Robert Silvas
@dedwts5.bsky.social
| TINSTAAFL | @coloradocollege ‘03| @GSSWDENVER ‘05| @us_sams ‘19| Colorado Native| I dabble in Nuke, CWMD & Space Plans, Policy, & Strategy | Former Infantry |
“No, no, man! Shit, no, man! I believe you'll get your ass kicked saying something like that, man."
Total bollocks, I'm the same age as Farage, my father fought in WW2 (1939-1945), my mother lived in a Nazi occupied country, I grew up loathing Hitler and his regime. Only a few National Front freaks were like Farage.
December 10, 2025 at 1:28 PM
“No, no, man! Shit, no, man! I believe you'll get your ass kicked saying something like that, man."
Reposted by Robert Silvas
Reposted by Robert Silvas
The adventures of a precocious 6-year-old and his stuffed tiger debuted on November 18, 1985. NPR's Renee Montagne spoke with the comic strip's editor, Lee Salem, in 2005.
40 years ago, Calvin and Hobbes' raucous adventures burst onto the comics page
The adventures of a precocious 6-year-old and his stuffed tiger debuted on November 18, 1985. NPR's Renee Montagne spoke with the comic strip's editor, Lee Salem, in 2005.
n.pr
November 22, 2025 at 12:29 AM
The adventures of a precocious 6-year-old and his stuffed tiger debuted on November 18, 1985. NPR's Renee Montagne spoke with the comic strip's editor, Lee Salem, in 2005.
Reposted by Robert Silvas
"Perhaps the truth depends on a walk around the lake."
Wallace Stevens, born on this day in 1879
Wallace Stevens, born on this day in 1879
October 2, 2025 at 9:49 AM
"Perhaps the truth depends on a walk around the lake."
Wallace Stevens, born on this day in 1879
Wallace Stevens, born on this day in 1879
Reposted by Robert Silvas
100-Ton Pretest at Trinity site had Hanford irradiated slug dissolved in tubing throughout explosives. Some neat photos of them loading the slug via mirrors and long tongs
September 6, 2025 at 5:52 PM
100-Ton Pretest at Trinity site had Hanford irradiated slug dissolved in tubing throughout explosives. Some neat photos of them loading the slug via mirrors and long tongs
Reposted by Robert Silvas
Fun fact for today: the Arctic and the Antarctic are named after the Greek word for bear, arktos.
Our polar regions are, essentially, BEAR and NO BEAR.
Our polar regions are, essentially, BEAR and NO BEAR.
a polar bear with its mouth open and teeth showing
ALT: a polar bear with its mouth open and teeth showing
media.tenor.com
July 28, 2025 at 9:01 AM
Fun fact for today: the Arctic and the Antarctic are named after the Greek word for bear, arktos.
Our polar regions are, essentially, BEAR and NO BEAR.
Our polar regions are, essentially, BEAR and NO BEAR.
Reposted by Robert Silvas
I explained nuclear deterrence to YouTuber Johnny Harris for his video explainer on nuclear weapons. Check it out: www.youtube.com/watch?v=1U51...
Nukes are way scarier than you think
YouTube video by Johnny Harris
www.youtube.com
July 24, 2025 at 11:44 PM
I explained nuclear deterrence to YouTuber Johnny Harris for his video explainer on nuclear weapons. Check it out: www.youtube.com/watch?v=1U51...
Reposted by Robert Silvas
“In Vladimir Putin’s mind, history matters—that is, history as he sees it. Putin’s conception of the past may be very different from what is generally accepted, but his narratives are a potent political weapon, and they underpin his legitimacy.”
The World Putin Wants
Distortions about the past feed delusions about the future.
www.foreignaffairs.com
July 20, 2025 at 10:47 PM
“In Vladimir Putin’s mind, history matters—that is, history as he sees it. Putin’s conception of the past may be very different from what is generally accepted, but his narratives are a potent political weapon, and they underpin his legitimacy.”
Reposted by Robert Silvas
Study finds A.I. LLMs advise women to ask for lower salaries than men. When prompted w/ a user profile of same education, experience & job role, differing only by gender, ChatGPT advised the female applicant to request $280K salary; Male applicant=$400K.
thenextweb.com/news/chatgpt...
thenextweb.com/news/chatgpt...
ChatGPT advises women to ask for lower salaries, study finds
A new study has found that large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT consistently advise women to ask for lower salaries than men.
thenextweb.com
July 20, 2025 at 8:16 PM
Study finds A.I. LLMs advise women to ask for lower salaries than men. When prompted w/ a user profile of same education, experience & job role, differing only by gender, ChatGPT advised the female applicant to request $280K salary; Male applicant=$400K.
thenextweb.com/news/chatgpt...
thenextweb.com/news/chatgpt...
