The glass I taught this semester had the highest rate of complaints in ages, but also the highest teaching feedback scores in average. Interesting.

I find it funny that when reading books on SETI, many authors describe the inherent chauvinism in assuming intelligence as an “evolutionary goal”, but to describe the pinnacle of technology they all invariably put the peak at radio telescopes. Perhaps radio astronomers are also chauvinists lol

Allies were making fun of this shit during world war 2. We just force Ukraine to give up anything while this is the (fascist) enemy. Death to fascists. Concede nothing to them.

I said this before: I'm pretty sure 2 Muslim terrorists with links to IS were not influenced by the Bridge March against genocide.

War doesn’t just destroy buildings—it erases places where children learn, play, and grow. Bellingcat and journalists from @afp.com bureaus in Paris and Kyiv take a look at the lost spaces of youth in Ukraine. www.bellingcat.com/news/2025/12...

Very concerning that these guys were armed and not under surveillance.

Why does someone in my Inner west suburb need 31 guns? Ridiculous

I am concerned about the literacy rates in the adult population.

Two victims of previous school shootings — Mia Tretta, who was shot in the stomach in 2019 at Saugus High School, and Zoe Weissman, who survived the 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School — are now at Brown. Gun violence is out of control in this country.

Sick and twisted massacre today. Had never imagined that this could happen here, like this. Solidarity to the Jewish community, solidarity to Bondi.

Confirmed: the attack at #Bondi was targeting the Jewish community. It’s a terrorism event. Awful for all involved. Thoughts are with Australia’s Jewish community and everyone who was on Bondi who had to witness such horrific events. This is so sad and not what our country is about. Devastating.

I don’t know how these people have gotten guns, but there needs to be a crackdown. We cannot be like the US and allows this shit to happen. It’s unclear how many victims there are, but I hope for a speedy recovery for them. Fuck those shooter cunts.

❗️Shocking footage. A passerby disarmed the shooter "with bare hands" at Bondi Beach in Sydney.

I don’t know how these people have gotten guns, but there needs to be a crackdown. We cannot be like the US and allows this shit to happen. It’s unclear how many victims there are, but I hope for a speedy recovery for them. Fuck those shooter cunts.

How is it that every bus I ride on there is always someone who has apparently never been in a bus before

For comparison, every robotic mission NASA has ever sent in its history, from the dawn of the Space Age 65 years ago to today, from Mercury to Pluto and beyond, has cost less than $40B. I know which one has done more for humankind and which one should be dismantled.

live long and prosper (if you have a billion dollars)

Archaeologists find evidence that a wave of mass brutality accompanied the collapse of the first pan-European culture ⛏️☠️ www.science.org/content/arti...

Very excited to share the NASA/ESA/STScI press release of our team's work on Apep! It's a terrific writeup, complete with a brand new beautiful visualisation of the nebula geometry. 1/? ⚛️🔭🧪 science.nasa.gov/missions/web...

Today is the first time I have seen explicit Nazi/antisemitic graffiti on the #usyd campus. I’ve reported it to campus maintenance, but I feel it is important to call out that this crap is never acceptable. I’ve tagged @sydney.edu.au so that they can hopefully resolve this quickly, as…

The decline in vegan options in the supermarkets correlates with the rise in fascism. In this essay I will argue that this is a causal relationship

What it took to get tenure in the Batman Studies Department in the 1960s, and what it takes to get tenure in Batman Studies today...

We ran a randomized controlled trial to see how much AI coding tools speed up experienced open-source developers. The results surprised us: Developers thought they were 20% faster with AI tools, but they were actually 19% slower when they had access to AI than when they didn't.

Excited to see the ASA group photo :)

NASA removed this image / page from its website: svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14627 Horrible act. What is your rubicon?

Anybody know where I can get a physical copy of this book that isn’t stupid expensive?

