Mark McGiddy

Not sure that's entirely correct. Musk and his crowd seem to adhere to a really naive Randian view that if you just remove most of government then the economy will automatically be better.

This image features the Crab Nebula (M1), the remnant of SN 1054, a supernova first observed on c. 4 July 1054. This sharp, telescopic view combines broadband color data with narrowband data that tracks emission from ionized sulfur, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms to explore the tangled filaments within the still expanding cloud. The background of the image is black, dotted with numerous stars.

This magnificent image of the Crab Nebula (M1), by Michael Sherick, arranges broadband color data and narrowband data that trails emission from ionized sulfur, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms.

Reference➡️ apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap21122...

The Crab Nebula is the first astronomical object identified

🔭 🧪 🧵

YouTube video by Marsh Family "Puppets on a Kremlin String?" - Marsh Family adaptation of Coldplay's "Viva la Vida" on Trump/Vance

The brilliant musical satire of
@marshfamilysongs.bsky.social
on the recent lamentable performance of Putin’s puppets in the Whitehouse, playground bullies Trump and Vance.
@addyspectreai.bsky.social @rachey.bsky.social @ghosted077.bsky.social
youtu.be/pvT3aQjLxdE

🧵
The Bubble Nebula (NGC 7635) is a fascinating celestial object spectacularly captured by Hubble.
This image was released in 2016 to celebrate HST's 26th year in space.

Credit: NASA, ESA, Hubble Heritage Team

➡️ esahubble.org/news/heic1608/

Located in the constellation Cassiopeia,

🔭 🧪 #MilkyWay

The curious thing about billionaires defying the rule of law and the orders of the court, is that their wealth depends entirely on enforceable legal rights: contract, property, and so on.

Those saying court orders have no value need to be careful what they wish for.

The ECHR has long been the only thing standing between us and anyone with a majority in the Commons.

In chaotic Washington blitz, Elon Musk’s ultimate goal becomes clear Shrink government, control data and — according to one official closely watching the billionaire’s DOGE — replace “the human workforce with machines.”

"The DOGE campaign has generated chaos on a near-hourly basis across the nation’s capital. But it appears carefully choreographed in service of a broader agenda"

www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...

Also, we‘re not 100% sure whether or not black holes destroy information.

A large galaxy is at center, and a significantly smaller galaxy is to its left. The large galaxy, nicknamed the Bullseye, is mostly face-on, but the top appears slightly tilted away. It has several rings. Its circular core is bright white at the very center, but light yellow overall. Going outward, there are gaps between the rings. The core is surrounded by two slightly lighter yellow rings, which also appear to be overlapping. The next ring is slightly more transparent and yellow. The two or three rings that are farther out are bluer, sometimes with blue clumps. The widest ring is also blue, but also the most transparent. At 9 o’clock is a small dwarf galaxy. It is about the same size as the yellow core of the Bullseye. The dwarf galaxy is blue, with many dots. It looks like the edge of the Bullseye might touch the dwarf galaxy. Both galaxies are set on the black background of space, which is dotted with a range of galaxies in different shapes, colors, and sizes.

Bullseye! Researchers using Hubble found a massive galaxy rippling with nine star-filled rings after an “arrow,” the blue dwarf galaxy to its center-left, plunged through its core 50 million years ago. A thin trail of gas still links the pair: bit.ly/4hcX52n 🔭 🧪

It would be yet another tragic, stupid & traitorous mistake for the U.K. to fail to act in complete solidarity with the EU on this but instead do the dirty by trying to stitch something up with Trump. Trump will never be a reliable partner; the U.K. should be & with its European neighbours & allies

Petition: Tighten the rules on political donations We want the government to: Remove loopholes that allow wealthy foreign individuals to make donations into UK political parties (e.g. by funnelling through UK registered companies). Cap all donations ...

Stop Musk from funding far-right politics in the UK!

I just signed this petition 'Tighten the rules on political donations' - it's nearly at 30,000 signatures - can you add your name too? -

petition.parliament.uk/petitions/70...

Why is the government happy to cosy up to China, but won't even look at a better customs deal with our closest neighbours in Europe?

Ministers say they’re looking everywhere for growth but are ignoring what is staring them in the face.

Cartoon from Ella Baron. First half shows the word 'FACT' in the Hollywood sign font surrounded by wildfire, invoking the LA wildfires. Second half shows Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk and Donald Trump holding a large green 'Cheque'.

Powerful stuff from cartoonist Ella Baron in @theguardian.com

YouTube video by Peter Stefanovic Former Tory Brexit Secretary joins call for UK to leave ECHR - hold onto your seats

Former Tory Brexit Secretary joins insane call for UK to leave ECHR.

My latest film explains why joining Russia & Belarus as the only European countries outside the ECHR will do nothing to stop small boats & it will undermine all our rights

Please watch & share
youtu.be/RlxcYDYFGJ0?...

Chart showing rapidly rising temperatures with 2024 the worst

2024 daily temperatures compared to past years. A frightening graphic from the BBC. #ClimateEmergency

I can't believe that Trump is essentially talking about invading Greenland and everyone is behaving like this is totally fucking normal

Volume 78 Issue 1 | Physics Today | AIP Publishing Physics Today the flagship publication of the American Institute of Physics is the most influential and closely followed physics magazine in the world.

[Free to read]

Physics Today
Special Issue: Our Quantum World

pubs.aip.org/physicstoday...

Because 2025 = 45² and 45 is a triangle number, we get these lovely sums:

2025 = (1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6 + 7 + 8 + 9)²
2025 = 1³ + 2³ + 3³ + 4³ + 5³ + 6³ + 7³ + 8³ + 9³

Pleasingly the next triangle number 55 is 10 more, so get ready for a repeat of this fact in the year 3025.

Not without Ipswich.

you know who should be inducted into the rock and roll hall of fame? Sisyphus

A fluffy-textured nebula with two obvious, neutral-colored rings forming a kind of vertically squished figure-8. The rings appear to be in the outer parts of the nebula. The interior of the nebula is a deep red, and looks more concentrated near the center. There is a faint blue haze also present around the central red area. In the very center of the nebula is a light blue colored star. Various small, faint foreground stars and background galaxies also dot the image.

A blobby, blue nebula which seems to be made of multiple connected bubbles, kind of like a conglomeration of soap bubbles, but with softly defined, diffuse edges. If you could hold it in your hand, it looks like it would feel like a wispy cotton ball. In the center of the nebula is the brightest star in the image. Fainter, unrelated stars also dot the image randomly.

I've finished the two views of NGC 1514 today. From JWST is the spectacular infrared view of the planetary nebula's dusty rings. For comparison, the visible light view from PanSTARRS.

More information/processing notes
JWST flic.kr/p/2qA4GF2
PanSTARRS flic.kr/p/2qA4GrZ

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Please share.

It looks a lot like the thing that took over the train in Nightsleeper.

Good to see you in BSky.

In a shameless attempt to grow my following on here, I'm going to be giving away a GE2024 poster to one lucky winner who retweets this post (and is following) in 24 hours time. Best of luck!

Currently studying cosmology and hoping to study astro-particle physics, so keen to see astronomy and related news.

yes