petschge
petschge
@longdouble.bsky.social
Plasma physics, mostly via kinetic simulations on supercomputers.

I occasionally (but not actually every day) post a "Paper of the Day" #potd that may or may not be related to my work.
Reposted by petschge
I don’t carry “immigration documents” with me at all times. Americans have not had to produce “their papers” for police without cause. Is this the new standard, given Kavanaugh stops? reason.com/2025/12/31/d...
DHS says REAL ID, which DHS certifies, is too unreliable to confirm U.S. citizenship
It's the punch line to a bad joke that started 20 years ago when Congress passed the REAL ID Act.
reason.com
January 2, 2026 at 5:21 PM
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Kikomancy- the magical art of using soy sauce to power spells
December 30, 2025 at 6:03 AM
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This is incredible: CCC #39C3 (hacker conference in Germany) is doing CO2 room monitoring this year just like @kawaiicon.bsky.social so attendees can assess risk!

- Dashboard link: datagnome.de/sensors/#__t...
- Image/alt via @itgrrl.com
- Previously @wired.com - www.wired.com/story/this-h...
December 28, 2025 at 11:40 PM
Reposted by petschge
Der #39C3 macht kurz Pause und freut sich unter neuem Namen #40C3 in ungefähr 361 Tagen wieder auf euch.
December 30, 2025 at 11:02 PM
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As of 12/24/25, USPS changed policy on when they postmark mail. Mail dropped off is no longer guaranteed a same-day postmark. Tax returns & other time-sensitive items are now stamped when they reach a regional processing center, which may be days later. Plan deadlines accordingly to avoid penalties.
USPS Announces Changes to the Postmark Date System
The United States Postal Service (USPS) has adopted a final rule (FR Doc.
share.google
December 29, 2025 at 4:32 PM
Reposted by petschge
Hans Bethe, the scientist who worked in both the Manhattan Project & USA H-bomb programs, wrote in 1983 a 40 page history called "The Story of Los Alamos."

It seems not to be publicly available online except where I have made it so, free for all: osf.io/thjpk

#NukeSKY

1/n
December 28, 2025 at 11:39 PM
Reposted by petschge
We didn't survive and thrive as a species because we had warriors or hunters - pretty much every omnivore can manage that.

We did so because we developed Grandmothers, and domesticated Dogs.

Community is what defines us as a species, and every "self-reliant" libertarian shitweasel be damned.
"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.
December 28, 2025 at 5:00 AM
Reposted by petschge
"Did you see what Mark Cuban posted? Oh did you see the clapb—"

You shake yourself awake in the cold North Atlantic water. You are not online. It is July of 1858. You are a baleen whale, and you have changed your mind. The future most not come to pass. The telegraph cable must break.
December 27, 2025 at 2:06 AM
Reposted by petschge
Powerful Christmas Day winds gusting up to 114 mph severely damaged UC Lick Observatory on Mount Hamilton, forcing the nearly 140-year-old facility to close while officials headquartered at UC Santa Cruz assess structural damage and begin repairs expected to take months.
Christmas Day winds up to 114 mph damage UC Lick Observatory
Powerful Christmas Day winds gusting up to 114 mph severely damaged UC Lick Observatory on Mount Hamilton, forcing the nearly 140-year-old facility to close while officials headquartered at UC Santa Cruz assess structural damage and begin repairs expected to take months.
buff.ly
December 26, 2025 at 8:00 PM
Reposted by petschge
who’s at #39C3 and also interested in #atproto #didplc related meetups and workshops?

(or knows someone who might be?)

@atproto.science
@eurosky.social
@atprotocol.dev

@tgoerke.bsky.social
@wake.st
@renderg.host
@bmann.ca
@bnewbold.net
December 26, 2025 at 3:00 PM
Reposted by petschge
Der Bundesinnenminister rät einer bayerischen Schule dazu, ein rechtskräftiges Urteil des Verwaltungsgerichtes zu ignorieren.

