James Davenport
@jradavenport.com
Coffee drinking, year-round-plaid wearing space dad. Astronomy professor in Seattle. Searching for ET, caring for humans.
https://jradavenport.github.io
https://jradavenport.github.io
Pinned
James Davenport
@jradavenport.com
· Jan 22
Why some astronomers are excited about the search for alien life : Short Wave
Around the turn of the century, 3.8 million people banded together in a real-time search for aliens — with screensavers. It was a big moment in a century-long concerted search for extraterrestrial int...
www.npr.org
I listen to @npr.org every day (s/o @kuow.org). Today I'm lucky & proud to be part of a piece talking about SETI and the amazing future of 🔭🧪🎧⭐ with @vrubinobs.bsky.social. Thank you to my friend Regina & the Short Wave team for having me on!
www.npr.org/2025/01/22/1...
www.npr.org/2025/01/22/1...
Good! Stop wasting turkeys and propping up corporate food empires, and order good food made by local chefs
Whether it’s due to the stress or financial burden of planning a multi-course meal, an increasing number of people are choosing to eat out for Thanksgiving this year. https://cnn.it/49HIBa2
November 26, 2025 at 6:22 PM
Good! Stop wasting turkeys and propping up corporate food empires, and order good food made by local chefs
Astro friends: how long until our data required to be included in Genesis? How long until we have to prove our work requires human effort beyond humble prompts to the AI Overlord?
www.whitehouse.gov/presidential...
www.whitehouse.gov/presidential...
Launching the Genesis Mission
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered: Section 1. Purpose.
www.whitehouse.gov
November 26, 2025 at 5:57 PM
Astro friends: how long until our data required to be included in Genesis? How long until we have to prove our work requires human effort beyond humble prompts to the AI Overlord?
www.whitehouse.gov/presidential...
www.whitehouse.gov/presidential...
Reposted by James Davenport
extremely scary episode this week
November 26, 2025 at 5:00 PM
extremely scary episode this week
I hate our academic offices/spaces!
I’ve had a few meetings recently at the Burke Museum, and have been so struck by how different their studio/collaboration spaces feel from our offices, meeting spaces, conference rooms…
I’ve had a few meetings recently at the Burke Museum, and have been so struck by how different their studio/collaboration spaces feel from our offices, meeting spaces, conference rooms…
November 25, 2025 at 8:20 PM
I hate our academic offices/spaces!
I’ve had a few meetings recently at the Burke Museum, and have been so struck by how different their studio/collaboration spaces feel from our offices, meeting spaces, conference rooms…
I’ve had a few meetings recently at the Burke Museum, and have been so struck by how different their studio/collaboration spaces feel from our offices, meeting spaces, conference rooms…
They’re such interesting objects, dynamic and ever changing. That’s why we should study them, observe them over and over and over!
Fantastic work by Ariel Graykowski and our @setiinstitute.bsky.social citizen scientists.
Comet C/2025 K1 (ATLAS) is breaking apart — and some of you caught it live. After passing 0.3 AU from the Sun, it erupted, and three days later a third appeared.
K1 is now officially in pieces.
Comet C/2025 K1 (ATLAS) is breaking apart — and some of you caught it live. After passing 0.3 AU from the Sun, it erupted, and three days later a third appeared.
K1 is now officially in pieces.
November 25, 2025 at 7:22 AM
They’re such interesting objects, dynamic and ever changing. That’s why we should study them, observe them over and over and over!
Reposted by James Davenport
95% of authors are not making a living through book publishing. The public needs to understand this.
November 25, 2025 at 2:24 AM
95% of authors are not making a living through book publishing. The public needs to understand this.
No one:
Me: ok so my hot take is that Thanksgiving sucks
Me: ok so my hot take is that Thanksgiving sucks
November 24, 2025 at 11:41 PM
No one:
Me: ok so my hot take is that Thanksgiving sucks
Me: ok so my hot take is that Thanksgiving sucks
The rudest, gaudiest, most uncivil administration in living memory has the audacity to ask people to be more polite. Bob, go ahead and roll. Literally any clip of Trump engaging in “real talk”, or posting any tweet. But sure, the real problem is people taking their shoes off in flight
Duffy on his demand that air travelers not wear slippers or pajamas: "It honors our country ... don't take your shoes off and put your feet on the chair ahead of you"
November 24, 2025 at 9:09 PM
The rudest, gaudiest, most uncivil administration in living memory has the audacity to ask people to be more polite. Bob, go ahead and roll. Literally any clip of Trump engaging in “real talk”, or posting any tweet. But sure, the real problem is people taking their shoes off in flight
Many of us have been saying for a very, very, very long time that free email, particularly Gmail, is not a good thing. Don’t act surprised that Google is training AI with your email. You were always the product not the customer!
