David Kipping
@davidkipping.bsky.social
Astronomy, Exoplanets, Astrobiology, Cool Worlds Lab, Columbia University. Be kind to one another.
Pinned
David Kipping
@davidkipping.bsky.social
· Nov 16
Hi BlueSky! I'm a Professor of Astronomy at Columbia University where I lead the Cool Worlds Lab, studying exoplanets, exomoons & exolife and sharing our passion for science over YouTube.com/CoolWorldsLab. I post about my team's research, spicy hot takes and whatever's going on in my life.
Public health warning that I am not interested in your pet theory that you developed with ChatGPT
November 24, 2025 at 12:18 PM
Public health warning that I am not interested in your pet theory that you developed with ChatGPT
Reposted by David Kipping
With more than 6,000 exoplanets discovered, confirming an exomoon would open new questions about how planetary systems form, and maybe even where life could exist. Watch this converation between physicist Brian Greene and astronomer @davidkipping.bsky.social at the World Science Festival
Why exomoons could be astronomy’s next big breakthrough | Aeon Videos
Exoplanet discoveries have reshaped astronomy. Are exomoons next? Brian Greene in conversation with David Kipping
buff.ly
November 22, 2025 at 11:30 AM
With more than 6,000 exoplanets discovered, confirming an exomoon would open new questions about how planetary systems form, and maybe even where life could exist. Watch this converation between physicist Brian Greene and astronomer @davidkipping.bsky.social at the World Science Festival
November 22, 2025 at 8:25 AM
The rise of “hyper-authorship” has neutered the correlation of publication metrics vs academic accolades. “The mean # of coauthors per pub, averaged across highly cited physicists, was 121 in 2004. It rose to 952 in 2019, with 10% of the scientists having >2,441 coauthors per pub on average”.
November 19, 2025 at 7:05 PM
The rise of “hyper-authorship” has neutered the correlation of publication metrics vs academic accolades. “The mean # of coauthors per pub, averaged across highly cited physicists, was 121 in 2004. It rose to 952 in 2019, with 10% of the scientists having >2,441 coauthors per pub on average”.
Some poor civilizations probably live in Bootes Void and think the universe must be playing a cruel joke on them.
November 13, 2025 at 10:21 PM
Some poor civilizations probably live in Bootes Void and think the universe must be playing a cruel joke on them.
If 3I/ATLAS is an alien Trojan horse, then why would there be any anomalies at all? Surely they could dress it up to be identical to our typical comets.
November 12, 2025 at 6:20 PM
If 3I/ATLAS is an alien Trojan horse, then why would there be any anomalies at all? Surely they could dress it up to be identical to our typical comets.
Reposted by David Kipping
I've summarized the truth about Loeb's 10 "anomalies" about 3I/ATLAS in one post.
Thanks to @deschscoveries.bsky.social @michael-w-busch.bsky.social @cometary.org and @marshall-eubanks.bsky.social for contributing their expertise!
Thanks to @deschscoveries.bsky.social @michael-w-busch.bsky.social @cometary.org and @marshall-eubanks.bsky.social for contributing their expertise!
Loeb’s 3I/ATLAS “Anomalies” Explained
Avi Loeb continues to claim that 3I/ATLAS has many anomalous behaviors that lead to the conclusion that it “might” be an alien spacecraft. He carefully hedges the probability that it is a spacecraft ...
sites.psu.edu
November 10, 2025 at 12:22 AM
I've summarized the truth about Loeb's 10 "anomalies" about 3I/ATLAS in one post.
Thanks to @deschscoveries.bsky.social @michael-w-busch.bsky.social @cometary.org and @marshall-eubanks.bsky.social for contributing their expertise!
Thanks to @deschscoveries.bsky.social @michael-w-busch.bsky.social @cometary.org and @marshall-eubanks.bsky.social for contributing their expertise!
Dr Ben Cassese
(from yesterday!)
(from yesterday!)
November 11, 2025 at 11:02 PM
Dr Ben Cassese
(from yesterday!)
(from yesterday!)
“What I’m saying is that we need to consider the possibility it’s aliens.”
“Sir, this is a Walmart please stop harassing customers.”
“Sir, this is a Walmart please stop harassing customers.”
November 9, 2025 at 12:32 AM
“What I’m saying is that we need to consider the possibility it’s aliens.”
“Sir, this is a Walmart please stop harassing customers.”
“Sir, this is a Walmart please stop harassing customers.”
New #CoolWorlds podcast episode just dropped with Jason Steffen, exoplanet scientist, author of "Hidden in the Heavens" and inventor of the "Steffen Perfect" technique for boarding planes!
youtu.be/vaqgPzT8PXA
youtu.be/vaqgPzT8PXA
#27 Jason Steffen - Kepler Mission Legacy, Particle Physics, Optimal Plane Boarding
YouTube video by Cool Worlds Podcast
youtu.be
November 7, 2025 at 11:19 AM
New #CoolWorlds podcast episode just dropped with Jason Steffen, exoplanet scientist, author of "Hidden in the Heavens" and inventor of the "Steffen Perfect" technique for boarding planes!
youtu.be/vaqgPzT8PXA
youtu.be/vaqgPzT8PXA
By this point in the year, even the Sun is like “fuck it”
November 6, 2025 at 7:29 PM
By this point in the year, even the Sun is like “fuck it”
So Avi has been arguing 3I/ATLAS is weird, and a common rebuttal has been “weird compared to what?” - as in we only have 2 other ISOs to compare to. But an interesting thought is that if Oort clouds mix during stellar encounters, many of our comets may in fact already be ISOs in origin.
