George Musser
@georgemusser.com
contributing editor, Scientific American, Nautilus; contributing writer, Quanta; author, Putting Ourselves Back in the Equation, Spooky Action at a Distance, Complete Idiot’s Guide to String Theory; planetary scientist, local historian, bassist, salsero
Reposted by George Musser
KitKat was doomed largely bc of a series of Waymo business and engineering decisions:
- 5th gen robot sensor field of view decisions made years ago
- routinely deploying sw w inadequate situational awareness
- making Randa's Market a pickup location
- 5th gen robot sensor field of view decisions made years ago
- routinely deploying sw w inadequate situational awareness
- making Randa's Market a pickup location
December 5, 2025 at 2:31 PM
KitKat was doomed largely bc of a series of Waymo business and engineering decisions:
- 5th gen robot sensor field of view decisions made years ago
- routinely deploying sw w inadequate situational awareness
- making Randa's Market a pickup location
- 5th gen robot sensor field of view decisions made years ago
- routinely deploying sw w inadequate situational awareness
- making Randa's Market a pickup location
"Everything that isn’t a ghost is usually woven." LLMs’ style is hilarious but sobering: They make the curious word choices they do because that’s what most people rate as good writing. (PSA: When you see me using “delve,” “—”, and descriptive triplets, it’s really me!)
Why Does A.I. Write Like … That?
www.nytimes.com
December 3, 2025 at 6:58 PM
"Everything that isn’t a ghost is usually woven." LLMs’ style is hilarious but sobering: They make the curious word choices they do because that’s what most people rate as good writing. (PSA: When you see me using “delve,” “—”, and descriptive triplets, it’s really me!)
Reposted by George Musser
You've probably heard about how the rapidly increasing numbers of satellites are affecting #astronomy. A new paper in @nature.com looks at the possible future for space-based telescopes — and finds 96% of some images could be impacted. 🧪🔭🛰️
By @jennaahart.bsky.social
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
By @jennaahart.bsky.social
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Satellite swarms set to photobomb more than 95% of some telescopes’ images
Planned megaconstellations would contaminate the view of the cosmos of four orbiting telescopes
www.nature.com
December 3, 2025 at 5:16 PM
You've probably heard about how the rapidly increasing numbers of satellites are affecting #astronomy. A new paper in @nature.com looks at the possible future for space-based telescopes — and finds 96% of some images could be impacted. 🧪🔭🛰️
By @jennaahart.bsky.social
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
By @jennaahart.bsky.social
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Reposted by George Musser
Scientists: have you been the target of an online harassment campaign, doxxing, or weaponized FOIA requests? I'd like to talk to you about steps you had to take to protect your digital security for an upcoming Nature story. (You can be anonymous if necessary.)
RTs appreciated.
RTs appreciated.
November 26, 2025 at 12:18 AM
Scientists: have you been the target of an online harassment campaign, doxxing, or weaponized FOIA requests? I'd like to talk to you about steps you had to take to protect your digital security for an upcoming Nature story. (You can be anonymous if necessary.)
RTs appreciated.
RTs appreciated.
Reposted by George Musser
"Science is being destroyed across many agencies" say federal researchers.
For my latest @nature.com piece, I spoke to 19 different scientists across EPA, NOAA, NIH, NASA, and USGS to document how science is being dismantled across US federal agencies.
For my latest @nature.com piece, I spoke to 19 different scientists across EPA, NOAA, NIH, NASA, and USGS to document how science is being dismantled across US federal agencies.
Dismantling of US federal agencies will ‘destroy science’
From NASA to the National Institutes of Health, federal agencies conduct research that universities cannot. Agency scientists speak out about the irreplaceable facilities, institutional knowledge and ...
www.nature.com
November 4, 2025 at 2:58 PM
"Science is being destroyed across many agencies" say federal researchers.
For my latest @nature.com piece, I spoke to 19 different scientists across EPA, NOAA, NIH, NASA, and USGS to document how science is being dismantled across US federal agencies.
For my latest @nature.com piece, I spoke to 19 different scientists across EPA, NOAA, NIH, NASA, and USGS to document how science is being dismantled across US federal agencies.
"New York City's Citi Bike system costs more to ride than any other major bike-share system in the United States, Canada or Europe."
Lyft Hoses Citi Bike Riders Compared to Bike-Share in Other Cities: Report - Streetsblog New York City
New York City's Citi Bike system costs more to ride than any other major bike-share system in the United States, Canada or Europe.
nyc.streetsblog.org
November 20, 2025 at 1:58 PM
"New York City's Citi Bike system costs more to ride than any other major bike-share system in the United States, Canada or Europe."
Reposted by George Musser
No doubt the mutant H3N2 flu is also spreading in the US, but without CDC data we're flying blind
www.europesays.com/us/374538/
www.europesays.com/us/374538/
Warnings rise for U.S. as severe flu strain H3N2 causes outbreaks in Canada, U.K. - United States
A flu strain that emerged over the summer is causing outbreaks in other countries. The CDC hasn't provided any insights on what's happening in the U.S. in weeks.
www.europesays.com
November 13, 2025 at 4:58 PM
No doubt the mutant H3N2 flu is also spreading in the US, but without CDC data we're flying blind
www.europesays.com/us/374538/
www.europesays.com/us/374538/
"Witnesses said they saw KitKat sitting under the Waymo, and attempted to stop it from driving off.... 'It just…. ran over him.'" Well, why doesn't Waymo have some kind of emergency switch? Until it does, I refuse to ride in one.
