Kevin T. Trinh
@icymoonskevin.bsky.social
Pinned
Kevin T. Trinh
@icymoonskevin.bsky.social
· Mar 31
I’m thrilled to share that I will be joining @caltech.edu this June as a Melza M. And Frank Theodore Barr postdoctoral fellow. Super excited for all the science to be done in the coming years.
Do you know of an undergrad who would be a good fit for icy moons or geophysics research? If so, encourage them to apply here: stemgateway.nasa.gov/s/course-off...
LinkedIn
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lnkd.in
February 2, 2026 at 4:14 AM
Do you know of an undergrad who would be a good fit for icy moons or geophysics research? If so, encourage them to apply here: stemgateway.nasa.gov/s/course-off...
Coding is fun, but I really enjoy the occasions where most of my day is spent with just pen, paper, and doing math 🖊️📄🧠
January 20, 2026 at 10:03 PM
Coding is fun, but I really enjoy the occasions where most of my day is spent with just pen, paper, and doing math 🖊️📄🧠
Reposted by Kevin T. Trinh
📣 JOB: ASU SESE is hiring a (open rank, TT) professor in—you guessed it—Geoscience of Critical Minerals: apply.interfolio.com/179443
Apply - Interfolio
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apply.interfolio.com
December 29, 2025 at 6:22 PM
📣 JOB: ASU SESE is hiring a (open rank, TT) professor in—you guessed it—Geoscience of Critical Minerals: apply.interfolio.com/179443
Reposted by Kevin T. Trinh
“Is Europa truly dead?” a planetary scientist asked himself after some disheartening results for the moon. “Or should we broaden our perspective on other mechanisms that can sustain life?” (Spoiler: he chose the latter)🌱🦠
Read my last #AGU2025 story (for now!) at @science.org: tinyurl.com/4dd67hhw
Read my last #AGU2025 story (for now!) at @science.org: tinyurl.com/4dd67hhw
Life in Europa’s ocean could feed on rocks’ radioactive decay
After series of bleak findings, theory sparks hope for alternative energy source within Jupiter’s intriguing moon
tinyurl.com
December 24, 2025 at 1:37 AM
“Is Europa truly dead?” a planetary scientist asked himself after some disheartening results for the moon. “Or should we broaden our perspective on other mechanisms that can sustain life?” (Spoiler: he chose the latter)🌱🦠
Read my last #AGU2025 story (for now!) at @science.org: tinyurl.com/4dd67hhw
Read my last #AGU2025 story (for now!) at @science.org: tinyurl.com/4dd67hhw
Reposted by Kevin T. Trinh
Nature research paper: Titan’s strong tidal dissipation precludes a subsurface ocean
go.nature.com/4s061hm
go.nature.com/4s061hm
Titan’s strong tidal dissipation precludes a subsurface ocean - Nature
Reanalysis of radiometric data from Cassini indicates that Titan does not contain a subsurface ocean, as strong tidal dissipation observed in its gravity field is not consistent with the presence of a liquid layer.
go.nature.com
December 19, 2025 at 12:47 PM
Nature research paper: Titan’s strong tidal dissipation precludes a subsurface ocean
go.nature.com/4s061hm
go.nature.com/4s061hm
📢 Session announcement for #AbSciCon26!
Are you doing work in geophysics and astrobiology? Do you ever combine the two? If yes, then consider submitting an abstract to this session, led by Dr. Natalie Wolfenbarger!
Link: agu.confex.com/agu/abscicon...
Are you doing work in geophysics and astrobiology? Do you ever combine the two? If yes, then consider submitting an abstract to this session, led by Dr. Natalie Wolfenbarger!
Link: agu.confex.com/agu/abscicon...
November 18, 2025 at 7:15 PM
📢 Session announcement for #AbSciCon26!
Are you doing work in geophysics and astrobiology? Do you ever combine the two? If yes, then consider submitting an abstract to this session, led by Dr. Natalie Wolfenbarger!
Link: agu.confex.com/agu/abscicon...
Are you doing work in geophysics and astrobiology? Do you ever combine the two? If yes, then consider submitting an abstract to this session, led by Dr. Natalie Wolfenbarger!
Link: agu.confex.com/agu/abscicon...
Reposted by Kevin T. Trinh
Want a great job? Think I deserve raises and promotions? Please apply to be Director of ASU’s School of Earth and Space Exploration 🚀🥺
apply.interfolio.com/176991
apply.interfolio.com/176991
Apply - Interfolio
{{$ctrl.$state.data.pageTitle}} - Apply - Interfolio
urldefense.com
November 8, 2025 at 6:46 PM
Want a great job? Think I deserve raises and promotions? Please apply to be Director of ASU’s School of Earth and Space Exploration 🚀🥺
apply.interfolio.com/176991
apply.interfolio.com/176991
Reposted by Kevin T. Trinh
Chatbots — LLMs — do not know facts and are not designed to be able to accurately answer factual questions. They are designed to find and mimic patterns of words, probabilistically. When they’re “right” it’s because correct things are often written down, so those patterns are frequent. That’s all.