Unfortunately there's no option that turns off the permission for the LLM to be trained on your e-mails but retains spellcheck and the crucial automated tab sorting. When I turned it off my primary inbox jumped from 1300 to 83,000. I'm really not sure what to do here.
If you don't want your Gmail contents to be used to train Google's AI - here's how to opt out:
November 22, 2025 at 5:02 PM
Many of us have been saying for a very, very, very long time that free email, particularly Gmail, is not a good thing. Don’t act surprised that Google is training AI with your email. You were always the product not the customer!
Reposted by James Davenport
“Trump” will “release” the “Epstein files”
President Trump has signed off on the release of the Epstein files, after months of resistance and days after an abrupt about-face. Here's how his messaging has evolved since taking office.
Trump makes the Epstein files public. Here's a timeline of his shifting stance
President Trump has signed off on the release of the Epstein files, after months of resistance and days after an abrupt about-face. Here's how his messaging has evolved since taking office.
n.pr
November 20, 2025 at 6:07 PM
“Trump” will “release” the “Epstein files”
Reposted by James Davenport
i once saw graffiti on the bathroom stall that said “tomorrow needs you”. i think about it every time i get into a bad headspace.
happy trans day of remembrance.
happy trans day of remembrance.
November 20, 2025 at 7:49 PM
i once saw graffiti on the bathroom stall that said “tomorrow needs you”. i think about it every time i get into a bad headspace.
happy trans day of remembrance.
happy trans day of remembrance.
Do you remember in season one of this wretched show, when the GOP literally shit their pants on live television because being called “deplorable” was rude?
Anyhow, today their leader called for the death of opposing politicians, and that is aaaaaaOK
Anyhow, today their leader called for the death of opposing politicians, and that is aaaaaaOK
November 20, 2025 at 6:11 PM
Do you remember in season one of this wretched show, when the GOP literally shit their pants on live television because being called “deplorable” was rude?
Anyhow, today their leader called for the death of opposing politicians, and that is aaaaaaOK
Anyhow, today their leader called for the death of opposing politicians, and that is aaaaaaOK
“Trump” will “release” the “Epstein files”
President Trump has signed off on the release of the Epstein files, after months of resistance and days after an abrupt about-face. Here's how his messaging has evolved since taking office.
Trump makes the Epstein files public. Here's a timeline of his shifting stance
President Trump has signed off on the release of the Epstein files, after months of resistance and days after an abrupt about-face. Here's how his messaging has evolved since taking office.
n.pr
November 20, 2025 at 6:07 PM
“Trump” will “release” the “Epstein files”
Reposted by James Davenport
how to stop being angry all the time
November 20, 2025 at 3:13 PM
how to stop being angry all the time
Reposted by James Davenport
Any President who calls for the opposition party to be hanged should be immediately impeached and removed from office.
November 20, 2025 at 2:49 PM
Any President who calls for the opposition party to be hanged should be immediately impeached and removed from office.
Reposted by James Davenport
To finish it off, I've also done an annotated version of the paper complete with silly drawings and accessible language! These are inspired by @clairelamman.bsky.social , and you can read this and more here: ryanwhite1.github.io/wolf-rayet.h...
4/4 ⚛️🔭🧪
4/4 ⚛️🔭🧪
November 19, 2025 at 10:18 PM
To finish it off, I've also done an annotated version of the paper complete with silly drawings and accessible language! These are inspired by @clairelamman.bsky.social , and you can read this and more here: ryanwhite1.github.io/wolf-rayet.h...
4/4 ⚛️🔭🧪
4/4 ⚛️🔭🧪
Reposted by James Davenport
I really hate it when scientists keep saying that “we need to rebuild trust in science,” because it implies that scientists are to blame for the mistrust rather than the millions of dollars of dark money that have funded political attacks on science in order to advance a far right agenda.
November 19, 2025 at 9:48 PM
I really hate it when scientists keep saying that “we need to rebuild trust in science,” because it implies that scientists are to blame for the mistrust rather than the millions of dollars of dark money that have funded political attacks on science in order to advance a far right agenda.
