Maike Osborne 🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈

@maosbot

Mother, wife, Australian, Professor of Machine Learning in Oxford. Long Covid, trans rights, music, reggae, AI must be good for humans, She/her

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Maike Osborne 🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈@maosbot· Jul 12

Storebæltsbroen

Calm sea at dusk under a broad sky, with a band of vivid orange and pink along the horizon reflected in streaks across the still water. Two distant ships sit near the horizon on the right, and a few thin wooden posts protrude from the shallows in the foreground. The upper sky is layered with soft grey cloud.

Maike Osborne 🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈@maosbot· Jul 11

Fable 5 also suggests King Harald V of Norway

Sounds like you’re thinking of King Harald V of Norway. Let me quickly verify the details.

You’re almost certainly thinking of King Harald V of Norway, the “sailor king”. The fit isn’t quite perfect on the world title, though, so worth being precise about the timeline:

- With his crew he won World Championship medals in sailing – gold in 1987, silver in 1982, bronze in 1988 – but at that point he was still Crown Prince (he acceded in 1991).
- The championship win *while reigning* was in July 2005, when the King and his crew aboard the royal sailboat Fram XV won gold at the European Championships in Sweden – a continental rather than world title, but he was literally the skipper, aged 68.

He kept competing at world level as monarch remarkably late: he was listed as skipper of *Sira* at the eight-metre World Championship in 2022, aged 85, before announcing later that year that Geneva had probably been his last international regatta.

If you’d allow ex-monarchs, Juan Carlos of Spain won a World Championship in the classic boat class in 2019, but he’d abdicated by then. So Harald remains the only reigning head of state to have personally skippered a crew to a major international sailing title while on the throne – with the caveat that the win in office was the Europeans, and the world gold came four years before his reign began.

Maike Osborne 🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈@maosbot· Jun 26

Before, after

A person with tousled, chin-length brown hair and blue-grey eyes looks directly at the camera with a neutral expression in a selfie. They have light stubble and wear a blue crew-neck jumper over a pale blue-and-white striped collared shirt. The background is a softly blurred room with a window and furniture visible behind them.

A woman with shoulder-length wavy brown hair and blue-grey eyes smiles gently at the camera in a selfie. She wears a deep purple blouse patterned with small coral and pink arrows, and a fine silver chain with a gold seahorse pendant and a small pearl. The background is a softly lit room with pale walls.

Maike Osborne 🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈@maosbot· Jun 20

Summer

A child sits cross-legged at the end of a weathered wooden jetty, seen from behind, gazing out over the sea. They wear a pale striped t-shirt and rest one hand on the boards beside them. Gentle waves break across a green-grey sea under a hazy, overcast sky, with faint sailing boats and a low coastline on the horizon.

Maike Osborne 🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈@maosbot· Jun 10

Despite recent news about the University of Oxford, I believe that the majority of the University is on the side of us trans folk

terior of a modern multi-storey building with timber-clad balconies, glass railings and concrete columns. An intersex-inclusive Progress Pride flag hangs from a first-floor railing, with a string of small transgender Pride flags strung as bunting above it. A few people are seated at tables in the background

Maike Osborne 🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈@maosbot· Jun 1

Great report from Amnesty on the hideous roots of the British anti-trans movement media.amnesty.org.uk/documents/Li...

Amnesty International report
In 2026, Amnesty International published a report detailing the actions of four media outlets — The Guardian, The Times, The Daily Telegraph, and The Sun — designed to manufacture the British anti-trans movement via a years long campaign of overwhelming and sustained press coverage designed to exclude transgender voices, magnify the voices of anti-trans groups and figures, and more widely frame transgender people as "involved in controversy, demanding or aggressive and with a propensity to be offended".[60][61]

Maike Osborne 🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈@maosbot· May 30

My official report on my sabbatical

UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD
DEPARTMENT OF ENGINEERING SCIENCE
UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD
Department of Engineering Science
Exeter College • Machine Learning Research Group
Report on Sabbatical Leave
Academic Year 2025-26
Submitted in accordance with the regulations governing the granting of Special and Sabbatical Leave
Prof. Maike Osborne
Professor of Machine Learning
May 30, 2026
Abstract
This report sets out, in full and frank detail, the scholarly activities, intellectual outputs, and principal achievements undertaken by the author during the period of sabbatical leave granted for the academic year 2025-26. The findings are sum-marised below.
1 Summary of Activities Undertaken
I transed my gender.

