Professor 💜 P
@professorp.bsky.social
College Professor, Geology/Astronomy/Physics, Science Communication, musician, writer, grandmother
Reposted by Professor 💜 P
As 2025 ends, the Standard Model still hasn’t cracked
Here in 2025, many challenges have arisen to both Standard Models: particle physics and cosmology.
As the year end, there's barely a crack in either.
bigthink.com/starts-with-...
#space #astro #physics
Here in 2025, many challenges have arisen to both Standard Models: particle physics and cosmology.
As the year end, there's barely a crack in either.
bigthink.com/starts-with-...
#space #astro #physics
As 2025 ends, the Standard Model still hasn't cracked
Our Standard Model of the Universe, for both particle physics and cosmology, remains intact for now. When will its foundations crack?
bigthink.com
December 16, 2025 at 5:01 PM
As 2025 ends, the Standard Model still hasn’t cracked
Here in 2025, many challenges have arisen to both Standard Models: particle physics and cosmology.
As the year end, there's barely a crack in either.
bigthink.com/starts-with-...
#space #astro #physics
Here in 2025, many challenges have arisen to both Standard Models: particle physics and cosmology.
As the year end, there's barely a crack in either.
bigthink.com/starts-with-...
#space #astro #physics
Reposted by Professor 💜 P
bit.ly/4r42HRN
No. 4 Alabama loses at home to No. 11 Oklahoma. Up next: No. 5 Georgia hosts No. 10 Texas. Follow AP for live coverage.
No. 4 Alabama loses at home to No. 11 Oklahoma. Up next: No. 5 Georgia hosts No. 10 Texas. Follow AP for live coverage.
November 16, 2025 at 12:23 AM
bit.ly/4r42HRN
No. 4 Alabama loses at home to No. 11 Oklahoma. Up next: No. 5 Georgia hosts No. 10 Texas. Follow AP for live coverage.
No. 4 Alabama loses at home to No. 11 Oklahoma. Up next: No. 5 Georgia hosts No. 10 Texas. Follow AP for live coverage.
Reposted by Professor 💜 P
Good that Canada joins coalition to fight against climate disinformation (so maybe don't weaken greenwashing law?) www.euronews.com/green/2025/1...
Countries commit to tackling climate disinformation at COP30
It is the first time states have formally committed to information integrity and fighting back against climate disinformation.
www.euronews.com
November 13, 2025 at 11:35 AM
Good that Canada joins coalition to fight against climate disinformation (so maybe don't weaken greenwashing law?) www.euronews.com/green/2025/1...
Reposted by Professor 💜 P
Fascism has 14 early warning signs, as elucidated by fascism scholar Laurence W. Britt.
In May of this year, the US exhibited "only" 12 of them, as we still lacked a censored press and fraudulent elections.
We're up to 13 on the eve of election day.
Because if you tell the truth, this happens.
In May of this year, the US exhibited "only" 12 of them, as we still lacked a censored press and fraudulent elections.
We're up to 13 on the eve of election day.
Because if you tell the truth, this happens.
November 3, 2025 at 10:44 PM
Fascism has 14 early warning signs, as elucidated by fascism scholar Laurence W. Britt.
In May of this year, the US exhibited "only" 12 of them, as we still lacked a censored press and fraudulent elections.
We're up to 13 on the eve of election day.
Because if you tell the truth, this happens.
In May of this year, the US exhibited "only" 12 of them, as we still lacked a censored press and fraudulent elections.
We're up to 13 on the eve of election day.
Because if you tell the truth, this happens.
Reposted by Professor 💜 P
Is our first “galaxy-quasar hybrid” also a Little Red Dot?
JWST has famously discovered hundreds of "Little Red Dot" objects in the early Universe.
But the first one predates JWST, and was correctly determined to be a galaxy-quasar hybrid
bigthink.com/starts-with-...
#space #astro #jwst #hubble
JWST has famously discovered hundreds of "Little Red Dot" objects in the early Universe.
