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
The correct answer to MAGA outrage over the Dem video is this: Are you effing kidding me? Of course it's reasonable to warn that Trump might be giving illegal orders.
The evidence is strong that he actually is giving illegal orders! I went through that evidence here:
newrepublic.com/article/2035...
The evidence is strong that he actually is giving illegal orders! I went through that evidence here:
newrepublic.com/article/2035...
Is Trump Giving Illegal Orders? Dems Just Blew That Question Wide Open
From the boat bombings to deportations to prosecutions, the evidence mounts. And the speaker of the House could get to the bottom of it if he wanted to. Yeah, right.
newrepublic.com
November 21, 2025 at 6:44 PM
The correct answer to MAGA outrage over the Dem video is this: Are you effing kidding me? Of course it's reasonable to warn that Trump might be giving illegal orders.
The evidence is strong that he actually is giving illegal orders! I went through that evidence here:
newrepublic.com/article/2035...
The evidence is strong that he actually is giving illegal orders! I went through that evidence here:
newrepublic.com/article/2035...
Reposted by Derek Fox
Does Rubio understand that we do know of his previous statements today?
November 23, 2025 at 2:29 AM
Does Rubio understand that we do know of his previous statements today?
RTFP and I’m still not clear whether this reckoning is coming on Monday, in Jan 2026, or subsequently.
NVIDIA earnings were a mirage. The market figured it out surprisingly fast. NVIDIA bump evaporated.
I don’t know how this information can enter the system without exploding the bubble.
But sometimes bezzles visible for months before crash.
Waiting for the feds?
open.substack.com/pub/shanakaa...
I don’t know how this information can enter the system without exploding the bubble.
But sometimes bezzles visible for months before crash.
Waiting for the feds?
open.substack.com/pub/shanakaa...
November 23, 2025 at 3:39 AM
RTFP and I’m still not clear whether this reckoning is coming on Monday, in Jan 2026, or subsequently.
Reposted by Derek Fox
“Even if fossil fuel emissions were eliminated immediately, emissions from the global food system alone would make it impossible to limit warming to 1.5°C and difficult even to realize the 2°C target…major changes in how food is produced [and consumed] are needed…”
November 22, 2025 at 2:09 PM
“Even if fossil fuel emissions were eliminated immediately, emissions from the global food system alone would make it impossible to limit warming to 1.5°C and difficult even to realize the 2°C target…major changes in how food is produced [and consumed] are needed…”
Everything Brazil does with this guy is just so inspirational
"Brazil’s former far-right president, Jair Bolsonaro, has been arrested at his villa in the capital, Brasília, amid suspicions he was poised to abscond to a foreign embassy to avoid going to prison for masterminding a military coup."
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...
Brazilian police arrest Bolsonaro amid suspicions he was about to flee
Politician reportedly taken from his villa into custody at a federal police base about 7 miles from presidential palace
www.theguardian.com
November 23, 2025 at 1:39 AM
Everything Brazil does with this guy is just so inspirational
Reposted by Derek Fox
NVIDIA earnings were a mirage. The market figured it out surprisingly fast. NVIDIA bump evaporated.
I don’t know how this information can enter the system without exploding the bubble.
But sometimes bezzles visible for months before crash.
Waiting for the feds?
open.substack.com/pub/shanakaa...
I don’t know how this information can enter the system without exploding the bubble.
But sometimes bezzles visible for months before crash.
Waiting for the feds?
open.substack.com/pub/shanakaa...
November 22, 2025 at 12:57 PM
NVIDIA earnings were a mirage. The market figured it out surprisingly fast. NVIDIA bump evaporated.
I don’t know how this information can enter the system without exploding the bubble.
But sometimes bezzles visible for months before crash.
Waiting for the feds?
open.substack.com/pub/shanakaa...
I don’t know how this information can enter the system without exploding the bubble.
But sometimes bezzles visible for months before crash.
Waiting for the feds?
open.substack.com/pub/shanakaa...
Reposted by Derek Fox
Democrats should make crystal clear that whether it is high level Trump officials, commanders carrying out illegal murders, or ICE/CPB goons, investigations and indictments are coming—referring to state AGs if Trump blanket pardons for federal crimes.
Dipshit is smashing out a car window with his gun, barrel first. Just rogue, cowboy stiff.
