Karl Byrne

@kjcbyrne

Science Communicator, Public Engagement person, Geeky McNerderson, sweary and woke. Swoke? If you want a science talk or show about your favourite Sci-Fi, get in touch - I'm your carbon based life form! He/Him

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Karl Byrne@kjcbyrne· Jul 3

This guard did not appreciate our humour.

Karl Byrne@kjcbyrne· Jul 3

Remembering the time I annoyed the Swiss Guard by pretending they were toys and nearly thrown out of Vatican city. Here's the offending photo, taken moments before I got shouted at 😂

Making fun of the Swiss Guard at the Vatican, by making them appear to be miniature toys standing on my hand. The Swiss Guard were not happy with me.

Karl Byrne@kjcbyrne· Jun 9

Venus and Jupiter are in conjunction tonight! Look towards the West and you'll see the two brightest planets almost kissing! Should be visible for a little while yet, and they won't appear as close for a couple of years!

An image of the night sky, aiming west. The sky is a blue twilight and in the bottom left is Jupiter and Venus, separated by just a few degrees. Above them, two faint stars- Pollox (lower) and Castor, (upper) the two brightest stars in Gemini.

Karl Byrne@kjcbyrne· May 29

If this image doesn't make every American cringe with embarrassment,I don't know what will. So deeply, deeply pathetic. Trump is the living embodiment of Nekulturny.

The White House is desecrated by a corrupt grifting senile pedophile erecting a stage for a UFC match on its lawn.

No class, no decorum, no competence, no morals. A distraction for the lowest common denominator. Pathetic

Karl Byrne@kjcbyrne· May 28

Alright, alright, alright.. Dazed and Confused was set 50 years ago today. If it was remade today, it would be set in 2009 and the soundtrack would be Lady Gaga and The Black Eyed Peas. Fellow GenXers, you're welcome.

Opening scene of 1993's Dazed and Confused. Shows. A school corridor with the subtitles "Last Day of School, May 28, 1976. 1:05PM"

Karl Byrne@kjcbyrne· May 24

My attempts at trying the generator

The Enterprise D flying alongside a spherical asteroid. The tagline says "you can get a cream for that"

An opening shot from the star Trek animated series, featuring a planet on the right hand side. The tagline reads "If you don't like morality tales, you don't like Star Trek"

Opening shot from Star Trek, with the Enterprise orbiting an earth-like planet. Tagline reads "Kirk is a charismatic bookworm and Abrams did Jim dirty"

An image of Voyager from underneath. The tagline reads "The one with the sexy Borg. And I'm not talking about Seven."

Karl Byrne@kjcbyrne· Apr 26

A lovely walk through the Surrey countryside today and a glorious collection of bluebells! #wildflowerhour

Meadow of bluebells and (I think) baby's breath.

Karl Byrne@kjcbyrne· Apr 26

I don't think I've shown this off before, but it is a thing of beauty! I got this for my nerdy nanochemist wife's birthday a few years ago (and also because I've always wanted one 😂). It's a display case with a sample of every naturally occurring chemical element, displayed proudly in our lounge.

A collection of samples of all the naturally occurring chemical elements. Each element is in a small transparent box and they are displayed in a glass fronted wooden box.

Karl Byrne@kjcbyrne· Mar 30

Nonce, Rapist, Sexual Assaulter, Racist, Transphobe, Cunt? I'm not sure how I feel about the updated names of the Trumpton firemen....

An image of the firemen from 1960's children's TV programme "Trumpton": Pugh, Pugh, Barney Magrew, Cuthbert, Dibble, Grubb.

Karl Byrne@kjcbyrne· Feb 20

"Countries need AI" warns man paid to promote AI An absolute non-story from The Guardian. The writer should be embarrassed to have their name on this.

Headlines from the Guardian reading "Countries that do not embrace AI could be left behind, says OpenAI's George Osborne" it also features an jnflateri G shot of Osborne, appearing to be trying to attract local wildlife with his creepy hand gestures.

Karl Byrne@kjcbyrne· Feb 13

No! Be fabulous and try some of the anti AI face makeup instead!

A montage of images of people's faces covered in anti AI and anti- facial recognition makeup. This involves blue make up, black and orange lines,and asymmetric fringes.