November 2, 2025 at 1:49 PM
So Avi has been arguing 3I/ATLAS is weird, and a common rebuttal has been “weird compared to what?” - as in we only have 2 other ISOs to compare to. But an interesting thought is that if Oort clouds mix during stellar encounters, many of our comets may in fact already be ISOs in origin.
I’ve been thinking a lot about SSA vs SIA in anthropics lately. Which one do you favor? Let me hear your hot takes.
November 2, 2025 at 12:14 PM
I’ve been thinking a lot about SSA vs SIA in anthropics lately. Which one do you favor? Let me hear your hot takes.
Why We Might Live in a "Barely Habitable" Universe
YouTube video by Cool Worlds
youtu.be
November 1, 2025 at 9:44 AM
statistically, we likely live on one of the planets with the highest population of observers in the universe
October 26, 2025 at 9:06 PM
statistically, we likely live on one of the planets with the highest population of observers in the universe
So who has read AI 2027 and what was your reaction?
October 20, 2025 at 6:11 PM
So who has read AI 2027 and what was your reaction?
I’d have a lot more respect for Republicans if they responded to the protests with whatever their argument is for authoritarianism. Instead, they don’t address the concerns of the protestors at all and just try to delegitimize their views through ad hominems, call them Hamas/Marxists/radicals/etc.
October 19, 2025 at 8:02 AM
I’d have a lot more respect for Republicans if they responded to the protests with whatever their argument is for authoritarianism. Instead, they don’t address the concerns of the protestors at all and just try to delegitimize their views through ad hominems, call them Hamas/Marxists/radicals/etc.
Contemplating existence in Amsterdam
October 18, 2025 at 8:44 PM
Contemplating existence in Amsterdam
Reposted by David Kipping
this was a lovely episode
#26 Will Kinney - Before the Big Bang, Inflation, Infinity of Worlds
youtu.be/HSZtn0yKPBI
youtu.be/HSZtn0yKPBI
#26 Will Kinney - Before the Big Bang, Inflation, Infinity of Worlds
YouTube video by Cool Worlds Podcast
youtu.be
October 16, 2025 at 3:30 AM
this was a lovely episode
#26 Will Kinney - Before the Big Bang, Inflation, Infinity of Worlds
youtu.be/HSZtn0yKPBI
youtu.be/HSZtn0yKPBI
#26 Will Kinney - Before the Big Bang, Inflation, Infinity of Worlds
YouTube video by Cool Worlds Podcast
youtu.be
October 9, 2025 at 5:34 PM
#26 Will Kinney - Before the Big Bang, Inflation, Infinity of Worlds
youtu.be/HSZtn0yKPBI
youtu.be/HSZtn0yKPBI
Oh my God this made my day…
On random things from childhood: this made me very happy this morning. Had to share it with someone and thought you might appreciate it too.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9G1...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9G1...
Sesame Street: Happy Furry Monsters Song with R.E.M
YouTube video by Sesame Street
www.youtube.com
October 8, 2025 at 6:23 AM
Oh my God this made my day…
Quel surpris! As I suspected, the Navcam “cyclinder” image bombarding social media, and subject to Avi’s last blog post, is not 3I/ATLAS, it’s Phobos.
Short version: left is my processesed Navcam image, right is the Stellarium simulation for the image.
The bright elongated thing is Phobos being smeared by long exposure.
Acturus and the big dipper stars are also visible. 3I/Atlas is wayyy to dim to be seen in the image.
The bright elongated thing is Phobos being smeared by long exposure.
Acturus and the big dipper stars are also visible. 3I/Atlas is wayyy to dim to be seen in the image.
October 6, 2025 at 7:38 PM
Quel surpris! As I suspected, the Navcam “cyclinder” image bombarding social media, and subject to Avi’s last blog post, is not 3I/ATLAS, it’s Phobos.
Reposted by David Kipping
Lastly, that bright streak in the Navcam images is actually Phobos. See below for a short analysis of this image.
It's very sad that NASA isn't able to put the record straight with the current political chaos.
bsky.app/profile/stim...
It's very sad that NASA isn't able to put the record straight with the current political chaos.
bsky.app/profile/stim...
Short version: left is my processesed Navcam image, right is the Stellarium simulation for the image.
The bright elongated thing is Phobos being smeared by long exposure.
Acturus and the big dipper stars are also visible. 3I/Atlas is wayyy to dim to be seen in the image.
The bright elongated thing is Phobos being smeared by long exposure.
Acturus and the big dipper stars are also visible. 3I/Atlas is wayyy to dim to be seen in the image.
October 6, 2025 at 7:17 PM
Lastly, that bright streak in the Navcam images is actually Phobos. See below for a short analysis of this image.
It's very sad that NASA isn't able to put the record straight with the current political chaos.
bsky.app/profile/stim...
It's very sad that NASA isn't able to put the record straight with the current political chaos.
bsky.app/profile/stim...