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silicatefondue.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy
Bill Minarik
@silicatefondue.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy
170 followers 13 following 260 posts
teaches #EarthSystemScience at #McgillUniversity. Research in #geochemistry and inexpensive, accurate sensor meshes for environmental monitoring.

[bridged from https://fosstodon.org/@silicatefondue on the fediverse by https://fed.brid.gy/ ]
Posts Replies Media Videos
Reposted by Bill Minarik
midendian.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy
Prague is beautiful but cold.
Numerous stone bridges follow a river to the horizon in winter morning light, lined by countless old buildings. Also some birds. Numerous old buildings, some with steeples, to the horizon where there’s a bunch of goofy modern hi rises. Many copper domed buildings in a city skyline except one enormous radio tower on a distant hill. Distant castle lit in blue with some yellow lit buildings in the foreground.
November 22, 2025 at 10:44 PM
Reposted by Bill Minarik
chris.mstdn.chrisalemany.ca.ap.brid.gy
The only thing that will turn this ship around is mass, global civil disruption and disobedience and I am genuiely scared at what kind of global disaster it will take to force people out onto the streets for prolonged, strenuous, potential violent confrontation with government.

#canpoli […]
Original post on mstdn.chrisalemany.ca
mstdn.chrisalemany.ca
November 22, 2025 at 5:50 PM
Reposted by Bill Minarik
sean.scoat.es.ap.brid.gy
Oh wow; @kellianderson on Tested with Adam Savage, showing off her pop-up book Alphabet in Motion.

This is the first I've really seen of the book other than the Kickstarter updates, and it looks amazing.

Pretty sure my copy is on the way.

What an accomplishment! […]
Original post on scoat.es
scoat.es
November 21, 2025 at 8:27 PM
silicatefondue.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy
A fascinating talk by Tricia Nadeau, USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, on volcanic gas monitoring at Kīlauea.

This included sampling a groundwater-fed lake after a recent caldera collapse, using drones due to the difficult terrain and the possibility that the […]

[Original post on fosstodon.org]
A four part figure taken from Nadeau et al, (2024)*. A drone collects water with sampling device at the end of a 5-meter cord, while the depth of the lake is measured (up to 50 meters deep), and the color monitors the formation of ferric-iron bearing minerals. *Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, 25, e2023GC011154. https://doi.org/10.1029/2023GC011154
November 21, 2025 at 6:46 PM
Reposted by Bill Minarik
solder.party
Anyone feeling retro? We sure did while working on this cassette tape-inspired case for the KeebDeck Basic!

stl files available here:
www.printables.com/model/148279...
A photo of a 3d printed case similar to a cassette tape case, but without the reel holder part. The case is standing on its side, open at a 100-ish degree angle, inside is the KeebDeck Basic.
November 21, 2025 at 4:30 PM
Reposted by Bill Minarik
helenkennedy.bsky.social
This is absolutely extraordinary. Almost 9 million people live in Tehran. The city is built on land that is sinking in places by a foot a year.
thierryaaron.bsky.social Dr. Aaron Thierry @thierryaaron.bsky.social · 1d
'Iran’s capital must be moved because the country “no longer has a choice,” President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Thursday in remarks carried by state media, warning that severe ecological strain has made Tehran impossible to sustain'

#Iran 🇮🇷
Iran president says capital move now a necessity as water crisis deepens
Iran’s capital must be moved because the country “no longer has a choice,” President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Thursday in remarks carried by state media, warning that severe ecological strain has mad...
www.iranintl.com
November 21, 2025 at 4:42 PM
Reposted by Bill Minarik
lithospheric.jorgegines.com
Our new Raspberry Shake has been live for two days now, and I think (believe, maybe) that this pick is our first real earthquake, @raspishake.bsky.social
Next, working on signal improvement.

M5.5 earthquake in #Bangladesh, 21/11/25, 04:38 UTC

#geology #earthquakes #science #seismology
⚒️🧪
A map, with the location of an earthquake (Bangladesh) and our home (England). To the right, a plot of waveform and a plot of frequency. The EQ had a magnitude of 5.5.
November 21, 2025 at 2:00 PM
Reposted by Bill Minarik
brunojnavarro.bsky.social
On Christmas Day 2024, a Russian-linked laundering network bought itself a very special present: a controlling stake in a Kyrgyzstan bank, later used to wash cybercrime profits and funnel money into Moscow's war machine, according to the UK's National Crime Agency (NCA).
Russia-linked crooks bought themselves a bank for Christmas
: UK cops trace street-level crime to sanctions-busting networks tied to Moscow's war economy
www.theregister.com
November 21, 2025 at 1:28 PM
Reposted by Bill Minarik
dorothealange.mastodon.ozioso.online.ap.brid.gy
Abandoned tenant house seen across tractored fields. Hall County, Texas. Many tenants who have filled the land on the family-farm basis are made landless, forced by the machine into the towns, or reduced to day labor on the farms. Large numbers who […]

