Andrew Reid
@reidac.bsky.social
Scientist, cyclist, urbanist, Linux and HPC enthusiast.
Washington DC.
Washington DC.
Reposted by Andrew Reid
I like how full text search of every book and human thought ever was a SOLVED PROBLEM in 2001, and now dicks at search engines and my own phone – a piece of silicon faster to respond than God was ever imagined in scripture – prevent it from working, _as a retroactive infantilizing design choice_.
November 14, 2025 at 12:42 AM
I like how full text search of every book and human thought ever was a SOLVED PROBLEM in 2001, and now dicks at search engines and my own phone – a piece of silicon faster to respond than God was ever imagined in scripture – prevent it from working, _as a retroactive infantilizing design choice_.
Reposted by Andrew Reid
The real problem for Bond is also the problem for Batman, Doctor Who, and dozens of similar characters -- the idea that a melodrama hero must also be a dramatic protagonist. The two roles are fundamentally irreconcilable. I blame George Lucas and Joseph Campbell.
November 11, 2025 at 1:18 PM
The real problem for Bond is also the problem for Batman, Doctor Who, and dozens of similar characters -- the idea that a melodrama hero must also be a dramatic protagonist. The two roles are fundamentally irreconcilable. I blame George Lucas and Joseph Campbell.
For some reason I am enormously pleased by Edmund Fitzgerald discourse. The below post is quite a banger -- see the thread for nuance, if that's your thing.
Also TIL that Edmund Fitzgerald the man was president and CEO of Northwestern Mutual insurance, which invested in mining.
Also TIL that Edmund Fitzgerald the man was president and CEO of Northwestern Mutual insurance, which invested in mining.
In the century leading up to 1975, nearly 6000 freighters went down in the Great Lakes.
The Edmund Fitzgerald was the last.
The last. In 50 years, not a single commercial freighter has been lost in the Great Lakes.
Why?
It's NOAA. Of course it's NOAA.
The Edmund Fitzgerald was the last.
The last. In 50 years, not a single commercial freighter has been lost in the Great Lakes.
Why?
It's NOAA. Of course it's NOAA.
November 11, 2025 at 2:53 AM
For some reason I am enormously pleased by Edmund Fitzgerald discourse. The below post is quite a banger -- see the thread for nuance, if that's your thing.
Also TIL that Edmund Fitzgerald the man was president and CEO of Northwestern Mutual insurance, which invested in mining.
Also TIL that Edmund Fitzgerald the man was president and CEO of Northwestern Mutual insurance, which invested in mining.
Reposted by Andrew Reid
Reposted by Andrew Reid
Reposted by Andrew Reid
Once more for the North Americans: I'm remembering Leonard Cohen, my inspiration, co-national, and songwriting buddy. Here's a video I stitched together of CC licensed photos for "On Hearing a Name Long Unspoken". Music by me, words by him in the 1970s. Dead nine years today. youtu.be/FycRg8IobCA
Michael Munnik, "On Hearing a Name Long Unspoken" by Leonard Cohen and Michael Munnik
YouTube video by Michael Munnik
youtu.be
November 7, 2025 at 9:26 PM
Once more for the North Americans: I'm remembering Leonard Cohen, my inspiration, co-national, and songwriting buddy. Here's a video I stitched together of CC licensed photos for "On Hearing a Name Long Unspoken". Music by me, words by him in the 1970s. Dead nine years today. youtu.be/FycRg8IobCA
Reposted by Andrew Reid
Reposted by Andrew Reid
One thing to like about this chart is that you can try and spot the transformative technologies in the past
AI could end scarcity, end humanity - or boost trend growth by 0.2 percentage points
November 7, 2025 at 2:23 PM
One thing to like about this chart is that you can try and spot the transformative technologies in the past
Reposted by Andrew Reid
Trump defeated the establishments of both parties to become president twice, break most civic and legal norms of import, end-run the Constitution's safeguards against Trump-like figures, survive numerous career-ending scandals, and now single-handedly holds a party together that would have spent
Trump has gotten huge numbers of infrequent voters to the polls, twice. He's deeply unpopular but has mobilized a large, unprecedented coalition of Americans motivated by some combination of ignorance, avarice, and cruelty. It is hard to describe what he has as something other than charisma
His charisma is fundamentally incompatible with me (and likely many of the people on Bluesky) but it’s kind of insane to say it doesn’t exist
November 7, 2025 at 12:13 PM
Trump defeated the establishments of both parties to become president twice, break most civic and legal norms of import, end-run the Constitution's safeguards against Trump-like figures, survive numerous career-ending scandals, and now single-handedly holds a party together that would have spent
Reposted by Andrew Reid
i wrote about having long covid as a hypochondriac and why no one should ever go on reddit www.late-review.com/p/the-galler...
the gallery of maladies
on long covid, hypochondria, and the forums
www.late-review.com
November 6, 2025 at 6:38 PM
i wrote about having long covid as a hypochondriac and why no one should ever go on reddit www.late-review.com/p/the-galler...
Reposted by Andrew Reid
Wonder why this scene looks so familiar...
#WildlifeWednesday 🐦🐕
#WildlifeWednesday 🐦🐕
November 5, 2025 at 6:57 AM
Wonder why this scene looks so familiar...
#WildlifeWednesday 🐦🐕
#WildlifeWednesday 🐦🐕
Reposted by Andrew Reid
‘Study after study shows that students want to develop these critical thinking skills, are not lazy, and large numbers of them would be in favor of banning ChatGPT and similar tools in universities’, says @olivia.science www.ru.nl/en/research/...
