*pops up for air briefly between amazing beaches and forests and research discussions and constant yelling about satellites and hanging out with friends*

Sending peace!

(Wish me luck on an extremely long first Skytrain/bus commute I've done in over a decade tomorrow morning!)

#ProfSamLectureTour

*pops up for air briefly between amazing beaches and forests and research discussions and constant yelling about satellites and hanging out with friends*

Sending peace!

(Wish me luck on an extremely long first Skytrain/bus commute I've done in over a decade tomorrow morning!)

#ProfSamLectureTour

*pops up for air briefly between amazing beaches and forests and research discussions and constant yelling about satellites and hanging out with friends*

Sending peace!

(Wish me luck on an extremely long first Skytrain/bus commute I've done in over a decade tomorrow morning!)

#ProfSamLectureTour

But the talk for professionals ended with mostly stunned silence and a room full of overwhelmed scientists. The week after next I'll be giving this talk to 3 physics departments, so I need to think carefully about this response.

Was it because they are all so busy that suggesting even one more thing to do is overwhelming? (Possible)

Was it because the list of actions I suggest are rather futile?

Was it climate grief, but for the night sky?

#ProfSamLectureTour

This week I gave nearly the same talk to amateur astronomers (Monday) and to professional astronomers (Thursday). It's super depressing, all about satellites crashing in orbit, pieces falling on us on the ground, atmospheric pollution and how the law really doesn't help us at all with any of this.

While the talk for amateurs was depressing, everyone kept their spirits up, and seemed somewhat energized by the list of possible actions I provided at the end of the talk.

#ProfSamLectureTour

This week I gave nearly the same talk to amateur astronomers (Monday) and to professional astronomers (Thursday). It's super depressing, all about satellites crashing in orbit, pieces falling on us on the ground, atmospheric pollution and how the law really doesn't help us at all with any of this.

While the talk for amateurs was depressing, everyone kept their spirits up, and seemed somewhat energized by the list of possible actions I provided at the end of the talk.

#ProfSamLectureTour

My talk on "Astronomy vs. the Billionaire Space Race" is for the RASC Victoria chapter's weekly astronomy cafe, and is open to the public (though you are encouraged to join the RASC. If you like astronomy stuff they are a great group!)

More info about the location (the Fairfield Community Centre in Victoria at 7pm) and the meeting my talk will be part of is here: https://victoria.rasc.ca/astronomy-cafe/

#ProfSamLectureTour

Now time to get ready for a CBC Sask video interview that I'm somehow supposed to do in my friends' house that is nearly completely full of small knickknacks (mostly elephant figurines) and every wall has hilariously garish 70's wallpaper, and where everyone is still asleep. Wish me luck... #ProfSamLectureTour

But the talk for professionals ended with mostly stunned silence and a room full of overwhelmed scientists. The week after next I'll be giving this talk to 3 physics departments, so I need to think carefully about this response.

Was it because they are all so busy that suggesting even one more thing to do is overwhelming? (Possible)

Was it because the list of actions I suggest are rather futile?

Was it climate grief, but for the night sky?

#ProfSamLectureTour

This week I gave nearly the same talk to amateur astronomers (Monday) and to professional astronomers (Thursday). It's super depressing, all about satellites crashing in orbit, pieces falling on us on the ground, atmospheric pollution and how the law really doesn't help us at all with any of this.

While the talk for amateurs was depressing, everyone kept their spirits up, and seemed somewhat energized by the list of possible actions I provided at the end of the talk.

#ProfSamLectureTour

I am very much hitting the running-out-of-time-and-energy part of the trip... Wowee I'm tired. (Only... 3 more months to go... I need to gear down a bit I think) #ProfSamLectureTour

I am up at the observatory in Victoria today (and for the whole week)! It is really fun to see a whole bunch of people I used to work with when I was a postdoc here, and be in a building that is completely full of astronomers!! Quite a change from Saskatchewan where I am the only professional research astronomer in the entire province... (Also it's sunny again and I want to go hike. But I will get some writing and emailing and talk-organizing done first...)

#ProfSamLectureTour