Steuard Jensen
@steuard.bsky.social
Physics professor, Tolkien scholar, JoCoNaut, and all-around science nerd.
he/him
he/him
Reposted by Steuard Jensen
Legal concepts we have introduced to the niblings today while seated as the judges for the Sibling Court:
November 26, 2025 at 1:42 AM
Legal concepts we have introduced to the niblings today while seated as the judges for the Sibling Court:
Reposted by Steuard Jensen
November 24, 2025 at 11:46 PM
Reposted by Steuard Jensen
do you have any idea how much you have to piss somebody off to make them change their gauge
#Finland will begin to #Russia - proof its rail network, integrate with EU train infrastructure.
The Finnish government has announced the conversion of its rail network from Russian gauge (1,524 mm) to European standard (1,435 mm).
www.trenvista.net/en/news/flas...
The Finnish government has announced the conversion of its rail network from Russian gauge (1,524 mm) to European standard (1,435 mm).
www.trenvista.net/en/news/flas...
November 23, 2025 at 4:40 PM
do you have any idea how much you have to piss somebody off to make them change their gauge
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It’s blowing my mind that schools, universities, public services would run headlong into this. We spent 15 years documenting black boxes. This is a black box in a black hole!
I don't understand how anyone can watch how blatantly Grok is manipulated to answer the way ownership desires it to and then act like the other LLM chatbots couldn't possibly be similarly but less obviously compromised to produce responses in whatever way corporate interests and priorities dictate.
November 23, 2025 at 11:16 PM
It’s blowing my mind that schools, universities, public services would run headlong into this. We spent 15 years documenting black boxes. This is a black box in a black hole!
If you have a kid who plays on Roblox (or might someday), you should read this cautionary thread. @rahaeli.bsky.social practically invented the field of social media Trust & Safety 20+ years ago (before founding Dreamwidth): there's nobody I'd trust more than her for honest guidance on this stuff.
I'm kinda clueless here, so if you've got any links to more info I'd love to see them.
For my kid, it's mostly the place she goes to hang out with her existing offline friends: the closest thing to a third space she's got. It's given our family prompts for lots of good online safety conversations.
For my kid, it's mostly the place she goes to hang out with her existing offline friends: the closest thing to a third space she's got. It's given our family prompts for lots of good online safety conversations.
November 23, 2025 at 3:54 PM
If you have a kid who plays on Roblox (or might someday), you should read this cautionary thread. @rahaeli.bsky.social practically invented the field of social media Trust & Safety 20+ years ago (before founding Dreamwidth): there's nobody I'd trust more than her for honest guidance on this stuff.
Reposted by Steuard Jensen
I once knew a Federal bank examiner, and one time someone asked him why we had to KEEP inspecting banks over and over. He basically said every new batch of business school grads invents bank fraud from first principles.
AirBnB CEO calling it “vibe revenue” just 👨🍳 😘
The underlying cause of every bubble - debt masquerading as financial innovation - depends on not just short financial memory & speculative neophytism, but reinventing jargon of finance, like how each generation of kids has new ways to say same things.
The underlying cause of every bubble - debt masquerading as financial innovation - depends on not just short financial memory & speculative neophytism, but reinventing jargon of finance, like how each generation of kids has new ways to say same things.
November 22, 2025 at 6:02 PM
I once knew a Federal bank examiner, and one time someone asked him why we had to KEEP inspecting banks over and over. He basically said every new batch of business school grads invents bank fraud from first principles.
Reposted by Steuard Jensen
Reposted by Steuard Jensen
It's Friday, and apparently bluesky is ready for this fun revelation:
Dinosaurs lived on the other side the Galaxy.
Dinosaurs lived on the other side the Galaxy.
November 21, 2025 at 5:11 PM
It's Friday, and apparently bluesky is ready for this fun revelation:
Dinosaurs lived on the other side the Galaxy.
Dinosaurs lived on the other side the Galaxy.
