Robert McNees
@mcnees.bsky.social
Physicist and Professor at a university in Chicago. Black holes, quantum gravity, cosmology. Rocky Top. Tar Heel. Reposts are spooky action at a distance. My views, not my employer's. https://jacobi.luc.edu
Pinned
Robert McNees
@mcnees.bsky.social
· Nov 9
Probably the best thing I ever posted on that other site, wish I could permanently transplant it to my timeline here.
Reposted by Robert McNees
Special discount until December 7! 🧪
Grab yourself or a friend a signed/personalized copy of OUT THERE: THE SCIENCE BEHIND SCI-FI FILM & TV with a foreword from astronaut Mae Jemison...
...and support a indie filmmaker (me!) at the same time.
20% off with code SCIENCE:
patreon.com/arielwaldman
Grab yourself or a friend a signed/personalized copy of OUT THERE: THE SCIENCE BEHIND SCI-FI FILM & TV with a foreword from astronaut Mae Jemison...
...and support a indie filmmaker (me!) at the same time.
20% off with code SCIENCE:
patreon.com/arielwaldman
November 29, 2025 at 10:00 PM
Special discount until December 7! 🧪
Grab yourself or a friend a signed/personalized copy of OUT THERE: THE SCIENCE BEHIND SCI-FI FILM & TV with a foreword from astronaut Mae Jemison...
...and support a indie filmmaker (me!) at the same time.
20% off with code SCIENCE:
patreon.com/arielwaldman
Grab yourself or a friend a signed/personalized copy of OUT THERE: THE SCIENCE BEHIND SCI-FI FILM & TV with a foreword from astronaut Mae Jemison...
...and support a indie filmmaker (me!) at the same time.
20% off with code SCIENCE:
patreon.com/arielwaldman
They don’t have to explain why they allow one thing (Texas) and will strike down the other (California). A justification isn’t the point. They’re telling you they are in charge and can do whatever they want and you can’t stop them.
December 5, 2025 at 12:45 AM
They don’t have to explain why they allow one thing (Texas) and will strike down the other (California). A justification isn’t the point. They’re telling you they are in charge and can do whatever they want and you can’t stop them.
This is disappointing, but also I’d bet that map isn’t as safe as they probably thought it was a few months ago. Hard to gerrymander the whole thing when you’re going to be hit with a 15 point swing.
BREAKING: The U.S. Supreme Court allows Texas to use its new congressional map in 2026 elections.
Justice Kagan, joined by Justices Sotomayor and Jackson, dissents.
Justice Kagan, joined by Justices Sotomayor and Jackson, dissents.
![SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES
No. 25A608
GREG ABBOTT, ET AL. U. LEAGUE OF UNITED LATIN AMERICAN CITIZENS, ET AL.
ON APPLICATION FOR STAY
[December 4, 2025]
With an eye on the upcoming 2026 midterm elections, several States have in recent months redrawn their congressional districts in ways that are predicted to favor the State's dominant political party. Texas adopted the first new map, then California responded with its own map for the stated purpose of counteracting what Texas had done.
North Carolina followed suit, and other States are also considering new maps.
Respondents in this case challenged the new Texas map, contending that the legislature's motive was predominantly racial. A divided three-judge District Court agreed and enjoined the use of the new map in the 2026 elections. With the 2026 campaign underway, the State of Texas and several of its officials applied to this Court for a stay.
Based on our preliminary evaluation of this case, Texas satisfies the traditional criteria for interim relief.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:36eqtmzysqf7wsslczw4uxcd/bafkreibpud5vzmybiy4rh3a4imhlzri7czu36rhhfykmrisvcij4iwd5yu@jpeg)
December 4, 2025 at 11:15 PM
This is disappointing, but also I’d bet that map isn’t as safe as they probably thought it was a few months ago. Hard to gerrymander the whole thing when you’re going to be hit with a 15 point swing.
[Nandor voice]
Colin Robinson
Colin Robinson
December 4, 2025 at 10:12 PM
[Nandor voice]
Colin Robinson
Colin Robinson
Reposted by Robert McNees
If you are looking for a surprise twist, this is one of the best ones I can offer. 🧪 ⚛️
"I, at any rate, am convinced that He is not playing at dice."
Einstein sent a letter to Max Born #OTD in 1926, in which he gave his oft-quoted objection to the probabilistic interpretation of the wavefunction in quantum mechanics. 🧪 ⚛️
You may be surprised by where this is headed. (1/n)
Einstein sent a letter to Max Born #OTD in 1926, in which he gave his oft-quoted objection to the probabilistic interpretation of the wavefunction in quantum mechanics. 🧪 ⚛️
You may be surprised by where this is headed. (1/n)
pubs.aip.org
December 4, 2025 at 3:26 PM
If you are looking for a surprise twist, this is one of the best ones I can offer. 🧪 ⚛️
Reposted by Robert McNees
I’m excited to share my interview with @themountaingoats.bsky.social for @soundopinions.bsky.social “This Year” is a really special treat for fans of great writing. pod.link/94793843/epi...
pod.link
December 3, 2025 at 6:33 PM
I’m excited to share my interview with @themountaingoats.bsky.social for @soundopinions.bsky.social “This Year” is a really special treat for fans of great writing. pod.link/94793843/epi...
