Steve Heaton
@steveheaton.bsky.social
Energy scientist. Founder and R&D Generalist. Raconteur. Only my opinions. DOB: 321ppm CO₂ (http://CO2.earth). Living on Darkinjung land. He/Him.
Reposted by Steve Heaton
Put it down.
My @smh @theage cartoon.
My @smh @theage cartoon.
December 10, 2025 at 8:42 PM
Put it down.
My @smh @theage cartoon.
My @smh @theage cartoon.
The demographics on this plot tell the story (and yeah, it was a serious WTAF moment from my perspective... until I started to think about who voted for what and why, the buttons that were pressed etc).
the brexit referendum remains one of the craziest fucking things a country has ever done
I found this today (from Peter Kellner/YouGov) which answers part of your query.
December 10, 2025 at 1:03 AM
The demographics on this plot tell the story (and yeah, it was a serious WTAF moment from my perspective... until I started to think about who voted for what and why, the buttons that were pressed etc).
Anyone familiar with the NRO's role in the HST (P-E) mirror debarcle might find the generous donation of the mirrors mildly amusing ;)
Roman Space Telescope Could Image 100 Hubble Ultra Deep Fields at Once, stay tuned for latest updates on Roman Space Telescope as NASA gets ready to launch it into the space. hubblesite.org/contents/new... #RomanSpaceTelescope #Space
Roman Space Telescope Could Image 100 Hubble Ultra Deep Fields at Once
hubblesite.org
December 8, 2025 at 10:21 PM
Anyone familiar with the NRO's role in the HST (P-E) mirror debarcle might find the generous donation of the mirrors mildly amusing ;)
Reposted by Steve Heaton
EVs beat petrol cars on lifetime emissions — even on “dirty” grids.
Battery production is carbon-intensive, but EVs quickly repay that debt and end up 21–71% cleaner over 250,000 km.
We can’t wait for perfect grids: electrify transport and clean the grid now.
Battery production is carbon-intensive, but EVs quickly repay that debt and end up 21–71% cleaner over 250,000 km.
We can’t wait for perfect grids: electrify transport and clean the grid now.
December 8, 2025 at 9:00 PM
EVs beat petrol cars on lifetime emissions — even on “dirty” grids.
Battery production is carbon-intensive, but EVs quickly repay that debt and end up 21–71% cleaner over 250,000 km.
We can’t wait for perfect grids: electrify transport and clean the grid now.
Battery production is carbon-intensive, but EVs quickly repay that debt and end up 21–71% cleaner over 250,000 km.
We can’t wait for perfect grids: electrify transport and clean the grid now.
Reposted by Steve Heaton
![Comic. Panels up to the 10-year point are grayed out. New panels since the Ten Years comic, which chronicles the first ten years of PERSON 1's journey with cancer: (1) [two people in bed] PERSON 1 (woman): One more chapter? PERSON 2 (man): Don’t we both have to get up early? PERSON 1: Nnnnnggggh PERSON 2: Sure, good point. (2) [many people wearing masks, walking while looking at graphs on their phones] (3) [birds landing on people] PERSON 2 in beanie and scarf: Hah! They like *my* seeds best. PERSON 1 in scarf holding phone with a bird sitting on it: Wait, how do I take a picture of this one? (4) [two people rowing boats with tree landscape] (5) [Person 1 carries overflowing stack of things to Person 2 in bed] PERSON 1: I brought you honey lemon tea, more pillows, a cinnamon roll, Tylenol, another blanket, a– PERSON 2: It was just Appendicitis, I’m really– PERSON 1: *It is my turn to take care of you and I am going to do it right!* (6) [Two people in car] (7) [still in car) PERSON 1: Oh my god. PERSON 2: Oh my god. (8) [car driving] PERSON 1: Pull over! PERSON 2: I am! (9) [both people get out of car] (10) [Large colored panel of aurora borealis over water with both people looking on] (11) [Person 1 sits against tree while Person 2 lies on the ground] PERSON 1: Fifteen years. No sign of the cancer. (12) I *am* having some weird symptoms. Joint pain. Fatigue. I think I’m losing my close-up vision. PERSON 2: Yeah. Me too. (13) PERSON 2: I think we’re getting old. (14) PERSON 1: I guess that’s okay. PERSON 2: It’s all I wanted.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:cz73r7iyiqn26upot4jtjdhk/bafkreihwhjblp5lyiwp63ouar7ocfea7evmckytoeo7rkfuoo4gw5rnrra@jpeg)
November 26, 2025 at 10:32 PM
Always amused with SiFi book cover art. Is the artist giving you a clue about something you haven't got to in the book yet? Do they genuinely have no idea about the book, other than the 25 word brief they got from the publisher? Some of them just seem random picks of 'ready made' art?!
