Mike Boylan-Kolchin
@mbkplus.bsky.social
Dad, husband, astrophysicist, dog herder. Samuel T. and Fern Yanagisawa Regents Professor in Astronomy at UT Austin. This is a personal account and the views expressed in my posts here are mine. https://mrbk.github.io
Pinned
Mike Boylan-Kolchin
@mbkplus.bsky.social
· Sep 13
Mike Boylan-Kolchin
mrbk.github.io
New (academic) year, new me — well, new title, anyway. I promise to uphold the standards you’ve come to expect from the Samuel T. and Fern Yanagisawa Regents Professor in Astronomy.
I've often said that one of the most challenging parts of my life is ordering pizza from a mid national chain and I'm clamoring for a superintelligent Clippy to take this vexing problem out of my hands
January 16, 2026 at 8:18 PM
I've often said that one of the most challenging parts of my life is ordering pizza from a mid national chain and I'm clamoring for a superintelligent Clippy to take this vexing problem out of my hands
Reposted by Mike Boylan-Kolchin
@mbkplus.bsky.social and I discussed the rushed UVA search on Wednesday--one wonders about the judgment of anyone who would accept an appointment under these circumstances. livefromwatthall.transistor.fm/episodes/adm...
January 16, 2026 at 8:13 PM
@mbkplus.bsky.social and I discussed the rushed UVA search on Wednesday--one wonders about the judgment of anyone who would accept an appointment under these circumstances. livefromwatthall.transistor.fm/episodes/adm...
and that number? Threeve
January 16, 2026 at 7:53 PM
and that number? Threeve
Reposted by Mike Boylan-Kolchin
Channeling my Michael Hobbes and saying "is it, though? Is it really?"
![Because so many of its leaders lean conservative, UATX has been portrayed in some quarters as having been a right-wing project from the start. [highlighted:] However, the truth is vastly more complex.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:yj436z2s2v37rvaw33lc4ryq/bafkreicv42vljbbqghnda4uem3kfhficqsdzoupaypqc3vzjkkighrjudq@jpeg)
January 16, 2026 at 6:37 PM
Channeling my Michael Hobbes and saying "is it, though? Is it really?"
Same:
but i will say that if your position is that you'd rather have Vance or Trump than Democrat X, and these are the reasons why, then i'm going to judge you on those reasons, and if it's Vance>Dems WXYZ i am going to suspect we are not in fact meaningfully on the same side
January 16, 2026 at 6:42 PM
Same:
It's not just that the situation at UATX isn't "a tragedy worthy of the Greeks", it isn't worthy of Jimmy the Greek. It isn't worthy of the (nonexistent) legacy of the movie "Get Him to the Greek". Look at my 'freethinkers' and 'free speech absolutists' bro. This was quotidian destiny.
January 16, 2026 at 6:37 PM
It's not just that the situation at UATX isn't "a tragedy worthy of the Greeks", it isn't worthy of Jimmy the Greek. It isn't worthy of the (nonexistent) legacy of the movie "Get Him to the Greek". Look at my 'freethinkers' and 'free speech absolutists' bro. This was quotidian destiny.
Reposted by Mike Boylan-Kolchin
People sometimes make fun of Democrats for the thinness of their CVs (e.g., the 'community organizer' type jabs) but Jennings has really done nothing except flatter power and talk to the media his entire career. He has no expertise whatsoever except in being a conservative pundit.
You're a pundit. CNN wants to put you on a panel with Scott Jennings.
Discuss.
Discuss.
January 16, 2026 at 2:58 PM
People sometimes make fun of Democrats for the thinness of their CVs (e.g., the 'community organizer' type jabs) but Jennings has really done nothing except flatter power and talk to the media his entire career. He has no expertise whatsoever except in being a conservative pundit.
