Science, like all human endeavors, is a political process. "Depoliticizing science" is "political interference" in science, definitionally.

This is a big win for open science. In 2024, I sat in the "Software for NASA SMD" workshop and listened to developers, one after another, describe the slog of paperwork and reviews required to open their code. They were then often required to release it under a custom license not approved by OSI.

Scientists are trained and conditioned to assume good faith and recognize that we, ourselves, might always be wrong. The "professional" response to gibberish is polite disagreement, or to ignore it. This is exploited by people who are willing to lie. Maybe we need to say "Fuck you, liar!" more.

Only well-off AAAS fellows are "ok"; the rest of us aren't. If the science minibus passes, the decimation remains. Colette notes NIH ECRs are crushed. NCAR is not explicitly protected. Money won't arrive before a 5% grant success rate at NASA planetary forces more ECRs out after the 20% NASA RIF.

A whole lot of my colleagues are working on PRISM proposals right now. I heard that ~90 NOIs were submitted. Each team is >dozens of ppl. Only 1-2 will be selected. Each proposal has an opportunity cost of $200-500K (easily). Most people don't get paid for working on proposals; it's on spec.

555 proposals so far for NASA PSD's new S^3 program that consolidates most planetary science research funding. I expect the third "spike" to be higher. (Procrastination FTW.) 800+ proposals would not surprise me. Program will fund <55, for a 7% success rate. Unsustainable is an understatement.

I don't think of it often, but... I was on a jury for a gang murder case. Two gang members saw a rival gang member while they were driving by. They stopped, got out, and shot him. Eyewitnesses said the shooter immediately expressed shock at what he'd done. That murderer had a conscience.

HIRING: The Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore is searching for a Office of Public Outreach Division Head. The person would lead the science communication and public outreach activities for the Institute. Apply today or share this post with your network: https://bit.ly/4qeUTMt

👇 This is such a good idea, y'all!

The authoritarian, violent, and anti-science actions of the Trump admin over the past week show clear contempt for democracy and the public good, endangering people in the US and around the world. Congress must uphold its constitutional responsibility and hold the administration accountable.

The new Congressional NASA budget does look way better, but we need to acknowledge that even if NASA "gets its budget back," it will not undo the massive amount of damage done across the country. It won't bring back the many scientists and engineers who've lost their jobs and had to move on!

"Wer'e too close to the debris": A stunning data viz showing how SpaceX rockets put passenger planes at risk, by @heathervogell.bsky.social and Agnel Philip w/ graphics by @lucaswaldron.bsky.social

Isn't it rich? Isn't it queer? Losing my timing this late in my career? And where are the clowns? There ought to be clowns. Well, maybe next year.

Interested in astronomy & data science? @stsci.edu is hiring an Astronomical Data Scientist - check out details here: recruiting2.ultipro.com/SPA1004AURA/... 🔭

Whenever someone says that they are "willing to accept risk," then they need to define exactly what they mean. Otherwise it's meaningless. Almost always, when someone says that they will accept risk, they are lying. To themselves or to you. Ask any seasoned engineer. Or financial advisor.

This is just RFK Jr.’s opening gambit. If he succeeds at this, he will continue to chip away at the vaccine schedule until there’s nothing left. His endgame is nothing less than the elimination of all vaccines.

The EU is working on what is in essence a new Open Source strategy for Europe, and the call for evidence is now open. This is our cue to provide feedback and input to the strategy! If you are involved in the Open Source community in any way, if you benefit (or could benefit) in any way from […]

Talk not to me of blasphemy, man; I’d strike the sun if it insulted me.

👇 This is such a good idea, y'all!

My first editorial in @science.org was published today: what to do (and, importantly, what NOT to do) when your grants are suddenly cut or research funding is uncertain. Please read and share! #AcademicSky #Science #Astronomy www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

👇This is a great idea!

Whenever someone says that they are "willing to accept risk," then they need to define exactly what they mean. Otherwise it's meaningless. Almost always, when someone says that they will accept risk, they are lying. To themselves or to you. Ask any seasoned engineer. Or financial advisor.

In the end the Party would announce that two and two made five, and you would have to believe it. It was inevitable that they should make that claim sooner or later: the logic of their position demanded it.

We're 100% testing the "rocks everywhere" theory. Sounds trite, but geologists can't even agree on what "rock" means. You might as well ask them to define consciousness. Don't believe me? Ask a group of geologists "what is a rock?" and watch them descend into Lord of the Flies.

I assert that the ideal size of a "roundtable discussion" is no bigger than a poker game. An open forum isn't meaningfully possible with >10 people and a time constraint. Even when a room full of people is called "a roundtable," ~10 people do most of the talking and everyone else spectates.

Step up to #savescience! This week's minibus bill includes Congressional requests that undo the President's Office massive cuts to #science -- 1-4% reduction, not 50-55%, stops to reorgs, shuttered institutes and agencies. Call your representative and voice your support! #academicsky #NASA #NSF #EPA

Missed the official launch earlier today? The Roman Research Nexus is now live—a cloud-based environment to explore simulated Roman datasets, run notebooks, and prepare for Roman’s petabyte-scale data. 🔗 Get started: bit.ly/4aHn4P4 #RomanResearchNexus #Nexus #AAS247

Parents everywhere want to do everything possible to protect their kids and help them thrive. Secretary Kennedy just robbed us of one of the easiest ways to keep our kids safe, through routine science-based vaccine schedules. I'm angry about the kids that will suffer because of this cruel decision.

555 proposals so far for NASA PSD's new S^3 program that consolidates most planetary science research funding. I expect the third "spike" to be higher. (Procrastination FTW.) 800+ proposals would not surprise me. Program will fund <55, for a 7% success rate. Unsustainable is an understatement.

Cmte summary of NASA:

Planetary Research is now open for submissions!

I always go to sea as a sailor, because of the wholesome exercise and pure air of the fore-castle deck.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good. 🧵

I don't think it's a coincidence that there is a lot of overlap between people who name their companies after evil magical relics that eventually destroy their masters and people who think that "a computer can never be held accountable" is a business strategy rather than an existential warning.

He’s the devil, I say. The reason why you don’t see his tail, is because he tucks it up out of sight; he carries it coiled away in his pocket, I guess.

When Musk says he's going to build colonies on Mars, remember he also said, “I think we can [save] at least $2tn” by cutting gov't costs. He didn't know what he was talking about then. And about Mars, he doesn't now. tinyurl.com/73y7bdmv 🧪🔭📰

Happy new year! My all sky camera imaged the sky every 15 seconds and this picture shows what happened in the sky in 2025. It shows the length of the night and day with the hourglass shape, the monthly lunar cycle with the diagonal bands, the elevation of the Sun at local noon, and lots of clouds.

All Loose-Fish.

I went through all of my old Medium posts today & removed the paywall so they're free to read for anyone now! From nerding out over Mars to discussing the pyramid scheme of academia to what it's like being a queer+disabled scientist, check out the archives here: tanyaofmars.medium.com

If you are organizing a #PlanetaryScience meeting, there is no reason to pay for a service to manage abstract submissions, registrations, and program management. We are offering the use of our Indico server to the planetary science community for free. solarsystem.events

The whale fell directly over him, and probably killed him in a moment.

This drives me crazy. Launch costs have not come way down! (Even if they did, it wouldn't matter much for the total cost of non-constellation missions. But they have not.)

in 2023, Musk sent out frantic internal emails that SpaceX would go bankrupt if Starship wasn't deployed soon. Musk loves fake urgency but there's truth there too. Starlink unit economics only ever made sense by plugging in (fake + insane) assumptions re: Starship. The cash bonfire will be hilarious

The reason that SpaceX is going public and announcing nonsense about data centers in space: 1. The outside client launch manifest is flat and becoming more competitive 2. The total TAM for starlink was never going to justify the valuation 3. Growth for commerical/residential Starlink is shrinking

sin that pays its way can travel freely, and without a passport; whereas Virtue, if a pauper, is stopped at all frontiers

Just a reminder that Christian Tate's 3D models of Jezero Crater landscapes recreated with images captured by Mastcam-Z on Perseverance Rover exists on sketchfab

I wanted to be a particle physicist when I started undergrad because I'd gone on a field trip to Fermilab in high school and it looked like science looks in movies.

Official data is in today, and US solar continues to grow rapidly, with generation up 21% compared to last year!

Happy Volunteer Responsibility Amnesty Day! Maybe stop doing something!

I cannot state any more baldly or clearly than I already have about what an immense menace RFK Jr. is. The number of preventable illnesses and deaths - of *babies* - will be horrific. This anti-vax crap is grotesque anti-science, and always has been.