iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Mark Ellis Harris @meharris.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Actually the man on the right is Patrick Lahey, CEO of Triton Submarines. Not sure who the person on the left is, but this definitely isn't the Titan sub.

020

Mark Ellis Harris @meharris.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

If you get a chance, listen to this wonderful (sorry) doc from 1977, recently re-upped by BBC Radio 6. Stevie admitted he had possibly *hundreds* of songs recorded but never released, because they didn't meet his perfectionism. www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...

011

Mark Ellis Harris @meharris.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

What if the best way to achieve practical fusion power isn't with city-sized tokamaks but with long-neglected, compact magnetic mirrors? spectrum.ieee.org/magnetic-mir...

140

Reposted by Mark Ellis Harris

Mat Honan ✅ @mathonan.com · 21/09/2026

Our reporters spent the past year and some months investigating deaths along the "virtual wall" of the southern border. Their investigation reveals that a humanitarian crisis at the border has unfolded in view of the government’s own cameras: www.technologyreview.com/2026/09/21/1...

technologyreview.com

The US spent billions on border surveillance. Why can’t it catch people before they die?

Surveillance towers, increasingly powered by AI, promised faster responses to crossings. Our investigation of deaths near the towers found they are failing to deliver.

714888

Reposted by Mark Ellis Harris

Lucas Laursen @lucaslaursen.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

GPS is certainly handy when it works, but in wartime militaries jam it, and in peacetime they practice jamming it.

112

Mark Ellis Harris @meharris.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

As GPS jamming increases across the world, and particularly around conflict zones, it's never been more important to protect and secure the navigation ecosystem, and those who rely on it.

000

Mark Ellis Harris @meharris.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

The recent crash may have nothing to do with GPS jamming -- The NTSB typically takes a year or so to complete its investigation. However, the majority of its preliminary report focuses on the plane's GPS systems, jamming and radio comms about it. web.ntsb.gov/investigatio...

web.ntsb.gov

Home (1)

000

Mark Ellis Harris @meharris.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

A confounding problem is that today's FAA certified GPS receivers are based on decades-old single frequency systems, unlike the multi frequency, multi-constellation GPS receiver in your smartphone.

100

Mark Ellis Harris @meharris.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

In 2021, I shared reports from FAA controllers near White Sands who were unsure about when they could call a "stop buzzer"- requesting a halt to jamming on safety grounds. The FAA told me then it had resolved that confusion -- but controllers still got pushback. spectrum.ieee.org/faa-files-re...

spectrum.ieee.org

FAA Files Reveal a Surprising Threat to Airline Safety: the U.S. Military's GPS Tests

Military tests that jam and spoof GPS signals are an accident waiting to happen

110

Mark Ellis Harris @meharris.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

I have been reporting on the risks of domestic military GPS interference tests for years. Sadly, the NTSB is now investigating a fatal crash that may have a connection to jamming from White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. spectrum.ieee.org/gps-crash-pr...

spectrum.ieee.org

Safety Officials Probe Army GPS Jamming in Fatal Air Crash

Two pilots and two nurses died in medevac crash during electronic warfare tests

255

Mark Ellis Harris @meharris.bsky.social · 19/06/2026

Not 30 million. 30. The Titan imploded on its 24th dive to deeper than 1,000 meters.

010

Mark Ellis Harris @meharris.bsky.social · 19/06/2026

The report also included some fascinating technical analysis. TSB calculated the lifetime of the Titan's carbon fiber hull AS DESIGNED at over 200 million deep dives, but after testing samples estimated its fatigue life AS BUILT at fewer than 30.

110

Mark Ellis Harris @meharris.bsky.social · 19/06/2026

Here's my story about @tsbcanada-mirror.bsky.social report into the Titan implosion. Lots of missed chances to inspect the sub, including a boarding of OceanGate's support ship by armed officers from Canada Border Services Agency (not previously reported). www.wired.com/story/canada...

wired.com

Canada Missed Chances to Inspect OceanGate’s Titan Before Fatal Implosion

A new report shows that government agencies failed to communicate and includes recommendations for stronger oversight in a bid to avert future disasters.

151

Mark Ellis Harris @meharris.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada has released its report into the Titan implosion. Its conclusions echo the US Coast Guard: OceanGate avoided regulations & had no real knowledge how long its non-standard carbon fiber hull would last. Full story to follow www.tsb.gc.ca/eng/rapports...

tsb.gc.ca

Marine transportation safety investigation report M23A0169 - Transportation Safety Board of Canada

010

Mark Ellis Harris @meharris.bsky.social · 15/06/2026

Only FIFA would sell me a branded clear stadium bag that is TOO LARGE to take into the stadium today.

000

Mark Ellis Harris @meharris.bsky.social · 19/05/2026

Especially as many "fully human" artists have been using digital visual tools for years that contain elements of machine learning.

