Jason Wright
@astrowright.bsky.social
Professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics at Penn State.
Son, father, partner, scientist, teacher, student, human, Earthling.
Mostly posting astronomy. Mostly.
Son, father, partner, scientist, teacher, student, human, Earthling.
Mostly posting astronomy. Mostly.
Pinned
The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence: Theory and practice
The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence: Theory and practice, Wright, Jason T
iopscience.iop.org
My textbook on SETI is published!
Please see if your libraries offer a free download—mine does!
iopscience.iop.org/book/mono/97...
If so, you can order hardcopies for around $30 each.
Otherwise, you can buy copies here:
store.ioppublishing.org/page/detail/...
I hope you like it!
Please see if your libraries offer a free download—mine does!
iopscience.iop.org/book/mono/97...
If so, you can order hardcopies for around $30 each.
Otherwise, you can buy copies here:
store.ioppublishing.org/page/detail/...
I hope you like it!
Reposted by Jason Wright
"reward of the young scientist is the emotional thrill of being the first person in the history of the world to see something or to understand something. Nothing can compare with that experience...Reward of the old scientist is the sense of having seen a vague sketch grow into a masterly landscape."
February 15, 2026 at 8:46 PM
"reward of the young scientist is the emotional thrill of being the first person in the history of the world to see something or to understand something. Nothing can compare with that experience...Reward of the old scientist is the sense of having seen a vague sketch grow into a masterly landscape."
I write that Payne-Gaposchkin is a scientific hero of mine in part because I teach and study stellar atmospheres, and her PhD thesis marks an epoch in the development (really invention) of astrophysics:
The first quantitative application of terrestrial laws other than gravity to the heavens.
The first quantitative application of terrestrial laws other than gravity to the heavens.
So I finally finished this book and it's really really good! They say never meet your heroes but getting to know her through her autobiography, her scientific outlook and politics hold up extremely well!
Some highlights for me:
🔭🧪🧵
Some highlights for me:
🔭🧪🧵
Cecilia Payne Gaposchkin’s autobiography is just amazing. Every astronomer should read it.
Here she is talking about her memories of Annie Jump Cannon.
Here she is talking about her memories of Annie Jump Cannon.
February 15, 2026 at 5:40 PM
I write that Payne-Gaposchkin is a scientific hero of mine in part because I teach and study stellar atmospheres, and her PhD thesis marks an epoch in the development (really invention) of astrophysics:
The first quantitative application of terrestrial laws other than gravity to the heavens.
The first quantitative application of terrestrial laws other than gravity to the heavens.
So I finally finished this book and it's really really good! They say never meet your heroes but getting to know her through her autobiography, her scientific outlook and politics hold up extremely well!
Some highlights for me:
🔭🧪🧵
Some highlights for me:
🔭🧪🧵
Cecilia Payne Gaposchkin’s autobiography is just amazing. Every astronomer should read it.
Here she is talking about her memories of Annie Jump Cannon.
Here she is talking about her memories of Annie Jump Cannon.
February 15, 2026 at 5:27 PM
So I finally finished this book and it's really really good! They say never meet your heroes but getting to know her through her autobiography, her scientific outlook and politics hold up extremely well!
Some highlights for me:
🔭🧪🧵
Some highlights for me:
🔭🧪🧵
Reposted by Jason Wright
Meet Karen Perez, the Welch Postdoctoral Fellow here at the SETI Institute, as she chats with Beth during this week's #SETILive. Karen is the lead author on a paper about a possible pulsar detected near our galactic center. Watch the full interview: buff.ly/FcJ635h 🧪 🔭 👩🔬
February 14, 2026 at 10:01 PM
Meet Karen Perez, the Welch Postdoctoral Fellow here at the SETI Institute, as she chats with Beth during this week's #SETILive. Karen is the lead author on a paper about a possible pulsar detected near our galactic center. Watch the full interview: buff.ly/FcJ635h 🧪 🔭 👩🔬
My 15-year-old points out that “Genghis Khan“ and “Stacy‘s mom” have the same number of syllables.
February 14, 2026 at 6:06 PM
My 15-year-old points out that “Genghis Khan“ and “Stacy‘s mom” have the same number of syllables.
If we're going to do land acknowledgements, shouldn't land grant schools like Penn State acknowledge not just the land their campuses sit on, but also (especially!) the land that was sold under the Morrill Acts to found them?
www.hcn.org/issues/52-4/...
www.hcn.org/issues/52-4/...
