Cover of report "Mission Aborted: how NASA illegally implemented the president's budget request without congressional approval. Minority staff report, prepared by members of the committee on science, space, and technology, us house of representatives, April 2026

This report came out today by minority staff of the House science committee on how three NASA missions were aborted due to NASA illegally following the FY26 president's budget request instead of congressionally approved budget. Very important reading. 🔭🧪 democrats-science.house.gov/staff-report...

This entire thread is delightful. It’s a good thing that I don’t wear brooches because I had no idea how much the crab would speak to me.

The article isn't wrong -- the Probes were solicited as part of the NASA Explorers Program, along with MIDEX (~$300M) and SMEX (~$150M): explorers.gsfc.nasa.gov/ao.html

Carrigan's Christmasland Trilogy - Signed Auction item 'Carrigan's Christmasland Trilogy - Signed' hosted online at 32auctions.

The Lit for Queer Liberation auction starts today and there's sooooo much cool shit you can bid on, including a signed Carrigan's trilogy!
www.32auctions.com/organization...

Follow-up comment on how bad it is on the ground at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. 🔭

Done, thank you! I didn't know I would also get to see such a handsome picture of the dog. 😜

I'm interested in #6 and #56, if they are still available. (It's been great fun watching you post all the pretty shinies!)

High speed rail for everybody!

That looks incredibly familiar -- I think we had IACHEC there a few years ago. In May, so wandering through the gardens was very pleasant. Have fun!

I have a complete set in my basement -- definitely need to pull them out and reread!

North Station has had ticket gates for a while. I don't think I have ever gotten off a train and not seen at least one person get confused by the concept of scanning your ticket to get out of the station.

NASA-JAXA XRISM Finds Elemental Bounty in Supernova Remnant - NASA Science For the first time, scientists have made a clear X-ray detection of chlorine and potassium in the wreckage of a star using data from the Japan-led XRISM

XRISM has made the first ever X-ray detections of chlorine and potassium in the remains of a supernova, showing that these elements critical for the formation of life are indeed spread throughout the cosmos by exploding stars

science.nasa.gov/missions/xri...

Today’s xkcd made me cry.

In a good way.

xkcd.com/3172/

Chandra Spies a Supernova Shock Front Speeding Along When supernovae explode, they send a fast-moving shock wave into the interstellar medium, changing the local landscape significantly. A recent publication hones in on one supernova remnant to determin...

When supernovae explode, they send a fast-moving shock wave into the interstellar medium, changing the local landscape significantly. A recent publication hones in on one supernova remnant to determine how fast it's expanding and where it may have come from. 🧪🔭

Love The Peculiarity Shop! (Except that it’s hard to say whenever people ask where I got my cool earrings)

We are thrilled to announce that our NEW Large Language Model will be released on 11.18.25.

Every living NASA science chief unites in opposition to unprecedented… The entire past leadership of NASA’s science activities have released a joint statement condemning the proposed 47% cuts proposed to the agency’s science…

"NASA science endeavors are exercises in long-term national commitment that pays dividends
to the American people... This proposed budget ends nearly all future investments... dozens of... missions on a combined budget that is only 3% of NASA’s annual funding." 🔭 www.planetary.org/press-releas...

American science to soon face its largest brain drain in history Over the first half of 2025, the USA has cut science as never before. This disaster for American science is a gift to the rest of the world.

American science to soon face its largest brain drain in history

The largest brain drain in history was when thousands of scientists left Nazi Germany; it became known as "Hitler's gift."

America's current assault on science is set to surpass that.
bigthink.com/starts-with-...
#space #science

Protest planned to save NASA from Trump cuts! Join us in DC Monday, June 30, from 7:00 AM to 11:00 AM.

Thanks! We started up with AppleTV for MurderBot and have been look for other shows we should watch!

Graphs showing 25 years of budgets for the National Institute of Health, NASA, and the NSF. In all cases, the proposed budget for next year is far, far below any year of the previous quarter century.

There are 2 previous historical cases of countries destroying their science and universities, crippling them for decades: Lysenkoism in the USSR and Nazi Germany. The Trump administration will be the 3rd.
It's not just budgets but research, institutions, expertise, and training the next generation.

This is actively bananas. LIGO is doing (literally) Nobel winning work, and you need both of them -- the second one is not a spare or a nice to have; this is like buying a fire engine, but deciding it doesn't need wheels on the left hand side...

Excerpt from APS article on the new AIP report on impact of funding cuts in physics & astro departments: "One cannot work like this - all energy goes in thinking how to survive and not in physics - it is like being in the war," another department chair wrote. "No one can be productive in a climate like this - it is the end of the US scientific and technical dominance in the world - we will not recover from this in a decade," they added.

New AIP report discusses impact of funding cuts in physics & astro depts: “No one can be productive in a climate like this—it is the end of the US scientific and technical dominance in the world—we will not recover from this in a decade...”. ⚛️🔭 physics.aps.org/articles/v18...

This is a good thread. Technology is people, all the way down. People are not neutral.

This. Protect trans kids. Protect trans rights. Gender is a spectrum. Trans women are women. Trans men are men. Non-binary people exist. Inter-sex & DSD people exist. Gender-non-conforming people exist. Transphobia is anti-feminist. Laws are often wrong and unjust. We must fight for a fairer future.

This one is all over Cambridge, MA, including at the Kendall/MIT subway stop. I didn't even know what this company did at first, but the name alone says a lot.

The Museum of African American History in Boston is losing federal funding. You can help. (Or find something local). I know we can't save everything that gets defunded. This is the one I've supported today.

As someone whose mystery box is still waiting to go out, please take as much time as you need -- family comes first! I can wait for my shinies.

It's really a stunning set. The bidders seem to agree with me!