Blue the Science Dude
@science-dude.bsky.social
Science communicator, Irish banjo player, and defender of reason and equality.
That's really cool, @philplait.bsky.social. So much left to uncover -- cosmically and culturally.
Have you ever heard of Betty Webster? I hadn't until recently, and she co-discovered the first black hole ever found! Here's her story, to honor her memory and fantastic accomplishment.
badastronomy.beehiiv.com/p/the-woman-...
🔭 🧪
badastronomy.beehiiv.com/p/the-woman-...
🔭 🧪
The woman who discovered the first black hole
Betty Webster is a name to remember. Also: more rogue binary jovians
badastronomy.beehiiv.com
November 19, 2025 at 2:12 PM
That's really cool, @philplait.bsky.social. So much left to uncover -- cosmically and culturally.
Bravos Blue Origin! New Glenn had a good day. Nailed booster landing... Next milestone, sending the twin Red and Blue ESCAPADE spacecraft to Mars. Nice to see some good news.
November 13, 2025 at 9:09 PM
Bravos Blue Origin! New Glenn had a good day. Nailed booster landing... Next milestone, sending the twin Red and Blue ESCAPADE spacecraft to Mars. Nice to see some good news.
Soft drinks linked to increased and more-severe depression, especially among women. The connection? Sugary drinks unbalancing the gut microbiome. Vicious cycle: depression ⬆️ cravings for sweets, soft drinks changes gut, depression worsens. Unsweetened tea, plz. 🧪⚕️ jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
Soft Drink Consumption and Depression Mediated by Gut Microbiome Alterations
This cohort study examines the association between soft drink consumption and major depressive disorder diagnosis and severity and whether this association is mediated by changes in the gut microbiota...
jamanetwork.com
November 7, 2025 at 4:58 PM
Soft drinks linked to increased and more-severe depression, especially among women. The connection? Sugary drinks unbalancing the gut microbiome. Vicious cycle: depression ⬆️ cravings for sweets, soft drinks changes gut, depression worsens. Unsweetened tea, plz. 🧪⚕️ jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
Ice-nine of Cat's Cradle fame? How about Ice XXI! Sure, at 2 gigapascals (about 30,000 lbs per sq inch) for a mere microsecond (1 millionth of a second). So much more to learn about this deceptively simple molecule! @newswise.bsky.social 🧪
www.newswise.com/articles/wor...
www.newswise.com/articles/wor...
November 6, 2025 at 3:15 PM
Ice-nine of Cat's Cradle fame? How about Ice XXI! Sure, at 2 gigapascals (about 30,000 lbs per sq inch) for a mere microsecond (1 millionth of a second). So much more to learn about this deceptively simple molecule! @newswise.bsky.social 🧪
www.newswise.com/articles/wor...
www.newswise.com/articles/wor...
COVID-19 vaccines save lives, but evidence is mounting that vaccines also protect against heart disease. A study in Nature Communications again shows lower rates of heart attacks and strokes after the first dose. Infections increase those risks. RFK Jr is a prat. 🧪🩺
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
November 6, 2025 at 12:13 PM
COVID-19 vaccines save lives, but evidence is mounting that vaccines also protect against heart disease. A study in Nature Communications again shows lower rates of heart attacks and strokes after the first dose. Infections increase those risks. RFK Jr is a prat. 🧪🩺
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Inflation, the theory the infant universe went from miniscule to ginormous in tiny fractions of a second. New research suggests it may actually have been immersed in a hot bath of elementary particles. A testable “warm inflation” scenario. 🧪
go.aps.org/4qoeTfW
go.aps.org/4qoeTfW
![FIG. 1. The predictions of warm inflation with the SM for a
F1:2 quartic inflaton potential. The allowed 68% and 95% contour
F1:3 regions correspond to the constraints from the combined analysis
F1:4 of Planck [5] and BICEP/Keck [6] data. Proposed and upcoming
F1:5 CMB experiments will improve this bound by about a factor of 4
F1:6 (AliCPT [51,52], Simons Observatory [53], and Simons Array
F1:7 [54]) to 20 (LiteBIRD [55] and CMB-S4 [56]).](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:ular7g76g77f74pv3yud4jb6/bafkreicp4pmzfbu3kbbklj63rgbgfvvql3q3imilkpaqf6lodqftjv3yge@jpeg)
November 5, 2025 at 2:15 PM
Inflation, the theory the infant universe went from miniscule to ginormous in tiny fractions of a second. New research suggests it may actually have been immersed in a hot bath of elementary particles. A testable “warm inflation” scenario. 🧪
go.aps.org/4qoeTfW
go.aps.org/4qoeTfW
Interferometry, the interference patterns of light waves, is already used in astrophysics in radio telescopes and gravitational wave detectors. Existing technology might also detect the elusive “graviton,” the particle theorized to carry the gravitational force. 🧪🔭 res.cloudinary.com/apsphysics/i...
