Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Katie Mack

@astrokatie.com

260K followers 1.4K following 8.7K posts

Cosmologist, pilot, author, connoisseur of cosmic catastrophes. TEDFellow, CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholar. Domain verified through my personal astrokatie.com website. She/her. Dr. Personal account; not speaking for employer or anyone else.

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Pinned

Katie Mack @astrokatie.com · Nov 30

This holiday season, why not give the gift of ultimate cosmic destruction?? 💥🌌

www.astrokatie.com/book

Kirkus Reviews calls it “a delightfully unsettling narrative”! @leebillings.bsky.social raves about my “infectious enthusiasm for communicating the finer points of cosmological doom”!

The End of Everything — KATIE MACK, ASTROPHYSICIST

Information about "The End of Everything (Astrophysically Speaking)" by Katie Mack

www.astrokatie.com

120 230 1.4K

Katie Mack @astrokatie.com · 5h

I'm glad you're feeling better!

1 37

Katie Mack @astrokatie.com · 8h

Every time.

MurderBotBot @murderbotbot.bsky.social · 8h

I was having an emotion, and I hate that.

6 27 430

Reposted by Katie Mack

Lisa Will @dustchick.bsky.social · 14h

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 · 22h

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

7 240 780

Reposted by Katie Mack

David Roberts @volts.wtf · 1d

Hard to argue with any of this.

Kelly C @kacphl.bsky.social · 1d

Yup. This guy nailed it. www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1Qv...

How I View the US After 13 Years Living in Europe

YouTube video by Evan Edinger

www.youtube.com

8 47 240

Reposted by Katie Mack

Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò @olufemiotaiwo.bsky.social · 1d

yearly reminder to people insisting that we view Christopher Columbus as "a man of his time" that *the people responsible for the Spanish Inquisition* thought Columbus was out of pocket

Thomas Lecaque @tlecaque.bsky.social · 1d

Christopher Columbus was dragged back to Spain in chains by a crusading knight, convicted of tyranny and immeasurable cruelty, pardoned by Isabella but banned from returning to Hispaniola.

Fuck Columbus.

88 2.3K 7.8K

Katie Mack @astrokatie.com · 1d

Amazing! 🤩

1 2

Katie Mack @astrokatie.com · 2d

Yeah. But I’d rather call them Santander Bikes than Boris Bikes, so

2 3

Katie Mack @astrokatie.com · 2d

I generally choose quiet streets and bike lanes and if I get to a scary street I just get off and walk the bike a bit.

Katie Mack @astrokatie.com · 2d

Nah they already have your account info so they just take money

1 4

Katie Mack @astrokatie.com · 2d

The best thing about Santander bikes (maybe better than the cool laser light thingy) is the in-app route planning, EXCEPT that you have to input specific dock names for the start and end points, which requires several extra steps. Would be nice if Forest & Lime had something similar.

2 63

Katie Mack @astrokatie.com · 2d

I’m not a fan of them honestly. If Santander were easier to use they’d be ranked above Lime

Katie Mack @astrokatie.com · 2d

You just get charged

1 4

Katie Mack @astrokatie.com · 2d

The fact that Santander bikes are hard to pay for is wild to me. I couldn’t get the app to accept my (non-UK) credit card, nor Apple Pay, so I couldn’t buy a day pass online. Apparently the kiosks by the docks accept foreign cards but won’t accept tap via phone — they need the actual card. I gave up

5 87

Katie Mack @astrokatie.com · 2d

My personal rankings of bike hire schemes in central London:

3. Santander. Cheapest, but hardest to pay for & dock, & no phone holder. Best lights though.

2. Lime. Most ubiquitous, very easy to use, but a bit pricey.

1. Forest. Easy to find, hire, and park. Good pricing. Apparently most “green.”

8 11 260

Katie Mack @astrokatie.com · 2d

Space hotels: 👎
Train hotels: 👍

2 2 41

Katie Mack @astrokatie.com · 2d

That too! To replace the cars 👍

1 20

Katie Mack @astrokatie.com · 2d

I am an airplane person who thinks that nearly all commuter flight routes should be replaced with high-speed trains

5 21 270

Katie Mack @astrokatie.com · 2d

I will be especially thankful then!

Katie Mack @astrokatie.com · 2d

🇨🇦 Happy Thanksgiving to all my Canadian friends! 🍁

Sorry I’m not there to celebrate with you! But earlier today I did stop by your sovereign’s house to say hi.

Me wearing sunglasses and smiling in front of Buckingham Palace. The flag is flying on top of it.

13 15 730

Reposted by Katie Mack

Lora Kolodny @lorak.bsky.social · 2d

excellent explainer

Mother Jones @motherjones.com · 4d

Lawyers have been publicizing a new term to describe ICE's racially targeted detainments: a “Kavanaugh stop.”

Mother Jones reporter Pema Levy explains in this new video:

1 48 210

Katie Mack @astrokatie.com · 2d

I also appreciated this sign in the Globe gift shop ⚔️🚫

A sign that says “No Sword-Fighting in the Shop” next to a display of toy swords

22 21 580

Katie Mack @astrokatie.com · 2d

I saw Twelfth Night and it was wonderful. And an absolutely glorious night on the Thames when the play was done

Interior of the Globe Theatre — view of the stage from the Middle Gallery, stage left. Some groundlings have gathered by the edge of the stage but the place isn’t full yet (and no actors are out)

The Thames on a mostly clear night, with lots of lights reflecting on the water. On the left, St Paul’s Cathedral is glowing white, and the skyscrapers on the right are lit by a waning gibbous moon right over them

6 4 400

Katie Mack @astrokatie.com · 2d

I did! And a blanket

Katie Mack @astrokatie.com · 3d

Shakespeare’s Glowbe

Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, with bright white lights on either side that makes it look like it’s glowing

13 5 520

Katie Mack @astrokatie.com · 3d

I am at this moment enjoying vegan pizza at a lovely open-air cafe near Southbank and the only negative thing I could say would be that the Caribbean music is almost TOO jaunty

2 15