Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Chase Million @millionconcepts.com · 1d

I did really innovative work on a physics problem set in 2003. Got an answer that nobody expected. Some called it "completely wrong." Nobody says that anymore. Maybe they forgot. But maybe history has vindicated me. I'll sleep with my phone next to me tonight, just in case.

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Reposted by Chase Million

Casey Dreier @caseydreier.bsky.social · 2d

Today is our Save NASA Science Day of Action! You can take actions online to support the nearly 300 registered participants on the ground with me here in the D.C.

planetary.org/dayofaction

The Day of Action to Save NASA Science

Take action with us to help reject cuts that threaten NASA's science and exploration programs.

planetary.org

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Gene J. Mikulka @genejm1017.bsky.social · 2d

Via @bigthink.com - Thousands of #NASA Employees bid farewell to the NASA they knew bigthink.com/starts-with-...

Thousands of NASA employees to bid farewell to the NASA they knew

As October begins, thousands of longtime NASA employees are leaving the agency. 4000+ will exit by January 9, 2026, changing NASA forever.

bigthink.com

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Chase Million @millionconcepts.com · 3d

Should we create an OpenPlanetary Photojournal?

Reposted by Chase Million

Al Sweigart @alsweigart.bsky.social · 3d

Curl project maintainers have had enough of AI slop "contributions":

"We still have not seen a single valid security report done with AI help."

"We are effectively being DDoSed. If we could, we would charge them for this waste of our time."

www.linkedin.com/posts/daniel...

#hackerone #curl | Daniel Stenberg | 254 comments

That's it. I've had it. I'm putting my foot down on this craziness. 1. Every reporter submitting security reports on #Hackerone for #curl now needs to answer this question: "Did you use an AI to fin...

www.linkedin.com

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Jennifer Ouellette @jenlucpiquant.bsky.social · 6d

This U.S. Government Shutdown Is Very Bad for Science www.nature.com/articles/d41...

This US government shutdown is different: what it means for science

President Trump’s budget office lays out guidelines for mass lay-offs across the federal government.

www.nature.com

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MAST - Mikulski Archive for Space Telescopes @mast-news.bsky.social · 6d

Feature update: we've added album previews to our JWST Search interface! Also included with our update is a Light/Dark mode toggle. archive.stsci.edu/contents/new...

The JWST image preview feature; seven images are displayed in a grid.

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Chase Million @millionconcepts.com · 6d

This immediately ends all research in all topics. There can be no research into history, sociology, economics... also agriculture, meteorology... physics and chemistry... engineering.

There is no line of research at any university that is not "related to societal and political events." None. Zero.

Chase Million @millionconcepts.com · 6d

It is not possible to "abstain from actions or speech related to societal and political events." Nobody can do this. On account of we exist in societies as political creatures. This is not a good faith request. It is a demand for complete control over speech and actions.

4. - INSTITUTIONAL NEUTRALITY
Signatories shall maintain institutional neutrality at all levels of their administration. This requires policies that all university employees, in their capacity as university representatives, will abstain from actions or speed related to societal and political events except in cases in which external events have direct impact on the university.
Policies requiring institutional neutrality must apply with equal force to all of the university's academic units, including all colleges, facilities, schools, departments, programs, centers, and institutes.

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Chase Million @millionconcepts.com · 14d

Science thrives on honest discussions of uncertainties, unknowns, biases, and alternative explanations. This is exploited by dishonest people who only speak in absolutes.

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Chase Million @millionconcepts.com · 7d

It looks like we are authorized to continue working on NASA grants as long as they don't require access to NASA installations or personnel. But disbursements of funds may not occur because there will not be people to review them. Orgs will have to decide if they want to float the expenses.

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Chase Million @millionconcepts.com · 7d

SciX is created by and for working scientists. It has powerful literature informatics capabilities to, e.g., help you uncover research trends and cross-discipline synergies. It is very much worth reading the documentation, because there are more useful features than I could possibly summarize.

Science Explorer

Science Explorer is a digital library for astronomy, physics, and earth science, providing access to 20+ million records and advanced research tools.

scixplorer.org

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Chase Million @millionconcepts.com · 7d

Science Explorer (SciX) is out of beta! This integrated data and literature search platform, by the same folks who created the Astrophysics Data System (ADS), expands the approach across allied domains including planetary science, geophysics, heliophysics, earth science, and biological science.