Land-grab universities - High Country News
Expropriated Indigenous land is the foundation of the land-grant university system.
www.hcn.org
February 13, 2026 at 8:17 PM
If we're going to do land acknowledgements, shouldn't land grant schools like Penn State acknowledge not just the land their campuses sit on, but also (especially!) the land that was sold under the Morrill Acts to found them?
www.hcn.org/issues/52-4/...
www.hcn.org/issues/52-4/...
I can usually track down why these sorts of non-corrections appear, but in these cases I'm genuinely baffled. Both of those are terms that I'm sure appear in the AAS style guide but they seem correct in this case.
Maybe they were marked up in the xml as keywords or something?
Maybe they were marked up in the xml as keywords or something?
Reviewing ApJ proofs drives me crazy. They are always littered with stuff like this: replacing "Hubble Space Telescope" with "Hubble Space Telescope", replacing "galaxy's" with "galaxy's", etc.
It makes it hard to track down where the cases where they really are actually changing things....
It makes it hard to track down where the cases where they really are actually changing things....
February 10, 2026 at 10:38 PM
I can usually track down why these sorts of non-corrections appear, but in these cases I'm genuinely baffled. Both of those are terms that I'm sure appear in the AAS style guide but they seem correct in this case.
Maybe they were marked up in the xml as keywords or something?
Maybe they were marked up in the xml as keywords or something?
Michael Crichton: I invented my classic novel/film as a cautionary tale about hubristic overconfidence in technology
Xfinity: At long last, we have perfected the technology from the classic film Don't Have Hubristic Overconfidence in Technology or You Will All Die
www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKwx...
Xfinity: At long last, we have perfected the technology from the classic film Don't Have Hubristic Overconfidence in Technology or You Will All Die
www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKwx...
Jurassic Park... Works (Extended) | Big Game Commercial 2026 | Xfinity
YouTube video by Xfinity
www.youtube.com
February 10, 2026 at 4:26 PM
Michael Crichton: I invented my classic novel/film as a cautionary tale about hubristic overconfidence in technology
Xfinity: At long last, we have perfected the technology from the classic film Don't Have Hubristic Overconfidence in Technology or You Will All Die
www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKwx...
Xfinity: At long last, we have perfected the technology from the classic film Don't Have Hubristic Overconfidence in Technology or You Will All Die
www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKwx...
Has any team called out its fans so much in its Super Bowl post game celebration?
Seattle has made its fandom and its city so much a part of its formula, I love it!
bsky.app/profile/astr...
Seattle has made its fandom and its city so much a part of its formula, I love it!
bsky.app/profile/astr...
Seattleites take pride in their city and their sports reflect that. Loving Seattle means loving the weird corners of sports you might never actually see, like the Reign, Storm, Kraken, and Sounders.
You can wave the 12th man flag and not know who Sam Darnold is and that's OK! You love your city.
You can wave the 12th man flag and not know who Sam Darnold is and that's OK! You love your city.
February 9, 2026 at 3:48 AM
Has any team called out its fans so much in its Super Bowl post game celebration?
Seattle has made its fandom and its city so much a part of its formula, I love it!
bsky.app/profile/astr...
Seattle has made its fandom and its city so much a part of its formula, I love it!
bsky.app/profile/astr...
So, if the dark sector has interactions that lets some of the dark matter form stars, planets, and astrophysicists, their cosmology is pretty interesting!
What they call "dark matter" is 10% of the universe, dissipative, and creates dynamical friction for supermassive black holes. 🔭🧪
What they call "dark matter" is 10% of the universe, dissipative, and creates dynamical friction for supermassive black holes. 🔭🧪
February 7, 2026 at 8:24 PM
So, if the dark sector has interactions that lets some of the dark matter form stars, planets, and astrophysicists, their cosmology is pretty interesting!
What they call "dark matter" is 10% of the universe, dissipative, and creates dynamical friction for supermassive black holes. 🔭🧪
What they call "dark matter" is 10% of the universe, dissipative, and creates dynamical friction for supermassive black holes. 🔭🧪
GW BlueSky:
When black holes merge, a lot of their mass is lost as GWs. M12<M1+M2
Is this also true when a non-BH merges with a BH? Like a neutron star? Or an asteroid?
Is a merger *required* for this to happen? Could a close flyby rob a BH of some (tiny part) of its mass?
