Dr Val Finlayson
@justsomeisotope.bsky.social
UMD Assistant Research Scientist; views entirely mine. NSF-funded #saveNSF #saveNOAA. Isotopes, volcanoes, and Earth's mantle. Midwestern by birth, sort of all over these days. Sometimes at sea, learning the stories seamounts tell. she/they
Pinned
A tungsten-182 and trace element perspective on the origin of the FOcal ZOne (FOZO) component
Small variations in 182W/184W resulting from the decay of 182Hf to 182W while 182Hf was extant during the first ∼60 Myr of Solar System history are pr…
www.sciencedirect.com
The biggest, hardest, & most ambitious paper I've ever written went online today.
I'll try to discuss some of it in the next day or two. For now, the TL;DR is that we may have evidence of preservation of extremely early mantle processes in some hotspot lavas.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
I'll try to discuss some of it in the next day or two. For now, the TL;DR is that we may have evidence of preservation of extremely early mantle processes in some hotspot lavas.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Celestial Elixir (remastered 2017)
YouTube video by Haken - Topic
youtu.be
February 13, 2026 at 4:11 AM
Reposted by Dr Val Finlayson
"I forced the shape of English onto resisting tongues and then dared to call it 'broken.'"
I’m Still Your America
Hey, patriot. It’s been a week. As ICE spreads terror through the streets, and Teacup Eichmann presided over the murder of yet another innocent civ...
buff.ly
February 9, 2026 at 2:00 AM
"I forced the shape of English onto resisting tongues and then dared to call it 'broken.'"
Veterinarian bills are up, lab supplies are up, heating bills have skyrocketed . . .
“The price of coffee rose by 33.6%, ground beef by 19.3%, romaine lettuce by 16.8% and frozen orange juice by 12.4%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.”
The affordability President.
#RadioFreeAmerica
abcnews.go.com/Business/tru...
The affordability President.
#RadioFreeAmerica
abcnews.go.com/Business/tru...
Trump's tariffs cost American households $1,000 last year: Research group
President Donald Trump’s tariffs cost the average American household $1,000 last year, according to new research from the nonpartisan Tax Foundation.
abcnews.go.com
February 9, 2026 at 11:44 PM
Veterinarian bills are up, lab supplies are up, heating bills have skyrocketed . . .
Yes please.
The Muppet Zoom academic conference.
February 8, 2026 at 4:53 PM
Yes please.
The biggest, hardest, & most ambitious paper I've ever written went online today.
I'll try to discuss some of it in the next day or two. For now, the TL;DR is that we may have evidence of preservation of extremely early mantle processes in some hotspot lavas.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
I'll try to discuss some of it in the next day or two. For now, the TL;DR is that we may have evidence of preservation of extremely early mantle processes in some hotspot lavas.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
A tungsten-182 and trace element perspective on the origin of the FOcal ZOne (FOZO) component
Small variations in 182W/184W resulting from the decay of 182Hf to 182W while 182Hf was extant during the first ∼60 Myr of Solar System history are pr…
www.sciencedirect.com
February 6, 2026 at 3:06 AM
The biggest, hardest, & most ambitious paper I've ever written went online today.
I'll try to discuss some of it in the next day or two. For now, the TL;DR is that we may have evidence of preservation of extremely early mantle processes in some hotspot lavas.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
I'll try to discuss some of it in the next day or two. For now, the TL;DR is that we may have evidence of preservation of extremely early mantle processes in some hotspot lavas.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Reposted by Dr Val Finlayson
What's glossed over a bit here is it took this guy who proved it like 25 years and a huge community push and tons of advocacy to make this happen. Same with guy who figured out you should wash hands before surgery. We think "why should all this obvious shit be so hard?" But it's ALWAYS been hard
A century of hair samples proves leaded gas ban worked arstechnica.com/science/2026...
