iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Sarah Loebman

Jay Van Bavel, PhD @jayvanbavel.bsky.social · 11/10/2026

This is good advice for prospective PhD students. I'm getting a ton of emails that are heavily written by AI. If you can show that you've actually read some of the research yourself and have a few original thoughts about it you'll definitely stand out.

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Sarah Loebman @sloebman.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Re-upping this, as of course I posted originally when most normal human beings were likely asleep.

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Sarah Loebman @sloebman.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

Hi my Bluesky community. I am the worst sleeper. I always have been, but I have gotten much worse lately. I need a little social pressure to deal with it. Encouraging stories of positive change welcome.

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Dr. Jessie Christiansen @aussiastronomer.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

Check out this MASTERPIECE of accessibility from Joop Schaye's group - a gorgeous sonification of a galaxy growth simulation. Hear black holes merge, star formation rates rise and fall, and the whoosh of dwarf galaxies flying by. Beautiful AND informative! (Credits next post!) (📣 Sound on! 📣)

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Sarah Loebman @sloebman.bsky.social · 12/06/2026

Small moment of Zen on my morning walk with Captain Fluff. Sound up for birds chirping. Merced is dry but so beautiful.

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Sarah Loebman @sloebman.bsky.social · 23/05/2026

This is incredibly exciting news for type 1 diabetics, such as myself.

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Space Telescope Science Institute @stsci.edu · 15/04/2026

Infrared light highlights warm dust and bright star clusters in this image of galaxy NGC 5134 captured by #NASAWebb. Billions of small stars create the galaxy’s faint blue glow. Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, A. Leroy.

A spiral galaxy, seen tilted diagonally from upper left to lower right. It has a blue-white, glowing spot at its core. Its oval-shaped disk glows faintly blue throughout with light from its many stars. The disk is filled with waves and strands of bright red dust that swirl around the core. At places there are holes torn in the dust, while elsewhere it forms dense clumps that glow orange. Several tiny, distant galaxies appear across the background, which is black.

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Sarah Loebman @sloebman.bsky.social · 10/04/2026

Crazy lightning storm over UC Merced tonight. Breathtaking is an understatement.

A bright flash of lightning shines in electric blue on the top, contrasting the yellow street lights illuminating a walking path on the bottom right. Between some soggy tennis courts shimmer purple blue at UC Merced.

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Sarah Loebman @sloebman.bsky.social · 21/03/2026

Enjoyed a beautiful Saturday morning hike with Captain Fluff (who was a most excellent doggo). Saw a beautiful murmuration and lots of wildflowers too. I hope you all have a chance to experience some beautiful nature today too. #MorningWalk

Big black fluffy German shepherd with pointy ears and a floppy tongue stretched out and relaxed in a field of small yellow daisies, with a few small white flowers and long grass behind and to the left of him, framing him and providing a little shade. Moments later he had a huge bowl of water (not pictured) for an hour hike well done. Excellent doggo.

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Sarah Loebman @sloebman.bsky.social · 03/02/2026

Enjoyed Moon gazing with intro astrophysics students and members of the Astronomy Club at UC Merced tonight. Grateful for a quiet moment together to look up.

Full moon taken from a Seestar S50 telescope. Impact basins filled with dark mare trace the "rabbit in the Moon."

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Reposted by Sarah Loebman

The Star Formation Newsletter @starformationnews.org · 23/01/2026

The Star Formation Newsletter is back! 🔭☄️ 🥳 From February onwards, we're returning with monthly round-ups of star and planet formation papers, interviews, and more!

starformationnews.org

The Star Formation Newsletter Returns - The Star Formation Newsletter

The Star Formation Newsletter is back after a hiatus. This post explains its future direction.

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Jeremy Bailin @astrobailin.bsky.social · 05/01/2026

Anyone at #AAS247 who is interested in the outskirts of galaxies! My group is presenting lots of great work: Binod Bhattarai’s poster Monday 5:30pm 182.02 @astroannelia.bsky.social’s talk Tuesday 2:30pm 261.03 My poster Wednesday 5:30pm 382.05

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🎃 🕯️ Monica Valentinelli sez keep on, keepin' on. 🐈‍⬛ ☕ @booksofm.com · 20/11/2025

If you use GMail, AI (Gemini) was turned on yesterday by default and now scans all of your content for machine learning. To turn off, go to Settings>General and scroll down. Uncheck the box for "Smart features." There's other "Smart" add-ons as well, but that's the one that reads your content.

