Tim Fernholz
@timfernholz.com
journalist, author, internet participant
writing and reporting on space, technology, and finance
timfernholz.substack.com
www.timfernholz.com
Oakland, CA
writing and reporting on space, technology, and finance
timfernholz.substack.com
www.timfernholz.com
Oakland, CA
Reposted by Tim Fernholz
how are you celebrating California Has Filled Up Its Water Reservoir Day today, citizen comrade
December 27, 2025 at 8:56 PM
how are you celebrating California Has Filled Up Its Water Reservoir Day today, citizen comrade
Reposted by Tim Fernholz
another robot highlight for 2025: man wearing humanoid mocap suit kicks himself in the balls
December 27, 2025 at 5:27 PM
another robot highlight for 2025: man wearing humanoid mocap suit kicks himself in the balls
Reposted by Tim Fernholz
He knows whereof he speaks
December 27, 2025 at 4:52 PM
He knows whereof he speaks
Reposted by Tim Fernholz
The trouble with scaling up social work using volunteers — bypassing the experts with insights into the populations and logistics involved in social work — loom for both mutual aid and faith-based aid. That's why liberals say it's a job for the state
December 27, 2025 at 4:01 PM
The trouble with scaling up social work using volunteers — bypassing the experts with insights into the populations and logistics involved in social work — loom for both mutual aid and faith-based aid. That's why liberals say it's a job for the state
TIL: they don't sell baby wipes in Logan airport
December 26, 2025 at 4:09 PM
TIL: they don't sell baby wipes in Logan airport
Reposted by Tim Fernholz
New, by @lorenzofb.bsky.social and me: We just published TechCrunch's annual jealousy list of cybersecurity stories that we *didn’t* publish but wish we had. This is the very best cybersecuirty reporting from our friends at competing publications.
techcrunch.com/2025/12/26/t...
techcrunch.com/2025/12/26/t...
These are the cybersecurity stories we were jealous of in 2025 | TechCrunch
The very best reporting and investigative journalism from our friends at other publications.
techcrunch.com
December 26, 2025 at 2:26 PM
New, by @lorenzofb.bsky.social and me: We just published TechCrunch's annual jealousy list of cybersecurity stories that we *didn’t* publish but wish we had. This is the very best cybersecuirty reporting from our friends at competing publications.
techcrunch.com/2025/12/26/t...
techcrunch.com/2025/12/26/t...
Reposted by Tim Fernholz
some good climate/energy news:
* 96% of new US power capacity was carbon-free in 2024 (56 gigawatts!)
* 2025 included the first month ever when 51% of power on the U.S. grid was carbon-free
* The golbal trend is overwhelming: The world is now investing more $ in clean energy than fossil fuels
* 96% of new US power capacity was carbon-free in 2024 (56 gigawatts!)
* 2025 included the first month ever when 51% of power on the U.S. grid was carbon-free
* The golbal trend is overwhelming: The world is now investing more $ in clean energy than fossil fuels
Clean energy is going to win. It's just a question of when.
Clean energy is still winning. These 10 charts prove it.
Solar and wind are beating new power demand, steelmaking is slowly getting off coal, and more clean energy victories are clear in these charts.
www.canarymedia.com
December 26, 2025 at 2:09 PM
some good climate/energy news:
* 96% of new US power capacity was carbon-free in 2024 (56 gigawatts!)
* 2025 included the first month ever when 51% of power on the U.S. grid was carbon-free
* The golbal trend is overwhelming: The world is now investing more $ in clean energy than fossil fuels
* 96% of new US power capacity was carbon-free in 2024 (56 gigawatts!)
* 2025 included the first month ever when 51% of power on the U.S. grid was carbon-free
* The golbal trend is overwhelming: The world is now investing more $ in clean energy than fossil fuels
my favorite greeting season: when I can say "happy new year" at the conclusion of every conversation
December 26, 2025 at 2:22 PM
my favorite greeting season: when I can say "happy new year" at the conclusion of every conversation
Reposted by Tim Fernholz
So I have the cover story in next month's TNR.
