Deb Chachra
@debcha.bsky.social
Engineering professor. Author of HOW INFRASTRUCTURE WORKS (on Riverhead in the US+, on Torva in the UK+). Interested in embodiment, materiality, metacognition, and systems. All enthusiasm is 100% genuine.
Reposted by Deb Chachra
"We know that air and water belong to all mankind and not merely to industrialists." - James Baldwin, 1970.
(The year the US EPA was created.)
(The year the US EPA was created.)
Every paragraph is a banger. I’m so happy right now. Sometimes you find a piece of writing just when you need it.
November 25, 2025 at 8:23 AM
"We know that air and water belong to all mankind and not merely to industrialists." - James Baldwin, 1970.
(The year the US EPA was created.)
(The year the US EPA was created.)
"Three teachers fought the bear off: one emptied two cans of bear spray that appeared to have little effect, another jumped on the bear, pummeling it with punches. A third hit the grizzly repeatedly with her crutches before it finally fled back into the woods." www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...
Grizzly bear that attacked children and teachers in Canada still eludes searchers
Eleven people were injured as three teachers fought the bear during attack on walking trail in British Columbia
www.theguardian.com
November 24, 2025 at 10:19 PM
"Three teachers fought the bear off: one emptied two cans of bear spray that appeared to have little effect, another jumped on the bear, pummeling it with punches. A third hit the grizzly repeatedly with her crutches before it finally fled back into the woods." www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...
American friends, I've seen a couple of IF YOU HAVEN"T STARTED DEFROSTING YOUR TURKEY IT'S TOO LATE posts, so just a reminder that air is terrible for heat transfer and you can also safely and (relatively) quickly thaw a turkey in cold water: www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/...
Turkey Basics: Safe Thawing | Food Safety and Inspection Service
An official website of the United States government
www.fsis.usda.gov
November 24, 2025 at 7:19 PM
American friends, I've seen a couple of IF YOU HAVEN"T STARTED DEFROSTING YOUR TURKEY IT'S TOO LATE posts, so just a reminder that air is terrible for heat transfer and you can also safely and (relatively) quickly thaw a turkey in cold water: www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/...
Reposted by Deb Chachra
"I mostly think about the semiotics of what I wear in the same way C.P. Snow is said to have described the laws of thermodynamics: 'You can’t win. You can’t break even. You can’t quit the game.' There’s a reason women care about fashion—because it matters." Lightbulb moment for me, as a non-woman.
November 24, 2025 at 7:24 AM
"I mostly think about the semiotics of what I wear in the same way C.P. Snow is said to have described the laws of thermodynamics: 'You can’t win. You can’t break even. You can’t quit the game.' There’s a reason women care about fashion—because it matters." Lightbulb moment for me, as a non-woman.
Reposted by Deb Chachra
I was walking with a female friend recently, and we had to detour to buy shoes because she'd decided the hiking ones she was in wouldn't cut it for the thing she was going to later. "This must seem insane to you," she said. No, I said! Mostly because I'd read this!
November 24, 2025 at 7:24 AM
I was walking with a female friend recently, and we had to detour to buy shoes because she'd decided the hiking ones she was in wouldn't cut it for the thing she was going to later. "This must seem insane to you," she said. No, I said! Mostly because I'd read this!
Reposted by Deb Chachra
It's funny to have to make this case but tbqh we don't make it enough: human efforts to counter fossil fuel use have had *at least some* effect on total greenhouse gas emissions since the signing of the Paris Agreement in 2015, and there's some evidence to back up this position
A lil thread 🧵
A lil thread 🧵
a man is talking about being entirely successful .
Alt: a robot is is talking about not being entirely successful .
media.tenor.com
November 24, 2025 at 9:18 AM
It's funny to have to make this case but tbqh we don't make it enough: human efforts to counter fossil fuel use have had *at least some* effect on total greenhouse gas emissions since the signing of the Paris Agreement in 2015, and there's some evidence to back up this position
A lil thread 🧵
A lil thread 🧵
Reposted by Deb Chachra
do you have any idea how much you have to piss somebody off to make them change their gauge
#Finland will begin to #Russia - proof its rail network, integrate with EU train infrastructure.
The Finnish government has announced the conversion of its rail network from Russian gauge (1,524 mm) to European standard (1,435 mm).
www.trenvista.net/en/news/flas...
