Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

barbylon @barbylon.bsky.social · 3h

I'm late to this thread but I got the Method, Larry, and it's right on time.

Reposted by barbylon

Paul Byrne @theplanetaryguy.bsky.social · 9h

Layoff notices at JPL are going out today.

About 11% of the Lab, or 550 people, are being let go.

I'm thinking of my friends and colleagues there, some of whom will still be employed after today and some of whom won't.

I'm sorry you're having to deal with this.

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Jim Campbell @jimcampbellart.bsky.social · May 30

These dirtbags are literally Nazis.

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Marisa Kabas @marisakabas.bsky.social · May 29

SCOOP: The State Department's new reorganization plan includes the opening of an "Office for Remigration," a term popularized by far right extremists and neo-Nazis in Europe. The office will coordinate directly with DHS "to advance the President’s immigration agenda."

My report:

State Department set to launch ‘Office of Remigration’

The concept of remigration has explicitly neo-Nazi roots and has been popularized in Europe.

www.thehandbasket.co

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Senator Chris Van Hollen @vanhollen.senate.gov · 12h

Trump and his cronies have been attacking our dedicated public servants from Day 1 — and now they're weaponizing Trump's shutdown to illegally fire more federal workers. We won't stand for it.

Tune in as my colleagues and I discuss how we're fighting back:

Van Hollen, colleagues rally against Trump's illegal attacks on federal workers

YouTube video by Senator Chris Van Hollen

youtube.com

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Celeste Labedz @celestelabedz.bsky.social · 1d

A lot of comments on Mars rovers or Moon landings, but it's important to remember that the planet NASA studies most is Earth. This is less about cutting flashy things like moonwalks and more about keeping communities in the dark on climate, weather, agriculture, pollution, natural hazards, and more.

Reuters @reuters.com · 1d

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory to lay off about 550 workers reut.rs/4302N2L

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory to lay off about 550 workers

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory said on Monday it will cut nearly 550 jobs as part of a restructuring, not related to the current U.S. government shutdown.

reut.rs

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Lisa Will @dustchick.bsky.social · 21h

I've always said this, but since last November, I've been pointing this out frequently in whatever venues to whatever audiences I can: "The planet NASA studies most is Earth."

Celeste Labedz @celestelabedz.bsky.social · 1d

A lot of comments on Mars rovers or Moon landings, but it's important to remember that the planet NASA studies most is Earth. This is less about cutting flashy things like moonwalks and more about keeping communities in the dark on climate, weather, agriculture, pollution, natural hazards, and more.

Reuters @reuters.com · 1d

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory to lay off about 550 workers reut.rs/4302N2L

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barbylon @barbylon.bsky.social · 1d

They're all in my Wildlife Treasury!

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barbylon @barbylon.bsky.social · 1d

Also "palm trees are tall grasses" is correct enough to send people into a science spin (in a good way)

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barbylon @barbylon.bsky.social · 1d

I know the original guitarist from Panthera!

Gwen 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️♿ @gwenverbsnouns.bsky.social · 1d

panther just isn't a scientific term. it means whatever people say it does colloquially.

calling pumas panthers is no more or less correct than jaguars or leopards

now, *panthera* is a scientific term, and it refers to the genus which includes jaguars, leopards, lions, snow leopards, and tigers.

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Thomas Zimmer @thomaszimmer.bsky.social · 5d

We need to talk about Russell Vought – But Properly

Why certain mainstream outlets insist on sanitizing Vought as a devout “small government” conservative – and what actually animates his war against pluralistic democracy.

Some thoughts from my new piece:

🧵

We need to talk about Russell Vought – But Properly

Why certain mainstream outlets insist on sanitizing Vought as a devout “small government” conservative – and what actually animates his war against pluralistic democracy

steady.page

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barbylon @barbylon.bsky.social · 2d

In honor of spooky month, share a 4 word horror story that only someone in your profession would understand.

The valve stuck open.

Sarah Tuttle @niais.bsky.social · 2d

In honor of spooky month, share a 4 word horror story that only someone in your profession would understand.

"Patchy clouds, 83% humidity"

Andrew Spooky Bones MD @apbohn.bsky.social · 2d

In honor of spooky month, share a 4 word horror story that only someone in your profession would understand:

"Nice person, painless jaundice."

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Megan Piontkowski illustration @meganpiont.bsky.social · 2d

I was commissioned to make a zine for the No Kings 2 protest on Saturday Oct 18th!

If you wonder “what can I do?” this zine is for you. It’s packed with things that you can do from wearing a “no ICE” pin to organizing a visibility brigade with your friends.

drive.google.com/file/d/1TJnH...

Hand holding a black and white illustrated zine of two people holding signs that say “we marched! Now what?”

