Derek Fox
@partialobserver.bsky.social
Penn State Astronomer (he/him), personal account. “We went and made everything a computer without ever bothering to fix computers.”
Pinned
Derek Fox
@partialobserver.bsky.social
· Jan 28
Thinking about how we are living the devolution of John Adams’ pronouncement: Where we had thought ourselves at liberty to study mathematics and philosophy, we find ourselves instead obliged to study politics and war.
Reposted by Derek Fox
Nearly every mechanism that made my career possible—Ford, NSF, Harvard BiGS—is gone or on the way to the chopping block.
This means NSF dissertation improvement grants in the social sciences are simply...not happening.
NEW from me - NSF cancels grant scheme for social science research.
Seems the NSF quietly archived ALL calls for DDRIG grants in the SBE directorate. This is a massive blow for PhD students wanting to do cutting-edge social science research. 🏺🧪
Seems the NSF quietly archived ALL calls for DDRIG grants in the SBE directorate. This is a massive blow for PhD students wanting to do cutting-edge social science research. 🏺🧪
November 27, 2025 at 1:33 PM
Nearly every mechanism that made my career possible—Ford, NSF, Harvard BiGS—is gone or on the way to the chopping block.
Reposted by Derek Fox
"We followed everything we were supposed to do"
Legitimate green card applicants with US spouses are being
arrested by armed, masked men at scheduled immigration interviews, taken away from their children, sent to prison
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/26/u...
Legitimate green card applicants with US spouses are being
arrested by armed, masked men at scheduled immigration interviews, taken away from their children, sent to prison
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/26/u...
Green Card Interviews End in Handcuffs for Spouses of U.S. Citizens
www.nytimes.com
November 27, 2025 at 11:55 AM
"We followed everything we were supposed to do"
Legitimate green card applicants with US spouses are being
arrested by armed, masked men at scheduled immigration interviews, taken away from their children, sent to prison
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/26/u...
Legitimate green card applicants with US spouses are being
arrested by armed, masked men at scheduled immigration interviews, taken away from their children, sent to prison
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/26/u...
Reposted by Derek Fox
Part of the problem is people think what persuades them is logic and facts.
In reality, most people's opinions are shaped primarily what they perceive to be the views of the community they're in.
So if you hang out with Nazis all day, it starts to feel "normal."
In reality, most people's opinions are shaped primarily what they perceive to be the views of the community they're in.
So if you hang out with Nazis all day, it starts to feel "normal."
This is the correct take. Stewing in white supremacist propaganda is bad for your thinking. And if think you are so savvy that it won’t impact you, you are the exact kind of mark they are slowly converting (I’m looking at you, centrist pundits).
It’s really funny how a generation will roll its eyes at parents who watch Fox News but doesn’t see why being immersed in Twitter is having the same effect. Lots of serious people show up on Fox News too but that shouldn’t be your primary source on the news.
November 27, 2025 at 12:16 PM
Part of the problem is people think what persuades them is logic and facts.
In reality, most people's opinions are shaped primarily what they perceive to be the views of the community they're in.
So if you hang out with Nazis all day, it starts to feel "normal."
In reality, most people's opinions are shaped primarily what they perceive to be the views of the community they're in.
So if you hang out with Nazis all day, it starts to feel "normal."
Reposted by Derek Fox
"Left on the economy, right on the culture," is just fascism in the end. Also it will never take you left on the economy in the long run, because a machine built for eating people will keep eating people.
"Left on the economy, right on culture" is also, as needs repeating a hundred thousand time, the central lie of fascism.
OF COURSE it appeals to the in-group who thinks their well-being AND their prejudices will be pandered to.
OF COURSE it appeals to the in-group who thinks their well-being AND their prejudices will be pandered to.
The thing about "left on the economy, right on culture" is it's based on analysis of swing voters. Those voters are often low attention and their politics are often not especially coherent. Which is fine for them, it's not their job to run the country, but, you know, the government is
November 27, 2025 at 1:22 PM
"Left on the economy, right on the culture," is just fascism in the end. Also it will never take you left on the economy in the long run, because a machine built for eating people will keep eating people.
