iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

CoachPayne @coachpayne.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

Back to it! Teaching Introductory Astronomy and Honors Physics, and coaching Cross Country. This is *my* retirement, and I love it! Oh, and still running when I can and hiking when I can't! I'm 75 years young!

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Katie Mack @astrokatie.com · 20/08/2026

👀 Just received a new blurb for my upcoming book, "How to Build a Universe (Theoretically Speaking)"! This is the first review from a fellow physicist, so it means a lot to me. I'm very grateful to Carlo for such kind words! 😃

"Katie Mack's writing on physics is always a joy: not just because of the wit, and the charming lightness, but especially because she describes science as it really is, not the sanitized version which is often presented. If you want to know how a great scientist of today really thinks about reality, read this!"
— Carlo Rovelli, author of On the Equality of All Things

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Colm O’Gorman @colm.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

Hello from Northern Spain #eclipse

A total solar eclipse hangs low over a rural Spanish landscape, the dark disc of the Moon surrounded by the Sun’s glowing corona. Hazy evening light washes across rolling fields and distant hills, with scattered trees and a solitary church silhouetted beneath the eclipsed Sun.

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Josef Aschbacher @josefaschbacher.esa.int · 25/07/2026

Based on current information, the Cebreros station appears to have remained unharmed. My deepest thanks go to the Spanish emergency services whose efforts helped protect the site as wildfires approached. Left: 24 July 19:57, Right: 25 July 07:54

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Sarah Hörst @planetdr.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

A friend sent me an image of the Saturnian moon Daphnis that was clearly AI and I’m so flipping angry because these are REAL pics of Daphnis YOU DON’T HAVE TO AI SPACE IT IS ALREADY FUCKING AMAZING AHHH

The wavemaker moon, Daphnis, is featured in this view, taken as NASA's Cassini spacecraft made one of its ring-grazing passes over the outer edges of Saturn's rings on Jan. 16, 2017. This is the closest view of the small moon obtained yet.
NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute

Saturn's moon Daphnis making waves in the Keeler Gap of its rings. Image taken by Cassini on 6 February 2017. NASA / JPL-Caltech / SSI / Sophia Nasr

Cassini probe image of Daphnis surrounded by Saturn's rings (2017)
NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute; editing by Matúš Motlo

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Robert "The Bobby Yaga" McNees @mcnees.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

Related / important: The image on the cover of the Joy Division album "Unknown Pleasures" is from a plot that radio astronomer Harold Craft made for his PhD dissertation, using data collected at Arecibo while studying the pulsar discovered by Jocelyn Bell Burnell. 🧪 🔭 📡

The cover of the Joy Division album "Unknown Pleasures." It features a white "stack plot" on a black background. The lines, which record data from a radio telescope, form what looks like a mountain range.

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CoachPayne @coachpayne.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

75 today, with wife and family in Maine, much cooler than North Carolina!

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CoachPayne @coachpayne.bsky.social · 11/07/2026

I selected a book from Bridgton Books in Maine as a birthday present from my wife to me, as we do, "Strata" by Laura Poppick, and we found out she was giving a talk in nearby Lovell, ME. Her talk was wonderful. After the talk she graciously signed the book. Awesome!

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CoachPayne @coachpayne.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

@laurapoppick.bsky.social Just bought "Strata" and heard you will be in Lovell, ME, on July 10. We hope to see you there. My wife and I were visiting a book store and bought "Strata" not knowing that.

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ESA Space Science @science.esa.int · 06/07/2026

📣 Most ancient quasars ever found! Euclid has discovered 31 ancient quasars. Two of them shone with the light of a trillion Suns back when the Universe was 670 million years old – just 5% of its current age. Discover more 👉 www.esa.int/Science_Expl... 🔭 🧪 ☄️

This collage with observations of the Euclid space telescope shows a grid of small, dark panels filled with tiny points and faint smudges of light. The lights vary in brightness and colour, including white, blue, yellow, and orange, with some appearing as dots and others as slightly blurred shapes. Each panel has a small label with letters and numbers at the bottom.