It's UNCLEAR if the DOJ will do what it has been told to do, or if it will use "ongoing investigation" as an excuse? This DOJ has already done EXACTLY THAT. Democrats need to stop patting themselves on the back for this vote and make sure what comes next is a monumental scandal
November 19, 2025 at 4:15 PM
It's UNCLEAR if the DOJ will do what it has been told to do, or if it will use "ongoing investigation" as an excuse? This DOJ has already done EXACTLY THAT. Democrats need to stop patting themselves on the back for this vote and make sure what comes next is a monumental scandal
Waffle City - Parry Gripp - Animation by Nathan Mazur
YouTube video by ParryGripp
youtu.be
November 19, 2025 at 5:02 AM
After +10 years of the Trump Bullshit Machine, I am waiting to hear some independent confirmation that ALL of the files get released. Not just “all that aren’t sitting in a bathroom closet in Mar a Lago”. Do we have any assurance this is going to be the real thing?
a cartoon of fry from futurama with a bunch of aluminum foil on his head
ALT: a cartoon of fry from futurama with a bunch of aluminum foil on his head
media.tenor.com
November 19, 2025 at 1:46 AM
After +10 years of the Trump Bullshit Machine, I am waiting to hear some independent confirmation that ALL of the files get released. Not just “all that aren’t sitting in a bathroom closet in Mar a Lago”. Do we have any assurance this is going to be the real thing?
Reposted by James Davenport
I don't know why the "Piggy" thing is bothering me so much. It's one more unforgivable thing in a list of 20,000 unforgivable things, but I've been mad about it for like 12 straight hours.
November 18, 2025 at 11:48 PM
I don't know why the "Piggy" thing is bothering me so much. It's one more unforgivable thing in a list of 20,000 unforgivable things, but I've been mad about it for like 12 straight hours.
I’m sorry if brutal murder is “embarrassing”. Every week there is a half dozen shockingly casual evil moments from this administration, that would be clearly impeachable in a healthy political environment
President Donald Trump dismissed a question about the 2018 murder of Jamal Khashoggi, claiming that the Saudi dissident journalist was “extremely controversial” and that raising the subject in his meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was meant to embarrass his visitor.
Trump claims slain journalist Khashoggi was ‘extremely controversial,’ defends Saudi crown prince | CNN Politics
President Donald Trump on Tuesday dismissed a question about the 2018 murder of Jamal Khashoggi, claiming that the Saudi dissident journalist was “extremely controversial” and that raising the subject...
www.cnn.com
November 18, 2025 at 8:30 PM
I’m sorry if brutal murder is “embarrassing”. Every week there is a half dozen shockingly casual evil moments from this administration, that would be clearly impeachable in a healthy political environment
Clay Higgins the LONE vote against releasing the files…. WTF?!
The House voted overwhelmingly on Tuesday to approve a measure that would require the Department of Justice to release files regarding the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The measure passed by a vote of 427 to 1.
House votes to approve releasing the Epstein files by a near unanimous margin
President Trump has pushed back against releasing the files, but shifted course over the weekend after it became clear the measure was likely to pass the House.
www.kuow.org
November 18, 2025 at 8:12 PM
Clay Higgins the LONE vote against releasing the files…. WTF?!
Working on my final exam for this graduate course...
"You must answer 4 of the 5 pages (25 points each). On the extra page, you can draw a picture of a cat or really any other animal you like."
I'll let you know if anything good gets drawn!
"You must answer 4 of the 5 pages (25 points each). On the extra page, you can draw a picture of a cat or really any other animal you like."
I'll let you know if anything good gets drawn!
November 18, 2025 at 6:00 PM
Working on my final exam for this graduate course...
"You must answer 4 of the 5 pages (25 points each). On the extra page, you can draw a picture of a cat or really any other animal you like."
I'll let you know if anything good gets drawn!
"You must answer 4 of the 5 pages (25 points each). On the extra page, you can draw a picture of a cat or really any other animal you like."
I'll let you know if anything good gets drawn!
Writing my 🔭 lecture on AGN and accretion variability, and finishing with Hanny’s Voorwerp (by @chrislintott.bsky.social @zooniverse.bsky.social et al) and, wow, what a wonderfully interesting object and a great paper
ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2009MNRA...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanny's...
ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2009MNRA...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanny's...
Hanny's Voorwerp - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
November 18, 2025 at 5:08 PM
Writing my 🔭 lecture on AGN and accretion variability, and finishing with Hanny’s Voorwerp (by @chrislintott.bsky.social @zooniverse.bsky.social et al) and, wow, what a wonderfully interesting object and a great paper
ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2009MNRA...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanny's...
ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2009MNRA...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanny's...