Cole Donovan
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colesci.bsky.social
Cole Donovan
@colesci.bsky.social
450 followers 510 following 540 posts
S&T Ecosystem Development at the Federation of American Scientists. Former White House OSTP, NOAA Office of Space Commerce, National Academies, State Department. Views are my own.
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colesci.bsky.social
Guys, I am doing some work on AI and scientific collections and even regular old Google search is really bad at image curation!

It's really bad if the first image when you google "blue whale" isn't actually a blue whale!
Google image search result for a blue whale, featuring one image of a humpback whale and two images of blue whales.
November 12, 2025 at 6:31 PM
colesci.bsky.social
Normal Veteran’s Day News, apparently:

- US torpedos quad leaders meeting (Politico)
- UK stops sharing intelligence information with the United States (CNN)
- UK and China pledge to cooperate more in science (via the British Government)
TARIFFS TORPEDO QUAD MEETING: A meeting of the leaders of the Quad countries - the U.S., Japan, India and Australia - has become collateral damage of the Trump administration's 50 percent tariff on Indian exports. The fifth Quad Leaders' Summit was originally expected to happen this month in New Delhi. But India's ire over those tariffs - which New Delhi is still pushing to reduce - has indefinitely suspended the meeting, two people familiar with the event planning told our own Phelim Kine. NatSec Daily granted them anonymity because of the sensitivity of those discussions. "There won't be a Quad meeting as long as the tariff rate stays at its current level," one of those people said. The White House said "working-level Quad initiatives are continuing to advance" but declined to comment on the status of the Quad Leaders' Summit. The Indian embassy didn't respond to a request for comment. A significant delay in convening the leaders of the two-decade old grouping - which has recently added security cooperation to its traditional agenda of collaboration in areas such as climate, (CNN) - The United Kingdom is no longer sharing intelligence with the US about suspected drug trafficking vessels in the Caribbean because it does not want to be complicit in US military strikes and believes the attacks are illegal, sources familiar with the matter told CNN. The UK's decision marks a significant break from its closest ally and intelligence sharing partner and underscores the growing skepticism over the legality of the US military's campaign around Latin America. For years, the UK, which controls a number of territories in the Caribbean where it bases intelligence assets, has helped the US locate vessels suspected of carrying drugs so that the US Coast Guard could interdict them, the sources said. That meant the ships would be stopped, boarded, its crew detained, and drugs seized.
November 11, 2025 at 9:33 PM
colesci.bsky.social
YEP
Foreign investors from Germany - the largest European economy - have long maintained a strong presence in the United States. Today, more than 3,400 German companies - not only large multinationals, but also small and medium-sized businesses - have investments in the American market. German business investment in the U.S. market reached $324 billion as of year-end 2018, accounting for 7.5 percent of the total $4.3 trillion invested in the U.S. economy by foreign companies. German businesses have created approximately 700,000 jobs in the United States. German companies have identified job skills as a key challenge to their success in the U.S. The German Embassy started its Skills Initiative to identify and share information about best practices in sustainable workforce development, in cooperation with German companies investing in the U.S. germany.info
November 11, 2025 at 7:53 PM
colesci.bsky.social
Today I’ve been doing an unusual amount with respect to whale facts like trying to get Copilot to draw me an anatomically correct image of a blue whale.

