iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Pooyan @pooyan.xyz · 01/10/2026

This slide was in a talk about the same optics, conveniently named the Bigger Beamsplitter. LOL! A few days ago I stumbled across the same box at LIGO Livingston and instantaneously recognized it as the one behind the random guy's pickup truck. (I was vacuum cleaning the floor. More LOL!)

A slide on a presentation titled "Final Step: Shipping"
There's a picture of a pickup truck with a big black box harnessed down on the trunk. A text box points to the truck saying "Random guy's pickup", and another text box pointing to the box saying "Priceless optic".

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Reposted by Pooyan

Olivia Guest · Ολίβια Γκεστ @olivia.science · 25/08/2026

how can a guy who sucks this much not vacuum?

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Pooyan @pooyan.xyz · 23/08/2026

I'd like to have a talk with the creator of this table regarding significant figures. 😀

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Pooyan @pooyan.xyz · 19/08/2026

OMG! OMG! Can't wait to see which one is ART. (Please be Michael Sheen!)

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Pooyan @pooyan.xyz · 11/08/2026

Congratulations!🎉

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Reposted by Pooyan

Olivia Guest · Ολίβια Γκεστ @olivia.science · 11/08/2026

The industry is the same in terms of how it operates, so yes, banning will work. olivia.science/before They are powerful and rich, and in the case of petroleum we still also have a ways to go, but to not act is to allow them to kill us with impunity and destroy the planet for profit.

olivia.science

We've been here before!

Parallels between AI and tobacco, and other warnings.

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Pooyan @pooyan.xyz · 06/08/2026

And yet my department at UC Riverside is trying it's best to make things as nerve-racking as possible for the first-year graduate students. The argument being that it's the only way we can keep the program "rigorous".

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Pooyan @pooyan.xyz · 04/08/2026

Me whining to my bestfriend, every day: I want a girlfriend! No one ever likes me on dating apps. blah blah blah... The only content on my dating app accounts:

Picture of Zohran Mamdani facing the camera with the subtitles quoting "Benjamin Netanyahu is a war criminal".

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Pooyan @pooyan.xyz · 29/07/2026

This is also an interesting document. The first emoji proposal. www.unicode.org/L2/L2000/001...

unicode.org

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Pooyan @pooyan.xyz · 29/07/2026

And a list of all the emoji proposals: www.unicode.org/emoji/charts...

unicode.org

Emoji Proposals, v17.0

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Pooyan @pooyan.xyz · 29/07/2026

Here is the proposal for the ringed planet, which is the only non-earth planet in the emojis. www.unicode.org/L2/L2018/181...

unicode.org

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Pooyan @pooyan.xyz · 29/07/2026

Emojis are fascinating creatures. Unfortunately, there aren't many Science emojis out there. (especially Astronomy ones) UNICODE consortium is the body that manages the standard emoji list. Proposals for addition of new ones could be submitted by the public. Maybe a few of us should submit one.

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Pooyan @pooyan.xyz · 29/07/2026

Again, now assume you handing your passport with an expired visa to the TSA at the airport, and they handing it to the ICE agent standing next to them.

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Pooyan @pooyan.xyz · 29/07/2026

As a result of this, California DMV cancelled driving licensees of 300 thousand people a few months ago, and dared calling it only affecting a limited number of costumers. In my case, it took me months to figure out what was the issue, and I never got my California DL back.

$FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 31, 2025 What you need to know: The California DMV is proactively taking steps to keep all Californians’ REAL IDs compliant and is notifying some individuals that they must take action to keep their REAL ID valid. This will affect a limited number of customers, approximately 1.5% of California REAL ID holders. Sacramento — Following a self-initiated, proactive review of its data systems, the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) identified a fraction of REAL ID records that require updates to ensure continued compliance with federal REAL ID regulations. The DMV is informing affected individuals of the steps they need to take. Only customers who receive a notice — approximately 1.5% of those holding California-issued REAL IDs — need to take action in the coming weeks and months. All other REAL ID holders do not need to take any action.$

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Pooyan @pooyan.xyz · 29/07/2026

Another frustration comes from the law-maker not understanding the nuance. For example, in the Real ID Act of 2005, one of the requirements to show that you are in the country legally is a "valid unexpired visa". Either the law-maker didn't know what that means, or in this case probably didn't care.

