar energy, while grazing under solar panels improves the wool of merino sheep, demonstrating synergies between agriculture and green energy. 1/3
🧪 #science
In Australia, community batteries store solar energy, while grazing under solar panels improves the wool of merino sheep, demonstrating synergies between agriculture and green energy. 1/3
🧪 #science
From sheep growing better wool under solar panels to matcha prices soaring with the heat: here’s this week’s surprising mix of climate news, and something you can do about it today!
Solar panels lead to better...wool?
Sheep and solar panels, our favorite foods at risk, and how to find climate-friendly rebates
www.talkingclimate.ca
August 28, 2025 at 7:32 AM
This interesting article highlights how #climatechange presents both opportunities and challenges.
In Australia, community batteries store solar energy, while grazing under solar panels improves the wool of merino sheep, demonstrating synergies between agriculture and green energy. 1/3
🧪 #science
In Australia, community batteries store solar energy, while grazing under solar panels improves the wool of merino sheep, demonstrating synergies between agriculture and green energy. 1/3
🧪 #science
Reposted by Gary Oberbrunner
The wildfires that raged across Greece, Turkey and Cyprus this summer were 22% more intense and 10 times more likely than they would have been in a world without climate change, according to scientists at @wwattribution.bsky.social
FREE link via @bloomberg.com
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
FREE link via @bloomberg.com
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Climate Change Made Turkey, Greece Wildfires 10 Times More Likely
Hot, dry and windy conditions in the eastern Mediterranean will happen more often in a warmer world.
www.bloomberg.com
August 28, 2025 at 8:36 AM
The wildfires that raged across Greece, Turkey and Cyprus this summer were 22% more intense and 10 times more likely than they would have been in a world without climate change, according to scientists at @wwattribution.bsky.social
FREE link via @bloomberg.com
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
FREE link via @bloomberg.com
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Reposted by Gary Oberbrunner
India installs 18 GW of solar in H1 2025 www.pv-magazine.com/2025/08/27/i... - very good news from #India for solar PV ... and much more demand ahead www.nature.com/articles/s41...
India installs 18 GW of solar in H1 2025
India installed 18 GW of solar in the first half of 2025, a 31% increase from a year earlier, with 11.3 GW commissioned in the second quarter alone, according to Mercom India Research.
www.pv-magazine.com
August 27, 2025 at 6:17 PM
India installs 18 GW of solar in H1 2025 www.pv-magazine.com/2025/08/27/i... - very good news from #India for solar PV ... and much more demand ahead www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Gary Oberbrunner
Notoriously-not-green operator of New England’s electric grid warns that the trumps move to halt an (already 80% completed) offshore #renewable #wind farm *will reduce reliability of the grid* 🤔
“Delaying the project will increase risks” it said:
thehill.com/policy/energ...
“Delaying the project will increase risks” it said:
thehill.com/policy/energ...
August 27, 2025 at 4:04 PM
Notoriously-not-green operator of New England’s electric grid warns that the trumps move to halt an (already 80% completed) offshore #renewable #wind farm *will reduce reliability of the grid* 🤔
“Delaying the project will increase risks” it said:
thehill.com/policy/energ...
“Delaying the project will increase risks” it said:
thehill.com/policy/energ...
The well known MIT study (mlq.ai/media/quarte...) saying 95% of enterprise AI projects fail actually says this: "While official enterprise initiatives remain stuck, employees are already crossing it through personal AI tools (90%). This shadow AI often delivers better ROI than formal initiatives..."
mlq.ai
August 21, 2025 at 2:17 PM
The well known MIT study (mlq.ai/media/quarte...) saying 95% of enterprise AI projects fail actually says this: "While official enterprise initiatives remain stuck, employees are already crossing it through personal AI tools (90%). This shadow AI often delivers better ROI than formal initiatives..."
Reposted by Gary Oberbrunner
Great piece. I am increasingly seeing these types of restrictions hampering green tech as a consumer rights issue.
"You’ve got a right to the sunshine that falls on your home, whether you’re a renter with a balcony or a homeowner. Free the electron!"
"You’ve got a right to the sunshine that falls on your home, whether you’re a renter with a balcony or a homeowner. Free the electron!"