But the first one predates JWST, and was correctly determined to be a galaxy-quasar hybrid
bigthink.com/starts-with-...
#space #astro #jwst #hubble
Is our first "galaxy-quasar hybrid" also a Little Red Dot?
Found by Hubble before JWST's launch, GNz7q looked like a mix of a galaxy and a quasar. Was it actually our first known "Little Red Dot"?
bigthink.com
October 20, 2025 at 4:55 PM
Is our first “galaxy-quasar hybrid” also a Little Red Dot?
JWST has famously discovered hundreds of "Little Red Dot" objects in the early Universe.
But the first one predates JWST, and was correctly determined to be a galaxy-quasar hybrid
bigthink.com/starts-with-...
#space #astro #jwst #hubble
JWST has famously discovered hundreds of "Little Red Dot" objects in the early Universe.
But the first one predates JWST, and was correctly determined to be a galaxy-quasar hybrid
bigthink.com/starts-with-...
#space #astro #jwst #hubble
Reposted by Professor 💜 P
Hamas has assured the U.S. through intermediaries that it is working to return dead hostages from Gaza, according to two senior U.S. advisers.
Red Cross has received remains of 2 more Hamas hostages to be given to Israel
The Israeli military says the International Committee of the Red Cross has received the remains of two more hostages to be transferred from the Gaza Strip to Israeli custody.
bit.ly
October 15, 2025 at 10:02 PM
Hamas has assured the U.S. through intermediaries that it is working to return dead hostages from Gaza, according to two senior U.S. advisers.
Reposted by Professor 💜 P
Yes, reductionism can explain everything in the whole Universe
If we strip reality down to the fundamental particles and their interactions, and add in boundary conditions and initial conditions, can we explain the whole Universe?
Reductionism says yes
bigthink.com/starts-with-...
#space #physics
If we strip reality down to the fundamental particles and their interactions, and add in boundary conditions and initial conditions, can we explain the whole Universe?
Reductionism says yes
bigthink.com/starts-with-...
#space #physics
Yes, reductionism can explain everything in the whole Universe
The whole isn't greater than the sum of its parts; that's a flaw in our thinking. Non-reductionism requires magic, not merely science.
bigthink.com
October 16, 2025 at 4:15 PM
Yes, reductionism can explain everything in the whole Universe
If we strip reality down to the fundamental particles and their interactions, and add in boundary conditions and initial conditions, can we explain the whole Universe?
Reductionism says yes
bigthink.com/starts-with-...
#space #physics
If we strip reality down to the fundamental particles and their interactions, and add in boundary conditions and initial conditions, can we explain the whole Universe?
Reductionism says yes
bigthink.com/starts-with-...
#space #physics
Reposted by Professor 💜 P
Must there be a single, unified theory of everything?
Daniel Whiteson and Kelly Weinersmith interview me about the topic, and things get a little intense!
Have a listen and see which side of the problem sounds more compelling to you.
www.iheart.com/podcast/105-...
#physics
Daniel Whiteson and Kelly Weinersmith interview me about the topic, and things get a little intense!
Have a listen and see which side of the problem sounds more compelling to you.
www.iheart.com/podcast/105-...
#physics
Must there be a single unified theory of physics? - Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe | iHeart
<p>Daniel and Kelly talk to Ethan Siegal about whether we should expect physics to be explained by a single unified theory.</p><p>See <a href='https://omnystudio.com/listener'>omnystudio.com/listener<...
www.iheart.com
October 16, 2025 at 4:39 PM
Must there be a single, unified theory of everything?
Daniel Whiteson and Kelly Weinersmith interview me about the topic, and things get a little intense!
Have a listen and see which side of the problem sounds more compelling to you.
www.iheart.com/podcast/105-...
#physics
Daniel Whiteson and Kelly Weinersmith interview me about the topic, and things get a little intense!
Have a listen and see which side of the problem sounds more compelling to you.
www.iheart.com/podcast/105-...
