Paul Knightly, PhD

Planetary & Environmental Geologist

🪐 Planetary: field and operational analogs🏔

🌎 Environmental: radiological assessments☢️

🛩️ Mavic and Cessna Pilot

📷 Photographer

💻 Technology Ranting 🗣

He/Him. Views are mine.

#PlanetaryScience #Geology #Photography #Weather #Pilot

Public Key

npub183gx4nhc5xm4cz4e5za5jc5dr2k9g5935khy0e43020jl88kv87sm46g83

NIP-05 Address

paulknightly_at_mstdn.social@mostr.pub

Profile Code

nprofile1qqsrc5r2emu2rd6up2u6pw6fv2x34tz52zc6ttj8u6ch48e0nnmxrlg3j8cyc

Author Public Key

npub183gx4nhc5xm4cz4e5za5jc5dr2k9g5935khy0e43020jl88kv87sm46g83

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Last Notes

2024-08-13 20:00:01

Tech companies: Let's build a utopian society where people don't have to worry about driving cars and can get to their destinations safely.
The dystopian reality that's delivered:
Self-driving cars honking in response to each other's presence throughout the night, building to a crescendo around 4 AM.
https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2024/08/self-driving-waymo-cars-keep-sf-residents-awake-all-night-by-honking-at-each-other/

2024-08-12 21:11:33

Apparently missed a chance to see the northern lights last night. Still haven't figured out a good way to keep up with up to the minute aurora forecasts and reports. In this case even Space Weather and UAF Geophysical Institute were slow to pick up on the current storm, and latest forecast graphics don't show storm potential as far south as the aurora were observed last night.

2024-07-02 14:33:53

One of the few joys I've had in dealing with our convoluted healthcare system over the years is happening right now.
Hospital tried to balance bill us for nearly $7k worth of expenses that were already covered by insurance and the insurance agent I'm on the phone with went full Mama Bear and said "nope, they can't do that."
The practice of balance billing wasn't regulated until 2021, but now that it's regulated it empowers insurance companies to act on behalf of their customers. Silver lining

2024-06-17 23:42:34

I'll really celebrate once a verdict is handed down, but this is really fantastic news.
A central component to Adobe's subscription model is making it as difficult as possible to cancel, in violation of a 2010 law that they've been skirting for the better part of the last 12 years.
I dealt with all of the tactics listed in the lawsuit when I cancelled my CreativeCloud subscription in 2018 and never looked back. Hope they get what's coming.
https://petapixel.com/2024/06/17/justice-department-sues-adobe-for-hidden-fees-and-difficult-cancellations/

2024-05-22 09:33:34

Incredible drone footage of the Greenfield, IA tornado courtesy of Reed Timmer.
The drone was able to orbit through the outer circulation of the tornado capturing some of the best views I've ever seen of a multi-vortex tornado.
There's a lot that can be learned from this type of close-range footage.
https://youtu.be/IEFGKMWYD-E?si=4ZNdSCufFAf6sFwJ

2024-05-10 14:31:12

Aurora chase mode activated!
Missed the last opportunity to catch them from Arkansas due to clouds. Fingers crossed for some sweet Aurora Ozarka.
https://media.mstdn.social/media_attachments/files/112/417/272/507/446/879/original/8be8a082ed681672.png

2024-04-05 15:27:38

I started following a few geology influencers on Instagram lately, one of whom lives on the East Coast, and y'all - the level of excitement after experiencing their first earthquake is off the charts and relatable. Love seeing the passion!

2024-03-04 22:35:13

Europe stepping up to the plate again with sensible rule-setting, this time in the form of non-mandatory guidelines for bringing back physical buttons for key vehicle functions including turn signals, hazard lights, windshield wipers, car horn, and other SOS features.
I had no idea that we were so far gone that car horns have been shuffled to the touch screen, but here we are.
Touch screen displays arguably make driving more dangerous, and Euro NCAP agrees.
https://arstechnica.com/cars/2024/03/carmakers-must-bring-back-buttons-to-get-good-safety-scores-in-europe/

2024-03-02 14:59:29

Starting to keep an eye on longer range trends for severe weather season. I'm to be able to fit in at least one longer sortie west, otherwise it'll be another local year for me.
The bonus is that where we live now has plenty of hills with open views towards the west, and we don't live under Class D airspace anymore, so I can launch my drone at will from our house.
First time I've been this excited for storm season in years. Scenes from near home in past years.
#Weather #Photography
https://media.mstdn.social/media_attachments/files/112/026/652/917/900/783/original/b64c8f496af85f10.jpg
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2024-02-23 12:34:08

