Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Amir Caspi, Ph.D.

Laura Lopez @ohdearz.bsky.social · 28d

NSF Astronomy & Astrophysics Postdoc Fellowship apps are OPEN! 🔭 However, app only appears on research.gov if your role "Proposed Postdoctoral Fellow"! Click "Proposals", "Prepare and Submit Proposals", then "Prepare New". If you do not see NSF 22-621, change role to "Proposed Postdoctoral Fellow"!

Screenshot of research.gov after logging in, showing link for "Prepare and Submit Proposals" on the left in a red oval.

Screenshot of "Prepare New Full Proposal" on research.gov, with "add a new role" and "NSF 22-621" circled in red. In order to see the listing of the NSF Astronomy and Astrophysics Postdoctoral Fellowship, one must change role to "Proposed Postdoctoral Fellow"!

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Amir Caspi, Ph.D. @astronamir.bsky.social · Aug 21

An amazing story by my friend & colleague, @dbseaton.bsky.social, highlights the personal, professional, & societal value of NSF’s REU undergrad research program, & the irreplaceable losses if planned funding cuts are enacted. A must-read.

🔭⚛️🧪☀️ #scicomm #citsci

www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Small, affordable undergraduate research programmes changed my career and strengthen US science. Why cut them?

Like so much else, this small scientific programme is on the Trump administration’s hit list. This will hurt the United States, says Dan Seaton.

www.nature.com

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Amir Caspi, Ph.D. @astronamir.bsky.social · Aug 19

@philplait.bsky.social looks like you’re a clue in today’s @sciam.bsky.social crossword! www.scientificamerican.com/game/science...

Science Crossword: A Trip Down Memory Lane

Play this crossword inspired by the July 2025 issue of Scientific American.

www.scientificamerican.com

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Amir Caspi, Ph.D. @astronamir.bsky.social · May 11

My daughter just described light as “flavored energy.”

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Reposted by Amir Caspi, Ph.D.

Amir Caspi, Ph.D. @astronamir.bsky.social · Apr 17

The documentary about our Citizen CATE 2024 project, that engaged with 36 teams of community volunteers to observe the 8 April 2024 total solar eclipse, premieres next week, April 23 at 7pm MDT. Register to attend in person or online! 🧪🔭⚛️☀️ #CitSci

news.ucar.edu/133016/scree...

Screening of 2024 eclipse documentary Gathered in Darkness | NCAR & UCAR News

news.ucar.edu

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Amir Caspi, Ph.D. @astronamir.bsky.social · Apr 17

The documentary about our Citizen CATE 2024 project, that engaged with 36 teams of community volunteers to observe the 8 April 2024 total solar eclipse, premieres next week, April 23 at 7pm MDT. Register to attend in person or online! 🧪🔭⚛️☀️ #CitSci

news.ucar.edu/133016/scree...

Screening of 2024 eclipse documentary Gathered in Darkness | NCAR & UCAR News

news.ucar.edu

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Amir Caspi, Ph.D. @astronamir.bsky.social · Feb 8

All of my earworms are now just repetitive “fuck” set to music. Currently Beethoven’s 5th (fuckth?)

Amir Caspi, Ph.D. @astronamir.bsky.social · Jan 23

Where is said library? And how can I get a kitten cafe in my library? Need kittenz!!

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Amir Caspi, Ph.D. @astronamir.bsky.social · Jan 10

If there’s room, I’m a space-n-pets kinda guy…

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Amir Caspi, Ph.D. @astronamir.bsky.social · Jan 4

So sorry to hear it… wishing you the best of luck in your next adventure!

Amir Caspi, Ph.D. @astronamir.bsky.social · Dec 15

I bought 43 (for the Citizen CATE 2024 project) but none of them from those companies… and in an uncovered state. Phew! (Or Dang, depending on your level of cynicism.)

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Reposted by Amir Caspi, Ph.D.

Amir Caspi, Ph.D. @astronamir.bsky.social · Dec 12

Our community-participation project for the total solar eclipse, Citizen CATE 2024, was featured on #AGU24 TV! We’re so grateful to our 225+ community scientists who helped us on this exciting project. We’re processing over 2 TB of data and will have new eclipse visuals soon! 🧪🔭⚛️☀️ #CitSci

WebsEdge Science @websedgescience.bsky.social · Dec 12

A groundbreaking initiative, Citizen CATE 2024 united communities across the US to study the solar corona during the total eclipse. This groundbreaking citizen science project fosters collaboration & advances solar research. @agu.org #AGU24 youtu.be/EAH9oqrfQc8

Citizen CATE 2024: Uniting Communities to Unlock Solar Eclipse Mysteries

YouTube video by WebsEdge Science

youtu.be

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Reposted by Amir Caspi, Ph.D.

Amir Caspi, Ph.D. @astronamir.bsky.social · Dec 10

Our upcoming CubeSat, CubIXSS, was featured on #AGU24 TV. Launching in late 2025, CubIXSS will study solar flares & the Sun’s multi-million-degree corona. Together with @suncetcubesat.bsky.social, we’ll make groundbreaking new observations of solar eruptions and the hot corona!
🧪🔭⚛️☀️

WebsEdge Science @websedgescience.bsky.social · Dec 10

Get to know CubIXSS, a CubeSat the size of two shoeboxes set to revolutionize solar observation. Utilizing the innovative MOXSI, it will capture unprecedented soft X-ray data from solar flares, advancing solar physics & exploration. @agu.org #AGU24 youtu.be/SplXdAw8e9Q

Exploring Solar Flares with CUBIXSS – The CubeSat Imaging X-ray SolarSpectrometer