When I write QM homework problems and exam questions I always use Kira and Sonny instead of Alice and Bob.
Max Born’s other great cultural contribution, besides the probabilistic interpretation of quantum mechanics, is his granddaughter Olivia Newton-John.
You can see the family resemblance. (4/n)
You can see the family resemblance. (4/n)
December 4, 2025 at 3:58 PM
When I write QM homework problems and exam questions I always use Kira and Sonny instead of Alice and Bob.
Used to be, macOS was a proper operating system. You could type "Galadriel" or "Elrond" into the character picker and get an elf emoji.
December 4, 2025 at 3:34 PM
Used to be, macOS was a proper operating system. You could type "Galadriel" or "Elrond" into the character picker and get an elf emoji.
If you are looking for a surprise twist, this is one of the best ones I can offer. 🧪 ⚛️
"I, at any rate, am convinced that He is not playing at dice."
Einstein sent a letter to Max Born #OTD in 1926, in which he gave his oft-quoted objection to the probabilistic interpretation of the wavefunction in quantum mechanics. 🧪 ⚛️
You may be surprised by where this is headed. (1/n)
Einstein sent a letter to Max Born #OTD in 1926, in which he gave his oft-quoted objection to the probabilistic interpretation of the wavefunction in quantum mechanics. 🧪 ⚛️
You may be surprised by where this is headed. (1/n)
pubs.aip.org
December 4, 2025 at 3:26 PM
If you are looking for a surprise twist, this is one of the best ones I can offer. 🧪 ⚛️
Reposted by Robert McNees
"I, at any rate, am convinced that He is not playing at dice."
Einstein sent a letter to Max Born #OTD in 1926, in which he gave his oft-quoted objection to the probabilistic interpretation of the wavefunction in quantum mechanics. 🧪 ⚛️
You may be surprised by where this is headed. (1/n)
Einstein sent a letter to Max Born #OTD in 1926, in which he gave his oft-quoted objection to the probabilistic interpretation of the wavefunction in quantum mechanics. 🧪 ⚛️
You may be surprised by where this is headed. (1/n)
pubs.aip.org
December 4, 2024 at 1:32 PM
"I, at any rate, am convinced that He is not playing at dice."
Einstein sent a letter to Max Born #OTD in 1926, in which he gave his oft-quoted objection to the probabilistic interpretation of the wavefunction in quantum mechanics. 🧪 ⚛️
You may be surprised by where this is headed. (1/n)
Einstein sent a letter to Max Born #OTD in 1926, in which he gave his oft-quoted objection to the probabilistic interpretation of the wavefunction in quantum mechanics. 🧪 ⚛️
You may be surprised by where this is headed. (1/n)
Reposted by Robert McNees
By 2040, ~40% of the images from Hubble Space Telescope, and more than 96% from new and future space telescopes like SPHEREx, ARRAKIHS, and Xuntian will be contaminated by internet satellite constellations.
Read our new NASA article in Nature:
nature.com/articles/s4158…
Read our new NASA article in Nature:
nature.com/articles/s4158…
December 3, 2025 at 6:55 PM
By 2040, ~40% of the images from Hubble Space Telescope, and more than 96% from new and future space telescopes like SPHEREx, ARRAKIHS, and Xuntian will be contaminated by internet satellite constellations.
Read our new NASA article in Nature:
nature.com/articles/s4158…
Read our new NASA article in Nature:
nature.com/articles/s4158…
Or he was shown the door after the Tahoe debacle.
December 4, 2025 at 5:27 AM
Or he was shown the door after the Tahoe debacle.
If you choose a good password on the LL Bean website they rate it as Wicked Strong.
December 4, 2025 at 2:48 AM
If you choose a good password on the LL Bean website they rate it as Wicked Strong.
Our long national nightmare of not enough papers by me on the arXiv is finally over. 🧪 ⚛️
(Anti)-de Sitter with leaky boundaries and corners
We construct charges for four-dimensional spacetimes with a non-vanishing cosmological constant, including charges that are not conserved because of a leaky boundary and charges associated with corner...
arxiv.org
December 4, 2025 at 2:34 AM
Our long national nightmare of not enough papers by me on the arXiv is finally over. 🧪 ⚛️
Traffic laws and norms of driving basically no longer exist outside of automated enforcement and parking tickets. I am not exaggerating or making a joke. Post pandemic, there are no longer constraints on how people use the road.
December 3, 2025 at 2:34 PM
Traffic laws and norms of driving basically no longer exist outside of automated enforcement and parking tickets. I am not exaggerating or making a joke. Post pandemic, there are no longer constraints on how people use the road.