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Thor Benson @thorbenson.bsky.social · 3d

All of this is illegal, for the record

Lena Sun @lenasun.bsky.social · 3d

NEW: @CDCgov hit hard by massive firings that several staff describe to me as a “bloodbath.”
Among those RIFd:
—leadership of the center for immunization and respiratory diseases;
—leadership of global health center
—leadership of the measles outbreak response; 1/4

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Lena Sun @lenasun.bsky.social · 3d

NEW: @CDCgov hit hard by massive firings that several staff describe to me as a “bloodbath.”
Among those RIFd:
—leadership of the center for immunization and respiratory diseases;
—leadership of global health center
—leadership of the measles outbreak response; 1/4

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Anna Gifty @itsafronomics.bsky.social · 3d

lol gentle reminder that DEI is not illegal. Supporting marginalized groups is not illegal. Anyone reneging on support is making a CHOICE to do so.

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squawky.bsky.social @squawky.bsky.social · 4d

Planetary geology folks, section meetings for GSA are in the spring. Smaller, but cheaper than a half week of LPSC, posters double the size, talks 17 minutes, abstracts 345 words. Come meet some of your local colleagues!

(LPSC was my first meeting, I love going - but hate what it has become.)

barbylon @barbylon.bsky.social · 4d

Planetary scientists - we have a continual lament that goes like, waaah we have too many meetings how can we work and put in so many abstracts! Here's a solution! Choose a different meeting!

Dr. Adeene Denton @spacewhalerider.com · 4d

It's really disheartening to try to talk to colleagues about boycotting a conference that removed all its records of abstracts pertaining to DEI, only for the response to largely be "I don't want to go, but..." But what??? Each of us has agency! You can choose not to go!

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barbylon @barbylon.bsky.social · 4d

I know the LPSC community has been so close knit for so many years. If you take your cohort to a different meeting you can help create and continue that sense of community.

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barbylon @barbylon.bsky.social · 4d

Planetary scientists - we have a continual lament that goes like, waaah we have too many meetings how can we work and put in so many abstracts! Here's a solution! Choose a different meeting!

Dr. Adeene Denton @spacewhalerider.com · 4d

It's really disheartening to try to talk to colleagues about boycotting a conference that removed all its records of abstracts pertaining to DEI, only for the response to largely be "I don't want to go, but..." But what??? Each of us has agency! You can choose not to go!

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Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 4d

Re-upping this piece on news that Vought is firing federal employees:
*Vought lying that shutdowns compel layoffs, never have before.
*Layoffs are a choice, the shutdown is an excuse.
*Comes on top of existing RIFs, will make restoring govt services harder post-shutdown.
substack.com/home/post/p-...

Shutdown hostage taking

Russ Vought's threatens more mass firings; SCOTUS blesses his de facto impoundment

substack.com

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Emily J @emexastris.bsky.social · 4d

Reminder that the Trump administration has been illegally and capriciously firing workers since January, them doing it during a shutdown just means they're still doing it.
www.politico.com/live-updates...

Federal workers unions call on Schumer, Jeffries to hold the line even if it means a shutdown

“Federal workers will willingly forego paychecks in the hopes of preserving the programs we have devoted our lives to administering,” the unions said.

www.politico.com

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Kyle Griffin @kylegriffin1.bsky.social · 4d

Breaking: MIT just became the first university to reject an agreement that would trade support for the Trump admin's higher education agenda in exchange for favorable treatment.

"Fundamentally, the premise of the document is inconsistent with our core belief." www.nytimes.com/2025/10/10/u...

M.I.T. Rejects a White House Offer for Special Funding Treatment

www.nytimes.com

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Bobby Kogan @bbkogan.bsky.social · 4d

Three key points:
1) The admin has been planning mass firings to begin in October since February
2) The work necessary to carry out mass firings is illegal during a shutdown, violating the Antideficiency Act, which carries a criminal penalty
3) This harms America, ridding us of talent and expertise

Russ Vought v @russvought
The RIFs have begun.
12:27 PM • 10/10/25 • 15K Views

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Mount St. Helens in 1980 @mountsthelens1980.bsky.social · 5d

#MSH45 | Richard Lasher
You've been at a job long enough to know a decent colleague to chat with.

The more you get to know them, the more they share. What's fact or fiction? You don't know, but you listen.

Then there's one story that's so over the top—a bona fide lie. But then, a photo appears.

A red Ford Pinto hatchback angles across a narrow gravel forest service road, a blue enduro motorcycle on a rear hitch carrier. Tall firs frame the view. Beyond them, a towering ash cloud from a pyroclastic density flow billows skyward. Photo by Richard Kent Lasher, May 18, 1980.

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Jess Calarco @jessicacalarco.com · 5d

I have to fan-girl for a minute here. My friend @rosvall-lab.bsky.social built an app to gather data on bird behavior during the 2024 solar eclipse. 10,000+ citizen scientists contributed (including my kids), and the resulting paper was published in Science today!

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

Total solar eclipse triggers dawn behavior in birds: Insights from acoustic recordings and community science

On 8 April 2024, a total solar eclipse disrupted light-dark cycles for North American birds during the lead-up to spring reproduction. Compiling more than 10,000 community observations and artificial ...

www.science.org

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