There were two US citizens in the car. They were apprehended and detained for “obstructing” ICE by honking their horn to let people know ICE was in the neighborhood.
There were two US citizens in the car. They were apprehended and detained for “obstructing” ICE by honking their horn to let people know ICE was in the neighborhood.
November 22, 2025 at 1:23 PM
Democrats should make crystal clear that whether it is high level Trump officials, commanders carrying out illegal murders, or ICE/CPB goons, investigations and indictments are coming—referring to state AGs if Trump blanket pardons for federal crimes.
Reposted by Derek Fox
The only truly irreversible thing a trans child is likely to do is take their own life. "What if they do something irreversible?" actually means "theyre not allowed to make a decision!"
You cant undo or reverse any decision you make, you can simply change your mind later and handle the consequences
You cant undo or reverse any decision you make, you can simply change your mind later and handle the consequences
November 22, 2025 at 11:57 AM
The only truly irreversible thing a trans child is likely to do is take their own life. "What if they do something irreversible?" actually means "theyre not allowed to make a decision!"
You cant undo or reverse any decision you make, you can simply change your mind later and handle the consequences
You cant undo or reverse any decision you make, you can simply change your mind later and handle the consequences
Reposted by Derek Fox
Looks like LLMs are *very* vulnerable to attack via poetic allusion: "curated poetic prompts yielded high attack-success rates (ASR), with some providers exceeding 90% ..."
https://arxiv.org/html/2511.15304v1
https://arxiv.org/html/2511.15304v1
November 20, 2025 at 5:06 PM
Looks like LLMs are *very* vulnerable to attack via poetic allusion: "curated poetic prompts yielded high attack-success rates (ASR), with some providers exceeding 90% ..."
https://arxiv.org/html/2511.15304v1
https://arxiv.org/html/2511.15304v1
This is so irresponsible and absurd, it should make me angry but mainly I’m sad. All the billions of dollars we spend to make medicine incrementally better, and all the scientists and technicians who devote their lives to the work… 1/
The NIH director told attendees the NIH doesn't do enough innovative research.
“What puts lives at risk is doing research that’s incremental,” Bhattacharya said. “All it does is advance the careers of the researchers that do it. It results in publications that don’t get used and aren’t replicable.”
“What puts lives at risk is doing research that’s incremental,” Bhattacharya said. “All it does is advance the careers of the researchers that do it. It results in publications that don’t get used and aren’t replicable.”
November 22, 2025 at 12:59 PM
This is so irresponsible and absurd, it should make me angry but mainly I’m sad. All the billions of dollars we spend to make medicine incrementally better, and all the scientists and technicians who devote their lives to the work… 1/
Reposted by Derek Fox
in one meeting Zohran Mamdani got Donald Trump to sanction in the public discourse:
- the republicans and their president are fascists
- the legitimacy of New Deal politics
- socialism
- the US government funds genocide
Turns out you can beat a dog at basketball with Islam and Democratic Socialism
- the republicans and their president are fascists
- the legitimacy of New Deal politics
- socialism
- the US government funds genocide
Turns out you can beat a dog at basketball with Islam and Democratic Socialism
Trump posts:
“It was a Great Honor meeting Zohran Mamdani, the new Mayor of New York City!”
He included multiple photos of Mamdani in front of the portrait of FDR that Mamdani spoke with Trump about during his visit.
“It was a Great Honor meeting Zohran Mamdani, the new Mayor of New York City!”
He included multiple photos of Mamdani in front of the portrait of FDR that Mamdani spoke with Trump about during his visit.
November 22, 2025 at 12:14 AM
in one meeting Zohran Mamdani got Donald Trump to sanction in the public discourse:
- the republicans and their president are fascists
- the legitimacy of New Deal politics
- socialism
- the US government funds genocide
Turns out you can beat a dog at basketball with Islam and Democratic Socialism
- the republicans and their president are fascists
- the legitimacy of New Deal politics
- socialism
- the US government funds genocide
Turns out you can beat a dog at basketball with Islam and Democratic Socialism
Reposted by Derek Fox
The USPTO wants new rules that would slam the door on inter partes review—the only affordable way the public can fight junk patents.
