Alex Ji
@alexji.bsky.social
Near-field Cosmologist and Assistant Professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics at University of Chicago. he/him
🫠🫠🫠
The demand to use #NASAWebb shows no signs of slowing! For its fifth year, researchers around the world submitted a record-breaking 2,900+ proposals.
The types of requests show astronomers are ready to answer even bolder scientific questions: https://bit.ly/4nYC0LS 🔭 🧪
The types of requests show astronomers are ready to answer even bolder scientific questions: https://bit.ly/4nYC0LS 🔭 🧪
November 13, 2025 at 2:02 AM
🫠🫠🫠
Reposted by Alex Ji
Two very interesting papers about dark energy on the arXiv today, both very relevant to the ongoing interest in possibly evolving DE as suggested by the DESI results 🔭🧪
Here's the first and potentially more explosive one: arxiv.org/abs/2511.07517
Here's the first and potentially more explosive one: arxiv.org/abs/2511.07517
The Dark Energy Survey Supernova Program: A Reanalysis Of Cosmology Results And Evidence For Evolving Dark Energy With An Updated Type Ia Supernova Calibration
We present improved cosmological constraints from a re-analysis of the Dark Energy Survey (DES) 5-year sample of Type Ia supernovae (DES-SN5YR). This re-analysis includes an improved photometric cross...
arxiv.org
November 12, 2025 at 11:42 AM
Two very interesting papers about dark energy on the arXiv today, both very relevant to the ongoing interest in possibly evolving DE as suggested by the DESI results 🔭🧪
Here's the first and potentially more explosive one: arxiv.org/abs/2511.07517
Here's the first and potentially more explosive one: arxiv.org/abs/2511.07517
Reposted by Alex Ji
Kyle Kingsbury is not a journalist. He is not an op-ed writer.
He is a computer safety researcher.
And he has written one of the most compelling, comprehensive accounts of the ongoing hell in Chicago that you could possibly imagine.
In under 1600 words.
aphyr.com/posts/397-i-...
He is a computer safety researcher.
And he has written one of the most compelling, comprehensive accounts of the ongoing hell in Chicago that you could possibly imagine.
In under 1600 words.
aphyr.com/posts/397-i-...
November 9, 2025 at 8:49 PM
Kyle Kingsbury is not a journalist. He is not an op-ed writer.
He is a computer safety researcher.
And he has written one of the most compelling, comprehensive accounts of the ongoing hell in Chicago that you could possibly imagine.
In under 1600 words.
aphyr.com/posts/397-i-...
He is a computer safety researcher.
And he has written one of the most compelling, comprehensive accounts of the ongoing hell in Chicago that you could possibly imagine.
In under 1600 words.
aphyr.com/posts/397-i-...
THE RETURN OF GOOGLE READER PLEASE
Anyone interested in gleaning true information from the internet is going to have to cultivate a trusted collection of sources rather than relying on search or social media. Dare we hope for a renaissance of the RSS reader?
Googled the title of our new paper out today and the FIRST HIT was an AI sludge article that was completely incorrect
A: no we didn't analyse phosphorus isotope ratios in rocks
B: NOBODY analyses these
C: because phosphorus only has ONE stable isotope
Dead internet here we go
A: no we didn't analyse phosphorus isotope ratios in rocks
B: NOBODY analyses these
C: because phosphorus only has ONE stable isotope
Dead internet here we go
October 17, 2025 at 8:51 PM
THE RETURN OF GOOGLE READER PLEASE
Reposted by Alex Ji
30 people disappeared in this shaded area today.
October 17, 2025 at 12:28 AM
30 people disappeared in this shaded area today.
Reposted by Alex Ji
More coverage of OSU’s new restrictions on conference attendance:
“These conferences are open forums for us to present our work, network and collaborate. Telling us that they’re going to regulate whether or not we can participate feels very stifling, prohibitive,” said @ohdearz.bsky.social
“These conferences are open forums for us to present our work, network and collaborate. Telling us that they’re going to regulate whether or not we can participate feels very stifling, prohibitive,” said @ohdearz.bsky.social
Under Anti-DEI Pressure, Ohio State Limits Conference Funds
The Education Department recently criticized Ohio State University’s involvement with a nonprofit that encourages people from underrepresented backgrounds to pursue doctorates. Now, OSU is rethinking ...
www.insidehighered.com
October 15, 2025 at 12:51 PM
More coverage of OSU’s new restrictions on conference attendance:
“These conferences are open forums for us to present our work, network and collaborate. Telling us that they’re going to regulate whether or not we can participate feels very stifling, prohibitive,” said @ohdearz.bsky.social
“These conferences are open forums for us to present our work, network and collaborate. Telling us that they’re going to regulate whether or not we can participate feels very stifling, prohibitive,” said @ohdearz.bsky.social
Reposted by Alex Ji
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...
