George Budd @Gbudd@qoto.org

@Jorsh

As I've said before:
* At peak, 20% of Twitter daily active users were Black.
* The Nazi experience is *worse* on the Fediverse than Twitter. Much worse. It's not even close.

Many Fediverse users want people to "stop using Twitter," more than they want to make Fediverse "welcoming to all people."

People are still on Twitter not because of Elon, or their own personal failings. They're still there (for now) because of our failure to create a better Fedi.

Yes, so far I've failed too. 🤷🏿‍♂️

For all the folks starting their #PhD (or their master thesis) today - a reminder why your PhD advisor can solve a problem so "easily" ...

#astrodon #academia #AcademiChatter #research

Telepawted

Karl Jansky invented the field of radio astronomy #OTD in 1932.

During a solar eclipse he saw no change in the faint radio hiss he'd been monitoring, which ruled out the sun as a source. He soon attributed this "star noise" to large ionized gas clouds near the center of the Milky Way.

A good friend of mine unexpectedly lost his wife. A couple months later we were golfing together, chatting about nothing. He asked what my dinner plans were and I told him wifey wanted my homemade chili and cornbread, but I didn't feel like stopping at the store. We golfed a few more minutes when he quietly said, “Make the chili."

did you know that 100 years ago there were *electromechanical* radio transmitters?

these things are so crazy, you just have to read this

I still cannot get over the wonder and mystery of what gall wasps can do to plants. This is bio-engineering! The wasp lays her egg and somehow the plant makes a structure that is not a fruit, it is not a seed, it not a leaf or stem. It's a wholly recombinant architecture customized to the needs of the growing young larva. The plant provides food and shelter-- It's like a cancer, but with a purpose.

How did it evolve? How is it done!?

(Photo by Timothy Boomer, https://wildmacro.com/)

Division By Zero

I could only hear one side of the conversation:
- "What was that 80s movie where they were all immortal except they had to cut each other's heads off?"
- "What? No, it wasn't Ferris Bueller's Day Off."
- "Yes I'm sure!"

"Johnny B. Goode"
de Chuck Berry,
Version para "shamisen"
Artista Sayo Komada

Our 10yr old has gotten ***REALLY*** into mechanical watches & clocks to the point he's on the verge of starting a side gig repairing them. He mentions his hobby to everyone, and a lot of folks have a not-quite-working item sitting around. He's fixed a number of them.

He has had a tough time with an civil war era pocket watch, but was finally able to salvage a compatible part from somewhere, and he got it ticking today. He was so proud, and wants to share with everyone.

#hobby #watchrepair

#CircleOfLife

#JeffBridges surprising #JohnGoodman by putting on the original #THEBIGLEBOWSKI "Dude" sweater to speak at Goodman's Walk-of-Fame ceremony. His expression is priceless.
#Hollywood #walkoffame #thedude

When my daughter was 6yo, she figured out that thing where you sneakily stick a note on someone’s back.

But she didn’t know the notes should say things like “kick me.” Instead, she would put space facts on them. She was really into outer space at the time.

One time I felt something on my back, then heard her run off giggling. I reached around, peeled off the little post-it, and found this:

I present you hard evidence I didn't chew your remote.
Now where's my apology, Susan?