November 25, 2025 at 2:24 AM
Always amused with SiFi book cover art. Is the artist giving you a clue about something you haven't got to in the book yet? Do they genuinely have no idea about the book, other than the 25 word brief they got from the publisher? Some of them just seem random picks of 'ready made' art?!
Reposted by Steve Heaton
Today, the international LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA Collaboration celebrates the successful completion of its 4th observing run (O4), marking another major step forward in the exploration of the gravitational wave universe. The run relied on coordinated observations and analyses by teams across the world. 🧪🔭
LIGO – Virgo – KAGRA Complete Fourth Observing Run
The LVK collaboration and the collaboration's Rapid Response Team released statements commemorating the conclusion of the 2.5 year-long O4 Observing Run
www.ligo.caltech.edu
November 18, 2025 at 9:48 PM
Today, the international LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA Collaboration celebrates the successful completion of its 4th observing run (O4), marking another major step forward in the exploration of the gravitational wave universe. The run relied on coordinated observations and analyses by teams across the world. 🧪🔭
Reposted by Steve Heaton
A government that can’t bring itself to tax fossil fuel, big tech or any wealth properly but defunds its critical institutions is not a good government, sorry
November 18, 2025 at 8:17 PM
A government that can’t bring itself to tax fossil fuel, big tech or any wealth properly but defunds its critical institutions is not a good government, sorry
Reposted by Steve Heaton
"The future is triage on an uninsurable earth" -
Read @katemac.bsky.social & I @thepolycrisis.bsky.social :
www.phenomenalworld.org/analysis/ins...
Read @katemac.bsky.social & I @thepolycrisis.bsky.social :
www.phenomenalworld.org/analysis/ins...
“Flooded homes lose value. Overheated cities become uninhabitable. Entire asset classes are degrading in real time, which translates to loss of value, business interruption, & market devaluation on a systemic level"- Günther Thallinger
@kmac & I dig insurance: www.phenomenalworld.org/analysis/ins...
@kmac & I dig insurance: www.phenomenalworld.org/analysis/ins...
November 16, 2025 at 6:54 PM
"The future is triage on an uninsurable earth" -
Read @katemac.bsky.social & I @thepolycrisis.bsky.social :
www.phenomenalworld.org/analysis/ins...
Read @katemac.bsky.social & I @thepolycrisis.bsky.social :
www.phenomenalworld.org/analysis/ins...
Continuing a long and proud tradition of 'demo failure' scenario. Worked fine the previous 50 rehearsals...
Russia presented its human-like AI robot. It fell down as it walked onto the stage.
November 11, 2025 at 9:48 PM
Continuing a long and proud tradition of 'demo failure' scenario. Worked fine the previous 50 rehearsals...