YouTube video by WebsEdge Science

youtu.be

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Amir Caspi, Ph.D. @astronamir.bsky.social · Dec 12

Our community-participation project for the total solar eclipse, Citizen CATE 2024, was featured on #AGU24 TV! We’re so grateful to our 225+ community scientists who helped us on this exciting project. We’re processing over 2 TB of data and will have new eclipse visuals soon! 🧪🔭⚛️☀️ #CitSci

WebsEdge Science @websedgescience.bsky.social · Dec 12

A groundbreaking initiative, Citizen CATE 2024 united communities across the US to study the solar corona during the total eclipse. This groundbreaking citizen science project fosters collaboration & advances solar research. @agu.org #AGU24 youtu.be/EAH9oqrfQc8

Citizen CATE 2024: Uniting Communities to Unlock Solar Eclipse Mysteries

YouTube video by WebsEdge Science

youtu.be

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Amir Caspi, Ph.D. @astronamir.bsky.social · Dec 10

Our upcoming CubeSat, CubIXSS, was featured on #AGU24 TV. Launching in late 2025, CubIXSS will study solar flares & the Sun’s multi-million-degree corona. Together with @suncetcubesat.bsky.social, we’ll make groundbreaking new observations of solar eruptions and the hot corona!
🧪🔭⚛️☀️

WebsEdge Science @websedgescience.bsky.social · Dec 10

Get to know CubIXSS, a CubeSat the size of two shoeboxes set to revolutionize solar observation. Utilizing the innovative MOXSI, it will capture unprecedented soft X-ray data from solar flares, advancing solar physics & exploration. @agu.org #AGU24 youtu.be/SplXdAw8e9Q

Exploring Solar Flares with CUBIXSS – The CubeSat Imaging X-ray SolarSpectrometer

YouTube video by WebsEdge Science

youtu.be

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Amir Caspi, Ph.D. @astronamir.bsky.social · Dec 7

OMFG I just discovered “Human vs Hamster” on Magnolia Network where people run a human-sized rodent gauntlet in a race against a hamster — who wins half the time — and the hosts are straight out of the Panem Capitol from Hunger Games and I feel like I’m having a stroke

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Reposted by Amir Caspi, Ph.D.

camwing @camw.ing · Dec 5

In 2025 (less than 30 days away), PayPal will start selling your transaction history for targeted advertising.

I very highly recommend logging into your account and going to Settings > Data & Privacy > Personalized Shopping.

If you're reading this, turn that off RIGHT NOW before you forget.

A screenshot of PayPal's terms of service. Big wall of legalese text, which I will be pasting in below. You don't need to read it, here's the important part:

"The key update to the Privacy Statement explains how we will share information with merchants to personalize your shopping experience and recommend our services to you. Personal information we disclose includes, for example, products, preferences, sizes, and styles we think you’ll like. Information gathered about you after the effective date of our updated Privacy Statement, November 27, 2024, will be shared with participating stores where you shop."

Here's the whole paragraph:

We are updating our Privacy Statement to explain how, starting early Summer 2025, we will share information to help improve your shopping experience and make it more personalized for you. The key update to the Privacy Statement explains how we will share information with merchants to personalize your shopping experience and recommend our services to you. Personal information we disclose includes, for example, products, preferences, sizes, and styles we think you’ll like. Information gathered about you after the effective date of our updated Privacy Statement, November 27, 2024, will be shared with participating stores where you shop, unless you live in California, North Dakota, or Vermont. For PayPal customers in California, North Dakota, or Vermont, we’ll only share your information with those merchants if you tell us to do so. No matter where you live, you’ll always be able to exercise your right to opt out of this data sharing by updating your preference settings in your account under “Data and Privacy.”

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Amir Caspi, Ph.D. @astronamir.bsky.social · Dec 2

One of the replies (and subthread) has pretty convincing arguments that say no. I’m not versed enough to understand any of it but the mentioned inconsistencies seem important!

bsky.app/profile/carl...

Carl Rodriguez @carlrodriguez.bsky.social · Dec 1

This result is inconsistent with just about every observed stellar-mass black hole we know (as I and several others have pointed out in the published literature) and is even inconsistent with observed masses of the LIGO black holes (as identified by the authors themselves!).

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Reposted by Amir Caspi, Ph.D.

seven rasmussen @sevenrasmussen.com · Nov 29

good news everyone! the science continues! check out Physics & Astronomy 2 (electric boogaloo):

go.bsky.app/4Kr3B48

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Reposted by Amir Caspi, Ph.D.

seven rasmussen @sevenrasmussen.com · Nov 29

attempting to collect #scicomm focused #physics and #astronomy accounts into one #starterpack! this list is by no means complete—if I've missed you, please just shoot me a DM.

go.bsky.app/NvQERru

a blue background featuring seven faces of members of the starter pack

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Amir Caspi, Ph.D. @astronamir.bsky.social · Nov 30

I do scicomm as well if you’re amenable to adding me 😃 thanks for these lists!

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Amir Caspi, Ph.D. @astronamir.bsky.social · Nov 22

I’m so sorry, I’ve been there with my cats too. It’s really hard. But you’re giving her the best life she could have. ❤️

Amir Caspi, Ph.D. @astronamir.bsky.social · Nov 17

Also @starfleetjames.bsky.social :-)

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Amir Caspi, Ph.D. @astronamir.bsky.social · Nov 17

Sure, why not? I guess I do heliophysics when I’m not doing paperwork.

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Amir Caspi, Ph.D. @astronamir.bsky.social · Nov 16

Thanks for this! Recommended adds:
@solarstellar.bsky.social
@solarphysicist.bsky.social
@drthomasz.bsky.social
@spacewxrina.bsky.social
@beryllium10.bsky.social

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