I interviewed the heads of police groups; immigration defense attorneys, ex-judges and ex-prosecutors; former DOJ and DHS officials, and the former head of Border Patrol.
They're all horrified at what we've seen, and they all fear what's coming.
I interviewed the heads of police groups; immigration defense attorneys, ex-judges and ex-prosecutors; former DOJ and DHS officials, and the former head of Border Patrol.
They're all horrified at what we've seen, and they all fear what's coming.
Trump’s Immigration Nightmare: It Is Happening Here
With astonishing speed, the administration has toppled the most cherished pillars of a free society. And the experts agree: It’s all going to get much, much worse.
newrepublic.com
December 24, 2025 at 3:08 PM
So I have the cover story in next month's TNR.
I interviewed the heads of police groups; immigration defense attorneys, ex-judges and ex-prosecutors; former DOJ and DHS officials, and the former head of Border Patrol.
They're all horrified at what we've seen, and they all fear what's coming.
I interviewed the heads of police groups; immigration defense attorneys, ex-judges and ex-prosecutors; former DOJ and DHS officials, and the former head of Border Patrol.
They're all horrified at what we've seen, and they all fear what's coming.
Reposted by Tim Fernholz
Just wow. @pluralistic.net.web.brid.gy came out swinging in this article. He's right though and that's the coolest part.
December 26, 2025 at 12:47 PM
Just wow. @pluralistic.net.web.brid.gy came out swinging in this article. He's right though and that's the coolest part.
Reposted by Tim Fernholz
Tenet Media founder Lauren Chen, who secretly took money from two people with ties to Russian state media to involve conservative influencers in an unwitting propaganda scheme, is back in the US after being deported to Canada under President Biden. www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
December 25, 2025 at 9:09 PM
Tenet Media founder Lauren Chen, who secretly took money from two people with ties to Russian state media to involve conservative influencers in an unwitting propaganda scheme, is back in the US after being deported to Canada under President Biden. www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
Reposted by Tim Fernholz
A deeply personal one from me. Hug the ones you have and remember those who love you:
🎁 wapo.st/4scqhfN
🎁 wapo.st/4scqhfN
It took 20 years, but I granted my dad his last wish
When I found out my dad’s last wish was for his family to ride in El Tour de Tucson, I took up the challenge.
wapo.st
December 25, 2025 at 6:39 PM
A deeply personal one from me. Hug the ones you have and remember those who love you:
🎁 wapo.st/4scqhfN
🎁 wapo.st/4scqhfN
Reposted by Tim Fernholz
seems telling that trump is fundamentally incapable of saying what epstein did wrong in any of his many statements about him
December 26, 2025 at 1:06 AM
seems telling that trump is fundamentally incapable of saying what epstein did wrong in any of his many statements about him
so now you won't know if an LLM's output is hallucination or paid programming
"One of the options staff has discussed is giving sponsored information preferential treatment in responses to users’ ChatGPT queries, according to the person familiar with the discussions. For instance, AI models could prioritize sponsored content to ensure it shows up in ChatGPT responses"
December 25, 2025 at 4:03 PM
so now you won't know if an LLM's output is hallucination or paid programming
Reposted by Tim Fernholz
I love the east Bay Area. People of different races and religions live and work together to build the American Dream. We in liberal society take this for granted but the national rise of extremism stemming from online content seeks to take this away from us.
darrellowens.substack.com/p/the-americ...
darrellowens.substack.com/p/the-americ...
The American Beauty of the East Bay
Americanism is facing its biggest challenge from extremism. The people of the Bay Area show why its worth fighting for.
darrellowens.substack.com
December 25, 2025 at 3:56 AM
I love the east Bay Area. People of different races and religions live and work together to build the American Dream. We in liberal society take this for granted but the national rise of extremism stemming from online content seeks to take this away from us.
darrellowens.substack.com/p/the-americ...
darrellowens.substack.com/p/the-americ...