I was just spitballing numbers when I made the point below, but after tonight not even a +15 district looks safe.
If I was a GOP strategist, I’d be pretty worried about diluting my safe +15 districts into a bunch of +5 gerrymandered districts after tonight.
December 3, 2025 at 6:16 AM
I was just spitballing numbers when I made the point below, but after tonight not even a +15 district looks safe.
I will say this for Kentucky: I don’t think I’ve seen them argue a single call tonight. Makes them easy to like even when I’m pulling against them.
December 3, 2025 at 4:12 AM
I will say this for Kentucky: I don’t think I’ve seen them argue a single call tonight. Makes them easy to like even when I’m pulling against them.
So if I'm understanding this correctly, the GOP went to the mattresses in one of the reddest states in the country and after pulling out all the stops they managed to limit the Dem swing to just 15 or 16 points?
December 3, 2025 at 3:04 AM
So if I'm understanding this correctly, the GOP went to the mattresses in one of the reddest states in the country and after pulling out all the stops they managed to limit the Dem swing to just 15 or 16 points?
Just found a bottle of fennel seed in our spice cabinet with "Best By Mar 02 13" stamped on the bottom.
December 3, 2025 at 1:15 AM
Just found a bottle of fennel seed in our spice cabinet with "Best By Mar 02 13" stamped on the bottom.
[Aimee Mann running low on gummy bears]
<plink plink plink plink>
One
is the loneliest number of
gummy bears
Two
can be as bad as one
it’s the second worst number of
gummy bears
<plink plink plink plink>
One
is the loneliest number of
gummy bears
Two
can be as bad as one
it’s the second worst number of
gummy bears
December 2, 2025 at 10:10 PM
[Aimee Mann running low on gummy bears]
<plink plink plink plink>
One
is the loneliest number of
gummy bears
Two
can be as bad as one
it’s the second worst number of
gummy bears
<plink plink plink plink>
One
is the loneliest number of
gummy bears
Two
can be as bad as one
it’s the second worst number of
gummy bears
*new paper submitted*
December 2, 2025 at 8:45 PM
*new paper submitted*
By the way, the Environmental Protection Agency was established #OTD in 1970 with strong (by today’s standards) bipartisan support.
This year it was hit with multiple rounds of layoffs – especially scientific staff – the current administration's attempt to functionally dismantle it.
This year it was hit with multiple rounds of layoffs – especially scientific staff – the current administration's attempt to functionally dismantle it.
I’m no expert, but I’ve seen this paper described as an important justification for claims about the safety of Roundup. And now it has been retracted by the journal it appeared in. 🧪
RETRACTED: Safety Evaluation and Risk Assessment of the Herbicide Roundup and Its Active Ingredient, Glyphosate, for Humans
This article has been retracted: please see Elsevier Policy on Article Withdrawal (https://www.elsevier.com/locate/withdrawalpolicy)This article has b…
www.sciencedirect.com
December 2, 2025 at 7:08 PM
By the way, the Environmental Protection Agency was established #OTD in 1970 with strong (by today’s standards) bipartisan support.
This year it was hit with multiple rounds of layoffs – especially scientific staff – the current administration's attempt to functionally dismantle it.
This year it was hit with multiple rounds of layoffs – especially scientific staff – the current administration's attempt to functionally dismantle it.
The highlighted passage is a very NYT way of saying “lying in the newspaper to own the libs.”
For my part, I would say that questioning the framing of some Times stories—for example, the highlighting of Trump’s putative emotions or the foregrounding of what he says (even when, as is often the case, what he says is false)—is not an indication that I want my “views validated.”
December 2, 2025 at 4:12 PM
The highlighted passage is a very NYT way of saying “lying in the newspaper to own the libs.”
This has been one of the main references used in regulatory findings about Roundup for 25 years.
The EPA (which recently went through multiple rounds of cuts to scientific staff) has to release its updated decision on the safety of glyphosate sometime next year.
The EPA (which recently went through multiple rounds of cuts to scientific staff) has to release its updated decision on the safety of glyphosate sometime next year.
I’m no expert, but I’ve seen this paper described as an important justification for claims about the safety of Roundup. And now it has been retracted by the journal it appeared in. 🧪
RETRACTED: Safety Evaluation and Risk Assessment of the Herbicide Roundup and Its Active Ingredient, Glyphosate, for Humans
This article has been retracted: please see Elsevier Policy on Article Withdrawal (https://www.elsevier.com/locate/withdrawalpolicy)This article has b…
www.sciencedirect.com
December 2, 2025 at 6:49 AM
This has been one of the main references used in regulatory findings about Roundup for 25 years.
The EPA (which recently went through multiple rounds of cuts to scientific staff) has to release its updated decision on the safety of glyphosate sometime next year.
The EPA (which recently went through multiple rounds of cuts to scientific staff) has to release its updated decision on the safety of glyphosate sometime next year.