Douglas Phillips
@dpscifi.bsky.social
Author of the Quantum Series, hard sci-fi. Scientist, progressive, and futurist. I post all things science and books. I feel fortunate for this brief glimpse into an amazing universe.
It's always a great day when a new audiobook comes out! I've listened to the first few chapters, and it turned out great! When a pro like Anna Caputo reads it, the story and the characters come alive. Fun sci-fi, available on Amazon. www.amazon.com/dp/B0FNS47WVS
November 19, 2025 at 1:10 AM
It's always a great day when a new audiobook comes out! I've listened to the first few chapters, and it turned out great! When a pro like Anna Caputo reads it, the story and the characters come alive. Fun sci-fi, available on Amazon. www.amazon.com/dp/B0FNS47WVS
I have to say, these outrageous marketing pitches that gush about my books are entertaining! It's fun to pick out the specific words (Olympic, The Martian, grounded science) that were gleaned straight from my Amazon page by whatever AI wrote this ego spew. Here's today's episode:
November 17, 2025 at 5:34 PM
I have to say, these outrageous marketing pitches that gush about my books are entertaining! It's fun to pick out the specific words (Olympic, The Martian, grounded science) that were gleaned straight from my Amazon page by whatever AI wrote this ego spew. Here's today's episode:
This facility tracked Apollo capsules heading to the moon by bouncing radar off them and waiting for the return echoes. It was also prominently feature in the opening credits for the 1968 film, Ice Station Zebra. One of my favorites from childhood! Full link in the comments.
November 5, 2025 at 6:14 PM
This facility tracked Apollo capsules heading to the moon by bouncing radar off them and waiting for the return echoes. It was also prominently feature in the opening credits for the 1968 film, Ice Station Zebra. One of my favorites from childhood! Full link in the comments.
Yesterday, I checked to see if anyone recognized the Goldstone Radar Observatory, located in the Mojave Desert of California. It's run by NASA, and if you were alive during the Apollo missions, you may remember Walter Cronkite and others speaking the Goldstone name.
November 5, 2025 at 6:14 PM
Yesterday, I checked to see if anyone recognized the Goldstone Radar Observatory, located in the Mojave Desert of California. It's run by NASA, and if you were alive during the Apollo missions, you may remember Walter Cronkite and others speaking the Goldstone name.
I've been scrolling around Google Maps this morning and found this unique place in the Mojave Desert of California. I've never been there, but I'm writing about it today. If you're old enough, you might remember it from the Apollo program. Do you know what it is?
#SecondAscent
#SecondAscent
November 4, 2025 at 6:41 PM
I've been scrolling around Google Maps this morning and found this unique place in the Mojave Desert of California. I've never been there, but I'm writing about it today. If you're old enough, you might remember it from the Apollo program. Do you know what it is?
#SecondAscent
#SecondAscent
Today my series starter books are #1 and #4 at Amazon! These novellas kick off the Ascending Carbon Series (3 books) and the Quantum Series (5 books). I give these books away free to allow readers to decide if they like the story and characters well enough to invest time in the series. It's working!
October 30, 2025 at 3:12 PM
Today my series starter books are #1 and #4 at Amazon! These novellas kick off the Ascending Carbon Series (3 books) and the Quantum Series (5 books). I give these books away free to allow readers to decide if they like the story and characters well enough to invest time in the series. It's working!
Welcome to Seattle, Toronto Blue Jay fans. I've been to your beautiful city, and now you get to visit mine.
October 15, 2025 at 12:23 AM
Welcome to Seattle, Toronto Blue Jay fans. I've been to your beautiful city, and now you get to visit mine.
Yesterday at Chinook Pass in the great (best) state of Washington. This beautiful place is crowded all summer, but on a Monday in the fall we had it all to ourselves.
September 23, 2025 at 11:20 PM
Yesterday at Chinook Pass in the great (best) state of Washington. This beautiful place is crowded all summer, but on a Monday in the fall we had it all to ourselves.