Reposted by Mike Boylan-Kolchin
Seems like one of those "poor planning by you doesn't constitute a problem for me" situations
* U.S. TRADE REPRESENTATIVE SAYS CANADA'S DECISION TO ALLOW 49,000 CHINESE EVS IS "PROBLEMATIC" -- CNBC INTERVIEW
January 16, 2026 at 4:07 PM
Seems like one of those "poor planning by you doesn't constitute a problem for me" situations
People are absolutely right that Trump is a simple man, it's easy to see what he wants, and he's 100% willing to be bought. However, they also forget that it's almost impossible to guarantee YOU'LL be the one reaping the benefits and you're much more likely to look foolish than to be rewarded.
The suckers payoff: Hassett sold any remaining integrity as an economist to become a Trump booster, and his reward is to never get a top Fed job
In a brief aside this AM, Trump remarked on his latest thinking about who he wants to run the Fed. He singled out Hassett, who's in attendance, for his work on television and said: "I actually want to keep you where you are, if you want to know the truth," essentially bc Hassett is a good spokesman
January 16, 2026 at 5:35 PM
People are absolutely right that Trump is a simple man, it's easy to see what he wants, and he's 100% willing to be bought. However, they also forget that it's almost impossible to guarantee YOU'LL be the one reaping the benefits and you're much more likely to look foolish than to be rewarded.
you can find me on instagram as @itwasntme*. Is that because I love Shaggy or because it wasn't me? Yes.
*you cannot, in fact, find me on instagram as @itwasntme
*you cannot, in fact, find me on instagram as @itwasntme
January 16, 2026 at 5:13 PM
you can find me on instagram as @itwasntme*. Is that because I love Shaggy or because it wasn't me? Yes.
*you cannot, in fact, find me on instagram as @itwasntme
*you cannot, in fact, find me on instagram as @itwasntme
Reposted by Mike Boylan-Kolchin
pretty sure he meant the other thing, grok, but very cool that those are your two things
January 16, 2026 at 4:55 PM
pretty sure he meant the other thing, grok, but very cool that those are your two things
Also, typically people in the US are explicitly protesting actions of the *US government*. Otherwise it's usually something like an expression of solidarity for a cause they support. Protestors are trying to move the government more into alignment with their views in addition to raising awareness
It is not "pedantic" to acknowledge that a college protest against Iran makes zero sense. Protests are typically against things, not in favor of rights movements in other countries!
January 16, 2026 at 4:40 PM
Also, typically people in the US are explicitly protesting actions of the *US government*. Otherwise it's usually something like an expression of solidarity for a cause they support. Protestors are trying to move the government more into alignment with their views in addition to raising awareness
Seems like one of those "poor planning by you doesn't constitute a problem for me" situations
* U.S. TRADE REPRESENTATIVE SAYS CANADA'S DECISION TO ALLOW 49,000 CHINESE EVS IS "PROBLEMATIC" -- CNBC INTERVIEW
January 16, 2026 at 4:07 PM
Seems like one of those "poor planning by you doesn't constitute a problem for me" situations
People sometimes make fun of Democrats for the thinness of their CVs (e.g., the 'community organizer' type jabs) but Jennings has really done nothing except flatter power and talk to the media his entire career. He has no expertise whatsoever except in being a conservative pundit.
You're a pundit. CNN wants to put you on a panel with Scott Jennings.
Discuss.
Discuss.
January 16, 2026 at 2:58 PM
People sometimes make fun of Democrats for the thinness of their CVs (e.g., the 'community organizer' type jabs) but Jennings has really done nothing except flatter power and talk to the media his entire career. He has no expertise whatsoever except in being a conservative pundit.