November 3, 2025 at 12:13 PM
Interferometry, the interference patterns of light waves, is already used in astrophysics in radio telescopes and gravitational wave detectors. Existing technology might also detect the elusive “graviton,” the particle theorized to carry the gravitational force. 🧪🔭 res.cloudinary.com/apsphysics/i...
A new study suggests that – in the year 2032 – Earth will encounter a thick part of the Taurid meteor swarm. The cometary debris in the swarm could bring an increased risk of airbursts, or explosions in Earth’s atmosphere, in both 2032 and 2036. earthsky.org/space/hallow...
Could Taurid fireballs – aka Halloween fireballs – bring a risk to Earth?
earthsky.org
November 2, 2025 at 1:29 AM
A new study suggests that – in the year 2032 – Earth will encounter a thick part of the Taurid meteor swarm. The cometary debris in the swarm could bring an increased risk of airbursts, or explosions in Earth’s atmosphere, in both 2032 and 2036. earthsky.org/space/hallow...
Sucks that U.S. science is getting the “East Wing” treatment.
October 23, 2025 at 6:40 PM
Sucks that U.S. science is getting the “East Wing” treatment.
public.nrao.edu/news/astrono...
It’s not easy to make a star. Gravity wants to pull stuff in. Young stars want to blast stuff away. Magnetic fields might tip the balance in favor of starburst. 🧪🔭
It’s not easy to make a star. Gravity wants to pull stuff in. Young stars want to blast stuff away. Magnetic fields might tip the balance in favor of starburst. 🧪🔭
Astronomers Spot Magnetically-Guided Streamer Funneling Star-Building Material into Newborn System in Perseus - National Radio Astronomy Observatory
A team of astronomers led by Paulo Cortes, a scientist with the U.S. National Science Foundation National Radio Astronomy...
public.nrao.edu
October 22, 2025 at 6:21 PM
public.nrao.edu/news/astrono...
It’s not easy to make a star. Gravity wants to pull stuff in. Young stars want to blast stuff away. Magnetic fields might tip the balance in favor of starburst. 🧪🔭
It’s not easy to make a star. Gravity wants to pull stuff in. Young stars want to blast stuff away. Magnetic fields might tip the balance in favor of starburst. 🧪🔭
So much to discover… if only NASA science weren’t being dismantled to pay for tax cuts on 3rd yachts.
Crazy but true: This is a real image captured by the Cassini spacecraft.
Dione in front of Saturn, captured by Cassini 20 years ago today on October 11, 2005 🌖🪐
October 12, 2025 at 1:35 PM
So much to discover… if only NASA science weren’t being dismantled to pay for tax cuts on 3rd yachts.
news.agu.org/press-releas...
Thank you AGU—my professional home. My first job post grad school in 1990. 🧪 @agu.org
Thank you AGU—my professional home. My first job post grad school in 1990. 🧪 @agu.org
Judge rules that probationary federal workers were fired illegally — AGU’s plaintiff coalition prevails
AGU press contact: Josh Weinberg, (202) 820-6064, news@agu.org WASHINGTON — In a blistering decision, a federal judge ruled Friday that the Trump Administration acted illegally when it fired tens of t...
news.agu.org
September 15, 2025 at 11:58 PM
news.agu.org/press-releas...
Thank you AGU—my professional home. My first job post grad school in 1990. 🧪 @agu.org
Thank you AGU—my professional home. My first job post grad school in 1990. 🧪 @agu.org
Some advice when talking to science deniers:
Be nice, it’s unexpected.