Reposted by Steuard Jensen
8675309 is prime, and so is 8675311, so if you ever need a middlin'-large pair of adjacent primes to test your cryptographic suite, all you need is a 1980s earworm and a +2 and you're all set.
Man, everything is so bleak, anyone got a fun fact or little bit of trivia they want to share
November 21, 2025 at 3:28 AM
8675309 is prime, and so is 8675311, so if you ever need a middlin'-large pair of adjacent primes to test your cryptographic suite, all you need is a 1980s earworm and a +2 and you're all set.
Reposted by Steuard Jensen
Amazing thread. Eye opening and sobering all at once
Look, men aren’t worried about being falsely accused of rape. False rape allegations occur at roughly the same frequency as false allegations of murder/etc., and they seem real not worried about those, even though they also wreck your reputation.
They’re worried about what they *have* done.
They’re worried about what they *have* done.
November 21, 2025 at 2:09 AM
Amazing thread. Eye opening and sobering all at once
This article's well-designed graphs and visualizations make a compelling case that the standard wisdom that "most voters are moderates" overlooks the essential distinction between "moderate" and "null" ideology. "Null" voters may *ignore* left/right: "Give me practical help for folks like me?"
Good morning. I've got a banger new post out today that develops a new method for placing voters on the left-right ideological spectrum, and adds a new, "non-ideological"/affordability axis to usual way we chart & think about US voters (esp swing voters). www.gelliottmorris.com/p/not-just-l...
Not just left vs right: Most voters think about affordability and material wellbeing, not in ideological terms
Most voters want a party that emphasizes cost of living issues and makes the world a better place. Few Americans think in solidly ideologically terms. "Moderates" are mostly non-ideological.
www.gelliottmorris.com
November 20, 2025 at 5:35 PM
This article's well-designed graphs and visualizations make a compelling case that the standard wisdom that "most voters are moderates" overlooks the essential distinction between "moderate" and "null" ideology. "Null" voters may *ignore* left/right: "Give me practical help for folks like me?"
Reposted by Steuard Jensen
A CIVIL CAMPAIGN (1999), by L.M. Bujold:
November 20, 2025 at 2:24 PM
A CIVIL CAMPAIGN (1999), by L.M. Bujold:
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A wonderful thread about hippos. Scroll up from this post to find the start.
November 20, 2025 at 7:47 AM
A wonderful thread about hippos. Scroll up from this post to find the start.
Reposted by Steuard Jensen
First Calvin and Hobbes comic strip was published 40 years ago yesterday. 🐯 👦🏼
November 19, 2025 at 7:19 PM
First Calvin and Hobbes comic strip was published 40 years ago yesterday. 🐯 👦🏼
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The witch made him hot chocolate.
"They say I'm strong," he said. "And I am."
He took a sip.
"They say I can overcome any hardship."
"Mm," said the witch.
"And I can. I do."
The witch said nothing.
"But I shouldn't have to!"
"No."
The witch held the hero as he wept.
"No, you shouldn't."
"They say I'm strong," he said. "And I am."
He took a sip.
"They say I can overcome any hardship."
"Mm," said the witch.
"And I can. I do."
The witch said nothing.
"But I shouldn't have to!"
"No."
The witch held the hero as he wept.
"No, you shouldn't."
November 18, 2025 at 7:50 PM
The witch made him hot chocolate.
"They say I'm strong," he said. "And I am."
He took a sip.
"They say I can overcome any hardship."
"Mm," said the witch.
"And I can. I do."
The witch said nothing.
"But I shouldn't have to!"
"No."
The witch held the hero as he wept.
"No, you shouldn't."
"They say I'm strong," he said. "And I am."
He took a sip.
"They say I can overcome any hardship."
"Mm," said the witch.
"And I can. I do."
The witch said nothing.
"But I shouldn't have to!"
"No."
The witch held the hero as he wept.
"No, you shouldn't."
