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Jason Spyromilio Ιάσων Σπυρομίλιος

@apolitosb.bsky.social

900 followers 320 following 1.2K posts

Astronomer, supernovae, spent time at Paranal in prehistoric times, currently ELT telescope scientist www.eso.org/~jspyromi Personal account. Speaking solely for myself

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Jason Spyromilio Ιάσων Σπυρομίλιος @apolitosb.bsky.social · Dec 7

#astronomy

If you teach or do emission line physics you might want to read this

arxiv.org/abs/2410.22539

Now published at PASP

iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1...

Forbidden lines are not quenched

There is no such thing as quenching of forbidden lines.

arxiv.org

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Jason Spyromilio Ιάσων Σπυρομίλιος @apolitosb.bsky.social · 8h

No. Just no. Please make it stop.

Reposted by Jason Spyromilio Ιάσων Σπυρομίλιος

Pauline Barmby @pbarmby.bsky.social · 8h

This is a terrible idea.

Dr Space Junk (Alice Gorman) @drspacejunk.bsky.social · 19h

Do we really want 250,000 mirrored satellites in Low Earth Orbit? Hasn't the Starlink megaconstellation already done enough damage?
🧪 @mjibrown.bsky.social

A US startup plans to deliver ‘sunlight on demand’ after dark. Can it work – and would we want it to?

Satellites beaming sunlight down to Earth sound like science fiction – and they have astronomers very worried.

theconversation.com

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Reposted by Jason Spyromilio Ιάσων Σπυρομίλιος

Marco Chitti @chittimarco.bsky.social · 14h

I'm wrapping up the case study of Bologna's 1970s - 1990s traffic plans, and I think that there are three main overarching policy takeaways:

- a strong initial vision, which is both simple and sophisticated;
- incrementalism, but with strong commitment over time.
- total pragmatism;

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Jason Spyromilio Ιάσων Σπυρομίλιος @apolitosb.bsky.social · 12h

Fat-head-lizard is a great name.

Jason Spyromilio Ιάσων Σπυρομίλιος @apolitosb.bsky.social · 12h

For anyone like me who didn’t know what a crinoid is en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crinoid

Crinoid - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Reposted by Jason Spyromilio Ιάσων Σπυρομίλιος

Robert Boessenecker, Dr. of Whaleontology ™️ @coastalpaleo.bsky.social · 14h

#fossilfriday I find early whale and dolphin teeth to be quite beautiful and unusual. This is a lower molar of an extinct, as-yet unnamed simocetid dolphin (?Olympicetus) from the early Oligocene Makah Formation of Washington, USA. Acid prepared; collected by Jim Goedert. 🦖🐬 #whaleontology

A well-preserved molar of an extinct dolphin with dark brown enamel and a tan root; the crown is triangular with several accessory cusps. The lingual side has several short vertical ridges. The mesial edge of the tooth is serrated.

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Reposted by Jason Spyromilio Ιάσων Σπυρομίλιος

Lauren MacIvor Thompson @lmacthompson1.bsky.social · 13h

I am writing this because it has swiftly become crystal clear to me that many people have no idea what is happening or how this works. Here is a thread for non-academics to put into context what just happened to Dr. Mark Bray, a fellow historian.

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Reposted by Jason Spyromilio Ιάσων Σπυρομίλιος

Robert Boessenecker, Dr. of Whaleontology ™️ @coastalpaleo.bsky.social · Jun 14

The only king I'll ever kneel to #nokings

also #whaleontology

A skull of Basilosaurus isis from Wadi Al Hitan, Valley of the Whales, in Egypt. The skull is large (~1.5 meters long) and has a robust, deep snout with a blowhole shifted back over the canine teeth; the eye socket and braincase are small, and the attachment area for the jaw muscles is humongous. The background is black. Basilosaurus translates to "king lizard" - initially misidentified as a marine reptile

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Reposted by Jason Spyromilio Ιάσων Σπυρομίλιος

John Hawks @johnhawks.net · 1d

Christos Sariannidis found an ancient skull in the cave at Petralona, Greece, in 1960, attached to the cave wall by speleothem. Recent work has established the skull is at least 286,000 years old. It is likely an early member or relative of the Neanderthal lineage. #inktoberLine

Line drawing of a skull with browridge and tall, large face, viewed from the front

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Reposted by Jason Spyromilio Ιάσων Σπυρομίλιος

TheColfaxxx 🐢 @thecolfax.bsky.social · 1d

In the Samaria Gorge on the island of Crete, Greece, lies a very deep cave with a continual cold spring waterfall. To reach it, you have to swim about 100 meters in 10 degree (C) water. I spent time thinking about hypothermia I was so cold. Nice payoff tho.

Pic of the day

#photography

Walls of the cave direct you to a small bright opening in which a cold mountain spring falls to bright turquoise water.

Along with Denali Mountain and Bryce Canyon, this is the most majestic place I’ve ever been.

My teeth rattling even as I could stand in only waist deep water kept me from fully enjoying it,, but no chance I was missing this just for some discomfort.

It seemed to get progressively colder tho so this is about as close as I got. In later days I’ll post a shot looking back thru the caves. The video I took is really the best indicator of the beauty here but I dunno if I can post that here or not. I may try in the comments later today.

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Reposted by Jason Spyromilio Ιάσων Σπυρομίλιος

Jonathan Healey @jonathanhealey.bsky.social · 19h

It was two OUP books.

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Reposted by Jason Spyromilio Ιάσων Σπυρομίλιος

David Fenton @dfenton.bsky.social · 19h

Charlie Kirk’s climate denial was bought and paid for.