The SciX Adventure Begins: Exploring the Universe of Research Together

scixplorer.org

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Chandelis Duster @chandelis.bsky.social · 8d

“It would require turning off 20 space missions in space now that are returning good science. Literally just turning them off and letting them tumble into the darkness.”

@caseydreier.bsky.social at @planetarysociety.bsky.social warns what could happen if proposed NASA science cuts take place.

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Chase Million @millionconcepts.com · 8d

I do not have any information about the _source_ of the change in guidance. Some of what I know is from, like, people-who-know-people. So OMB may not have stepped back. Like I said, I remain cautious. But I am more optimistic than before.

Chase Million @millionconcepts.com · 9d

Pics or it didn't compile.

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Michael Battalio @battalio.com · 9d

Sobering and damning report from Sen. Cantwell on what Vought is doing to NASA by illegally implementing the PBR.

"The Destruction of NASA's Mission"

Glad that some in Congress are finally listening. Stop the impoundment or shut down the government. There can be no middle ground.

www.commerce.senate.gov

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Chase Million @millionconcepts.com · 11d

This is a really neat idea.

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Moby Dick @mobydickatsea.bsky.social · 11d

But here is an artist.

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Dr. Jennifer Wade @volcanojw.bsky.social · 12d

For those anxiously awaiting it: the NSF GRFP solicitation is out, with a November 14 deadline for Geoscience applicants: www.nsf.gov/funding/oppo...

NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP)

www.nsf.gov

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David S. F. Portree @dsfpspacefl1ght.bsky.social · 13d

I worked with Lauren at USGS Astrogeology in Flagstaff. She was one of the scientists I could count on when I organized scientist talks for big school group visits.

She could be the second USGS Astrogeology astronaut on the Moon; the first was Jack Schmitt in 1972.

Gene Shoemaker would be proud.

Rep. Kim Schrier, M.D. @repkimschrier.bsky.social · 13d

Sammamish’s own Lauren Edgar, a Skyline High School alum, has been selected as one of 10 astronauts in NASA’s 2025 class! What an amazing accomplishment.

Congratulations and thank you for your service, Lauren!

www.seattletimes.com/business/boe...

Sammamish woman selected as one of NASA’s 10 astronaut candidates

Meet one of NASA's 10 newest astronauts who grew up in Sammamish and graduated from Skyline High School.

www.seattletimes.com

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Alondra Nelson @alondra.bsky.social · 13d

"in the largest sample of medical advances for which we have good data...we found extensive connections between medical advances and research that was funded by grants that would have been cut if the NIH budget was sharply reduced."

Drug Monkey @drugmonkey.bsky.social · 13d

This may be the most important paper ever published about NIH funded research.

www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

What if NIH had been 40% smaller?

Replaying history with less NIH funding shows widespread impacts on drug-linked research

www.science.org

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Moby Dick @mobydickatsea.bsky.social · 13d

Who but a fool would take his left hand by his right, and say to himself, how d’ye do?

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Chase Million @millionconcepts.com · 13d

NASA HQ and OMB have been extremely consistent in asserting that the PBR is the NASA budget unless Congress enacts some other budget. I'm not certain, but it appears to be too late for Congress to do anything because Johnson is keeping the House out of session until FY26. I hope I'm wrong.

The Planetary Society @planetarysociety.bsky.social · 23d

JUST IN! Congress is considering a stopgap bill to keep the government open through Nov. 20. OMB is planning to cut billions from NASA during this, risking paid-for missions and thousands of jobs.

Tell Congress to protect NASA science and prevent these cuts: www.planetary.org/advocacy-act...

Advocacy Action Center

The Planetary Society is organizing a new space constituency that is educated, empowered, and loud.

www.planetary.org

Chase Million @millionconcepts.com · 13d

There was a report last week, based on two anonymous sources, that Duffy had internally directed NASA to presume the budget proposed by the House, which is far less destructive. There is no non-anonymous confirmation. Even if true, it is not clear if this would apply in the case of a CR or shutdown.

In a win for science, NASA told to use House budget as shutdown looms

The House budget still cuts science at NASA, but not as deeply as the White House sought.

arstechnica.com

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