A century of hair samples proves leaded gas ban worked
“We should not forget the lessons of history. And the lesson is those regulations have been very important.”...
arstechnica.com
February 2, 2026 at 9:33 PM
What's glossed over a bit here is it took this guy who proved it like 25 years and a huge community push and tons of advocacy to make this happen. Same with guy who figured out you should wash hands before surgery. We think "why should all this obvious shit be so hard?" But it's ALWAYS been hard
Reposted by Dr Val Finlayson
Ok, positive scientific thing (for a change):
We're going to talk about the work of Yale seismologist Maureen Long, because her work is focused on the most direct evidence of mantle flow and convection we can get.
Her career essentially defines our direct knowledge of mantle flow.
We're going to talk about the work of Yale seismologist Maureen Long, because her work is focused on the most direct evidence of mantle flow and convection we can get.
Her career essentially defines our direct knowledge of mantle flow.
February 2, 2026 at 11:32 PM
Ok, positive scientific thing (for a change):
We're going to talk about the work of Yale seismologist Maureen Long, because her work is focused on the most direct evidence of mantle flow and convection we can get.
Her career essentially defines our direct knowledge of mantle flow.
We're going to talk about the work of Yale seismologist Maureen Long, because her work is focused on the most direct evidence of mantle flow and convection we can get.
Her career essentially defines our direct knowledge of mantle flow.
Reposted by Dr Val Finlayson
you may also be interested in my ICE timeline
christinapagel.substack.com/p/the-ice-st...
christinapagel.substack.com/p/the-ice-st...
The ICE Storm: a year-long escalation
Funding, law, rhetoric, violence. How each has fed the other to lead here
christinapagel.substack.com
February 1, 2026 at 11:04 AM
you may also be interested in my ICE timeline
christinapagel.substack.com/p/the-ice-st...
christinapagel.substack.com/p/the-ice-st...
Reposted by Dr Val Finlayson
www.youtube.com/shorts/z4dy0...
A video from board-certified ophthalmologist a @glaucomflecken.bsky.social - FYI if you ever get pepper spray somehow onto you, in some manner.
A video from board-certified ophthalmologist a @glaucomflecken.bsky.social - FYI if you ever get pepper spray somehow onto you, in some manner.
What To Do If You Get Pepper Sprayed
YouTube video by Dr. Glaucomflecken
www.youtube.com
January 30, 2026 at 3:04 AM
www.youtube.com/shorts/z4dy0...
A video from board-certified ophthalmologist a @glaucomflecken.bsky.social - FYI if you ever get pepper spray somehow onto you, in some manner.
A video from board-certified ophthalmologist a @glaucomflecken.bsky.social - FYI if you ever get pepper spray somehow onto you, in some manner.
Reposted by Dr Val Finlayson
Reposted by Dr Val Finlayson
Where all the primordial lithium ended up
What’s the biggest space mystery you want scientists to solve next? 🧪
January 30, 2026 at 10:23 PM
Where all the primordial lithium ended up
Reposted by Dr Val Finlayson
Is this petulant child being serious? Do you know how many Canadian regional jets are being flown by US airlines right now??? If he decertifies all Canadian made aircraft that is going to completely collapse American air travel.
January 30, 2026 at 12:25 AM
Is this petulant child being serious? Do you know how many Canadian regional jets are being flown by US airlines right now??? If he decertifies all Canadian made aircraft that is going to completely collapse American air travel.
This budget increase would fund NSF at its current level, not accounting for inflation, for ~8 years.
Personally I think this is too much money to give to Donald trumps poorly trained but heavily armed Militia
January 29, 2026 at 5:27 AM
This budget increase would fund NSF at its current level, not accounting for inflation, for ~8 years.
Reposted by Dr Val Finlayson
one of the quiet legacies of the crew of Challenger is STEM education. as a kid, i visited a Challenger Learning Center, one of many established by the families of the crew, and one of my current UAA students is a McNair Scholar. they're still helping others learn about the wonder of our universe.