Apparently a Doonesbury strip was removed from over 400 newspapers in the US this past Sunday for running afoul of conservative states' censorship laws.
Garry Trudeau remains an unsung American hero.
https://www.cracked.com/article_41196_conservative-newspaper-conglomerate-proved-their-opponents-point-when-they-banned-this-doonesbury-comic-strip.html
https://media.mstdn.social/media_attachments/files/111/980/810/061/616/174/original/840a97ec596c116a.jpg

2024-02-22 00:36:45

I'm on a work trip to western NY and wrapped up a bit early today, so I hopped over to Canada to view Niagara Falls from the other side.
I saw the falls from the American side growing up and vowed to check them out from the Canadian side if I ever had the opportunity.
Well worth it!
https://media.mstdn.social/media_attachments/files/111/972/320/308/780/307/original/3f6fdbb320043dda.jpeg
https://media.mstdn.social/media_attachments/files/111/972/320/324/025/741/original/465ce83b8c5f356c.jpeg

2024-02-08 13:36:06

Following the latest on the new eruption on Reykjanes that started this morning in Iceland.
The lava flow crossed Grindavíkurvegur Road, a primary north-south corridor, and has severed the hot water pipeline that runs from the geothermal plant and provides service to the rest of peninsula.
Areas without hot water include Keflavik International Airport and nearby communities.
#Iceland #Volcano
https://www.ruv.is/english/2024-02-08-eruption-started-on-reykjanes-peninsula-404272

2024-01-31 22:08:29

At the risk of driving traffic to yet another fabricated generational conflict -
We have another story from barely two weeks ago that Boomers aren't leaving their larger homes, often through no fault of their own.
The housing market is screwed up, top to bottom, and it's disrupting patterns that persisted through much of the 20th century. That as older generations age they pass properties on to younger generations, by inheritance or sale. That's not happening anymore.
https://getpocket.com/explore/item/how-millennials-killed-the-guest-room

2024-01-26 18:54:32

I'll be looking to take the weekend off from posting and getting some much needed time outdoors with moderately warmer weather in the forecast.
Here's a photo from several years back taken above a canyon, location undisclosed. If you know where this is, you know that a permit is required to access the area.
I love the light play in this image - the desert is truly a magical place.
#Landscape #LandscapePhotography #Photography
https://media.mstdn.social/media_attachments/files/111/823/746/861/324/291/original/f7503dfee359e3ae.jpg

2024-01-25 20:56:39

After 72 flights, Ingenuity's mission of airborne exploration on Mars has come to an end.
While Ingenuity is still in communication with ground controllers, at least one of it's rotor blades sustained damage during landing on a recent flight.
It far surpassed its original capabilities as a technology demonstration and went on to serve as a scout for the Perseverance rover.
The mission is paving the way for flight on future missions, including Dragonfly to Titan.
https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/after-three-years-on-mars-nasas-ingenuity-helicopter-mission-ends/

2024-01-18 11:28:31

I've been finding myself getting wrapped up in the world behind my screen lately and need to touch some grass.
I've not been out in nature as much as usual due to several life changes. While I'm hoping that changes soon, I can post more landscape photos here in the meantime.
Here's a photo from Flatside Pinnacle in the Arkansas Ouachita Mountains, captured in late 2016.
#Landscape #LandscapePhotography #Arkansas
https://media.mstdn.social/media_attachments/files/111/776/694/645/576/226/original/a55a0cc32b2587e6.jpg

2024-01-15 13:06:45

Despite temperatures hitting -2F/-19C this morning, there haven't been any power disruptions like there were yesterday.
Probably a combination of utilities increasing production and households (like ours) that lowered their thermostats and increased their use of non-electric heating sources during the day yesterday.

2024-01-03 04:35:57

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@npub16mz…hm5n it's really a shame. I just got a new iPhone 15 Pro and I'm squinting to see how they're coming up with their battery life claims. Granted the battery life on standby is significantly better than my aging iPhone SE, the battery drain from even just simple web browsing is disappointing for a flagship model, especially compared to what they used to be.

