Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Benne W. Holwerda @benneholwerda.bsky.social · 4h

AAS Nova @aasnova.org · 4h

Growing planets need to eat, and astronomers just found one snacking on gas in between the rings of a protoplanetary disk. aasnova.org/2025/10/08/g... 🔭🧪

Researchers Spot a Rare Glowing, Growing Planet

Growing planets need to eat, and astronomers just found one snacking on gas in between the rings of a protoplanetary disk.

aasnova.org

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Benne W. Holwerda @benneholwerda.bsky.social · 4h

Chileense president en Musk…

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Reposted by Benne W. Holwerda

Cathrin Machin Space Art @cathrinmachin.bsky.social · 4h

Can you help?… I’m trying to find my people

I know there’s more space fans here… just not sure how to reach you

Feels weird to ask, but would you give me a signal boost by hitting share?

If you’re new… Hi I’m Cat, I make pretty picture of space 🥹 let’s connect if you like weird space art

Woman standing next to large artwork on an easel. The painting is of a wormhole with gravitational lensing that shows stars and galaxies are warped around a central point.

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Reposted by Benne W. Holwerda

Angie Rasmussen @angierasmussen.bsky.social · 10h

Banning “dangerous gain-of-function” pathogen research is actually just banning pathogen research. TB causes chronic disease, the supposed cornerstone of the MAHA movement. Hard to see ending TB research on treatments as anything but another targeted attack on science in service of destroying it.

Rock Lab @rocklabtb.bsky.social · 11h

Ditto. Thanks for this Sarah. www.statnews.com/2025/10/06/g...

The NIH ordered me to stop my ‘dangerous’ gain-of-function research. It isn’t dangerous at all

Safe gain-of-function research is necessary to identify new treatments for diseases like for tuberculosis — but the NIH has imposed unfounded stops.

www.statnews.com

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Benne W. Holwerda @benneholwerda.bsky.social · 19h

We saw @jimgaffigan.bsky.social tonight with a half hour special on bourbon. He was funny. We laughed.

And back home at 9pm because it’s a school night.

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Benne W. Holwerda @benneholwerda.bsky.social · 19h

Or one @mattkenworthy.bsky.social

Andrea Kaston Tange @aktange.bsky.social · 1d

PSA: Get yourself a Committee of No—a trusted group you can ask about opportunities, offers & obligations to figure out which you should accept and which you should decline. It's a real boon in thinking through workload issues. Plus, they'll inevitably text you funny things at stressful moments.

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Sarah J. Jackson @sjjphd.bsky.social · 20h

Anyway it got really quiet. It was bleak. Then we started talking about organizing so there is that? Hey please join @aaup.org folks.

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American Fietser @americanfietser.bsky.social · 1d

Well, it's benefits election time again...

Starting next year, after we add a child to our health insurance policy, we'll be paying $574/month for health insurance, and that's just our portion. My wife's employer covers the rest.

This post written for my non-US audience. ☝️

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Benne W. Holwerda @benneholwerda.bsky.social · 1d

This is another 300 lvl class that is reasonably up to date. I will make repositories for the others soon too.

This one has a few from @venividivivi.bsky.social

github.com/bwholwerda/P...

GitHub - bwholwerda/PHYS390: The PHYS390 Fall 2019 Computational Physics Class Repository

The PHYS390 Fall 2019 Computational Physics Class Repository - bwholwerda/PHYS390

github.com

Benne W. Holwerda @benneholwerda.bsky.social · 1d

Okay here are my stellar and planetary astrophysics class assignments.

github.com/bwholwerda/P...

New class. Heavily “borrowed” from @michaelzingale.bsky.social

GitHub - bwholwerda/P307-Stellar-and-Planetary-Astrophysics: Repository of assignments for P307

Repository of assignments for P307. Contribute to bwholwerda/P307-Stellar-and-Planetary-Astrophysics development by creating an account on GitHub.

github.com

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Matthew Buckley @physicsmatt.bsky.social · 1d

We all struggle with imposter syndrome as scientists, and with that in mind I highly recommend checking in on Avi every now and then.