Google's own AI admits it does NOT follow Google's own core principles for AI development. We live in a world without responsibility, shame, or accountability. #GoogleGemini
August 22, 2025 at 9:56 PM
Google's own AI admits it does NOT follow Google's own core principles for AI development. We live in a world without responsibility, shame, or accountability. #GoogleGemini
You're seeing it here first... my blurb for the next book in the #AscendingCarbonSeries
Eighteen months after Sahalie Spark’s epic space elevator climb, a new megastructure is taking shape high above the equator. But for all its wonders, there’s trouble brewing on this colossal ring of carbon.
Eighteen months after Sahalie Spark’s epic space elevator climb, a new megastructure is taking shape high above the equator. But for all its wonders, there’s trouble brewing on this colossal ring of carbon.
August 17, 2025 at 6:43 PM
You're seeing it here first... my blurb for the next book in the #AscendingCarbonSeries
Eighteen months after Sahalie Spark’s epic space elevator climb, a new megastructure is taking shape high above the equator. But for all its wonders, there’s trouble brewing on this colossal ring of carbon.
Eighteen months after Sahalie Spark’s epic space elevator climb, a new megastructure is taking shape high above the equator. But for all its wonders, there’s trouble brewing on this colossal ring of carbon.
Want to find your next read? Try shepherd.com Create an account, then click on My Book DNA to pick your three favorite books. Now search on a topic or genre and you'll get customized recommendations that match your tastes. Typically, you'll see lesser-known books that other people LOVE.
July 23, 2025 at 6:44 PM
Want to find your next read? Try shepherd.com Create an account, then click on My Book DNA to pick your three favorite books. Now search on a topic or genre and you'll get customized recommendations that match your tastes. Typically, you'll see lesser-known books that other people LOVE.
Have you noticed a lot of what Google's AI regurgitates references at least one Wikipedia page? I hope Google donated $100 million to Wikipedia (a non-profit, publicly supported), but something tells me the Google execs didn't offer a penny when they copied this material and claimed it as theirs.
July 11, 2025 at 10:29 PM
Have you noticed a lot of what Google's AI regurgitates references at least one Wikipedia page? I hope Google donated $100 million to Wikipedia (a non-profit, publicly supported), but something tells me the Google execs didn't offer a penny when they copied this material and claimed it as theirs.
This is the NWS emergency warning. Texas officials are lying. The NWS is NOT to blame.
July 6, 2025 at 2:58 AM
This is the NWS emergency warning. Texas officials are lying. The NWS is NOT to blame.
I have my own prism sculpture garden this morning. #SecondAscent #AscendingCarbonBook2
June 24, 2025 at 5:04 PM
I have my own prism sculpture garden this morning. #SecondAscent #AscendingCarbonBook2
In case you missed it, my blog post from October 2017. douglasphillipsbooks.com/blog/spectro...
June 5, 2025 at 5:05 PM
In case you missed it, my blog post from October 2017. douglasphillipsbooks.com/blog/spectro...
I love data, so I thought I'd share. It's the number of link clicks, by country, for the newsletter I sent yesterday. I have friends around the world! If you haven't yet signed up for my monthly newsletter, you're missing out on all the juicy details. Sign up here: douglasphillipsbooks.com/signup
June 1, 2025 at 4:01 PM
I love data, so I thought I'd share. It's the number of link clicks, by country, for the newsletter I sent yesterday. I have friends around the world! If you haven't yet signed up for my monthly newsletter, you're missing out on all the juicy details. Sign up here: douglasphillipsbooks.com/signup
Since Trump took office, every American has objectively lost 10% of our savings due to the decline in the US dollar. Your account balance hasn't changed, but the money simply isn't worth as much. Ten percent is a catastrophic loss for such a short time. Why aren't more people talking about it?
May 27, 2025 at 10:08 PM
Since Trump took office, every American has objectively lost 10% of our savings due to the decline in the US dollar. Your account balance hasn't changed, but the money simply isn't worth as much. Ten percent is a catastrophic loss for such a short time. Why aren't more people talking about it?
