Can dirt-cheap thermal energy storage be used to repower turbo generators from decommissioned coal-fired power plants? Initial analysis suggests it could be economically viable to store thermal energy in dirt. @aliciawongel.bsky.social findingspress.org/article/1413...

Dirt-cheap energy storage! Thermal energy storage in unconsolidated rocky material – literally the dirt under our feet – comes at low energy capacity costs as it takes advantage of locally available material. Read the full article here: findingspress.org/article/1413...

“It is up to all of us to fix this.”

“In Finland, the number of homeless people has fallen sharply. Those affected receive a small apartment & counselling with no preconditions. 4 out of 5 people affected make their way back into a stable life. And all this is CHEAPER than accepting homelessness.” It costs a lot less to house people.

You’ve seen this movie before: Maybe Reagan guessed, Bush hoped, and Trump tried—but tax cuts never paid for themselves. Given the mountain of evidence, claiming once again that "tax cuts will pay for themselves" is no longer ideologically motivated optimism. It's a lie.

The only regime change we’re interested in is one in America.

AOC: “It is absolutely and clearly grounds for impeachment.”

One of the biggest problems with the world is that fools are always so sure and certain about everything and intelligent people are so full of doubts and uncertainties.

No Kings Day was one of the largest days of protest in US history. From deep red small towns to our largest cities, millions of people turned out to make it clear that the American people will not bow to fascism. #NoKings

Based on crowd-sourced records of No Kings Day event turnout, and extrapolating for the cities where we don't have data yet, it looks like roughly 4-6 million people protested Trump across the U.S. yesterday. That's nearly 2% of the U.S. pop! Mobilized anti-Trump resistance is exceeding 2017 levels

No kings protest tomorrow in San Francisco and all over the country! @50501movement.bsky.social @indivisible.org www.nokings.org

Trump’s attempt to chill dissent with militarized escalation isn’t working: “What it’s done is drive so many new people to the No Kings website looking for a way to show up peacefully against this autocratic overreach.” - @ezralevin.bsky.social Join us on Saturday: www.nokings.org?SQF_SOURCE=i...

We will not cower, even in the face of Trump’s militarized escalation. On Saturday, we are going to rise up all across the country in defiance of this administration’s authoritarian agenda. Join the nationwide peaceful protests for No Kings Day: www.nokings.org?SQF_SOURCE=i...

To the world: we’re sorry for their actions. They’re targeting us too. Americans rushed to help both reporters because the resistance is full of compassion. An attack on the free press is an attack on democracy itself.

This is the only way to get unbiased advice, obviously.

I am in downtown Los Angeles right now and it is completely surreal to hear that Trump is sending Marines here. We are listening to mariachi music. People have dogs. There are teenagers here. It is utterly and completely peaceful. Please tell your friends.

NO KINGS San Francisco Gather at Dolores Park at 11:30 AM, and March at 12 noon to Civic Center Plaza via Market St. www.mobilize.us/nokings/even...

No Kings Day in the San Francisco Bay Area Join us in Dolores Park at 11:30 AM. We’ll march starting at noon sharp to Civic Center Plaza, where we’ll have a brief rally. indivisiblesf.org/events/2025/...

PhD Timeline xkcd.com/3081

The President just said that he has already negotiated 200 separate trade deals, and frankly, it would be unpatriotic to question his truth. I've got a theory that explains his extraordinary vitality and productivity. 🐧 🐧 🐧

Why were UK Conservatives able to standup to Boris Johnson, while Republicans refuse to even stifle the excesses of Trump? Jon and @rory-stewart.bsky.social discuss Trump’s Thunderdome grip on the GOP.

“Cowardice is contagious — so is courage.” “That’s what we’ve been seeing month after month... Starting with some people demonstrating courage, and then other people looking around and saying I can do that, too. It’s in my power. I’m not just a victim of world events.” - @ezralevin.bsky.social

I feel like I could say this every week...but what a week this has been. Next in the line of attacks on science is NSF, which announced it will terminate grants that have already been awarded. www.science.org/content/arti...

The public record is often written by those in power, but we can write our own. Let’s take ownership of our history. Let’s make sure our protests are counted. Let’s commit to documenting each action like it matters because it does. We count. Our protests count. Let’s make sure the world knows it.

The post- World War II US investment in R&D is one of the greatest economic and national security engines in history. As I said to @revkin.bsky.social a decade ago, “the budget is policy”. We should expand R&D, not shrink it. Broaden participation not restrict it. archive.nytimes.com/dotearth.blo...

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth shared detailed information about strikes in Yemen to a second unclassified Signal group chat that included his wife and brother, people familiar with the matter said. nyti.ms/4jBQ1wV

Save the date! May 1st (a Thursday) is a National Day of Action in solidarity with laborers. Many cities will have events on May 3rd for those who are unable to take a day off on May 1st, and we'll be sure to provide plenty of ways to participate from home.

In 1939, Roosevelt said: "Dictatorship, however, involves costs which the American people will never pay: [...] The cost of the blessed right of being able to say what we please." www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/an... And yet here we are. Use your voice to speak up... while you still can!

Stanford speaks out in support of Harvard: "America’s universities are a source of great national strength, creating knowledge and driving innovation and economic growth. This strength has been built on government investment but not government control." news.stanford.edu/stories/2025...

All this because they didn’t have a hotel pre-booked when they arrived. Insane.

I wrote about #50501, the new kids on the protest block. The group's baby steps are those of a giant.

The Trump Admin is trying to disappear almost 200 more people to El Salvador. This is a violation of due process. If we let Trump get away with disappearing immigrants under the Alien Enemies Act, there is nothing stopping him from disappearing U.S. citizens next. (1/2)

This is unbelievable! A massive middle finger to the Supreme Court. And yes, this is real. x.com/WhiteHouse/s...

(3/3)

Some good news: Major nations agree on first-ever global fee on greenhouse gases with plan that targets shipping "The agreement, reached with the United States notably absent, takes effect in 2027." apnews.com/article/ship...

MAGA: we will break any law, any institution, any civil liberties in order to stop antisemitism Also MAGA: we will ban books about the Holocaust unless they are pro-Holocaust

BREAKING: An immigration court determined our client Mahmoud Khalil to be removable from the U.S. based solely on his political speech. The fight isn't over — we'll keep fighting for Mahmoud's freedom and all of our First Amendment rights in federal court.

Ready to hit the streets again? This/every weekend: @teslatakedown.com 4/17: Day of Action for Higher Ed; Communities Not Cages Day of Action 4/19: @50501movement.bsky.social is back! 4/23: Earth Day at the national parks with @resistancerangers.bsky.social 4/26: official rollout for #SunDay

This is really bad. All alarms should be blaring!

The lesson here is clear. There isn’t such a thing as compromising a little bit on your core values. It’s an all or nothing kind of thing. All universities need to take note and organize a response that’s not giving in to the authoritarian impulses of the administration.

Trade deficits: How do they work? (Seriously.)

U.S. citizen interested in grad studies at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver (Canada)? Grad programs are re-opening applications of US programs for one week. With expedited decisions. U.S. Applicant Week: www.grad.ubc.ca/us-applicant... #AcademicChatter #Canada #GradSchool

#Handsoff protest in San Francisco today 🙌🏻

NEW: The Trump administration swiftly cancelled dozens of international student visas Friday at Stanford and University of California campuses, including UCLA, UC Berkeley and UC San Diego. One UC San Diego student was taken into custody at the border for deportation: www.latimes.com/california/s...

We’re building a #PeoplesMovement. Today, over 3 million people across the country stood up to say HANDS OFF our democracy. 
And history shows that when just 3.5% of the population engages in sustained, peaceful resistance—transformative change is inevitable. #50501movement #HandsOff #April5

Demonstration at Civic Center Plaza in San Francisco this afternoon. In defense of the rule of law, democracy, health care, scientific research, Social Security, caring about people, etc.

ChatGPT ass presidency

If you impose tariffs, and they retaliate, all you've achieved is isolating your people from the rest of the global economy.