[Original post on mastodon.ozioso.online]
The image depicts a stark, black-and-white photograph of an expansive agricultural landscape. In the foreground are neatly arranged rows of tilled soil or crops with sparse vegetation visible in some areas. The middle ground features two wooden structures: one appears to be a small shed or storage unit on the left side and another larger house-like structure closer to the center-right, both showing signs of wear such as peeling paint and dilapidation. The background reveals an open field extending into the horizon with no visible vegetation, suggesting either crop depletion or fallow land. The sky above is clear without any clouds indicating a sunny day. At the top left corner of the photo are handwritten numbers "J-28561," possibly serving as identification for this particular image within a collection. The overall scene evokes a sense of desolation and abandonment, capturing perhaps an economic or social commentary on rural life in relation to mechanized farming practices that may have led tenant farmers into financial hardship.
November 21, 2025 at 6:50 AM
Reposted by Bill Minarik
ruth-mottram.fediscience.org.ap.brid.gy
An evening discussing falling enrollment in #stem courses at universities across Europe, especially traditional studies like chemistry, geology and meteorology. I wonder if young people are unaware of just how interesting #STEM careers to be? Or do they have the perception it's "too hard" […]
Original post on fediscience.org
fediscience.org
November 21, 2025 at 10:34 AM
Reposted by Bill Minarik
ianrogers.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy
On the westernmost tip of the island of Montreal is Sainte Anne de Bellevue. Near the arboretum, there is a doppler station for weather tracking. This morning was foggy and cold, so there was hoarfrost. It was pretty. This place always feels a bit surreal, the […]

[Original post on mstdn.social]
Is that a doppler radar station in your west end or are you just happy to see me?
November 20, 2025 at 11:04 PM
Reposted by Bill Minarik
pycomtois.jasette.facil.services.ap.brid.gy
#les3bonheursdujour d'un jeudi de nouvelle lune :

• J'ai marché longuement dans la ville brumeuse ;
• J'ai fait une fournée de tofu magique ;
• J'ai trouvé dans ma boîte aux lettres les cartes topographiques des trois premières sections du Sentier […]

[Original post on jasette.facil.services]
Trois cartes topographiques du Sentier international des Appalaches (SIA), un topo-guide de la Réserve de Matane, une badge du SIA et la dernière édition du magazine Québec Oiseaux.
November 20, 2025 at 11:05 PM
Reposted by Bill Minarik
johnaltringham.mastodon.online.ap.brid.gy
Watercolour on Two Rivers handmade paper, the thick stuff. 79x56 cm.
Watercolour, 79x56cm. Scattered autumn leaves of many species on a white background. And a few seeds, berries and invertebrates.
November 20, 2025 at 7:20 PM
Reposted by Bill Minarik
msbellows.c.im.ap.brid.gy
DUDE. This is SO cool for the right collector/hobbyist/weird entrepreneur: https://www.facebook.com/share/17NGHiNV7C/
Facebook ad showing a wall covered with hanging unfinished wooden aircraft propellers over the words, business for sale - FLOTTORP WOODEN PROPELLERS $11,000. Description from the ad reading as follows: "Asset sale of the world's oldest aircraft propeller manufacturer! Included are the FAA type certificates so a production licence can be obtained if desired, approximately 300 detailed drawings, lots of information, and about 100 master blades for roughing out wood blanks. Historic sales/inspection records, airfoil templates, and the web domain name are also included. Everything is crated and ready to go. Located in McMinnville, Oregon. Motivated seller open to offers." Finished propellers glistening with varnish, two yellow, one bright red. A box full of old paper files.
November 20, 2025 at 4:18 PM
Reposted by Bill Minarik
ai6yr.m.ai6yr.org.ap.brid.gy
Yeesh
License plate reader embedded into what looks like a safety barrier
November 20, 2025 at 4:08 PM
silicatefondue.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy
A magnesium-rich basalt retrieved by the Apollo 12 mission from the Moon. brightly coloured pyroxene and olivine surround grey plagioclase in cross-polars.