June 19, 2025 at 11:21 AM
Chatbots — LLMs — do not know facts and are not designed to be able to accurately answer factual questions. They are designed to find and mimic patterns of words, probabilistically. When they’re “right” it’s because correct things are often written down, so those patterns are frequent. That’s all.
Reposted by Kevin T. Trinh
Our new survey of parabolas on Venus, and evidence for True Polar Wander at ~1°/Myr is now published! (TLDR @jtuttlekeane.bsky.social was right. nananana BAT region) agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/...
September 22, 2025 at 8:25 PM
Our new survey of parabolas on Venus, and evidence for True Polar Wander at ~1°/Myr is now published! (TLDR @jtuttlekeane.bsky.social was right. nananana BAT region) agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/...
Reposted by Kevin T. Trinh
Hey planetary science PhD graduaters: I know thinking about applying to postdocs this year seems daunting, so I am here to remind you that we have some REALLY GOOD prize fellowship at Caltech. Come work with me. Or Katherine. Or Heather. Or Konstantin. Or someone. Seriously. These are good. 🔭🪐
Postdoctoral Positions
From the Caltech Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences
www.gps.caltech.edu
September 29, 2025 at 9:17 PM
Hey planetary science PhD graduaters: I know thinking about applying to postdocs this year seems daunting, so I am here to remind you that we have some REALLY GOOD prize fellowship at Caltech. Come work with me. Or Katherine. Or Heather. Or Konstantin. Or someone. Seriously. These are good. 🔭🪐
Had a great time kicking off the academic year by giving a talk at Caltech’s Planetary Science Seminar!
October 1, 2025 at 7:51 PM
Had a great time kicking off the academic year by giving a talk at Caltech’s Planetary Science Seminar!
Reposted by Kevin T. Trinh
📣 PAPER ALERT. Title says it all. I've been super excited about this project for years 🌋😍https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adw1621
The importance of carbonatite lavas in outgassing Venus’ modern-day atmosphere
The erosion of canali on Venus by carbonatite lavas transformed Venus’ atmosphere within the recent past.
www.science.org
August 6, 2025 at 6:05 PM
📣 PAPER ALERT. Title says it all. I've been super excited about this project for years 🌋😍https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adw1621
Reposted by Kevin T. Trinh
I am community sourcing a list of people who are actively in search of MS/PhD students in planetary science/astrobiology/exoplanets for Fall 2026. If you are such a person, please fill out the following google form:
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
Planetary Science MS/PhD Positions for Fall 2026
Crowd sourced list of people who are looking for MS/PhD students to help connect prospective students with advisors so we can do even more fabulous planetary science! (Submitting a response indicates ...
docs.google.com
August 5, 2025 at 6:03 PM
I am community sourcing a list of people who are actively in search of MS/PhD students in planetary science/astrobiology/exoplanets for Fall 2026. If you are such a person, please fill out the following google form:
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
Reposted by Kevin T. Trinh
ASU SESE is hiring an Assistant Teaching Professor in Astrophysics: apply.interfolio.com/170951 🧑🏫 🔭
Apply - Interfolio
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apply.interfolio.com
July 28, 2025 at 11:20 PM
ASU SESE is hiring an Assistant Teaching Professor in Astrophysics: apply.interfolio.com/170951 🧑🏫 🔭
Planning to submit an abstract to hashtag#AGU25? If you're working on ocean worlds, then please consider submitting to our annual and crossdisciplinary session 🌊
Title: "Ice and Ocean Worlds: Geology, Oceanography, Chemistry, and Habitability"
Link: agu.confex.com/agu/agu25/pr...
Title: "Ice and Ocean Worlds: Geology, Oceanography, Chemistry, and Habitability"
Link: agu.confex.com/agu/agu25/pr...
Ice and Ocean Worlds: Geology, Oceanography, Chemistry, and Habitability
This annual session brings together studies of icy and ocean worlds in our solar system (Earth, Europa, Enceladus, Titan, Ganymede, Triton, etc.) and possibilities in extra-solar systems to understand...
agu.confex.com
July 25, 2025 at 11:49 PM
Planning to submit an abstract to hashtag#AGU25? If you're working on ocean worlds, then please consider submitting to our annual and crossdisciplinary session 🌊
Title: "Ice and Ocean Worlds: Geology, Oceanography, Chemistry, and Habitability"
Link: agu.confex.com/agu/agu25/pr...
