Rachel O'Brien
@reobrien.bsky.social
Environmental Engineer, Atmospheric Chemist, Assistant Professor at the University of Michigan. they/she. opinions are my own.🌈
I made a list of atmospheric and aerosol folks and at this point that's most of what I'm looking at here. The news is pretty nuts right now. Thanks to everyone posting paper/job/funding updates! It's nice to have some normal good news in the feed. 😊
November 13, 2025 at 8:52 PM
I made a list of atmospheric and aerosol folks and at this point that's most of what I'm looking at here. The news is pretty nuts right now. Thanks to everyone posting paper/job/funding updates! It's nice to have some normal good news in the feed. 😊
Our kitty is parked in front of of a heater vent on a heated pad in our guest bedroom. I think we need to make him a sweater.
November 10, 2025 at 11:36 PM
Our kitty is parked in front of of a heater vent on a heated pad in our guest bedroom. I think we need to make him a sweater.
Reposted by Rachel O'Brien
Working with this awesome group to think deeply about dust has been a tremendous source of joy. So glad to see this paper out!
Thanks to Erica Hartmann for leading a newly published paper, "Ten questions concerning indoor dust."
What is it?
Where does it come from?
How does it mediate environmental exposures?
How does it affect chemicals indoors?
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
What is it?
Where does it come from?
How does it mediate environmental exposures?
How does it affect chemicals indoors?
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
November 10, 2025 at 8:48 PM
Working with this awesome group to think deeply about dust has been a tremendous source of joy. So glad to see this paper out!
Reposted by Rachel O'Brien
Thanks to Erica Hartmann for leading a newly published paper, "Ten questions concerning indoor dust."
What is it?
Where does it come from?
How does it mediate environmental exposures?
How does it affect chemicals indoors?
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
What is it?
Where does it come from?
How does it mediate environmental exposures?
How does it affect chemicals indoors?
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
November 10, 2025 at 4:56 PM
Thanks to Erica Hartmann for leading a newly published paper, "Ten questions concerning indoor dust."
What is it?
Where does it come from?
How does it mediate environmental exposures?
How does it affect chemicals indoors?
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
What is it?
Where does it come from?
How does it mediate environmental exposures?
How does it affect chemicals indoors?
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
First snow of the season! I like how you get little bursts of color from the red leaves that haven't fallen yet.
November 9, 2025 at 12:58 PM
First snow of the season! I like how you get little bursts of color from the red leaves that haven't fallen yet.
Reposted by Rachel O'Brien
And I just keep thinking of our government officials on VACATION while their constituents' stomachs burn.
November 8, 2025 at 3:49 AM
And I just keep thinking of our government officials on VACATION while their constituents' stomachs burn.
Reposted by Rachel O'Brien
Congratulations to John Mak and all of GOTHAAM. The NSF-NCAR video summary really captures the magic of atmospheric chemistry
GOTHAAM: Air Quality Research in New York City
YouTube video by NSF NCAR & UCAR
youtu.be
November 5, 2025 at 2:51 PM
Congratulations to John Mak and all of GOTHAAM. The NSF-NCAR video summary really captures the magic of atmospheric chemistry
Reposted by Rachel O'Brien
🥲
November 5, 2025 at 2:47 AM
🥲
Reposted by Rachel O'Brien
I want to see Mamdani win in NYC tomorrow for a lot of reasons, but one of them is absolutely to watch Bill Ackman crash out
November 4, 2025 at 12:11 AM
I want to see Mamdani win in NYC tomorrow for a lot of reasons, but one of them is absolutely to watch Bill Ackman crash out
Reposted by Rachel O'Brien
IC 1805 Heart Nebula
244 minutes integration HOO with 60m RGB stars
2-11-2025
ASI 585 MC and ASI 294 MC Pro
#astronomy #astrophotography
244 minutes integration HOO with 60m RGB stars
2-11-2025
ASI 585 MC and ASI 294 MC Pro
#astronomy #astrophotography
November 3, 2025 at 3:01 PM
IC 1805 Heart Nebula
244 minutes integration HOO with 60m RGB stars
2-11-2025
ASI 585 MC and ASI 294 MC Pro
#astronomy #astrophotography
244 minutes integration HOO with 60m RGB stars
2-11-2025
ASI 585 MC and ASI 294 MC Pro
#astronomy #astrophotography
Interesting to wake up to this the weekend after Halloween. It's a shiny version, but I wonder if someone down the street had this as a decoration 🤡
November 3, 2025 at 6:02 PM
Interesting to wake up to this the weekend after Halloween. It's a shiny version, but I wonder if someone down the street had this as a decoration 🤡
A movie you've seen more than 7 times with a gif
November 2, 2025 at 12:11 PM
A movie you've seen more than 7 times with a gif
This is very interesting. If true, it means we could see what prompts someone used to create things with LLMS that they post or publish.