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samuel mehr @mehr.nz · 17/11/2025

periodic reminder of the existence of Atkinson Hyperlegible, a free font available from the Braille Institute designed to improve readability for people with low vision I use it in talks because it's pretty and also because, as an audience member, I am perpetually squinting at people's slides

brailleinstitute.org

Atkinson Hyperlegible Font - Braille Institute

Read easier with Atkinson Hyperlegible Font, crafted for low-vision readers. Download for free and enjoy clear letters and numbers on your computer!

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Abbabadook 🎃 @abbiestev.bsky.social · 29/09/2025

If any of you fine folks are planetarians in (or want to be in) mid-Michigan, the Abrams Planetarium is hiring a full-time-staff position for the first time in 11 years!! Come work with the astro, scicomm, and informal ed folks at MSU!! 🔭 🧪 (reskeets welcome) careers.msu.edu/jobs/educati...

careers.msu.edu

Educational Program Coordinator II - East Lansing, Michigan, United States

Position Summary The program coordinator will maintain the planetarium, present live shows, and create new planetarium visualizations. In addition, this position will assist customers, assist in educa...

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Space Telescope Science Institute @stsci.edu · 09/09/2025

This scientific visualization takes viewers on a journey to a glittering young star cluster called Pismis 24. #NASAWebb captured this fantastical scene in the heart of the Lobster Nebula, approximately 5,500 light-years from Earth. 🔭 🧪 Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI.

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Sarah Loebman @sloebman.bsky.social · 29/07/2025

Our wonderful dog, Captain Fluff, through a series of unfortunate events got a sunburn 1.5 months ago. To aid in his skin recovering, our vet has been giving him periodic laser treatment, and Fluff has to wear goggles for the treatment. He *loves* the experience so much. Our vet happily shared this!

Big, black German Shepherd wearing sunglasses and looking very silly.

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Emily J @emexastris.bsky.social · 07/07/2025

Are you from one of these states? Then we need your help to save American science! The Senate Appropriations Committee will be marking up the President's Budget Request for science on Wednesday. People have been saying the proposed cuts "decimated" US science, but that's wrong: they are apocalyptic

A map of the US with the states the republican senators are from marked in red and states the democratic senators are from marked in blue:
Senator Susan Collins (Republican - Maine)
Senator Mitch McConnell(Republican - Kentucky)
Senator Lisa Murkowski(Republican - Alaska)
Senator Lindsey Graham(Republican - South Carolina)
Senator Jerry Moran(Republican - Kansas)
Senator John Hoeven(Republican - North Dakota)
Senator John Boozman(Republican - Arkansas)
Senator Shelley Moore Capito(Republican - West Virginia)
Senator John Kennedy(Republican - Louisiana)
Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith(Republican - Mississippi)
Senator Bill Hagerty(Republican - Tennessee)
Senator Katie Britt(Republican - Alabama)
Senator Markwayne Mullin(Republican - Oklahoma)
Senator Deb Fischer(Republican - Nebraska)
Senator Mike Rounds(Republican - South Dakota)
Patty Murray(Democrat - Washington)
Richard Durbin(Democrat - Illinois)
Jack Reed(Democrat - Rhode Island)
Jeanne Shaheen(Democrat - New Hampshire)
Jeff Merkley(Democrat - Oregon)
Christopher Coons(Democrat - Delaware)
Brian Schatz(Democrat - Hawaii)
Tammy Baldwin(Democrat - Wisconsin)
Chris Murphy(Democrat - Connecticut)
Chris Van Hollen(Democrat - Maryland)
Martin Heinrich(Democrat - New Mexico)
Gary Peters(Democrat - Michigan)
Kirsten Gillibrand(Democrat - New York)
Jon Ossoff(Democrat - Georgia)

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David Shiffman, Ph.D. 🦈 @whysharksmatter.bsky.social · 17/06/2025

My latest for American Scientist Magazine helps give scientists the tools to fight back against politicized charges that our research is silly or pointless- tools that will work whether you’re asked “why are we funding this” from your asshole uncle at Thanksgiving or an asshole US Senator. 🧪🌎

americanscientist.org

“Why Are We Funding This?”

Long-standing myths about “silly science” have contributed to the reckless slashing of government-supported research.

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Eric Bellm @ebellm.bsky.social · 27/06/2025

🔭 Friendly advice for astronomers in the US and Chile--if you are excited to access @vrubinobs.bsky.social Data Preview 1 on Monday, request your account *now*--it has to get approved by a human. For best results use your university single-sign on, if available. rsp.lsst.io/guides/getti...

rsp.lsst.io

Getting an account on the RSP

Before getting started: Understand whether you have Rubin data rights.- Rubin data rights are required in order to hold an account in the Rubin Science Platform., All scientists and students affili...

