Benjamin Knispel

Promovierter Physiker, Max-Planck-Institut-Öffentlichkeitsarbeiter, ehemaliger Einstein@Home-Radioastronom in Hannovers Umland

PhD in Physics, Max Planck Institute Press & Outreach Officer, former Einstein@Home radio astronomer in and around Hannover, Germany

Blog: https://bknispel.de
Beruf: https://www.aei.mpg.de/
Wetterstation (Update alle 30 min): https://bknispel.de/wetter/
Scientific Publications from “back then”: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3168-0929

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npub1ckljtpvum5fxqu4k8q48v2qx8xlsqs26nam6rft5nt4nqe3dx02q9f8s5t

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[email protected]

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nprofile1qqsvt0e9skwd6ynqw2mrs2nk9qrrn0cqg9df7aap546f46esvckn84qpz3mhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuerpd46hxtnfduqs6amnwvaz7tmwdaejumr0ds2grj6y

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relay.primal.net

nos.lol

relay.damus.io

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npub1ckljtpvum5fxqu4k8q48v2qx8xlsqs26nam6rft5nt4nqe3dx02q9f8s5t

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Last Notes

2026-06-26 04:21:49 UTC

“Luckily, I’m told that frontier models have surpassed PhD-level intelligence in the summer of 2025. Most of the books in question were published mid-2026 and the artwork points to a flagship model from a major US-based lab. So, in all likelihood, there’s nothing to worry a—”
https://lcamtuf.substack.com/p/ai-childrens-books-body-horror-edition

2026-04-27 14:57:33 UTC

Heute gab es in der Mittagspause (und Stunden davor und danach) wieder Halos zu sehen. Eiskristalle in den Cirruswolken brechen das Sonnenlicht und verursachen die farbigen Ringe.
Zu sehen sind der kreisförmige 22°-Ring und der umbeschriebene Halo um den ersten herum.
#Halos #Wetter #Natur #Fotografie #AtmosphärischeOptik
https://assets.chaos.social/media_attachments/files/116/477/253/732/139/323/original/8d5a432a5e5b1766.jpg

2026-04-04 09:50:09 UTC

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Kreutz comet C/2026 A1 (MAPS) qickly approaching perihelion in the field of view of the of the CCOR-1 coronograph.
This movie is missing 3 hours early morning UTC, when there entire field of view is white in the original movie.
#Kreutz #Comet #CometMAPS #CCOR1 #MAPS
https://assets.chaos.social/media_attachments/files/116/345/810/879/358/856/original/cee774c4f3c37060.mp4

2026-04-03 17:25:50 UTC

Short movie covering ~7 hours of Kreutz comet C/2026 A1 (MAPS) in the field of view of the of the CCOR-1 coronograph.
The comet enters the FOV at 10:00 UTC and the movie ends at 16:45 UTC.
#Kreutz #Comet #CometMAPS #CCOR1 #MAPS
https://assets.chaos.social/media_attachments/files/116/341/939/027/588/682/original/e76fdfd6477429e8.mp4

2026-04-02 07:07:41 UTC

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This has nothing to do with the growing global kerosene shortage. This was something the current government has been planning to do for a longer time as it was part of the coalition agreement between the two governing parties.

2026-03-20 19:58:28 UTC

Venus and the crescent of the waxing moon at spring equinox on the evening of 20 March 2026. The picture is from Wedemark, north of Hanover, Germany.
#Venus #Moon #cresecent #Wedemark #photography #astrophotografy #spring #SpringEquinox
https://assets.chaos.social/media_attachments/files/116/263/267/149/533/983/original/3a15db6f44d8286b.jpg

2026-01-20 19:12:20 UTC

Moon, tangled up in the branches.
The tiny dot to the left of the Moon is the star Gamma Capricorni.
#Moon #nature #photography #astronomy
https://assets.chaos.social/media_attachments/files/115/929/008/746/646/152/original/3ff59ce64f882980.jpg

