Ethan Siegel
@startswithabang.bsky.social
Cosmologist, science communicator, author, speaker, and longtime writer of Starts With A Bang.
Not the next Carl Sagan; the first Ethan Siegel.
Not the next Carl Sagan; the first Ethan Siegel.
You probably haven't said this in 30 years but...
November 10, 2025 at 8:27 PM
You probably haven't said this in 30 years but...
Damn you wasted no time breaking out the fist-shaking and off-my-lawn-getting did you?
November 10, 2025 at 8:14 PM
Damn you wasted no time breaking out the fist-shaking and off-my-lawn-getting did you?
I mean that is an end-to-end problem.
This is the only type of scicomm people are paid by universities/research institutes to do: advertising the work at the institute, regardless of quality, accuracy, or merit, and often oversold atop that.
And then journos pick it up and try to maximize clicks.
This is the only type of scicomm people are paid by universities/research institutes to do: advertising the work at the institute, regardless of quality, accuracy, or merit, and often oversold atop that.
And then journos pick it up and try to maximize clicks.
November 7, 2025 at 7:39 PM
I mean that is an end-to-end problem.
This is the only type of scicomm people are paid by universities/research institutes to do: advertising the work at the institute, regardless of quality, accuracy, or merit, and often oversold atop that.
And then journos pick it up and try to maximize clicks.
This is the only type of scicomm people are paid by universities/research institutes to do: advertising the work at the institute, regardless of quality, accuracy, or merit, and often oversold atop that.
And then journos pick it up and try to maximize clicks.
Well, sure, that's true: assuming you are too young in your career to understand what peer review is and how it works and what it means to pass peer review.
But that's not you, because you know all of this:
bigthink.com/starts-with-...
But that's not you, because you know all of this:
bigthink.com/starts-with-...
Ask Ethan: What is the true purpose of scientific peer review?
Just because a paper passes peer review doesn't mean that what's written, or what the author asserts, is true. Here's why it still matters.
bigthink.com
November 7, 2025 at 4:19 PM
Well, sure, that's true: assuming you are too young in your career to understand what peer review is and how it works and what it means to pass peer review.
But that's not you, because you know all of this:
bigthink.com/starts-with-...
But that's not you, because you know all of this:
bigthink.com/starts-with-...
To be sure, some get it "less wrong" than others (space dot com's reporting was egregious), but I wish that trying to play whack-a-mole after the fact wasn't the only tool I had to fight the Sisyphean battle.
It's lonely out here!
It's lonely out here!
November 6, 2025 at 9:27 PM
To be sure, some get it "less wrong" than others (space dot com's reporting was egregious), but I wish that trying to play whack-a-mole after the fact wasn't the only tool I had to fight the Sisyphean battle.
It's lonely out here!
It's lonely out here!
How is this "fair" in any way other than noting, "yeah, this is a flaw in the system of how we do journalism so don't blame the journalists for the flaws in the system?"
It's not fair to the reader who, you know, tends to expect reporters to report truthful things.
It's not fair to the reader who, you know, tends to expect reporters to report truthful things.
November 6, 2025 at 9:25 PM
How is this "fair" in any way other than noting, "yeah, this is a flaw in the system of how we do journalism so don't blame the journalists for the flaws in the system?"
It's not fair to the reader who, you know, tends to expect reporters to report truthful things.
It's not fair to the reader who, you know, tends to expect reporters to report truthful things.
It's just bad science, Rami.
Bad science that made it to publication and now is being picked up by sensationalist writers who don't stop to expertly ask, "is this claim true?"
Which is basically how we got to the abysmal state of global scicomm that we have today, and have been enduring for years.
Bad science that made it to publication and now is being picked up by sensationalist writers who don't stop to expertly ask, "is this claim true?"
Which is basically how we got to the abysmal state of global scicomm that we have today, and have been enduring for years.
November 6, 2025 at 7:35 PM
It's just bad science, Rami.
Bad science that made it to publication and now is being picked up by sensationalist writers who don't stop to expertly ask, "is this claim true?"
Which is basically how we got to the abysmal state of global scicomm that we have today, and have been enduring for years.
Bad science that made it to publication and now is being picked up by sensationalist writers who don't stop to expertly ask, "is this claim true?"
Which is basically how we got to the abysmal state of global scicomm that we have today, and have been enduring for years.
There are about 100 projects _in space_ I'd rather see done first, but this is a meritorious one that humanity could and should invest in also.
The USA and many other nations are moving in the wrong direction right now, but someday, we'll look beyond Earth with hope and sanity once again.
The USA and many other nations are moving in the wrong direction right now, but someday, we'll look beyond Earth with hope and sanity once again.
November 6, 2025 at 5:04 PM
There are about 100 projects _in space_ I'd rather see done first, but this is a meritorious one that humanity could and should invest in also.
The USA and many other nations are moving in the wrong direction right now, but someday, we'll look beyond Earth with hope and sanity once again.
The USA and many other nations are moving in the wrong direction right now, but someday, we'll look beyond Earth with hope and sanity once again.
My theory is that Avi Loeb doesn't believe, he knows, because he is one.
November 5, 2025 at 7:10 AM
My theory is that Avi Loeb doesn't believe, he knows, because he is one.
