Shane Larson
@sciencejedi.bsky.social
Physics professor, amateur astro, fountain pens, woodworker, Lego, aspiring guitar player, cat dad, father, [he/him] Posts & opinions are my own.
My Blog: writescience.wordpress.com
My Instructables: www.instructables.com/member/gravitino/instructables/
My Blog: writescience.wordpress.com
My Instructables: www.instructables.com/member/gravitino/instructables/
On my way to Boise to do some talks about LISA and gravitational waves. Did an interview this week with Idaho Matters on Idaho Public Radio about what we are going to talk about! Give it a listen! www.boisestatepublicradio.org/show/idaho-m...
A sun-sized space telescope could transform how we see the cosmos
A sun-sized space detector called LISA is set to catch ripples from colliding black holes, giving scientists a brand-new way to explore the universe.
www.boisestatepublicradio.org
February 5, 2026 at 3:22 AM
On my way to Boise to do some talks about LISA and gravitational waves. Did an interview this week with Idaho Matters on Idaho Public Radio about what we are going to talk about! Give it a listen! www.boisestatepublicradio.org/show/idaho-m...
LISA Pathfinder Reunion in Barcelona for the 10th Anniversary of the launch! I LOVE this picture!
From LISA Pathfinder to LISA: Celebrating 10 years of LPF launch 🛰💛
"A fantastic mission. Everybody who worked with LPF felt in love with the mission."
- Stefano Vitale, LPF PI
"A fantastic mission. Everybody who worked with LPF felt in love with the mission."
- Stefano Vitale, LPF PI
December 4, 2025 at 4:46 PM
LISA Pathfinder Reunion in Barcelona for the 10th Anniversary of the launch! I LOVE this picture!
Today is the 10th Anniversary of the LISA Pathfinder launch! This set the stage for the road to LISA we are currently on -- a remarkable mission that highlights the enormous talent, perseverance, and imagination of the scientists and engineers in the gravitational wave community!
Relive the Moment: LISA Pathfinder has launched! 🚀🛰️
At 04:04UTC on the 3rd December, LISA Pathfinder successfully launched on top of a VEGA launcher.
The rockets first three stages burned for ~7minutes, followed by a nine minute burn for the rockets upper stage.
www.esa.int/ESA_Multimed...
At 04:04UTC on the 3rd December, LISA Pathfinder successfully launched on top of a VEGA launcher.
The rockets first three stages burned for ~7minutes, followed by a nine minute burn for the rockets upper stage.
www.esa.int/ESA_Multimed...
LISA Pathfinder launch - Part 1
www.esa.int
December 3, 2025 at 2:12 PM
Today is the 10th Anniversary of the LISA Pathfinder launch! This set the stage for the road to LISA we are currently on -- a remarkable mission that highlights the enormous talent, perseverance, and imagination of the scientists and engineers in the gravitational wave community!
Reposted by Shane Larson
Happy 10th launch anniversary, LISA Pathfinder! 🥳
For the first time ever, this mission tested in space the technology needed to detect gravitational waves, which paved the way to LISA 🤜 🤛
Planned to launch in 2035, LISA will be first gravitational wave detector in space 👉 esa.int/lisa
🔭
For the first time ever, this mission tested in space the technology needed to detect gravitational waves, which paved the way to LISA 🤜 🤛
Planned to launch in 2035, LISA will be first gravitational wave detector in space 👉 esa.int/lisa
🔭
December 3, 2025 at 1:04 PM
Happy 10th launch anniversary, LISA Pathfinder! 🥳
For the first time ever, this mission tested in space the technology needed to detect gravitational waves, which paved the way to LISA 🤜 🤛
Planned to launch in 2035, LISA will be first gravitational wave detector in space 👉 esa.int/lisa
🔭
For the first time ever, this mission tested in space the technology needed to detect gravitational waves, which paved the way to LISA 🤜 🤛
Planned to launch in 2035, LISA will be first gravitational wave detector in space 👉 esa.int/lisa
🔭
Hey New York! I'll be talking tomorrow night for the Syracuse Astronomical Society -- 6:30pm tomorrow night (20 Nov) at Lemoyne College in Syracuse!
November 20, 2025 at 1:49 AM
Hey New York! I'll be talking tomorrow night for the Syracuse Astronomical Society -- 6:30pm tomorrow night (20 Nov) at Lemoyne College in Syracuse!
Reposted by Shane Larson
This is still the best (and IMO only truly funny) April Fool's prank ever pulled. It's genius.
The 1957 “Spaghetti-Grows-on-Trees” Hoax: One of TV’s First April Fools’ Day Pranks www.openculture.com/2025/11/the-...
