Dan Falk
@danfalk.bsky.social
Hi! I write about #science for Smithsonian, Discover, Quanta, Nautilus, Undark, National Geographic, CBC Radio, & many other outlets. Books include The Science of Shakespeare and In Search of Time. Co-host of BookLab podcast. 🔭🪐⭐️⚛️
Pinned
Dan Falk
@danfalk.bsky.social
· Sep 25
Get ready for the total solar eclipses of Aug. 12, 2026 and Aug. 2, 2027!
YouTube video by danfalkscience
youtu.be
My latest video is an overview of the next two total solar eclipses -- the one on Aug. 12, 2026 (visible from Iceland & Spain) and Aug. 2, 2027 (visible from Spain & North Africa). Hopefully this will video help you as you make your plans. Cheers! #astronomy #solareclipse
youtu.be/99qmRY55iFE
youtu.be/99qmRY55iFE
The idea that AIs "think" has plenty of detractors -- "stochastic parrots" and all that. But what if it's not AI that's overblown, but rather our conception of what it means to think? A thorough and thoughtful analysis by James Somers in the @newyorker.com:
www.newyorker.com/magazine/202... #AI
www.newyorker.com/magazine/202... #AI
The Case That A.I. Is Thinking
ChatGPT does not have an inner life. Yet it seems to know what it’s talking about.
www.newyorker.com
November 25, 2025 at 1:54 AM
The idea that AIs "think" has plenty of detractors -- "stochastic parrots" and all that. But what if it's not AI that's overblown, but rather our conception of what it means to think? A thorough and thoughtful analysis by James Somers in the @newyorker.com:
www.newyorker.com/magazine/202... #AI
www.newyorker.com/magazine/202... #AI
That bit in the Patti Smith interview where she’s reminiscing about New York in the 70s, when you could walk up to the super (he was always sitting out front) and ask if there were any rooms, and he’d say yes, and the rent was $150, and two months in advance + a handshake sealed it. 🫠
November 24, 2025 at 10:52 PM
That bit in the Patti Smith interview where she’s reminiscing about New York in the 70s, when you could walk up to the super (he was always sitting out front) and ask if there were any rooms, and he’d say yes, and the rent was $150, and two months in advance + a handshake sealed it. 🫠
Darwin's groundbreaking On the Origin of Species appeared #OTD in 1859 -- even though Darwin's publisher, John Murray, didn't accept evolution. A while back I wrote about their turbulent relationship, for @smithsonianmag.bsky.social: www.smithsonianmag.com/science-natu... #science #history #histsci
Charles Darwin's Publisher Didn't Believe in Evolution, but Sold His Revolutionary Book Anyway
The famed naturalist and conservative stalwart John Murray III formed an unlikely alliance in popularizing a radical idea
www.smithsonianmag.com
November 24, 2025 at 12:50 PM
Darwin's groundbreaking On the Origin of Species appeared #OTD in 1859 -- even though Darwin's publisher, John Murray, didn't accept evolution. A while back I wrote about their turbulent relationship, for @smithsonianmag.bsky.social: www.smithsonianmag.com/science-natu... #science #history #histsci
On her deathbed, Elizabeth named King James of Scotland as her successor......... or did she? A fun episode of the History Extra podcast: www.historyextra.com/membership/w... @historyextra.bsky.social #history #Britain
Who stole the Tudor crown?
Tracy Borman shares explosive new research that challenges what we thought we knew about the end of Elizabeth I's reign
www.historyextra.com
November 18, 2025 at 1:36 AM
On her deathbed, Elizabeth named King James of Scotland as her successor......... or did she? A fun episode of the History Extra podcast: www.historyextra.com/membership/w... @historyextra.bsky.social #history #Britain
According to what I’m hearing on the radio, British people pronounce glacier as “glassier.” 🧊 (Perhaps indicative of a French influence [“glace”], dunno.)
November 16, 2025 at 7:29 AM
According to what I’m hearing on the radio, British people pronounce glacier as “glassier.” 🧊 (Perhaps indicative of a French influence [“glace”], dunno.)