November 1, 2025 at 1:16 PM
This is very interesting. If true, it means we could see what prompts someone used to create things with LLMS that they post or publish.
Reposted by Rachel O'Brien
Blue Jays
Cody Houle ~ Anishinaabe
2025
Cody Houle ~ Anishinaabe
2025
October 31, 2025 at 11:01 PM
Blue Jays
Cody Houle ~ Anishinaabe
2025
Cody Houle ~ Anishinaabe
2025
All the generative AI junk that pops up everywhere makes me want to go back to typewriters and fax machines and hand written letters.
There should be a global AI "off" switch for user systems.
There should be a global AI "off" switch for user systems.
October 31, 2025 at 2:29 PM
All the generative AI junk that pops up everywhere makes me want to go back to typewriters and fax machines and hand written letters.
There should be a global AI "off" switch for user systems.
There should be a global AI "off" switch for user systems.
Reposted by Rachel O'Brien
The Blue Jay
Bryan Nəqsalqn Smith ~ Syilx
2022
Bryan Nəqsalqn Smith ~ Syilx
2022
October 29, 2025 at 11:00 PM
The Blue Jay
Bryan Nəqsalqn Smith ~ Syilx
2022
Bryan Nəqsalqn Smith ~ Syilx
2022
Reposted by Rachel O'Brien
CIRES is looking for an Associate Director for Science. This is an important role working directly with the CIRES Director and leadership on CIRES' science mission. Please share with colleagues who may be interested. jobs.colorado.edu/jobs/JobDeta...
CIRES Associate Director for Science
jobs.colorado.edu
October 30, 2025 at 8:09 PM
CIRES is looking for an Associate Director for Science. This is an important role working directly with the CIRES Director and leadership on CIRES' science mission. Please share with colleagues who may be interested. jobs.colorado.edu/jobs/JobDeta...
Working on a paper with a graduate student is such a cool experience! It is so different compared to what I've done before.
a woman in a pink suit sits in front of a computer monitor
Alt: a woman in a pink suit sits in front of a computer monitor and types
media.tenor.com
October 29, 2025 at 9:51 PM
Working on a paper with a graduate student is such a cool experience! It is so different compared to what I've done before.
Reposted by Rachel O'Brien
This summer's GOTHAAM campaign to unravel the determining chemistry that affects air quality in the complex NYC metropolitan area - Led by John Mak and supported (A LOT) by NSF-NCAR
Independent federal #science safeguards human health & the environment @ncar-acom.bsky.social
Independent federal #science safeguards human health & the environment @ncar-acom.bsky.social
Taking to the skies to track urban air quality | NCAR & UCAR News
news.ucar.edu
October 29, 2025 at 5:14 PM
This summer's GOTHAAM campaign to unravel the determining chemistry that affects air quality in the complex NYC metropolitan area - Led by John Mak and supported (A LOT) by NSF-NCAR
Independent federal #science safeguards human health & the environment @ncar-acom.bsky.social
Independent federal #science safeguards human health & the environment @ncar-acom.bsky.social
Reposted by Rachel O'Brien
Some places in Jamaica will receive more rainfall from hurricane Melissa than London or Paris receives in a year!