Reposted by Derek Fox
a cancer nurse in a state I've never been to told messaged me and said that reading out Rice Truck aloud as it happened was the only day in her entire 14 year career on chemo ward that nobody cried and it's probably the best compliment I will ever get in my life
What is the best compliment you ever received? Putting aside whether or not you believed it.
November 27, 2025 at 1:21 PM
a cancer nurse in a state I've never been to told messaged me and said that reading out Rice Truck aloud as it happened was the only day in her entire 14 year career on chemo ward that nobody cried and it's probably the best compliment I will ever get in my life
Reposted by Derek Fox
I feel much safer today knowing that we deported a Babson College student back to a country where she hasn't lived since childhood.
She wasn't even flying internationally. She was flying to Texas.
She wasn't even flying internationally. She was flying to Texas.
A Babson College student wanted to surprise her family for Thanksgiving. She was deported instead. - The Boston Globe
Any Lucia Lopez Belloza was at Logan to catch a flight to Texas when immigration authorities detained her as she was about to board the plane.
www.bostonglobe.com
November 27, 2025 at 10:47 AM
I feel much safer today knowing that we deported a Babson College student back to a country where she hasn't lived since childhood.
She wasn't even flying internationally. She was flying to Texas.
She wasn't even flying internationally. She was flying to Texas.
The borders of developed nations are the cage we built around all the other people in the world.
So naturally the present administration advocates for stronger cages.
So naturally the present administration advocates for stronger cages.
The US doesn’t want allies to welcome immigrants. Because that “when I was a stranger” thing is a bad look, I guess. www.nytimes.com/2025/11/26/u...
U.S. to Press Europe and Other Allies on ‘Mass Migration,’ Document Says
www.nytimes.com
November 27, 2025 at 2:36 AM
The borders of developed nations are the cage we built around all the other people in the world.
So naturally the present administration advocates for stronger cages.
So naturally the present administration advocates for stronger cages.
Reposted by Derek Fox
This is a really big story that should not be missed. www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/...
DOJ Says Noem Made Final Decision on El Salvador Removals in Breach of Court Order
Read more here.
www.democracydocket.com
November 27, 2025 at 12:38 AM
This is a really big story that should not be missed. www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/...
Reposted by Derek Fox
A day after an immigration raid outside an East Side home devolved into clashes with protesters, family members say they were taunted and humiliated during a standoff with federal agents.
By Shubhanjana Das
By Shubhanjana Das
Family of man swept up in St. Paul raid say agents had no warrant
A day after an immigration raid outside an East Side home devolved into clashes with protesters, family members of a second man swept up in the operation say they were taunted and humiliated during a ...
sahanjournal.com
November 27, 2025 at 1:26 AM
A day after an immigration raid outside an East Side home devolved into clashes with protesters, family members say they were taunted and humiliated during a standoff with federal agents.
By Shubhanjana Das
By Shubhanjana Das
Reposted by Derek Fox
The problem is that people are lazy and ignorant by nature, and AI facilitates this. It will allow more people to be more lazy and more ignorant, which is going to have deleterious effects in the long run and EVERYONE will suffer. Whether we use it or not.
Stop ruining my society. I live here.
Stop ruining my society. I live here.
It’s left-reactionary. We should be nationalizing AI tools/datacenters etc. anti-AI is a losing position in the long term because it is very useful for most lower class people. You can list all the reasons you’re better than those who use it and it won’t matter
November 27, 2025 at 12:49 AM
The problem is that people are lazy and ignorant by nature, and AI facilitates this. It will allow more people to be more lazy and more ignorant, which is going to have deleterious effects in the long run and EVERYONE will suffer. Whether we use it or not.
Stop ruining my society. I live here.
Stop ruining my society. I live here.
Reposted by Derek Fox
Yurii Ushakov admits that the Bloomberg transcript of his discussion with Steve Witkoff is accurate. He adds that they spoke on WhatsApp. He's turning Kirill Dmitriev into a buffoon since Dmitriev denied it was accurate. www.kommersant.ru/doc/8231003?...
