Ryan Dahn
@ryandahn.com
Editor at @physicstoday.bsky.social. Historian studying Nazi science by night. Passionate about Philadelphia urbanism, sports, and politics. All opinions my own.
https://ryandahn.com
https://ryandahn.com
well, this is alarming.
Nothing to see here (literally!). Just the US State Department secretly deleting 15 pages of declassified official documents published in 2021 in the Foreign Relations of the United States series about a 1983 NATO nuclear weapons exercise that unexpectedly increased the risk of a nuclear war.
Analysis | State Department deleted records about risk of inadvertent nuclear war
Key historical records about the incident during the Reagan administration, known as the Able Archer 83 War Scare, were removed without explanation.
wapo.st
November 14, 2025 at 6:15 PM
well, this is alarming.
Reposted by Ryan Dahn
honestly one of the most striking things about epstein's emails is the fact that the man, described in many places as "a genius," is essentially subliterate
November 12, 2025 at 10:57 PM
honestly one of the most striking things about epstein's emails is the fact that the man, described in many places as "a genius," is essentially subliterate
biggest revelation from the Epstein files: is there any high-powered individual who actually knows proper spelling and punctuation? jfc
November 12, 2025 at 9:19 PM
biggest revelation from the Epstein files: is there any high-powered individual who actually knows proper spelling and punctuation? jfc
Reposted by Ryan Dahn
why the fuck didn’t any of this stuff come out when Biden was president
A direct email exchange from 2011 between Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, just released by House Oversight Committee Democrats.
November 12, 2025 at 3:19 PM
why the fuck didn’t any of this stuff come out when Biden was president
Thank you. It’s making me crazy how the caving crew (and the media) is touting “getting Trump to agree to stop doing some of the many obviously illegal things he’s doing,” like rehiring federal workers and restoring SNAP, as concessions. All of that was blatantly illegal...
SNAP benefits weren’t stopped by the shutdown, they were stopped by Trump’s lawbreaking.
Under US law there is a dedicated SNAP fund for shutdowns, Trump refused to spend it, lost in court, defied the court order, took the issue to the Supreme Court.
And guess what? He’s still pursuing that case.
Under US law there is a dedicated SNAP fund for shutdowns, Trump refused to spend it, lost in court, defied the court order, took the issue to the Supreme Court.
And guess what? He’s still pursuing that case.
The Trump administration continued Monday to press the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn lower court decisions requiring the federal government pay full SNAP benefits, even as Congress appeared to approach an end to the record-breaking government shutdown. ohiocapitaljournal.com/2025/11/11/r...
November 11, 2025 at 7:23 PM
Thank you. It’s making me crazy how the caving crew (and the media) is touting “getting Trump to agree to stop doing some of the many obviously illegal things he’s doing,” like rehiring federal workers and restoring SNAP, as concessions. All of that was blatantly illegal...
where is he getting this 1000 years thing from???
November 6, 2025 at 12:26 AM
where is he getting this 1000 years thing from???
Emailing with Garwin a few years ago was one of my first "wow" moments at @physicstoday.bsky.social. This is a great tribute to him—check it out!
Physicist Richard Garwin, a giant in the field, died in May 2025 at age 97. Famous for designing the first hydrogen bomb, Garwin was also a prominent adviser—and occasional critic—of the US government. Three of his close colleagues examine his career for @physicstoday.bsky.social. #physics #histSTM
Remembering Richard Garwin, physicist and science adviser
The polymath scientist leaves behind a monumental legacy in both the scientific and political realms.
physicstoday.aip.org
November 5, 2025 at 5:19 PM
Emailing with Garwin a few years ago was one of my first "wow" moments at @physicstoday.bsky.social. This is a great tribute to him—check it out!
Reposted by Ryan Dahn
In NJ, in VA, in NYC, it's time to get to work.
There are no permanent majorities. There are only moments of time when parties can assemble a majority of voters around a set of ideas. You have to take that moment and run as fast as you can, before the next election breaks your stride.
There are no permanent majorities. There are only moments of time when parties can assemble a majority of voters around a set of ideas. You have to take that moment and run as fast as you can, before the next election breaks your stride.
November 5, 2025 at 1:56 PM
In NJ, in VA, in NYC, it's time to get to work.
There are no permanent majorities. There are only moments of time when parties can assemble a majority of voters around a set of ideas. You have to take that moment and run as fast as you can, before the next election breaks your stride.
There are no permanent majorities. There are only moments of time when parties can assemble a majority of voters around a set of ideas. You have to take that moment and run as fast as you can, before the next election breaks your stride.
More important coverage of our current slow-motion disaster from @physicstoday.bsky.social...
Although the US was once the "crown jewel for science," the political and funding climate has changed the calculus for STEM scholars considering coming from abroad. #physics #science
Equation changes for international STEM scholars deciding whether to come to US
Even as funding cuts, visa issues, border fears, and other hurdles detract from US attractiveness, some scholars still come.
physicstoday.aip.org
November 3, 2025 at 7:41 PM
More important coverage of our current slow-motion disaster from @physicstoday.bsky.social...
really says so much about the sad state of the mainstream national media that one of the best outlets covering the current shitshow is one of the OG tech blogs, @techdirt.com...
