Ryan Dahn
@ryandahn.com
Editor at @physicstoday.bsky.social. Historian studying Nazi science by night. Passionate about Philadelphia urbanism, sports, and politics. All opinions my own.
https://ryandahn.com
https://ryandahn.com
this is wack.
the Rocky statue’s spot at the base of the steps was perfect. it made tourists happy without devaluing the art museum.
www.inquirer.com/news/philade...
the Rocky statue’s spot at the base of the steps was perfect. it made tourists happy without devaluing the art museum.
www.inquirer.com/news/philade...
Art Commission approves plan to move Rocky statue to top of Art Museum steps
Since 2006, the statue has sat at the base of the museum’s steps.
www.inquirer.com
January 14, 2026 at 11:54 PM
this is wack.
the Rocky statue’s spot at the base of the steps was perfect. it made tourists happy without devaluing the art museum.
www.inquirer.com/news/philade...
the Rocky statue’s spot at the base of the steps was perfect. it made tourists happy without devaluing the art museum.
www.inquirer.com/news/philade...
really annoying to see this useless product of the Philly machine garnering national media attention for this grandstanding. it's a grift, pure and simple.
‘You don’t want this smoke’: Philadelphia Sheriff Rochelle Bilal goes viral, draws criticism for message to ICE agents
Clips of Bilal have circulated on social media, and the sheriff’s name has been invoked in headlines. One Florida politician said Bilal should be arrested.
www.inquirer.com
January 12, 2026 at 7:01 PM
really annoying to see this useless product of the Philly machine garnering national media attention for this grandstanding. it's a grift, pure and simple.
love to be ruled by a dude who's so much of a narcissist that becoming the US president twice isn't enough—he also needs the Nobel Peace Prize to sooth his lil ego.
January 9, 2026 at 9:39 PM
love to be ruled by a dude who's so much of a narcissist that becoming the US president twice isn't enough—he also needs the Nobel Peace Prize to sooth his lil ego.
this is a very important point. let's also remember that in 1932, the Nazis did not top 37% of the vote.
even in the March 1933 election, which was very much neither free nor fair, as millions of SA goons deployed to "protect" polling places, the Nazis did not secure a majority of the vote.
even in the March 1933 election, which was very much neither free nor fair, as millions of SA goons deployed to "protect" polling places, the Nazis did not secure a majority of the vote.
So to return to this: Mussolini had 200,000 blackshirts for the March on Rome in a country of ~35m. Hitler had 400,000 brownshirts in 1932 in Germany for a population of ~60m.
So around 0.6% of the population.
0.6% of 340m Americans is just over 2 million.
They do not have enough goons.
So around 0.6% of the population.
0.6% of 340m Americans is just over 2 million.
They do not have enough goons.
In 1932, on the eve of seizing power, the Nazi goon army - the Sturmabteiling or SA - numbered 400,000 members. By 1933, it was over two *million.*
DHS has 240,00 employees and lot of those are non-goons who have, you know, real jobs.
DHS has 240,00 employees and lot of those are non-goons who have, you know, real jobs.
January 9, 2026 at 7:13 PM
this is a very important point. let's also remember that in 1932, the Nazis did not top 37% of the vote.
even in the March 1933 election, which was very much neither free nor fair, as millions of SA goons deployed to "protect" polling places, the Nazis did not secure a majority of the vote.
even in the March 1933 election, which was very much neither free nor fair, as millions of SA goons deployed to "protect" polling places, the Nazis did not secure a majority of the vote.
it's all so pathetic, from the Diet Coke button, to the whining about the Nobel Peace Prize, to Will Scharf (whom i'm ashamed to say i knew in college) coming in to help Trump adjust some tacky building model, to how the @nytimes.com sent in 4 reporters to serve as regime stenographers.
The Many Faces of Trump: What We Saw When We Interviewed the President
www.nytimes.com
January 9, 2026 at 6:23 PM
it's all so pathetic, from the Diet Coke button, to the whining about the Nobel Peace Prize, to Will Scharf (whom i'm ashamed to say i knew in college) coming in to help Trump adjust some tacky building model, to how the @nytimes.com sent in 4 reporters to serve as regime stenographers.
this gets at something i've been thinking about for a while: the way Elon's rewiring of the Twitter algorithm to exclusively favor far-right content (and his own account) makes it seem like a vast majority of people agree with and share these odious beliefs.
For me, the most difficult part is often the lies.— www.unpopularfront.news/p/living-in-...
Living in the Lie
And How Not To
www.unpopularfront.news
January 8, 2026 at 5:52 PM
this gets at something i've been thinking about for a while: the way Elon's rewiring of the Twitter algorithm to exclusively favor far-right content (and his own account) makes it seem like a vast majority of people agree with and share these odious beliefs.
many of the supposed parallels between the Nazi and Trump regimes are off base, but the way the Trump regime is attempting to rewrite the history of January 6 is eerily similar to what the Nazis did with the Beer Hall Putsch after they took power.