🔭🧪
When black holes merge, a lot of their mass is lost as GWs. M12<M1+M2
Is this also true when a non-BH merges with a BH? Like a neutron star? Or an asteroid?
Is a merger *required* for this to happen? Could a close flyby rob a BH of some (tiny part) of its mass?
🔭🧪
February 7, 2026 at 5:46 PM
GW BlueSky:
When black holes merge, a lot of their mass is lost as GWs. M12<M1+M2
Is this also true when a non-BH merges with a BH? Like a neutron star? Or an asteroid?
Is a merger *required* for this to happen? Could a close flyby rob a BH of some (tiny part) of its mass?
🔭🧪
When black holes merge, a lot of their mass is lost as GWs. M12<M1+M2
Is this also true when a non-BH merges with a BH? Like a neutron star? Or an asteroid?
Is a merger *required* for this to happen? Could a close flyby rob a BH of some (tiny part) of its mass?
🔭🧪
I'll point out that the Seahawks logo—especially the original logo—is a nod to a style of bird iconography on totem poles in PNW indigenous traditions.
In contrast to other sports teams' controversial appropriation of Native imagery, the Seahawks' logo seems to me to be respectful and appreciated.
In contrast to other sports teams' controversial appropriation of Native imagery, the Seahawks' logo seems to me to be respectful and appreciated.
Are seahawks real? The science behind Seattle's Super Bowl team www.scientificamerican.com/article/are-...
There’s no such thing as a seahawk, actually
Many different bird species have been affiliated with the Seattle Seahawks’ mascot, but none is technically a “seahawk”
www.scientificamerican.com
February 7, 2026 at 12:09 AM
I'll point out that the Seahawks logo—especially the original logo—is a nod to a style of bird iconography on totem poles in PNW indigenous traditions.
In contrast to other sports teams' controversial appropriation of Native imagery, the Seahawks' logo seems to me to be respectful and appreciated.
In contrast to other sports teams' controversial appropriation of Native imagery, the Seahawks' logo seems to me to be respectful and appreciated.
"…the concrete melts into the abstract…prose consists less and less of words chosen for the sake of their meaning, and ore and more phrases tacked together like sections of a prefabricated hen-house." 1/3
February 5, 2026 at 5:27 PM
"…the concrete melts into the abstract…prose consists less and less of words chosen for the sake of their meaning, and ore and more phrases tacked together like sections of a prefabricated hen-house." 1/3
Orwell would have hated LLMs *so much*.
In his classic essay Politics and the English Language he laid out his philosophy of writing and its intersection with political extremism, including fascism, and blamed mindless writing for much of its spread. 🧵
www.orwellfoundation.com/the-orwell-f...
In his classic essay Politics and the English Language he laid out his philosophy of writing and its intersection with political extremism, including fascism, and blamed mindless writing for much of its spread. 🧵
www.orwellfoundation.com/the-orwell-f...
Politics and the English Language | The Orwell Foundation
"Political language... is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind."
www.orwellfoundation.com
February 5, 2026 at 2:34 PM
Orwell would have hated LLMs *so much*.
In his classic essay Politics and the English Language he laid out his philosophy of writing and its intersection with political extremism, including fascism, and blamed mindless writing for much of its spread. 🧵
www.orwellfoundation.com/the-orwell-f...
In his classic essay Politics and the English Language he laid out his philosophy of writing and its intersection with political extremism, including fascism, and blamed mindless writing for much of its spread. 🧵
www.orwellfoundation.com/the-orwell-f...
Reposted by Jason Wright
Featuring Cyrielle Opitom, who's been leading our 3I/ATLAS observing campaign with several instruments on the mighty VLT
THEY CAME FROM OTHER STARS! A new all-ages comic by @makinaro.com and me about 3I/ATLAS, `Oumuamua, and Borisov: why they're exciting, and why they're both familiar and alien at the same time. www.snexplores.org/article/inte...
Interstellar objects: Visitors from other stars! [COMIC]
Only three interstellar objects have ever been spotted. Here’s what we know about them and why they’re so cool.
www.snexplores.org
February 4, 2026 at 3:57 PM
Featuring Cyrielle Opitom, who's been leading our 3I/ATLAS observing campaign with several instruments on the mighty VLT
Taught A (11) Tom Swifty jokes and he’s on a tear writing his own (I think?).
Best one so far:
“I’m enjoying my job as a carpenter for a kitchen renovation company,“ Tom said counterproductively.
