Star Stryder » Twitter

Astronomy Twitter Users?

pamela — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 17:19:19 +0000

So, I’m trying really hard to put together a list of twitter users who talk about astronomy on a regular basis. I’m doing this as part of a general report on New Media for the Decadal Survey. This is a list of everyone from folks who promote their local club, to people who actively share their favorite astronomy articles, to missions that update the public on their activities via twitter, to bloggers who use twitter to promote their astronomy websites, and to astronomers who periodically w00t about their latest discovery. Is this you? If it is, can you look at this list and let me know if I have found you? (And did I find anyone who doesn’t really communicate astronomy?) Direct tweet or comment any requested changes.

This list has moved

Please go to http://www.starstryder.com/the-list/astro-tweaters/

Blue Collar Scientist, You’re still my Twitter Friend

pamela — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 20:45:14 +0000

I just logged into twitter through it’s actual website so I could edit who I was following. Scanning down the list of names I saw the friendly, sunglass wearing face of BlueCollarSci. My heart stopped for a moment. In real life BlueCollarSci was Jeff Medkeff, an astronomer (he called himself an amateur, I’d argue with him), a computer person, an EPO specialist, and a blogger (and more). I never met Jeff in person, but we commented to each other and followed one another’s tweets and blogs, and I’d come to respect him through these new media interactions. Last spring Jeff was diagnosed with cancer. I’d hoped to meet him before he died – we have a mutual friend who was going to bring us together. Sadly that didn’t get to happen. Jeff died rather suddenly of unexpected complications to his cancer. Many tributes have been written to Jeff, and I’d encourage you to read them here and here.

I miss seeing Jeff’s posts and tweets, and in this strange internet age he remains there in my Google Reader and in my Twitter “Following” list. He is a reminder to me to live every moment, lookup often, and be a mentor and a friend where ever I can. He was an excellent role model and he leaves a legacy of discovery and of people who are able to make new discoveries because of what they learned from him.

Blue Collar Scientist, you are missed.

Silly Experiment

pamela — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 03:07:34 +0000

A few weeks ago in the middle of a meeting, Chris Lintott piped up, “One more line and you’ll have a haiku.” So, I responded “This isn’t that line,” which managed to have the required 5 syllables.

For reasons that can only be explained with the much hated phrases “Just because..”, “I don’t know…” and “I thought it would be fun…” (remember using those reasons on parents?), I decided to Twitter in Haiku and see if anyone noticed. Since July 3 I haiku twittered. It was fun, but I think I should stop now.

I remain quite proud of “A margarita, cold and as big as my head, has now been consumed.”