Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Andrew Alden @geology.bsky.social · 6h

apricot

Merriam-Webster @merriam-webster.com · 10h

What’s the word where you’re from that, when pronounced exactly as it looks, identifies a tourist immediately?

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Andrew Alden @geology.bsky.social · 9h

NEVER more than 2, and that's only to examine an image. And I rarely have more than 4 windows open. "Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity! I say, let your affairs be as two, or three, and not a hundred or a thousand; instead of a million count half a dozen, and keep your accounts on your thumb nail."

YouGov @yougov.co.uk · 13h

How many browsing tabs do you typically have open?*

1: 6%
2-5: 54%
6-10: 14%
11-20: 8%
21-30: 2%
More than 30: 3%

*across all windows, on desktop/laptop

yougov.co.uk/topics/techn...

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Andrew Alden @geology.bsky.social · 1d

I look at my iron meteorite every now and then and try to picture the force it took to rip this piece apart.

Palm-size hunk of the Sikhote-Alin fall of 1947, smaller pieces widely available at rock shops.

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Andrew Alden @geology.bsky.social · 1d

Not much scary about "could" "suggest" "appear", especially considering the large error bars in the underlying data.

James Dinneen @jamesdinneen.bsky.social · 2d

Scary news for West Coast friends in my latest for @science.org. Disturbed ocean sediments off California suggest big earthquakes on the Cascadia fault can trigger big quakes on the San Andreas. The "Big One" could well become the "Big Two"...

Big U.S. West Coast earthquakes could come as a one-two punch

Cascadia and San Andreas fault zones appear to generate synchronized earthquakes

www.science.org

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Andrew Alden @geology.bsky.social · 2d

The part we can't see, that little strip underground, is as important (for civilization) as the rest.

Cian 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ (he/him) @cbdawson.bsky.social · 2d

NOAA has an updated water cycle diagram? I like that they keep it simple.

But that groundwater diagram will perpetuate common misunderstandings. And it fails to show that groundwater/surface-water exchange goes both ways, particularly important with climate change. ⚒️

www.noaa.gov/education/re...

Water cycle diagram, showing many different concepts, such as evaporation, precipitation, condensation, transpiration, runoff, deposition, and more. Groundwater is shown as a river-like thick blue line moving through the ground.

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Reposted by Andrew Alden

Jacquelyn Gill @jacquelyngill.bsky.social · 2d

The new Wiley journal review system is an absolute nightmare. Editorial assistants have been replaced by a clunky, AI-enabled website that makes it harder to find and invite reviewers. Associate editor workloads have increased. I'm not convinced the invitations to reviewers are even going through.

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Andrew Alden @geology.bsky.social · 3d

I'm glad to see your positive take on this news.

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Reposted by Andrew Alden

Ryan J Hollister @phaneritic.bsky.social · 3d

We all need a little caldera in our life, right?

Long valley caldera from plane window looking north. Crowley lake at bottom of pic. Caldera rim highlight by cumulus clouds popping up over the topographic high. Mono Lake is in the distant top left.

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Reposted by Andrew Alden

Brett "Solidarity 2025" Banditelli @banditelli.org · Dec 14

The past month I've been chasing the sunrise at the same place because there are feeding birds at short distance.

Occasionally when cormorants or a large fish are underwater the anchovies all leap at the same time.

I've never caught video or stills.

Until today

Twice.

In the sunrise reflection.

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Andrew Alden @geology.bsky.social · 4d

sorry to miss you!

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Andrew Alden @geology.bsky.social · 5d

Haha, mammon calls.

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Andrew Alden @geology.bsky.social · 5d

The Great ShakeOut drill is on October 16 this year, at 10:16 am. Register and participate!

Great ShakeOut Earthquake Drills

Great ShakeOut Earthquake Drills help people in homes, schools, and organizations worldwide improve preparedness and practice how to be safe during earthquakes. Register to participate in your state o...

shakeout.org

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Andrew Alden @geology.bsky.social · 5d

A big boost for my home town. The building's wall has an image of Lake Merritt, a major Oakland geomorphic feature I've written about extensively (oaklandgeology.com/2022/08/29/i...)

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Andrew Alden @geology.bsky.social · 6d

I hate to keep doomposting when I should be spreading geological joy, but I was raised on commissary food. Turning the military food supply over to the private sector is madness.

Chicken Puppet @chickenpuppet.online · 6d

I know these guys are all dumber than a sack of hammers, but it is fascinating to see the military decide “logistics are gay” in real time

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Andrew Alden @geology.bsky.social · 6d

Now I'm told it's concrete. One of us must be wrong, and considering I'm working from an old photo it's probably me.

Reposted by Andrew Alden

Science Vs @sciencevs.bsky.social · 7d

This moment from our latest episode with science writer @edyong209.bsky.social is 🔥

We asked Ed — how do we talk up the benefits of science in the face of government cuts? He told us that's the wrong approach. 🧪

Listen wherever, or watch on Spotify 👇

open.spotify.com/episode/7Evh...

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Andrew Alden @geology.bsky.social · 7d

No, but no.

Reposted by Andrew Alden

Burrito Justice @burritojustice.bsky.social · 8d

quick while the government is shut down let’s all switch to metric

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Andrew Alden @geology.bsky.social · 7d

Is real rock, mostly welded tuff.

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Andrew Alden @geology.bsky.social · 8d

In light of comments I will call it random split face fieldstone veneer.

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Andrew Alden @geology.bsky.social · 8d

What is this building cladding called?

distinctive giraffe-like cladding of head-size flat rugged light-colored stones with black-painted interstices, on Esther's Orbit Room, West Oakland, 2019

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Reposted by Andrew Alden

Berkeley Lab @berkeleylab.lbl.gov · 9d

With sadness and gratitude, we honor George F. Smoot III—Berkeley Lab scientist since 1974 and 2006 Nobel Laureate in Physics—who has passed away at 80. His “baby picture” of the universe changed cosmology. https://elements.lbl.gov/news/honoring-the-legacy-of-george-smoot/

@nobelprize.bsky.social

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Andrew Alden @geology.bsky.social · 9d

This is delusional, or malign, take your pick.

Laura Lopez @ohdearz.bsky.social · 9d

Ohio State just advised all staff and students not to attend the SACNAS (Society for the advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science) annual meeting of 6000+ scientists -- which is in Columbus, OH this year! -- saying it may be exclusionary, even though it is open to all.

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Reposted by Andrew Alden

Yorrike. @yorrike.bsky.social · 9d

I will reiterate as someone with field and specific knowledge of New Zealand’s oil and gas sector, there is no giant untapped field out there. Even if Labour agrees to this, not a single drop of oil or gas will be produced in the next decade because it’s not there. www.rnz.co.nz/news/politic...

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon asks Labour leader Chris Hipkins to support offshore gas exploration

The Prime Minister wants a bipartisan approach to offshore exploration for natural gas.

www.rnz.co.nz

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Andrew Alden @geology.bsky.social · 9d

Here's the new blog post.

Joaquin Miller’s monuments

When I got word that the monuments in Joaquin Miller Park had some touchup work done, it seemed like a good excuse for a focused visit. The monuments were a fetish of Joaquin Miller, who owned a tr…

oaklandgeology.com

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