#physics
Reposted by Professor 💜 P
New York Attorney General Letitia James calls fraud case "baseless," and decries "weaponization of our justice system."
New York Attorney General Letitia James indicted on fraud charge, AP source says
A grand jury has indicted New York Attorney General Letitia James on a fraud charge, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press on Thursday.
bit.ly
October 9, 2025 at 9:55 PM
New York Attorney General Letitia James calls fraud case "baseless," and decries "weaponization of our justice system."
Reposted by Professor 💜 P
Macroscopic quantum tunneling wins 2025’s Nobel Prize in physics
This year's Nobel Prize in physics was all about building the first sustainable macroscopic system to exhibit quantum behavior.
Here's the science behind the prize, and why it matters.
bigthink.com/starts-with-...
#physics #quantum
This year's Nobel Prize in physics was all about building the first sustainable macroscopic system to exhibit quantum behavior.
Here's the science behind the prize, and why it matters.
bigthink.com/starts-with-...
#physics #quantum
Macroscopic quantum tunneling wins 2025's Nobel Prize in physics
Quantum mechanics was first discovered on small, microscopic scales. 2025's Nobel Prize brings the quantum and large-scale worlds together.
bigthink.com
October 8, 2025 at 3:50 PM
Macroscopic quantum tunneling wins 2025’s Nobel Prize in physics
This year's Nobel Prize in physics was all about building the first sustainable macroscopic system to exhibit quantum behavior.
Here's the science behind the prize, and why it matters.
bigthink.com/starts-with-...
#physics #quantum
This year's Nobel Prize in physics was all about building the first sustainable macroscopic system to exhibit quantum behavior.
Here's the science behind the prize, and why it matters.
bigthink.com/starts-with-...
#physics #quantum
Reposted by Professor 💜 P
A rare bloom in Chile's Atacama desert has briefly transformed one of the world's driest places into a dazzling carpet of fuchsia-colored wildflowers.
The world's driest desert blooms into a rare, fleeting flower show
A rare bloom in Chile’s Atacama desert has briefly transformed one of the world’s driest places into a dazzling carpet of fuchsia-colored wildflowers.
bit.ly
October 8, 2025 at 5:00 PM
A rare bloom in Chile's Atacama desert has briefly transformed one of the world's driest places into a dazzling carpet of fuchsia-colored wildflowers.
Reposted by Professor 💜 P
The search for alien life must heed this lesson from Stephen King
In Stephen King's "The Stand," survivors of the Captain Trips superflu are rare, and finding a second survivor doesn't always occur.
Here's what that lesson means for seeking alien life.
bigthink.com/starts-with-...
#space #astro
In Stephen King's "The Stand," survivors of the Captain Trips superflu are rare, and finding a second survivor doesn't always occur.
Here's what that lesson means for seeking alien life.
bigthink.com/starts-with-...
#space #astro
The search for alien life must heed this lesson from Stephen King
In 2025, Earth remains the only planet where life is known to exist. Without a second example, "The Stand" has a vital lesson to teach us.
bigthink.com
October 7, 2025 at 3:18 PM
The search for alien life must heed this lesson from Stephen King
In Stephen King's "The Stand," survivors of the Captain Trips superflu are rare, and finding a second survivor doesn't always occur.
Here's what that lesson means for seeking alien life.
bigthink.com/starts-with-...
#space #astro
In Stephen King's "The Stand," survivors of the Captain Trips superflu are rare, and finding a second survivor doesn't always occur.
Here's what that lesson means for seeking alien life.
bigthink.com/starts-with-...
#space #astro
Reposted by Professor 💜 P
Acting as judge, jury, and executioner against civilian vessels would lead to war crimes charges with nearly any other country’s leader.
October 6, 2025 at 10:30 PM
Acting as judge, jury, and executioner against civilian vessels would lead to war crimes charges with nearly any other country’s leader.