60 Minutes Edits Donald Trump Telling Them 60 Minutes Should Edit Donald Trump Talking About How 60 Minutes Paid Him For Editing Kamala Harris
60 Minutes is under new management and things are getting stupid faster than you might expect. Last night’s episode featured President Trump, which is currently being described as “nuts.” There are…
www.techdirt.com
November 3, 2025 at 7:28 PM
really says so much about the sad state of the mainstream national media that one of the best outlets covering the current shitshow is one of the OG tech blogs, @techdirt.com...
Reposted by Ryan Dahn
Philadelphians, here are the Philadelphia Bar Association recommendations for judge election/retention. electqualifiedjudges.com
Judges Have Enormous Power
The Association's Commission on Judicial Selection and Retention evaluates judicial candidates to help voters make decisions about candidates for judicial office. The Commission's evaluations are base...
electqualifiedjudges.com
November 3, 2025 at 5:33 PM
Philadelphians, here are the Philadelphia Bar Association recommendations for judge election/retention. electqualifiedjudges.com
serious question: was The Great Gatsby the first piece of art that was intended to be deeply critical of a time and place but has consistently been misread as a celebration of said time and place?
many such examples: Wolf of Wall Street, Goodfellas, etc. etc.
many such examples: Wolf of Wall Street, Goodfellas, etc. etc.
F. Scott Fitzgerald: In my book I invented Gatsby lifestyle as a cautionary tale
The president: At long last, we have created the Gatsby lifestyle from the classic novel The Great Gatsby
The president: At long last, we have created the Gatsby lifestyle from the classic novel The Great Gatsby
November 3, 2025 at 4:25 PM
serious question: was The Great Gatsby the first piece of art that was intended to be deeply critical of a time and place but has consistently been misread as a celebration of said time and place?
many such examples: Wolf of Wall Street, Goodfellas, etc. etc.
many such examples: Wolf of Wall Street, Goodfellas, etc. etc.
giving any credence to this whole "Trump will defund NYC if it elects Zohran" thing is ridiculous and plays into his preferred image: that of a strongman dictator who personally decides who gets money and how much.
Crazy how much some media has normalized the idea that voters are taking a risk if they elect governors/mayors who will defy Trump. That he’ll threaten their funding, etc.
Try to imagine, say. Greg Abbott being asked if he’s worried that Biden will punish Texas over his lawsuits.
Try to imagine, say. Greg Abbott being asked if he’s worried that Biden will punish Texas over his lawsuits.
November 3, 2025 at 4:20 PM
giving any credence to this whole "Trump will defund NYC if it elects Zohran" thing is ridiculous and plays into his preferred image: that of a strongman dictator who personally decides who gets money and how much.
This is one of the coolest things the history and library team at @aip.bsky.social is doing. If you have photos, please consider contributing! Future historians will thank you :)
Do you take snapshots of your everyday life as a physical scientist? @aip.bsky.social is soliciting photos from scientists at all career stages and disciplines from around the world to broaden its 30 000+ photo collection, which is used frequently by historians. #physics #astronomy #histSTM
Archivists seek photos of today's physical scientists
The goal of a new crowdsourcing effort is to build a more contemporary and inclusive visual record of the physical sciences community.
physicstoday.aip.org
October 31, 2025 at 4:55 PM
This is one of the coolest things the history and library team at @aip.bsky.social is doing. If you have photos, please consider contributing! Future historians will thank you :)
this is awesome! we need this in Philly so badly...
Illinois will effectively eliminate parking minimum requirements in ~all of Chicago and much of its suburbs thanks to the transit funding bill that passed last night.
Also contains parking reform! This is a preliminary map of Chicagoland based on the People Over Parking Act provision.
It would also apply downstate though!
It would also apply downstate though!
October 31, 2025 at 3:29 PM
this is awesome! we need this in Philly so badly...
Reposted by Ryan Dahn
the most upsetting part about this is how it’s all obviously just for show because we are governed by the dumbest shitheads on earth who like seeing things blow up for fun
Another illegal US maritime strike—again in the Pacific.
Against a vessel allegedly operated by an unspecified "designated terrorist organization."
Four reported fatalities—dubbed w/o ID or evidence "narco-terrorists."
There's a word for premeditated killings outside of armed conflict.
Against a vessel allegedly operated by an unspecified "designated terrorist organization."
Four reported fatalities—dubbed w/o ID or evidence "narco-terrorists."
There's a word for premeditated killings outside of armed conflict.
October 30, 2025 at 1:33 AM
the most upsetting part about this is how it’s all obviously just for show because we are governed by the dumbest shitheads on earth who like seeing things blow up for fun
@coreyatad.com have you watched M: Son of the Century on MUBI? would love to see your thoughts about it somewhere. finished it last night and thought it was superb.
October 28, 2025 at 3:20 PM
@coreyatad.com have you watched M: Son of the Century on MUBI? would love to see your thoughts about it somewhere. finished it last night and thought it was superb.