January 6, 2026 at 7:55 PM
many of the supposed parallels between the Nazi and Trump regimes are off base, but the way the Trump regime is attempting to rewrite the history of January 6 is eerily similar to what the Nazis did with the Beer Hall Putsch after they took power.
Reposted by Ryan Dahn
kind of darkly funny that "gender studies" is the stereotypical "useless degree" because gender studies will help you understand a large and important chunk of the current psychosis in american life
January 6, 2026 at 2:00 AM
kind of darkly funny that "gender studies" is the stereotypical "useless degree" because gender studies will help you understand a large and important chunk of the current psychosis in american life
NASA’s Largest Library Is Closing Amid Staff and Lab Cuts
www.nytimes.com
January 5, 2026 at 9:32 PM
Reposted by Ryan Dahn
The FIFA Peace Prize used to mean something
January 3, 2026 at 6:12 PM
The FIFA Peace Prize used to mean something
Reposted by Ryan Dahn
The UN proclaimed 2025 the Int’l Year of Quantum Science and Technology.
I was too busy to celebrate, except that just now I read this from @ryandahn.com.
A succinct history of a pivotal period, arguing against the portrayal of Heisenberg as a lone genius. 🧪
physicstoday.aip.org/features/dem...
I was too busy to celebrate, except that just now I read this from @ryandahn.com.
A succinct history of a pivotal period, arguing against the portrayal of Heisenberg as a lone genius. 🧪
physicstoday.aip.org/features/dem...
Demythologizing quantum history
Celebrating the 100th anniversary of quantum mechanics in 2025 without providing appropriate context risks reinforcing a long legacy of hagiography and hero worship.
physicstoday.aip.org
December 24, 2025 at 4:48 AM
The UN proclaimed 2025 the Int’l Year of Quantum Science and Technology.
I was too busy to celebrate, except that just now I read this from @ryandahn.com.
A succinct history of a pivotal period, arguing against the portrayal of Heisenberg as a lone genius. 🧪
physicstoday.aip.org/features/dem...
I was too busy to celebrate, except that just now I read this from @ryandahn.com.
A succinct history of a pivotal period, arguing against the portrayal of Heisenberg as a lone genius. 🧪
physicstoday.aip.org/features/dem...
found out today that a grad school colleague of mine whom i was reasonably friendly with took a job at New College of Florida after the DeSantis putsch and is now essentially a Chris Rufo lite. gross
December 18, 2025 at 9:01 PM
found out today that a grad school colleague of mine whom i was reasonably friendly with took a job at New College of Florida after the DeSantis putsch and is now essentially a Chris Rufo lite. gross
@reprabb.bsky.social's answer in this article made me very happy. excited to support him in the primary next year! it's time to get money out of politics.
(also let me just say that it is beyond bizarre that the biggest annual gathering of PA pols takes place in Manhattan...)
(also let me just say that it is beyond bizarre that the biggest annual gathering of PA pols takes place in Manhattan...)
Inside Pennsylvania Society: Power schmoozing, budget ballads, and midterm jockeying in Manhattan
Hundreds of Pennsylvania politcos made their way to New York for the state’s annual weekend of civility, bipartisanship, fundraising, and partying.
www.inquirer.com
December 16, 2025 at 3:31 AM
@reprabb.bsky.social's answer in this article made me very happy. excited to support him in the primary next year! it's time to get money out of politics.
(also let me just say that it is beyond bizarre that the biggest annual gathering of PA pols takes place in Manhattan...)
(also let me just say that it is beyond bizarre that the biggest annual gathering of PA pols takes place in Manhattan...)
Reposted by Ryan Dahn
ultimately, no one even grieved Charlie Kirk. he was just another thing for the worst people on earth to get outraged over. and when the outrage of real events wasn't enough, they invented new ones.
not even his wife saw his death as anything other than an opportunity.
not even his wife saw his death as anything other than an opportunity.
my read is they were trying to whip up the usual frenzy, but then the effort got blown up by Candace Owens saying The Jews did it
It’s kind of incredible how little has been published about this guy and how little conservatives seem to care. Did people just forget these people were screeching for civil war when they thought he was a liberal?
December 12, 2025 at 4:32 PM
ultimately, no one even grieved Charlie Kirk. he was just another thing for the worst people on earth to get outraged over. and when the outrage of real events wasn't enough, they invented new ones.
not even his wife saw his death as anything other than an opportunity.
not even his wife saw his death as anything other than an opportunity.
and maybe the worst part is that it's not just a lottery to get the chance to buy a ticket—you have to actually preselect which games and which categories you want, and then your card is automatically charged if you're selected. so you could theoretically be out thousands of dollars...
FIFA has hiked World Cup ticket prices yet again.
It's now...
💵 $700 for some standard group stage tickets
💵 $140 *at minimum* — no more Category 4
💵 $8,680 for a Category 1 ticket to the final
@theathleticfc.bsky.social has published a full list of prices here:
It's now...
