Reminder: It benefits nobody in a way to list sex assigned at birth on passports, there is no requirement to include it, this is just about punishing trans etc. Americans.

If you're going to make a post praising an incredible news photo, it's a real bad look when you don't include the photographer credit in the post.

A couple weeks ago a friend was telling me about someone she knew who had been on maternity leave, and said she had taken "the full year." I said, "A whole year? Wow, what kind of fancy job does she have that gives her a YEAR of leave?" and my friend looked surprised & said, "... welcome to Canada?"

Trump just continually shooting our country in the face. This unwarranted (and likely illegal) destruction of Goddard is madness. It jeopardizes the next several decades of space exploration.

Perimeter Institute is doing a series profiling their researchers; here's mine! Featuring airplanes, of course. You can check out some of the other profiles here: perimeterinstitute.ca/outreach/we-...

I didn't realize it was possible but those weird impersonal marketing spam e-mails have somehow gotten even more depressing now that they're being written by LLMs. At least before it was an actual human pretending to be interested in my work!

Today is World Vegan Day! If you are concerned about climate change, reducing meat and dairy in your diet is one of the most powerful individual actions you can take. "The effect of our modern meat production on the environment is truly terrifying." Jane Goodall news.janegoodall.org/2017/04/28/w...

Are you a grad student interested in writing for Astrobites, or do you know one? We're recruiting! Apply by November 26 :) astrobites.org/2025/10/31/a...

My perhaps controversial assessment is that when you share the propaganda of your enemies to call it out or to mock it… you’re still spreading their propaganda and maybe doing exactly what they hope you’ll do.

Live in the Northern Hemisphere and want to see a comet older then the Solar System? Nice overview of upcoming pre-dawn visibility for interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS with small amateur telescopes 🔭🧪

I am certainly no seasoned strategist but I am a little skeptical of the political wisdom behind building a giant golden ballroom and sharing a dozen photos of a renovated marble bathroom at the very moment that millions of people are losing access to healthcare and food.

For the record, my answers are: Probably, in some form, somewhere in the cosmos, since it’d be weird if Earth were THAT special. They probably haven’t visited though. Yes, we can see it pretty directly! (More on this in next.) There are surely some limits to our knowledge but we do know a lot.

What's your preferred end of the universe scenario? Take your pick from this segment featuring the last book of our series on science and death -- this week on the @science.org podcast w/ Angela Saini & @astrokatie.com www.science.org/content/podc...

The FBI director is flying his girlfriend around on private government planes while FBI agents go without paychecks and families prepare to go hungry as SNAP benefits are being suspended

The fun thing about having a small team working with you is you can say "hey you're spending this week digging for stolen mobile phones in London flowerbeds, I promise you it's a thing". www.londoncentric.media/p/london-pho...

This might be my favorite JWST image from the nearby Universe so far. You’re seeing the late stages of evolution of a star like the Sun, after it’s exhausted its nuclear fuel. This is a transient phase where it’s ejected its outer gas layers, which are then irradiated by the hot stellar remnant.

My book draft is currently with the editors. While I wait, here are a couple of random* snippets to give you a sense of the vibe! They may or may not survive the edit process. Enjoy! #HowToBuildAUniverse *I used a random number generator to choose pages, then chose one sentence from each page

one way to understand media coverage of the second trump administration is that, this time around, it's really only tracking with the bottom right chart

“the president got mad at a television commercial so now your maple syrup is more expensive” is no way to run a country

I grew up a little outside LA* and now I live a little outside Toronto** so I am experiencing some complicated sports feelings right now. * LBC ** K-W

This should be a really fun chat! You can watch live here: www.youtube.com/live/eIXSmhg...

This is of course a slight exaggeration -- if I'm reading the contract correctly, I believe I actually AM allowed to scream, as long as no one outside the organization hears me.