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Alrom @alrom.bsky.social · 05/07/2026

I was at Riverside Park today and I took the funniest photo of that B2. It looks like the sky is missing some ceiling tiles.

A B2 stealth bomber but it looks like an angular black void on a blue sky

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Charles Johnson @charles.littlegreenfootballs.com · 22/06/2026

Maybe it will be the reflecting pool that drives him finally over the edge into gibbering madness. What, he’s already there, you say?

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Dr. Jessie Christiansen @aussiastronomer.bsky.social · 21/06/2026

I need you to know that the shipping container into which the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope was packed for transport to the launchpad is called the Chariot, and the barge pulling the container to Cape Kennedy is called the Pegasus. So yes, this is a picture of a Pegasus pulling a Roman Chariot.

Screenshot of a live shot of a river with a big grey and white barge followed by a little red tugboat.

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Lupita Nihongo @otsumamiboy.blacksky.app · 19/06/2026

It’s important on Juneteenth to remain aware that we live in a country driven by various degrees of unjust human exploitation & our economy that we call American capitalism relies on legal loopholes that permit slavery & the threat of homelessness, which can be punished with enslavement, to function

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CoachPayne @coachpayne.bsky.social · 16/06/2026

The comment by Josh Hokit at the end of UFC 250 summed up the night. I won't print it here. I didn't watch it, and would not support such vile behavior. But this is where we are, a Nation divided and far from the Patriotism and unity many of us felt during the Bicentennial. Let's return to sanity!

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Gernot Wagner @gwagner.com · 12/06/2026

The perfect obit headline for this particular climate denier, who knew better but preferred to live a lie heatmap.news/daily/lee-raymond

Lee Raymond, 311 ppm – 421 ppm
The former ExxonMobil CEO left his legacy both on the Earth and in the sky.
Robinson Meyer
•
June 11, 2026

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CoachPayne @coachpayne.bsky.social · 07/06/2026

I know that the vast majority of folks enjoy beaches and boats during the summer, but those don't have as much appeal to me. Soft forest trails with my wife are the best for me. I'm very fortunate to have someone who also loves to hike! 5.7.miles.this morning at Horton Grove.

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John Scalzi @scalzi.com · 03/06/2026

Reminder that the Local Organic Intelligence Model located in your skull runs quite inexpensively on snacks and caffeine arstechnica.com/ai/2026/06/a...

arstechnica.com

AI costs how much? GitHub Copilot users react to new usage-based pricing system.

Some report burning through their whole monthly "AI credit" allotment in a single day.

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Ethan Siegel @startswithabang.bsky.social · 02/06/2026

Gravitational wave astronomy is now a fully mature science In 2016, LIGO announced their first gravitational wave detection. 10 years later, we've seen 390 events. The field has now matured: a whole new way of doing astronomy. bigthink.com/starts-with-... #physics #astro #LIGO #space

bigthink.com

Gravitational wave astronomy is now a fully mature science

In 2016, humanity announced our first successful gravitational wave detection. 10 years and 389 events later, here's how far we've come.

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CoachPayne @coachpayne.bsky.social · 02/06/2026

This little creature greeted us on the trail today. I believe it is a Black Racer. Such a beautiful reptile. Made my day!

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CoachPayne @coachpayne.bsky.social · 17/05/2026

From our morning walk along the Eno River on the Mountain to Sea Trail - a cormorant lifting off - we are very fortunate to live by these trails. We usually get around five miles daily walking our Border Collie mainly on these trails. My wife took this picture.

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CoachPayne @coachpayne.bsky.social · 13/05/2026

One of my Computational Atmospheric Physics (high school) students is developing a project and would like some places she can get data to analyze in an iPython nb. Any help is appreciated. Topic: Interactions Between the Interplanetary Magnetic Field and the Formation of Polar Aurorae,

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Physghoul 👻 🎃 @physgal.bsky.social · 05/05/2026

With the missing alt-text: Two stacked photos with the same energy. The top one is from Star Wars. It shows Princess Leia in a white dress staring down Grand Moff Tarkin. The bottom photo is from real life. It shows Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez staring down RFK Jr in the House of Representatives.