Maike Osborne 🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈@maosbot· May 30

It’s the pride parade here in Aarhus today, so, here, have a photo of a proud trans lesbian 🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈

Woman with shoulder-length brown hair wearing a light blue and white striped ruffle-necked blouse, smiling slightly at the camera in front of a bright window, wearing a single visible earbud.

Maike Osborne 🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈@maosbot· May 24

I conclude from the four “sir”s and one “madam” I received in the airport yesterday that, one year in, I am 20% through my transition, and hence expect that in four years I will be 100% “madam”, and in nine years I will be “madam madam”

A selfie of a woman in an airport terminal, wearing a white 3M Aura 1863+ FFP3 respirator mask. She has shoulder-length wavy brown hair, blue-green eyes, and is wearing a pearl necklace over a dark floral-print blouse, a navy cardigan or jacket, and a mustard-yellow bag strap across her shoulder. Behind her, the bright airport concourse is visible — illuminated digital advertising screens, glass balustrades, and another traveller with a wheeled suitcase in the background.

Maike Osborne 🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈@maosbot· May 21

I now have an official university card in my new, real, name! I am elated!!

Photograph of a University of Oxford identity card, shown close-up against a pale background. The top of the card has a dark navy banner with “UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD” in white capitals. Below the banner, on the left, is a portrait photograph of a woman with shoulder-length dark hair, looking directly at the camera with a neutral expression, wearing a dark top with a patterned collar. To the right of the photograph, in black text, is the name “Prof Maike Osborne”, followed by “Congregation”, “Engineering Science”, and “Exeter College”. A gold illustration of an Oxford building with spires and arched windows sits on the right-hand side of the card.

Maike Osborne 🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈@maosbot· May 20

I am on my way back to the UK (boymoding). Is there anyone else out there still masking?

A selfie of a person sitting in what appears to be a train or coach seat (navy patterned upholstery, luggage rack visible above). They have shoulder-length wavy brown hair, blue-grey eyes, and are wearing a 3M Aura 1863+ FFP3 respirator (CE 2797). Their outfit is a mustard-yellow houndstooth check blazer over a light blue button-down shirt. The light through the window behind is overcast and grey.

Maike Osborne 🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈@maosbot· May 17

Hi everyone! I’m Maike (she/her), and I am trans. Lovely to meet you!

Maike, a woman with shoulder-length brown hair, smiling softly in a turquoise kimono with magenta and orange geometric patterns, in a bright white-walled room.

Maike Osborne 🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈@maosbot· Mar 15

Today is Long Covid Awareness Day: I know there’s a lot going on in the world right now, but please don’t scroll past this one! en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_CO...

A poster, with text:

LONG COVID:
EVERY HEARTBEAT COUNTS

FIBROSIS
NECROSIS
PERICARDITIS
MYOCARDITIS
HYPERTENSION
HEART FAILURE
FIBRILLATION
HEART ATTACK
THROMBOSIS
VESSEL DAMAGE
ARRHYTHMIA
And more...

Every COVID infection can cause damage.
High quality masks can help protect you.
#LongCovid
#LongCovidHeartbeats #LongCovidAwareness

Maike Osborne 🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈@maosbot· Mar 6

Swan

Maike Osborne 🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈@maosbot· Nov 12

My work is so influential that prospective PhD students are now being influenced by papers that an LLM thinks I wrote but actually did not

Your work on Gaussian processes for environmental modeling (“Active Learning of Environmental Models,” Osborne et al., 2012) and multi-objective optimization for sustainability trade-offs (“The Automation of Science,” King et al., 2009, with your contributions) directly informs my methodological approach. I propose:

1. Bayesian optimization to identify high-impact monitoring

Maike Osborne 🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈@maosbot· Oct 7

Copenhagen, 2024

a lovely coastal scene with a red and white striped lifeguard station on a sandy beach. The foreground shows marram grass in the dunes, whilst offshore wind turbines are visible on the horizon. The dramatic cloudy sky adds atmosphere to the composition.

