2026 basically

I just learned that one of my niblings read a romance book series that, despite having teenage main characters, is definitely meant for an 18+ audience. (Apparently the series all over booktok.) My sister is freaking out, and I’m struggling to breathe from laughter.

Antibiotics are one of the greatest discoveries of the modern medical age (along with vaccines)

Historian of medicine here. Yes. Yes, they did.

“Removing the books, rather it denies them access to materials that promote empathy and serve as a guide for their own lives during challenging and confusing times.”

#ITeachPhysics another relative velocity video for you

Tonight’s dumb napkin cartoon…

Someone has sure already made this observation but the fact they can convert all those empty warehouses into prison camps means they could have converted them into housing, community centers, job training centers or, hell, libraries or schools all along. It’s always a matter of will not resources.

I’d like to report a murder. www.independent.co.uk/arts-enterta...

You can't... repeal... a scientific finding. At that point it's just called lying about it.

Hey folks @gopicup.bsky.social is hosting a webinar on Agentic AI in physics classrooms. Also our summer camp for physics educators is open again!

The word ‘stan’ comes from the Eminem song "Stan," which is about one of his obsessed fans. What if Eminem named the fan ‘Dennis’?  We could be saying, “I dennis Beyonce.”

Dinosaurs And Non-Dinosaurs xkcd.com/3204/

Received word today that my promotion to Teaching Professor (full) has been approved, effective in July 🥳

there's so much disrespect of romance writers and romance readers baked into the idea that AI-driven production of novels is 'better'. as if writing romance isn't skillful, hard and joyous work. as if romance readers aren't discerning, loyal and savvy.

Green Day has been singing American Idiot for a year or more explicitly as criticism of MAGA. Everyone who knows Green Day knows that was the point of singing it here. It was *political*.

Some Olympic athletes commonsensically and even eloquently distinguish love of country from approval of Trump administration actions that are a blight upon the country. Trump and MAGA squeal and whine. Bullies are the most fragile snowflakes.

I agree, owls are really great. Which one is your favourite? #SuperbOwl 🦉🐡

Or worse, grad school 🫠 (I was this student and so are a lot of people who self select into academia)

There, there…

Binary Star xkcd.com/3203/

My weekly update on NIH funding. This is for all projects. The breakdown for competing and non-competing awards will follow. 1/4

The orcas have discovered fire.

Epstein’s economic power among academics was made possible by a capitalist system that makes higher education dependent on the charity economy rather than a public good supported by taxing the rich

Elite impunity has long been the problem, and the US political system won’t stabilize until it’s handled. Trump even channeled populist rage at it for his own gain

If you're an adult who was vaccinated, you should get your titers run to make sure you still have immunity. Vaccination can wane and/or you may not have generated a strong immune response. That was ok when we had herd immunity but we're likely about to lose our "measles free" status.

For those who believe that a Democratic majority in Congress will be somehow inconsequential, look at what is happening right now without those majorities. Now picture that same movement backed by hearings, investigations, and legislation. Organize. Donate. Register. Vote.

notice how after ilhan omar was attacked by a maga true believer parroting donald trump, the mainstream media didnt kick off a multi-day orgy about how trump and other republicans need to change their tone and "lower the temperature"? that discourse only goes one way for the msm.

1. The thing about science that these jokers don't understand is that science cannot be vibe-coded. Whatever its flaws, the point with vibe coding is that you're trying to quickly make something that sorta works, where you can immediately sorta see if it sorta works and then sorta use it.

An appropriate reaction to the federal government attacking a WHOLE STATE -- murdering, disappearing, brutalizing, kidnapping our neighbors isn't to just haggle over the funding for one agency. It's to stop all business as usual until this ends.

“Get it all on record now — get the films — get the witnesses — because somewhere down the road of history some bastard will get up and say that this never happened.” Dwight D. Eisenhower, after visiting liberated concentration camps in April 1945

The majority of organizing happening in Minnesota isn’t just peaceful, it’s INVISIBLE. Moms showing up who won’t be interviewed on TV, people whose ICE patrols don’t turn into viral video. The grocery runs, the donations, the people filming bc they happen to be there. Please remember this.

AOC: "An ICE officer had violently pushed a woman to the ground and he had come over to help get her up and that is what precipitated this incident that very quickly led to an execution in the streets. What we are seeing here is a momentous pivotal moment for the United States."

I don’t want to hear anything from an elected official unless it’s a plan to defund the DHS and impeach Noem, Bovino, etc. No texts. No emails. No talk about the economy. Step up or step off.

The work being done by these observers of ICE to document, illuminate, and share what is being done in Minneapolis, in below freezing temperatures, given all that has transpired is so remarkably courageous. They are being killed for that courage, as ICE further reveals their cruelty and cowardice.

Nonviolence is, in fact, working. This administration is weaker than it was a year ago. More and more of the public is becoming galvanized against it; its agents are being impeded.

My group chats are full of Minnesotans reacting to today’s murder by figuring out ways they can help. We need people outside of the state to do the same thing. Whatever you wish everyone else was doing right now? Do it today. Let’s make a list of things that could help.

One thing that irks me: people keep calling the folks on the streets in Minneapolis protestors. They are not generally there to protest, they are there to observe and document. This is the product of organizing and mutual aid. It is telling that these acts of citizenship are seen as protest!

This is what love looks like.

On the plus side, I was planning on holing up at home this weekend anyway… hoping the fact that I got the shot means this isn’t too painful

When Mr. Rogers said “look for the helpers” he meant also in ourselves

The report offers a surfeit of evidence to suggest that students who use generative AI are already seeing declines in content knowledge, critical thinking and even creativity. And this could have enormous consequences if these young people grow into adults without learning to think critically. 🍎🎢

If your Sunday Scaries feel just a little stronger than usual, fear not. Scientists have proven there's no way around it... from PHYSICS FOR CATS by Tom Gauld

I’m in PT for knee issues, and today my therapist gave me a new exercise he called a ‘silly walk.’ I am devastated to report that he did not get the follow up quip I made about John Cleese.

To paraphrase Margaret Atwood…”men are afraid that women will laugh at them, women are afraid that men will kill them”

The creators of these apps make choices. Grok was created with the production of deep-fake abuse imagery as an option and that was a choice. The fact that the app is still producing these images, for free, with no restrictions, for anyone who wants them, is also an ongoing choice by its creators.

Good morning. I'd like to invite anyone who is interested to make a small gesture of kindness today. It's up to you to decide what that can be. The key is for you to act on the idea. With so much out of our control, we can choose how to be with each other today and every day.