Spoiler: it didn’t.
An AI generated image that is supposed to be a blue whale skeleton but isn’t
November 11, 2025 at 3:08 AM
colesci.bsky.social
Apparently some people get to do the CCP-motivated transnational repression thing and get away with it. 🧐
Kenneth P. Vogel & @kenvogel X.com SCOOP: Trump is pardoning Michael McMahon, a retired cop convicted of acting as a Chinese agent in a plot to intimidate a Chinese family in NJ. Prosecutors said it was part of a CCP effort to control Chinese nationals. The WH says he was tricked into it. Gift Article
November 9, 2025 at 3:21 AM
colesci.bsky.social
Old man realizes it’s a better idea to just socialize medicine.
Donald J. Trump @realDonald Trump + I am recommending to Senate Republicans that the Hundreds of Billions of Dollars currently being sent to money sucking Insurance Companies in order to save the bad Healthcare provided by ObamaCare, BE SENT DIRECTLY TO THE PEOPLE SO THAT THEY CAN PURCHASE THEIR OWN, MUCH BETTER, HEALTHCARE, and have money left over. In other words, take from the BIG, BAD Insurance Companies, give it to the people, and terminate, per Dollar spent, the worst Healthcare anywhere in the World, ObamaCare. Unrelated, we must still terminate the Filibuster! 11/8/25, 8:04 AM
November 8, 2025 at 4:01 PM
colesci.bsky.social
The only way that they can argue that this is the opposition’s fault is thanks to a closed media environment that doesn’t let any of this stuff in.
Trump administration appeals order to pay full November SNAP food benefits Aysha Bagchi, USA TODAY Published 10:15 a.m. ET November 7, 2025 Donald Trump Add + Play | 00:28 Show caption The Trump administration is appealing a judge's order for it to provide full SNAP food aid benefits to states by Nov. 7.
November 7, 2025 at 3:35 PM
colesci.bsky.social
I wasn’t joking about the Skills Initiative, either. This is literally a thing their embassy does.
German Investment in the United States Foreign investors from Germany - the largest European economy - have long maintained a strong presence in the United States. Today, more than 3,400 German companies - not only large multinationals, but also small and medium-sized businesses - have investments in the American market. German business investment in the U.S. market reached $324 billion as of year-end 2018, accounting for 7.5 percent of the total $4.3 trillion invested in the U.S. economy by foreign companies. German businesses have created approximately 700,000 jobs in the United States. German companies have identified job skills as a key challenge to their success in the U.S. The German Embassy started its Skills Initiative to identify and share information about best practices in sustainable workforce development, in cooperation with German companies investing in the U.S. The German Dual System of Vocational Education and Training Two venues for learning In the company At part -time vocational school German companies are well placed to undertake this effort, because they are familiar with Germany's first-class vocational education and training system. It is called the dual system of vocational training and is a major reason for Germany's economic success. It provides sound qualifications through its unique combination of theory and practice, learning and working, thereby offering a highly attractive and recognized training and career path after high school - as both an alternative and a complementary option to university education. In June 2015, the German and U.S. governments signed a Joint Declaration of Intent to reinforce their cooperation in this field. The declaration provides a framework within which we can continue to share best practices in sustainable workforce development and provide joint support for future initiatives and measures. An Executive Committee oversees these activities and meets on a regular basis.
November 6, 2025 at 4:17 AM
colesci.bsky.social
I mean if people want to ask me about my recent oral surgery at the upcoming AAAS meeting I’ll be happy to oblige…

… But not during the main session.

