Hey, I wrote a thing about AI in astrophysics
ergosphere.blog/posts/the-ma...

I essentially took the entirety of the first 2.5 years of my PhD, 55 hours/week and set them on fire. Nothing productive or useful arose.

Those years are also the years that made me a very good scientist.

Grunt work and failure and friction IS the work. There is no way around learning.

People who don’t know I am transgendered treat me with much more respect; I can even complete a whole sentence without being interrupted by a man
— Ben Barres

He became an outspoken advocate for gender equity and fairness to LGBTQ+ scientists

askthequestionmovie.com

Screenshot of the LEGO Pittsburgh Skyline idea showing it has reached 10,000 supporters

GUYS

6 bad doodles with text under each one. horseshoe crab is literally the animal horseshoe crab. shoehorse crab is a crab riding a shoe, cowboy style. crabshoe horse is a horse wearing literal crabs as shoes. shoecrab horse is a horse telling a crab to go away. crabhorse shoe is a pair of shoes, left one crab shaped, right one horse shaped. horsecrab shoe is literally the same pair of shoes, flipped.

#InvertebrateShitposting as per @joabaldwin.com's request

19 for min walls and 64 for max walls. That one is devilish. What max did you get?

A beautiful Christmas Eve morning in #pittsburgh today with buildings downtown lit up red and green for the holidays. Sunrise was incredible as well from the West End Overlook, capping off what was a great start to the day.

Two panel comic: Left: a mostly completed puzzle with a regular-looking piece missing labeled "My Story So Far" Right: a blobby and irregular shape, with an arrow pointing at the missing piece (it obviously does not fit) labeled "My Latest Experiment"

Sigh. We're gonna need a bigger story...

I just voted for this kit as well! This is an amazing design, and it needs 10k votes for that the kit to be produced and sold! Friends, I need one for my lab. I'll buy one for my team if this model gets the votes.

Tenure-track Position in Biophysics at Carnegie Mellon University, Department of Physics Location: Pittsburgh, PA Open Date: Sep 19, 2025 Description The Department of Physics at Carnegie Mellon University invites applications for a tenure-track faculty position in biophysics. The appointment is intended to be at the Assistant Professor level, but exceptional candidates at a higher level may also be considered. We seek outstanding candidates with a strong record in cellular and subcellular biophysics. Topics of particular interest include, but are not limited to, uncovering how key characteristics of living systems arise from the interplay between supramolecular cellular structures, how the emergent cellular circuitry defines goals and enables robust decision making, and how metabolic resources are allocated. This encompasses understanding of how information is learned, stored, transduced, and processed across subcellular structures. Applicants with theoretical, data science, or experimental backgrounds within biological physics are encouraged to apply. The ideal candidate will strengthen and extend research programs of current biophysics faculty in the Department of Physics and collaborate with broader life science activities across many departments at CMU and the wider Pittsburgh area. More details on Interfolio: https://apply.interfolio.com/174360

I am super excited to announce that we have a tenure-track faculty position in biophysics open in the Department of Physics at Carnegie Mellon! 🧪

Interfolio link: apply.interfolio.com/174360

PLEASE, share widely across the blue skies!

Let me briefly explain what we're looking for:

1/10

Scientist on front lines of overdose crisis receives MacArthur 'genius' award

Nabarun Dasgupta was recognized with a MacArthur "genius" award for work studying the deadly overdose crisis. He's also a front-line organizer, helping people survive.

Avocado bean
and
Jellybean (from "I Think You Should Leave")

I'm stuck with the following. Fixing would be a totally different solution I think :)
Red-blue
x2 Red-purple
Yellow-purple
Blue-purple

Getting better or getting worse? I managed 94 walls for #377!!

ooh and with a few more tweaks I got the total up to 88!

What a great idea!! See solution for puzzle #376 with 84 walls!

Celtix A puzzle based on Celtic knots

I completed #Celtix 372 using 92 walls.

www.andrewt.net/puzzles/celt...

Celtix A puzzle based on Celtic knots

Finally another sub-10 day!!

I completed #Celtix 338 using 9 walls.

www.andrewt.net/puzzles/celt...

3D printable model of an i-motif structure showing how an i-motif consists of two interdigitated duplexes.

🧬 I know I should save this model for the official #RNAday in August, but this #DNAday, did you know that the i-motif is two interdigitated duplexes?? This thing is wild and beautiful. 3D printable model of the RNA i-motif (PDB 1I9K) shown below.

3D printable model kit for PDB 139D made using MoleculeCrafter platform.

Layer exploded view of 3D printable model kit for PDB 139D made using MoleculeCrafter platform.

In honor of #DNAday, here is a 3D printable model of a g-quadruplex (PDB 139B) separated into a few layers, showing the non-canonical binding that makes the g-quadruplex possible.

Insanely beautiful insights into Nature's own RNA origami!

Celtix A puzzle based on Celtic knots

After a week of really high scores, I get today’s in 9.

I completed #Celtix 260 using 9 walls.

www.andrewt.net/puzzles/celt...

10 different three dimensional hearts, multi faceted, next to their nets. All made of red paper.

Cut out and make hearts by www.instagram.com/hakoyamaho

Celtix A puzzle based on Celtic knots

Okay, today’s Celtix was really fun. I’m thrilled I got through with a 10. Love to see if anyone can get sub-10!

I completed #Celtix 242 using 10 walls.

www.andrewt.net/puzzles/celt...

Celtix A puzzle based on Celtic knots

Another 8-wall day! Much appreciated after a tough week of life and puzzles.
I completed #Celtix 232 using 8 walls.

www.andrewt.net/puzzles/celt...

David Lynch in sunglasses saying ‘I hope you are all having a lot of fun working on your favourite projects’

How to spend today

whoops 7 walls on puzzle 101 not puzzle 7.

Best score in #Celtix versus puzzle number.

In an obsessive bit of bookkeeping over break, I tallied my performance over the first 200+ #Celtix puzzles (plot attached). The slight downward slope is always encouraging.

10 walls: 34, 153, 171, 182, 185
9 walls: 12, 45, 56, 62, 131, 161, 198, 208
8 walls: 70, 201, 213
7 walls: 7 (today!)

OMG, knowing it’s possible makes it so much easier. Also got it in 7!