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Pooyan @pooyan.xyz · 29/07/2026

The problem arises when the person working at the bank or the DMV doesn't know the difference, and denies service to someone with expired visa. The bank is okay, you can always try explaining the nuance, or going to a different branch. ICE agent with a gun and quota? Good luck!

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Pooyan @pooyan.xyz · 29/07/2026

The expiration of visa means nothing, if you are already in the country. You won't be using the visa in the country. The legality and the duration of the stay is tied to the status, not the visa. In my case, for example, the visa was single-entry. It expired as soon as I entered the country.

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Pooyan @pooyan.xyz · 29/07/2026

After you enter, the legality of your stay is not determined by the visa, but by the 'status'. It's your status that determines if your stay is legal or not, or for how long you are permitted to stay.

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Pooyan @pooyan.xyz · 29/07/2026

In the US, visa is the document that tells the border agent that a US embassy or consulate has determined that you can enter the country. (The fact that visa doesn't guarantee entry is a different story) The port of entry is the only place that you would need the visa for.

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Pooyan @pooyan.xyz · 29/07/2026

This reminded me to talk about the difference between a visa and status in the US immigration laws, and how what we regularly refer to as a visa, is in fact usually not a visa. Imagine how disastrous it could be if you need to explain this nuance to a bigoted ICE agent with a gun aimed at your face.

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Reposted by Pooyan

MurderBotBot @murderbotbot.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

Overconfident humans who don’t listen to anybody else scare the hell out of me.

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Pooyan @pooyan.xyz · 22/07/2026

How I cringe when someone says "AI" is inevitable.

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Pooyan @pooyan.xyz · 21/07/2026

As an Iranian, I fully support her majesty's coronation as the Shah of Iran.

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Pooyan @pooyan.xyz · 21/07/2026

Study suggests we might all be wormholes:

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Pooyan @pooyan.xyz · 18/07/2026

My legacy here would be that I bake fresh cakes for people attending our weekly seminar-thingy.

A glass pan of Coffee cake and Cinnamon on a conference-room table.

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Reposted by Pooyan

Matthew R Francis @bowlerhatscience.org · 17/07/2026

Class, repeat after me: "AI" is not a search engine. "AI" does not search webpages and return results. "AI" scrapes together random shavings from the internet and presents them as though they're answers. If you use "AI" as a search engine, you're better off consulting your own rectum with a mirror.

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Pooyan @pooyan.xyz · 17/07/2026

I am once again asking us to abolish men. This guy has zero awareness on how embarrassingly stupid he is.

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Pooyan @pooyan.xyz · 15/07/2026

"Women at Warp" has in fact an episode about this. Women at Warp: A Star Trek Podcast: 201: Labor Standards in Star Trek Episode webpage: www.womenatwarp.com/episode-201-... Media file: traffic.libsyn.com/secure/women...

womenatwarp.com

Episode 201: Labor Standards in Star Trek

Join the crew as they discuss Star Trek’s labor standards. What would Space OSHA look like? What kinds of jobs are available in Starfleet HR? How many of those space miners would have survived had the...

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Pooyan @pooyan.xyz · 15/07/2026

I'm sorry, but this was hilarious! :)))))

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Pooyan @pooyan.xyz · 13/07/2026

It's a moral imperative to abolish ICE, the Rich, and Men!

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Pooyan @pooyan.xyz · 12/07/2026

OMG! I listened to the first two episodes, and I'm all hooked! Suggestion: You and @acollierastro.bsky.social should team-up and talk about famous dude scientists who sucked!

