Josh Chesser
@jchesser.bsky.social
Interested in astronomy, space exploration and security, international relations, nuclear weapons, military history, GIS, cartography, and a great many things more.
Reposted by Josh Chesser
Thread on the huge shift in US policy towards Russia visible in the new National Security Strategy - the biggest change since the collapse of the USSR. 🧵
December 5, 2025 at 2:25 PM
Thread on the huge shift in US policy towards Russia visible in the new National Security Strategy - the biggest change since the collapse of the USSR. 🧵
Reposted by Josh Chesser
Today I learned that NASA has a collection of free ebooks that can be downloaded as pdfs or ebub format.
The science books even include a children’s section with fun activites and coloring books!
science.nasa.gov/multimedia/s...
The science books even include a children’s section with fun activites and coloring books!
science.nasa.gov/multimedia/s...
Science e-Books - NASA Science
From Earth and the other planets in our solar system, to supermassive black holes and the distant galaxies that contain them, explore NASA science and imagery through our library of e-books.
science.nasa.gov
December 4, 2025 at 2:43 PM
Today I learned that NASA has a collection of free ebooks that can be downloaded as pdfs or ebub format.
The science books even include a children’s section with fun activites and coloring books!
science.nasa.gov/multimedia/s...
The science books even include a children’s section with fun activites and coloring books!
science.nasa.gov/multimedia/s...
Reposted by Josh Chesser
So, hey, my new book on Truman and the Bomb comes out NEXT WEEK! In this post on Doomsday Machines, I give a rundown of WHAT IT IS ABOUT, and other useful information, including the talk I am giving about it on December 16. doomsdaymachines.net/p/the-most-a...
"The Most Awful Responsibility"
My new book on Truman and the bomb will be released next week
doomsdaymachines.net
December 4, 2025 at 2:17 PM
So, hey, my new book on Truman and the Bomb comes out NEXT WEEK! In this post on Doomsday Machines, I give a rundown of WHAT IT IS ABOUT, and other useful information, including the talk I am giving about it on December 16. doomsdaymachines.net/p/the-most-a...
Damn, the memory was bad before (memory kit I bought last year now retails for 3x+ the price), this is a huge blow.
Not quite the same, but this would be akin to Ford announcing they were no longer selling cars/trucks to the public.
Not quite the same, but this would be akin to Ford announcing they were no longer selling cars/trucks to the public.
Micron to exit consumer memory business amid global supply shortage reut.rs/4pFsD4S
Micron to exit consumer memory business amid global supply shortage
Memory chipmaker Micron Technology said on Wednesday it will exit its consumer business, as it doubles down on advanced memory chips used in artificial intelligence data centers amid a global supply shortage of the essential semiconductors.
reut.rs
December 3, 2025 at 9:41 PM
Damn, the memory was bad before (memory kit I bought last year now retails for 3x+ the price), this is a huge blow.
Not quite the same, but this would be akin to Ford announcing they were no longer selling cars/trucks to the public.
Not quite the same, but this would be akin to Ford announcing they were no longer selling cars/trucks to the public.
I would disagree in that saying they are weaker implies they have less/no power. They still have plenty of power, they are choosing not to use it for their own gains. They are opportunistically servile. Emphasis on the second half of the word servile.
It’s true that Trump is weak. Unfortunately the press who cover him are weaker.
December 3, 2025 at 7:22 PM
I would disagree in that saying they are weaker implies they have less/no power. They still have plenty of power, they are choosing not to use it for their own gains. They are opportunistically servile. Emphasis on the second half of the word servile.