The Patent Office Is About To Make Bad Patents Untouchable
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has proposed new rules that would effectively end the public’s ability to challenge improperly granted patents at the Patent Office itself. We need EFF sup...
www.eff.org
November 20, 2025 at 6:53 PM
The USPTO wants new rules that would slam the door on inter partes review—the only affordable way the public can fight junk patents.
Reposted by Derek Fox
November 21, 2025 at 10:20 PM
Reposted by Derek Fox
Literally the funniest way this meeting could have gone
November 21, 2025 at 9:14 PM
Literally the funniest way this meeting could have gone
Reposted by Derek Fox
"Trump is a fucking idiot who gets rolled by anyone who's nice to him" theory remains undefeated, putting someone like Mamdani in there is like having Randy Johnson sub in for a 5th grade Little League game
Q: Stefanik has called Mamdani a 'jihadist.' Do you think you're standing next to a jihadist right now?
TRUMP: No, I don't. I met with a man who's a very rational person
TRUMP: No, I don't. I met with a man who's a very rational person
November 21, 2025 at 9:17 PM
"Trump is a fucking idiot who gets rolled by anyone who's nice to him" theory remains undefeated, putting someone like Mamdani in there is like having Randy Johnson sub in for a 5th grade Little League game
Reposted by Derek Fox
New @dataforprogress.org polling shows a majority of US voters (55%) SUPPORT the phaseout of fossil fuels, including a majority of Dems (74%), voters under 45 (69%), and Independents (57%).
@governor.ca.gov @rokhanna.bsky.social @govpritzker.illinois.gov @chrismurphyct.bsky.social @aoc.bsky.social
@governor.ca.gov @rokhanna.bsky.social @govpritzker.illinois.gov @chrismurphyct.bsky.social @aoc.bsky.social
November 21, 2025 at 6:50 PM
New @dataforprogress.org polling shows a majority of US voters (55%) SUPPORT the phaseout of fossil fuels, including a majority of Dems (74%), voters under 45 (69%), and Independents (57%).
@governor.ca.gov @rokhanna.bsky.social @govpritzker.illinois.gov @chrismurphyct.bsky.social @aoc.bsky.social
@governor.ca.gov @rokhanna.bsky.social @govpritzker.illinois.gov @chrismurphyct.bsky.social @aoc.bsky.social
Reposted by Derek Fox
Hundreds of Starbucks baristas and labor organizers blockaded Starbucks' largest distribution center in York, Pennsylvania, halting distribution of syrups, coffee beans, and other supplies to the entire northeast.
This escalation is part of @sbworkersunited.org's ongoing strike.
This escalation is part of @sbworkersunited.org's ongoing strike.
November 21, 2025 at 6:41 PM
Hundreds of Starbucks baristas and labor organizers blockaded Starbucks' largest distribution center in York, Pennsylvania, halting distribution of syrups, coffee beans, and other supplies to the entire northeast.
This escalation is part of @sbworkersunited.org's ongoing strike.
This escalation is part of @sbworkersunited.org's ongoing strike.
Reposted by Derek Fox
we gotta keep hammering over and over again just how fucking unpopular this guy is with every institution and every person in a position of power
people hate him and people will hate you for capitulating to him
people hate him and people will hate you for capitulating to him
Enten: "This is probably the worst 10 day period for the president in the polls his entire second term. The numbers are just atrocious ... when your best poll has you 14 points underwater, you know it's truly bad and it's as bad as 26 points underwater ... -43 with independents! They despise him."
November 21, 2025 at 6:07 PM
we gotta keep hammering over and over again just how fucking unpopular this guy is with every institution and every person in a position of power
people hate him and people will hate you for capitulating to him
people hate him and people will hate you for capitulating to him
Reposted by Derek Fox
we've created the Utility Monster from classic critique of utilitarian moral philosophy, "do not create the utility monster" p.s. also I, the world's richest man, am the utility monster.
November 21, 2025 at 5:51 PM
we've created the Utility Monster from classic critique of utilitarian moral philosophy, "do not create the utility monster" p.s. also I, the world's richest man, am the utility monster.
Reposted by Derek Fox
You know what media is NOT bending the knee in the Trump era? College journalists! The Harvard Crimson's brutal takedown of the lecherous ex-prez Larry Summers is just the latest example of students showing a failing 'grown-up' media how it's done
My new column www.inquirer.com/columnists/a...
