@elizabethtasker@mastodon.online
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elizabethtasker

@elizabethtasker@mastodon.online

UK astrophysicist working at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). Author of 'The Planet Factory'. Very into planets, cats and virtual reality (sometimes together). @girlandkat on twitter.

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elizabethtasker, to random
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National Azabu (a foreign food supermarket in Tokyo) has a sale in Jaffa cakes. Admittedly, strawberry Jaffa cakes which is mildly horrifying, but I moved in anyway! So. My afternoon is set.

elizabethtasker, to random
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I lost my right to vote in the UK due to living out of the country for too many years. That rule was lifted this year, and I received the email today saying that my voting registration was accepted!

.... just under the wire for the July 4 election...!

I'd also registered to vote by proxy, but by random coincidence, I will be in the country. Apparently, that's fine so long as I beat my nominated proxy voter to the polling station 🤣

elizabethtasker,
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@grb090423 It's actually my Dad, so I think we'll probably go together!

elizabethtasker,
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@grb090423 Noted, thanks!

elizabethtasker, to random
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The Astromaterials Science Research Group at JAXA ISAS has a press briefing at 2pm JST!

https://www.youtube.com/live/Mog2RqnLhFo

It's gentle excitement, as the REAL excitement will be later this summer. There'll be an English summary by your favourite JAXA science communicator afterwards 🙂

elizabethtasker,
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The ISAS cleanroom facilities (where no more than 1000 mots of dust per cubic foot are allowed to hang in the air) have been expanded.

Because... we're getting another asteroid!

Part of the sample from asteroid Bennu that was returned by 's OSIRIS-REx mission will come to JAXA this summer as part of the agreement between the two teamed space agencies.

New Cosmos post (by me 🤸‍♀️ ) with a peek at the new facilities:

https://cosmos.isas.jaxa.jp/nasa-were-ready-for-bennu/

elizabethtasker, to random
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Morning 😳 This phone alarm was accompanied by the creepiest music from the street speakers that sounded like the lead up to a jump scare in a movie.

…and I felt… nothing 🤔 I am now awake 😅

elizabethtasker,
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Kawasaki Twitter getting throughly overexcited. 大地震です！ 大地震です！ (big earthquake)

elizabethtasker,
@elizabethtasker@mastodon.online avatar

@sheepchase I'm not sure I've even heard them play music before! It was obviously muffled as I was inside, but it sounded (coupled with the loud alarm on my phone) like the lead up to a terrifying movie moment!

elizabethtasker, to animals
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Furry nights!

elizabethtasker, to random
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Have a bright future. Make good choices.

Well, ain’t that the dream? 😂

elizabethtasker,
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@scoutie no lie, I was tempted 😂

elizabethtasker, to vr
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Tried out Dungeons of Eternity tonight in #VR where you fight off legions of the undead 🧟 I will say a lot less fun on your own (i.e. creepy AF) but a good laugh with friends! You’re only allowed a group of three though, which means we have to wait for one of our usual four to be away/deathly ill/with better friends/fed up of our shenanigans.

An archer stands ready at a pathway across which a large axe is swinging.

elizabethtasker,
@elizabethtasker@mastodon.online avatar

@powersoffour Significantly less real running because I have an affection for my furniture. And bones. On the other hand, I have a crossbow sooooo…. (And the weapon fighting did make me swing my arms!)

scoutie, to random
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mr. scout is off w/ 小女ちゃん to the vet, because it seems i'm not the only one who has had tummy troubles this week 😿

elizabethtasker,
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@scoutie Poor Kome kitty! But help was found :)

elizabethtasker, to random
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For my talks, I draw a lot of my slide deck, with several slides used to illustrate a concept. I love the result: it's engaging and pretty, and I feel people remember images faster than words.

However.... it takes me bloody ages!

I've been designing two talks with a large number of new slides and it's taken me about a 1.5 weeks to get them together as each talk is close to 100 slides (~2 slides / min).

It's hard to justify this quantity of time to work, but it's also why I'm asked to speak 🤔

A second example slide, comparing the atmospheric content of the Earth and Mars.

elizabethtasker,
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@ohmu I’ve pretty much forgotten how to give talks with a simpler slide deck, so just supporting this madness is maybe best! 😂

elizabethtasker, to astrophotography
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A rather blistering 5am start for the second virtual #astrophotography gallery event with the IAU and @futuremeetings! But a good crowd, and really fun to listen to the photographers describe how they took these photos with a smartphone (!).

Avatars stand in front of a wall of photographs of the night school, listening to one of the photographers describe their photograph.
Avatars stand in front of a black and white photograph of a boat beached in front of the sky, in which the Milky Way can be seen stretching across the night. The TFOM logo is on an image on the left.

elizabethtasker, to random
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Great evening hearing from the photographers whose photos are displayed in the virtual gallery designed by the IAU OAO x TFOM (International Astronomical Union Outreach & @futuremeetings)! Aside from cruising the art and learning about exposures, I also met a science communicator from Indonesia and we spent a happy 20 minutes roundly abusing TikTok 🤣

There's another opportunity to visit the gallery tomorrow (May 28) at 8pm UTC / 4pm EDT / 1pm PDT.

Grab a free ticket: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/iauofficeforastronomyoutreach/1230291

Five avatars are examining a beautiful photograph of the aurora (I believe captured at Yellowknife in Canada)
Avatars listen to talks in a central area. The IAU Office of Astronomy for Education logo is on one wall, and a tree with red leaves is in the centre. Four avatars are neatly sitting on a bench, while others stand around the space.
Four avatars examine another photograph of the aurora.

elizabethtasker,
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@eladnarra I was just about to message and see if it was you! I'm so glad you came 🙂

elizabethtasker, (edited ) to random
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I’m listening to “Wideacre”; historical fiction by Philippa Gregory.

The protagonist is evil. An utter psychopath. Admittedly, life for a woman in the 18th century is rough, and the opportunities Beatrice’s skills warrant are passed to incompetent men. But the body count is unpleasant!

It’s a very long book and a stressful read. Frankly, I want to stop but I also want to know the outcome and I’m not sure a synopsis will be satisfactory.

In short, I’m in a hostage situation with an audiobook.

elizabethtasker,
@elizabethtasker@mastodon.online avatar

Obsessed with passing Wideacre to her children (who are both siblings and cousins), Beatrice takes out huge loans to buy the estate entail.

Common land is enclosed, crops sold to London, and pretty much everyone starves.

The churchyard accumulates a new corner outside the grounds for suicides.

Just before the entire village snuffs it, the guy whose legs Beatrice chopped off reappears and murders Beatrice.

The estate is sold to some random, and everyone is relieved.

The end. Thank god.

elizabethtasker,
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The audiobook ends with:

"This book is over, but the story continues."

IS THIS A THREAT?

It's terrifying.

elizabethtasker,
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@grb090423 I know I read this voluntarily, but I am very glad to be done 😂

elizabethtasker,
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@grb090423 There are TWO sequels. I am reading neither 😂

elizabethtasker,
@elizabethtasker@mastodon.online avatar

@grb090423 I would normally do this, but it was one of those stories where a synopsis from wikipedia wouldn't really have done it justice. So there was only one way to really find out what happened...! But I harbour some regrets 🤣

elizabethtasker,
@elizabethtasker@mastodon.online avatar

@grb090423 Brain cleanser: "Hyperspace High" about a boy who accidentally ends up at a school for aliens. It's for 10 years olds (or there abouts) and extremely wholesome 🤣

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