Ушаков эксклюзивно прокомментировал “Ъ” острую ситуацию с утечкой переговоров с США
Подробнее на сайте
www.kommersant.ru
November 27, 2025 at 1:17 AM
Yurii Ushakov admits that the Bloomberg transcript of his discussion with Steve Witkoff is accurate. He adds that they spoke on WhatsApp. He's turning Kirill Dmitriev into a buffoon since Dmitriev denied it was accurate. www.kommersant.ru/doc/8231003?...
Reposted by Derek Fox
This is a deeply unsurprising response, but I will repeat it yet again: we—DC residents—are unified in stating that we want federal agents and the National Guard out of our city, and they do not keep us safer. This has always been about control, not public safety.
US Defence Secretary Hegseth: Trump has asked for 500 additional troops to be deployed to Washington, DC, after two National Guard members were shot.
November 26, 2025 at 9:58 PM
This is a deeply unsurprising response, but I will repeat it yet again: we—DC residents—are unified in stating that we want federal agents and the National Guard out of our city, and they do not keep us safer. This has always been about control, not public safety.
Reposted by Derek Fox
People will die, and are currently dying, because RFK was granted one of the most powerful megaphones in the country. Two people who could have thrown barriers in front of his climb decided not to; there's a sex scandal here but it is not the biggest scandal.
November 26, 2025 at 11:30 PM
People will die, and are currently dying, because RFK was granted one of the most powerful megaphones in the country. Two people who could have thrown barriers in front of his climb decided not to; there's a sex scandal here but it is not the biggest scandal.
Reposted by Derek Fox
I know several of the women who were harassed by this guy. They had real courage to testify. He engaged in serious professional retaliation against women.
This needs to end. I've seen how many people curry favor with known sexual harassers and how the worst can still manage to leap from job to job.
This needs to end. I've seen how many people curry favor with known sexual harassers and how the worst can still manage to leap from job to job.
November 19, 2025 at 10:31 PM
I know several of the women who were harassed by this guy. They had real courage to testify. He engaged in serious professional retaliation against women.
This needs to end. I've seen how many people curry favor with known sexual harassers and how the worst can still manage to leap from job to job.
This needs to end. I've seen how many people curry favor with known sexual harassers and how the worst can still manage to leap from job to job.
Reposted by Derek Fox
Steve Witkoff isn’t promoting peace. His interventions are helping Vladimir Putin and prolonging the war
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
What Is Steve Witkoff Trying to Do?
Trump’s envoy isn’t promoting peace. His interventions are helping Vladimir Putin and prolonging the war.
www.theatlantic.com
November 26, 2025 at 10:06 PM
Steve Witkoff isn’t promoting peace. His interventions are helping Vladimir Putin and prolonging the war
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
Mandatory breathalyzer test to unlock Hegseth’s DoD computer when
Hegseth's demeanor is bizarre. He's almost on the verge of laughing while talking about the shooting of two National Guardsmen. He seems elated.
November 26, 2025 at 10:16 PM
Mandatory breathalyzer test to unlock Hegseth’s DoD computer when
Reposted by Derek Fox
Awful. Trump admin is deporting a 23-year-old NC woman who came here at the age of 14 as an unaccompanied minor. Her father was murdered and mother died of cancer. All she has are two traffic citations, per this report from Charlotte Observer's Dan Kane:
www.charlotteobserver.com/news/politic...
www.charlotteobserver.com/news/politic...
November 26, 2025 at 8:17 PM
Awful. Trump admin is deporting a 23-year-old NC woman who came here at the age of 14 as an unaccompanied minor. Her father was murdered and mother died of cancer. All she has are two traffic citations, per this report from Charlotte Observer's Dan Kane:
www.charlotteobserver.com/news/politic...
www.charlotteobserver.com/news/politic...
Reposted by Derek Fox
as so often, the explanation is probably 'animals feel emotions that are similar to ours, and when we disregard the evidence to avoid 'anthromorphism' it's fundamentally ideological, not scientific'
this might be the saddest story I've ever written, about a seal that I will be thinking about for a long, long time.
defector.com/why-wont-nor...
defector.com/why-wont-nor...
