Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Kat Volk @katvolk.bsky.social · 1d

😹😹

Reposted by Kat Volk

Meg Schwamb @megschwamb.bsky.social · 1d

Sad to see the University of Washington Astronomy Department has suspended graduate admissions for the 2026-2027 Academic Year. astro.washington.edu/graduate-adm...

Graduate Admissions | Department of Astronomy | University of Washington

The Department of Astronomy has suspended graduate admissions for the 2026-2027 Academic Year. General Information for applying to UW Astronomy Graduate Program. Applications must be submitted using ...

astro.washington.edu

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Reposted by Kat Volk

Tim Steller @timsteller.bsky.social · 1d

The University of Arizona's faculty senate has voted to ask the UA president to reject the Trump administration's proposed compact. It's among an accumulation of voices who say not to be tempted by the good things in the compact due to its more fundamental threats.
tucson.com/news/local/e...

U of A Faculty Senate opposes Trump compact; provost says no decision yet

The University of Arizona Faculty Senate approved a resolution calling on the UA to reject the White House’s compact requiring ideological, political and financial commitments in return for federal fu...

tucson.com

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Reposted by Kat Volk

Chuck Wendig @chuckwendig.bsky.social · 1d

Do this! Bookshop.org is good stuff.

Barry Lyga @barrylyga.com · 1d

Prime Day what? Bookshop.org is offering FREE SHIPPING for October 7-8! Buy books, get free shipping, support local bookstores! Easy!

#primeday #antiprime #freeshipping #supportlocal #supportindie

Bookshop: Buy books online. Support local bookstores.

An online bookstore that financially supports local independent bookstores and gives back to the book community.

Bookshop.org

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Kat Volk @katvolk.bsky.social · 1d

The whitest! He cleaned them on top of the puzzle just to make sure they shine!

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Kat Volk @katvolk.bsky.social · 1d

Such a helper

Gus is sprawled across my in-progress puzzle. The puzzle is much more askew than it was before he flopped down

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Reposted by Kat Volk

Chris Schaller @hicommander.bsky.social · 2d

Denying 810,000+ Arizonans our representation in Congress.

Darin Self @darinself.com · 2d

I know we're all focused on the actions of a unbridled executive...but another major danger right now is that the Speaker of the House is refusing to sit a duly elected representative.

The Downballot @the-downballot.com · 2d

Updating this chart because the prior version is out of date. With Mike Johnson refusing to convene the House, the soonest Democrat Adelita Grijalva can get sworn in—and provide the 218th signature to force a vote on the Epstein files—is now three weeks after winning the #AZ07 special election.

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Reposted by Kat Volk

Andy Rivkin @asrivkin.bsky.social · 2d

I'd take it one step further--in order to do our jobs* we need Avi Loeb to _not_ be put in charge of an international directorate.

*ok, yes, this is a necessary condition but alone it's not a sufficient one

Tod Lauer @todlauer.bsky.social · 2d

The effort put into understanding 3I/Atlas has been spectacular, imaginative, professional and well-organized. Planetary scientists don't need Avi Loeb put in charge of an international directorate to tell them how to do their jobs.

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Reposted by Kat Volk

Michael Busch @michael-w-busch.bsky.social · 2d

It remains way past time for the arXiv to stop accepting submissions involving Avi Loeb.

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Reposted by Kat Volk

Andy Rivkin @asrivkin.bsky.social · 2d

You know which field of endeavor doesn't get 500 hours of guaranteed, uncompeted characterization time annually on fancy telescopes? Planetary defense. And this is despite asteroids hitting the Earth being an actual, you know, thing.