More than a stepping stone: @sarahscoles.bsky.social reviews @jeffreykluger.bsky.social 's "Gemini" for @undark.org: #space #books
undark.org/2025/11/14/b...
undark.org/2025/11/14/b...
Book Review: Giving the Gemini Space Program Its Full Due
Jeffrey Kluger's "Gemini" argues that the program was more milestone than stepping stone in the 1960s space race.
undark.org
November 15, 2025 at 2:48 AM
More than a stepping stone: @sarahscoles.bsky.social reviews @jeffreykluger.bsky.social 's "Gemini" for @undark.org: #space #books
undark.org/2025/11/14/b...
undark.org/2025/11/14/b...
The annual Nova Scotia 🌲 —> Boston thing always gives me a warm feeling. :)
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
Tariff tensions don't stop annual Christmas tree gift from Nova Scotia to Boston | CBC News
The annual Tree for Boston was felled Wednesday morning in Lunenburg County, N.S.
www.cbc.ca
November 13, 2025 at 11:51 PM
The annual Nova Scotia 🌲 —> Boston thing always gives me a warm feeling. :)
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
Like everyone else on the Internet, I've been mesmerized by the images of spectacular aurora, these last couple of days. But powerful solar storms can cause real damage -- a subject I tackled recently for @smithsonianmag.bsky.social:
www.smithsonianmag.com/science-natu... #science #physics
www.smithsonianmag.com/science-natu... #science #physics
How Prepared Are We for a Rare and Powerful Solar Event?
A coronal mass ejection could knock out power and disrupt communication on Earth
www.smithsonianmag.com
November 12, 2025 at 9:03 PM
Like everyone else on the Internet, I've been mesmerized by the images of spectacular aurora, these last couple of days. But powerful solar storms can cause real damage -- a subject I tackled recently for @smithsonianmag.bsky.social:
www.smithsonianmag.com/science-natu... #science #physics
www.smithsonianmag.com/science-natu... #science #physics
Reposted by Dan Falk
Here is a great review from @leebillings.bsky.social on the actual science around 3I/Atlas. It seems like lots of folks won't care about this amazing object unless it turns out to be aliens - which it won't (though I'd be psyched too be wrong).
www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-...
www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-...
The Race to Study an Interstellar Comet from Deep Space
Astronomers are hustling to use interplanetary spacecraft to study the interstellar comet dubbed 3I/ATLAS while the sun is hiding it from Earth
www.scientificamerican.com
November 11, 2025 at 5:57 PM
Here is a great review from @leebillings.bsky.social on the actual science around 3I/Atlas. It seems like lots of folks won't care about this amazing object unless it turns out to be aliens - which it won't (though I'd be psyched too be wrong).
www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-...
www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-...
Reposted by Dan Falk
A little over three weeks to go to apply for MCPS' next two-year postdoctoral fellowship! Philosophy of science broadly construed. Open to applicants within five years of receiving their doctorate.
#philsci
#philsci
Postdoctoral Fellowship open for applications
The MCPS Postdoctoral Fellow is expected to undertake research on a proposed project and participate in the life of the MCPS by attending and contributing each academic term to at least one MCPS…
buff.ly
November 11, 2025 at 2:45 PM
A little over three weeks to go to apply for MCPS' next two-year postdoctoral fellowship! Philosophy of science broadly construed. Open to applicants within five years of receiving their doctorate.