Our return to the US was through Newark Airport, which was a ghost town. Passport control was literally empty! It felt like 9/11 again when nobody was flying. We spent a few nights at a hotel in Manhattan with a fantastic terrace overlooking Lexington Ave. NYC is always fun.
May 21, 2025 at 2:24 AM
Our return to the US was through Newark Airport, which was a ghost town. Passport control was literally empty! It felt like 9/11 again when nobody was flying. We spent a few nights at a hotel in Manhattan with a fantastic terrace overlooking Lexington Ave. NYC is always fun.
Amazon's Best Seller list is a great place to be, the Top 100 books by category. My latest book, First Ascent, is also on the New Release list at #3. Competition is fierce these days, so I'm thrilled and thankful for the huge response from readers! www.amazon.com/dp/B0F2C7NCVS
May 8, 2025 at 9:34 AM
Amazon's Best Seller list is a great place to be, the Top 100 books by category. My latest book, First Ascent, is also on the New Release list at #3. Competition is fierce these days, so I'm thrilled and thankful for the huge response from readers! www.amazon.com/dp/B0F2C7NCVS
My new series has kicked off in a big way. The #2 new release in hard science fiction! It's a fun page-turner with a theme of discovery.
www.amazon.com/First-Ascent...
www.amazon.com/First-Ascent...
May 7, 2025 at 9:10 AM
My new series has kicked off in a big way. The #2 new release in hard science fiction! It's a fun page-turner with a theme of discovery.
www.amazon.com/First-Ascent...
www.amazon.com/First-Ascent...
First Ascent is out! It's #6 in Amazon's Top 100 new releases. That's fantastic visibility, I'm thrilled. If you pre-ordered, it should now be on your Kindle. Enjoy! www.amazon.com/dp/B0F2C7NCVS
May 6, 2025 at 9:02 AM
First Ascent is out! It's #6 in Amazon's Top 100 new releases. That's fantastic visibility, I'm thrilled. If you pre-ordered, it should now be on your Kindle. Enjoy! www.amazon.com/dp/B0F2C7NCVS
The first book in my new series officially releases May 6, but you can order the paperback copy at Amazon on May 5, getting it into your hands one day faster! I hope you enjoy it. This book was a lot of fun to write.
mybook.to/4tFjt
mybook.to/4tFjt
May 4, 2025 at 4:02 PM
The first book in my new series officially releases May 6, but you can order the paperback copy at Amazon on May 5, getting it into your hands one day faster! I hope you enjoy it. This book was a lot of fun to write.
mybook.to/4tFjt
mybook.to/4tFjt
I've never been to Chamonix, but always wanted the see the views to Mont Blanc. On a gorgeous blue sky day, it was better than I'd hoped! The Aiguille du Midi peak is one of the world's most spectacular vistas. At 3842 m, it is literally breathtaking.
April 19, 2025 at 5:57 PM
I've never been to Chamonix, but always wanted the see the views to Mont Blanc. On a gorgeous blue sky day, it was better than I'd hoped! The Aiguille du Midi peak is one of the world's most spectacular vistas. At 3842 m, it is literally breathtaking.
Nice day in Geneva! I've already met two CERN physicists, Sandro who comes up amazing neutrino experiments, and Richard who optimizes the # of protons in the LHC beam. Chamonix tomorrow, then the CERN tour on Tuesday.
April 18, 2025 at 5:19 PM
Nice day in Geneva! I've already met two CERN physicists, Sandro who comes up amazing neutrino experiments, and Richard who optimizes the # of protons in the LHC beam. Chamonix tomorrow, then the CERN tour on Tuesday.
Check out my new book trailer. First Ascent is coming May 6 to Amazon: www.amazon.com/dp/B0F2C7NCVS
April 14, 2025 at 9:53 PM
Check out my new book trailer. First Ascent is coming May 6 to Amazon: www.amazon.com/dp/B0F2C7NCVS