Best one so far:
“I’m enjoying my job as a carpenter for a kitchen renovation company,“ Tom said counterproductively.
February 3, 2026 at 2:56 AM
Taught A (11) Tom Swifty jokes and he’s on a tear writing his own (I think?).
Best one so far:
“I’m enjoying my job as a carpenter for a kitchen renovation company,“ Tom said counterproductively.
Best one so far:
“I’m enjoying my job as a carpenter for a kitchen renovation company,“ Tom said counterproductively.
Ooooh, this looks very useful for faculty (like me) converting their LaTeX'd course files into an accessible format.
Curious if anyone has installed it and tried it on a Mac? Any tips or suggestions?
🧪🔭
Curious if anyone has installed it and tried it on a Mac? Any tips or suggestions?
🧪🔭
LaTeXML can be used to create fully accessible HTML from the source files. (Similar rules came in here a few years ago.) I followed the guide linked below. It works pretty seamlessly - I batch-converted a whole lecture course and only had to fix a couple of figures.
hackmd.io/@UoL-IWG/lat...
hackmd.io/@UoL-IWG/lat...
Using LaTeXML to convert your latex files to accessible html - HackMD
# Using LaTeXML to convert your latex files to accessible html written by [Andy Tonks](https://www2
hackmd.io
January 30, 2026 at 1:47 PM
Ooooh, this looks very useful for faculty (like me) converting their LaTeX'd course files into an accessible format.
Curious if anyone has installed it and tried it on a Mac? Any tips or suggestions?
🧪🔭
Curious if anyone has installed it and tried it on a Mac? Any tips or suggestions?
🧪🔭
I felt the same way about Bob Dylan getting the Nobel prize.
He did not need it to validate his poetry, but him getting it validated the more obscure awardees as belonging among the highest rank of poets.
He did not need it to validate his poetry, but him getting it validated the more obscure awardees as belonging among the highest rank of poets.
Love him or hate him, electing Belichick into the Hall of Fame is the sort of decision that validates the award itself, not the awardee.
He doesn’t need the Hall to go down as one of the greatest. The other inductees deserve to have their name next to his.
He doesn’t need the Hall to go down as one of the greatest. The other inductees deserve to have their name next to his.
A stunner from @dvnjr.bsky.social and me: Bill Belichick is not a first ballot Hall of Famer. He didn't get elected this year. The 8-time champion failed to 40 out of the 50 votes required for induction.
www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/...
www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/...
January 28, 2026 at 5:11 AM
I felt the same way about Bob Dylan getting the Nobel prize.
He did not need it to validate his poetry, but him getting it validated the more obscure awardees as belonging among the highest rank of poets.
He did not need it to validate his poetry, but him getting it validated the more obscure awardees as belonging among the highest rank of poets.
Love him or hate him, electing Belichick into the Hall of Fame is the sort of decision that validates the award itself, not the awardee.
He doesn’t need the Hall to go down as one of the greatest. The other inductees deserve to have their name next to his.
He doesn’t need the Hall to go down as one of the greatest. The other inductees deserve to have their name next to his.
A stunner from @dvnjr.bsky.social and me: Bill Belichick is not a first ballot Hall of Famer. He didn't get elected this year. The 8-time champion failed to 40 out of the 50 votes required for induction.
www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/...
www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/...
Sources: Bill Belichick will not be a first-ballot Hall of Famer
Bill Belichick, the eight-time Super Bowl-winning coach, will not a first-ballot Hall of Famer, sources told ESPN.
www.espn.com
January 28, 2026 at 5:07 AM
Love him or hate him, electing Belichick into the Hall of Fame is the sort of decision that validates the award itself, not the awardee.
He doesn’t need the Hall to go down as one of the greatest. The other inductees deserve to have their name next to his.
He doesn’t need the Hall to go down as one of the greatest. The other inductees deserve to have their name next to his.
Reposted by Jason Wright
💯 it starts at the college level in Seattle. As Huskies- we root for WSU if they play a rival to our state. WSU is like the Pats- they will cheer for one team and if you don’t they will tell you how you aren’t a real fan of your team.
We’re ready for Superbowl 😘
We’re ready for Superbowl 😘
January 27, 2026 at 6:09 PM
💯 it starts at the college level in Seattle. As Huskies- we root for WSU if they play a rival to our state. WSU is like the Pats- they will cheer for one team and if you don’t they will tell you how you aren’t a real fan of your team.