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NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory @rubinobservatory.org · 26/06/2025

Experience NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory’s Cosmic Treasure Chest with sound!🎶 Just as an image conveys data visually, sonification conveys data with sound. No two people will explore Rubin’s images the same, & no two listening experiences will be the same. 🔭🧪 skyviewer.app/skysynth

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Astrobites @astrobites.bsky.social · 25/06/2025

From Amaya Sinha @astroamaya.bsky.social : Stars in binaries can have very unusual evolutionary paths, which can also affect their chemistry! Today’s paper takes a look at one such peculiarity: Mass transfer, and it’s resultant heavy element enhancement. 🔭✨☄️ astrobites.org/2025/06/23/l...

astrobites.org

Let’s Ce(rium) What’s Up With Mass Transfer!

Stars in binaries can have very unusual evolutionary paths, which can also affect their chemistry! Today's paper takes a look at one such peculiarity: Mass transfer, and it's resultant heavy element e...

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Sarah Loebman @sloebman.bsky.social · 09/05/2025

Feeling so moved 💫 This 3,000-piece LEGO Milky Way—complete with our solar system’s location + a LEGO Gaia telescope—was assembled + gifted to me by Steven Umbarger, an amazing UC Merced graduating senior heading to UMich for his PhD with fellow LEGO lover Eric Bell. I’m so grateful. 💙

A completed LEGO Milky Way galaxy display set. The intricate build features thousands of small colored pieces to represent spiral arms, star-forming regions, and the central bulge. A tiny LEGO Gaia telescope is included on the model, along with an arrow labeled “You are here” pointing to the solar system’s approximate location. The whole display is colorful and detailed, capturing the structure of our galaxy in LEGO form.

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Garrett Reisman @astro-g-dogg.bsky.social · 02/05/2025

This is a terrible budget proposal for NASA. While some cuts are justifiable, the largest part of the $5B cut comes out of space science including eliminating funding for "low-priority" climate monitoring satellites. Eliminating climate change research funding doesn't make the problem go away.

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Stand Up for Science! @standupforscience.net · 29/04/2025

NASA’s science programs are facing what experts are calling an “extinction-level event” under Trump’s proposed budget. From climate monitoring to planetary research, entire fields of discovery are on the chopping block. eos.org/research-and...

Bar chart titled “NASA Cut Proposals” set against a starry background. Four bars show proposed budget cut percentages for different NASA programs: 68% for Astrophysics, 43% for Heliophysics, 30% for Planetary Science, and 53% for Earth Science. The chart highlights significant funding reductions across scientific fields.

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American Physical Society @apsphysics.aps.org · 02/05/2025

The president's budget proposal cuts billions in funding from the DOE Office of Science, NIST, NASA, and the NSF — but there’s still time to change it. Tell your lawmakers why they should stand up for science using our letter-writing toolkit, targeted to your state: go.aps.org/3RP9EWF

Looking up at the Capitol rotunda against a blue sky. An American flag in front of the rotunda is blowing in the wind.

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Danny THEE Himbo @br00taldan.bsky.social · 09/03/2025

No matter what comes of the next few years and beyond, I will fight fight fight for those who need me 💪🏼 🏳️‍⚧️ 🌈 ❤️ 💪🏼

A large banner with the inclusive Pride flag and a sign that says “trans people exist”

Danny flexing cosplaying as senshi from delicious in dungeon

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Katie Wilkinson @drkwilkinson.bsky.social · 09/02/2025

Helpful table to determine how much your University or health system is set to lose if the NIH indirect cap is suddenly lowered to 15%. For SJSU it is $374k which is on the smaller end but devastating considering our other budget issues. datawrapper.dwcdn.net/l0ZqA/8/

datawrapper.dwcdn.net

Estimated Single Year Loss of NIH Funding if 15% Indirect Cost Rate is Imposed

Based on analysis of 2024 NIH funding data. Sums are totals of losses in funding to programs if indirect costs had been capped at 15%

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Laura White @laurakwhite.bsky.social · 08/02/2025

8 years ago @asbmb.bsky.social gave me +18 more trainees a crash course in advocacy for their DC Hill Day. With NIH slashing indirect costs effective immediately, university Govt Affairs teams will be swamped. Here's 10 tips for scientists contacting lawmakers +pics from Denver's 2017 Science March.