2026-01-20 07:28:23 UTC

Das war schon sehr geil. Polarlicht gestern Abend (19.01.2026) aus der Wedemark nördlich von Hannover bei besten Bedingungen.
Ein paar erste Bilder, Bildbeschreibungen kommen gleich…
#Polarlicht #Aurora #Wedemark #Hannover #Nordlicht #AuroraBorealis
https://assets.chaos.social/media_attachments/files/115/926/239/656/101/903/original/714bd97cc9bf53c9.jpg
https://assets.chaos.social/media_attachments/files/115/926/240/450/508/388/original/404bc2152faab4d7.jpg
https://assets.chaos.social/media_attachments/files/115/926/241/562/157/678/original/7bf51f4a4f26550f.jpg
https://assets.chaos.social/media_attachments/files/115/926/243/680/564/059/original/dbcbd84c8c38792e.jpg

2025-11-22 15:53:37 UTC

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The reason I went outside to take photos was because of this fascinating phenomenon.
This is a “dissipation trail”, or “distrail” for short, which is essentially the opposite of an airplanes contrail.
Here, the aircraft exhausts temporarily dissolve the clouds. However, new clouds can then form again along the distrail.
#Clouds #Physics #Photography #NaturePhotography #Meteorology #Distrail
https://assets.chaos.social/media_attachments/files/115/594/149/043/219/314/original/f107bef9675e11c2.jpg
https://assets.chaos.social/media_attachments/files/115/594/149/407/312/479/original/87a80d3db65f38be.jpg
https://assets.chaos.social/media_attachments/files/115/594/149/877/502/028/original/17d9d87ed2d7f8dd.jpg

2025-11-22 13:18:06 UTC

Just eight days ago, I gave a popular science talk at [@mpi_grav](https://academiccloud.social/@mpi_grav ) about colorful phenomena in the sky, and now – boom!
Just minutes ago, there were beautiful iridescent clouds (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloud_iridescence) here, north of Hanover, Germany.
Here, light is diffracted by tiny droplets in the clouds, creating these typical mother-of-pearl colors.
#Light #Physics #Photography #NaturePhotography #Diffraction #AtmosphericOptics
https://assets.chaos.social/media_attachments/files/115/593/539/510/697/395/original/9536181e7a99d9a8.jpg
https://assets.chaos.social/media_attachments/files/115/593/539/869/711/019/original/4c3767c9845b632f.jpg
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https://assets.chaos.social/media_attachments/files/115/593/540/431/428/562/original/74b074faaee6904a.jpg

2025-10-25 05:37:18 UTC

Comet C/2025 A6 (Lemmon) (botton of the image) and Gemma (main star in the constellation Corona Borealis) (top of the image) on 24 October at 20:33 CEST from Wedemark, north of Hanover, Germany.
The straight, bluish plasma tail is visible over a length of ~6° (12 full moon diameters). The curved dust tail is a lot shorter.
Crop from a stack of 51 2-second images at ISO 5000 and f=200 mm.
#CometLemmon #Comet #Astrophotography #Astronomy #Photography #Siril #Gimp
https://assets.chaos.social/media_attachments/files/115/433/184/560/523/110/original/3218886f80dd2116.jpg

2025-10-24 19:33:06 UTC

Comet C/2025 A6 (Lemmon) on 24 Oktober at 20:28 CEST from Wedemark north of Hannover, Germany.
Cropped from a stack of 51 single exposures of 2 s at ISO 5000 and at f=200 mm.
Used Siril, Gimp, and NeatImage to improve stacked image afterwards.
Edit: Added newly edited version of the image with less color shift added.
#CometLemmon #Comet #astrophotography #Siril #Gimp
https://assets.chaos.social/media_attachments/files/115/430/809/102/540/516/original/544ea14b7a91b04e.jpg
https://assets.chaos.social/media_attachments/files/115/431/001/060/390/792/original/3a6c0a64bdfcd4f9.jpg