The Finnish government has announced the conversion of its rail network from Russian gauge (1,524 mm) to European standard (1,435 mm).
www.trenvista.net/en/news/flas...
November 23, 2025 at 4:40 PM
do you have any idea how much you have to piss somebody off to make them change their gauge
Reposted by Deb Chachra
Not only did this keep me running for years before I finally switched to rucking (the right knee just ain't what it used to be), it's one of the most impressive blends of narrative and gamification I've ever seen. There is a character death so devastating I stopped mid run and yelled at the writers.
just incredibly thrilled to announce that after months and months of uncertainty over the future of the game, and several I have bought Zombies, Run!, the game I co-created and have been making for the past 12 years:
zombiesrungame.com
observer.co.uk/the-critics/...
zombiesrungame.com
observer.co.uk/the-critics/...
I’m a novelist who’s just bought a video games company. Here’s why you should care about games writing | The Observer
observer.co.uk
November 24, 2025 at 6:19 AM
Not only did this keep me running for years before I finally switched to rucking (the right knee just ain't what it used to be), it's one of the most impressive blends of narrative and gamification I've ever seen. There is a character death so devastating I stopped mid run and yelled at the writers.
Friends — after a lengthy hiatus, I am finally rebooting my newsletter, Metafoundry. If you’re already a subscriber, you should have received your first newsletter from my new provider, Buttondown. Otherwise, you can learn more and subscribe here: buttondown.com/metafoundry#...
Metafoundry
The newsletter of Deb Chachra's work and ideas. Musings on infrastructure, technology, culture, design, education, and more. Low volume, no spam, no tracking, unsubscribe whenever. Want a taste of wha...
buttondown.com
November 23, 2025 at 4:53 PM
Friends — after a lengthy hiatus, I am finally rebooting my newsletter, Metafoundry. If you’re already a subscriber, you should have received your first newsletter from my new provider, Buttondown. Otherwise, you can learn more and subscribe here: buttondown.com/metafoundry#...
Reposted by Deb Chachra
8675309 is prime, and so is 8675311, so if you ever need a middlin'-large pair of adjacent primes to test your cryptographic suite, all you need is a 1980s earworm and a +2 and you're all set.
Man, everything is so bleak, anyone got a fun fact or little bit of trivia they want to share
November 21, 2025 at 3:28 AM
8675309 is prime, and so is 8675311, so if you ever need a middlin'-large pair of adjacent primes to test your cryptographic suite, all you need is a 1980s earworm and a +2 and you're all set.
Reposted by Deb Chachra
just learned we won an award for our blog post about Tom Holland and stormwater management.
remember, when you see an article about stormwater management, you repost it. i don’t make the rules.
remember, when you see an article about stormwater management, you repost it. i don’t make the rules.
What Tom Holland’s historic lip-sync showcase taught us about stormwater management
Grab your umbrella and your tights.
neorsd.medium.com
November 19, 2025 at 12:22 AM
just learned we won an award for our blog post about Tom Holland and stormwater management.
remember, when you see an article about stormwater management, you repost it. i don’t make the rules.
remember, when you see an article about stormwater management, you repost it. i don’t make the rules.
Holiday gifting season is upon us! Because folks have asked (thanks!): I don't really have a way to get signed copies of HOW INFRASTRUCTURE WORKS to readers. However, I'd be happy to put a customized, signed bookplate in the mail for you if you get in touch. [1/3]
November 18, 2025 at 6:03 PM
Holiday gifting season is upon us! Because folks have asked (thanks!): I don't really have a way to get signed copies of HOW INFRASTRUCTURE WORKS to readers. However, I'd be happy to put a customized, signed bookplate in the mail for you if you get in touch. [1/3]
Reposted by Deb Chachra
One girl said “it doesn’t matter if you ban a book because everyone can find that information online” and then I blew their minds by talking about how your search history can be monitored and sold to the government without your permission, but your library borrowing history requires a warrant.
November 18, 2025 at 1:26 AM
One girl said “it doesn’t matter if you ban a book because everyone can find that information online” and then I blew their minds by talking about how your search history can be monitored and sold to the government without your permission, but your library borrowing history requires a warrant.
Reposted by Deb Chachra
THIS IS BIG
For non-academics who might not understand why:
1. Sen. Warren is still a Harvard professor so this is a call coming from inside the house
2. As a tenured law prof, Warren knows it is a VERY big deal from a labor standpoint to call on Harvard to ignore tenure. The bar for this is HIGH.
