J. Russell
@jrussellwrites.com
JBMSSA Finalist 2022, 2025 | I'm an engineer. I read, I write, and I have a lot of random interests.
jrussellwrites.com
My inactive Twitter is @jrussellwrites
@[email protected]
http://www.youtube.com/@jrussellwrites
jrussellwrites.com
My inactive Twitter is @jrussellwrites
@[email protected]
http://www.youtube.com/@jrussellwrites
Pinned
Reposted by J. Russell
Saturday, Jan 31st, is the last day to enter this year's contest. www.baen.com/contest-jbmssa
Jim Baen Memorial Short Story Award
Baen's eBook marketplace. eBooks with no DRM in every major format--for the Kindle, iPad, Nook, and more.
www.baen.com
January 30, 2026 at 7:52 PM
Saturday, Jan 31st, is the last day to enter this year's contest. www.baen.com/contest-jbmssa
I didnt realize the entire first month of this year would keep me almost entirely offline, but here we are.
I did manage to get an entry in to the Jim Baen Memorial Short Story Award Contest, even though it wasn't the one I wanted to use.
Looking forward to spending February writing!
I did manage to get an entry in to the Jim Baen Memorial Short Story Award Contest, even though it wasn't the one I wanted to use.
Looking forward to spending February writing!
February 4, 2026 at 7:34 PM
I didnt realize the entire first month of this year would keep me almost entirely offline, but here we are.
I did manage to get an entry in to the Jim Baen Memorial Short Story Award Contest, even though it wasn't the one I wanted to use.
Looking forward to spending February writing!
I did manage to get an entry in to the Jim Baen Memorial Short Story Award Contest, even though it wasn't the one I wanted to use.
Looking forward to spending February writing!
Reposted by J. Russell
Initial conditions:
m1=10.2 m2=135.5 m3=65.7 (solar masses)
v1x=-1.738 v1y=3.855 v2x=-4.9 v2y=-1.939 v3x=5.686 v3y=-5.945 (km/s)
x1=-19.0 y1=32.0 x2=-24.0 y2=-24.0 x3=-28.0 y3=19.0 (AU from center)
Music: Lost (The Expanse) – Shorter
m1=10.2 m2=135.5 m3=65.7 (solar masses)
v1x=-1.738 v1y=3.855 v2x=-4.9 v2y=-1.939 v3x=5.686 v3y=-5.945 (km/s)
x1=-19.0 y1=32.0 x2=-24.0 y2=-24.0 x3=-28.0 y3=19.0 (AU from center)
Music: Lost (The Expanse) – Shorter
January 14, 2026 at 7:10 AM
Initial conditions:
m1=10.2 m2=135.5 m3=65.7 (solar masses)
v1x=-1.738 v1y=3.855 v2x=-4.9 v2y=-1.939 v3x=5.686 v3y=-5.945 (km/s)
x1=-19.0 y1=32.0 x2=-24.0 y2=-24.0 x3=-28.0 y3=19.0 (AU from center)
Music: Lost (The Expanse) – Shorter
m1=10.2 m2=135.5 m3=65.7 (solar masses)
v1x=-1.738 v1y=3.855 v2x=-4.9 v2y=-1.939 v3x=5.686 v3y=-5.945 (km/s)
x1=-19.0 y1=32.0 x2=-24.0 y2=-24.0 x3=-28.0 y3=19.0 (AU from center)
Music: Lost (The Expanse) – Shorter
Reposted by J. Russell
Cryogenic Arks – Sleeping Through the Ages
youtu.be/w0Z1CIaVuNc
From frozen habitats to millennia-long journeys, we explore the science behind cryogenic arks and deep-time interstellar travel.
youtu.be/w0Z1CIaVuNc
From frozen habitats to millennia-long journeys, we explore the science behind cryogenic arks and deep-time interstellar travel.
Cryogenic Arks – Sleeping Through the Ages (damaged version)
YouTube video by Isaac Arthur
youtu.be
January 8, 2026 at 2:02 PM
Cryogenic Arks – Sleeping Through the Ages
youtu.be/w0Z1CIaVuNc
From frozen habitats to millennia-long journeys, we explore the science behind cryogenic arks and deep-time interstellar travel.
youtu.be/w0Z1CIaVuNc
From frozen habitats to millennia-long journeys, we explore the science behind cryogenic arks and deep-time interstellar travel.