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Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 23/04/2026

RFK Jr: "A Democratic senator claimed it's mathematically impossible to have a drug drop by 600%. I said, 'Well, if the drug was $100 and it raises to $600, that would be a 600% rise. If it drops from $600 to $100, that's a 600% savings.'" Trump: "Right"

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CoachPayne @coachpayne.bsky.social · 19/04/2026

Any suggestions for climate data that is historical but continues through this year/month/day. My students (advanced HS) use Python. This week we'll examine El Nino, La Nina, and Enso as well as extreme weather. Help is much appreciated.

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Katie Mack @astrokatie.com · 02/04/2026

Reminder that the moon that orbits the Earth has a name in English and that name is the Moon. There are lots of nicknames and names in other languages (Luna, for instance) but technically in English it is just the Moon. The concept of a moon is uncapitalized; our moon is the Moon.

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CoachPayne @coachpayne.bsky.social · 03/04/2026

Morning walk with my wife for a couple of hours in Goleta, CA. Here to help with a QuarkNet workshop for physics teachers tomorrow and attending a session at the Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics emphasizing Biophysics. So happy my wife could travel with me.

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Jeff @jeffdonahoo.bsky.social · 02/04/2026

If you’re of a certain age, then I’m sure this view of the Artemis II launch riddled you with anxiety for a few moments.

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Katie Mack @astrokatie.com · 02/04/2026

If I were on a mission whose computer system required me to deal with Microsoft Outlook in space, I’d give up and go back to the slide rule

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Dr. Jessie Christiansen @aussiastronomer.bsky.social · 01/04/2026

I went back to capture what the astronauts said in full when the clock was stopped at T-10 minutes and they were asked if they were go for launch: This is Victor. We are going for our families. This is Christina. We are going for our teammates. This is Jeremy. We are going for all humanity.

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Olga Nesterova @onestpress.onestnetwork.com · 31/03/2026

Dalai Lama: I wholeheartedly endorse the powerful appeal for peace made by the Holy Father, Pope Leo, during his Palm Sunday Mass. His call for the laying down of arms and the renunciation of violence resonated profoundly with me, as it speaks to the very essence of what all major religions teach.

THE DALAI LAMA
MESSAGE
I wholeheartedly endorse the powerful appeal for peace made by the Holy Father, Pope Leo, during his Palm Sunday Mass. His call for the laying down of arms and the renunciation of violence resonated profoundly with me, as it speaks to the very essence of what all major religions teach.
Indeed, whether we look to Christianity, Buddhism, Islam. Hinduism, Judaism or any of the world's great spiritual traditions, the message is fundamentally the same: love, compassion, tolerance, and self-discipline. Violence finds no true home in any of these teachings. History has shown us time and again that violence only begets more violence and is never a lasting foundation for peace.
An enduring resolution to conflict, including the ones we see in the Middle East or between Russia and Ukraine. must be rooted in dialogue, diplomacy and mutual respect — approached with the understanding that, at the deepest level, we are all brothers and sisters.
I urge for and pray that the violence and conflicts may soon come to an end.
31 March 2026

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Corey S. Powell @coreyspowell.bsky.social · 18/03/2026

Comets often break apart when they pass close to the Sun, but we've never seen the process in this kind of detail. By serendipity, the Hubble Telescope was watching closely as Comet K1/ATLAS (the *other* Comet ATLAS) fragmented into 4 major pieces last autumn. 🧪🔭 esahubble.org/news/heic2606/

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Britt Lundgren @brittlundgren.bsky.social · 13/03/2026

An old friend! I spent half a year during grad school analyzing these observations 🥰

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Daniel S. Goldberg @profgoldberg.bsky.social · 05/03/2026

Sorry I know the world is in a terrible fix but I've been laughing at this for ten minutes now

Optical illusion of a woman bent over some papers. Her sunglasses are pushed up and she is wearing a hair band so the top of her head looks exactly like a Muppet face

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Corey S. Powell @coreyspowell.bsky.social · 14/02/2026

Radio is beyond red Gamma rays, beyond blue There are 80 octaves of the electromagnetic spectrum But only one we can view 🧪

Multiwavelength Whirlpool Galaxy: Each image shows a narrow band of wavelengths of light and invisible radiation across the electromagnetic spectrum. The wavelength and energy of a photon relates to how fast electrons are accelerated. Low energy radiation comes from cool regions of molecular gas, and high energy radiation comes from hot spots where atoms are fully ionized. The combined images provide insight into the structure, temperature, and chemical composition of the Whirlpool Galaxy. The stars in the infrared image represent most of the mass of the galaxy, excluding dark matter, which can't be seen. The optical image represents a slightly smaller amount of mass and the other three images represent only traces of mass in molecules (radio image) massive hot stars, (ultraviolet image) and hot plasma (x-ray image).