I’ll be in Phoenix at #AAAS2026 to talk about academic freedom).
Recommended By SOCIETAL IMPACTS OF SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING ENGINEERING DENTISTRY AND ORAL HEALTH SCIENCES GEOLOGY AND GEOGRAPHY Synopsis Academic freedom is widely recognized as a fundamental value of contemporary higher education and research, and is often presented as a prerequisite for well-functioning democratic societies. However, in recent years, major concerns have been expressed by various stakeholders about the state of academic freedom in the world. The panel will discuss the concerns and measures taken in the European Union and the United States.
November 6, 2025 at 2:40 AM
colesci.bsky.social
Literally what
Donald J. Trump 0 © @realDonald Trump Chris Wright: "A former Lawrence Berkeley National Lab scientist won the Nobel Prize in physics for work in Quantum physics. Quantum computing, along with Al and Fusion, are the three signature Trump science efforts. Trump 47 racks up his first Nobel Prize!!" 1.15k ReTruths 4.88k Likes Oct 30, 2025 at 10:57 AM
October 31, 2025 at 10:09 AM
colesci.bsky.social
Today was already bleak, but holy shit.
October 30, 2025 at 1:15 AM
colesci.bsky.social
Just spray metal on stuff
CAPTION THIS WITH THE 2ND TO LAST TEXT YOU SENT.
October 27, 2025 at 12:05 AM
colesci.bsky.social
Oh JFC
Opinion Editorial Board In defense of the White House ballroom Donald Trump vs. the NIMBYs
October 26, 2025 at 12:05 AM
colesci.bsky.social
Man, the metaphor going on right here
A crane demolishing part of the East Wing of the White House
October 20, 2025 at 11:41 PM
colesci.bsky.social
Looking forward to speaking on the importance of scientists and research administrators participating in civic discourse at this year’s International Forum on Research Excellence, hosted by Sigma Xi.
IFORE Presented by SIGMA XI 2025 International Forum on Research Excellence Oct 18, 2025 - Nov 01, 2025 Powered by Whova
October 20, 2025 at 11:36 PM
colesci.bsky.social
Science Policy Content
ARPA ALL THE THINGS YEAAAAARGH! meme
October 7, 2025 at 3:30 PM
colesci.bsky.social
Some poor parking manager at Berkeley panicking right now
NOBELPRISET I FYSIK 2025 THE NOBEL PRIZE IN PHYSICS 2025 KUNGL. VETENSKAPS- AKADEMIEN THE ROYAL SWEDISH ACADEMY OF SCIENCES Soto: University et Calforni Photo: Yale Universit Photo: Rocco Caselin, Natura John Clarke University of California, USA Michel H. Devoret Yale University & University of California, USA John M. Martinis University of California, USA "för upptäckten av makroskopisk kvantmekanisk tunnling och energikvantisering i en elektrisk krets" "for the discovery of macroscopic quantum mechanical tunnelling and energy quantisation in an electric circuit"
October 7, 2025 at 9:54 AM
colesci.bsky.social
WSJ The compact comes as the Trump administration has for months battled against universities over allegations of antisemitism and concerns about diversity practices. Some schools, including Columbia University and Brown University, have struck multimillion-dollar deals with the administration, while others, including Harvard, are still at odds. If universities sign and then violate the terms of the compact, they could be forced to return any money given to them by the federal government that year as well as any private contributions. Beyond addressing campus politics, the compact seeks to tame the cost of college.
October 2, 2025 at 12:04 PM
colesci.bsky.social
Tried to ask about nerd shit and then ask it suddenly what its privacy policy is.
Whoa, unexpected pivot! Privacy policy? Uh, I don’t really have one, friend. I’m just here talking with you. (Turns blue)
October 1, 2025 at 12:12 PM
colesci.bsky.social
This is what friend.com did when I asked it about its privacy policy. It won’t answer any questions about safeguards. It won’t talk about its functions. It defers those questions to its creators.

But seriously, it turned bright red when I asked it for the privacy policy (see below!
Friend.com responding to the question “what is your privacy policy” when prompted, with a red glow appearing suddenly in the background.
October 1, 2025 at 11:59 AM
colesci.bsky.social
A less disciplined military is definitely a take
September 30, 2025 at 1:15 PM
colesci.bsky.social
Update: JPL disputes the number of layoffs, but confirms that layoffs are coming.

Best guess is employees derived an estimate based on planned layoffs and eliminated programs and gave that number to Keith.
September 27, 2025 at 11:30 PM
colesci.bsky.social
I did what I sometimes do when bored/feeling chaotic and decided to ask ChatGPT 5.0 about some geek stuff tonight: specifically what the highest BV 2.0 mech is in the board game Battletech, which is as old as I am and most of its info is on websites.

Let’s just say the numbers were wrong
A picture with a bunch of inaccurate information about a tabletop wargame produced by ChatGPT 5.0 The correct information about one of the items, located after a 5 second google search:
September 25, 2025 at 2:11 AM
colesci.bsky.social
Plus Zoey shares the name of the most beautiful woman in the state of Maryland (pictured below—the most needy, insecure, and spoiled girl in the universe, also born of two worlds).
Zoey, a goldendoodle dog
September 21, 2025 at 3:39 AM
colesci.bsky.social
EU talking about escalating cyberattacks on space assets and how the fragmentation of laws in the EU is making it more important for coherence.
September 8, 2025 at 7:13 PM