Reposted by Ryan Dahn
Really proud of this piece, and the full report that will come out in the near future.
What we learned from early career leaders in the physical sciences is likely broadly relevant to other scholarly/scientific domains.
What we learned from early career leaders in the physical sciences is likely broadly relevant to other scholarly/scientific domains.
Interviews with early-career scientists reveal the ways that professional societies foster a sense of belonging, write @tjowens.bsky.social and Anne Marie Porter. They also provide opportunities for members to give back to the community. #physics #astronomy
A home base for your career
Professional societies can foster a sense of belonging and offer early-career scientists opportunities to give back to their community.
physicstoday.aip.org
October 24, 2025 at 8:36 PM
Really proud of this piece, and the full report that will come out in the near future.
What we learned from early career leaders in the physical sciences is likely broadly relevant to other scholarly/scientific domains.
What we learned from early career leaders in the physical sciences is likely broadly relevant to other scholarly/scientific domains.
so we're just funding the government on bribes now?
DOD accepts anonymous $130M donation to partially cover troop pay
White House and military officials will not say who the donor is or whether the gift has been properly vetted.
www.politico.com
October 24, 2025 at 6:23 PM
so we're just funding the government on bribes now?
Reposted by Ryan Dahn
Before last year’s election, my wife and I took our grandsons on a tour of the nation’s capital, realizing it might become quite different if Trump won. I kept thinking the symbols of democracy might turn into symbols of tyranny. We toured the White House’s East Wing. It’s being demolished now.
October 23, 2025 at 11:01 AM
Before last year’s election, my wife and I took our grandsons on a tour of the nation’s capital, realizing it might become quite different if Trump won. I kept thinking the symbols of democracy might turn into symbols of tyranny. We toured the White House’s East Wing. It’s being demolished now.
gonna be honest, i still don't understand how the president literally bulldozing a good third of the White House—a literal national symbol—on a whim, with no approvals, no permits, and sketchy funding, isn't a bigger story. what is going on here???
October 23, 2025 at 5:00 PM
gonna be honest, i still don't understand how the president literally bulldozing a good third of the White House—a literal national symbol—on a whim, with no approvals, no permits, and sketchy funding, isn't a bigger story. what is going on here???
Reposted by Ryan Dahn
“The good news is that the next Democratic inhabitant of the White House can demolish the Trump Presidential Palace Ballroom and Casino and restore the East Wing and the rest of the White House grounds to their pre-Trump state.”
www.thebulwark.com/p/we-will-te...
www.thebulwark.com/p/we-will-te...
We Will Tear Down the Trump Palace Ballroom and Casino
Thinking like a dissident movement.
www.thebulwark.com
October 23, 2025 at 3:09 PM
“The good news is that the next Democratic inhabitant of the White House can demolish the Trump Presidential Palace Ballroom and Casino and restore the East Wing and the rest of the White House grounds to their pre-Trump state.”
www.thebulwark.com/p/we-will-te...
www.thebulwark.com/p/we-will-te...
Reposted by Ryan Dahn
Any Democratic nominee who promises to tear down Trump’s gaudy monstrosities will run into a blizzard of pearl clutching “how can you insult millions of Americans like that,” as if the monstrosities were not an insult, or the millions of Americans insulted by it don’t count.
They should ignore it.
They should ignore it.
at minimum, any legitimate Dem nominee in 2028 should explicitly promise to tear down all of Trump’s gaudy monstrosities and rebuild what was there before.
Tear down the Trump Taj Mahal wing of the White House
www.lawyersgunsmoneyblog.com/2025/10/tear...
www.lawyersgunsmoneyblog.com/2025/10/tear...
October 22, 2025 at 10:40 PM
Any Democratic nominee who promises to tear down Trump’s gaudy monstrosities will run into a blizzard of pearl clutching “how can you insult millions of Americans like that,” as if the monstrosities were not an insult, or the millions of Americans insulted by it don’t count.
They should ignore it.
They should ignore it.
at minimum, any legitimate Dem nominee in 2028 should explicitly promise to tear down all of Trump’s gaudy monstrosities and rebuild what was there before.
Tear down the Trump Taj Mahal wing of the White House
www.lawyersgunsmoneyblog.com/2025/10/tear...
www.lawyersgunsmoneyblog.com/2025/10/tear...
Tear down the Trump Taj Mahal wing of the White House - Lawyers, Guns & Money
Some free advice the aspirants to the 2028 Democratic nomination should definitely take: I know we talked about this yesterday. And Mona has a very fine piece on it today. But I’m obsessed with Donald...
www.lawyersgunsmoneyblog.com
October 22, 2025 at 10:11 PM
at minimum, any legitimate Dem nominee in 2028 should explicitly promise to tear down all of Trump’s gaudy monstrosities and rebuild what was there before.
one of the cool things about living in the year of our lord 2025 is that we get to have a Teapot Dome scandal and a Watergate every day. fun!!
October 21, 2025 at 9:07 PM
one of the cool things about living in the year of our lord 2025 is that we get to have a Teapot Dome scandal and a Watergate every day. fun!!