Maitri
@maitri.vatul.net
Geophysicist, computational scientist, multilingual. Thinks a lot about rocks, data, science fiction, pop culture, and the future of earth. Personal account. she/her
Pinned
Maitri
@maitri.vatul.net
· Nov 11
Hi and welcome, everyone! You might remember me from such films as VatulBlog, #geobloggers, and #NOLATwitter. Made the move here a couple of months ago after attempts at Mastodon & Threads. I mainly skeet about #geology, #books, and my general state of disbelief at everything.
“If New Orleans goes, we won’t lose mere possessions but one of the world’s greatest cities and many of its greater citizens.” - me on August 28, 2005
20 years ago, we had just reached Houston after 16 long hours on the road, and I stayed for what turned out to be six months.
vatul.net/640
20 years ago, we had just reached Houston after 16 long hours on the road, and I stayed for what turned out to be six months.
vatul.net/640
Day 0/1: Katrina Update #5: Evacuated To Houston
This is my first chance to update everyone since D and I evacuated New Orleans for Houston 16 hours ago. First off, thank you to EVERYONE for keeping us in your thoughts . If I could only express to y...
vatul.net
August 29, 2025 at 2:17 AM
“If New Orleans goes, we won’t lose mere possessions but one of the world’s greatest cities and many of its greater citizens.” - me on August 28, 2005
20 years ago, we had just reached Houston after 16 long hours on the road, and I stayed for what turned out to be six months.
vatul.net/640
20 years ago, we had just reached Houston after 16 long hours on the road, and I stayed for what turned out to be six months.
vatul.net/640
Hi #geosky, it’s been a minute. Where can I find the latest trends and techniques in geologic map making? How are undergraduates learning to map - on paper or using digital techniques? If digital, what tools are prevalent and who are the leading experts/researchers in this area? TY! #geology #maps
August 23, 2025 at 1:36 PM
Book 19 of 2025: Signs Preceding the End of the World by Yuri Herrera, political scientist & Tulane prof. Second 5 stars given. 📚💙
“Don’t let it get you down. They don’t understand it either, they live in fear of the lights going out, as if every day wasn’t already made of lightning and blackouts.”
“Don’t let it get you down. They don’t understand it either, they live in fear of the lights going out, as if every day wasn’t already made of lightning and blackouts.”
May 25, 2025 at 2:25 PM
Book 19 of 2025: Signs Preceding the End of the World by Yuri Herrera, political scientist & Tulane prof. Second 5 stars given. 📚💙
“Don’t let it get you down. They don’t understand it either, they live in fear of the lights going out, as if every day wasn’t already made of lightning and blackouts.”
“Don’t let it get you down. They don’t understand it either, they live in fear of the lights going out, as if every day wasn’t already made of lightning and blackouts.”
Reposted by Maitri
Even when the political winds shift, science must keep moving forward.
That’s why @AGU and @ametsoc are stepping up with a first-of-its-kind special collection on climate change in the U.S.—across 29+ peer-reviewed journals. 🌍📚
Read all about it: buff.ly/6G05hQD
That’s why @AGU and @ametsoc are stepping up with a first-of-its-kind special collection on climate change in the U.S.—across 29+ peer-reviewed journals. 🌍📚
Read all about it: buff.ly/6G05hQD
May 2, 2025 at 12:15 PM
Even when the political winds shift, science must keep moving forward.
That’s why @AGU and @ametsoc are stepping up with a first-of-its-kind special collection on climate change in the U.S.—across 29+ peer-reviewed journals. 🌍📚
Read all about it: buff.ly/6G05hQD
That’s why @AGU and @ametsoc are stepping up with a first-of-its-kind special collection on climate change in the U.S.—across 29+ peer-reviewed journals. 🌍📚
Read all about it: buff.ly/6G05hQD
If you're interested in downloading available data quickly, I found the DownThemAll website scraper extension for Firefox pretty useful. ⚒️🧪
NOAA just announced a long list of datasets that are going away🧪⚒️🌊: www.nesdis.noaa.gov/about/docume...
Download what you need asap and send comments to: ncei.info@noaa.gov
Download what you need asap and send comments to: ncei.info@noaa.gov
Notice of Changes
Notices of changes are formal public announcements of planned services changes to applications and other products.
www.nesdis.noaa.gov
April 18, 2025 at 9:28 PM
If you're interested in downloading available data quickly, I found the DownThemAll website scraper extension for Firefox pretty useful. ⚒️🧪
Reposted by Maitri
The Sierra Nevada Earth Atlas showcases California’s longest and tallest mountain range and its iconic geologic features. It represents the most current, complete, and largest-scale, range-wide syntheses of geoscience data. Learn more - www.conservation.ca.gov/cgs/document...