This whole operation is probably the most successful / impressive infiltration attacks committed since ww2. Doubly impressive that it is against a nation with a sophisticated intelligence network

Just paid $240 to have a stitch removed. Absolutely robbery, I could do that for free.

🚨 💉The FDA will no longer approve COVID vaccines for people 6mo–64yrs who don't have a risk factor for severe COVID-19. People 65 years and older and those under 65 with risk factors can still get vaccinated. There's so much to unpack here. See a few thoughts below 👇

Sad to hear the news that the CSIRO magazine double helix will no longer be operating. Given the US led global attacks on science, it is more important than ever to continue science outreach to kids.

"Masked security forces captured an opposition leader in the coastal province of New Jersey as regime officials continue their months-long crack-down against pro-democracy elements in the embattled United States. The arrest comes as the regime issued calls for summary detentions without trial."

yes

Until a couple of months ago, this sign hung in the lobby of the Space Telescope Science Institute: "STScI promotes an inclusive, equitable workplace and cultivates a diverse, engaged workforce." It has now been removed.

Question for the academics who teach: what are you thoughts on “freebie” extensions for the students? For context, I teach a class at USYD, where students can automatically get a 5 day extension no questions asked. For this class, an assignment was due today, and only 15% of students submitted on…

Seeing Canadians (or Americans) walking around Sydney with small Canadian flag lapels on their t shirts lol. Things are grim for Americans here

We don't actually have to listen and report on what these assholes say. Having billions of dollars does not make your opinions more valuable than anyone else. In fact we shouldn't listen to your opinion on anything because you are a little dragon hoarding wealth and watching people suffer.

It’s incredibly obvious that this is just the government dog whistling to misogynists and quiverfull types. But it’s funny (in a sad way) that this is coming from the likes of Elon who wants to colonise mars - how can you colonise if you refuse to send women.

Third time buying this book first time actually getting it - really excited to finally read it after hearing the author talk about it at a SETI conference.

Just found out that American PhD applicants have to pay to apply - what the fuck. I can’t think of a good reason why. The closest would be to cover the paperwork costs, but surely the value would have a successful candidate’s labour would outweigh this?

Come work with me at Macquarie University in Sydney! Job ad is live on AAS: aas.org/jobregister/...

A 1 in 63 chance of a city-killer hitting us in a few years, and the "drop everything and do it NOW!" directive happening today at NASA is ... scrub DEI from the webpage. WTAF

Pretty cool to see TfNSW giving out surveys on the light rail today.

Good time to get a job in Australia

I'm hiring a postdoc here in Sydney! If you're interested in exoplanet dynamics, and circumbinary planets in particular, reach out. Three year position, apply by 27 February. Will be on the job register soon. Reach out if you have questions! 🔭 external-careers.jobs.unsw.edu.au/cw/en/job/53...

The destruction of trust in science. The burning of the books. The erasure and harm towards queer people. It’s happening. America went to countless wars and lost many of its children, making the ‘ultimate sacrifice’ for these freedoms. And one evil megalomaniac went and threw all of that away.

For many trans young people, gender affirming care is life-changing, and often life-saving, healthcare. But the Queensland government is blocking improvements and slashing funding from the Queensland Children's Gender Service (QCGS). Sign the petition to fight back: trans.au/campaigns/pr...

ditto for Australia

I spoke to a talented junior scientist who just got a good faculty job offer in the US and they told me “well I wouldn’t move to 1930s Germany either” so that’s how that’s going

Happy to say that after 60 days of UNSW bureaucratic nonsense I have finally been paid. Without the support of my friends and family I would be scarily close to homelessness. While I know that no individual person is at fault or acted with malice, if you subscribe to Stafford Beers heuristic….

Sharing this proposed Sydney Harbour Area Stars and Planets Meeting link, organised by my supervisor, Dr Ben Montet doodle.com/group-poll/p... Details in the images, link for getting a consensus on dates. I’ll likely present so please come!