2023-12-28 13:12:27

This was a previous bucket-list photo shoot for me back in 2017.
There's a field in southeast Kansas that has several retired aircraft parked within easy walking distance of the road.
After confirming access with the property owner, I spent the hour around and after golden hour photographing the planes, including this DC-3.
I've always wanted to print this one off and may finally have the wall space to do so.
#Airplane #Photography #BlackAndWhite #Kansas
https://media.mstdn.social/media_attachments/files/111/658/193/857/198/121/original/9df48c0c18450bc3.jpg

2023-12-27 16:13:22

As a part of my year-end file organizing, I finally migrated some older photo edits that pre-date a 're-branding' of my photography business around 2018. I care much less about keeping consistency in my photo watermarks so I'm excited to start sharing these photos here.
Here's a shot from the summit of Pinnacle Mountain outside Little Rock, AR captured March 2017. I've previously dedicated this one to the "Arkansas Doesn't Have Mountains" crowd.
#Arkansas #LandscapePhotography #Photography
https://media.mstdn.social/media_attachments/files/111/653/237/237/886/479/original/e859231577de7776.jpg

2023-12-24 16:42:38

Stumbled across a sunrise sequence of Monte Fitz Roy (Cerro Chaltén) from my trip to Patagonia in January 2020.
It's hard to believe that this was nearly 4 years ago now, but what an incredible and unforgettable moment. A sharp contrast with the year that followed.
#Argentina #Patagonia #Photography #Landscape #LandscapePhotography
https://media.mstdn.social/media_attachments/files/111/636/347/703/130/487/original/fc52da4af6825b5e.jpg
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2023-12-17 21:23:23

I've started the process of migrating over to Proton for email and have just started scratching the surface on the number of services that don't allow users to update their email address without contacting customer service.
In many cases this is resulting in me just canceling the service or deleting the account, but in all cases it's creating a massive waste of time for customer service and myself.
Email addresses and phone numbers are not immutable identifiers for users.

2023-11-27 01:59:42

Had a few things we needed to haul from my parents this weekend so we rented a Uhaul.
Encountered just about the worst self-service web app. Would not allow me to complete an after hours self-return without confirming my location, even though the process quite literally entails dropping the keys in a lock box. Nowhere does it state in their contract or at the onsite lock box that the online return process must be completed onsite.

2023-11-23 12:09:21

Christopher Nolan says that there is a danger in having content only exist in a streaming format, that physical media is the only way to hedge against its disappearance from public access in the future.
I've long advocated for owning music in particular (as much as ownership exists these days) in part from the financial standpoint of paying into a collection that isn't anchored to a streaming platform. Hadn't thought about the existential issue of streaming-only content
https://www.msn.com/en-us/movies/news/christopher-nolan-says-streaming-only-content-is-a-danger-and-can-get-taken-down-guillermo-del-toro-calls-owning-physical-media-a-responsibility/ar-AA1kfSfB

2023-10-29 11:13:04

I joined the Fediverse a year ago today, deactivating the bird a couple weeks later, and my relationship with social media has improved significantly over that time.
I checked in on the other space several times before allowing my accounts to be permanently deleted earlier this year, and it felt like a fever dream.
I wish more people realized that social media (er, networking) doesn't have to be that way. Bluesky, Threads, etc still miss the boat.

2023-09-21 19:26:43

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@npub1hd2…zm0u yeah, I was skeptical when I got the invite code from a buddy. Actually took me over a week to act on getting an account set up. It just doesn't excite me as much. The only silver lining is that I've pretty quickly been able to re-connect with folks that never settled in over here, but I'm realizing that I don't miss a lot of the discourse they engage in as much as I thought I would. Will probably keep my account but will just log out and check in when curiosity strikes.

2023-09-21 19:16:16

So far my feeling from Bluesky after a couple of days is that it largely has the same vibe as Olde Twitter but without the ads, algorithm, and baddies being pushed into my feed. Otherwise it's the same style of posting featuring the Main Character(s) of the day that drive the conversation and rage clicks.
I'll give it a few more days but it feels too much like the same pattern of posting that I'm happy I was able to get away from.