Reposted by Steve Heaton
“Climate-related disasters forcibly displaced 250 million people globally over the past decade, the equivalent of 70,000 displacements every day, according to a report by the UN refugee agency.” www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Climate disasters displaced 250 million people in past 10 years, UN report finds
Floods, storms and droughts have uprooted people across the globe as rising temperatures intensify conflict and hunger
www.theguardian.com
November 11, 2025 at 9:01 PM
“Climate-related disasters forcibly displaced 250 million people globally over the past decade, the equivalent of 70,000 displacements every day, according to a report by the UN refugee agency.” www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Reposted by Steve Heaton
Wrote about the teen social media ban, specifically Reddit www.theguardian.com/media/commen...
From AusLegal to AmItheAsshole: why I’m downvoting the social media ban on Reddit | Deirdre Fidge
We know young people are dancing on Tik Tok, and doing whatever the hell is happening on Kick, but my sympathies are with those about to be booted off Reddit
www.theguardian.com
November 11, 2025 at 12:43 AM
Wrote about the teen social media ban, specifically Reddit www.theguardian.com/media/commen...
Reposted by Steve Heaton
I'm preparing slides for a talk I'll be giving at Stanford this Thursday. Here is a draft slide.
events.stanford.edu/event/earth-...
events.stanford.edu/event/earth-...
November 10, 2025 at 9:26 PM
I'm preparing slides for a talk I'll be giving at Stanford this Thursday. Here is a draft slide.
events.stanford.edu/event/earth-...
events.stanford.edu/event/earth-...
Reposted by Steve Heaton
Electricians Prepare for Bumper 2026 As ‘3 Hours of Free Power’ Policy To Inevitably Lead to Australians Running Every Single Appliance at Once
Electricians Prepare for Bumper 2026 As ‘3 Hours of Free Power’ Policy To Inevitably Lead to Australians Running Every Single Appliance at Once — The Shovel
“I’ve already doubled my hourly rate and booked in my European holiday for next year"
theshovel.com.au
November 4, 2025 at 9:39 PM
Electricians Prepare for Bumper 2026 As ‘3 Hours of Free Power’ Policy To Inevitably Lead to Australians Running Every Single Appliance at Once
Reposted by Steve Heaton
Astronomy Picture of the Day
Comet Lemmon Beyond Lomnický Peak
Credit: Robert Barsa www.instagram.com/rob.barsa/
www.star.ucl.ac.uk/~apod/apod/a...
#APOD 🧪🔭
Comet Lemmon Beyond Lomnický Peak
Credit: Robert Barsa www.instagram.com/rob.barsa/
www.star.ucl.ac.uk/~apod/apod/a...
#APOD 🧪🔭
November 4, 2025 at 11:13 AM
Astronomy Picture of the Day
Comet Lemmon Beyond Lomnický Peak
Credit: Robert Barsa www.instagram.com/rob.barsa/
www.star.ucl.ac.uk/~apod/apod/a...
#APOD 🧪🔭
Comet Lemmon Beyond Lomnický Peak
Credit: Robert Barsa www.instagram.com/rob.barsa/
www.star.ucl.ac.uk/~apod/apod/a...
#APOD 🧪🔭
Reposted by Steve Heaton
"The NOAA aircraft left the storm early after
experiencing severe turbulence in the southwestern eyewall."
These men and women are not being paid due to the US government shutdown. Not to mention that according to AOML's director emeritus Robert Atlas, they are down 40-50% staff. #Melissa
experiencing severe turbulence in the southwestern eyewall."
These men and women are not being paid due to the US government shutdown. Not to mention that according to AOML's director emeritus Robert Atlas, they are down 40-50% staff. #Melissa
October 27, 2025 at 3:49 PM
"The NOAA aircraft left the storm early after
experiencing severe turbulence in the southwestern eyewall."
These men and women are not being paid due to the US government shutdown. Not to mention that according to AOML's director emeritus Robert Atlas, they are down 40-50% staff. #Melissa
experiencing severe turbulence in the southwestern eyewall."