💵 $700 for some standard group stage tickets
💵 $140 *at minimum* — no more Category 4
💵 $8,680 for a Category 1 ticket to the final
@theathleticfc.bsky.social has published a full list of prices here:
World Cup ticket prices rise again after draw; What each match costs to attend
For the first time, tickets are available to specific World Cup games, and the prices are largely on a significant rise
www.nytimes.com
December 11, 2025 at 7:05 PM
and maybe the worst part is that it's not just a lottery to get the chance to buy a ticket—you have to actually preselect which games and which categories you want, and then your card is automatically charged if you're selected. so you could theoretically be out thousands of dollars...
just going to put it on record that as a big fan of the original Rocky film, I think this is incredibly dumb and cheapens one of the best art museums in the country. Philly is so much more than a fictional character!
Plan to keep a Rocky statue at the top of the Art Museum steps moves forward
If the plan goes through, the screen-used statue that sits at the bottom of the Art Museum steps would be moved to the top.
www.inquirer.com
December 11, 2025 at 4:42 PM
just going to put it on record that as a big fan of the original Rocky film, I think this is incredibly dumb and cheapens one of the best art museums in the country. Philly is so much more than a fictional character!
hadn't heard about this, but it's lame AF. the first Rocky is an all-time classic, but Stallone sucks, and the museum is so much more than a fictional character. the current situation with the statue near the museum was perfect.
The Philadelphia Art Commission will review a proposal today backed by Mayor Parker to keep Stallone's Rocky statute at the top of the Art Museum steps permanently and give the one at the bottom to him in return.
It's clear how a lot of us feel about this. 1/4
www.inquirer.com/columnists/r...
It's clear how a lot of us feel about this. 1/4
www.inquirer.com/columnists/r...
The ‘Rocky’ statue at the top of the Art Museum has overstayed its welcome, readers agree
Officials won't say why Sylvester Stallone's casting of the "Rocky" statue remains at the top of the Philadelphia Museum of Art steps, months after it was to be removed, so we asked for your thoughts.
www.inquirer.com
December 10, 2025 at 6:26 PM
hadn't heard about this, but it's lame AF. the first Rocky is an all-time classic, but Stallone sucks, and the museum is so much more than a fictional character. the current situation with the statue near the museum was perfect.
truly don't know how anyone sits through an open enrollment meeting and comes away with any conclusion other than "we need single-payer healthcare ASAP"
December 8, 2025 at 6:38 PM
truly don't know how anyone sits through an open enrollment meeting and comes away with any conclusion other than "we need single-payer healthcare ASAP"
Reposted by Ryan Dahn
It is kinda wild how the president is evidently receiving some kind of regular medical care that requires IVs and we don't know what's up
Trump's bandaged and discolored hand was visible today during an event where he again at times struggled to keep his eyes open (Chip Somodevilla/Getty)
December 5, 2025 at 8:47 PM
It is kinda wild how the president is evidently receiving some kind of regular medical care that requires IVs and we don't know what's up
New reporting from @physicstoday.bsky.social on the situation at the historic Lowell Observatory. It...isn't great, sadly.
Tenured and tenure-track astronomers at cash-strapped Lowell Observatory must now either survive on hard-to-get grants or leave. As Toni Feder reports, the observatory will likely see at least a temporary slowdown in science as it tries to build back to financial sustainability. #physics #astronomy
With eye on future, Lowell Observatory shaves jobs, focuses science
As scientists scramble to land on their feet, the observatory’s mission remains to conduct science and public outreach.
physicstoday.aip.org
November 19, 2025 at 3:38 PM
New reporting from @physicstoday.bsky.social on the situation at the historic Lowell Observatory. It...isn't great, sadly.
well, this is alarming.
Nothing to see here (literally!). Just the US State Department secretly deleting 15 pages of declassified official documents published in 2021 in the Foreign Relations of the United States series about a 1983 NATO nuclear weapons exercise that unexpectedly increased the risk of a nuclear war.
Analysis | State Department deleted records about risk of inadvertent nuclear war
Key historical records about the incident during the Reagan administration, known as the Able Archer 83 War Scare, were removed without explanation.
wapo.st
November 14, 2025 at 6:15 PM
well, this is alarming.
Reposted by Ryan Dahn
honestly one of the most striking things about epstein's emails is the fact that the man, described in many places as "a genius," is essentially subliterate
November 12, 2025 at 10:57 PM
honestly one of the most striking things about epstein's emails is the fact that the man, described in many places as "a genius," is essentially subliterate
biggest revelation from the Epstein files: is there any high-powered individual who actually knows proper spelling and punctuation? jfc
November 12, 2025 at 9:19 PM
biggest revelation from the Epstein files: is there any high-powered individual who actually knows proper spelling and punctuation? jfc
Reposted by Ryan Dahn
why the fuck didn’t any of this stuff come out when Biden was president
A direct email exchange from 2011 between Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, just released by House Oversight Committee Democrats.
November 12, 2025 at 3:19 PM
why the fuck didn’t any of this stuff come out when Biden was president