Sumeet Kulkarni
@sumeetkul.bsky.social
Science Writer, Astrophotographer
August 9, 2025 at 3:46 PM
Despite the existence of countless fat textbooks on electrodynamics, we know remarkably little about the phenomenon that introduces electricity to schoolkids, viz. rubbing balloons and cat fur.
Static electricity is so hard that Schrödinger wrote his PhD thesis on it and then invented quantum mechanics to avoid having to work on it ever again.
Ok maybe it wasn't exactly like that. But static goes deeper than you might think. Me for @newscientist.com 🧪
www.newscientist.com/article/2484...
Ok maybe it wasn't exactly like that. But static goes deeper than you might think. Me for @newscientist.com 🧪
www.newscientist.com/article/2484...
Solving the 250-year-old puzzle of how static electricity works
You may think you know static electricity, but its true nature has long eluded scientists. We’ve now made a huge leap towards finally figuring it out
www.newscientist.com
July 3, 2025 at 4:10 PM
Despite the existence of countless fat textbooks on electrodynamics, we know remarkably little about the phenomenon that introduces electricity to schoolkids, viz. rubbing balloons and cat fur.
Reposted by Sumeet Kulkarni
The full ruling explaining why NIH grant cuts are illegal came out today.
It's just as blistering as the judge's oral remarks. And it uncovers fresh details in DOGE's role orchestrating the cuts — and on the cuts at Columbia.
Here are my top highlights from the 103-page ruling. 🧵
It's just as blistering as the judge's oral remarks. And it uncovers fresh details in DOGE's role orchestrating the cuts — and on the cuts at Columbia.
Here are my top highlights from the 103-page ruling. 🧵
After ruling the NIH grant cuts were illegal yesterday, Judge Young, a Reagan appointee on the bench since 1985, ended the hearing with a blistering 15-minute speech.
I've cleaned up my notes — here are his remarks in full. 🧵
I've cleaned up my notes — here are his remarks in full. 🧵
Judge rules against NIH grant cuts — and calls them discriminatory
The decision means that the US biomedical agency has to restore funding to hundreds of research projects, but the government will likely appeal.
www.nature.com
July 2, 2025 at 11:55 PM
The full ruling explaining why NIH grant cuts are illegal came out today.
It's just as blistering as the judge's oral remarks. And it uncovers fresh details in DOGE's role orchestrating the cuts — and on the cuts at Columbia.
Here are my top highlights from the 103-page ruling. 🧵
It's just as blistering as the judge's oral remarks. And it uncovers fresh details in DOGE's role orchestrating the cuts — and on the cuts at Columbia.
Here are my top highlights from the 103-page ruling. 🧵
Witnessed the magical display of synchronous fireflies right in our backyard of Oxford, Mississippi's whirlpool trails. A whole swarm blinking on and off in unison! While common fireflies give small yellow swooshes in long exposures like this, "snappy syncs" give off dotted trails.
June 4, 2025 at 4:18 PM
Witnessed the magical display of synchronous fireflies right in our backyard of Oxford, Mississippi's whirlpool trails. A whole swarm blinking on and off in unison! While common fireflies give small yellow swooshes in long exposures like this, "snappy syncs" give off dotted trails.
Reposted by Sumeet Kulkarni
Is NASA really going to send humans to Mars? Its budget plans released last week suggest it may be serious. So I wrote about why that’s hard.
🧪
🧪
Trump wants to put humans on Mars — here’s what scientists think
Nature explores the massive costs and challenges of sending astronauts to the red planet.
www.nature.com
June 4, 2025 at 3:47 PM
Is NASA really going to send humans to Mars? Its budget plans released last week suggest it may be serious. So I wrote about why that’s hard.
🧪
🧪
Reposted by Sumeet Kulkarni
I am furiously, flamingly, incandescently, *supernova-levels* of angry right now.
Trump is trying to kill NASA science. And hoo boy, do I have something to say about it.
badastronomy.beehiiv.com/p/trump-thre...
🔭 🧪
Trump is trying to kill NASA science. And hoo boy, do I have something to say about it.
badastronomy.beehiiv.com/p/trump-thre...
🔭 🧪
Trump threatens to eviscerate NASA
The Presidential budget proposal is a death sentence for the space agency
badastronomy.beehiiv.com
June 2, 2025 at 3:31 PM
I am furiously, flamingly, incandescently, *supernova-levels* of angry right now.
Trump is trying to kill NASA science. And hoo boy, do I have something to say about it.
badastronomy.beehiiv.com/p/trump-thre...
🔭 🧪
Trump is trying to kill NASA science. And hoo boy, do I have something to say about it.
badastronomy.beehiiv.com/p/trump-thre...
🔭 🧪
The "Paschal" full moon which signals the advent of Easter, rising over a busy saturday evening University Avenue in Oxford MS.