#philsci
#philsci
I've been pondering the relationship between Gordon Lightfoot's "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" and Bobby Sands' "Back Home in Derry" -- which appears to be sparking some confusion... #music
November 11, 2025 at 12:45 AM
I've been pondering the relationship between Gordon Lightfoot's "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" and Bobby Sands' "Back Home in Derry" -- which appears to be sparking some confusion... #music
Happy "Lights All Askew" Day to all who celebrate! (Headline in the New York Times from Nov. 10, 1919, brings Einstein's theory of gravity, general relativity -- along with its alleged incomprehensibility -- to the public.) 🪐🔭🧠📰 #physics #science #histsci #lightsallaskew
November 10, 2025 at 4:03 PM
Happy "Lights All Askew" Day to all who celebrate! (Headline in the New York Times from Nov. 10, 1919, brings Einstein's theory of gravity, general relativity -- along with its alleged incomprehensibility -- to the public.) 🪐🔭🧠📰 #physics #science #histsci #lightsallaskew
“...with 'Contact,' the ever-contradictory Carl Sagan—avowed nonbeliever—offered one of the most religious science-fiction tales ever written.” Carl Sagan was born #OTD in 1934. Recently, I wrote about the lasting legacy of his most beloved work for @nautil.us: nautil.us/a-surprising... #science
A Surprising Side of Carl Sagan
In Contact, the great science advocate posed a religious question about the cosmos.
nautil.us
November 9, 2025 at 6:12 PM
“...with 'Contact,' the ever-contradictory Carl Sagan—avowed nonbeliever—offered one of the most religious science-fiction tales ever written.” Carl Sagan was born #OTD in 1934. Recently, I wrote about the lasting legacy of his most beloved work for @nautil.us: nautil.us/a-surprising... #science
1/2 English astronomer, mathematician and physicist Edmond Halley was born #OTD in 1656. Pix of his house in Oxford, and the plaque in Westminster Abbey are by me from 2023. (cont'd)
November 9, 2025 at 2:00 AM
1/2 English astronomer, mathematician and physicist Edmond Halley was born #OTD in 1656. Pix of his house in Oxford, and the plaque in Westminster Abbey are by me from 2023. (cont'd)
1/2 We talk about what books are about; we talk about authors. We never talk about paper quality. Well, today, I shall say a brief word about paper quality! (cont’d)
November 9, 2025 at 12:11 AM
1/2 We talk about what books are about; we talk about authors. We never talk about paper quality. Well, today, I shall say a brief word about paper quality! (cont’d)
Reposted by Dan Falk
We're hiring in history of science at UW Madison! TT Assistant Professorship with a focus on water. Joint appointment between the History and Integrated Liberal Studies depts, and part of a university-wide hiring cluster on earth/sustainability science. jobs.wisc.edu/jobs/profess... #STS #HSMT
Professor of History - Madison, Wisconsin, United States
Current Employees: If you are currently employed at any of the Universities of Wisconsin, log in to Workday to apply through the internal application process.Job Category:FacultyEmployment Type:Regula...
jobs.wisc.edu
November 6, 2025 at 7:37 PM
We're hiring in history of science at UW Madison! TT Assistant Professorship with a focus on water. Joint appointment between the History and Integrated Liberal Studies depts, and part of a university-wide hiring cluster on earth/sustainability science. jobs.wisc.edu/jobs/profess... #STS #HSMT
Nobel Prize-winning American scientist James Watson, one of the co-discoverers of the structure of DNA, has died aged 97. (Scroll down to para 3 for a reminder re: his flaws.)
www.bbc.com/news/article...
www.bbc.com/news/article...
DNA pioneer James Watson dies at 97
The Nobel Prize winner felt ostracised by the scientific community over his comments on race and intelligence.
www.bbc.com
November 7, 2025 at 10:48 PM
Nobel Prize-winning American scientist James Watson, one of the co-discoverers of the structure of DNA, has died aged 97. (Scroll down to para 3 for a reminder re: his flaws.)
www.bbc.com/news/article...
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Maria Salomea Skłodowska-Curie, known as Marie Curie, was born #OTD in 1867. Curie was the 1st person to win a Nobel Prize twice, and remains the only person to have won it in 2 scientific fields ( #physics and #chemistry ). I took these photos of her birthplace (now a museum) in #Warsaw in 2018.