‘Opposing the inevitability of AI at universities is possible and necessary’ | Radboud University
Since the widespread release of ChatGPT in December of 2022, AI has taken over much of the world by storm – including academia. Most of this happened with very little pushback, despite a myriad of iss...
www.ru.nl
November 1, 2025 at 10:26 PM
‘Study after study shows that students want to develop these critical thinking skills, are not lazy, and large numbers of them would be in favor of banning ChatGPT and similar tools in universities’, says @olivia.science www.ru.nl/en/research/...
Reposted by Andrew Reid
Wasn't sure that it was appropriate to quote somebody else's story abt leaving academia as context, but some of the most important work is being done by people in precarious positions - students, postdocs, on contract - & every one who must leave is present conditions robbing us of a greater future
November 2, 2025 at 11:27 AM
Wasn't sure that it was appropriate to quote somebody else's story abt leaving academia as context, but some of the most important work is being done by people in precarious positions - students, postdocs, on contract - & every one who must leave is present conditions robbing us of a greater future
Reposted by Andrew Reid
Reposted by Andrew Reid
The first (1955) Danish edition of Ray Bradbury’s FAHRENHEIT 451. Later editions did not convert the title, so this is the only SI-compatible edition! 🎢
November 1, 2025 at 7:55 PM
The first (1955) Danish edition of Ray Bradbury’s FAHRENHEIT 451. Later editions did not convert the title, so this is the only SI-compatible edition! 🎢
Reposted by Andrew Reid
i think if you ride public transit enough you learn that most weird behavior is not dangerous, and conversely i think driving a car teaches you that everyone is trying to kill you at all times
October 29, 2025 at 4:49 PM
i think if you ride public transit enough you learn that most weird behavior is not dangerous, and conversely i think driving a car teaches you that everyone is trying to kill you at all times
Gift link to Tressie McMillan Cottom's NYT piece today about Graham Patner and his tattoo. Nuanced and insightful, but I'm gonna post it to social media anyways.
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/29/o...
#giftlink
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/29/o...
#giftlink
Opinion | A Nazi Tattoo Exposes Democrats’ Greatest Weakness
www.nytimes.com
October 29, 2025 at 1:52 PM
Gift link to Tressie McMillan Cottom's NYT piece today about Graham Patner and his tattoo. Nuanced and insightful, but I'm gonna post it to social media anyways.
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/29/o...
#giftlink
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/29/o...
#giftlink
Reposted by Andrew Reid
Reposted by Andrew Reid
TLDR; The PSF has made the decision to put our community and our shared diversity, equity, and inclusion values ahead of seeking $1.5M in new revenue. Please read and share. pyfound.blogspot.com/2025/10/NSF-...
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The official home of the Python Programming Language
www.python.org
October 27, 2025 at 2:47 PM
TLDR; The PSF has made the decision to put our community and our shared diversity, equity, and inclusion values ahead of seeking $1.5M in new revenue. Please read and share. pyfound.blogspot.com/2025/10/NSF-...
🧵
🧵
Reposted by Andrew Reid
Defended my PhD in nuclear engineering
January 29, 2025 at 3:51 PM
Defended my PhD in nuclear engineering
Reposted by Andrew Reid
Trektober 30 - The women of Star Trek fandom!
Star Trek has a long history of fandom (One of the first!) and women are such an integral part of it that I thought I would highlight some of them!
(Long thread upcoming)
Star Trek has a long history of fandom (One of the first!) and women are such an integral part of it that I thought I would highlight some of them!
(Long thread upcoming)
October 30, 2023 at 8:05 PM
Trektober 30 - The women of Star Trek fandom!
Star Trek has a long history of fandom (One of the first!) and women are such an integral part of it that I thought I would highlight some of them!
(Long thread upcoming)
Star Trek has a long history of fandom (One of the first!) and women are such an integral part of it that I thought I would highlight some of them!
(Long thread upcoming)
As a wise man once said, if you can get to the coffee shop in 15 minutes but the barista commutes from the suburbs, it's not a 15-minute city, it's a theme park.
(A bit of googling, the wise man is apparently Gareth Klieber, quoted by @danwentzel.urbanists.social.ap.brid.gy )
(A bit of googling, the wise man is apparently Gareth Klieber, quoted by @danwentzel.urbanists.social.ap.brid.gy )
who creates the lively art and music scenes if the rent is too high? who makes cultural life? who serves you food or washes your dishes? who creates the fancy little restaurants that draw you to urban living? affordable housing is at the heart of what makes city life worthwhile.
October 26, 2025 at 12:14 PM
As a wise man once said, if you can get to the coffee shop in 15 minutes but the barista commutes from the suburbs, it's not a 15-minute city, it's a theme park.
(A bit of googling, the wise man is apparently Gareth Klieber, quoted by @danwentzel.urbanists.social.ap.brid.gy )
(A bit of googling, the wise man is apparently Gareth Klieber, quoted by @danwentzel.urbanists.social.ap.brid.gy )
High-value thread about public messaging. As the great Mel Brooks told us, "The thing you gotta know is, *everything* is show biz."
Not trying to pick on Gallego in particular or anything but when people ask me what the difference between a skilled on-camera performer like Mamdani and a charismatic, practiced public speaker but with no on-camera training is, this video is a good example of the latter
Trump’s tearing down the East Wing to build himself a $350M ballroom while Americans struggle to afford health care.
Senator Ruben Gallego went to the site of the Trump teardown.
Senator Ruben Gallego went to the site of the Trump teardown.
October 25, 2025 at 9:16 PM
High-value thread about public messaging. As the great Mel Brooks told us, "The thing you gotta know is, *everything* is show biz."