A curious squirrel
LightNews LightNews
banner
skwuirrel.bsky.social
A curious squirrel
@skwuirrel.bsky.social
370 followers 1.3K following 720 posts
Interests: astronomy, terrestrial and exo-geology, sci-fi, engineering, transportation, rpdr. NYC-based and biased. Oh and cats, too.
Politics are dead, but entertaining.
Posts Replies Media Videos
Reposted by A curious squirrel
arstechnica.com
Ocean damage nearly doubles the cost of climate change
Ignoring the blue economy has left a multi-trillion-dollar blind spot in climate finance.
arstechnica.com
January 18, 2026 at 12:03 PM
Reposted by A curious squirrel
thespaceshipper.com
Voyager is 31!

"Much will be made of the political correctness of this new venture, not least in that the captain of this ship is a woman".

A woman, captain of a ship 😱

Just a reminder that we've come a long way, and that the reactionary whiners of today are just the latest in a long line. 🖖
TELEVISION REVIEW Now for a Politically Correct 'Star Trek'. By JOHN O'CONNOR "Sequence under way. Engage!" And the "Star Trek" franchise blasts off once again. Consider mere-ly this one statistic being bandled about by the producers: There are already more than 325 hours of "Star Trek" productions, including the original series (which began in 1966), the seven feature films and the television spinoffs, "Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987)" and "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993)." And now, with the centerpiece of the new United Paramount Network, Trekkers can focus their notoriously intense scrutiny on "Star Trek: Voy-ager," the first of the series created after the death of the "Star Trek" creator, Gene Roddenberry. Much will be made of the political correct-ness of this new venture, not least in that the captain of this ship is a woman, but "Star Trek" has long been a multicultural champion of erasing prejudices of all sorts. This time it just goes a bit further. After all, it's the 24th century. Capt. Kathryn Janeway, played with unmistakable authority by Kate Mulgrew, takes the U.S.S. Voyager to search for a ship belonging to the Maquis, Federation colonists unhap-py with a new treaty. The problem is that the captain's chief of security is an undercover agent on the missing ship. But the Voyager, with 15 decks and "bioneural" circuitry, is soon swept up in a displacement wave that pushes the star ship 70,000 light years away on the other side of the galaxy. The Federationists and the Maquis are forced to work together for survival. It's an ingenious concept, bringing the series back to its early days of anything-can-happen suspense. Cap-tain Janeway spells it out: "We're alone in an uncharted part of the galaxy. We have no idea of the dan-gers we'll have to face. Somewhere we'll find a way back." Tonight's two-hour pilot is certain-ly a marvel of special effects. Com-paring early "Star Trek" with this is like comparing "The Great Train Robbery" with St…
January 16, 2026 at 8:31 PM
Reposted by A curious squirrel
landru79.bsky.social
James #Webb Space Telescope #JWST

Vast Exploration for Nascent, Unexplored Sources (VENUS)

TARG: #A521
2026-01-14
PI: Fujimoto, Seiji
NIRISS 356 277 200 150 115

yuval-harpaz.github.io/astro/jwst_l...

NASA/ESA/CSA/STScI/j. Roger
January 15, 2026 at 5:20 PM
Reposted by A curious squirrel
apnews.com
BREAKING: An appeals court has struck down the decision that freed pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil from immigration detention.
Appeals court reverses decision that freed pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil
A federal appeals panel has reversed a lower court decision that released former Columbia University graduate student Mahmoud Khalil from an immigration jail, bringing the government one step closer to detaining and ultimately deporting the Palestinian activist.
bit.ly
January 15, 2026 at 3:01 PM
Reposted by A curious squirrel
senategabe.bsky.social
Full articles of impeachment are here:
www.congress.gov
January 15, 2026 at 5:48 AM
Reposted by A curious squirrel
astronomy-gallery.bsky.social
Thomas Carpentier (@thocarp.bsky.social) on Flickr (Jun 21, 2025)

The NGC-4254 spiral galaxy is observed by JWST using the MIRI instrument, showcasing its intricate structure.

flic.kr/p/2rcdxQT
NGC-4254 spiral galaxy observed by JWST with MIRI instrument. Credit and Copyright: NASA; ESA; CSA; T.Carpentier (Used with permission)
January 14, 2026 at 3:31 AM
Reposted by A curious squirrel
laurajedeed.bsky.social
A few months ago, ICE hired me

I didn't sign and submit any paperwork. I almost certainly failed the drug test. I'm real outspoken about my opposition to the Trump administration, and I am extremely googlable

And yet, there it was, in plain English. "Welcome to ICE!"