2023-09-08 15:51:19

It has been revealed that University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) has sued thousands of patients, including their own employees, over unpaid medical debts that are sometimes as low as $100, but then tack on interest, attorney fees, and court filing charges. Nearly 3,000 lawsuits were filed in 2021, averaging about 9 per day. In case you needed further proof on the level of corruption within the US healthcare system.
https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/08/us/arkansas-hospital-debt-collections-lawsuits-pandemic/index.html

2023-09-07 17:56:01

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@npub1uw8…88kr it's very sad.
I was sitting outside with my spouse last night to watch a Starlink train pass (her first) and I pointed out that as the train crossed paths with another satellite the odds were very high that the other sat was also a Starlink. Didn't realize the odds were that high😬

2023-08-30 19:10:24

The problems with NASA's Deep Space Network aren't new. DSN has been straining under increased mission load for decades, which for robotic missions has been generally manageable, but with the return of crewed missions to deep space by way of Artemis the system could buckle.
A lot has changed since Apollo, notably the sheer volume of data that can be collected and transmitted. Investing in DSN upgrades, or dedicating infrastructure for crewed missions is essential.
https://arstechnica.com/space/2023/08/nasas-artemis-i-mission-nearly-broke-the-deep-space-network/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social

2023-08-29 03:23:08

Going through the process of getting a new homeowners insurance policy in Arkansas. State law requires that homeowners are made aware of the availability of earthquake coverage and they must sign a waiver to decline coverage.
NE AR and the bootheel of MO were the site of a strong sequence of earthquakes from 1811 to 1812, with estimated magnitudes ranging from 7.0 to 8.6.
Fissures from the 1811-12 New Madrid quakes are still visible in NE AR.
So yeah, we have an earthquake policy.
https://media.mstdn.social/media_attachments/files/110/970/715/215/102/670/original/4761db9e94bce3f5.jpg
https://media.mstdn.social/media_attachments/files/110/970/715/322/971/393/original/0ee96a568233a2a6.jpg

2023-08-10 12:12:14

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Saturday morning actually supported more scenic storms with two rounds that rolled through NW Arkansas over the span of a couple of hours. Feels like a spring storm pattern!
First photo is a panorama of a shelf cloud passing over our neighborhood around 7 AM.
Second photo is a shelf cloud from a separate complex of storms moving in around 9 AM.
I wouldve sent up my drone but we live on the mile final for the runway of a nearby airport so that's sadly not an option from the front yard.
#arwx
https://media.mstdn.social/media_attachments/files/110/865/245/091/038/434/original/37ff63c75323226d.jpeg
https://media.mstdn.social/media_attachments/files/110/865/245/105/313/984/original/8c52201143195626.jpeg

2023-08-10 12:07:08

The storms last night were, fortunately, weaker than forecast. I recognized that fairly soon after leaving home, but it's hard to pass up a local chase if I'm already out!
This was a drone view from just outside Noel, Missouri, USA before a few close lightning strikes forced me to move.
#mowx #arwx
https://media.mstdn.social/media_attachments/files/110/865/223/873/495/822/original/8a0635d3faff4915.jpeg

2023-08-05 12:39:09

Update on the ad tracking wars:
Browser went spastic this morning with several sites not loading properly. Google has now started blocking my ability to use Google Maps and Google Drive unless I disable the ad tracker.
So in short - my files and content are effectively held hostage until I grant full permission to Google to track my activities on pages where ad tracking is supposedly not taking place.

2023-08-05 11:25:30

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@npub10lc…7wpc great setup! I've been using the trash can method for about 6 years now, though I've been less judicious the past year on segregating the active and resting bins, which resulted in a lower yield of usable compost this spring. We're getting ready to move and I'm debating scaling up to a more traditional setup but the two-bin method is hard to beat!

2023-08-02 17:18:19

I don't normally talk about health-related issues on social media for a variety of reasons, the least of which being is that I don't want that to define me.
But something I've felt more open about discussing lately is my experience with high functioning autism. I was diagnosed about two decades ago under the old classification of Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified after being tested for Asperger's. Call it getting a participant trophy despite not passing the test.
#Autism

2023-07-29 10:55:43

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As I type this, there is a literal pile of corn in my parents kitchen which must be eaten soon.
Corn for days. Corn for every occasion.
- Family gathering? Corn.
- Anniversary gift? Also corn.
- Get well gift? Corn and a card.
- Summer wedding? Truckloads of corn.
And yes. It all tastes better than whatever you’re getting at Walmart.
Ticket to this Midwesterner’s heart.

2023-07-29 10:49:01

If you’re not from the Midwest, few things will prepare you for this part of summer.
I am of course referring to corn season.
We have early access to corn before it lands in grocery stores, such as buying it from a farmer’s truck. But many people also have corn connections.
Corn becomes a form of currency.
If you think a Midwestern standoff at a 4-way intersection is bad, you haven’t seen a gathering where everyone shows up with corn to distribute to everyone else.