Why Won’t Nora The Leopard Seal Abandon Her Dead Pups? | Defector
In the fall of 2021, Renato Borras-Chavez, a marine mammal ecologist at the University of Rhode Island, spotted a leopard seal on an ice floe. Borras-Chavez was on a research expedition to a glacial f...
defector.com
November 26, 2025 at 6:23 PM
as so often, the explanation is probably 'animals feel emotions that are similar to ours, and when we disregard the evidence to avoid 'anthromorphism' it's fundamentally ideological, not scientific'
Reposted by Derek Fox
~A month or so ago the nu faculty assembly voted like 598 to 7 for no deal.
"A Northwestern spokesman did not return multiple requests for comment."
🫠
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/26/u...
🫠
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/26/u...
Northwestern University Nears Deal to Resolve Its Conflict With the White House
www.nytimes.com
November 26, 2025 at 8:19 PM
~A month or so ago the nu faculty assembly voted like 598 to 7 for no deal.
Reposted by Derek Fox
Gift link: www.nytimes.com/2025/11/26/u...
NYT: What the Pentagon’s Attack Videos Reveal About the Boat Strikes at Sea
NYT: What the Pentagon’s Attack Videos Reveal About the Boat Strikes at Sea
November 26, 2025 at 4:58 PM
Gift link: www.nytimes.com/2025/11/26/u...
NYT: What the Pentagon’s Attack Videos Reveal About the Boat Strikes at Sea
NYT: What the Pentagon’s Attack Videos Reveal About the Boat Strikes at Sea
Reposted by Derek Fox
a message to all underpaid production assistants:
November 25, 2025 at 7:44 PM
a message to all underpaid production assistants:
In some ways this is the more important news? Not that Witkoff was outed as a Russian asset, as signs were there, but that after disclosure of his inside work on the (not a) peace plan, Trump *defended* him.
Trump has fully backed the Russian asset Witkoff and said he’ll be meeting with Putin in Moscow next week. Jared Kushner may also go along. Some big property deals to sort out.
November 26, 2025 at 1:04 PM
In some ways this is the more important news? Not that Witkoff was outed as a Russian asset, as signs were there, but that after disclosure of his inside work on the (not a) peace plan, Trump *defended* him.
Also solid advice for: Crayons, nail polish, superglue, bucket of water
if your toddler asks for his scissors ALWAYS ASK WHY
November 26, 2025 at 12:51 PM
Also solid advice for: Crayons, nail polish, superglue, bucket of water
Reposted by Derek Fox
Trump envoy Steve Witkoff has been outed as a Russian asset. This is traitorous stuff.
Steve Witkoff helped Russia derail Ukraine’s access to Tomahawk missiles. He tipped off the Kremlin about Zelensky’s U.S. visit, giving Moscow time to arrange a call that convinced Trump to block the deal. Witkoff actively works against Ukraine’s defense, in coordination with Putin’s regime.
November 26, 2025 at 9:18 AM
Trump envoy Steve Witkoff has been outed as a Russian asset. This is traitorous stuff.
Reposted by Derek Fox
The first official confirmation that Noem herself made the decision not to turn the planes around. A couple hundred men were tortured as a result — and soon after, the Supreme Court confirmed that the Trump admin’s Alien Enemies Act process was a total violation of due process.
BREAKING:
“After receiving that legal advice, Secretary Noem directed that the AEA detainees who had been removed from the United States before the Court’s order could be transferred to the custody of El Salvador. “
“After receiving that legal advice, Secretary Noem directed that the AEA detainees who had been removed from the United States before the Court’s order could be transferred to the custody of El Salvador. “
November 26, 2025 at 1:45 AM
The first official confirmation that Noem herself made the decision not to turn the planes around. A couple hundred men were tortured as a result — and soon after, the Supreme Court confirmed that the Trump admin’s Alien Enemies Act process was a total violation of due process.