Phil PlAIt

Pinned post: Wanna know where all my stuff is? about.me/philplait My book Under Alien Skies: underalienskies.com My newsletter (Monday issues are free!): badastronomy.beehiiv.com My fave post here on BlueSky: bsky.app/profile/phil...

it feels truly insane that it’s not

perfect, no notes

One of the oddest parts of Reflect Orbtial’s schtick is its claim of “substantive discussions” with scientists and astronomers. Basically zero evidence of this or it having an impact thus far.

This was an amazing episode. I may watch it tonight just because.

Hey everyone - Fark’s running an October subscription drive. We’re a bit short of our goal and could use a boost. fark.com/subscribe If you sign up for TotalFark this week you’ll get a special SOON badge. When “It Happens” the “SOON” badge will change to “It Happened!” Here are the two badges:

Oh man. Ad astra.

It's Monday and fascism is falling around the world so have you voted early yet?

Voting early is a good idea for a LOT of reasons.

Also, if you’d like to gift someone a postcard from Antarctica: click the Gift Now button at the bottom:

Any day you meet a goat is a good day

She's right! HAHAHAHAHAHA! "right".

Trying to raise the $550 it’s cost me so far to rescue a new dog. Adoption fee, and vet fees. She has giardia so med fee for that. ANYWAY, maybe you’d like to buy a mug today since the Mr is getting grumpy at me. 🤷‍♀️ 🐾 more in my shop surly.etsy.com

It’s enraging that Ilhan Omar is being put through this, but she deserves so much credit for punching back. She’s doing her best to make it COST Trump and co for their persecution and lies. “Pedophile protection party,” hell yes. Calling out DOJ corruption, same. If they want a fight, hit ‘em hard.

How is this comfortable?

Sure, appoint a crackpot antivaxxer to head up all of US health. What's the worst that can happen?

Convection conviction

DON'T FEAR THE PHOBOS (🎶 come on, baby 🎵) www.scientificamerican.com/article/japa... 🔭 🧪

“We’ve established that the observatory is fully functional,” said Julie McEnery, #NASARoman senior project scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. “The telescope can guide and take exposures, data flows appropriately, and we can slew from one place to another for observations.” 🔭

The only thing that prevents me from screaming endlessly into the void is that this was translated from Japanese, so I'm willing to give them the benefit. Instead, I will simply just be wryly amused.

a message from the future

Astronomers have detected weather - clouds coming and going - on a free-floating rogue planet very near us in space! badastronomy.beehiiv.com/p/watching-t... 🔭 🧪

<subject to Peer Gynt review>

In "War of the Worlds", HG Wells equipped the Martians with heat rays to show their callous disregard for humanity

Spectacular! 🧵

People get all hot and bothered about "defund the police" but it's not like they don't have a way of getting a second income

hey @anthropic.com where's my fucking money

*goes to update lecture notes* (Seriously this is WILD.)

I really like this podcast, and this particular episode with @goastromo.bsky.social was really fun and interesting!

So, in better news, astronomers discovered a new comet in Euclid data, a first for the ESA astrophysics space observatory! It's a cool one, too. badastronomy.beehiiv.com/p/euclid-spi... 🔭 🧪

As Jesus clearly said, "Care not about your neighbor, nor feel his pain as your own, nor his suffering, but instead gather ye your coins and blessings and put your foot to his throat and not your hand to his outstretched arm."

wow

Sometimes — EXTREMELY rarely, but *sometimes* — I'm wrong about something. So, mea culpa: yup. There's at least ONE green star. www.scientificamerican.com/article/gree... 🧪 🔭

Yip yip yip

Ah, hahahahaha! Nice.

Maybe we should rename the Epstein Files the America Files

Quite the fungal menagerie on this stump in my yard

Incredible. The Wall Street Journal doesn't credit independent jornalist @marisakabas.bsky.social for breaking this story. Except it's not so incredible since this happens all the time. Follow her and subscribe to her newsletter, The Handbasket!

Congrats to the Martian Moons eXplorer team on a successful launch!

Given this is ICE and White House, I have zero doubts these charges are bullshit, and done specifically to terrorize potential blue voters. Still: Make sure you are registered to vote, and if you can, vote early. And be careful! We no longer live in a free democracy.