For any space or numismatics fans, the Alabama, Florida, Maryland, and Texas Innovation Dollars are works of art, and cheap additions to your collections.
The amount of detail on the Saturn V and Shuttle is great. They didn't need to add USA on the Saturn or the SRB details to the Shuttle.
The amount of detail on the Saturn V and Shuttle is great. They didn't need to add USA on the Saturn or the SRB details to the Shuttle.
December 28, 2025 at 1:18 PM
For any space or numismatics fans, the Alabama, Florida, Maryland, and Texas Innovation Dollars are works of art, and cheap additions to your collections.
The amount of detail on the Saturn V and Shuttle is great. They didn't need to add USA on the Saturn or the SRB details to the Shuttle.
The amount of detail on the Saturn V and Shuttle is great. They didn't need to add USA on the Saturn or the SRB details to the Shuttle.
Reposted by J. Russell
The Fermi Paradox & Fossil Fuels
youtu.be/Z4sKKQUZcRE
Does the Universe stay quiet because alien species burn through fossil fuels and collapse?
youtu.be/Z4sKKQUZcRE
Does the Universe stay quiet because alien species burn through fossil fuels and collapse?
The Fermi Paradox & Fossil Fuels
YouTube video by Isaac Arthur
youtu.be
December 21, 2025 at 2:04 PM
The Fermi Paradox & Fossil Fuels
youtu.be/Z4sKKQUZcRE
Does the Universe stay quiet because alien species burn through fossil fuels and collapse?
youtu.be/Z4sKKQUZcRE
Does the Universe stay quiet because alien species burn through fossil fuels and collapse?
Reposted by J. Russell
Which Stars Could We Live Around? Ranking Every Type of Star
youtu.be/duVP_R5smPQ
From giant O-stars to dim brown dwarfs, we rank every stellar class by how well they could host life, Dyson swarms, and advanced civilizations across cosmic time.
youtu.be/duVP_R5smPQ
From giant O-stars to dim brown dwarfs, we rank every stellar class by how well they could host life, Dyson swarms, and advanced civilizations across cosmic time.
Which Stars Could We Live Around? Ranking Every Type of Star
YouTube video by Isaac Arthur
youtu.be
December 23, 2025 at 2:02 PM
Which Stars Could We Live Around? Ranking Every Type of Star
youtu.be/duVP_R5smPQ
From giant O-stars to dim brown dwarfs, we rank every stellar class by how well they could host life, Dyson swarms, and advanced civilizations across cosmic time.
youtu.be/duVP_R5smPQ
From giant O-stars to dim brown dwarfs, we rank every stellar class by how well they could host life, Dyson swarms, and advanced civilizations across cosmic time.
Reposted by J. Russell
The Universe’s Unopened Gifts: Hidden Worlds and the Spirit of Discovery
youtu.be/kqY1LfcWgis
Explore the hidden frontiers of the cosmos — from dark matter and rogue planets to quantum mysteries — and uncover the Universe’s greatest unopened gifts of discovery.
youtu.be/kqY1LfcWgis
Explore the hidden frontiers of the cosmos — from dark matter and rogue planets to quantum mysteries — and uncover the Universe’s greatest unopened gifts of discovery.
The Universe’s Unopened Gifts: Hidden Worlds and the Spirit of Discovery
YouTube video by Isaac Arthur
youtu.be
December 25, 2025 at 2:00 PM
The Universe’s Unopened Gifts: Hidden Worlds and the Spirit of Discovery
youtu.be/kqY1LfcWgis
Explore the hidden frontiers of the cosmos — from dark matter and rogue planets to quantum mysteries — and uncover the Universe’s greatest unopened gifts of discovery.
youtu.be/kqY1LfcWgis
Explore the hidden frontiers of the cosmos — from dark matter and rogue planets to quantum mysteries — and uncover the Universe’s greatest unopened gifts of discovery.