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Carl T. Bergstrom @carlbergstrom.com · 04/02/2025

Modern-Day Oracles or Bullshit Machines? Jevin West (@jevinwest.bsky.social) and I have spent the last eight months developing the course on large language models (LLMs) that we think every college freshman needs to take. thebullshitmachines.com

thebullshitmachines.com

INTRODUCTION

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Dr. Jillian Scudder @jillianscudder.com · 29/01/2025

Fun facts about physics & astronomy, according to the American Institute of Physics (AIP): Fewer than one quarter of astronomy faculty or instructors, at any rank, are women. Fewer than one in five physics faculty or instructors, at any rank, are women. (Source links in 3/3) 🔭🧪 1/3

An infographic table from the AIP website:

Percent of Astronomy Faculty Members Who Are Women, 2010 to 2022

In 2022, 17% of full professors, 37% of Associate Professors, 35% of Assistant Professors, 35% of Instructor/Adjuncts, and 18% of "other ranks" were women. Overall, this is 23% women, and down from 2020's overall of 27% (matching 2018's rates).
Source: aip.org/statistics

An infographic table from the AIP.

Percent of Physics Faculty Members Who Are Women, 2002-2022
In 2022, 13% of Full professors, 22% of Associate Professors, 27% of Assistant professors, 28% Instructor/adjuncts, 18% other ranks, with an overall percentage of 20%, were women. Source: aip.org/statistics.

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Sarah Loebman @sloebman.bsky.social · 25/01/2025

All of this thread is amazing, but the intense joy on Animal's face, wayward gaze on Snuffleupagus', and the come hither look on Gonzo really made me happy.

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Chris Mohr @chrismphl.bsky.social · 23/12/2024

Nice piece on @karenlmasters.bsky.social's work at Haverford: "Teach for the Stars." (Came out a few weeks ago, was just featured in the Haverford Headlines email.) www.haverford.edu/college-comm...

haverford.edu

Teach for the Stars

For her latest book, Professor of Astronomy and Physics Karen Masters compiled a reading list of the best books in—and about—the universe.

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Sarah Loebman @sloebman.bsky.social · 16/08/2024

Astronomy Hive Mind: Is there a journal devoted to reproducibility in astronomy? I'm trying to get the lay of the land, so to speak. Any thoughts or feedback would be appreciated!

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Sarah Loebman @sloebman.bsky.social · 18/07/2024

Not a bad way to wait for kid karate to be done. Enjoying "The Last Stargazers" by @emsque.bsky.social quite a bit!

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Sarah Loebman @sloebman.bsky.social · 17/07/2024

Proud parent moment: in the car, 9 year old daughter called out that every pop song that has played is a sappy love song. "Don't the girls singing have anything better to worry about?" Then she asked me to put on Rebel Girl by Bikini Kill (perfect antidote), & we sang along loudly all the way home.

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Sarah Loebman @sloebman.bsky.social · 05/11/2023

Where I work, we trying to entice undergraduates to consider the physics major. Part of this effort includes updating our website. I would like to revise the attached list to replace Elon Musk and hopefully a few of names on "Science:" Do you have any high visibility role models I should suggest?

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Sarah Loebman @sloebman.bsky.social · 15/09/2023

I wanted to share a small (or not so small) piece of joy in my life. Meet Captain Fluff, an 8 month old German Shepherd rescue with the world's softest, perkiest ears. Here he is eagerly waiting for my daughters at school pick-up. His ears don't fit out the window but his heart is filled with joy.

Large black German Shepherd puppy with perky ears sitting in the backseat of a car waiting for children to get out of school.

Big black German Shepard puppy with his face out the window but his ears bent over at the tips, caught inside the car because they are too big to easily fit outside the window.

Big black German Shepard puppy with his face out the window but his ears further bent over at the tips, caught inside the car because they are too big to easily fit outside the window.

Sun through the open car window and shining on big black German Shepherd's plentiful soft ear fluff. He is looking towards the camera down a very long nose with his pink tongue catching the sunlight.

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Sarah Loebman @sloebman.bsky.social · 15/09/2023

Pssst... I have an embarrassing confession to make. Despite being astrophysics faculty, I have shockingly little experience actually looking at the Sun. But this theorist is going to try to learn something new; I bought a Coronado PST Solar Telescope. Will students & I be able to use it? Stay tuned.

This image shows a gold telescope with a black eyepiece on a white background. The telescope is a Coronado PST Personal Solar Telescope made by Meade Instruments and used for viewing the Sun. It has a non-removable H-alpha filter for safe solar viewing.

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Sarah Loebman @sloebman.bsky.social · 01/06/2023

This is a little meta for my first post: I was looking at my alerts and saw that someone had "liked my post" -- but I hadn't made one yet. Does anyone have any ideas how this could happen?

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