My latest for Slate
You’ve Heard About Who ICE Is Recruiting. The Truth Is Far Worse. I’m the Proof.
What happens when you do minimal screening before hiring agents, arming them, and sending them into the streets? We're all finding out.
slate.com
January 13, 2026 at 2:11 PM
Reposted by A curious squirrel
jthutt.bsky.social
Likely working my last vehicle processing shift before we try to launch this thing. It’s been a journey.
Orion stacked on top of SLS in the VAB Orion ogive panel being moved into position while I provide management oversight Orion in the MPPF stand ready to be fueled.
January 12, 2026 at 10:32 AM
Reposted by A curious squirrel
palaeojules.bsky.social
I'm making a series of infographics at the moment for some school groups, and, honestly, I'm really enjoying it!!!
They're learning about paleontology, and I was asked if I could provide some images of extinct plants and animals! Here are the first few: #paleoart #scicomm #education #paleontology
An infographic of heterodontosaurus, with a lateral view I the centre surrounded by labels, and a close up of the head on the right, next to a geological time scale An infogrwphic of dimorphodon with in in lateral view, flying, in the centre, with a block of text top right and a geological timescale to the right And infograpgic of Anchiornis in lateral view, with labels surrounding it, and a block of text I the top right, next to a geological timescale.
January 12, 2026 at 2:32 AM
Reposted by A curious squirrel
bluewhalenews.bsky.social
Blue whale songs continue to decline in frequency (deepening) in all examined populations. New work in New Zealand shows this decline is slowing over time. Songs are also higher frequency when there is more singing (during the breeding season, Feb-June).
Barlow et al.
doi.org/10.1121/10.0...
January 12, 2026 at 1:04 AM
Reposted by A curious squirrel
markchilcott.bsky.social
Missed it by a day, but happy anniversary #batmanbeyond #dccomics #batman #digitalart
January 11, 2026 at 9:33 AM
Reposted by A curious squirrel
coreyspowell.bsky.social
In happier news, it's been a great week for learning strange new things about the universe. A few highlights:

The Rubin Observatory opened its eyes & immediately discovered 1900 asteroids, including the fastest-spinning large asteroid (once every 1.88 minutes!). 🧪🔭

noirlab.edu/public/news/...
The lightcurve of 2025 MN45 — the fastest-rotating asteroid with a diameter over 500 meters that scientists have ever found. The y-axis shows the asteroid’s brightness, and the x-axis shows its phase, or where it is in its rotation. When plotted, the resulting curve shows the asteroid's fluctuating brightness as it spins. Lightcurves can help scientists determine an asteroid's rotation period (the total time it takes to complete one rotation), size, shape, and surface properties. The discovery of 2025 MN45 was made using data from NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory, jointly funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science. The asteroid is about 710 meters (0.44 miles) in diameter, and it completes a full rotation every 1.88 minutes.
January 11, 2026 at 12:31 AM
skwuirrel.bsky.social
When can we call it the G-6?
January 11, 2026 at 2:48 AM
Reposted by A curious squirrel
rbreich.bsky.social
As the NFL playoffs begin, here’s a reminder: publicly funded stadiums for billionaire sports team owners are a scam. https://youtu.be/vLkyULxrWiE?si=yOBm-M2Y7pcokmRO
The Sports Stadium Scam | Robert Reich
Billionaires have found one more way to fleece the public: sports stadiums.And if we don’t play ball, they’ll take our f
youtu.be
January 10, 2026 at 11:01 PM
Reposted by A curious squirrel
spockresists.bsky.social
I find the current bombardment of terrestrial "news" to be statistically high in noise and low in logical integrity. One specific data point reveals a profound malfunction in the human ethical apparatus.