Reposted by Robert Silvas
21. This is borderline politics, but it's not partisan US politics, so...
I am SUPER pessimistic that I'll live the rest of my life without seeing someone use a nuclear weapon in anger.
I am SUPER pessimistic that I'll live the rest of my life without seeing someone use a nuclear weapon in anger.
July 21, 2025 at 12:23 AM
21. This is borderline politics, but it's not partisan US politics, so...
I am SUPER pessimistic that I'll live the rest of my life without seeing someone use a nuclear weapon in anger.
I am SUPER pessimistic that I'll live the rest of my life without seeing someone use a nuclear weapon in anger.
Brilliant!
The ex wife was in “varsity blues” and billy bob was coach in “Friday night lights” I like to think it’s all part of Texas movie universe
July 2, 2025 at 3:41 AM
Brilliant!
Reposted by Robert Silvas
Worth a watch:
Head of Signal, Meredith Whittaker, on so-called "agentic AI" and the difference between how it's described in the marketing and what access and control it would actually require to work as advertised.
Head of Signal, Meredith Whittaker, on so-called "agentic AI" and the difference between how it's described in the marketing and what access and control it would actually require to work as advertised.
June 26, 2025 at 4:28 PM
Worth a watch:
Head of Signal, Meredith Whittaker, on so-called "agentic AI" and the difference between how it's described in the marketing and what access and control it would actually require to work as advertised.
Head of Signal, Meredith Whittaker, on so-called "agentic AI" and the difference between how it's described in the marketing and what access and control it would actually require to work as advertised.
Reposted by Robert Silvas
‘What military commanders do and how they do it’ has climbed to be the most popular article in @sjms.bsky.social 🙏🎉
It was the first product of my PhD journey, and I regularly revisit it.
There are quite a few fun gems in there, as well as some analysis of decision-making.
sjms.nu/articles/10....
It was the first product of my PhD journey, and I regularly revisit it.
There are quite a few fun gems in there, as well as some analysis of decision-making.
sjms.nu/articles/10....
June 3, 2025 at 7:06 PM
‘What military commanders do and how they do it’ has climbed to be the most popular article in @sjms.bsky.social 🙏🎉
It was the first product of my PhD journey, and I regularly revisit it.
There are quite a few fun gems in there, as well as some analysis of decision-making.
sjms.nu/articles/10....
It was the first product of my PhD journey, and I regularly revisit it.
There are quite a few fun gems in there, as well as some analysis of decision-making.
sjms.nu/articles/10....
Reposted by Robert Silvas
We Now Know How AI ‘Thinks’—and It’s Barely Thinking at All
Maybe you've heard that AIs are "black boxes"
But a growing body of research keeps arriving at the same conclusion: Today's AIs all work in surprisingly similar -- and simplistic -- ways
1/2
www.wsj.com/tech/ai/how-...
Maybe you've heard that AIs are "black boxes"
But a growing body of research keeps arriving at the same conclusion: Today's AIs all work in surprisingly similar -- and simplistic -- ways
1/2
www.wsj.com/tech/ai/how-...
We Now Know How AI ‘Thinks’—and It’s Barely Thinking at All
The vast ‘brains’ of artificial intelligence models can memorize endless lists of rules. That’s useful, but not how humans solve problems.
www.wsj.com
April 26, 2025 at 3:19 PM
We Now Know How AI ‘Thinks’—and It’s Barely Thinking at All
Maybe you've heard that AIs are "black boxes"
But a growing body of research keeps arriving at the same conclusion: Today's AIs all work in surprisingly similar -- and simplistic -- ways
1/2
www.wsj.com/tech/ai/how-...
Maybe you've heard that AIs are "black boxes"
But a growing body of research keeps arriving at the same conclusion: Today's AIs all work in surprisingly similar -- and simplistic -- ways
1/2
www.wsj.com/tech/ai/how-...
Reposted by Robert Silvas
This past weekend, @washingtonpost.com published our 16-page special section on the Sahel — a region of the world that over the past decade has been transformed by conflict.
A thread below of reporting highlights from 12+ trips to the region & each of the stories in 📰
A thread below of reporting highlights from 12+ trips to the region & each of the stories in 📰
February 28, 2025 at 1:41 PM
This past weekend, @washingtonpost.com published our 16-page special section on the Sahel — a region of the world that over the past decade has been transformed by conflict.
A thread below of reporting highlights from 12+ trips to the region & each of the stories in 📰
A thread below of reporting highlights from 12+ trips to the region & each of the stories in 📰
Reposted by Robert Silvas
My book “Under the Nuclear Shadow” is out in just over a month! For a deep dive on China’s decision-making about cyberattacks, counter-space and precision strike (and some nuclear), pre-order your copy from Princeton University Press for 30% off with code P327:
press.princeton.edu/books/paperb...
press.princeton.edu/books/paperb...