It’s noteworthy that scientists and technicians from NOAA’s National Hurricane Center who are tracking the storm are not being paid because of the Republican government shutdown.
It’s noteworthy that scientists and technicians from NOAA’s National Hurricane Center who are tracking the storm are not being paid because of the Republican government shutdown.
Jamaica braces for its most powerful hurricane as Melissa nears category 5
Jamaica braces for its most powerful Hurricane as Melissa nears category 5
Record-breaking hurricane expected to make landfall on Tuesday with 160mph winds, while New Zealand reels from storm damage
www.theguardian.com
October 27, 2025 at 7:47 AM
Some places in Jamaica will receive more rainfall from hurricane Melissa than London or Paris receives in a year!
It’s noteworthy that scientists and technicians from NOAA’s National Hurricane Center who are tracking the storm are not being paid because of the Republican government shutdown.
It’s noteworthy that scientists and technicians from NOAA’s National Hurricane Center who are tracking the storm are not being paid because of the Republican government shutdown.
Reposted by Rachel O'Brien
One of the many things @ninalakhani.bsky.social does so well is show the very real, very now cost of climate change at the most human level. This story is devastatingly good: www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Americans are dying from extreme heat. Autopsy reports don’t show the full story
Official reports are likely to overlook heat’s role in a death. As US temperatures rise, experts say the true toll needs to be counted
www.theguardian.com
October 25, 2025 at 7:33 PM
One of the many things @ninalakhani.bsky.social does so well is show the very real, very now cost of climate change at the most human level. This story is devastatingly good: www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Reposted by Rachel O'Brien
Noooooooo!
Meet Mico, Microsoft’s AI version of Clippy
Copilot now has its own virtual character for its voice mode.
www.theverge.com
October 23, 2025 at 11:18 PM
Noooooooo!
This is both a little sad, but also cool. We gave ourselves a ring!
![Comic. Two-column table. Column A lists planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune. Column B has checkmark boxes for whether the planets have rings: the outer planets’ boxes are checked, and Earth has a red check. [Earth with a ring with an array pf points around it. An arrow labeled “Geostationary Satellite Bel”t points to the ring.] [caption] Astronomy fact: A century ago, Earth didn’t have rings, but we have one now! It’s where all the satellite dishes are pointed.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:cz73r7iyiqn26upot4jtjdhk/bafkreifauh76r3os5nnzjvkcz5sl2pgx5iz4sgkxebqjw3aogjn6e677aa@jpeg)
October 21, 2025 at 6:00 AM
This is both a little sad, but also cool. We gave ourselves a ring!
I'm so happy to have served AAAR as secretary for the last 3 years. It was a great honor to work with the other members of the board and especially the presidents: Leah Williams, @vfmcneill.bsky.social , and Amy Sullivan!
They are a wonderful group of leaders and mentors. #AAAR
They are a wonderful group of leaders and mentors. #AAAR
October 18, 2025 at 12:52 AM
I'm so happy to have served AAAR as secretary for the last 3 years. It was a great honor to work with the other members of the board and especially the presidents: Leah Williams, @vfmcneill.bsky.social , and Amy Sullivan!
They are a wonderful group of leaders and mentors. #AAAR
They are a wonderful group of leaders and mentors. #AAAR
So proud of my group for our first AAAR meeting! We had 3 poster presentations and one platform presentation. AAAR is a great meeting and it was so great to bring students to this fantastic community! #AAAR2025
October 16, 2025 at 8:59 PM
So proud of my group for our first AAAR meeting! We had 3 poster presentations and one platform presentation. AAAR is a great meeting and it was so great to bring students to this fantastic community! #AAAR2025