These men and women are not being paid due to the US government shutdown. Not to mention that according to AOML's director emeritus Robert Atlas, they are down 40-50% staff. #Melissa
Reposted by Steve Heaton
TLDR; The PSF has made the decision to put our community and our shared diversity, equity, and inclusion values ahead of seeking $1.5M in new revenue. Please read and share. pyfound.blogspot.com/2025/10/NSF-...
🧵
🧵
The official home of the Python Programming Language
www.python.org
October 27, 2025 at 2:47 PM
TLDR; The PSF has made the decision to put our community and our shared diversity, equity, and inclusion values ahead of seeking $1.5M in new revenue. Please read and share. pyfound.blogspot.com/2025/10/NSF-...
🧵
🧵
Reposted by Steve Heaton
Thread: Each week I run a simulation of Australia’s main electricity grid using rescaled generation data to show that it can get very close to 100% renewable electricity with 24GW/120GWh of storage (5 hrs at av demand)
Results:
Last week: 100% RE
Last 216 weeks: 98.5% RE (1/5)
Results:
Last week: 100% RE
Last 216 weeks: 98.5% RE (1/5)
October 15, 2025 at 10:27 PM
Thread: Each week I run a simulation of Australia’s main electricity grid using rescaled generation data to show that it can get very close to 100% renewable electricity with 24GW/120GWh of storage (5 hrs at av demand)
Results:
Last week: 100% RE
Last 216 weeks: 98.5% RE (1/5)
Results:
Last week: 100% RE
Last 216 weeks: 98.5% RE (1/5)
Reposted by Steve Heaton
Thrilled to see our work in the NYT on heat pumps in cold climates.
Key facts:
- <0°C, heat pumps remain far more efficient than fossil/resistive heat.
- In most of Europe (rarely < −10°C), COPs stay strong.
- Even near −30°C, up to 2× resistive (less data).
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Key facts:
- <0°C, heat pumps remain far more efficient than fossil/resistive heat.
- In most of Europe (rarely < −10°C), COPs stay strong.
- Even near −30°C, up to 2× resistive (less data).
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
October 15, 2025 at 3:17 PM
Thrilled to see our work in the NYT on heat pumps in cold climates.
Key facts:
- <0°C, heat pumps remain far more efficient than fossil/resistive heat.
- In most of Europe (rarely < −10°C), COPs stay strong.
- Even near −30°C, up to 2× resistive (less data).
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Key facts:
- <0°C, heat pumps remain far more efficient than fossil/resistive heat.
- In most of Europe (rarely < −10°C), COPs stay strong.
- Even near −30°C, up to 2× resistive (less data).
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Reposted by Steve Heaton
you fucked around and now the Episcopalians are doing memes. are you happy now. are you
October 15, 2025 at 4:10 PM
you fucked around and now the Episcopalians are doing memes. are you happy now. are you
Reposted by Steve Heaton
If it wasn’t clear, this is all in the context of another 10% layoff at NASA JPL happening tomorrow.
Part of the cuts stem from JPL’s failure to put together a feasible mars sample return mission, but also a huge driver is NASA capitulating in advance to the presidents budget request.
Part of the cuts stem from JPL’s failure to put together a feasible mars sample return mission, but also a huge driver is NASA capitulating in advance to the presidents budget request.
Tomorrow about a third of Perseverance rover staff will be laid off, despite the mission being the penultimate step in a decades long effort to bring samples back from mars.
Reckless, needless budget cuts intended to hinder the pursuit of knowledge.
Reckless, needless budget cuts intended to hinder the pursuit of knowledge.
October 13, 2025 at 7:43 PM
If it wasn’t clear, this is all in the context of another 10% layoff at NASA JPL happening tomorrow.
Part of the cuts stem from JPL’s failure to put together a feasible mars sample return mission, but also a huge driver is NASA capitulating in advance to the presidents budget request.
Part of the cuts stem from JPL’s failure to put together a feasible mars sample return mission, but also a huge driver is NASA capitulating in advance to the presidents budget request.