Jason Wright @astrowright.bsky.social · 1d

Wow, this is amazing. Apparently the pictures Avi posted on Medium of 3I/ATLAS from Mars with his amateur image analysis and astrometry are

a) Wrong and

b) Not even of 3I/ATLAS!

Simeon Schmauß @stim3on.bsky.social · 2d

No Avi, that Perseverance Navcam picture you posted isn't showing 3I/Atlas, it's just Phobos, the brighter one of Mars' moons.

If you were even half the expert you think you are, this possibility should have been quite obvious and worth mentioning.

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Benne W. Holwerda @benneholwerda.bsky.social · 1d

*Looks outside*

theoatmeal.com/comics/celes...

Celestial events - The Oatmeal

A comic about meteor showers, eclipses, and other celestial events.

theoatmeal.com

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Reposted by Benne W. Holwerda

Hend Amry @libyaliberty.bsky.social · 2d

Don’t get a third cat.

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Hend Amry @libyaliberty.bsky.social · 2d

Pretend you’re 65 & act accordingly: save your pennies, visit friends, enjoy slow walks in your neighborhood, shrug your shoulders at old beef between family & friends, grow a garden, forgive people because they’re “still young” even if they’re not but hold all politicians accountable. Get a cat.

essencesimmone.blacksky.app @essencesimmone.blacksky.app · 5d

Those who are 35+, what advice do you have for people just entering their 30s?

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Benne W. Holwerda @benneholwerda.bsky.social · 2d

Checks latest Avi nonsense.

Closes social media for the day

a man in a king 's costume is sitting on a stool holding a cane .

Alt: a man in a king 's costume is sitting on a stool holding a cane .

media.tenor.com

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derek guy @dieworkwear.bsky.social · 2d

😭

IG newberlinlibrary

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Benne W. Holwerda @benneholwerda.bsky.social · 2d

So many things to do…in danger of not getting on with any of it.

a man in a suit and tie is standing in a living room holding his jacket .

Alt: a man in a suit and tie is standing in a living room holding his jacket .

media.tenor.com

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Reposted by Benne W. Holwerda

Richard Easther @rjme.bsky.social · 2d

Physics Nobel announcement tomorrow.

If you know and dislike a famous physicist, this is the day of the year to call them up in the middle of the night, wait 10 seconds, and then do you best Swedish Chef impression...

a chef in a kitchen with the words borg written on the bottom

ALT: a chef in a kitchen with the words borg written on the bottom

media.tenor.com

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Benne W. Holwerda @benneholwerda.bsky.social · 2d

Fun with the Seestar.

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Benne W. Holwerda @benneholwerda.bsky.social · 2d

What I’m learning is that a short concept quiz to ensure everyone reiterates some of the stuff that comes by in class but before use in assignments helps A Lot. The openstax books are a great source of those.

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Benne W. Holwerda @benneholwerda.bsky.social · 2d

I like for basic python stuff the openstax material and the Python for astronomers book. All free. For machine learning Vivienne’s is fabulous.

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Benne W. Holwerda @benneholwerda.bsky.social · 2d

Those are great. I will put mine up on GitHub once my final one on Lane-Emden is done.

Plenty of materials (some from @venividivivi.bsky.social)

Textbooks…🤔

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Reposted by Benne W. Holwerda

Matthew Buckley @physicsmatt.bsky.social · 3d

I'm going to need everything to be about 85 to 95% less stupid.

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Benne W. Holwerda @benneholwerda.bsky.social · 3d

Bowman fest. Planes are fun.

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Reposted by Benne W. Holwerda

Andy Churnwell @churnwell.bsky.social · 4d

When they release the DSM-6 they should include whatever crisis of #MensMentalHealth causes them to post stuff like this.

Voice it out
@thechampioncum
·
Oct 3
Carrying a lunchbox to work is a feminine trait. There’s absolutely nothing manly about that.

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