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Pooyan @pooyan.xyz · 12/07/2026

"Nothing really new in here but recent debates have prompted us to offer further clarification on the topic building on the excellent previous contributions" [Continues with citing prominent transphobe grifter and fraudulent data-fabricating spider guy]

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Pooyan @pooyan.xyz · 11/07/2026

Random dude on the Internet/Street: "I'm apolitical, but everything is woke nowadays." "Chill! Nothing is that serious. We're just having fun." RFK with his explosive diarrhea:

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Pooyan @pooyan.xyz · 11/07/2026

Born to do science and read poetry, forced to fight Fascism and AI slop.

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Pooyan @pooyan.xyz · 10/07/2026

How did I miss that UW Astro has a new graduation banger! youtu.be/8bwoPD1A0EU?...

youtu.be

PAB - 2026 Astro Graduation Video

YouTube video by James Davenport

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Pooyan @pooyan.xyz · 08/07/2026

What about reasons involving CERN? 🙃 bsky.app/profile/cabe...

- How do you keep track of speed of time?

- With a clock/timer. I watched the time pass as I'm counting the seconds.

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Pooyan @pooyan.xyz · 08/07/2026

Star Trek has been the faithful companion of my depressed periods in the past few years, so here are my unsolicited controversial opinions: Best ST series IMO is DS9. Voyager, Lower Decks, and TNG are next in no particular order. Best ST captions IMO are Janeway, Sisko, Picard, and Burnham.

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Pooyan @pooyan.xyz · 05/07/2026

Hahaha, Yup! And that shouldn't be the normal.

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Pooyan @pooyan.xyz · 05/07/2026

If a viable free alternative doesn't exist for a tool, which is very improbable, then we do have a responsibility to create the alternative. As a matter of fact, we do have a responsibility to fund the development and maintenance of free software, as public service.

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Pooyan @pooyan.xyz · 05/07/2026

Any material for the public must be accessible by the public. Public offices should have a mandate to use free and open-source softwares and standards. The public sector shouldn't be a funnel for the tax money to go to the for-profit corporations.

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Pooyan @pooyan.xyz · 05/07/2026

On top of all the brilliant things people have said in the comments here, it is very absurd that MS products are the standard in our governmental and public services. (also administrative work in academia)

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Pooyan @pooyan.xyz · 21/06/2026

Of course I don't have any pictures of the fancy equipments, me in front of the building, or even me in the PPE. All I have is from the pictures that I sent to my best friend. 😂😂

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Pooyan @pooyan.xyz · 21/06/2026

I've been at the LIGO Livingston for 5 weeks now, and the experience has been mesmerizing. People are nice, and the science is mind-blowing. It's a shame that we can create such amazing public-serving facilities, with people who absolutely love to do the work, but instead use the money on wars.

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Pooyan @pooyan.xyz · 21/06/2026

Today's APOD is so fascinating! Here is the explanation from its creator:

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Pooyan @pooyan.xyz · 20/06/2026

Shall we even call it a dog whistle at this point?

A member of the Nazi party standing behind a podium, with a Swastika and the slogan "Blood and Soil" on the wall behind him. The Swastika is defaced for obvious reasons.

A portrait of Hitler, with the slogan "One People, One Nation, One Fuhrer!" written on the bottom. The portrait is defaced for obvious reasons.

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Pooyan @pooyan.xyz · 16/06/2026

Strongly agree! Ads in public spaces? Nope! Not happening at all. Ads in my personal spaces? Nope! I should be able to easily opt out of all of them. My services should not be conditional to me seeing ads. Ads with unsupported or exaggerated claims? Heavy regulations should stop them.

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Pooyan @pooyan.xyz · 15/06/2026

My number one goal in one day becoming a faculty, of course after loving what I do as the general goal, is to be able to kick the asses of bullies, harassers, and hacks in the Physics and Astronomy departments.

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Pooyan @pooyan.xyz · 15/06/2026

Right after reading this and being very pissed about the way we tolerate harassment in our communities, I read the official news that a well-known bully from my own institute has won the best graduate advisor of the year award. They f*** dare calling him supportive of "underrepresented students".

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