Reposted by Tim Fernholz
NORAD Santa tracker is Woke
December 25, 2025 at 2:28 AM
NORAD Santa tracker is Woke
this is foolish for someone whose whole mission is essentially procurement reform, whether he really believes it is true or if it is just the kind of thing Trump political appointees have to say
December 24, 2025 at 10:35 PM
this is foolish for someone whose whole mission is essentially procurement reform, whether he really believes it is true or if it is just the kind of thing Trump political appointees have to say
Reposted by Tim Fernholz
"Like Amazon Prime, but with human beings."
December 24, 2025 at 5:50 PM
"Like Amazon Prime, but with human beings."
Reposted by Tim Fernholz
it requires an absolutely staggering lack of self awareness for chatterton to complain that he has lost elite opportunities because he has anti-woke views.
The Other Way the ‘Super Woke’ Left Discriminates
Race and gender aren’t the only categories that determine who gets special treatment.
www.theatlantic.com
December 24, 2025 at 5:16 PM
it requires an absolutely staggering lack of self awareness for chatterton to complain that he has lost elite opportunities because he has anti-woke views.
Reposted by Tim Fernholz
I thought, based on the social media-fication of the @rachelaviv.bsky.social Oliver Sacks piece, that Sacks had invented patients wholesale. But instead it’s what was once seemingly secretly acceptable among highbrow writers: making up quotes and details about people to make them more interesting.
December 24, 2025 at 4:08 PM
I thought, based on the social media-fication of the @rachelaviv.bsky.social Oliver Sacks piece, that Sacks had invented patients wholesale. But instead it’s what was once seemingly secretly acceptable among highbrow writers: making up quotes and details about people to make them more interesting.
Reposted by Tim Fernholz
I'm not saying something that people don't already know. But it's worth making the issue explicit. We have an elaborate jurisprudence of probable cause, rooted in explicit strictures in the constitution that places big limits on what police can do to you. Those limits may be honored in the breach...
only a bit above the paywall but you get the horrible gist www.miamiherald.com/news/local/i...
Body cam footage shows feds threatening U.S. citizen detained in Key Largo
The woman, dressed in medical scrubs, was on her way to work when she was forcibly removed from her car and cuffed before being let go.
www.miamiherald.com
December 24, 2025 at 1:10 AM
I'm not saying something that people don't already know. But it's worth making the issue explicit. We have an elaborate jurisprudence of probable cause, rooted in explicit strictures in the constitution that places big limits on what police can do to you. Those limits may be honored in the breach...
Reposted by Tim Fernholz
CSIS: “This ship will never sail. It will take years to design, cost $9 billion each to build, and contravene the Navy’s new concept of operations, which envisions distributed firepower. A future administration will cancel the program before the first ship hits the water.”
December 23, 2025 at 4:52 PM
CSIS: “This ship will never sail. It will take years to design, cost $9 billion each to build, and contravene the Navy’s new concept of operations, which envisions distributed firepower. A future administration will cancel the program before the first ship hits the water.”
Reposted by Tim Fernholz
AI ran into a brick wall trying to control smart home devices this year, which feels like the canary in the coal mine for a lot of things. Excellent @jp2e.bsky.social dive into why and what comes next www.theverge.com/tech/845958/...
December 23, 2025 at 3:22 PM
AI ran into a brick wall trying to control smart home devices this year, which feels like the canary in the coal mine for a lot of things. Excellent @jp2e.bsky.social dive into why and what comes next www.theverge.com/tech/845958/...
Reposted by Tim Fernholz
Wildly different things, tasks, techniques, subspecialties being lumped into "AI" and then being conflated with each other, doesn't help. Different types of models vs the techniques to train them vs the tasks they are supposed to accomplish, all under "AI".
December 22, 2025 at 5:21 PM
Wildly different things, tasks, techniques, subspecialties being lumped into "AI" and then being conflated with each other, doesn't help. Different types of models vs the techniques to train them vs the tasks they are supposed to accomplish, all under "AI".