Introducing Brady, our Mascot at Pine River Observatory

Brady, our new AI-generated mascot at Pine River Observatory.

Introducing Brady, our new mascot! Brady (short for the Genus Bradypus, or slow foot, the scientific name of the genus of Three-Toed Sloths) is a keen and wide-eyed amateur astronomer in love with the beauty of nature and the mysteries of the universe. The idea of having a mascot came to me when introducing the public to observing the solar eclipse on 8 April 2024. I thought having some way to introduce some humour and warmth to the Pine River Observatory blog would be a great idea.

A sloth seemed appropriate. Not only are they very endearing animals but as there have sometimes been many months between posts on my blog the pacing seems a good fit. Slow foot indeed.

Brady has been rendered using ChatGPT 4.

Merry Christmas – a gift for the future

I cannot think of a more powerful message than that offered up by “Symphony of Science” (http://www.symphonyofscience.com/ – AKA John Boswell, AKA melodysheep) in their original music video, composed from the words of Carl Sagan and Stephen Hawking, in A Glorious Dawn. All of the work of this program, and this piece in particular, have captivated me since this past November, when I was introduced to them in a presentation on finding hope in a climate change universe, by Grant Linney.

My very low-cost present to you: enjoy, contemplate, be moved – and take action to help secure a positive, bright, and rational future for our children’s children’s children: