Kurtis Williams

East Texas A&M Professor Contributes to Major Discovery of Planet Candidate in Nearby Star System A newly accepted scientific paper involving ETAMU's Dr. Billy Quarles, an assistant professor of physics and astronomy, details the possible discovery of a planet orbiting Alpha Centauri A.

A hearty congratulations and job well done to my colleague Dr. Billy Quarles, a member of the team that has found potential evidence of a planet orbiting Alpha Centauri A!

www.etamu.edu/news/east-te...

Charlie, a terrier mix, looking like a mop with teeth

Charlie, our terrier mix. He moved during this photo. He looks positively evil here.

I agree - a great loss to the astronomy community and to the state’s reputation. Hope that the status in the document means that the PhD program is only suspending new admits until it can be consolidated with other degree programs. If so, it’s still bad, but better than closure.

2025 USA women’s quarters proof set

My 2025 Proof Quarters arrived today, with Vera Rubin appropriately centered!

It’s Only the Fourth Reich If It Comes from the Reich Region of Germany, Otherwise It’s Just Sparkling Fascism Don’t be embarrassed, it’s a common mistake. You look around and think, Yep, this is it. Paramilitary deportations, apocalyptic foreign policy, and...

"Fascism can come from anywhere, of course. Spain and Italy have produced their own versions over the years. Some of the stuff coming out of California rivals the classic vintages. However, only one region holds this unique appellation."
www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/its...

In the USA, an independent former British colony, forces loyal to the regime used force to subdue an elected member of the opposition party during an apparatchik's announcement that the regime planned to "liberate" one of the opposition's regional power centers from its elected leaders.

Despondent over the NSF and NASA proposed budgets. Normally Congress would ignore such a outlandish presidential request. But normally I could come up with a snarky comeback and today I can’t.

Mars Crater Naming Honors Renowned Planetary Scientist, Former ETAMU Professor Dr. Kit Blount The honor recognizes Dr. Kit Blount’s legacy as a planetary scientist who helped map the Red Planet, and her lifelong commitment to STEM education.

Dr. Kit Blount was a treasured member of our university community and instrumental in STEM education and teacher preparation during her career at East Texas A&M University. A Martian crater has been named in her memory and honor. #ETAMU #Mars

www.tamuc.edu/news/mars-cr...

I was very disappointed to find myself today as the lone department head in my college vocally arguing for the right to continue to cover issues of sexuality, race, and gender in science courses. It is important to my faculty, to me, and most importantly to our students not to self-censor.

Since there are no chemicals in contrails (at least none purposefully placed there to control humans), just declare victory and get out. He signs some order prohibiting chemtrails, he could claim responsibility for ending the “menace.” Not that I want him to do this, but I would consider it

A six pack of “Fire Ant Funeral” beer.

Yes, I bought it because of the name. Clever capitalism FTW

The next step is to halt the executive branch of the federal government itself. They have no idea what they are doing, no idea which bodily oriface to stick their orders in, and whether they are fascists, kleptocrats, or just plain imbeciles.

Note - I didn’t author the article. I’m just quoted near the end. Alexa Robles-Gil is the author and did a great job illuminating this issue.

International students in the U.S. are reeling amid revoked visas and terminated records The moves also affect a temporary work program heavily used by STEM graduates

Some words of mine made Science magazine. But I will not be advertising this at my university - I am not sure they’d appreciate me sticking my head up in the e current political climate. www.science.org/content/arti...

Base 18 counting.

But it sounds and looks cool. That is an important consideration in my vocabulary choices.

I have a student whose visa has been pulled. PhD student skilled in optics. If you are aware of a non-US PhD position pls email me directly. 15 day window. Feel free to share.

here’s a curse word free version of “look it up” as requested by countless teachers and librarians 🥰😘

Don’t they mean the same thing?

The sunset tonight is gorgeous

I deeply regret that the USA is not a safe place for you and your family now. I hope we can fix that before it gets any more dangerous. 😿

Not to Brag, But I’m Totally Intellectual Enough to Be Brutally Murdered by Fascists I don’t mean to sound conceited, but my obvious mental acuity makes me an easy target for some autocratic tyrant’s curb-stomping goon squad. What I...

"Sure, technically, I’m a part-time lecturer and not a professor, but seeing as how no one in my family gets that, a roving gang of far-right street thugs won’t request my full job title and last pay stub before bashing in my skull with a bat."

Sunset at McDonald Observatory on March 2, 2025. The dust is a so thick it was safe to watch the sunset.

Sunset through a dust storm at McDonald Observatory. My favorite mountain, which I think looks like Godzilla, is invisible through the dust. Or maybe the kaiju are on the move.

Sunset at McDonald Observatory during a dust storm. It looks and feels a bit like Mars, though here it is a tad warmer and a little more oxygen is in the air. I think I’ll wait a while before opening the domes.

A very very very out of focus star, looking more like a washer than a point of light.

I couldn’t find my target. At first it was clouds, but the e sky has cleared. So I went to a bright star to check pointing. And I found the pointing was fine, the sky was clear, but we were slightly out of focus…

I didn’t know you were alive in 1885! Oh, wait, the remnant… 😉

I had a dream last night that I was a soccer ref in a game along with Pete Hegseth. He kept going around giving Nazi salutes but claimed he was pointing at airplanes. Needless to say he missed many obvious fouls. I was no use because I don’t know the rules of soccer.

Movies you’ve watched more than six times, GIFs only

KM3NeT xkcd.com/3053

I had a dream last night that a certain South African Nazi was coming for dinner and I had to make Gar Compote. Anyone know if gar is poisonous?

Worrye not about 'being productive,' for thou art not a product. Thou art a star daunsinge yn a hopeful skye. A signal blinking across centuryes and worldes. Thou art a song performid just once and perfectlye.