Reposted by J. Russell
Initial conditions:
m1=63.3 m2=79.7 m3=124.4 (solar masses)
v1x=-4.305 v1y=2.382 v2x=-0.705 v2y=2.88 v3x=-3.009 v3y=6.684 (km/s)
x1=22.0 y1=22.0 x2=-6.0 y2=35.0 x3=26.0 y3=-5.0 (AU from center)
Music: Liebestraum – Liszt
m1=63.3 m2=79.7 m3=124.4 (solar masses)
v1x=-4.305 v1y=2.382 v2x=-0.705 v2y=2.88 v3x=-3.009 v3y=6.684 (km/s)
x1=22.0 y1=22.0 x2=-6.0 y2=35.0 x3=26.0 y3=-5.0 (AU from center)
Music: Liebestraum – Liszt
December 26, 2025 at 7:06 AM
Initial conditions:
m1=63.3 m2=79.7 m3=124.4 (solar masses)
v1x=-4.305 v1y=2.382 v2x=-0.705 v2y=2.88 v3x=-3.009 v3y=6.684 (km/s)
x1=22.0 y1=22.0 x2=-6.0 y2=35.0 x3=26.0 y3=-5.0 (AU from center)
Music: Liebestraum – Liszt
m1=63.3 m2=79.7 m3=124.4 (solar masses)
v1x=-4.305 v1y=2.382 v2x=-0.705 v2y=2.88 v3x=-3.009 v3y=6.684 (km/s)
x1=22.0 y1=22.0 x2=-6.0 y2=35.0 x3=26.0 y3=-5.0 (AU from center)
Music: Liebestraum – Liszt
In the past year or two, at the urging of my wife, I've reached outside my comfort zone of reading and writing. I live and breathe hard sci-fi. It runs with being an engineer.
Instead I've read some fantasy and wrote a little. I can understand why people appreciate Tolkien and Jordan.
Instead I've read some fantasy and wrote a little. I can understand why people appreciate Tolkien and Jordan.
December 19, 2025 at 4:42 PM
In the past year or two, at the urging of my wife, I've reached outside my comfort zone of reading and writing. I live and breathe hard sci-fi. It runs with being an engineer.
Instead I've read some fantasy and wrote a little. I can understand why people appreciate Tolkien and Jordan.
Instead I've read some fantasy and wrote a little. I can understand why people appreciate Tolkien and Jordan.
Well there goes my 4.0 GPA for my Master’s degree. It is always a material class that I struggle with.
December 19, 2025 at 4:37 PM
Well there goes my 4.0 GPA for my Master’s degree. It is always a material class that I struggle with.
Reposted by J. Russell
Vacuum Decay - Escaping the End of Physics Itself
youtu.be/HMw9D3sOhO0
Discover the science behind vacuum decay, the ultimate cosmic doomsday.
youtu.be/HMw9D3sOhO0
Discover the science behind vacuum decay, the ultimate cosmic doomsday.
Vacuum Decay - Escaping the End of Physics Itself
YouTube video by Isaac Arthur
youtu.be
December 14, 2025 at 2:02 PM
Vacuum Decay - Escaping the End of Physics Itself
youtu.be/HMw9D3sOhO0
Discover the science behind vacuum decay, the ultimate cosmic doomsday.
youtu.be/HMw9D3sOhO0
Discover the science behind vacuum decay, the ultimate cosmic doomsday.
Reposted by J. Russell
Alien Overlords Have Conquered Earth... Now What?
youtu.be/RiZgVgxKZCM
The invasion is over. The aliens won. Now humanity must live under their rule. Explore the aftermath of conquest.
youtu.be/RiZgVgxKZCM
The invasion is over. The aliens won. Now humanity must live under their rule. Explore the aftermath of conquest.
Alien Overlords Have Conquered Earth... Now What?
YouTube video by Isaac Arthur
youtu.be
December 18, 2025 at 2:02 PM
Alien Overlords Have Conquered Earth... Now What?
youtu.be/RiZgVgxKZCM
The invasion is over. The aliens won. Now humanity must live under their rule. Explore the aftermath of conquest.
youtu.be/RiZgVgxKZCM
The invasion is over. The aliens won. Now humanity must live under their rule. Explore the aftermath of conquest.
I vividly remember being told in history class that there was a reason the Kennedy administration did not use the word "blockade" during the Cuban Missile Crisis, and there was another reason the Lincoln Administration didn't use it during the Civil War...
December 17, 2025 at 2:40 PM
I vividly remember being told in history class that there was a reason the Kennedy administration did not use the word "blockade" during the Cuban Missile Crisis, and there was another reason the Lincoln Administration didn't use it during the Civil War...
Working on my submission for the Jim Baen Memorial Short Story Award Contest, and I realized I actually wrote this whole story before, so I guess I'll be editing that instead. Saves me a day or two of writing it up!