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CoachPayne @coachpayne.bsky.social · 08/02/2026

Background music this morning by James Brown, Parliament-Funkadelic, Sly & The Family Stone and other Funk music from the 60s and 70s. I must admit it's hard to stay in my seat (or even stand still) while working! I really miss this vibe.

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Bruce Springsteen @brucespringsteen.net · 28/01/2026

I wrote this song on Saturday, recorded it yesterday and released it to you today in response to the state terror being visited on the city of Minneapolis. It’s dedicated to the people of Minneapolis, our innocent immigrant neighbors and in memory of Alex Pretti and Renee Good. Stay free

youtu.be

Bruce Springsteen - Streets Of Minneapolis (Official Audio)

YouTube video by Bruce Springsteen

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Ilhan Omar @ilhanmn.bsky.social · 28/01/2026

I’m ok. I’m a survivor so this small agitator isn’t going to intimidate me from doing my work. I don’t let bullies win. Grateful to my incredible constituents who rallied behind me. Minnesota strong.

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CoachPayne @coachpayne.bsky.social · 25/01/2026

20F/-6C, sleet, snow, ice fog, but it was beautiful! 2+ miles in the am and again in the pm. Not.much for most, but lots for central NC!

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Dan Osborn @osbornforne.bsky.social · 03/01/2026

And there ya have it… Officials from top Wall Street firms will be traveling to Venezuela to investigate “investment prospects” of the country. “The trip will feature about 20 officials from the finance, energy and defense sectors.”

wsj.com

Finance Industry Eyes Investment Opportunities in Venezuela

Some on Wall Street are already considering possible investment opportunities in Venezuela following the capture of Nicolás Maduro, according to Charles Myers, chairman of consulting firm Signum Globa...

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CoachPayne @coachpayne.bsky.social · 31/12/2025

Last day, final hike. Aloha, Hawaii. You treated us well. Mahalo!

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CoachPayne @coachpayne.bsky.social · 25/12/2025

Happy Christmas to all the stars of my life! May yours be Merry and Bright!

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Movies Silently @moviessilently.bsky.social · 25/12/2025

I feel it is important that we honor British film pioneer George Albert Smith. Yes, he helped pioneer editing, closeups, science fiction films, etc. but I think we can all agree that his greatest contribution was as an early trailblazer in the Cat Video genre.

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Robert Garisto @robertgaristo.bsky.social · 23/12/2025

Our colleague Katherine Wright, who began as an editor for PRL and went on to explore her passion as a great writer for @physicsmagazine.bsky.social, passed away this fall from cancer, far too young. Here is a tribute to her: physics.aps.org/articles/v18...

physics.aps.org

In Memory of Katherine Wright | Physics Magazine

We pay tribute to our friend and colleague, whose journalistic talent and commitment to inclusivity left an indelible mark on Physics Magazine.  

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CoachPayne @coachpayne.bsky.social · 20/12/2025

@scalzi.com So our ride to the airport this morning spoke out of the blue in high terms of the writing of one John Scalzi! Just thought I'd say he's appreciated!

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CoachPayne @coachpayne.bsky.social · 07/12/2025

Freezing dog and a temperature of 32F/0C didn't stop me from a 90 minute walk along the Eno River with our dog, Curley. A good pace and appropriate gear made for a comfortable walk. And Nature showed herself with this hawk and its rock domain. We'll go out again this afternoon.

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Zeddy @zeddary.bsky.social · 25/11/2025

First Secretary of Defense you could defeat by painting a tunnel on the side of a boulder.

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