Charlie Kirk was a fossil fuel industry plant

Big Oil's money gave Kirk a larger platform to spread baseless climate conspiracy theories—as well as other extremist views.

heated.world

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Reposted by Jason Spyromilio Ιάσων Σπυρομίλιος

Science Magazine @science.org · 16h

Two major publishers have begun to automatically reject the vast majority of papers based on public health data sets, following revelations that unscrupulous actors use these data sets to churn out nonsense scientific papers. https://scim.ag/4mX3DnR

Journals and publishers crack down on research from open health data sets

PLOS, Frontiers, and others announce policies trying to stem the tide of suspect research

scim.ag

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Reposted by Jason Spyromilio Ιάσων Σπυρομίλιος

Dan Sinykin @dan-sinnamon.bsky.social · 19h

And who is the author of this op-ed? The billionaire CEO of an asset management firm who helped author the compact.

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Jason Spyromilio Ιάσων Σπυρομίλιος @apolitosb.bsky.social · 22h

I’m greatly saddened.

Reposted by Jason Spyromilio Ιάσων Σπυρομίλιος

Costa Samaras @costasamaras.com · 1d

Picture how big the Hoover Dam is. An absolute unit. The Hoover Dam has a power capacity of 2 gigawatts (GW).

The solar farm that the Admin just cancelled could have produces 6.2 GW of power. That's more than 3 Hoover Dams.

jael holzman @jael.bsky.social · 1d

SCOOP: The Bureau of Land Management says the largest solar project in Nevada — the Esmeralda 7 mega-farm — has been canceled

The news was quietly dropped via a sudden website update with no public word from any of the companies involved or a statement from the agency

@heatmap.news

Esmeralda 7 Solar Project Has Been Canceled, BLM Says

It would have delivered a gargantuan 6.2 gigawatts of power.

heatmap.news

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Reposted by Jason Spyromilio Ιάσων Σπυρομίλιος

Costa Samaras @costasamaras.com · 1d

We're spending $20B to bail out Argentina, but they cut USAID down to the bone, causing deaths around the world. The entire budget of USAID, the whole agency, was $21B last year. Shameful.

The Washington Post @washingtonpost.com · 1d

The Trump administration confirmed that the U.S. bailed out Argentina.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said he had directly bought Argentine pesos in global currency markets in a bid to relieve pressure on the nation’s embattled President Javier Milei, a supporter of President Trump.

The U.S. just bailed out Argentina, Treasury Secretary confirms

The US Treasury has finalized a $20 billion financial rescue of Argentina, including a currency swap arrangement with the country's central bank.

www.washingtonpost.com

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Reposted by Jason Spyromilio Ιάσων Σπυρομίλιος

Chico Escuela @blaqdocdown.bsky.social · 1d

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Jason Spyromilio Ιάσων Σπυρομίλιος @apolitosb.bsky.social · 1d

www.newyorker.com/news/the-led...

Nixon Now Looks Restrained

The former President once made an offhand remark about Charles Manson’s guilt. The reaction shows how aberrant Donald Trump’s rhetoric is.

www.newyorker.com

Reposted by Jason Spyromilio Ιάσων Σπυρομίλιος

BBC Newsnight @bbcnewsnight.bsky.social · 1d

WATCH: Lord Heseltine pressed on Reform "equivalents to the fascists in the 30s" comments

#Newsnight

www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwvHPRQSGNI

Lord Heseltine pressed on Reform "equivalents to the fascists in the 30s" comments

YouTube video by BBC Newsnight

www.youtube.com

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Reposted by Jason Spyromilio Ιάσων Σπυρομίλιος

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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Reposted by Jason Spyromilio Ιάσων Σπυρομίλιος

Jennifer Lynn Bartlett @bartlettastro.bsky.social · 1d

#SciX serves all #Earthscience #planetaryscience #heliophysics and #astrophysics (for those who love #ADSabs)

Science Explorer (SciX) @scixcommunity.bsky.social · 1d

Our amazing #SciX Advisory Board brings together expertise from across the sciences. They ensure SciX meets the needs of every discipline, fostering transparency, usability, and collaboration at every step. Hear what SciX means to them. #OpenScience #ResearchIntegrity https://youtu.be/28UeYIVM90E

What Does SciX Mean To You?

YouTube video by Science Explorer (SciX)

youtu.be

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Jason Spyromilio Ιάσων Σπυρομίλιος @apolitosb.bsky.social · 1d

Occultations from JWST are observationally impressive. As the authors write “re-running the predictions was necessary due to the station keeping manoeuvers of the space telescope”

Reposted by Jason Spyromilio Ιάσων Σπυρομίλιος

IAU Office of Astronomy for Education @astro4edu.bsky.social · 1d

Kids love stories! What if they helped teach Astronomy? Elizandra Daneize Santos explored how children’s literature makes learning fun and meaningful at the Astronomy Education in Practice in Primary Schools 6th Shaw-IAU Workshop! 🔭 #astroedu

www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmul...

Children's Lit & Astronomy in Early School Years: E. D. Santos at the OAE’s 6th Shaw-IAU Workshop

YouTube video by IAU Office of Astronomy for Education

www.youtube.com

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Reposted by Jason Spyromilio Ιάσων Σπυρομίλιος

Emily Hunt @emily.space · 1d

🔭☄️

(this is terrible)

Laura Lopez @ohdearz.bsky.social · 2d

Ohio State astronomy is still waiting to see what happens with the federal funding landscape before deciding whether to proceed. With programs that are still TBD, I recommend waiting right now because *application fees do not get refunded if they decide to cancel after you have already paid*!!

Laura Lopez @ohdearz.bsky.social · 2d

So far the astronomy PhD programs that have cancelled admissions are Washington, Michigan State, and Case Western.

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