For non-academics who might not understand why:
1. Sen. Warren is still a Harvard professor so this is a call coming from inside the house
2. As a tenured law prof, Warren knows it is a VERY big deal from a labor standpoint to call on Harvard to ignore tenure. The bar for this is HIGH.
Per CNN, Elizabeth Warren is calling on Harvard to cut ties with Larry Summers after Jeffrey Epstein's emails released last week by House Dems featured Summers making sexist comments + asking for Epstein’s romantic advice.
November 18, 2025 at 12:43 AM
THIS IS BIG
For non-academics who might not understand why:
1. Sen. Warren is still a Harvard professor so this is a call coming from inside the house
2. As a tenured law prof, Warren knows it is a VERY big deal from a labor standpoint to call on Harvard to ignore tenure. The bar for this is HIGH.
For non-academics who might not understand why:
1. Sen. Warren is still a Harvard professor so this is a call coming from inside the house
2. As a tenured law prof, Warren knows it is a VERY big deal from a labor standpoint to call on Harvard to ignore tenure. The bar for this is HIGH.
Reposted by Deb Chachra
One of the strangest aspects of aging that they don't warn you about is watching as history gets rewritten right in front of your face and people 20 years younger than you confidently tell you about something you lived through and get it completely wrong.
November 17, 2025 at 10:11 PM
One of the strangest aspects of aging that they don't warn you about is watching as history gets rewritten right in front of your face and people 20 years younger than you confidently tell you about something you lived through and get it completely wrong.
Reposted by Deb Chachra
Proud to share that @coyotemedia.org is launching First Aid Kit, our ✨paywall-free✨ series that helps you navigate the many challenges of living in the Bay Area and beyond.
These stories are a part of our pledge to share critical information during this time of upheaval. ❤️🩹
These stories are a part of our pledge to share critical information during this time of upheaval. ❤️🩹
Mainstream media loves doom, despair, and a sensational headline. But hopelessness is their tool, not ours. Meet COYOTE's First Aid Kit, our service journalism series where we'll pursue intersectional, evidence-based, and sometimes light-hearted solutions to the challenges of living in the Bay Area.
Introducing COYOTE's First Aid Kit
A how-to guide to surviving in the Bay Area.
www.coyotemedia.org
November 17, 2025 at 7:39 PM
Proud to share that @coyotemedia.org is launching First Aid Kit, our ✨paywall-free✨ series that helps you navigate the many challenges of living in the Bay Area and beyond.
These stories are a part of our pledge to share critical information during this time of upheaval. ❤️🩹
These stories are a part of our pledge to share critical information during this time of upheaval. ❤️🩹
Reposted by Deb Chachra
"Over the past two years, China earned more from exporting clean energy tech than the US has through fossil fuel exports. The benefit for buyers is becoming more and more obvious. Buy solar and it generates for decades, usually cheaper than fossil fuels. Buy LNG and it’s gone the moment you use it."
The scale of the renewables revolution in China is almost too vast for the human mind to grasp, says The Economist. “By the end of last year the country had installed 887 gigawatts of solar-power capacity—close to double Europe’s & America’s combined total.” www.nationalobserver.com/2025/11/17/o...
The rise of the electric dragon
For so many years, “China” has been brandished in the West as the ultimate whataboutism. China’s carbon pollution is so big, its coal plants so numerous, so why even bother cutting the carbon spew any...
www.nationalobserver.com
November 17, 2025 at 8:03 PM
"Over the past two years, China earned more from exporting clean energy tech than the US has through fossil fuel exports. The benefit for buyers is becoming more and more obvious. Buy solar and it generates for decades, usually cheaper than fossil fuels. Buy LNG and it’s gone the moment you use it."
Reposted by Deb Chachra
applications for winter classes for @sfpc.study - a pretty great organization focused on art, code, and critical engagement with technologies - are due tomorrow, nov 17. classes start in january, and scholarships are available… sfpc.study
School for Poetic Computation
The School for Poetic Computation is an experimental school in New York City supporting interdisciplinary study in art, code, hardware and critical theory. It's a place for learning and unlearning.
sfpc.study
November 17, 2025 at 1:38 AM
applications for winter classes for @sfpc.study - a pretty great organization focused on art, code, and critical engagement with technologies - are due tomorrow, nov 17. classes start in january, and scholarships are available… sfpc.study
Seems relevant that Larry Summers resigned as President of Harvard in 2006, in the wake of a no-confidence vote by the faculty, and one of the precipitating events was him saying in a speech that women didn’t have the aptitude to succeed at the really high end of STEM.