2023-07-28 19:03:03

Posted elsewhere but there's a difference between lower engagement chronological feeds and healthy social media interactions. Rage-baiting curated timelines drive engagement but aren't healthy for end-users.
When I log on here, I scroll through the most recent posts briefly and if there's something of interest, I engage healthily and move on. Same with FB now that I broke the algorithm with my ad-blocker so that my feed is updating less frequently.
https://www.wired.com/story/meta-just-proved-people-hate-chronological-feeds/

2023-07-20 14:19:22

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@npub1psy…pasy spot on. The final point he makes regarding the extent of rail service coverage and the public will to use it is important.
More people don't use Amtrak today because of significant gaps in point to point travel, but filling those requires broader public demand to justify adding routes, but new routes can't be justified because more people aren't using Amtrak today.
At some point the risk has to be taken to add routes to get more people to travel by rail and get out of the rut.

2023-07-19 15:52:59

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@npub1pel…kqex it's awful. I've somewhat been avoiding astrophotography since 2020 because I knew that it would never be the same experience. We're all but little pawns in the billionaires' playground.

2023-07-19 15:39:31

Quick edit from last night's Milky Way photo session. These are some of the darkest skies in Northwest Arkansas and my go-to spot for nearby astrophotography photo ops. It's been too long!
#Astrophotography #Arkansas #MilkyWay
https://media.mstdn.social/media_attachments/files/110/741/488/839/383/369/original/19b03111fce9ecf7.jpeg

2023-07-19 14:33:10

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I'm not sure what group this is as it seems there are a few Starlink trains at the moment, but judging by the spacing it could have been from the launch this past weekend.
It actually startled me initially because there so many and they were so tightly spaced that I thought it was a large bolide or space junk burning up.
So for me there is now a firm demarcation between astrophotography pre-Starlink and post-Starlink, and I don't like it.

2023-07-19 14:28:35

Made my first organized outing to shoot the Milky Way since 2020 last night. I've taken Milky Way photos since 2020, but usually later at night.
Last night was different in that I was setup at sunset and saw how bad the Starlink situation has become. At one point I counted around 8 satellites in my field of view until a Starlink train entered the chat. I was shooting some test photos and didn't pan or adjust settings, so it came out as a smudge of light at the edge of the frame.
https://media.mstdn.social/media_attachments/files/110/741/195/399/957/552/original/c0610b64e98d3670.jpg

2023-07-18 18:02:38

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I realize the prevalence of newer drones with built-in remote ID has reduced the need for an abundance of stand alone modules but I'm kind of shocked that there aren't more options available.
I really don't want to brick mode two functioning drones and suspend my Part 107 business, but I may be getting backed into that corner. I'm not buying another DJI just to stay compliant and buying a more expensive American made drone was not in the budget this year.

2023-07-18 17:57:39

Posted about this a couple of months ago and re-upping. Has anybody had any luck securing a standalone remote ID module for their drone?
Both of the models I've ordered for my drones - a Dronetag Beacon and uAvionix pingRID - have been back-ordered for months without any updates and less than two months before remote ID compliance will be mandatory.
To make things more sticky, uAvionix seems to be scaling back their ecommerce store front and Dronetag never sent me an order confirmation #Drone

2023-07-18 12:22:43

Trail leading towards the summit of Wheeler Peak, the highest point in the state of New Mexico, USA.
13,161 ft / 4,011 m
#Mountains #NewMexico #PeakBagging
https://media.mstdn.social/media_attachments/files/110/735/045/792/894/569/original/2317f4f7bd538aca.jpeg

2023-07-17 22:18:07

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@npub16a3…9dah yep, fortunately I was going the other way and just had to dodge it going back!