Rücktritt oder durch den VS beobachten lassen, weil er offenbar nicht die rechtsstaatlichen Grundsätze versteht.

www.news4teachers.de/2025/12/kruz...
Kruzifix: Schule ignoriert höchstrichterliches Urteil - mit Segen des Kultusministeriums - News4teachers
MÜNCHEN. Zwei Schülerinnen haben vor dem höchsten Verwaltungsgericht Bayerns Recht bekommen – und dennoch bleibt am staatlichen Gymnasium in Wolnzach
www.news4teachers.de
December 26, 2025 at 3:45 PM
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DOGE was A LOT less likely to cancel contracts from companies that donated money to Republicans than companies that donated to Democrats.
December 25, 2025 at 10:47 PM
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Merry Christmas! Michelle and I hope you have a wonderful holiday filled with light and joy.
December 25, 2025 at 4:01 PM
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Space Force after a gap of some days has identified the dead Starlink 35956 again, showing its decaying orbit
December 26, 2025 at 2:22 AM
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Ummm, should I be flattered or offended by this Christmas present? 😂🤣😂
December 25, 2025 at 7:00 PM
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To paraphrase Terry Pratchett:
Evil is when you treat people like things. Period. That's how it starts, and it leads to far worse.

Source: wist.info/pratchett-te...
December 24, 2025 at 10:48 PM
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OK, I'll bite. Why is a single 35,000 ton battleship better for this role than 3 Arleigh Burke destroyers?
December 24, 2025 at 7:51 PM
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meanwhile, the Twitterati are calling for a ban on all travel from Europe
December 19, 2025 at 2:36 PM
Reposted by petschge
Classic reply.

We spoke to Flock safety, the manufacturer of these cameras, about privacy concerns.

"How is that being addressed?" ABC7 News reporter Luz Pena asked.

"If you're not involved in a crime, you shouldn't be concerned about privacy," said Lily Ho, Public Affairs for Flock Safety.
Cop surveillance center in SF is funded by private donations by tech and crypto CEOs who also invest in these technologies. SF is where they can get their marketing tax deductible via testing out tech violence on those pushed down by the wealth gap they have created abc7news.com/post/how-sfp...
How SFPD's new investigation center is 'catching criminals faster' using 400 cameras, drones
The Real-Time Investigation Center is also known as R-TIC. At the center, SFPD investigators have access to 400 license plate reader cameras and more than 60 drones to fight crime.
abc7news.com
December 24, 2025 at 8:38 AM
Reposted by petschge
I count 10 cities in 2025 that are on track to have the fewest murders since at least 1970. Newark is on pace to have the fewest murders since 1956 (though only have data through Oct this year) and San Francisco is on pace to have the fewest murders since 1942.
December 23, 2025 at 7:06 PM
Reposted by petschge
These declines are MASSIVE.

And the comparative silence in media coverage is absolutely DAMNING.

“Why are ppl always so afraid of crime?”

THIS is why. When crime goes up, media trips over itself to report it.

Falls to pre-war (!!) levels? Just CRICKETS.
I count 10 cities in 2025 that are on track to have the fewest murders since at least 1970. Newark is on pace to have the fewest murders since 1956 (though only have data through Oct this year) and San Francisco is on pace to have the fewest murders since 1942.
December 23, 2025 at 10:03 PM
Reposted by petschge
NEW: By a 6-3 vote, the Supreme Court blocks Trump’s deployment of the National Guard to Chicago to assist immigration agents. A majority holds that he likely lacks authority to do so. Thomas, Alito, and Gorsuch dissent. www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/25p...
December 23, 2025 at 8:16 PM
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Congratulations! 🥳
For re-examining and improving a 33-year-old reconstruction of #solarirradiance, #mpsgoettingen scientist Theodosios Chatzistergos received the #keesdejagerprize for best publication in the journal #solarphysics. The award was now […]

[Original post on academiccloud.social]
December 19, 2025 at 2:11 PM
Reposted by petschge
Huge Longmont climbing gym is closed for repairs after wind nearly tore the roof off trib.al/pN6w2lt
Huge Longmont climbing gym is closed for repairs after wind nearly tore the roof off
Owners of the Climbing Collective gym in Longmont, one of Colorado’s foremost climbing facilities, are hopeful they can reopen later this week after high winds ripped off roof panels last Fri…
trib.al
December 22, 2025 at 10:39 PM