Maike Osborne 🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈@maosbot· Sep 4

More than a dozen cyclists waiting at the lights ahead of me—cycling is quite big in Denmark!

This is a lovely street scene showing a group of cyclists waiting at a traffic light in what appears to be a Scandinavian or Northern European city. The image captures about 12 people on bicycles lined up on a dedicated cycle lane, with the photographer also on a bike based on the handlebar visible in the foreground.
The urban setting features modern brick buildings, including one with “PWC” signage, wide streets with clear cycling infrastructure, and overhead tram or trolley lines. The cyclists are dressed casually in everyday clothing - jeans, jumpers, and casual wear - which is typical of cities where cycling is a common mode of transport for daily commutes and errands.

Maike Osborne 🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈@maosbot· Sep 3

After nineteen years, I am living near the ocean once again, and it feels like the cancellation of a debt

This image captures a peaceful moment by the water, with sunlight dancing across the surface of the sea and creating beautiful reflections. The wooden jetty or dock extends into the calm waters, whilst the rocky shoreline in the foreground is dotted with smooth, rounded stones and patches of green vegetation.
The sky shows a mix of clouds and clear patches, creating interesting patterns of light and shadow. The lens flare visible in the upper left adds a dreamy quality to the photograph.

Maike Osborne 🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈@maosbot· Aug 24

I love these easy carrot buns! • 200g plain flour • 100g rolled oats • 70g sunflower seeds • 3 tsp baking powder • 1 tsp salt • 150g grated carrots • 80g butter, melted • 260ml milk • 2 eggs • 2 tbsp maple syrup Add wet ingredients to the dry, then ladle out blobs and bake at 180°C for 20 minutes.

This looks like a homemade savoury muffin or cake with a lovely golden-orange colour and chunky texture. I can see what appears to be grated carrot throughout, giving it that vibrant orange hue, along with what look like nuts or seeds mixed in. The texture appears quite moist and dense, and it’s served on a beautiful blue and white porcelain plate with delicate floral patterns.

Maike Osborne 🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈@maosbot· Aug 24

One of my favourite ways to relax is to sit with a big box of unsorted Lego and to just build… something

A hand holding a small LEGO build featuring a brown teddy bear minifigure in a green forest scene with foliage, flowers, and a red and white mushroom, with a box of assorted LEGO pieces visible in the background.

Maike Osborne 🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈@maosbot· Aug 23

As a cyclist who has never owned a car, moving to Aarhus has made such a huge difference to my quality of life: safe and beautiful bike paths everywhere have finally stopped me feeling like a second-class citizen

a cargo bike parked on a cycle path in what appears to be a Danish or Northern European neighbourhood. The bike has a large cardboard package secured in its front cargo box, and there’s a beautiful tree-lined street with characteristic red-tiled roof houses in the background. The cycle path runs parallel to the road, separated by a grass verge with mature trees providing shade.

Maike Osborne 🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈@maosbot· Aug 21

Vote for me and I will make it illegal for the best blackberries to be just out of reach

Maike Osborne 🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈@maosbot· Aug 20

Sustainable transport in Aarhus, Denmark: dedicated cycling lanes that connect seamlessly with light rail, nestled between forest and coastline. This is what happens when cities prioritise people over cars!

This is a lovely photograph of an Aarhus Light Rail train on what appears to be one of the suburban sections of the Letbanen system. The sleek, contemporary tram has the characteristic silver and red livery of Aarhus Light Rail and is running on overhead electric lines supported by cantenary poles.
The scene shows the light rail travelling alongside a paved cycling and walking path, separated by metal railings for safety. The setting looks quite pleasant with mature trees providing green canopy on both sides, and there’s a cyclist visible on the path. In the background, you can see what appears to be a high-rise building, likely somewhere in the greater Aarhus area.
This represents the modern Letbanen system that opened in 2017, connecting Aarhus city centre with surrounding municipalities like Odder and Grenaa. The infrastructure demonstrates Denmark’s excellent approach to integrating public transport with cycling and pedestrian networks - very much in keeping with Danish urban planning priorities that emphasise sustainable transport modes.

