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Reposted by Nigel Goldenfeld

Brendan Nyhan @brendannyhan.bsky.social · 9h

Every targeted institution (my own very much included) should cut and paste this letter onto their letterhead.

Kathleen Clark @kathleenclark.bsky.social · 10h

A master class from MIT in responding to authoritarian overreach:

Your “premise … is inconsistent with our core belief that scientific funding should be based on scientific merit alone.
… America’s leadership in science & innovation depends on independent thinking & open competition for excellence.

Dear Madam Secretary,
I write in response to your letter of October 1, inviting MIT to review a "Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education." I acknowledge the vital importance of these matters.
I appreciated the chance to meet with you earlier this year to discuss the priorities we share for American higher education.
As we discussed, the Institute's mission of service to the nation directs us to advance knowledge, educate students and bring knowledge to bear on the world's great challenges.
We do that in line with a clear set of values, with excellence above all. Some practical examples:
• MIT prides itself on rewarding merit. Students, faculty and staff succeed here based on the strength of their talent, ideas and hard work. For instance, the Institute was the first to reinstate the SAT/ACT requirement after the pandemic. And MIT has never had legacy preferences in admissions.
• MIT opens its doors to the most talented students regardless of their family's finances. Admissions are need-blind. Incoming undergraduates whose families earn less than $200,000 a year pay no tuition. Nearly 88% of our last graduating class left MIT with no debt for their education. We make a wealth of free courses and low-cost certificates available to any American with an internet connection. Of the undergraduate degrees we award, 94% are in STEM fields. And in service to the nation, we cap enrollment of international undergraduates at roughly 10%.

source:
https://orgchart.mit.edu/letters/regarding-compact

• We value free expression, as clearly described in the MIT Statement on Freedom of Expression and Academic Freedom. We must hear facts and opinions we don't like - and engage respectfully with those with whom we disagree.
These values and other MIT practices meet or exceed many standards outlined in the document you sent. We freely choose these values because they're right, and we live by them because they support our mission - work of immense value to the prosperity, competitiveness, health and security of the United States. And of course, MIT abides by the law.
The document also includes principles with which we disagree, including those that would restrict freedom of expression and our independence as an institution. And fundamentally, the premise of the document is inconsistent with our core belief that scientific funding should be based on scientific merit alone.
In our view, America's leadership in science and innovation depends on independent thinking and open competition for excellence. In that free marketplace of ideas, the people of MIT gladly compete with the very best, without preferences. Therefore, with respect, we cannot support the proposed approach to addressing the issues facing higher education.
As you know, MIT's record of service to the nation is long and enduring. Eight decades ago, MIT leaders helped invent a scientific partnership between America's research universities and the U.S. government that has delivered extraordinary benefits for the American people. We continue to believe in the power of this partnership to serve the nation.
Sincerely,
Sally Kornbluth

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Reposted by Nigel Goldenfeld

Reuters @reuters.com · 15h

'When authoritarians seize power, it is crucial to recognize courageous defenders of freedom who rise and resist,' the Norwegian Nobel Committee said as it announced Maria Corina Machado as the winner of the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize

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Reposted by Nigel Goldenfeld

The Daily Show @thedailyshow.com · 1d

The following is REAL footage from Portland, 2025. Viewer discretion is advised.

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Nigel Goldenfeld @nigelgoldenfeld.bsky.social · 6d

As far as I can tell, this $8B in cuts to clean energy as part of the government shutdown is on top of the $13B from the pocket rescission.

"...this administration is not serious about American energy dominance”.

Big surprise.

www.energy.gov/articles/ene...

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

Trump officials cut nearly $8bn in clean energy projects in Democratic states

Democrats and environmental groups slam move as ‘sick political game’ and say it will drive up energy bills

www.theguardian.com

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Reposted by Nigel Goldenfeld

Patrick Fenelon @patrickfenelon.bsky.social · 8d

ICE is going to apartment buildings without a warrant, breaking down the door of literally every unit, zip tying & detaining everyone inside, & arresting people for things that have nothing to do with immigration.

This is a 5 alarm fire. This is what a secret police force does.

Walter Olson @walterolson.bsky.social · 8d

“ABC7 spoke to Pertissue Fisher, a woman who lives in the building. She said ICE agents took everyone in the building, including her, and asked questions later….’They was bringing the kids down, too, had them zip tied to each other.’”

It can’t happen here, you say. But it is happening.