I'll take one Whiskey Friday With Tony Dokoupil, hold the Tony Dokoupil
January 16, 2026 at 2:55 PM
I'll take one Whiskey Friday With Tony Dokoupil, hold the Tony Dokoupil
In fairness, showing up late with material that's already been covered in detail is probably a signature of Whiskey Friday with Tony Dokoupil
Logged on here to make a Whiskey Friday with Tony Dokoupil joke and for better or worse this is the website for me because there are already 900 jokes about Whiskey Friday with Tony Dokoupil
January 16, 2026 at 2:33 PM
In fairness, showing up late with material that's already been covered in detail is probably a signature of Whiskey Friday with Tony Dokoupil
I think this is key in the context of 'Trump will cancel elections' discourse. He may want to, but the fact that he's turning people strongly against him — and shows no evidence of wanting to take concrete actions that could reverse this trend — makes it nearly impossible for him to pull it off.
a year in and trump is in free fall with the public across every conceivable issue
CNN poll finds majority of Americans say Trump is focused on the wrong priorities | CNN Politics
Public opinion on nearly every aspect of President Donald Trump’s first year back in the White House is negative, a new CNN poll conducted by SSRS finds, with a majority of Americans saying Trump is f...
www.cnn.com
January 16, 2026 at 2:23 PM
I think this is key in the context of 'Trump will cancel elections' discourse. He may want to, but the fact that he's turning people strongly against him — and shows no evidence of wanting to take concrete actions that could reverse this trend — makes it nearly impossible for him to pull it off.
Reposted by Mike Boylan-Kolchin
Good morning from the 40 acres. Let’s get after it today. 🤘
January 16, 2026 at 1:39 PM
Good morning from the 40 acres. Let’s get after it today. 🤘
Turns out that Bluesky, the official app of sports, is also the app for good political writing. Truly we contain multitudes.
Democrats' tone-deaf posts about the cost of groceries during an all-out constitutional crisis are driving you insane. I get it.
There's a reason they're doing it though.
badfaithtimes.com/the-normies-...
There's a reason they're doing it though.
badfaithtimes.com/the-normies-...
The Normies Care About Inflation More Than You Know
The Trump regime's fake populism has been exposed and people are looking elsewhere for help
badfaithtimes.com
January 16, 2026 at 1:13 PM
Turns out that Bluesky, the official app of sports, is also the app for good political writing. Truly we contain multitudes.
They really don’t have any ideas other than “let’s put an old white guy who used to be in charge back in charge”. (No shade to Shatner, who’s great in Star Trek; I’m guessing that, at 94, he just wants people like Miller to leave him in peace.)
Stephen Miller is upset about Star Trek, one of the most socially progressive franchises in TV history
January 16, 2026 at 12:06 PM
They really don’t have any ideas other than “let’s put an old white guy who used to be in charge back in charge”. (No shade to Shatner, who’s great in Star Trek; I’m guessing that, at 94, he just wants people like Miller to leave him in peace.)
Reposted by Mike Boylan-Kolchin
Wow, I *really* do not like reading recommendation letters where the writer spends a LONG paragraph tooting their own horn under the guise of providing context for the letter
January 16, 2026 at 3:23 AM
Wow, I *really* do not like reading recommendation letters where the writer spends a LONG paragraph tooting their own horn under the guise of providing context for the letter
Reposted by Mike Boylan-Kolchin
Is it about enforcing laws? They seem to be breaking just as many of them. Is it about apprehending violent criminals? They seem to be focusing on people who are Outside While Non-white. The whole effort is bullshit, and it's a stain on our country that won't come out easily.
January 16, 2026 at 3:39 AM
Is it about enforcing laws? They seem to be breaking just as many of them. Is it about apprehending violent criminals? They seem to be focusing on people who are Outside While Non-white. The whole effort is bullshit, and it's a stain on our country that won't come out easily.
Wasn't one of the key MAGA talking points that we shouldn't be handing out participation trophies? And now he's celebrating a Nobel Prize that someone else won and put in his hands (and he looked happier than he's been in years)?!?
I mean I *knew* that the whole plan was for Machado to go to the White House and physically give Trump her Nobel Prize and yet I still feel like I’m disassociating that it happened.
January 16, 2026 at 3:47 AM
Wasn't one of the key MAGA talking points that we shouldn't be handing out participation trophies? And now he's celebrating a Nobel Prize that someone else won and put in his hands (and he looked happier than he's been in years)?!?