Reposted by Josh Chesser
And this orbiter should stay right where it is. Moving it could forever damage this priceless artifact. keeptheshuttle.org
Visit the shuttle that took Hubble to space! In 1990, Hubble was released into Earth’s orbit from the cargo bay of the Space Shuttle Discovery. Since 2012, Discovery has been on display at the National Air and Space Museum’s Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, VA. Credit: NASM/NASA. 🔭 🧪
December 3, 2025 at 3:26 PM
And this orbiter should stay right where it is. Moving it could forever damage this priceless artifact. keeptheshuttle.org
Reposted by Josh Chesser
Russia's only pad for crew launches suffers major damage:
russianspaceweb.com/baikonur_r7_...
russianspaceweb.com/baikonur_r7_...
November 27, 2025 at 5:22 PM
Russia's only pad for crew launches suffers major damage:
russianspaceweb.com/baikonur_r7_...
russianspaceweb.com/baikonur_r7_...
And to be clear, he easily could be paying people here in the US to do the same thing(s), with somewhat more legitimacy, but it is a lot cheaper to pay folks in developing countries to do it.
If I’m understanding this correctly, X is owned by a white nationalist who pays poor people of color in developing countries to pretend to be working class white Americans to scare other white Americans into being afraid poor people of color from developing countries are going to ruin America?
November 25, 2025 at 8:53 PM
And to be clear, he easily could be paying people here in the US to do the same thing(s), with somewhat more legitimacy, but it is a lot cheaper to pay folks in developing countries to do it.
The problem isn’t that they think the AI trend is the “right” idea, rather it’s the idea that will expand their profits. They’ve abandoned their principles (Google dropping “Don’t be evil” as company motto/etc.) in exchange for increasingly obscene levels of wealth.
Google at its peak was basically the best information retrieval system in human history and they and every competitor decided going from there to “you didn’t want answers you wanted half-assed auto-complete 80%-wrong hallucinations” in a few years was the right idea
November 25, 2025 at 1:22 PM
The problem isn’t that they think the AI trend is the “right” idea, rather it’s the idea that will expand their profits. They’ve abandoned their principles (Google dropping “Don’t be evil” as company motto/etc.) in exchange for increasingly obscene levels of wealth.
In a year or so you’d think this was normal 2028 angling (maybe not a run herself but to begin a post Trump MAGA wing) but now I’m wondering if there isn’t some rumors/news (multiple MRIs/etc) that he won’t be around that long and the post T jockeying is starting now.
Marjorie Taylor Greene: "I was called a traitor by a man that I fought for 6 years for. I gave him my loyalty for free. I've never owed him anything. Let me tell you what a traitor is -- a traitor is an American that serves foreign countries."
November 18, 2025 at 4:04 PM
In a year or so you’d think this was normal 2028 angling (maybe not a run herself but to begin a post Trump MAGA wing) but now I’m wondering if there isn’t some rumors/news (multiple MRIs/etc) that he won’t be around that long and the post T jockeying is starting now.
“But how do you know it’s a bubble?”
November 18, 2025 at 3:46 PM
“But how do you know it’s a bubble?”
80s - Atari XE, NES, PC (DOS)
90s - SNES, Gameboy, PC (486 at first, self built ‘95 to present)
00s - GameCube, Wii, PlayStation 2 & 3
10s- PS4
Mostly a PC gamer. Still very nostalgic for the SNES.
90s - SNES, Gameboy, PC (486 at first, self built ‘95 to present)
00s - GameCube, Wii, PlayStation 2 & 3
10s- PS4
Mostly a PC gamer. Still very nostalgic for the SNES.
List of consoles/game systems I have owned, or were in my family growing up…
1990 - PC (and have owned one ever since)
1992 - Sega Gamegear
1993 - Sega Megadrive II
2018 - Nintendo Switch (still own)
It’s not the longest list ever 😅
1990 - PC (and have owned one ever since)
1992 - Sega Gamegear
1993 - Sega Megadrive II
2018 - Nintendo Switch (still own)
It’s not the longest list ever 😅
List of consoles/game systems I have actually owned, or was in my family growing up
Atari 2600
BBC Micro
PC
SNES
N64
Gameboy
Gameboy Advance
PlayStation
PlayStation 2
PlayStation 3
PlayStation 4
PlayStation 5
Switch
PSP
Xbox
Meta quest
How about you?