Reposted by Professor 💜 P
COSMOS-Web unveils JWST’s newest gravitational lenses
Within JWST's largest-area survey so far, the COSMOS-Web field, there are over 100 newly imaged gravitational lenses.
Here are the sights, and surprises, lying within.
bigthink.com/starts-with-...
#space #jwst #astro
Within JWST's largest-area survey so far, the COSMOS-Web field, there are over 100 newly imaged gravitational lenses.
Here are the sights, and surprises, lying within.
bigthink.com/starts-with-...
#space #jwst #astro
COSMOS-Web unveils JWST's newest gravitational lenses
By deeply imaging a large volume of space, COSMOS-Web provides JWST's widest cosmic views. Its gravitational lenses reveal a big surprise.
bigthink.com
October 6, 2025 at 4:01 PM
COSMOS-Web unveils JWST’s newest gravitational lenses
Within JWST's largest-area survey so far, the COSMOS-Web field, there are over 100 newly imaged gravitational lenses.
Here are the sights, and surprises, lying within.
bigthink.com/starts-with-...
#space #jwst #astro
Within JWST's largest-area survey so far, the COSMOS-Web field, there are over 100 newly imaged gravitational lenses.
Here are the sights, and surprises, lying within.
bigthink.com/starts-with-...
#space #jwst #astro
Reposted by Professor 💜 P
Tests by two foreign laboratories show that Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was poisoned before his death in an Arctic penal colony last year, his wife says.
Lab tests show Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was poisoned, his wife says
Russian authorities said Navalny died last year after feeling unwell following a walk around the high-security Arctic penal colony where he was serving a combined 30 ½-year jail sentence.
www.nbcnews.com
September 17, 2025 at 1:05 PM
Tests by two foreign laboratories show that Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was poisoned before his death in an Arctic penal colony last year, his wife says.
Reposted by Professor 💜 P
LIGO’s 10th anniversary gift confirms Hawking’s theorem
10 years ago, we measured our first black hole-black hole merger in gravitational waves.
10 years later, we can measure them so well we confirmed the Hawking area theorem.
bigthink.com/starts-with-...
#space #astro #physics #LIGO #hawking
10 years ago, we measured our first black hole-black hole merger in gravitational waves.
10 years later, we can measure them so well we confirmed the Hawking area theorem.
bigthink.com/starts-with-...
#space #astro #physics #LIGO #hawking
LIGO's 10th anniversary gift confirms Hawking's theorem
10 years ago, LIGO first began directly detecting gravitational waves. Now better than ever, it's revealing previously unreachable features.
bigthink.com
September 17, 2025 at 3:55 PM
Reposted by Professor 💜 P
Where does cosmic dust come from?
#AskEthan
Of all the things that needed to arise to enable life in our Universe, the least appreciated is cosmic dust.
At last, astronomers have pinned down the primary source of its creation.
bigthink.com/starts-with-...
#space #astro #dust #signal #noise
#AskEthan
Of all the things that needed to arise to enable life in our Universe, the least appreciated is cosmic dust.
At last, astronomers have pinned down the primary source of its creation.
bigthink.com/starts-with-...
#space #astro #dust #signal #noise
Ask Ethan: Where does cosmic dust come from?
Dust is ubiquitous in the modern Universe, appearing in nearly all galaxies. But our cosmos was born dust-free. So where does it originate?
bigthink.com
September 12, 2025 at 4:18 PM
Reposted by Professor 💜 P
Today’s M7.4 aftershock of the Kamchatka #earthquake was located in the Northern section of the mainshock rupture, where most aftershocks (in pink/purple) and foreshocks occurred. This event was also an interface thrust earthquake, but slip was concentrated at a greater depth. ⚒️🧪
September 13, 2025 at 11:06 AM
Today’s M7.4 aftershock of the Kamchatka #earthquake was located in the Northern section of the mainshock rupture, where most aftershocks (in pink/purple) and foreshocks occurred. This event was also an interface thrust earthquake, but slip was concentrated at a greater depth. ⚒️🧪
I'm sickened by the gun violence of today.