Meg Schwamb @megschwamb.bsky.social · 2d

This is complete and utter pompous bullshit. It's telling that of the people proposing it wants to anoint themselves director general when every one of his claims of having discovered technosignature interstellar objects has been debunked by the planetary community. arxiv.org/pdf/2510.01405

arxiv.org

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Reposted by Kat Volk

Meg Schwamb @megschwamb.bsky.social · 2d

This is complete and utter pompous bullshit. It's telling that of the people proposing it wants to anoint themselves director general when every one of his claims of having discovered technosignature interstellar objects has been debunked by the planetary community. arxiv.org/pdf/2510.01405

arxiv.org

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Reposted by Kat Volk

American Astronomical Society (AAS) @aas.org · 2d

AAS members are on the Hill today to #SaveNASAScience and advocate for sustained funding for NASA, NSF, and our nation's other science agencies! Help us amplify their voices by calling and writing to your Congressional offices today: aas.org/action-alert...

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Kat Volk @katvolk.bsky.social · 2d

Little man went right back to bed after breakfast. I feel you, buddy

Ash, a tabby and white feral cat, is curled up in a blanket-lined basket under the picnic table on my back porch. He’s looking up at me wondering why I disturbed him.

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Kat Volk @katvolk.bsky.social · 3d

The only difference is I’d have been a little annoyed 😂

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Kat Volk @katvolk.bsky.social · 3d

😂

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Kat Volk @katvolk.bsky.social · 3d

Every time I change the sheets she *has* to do this. At least she’s at the foot of the bed 😂

Echo is cleaning her rear end with her back legs askew while on the fresh fitted sheet

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Kat Volk @katvolk.bsky.social · 4d

He can also be the cat. It’s interchangeable 😂😂

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Reposted by Kat Volk

Drug Monkey @drugmonkey.bsky.social · 4d

Another pause in graduate school admissions for 2026.
UCSD dept of math this time.

www.math.ucsd.edu/students/gra...

UCSD’s Department of Mathematics has paused PhD admissions -- we will not be able to admit new PhD students in Fall 2026.

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Kat Volk @katvolk.bsky.social · 4d

She’s “the cat” when she does this and then doesn’t even settle in for a purr 😂

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Kat Volk @katvolk.bsky.social · 4d

The cat always waits until I have a stomach perhaps too full of tea or coffee to do this. Oof.

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Kat Volk @katvolk.bsky.social · 4d

Been there. It sucks and I’m sorry. I’m so thankful that allergy shots have reduced my asthma enough to not need the stupid $500 a month drugs anymore. In grad school those meds cost almost more than my rent…

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Reposted by Kat Volk

Surly Amy @surlyamy.bsky.social · 4d

Made a shark soup crock because it’s cute and hilarious at the same time. Go on a French onion feeding frenzy with your shark friends.

Shark illustration by me.

In my etsy shop. Free shipping. Surly.etsy.com

A pale blue stoneware soup crock with black shark designs swimming around its surface.

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Reposted by Kat Volk

Jacquelyn Gill @jacquelyngill.bsky.social · 5d

I just got a call from my rheumatologist. Because of the changes to Medicaid, which no longer reimburses telemedicine appointments, I can either pay out of pocket or drive two hours away every three months, which is not possible for me most of the year due to my work schedule.

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Reposted by Kat Volk

Phil Plait @philplait.bsky.social · 4d

Oh dang. This is an excellent analogy.

Richard Kadrey @richardkadrey.bsky.social · 5d

The mystery of medical diagnosis!

Anyone: Why are there suddenly so many AHDH diagnoses?
Dr. Jen: Same reason there are suddenly more stars after we built telescopes.

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Reposted by Kat Volk

James Tuttle Keane @jtuttlekeane.bsky.social · 4d

US’s trajectory in space science leadership in a nutshell

Michele Bannister @astrokiwi.bsky.social · 5d

"ESA plans to release imagery by next week. NASA will not be able to release any of its data, or even comment on it, until the U.S. federal government ends the shutdown."

Jonathan O'Callaghan @astrojonny.bsky.social · 5d

Interstellar comet 3I/Atlas is flying past Mars today. Might get some cool views!

skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-ne...

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