A female human, mother of three offspring, has been murdered.
a man in a star trek uniform is sitting in front of a control panel
ALT: a man in a star trek uniform is sitting in front of a control panel
media.tenor.com
January 10, 2026 at 7:19 PM
Reposted by A curious squirrel
anneapplebaum.bsky.social
The Norwegian Nobel Prize committee has been forced to make a statement, declaring that the prize cannot be transferred.
It's hard even to comprehend how stupid this has become
January 10, 2026 at 9:15 AM
Reposted by A curious squirrel
apiln.bsky.social
This is the kind of piss-taking we can all get right behind.
Forest of Dean woman makes bear signs to warn passing drivers - BBC News
Penny Ballinger says she is obsessed with an 1889 tale, which causes division in the Forest of Dean.
www.bbc.co.uk
January 10, 2026 at 6:58 PM
Reposted by A curious squirrel
zacklabe.com
The first week of the new year is already flying by. Here's a look at how temperatures have changed around our planet over the last four decades in January...

Data from doi.org/10.24381/cds...
Four global maps showing near-surface air temperature anomalies for the month of January in 1985-1994, 1995-2004, 2005-2014, and 2015-2024. Most all areas are observing long-term warming, which is largest over the Arctic region. Anomalies are calculated relative to 1951-1980 from ECMWF ERA5 reanalysis.
January 6, 2026 at 11:13 PM
Reposted by A curious squirrel
philplait.bsky.social
I have some really cool pix from Mars in the newsletter today: the amazing HiRISE camera's *100,000th* image, and some crepuscular rays and iridescent clouds! It's like someone at mission control took all these shots just for me specifically.

badastronomy.beehiiv.com/p/red-planet...

🔭 🧪
Red Planet special: HiRISE’s 100,000th image, and Martian crepuscular rays
Big milestone for a Mars mission, and a weirdly familiar sight in the Martian sky
badastronomy.beehiiv.com
January 5, 2026 at 3:37 PM
Reposted by A curious squirrel
transnews.network
We have published the following update to our article following an email response from the New York Times.

Trans News Network has a policy against platforming bigotry. As such, we have declined to publish the Times' statement which included blatant transphobia.
Editors' Note, 1/4/26: A spokesperson from The New York Times emailed Trans News Network the Sunday after publication, disputing various parts of the interview. We reject their disputes as unsubstantiated, nitpicking or willful misreads. We have added minor clarifications at two points in the interview alongside the transcript, which remains as published. We stand by our reporting of the interview with Sweeney, former editor and 11-year veteran of the Times. The Times also provided TNN a statement responding to the interview, which we have declined to publish due to its inclusion of overt transphobia (such as framing the existence of trans people as “fiercely contested medical and legal debates”). Even in their PR, it seems that the Times can't stop denigrating our lives and communities. We do not have an obligation to publish damage control on the behalf of a news outlet undergoing a legitimacy crisis because of their own actions.
January 5, 2026 at 2:05 AM
Reposted by A curious squirrel
hourlycosmos.bsky.social
CASSINI SATURN (2) - From Jacint Roger (landru79.bsky.social) - https://flic.kr/p/2iKDDhW
January 5, 2026 at 2:22 PM
Reposted by A curious squirrel
elizabethjacobs.bsky.social
Canadian officials are correct, and it’s truly a tragedy.
Canadian officials say US health institutions no longer dependable for accurate information
Misinformation from the Trump administration is cited as fuelling Canadians’ concerns over childhood vaccinations
www.theguardian.com
January 5, 2026 at 4:51 AM
Reposted by A curious squirrel
bswift.bsky.social
PJ03 Jupiter Images, Exaggerated Color/Contrast. Full resolution at flic.kr/p/2rQ2PNi
January 4, 2026 at 6:38 AM
Reposted by A curious squirrel
nytpitchbot.bsky.social
It is tragic that President Trump, who I do not support, and Nicolas Maduro, who I do not support, didn't join forces with Vladimir Putin, who I do not support, to form the greatest alliance the world has ever known, which I would not support.

by Glenn Greenwald
January 4, 2026 at 3:27 AM
Reposted by A curious squirrel
gregpak.net
Huge rally and march today in NYC against the war on Venezuela. Get ready for a big thread of photos.

Rally started in Times Square. Maybe 1000 people. Organizers from Peoples Forum NYC, Nodutol, the NYCPYM, Black Alliance for Peace and more spoke.
Wide shot of the area of Times Square across from the big US flag made of lights filled with anti-war protesters holding signs that say things like "NO BLOOD FOR OIL"
January 4, 2026 at 12:14 AM