010

Mark Ellis Harris @meharris.bsky.social · 19/05/2026

Sadly, I think it's now incumbent on all of us who don't use AI in our writing to explicity identify that fact, to editors and readers alike.

120

Mark Ellis Harris @meharris.bsky.social · 19/04/2026

Seattle! If you're free next Friday or Saturday, support live arts & science at Centrifuge: 5 world premiere short plays imagined by professional playwrights & science writers. I'll be introducing one of the plays. Theater off Jackson @ 730pm. Pay what you can. theatreoffjackson.org/event/centri...

theatreoffjackson.org

Centrifuge – Theatre Off Jackson

010

Reposted by Mark Ellis Harris

Sean O’Kane @okane.fyi · 13/11/2025

- firefighters do safety drill at Boring Company tunnel and get chemical burns/permanent scars - ff say they weren't warned - Boring Co blames firefighters - NV OSHA cites Boring Co - Steve Davis calls NV Gov office, has meeting - citations/proposed fines go away techcrunch.com/2025/11/13/f...

techcrunch.com

Firefighters received chemical burns at Elon Musk's Boring Company construction site | TechCrunch

The firefighters had to be treated at a hospital and received permanent scars, according to a report from Fortune. But the Boring Company was not fined after it met with state officials.

420097

Mark Ellis Harris @meharris.bsky.social · 08/11/2025

I went to the launch of the world's first new subsea habitat in 40 years. The Vanguard will be deployed near the Florida Keys early next year and DEEP, the company behind it, promises more and larger sea bases soon... www.technologyreview.com/2025/11/07/1...

technologyreview.com

The first new subsea habitat in 40 years is about to launch

Unveiled by the buzzy startup Deep, Vanguard will let teams of scientists live and work on the seabed for a week at a time.

140

Mark Ellis Harris @meharris.bsky.social · 06/10/2025

MIT Tech Review's 10 Climate Tech Companies To Watch is always worth a read. This year, I was lucky enough to write about one - Kairos. No flashy fusion gadgets or improbable designs, just a sensible, safer fission reactor that could make a real difference. www.technologyreview.com/2025/10/06/1...

030

Reposted by Mark Ellis Harris

University of Washington Information School @ischool.uw.edu · 22/07/2025

We sat down with @rcalo.bsky.social , a professor at the iSchool with a joint appointment at the University of Washington School of Law, to discuss some of the most pressing challenges at the intersection of law and technology, as well as his upcoming book. Read the full Q&A: bit.ly/46o522i

bit.ly

Q&A: Ryan Calo on why 'we need to take a page from the Amish'

Ryan Calo holds a joint appointment as a professor in the Information School and as the Lane Powell and D. Wayne Gittinger Professor at the UW School of La...

052

Mark Ellis Harris @meharris.bsky.social · 21/06/2025

There will be A LOT of engineering content in the book --probably more than my editor is ready for

010

Mark Ellis Harris @meharris.bsky.social · 15/06/2025

Thanks! Carbon fiber is really feasible as a material, and has been used for (non-crewed) deep ocean vessels, so it sounded plausible to those who assumed Rush would follow all the engineering standards and guidelines. We now know he didn't.

020

Mark Ellis Harris @meharris.bsky.social · 15/06/2025

I think he couldn't bear to fail, or to be seen to fail. His identity was so wrapped up in OceanGate, he had to keep moving forward.

020

Mark Ellis Harris @meharris.bsky.social · 11/06/2025

I'm still hard at work interviewing people and ploughing through documents for my OceanGate book, which will have more detail and nuance, and a few surprises. It will be published by Norton, although you'll have a little while to wait.

0100

Reposted by Mark Ellis Harris

BluFly 🛩 @blufly.media · 29/05/2025

A colourised photo of the Graf Zeppelin over Rio de Janeiro in 1930? Nope. It's LTA Research's 'Pathfinder 1' over San Francisco Bay in 2025. An excellent, new article just out by @meharris.bsky.social‬ writing for the @spectrum.ieee.org journal. Can't wait to book passage. (📸 LTA Research) | 🛩️ 🎈 🥇

spectrum.ieee.org

LTA Research's Massive Airship Combines Luxury and Sustainability in a Big Way

The age of airships returns with LTA Research's Pathfinder 1, a 124-meter helium giant, soaring over San Francisco Bay. Funded by Google cofounder Sergey Brin, this milestone marks a step towards sust...

2164

Mark Ellis Harris @meharris.bsky.social · 27/05/2025

sorry Scott, it was the same day, and just a couple of minutes long. The Netliix documentary has more of me - it's out June 11.

010

Mark Ellis Harris @meharris.bsky.social · 27/05/2025

I was lucky enough to be the first journalist to see the completed Pathfinder 1, the prototype next-gen helium airship from Sergey Brin's LTA Research, now flying over SF Bay. I also had a sit down with the startup's CEO, Brett Crozier. Story in IEEE Spectrum: spectrum.ieee.org/lta-research...