2023-07-17 22:14:31

I had to run an errand ahead of an upcoming work trip and passed one of the worst traffic backups I've seen on I-49 since we've lived in Northwest Arkansas. Near standstill on all southbound lanes during rush hour. Found myself snaking around back roads to get home. Fortunately traffic backups like this aren't the norm, yet.
'Semi-truck Accident Blocks Traffic in Springdale'
#Arkansas #ArkansasNews #NWArkansas
https://www.nwahomepage.com/news/semi-truck-accident-blocks-traffic-in-springdale/

2023-07-17 16:58:54

Yesterday, Crew 15 arrived at the Mars Society's Flashline Mars Arctic Research Station on Devon Island!
Located in the Canadian high arctic, their mission will mostly comprise retrofitting and rehabilitation work for the station, which has not been occupied since my crew (Crew 14/Mars 160) was there in 2017.
They will cap off their work with a short mission simulation involving a continuation of geological and biological field investigations that were started in 2017.
#Space #Mars #FMARS
https://media.mstdn.social/media_attachments/files/110/730/468/071/466/368/original/11235b03d4138268.jpg

2023-07-17 15:32:48

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@npub1yug…thp0 the recent contact actually had an AirTag on the dog's collar so they already had the search area narrowed down. But with only a 30 foot detection radius, the drone wouldn't provide much added value to just walking around the area of the last known ping and calling out the dogs name

2023-07-17 14:55:12

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While it's hard to say no in an emotionally charged situation like that, does that still seem like a reasonable assessment? I feel like if I'm being contacted as a Part 107 pilot that these have turned into last resort situations and I hate being the bearer of bad news.

2023-07-17 14:53:59

It seems that once every couple of years I get an inquiry to perform drone search and rescue ops from someone with a lost dog who found my photography website.
My default advice at this point has been to advise against drone surveys, at least using me, either due to a lack of equipment on my end (e.g. thermal imaging capabilities) and justifying that a ground search may ultimately be more effective if it's over a large area - explaining limitations on battery life, line of sight ops, etc.

2023-07-16 13:52:50

HOA's have an unreasonable degree of power that would be unconstitutional if they were an actual government entity, but this one takes the cake.
An HOA in Oklahoma adopted a new rule requiring homes to be set back 35' from the street. One existing home that is set 20' from the street must obtain a variance permit which if denied would effectively authorize the HOA to force the homeowners to demolish the existing home.
HOA's should be banned in every capacity.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/neighbor-outraged-hoa-decides-tear-103000166.html

2023-07-16 10:43:10

It's been a little over 2 years since I've had an opportunity to do any hiking in Colorado, although I've been through several times since then for work - hiking just hasn't been on the agenda.
Firming up plans for after a meeting in Boulder next month, which will hopefully include some peak bagging above 14k ft and some alpine tundra views like the one below, captured during a visit to Rocky Mountain National Park in 2018.
#Colorado #Mountains #PeakBagging
https://media.mstdn.social/media_attachments/files/110/723/324/450/534/794/original/a510523abb1e75b1.jpeg

2023-07-15 14:28:03

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@npub15pn…mxpt @npub1u3q…7lak ha, but it's true though! Might explain why the nightlife scene is vibrant in some corners of the city!

2023-07-15 14:24:55

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@npub1u3q…7lak absolutely. Although I was talking to my advisor who lives in Flagstaff and in a twist he said he and his family are going to Phoenix this weekend so they can have air conditioning since temps will be approaching 95F in Flag. A state of extremes!

2023-07-15 14:08:30

With the spotlight focused on Phoenix and the desert southwest with the current heatwave, I'm reminded of the year I spent living in the Valley of the Sun.
It isn't hard to see why people live there and 'tolerate' the extreme summer heat. The vibrant sunrises and sunsets are part of a daily cadence that showcases the remarkable landscapes that abut the city and cast an otherworldly glow on the architecture of an urban hub clinging to existence in a land of scarcity.
#Arizona #Heatwave
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2023-07-15 13:51:49

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@npub14k2…ed68 I lived there for a year a decade ago and the misters are quite common, particularly at restaurants and bars with outdoor seating. They are quite effective at cooling you down, but also wasteful - literally spraying water into the air that almost immediately evaporates. Pools were essential on the hottest days.
I had several personal reasons for not staying, but on a practical level I also couldn't see the city being sustainable over the long term in the face of water shortages.

2023-07-15 00:47:58

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@npub12hh…kdkk But a $5-10 billion robotic mission to return a few kilograms of rock vs hundreds to thousands of kilograms from a crewed mission, plus the accumulated observations from a human crew roaming over an area several times larger for say $100 billion... we have a ways to go for streamlining costs for both robotic and crewed missions, but humans would still be more efficient in the near term, if we ever get to that point. (fin)

2023-07-15 00:46:11

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@npub12hh…kdkk There is the argument that if NASA eliminated their human spaceflight program and reallocated that same budget to planetary science that we would be able to saturate the solar system with high-return robotic missions, if not from the individual capability or science return of any one mission, than through sheer volume and the mass accumulation of results from smaller targeted missions, and I would tend to agree with that. (3/x)