Reposted by Steuard Jensen
Oh hey, I found the war on christmas
"Agencies within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, including ICE, ERO, and CBP intend to implement a comprehensive plan to target Spanish-speaking churches across the country during the upcoming holiday season between Thanksgiving, Nov. 27, and Christmas, Dec. 25."
Exclusive: Trump DHS Plans Immigration Raids on Churches Over Holidays
The Trump Dept. of Homeland Security is briefing federal agencies on plans for immigration enforcement operations inside churches over holidays.
thisweekinworcester.com
November 18, 2025 at 10:53 AM
Oh hey, I found the war on christmas
Reposted by Steuard Jensen
we should take teaching more seriously
Larry Summers tells @theharvardcrimson.bsky.social
he’s stepping back from all public commitments in light of his messages with Epstein, saying he is “deeply ashamed” and hopes “to rebuild trust and repair relationships.”
He will continue teaching.
www.thecrimson.com/article/2025...
he’s stepping back from all public commitments in light of his messages with Epstein, saying he is “deeply ashamed” and hopes “to rebuild trust and repair relationships.”
He will continue teaching.
www.thecrimson.com/article/2025...
November 18, 2025 at 1:27 AM
we should take teaching more seriously
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I don't have "too many tabs open." My tabs are flourishing. Healthy. Bountiful. The ecosystem is thriving.
November 17, 2025 at 5:04 PM
I don't have "too many tabs open." My tabs are flourishing. Healthy. Bountiful. The ecosystem is thriving.
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Brush your teeth after eating these or else you'll get calculus.
November 16, 2025 at 8:41 PM
Brush your teeth after eating these or else you'll get calculus.
Reposted by Steuard Jensen
props to WSJ for once on a useful notion, ADMIN PARTY for everybody
November 15, 2025 at 2:11 PM
props to WSJ for once on a useful notion, ADMIN PARTY for everybody
Reposted by Steuard Jensen
Reposted by Steuard Jensen
WE WON. I am *begging* you to take note of who did this. *Not* UCLA admin—they’re still scuttling around behind closed doors, attempting to appease—but FACULTY AND STAFF, led by AAUP.
BREAKING: In AAUP et al v. Trump (wall-to-wall union lawsuit challenging the administration’s unlawful use of TItle VI to reshape the University of California system), the faculty and staff of the UC system WON!!!
We were granted our preliminary injunction! @aaup.org
We were granted our preliminary injunction! @aaup.org
November 15, 2025 at 12:01 AM
WE WON. I am *begging* you to take note of who did this. *Not* UCLA admin—they’re still scuttling around behind closed doors, attempting to appease—but FACULTY AND STAFF, led by AAUP.
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GO GEN Z!!! What a thread!
Those claiming Dems should retreat on racial justice aren't hard-headed realists, they're pushing against the electoral tide rather than leaning into it. The story of Gen Z isn't about racist backlash or red-pilled young men. It's the most racially progressive generation in American history. 🧵
November 14, 2025 at 10:36 PM
GO GEN Z!!! What a thread!
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The weirdest thing about this discourse is that states with shorter school closures have the same amount of learning loss! I keep waiting for all the punditry on this to catch up with basic facts
Every time Covid and learning loss hits the news, people act like the only factor is folk staying home and learning online, rather than… Living through a global mass death event.
November 14, 2025 at 10:03 PM
The weirdest thing about this discourse is that states with shorter school closures have the same amount of learning loss! I keep waiting for all the punditry on this to catch up with basic facts
Reposted by Steuard Jensen
If you have to get permission to teach in your area of expertise from people who are definitionally not qualified to adjudicate your expertise then you are no longer working at a university.
You’re working at a state propaganda factory.
You’re working at a state propaganda factory.
COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) — Texas A&M adopts policy requiring professors to get OK from school president to discuss certain race and gender issues.
November 13, 2025 at 11:48 PM
If you have to get permission to teach in your area of expertise from people who are definitionally not qualified to adjudicate your expertise then you are no longer working at a university.
You’re working at a state propaganda factory.
You’re working at a state propaganda factory.