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...
careers.msu.edu
September 29, 2025 at 4:21 PM
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...
Reposted by Alex Ji
Are you someone who is interested in astronomy graduate school? This is a list of many/most departments and their expectations for admissions this year. Please feel free to spread it far and wide. If you are doing admissions and you'd like to update your entry, reach out as per the form!
US Astronomy Graduate Admissions, AY 2025-2026
docs.google.com
October 10, 2025 at 6:44 PM
Are you someone who is interested in astronomy graduate school? This is a list of many/most departments and their expectations for admissions this year. Please feel free to spread it far and wide. If you are doing admissions and you'd like to update your entry, reach out as per the form!
Reposted by Alex Ji
MIT refuses to accept White House terms for funding, other schools still mulling reut.rs/471tkNZ
MIT refuses to accept White House terms for funding, other schools still mulling
Massachusetts Institute of Technology President Sally Kornbluth on Friday said she "cannot support" a memo that the White House sent to nine elite U.S. universities last week detailing policies they should follow to get preferential consideration for federal funding.
reut.rs
October 10, 2025 at 9:35 PM
MIT refuses to accept White House terms for funding, other schools still mulling reut.rs/471tkNZ
Reposted by Alex Ji
I booked a photo session tonight bc I have very few pictures of my family together, but while I’m smiling & holding my children, I know I will hear this mother’s screams.
I don’t want my tax dollars supporting ICE agents dragging parents away from car line. And most moms in the US agree with me.
I don’t want my tax dollars supporting ICE agents dragging parents away from car line. And most moms in the US agree with me.
October 9, 2025 at 7:37 PM
I booked a photo session tonight bc I have very few pictures of my family together, but while I’m smiling & holding my children, I know I will hear this mother’s screams.
I don’t want my tax dollars supporting ICE agents dragging parents away from car line. And most moms in the US agree with me.
I don’t want my tax dollars supporting ICE agents dragging parents away from car line. And most moms in the US agree with me.
I’ve been asked to advise undergrads on how to get into grad school and this is all I can think about musgrave.substack.com/p/dont-do-a-...
Don't Do a Ph.D. Now
At least in the United States
musgrave.substack.com
October 10, 2025 at 1:02 AM
I’ve been asked to advise undergrads on how to get into grad school and this is all I can think about musgrave.substack.com/p/dont-do-a-...
Reposted by Alex Ji
Armed, masked thugs are kidnapping our neighbors and terrorizing our communities
This was in front of an elementary school in the West Loop in Chicago today. Sharing because everyone needs to see what is happening here daily
Originally posted by @erynfreepress on IG. Her story is in the alt text
This was in front of an elementary school in the West Loop in Chicago today. Sharing because everyone needs to see what is happening here daily
Originally posted by @erynfreepress on IG. Her story is in the alt text
October 9, 2025 at 6:40 AM
Armed, masked thugs are kidnapping our neighbors and terrorizing our communities
This was in front of an elementary school in the West Loop in Chicago today. Sharing because everyone needs to see what is happening here daily
Originally posted by @erynfreepress on IG. Her story is in the alt text
This was in front of an elementary school in the West Loop in Chicago today. Sharing because everyone needs to see what is happening here daily
Originally posted by @erynfreepress on IG. Her story is in the alt text
I’m no expert, but we did go from coding in binary -> assembly -> FORTRAN/C -> Java/C++ -> Python/R. At each step we traded raw efficiency(/energy cost) for user convenience. It does take different thinking and teaching/learning for each step. LLM coding seems like it will be the next step..
Y'all. I just got ChatGPT to do everything in R for this manuscript. I mean EVERYTHING. And it's all legit and reproducible. I'm shook.
How are we mentoring our trainees in statistics now? Who needs to learn coding in R line by line, and who doesn't?
scienceforeveryone.science/statistics-i...
How are we mentoring our trainees in statistics now? Who needs to learn coding in R line by line, and who doesn't?
scienceforeveryone.science/statistics-i...