September 10, 2025 at 9:12 PM
I'm sickened by the gun violence of today.
Reposted by Professor 💜 P
HORRIBLE. SICKENING. UNACCEPTABLE.
In a democracy we settle our differences with words, ideas & actions, not hatred, guns & violence.
#ShameOnUS
In a democracy we settle our differences with words, ideas & actions, not hatred, guns & violence.
#ShameOnUS
September 10, 2025 at 7:52 PM
HORRIBLE. SICKENING. UNACCEPTABLE.
In a democracy we settle our differences with words, ideas & actions, not hatred, guns & violence.
#ShameOnUS
In a democracy we settle our differences with words, ideas & actions, not hatred, guns & violence.
#ShameOnUS
Reposted by Professor 💜 P
USFS recently opened a public comment period around a reckless proposal to eliminate the Roadless Area Conservation Rule, commonly known as the “Roadless Rule,” which could impact over 45M acres of national forestland.
Learn more — and take action. www.npca.org/articles/104...
Learn more — and take action. www.npca.org/articles/104...
6 Reasons to Keep the 'Roadless Rule' in Place
NPCA supports continuation of the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule to protect our nation’s forests — for national parks, wildlife, recreation and more.
www.npca.org
September 5, 2025 at 8:02 PM
USFS recently opened a public comment period around a reckless proposal to eliminate the Roadless Area Conservation Rule, commonly known as the “Roadless Rule,” which could impact over 45M acres of national forestland.
Learn more — and take action. www.npca.org/articles/104...
Learn more — and take action. www.npca.org/articles/104...
Reposted by Professor 💜 P
Could “positive geometry” unlock the theory of everything?
#AskEthan
Searches for a theory of everything have been challenging, to say the least.
Does positive geometry, bolstered by the discovery of the amplituhedron, offer a promising new road?
bigthink.com/starts-with-...
#physics #math
#AskEthan
Searches for a theory of everything have been challenging, to say the least.
Does positive geometry, bolstered by the discovery of the amplituhedron, offer a promising new road?
bigthink.com/starts-with-...
#physics #math
Ask Ethan: Could "positive geometry" unlock the theory of everything?
Since even before Einstein, physicists have sought a theory of everything to explain the Universe. Can positive geometry lead us there?
bigthink.com
September 5, 2025 at 3:16 PM
Could “positive geometry” unlock the theory of everything?
#AskEthan
Searches for a theory of everything have been challenging, to say the least.
Does positive geometry, bolstered by the discovery of the amplituhedron, offer a promising new road?
bigthink.com/starts-with-...
#physics #math
#AskEthan
Searches for a theory of everything have been challenging, to say the least.
Does positive geometry, bolstered by the discovery of the amplituhedron, offer a promising new road?
bigthink.com/starts-with-...
#physics #math
Reposted by Professor 💜 P
The National Hurricane Center says Hurricane Kiko is now a Category 4 cyclone. Forecasters say Kiko has maximum sustained winds of 130 mph on Wednesday.
Hurricane Kiko intensifies to a Category 4 in the Pacific Ocean, forecasters say
The National Hurricane Center says Hurricane Kiko is now a Category 4 cyclone. Forecasters say Kiko has maximum sustained winds of 130 mph on Wednesday.
bit.ly
September 3, 2025 at 9:07 PM
The National Hurricane Center says Hurricane Kiko is now a Category 4 cyclone. Forecasters say Kiko has maximum sustained winds of 130 mph on Wednesday.
Reposted by Professor 💜 P
They want us fighting so we never notice who is stealing from us all. Don’t get lost in the circus.
August 24, 2025 at 10:24 AM
They want us fighting so we never notice who is stealing from us all. Don’t get lost in the circus.
He is so vile.
August 24, 2025 at 5:23 PM
He is so vile.