Tod Lauer
@todlauer.bsky.social
Extragalactic observer (black holes, galaxies, galaxy clusters, stellar pops) that also dabbles in planetary astronomy. Really, basically a pixel pusher.
... with tears in their eyes...
November 15, 2025 at 3:00 AM
... with tears in their eyes...
This is the first that I've heard that 15 is "barely legal."
November 13, 2025 at 9:38 PM
This is the first that I've heard that 15 is "barely legal."
I don't begrudge screwball ideas, but how he conducts himself is another matter. The Juno business was inexcusable. He was certainly told by the team that it was impossible (and 15 min on Google would have shown that), but he went ahead pushing and shouting it through a bull horn. Dishonesty...
November 13, 2025 at 9:34 PM
I don't begrudge screwball ideas, but how he conducts himself is another matter. The Juno business was inexcusable. He was certainly told by the team that it was impossible (and 15 min on Google would have shown that), but he went ahead pushing and shouting it through a bull horn. Dishonesty...
As a tenured professor in his mid-60s, he is not likely to lose his job nor diminish his existing work in astrophysics. However, he has already greatly damaged his respect and standing among his peers, to become a celebrity scientist. I don't think he cares about the former.
November 13, 2025 at 7:44 PM
As a tenured professor in his mid-60s, he is not likely to lose his job nor diminish his existing work in astrophysics. However, he has already greatly damaged his respect and standing among his peers, to become a celebrity scientist. I don't think he cares about the former.
Because it's great copy. Aliens *plus* a brilliant genius maverick standing athwart his stultified colleagues, much like a modern day Galileo.
November 13, 2025 at 7:10 PM
Because it's great copy. Aliens *plus* a brilliant genius maverick standing athwart his stultified colleagues, much like a modern day Galileo.
Hmmm... never tried it that way. You do it without peeling them? Me it's always a dish that takes 25m & lots of work.
November 13, 2025 at 2:53 AM
Hmmm... never tried it that way. You do it without peeling them? Me it's always a dish that takes 25m & lots of work.
Grilled cheese is faster, and more satisfying (to me) as a quick fix. I love mashies, but think they need something to keep them company.
November 13, 2025 at 2:44 AM
Grilled cheese is faster, and more satisfying (to me) as a quick fix. I love mashies, but think they need something to keep them company.
That would be a hell of a note.
November 12, 2025 at 6:46 AM
That would be a hell of a note.
Fog flowing through the redwoods on the Santa Cruz campus a few months ago.
November 11, 2025 at 5:50 PM
Fog flowing through the redwoods on the Santa Cruz campus a few months ago.
One of my faves - we always love it when they're around and acting up.
November 11, 2025 at 4:29 PM
One of my faves - we always love it when they're around and acting up.
AL plays to an old stereotype. Brilliant maverick scientist arrives at a truth overlooked by all his stultified colleagues. Makes great copy and AL famous, but at a terrible cost to how the public perceives that science works, when ironically AL has nothing to do with the real work on 3I/Atlas.
November 11, 2025 at 2:37 AM
AL plays to an old stereotype. Brilliant maverick scientist arrives at a truth overlooked by all his stultified colleagues. Makes great copy and AL famous, but at a terrible cost to how the public perceives that science works, when ironically AL has nothing to do with the real work on 3I/Atlas.
In our family we do binary candles for birthday cakes. Turning 64 was amusing - celebrating with a single lit candle, and six candles unlit.
November 10, 2025 at 8:53 PM
In our family we do binary candles for birthday cakes. Turning 64 was amusing - celebrating with a single lit candle, and six candles unlit.
Really? Read the contract for the clause. They keep the results on a tight leash, and hound you right away for payments. I'd take a walk.
November 9, 2025 at 9:28 PM
Really? Read the contract for the clause. They keep the results on a tight leash, and hound you right away for payments. I'd take a walk.
Although none of Faber, Blumenthal, or Primack made the cut.
November 8, 2025 at 9:24 PM
Although none of Faber, Blumenthal, or Primack made the cut.
OMG! While a C&H fan, I had never seen this. But I do tell stories of the wooden escalators in the big downtown Akron dept stores when I was a kid. I indeed loved the sounds that they made.
November 8, 2025 at 6:52 PM
OMG! While a C&H fan, I had never seen this. But I do tell stories of the wooden escalators in the big downtown Akron dept stores when I was a kid. I indeed loved the sounds that they made.
Most unfortunate & we did use deconvolution on HST before and after the fix. It helps even diffraction limited systems. Article implies that SA didn't need a hardware fix, just a good algorithm, which is deeply wrong. It's one thing to improve resolution - another to imply a defect needing repair
November 8, 2025 at 1:59 AM
Most unfortunate & we did use deconvolution on HST before and after the fix. It helps even diffraction limited systems. Article implies that SA didn't need a hardware fix, just a good algorithm, which is deeply wrong. It's one thing to improve resolution - another to imply a defect needing repair
It wasn't a complete victory, however. Though not reported in most accounts, the judge demanded that the defendant hand over the bag of chips that came with the sub to the ICE agent.
November 6, 2025 at 8:45 PM
It wasn't a complete victory, however. Though not reported in most accounts, the judge demanded that the defendant hand over the bag of chips that came with the sub to the ICE agent.
But this is our hill and these are our beans.
November 6, 2025 at 6:45 PM
But this is our hill and these are our beans.
Umm.. like they don't instantly know?
November 6, 2025 at 6:19 PM
Umm.. like they don't instantly know?
So let's see. US population is 340M, so that's about 400 pounds/person on average.
November 6, 2025 at 6:14 PM
So let's see. US population is 340M, so that's about 400 pounds/person on average.