November 16, 2025 at 11:39 PM
Seems relevant that Larry Summers resigned as President of Harvard in 2006, in the wake of a no-confidence vote by the faculty, and one of the precipitating events was him saying in a speech that women didn’t have the aptitude to succeed at the really high end of STEM.
Reposted by Deb Chachra
Some days I have a sweet bop stuck in my head; other days I have Einsturzende Neubauten chanting "sicher nicht sein, sicher nicht sein, sicher nicht sein" ...
November 16, 2025 at 11:18 PM
Some days I have a sweet bop stuck in my head; other days I have Einsturzende Neubauten chanting "sicher nicht sein, sicher nicht sein, sicher nicht sein" ...
Reposted by Deb Chachra
In Mexico, the share of income captured by the 1% has declined noticeably in recent years. This shift toward lower income concentration—alongside poverty reduction—helps explain not only the popularity of AMLO and Sheinbaum, but also some of the ongoing political battles and sources of polarization.
November 16, 2025 at 6:50 PM
In Mexico, the share of income captured by the 1% has declined noticeably in recent years. This shift toward lower income concentration—alongside poverty reduction—helps explain not only the popularity of AMLO and Sheinbaum, but also some of the ongoing political battles and sources of polarization.
Reposted by Deb Chachra
Bird friends! Data friends! Design friends!
I made a tool that turns lists of bird species into generative collages of feathers, colored by wikipedia descriptions.
It'll work with your eBird lifelist! Or local birds.
Download images, or buy art (5% goes to bird rescue)
ofafeather.binstobins.com
I made a tool that turns lists of bird species into generative collages of feathers, colored by wikipedia descriptions.
It'll work with your eBird lifelist! Or local birds.
Download images, or buy art (5% goes to bird rescue)
ofafeather.binstobins.com
November 15, 2025 at 6:45 PM
Bird friends! Data friends! Design friends!
I made a tool that turns lists of bird species into generative collages of feathers, colored by wikipedia descriptions.
It'll work with your eBird lifelist! Or local birds.
Download images, or buy art (5% goes to bird rescue)
ofafeather.binstobins.com
I made a tool that turns lists of bird species into generative collages of feathers, colored by wikipedia descriptions.
It'll work with your eBird lifelist! Or local birds.
Download images, or buy art (5% goes to bird rescue)
ofafeather.binstobins.com
Lucid thread on Medicaid expansion (and ACA waivers) — how they work, and why it matters, and who’s affected. If you, like me, are lucky enough never to have wondered how the hell you’d pay for health care even though you have insurance, it’s worth understanding.
The waiver program lets states give people Medicaid even when they otherwise wouldn’t qualify. This includes people with primary insurance who also have disabilities or medical conditions that will run right through their deductible/OOP.
November 16, 2025 at 2:16 PM
Lucid thread on Medicaid expansion (and ACA waivers) — how they work, and why it matters, and who’s affected. If you, like me, are lucky enough never to have wondered how the hell you’d pay for health care even though you have insurance, it’s worth understanding.
Reposted by Deb Chachra
Also created this meme to share with my colleagues 😁
November 10, 2025 at 1:31 AM
Also created this meme to share with my colleagues 😁
My most *boring* woke opinion is that “peace*, order, and good government” [🍁] is a necessary prerequisite for “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” [🇺🇸].
*defined as ‘not the absence of war, but the presence of justice.’
*defined as ‘not the absence of war, but the presence of justice.’
"my least woke opinion is---"
That's enough. We've had enough people indulging in the "thrill of a little conservatism", as a treat. Of considering reactionary thought to be a salacious and taboo in a world descending into reactionary mania.
Give me your MOST woke opinions. We're bringing it back.
That's enough. We've had enough people indulging in the "thrill of a little conservatism", as a treat. Of considering reactionary thought to be a salacious and taboo in a world descending into reactionary mania.
Give me your MOST woke opinions. We're bringing it back.
November 15, 2025 at 6:34 PM
My most *boring* woke opinion is that “peace*, order, and good government” [🍁] is a necessary prerequisite for “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” [🇺🇸].
*defined as ‘not the absence of war, but the presence of justice.’
*defined as ‘not the absence of war, but the presence of justice.’