Aussies and Europeans can get rooftop solar on their homes for a third the price of Americans—and one huge reason why is our crazy local permitting system.
(And Congress and the WH can’t keep us from changing this.)
www.motherjones.com/environment/...
(And Congress and the WH can’t keep us from changing this.)
www.motherjones.com/environment/...
Trump is trying to kill solar power—here's how to fight back
Rooftop solar is a clean power miracle. Why are we killing it with red tape?
www.motherjones.com
July 30, 2025 at 8:47 AM
Great piece. I am increasingly seeing these types of restrictions hampering green tech as a consumer rights issue.
"You’ve got a right to the sunshine that falls on your home, whether you’re a renter with a balcony or a homeowner. Free the electron!"
"You’ve got a right to the sunshine that falls on your home, whether you’re a renter with a balcony or a homeowner. Free the electron!"
Reposted by Gary Oberbrunner
Both the frequency and severity of extreme weather disasters are increasing around the world, as climate changes.
Which country is most at risk? The US, the same country that stopped tracking their billion-plus dollar weather and climate disasters this year.
Figures by @climatecentral.org
Which country is most at risk? The US, the same country that stopped tracking their billion-plus dollar weather and climate disasters this year.
Figures by @climatecentral.org
July 23, 2025 at 12:52 PM
Both the frequency and severity of extreme weather disasters are increasing around the world, as climate changes.
Which country is most at risk? The US, the same country that stopped tracking their billion-plus dollar weather and climate disasters this year.
Figures by @climatecentral.org
Which country is most at risk? The US, the same country that stopped tracking their billion-plus dollar weather and climate disasters this year.
Figures by @climatecentral.org
Claude Desktop and Code are failing for everyone using MCP servers due to a critical back-end bug. github.com/anthropics/c...
How quickly we come to depend on these tools!
How quickly we come to depend on these tools!
[CRITICAL] MCP Parameter Serialization Bug in Both Claude Code and Claude Desktop · Issue #4192 · anthropics/claude-code
Critical MCP Parameter Serialization Bug Summary MCP parameter serialization fails consistently on consecutive function calls in both Claude Code and Claude Desktop, making MCP tools effectively un...
github.com
July 23, 2025 at 12:55 PM
Claude Desktop and Code are failing for everyone using MCP servers due to a critical back-end bug. github.com/anthropics/c...
How quickly we come to depend on these tools!
How quickly we come to depend on these tools!
Reposted by Gary Oberbrunner
Using a Venn diagram gets to the heart of the issues regarding cities and urbanism. You can't have all three at once, and the optimum solution is more density to provide services without jacking up taxes.
My semi-regular reminder of a really important reality about cities, density, services and taxes.
Any questions?
Graphic recently cleaned up by @kathrynmathias.bsky.social. #CityMakingMath
Any questions?
Graphic recently cleaned up by @kathrynmathias.bsky.social. #CityMakingMath
July 21, 2025 at 8:00 PM
Using a Venn diagram gets to the heart of the issues regarding cities and urbanism. You can't have all three at once, and the optimum solution is more density to provide services without jacking up taxes.
Reposted by Gary Oberbrunner
Today, the Environmental Protection Agency announced it will shut down its Office of Research and Development and eliminate thousands of agency jobs. According to the agency, this office has long served as the scientific backbone of its efforts to protect both public health and the environment.
July 18, 2025 at 10:51 PM
Today, the Environmental Protection Agency announced it will shut down its Office of Research and Development and eliminate thousands of agency jobs. According to the agency, this office has long served as the scientific backbone of its efforts to protect both public health and the environment.
Reposted by Gary Oberbrunner
Breaking News: The EPA said it would eliminate its scientific research arm and begin firing hundreds of scientists, after denying that it intended to do so.
E.P.A. Says It Will Eliminate Its Scientific Research Arm
The decision comes after a Supreme Court ruling allowing the Trump administration to slash the federal work force and dismantle agencies.
trib.al
July 18, 2025 at 11:00 PM
Breaking News: The EPA said it would eliminate its scientific research arm and begin firing hundreds of scientists, after denying that it intended to do so.