November 26, 2024 at 3:04 PM
My book “Under the Nuclear Shadow” is out in just over a month! For a deep dive on China’s decision-making about cyberattacks, counter-space and precision strike (and some nuclear), pre-order your copy from Princeton University Press for 30% off with code P327:
press.princeton.edu/books/paperb...
press.princeton.edu/books/paperb...
Reposted by Robert Silvas
I don't know how to break this to folks, but there really aren't any military establishments or institutional big thinkers offering much that varies significantly from what the IDF is doing in Gaza where an enemy has embedded within an urban population.
November 19, 2024 at 12:21 PM
I don't know how to break this to folks, but there really aren't any military establishments or institutional big thinkers offering much that varies significantly from what the IDF is doing in Gaza where an enemy has embedded within an urban population.
Reposted by Robert Silvas
Mount Taylor #NewMexico #drone cinematography
#travel #hiking #nature #landscape #roadtrip #daytrip #weekendgetaway
#travel #hiking #nature #landscape #roadtrip #daytrip #weekendgetaway
Mount Taylor New Mexico drone cinematography!
https://youtu.be/y1DAOpEqTzI
youtu.be
December 1, 2024 at 2:13 AM
Mount Taylor #NewMexico #drone cinematography
#travel #hiking #nature #landscape #roadtrip #daytrip #weekendgetaway
#travel #hiking #nature #landscape #roadtrip #daytrip #weekendgetaway
Reposted by Robert Silvas
Reposted by Robert Silvas
Had a blast talking Austerlitz with Generals and Napoleon podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/e...
Episode 101 - Battle of Austerlitz, Napoleon's masterpiece, with special guest Jonathan Abel
Podcast Episode · Generals and Napoleon · 11/30/2024 · 54m
podcasts.apple.com
November 30, 2024 at 3:38 PM
Had a blast talking Austerlitz with Generals and Napoleon podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/e...
This circulated ‘round the water cooler last week among the O4/O5 crowd…something like the younger folks who realized that Obamacare is the ACA and might put their health at risk from inability to access insurance.
The realization that the US remains a welfare state continues to surprise— 🎇
The realization that the US remains a welfare state continues to surprise— 🎇
The Economist ran this story this week. Yes...they are coming for veterans benefits. No one voted to destroy the VA or the benefits that our 15 million living veterans receive. Just 6% of Americans have served and these fuckers are coming for our hard earned benefits.
November 30, 2024 at 12:01 AM
This circulated ‘round the water cooler last week among the O4/O5 crowd…something like the younger folks who realized that Obamacare is the ACA and might put their health at risk from inability to access insurance.
The realization that the US remains a welfare state continues to surprise— 🎇
The realization that the US remains a welfare state continues to surprise— 🎇
Reposted by Robert Silvas
"Russia’s Updated Nuclear Doctrine Isn’t a Blueprint for Weapons Use. Its Primary Value Is Manipulation." (a really insightful read by @nicolegrajewski.bsky.social )
carnegieendowment.org/emissary/202...
carnegieendowment.org/emissary/202...
Russia’s Updated Nuclear Doctrine Isn’t a Blueprint for Weapons Use. Its Primary Value Is Manipulation.
Moscow’s actual nuclear decisions would likely not involve Putin carefully parsing doctrinal clauses.
carnegieendowment.org
November 29, 2024 at 11:54 AM
"Russia’s Updated Nuclear Doctrine Isn’t a Blueprint for Weapons Use. Its Primary Value Is Manipulation." (a really insightful read by @nicolegrajewski.bsky.social )
carnegieendowment.org/emissary/202...
carnegieendowment.org/emissary/202...
Reposted by Robert Silvas
And if you can’t find anything to be thankful for, Pres Lincoln made this a national holiday in honor of Vicksburg and Gettysburg, so at least raise a glass to the destruction of slavery and the rout of treason
November 29, 2024 at 1:59 AM
And if you can’t find anything to be thankful for, Pres Lincoln made this a national holiday in honor of Vicksburg and Gettysburg, so at least raise a glass to the destruction of slavery and the rout of treason
Leaving this here for future iterations of MA!
November 29, 2024 at 2:14 AM
Leaving this here for future iterations of MA!
Reposted by Robert Silvas
Part of my fear about a Mexico expedition isn’t so much getting bogged down forever as it is we go looking for demons to hunt and the second the cartels gets a lucky shot or captured an American soldier, it’s Mogadishu 93 and the accompanying political shock.
November 28, 2024 at 7:36 PM
Part of my fear about a Mexico expedition isn’t so much getting bogged down forever as it is we go looking for demons to hunt and the second the cartels gets a lucky shot or captured an American soldier, it’s Mogadishu 93 and the accompanying political shock.