I'm consumed be "externalities" that private companies quietly distribute across humanity for profit while preaching narratives about "progress". Add in "Shifting Baseline Syndrome" and most people don't notice what's happening until it is too late. Some underlying verifiable facts 👇 ✨🔭🧪

PSA

FYI #SpaceX is leading an uncontrolled global-scale experiment in the upper atmosphere as satellites are vaporized in the upper atmosphere on reentry. The impact on atmospheric chemistry, aerosol microphysics, cloud formation, and radiative effects are not currently well understood. ✨🔭🧪🛰️

#SpaceX Orbital debris, loss of the night sky, unregulated extraction, and heavy elements in the atmosphere have now all been converted to an asset class. ✨🔭🧪

The newly released UAP files say more about us than aliens. kelseyjohnson367.substack.com/p/the-truth-... ✨🧪🔭👽

Scientific progress is built by people doing unglamorous work because they believe knowledge and evidence matter. The #NSB does its work quietly, competently, and far from the spotlight or political headlines—three qualities that have become oddly unfashionable in modern governance. ✨🔭🧪🚀

Has terra nullius ever bothered you? Me too! One of the quiet assumptions of modern life is that empty things are available things. That logic shaped colonialism, environmental destruction, and now how we talk about the Moon and Mars. I'd love for you to read my new essay. ✨🔭🚀🧪

My sense is that the overwhelming majority of people don't understand what the Artemis mission was really about, which is not space exploration but space exploitation. I've started up a Substack account and written a piece that isn't behind a paywall that I hope you will read and think about. 🚀✨🔭

Lots of people asking me about #Artemis. As an astronomer who thinks a lot about humanity’s future in the universe, I’ll be blunt: We've no business advancing our footprint in space until we behave responsibly on Earth. The Manifest Destiny framing of space exploration drips with unchecked hubris.

Poe’s Law in action. XKCD FTW. ✨🔭🧪

Nothing makes me more unreasonably proud than figuring out something new in Excel. Today it was how to insert a line break, and it feels like I’ve unlocked a new mystical power.

My daughter’s school went on lockdown today because… cows. 🐮🐮🐮 Can we go back to having lockdowns for lovely reasons like livestock that broke out of their pasture? I’m good with that.

Dusted off and connected our old Wii. OMG it is so fun and nostalgic. I am cursing Nintendo for discontinuing this amazing platform (now over a decade ago).

🧪🔭✨🙏

Doing my mandatory emergency training. I love my coffee as much as anyone, but I think I might set down the mug in this situation. Or maybe it makes a better weapon than I realize?

In my local FB marketplace right now.

Oh this is rich. Should we be expecting Trump to go after governor Abbott and take over the state with 1000s of ICE agents?

Congratulations, we are officially increasingly close to destroying ourselves.

The ability of humans to come up with explanations so our unfounded beliefs can stay intact is literally killing people.

I’m curious— if you’re playing one of the violent video games and you shoot an innocent person, are there any consequences?

Thinking this is like a video game in which you kill people, and that is “cool”, really explains a lot about all of this.

Maybe he thinks late night hosts need more material? That is surely the most logical explanation.

Breaking news: when people care about other people everyone is better off. MN is above average across the board, which is totally on brand for Lake Wobegon.

Some people spend years working on a treaty to win the Nobel Peace Prize. Others try to take over countries…? Irony doesn’t even begin to cover this narcissism.

Some people spend years working on a treaty to win the Nobel Peace Prize. Others try to take over countries…? Irony doesn’t even begin to cover this narcissism.

I’m leaning into my maternal Minnesotan Finnish ancestry. Sisu runs strong there. #Minnesota #ICE

I’m not sure what their long-game is, but if the plan is to sacrifice humans for corporate profit, they’re nailing it. www.nytimes.com/2026/01/12/c...

I have never felt as much existential stress about humanity’s future (both on and off of Earth) as I do now. It’s like the emergency breaks on an elevator have all failed while greed and ignorance are accelerating us toward catastrophe.

So fun to be quoted (and interviewed!) by @scifri.bsky.social ✨🔭🧪

Can we please get past this “might makes right” BS? This is what people say when they don’t have any actual defensible and logical arguments.

Astronomers at #AAS247, I’d love to see our community show up for the special session on Tuesday an interdisciplinary discussion of the Ethics of Outer Space. Decisions are being made now that will affect everyone on earth for generations to come. What is our role? What are the ethical frameworks?

I got a super fun surprise in the mail today! I’m so excited for this book to be introduced to the Chinese market, and I LOVE the cover. Now my Chinese DuoLingo training needs to catch up :). 🧪🔭✨ #books #science #astronomy

Gorgeous picture-perfect autumn day at #UVA today. This is my favorite time of year in Virginia. 🍁🍂🎃

Are you ready to explore the known, unknown, and possibly unknowable with @profkelsey.bsky.social? We talk about her book Into The Unknown: The Quest to Understand the Mysteries of the Cosmos. Part 1 of the interview aired this week howonearthradio.org/archives/10317 Join us for Part 2 next week.

Procrastination takes may forms. Tonight as a service to the astronomical community I offer help with your JWST proposal titles. #JWST 🧪🔭✨

And that brings us to tonight's #HATM questions- 1) What are your favorite books on the history of space exploration? Or on space itself? (It's totally @profkelsey.bsky.social latest book. Link below) 2) And what is on the menu at your home tonight? amzn.to/3WB72xQ

Ok wait, just so we are clear, does the FCC idea that media should not lie to the public apply to, oh I don’t know, like Fox News? Just curious.

On brand. 🧪🔭✨

This tracks.🔭🧪✨

I am excited to see the memes that come from this.

<checks watch> Yep, the year is 2025.

Sharing a photo from the road today. A friend captioned it: “Actual footage of university budget software trying to reimburse me for the $25 I spent on snacks for a group meeting.” There is a meme in here somewhere.

Just a friendly reminder that the universe can put our egos in check whenever it wants. 🔭🧪✨

I am sick to my stomach. #UVA

Yeah, this is one heck of a powerful telescope indeed. It is not hyperbole to say it may even save humanity if the wrong chunk of rock decides to cross our orbit. 🔭🧪✨

Fantastic article about Rubin (both the person and the shiny new observatory) in the @nytimes.com today. Unlike many (not all!) of the male scientists with household names, she was a profoundly good and caring human. ALL of the women in #astrophysics today are standing on her shoulders. 🔭🧪✨

A triumph of human persistence and ingenuity: At the age of 35, the Hubble Space Telescope is more productive than ever. Wow. (Courtesy of Dr. Jennifer Wiseman @aas.org). 🔭🧪✨

Dara Norman @aas.org President kicks off the meeting with inspiration. “We are all in this together”. #aas246 🧪🔭✨

Anyone else want to get some popcorn?