Everyone's google fu has weakened considerably over the past 4 years.
It's not your fault even if you work at Google. (Unless you are like one of 3 people.)
It's not your fault even if you work at Google. (Unless you are like one of 3 people.)
November 5, 2025 at 12:08 AM
Everyone's google fu has weakened considerably over the past 4 years.
It's not your fault even if you work at Google. (Unless you are like one of 3 people.)
It's not your fault even if you work at Google. (Unless you are like one of 3 people.)
Oh nvm. That was a short lived mystery!
November 5, 2025 at 12:06 AM
Oh nvm. That was a short lived mystery!
This looks like something either entering or failing to leave the atmosphere.
November 5, 2025 at 12:05 AM
This looks like something either entering or failing to leave the atmosphere.
That's interesting it looks like a streak; like how asteroids appear in Hubble raw imagery (but clearly it's not one!)
November 5, 2025 at 12:04 AM
That's interesting it looks like a streak; like how asteroids appear in Hubble raw imagery (but clearly it's not one!)
Also, about the recent Teen Vogue firings/layoffs, the details are always more gruesome the deeper you look.
Don't look away; we all need to be aware of what's happening!
bsky.app/profile/nkje...
Don't look away; we all need to be aware of what's happening!
bsky.app/profile/nkje...
No more Black or trans staffers. No politics of any kind. The cowardice of mainstream media isn't just insulting, it's *boring.* Now TV is just like any other beauty rag. Why not just kill it quickly? Why the slow-motion pretense?
thank you for all the support; the statement from our union is now live here with some more reporting.
now that this is public I can confirm that the majority of today’s layoffs were women of color. there are no longer any Black women working at Teen Vogue.
now that this is public I can confirm that the majority of today’s layoffs were women of color. there are no longer any Black women working at Teen Vogue.
November 4, 2025 at 1:05 AM
Also, about the recent Teen Vogue firings/layoffs, the details are always more gruesome the deeper you look.
Don't look away; we all need to be aware of what's happening!
bsky.app/profile/nkje...
Don't look away; we all need to be aware of what's happening!
bsky.app/profile/nkje...
Power is being consolidated.
There are a million things to fight and those who are resisting the hardest are being targeted the most.
Stay alive.
Don't let them capture your mind.
Value the truth, wherever you find it.
But most of all, pay attention and care. They can't win for long if you do.
There are a million things to fight and those who are resisting the hardest are being targeted the most.
Stay alive.
Don't let them capture your mind.
Value the truth, wherever you find it.
But most of all, pay attention and care. They can't win for long if you do.
November 3, 2025 at 10:49 PM
Power is being consolidated.
There are a million things to fight and those who are resisting the hardest are being targeted the most.
Stay alive.
Don't let them capture your mind.
Value the truth, wherever you find it.
But most of all, pay attention and care. They can't win for long if you do.
There are a million things to fight and those who are resisting the hardest are being targeted the most.
Stay alive.
Don't let them capture your mind.
Value the truth, wherever you find it.
But most of all, pay attention and care. They can't win for long if you do.
There are fewer and fewer of them as the months have elapsed.
CBS no longer has climate coverage, and is helmed by a fascist apologist.
Teen Vogue? Under pressure from Conde Nast (their owner), they just fired their entire political reporting team.
bsky.app/profile/lexi...
CBS no longer has climate coverage, and is helmed by a fascist apologist.
Teen Vogue? Under pressure from Conde Nast (their owner), they just fired their entire political reporting team.
bsky.app/profile/lexi...
I was laid off from Teen Vogue today along with multiple other staffers, and today is my last day.
certainly more to come from me when the dust has settled more, but to my knowledge, after today, there will be no politics staffers at Teen Vogue.
certainly more to come from me when the dust has settled more, but to my knowledge, after today, there will be no politics staffers at Teen Vogue.
November 3, 2025 at 10:47 PM
There are fewer and fewer of them as the months have elapsed.
CBS no longer has climate coverage, and is helmed by a fascist apologist.
Teen Vogue? Under pressure from Conde Nast (their owner), they just fired their entire political reporting team.
bsky.app/profile/lexi...
CBS no longer has climate coverage, and is helmed by a fascist apologist.
Teen Vogue? Under pressure from Conde Nast (their owner), they just fired their entire political reporting team.
bsky.app/profile/lexi...
While many outlets do censor what their reporters can or will say, like WaPo, NYT, LA Times, and the WSJ, places like Teen Vogue, Wired, 404 media and others were doing real, fact-based journalism.
People were noticing, and that was a big deal.
bsky.app/profile/teen...
People were noticing, and that was a big deal.
bsky.app/profile/teen...
We are honored to receive the @rooseveltinstitute.org's 2025 Four Freedoms Award for Freedom of Speech and Expression, and to be among a stellar class of laureates including @wck.org, @cvt.org, and more. Details: tnvge.co/ZMIUg7v
November 3, 2025 at 10:45 PM
While many outlets do censor what their reporters can or will say, like WaPo, NYT, LA Times, and the WSJ, places like Teen Vogue, Wired, 404 media and others were doing real, fact-based journalism.
People were noticing, and that was a big deal.
bsky.app/profile/teen...
People were noticing, and that was a big deal.
bsky.app/profile/teen...