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Tod Lauer

@todlauer.bsky.social

1.9K followers 130 following 1.2K posts

Extragalactic observer (black holes, galaxies, galaxy clusters, stellar pops) that also dabbles in planetary astronomy. Really, basically a pixel pusher.

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Tod Lauer @todlauer.bsky.social · 37m

This is where I have to get out my British/American translation guide. I would understand “a tad miffed” to be “f’ing pissed.”

Tod Lauer @todlauer.bsky.social · 1h

Jeez! They’re like a pack of thieves!

Tod Lauer @todlauer.bsky.social · 1h

Fave memory was watching my oldest turn teen and kinda forget how to properly drive her body around - and she was always so coordinated. But after a bit that was that and a decade plus later she’s a black belt in judo.

Tod Lauer @todlauer.bsky.social · 14h

You made my day! Very glad to hear that things like that still happen with kids ;)

Tod Lauer @todlauer.bsky.social · 1d

You might appreciate how easy going Avi is when interacting with fellow scientists, such as Jill Tarter who's entire career has been dedicated to looking for sign of extra-terrestrial intelligence: www.youtube.com/watch?v=InBq...

Avi Loeb fires back at SETI expert J. Tarter ( UFO skeptic)

YouTube video by Phobos Project

www.youtube.com

Tod Lauer @todlauer.bsky.social · 1d

So this is great. We've got a guy at HHS just making up stuff. What more would you need to look after the health of 350 million US citizens?

Tod Lauer @todlauer.bsky.social · 2d

That would be interesting.

Tod Lauer @todlauer.bsky.social · 2d

The only amendment that means anything is the 2nd. The SC is about to declare that the 14 amendment is in fact unconstitutional.

Tod Lauer @todlauer.bsky.social · 2d

Oh yes - this has occurred to me. "I say it was done by Professor McGaugh with the DESI spectrograph in the 4m."

Tod Lauer @todlauer.bsky.social · 3d

I loved this game as a kid - always thought it would be fun to do with a bunch of drunk astronomers.

Tod Lauer @todlauer.bsky.social · 4d

My particular irritation is that the media reaches for an ancient and lazy trope. Brilliant scientist with incredible insight suffers the disdain of his stultified mediocre colleagues. The story writes itself and makes great copy - especially now when "common sense" beats scientific insight.

Tod Lauer @todlauer.bsky.social · 4d

I think it's a complete lack of feedback. We all need our colleagues to help us set norms and yank us back when we start to drift away. He believes in his intellect over all others, which is deadly with a strong lack of self awareness. The result is that he's essentially decoupled from his peers.

Tod Lauer @todlauer.bsky.social · 4d

Not sure that the PP even applies here. No one promoted AL into a position of authority over how planetary scientists conduct their research. He simply has a loud voice and knowledge of how to get attention to it.

Tod Lauer @todlauer.bsky.social · 4d

You may know that in the spirit of the times his name has come up for both NASA and the NSF.

Tod Lauer @todlauer.bsky.social · 4d

Avi is doing real damage. It's one thing to have an ego. It's another thing when its expression is done through denigration and diminishment of one's fellow scientists. It is 180 degrees around from how skilled and gifted leaders bring people together successfully for common cause.

Tod Lauer @todlauer.bsky.social · 4d

It's a nice touch, don't you think?

Tod Lauer @todlauer.bsky.social · 4d

The effort put into understanding 3I/Atlas has been spectacular, imaginative, professional and well-organized. Planetary scientists don't need Avi Loeb put in charge of an international directorate to tell them how to do their jobs.

Tod Lauer @todlauer.bsky.social · 4d

This is an incredibly brilliant idea. We need to set up a UN body in charge of all work and resources for the study of interstellar objects. After all, planetary science is too important to trust to the planetary scientists. But who would direct it?

arxiv.org/pdf/2510.01405

Avi Loeb nominates himself to lead the world's study of interstellar objects.

Tod Lauer @todlauer.bsky.social · 4d

The nastiest part of Avi's take is the ever present presumption that the planetary scientists engaged in the problems of interstellar objects have zero idea of how to do their own work.

Tod Lauer @todlauer.bsky.social · 4d

I first met Avi when we were both postdocs in the 80s. I really don't know what has happened to him, but he's moved from an annoying eccentric to doing real damage. Positioning himself as the reincarnation of Galileo - where does one even start with that?

Tod Lauer @todlauer.bsky.social · 7d

Nothing to see here:
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/03/b...

Treasury Plans to Mint $1 Commemorative Trump Coin

www.nytimes.com

Tod Lauer @todlauer.bsky.social · 7d

There's that...

Tod Lauer @todlauer.bsky.social · 8d

Spectacular image of a rich cluster of galaxies lensing the galaxies and other goodies beyond it. This is from the HST Vast Exploration for Nascent, Unexplored Sources (VENUS) program.

Melina Thévenot🏳️‍⚧️ @melina-iras07572.bsky.social · 8d

#Galaxy cluster ACO S 1121 (SPTJ2325-41) with #JWST NIRCam.

Filters: F277W, F356W, F444W

program: www.stsci.edu/jwst-program...

Galaxy cluster with lots of blue galaxies, lensing mostly brown background galaxies into arcs around the cluster.

Tod Lauer @todlauer.bsky.social · 12d

Not precisely true. It was the pleasure of working out the spinning plate that got Feynman out of his funk, coming out of Manhattan and the death of his wife. From there he got the drive to take on QED.

Tod Lauer @todlauer.bsky.social · 12d

Gawd yes! Ideas are cheap. Knowing how far to go into any one of them to figure out if they're worth something is the trick.