Jeffrey J. Early
@jeffreyearly.bsky.social
Runner, biker, dad, software developer, physicist with a PhD in oceanography.
Reposted by Jeffrey J. Early
I think about this quote from @georgemonbiot.bsky.social a lot:
“The idea that some people may freely poison others is one of the most astonishing but least contested aspects of modern life.”
“The idea that some people may freely poison others is one of the most astonishing but least contested aspects of modern life.”
We are being poisoned every day, so why do we keep voting for more pollution? Ask a lobbyist | George Monbiot
The dirty industries that dominate politics deceive us into accepting dangerous pollutants such as ammonia as part of life, says Guardian columnist George Monbiot
www.theguardian.com
December 11, 2025 at 5:07 AM
I think about this quote from @georgemonbiot.bsky.social a lot:
“The idea that some people may freely poison others is one of the most astonishing but least contested aspects of modern life.”
“The idea that some people may freely poison others is one of the most astonishing but least contested aspects of modern life.”
Which floor contains the reception area, store and restaurant?
November 17, 2025 at 4:37 PM
Which floor contains the reception area, store and restaurant?
Got to watch the launch!
Sentinel-6B has separated from the Falcon 9 and is in a 66 deg inclination orbit.
November 17, 2025 at 6:40 AM
Got to watch the launch!
Reposted by Jeffrey J. Early
Next week's council elections in Kirkland really do deserve more regional attention. An anti-growth advocacy group is promoting a full slate of candidates who are pledging to "protect neighborhoods."
The outcome could tip the city in a very reactionary direction.
www.theurbanist.org/2025/10/28/k...
The outcome could tip the city in a very reactionary direction.
www.theurbanist.org/2025/10/28/k...
Kirkland Council Elections Could Tip City in Reactionary Direction » The Urbanist
# In four different races, Kirkland voters face a choice between pro-growth candidates interested in fostering additional types of housing throughout the city, and candidates looking for the city to b...
www.theurbanist.org
October 28, 2025 at 5:55 PM
Next week's council elections in Kirkland really do deserve more regional attention. An anti-growth advocacy group is promoting a full slate of candidates who are pledging to "protect neighborhoods."
The outcome could tip the city in a very reactionary direction.
www.theurbanist.org/2025/10/28/k...
The outcome could tip the city in a very reactionary direction.
www.theurbanist.org/2025/10/28/k...
Reposted by Jeffrey J. Early
As a theoretical cosmologist, I'm frequently asked "what is the benefit of the work you're doing for people's lives?" Nothing I work on makes money or cures disease.
There are a few different answers one can give, at various levels of "convincing" / "actually relevant to why the work is done."
1/🧵
There are a few different answers one can give, at various levels of "convincing" / "actually relevant to why the work is done."
1/🧵
October 3, 2025 at 7:32 PM
As a theoretical cosmologist, I'm frequently asked "what is the benefit of the work you're doing for people's lives?" Nothing I work on makes money or cures disease.
There are a few different answers one can give, at various levels of "convincing" / "actually relevant to why the work is done."
1/🧵
There are a few different answers one can give, at various levels of "convincing" / "actually relevant to why the work is done."
1/🧵
Reposted by Jeffrey J. Early
Happy International Coffee Day! A German word that describes a coffee substitute, usually made from barley malt, is Muckefuck. It essentially means "rotting wood mulch" and can also describe any weak coffee. So next time someone makes you a bad coffee feel free to say "What the Muckefuck is this?"
October 1, 2025 at 8:26 AM
Happy International Coffee Day! A German word that describes a coffee substitute, usually made from barley malt, is Muckefuck. It essentially means "rotting wood mulch" and can also describe any weak coffee. So next time someone makes you a bad coffee feel free to say "What the Muckefuck is this?"
Reposted by Jeffrey J. Early
WHAAAAAAAAT
Great news!
JSTOR now have a free account with an Independent Researcher category. You can access 100 documents per month
www.jstor.org/action/showL...
JSTOR now have a free account with an Independent Researcher category. You can access 100 documents per month
www.jstor.org/action/showL...
September 29, 2025 at 7:23 PM
WHAAAAAAAAT
Reposted by Jeffrey J. Early
JPLers got a layoff update email this morning. JPLers are also being warned that as many as 4,000 of the 5,500 JPLers could be gone by 15 Oct and that there will be a mandatory return to the office for teleworkers who are still employed by 31 Oct nasawatch.com/personnel-ne...