April 14, 2025 at 1:44 PM
The "Paschal" full moon which signals the advent of Easter, rising over a busy saturday evening University Avenue in Oxford MS.
One year since...
My top space pictures of the year.
#1: Undoubtedly the astro-event of the year, the April 2024 total solar eclipse mesmerized folks across North America with up to 4 surreal minutes of totality where time both stood still and flashed by.
#1: Undoubtedly the astro-event of the year, the April 2024 total solar eclipse mesmerized folks across North America with up to 4 surreal minutes of totality where time both stood still and flashed by.
April 9, 2025 at 3:40 AM
One year since...
Reposted by Sumeet Kulkarni
🚨 Are you a researcher who's been asked by your institution not to talk to the public/media about certain topics - esp after Jan 20?
Are you a PIO who's had to tell scientists not to talk to the media?
Reach out on Signal at mkozlov.01 for a @nature.com story. Your identity will be kept private.
Are you a PIO who's had to tell scientists not to talk to the media?
Reach out on Signal at mkozlov.01 for a @nature.com story. Your identity will be kept private.
February 26, 2025 at 7:27 PM
🚨 Are you a researcher who's been asked by your institution not to talk to the public/media about certain topics - esp after Jan 20?
Are you a PIO who's had to tell scientists not to talk to the media?
Reach out on Signal at mkozlov.01 for a @nature.com story. Your identity will be kept private.
Are you a PIO who's had to tell scientists not to talk to the media?
Reach out on Signal at mkozlov.01 for a @nature.com story. Your identity will be kept private.
I may be biased but this is the best scientific announcement of all time.
Nine years ago we announced to the world that we have detected #GravitationalWaves we did it!
youtu.be/lslUF9gdYI8
youtu.be/lslUF9gdYI8
LIGO -- Dave Reitze We have Detected Gravitational Waves
YouTube video by sciencejedi
youtu.be
February 12, 2025 at 2:28 AM
I may be biased but this is the best scientific announcement of all time.
Reposted by Sumeet Kulkarni
What if all the world's biggest problems have the same invisible solution?
What if all the world's biggest problems have the same solution?
YouTube video by Veritasium
www.youtube.com
February 10, 2025 at 2:32 PM
What if all the world's biggest problems have the same invisible solution?
The Moon is a master of the dark arts. The first astro event to look forward to in 2025 is a lunar occultation of Mars, when the Moon will gobble up the planet, and spit it out on the other side a few hours later. Visible from most of N.America and east Africa (1/2)
December 27, 2024 at 7:09 PM
The Moon is a master of the dark arts. The first astro event to look forward to in 2025 is a lunar occultation of Mars, when the Moon will gobble up the planet, and spit it out on the other side a few hours later. Visible from most of N.America and east Africa (1/2)
My top space pictures of the year.
#1: Undoubtedly the astro-event of the year, the April 2024 total solar eclipse mesmerized folks across North America with up to 4 surreal minutes of totality where time both stood still and flashed by.
#1: Undoubtedly the astro-event of the year, the April 2024 total solar eclipse mesmerized folks across North America with up to 4 surreal minutes of totality where time both stood still and flashed by.
December 19, 2024 at 4:29 AM
My top space pictures of the year.
#1: Undoubtedly the astro-event of the year, the April 2024 total solar eclipse mesmerized folks across North America with up to 4 surreal minutes of totality where time both stood still and flashed by.
#1: Undoubtedly the astro-event of the year, the April 2024 total solar eclipse mesmerized folks across North America with up to 4 surreal minutes of totality where time both stood still and flashed by.
My top space pictures of the year.
#2: A surprise visit by a comet brighter and fuzzier than 2020's Neowise, which was the first one I ever saw. Tsuchinshan-ATLAS stole the show in the Fall skies this year.
#2: A surprise visit by a comet brighter and fuzzier than 2020's Neowise, which was the first one I ever saw. Tsuchinshan-ATLAS stole the show in the Fall skies this year.
December 18, 2024 at 3:18 AM
My top space pictures of the year.
#2: A surprise visit by a comet brighter and fuzzier than 2020's Neowise, which was the first one I ever saw. Tsuchinshan-ATLAS stole the show in the Fall skies this year.
#2: A surprise visit by a comet brighter and fuzzier than 2020's Neowise, which was the first one I ever saw. Tsuchinshan-ATLAS stole the show in the Fall skies this year.
My top space pictures of the year. It's been a less busy year for astrophotography having spent half of it in light-polluted DC. The city did give me plenty of urban vistas to chase the rising Moon, one of which is my pick for...
#3: one of the supermoons rises over the Jefferson Memorial.
#3: one of the supermoons rises over the Jefferson Memorial.
