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James Davenport

@jradavenport.com

5.6K followers 320 following 2K posts

Coffee drinking, year-round-plaid wearing space dad. Astronomy professor in Seattle. Searching for ET, caring for humans. https://jradavenport.github.io

jradavenport.github.io

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James Davenport @jradavenport.com · Jan 22

I listen to @npr.org every day (s/o @kuow.org). Today I'm lucky & proud to be part of a piece talking about SETI and the amazing future of 🔭🧪🎧⭐ with @vrubinobs.bsky.social. Thank you to my friend Regina & the Short Wave team for having me on!

www.npr.org/2025/01/22/1...

Why some astronomers are excited about the search for alien life : Short Wave

Around the turn of the century, 3.8 million people banded together in a real-time search for aliens — with screensavers. It was a big moment in a century-long concerted search for extraterrestrial int...

www.npr.org

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James Davenport @jradavenport.com · 3h

Do they have any that look cool? The ones on Amazon look like up-cycled aquarium parts.

James Davenport @jradavenport.com · 3h

Why has inhaler technology not improved since I was a kid?! How come all the people who bullied me now have lightsaber vapes, and I just got the same Wheeze and Squeeze I had in be 80’s?!

a man wearing glasses is sitting on a couch in front of a bookshelf that says trendizisst on it

ALT: a man wearing glasses is sitting on a couch in front of a bookshelf that says trendizisst on it

media.tenor.com

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James Davenport @jradavenport.com · 7h

Had to get an inhaler today. They said side effects include anxiety. Sir, I’m 41 and getting an inhaler Rx, again, I already HAVE anxiety

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Reposted by James Davenport

Grimdoot @grimdoot.bsky.social · 12h

"DoorDash fascists" is gonna stick with me, I think.

James Davenport @jradavenport.com · 13h

I swear to god these are DoorDash fascists. Showing up late, in their own crappy car, no idea what they're doing. Did they get the wrong house? Too bad, you can contact AI support in some app probably.

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James Davenport @jradavenport.com · 11h

*grant funded rugs

James Davenport @jradavenport.com · 11h

PhD education for US Astronomy is not in a good place, considering most of our students are funded by federal Fellowships or Grants. But also *some* universities/colleges are broke for entirely other reasons and can no longer sweep it under grand funded rugs

mynorthwest.com/local/uw-col...

UW College of Arts and Sciences Faces Immediate 5% Cuts

The UW mandates immediate budget cuts in the College of Arts and Sciences, potentially impacting future academic programs and resources.

mynorthwest.com

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Reposted by James Davenport

Sarah Tuttle @niais.bsky.social · 14h

Are you someone who is interested in astronomy graduate school? This is a list of many/most departments and their expectations for admissions this year. Please feel free to spread it far and wide. If you are doing admissions and you'd like to update your entry, reach out as per the form!

US Astronomy Graduate Admissions, AY 2025-2026

docs.google.com

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James Davenport @jradavenport.com · 13h

My current conspiracy theory... I see these videos of men in Walmart balaclavas, driving 2019 Kia Sorentos, trying to arrest people picking up their kids from soccer and... I'm 100% wiling to believe they're not ICE/DHS

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Reposted by James Davenport

Derek Fox @partialobserver.bsky.social · 18h

For those who haven’t heard the news about Lowell Observatory, a storied institution in financial straits, restructuring and eliminating tenure - 🔭 🧪

Dr. Gerard van Belle @fringedoctor.bsky.social · 1d

Brief life update: On Monday I resigned from my appointment at Lowell Observatory. I wish my remaining friends and colleagues the best of luckin their endeavors in increasing new visitor center visitation, and continuing to pursue world-class research in the face of having ended tenure today.

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James Davenport @jradavenport.com · 1d

My kids came home saying “6 7” today, and I’m so happy for them. We used to say pointless shit constantly, I still do, and it’s nice to belong to the moment you’re in. #thekidsarealright

Reposted by James Davenport

Katie Mack @astrokatie.com · 7d

I think for me the most compelling answer for "why fund basic research?" (and the one most relevant to the people doing the work) is that humans are curious and finding stuff out makes us happy and fulfilled. Science is a thing humans like. Life would be more dull and sad if we didn't do it.

end/🧵

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James Davenport @jradavenport.com · 1d

Inflatable frogs costumes are under $60 online right now, with delivery by next week… just in time for the next wave of fascist propaganda. Order yours soon!

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Reposted by James Davenport

Adam Serwer @adamserwer.bsky.social · 1d

www.wweek.com/culture/2025...