The 1957 “Spaghetti-Grows-on-Trees” Hoax: One of TV’s First April Fools’ Day Pranks
In 1957, the BBC program Panorama aired one of the first televised April Fools’ Day hoaxes. Above, you can watch a faux news report from Switzerland narrated by respected BBC journalist Richard Dimble...
www.openculture.com
November 3, 2025 at 1:52 PM
This is still the best (and IMO only truly funny) April Fool's prank ever pulled. It's genius.
The Clarkson Golden Knight with the LISA Cube! #theCube @clarksonuniv.bsky.social @lisacommunity.bsky.social
October 4, 2025 at 2:50 PM
The Clarkson Golden Knight with the LISA Cube! #theCube @clarksonuniv.bsky.social @lisacommunity.bsky.social
There are myriad existential threats to our society right now, the government shutdown non-withstanding. A bit I've been working on to add to your regular calls to your legislators in Congress, and why it matters. wp.me/p19G0g-YS
Dare Mighty Things
by Shane L. Larson In an age of short video reels, endless scrolling through social media, and fractured multi-tasking attention spans, there is a tendency to reduce our civilization — who we…
wp.me
October 1, 2025 at 5:12 PM
There are myriad existential threats to our society right now, the government shutdown non-withstanding. A bit I've been working on to add to your regular calls to your legislators in Congress, and why it matters. wp.me/p19G0g-YS
In recent months, I've lost a dear cousin, watched friends lose parents, lost an old friend from graduate school, and spent a lot of time with beloved friends who are much older than I. So I've been pondering mortality a bit, and so a bit of writing emerges.
wp.me/p19G0g-YH
wp.me/p19G0g-YH
The Circle of Life
by Shane L. Larson For most of our lives, we live day to day surrounded by family, friends, colleagues, and acquaintances. Whether we share only brief hellos, a quick text message, or long conversa…
wp.me
July 23, 2025 at 5:50 AM
In recent months, I've lost a dear cousin, watched friends lose parents, lost an old friend from graduate school, and spent a lot of time with beloved friends who are much older than I. So I've been pondering mortality a bit, and so a bit of writing emerges.
wp.me/p19G0g-YH
wp.me/p19G0g-YH
Quasar time at Sunriver Nature Center & Observatory!
July 12, 2025 at 12:47 AM
Quasar time at Sunriver Nature Center & Observatory!
Talking soon at Carlton Observatory/Evergreen Aviation Museum -- the IMAX screen is HUGE!
July 11, 2025 at 1:47 AM
Talking soon at Carlton Observatory/Evergreen Aviation Museum -- the IMAX screen is HUGE!
A quick hop from the PNW to Chicago for a long ago arranged talk for Mensa -- Wormholes and Bending Spacetime!
July 5, 2025 at 7:44 PM
A quick hop from the PNW to Chicago for a long ago arranged talk for Mensa -- Wormholes and Bending Spacetime!
On a roadtrip during the image release party today... LOOK AT THESE IMAGES! WOWZERS!!!!
Introducing...your sneak peek at the cosmos captured by NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory!
Can you guess these regions of sky?
This is just a small peek...join us at 11am US EDT for your full First Look at how Rubin will #CaptureTheCosmos! 🔭🧪
#RubinFirstLook
ls.st/rubin-first-look-livestream
Can you guess these regions of sky?
This is just a small peek...join us at 11am US EDT for your full First Look at how Rubin will #CaptureTheCosmos! 🔭🧪
#RubinFirstLook
ls.st/rubin-first-look-livestream
June 24, 2025 at 7:48 AM
On a roadtrip during the image release party today... LOOK AT THESE IMAGES! WOWZERS!!!!
I've been sitting on this bit of science writing for a couple of weeks now, just overwhelmed by... My former PhD student (Lindsay DeMarchi) pushed me out of my infinite loop.
wp.me/p19G0g-Yq
wp.me/p19G0g-Yq
Dangerous Ideas
by Shane L. Larson There are many ideas in the world. Some are awe-inspiring (“Perhaps we are the only planet with life in all the Cosmos.”). Some are frightening (“What if there were still no vacc…
wp.me
June 19, 2025 at 4:42 AM
I've been sitting on this bit of science writing for a couple of weeks now, just overwhelmed by... My former PhD student (Lindsay DeMarchi) pushed me out of my infinite loop.
wp.me/p19G0g-Yq
wp.me/p19G0g-Yq
Reposted by Shane Larson
📢 LISA News! 📢
Today at the #ParisAirShow, ESA and OHB System AG have signed their agreement to build LISA!
Today at the #ParisAirShow, ESA and OHB System AG have signed their agreement to build LISA!
June 17, 2025 at 1:17 PM
📢 LISA News! 📢
Today at the #ParisAirShow, ESA and OHB System AG have signed their agreement to build LISA!