Be calm, don’t feed outrage porn.
Listen, you won’t change their mind about science, but you might change their mind about you.
Don’t rise to the bait of “then how do you explain?” It’s fishing for unsatisfactory relies. 🧪
Be nice, it’s unexpected.
Be calm, don’t feed outrage porn.
Listen, you won’t change their mind about science, but you might change their mind about you.
Don’t rise to the bait of “then how do you explain?” It’s fishing for unsatisfactory relies. 🧪
a man in a black shirt looks at the camera
ALT: a man in a black shirt looks at the camera
media.tenor.com
September 14, 2025 at 12:12 PM
Some advice when talking to science deniers:
Be nice, it’s unexpected.
Be calm, don’t feed outrage porn.
Listen, you won’t change their mind about science, but you might change their mind about you.
Don’t rise to the bait of “then how do you explain?” It’s fishing for unsatisfactory relies. 🧪
Be nice, it’s unexpected.
Be calm, don’t feed outrage porn.
Listen, you won’t change their mind about science, but you might change their mind about you.
Don’t rise to the bait of “then how do you explain?” It’s fishing for unsatisfactory relies. 🧪
Is there ever a shred of evidence that the assassination/murder of 11 humans (not bound for the U.S.) was justifiable under ever the most tenuous and oblique interpretation of national security? Just another abomination and abuse of power for Republicans to shrug off as they worship plutocracy.
I'm pressing Trump for answers about the summary killing of 11 people on a boat in the Caribbean by the U.S. military. It's critical to our security and the safety of our servicemembers that we get information about what happened and why, and who exactly was killed.
September 13, 2025 at 1:27 PM
Is there ever a shred of evidence that the assassination/murder of 11 humans (not bound for the U.S.) was justifiable under ever the most tenuous and oblique interpretation of national security? Just another abomination and abuse of power for Republicans to shrug off as they worship plutocracy.
The relationship between the people of Hawaiʻi and astronomy on Maunakea has been complex. I have witnessed both missteps and sincere efforts to be respectful and find common ground. Hopefully this is a welcome development. 🧪🔭
Hawaiian culture finds a new home at the Gemini Observatory
The Gemini Observatory on Mauna Kea has launched its first Hawaiʻi Culture and Language Residency, bringing Hawaiian cultural experts into the world of astronomy. The program aims to connect tradition...
www.kitv.com
September 13, 2025 at 12:52 PM
The relationship between the people of Hawaiʻi and astronomy on Maunakea has been complex. I have witnessed both missteps and sincere efforts to be respectful and find common ground. Hopefully this is a welcome development. 🧪🔭
Webb and ALMA: When proposed, these telescopes were touted for their ability to combine observations, uncovering otherwise hidden mysteries of the universe. Multiwavelength astronomy rules! @thenrao.bsky.social 🧪🔭
ALMA and Webb Unveil the Hidden Heart of the Butterfly Nebula | ALMA Observatory
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has captured unprecedented details of the Butterfly Nebula (NGC 6302), a planetary nebula located about 3,400 light-years away in the constellation Scorpius. To g...
www.almaobservatory.org
September 12, 2025 at 4:49 PM
Webb and ALMA: When proposed, these telescopes were touted for their ability to combine observations, uncovering otherwise hidden mysteries of the universe. Multiwavelength astronomy rules! @thenrao.bsky.social 🧪🔭
Had a brief chat with my dentist today about Rosalind Franklin, Joselyn Bell Burnell, Henrietta Swan Leavitt, and other under-recognized women in science. Photo 51 changed our understanding of biology, medicine, chemistry, evolution, etc. etc. 🧪 🧬
www.sciencehistory.org/about/press/...
www.sciencehistory.org/about/press/...
Science History Institute Acquires Molecular Biology Archive That Includes Rosalind Franklin’s Historic ‘Photo 51’
This unparalleled collection documents the race to identify DNA’s double-helix structure and other significant developments that formed the foundation of molecular biology.
www.sciencehistory.org
September 11, 2025 at 5:20 PM
Had a brief chat with my dentist today about Rosalind Franklin, Joselyn Bell Burnell, Henrietta Swan Leavitt, and other under-recognized women in science. Photo 51 changed our understanding of biology, medicine, chemistry, evolution, etc. etc. 🧪 🧬
www.sciencehistory.org/about/press/...
www.sciencehistory.org/about/press/...