LEGAL RELEASE FORM: You agree to let us film you ME: Seems OK FORM: We own your face forever ME: Ummm FORM: We own your face via technologies that haven’t been invented yet ME: FORM: in other galaxies ME: OK hold on FORM: If we kill you during filming you’re not allowed to scream

Graduate seminar did a deep dive on Thomas Paine’s Common Sense yesterday. At the line, “in America the law is king,” they (14 students from 6 countries) burst out laughing. I've been doing this for 35 years and this is the first time that was a laugh line.

One more symptom of the assault on higher ed is that the more prestigious research institution in the dominant producer of science in the world is slashing investments in the people who generate new knowledge.

Planetary Rings xkcd.com/3156/

At Yonge & Dundas Jays fans are obeying the pedestrian scramble, as is the custom & returning to sidewalk each light cycle.

Media outlets who refuse to describe in plain terms what the president did because they find it objectionable are lying to their audiences and running cover for the president. It's as simple as that.

It’s also really great because they have the most amazing technology anyone could ever ask for in the holodeck, they use it, but then they’ll also show up for their robot’s cat poetry night because they realize it’s important to be present with those you love and that technology isn’t a substitute

Under Over Over - West Hampstead So it's taken a while, but I've finally found a location where you can clearly see London Underground trains traveling over London Overground trains. The vantage point is at West Hampstead Overground station at the end of the platform.

It would all be very unpopular if you could convince people it was happening

The Nuclear Block is The Thing that makes Bluesky shine. Use it.

This lovely photo has reminded me to share a great MinutePhysics video about how to spot bad moon fakery in media: youtu.be/yY7ZUIbWTyc?...

Good evening. We estimate that between 4.2 and 7.6 million people turned out for the No Kings Day demonstrations held around the country on Saturday. This makes Oct 18 very likely the biggest single-day U.S. protest event since 1970. www.gelliottmorris.com/p/second-no-...

Gus: Mother, you have not been sleeping and as your Certified Support Animal I— Me: you’re not a certified anything, lil buddy and I do what I want Gus: —think you should go to bed early Me: no Gus: As your doctor, I really must— Me: no Gus: AS YOUR LEGAL GUARDIAN I MUST INSIST

“Now Scientific American has updated and re-released what it calls the “classic graphic” that shows that a human on a bicycle—able to coast, or freewheel, without pedaling—remains the world’s most energy effecient traveler.” @carltonreid.com on the re-release of the iconic graph in @forbes.com.

Living in the Future benefit: the combination of Google Maps public transit directions and phone-tap onboard payment makes it SO EASY to take public trams/buses/metros when traveling now. It’s fantastic not to have to resort to taxis just for lack of easy access to the local transit ticketing system

This for every city!

Cosmologists! We have a faculty job going here in Oxford - happy to answer questions. Brief version is that this remains a great & collaborative place to do science and the students are superb. 🔭 www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DOP628/a...

Every time.

I've always said this, but since last November, I've been pointing this out frequently in whatever venues to whatever audiences I can: "The planet NASA studies most is Earth."

Hard to argue with any of this.

yearly reminder to people insisting that we view Christopher Columbus as "a man of his time" that *the people responsible for the Spanish Inquisition* thought Columbus was out of pocket

My personal rankings of bike hire schemes in central London: 3. Santander. Cheapest, but hardest to pay for & dock, & no phone holder. Best lights though. 2. Lime. Most ubiquitous, very easy to use, but a bit pricey. 1. Forest. Easy to find, hire, and park. Good pricing. Apparently most “green.”

🇨🇦 Happy Thanksgiving to all my Canadian friends! 🍁 Sorry I’m not there to celebrate with you! But earlier today I did stop by your sovereign’s house to say hi.

excellent explainer

London continues to be a delight

Off to commemorate the End of the Universe this evening with a New Orleans-style second line featuring Steve Pretty and the Hackney Colliery Band and @chrislintott.bsky.social and @astrokatie.com wegottickets.com/event/676292

Every time he does this a calculator somewhere in the country spontaneously bursts into flames