Reposted by Steve Heaton
Better to farm solar for energy
than to farm crops to use for biofuels
Far better
1 hectare annual yield:
2t soy bean
➡️ 800 litres biodiesel ➡️ 8.29 MWh
70t sugar cane
➡️ 7000 litres ethanol ➡️ 57.5 MWh
600 kW solar
➡️ ➡️ 900 MWh (low estimate)
than to farm crops to use for biofuels
Far better
1 hectare annual yield:
2t soy bean
➡️ 800 litres biodiesel ➡️ 8.29 MWh
70t sugar cane
➡️ 7000 litres ethanol ➡️ 57.5 MWh
600 kW solar
➡️ ➡️ 900 MWh (low estimate)
November 27, 2024 at 3:20 AM
Better to farm solar for energy
than to farm crops to use for biofuels
Far better
1 hectare annual yield:
2t soy bean
➡️ 800 litres biodiesel ➡️ 8.29 MWh
70t sugar cane
➡️ 7000 litres ethanol ➡️ 57.5 MWh
600 kW solar
➡️ ➡️ 900 MWh (low estimate)
than to farm crops to use for biofuels
Far better
1 hectare annual yield:
2t soy bean
➡️ 800 litres biodiesel ➡️ 8.29 MWh
70t sugar cane
➡️ 7000 litres ethanol ➡️ 57.5 MWh
600 kW solar
➡️ ➡️ 900 MWh (low estimate)
Reposted by Steve Heaton
AI chatbots and LLMs are very expensive to run and they make almost no money.
Monetisation might start with selling ads...but where does it stop?
What's stopping powerful interests from paying AI companies to feed you lies about political parties during elections?
We need proper safeguards asap
Monetisation might start with selling ads...but where does it stop?
What's stopping powerful interests from paying AI companies to feed you lies about political parties during elections?
We need proper safeguards asap
October 1, 2025 at 11:27 PM
AI chatbots and LLMs are very expensive to run and they make almost no money.
Monetisation might start with selling ads...but where does it stop?
What's stopping powerful interests from paying AI companies to feed you lies about political parties during elections?
We need proper safeguards asap
Monetisation might start with selling ads...but where does it stop?
What's stopping powerful interests from paying AI companies to feed you lies about political parties during elections?
We need proper safeguards asap
Reposted by Steve Heaton
A bus of Bronx middle schoolers pulled up to the Capitol this morning for a long-planned field trip just a few hours after the government shut down.
All Capitol tours were cancelled as the guides can’t work in shutdown.
So I escorted them in myself and gave them a personal tour. They were great!
All Capitol tours were cancelled as the guides can’t work in shutdown.
So I escorted them in myself and gave them a personal tour. They were great!
October 1, 2025 at 5:15 PM
A bus of Bronx middle schoolers pulled up to the Capitol this morning for a long-planned field trip just a few hours after the government shut down.
All Capitol tours were cancelled as the guides can’t work in shutdown.
So I escorted them in myself and gave them a personal tour. They were great!
All Capitol tours were cancelled as the guides can’t work in shutdown.
So I escorted them in myself and gave them a personal tour. They were great!
Reposted by Steve Heaton
“We've reached this weird point where simultaneously anything can be generated, but no one believes anything anymore,” EFF’s @ktrendacosta.bsky.social told @TIME.com. We blame tech, but we fail to teach media literacy like analytical skills or how to evaluate sources. time.com/7321911/byt...
ByteDance’s AI Videos Are Scary Realistic. That’s a Problem for Truth Online.
ByteDance’s new AI visual models rival those from OpenAI and Google. But their spread raises concerns over deepfakes and copyright.
time.com
October 1, 2025 at 9:01 PM
“We've reached this weird point where simultaneously anything can be generated, but no one believes anything anymore,” EFF’s @ktrendacosta.bsky.social told @TIME.com. We blame tech, but we fail to teach media literacy like analytical skills or how to evaluate sources. time.com/7321911/byt...