2023-07-15 00:45:32

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@npub12hh…kdkk That said, we will see a paradigm shift sometime this century with advances in robotics and autonomous programming that empowers robotic craft with the ability to operate largely hands-free and achieve the same as a crewed mission, but we aren't there with the current economics of robotic missions. (2/3)

2023-07-15 00:42:58

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@npub12hh…kdkk For in-situ field analysis, humans would be more efficient. A rover may take several days between seeing an interesting rock, driving to it, drilling into the surface, taking measurements, and relaying results. A human would be able to whack the rock with a hammer, scan it with field spectroscopy equipment, and move along in the span of minutes, accomplishing the scope of a decade-long robotic mission over the span of perhaps a few days. (1/x)

2023-07-15 00:25:38

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Granted, there are a lot of high value planetary science missions that have been pushed aside or delayed to cover existing cost overruns for MSR, and those should get the $300 million that they're threatening to shift to Artemis if MSR runs overbudget, which is pennies when compared to the 20+ year development arc of Artemis.
This is a key Decadal Survey requirement. If we can't commit to funding the robotic equivalent of a moonshot, what are we doing.

2023-07-15 00:19:40

I really would like to continue with my planetary science research, but this type of stuff is endlessly frustrating and makes it difficult to gamble my entire career on what amounts to a political football.
MSR is arguably the most effective way to get high-value science return from Mars short of sending humans there, which if Congress is balking at a robotic program that could run upwards of $5-10 billion, wait until they see the price tag for a human mission.
https://arstechnica.com/space/2023/07/the-senate-just-lobbed-a-tactical-nuke-at-nasas-mars-sample-return-program/amp/

2023-07-15 00:08:44

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@npub16gp…dvqx I have reservations on if that would make a difference on this issue anyways. People were perfectly content to surrender privacy and liberty for the benefit of security after 9/11. Or even going back to internment camps in WWII. Theres a long history of *shrugging* off certain rights or freedoms that we could have if it makes us feel safe, especially for those who think "I have nothing to hide, why should I care if the govt does X (spy, imprison, etc) on a group with alleged mal-intent?"

2023-07-14 19:52:47

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Like people are up in arms about government agencies buying access to consumer data that corporations have add access to for decades while continuing to ignore that the source of the issue is the rampant data collection to begin with.
There are absolutely zero consumer rights and it's a constant game to try to circumvent unsolicited data collection and at times completely unavoidable due to the actions of others.

2023-07-14 19:43:00

Had a pretty glaring case of FB snooping leading to targeted ads that could have most easily been derived by a unprompted microphone access. If it wasn't listening directly, then it may have been derived from device proximity on the basis of who the conversation was with. It's creepy regardless but hits home that internet privacy is a community issue. You can have a PiHole and the most restrictive device settings, but if an acquaintance is all loosey goosey with privacy, Big Data will find you.

2023-07-13 22:08:07

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[Insert Name]
So hot right now.
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2023-07-13 22:05:12

TFW you try to give your kid a name that's somewhat unique but also not weird or hard to spell, so you choose one that's ranked in the top 100-200 for the previous year.
Only to find out it's ranking in the top 20 for this year, so they're bound to share their name with at least a handful of people in their grade at school.
Sorry kiddo, we tried!
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/popular-baby-names-so-far-2023_l_64a707abe4b03d308d9389af

2023-07-13 19:53:41

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@npub1289…lyqj I'm not sure where the trailhead for the new eruption is located, but the drive from Reykjavik to the airport is about 45 minutes IIRC, so not far. If I was in your shoes I would use Reykjavik as a fallback if the weather is awful, but I would also probably relish fighting the weather to get some unique shots.

2023-07-12 23:10:32

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@npub14ca…e02z ha, was wondering if anyone would catch that!

2023-07-12 23:10:15

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@npub1jzx…peus Haughton impact structure for Mars analog fieldwork. I've heard good things about Truelove

2023-07-12 21:34:13

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@npub1jzx…peus awesome view! I have some colleagues staging in Resolute for fieldwork on Devon Island and this view takes me back to my field season up there in 2017. Thanks for sharing.

2023-07-12 20:59:20

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@npub1awq…hhdv absolutely. We live in a higher humidity environment and while we haven't seen conditions approaching wet bulb in the 7 years we've lived here our time will no doubt come, and it's already come for folks living closer to the Gulf Coast.