A Robotaxi Killed a Beloved Bodega Cat in San Francisco. People Are Pissed
KitKat, known as the "Mayor of 16th Street," was killed by a Waymo cab last week. Now, some are callings for more regulation of driverless cars.
www.rollingstone.com
November 15, 2025 at 11:14 PM
"Witnesses said they saw KitKat sitting under the Waymo, and attempted to stop it from driving off.... 'It just…. ran over him.'" Well, why doesn't Waymo have some kind of emergency switch? Until it does, I refuse to ride in one.
Putting an atom into a hall of mirrors ("cavity") can stop it from emitting light. Now remove a mirror. How long before the atom can emit? Immediately! No matter how long the hallway. Vlatko Vedral of @imperialcollegeldn.bsky.social explains this bizarre case of quantum spooky action at a distance.
It’s All (Quantum) Smoke and Mirrors
Issue #57 ~ As my readers will know, I have been advocating a picture of the universe in which the underlying reality consists of quantum waves. Quantum, meaning that the height of the wave and its ph...
vlatkovedral.substack.com
November 8, 2025 at 6:27 PM
Putting an atom into a hall of mirrors ("cavity") can stop it from emitting light. Now remove a mirror. How long before the atom can emit? Immediately! No matter how long the hallway. Vlatko Vedral of @imperialcollegeldn.bsky.social explains this bizarre case of quantum spooky action at a distance.
Tech companies are spending $1 trillion on A.I. China built its entire high-speed rail network for that. It's hard to imagine A.I. would improve our lives by as much as a decent transit system (not to mention universal health care or poverty elimination).
November 2, 2025 at 8:31 PM
Tech companies are spending $1 trillion on A.I. China built its entire high-speed rail network for that. It's hard to imagine A.I. would improve our lives by as much as a decent transit system (not to mention universal health care or poverty elimination).
Mindblowing study of a 3800-year-old array of termite mounds in the caatinga shrubland of northeastern Brazil—200 million of them interconnected by tunnels over an area the site of Britain.
A vast 4,000-year-old spatial pattern of termite mounds
Martin et al. show that in Northeast Brazil an estimated 200 million, regularly spaced,
termite mounds are up to 4000 years old. Each mound is 2-4m high by 9 m in diameter;
they occupy 230,000 km2, an...
www.cell.com
November 1, 2025 at 3:16 AM
Mindblowing study of a 3800-year-old array of termite mounds in the caatinga shrubland of northeastern Brazil—200 million of them interconnected by tunnels over an area the site of Britain.
A.I. makes it easier for students to cheat, but is otherwise the enemy of cheating, argues @economist.com. It empowers you against unscrupulous plumbers, car dealers, taxi drivers, and five-star reviewers. "Rip-off markets impose an effective consumer tax of hundreds of billions of dollars a year."
The end of the rip-off economy
From finance and medicine to used cars, artificial intelligence is radically improving market efficiency
www.economist.com
October 31, 2025 at 3:17 PM
A.I. makes it easier for students to cheat, but is otherwise the enemy of cheating, argues @economist.com. It empowers you against unscrupulous plumbers, car dealers, taxi drivers, and five-star reviewers. "Rip-off markets impose an effective consumer tax of hundreds of billions of dollars a year."
"'[People] have to protest peacefully, they can’t commit crimes, they can’t attack the federal officers.' But what about when those protesters are attacked by the feds? What about their ability to exercise their rights in public?" asks @ndhapple.bsky.social.
Ugly Truth: Feds' Canal Street Raid Pushed Aside NYPD, Safety and Free Speech - Streetsblog New York City
President Trump's heavily armed and masked immigration troops are turning American cities into battlegrounds — and eliminating accountability and free speech in the public realm.
nyc.streetsblog.org
October 29, 2025 at 5:12 PM
"'[People] have to protest peacefully, they can’t commit crimes, they can’t attack the federal officers.' But what about when those protesters are attacked by the feds? What about their ability to exercise their rights in public?" asks @ndhapple.bsky.social.
Reposted by George Musser
Some journal websites such as PNAS and Science open PDF links in the browser, forcing you to go through an extra step to download the actual PDF. Does anyone know how to bypass the in-browser reader?
October 25, 2025 at 2:00 PM
Some journal websites such as PNAS and Science open PDF links in the browser, forcing you to go through an extra step to download the actual PDF. Does anyone know how to bypass the in-browser reader?
Are there any good Trump-era protest songs?
October 24, 2025 at 4:38 PM
Are there any good Trump-era protest songs?
Reposted by George Musser
"Mosquitoes have been found in Iceland for the first time as global heating makes the country more hospitable for insects. The country was until this month one of the only places in the world that did not have a mosquito population. The other is Antarctica."