ICE agents raid South Shore apartments; Trump says Chicago could become military training ground

ICE agents raided a South Shore apartment building overnight as the city braces for a possible military deployment.

abc7chicago.com

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Reposted by Nigel Goldenfeld

Walter Olson @walterolson.bsky.social · 8d

“ABC7 spoke to Pertissue Fisher, a woman who lives in the building. She said ICE agents took everyone in the building, including her, and asked questions later….’They was bringing the kids down, too, had them zip tied to each other.’”

It can’t happen here, you say. But it is happening.

ICE agents raid South Shore apartments; Trump says Chicago could become military training ground

ICE agents raided a South Shore apartment building overnight as the city braces for a possible military deployment.

abc7chicago.com

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Reposted by Nigel Goldenfeld

Ryan Enos @ryanenos.bsky.social · 8d

Secret police busting down doors in the middle of the night. It isn't a question of "could it happen here?" It is happening here and we must resist. chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/...

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Nigel Goldenfeld @nigelgoldenfeld.bsky.social · 8d

"Mr. Pritzker ... said the effort was calculated to damage and intimidate Chicago, calling the federal officers “jackbooted thugs roaming around a peaceful downtown.” He added that parents were afraid to send children to school and that small businesses were suffering."

tinyurl.com/3zbhdhts

Drones, Helicopters, Hundreds of Arrests: Trump’s Immigration Crackdown in Chicago So Far

www.nytimes.com

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Nigel Goldenfeld @nigelgoldenfeld.bsky.social · 8d

clearsky.app

🧪⚛️
Here is a web site that enables you to see what starter packs you are in, and other useful information.

I discovered that there is a condensed matter physics starter pack for example.

bsky.app/starter-pack...

ClearSky

ClearSky - Bringing information closer to you

clearsky.app

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Nigel Goldenfeld @nigelgoldenfeld.bsky.social · 8d

"Armed federal agents in military fatigues ... pulling men, women and children from their apartments, some of them naked... Agents approached or entered nearly every apartment in the five-story building, and U.S. citizens were among those detained for hours."

www.wbez.org/immigration/...

Massive immigration raid on Chicago apartment building leaves residents reeling: 'I feel defeated'

The Department of Homeland Security said federal agents with Border Patrol, the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives arrested 37 people in the raid.

www.wbez.org

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Nigel Goldenfeld @nigelgoldenfeld.bsky.social · 13d

@marcelias.bsky.social meanwhile in a suburb of Chicago (see these below). How is this legal?

bsky.app/profile/nige...

Nigel Goldenfeld @nigelgoldenfeld.bsky.social · 13d

"The deployment of tear gas, pepper spray, mace, & rubber bullets in the vicinity of the #ICE processing center in ... Broadview is endangering ... village residents, Broadview Police Officers, Broadview Firefighters, & American citizens exercising their 1st Amendment rights"

tinyurl.com/4pzex57y

Broadview mayor says ICE is ‘making war on my community’ after latest protests at immigration facility

Federal officers again fired rubber pellets and chemical irritants into a crowd of protesters gathered Friday outside the fenced-off compound.

chicago.suntimes.com

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Nigel Goldenfeld @nigelgoldenfeld.bsky.social · 13d

"ICE agents told the BPD that they will be launching enforcement action throughout all of Broadview throughout the day... ICE informed BPD officials that [they] will be again deploying chemical arms ... against American citizens, our residents & our first responders," according to ... Broadview.

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Nigel Goldenfeld @nigelgoldenfeld.bsky.social · 13d

"In a statement, the village said ICE informed the Broadview Police Department that there will be "a s*** show" in the village on Saturday."

See below in this thread for ICE's plans for Saturday: this is literally civil war against an American community.

tinyurl.com/3rhvurrf

ICE to launch ‘enforcement action’ in Broadview amid outcry over feds' response to protests

Broadview officials said ICE agents will launch “enforcement action" throughout the village on Saturday amid heated protests.

tinyurl.com

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Nigel Goldenfeld @nigelgoldenfeld.bsky.social · 13d

"The deployment of tear gas, pepper spray, mace, & rubber bullets in the vicinity of the #ICE processing center in ... Broadview is endangering ... village residents, Broadview Police Officers, Broadview Firefighters, & American citizens exercising their 1st Amendment rights"

tinyurl.com/4pzex57y

Broadview mayor says ICE is ‘making war on my community’ after latest protests at immigration facility

Federal officers again fired rubber pellets and chemical irritants into a crowd of protesters gathered Friday outside the fenced-off compound.

chicago.suntimes.com

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Reposted by Nigel Goldenfeld

Indivisible ❌👑 @indivisible.org · 17d

Congress can end Trump’s Epstein cover-up: act.indivisible.org/sign/epstein...