2025-10-06 05:56:06 UTC

Hier hatte doch bestimmt irgendwer von euch einen doppelten Espresso bestellt. Ich lass' den einfach mal hier stehen.
#Espresso #Kaffee #GutenMorgen
https://assets.chaos.social/media_attachments/files/115/325/675/144/698/875/original/1d7e761dd0a8f2ac.jpg

2025-09-07 20:45:17 UTC

Enjoyed today's lunar eclipse with the family ✅
Here are photos from four phases. Crops (100%) from images taken at a focal length of 600 mm. Photos taken at 20:33 CEST, 20:43 CEST, 20:52 CEST, and 20:57 CEST, respectively. Totality ended at 20:53 CEST.
#LunarEclipse #Astronomy #Hanover #Wedemark #Astrophotography #Photography
https://assets.chaos.social/media_attachments/files/115/164/958/537/401/572/original/177b771ff2b0a60d.jpg
https://assets.chaos.social/media_attachments/files/115/164/958/859/452/979/original/283b0842949460d4.jpg
https://assets.chaos.social/media_attachments/files/115/164/959/294/687/735/original/c6d4cae172ea1317.jpg
https://assets.chaos.social/media_attachments/files/115/164/959/577/093/288/original/098e41de4851a454.jpg

2025-08-17 18:51:59 UTC

Falls ihr es noch nicht auf dem Schirm habt: In drei Wochen gibt es eine totale Mondfinsternis.
Der Vollmond wird während der Totalität aufgehen und dann so ab 21 Uhr wieder aus dem Erdschatten wandern, während er am Himmel höher steigt. Ganz in der Nähe ist dann der Saturn zu sehen
Hier ein mit Stellarium simulierter Anblick für den 7. September um 21 Uhr.
#Mondfinsternis #MoFi #Astronomie
https://assets.chaos.social/media_attachments/files/115/045/606/531/603/703/original/bf0d1ac3345b1e05.png

2025-03-13 14:10:53 UTC

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To be fair, though, I must add that the LLM even mentioned the usual caveats here. But these may not have been understood by the person:
“requires rigorous mathematical formulation and testing - currently speculative without such validation”
“a tall order needing extensive proof”
“a hypothesis awaiting the hard test of evidence”
5/5
#AI #DunningKruger #physics #relativity #LLM

2025-03-13 14:09:58 UTC

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After all, what could possibly go wrong when non-physicists pour their “physics buzzword bingo” with questions that sound like physics (but are not) into an LLM that ultimately doesn't understand physics either?
If the LLM then says, among other things, “it does seem almost too logical and elegant to be completely wrong”, this is of course problematic. Especially if the person at that point decides not to listen to any experts at all…
4/
#AI #DunningKruger #physics #relativity #LLM

2025-03-13 14:08:29 UTC

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My objection that the central definition underlyinig the “theory” is not physical and ambiguous was completely ignored.
Worse still: because I was perceived to be too “stupid” has led the person to conclude that they will only discuss this with AIs in the future because “it obviously doesn't make sense (anymore) to discuss it with physicists.”
That's probably a problem.
3/
#AI #DunningKruger #physics #relativity #LLM

2025-03-13 14:06:29 UTC

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Often they have become so bogged down in their pseudo theories that it is almost impossible to have a meaningful discussion with them.
Sometimes you can try and present a well-reasoned objection. Whether the other side will get it, is a different question.
Recently, I had the case that the person had “discussed” their theory with an AI / LLM beforehand and, due to “praise” from the language model, was convinced that they *could not be wrong*.
2/
#AI #DunningKruger #physics #relativity #LLM

2025-03-13 14:04:40 UTC

Today, I realized another risk of AI that I hadn't considered before, namely as a Dunning-Kruger amplifier.
At the institute, I regularly have contact with people (*) who think they have refuted the theory of relativity or solved other big physical problems.
Usually, these “solutions” are simply meaningless sentences that sound like physics, but are not physics.
1/
(*) So far only men.
#AI #DunningKruger #physics #relativity #LLM