December 16, 2024 at 10:58 PM
My top space pictures of the year. It's been a less busy year for astrophotography having spent half of it in light-polluted DC. The city did give me plenty of urban vistas to chase the rising Moon, one of which is my pick for...
#3: one of the supermoons rises over the Jefferson Memorial.
#3: one of the supermoons rises over the Jefferson Memorial.
One month since I spotted comet Tsuchinshan-Atlas. The once-in-a-lifetime cosmic visitor is now more than 15 light-minutes away from us. #comet #astrophotography
November 26, 2024 at 1:46 AM
One month since I spotted comet Tsuchinshan-Atlas. The once-in-a-lifetime cosmic visitor is now more than 15 light-minutes away from us. #comet #astrophotography
QR codes are everywhere. Ever wondered how they work? Find out in my first video as a new writer/director with the brilliant Veritasium team here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5eb...
How do QR codes work? (I built one myself to find out)
YouTube video by Veritasium
www.youtube.com
November 12, 2024 at 3:29 PM
QR codes are everywhere. Ever wondered how they work? Find out in my first video as a new writer/director with the brilliant Veritasium team here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5eb...
Reposted by Sumeet Kulkarni
@astrobites.bsky.social is accepting applications for a new cohort of writers! Being part of the collaboration was an amazing experience; if you're a graduate student interested in writing about astronomy, I can't recommend it enough.
(Deadline is November 27!)
astrobites.org/2024/10/27/a...
(Deadline is November 27!)
astrobites.org/2024/10/27/a...
Apply to Write for Astrobites 2024!
Love astronomy, astrophysics, and science communication? Come join the Astrobites team! Applications due November 27th.
astrobites.org
October 28, 2024 at 3:08 PM
@astrobites.bsky.social is accepting applications for a new cohort of writers! Being part of the collaboration was an amazing experience; if you're a graduate student interested in writing about astronomy, I can't recommend it enough.
(Deadline is November 27!)
astrobites.org/2024/10/27/a...
(Deadline is November 27!)
astrobites.org/2024/10/27/a...
Comet Tsuchanshin-ATLAS, our cosmic visitor, has begun its millenia-long journey back to the cold outer reaches of the solar system. It's getting dimmer, but looks just as grand through a pair of binoculars, or this 30 s camera exposure. #comet #comettsuchanshin
October 23, 2024 at 1:35 PM
Comet Tsuchanshin-ATLAS, our cosmic visitor, has begun its millenia-long journey back to the cold outer reaches of the solar system. It's getting dimmer, but looks just as grand through a pair of binoculars, or this 30 s camera exposure. #comet #comettsuchanshin
In my latest for Nature, read about how our Galaxy might be larger - and less weird - than we thought: www.nature.com/articles/d41...
The Milky Way is ‘less weird’ than we thought
The Galaxy’s core isn't as densely packed with stars as models suggested, a study finds, aligning it more closely with similar spiral galaxies. The Galaxy’s core isn't as densely packed with stars as ...
www.nature.com
July 1, 2024 at 2:27 PM
In my latest for Nature, read about how our Galaxy might be larger - and less weird - than we thought: www.nature.com/articles/d41...
I'm a fan of the 3 body sci-fi series, and I enjoyed dissecting the science from fiction in my latest story:
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
#3bodyproblem #threebody #sciencefiction #scifi #netflix
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
#3bodyproblem #threebody #sciencefiction #scifi #netflix
The science of 3 Body Problem: what’s fact and what’s fiction?
Nature spoke to the sci-fi program’s adviser and two other researchers about the portrayal of PhD scientists and their technologies. Nature spoke to the sci-fi program’s adviser and two other research...
www.nature.com
April 30, 2024 at 6:37 PM
I'm a fan of the 3 body sci-fi series, and I enjoyed dissecting the science from fiction in my latest story:
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
#3bodyproblem #threebody #sciencefiction #scifi #netflix
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
#3bodyproblem #threebody #sciencefiction #scifi #netflix
I'm an extrovert except when I'm not alone...
Most people are not extroverts or introverts — we're ambiverts 🧪 www.scientificamerican.com/article/extr...
Extrovert or Introvert: Most People Are Actually Ambiverts
Research on personality types in the middle of the extroversion-introversion scale is limited—yet the majority of people fall into this category
www.scientificamerican.com
April 25, 2024 at 2:26 PM
I'm an extrovert except when I'm not alone...
Throwback to the magnificent total solar eclipse from earlier this month. A composite of partial phases taken roughly 5 minutes apart + the diamond ring
#astronomy #astrophotography #solareclipse
#astronomy #astrophotography #solareclipse
April 25, 2024 at 1:05 PM
Throwback to the magnificent total solar eclipse from earlier this month. A composite of partial phases taken roughly 5 minutes apart + the diamond ring
#astronomy #astrophotography #solareclipse
#astronomy #astrophotography #solareclipse