Atari 2600
BBC Micro
PC
SNES
N64
Gameboy
Gameboy Advance
PlayStation
PlayStation 2
PlayStation 3
PlayStation 4
PlayStation 5
Switch
PSP
Xbox
Meta quest
How about you?
November 17, 2025 at 4:37 PM
80s - Atari XE, NES, PC (DOS)
90s - SNES, Gameboy, PC (486 at first, self built ‘95 to present)
00s - GameCube, Wii, PlayStation 2 & 3
10s- PS4
Mostly a PC gamer. Still very nostalgic for the SNES.
90s - SNES, Gameboy, PC (486 at first, self built ‘95 to present)
00s - GameCube, Wii, PlayStation 2 & 3
10s- PS4
Mostly a PC gamer. Still very nostalgic for the SNES.
Reposted by Josh Chesser
⛰️🏔️ Episode 20 is now live! 🏔️⛰️
In this episode, we look at the amazing story of the Achaemenid Persian Empire.
Find out how the world's largest empire rose, flourished, and finally fell in ash and flame.
YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRYd...
Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/6AeH...
In this episode, we look at the amazing story of the Achaemenid Persian Empire.
Find out how the world's largest empire rose, flourished, and finally fell in ash and flame.
YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRYd...
Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/6AeH...
November 12, 2025 at 3:13 PM
⛰️🏔️ Episode 20 is now live! 🏔️⛰️
In this episode, we look at the amazing story of the Achaemenid Persian Empire.
Find out how the world's largest empire rose, flourished, and finally fell in ash and flame.
YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRYd...
Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/6AeH...
In this episode, we look at the amazing story of the Achaemenid Persian Empire.
Find out how the world's largest empire rose, flourished, and finally fell in ash and flame.
YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRYd...
Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/6AeH...
Reposted by Josh Chesser
I finally processed the 2024 TRIP survey on Canadian IR, and here are the results at OpenCanada for the rankings of PhD, MA, undergrad programs and think tanks as well as views towards whether and where should Canadians get PhDs in international relations opencanada.org/the-state-of... 1/2
November 12, 2025 at 3:02 PM
I finally processed the 2024 TRIP survey on Canadian IR, and here are the results at OpenCanada for the rankings of PhD, MA, undergrad programs and think tanks as well as views towards whether and where should Canadians get PhDs in international relations opencanada.org/the-state-of... 1/2
The main reason CI is handled by the FBI is the intel agencies are not allowed to operate within the US, by law.
Tulsi Gabbard is trying to take control over counterintelligence from the FBI. It's not going great. A scoop with @shaneharris.bsky.social
Tulsi Gabbard’s Quest to Bring the ‘Deep State’ Under Her Control
A memo circulating within the federal government lays out her office’s reasoning for wanting to transfer counterintelligence work away from the FBI.
www.theatlantic.com
November 7, 2025 at 6:09 PM
The main reason CI is handled by the FBI is the intel agencies are not allowed to operate within the US, by law.
What’s amazing about this pic is if you watch the video, he does actually turn and stand to see what’s going on. They ended the press conference and his media addled brain had him turn towards the exiting press because he didn’t want any pics of his side(s) taken.
incredible photo that's definitely worth at least 1,000 words from Andrew Harnik of Getty
November 6, 2025 at 6:28 PM
What’s amazing about this pic is if you watch the video, he does actually turn and stand to see what’s going on. They ended the press conference and his media addled brain had him turn towards the exiting press because he didn’t want any pics of his side(s) taken.
Reposted by Josh Chesser
“Testing plans for US nuclear weapons won’t include explosions, energy secretary says.”
Oh, cool. So the same thing we’ve been doing since… *checks notes* … 1995.