This photo was taken in 2003 from a travelling collection of thin sections sponsored by NASA […]

[Original post on fosstodon.org]
A thinsection imaged in cross-polarized light. Brightly colored pyroxene and olivine grains surround gray laminated plagioclase feldspar. field of view ~1mm. Sample 12005.
November 20, 2025 at 4:14 PM
Reposted by Bill Minarik
mooseallain.bsky.social
Remembering the time my then 15yo handed me this and apologised, explaining that he’d been contracted to kill me.
Receipt from a take away meal which has 'Take Out Moose Allain' written at the top.
March 25, 2025 at 4:41 PM
Reposted by Bill Minarik
potterybyosa.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy
These photos are from last weekend. I provided a free Clay Play table for an event at the local skatepark. My husband’s a skateboarder & skatepark designer so I got linked in through his network. It was so sweet, fun and, best of all, relaxing. A few kids got […]

[Original post on mastodon.social]
Two children are engaged in crafting with clay at an outdoor table. One child, wearing a blue shirt, is focused on shaping the clay, while the other child, in a white shirt with sparkly designs, is also working on her creation. A child’s hand is shaping a clay mug using a blue sculpting tool. The mug is partially finished, displaying a handle and an unfinished surface. The setting includes a table with a patterned cloth and hints of a lively outdoor environment in the background. A young person wearing a maroon beanie is focused on shaping clay at a table, while another child beside them works with clay as well. They are outdoors at a skate park with tents and other people in the background.
November 20, 2025 at 1:59 PM
Reposted by Bill Minarik
henk.waag.social.ap.brid.gy
"Qualcomm-owned #arduino quietly pushed a sweeping rewrite of its Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, and the changes mark a clear break from the open-hardware ethos that built the platform."

(source: Adafruit […]

[Original post on waag.social]
Qualcomm-owned Arduino quietly pushed a sweeping rewrite of its Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, and the changes mark a clear break from the open-hardware ethos that built the platform. The new documents introduce an irrevocable, perpetual license over anything users upload, broad surveillance-style monitoring of AI features, a clause preventing users from identifying potential patent infringement, years-long retention of usernames even after account deletion, and the integration of all user data (including minors) into Qualcomm’s global data ecosystem. Military weird things and more. Several sections effectively reshape Arduino from an open community platform into a tightly controlled corporate service with deep data extraction built in. The most striking addition: users are now explicitly forbidden from reverse-engineering or even attempting to understand how the platform works unless Arduino gives permission. That’s a profound shift for a brand long embraced by educators, makers, researchers, and open-source advocates.
November 20, 2025 at 7:37 AM
Reposted by Bill Minarik
elisabethbik.bsky.social
Another time I was in a lecture theater in a modern building, where wheelchair users could sit at the top.

But the podium could only be reached down a flight of stairs, with no entrance at the bottom, which had an emergency exit that opened to the street.

Only for able-bodied lecturers !
A lecture hall with steep stairs going down. Not the actual auditorium I was referring to. This one might have ways of reaching the bottom that do not involve stairs.
November 20, 2025 at 8:42 AM
Reposted by Bill Minarik
elisabethbik.bsky.social
Can we please discuss accessibility at conferences?

When organizers and schedules assume that everyone can walk fast and climb stairs, people with mobility issues (visible or invisible) might feel excluded.

/
Photo taken at the Neues Museum in Berlin (which luckily has elevators!). It shows lots of stairs both left and right and several floors with people walking up. Some windows at the top.
November 20, 2025 at 8:08 AM
Reposted by Bill Minarik
greg-montreal.mstdn.ca.ap.brid.gy
Went for coffee. Changed my mind and got a free flu shot instead at #concordia
A banner promoting flu vaccinations at Concordia University. It features a person appearing unwell in a hospital setting, encouraging students and faculty to avoid the flu by getting a free flu shot. Details include the location and hours.
November 20, 2025 at 1:22 AM
Reposted by Bill Minarik
katharinehayhoe.com
Many people don't realise how climate change is already - not in the future - affecting our lives. And it's doing so in ways that, once our eyes are opened, we can notice!

For example, food. h/t @climatecentral.org
A bar chart showing how climate-related extremes spiked the costs of cocoa, vegetables, coffee, and more. An infographic showing how heat, flood and drought affect all aspects of the food supply chain.
November 19, 2025 at 5:52 PM
Reposted by Bill Minarik
annaanthro.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy
Public Talks #McGill’s Trottier Space Institute Dec 4

“In this talk, Luna will explore how ancient Egyptian star charts—painted on tomb ceilings over 3,000 years ago—can be understood through modern computational tools.

Using decanOpy, a Python-based code developed for this project, she […]
Original post on mastodon.social
mastodon.social
November 19, 2025 at 10:57 PM
Reposted by Bill Minarik
tangandhara.bsky.social
Day 17 #30DayMapChallenge - Sussex Street Network Orientation

I used {OSMnx} in #Python which can be used to visualise street network orientations using polar plots. Some places (e.g. Haywards Heath) are sprawling while others (Brighton & Hove) are more clearly organised grid-like.

#dataviz
November 19, 2025 at 10:44 PM