Mazel tov LIGO.
Ever wonder what two merging black holes look like? Here's the clearest signal that LIGO has ever measured, of two black holes that were each approximately 33 times as massive as the Sun. The merger converted 5% of that mass into gravitational radiation — stretching and squeezing of spacetime. 🧪
September 11, 2025 at 1:27 PM
Mazel tov LIGO.
My mother slept like a squirrel on crack. My father could sleep on bricks. Mother developed dementia; Dad's sharp mind outlasted his flagging heart. Correlation? Perhaps more than that. Sleep-meister Rob Britt tells the story. 🧪😴 medium.com/wise-well/st...
Struggle Sleeping? You May Face Mental Decline and Dementia
Chronic sleep problems, including insomnia, are strongly linked to reduced cognitive function and dementia
medium.com
September 11, 2025 at 1:26 PM
My mother slept like a squirrel on crack. My father could sleep on bricks. Mother developed dementia; Dad's sharp mind outlasted his flagging heart. Correlation? Perhaps more than that. Sleep-meister Rob Britt tells the story. 🧪😴 medium.com/wise-well/st...
Love the lede. Pretty much what I posted last week. “Doomed” doesn’t even begin to cover it. Source: The New York Times share.google/yyn4mCDJBKA4...
share.google
September 10, 2025 at 5:25 PM
Love the lede. Pretty much what I posted last week. “Doomed” doesn’t even begin to cover it. Source: The New York Times share.google/yyn4mCDJBKA4...
While driving to work last week (at 4 a.m., one has ample time to think), I wondered about human evolution and autism. It appears I wasn't the first to consider this connection. medium.com/@ceblue65/th...
The Genetic Advantage of Autism
But first a brief screed. Contrary to RFK Jr’s off-the-rails comments, it’s not the mother’s fault!
medium.com
September 9, 2025 at 2:20 PM
While driving to work last week (at 4 a.m., one has ample time to think), I wondered about human evolution and autism. It appears I wasn't the first to consider this connection. medium.com/@ceblue65/th...
GRBs, the most energetic events in the universe, astound and confound. Breaking news... follow for updates.
Astronomers spot mysterious gamma-ray explosion, unlike any detected before! 💥
Our VLT revealed that its source lies outside our galaxy. Yet its cause is still unknown 🤔 Read more: https://www.eso.org/public/news/eso2514/
🔭 🧪 ☄️
#extragalactic
#highenergyastro
Our VLT revealed that its source lies outside our galaxy. Yet its cause is still unknown 🤔 Read more: https://www.eso.org/public/news/eso2514/
🔭 🧪 ☄️
#extragalactic
#highenergyastro
September 9, 2025 at 12:42 PM
GRBs, the most energetic events in the universe, astound and confound. Breaking news... follow for updates.
Not science. Not politics. I just learned that one of my favorite songs, Veronica, by Elvis Costello, was co-written by Paul McCartney. (p.s. daughter's middle name is Veronica) www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-rF...
Elvis Costello - Veronica
YouTube video by igorgoiaba
www.youtube.com
September 9, 2025 at 12:40 PM
Not science. Not politics. I just learned that one of my favorite songs, Veronica, by Elvis Costello, was co-written by Paul McCartney. (p.s. daughter's middle name is Veronica) www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-rF...
The whole universe displayed in a logarithmic map spanning about 20 orders of magnitude. On the left, Earth-sized scales to the largest cosmic distances on the right. (Credit: Pablo Carlos Budassi). 🧪🔭 Tip-o-the-hat to @startswithabang.bsky.social medium.com/starts-with-...
September 9, 2025 at 12:33 PM
The whole universe displayed in a logarithmic map spanning about 20 orders of magnitude. On the left, Earth-sized scales to the largest cosmic distances on the right. (Credit: Pablo Carlos Budassi). 🧪🔭 Tip-o-the-hat to @startswithabang.bsky.social medium.com/starts-with-...