Oh, cool. So the same thing we’ve been doing since… *checks notes* … 1995.
November 3, 2025 at 3:18 AM
“Testing plans for US nuclear weapons won’t include explosions, energy secretary says.”
Oh, cool. So the same thing we’ve been doing since… *checks notes* … 1995.
Oh, cool. So the same thing we’ve been doing since… *checks notes* … 1995.
Reposted by Josh Chesser
“Even if you don’t have a space program, every single person on this planet is a user of space data or services in some way, shape, or form.”
~ SWF's @vsamsondc.bsky.social, at IAF GNF Session - Success in Space Through Security, Investment, and Sustainability
👉 www.youtube.com/watch
~ SWF's @vsamsondc.bsky.social, at IAF GNF Session - Success in Space Through Security, Investment, and Sustainability
👉 www.youtube.com/watch
October 31, 2025 at 6:45 PM
“Even if you don’t have a space program, every single person on this planet is a user of space data or services in some way, shape, or form.”
~ SWF's @vsamsondc.bsky.social, at IAF GNF Session - Success in Space Through Security, Investment, and Sustainability
👉 www.youtube.com/watch
~ SWF's @vsamsondc.bsky.social, at IAF GNF Session - Success in Space Through Security, Investment, and Sustainability
👉 www.youtube.com/watch
Fun to see everyone dressing up in costumes for my birthday today! You guys do this every year for me and it's always cool. I appreciate it! Happy Halloween everyone!
October 31, 2025 at 11:50 PM
Fun to see everyone dressing up in costumes for my birthday today! You guys do this every year for me and it's always cool. I appreciate it! Happy Halloween everyone!
A politicians dream is only having to appease 10k people instead of 100k. Not being a part of the process makes their job (of running for office) easier and often sets them on cruise control while they’re in office.
This isn’t a consumer boycott, where a business wants to get as menu consumers as possible and will pay attention to your demands if you hold back.
A politician doesn’t want as many votes as possible. They want 50% of the available votes plus one more. That’s it!
A politician doesn’t want as many votes as possible. They want 50% of the available votes plus one more. That’s it!
October 30, 2025 at 2:36 PM
A politicians dream is only having to appease 10k people instead of 100k. Not being a part of the process makes their job (of running for office) easier and often sets them on cruise control while they’re in office.
The real fun part of in orbit data centers, aside from the concerns of refueling/lifespan maintenance, debris detection and mitigation, and etc. is computers to be used in space have to be hardened against the higher radiation environment, both from our sun but also the cosmic rays…
October 30, 2025 at 2:26 PM
The real fun part of in orbit data centers, aside from the concerns of refueling/lifespan maintenance, debris detection and mitigation, and etc. is computers to be used in space have to be hardened against the higher radiation environment, both from our sun but also the cosmic rays…
They really can’t help but give up their plans in advance, can they?
And actually astonishing when you think about it: The Trump administration's top officials are choosing to separate themselves from the public—more to the point: separate themselves from any visible protest—and live on military bases.
Gift link here: www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
Gift link here: www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
Top Trump Officials Are Moving Onto Military Bases
Stephen Miller, Marco Rubio, Kristi Noem, and others have taken over homes that until recently housed senior officers.
www.theatlantic.com
October 30, 2025 at 2:09 PM
They really can’t help but give up their plans in advance, can they?
Some people just want to embrace the chaos.
trying to understand the mind of the american voter is like peering into a cursed grimoire that destroys your sanity
October 28, 2025 at 8:59 PM
Some people just want to embrace the chaos.
Reposted by Josh Chesser
I'm pleased to share my open access article in International Security on the role of allies in U.S. space power.
direct.mit.edu/isec/article...
direct.mit.edu/isec/article...
October 28, 2025 at 4:31 PM
I'm pleased to share my open access article in International Security on the role of allies in U.S. space power.
direct.mit.edu/isec/article...
direct.mit.edu/isec/article...