December 15, 2025 at 12:57 PM
Working on my submission for the Jim Baen Memorial Short Story Award Contest, and I realized I actually wrote this whole story before, so I guess I'll be editing that instead. Saves me a day or two of writing it up!
Reposted by J. Russell
Initial conditions:
m1=72.1 m2=21.6 m3=84.1 (solar masses)
v1x=6.633 v1y=3.952 v2x=4.995 v2y=1.798 v3x=1.21 v3y=-3.761 (km/s)
x1=24.0 y1=35.0 x2=-25.0 y2=24.0 x3=-22.0 y3=-33.0 (AU from center)
Music: Prelude in C-Sharp Minor – Rachmaninoff
m1=72.1 m2=21.6 m3=84.1 (solar masses)
v1x=6.633 v1y=3.952 v2x=4.995 v2y=1.798 v3x=1.21 v3y=-3.761 (km/s)
x1=24.0 y1=35.0 x2=-25.0 y2=24.0 x3=-22.0 y3=-33.0 (AU from center)
Music: Prelude in C-Sharp Minor – Rachmaninoff
December 15, 2025 at 7:06 AM
Initial conditions:
m1=72.1 m2=21.6 m3=84.1 (solar masses)
v1x=6.633 v1y=3.952 v2x=4.995 v2y=1.798 v3x=1.21 v3y=-3.761 (km/s)
x1=24.0 y1=35.0 x2=-25.0 y2=24.0 x3=-22.0 y3=-33.0 (AU from center)
Music: Prelude in C-Sharp Minor – Rachmaninoff
m1=72.1 m2=21.6 m3=84.1 (solar masses)
v1x=6.633 v1y=3.952 v2x=4.995 v2y=1.798 v3x=1.21 v3y=-3.761 (km/s)
x1=24.0 y1=35.0 x2=-25.0 y2=24.0 x3=-22.0 y3=-33.0 (AU from center)
Music: Prelude in C-Sharp Minor – Rachmaninoff
Reposted by J. Russell
Now I'm worried about my Relaxing Whale Songs.
December 12, 2025 at 4:52 PM
Now I'm worried about my Relaxing Whale Songs.
Reposted by J. Russell
Surviving the Death of the Sun - Moving Earth or Finding a New Home
youtu.be/1-ojYJqjd_0
Discover how to move worlds and forge new stars.
youtu.be/1-ojYJqjd_0
Discover how to move worlds and forge new stars.
Surviving the Death of the Sun - Moving Earth or Finding a New Home
YouTube video by Isaac Arthur
youtu.be
December 7, 2025 at 2:02 PM
Surviving the Death of the Sun - Moving Earth or Finding a New Home
youtu.be/1-ojYJqjd_0
Discover how to move worlds and forge new stars.
youtu.be/1-ojYJqjd_0
Discover how to move worlds and forge new stars.
Reposted by J. Russell
Bubble Habitats & Zero G Megastructures
youtu.be/Ra1D1AASuD4
Explore the future of living in weightlessness—bubble habitats, floating cities, and zero-gravity megastructures where humanity learns to thrive without up or down.
youtu.be/Ra1D1AASuD4
Explore the future of living in weightlessness—bubble habitats, floating cities, and zero-gravity megastructures where humanity learns to thrive without up or down.
Bubble Habitats & Zero G Megastructures: Life Floating in an Ocean of Sky
YouTube video by Isaac Arthur
youtu.be
December 11, 2025 at 2:01 PM
Bubble Habitats & Zero G Megastructures
youtu.be/Ra1D1AASuD4
Explore the future of living in weightlessness—bubble habitats, floating cities, and zero-gravity megastructures where humanity learns to thrive without up or down.
youtu.be/Ra1D1AASuD4
Explore the future of living in weightlessness—bubble habitats, floating cities, and zero-gravity megastructures where humanity learns to thrive without up or down.
Reposted by J. Russell
Brackenbury Books is doing our part! ✋HUMAN MADE is the only way to go, folks.
December 12, 2025 at 1:20 PM
Brackenbury Books is doing our part! ✋HUMAN MADE is the only way to go, folks.
Reposted by J. Russell
Here’s a paywall free link to my feature article in UnHerd:
“Will Trump Destroy NASA?”