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Nigel Goldenfeld @nigelgoldenfeld.bsky.social · 21d

Many brave people there tonight too.

"Mayor Daniel Biss of Evanston, Ill., after wiping tear gas from his eyes, called the actions of ICE “a performance in brutality. ... Our job is to resist it as visibly, vocally & aggressively as we can while staying nonviolent.”
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/19/u...

Protesters and Federal Agents Clash Outside an ICE Detention Facility Near Chicago

www.nytimes.com

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Reposted by Nigel Goldenfeld

Stand Up for Science! @standupforscience.bsky.social · 23d

Susan Monarez's testimony exposed exactly what's at stake if RFK remains the Secretary of HHS. We are saying DUCK NO to the Quack's attacks on public health and his reckless sidelining of scientific experts.

Urge your Reps to impeach and remove RFK Jr. ➡️ act.standupforscience.net/forms/sign-o...

Susan Monarez and Sen. Cassidy at Senate hearing. Text overlays their images, with quotes from the hearing about RFK.

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Nigel Goldenfeld @nigelgoldenfeld.bsky.social · 23d

"The National Academies report says EPA’s 2009 finding was accurate, has stood the test of time, and is now reinforced by even stronger evidence. Much of the understanding of climate change that was uncertain or tentative in 2009 has now been resolved by scientific research..."

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Nigel Goldenfeld @nigelgoldenfeld.bsky.social · 23d

"The report focuses on evidence gathered by the scientific community since 2009, when the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency found that greenhouse gas emissions threaten public health & welfare. The EPA recently gave notice of proposed rulemaking indicating its intention to rescind this finding."

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Nigel Goldenfeld @nigelgoldenfeld.bsky.social · 23d

🧪

Released just now: "A new report from the @nationalacademies.org says the evidence for current and future harm to human health and welfare created by human-caused greenhouse gases is beyond scientific dispute."

Report and webinar link below.

www.nationalacademies.org/news/2025/09...

www.nationalacademies.org

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Nigel Goldenfeld @nigelgoldenfeld.bsky.social · 23d

🧪 Excellent summary of the important work being done by @joshuasweitz.bsky.social and Alyssa Sinclair, mapping impact of NIH budget cuts.

Great that new funding will extend their work to other agencies.

Vital to let your lawmakers know of economic impact in their districts of proposed cuts!

Paul Guinnessy @paulguinnessy.bsky.social · 23d

What to see where Trump's administration is destroying the science base? There's an app for that.

UMD Researchers and Colleagues Map the Impact of… | Maryland Today

Open Philanthropy Award to Expand Work Tallying Billions in Terminated Grants, Projected Losses

today.umd.edu

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Nigel Goldenfeld @nigelgoldenfeld.bsky.social · 27d

🧪⚛️

Our latest results on the laminar-turbulent transition in pipes. Body forces acting in the fluid give a tricritical point once the body force is strong enough. Centrifugal force in a curved or helical pipe is an example. Bjorn Hof's experiments see these effects.

arxiv.org/abs/2311.11474

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Reposted by Nigel Goldenfeld

Governor JB Pritzker @govpritzker.illinois.gov · Sep 6

Know your rights, Illinois.

Stay safe and stay informed.

Know & Exercise Your Rights Flyer provided by the Illinois Immigration Information Hub.

1. Remain Calm. 2. You have the right to deny entry without a valid warrant. 3. You have the right to remain silent. 4. You have the right to speak with an attorney. 5. You have the right to not sign anything.

For more information, head to: https://www.illinoisimmigrationinfo.org/

Know & Exercise Your Rights Flyer provided by the Illinois Immigration Information Hub.

For more information, head to: https://www.illinoisimmigrationinfo.org/

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Reposted by Nigel Goldenfeld

Peter Gleick @petergleick.bsky.social · Sep 6

During the day yesterday in California, >75%of all electricity was produced by renewable #energy, including solar.
After the sun went down, half of all electricity STILL came from renewables, including wind batteries, hydro, geothermal, etc.

The graph from the California independent system operator showing the mix of electricity produced yesterday generated from imports, exports, wind, nuclear, fossil fuels and lots of solar and batteries.

Tweet from the Department of Energy saying wind and solar energy is essentially worthless when it's dark outside and the wind is not blowing. Basically showing the DOE doesn't understand energy.

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Reposted by Nigel Goldenfeld

Anne Caprara @annecaprara.bsky.social · Sep 6

Let’s be clear - this should be a “what in the actual fuck” moment for our leaders, the press and all Americans.

Eliot Higgins @eliothiggins.bsky.social · Sep 6

Just Trump declaring war on a US city, a normal Saturday

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