Today at the #ParisAirShow, ESA and OHB System AG have signed their agreement to build LISA!
Overlap map of my location, auroral oval, and cloud cover.
June 1, 2025 at 10:59 PM
Overlap map of my location, auroral oval, and cloud cover.
Holy frap! Glacier catstrophically collapsed yesterday in Switzerland, burying the village of Blatten. Caught on video. Shifting temperatures are melting *permafrost*, which releases rocks and boulders, triggering the glacier collapse. www.npr.org/2025/05/29/g...
A Swiss village is buried after a glacier collapses in the Alps
The Birch Glacier above the village of Blatten collapsed and caused a landslide that has buried most of the village. Authorities had evacuated residents earlier this month, but one person is missing.
www.npr.org
May 29, 2025 at 6:10 PM
Holy frap! Glacier catstrophically collapsed yesterday in Switzerland, burying the village of Blatten. Caught on video. Shifting temperatures are melting *permafrost*, which releases rocks and boulders, triggering the glacier collapse. www.npr.org/2025/05/29/g...
Not worried about cuts to the federal science program? It touches every life, every day, in ways we don't think about. Make no mistake -- the decimation of the federal science program impacts a long list from food safety, forecasts, disaster readiness... things that protect Every. Single. Person.
Most Americans frequently use federal science information. But few are concerned that cuts to federal science spending could affect their access to such information, a new poll finds.
Most Americans use federal science information on a weekly basis, a new poll finds
Most Americans frequently use federal science information. But few are concerned that cuts to federal science spending could affect their access to such information, a new poll finds.
www.npr.org
May 7, 2025 at 8:14 PM
Not worried about cuts to the federal science program? It touches every life, every day, in ways we don't think about. Make no mistake -- the decimation of the federal science program impacts a long list from food safety, forecasts, disaster readiness... things that protect Every. Single. Person.
We have the "Last Box" from our move to Chicago, so used it as Last Box again! Movers are here, we'll be at Clarkson in New York by the end of the week!
March 24, 2025 at 3:05 PM
We have the "Last Box" from our move to Chicago, so used it as Last Box again! Movers are here, we'll be at Clarkson in New York by the end of the week!
Talk at #APSSummit25 is in the bag! In the special workshop by the Precision Measurement Topical Group called "New Methods to Detect Gravitational Waves." I would say @lisacommunity.bsky.social is the most "traditional" method so far -- been hearing about all kinds of cool new things!
March 16, 2025 at 8:17 PM
Talk at #APSSummit25 is in the bag! In the special workshop by the Precision Measurement Topical Group called "New Methods to Detect Gravitational Waves." I would say @lisacommunity.bsky.social is the most "traditional" method so far -- been hearing about all kinds of cool new things!
I'm in Anaheim for the Global Physics Summit! #APSSummit25 @apsphysics.bsky.social
March 16, 2025 at 3:26 PM
I'm in Anaheim for the Global Physics Summit! #APSSummit25 @apsphysics.bsky.social
Happy Women's Day! In my life I have been mentored, trained, and guided by brilliant and talented women, and I am thankful they each took me under their wing. I have too many colleagues and students to list, but I stand to honor all of you. Continue to be who and how you all are. #WomensDay2025
March 8, 2025 at 3:24 PM
Happy Women's Day! In my life I have been mentored, trained, and guided by brilliant and talented women, and I am thankful they each took me under their wing. I have too many colleagues and students to list, but I stand to honor all of you. Continue to be who and how you all are. #WomensDay2025
Reposted by Shane Larson
#Project2025 specifically calls for #NOAA to be “dismantled,” “downsized,” and “eliminated,” recommending the privatization of its essential functions. Frank Schwing, Science Network member and retired federal scientist, explains how your community’s safety and prosperity rely on NOAA. #ProtectNOAA
What Does NOAA Do for Us, and How Can We Defend It?
The Trump administration has attempted to cut staff at a vital agency that keeps us safe. Here's what we can do about it.
blog.ucsusa.org
March 3, 2025 at 5:00 PM
#Project2025 specifically calls for #NOAA to be “dismantled,” “downsized,” and “eliminated,” recommending the privatization of its essential functions. Frank Schwing, Science Network member and retired federal scientist, explains how your community’s safety and prosperity rely on NOAA. #ProtectNOAA
Great sun halo over Chicagoland this morning. Take a break briefly from the drama of the world, for yourself, and bask is the solace of the sky. #lookUp
February 19, 2025 at 10:43 PM
Great sun halo over Chicagoland this morning. Take a break briefly from the drama of the world, for yourself, and bask is the solace of the sky. #lookUp