Title: "Ice and Ocean Worlds: Geology, Oceanography, Chemistry, and Habitability"
Link: agu.confex.com/agu/agu25/pr...
The "Cython" library in Python is phenomenal. My old thermal evolution code in C++ took ~10 minutes to run. Now, in Python, I can run the code in ~6 seconds.
Granted, my C++ code was far from perfect, but it's nice being able to code primarily in Python while having the performance of C.
Granted, my C++ code was far from perfect, but it's nice being able to code primarily in Python while having the performance of C.
June 20, 2025 at 9:58 PM
The "Cython" library in Python is phenomenal. My old thermal evolution code in C++ took ~10 minutes to run. Now, in Python, I can run the code in ~6 seconds.
Granted, my C++ code was far from perfect, but it's nice being able to code primarily in Python while having the performance of C.
Granted, my C++ code was far from perfect, but it's nice being able to code primarily in Python while having the performance of C.
Reposted by Kevin T. Trinh
Hundreds of policies across China have been designed to lure researchers and new graduates to settle there
https://go.nature.com/3HvZQiq
https://go.nature.com/3HvZQiq
How China is vying to attract the world’s top scientific talent
Hundreds of policies across the country have been designed to lure researchers and new graduates to settle there.
go.nature.com
June 9, 2025 at 2:09 PM
Hundreds of policies across China have been designed to lure researchers and new graduates to settle there
https://go.nature.com/3HvZQiq
https://go.nature.com/3HvZQiq
It was nice visiting the Earth Life Science Institute (ELSI) at the Institute of Science Tokyo (formerly Tokyo Tech)! Lots of great planetary scientists and astrobiologists here.
May 30, 2025 at 9:24 AM
It was nice visiting the Earth Life Science Institute (ELSI) at the Institute of Science Tokyo (formerly Tokyo Tech)! Lots of great planetary scientists and astrobiologists here.
Reposted by Kevin T. Trinh
This is insane, and sabotages the future of US science—and it’s so easy to see why…
AI, quantum, etc., all started as niche research 10, 20, 50 years ago. They’re “trendy” science of national importance today because of decades of investments in broad, fundamental research.
(🧵1/3)
AI, quantum, etc., all started as niche research 10, 20, 50 years ago. They’re “trendy” science of national importance today because of decades of investments in broad, fundamental research.
(🧵1/3)
NSF to ONLY fund research in five areas: artificial intelligence, quantum information science, biotechnology, nuclear energy, and translational science. Can this be happening?
www.science.org/content/arti...
www.science.org/content/arti...
NSF slashes number of ‘rotators’ and well-paid managers as part of restructuring
Smaller future budgets will require fewer people, NSF official tells staff
www.science.org
May 10, 2025 at 2:22 AM
This is insane, and sabotages the future of US science—and it’s so easy to see why…
AI, quantum, etc., all started as niche research 10, 20, 50 years ago. They’re “trendy” science of national importance today because of decades of investments in broad, fundamental research.
(🧵1/3)
AI, quantum, etc., all started as niche research 10, 20, 50 years ago. They’re “trendy” science of national importance today because of decades of investments in broad, fundamental research.
(🧵1/3)
Reposted by Kevin T. Trinh
After serving as Director of NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory and VP of Caltech for three years, I have decided to step down, effective June 1. Though not an easy decision, I strongly believe it is the right one for me, my family, and the Lab. www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/dave-ga...
May 7, 2025 at 6:01 PM
After serving as Director of NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory and VP of Caltech for three years, I have decided to step down, effective June 1. Though not an easy decision, I strongly believe it is the right one for me, my family, and the Lab. www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/dave-ga...
Forever a Sun Devil 🔱
April 25, 2025 at 3:45 PM
Forever a Sun Devil 🔱
Reposted by Kevin T. Trinh
NASA Announces Bold Plan To Still Exist By 2045
NASA Announces Bold Plan To Still Exist By 2045
WASHINGTON—In what is being described as the most ambitious mission ever undertaken in the space agency’s history, NASA officials announced at a press conference Tuesday their bold new plan to still e...
theonion.com
April 16, 2025 at 3:58 PM
NASA Announces Bold Plan To Still Exist By 2045
Officially Dr. Trinh! So glad to be surrounded by amazing people along the way. 🎓🌕❄️🚀
April 14, 2025 at 3:18 PM
Officially Dr. Trinh! So glad to be surrounded by amazing people along the way. 🎓🌕❄️🚀
It was a pleasure sharing my research and connecting with the geophysics community at Stanford University!
April 7, 2025 at 3:19 PM
It was a pleasure sharing my research and connecting with the geophysics community at Stanford University!