April 17, 2025 at 7:36 PM
The Sierra Nevada Earth Atlas showcases California’s longest and tallest mountain range and its iconic geologic features. It represents the most current, complete, and largest-scale, range-wide syntheses of geoscience data. Learn more - www.conservation.ca.gov/cgs/document...
On, Wisconsin! On! 🦡 🧀 💚
Breaking News: Susan Crawford, a liberal judge, won a pivotal Wisconsin Supreme Court seat despite $25 million in spending by Elon Musk on her opponent.
Susan Crawford Wins Wisconsin Supreme Court Election, Despite Elon Musk’s Millions
Susan Crawford defeated Brad Schimel for a State Supreme Court seat in a race that shattered spending records and maintained a liberal majority on the court.
www.nytimes.com
April 2, 2025 at 2:39 AM
On, Wisconsin! On! 🦡 🧀 💚
Where can someone who lives in Yakima, WA (in the ash fall path of a Mt Adams eruption) get accurate scientific information as they are hearing only inflammatory local news? They are far away enough that they would not have to evacuate, but would like to be better informed/prepared. 🧪⚒️
March 30, 2025 at 2:14 PM
Where can someone who lives in Yakima, WA (in the ash fall path of a Mt Adams eruption) get accurate scientific information as they are hearing only inflammatory local news? They are far away enough that they would not have to evacuate, but would like to be better informed/prepared. 🧪⚒️
Book 5 of 2025: Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin. Read this bit of dialogue set in the 1980s and now staring at Oregon 2025. #youdiedofdysentery #BookSky💙📚
March 13, 2025 at 3:45 PM
Book 5 of 2025: Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin. Read this bit of dialogue set in the 1980s and now staring at Oregon 2025. #youdiedofdysentery #BookSky💙📚
Mardi Gras Day | March 4, 2025 | New Orleans, LA
“The system of patriarchy can function only with the cooperation of women.”
“The system of patriarchy can function only with the cooperation of women.”
March 6, 2025 at 5:56 PM
Mardi Gras Day | March 4, 2025 | New Orleans, LA
“The system of patriarchy can function only with the cooperation of women.”
“The system of patriarchy can function only with the cooperation of women.”
Reposted by Maitri
the rise of the fascist nerds was anticipated by Ellen Ullman's 1995 essay "Out of Time: Reflections on the Programming Life."
February 22, 2025 at 6:03 PM
the rise of the fascist nerds was anticipated by Ellen Ullman's 1995 essay "Out of Time: Reflections on the Programming Life."
⚜️ KREWE OF KING ARTHUR PARADE RAIN DELAY!⚜️ Due to 100% chance of downpour tomorrow, King Arthur is now a night parade and will roll on Tuesday at 5:30pm. See y’all on the route! #NOLAsky #mardigras
February 22, 2025 at 5:10 PM
⚜️ KREWE OF KING ARTHUR PARADE RAIN DELAY!⚜️ Due to 100% chance of downpour tomorrow, King Arthur is now a night parade and will roll on Tuesday at 5:30pm. See y’all on the route! #NOLAsky #mardigras
Reposted by Maitri
Listen to me about deep and indiscriminate layoffs in science, tech, and engineering (private and public sector). Once the talent is gone, it is gone. For a whole generation or more. A company/research institution cannot simply recoup its former power by hiring back staff/contractors here and there.
February 21, 2025 at 7:11 PM
Listen to me about deep and indiscriminate layoffs in science, tech, and engineering (private and public sector). Once the talent is gone, it is gone. For a whole generation or more. A company/research institution cannot simply recoup its former power by hiring back staff/contractors here and there.
Krewe du Vieux rolls! We march and dance and claim these streets tonight with even more of our sociopolitical satire because this is what we are fighting for. Let’s remember the krewe’s philosophy following Katrina: Preserve our culture and heritage first, and the recovery will follow. #NOLASky
February 16, 2025 at 12:16 AM
Krewe du Vieux rolls! We march and dance and claim these streets tonight with even more of our sociopolitical satire because this is what we are fighting for. Let’s remember the krewe’s philosophy following Katrina: Preserve our culture and heritage first, and the recovery will follow. #NOLASky
Happy Krewe du Vieux Eve! #mardigras
February 15, 2025 at 2:43 AM
Happy Krewe du Vieux Eve! #mardigras
Reposted by Maitri
“But it is up to scientists to do the reading — and to follow our consciences. More than universities are on the line: the lives of our students and colleagues are on the line.”