2024-12-06 09:55:35 UTC

Am 13.12. gibt's um 10 Uhr noch 4 freie Plätze bei einer von unserem Institut angebotenen Führung am Gravitationswellen-Detektor GEO600 südlich von Hannover.
Wer den Detektor mal sehen möchte, kann sich anmelden. Ich werde die Führung machen. Alle Details in https://astrodon.social/@mpi_grav/113605221642117852
#Hannover #Gravitationswellen #Physik #WissKomm

2024-11-07 07:42:29 UTC

Interested in doing a PhD or postdoc in gravitational-wave theory, source modeling, and science interpretation as part of an ERC Synergy Grant?
Check out the job ad by our [@mpi_grav](https://astrodon.social/@mpi_grav ) Potsdam colleagues.
➡️ https://astrodon.social/@mpi_grav/113440496099035058
#Jobs #JobsInScience #Academia #ERC

2024-10-14 20:12:32 UTC

Komet C/2003 A3 (Tsuchinshan–ATLAS) heute Abend aus der Wedemark nördlich von Hannover. Ich hatte Glück mit dem Wetter und war überrascht von der Wolkenlücke. Der Gegenschweif ist klar zu erkennen, stark bearbeitet zur Verdeutlichung.
Comet C/2003 A3 (Tsuchinshan–ATLAS) tonight from Wedemark, north of Hannover. I got lucky with the weather and was surprised by the gap in the clouds. The anti-tail is clear to see, heavily edited for clarification.
#Comet #Komet #TsuchinshanAtlas #astronomy
https://assets.chaos.social/media_attachments/files/113/307/606/184/826/732/original/a6e90613e572a699.jpg
https://assets.chaos.social/media_attachments/files/113/307/607/153/474/485/original/8417374be277d5a3.jpg

2024-09-13 15:07:46 UTC

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Das war mal wieder schön! Polarlicht gestern Abend nördlich von Hannover zwischen 21:16 Uhr und 21:47 Uhr. Teil 2.
That was beautiful once more! Northern lights yesterday evening north of Hanover, Germany, between 21:16 and 21:47. Part 2.
#Polarlicht #Aurora #AuroraBorealis #Hannover #Wedemark
https://assets.chaos.social/media_attachments/files/113/130/867/024/654/913/original/ca426ca51765228c.jpg
https://assets.chaos.social/media_attachments/files/113/130/867/026/335/936/original/6d9ba8a5cd4ea722.jpg
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https://assets.chaos.social/media_attachments/files/113/130/867/170/542/750/original/3b71d0c0b211618f.jpg

2024-09-13 15:06:28 UTC

Das war mal wieder schön! Polarlicht gestern Abend nördlich von Hannover zwischen 21:16 Uhr und 21:47 Uhr. Teil 1.
That was beautiful once more! Northern lights yesterday evening north of Hanover, Germany, between 21:16 and 21:47. Part 1.
#Polarlicht #Aurora #AuroraBorealis #Hannover #Wedemark
https://assets.chaos.social/media_attachments/files/113/130/856/629/570/175/original/b59a6b63a520a7d9.jpg
https://assets.chaos.social/media_attachments/files/113/130/857/122/188/135/original/60f9810777f77ce1.jpg
https://assets.chaos.social/media_attachments/files/113/130/857/490/213/127/original/3c0303b2db404ae5.jpg
https://assets.chaos.social/media_attachments/files/113/130/857/580/553/337/original/f022456985859b5d.jpg

2024-09-12 17:48:34 UTC

Wenn heute Nacht klar ist, sollte man durchaus mal wieder nach Polarlicht gucken.
ℹ️ https://www.polarlicht-vorhersage.de/
ℹ️ https://forum.meteoros.de/viewforum.php?f=1
#Polarlicht #Astronomie #Nordlicht #Aurora #AuroraBorealis