It is impossible to do engineering using a post-truth methodology.
Reality IS relevant.
Engineering cannot be based on bullshit. Engineering must be based on truth.
unherd.com/2025/12/how-...
“Will Trump Destroy NASA?”
It is impossible to do engineering using a post-truth methodology.
Reality IS relevant.
Engineering cannot be based on bullshit. Engineering must be based on truth.
unherd.com/2025/12/how-...
Will Trump destroy Nasa?
unherd.com
December 10, 2025 at 12:59 PM
Here’s a paywall free link to my feature article in UnHerd:
“Will Trump Destroy NASA?”
It is impossible to do engineering using a post-truth methodology.
Reality IS relevant.
Engineering cannot be based on bullshit. Engineering must be based on truth.
unherd.com/2025/12/how-...
“Will Trump Destroy NASA?”
It is impossible to do engineering using a post-truth methodology.
Reality IS relevant.
Engineering cannot be based on bullshit. Engineering must be based on truth.
unherd.com/2025/12/how-...
Reposted by J. Russell
At issue is whether internet providers can be liable for their users' committing copyright violations using its services. n.pr/4pJUZLq
Supreme Court weighs copyright fight between music industry and internet providers
At issue is whether internet providers can be liable for their users' committing copyright violations using its services.
n.pr
December 1, 2025 at 11:20 AM
At issue is whether internet providers can be liable for their users' committing copyright violations using its services. n.pr/4pJUZLq
I found out last week that it's possible to play a 4,500 year old board game (the Royal Game of Ur) online (royalur.net).
I remember seeing a video by the British Museum on YouTube about the game years ago. (youtu.be/WZskjLq040I?...)
The future is a very interesting place!
I remember seeing a video by the British Museum on YouTube about the game years ago. (youtu.be/WZskjLq040I?...)
The future is a very interesting place!
December 1, 2025 at 4:58 PM
I found out last week that it's possible to play a 4,500 year old board game (the Royal Game of Ur) online (royalur.net).
I remember seeing a video by the British Museum on YouTube about the game years ago. (youtu.be/WZskjLq040I?...)
The future is a very interesting place!
I remember seeing a video by the British Museum on YouTube about the game years ago. (youtu.be/WZskjLq040I?...)
The future is a very interesting place!
Reposted by J. Russell
Ark Swarms - Dispersing Humanity Across the Stars to Prevent Extinction
youtu.be/LqO3QqiBkrM
To colonize the Milky Way, humanity must travel in fleets, not alone. Ark Swarms shows how interstellar swarms can secure our future among the stars.
youtu.be/LqO3QqiBkrM
To colonize the Milky Way, humanity must travel in fleets, not alone. Ark Swarms shows how interstellar swarms can secure our future among the stars.
Ark Swarms - Dispersing Humanity Across the Stars to Prevent Extinction
YouTube video by Isaac Arthur
youtu.be
November 23, 2025 at 2:01 PM
Ark Swarms - Dispersing Humanity Across the Stars to Prevent Extinction
youtu.be/LqO3QqiBkrM
To colonize the Milky Way, humanity must travel in fleets, not alone. Ark Swarms shows how interstellar swarms can secure our future among the stars.
youtu.be/LqO3QqiBkrM
To colonize the Milky Way, humanity must travel in fleets, not alone. Ark Swarms shows how interstellar swarms can secure our future among the stars.
Reposted by J. Russell
Orbital Farms: Humanity’s Next Agricultural Revolution
youtu.be/ylev6rRSubM
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!
As humanity expands into space, we’ll need new ways to grow food. Explore how orbital farms could sustain billions—on Earth, Mars, and beyond.
youtu.be/ylev6rRSubM
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!
As humanity expands into space, we’ll need new ways to grow food. Explore how orbital farms could sustain billions—on Earth, Mars, and beyond.
Orbital Farms
YouTube video by Isaac Arthur
youtu.be
November 27, 2025 at 2:02 PM
Orbital Farms: Humanity’s Next Agricultural Revolution
youtu.be/ylev6rRSubM
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!
As humanity expands into space, we’ll need new ways to grow food. Explore how orbital farms could sustain billions—on Earth, Mars, and beyond.
youtu.be/ylev6rRSubM
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!
As humanity expands into space, we’ll need new ways to grow food. Explore how orbital farms could sustain billions—on Earth, Mars, and beyond.