This is a lovely waterfront cycling path with a dedicated bike lane running alongside a body of water. The scene shows cyclists and pedestrians enjoying what appears to be a beautiful sunny day, with a city skyline visible across the water in the distance. There are overhead power lines (likely for trams or trains) and lush green trees lining the path on one side. The infrastructure looks well-designed for active transport, with clear lane markings separating cyclists from pedestrians. The urban planning here seems to prioritise sustainable transport options whilst providing scenic routes for residents and visitors to enjoy the waterfront.

Maike Osborne 🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈@maosbot· Aug 7

We live in Aarhus now. It’s amazing!

This appears to be a beautiful historic castle or manor house complex, likely from the Renaissance period based on the architectural style. The buildings feature characteristic red brick construction with decorative stone trim, steep red clay tile roofs, and multi-paned windows with dark frames. The prominent round tower with its distinctive green copper dome and weathervane is particularly striking.
The cobblestone courtyard and well-maintained grounds suggest this is now likely a museum, cultural site, or perhaps a venue for events. The architectural style and building materials are very typical of Northern European castles and manor houses from the 16th-17th centuries, possibly in Denmark, Sweden, or the Netherlands.
The white classical entrance portico on the right building appears to be a later addition, probably from the 18th or 19th century, showing how these historic buildings evolved and were modified over time.

Maike Osborne 🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈@maosbot· Jul 29

Just another day in Denmark

This is a lovely view of what appears to be a traditional Danish town centre, with characteristic colourful buildings featuring red clay tile roofs. The architecture shows the classic Scandinavian style with multi-storey buildings in yellow, white, and other pastel colours lining a quiet street. The dramatic sky filled with puffy white cumulus clouds against the deep blue backdrop creates a beautiful contrast with the historic buildings below. The perspective suggests this photo was taken from an elevated position, perhaps from an upper floor window or rooftop, looking down at the charming streetscape with its mix of residential and possibly commercial buildings typical of Danish market towns.

Maike Osborne 🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈@maosbot· Jul 28

Rest in peace, Goldie (2023-2025)

This is a beautiful photograph of a golden retriever or similar breed dog standing in an open field during what appears to be golden hour - either sunrise or sunset. The dog is positioned in the foreground, silhouetted against the warm, golden light streaming from the sun in the background. The field is covered in short grass with visible texture and patterns, and there’s a line of bare trees along the horizon. The sky features dramatic clouds illuminated by the golden sunlight, creating a stunning contrast between the warm yellows and oranges of the light and the cooler blues of the sky. The lighting creates a beautiful rim light effect around the dog’s fur, making it glow against the landscape. The composition captures a peaceful, pastoral moment with excellent use of natural lighting and depth of field.

Maike Osborne 🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈@maosbot· Jul 22

I am still eating porridge every day, but now I make it vegan—with olive oil, black beans, sunflower seeds and roast vegetables

A white bowl filled with oat groat porridge, served with black beans, sunflower seeds and roast vegetables

Maike Osborne 🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈@maosbot· Jul 20

I figured out why my baking was failing. Turns out that this helpful measuring cup (marked with 1/4, 1/2 and 3/4) that came with my rice comer does not, in fact, measure cups. It is ~180mL, close enough to fool me, but not close enough for baking

A hand holding a clear plastic measuring cup against a light-colored background. The cup appears to be cylindrical with measurement markings and has a pour spout. There are additional glass containers visible in the blurred background.

Maike Osborne 🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈@maosbot· Jul 16

Sunset over England

This is a breathtaking aerial photograph capturing a dramatic sunset or sunrise from high altitude, likely taken from an aircraft. The image showcases a spectacular cloudscape with layers of clouds stretching across the horizon, illuminated by warm golden and orange light from the sun, which appears as a bright orb with visible rays extending outward. The sky displays a beautiful gradient from deep blue-grey at the top to warm amber and gold near the horizon. Below the clouds, you can glimpse the Earth’s surface in the distance, appearing dark and textured. The composition emphasises the vastness of the sky and the dramatic interplay between light and shadow across the cloud formations, creating a sense of being suspended between earth and heaven. The lighting suggests this was captured during the “golden hour” when the sun is low on the horizon, producing the most spectacular atmospheric conditions for photography.

Maike Osborne 🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈@maosbot· Jul 15

You call that a library? This is a library