Karl Byrne@kjcbyrne· Dec 2

Here's the gleeful section of the US press release where the are so very happy that the UK is being forced to pay 25% more for new drugs. That the UK Gov is making this out to be a good deal is quite frankly ridiculous. it's just one more step in destroying the NHS, spurred on by Streeting et al.

Excerpt from the US Press release around the deal with the UK on pharmaceutical spending. It clearly states the UK will be paying 25% more on new medicines, as well as other UK concessions leading to higher NHS costs. This is not a good deal.

Excerpt reads "Pursuant to the terms of the pharmaceutical pricing agreement in principle announced today, the United Kingdom will reverse the decade-long trend of declining National Health Service (NHS) expenditures on innovative, life-saving medicines, and increase the net price it pays for new medicines by 25%. Furthermore, the United Kingdom will ensure that higher prices for new medicines are not materially eroded by a demand for portfolio-wide concessions under the Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing, Access and Growth (VPAG) or other rebate schemes. In fact, the United Kingdom has committed that the repayment rate owed by companies under the current VPAG scheme will decrease to 15% in 2026 and remain at or below that level for the duration of the scheme."

Karl Byrne@kjcbyrne· Nov 14

Hi @bsky.app Just wondering when you will ban this account for clearly breaking your "no threatening people with death" rule.

Trump's puerile "Department of War" threatening to kill people, in clear violation of Bluesky's rules.

And all to detract from the fact that Trump is very probably a child rapist. Weird.

Karl Byrne@kjcbyrne· Nov 9

I really enjoy Parisian graffiti! From the bear ubiquitous space invaders, to pretty little stencils like this adorable kitty cat!

Parisian graffito of a blue eyed tabby cat kitten e wearing a blue moped helmet

Karl Byrne@kjcbyrne· Sep 12

Murder is bad. But this prick was a fascist, a racist and a Christian Nationalist. He was probably a sociopath, having said empathy was a "made up, new age term". He called the civil rights ovement a "mistake". And the BBC are sanitising his hate filled rhetoric.

Headline from BBC: "Who was Charlie Kirk, the conservatives youth organiser and Trump ally?". The article does not say "he was a divisive racist, fascist, Christian Nationalist bully who made fun of empathy and said gun deaths were necessary". But it should have.

Karl Byrne@kjcbyrne· Sep 11

Image from Scottish comedy "Chewing the fat". In one image an old man wearing a flat cap says "Can you smell shite?" In the second picture and elderly woman in a shop, smirks and says "yes, I can definitely smell shite".

Karl Byrne@kjcbyrne· Sep 11

So Michael Deane- one of Northern Ireland's leading chefs is a racist dirtbag. Don't eat at Deanes. There are a lot of better, cheaper, less racist restaurants around Belfast.

Northern Irish chef Michael Deane goes on a deeply racist, deeply stupid rant about "unknown undocumented" delivery drivers, in some ill-conceived Facebook messages to try and encourage people to go to his restaurants. This will hopefully have the opposite effect and teach the thick racist a lesson.

Karl Byrne@kjcbyrne· Aug 9

For those not getting the reference, JD Vance's South Park character is a take on Tattoo from Fantasy Island.

Ricardo Montalban and Herve Villechaize as Mr Rourke and Tattoo, from the 1970's TV show Fantasy Island. They are both dressed in white formal dinner wear and smiling. Tattoo is a Little Person.

Karl Byrne@kjcbyrne· Aug 1

If you STILL support Israel's genocide, murder, starvation and collective punishment of innocent Gazan citizens you're either: •a sociopath; •so unbelievable gullible and dumb you will believe any of Israel's blatant lies; •an evil, genocidal fuck. Fuck Netanyahu, fuck the IDF, and fuck you.

An emaciated Palestinian child, starved by Israel. Their ribs are visible,their shoulder blades are prominent, with skin stretched over them. Their arms and legs are incredibly skinny, with bones poking through skin

Karl Byrne@kjcbyrne· Jul 31

Tom Jones- 85 years old and still putting on a banger of a concert

Tom Jones singing on stage. He sits on a high stool, while behind him a large, black and white live video of him.