Statistics in the era of AI
How do we mentor, teach, and do stats when AI can do so much of the work?
scienceforeveryone.science
October 9, 2025 at 4:19 AM
I’m no expert, but we did go from coding in binary -> assembly -> FORTRAN/C -> Java/C++ -> Python/R. At each step we traded raw efficiency(/energy cost) for user convenience. It does take different thinking and teaching/learning for each step. LLM coding seems like it will be the next step..
Reposted by Alex Ji
I feel like this photo of masked, armed men pepper spraying a pastor protecting his community is going to be a defining picture of this moment in America for a long, long time.
October 7, 2025 at 11:29 PM
I feel like this photo of masked, armed men pepper spraying a pastor protecting his community is going to be a defining picture of this moment in America for a long, long time.
Reposted by Alex Ji
We must now start calling this what it is: Trump’s Invasion. It started with federal agents, it will soon include deploying federalized members of the Illinois National Guard against our wishes, and it will now involve sending in another state’s military troops.
October 6, 2025 at 1:44 AM
We must now start calling this what it is: Trump’s Invasion. It started with federal agents, it will soon include deploying federalized members of the Illinois National Guard against our wishes, and it will now involve sending in another state’s military troops.
Reposted by Alex Ji
"There's artificial intelligence, and then there's actual intelligence."
We are thrilled to announce that our NEW Large Language Model will be released on 11.18.25.
October 1, 2025 at 3:06 PM
"There's artificial intelligence, and then there's actual intelligence."
For those frantically trying to submit their Gemini proposals tonight, it’s broken:
www.gemini.edu/news/science...
www.gemini.edu/news/science...
Gemini Proposal Server Offline
A network outage in Chile has caused a loss of connectivity to our backend servers for proposals for 2026A. We do not know at this stage how long it will take to restore the service. We will update he...
www.gemini.edu
October 1, 2025 at 3:06 AM
For those frantically trying to submit their Gemini proposals tonight, it’s broken:
www.gemini.edu/news/science...
www.gemini.edu/news/science...
Reposted by Alex Ji
In discussion with a computer scientist from the University of Cambridge last night:
Me: "you've described some of the things that AI is good at. How would you describe the category of things it's not good at?
**pause**
Him: "Anything where it has to be right".
Me: "you've described some of the things that AI is good at. How would you describe the category of things it's not good at?
**pause**
Him: "Anything where it has to be right".
September 26, 2025 at 5:14 PM
In discussion with a computer scientist from the University of Cambridge last night:
Me: "you've described some of the things that AI is good at. How would you describe the category of things it's not good at?
**pause**
Him: "Anything where it has to be right".
Me: "you've described some of the things that AI is good at. How would you describe the category of things it's not good at?
**pause**
Him: "Anything where it has to be right".
Reposted by Alex Ji
R.I.P. George F. Smoot (1945-2025)
We will no doubt read many official obituaries in days to come, but all I can say is that he was a character, a very original thinker, a fine scientist, and a very nice man. Along with many others, I will miss him enormously.
We will no doubt read many official obituaries in days to come, but all I can say is that he was a character, a very original thinker, a fine scientist, and a very nice man. Along with many others, I will miss him enormously.
R.I.P. George F. Smoot (1945-2025)
We will no doubt read many official obituaries in days to come, but all I can say is that he was a character, a very original thinker, a fine scientist, and a very nice man. Along with many others, I will miss him enormously.
telescoper.blog
September 26, 2025 at 12:42 PM
R.I.P. George F. Smoot (1945-2025)
We will no doubt read many official obituaries in days to come, but all I can say is that he was a character, a very original thinker, a fine scientist, and a very nice man. Along with many others, I will miss him enormously.
We will no doubt read many official obituaries in days to come, but all I can say is that he was a character, a very original thinker, a fine scientist, and a very nice man. Along with many others, I will miss him enormously.
😭
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September 25, 2025 at 10:41 PM
😭
Reposted by Alex Ji
Here we go!
Over 13,000 H-1B workers have joined 200+ land-grant, sea-grant, and R1 research institutions so far this fiscal year.
I also found that public institutions in large, Republican states are disproportionately affected by Trump's $100,000 H1-B fee.
Find your state or your school:
Over 13,000 H-1B workers have joined 200+ land-grant, sea-grant, and R1 research institutions so far this fiscal year.
I also found that public institutions in large, Republican states are disproportionately affected by Trump's $100,000 H1-B fee.