November 7, 2025 at 4:20 PM
Maria Salomea Skłodowska-Curie, known as Marie Curie, was born #OTD in 1867. Curie was the 1st person to win a Nobel Prize twice, and remains the only person to have won it in 2 scientific fields ( #physics and #chemistry ). I took these photos of her birthplace (now a museum) in #Warsaw in 2018.
Philosopher and cognitive scientist Brian Cantwell Smith passed away in September (I am late in hearing about it). The Faculty of Information at @utoronto.ca, where he served as Dean from 2003 to 2008, posted this obituary: #philosophy #cogsci
ischool.utoronto.ca/news/obituar...
ischool.utoronto.ca/news/obituar...
Obituary: Professor Emeritus and former Dean Brian Cantwell Smith (1950 – 2025) - Faculty of Information
The Faculty of Information is deeply saddened to share that Professor Emeritus and former Dean Brian Cantwell Smith passed away on September 6, 2025, shortly after his retirement. A visionary scholar,...
ischool.utoronto.ca
November 6, 2025 at 7:52 PM
Philosopher and cognitive scientist Brian Cantwell Smith passed away in September (I am late in hearing about it). The Faculty of Information at @utoronto.ca, where he served as Dean from 2003 to 2008, posted this obituary: #philosophy #cogsci
ischool.utoronto.ca/news/obituar...
ischool.utoronto.ca/news/obituar...
Albert Einstein's rise to superstardom began 106 years ago today, when the London Times noted the success of his theory of gravity, general relativity. I recently wrote about the public fascination with #Einstein and his theory for @smithsonianmag.bsky.social:
www.smithsonianmag.com/science-natu...
www.smithsonianmag.com/science-natu...
One Hundred Years Ago, Einstein's Theory of General Relativity Baffled the Press and the Public
Few people claimed to fully understand it, but the esoteric theory still managed to spark the public's imagination
www.smithsonianmag.com
November 6, 2025 at 6:26 PM
Albert Einstein's rise to superstardom began 106 years ago today, when the London Times noted the success of his theory of gravity, general relativity. I recently wrote about the public fascination with #Einstein and his theory for @smithsonianmag.bsky.social:
www.smithsonianmag.com/science-natu...
www.smithsonianmag.com/science-natu...
I never know whether to capitalize "razor" in Occam's razor, or "test" in Turing test. (Drives me nuts, and I spend too much time worrying about it.)
November 5, 2025 at 8:13 PM
I never know whether to capitalize "razor" in Occam's razor, or "test" in Turing test. (Drives me nuts, and I spend too much time worrying about it.)
What if Guy Fawkes and the gunpowder plotters had succeeded? @historyextra.bsky.social
www.historyextra.com/period/stuar... #history
www.historyextra.com/period/stuar... #history
420 years ago, a deadly conspiracy to kill Britain’s king nearly succeeded. What if it had worked?
In 1605, a small band of English Catholics tried to destroy the king, his family and parliament in a single explosion. This is what might have happened if Guy Fawkes had successfully lit the fuse
www.historyextra.com
November 5, 2025 at 6:14 PM
What if Guy Fawkes and the gunpowder plotters had succeeded? @historyextra.bsky.social
www.historyextra.com/period/stuar... #history
www.historyextra.com/period/stuar... #history
November 5, 2025 at 3:08 AM
November 5, 2025 at 1:15 AM
Science is facing *a lot* of obstacles these days. The final episode of BBC's Science in Action looks at where things are heading, with @michaelemann.bsky.social @naomioreskes.bsky.social & @angierasmussen.bsky.social @drdebhoury.bsky.social : www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w... #science #antiscience
BBC World Service - Science In Action, How science got here, and where next
As anti-science leaves research reeling, does evidence-based policy have a future?
www.bbc.co.uk
November 4, 2025 at 7:34 PM
Science is facing *a lot* of obstacles these days. The final episode of BBC's Science in Action looks at where things are heading, with @michaelemann.bsky.social @naomioreskes.bsky.social & @angierasmussen.bsky.social @drdebhoury.bsky.social : www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w... #science #antiscience