JPLers Get Layoff Update Letter
JPLers got this email this morning from JPL Human Resources
nasawatch.com
September 26, 2025 at 7:07 PM
JPLers got a layoff update email this morning. JPLers are also being warned that as many as 4,000 of the 5,500 JPLers could be gone by 15 Oct and that there will be a mandatory return to the office for teleworkers who are still employed by 31 Oct nasawatch.com/personnel-ne...
There’s adding engine noises to your EV, or there’s this…
Did you know your MacBook has a sensor that knows the exact angle of the screen hinge?
It’s not exposed as a public API, but I figured out a way to read it and make it sound like an old wooden door.
It’s not exposed as a public API, but I figured out a way to read it and make it sound like an old wooden door.
September 7, 2025 at 6:07 AM
There’s adding engine noises to your EV, or there’s this…
Reposted by Jeffrey J. Early
wife: i wonder what he did
me: probably perjury
wife: perjury?
me: lion under oath
wife: …
me: in a sealed courtroom
wife: …
me: plus, he had fishy alibi
wife: are you almost done?
me: fin
me: probably perjury
wife: perjury?
me: lion under oath
wife: …
me: in a sealed courtroom
wife: …
me: plus, he had fishy alibi
wife: are you almost done?
me: fin
September 3, 2025 at 4:35 PM
wife: i wonder what he did
me: probably perjury
wife: perjury?
me: lion under oath
wife: …
me: in a sealed courtroom
wife: …
me: plus, he had fishy alibi
wife: are you almost done?
me: fin
me: probably perjury
wife: perjury?
me: lion under oath
wife: …
me: in a sealed courtroom
wife: …
me: plus, he had fishy alibi
wife: are you almost done?
me: fin
Reposted by Jeffrey J. Early
RFK Jr and his GOP enablers are determined to undermine safe, effective mRNA vaccine technology that offers our best defense against future pandemics.
RFK Jr. pulls $500 million in funding for vaccine development
The Department of Health and Human Services plans to cancel contracts and pull funding for some vaccines being developed to fight respiratory viruses like COVID-19 and the flu.
apnews.com
August 6, 2025 at 1:06 AM
RFK Jr and his GOP enablers are determined to undermine safe, effective mRNA vaccine technology that offers our best defense against future pandemics.
Reposted by Jeffrey J. Early
Most Americans really have no clue how far the US is being left behind.
July 24, 2025 at 6:19 AM
Most Americans really have no clue how far the US is being left behind.
Reposted by Jeffrey J. Early
Look, speaking as a physicist, it is hard for me to put into words how batshit crazy this is.
"I’ll go down this thread with GPT or Grok and I’ll start to get to the edge of what’s known in quantum physics and then I’m doing the equivalent of vibe coding, except it’s vibe physics,” said Travis Kalanick, the founder of Uber.
gizmodo.com/billionaires...
gizmodo.com/billionaires...
July 16, 2025 at 4:04 AM
Look, speaking as a physicist, it is hard for me to put into words how batshit crazy this is.
Reposted by Jeffrey J. Early
If you were wondering about the lack of opposition to massive research cuts from the investor class, and you think "surely they can't be so stupid that they fail to realize that most startups that get launched arise from government-funded, fundamental research", well, maybe it's time to think again.
Notable how the racism has infected and corrupted their view of other issues too. This is a preposterous and exactly backwards understanding of the relationship between the NSF, universities, and "American innovation."
July 12, 2025 at 12:46 PM
If you were wondering about the lack of opposition to massive research cuts from the investor class, and you think "surely they can't be so stupid that they fail to realize that most startups that get launched arise from government-funded, fundamental research", well, maybe it's time to think again.
Reposted by Jeffrey J. Early
I can't stress enough how close U.S. science is to the cliff.
"Numbers released in May by the National Science Foundation (NSF) indicate that if Congress approves the cuts to the agency proposed by the White House, the number of early-career researchers it supports could fall by 78%" (@science.org)
"Numbers released in May by the National Science Foundation (NSF) indicate that if Congress approves the cuts to the agency proposed by the White House, the number of early-career researchers it supports could fall by 78%" (@science.org)
‘It’s a nightmare.’ U.S. funding cuts threaten academic science jobs at all levels
“There is a lot of pressure to essentially leave the country or not pursue research,” one Ph.D. student says
www.science.org
July 8, 2025 at 3:36 PM
I can't stress enough how close U.S. science is to the cliff.