0112

Mark Ellis Harris @meharris.bsky.social · 23/05/2025

I'll be on BBC News at 1245 Pacific/845pm UK time to talk about the new BBC/Discovery OceanGate documentary, Implosion. Netflix is also releasing a documentary, Titan, in a few weeks, which I had a hand in. www.netflix.com/tudum/articl...

200

Mark Ellis Harris @meharris.bsky.social · 24/04/2025

I'm really sad to leave Anthropocene, as it's a great publication with an important mission, but I'm also excited to focus on my OceanGate book, tentatively titled The Deep End, which I'll be working on for at least the next year. Keep an eye out for updates!

120

Mark Ellis Harris @meharris.bsky.social · 24/04/2025

Here's my last story for Anthropocene Magazine: a look at Deep Fission, a startup hoping to deploy subterranean fission reactors a mile underground. Deep nuclear could be cheaper and safer than today's light water reactors - with built-in waste disposal www.anthropocenemagazine.org/2025/04/nucl...

142

Reposted by Mark Ellis Harris

Megan @forestfauxx.bsky.social · 24/02/2025

Happy Twin Peaks Day, my friends ☕️

2243101803

Mark Ellis Harris @meharris.bsky.social · 13/02/2025

Well done Tom - richly deserved recognition!

010

Reposted by Mark Ellis Harris

Larry Neufeld @larryneufeldsk.bsky.social · 31/01/2025

89% of the world’s population want their govts to “do more” to fix climate change. However, those 89% don’t know that they are the overwhelming majority — that most other people on Earth also want govts to take stronger climate action #ClimateAction www.nature.com/articles/s41...

nature.com

Globally representative evidence on the actual and perceived support for climate action - Nature Climate Change

Global support and cooperation are necessary for successful climate action. Large-scale representative survey results show that most of the population around the world is willing to support climate ac...

16328

Mark Ellis Harris @meharris.bsky.social · 29/01/2025

Some personal news: I'm excited to expand my OceanGate reporting into a book, tentatively titled The Deep End, and doubly excited to be working with Norton, one of my very favourite publishers. Busy times ahead!

Announcement of a book deal for Mark Harris to write a narrative non-fiction book about OceanGate for Norton

091

Mark Ellis Harris @meharris.bsky.social · 28/01/2025

At the risk of stating the obvious, there's nothing "efficient" about simply ceasing government services. That's called "failure."

092

Reposted by Mark Ellis Harris

Crystal Lee @handle.invalid · 22/01/2025

the text-only NPR site is an absolute delight for someone who's trying to simultaneously lessen my consumption of news while still staying somewhat abreast of current events: text.npr.org

text.npr.org

NPR : National Public Radio

37716

Mark Ellis Harris @meharris.bsky.social · 21/01/2025

Anyone other journalists getting cancellations of (non-political) interviews with people in US federal departments/facilities? I was told the Dept of Energy has ordered a media blackout.

174

Reposted by Mark Ellis Harris

Matt Rosoff @mattrosoff.bsky.social · 15/01/2025

Some personal news: TechCrunch and I have decided to part ways. It's been a learning experience and I met a lot of great folks while I was there. I'm on the hunt, so if anybody is looking for an experienced newsroom leader with a history of training up young reporters to break news, give me a shout.

1187

Reposted by Mark Ellis Harris

ProPublica @propublica.org · 08/01/2025

NEW: Given Musk’s role advising President-elect Donald Trump on ways to slash regulations and government oversight, Boring and the Vegas Loop project might be a harbinger for the country. w/ City Cast Last Vegas

propub.li

Elon Musk’s Boring Company Is Tunneling Beneath Las Vegas With Little Oversight

Given Musk’s role advising President-elect Donald Trump on ways to slash regulations and government oversight, Boring and the Vegas Loop project might be a harbinger for the country.

21425133

Reposted by Mark Ellis Harris

J. David McSwane @davidmcswane.bsky.social · 06/01/2025

I was among those who covered the immediate aftermath of the January 6 storming of the U.S. Capitol. Politicians may not want to talk about. But it happened. Here's how it was captured by the insurrectionists themselves. projects.propublica.org/parler-capit...

projects.propublica.org

What Parler Saw During the Attack on the Capitol

ProPublica sifted through thousands of videos taken by Parler users to create an immersive, first-person view of the Capitol riot as experienced by those who were there.

5416145

Mark Ellis Harris @meharris.bsky.social · 23/12/2024

Interesting! 2 involuntary disengagements and 7 safety-related voluntary disengagements coast to coast

000

Mark Ellis Harris @meharris.bsky.social · 16/12/2024

me too. I notice that atheists tended to do well.

010

Mark Ellis Harris @meharris.bsky.social · 13/12/2024

This kind of gamesmanship with public records requests does not serve the public interest. Is it illegal? Maybe, but agencies know that news orgs (and especially freelancers) have fewer and fewer resources to fight.

030