We’re ready for Superbowl 😘
We’re ready for Superbowl 😘
Absolutely absurd. The way these minor violations got blown up by the league is so silly.
Low ball pressure is the equivalent of jaywalking.
Videotaping a person gesticulating in front of tens of thousands of people live and on national television is…wrong, sure, but hardly worthy of this.
Low ball pressure is the equivalent of jaywalking.
Videotaping a person gesticulating in front of tens of thousands of people live and on national television is…wrong, sure, but hardly worthy of this.
A stunner from @dvnjr.bsky.social and me: Bill Belichick is not a first ballot Hall of Famer. He didn't get elected this year. The 8-time champion failed to 40 out of the 50 votes required for induction.
www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/...
www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/...
Sources: Bill Belichick will not be a first-ballot Hall of Famer
Bill Belichick, the eight-time Super Bowl-winning coach, will not a first-ballot Hall of Famer, sources told ESPN.
www.espn.com
January 28, 2026 at 2:53 AM
Absolutely absurd. The way these minor violations got blown up by the league is so silly.
Low ball pressure is the equivalent of jaywalking.
Videotaping a person gesticulating in front of tens of thousands of people live and on national television is…wrong, sure, but hardly worthy of this.
Low ball pressure is the equivalent of jaywalking.
Videotaping a person gesticulating in front of tens of thousands of people live and on national television is…wrong, sure, but hardly worthy of this.
Reposted by Jason Wright
May I suggest that we take our science to the AAS Division for Planetary Sciences meeting? The DPS never lost focus on inclusivity and advocacy. If we move there together, we can update and expand the community of science focus. aas.org/meetings/58t...
January 27, 2026 at 7:07 PM
May I suggest that we take our science to the AAS Division for Planetary Sciences meeting? The DPS never lost focus on inclusivity and advocacy. If we move there together, we can update and expand the community of science focus. aas.org/meetings/58t...
I lived in Seattle until I was 13. Dad lives there. My mom lives there. Two brothers live there.
I lived in Boston from 13-21. Learned to love sports there.
The last Seahawks-Patriots SB I found myself rooting for New England. Either way, I'll love the game and happy with the outcome!
I lived in Boston from 13-21. Learned to love sports there.
The last Seahawks-Patriots SB I found myself rooting for New England. Either way, I'll love the game and happy with the outcome!
January 27, 2026 at 4:58 PM
I lived in Seattle until I was 13. Dad lives there. My mom lives there. Two brothers live there.
I lived in Boston from 13-21. Learned to love sports there.
The last Seahawks-Patriots SB I found myself rooting for New England. Either way, I'll love the game and happy with the outcome!
I lived in Boston from 13-21. Learned to love sports there.
The last Seahawks-Patriots SB I found myself rooting for New England. Either way, I'll love the game and happy with the outcome!
January 27, 2026 at 2:15 AM
I lived in Seattle until I was 13. Dad lives there. My mom lives there. Two brothers live there.
I lived in Boston from 13-21. Learned to love sports there.
The last Seahawks-Patriots SB I found myself rooting for New England. Either way, I'll love the game and happy with the outcome!
I lived in Boston from 13-21. Learned to love sports there.
The last Seahawks-Patriots SB I found myself rooting for New England. Either way, I'll love the game and happy with the outcome!
My textbook on SETI is published!
Please see if your libraries offer a free download—mine does!
iopscience.iop.org/book/mono/97...
If so, you can order hardcopies for around $30 each.
Otherwise, you can buy copies here:
store.ioppublishing.org/page/detail/...
I hope you like it!
Please see if your libraries offer a free download—mine does!
iopscience.iop.org/book/mono/97...
If so, you can order hardcopies for around $30 each.
Otherwise, you can buy copies here:
store.ioppublishing.org/page/detail/...
I hope you like it!
The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence: Theory and practice
The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence: Theory and practice, Wright, Jason T
iopscience.iop.org
January 26, 2026 at 4:18 PM
My textbook on SETI is published!
Please see if your libraries offer a free download—mine does!
iopscience.iop.org/book/mono/97...
If so, you can order hardcopies for around $30 each.
Otherwise, you can buy copies here:
store.ioppublishing.org/page/detail/...
I hope you like it!
Please see if your libraries offer a free download—mine does!
iopscience.iop.org/book/mono/97...
If so, you can order hardcopies for around $30 each.
Otherwise, you can buy copies here:
store.ioppublishing.org/page/detail/...
I hope you like it!