US science in chaos as impact of Trump's executive orders sinks in – Physics World
US science hit by staff layoffs, slashed budgets, axed diversity programmes and cancelled conferences
physicsworld.com
February 13, 2025 at 4:42 AM
“But it is up to scientists to do the reading — and to follow our consciences. More than universities are on the line: the lives of our students and colleagues are on the line.”
We have so many things to do!
We could just be reading great books, watching good movies, and eating fruit. Instead we have to survive/fight miserable power hoarders. What a waste of limited time.
February 13, 2025 at 4:21 AM
We have so many things to do!
Reported a Google Maps content error: This portion of the Gulf of Mexico is erroneously labeled. The Gulf of America does not extend beyond the southern maritime boundary between the US and Mexico. If you’re going to do it, do it correctly. Higher accuracy generates greater use.
February 11, 2025 at 4:37 PM
Reported a Google Maps content error: This portion of the Gulf of Mexico is erroneously labeled. The Gulf of America does not extend beyond the southern maritime boundary between the US and Mexico. If you’re going to do it, do it correctly. Higher accuracy generates greater use.
Reposted by Maitri
It better be kaiju
Something is happening inside the Earth, scientists say
Something is happening inside the Earth, scientists say
The core of the Earth is undergoing surprise structural changes, researchers believe.
www.independent.co.uk
February 10, 2025 at 5:25 PM
It better be kaiju
“human drivers who sometimes demonstrate a unique interpretation of the standard rules of the road” - So much to unpack just in this clause of the whole sentence.
You, pedestrian Carnival traffic, are the "varied conditions."
February 6, 2025 at 5:30 PM
“human drivers who sometimes demonstrate a unique interpretation of the standard rules of the road” - So much to unpack just in this clause of the whole sentence.
All of this to lower the earning power of qualified people they consider less than.
Newsflash: This is a time of mergers and layoffs. If you can’t do the remaining jobs, it doesn’t matter that you belong to the oberklasse.
Newsflash: This is a time of mergers and layoffs. If you can’t do the remaining jobs, it doesn’t matter that you belong to the oberklasse.
this is the "merit" two-step. first, you strongly imply or state outright that the presence of anyone who isn't a straight, able-bodied white man is unfair "DEI," then you argue that just because an institution is all-male and lily-white doesn't mean there is discrimination. that's just merit!
Opinion | DEI and Disparate Impact
The next step in restoring meritocracy is to reject the theory that proportionate outcomes equal fairness.
www.wsj.com
February 6, 2025 at 2:30 PM
All of this to lower the earning power of qualified people they consider less than.
Newsflash: This is a time of mergers and layoffs. If you can’t do the remaining jobs, it doesn’t matter that you belong to the oberklasse.
Newsflash: This is a time of mergers and layoffs. If you can’t do the remaining jobs, it doesn’t matter that you belong to the oberklasse.
DEI is not the inclusion of unqualified people. We are extremely (over) qualified, do not want to be segregated and excluded because we look different, and just want to do the damned work. Support us or get out of the way.
Pete Hegseth isn’t DEI. Daniel Penny isn’t DEI. That’s not what DEI is.
They’re just grossly unqualified for their jobs and add no value that any replacement legacy job applicant wouldn’t bring.
So stop saying “it’s DEI” like it’s a clever commentary on the situation. It’s not.
They’re just grossly unqualified for their jobs and add no value that any replacement legacy job applicant wouldn’t bring.
So stop saying “it’s DEI” like it’s a clever commentary on the situation. It’s not.
February 5, 2025 at 3:08 PM
DEI is not the inclusion of unqualified people. We are extremely (over) qualified, do not want to be segregated and excluded because we look different, and just want to do the damned work. Support us or get out of the way.
Timely. Humans are the barely self-aware descendants of jacked-up prokaryotes on a somewhat rare floating rock, on our way to becoming something else. Can we take a collective step back and chill?
February 4, 2025 at 4:48 AM
Timely. Humans are the barely self-aware descendants of jacked-up prokaryotes on a somewhat rare floating rock, on our way to becoming something else. Can we take a collective step back and chill?