Karl Byrne@kjcbyrne· Jun 30

Odious grifter Jordan Peterson takes his lobster obsession to a new level and tries to BECOME a lobster through sheer force of will. Jokes aside, this does not look like a person who is well- physically or mentally.

Jordan Peterson screaming into a camera while looking a worrying shade of red, his watery, pink eyes looking as if they are about to stream tears down his bright red face

Karl Byrne@kjcbyrne· Apr 21

Sealioning is a type of trolling or harassment that consists of pursuing people with relentless requests for evidence, often tangential or previously addressed, while maintaining a pretense of civility and sincerity, and feigning ignorance of the subject matter.

Karl Byrne@kjcbyrne· Feb 16

The world's loneliest dweeb, who is so insecure, he pays people to cheat at video games for him. With his poor gender affirming surgery and his botched penis enlargement you could almost feel sorry for Musk, if he wasn't a Nazi, a liar, a cheat, a con man and a drug addled fuckwit. Allegedly.

Cartoon of two people in a bar talking. Caption says "Sure Elon's a Nazi, but we can't let that distract us from what's really important. Like the fact that he's also a ketamine
-addicted dweeb who cheats at video games and hangs out with 19 year olds".

Karl Byrne@kjcbyrne· Dec 14

An elderly woman sniffing, with the words "yes I can definitely smell shite".

She is obviously referring to the shite being spread by Bluesky safety as to why they won't ban a harassing, grifting bigot. Not a Singal good reason.

Karl Byrne@kjcbyrne· Nov 29

The Monarchists didn't like this one at all. Which made it funnier.

Prince Philip, looking surprisingly like Peter Cushing, alongside a quote said by Cushing in Star Wars: "Princess Leia, before your execution, I'd like you to join me for a ceremony that will make this battle station operational. No star system will dare oppose the Emperor now" #RoyalWedding #StarWars

Karl Byrne@kjcbyrne· Nov 29

Still very proud of this. It annoyed a lot of Monarchists, who got offended because Philip was old. They really wanted me to know that actually this wasn't funny (it was) and Philip looked nothing like Peter Cushing (he did).

A picture of Prince Philip, looking quite similar to Peter Cushing, at a royal wedding. Above the picture is a quote from Grand Moff Tarkin in A New Hope: "Princess Leia, before your execution, I'd like you to join me for a ceremony that will make this battle station operational. No star system will dare oppose the Emperor now" #RoyalWedding #StarWars

Karl Byrne@kjcbyrne· Nov 21

Stop! If you see this post, repost with your cat(s) Faraday

Faraday, a large tuxedo cat, stealing my footstool for his own seat.

Faraday, a large tuxedo cat, squeezing into a space between my legs that is frankly too small for him.

Faraday, a large tuxedo cat and the bestest boy cat in the whole wide world coming to get a cuddle

Faraday, a large tuxedo cat, staring up at me to show how little he cares after he has once again stolen my seat.

Karl Byrne@kjcbyrne· Nov 21

This painting in the Doge's Palace, Venice. It's a painting of hell by Herri met de Bles, a follower of Hieronymous Bosch and I found it mesmerising. So much so I had to get a canvas of it for my home office.

Inferno by Herri met de Bles. It is a triptych depicting a surreal, fantastical version of Hell, full of twisted and contorted figures suffering the punishments of the damned. The central panel shows the depths of Hell as a chaotic and unsettling landscape, with demons tormenting and tormenting the souls of the damned. The right panel shows the Garden of Earthly Delights, a depiction of human indulgences, while the left panel depicts the temptation and fall of Adam and Eve. "Inferno" is known for its vivid and imaginative depiction of sin, suffering, and the consequences of moral decay.

Karl Byrne@kjcbyrne· Nov 21

Personally, I love the look of the Enterprise-A (and obvs the original refit), Constitution II class. Second would be the Enterprise-E, Sovereign class followed by the G, Constitution III class.

The USS Enterprise NCC-1701-A looking all pretty and sexy and wonderful.

Karl Byrne@kjcbyrne· Nov 21

Viruses are small. Like, really really tiny. If a cold virus was actually as large as my perfect replica in the image below (accurate in every detail, except for the eyes. And the fur. And the colour) the equivalent person would be about 9000km tall, with nostrils about 50km wide.