"Numbers released in May by the National Science Foundation (NSF) indicate that if Congress approves the cuts to the agency proposed by the White House, the number of early-career researchers it supports could fall by 78%" (@science.org)
"Numbers released in May by the National Science Foundation (NSF) indicate that if Congress approves the cuts to the agency proposed by the White House, the number of early-career researchers it supports could fall by 78%" (@science.org)
Reposted by Jeffrey J. Early
Beware the tech leaders making grandiose statements about artificial intelligence. They have lost sight of reality, says Philip Ball
The dangers of so-called AI experts believing their own hype
Beware the tech leaders making grandiose statements about artificial intelligence. They have lost sight of reality, says Philip Ball
www.newscientist.com
July 5, 2025 at 1:26 AM
Beware the tech leaders making grandiose statements about artificial intelligence. They have lost sight of reality, says Philip Ball
Reposted by Jeffrey J. Early
Here's the official union statement on the HUD takeover.
Small correction that's not included in the screenshot: "Correction: currently 1,833 NSF employees work in the NSF headquarters building."
Small correction that's not included in the screenshot: "Correction: currently 1,833 NSF employees work in the NSF headquarters building."
June 24, 2025 at 11:46 PM
Here's the official union statement on the HUD takeover.
Small correction that's not included in the screenshot: "Correction: currently 1,833 NSF employees work in the NSF headquarters building."
Small correction that's not included in the screenshot: "Correction: currently 1,833 NSF employees work in the NSF headquarters building."
Reposted by Jeffrey J. Early
Last February, I led a proposal submission that encompassed six months, hundreds of hours, four institutions, a massive team, and and 256 pages. NSF just informed us that the entire Biology Integration Institute program was archived and our proposal would not even be reviewed.
With a form email.
With a form email.
June 16, 2025 at 10:27 PM
Last February, I led a proposal submission that encompassed six months, hundreds of hours, four institutions, a massive team, and and 256 pages. NSF just informed us that the entire Biology Integration Institute program was archived and our proposal would not even be reviewed.
With a form email.
With a form email.
Reposted by Jeffrey J. Early
Here’s how Trump’s war on science is going. NSF funding is at the lowest level in decades. We’ll lose knowledge, generations of scientists, and US competitiveness.
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
May 22, 2025 at 10:45 AM
Here’s how Trump’s war on science is going. NSF funding is at the lowest level in decades. We’ll lose knowledge, generations of scientists, and US competitiveness.
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
Reposted by Jeffrey J. Early
This quote is from TWO YEARS AGO, from Project 2025 architect Russel Vought (who is now the White House budget director)
March 20, 2025 at 3:06 PM
This quote is from TWO YEARS AGO, from Project 2025 architect Russel Vought (who is now the White House budget director)
Reposted by Jeffrey J. Early
There’s some inaccurate NSF information spreading and causing extra panic. New increments on existing awards are paused. But: to the best of my knowledge, drawdown (reimbursement) on existing increments is not paused. ACMS is still accessible. Could change at any moment, though. Please share.
May 3, 2025 at 12:40 AM
There’s some inaccurate NSF information spreading and causing extra panic. New increments on existing awards are paused. But: to the best of my knowledge, drawdown (reimbursement) on existing increments is not paused. ACMS is still accessible. Could change at any moment, though. Please share.
Reposted by Jeffrey J. Early
Just got mine.
Totally expected, but it still sucks.
Probably the most for all the work that so many of us put in on behalf of US taxpayers that is now wasted and will never come to fruition.
Totally expected, but it still sucks.
Probably the most for all the work that so many of us put in on behalf of US taxpayers that is now wasted and will never come to fruition.
April 30, 2025 at 12:02 AM
Just got mine.
Totally expected, but it still sucks.
Probably the most for all the work that so many of us put in on behalf of US taxpayers that is now wasted and will never come to fruition.
Totally expected, but it still sucks.
Probably the most for all the work that so many of us put in on behalf of US taxpayers that is now wasted and will never come to fruition.
Reposted by Jeffrey J. Early
NSF director resigns amid 55% budget cut, mass layoffs from Trump admin arstechnica.com/science/2025...
NSF director resigns amid 55% budget cut, mass layoffs from Trump admin
The director did not state a reason for the resignation.
arstechnica.com
April 25, 2025 at 3:17 PM
NSF director resigns amid 55% budget cut, mass layoffs from Trump admin arstechnica.com/science/2025...
Um.
April 25, 2025 at 3:28 PM
Um.
Oh wow, this is a fabulous quote.
Walz: If you say you love freedom but you don't believe freedom is for everybody, then the thing you love is not freedom, it is privilege.
April 24, 2025 at 4:03 AM
Oh wow, this is a fabulous quote.