Find your state or your school:
EXCLUSIVE: A new analysis by The Xylom's @alexip718.com shows for the first time just how much America’s top research institutions have grown to depend on H-1B skilled workers — and how this delicate balance might be disrupted by U.S. President Donald Trump’s crackdown on legal immigration.
The Most Detailed Maps of H-1B Visa Holders Joining America's Top Research Institutions
A new analysis by The Xylom shows for the first time just how much America’s top research institutions have grown to depend on the specialized knowledge of H-1B skilled workers — and how this…
www.thexylom.com
September 25, 2025 at 4:23 PM
Here we go!
Over 13,000 H-1B workers have joined 200+ land-grant, sea-grant, and R1 research institutions so far this fiscal year.
I also found that public institutions in large, Republican states are disproportionately affected by Trump's $100,000 H1-B fee.
Find your state or your school:
Over 13,000 H-1B workers have joined 200+ land-grant, sea-grant, and R1 research institutions so far this fiscal year.
I also found that public institutions in large, Republican states are disproportionately affected by Trump's $100,000 H1-B fee.
Find your state or your school:
Reposted by Alex Ji
We're actually having trouble securing a spot in Chicago, our hometown :(
(This is mostly because it's such short notice, btw.)
Let us know if you're interested in screening Bad Pedophile and you have a big space in town: jeffreyepstein@theonion.com
(This is mostly because it's such short notice, btw.)
Let us know if you're interested in screening Bad Pedophile and you have a big space in town: jeffreyepstein@theonion.com
Do you want to screen Jeffrey Epstein: Bad Pedophile in your town or city, unlike a cowardly major movie chain?
Email us at jeffreyepstein@theonion.com.
We'll allow you to screen it for free.
Yes, again, this is real.
Email us at jeffreyepstein@theonion.com.
We'll allow you to screen it for free.
Yes, again, this is real.
A very big Onion announcement:
The Onion has spent the last two months working on a masterpiece.
It's a documentary titled Jeffrey Epstein: Bad Pedophile.
It's so good, in fact, we were set to release it in theatres nationwide on October 2nd.
Then two weeks ago, Charlie Kirk was shot.
The Onion has spent the last two months working on a masterpiece.
It's a documentary titled Jeffrey Epstein: Bad Pedophile.
It's so good, in fact, we were set to release it in theatres nationwide on October 2nd.
Then two weeks ago, Charlie Kirk was shot.
September 25, 2025 at 4:50 PM
We're actually having trouble securing a spot in Chicago, our hometown :(
(This is mostly because it's such short notice, btw.)
Let us know if you're interested in screening Bad Pedophile and you have a big space in town: jeffreyepstein@theonion.com
(This is mostly because it's such short notice, btw.)
Let us know if you're interested in screening Bad Pedophile and you have a big space in town: jeffreyepstein@theonion.com
Reposted by Alex Ji
Here is a review article I'm giving my students that Payne-Gaposchkin wrote a year before she died, where she reflects on what's been learned on variable stars in here career. She concludes: If I were beginning again, it is there [LMC/SMC] that I should search.
ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1978ARA%...
ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1978ARA%...
September 25, 2025 at 3:01 AM
Here is a review article I'm giving my students that Payne-Gaposchkin wrote a year before she died, where she reflects on what's been learned on variable stars in here career. She concludes: If I were beginning again, it is there [LMC/SMC] that I should search.
ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1978ARA%...
ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1978ARA%...
Reposted by Alex Ji
The annual pumpkin display at the entrance of Governor Pritzker’s personal residence on Astor Street. He is the pumpkin king. Illinois produces the most pumpkins, including canned, than any other state in the U.S., twice as many as the next five states combined.
September 23, 2025 at 10:15 PM
The annual pumpkin display at the entrance of Governor Pritzker’s personal residence on Astor Street. He is the pumpkin king. Illinois produces the most pumpkins, including canned, than any other state in the U.S., twice as many as the next five states combined.
Reposted by Alex Ji
Yesterday's piece from @jamellebouie.net is the only high-profile piece I've seen that specifically discusses the watchlist, its effect on academics, and its effect on public attitudes toward academia as a whole. (gift link)
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/13/o...
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/13/o...
September 14, 2025 at 3:10 PM
Yesterday's piece from @jamellebouie.net is the only high-profile piece I've seen that specifically discusses the watchlist, its effect on academics, and its effect on public attitudes toward academia as a whole. (gift link)
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/13/o...
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/13/o...