Mosquitoes found in Iceland for first time as climate crisis warms country
Three specimens discovered in what was previously one of the only places in the world without the insects
www.theguardian.com
October 21, 2025 at 11:17 AM
"Mosquitoes have been found in Iceland for the first time as global heating makes the country more hospitable for insects. The country was until this month one of the only places in the world that did not have a mosquito population. The other is Antarctica."
"Many researchers are fighting to stay in an increasingly competitive academic system. 'You can work as hard as you want, but at the end of the day, it’s down to numbers. It’s down to luck.'" www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Is academic research becoming too competitive? Nature examines the data
Applications for European research grants increased in 2025. Scientists say they’re feeling the competition.
www.nature.com
October 20, 2025 at 1:08 AM
"Many researchers are fighting to stay in an increasingly competitive academic system. 'You can work as hard as you want, but at the end of the day, it’s down to numbers. It’s down to luck.'" www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Reposted by George Musser
Atmospheric carbon dioxide levels jumped by a record amount in 2024 to push concentrations to their highest point since measurements began.
CO2 levels in Earth's atmosphere jumped by a record amount in 2024
The global average concentration of CO2 surged by 3.5 parts per million to reach 423.9 ppm last year, fuelling worries that the planet’s ability to soak up excess carbon is weakening
www.newscientist.com
October 16, 2025 at 5:19 PM
Atmospheric carbon dioxide levels jumped by a record amount in 2024 to push concentrations to their highest point since measurements began.
Reposted by George Musser
500 job cuts at the NASA Jet Propulsion Lab.
A message from JPL Director Dave Gallagher announces a JPL layoff of 500 people has been announced that is "not related to the current government shutdown". www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/jpl-wor...
JPL Workforce Update
A message from JPL Director Dave Gallagher
www.jpl.nasa.gov
October 14, 2025 at 10:29 PM
500 job cuts at the NASA Jet Propulsion Lab.
Reposted by George Musser
Acoustic analysis aided by community science shows how many birds burst into a dawn chorus in the aftermath of the 2024 total solar eclipse- very cool! #birds #birding #nature #elipse #animalcommunication #animalbehavior 🧪
Total solar eclipse triggers dawn behavior in birds: Insights from acoustic recordings and community science
On 8 April 2024, a total solar eclipse disrupted light-dark cycles for North American birds during the lead-up to spring reproduction. Compiling more than 10,000 community observations and artificial ...
www.science.org
October 14, 2025 at 2:00 PM
Acoustic analysis aided by community science shows how many birds burst into a dawn chorus in the aftermath of the 2024 total solar eclipse- very cool! #birds #birding #nature #elipse #animalcommunication #animalbehavior 🧪
Reposted by George Musser
October 13, 2025 at 9:52 AM
Reposted by George Musser
It was yet another rough night for CDC employees: Dozens — possibly hundreds, they are still self-surveying — were let go late at night, including those who worked on the prestigious MMWR reports
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/11/u...
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/11/u...
Trump Administration Lays Off Dozens of C.D.C. Officials
www.nytimes.com
October 11, 2025 at 2:16 PM
It was yet another rough night for CDC employees: Dozens — possibly hundreds, they are still self-surveying — were let go late at night, including those who worked on the prestigious MMWR reports
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/11/u...
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/11/u...
Swipe up to try a new variant on Conway's Game of Life. And another. And another. This is how artificial-life researchers spread the joy after the #ALIFE2025 conference! They say it's like TikTok, but I wouldn't know.... ⚙️🧫 rulehunt.org?rulesetHex=7... #cellularautomata #gameoflife
October 11, 2025 at 2:28 AM
Swipe up to try a new variant on Conway's Game of Life. And another. And another. This is how artificial-life researchers spread the joy after the #ALIFE2025 conference! They say it's like TikTok, but I wouldn't know.... ⚙️🧫 rulehunt.org?rulesetHex=7... #cellularautomata #gameoflife
Reposted by George Musser
Hey #ALIFE2025 people! Have you heard of Assembly Theory? A month ago, I wrote a good, objective essay summarizing AT's contributions, limitations, and possible improvements. It's perfect if you don't want to read all the critiques and counter-critiques that have been written!
As a promising avenue for unifying physics and biology, assembly theory (AT) has been subject of controversy, being both praised and refuted at the same time.
What is its current status? Has it really quantified selection and evolution?/1
#complexitycat🐈⬛
amahury.github.io/posts/demyst...
What is its current status? Has it really quantified selection and evolution?/1
#complexitycat🐈⬛
amahury.github.io/posts/demyst...
Demystifying Assembly Theory
“It doesn’t make any difference how beautiful your guess is, it doesn’t matter how smart you are who made the guess, or what his name is … If it disagrees with experiment, it’s wrong. That’s all there...
amahury.github.io
October 10, 2025 at 1:00 AM
Hey #ALIFE2025 people! Have you heard of Assembly Theory? A month ago, I wrote a good, objective essay summarizing AT's contributions, limitations, and possible improvements. It's perfect if you don't want to read all the critiques and counter-critiques that have been written!