Can you put into words what that purpose is? You and the frog have really become icons of this protest.

There’s been a nice overall whimsy that has shown up. The frog is amazing. We had a bunch of other inflatable people here last night, too. I saw people playing Twister the other day.

What they rely on is fear. So by coming out in an absurdist manner, it speaks to them, to some extent, that we’re actually not that afraid.

It also dismantles their narrative a little bit. When they try to describe this situation as “war-torn,” it becomes much harder to take them seriously when they have to post a video saying [U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security] Kristi Noem is up on the balcony staring over the Antifa Army and it’s, like, eight journalists and five protesters and one of them is in a chicken suit.

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James Davenport @jradavenport.com · 1d

They always had a soft money portion of their operations for folks, but it reads to me like now not giving people stability if they can’t bring in $$$$.

James Davenport @jradavenport.com · 1d

It often takes us two months to review applications, sometimes more. It doesn’t hurt to just inquire about the timeline once, as others have noted, but don’t be surprised if things are moving slow.

James Davenport @jradavenport.com · 1d

The All-American halftime show, to protest a halftime show headlined by an American citizen? These people are the stupidest kind of assholes

The Washington Post @washingtonpost.com · 1d

Turning Point USA announced it will host counterprogramming to the Super Bowl halftime show, called “The All American Halftime Show,” as MAGA critics have been enraged over the selection of Bad Bunny as the 2026 headliner.

MAGA rage over Bad Bunny at Super Bowl sparks an alternative show

Counterprogramming hosted by the group that Charlie Kirk founded spotlights the growing political polarization surrounding one of the biggest events of the year.

www.washingtonpost.com

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James Davenport @jradavenport.com · 1d

I know I look like the kind of guy who would talk endlessly about the craftsmanship in American "heritage" work boots and The Wire... but I actually didn't like The Wire. Still a 10/10 rec from me.

Now let me tell you about my Iron Rangers...

Juno Rylee Schultz @junoryleejournalism.com · 2d

David Simon, creator of ‘The Wire’, being interviewed by Ari Shapiro (NPR)

SHAPIRO: OK, so you've spent your career creating television without Al, and I could imagine today you thinking, boy, I wish I had had that tool to solve those thorny problems...
SIMON: What?
SHAPIRO: ...Or saying...
SIMON: You imagine that?
SHAPIRO: ...Boy, if that had existed, it would have screwed me over.
SIMON: I don't think Al can remotely challenge what writers do at a fundamentally creative level.
SHAPIRO: But if you're trying to transition from scene five to scene six, and you're stuck with that transition, you could imagine plugging that portion of the script into an Al and say, give me 10 ideas for how to transition this.
SIMON: I'd rather put a gun in my mouth.

James Davenport @jradavenport.com · 1d

Gov't takes sensible stance for horrific reasons... I hate this timeline

Justin Baragona @justinbaragona.bsky.social · 1d

Besides linking Tylenol in pregnant women to autism, RFK Jr. now says circumcision is part of the reason why kids are autistic.

"Children who are circumcised early have double the rate of autism, and it's highly likely because they're given Tylenol. None of this is positive..."

Reposted by James Davenport

Juno Rylee Schultz @junoryleejournalism.com · 2d

David Simon, creator of ‘The Wire’, being interviewed by Ari Shapiro (NPR)

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James Davenport @jradavenport.com · 1d

Glad to see an amazing astronomer on the list of MacArthur awards this year - congrats to Kareem El-Badry! 🔭
www.macfound.org/fellows/clas...

Kareem El-Badry

Expanding our knowledge of binary star systems, black holes, and other wonders of the universe.

www.macfound.org

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James Davenport @jradavenport.com · 1d

Have not heard that UW Physics is canceling, for example

Reposted by James Davenport

Kai Ryssdal @kairyssdal.bsky.social · 2d

This is the lesson of 2025

Quinta Jurecic @qjurecic.bsky.social · 2d

he's going to come after you either way, so you might as well act with integrity

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James Davenport @jradavenport.com · 2d

I think that’s a lot of what we do here on Bsky. I don’t think a lot of the doom scrolling is really fighting back, but at least we aren’t actively ignoring the reality

James Davenport @jradavenport.com · 2d

On a call this AM, folks discussing the attacks on academia and non profits. Someone said “there’s nothing we can do to stop them coming for us, so we shouldn’t waste time discussing it in this group”, and I fundamentally disagree. We can acknowledge it, witness it, reassure eachother

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