Dick Scobee
Michael J. Smith
Ronald McNair
Ellison Onizuka
Judith Resnik
Gregory Jarvis
Christa McAuliffe
Michael J. Smith
Ronald McNair
Ellison Onizuka
Judith Resnik
Gregory Jarvis
Christa McAuliffe
January 28, 2026 at 9:43 PM
one of the quiet legacies of the crew of Challenger is STEM education. as a kid, i visited a Challenger Learning Center, one of many established by the families of the crew, and one of my current UAA students is a McNair Scholar. they're still helping others learn about the wonder of our universe.
Reposted by Dr Val Finlayson
Reposted by Dr Val Finlayson
Some academic habits are maladaptive in wider society. But “cite your sources every time” — and information literacy habits more generally — deserves to be educational priority number one right now
you should not share a post that's a screenshot without a link to a news item. you should not share a post that's a video or picture without some kind of sourcing. we're in a new bad era and these are now basic practices.
... also photogs and journos gotta eat so share their work.
... also photogs and journos gotta eat so share their work.
January 26, 2026 at 3:12 PM
Some academic habits are maladaptive in wider society. But “cite your sources every time” — and information literacy habits more generally — deserves to be educational priority number one right now
Been listening to updates from local sources in Minneapolis all day. There's not much to say that hasn't already been said, except for the thing that can't be repeated enough:
ABOLISH ICE.
ABOLISH ICE.
January 25, 2026 at 2:10 AM
Been listening to updates from local sources in Minneapolis all day. There's not much to say that hasn't already been said, except for the thing that can't be repeated enough:
ABOLISH ICE.
ABOLISH ICE.
Reposted by Dr Val Finlayson
Minnesota Is Going On Strike To Protest ICE Invasion
open.substack.com/pub/zeteo/p/...
open.substack.com/pub/zeteo/p/...
Minnesota Is Going On Strike To Protest ICE Invasion
Minnesotans are planning a statewide economic blackout on Friday to protest ICE’s descent on the Twin Cities.
open.substack.com
January 23, 2026 at 1:39 AM
Minnesota Is Going On Strike To Protest ICE Invasion
open.substack.com/pub/zeteo/p/...
open.substack.com/pub/zeteo/p/...
Reposted by Dr Val Finlayson
I came to Minneapolis to report on what's going on, and one of the main questions I showed up with is "just what is the scale of the resistance?" After all, we're all used to the news calling Portland a "war zone" or whatever when it's just some protests in one part of town.
January 22, 2026 at 3:58 AM
I came to Minneapolis to report on what's going on, and one of the main questions I showed up with is "just what is the scale of the resistance?" After all, we're all used to the news calling Portland a "war zone" or whatever when it's just some protests in one part of town.
Reposted by Dr Val Finlayson
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH
January 20, 2026 at 9:26 AM
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH
Reposted by Dr Val Finlayson
DHS employees entered our store this afternoon and served us a Notice of Inspection, demanding copies of I9 forms for each employee.
In 27 years as shopkeepers, we have never been subjected to this type of investigation.
In 27 years as shopkeepers, we have never been subjected to this type of investigation.
January 17, 2026 at 12:23 AM
DHS employees entered our store this afternoon and served us a Notice of Inspection, demanding copies of I9 forms for each employee.
In 27 years as shopkeepers, we have never been subjected to this type of investigation.
In 27 years as shopkeepers, we have never been subjected to this type of investigation.
Reposted by Dr Val Finlayson
Common Sense, published 250 years ago today.
January 10, 2026 at 9:09 PM
Common Sense, published 250 years ago today.
Reposted by Dr Val Finlayson
they've got Raffi calling for regime change. something has shifted.
January 9, 2026 at 6:07 PM
they've got Raffi calling for regime change. something has shifted.
Reposted by Dr Val Finlayson
Cancer research costs too much but we have the money to run Venezuela
January 3, 2026 at 5:08 PM
Cancer research costs too much but we have the money to run Venezuela
Reposted by Dr Val Finlayson
you are here at the end of a year in which I'll bet you wondered what the point was, at some point
December 31, 2025 at 11:21 PM
you are here at the end of a year in which I'll bet you wondered what the point was, at some point