My new column www.inquirer.com/columnists/a...
College journalism exposes the rot of ‘grown-ups’ | Will Bunch Newsletter
Plus a history lesson on the real ‘Charlotte’s Web,’ and fascism,
www.inquirer.com
November 18, 2025 at 4:51 PM
You know what media is NOT bending the knee in the Trump era? College journalists! The Harvard Crimson's brutal takedown of the lecherous ex-prez Larry Summers is just the latest example of students showing a failing 'grown-up' media how it's done
My new column www.inquirer.com/columnists/a...
My new column www.inquirer.com/columnists/a...
Insulting? Yes. But will it help DoEd appropriately track training of the next generation of professionals, across industries? No.
Anyone see a problem here? Speaking as a teacher with a master’s degree, I’m insulted.
November 21, 2025 at 5:53 PM
Insulting? Yes. But will it help DoEd appropriately track training of the next generation of professionals, across industries? No.
Reposted by Derek Fox
There are more male journalists - with whole ass columns - defending Olivia Nuzzi than there are defending Mary K Bruce and Catherine Lucey.
November 21, 2025 at 5:21 PM
There are more male journalists - with whole ass columns - defending Olivia Nuzzi than there are defending Mary K Bruce and Catherine Lucey.
Reposted by Derek Fox
I’ve been REALLY reticent to use the term “disappear” to refer to people arrested by immigration enforcement, even when there’s now routinely a lag of hours or days before loved ones know where they’re being held.
This is an actual literal disappearance. www.ms.now/msnbc/news/i...
This is an actual literal disappearance. www.ms.now/msnbc/news/i...
A man missing for weeks and the immigration system that lost him
Vicente Ventura Aguilar got picked up last month, but his family doesn’t know if he’s dead or alive. ICE says he’s not in their system, so they say they can’t help.
www.ms.now
November 21, 2025 at 4:13 PM
I’ve been REALLY reticent to use the term “disappear” to refer to people arrested by immigration enforcement, even when there’s now routinely a lag of hours or days before loved ones know where they’re being held.
This is an actual literal disappearance. www.ms.now/msnbc/news/i...
This is an actual literal disappearance. www.ms.now/msnbc/news/i...
Back in the 90’s every University President + Board got Yale envy when their endowment got into hedge funds early and outperformed the market for a while.
Unfortunately, that obsession with performance, and the lopsided nature of high-risk bets, was always going to end here… 1/
Unfortunately, that obsession with performance, and the lopsided nature of high-risk bets, was always going to end here… 1/
“Had UChicago simply matched the market, its endowment would be $6.45 billion larger today—more than enough to repay its entire debt.”
Don’t understand why these people aren’t simply fired
Don’t understand why these people aren’t simply fired
The boys at UChicago smirking right now because they proved once again, they're breaking new ground and Harvard follows after the fact.
stanfordreview.org/uchicago-los...
stanfordreview.org/uchicago-los...
November 21, 2025 at 4:29 PM
Back in the 90’s every University President + Board got Yale envy when their endowment got into hedge funds early and outperformed the market for a while.
Unfortunately, that obsession with performance, and the lopsided nature of high-risk bets, was always going to end here… 1/
Unfortunately, that obsession with performance, and the lopsided nature of high-risk bets, was always going to end here… 1/
Reposted by Derek Fox
“Had UChicago simply matched the market, its endowment would be $6.45 billion larger today—more than enough to repay its entire debt.”
Don’t understand why these people aren’t simply fired
Don’t understand why these people aren’t simply fired
The boys at UChicago smirking right now because they proved once again, they're breaking new ground and Harvard follows after the fact.
stanfordreview.org/uchicago-los...
stanfordreview.org/uchicago-los...
UChicago Lost Money on Crypto, Then Froze Research When Federal Funding Was Cut
While Stanford responded to the federal funding research freeze by halting administrative hiring and protecting research, the University of Chicago panicked.
On January 28, hours after the Trump admi...
stanfordreview.org
November 21, 2025 at 2:56 PM
“Had UChicago simply matched the market, its endowment would be $6.45 billion larger today—more than enough to repay its entire debt.”
Don’t understand why these people aren’t simply fired
Don’t understand why these people aren’t simply fired