2023-07-12 20:38:23

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@npub1awq…hhdv indeed, very low humidity so the heat index was not significantly higher than the actual air temperature, although it certainly felt hotter on asphalt.
Increasingly worried about wet bulb temperatures in more humid areas, so heat index or not it's a rough road ahead regardless.

2023-07-12 20:22:02

I've only experienced air temperatures near or above 120F (49C) on two occasions, once while living in Phoenix in 2013 and again while doing field work near Lake Havasu in 2019.
I can say with full confidence it's an awful experience and even with that knowledge I have a hard time comprehending what 130F+ (54C+) must feel like.
Photo is from inside my car on June 29, 2013 from its covered parking spot, so not an accurate read on air temp but gives a flavor for the temp inside of the car.
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2023-07-11 18:58:26

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Lest I forget that at least one of the insufficient funds fees triggered a cascade of 2 or 3 insufficient funds fees caused by each previous fee. It's terrifying that they've carved out such a large slice of the banking industry.

2023-07-11 18:54:47

I had a Bank of America account when I was in college and absolutely none of this surprises me. I had an account geared towards college students but there were several occasions during college and immediately after that I would get duplicate charges for insufficient funds or, more often, charged for not maintaining a minimum balance.
Switching to a credit union and getting out of that abusive relationship was one of the best financial decisions I've made. Stick it to em
https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/11/investing/bank-of-america-fake-accounts/index.html

2023-07-10 23:34:33

I asked my wife if I could go to Iceland for a couple of days next week to see the eruption and the answer was about as you'd expect 😂 .
Someday I'll catch an eruption. We do not know when that day will come, but it will not be next week.

2023-07-10 20:57:37

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@npub14k2…ed68 I've been playing around with that too for a few weeks and it's been eye opening but not totally surprising. A typical day I usually see:
- Zillow: 1500+ tracking attempts
- WaPo: ~1000 tracking attempts, usually only read 2 articles
- Firefox: ~600 tracking attempts
I don't keep Instagram or Facebook on my phone, but I tried it on Instagram a couple weeks ago and it didn't block any attempts, indicating most of the tracking is built into the app I suppose?

2023-07-10 12:10:07

An expansive view looking across a picturesque fjord in Iceland. The Westfjords are one of the less-visited parts of Iceland owing to their remote location relative to other portions of the island.
It's still hard for me to believe that I've had the fortune of working at this location on two separate occasions for research relating to my dissertation. This was taken from near one of our sites last summer - the view never gets old!
#Photography #Iceland #MountainMonday #Mountains
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2023-07-07 16:04:28

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@npub1esh…5fqz experienced several days with overnight lows in the 90s when I lived there during the summer of 2013 and can testify those aren't fun. You really end up feeling like there's no relief from the heat.

2023-07-07 09:54:54

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@npub15fj…h4u6 thanks!

2023-07-06 19:08:21

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Final video! This is compilation reel for the entire Mars 160 mission, which was focused on evaluating the differences between two identical Mars analog research stations in two different environments (Utah desert vs Canadian arctic).
https://youtu.be/ZiGTtz8L7b8

2023-07-06 19:07:57

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2023-07-06 19:04:27

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This video provides a walking tour of FMARS that I recorded at the end of the mission in 2017 to give an idea of what life is like living in a tuna can during a Mars mission simulation. While it may look spartan, the station provides luxury accommodations compared to camping!
https://youtu.be/-n3j8CvotEk

2023-07-06 18:57:45

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This video was our parting view as we left FMARS on our final extraction flight at the end of the mission.
There are other field teams and organizations that utilize Devon Island and sites throughout the Canadian high arctic for planetary analog fieldwork, but this little corner of Devon Island is perhaps the most visited for that purpose.
And as you can see from the Mars-like landscapes in the video, that is for a very good reason.
https://youtu.be/nD-_pw4fbgI

2023-07-06 18:45:16

The Mars Society is sending a new crew to the Flashline Mars Arctic Research Station on Devon Island! The objectives of Crew 15 will include repairing the station and conducting a short-duration simulation to perform fieldwork near FMARS.
I was on Crew 14 (Mars160), the last mission to FMARS which conducted a one-month simulation in 2017, so the station will need some TLC. Excited that some of the work I was performing will be continued over the course of this mission.
https://www.marssociety.org/news/2023/07/06/multi-national-crew-to-visit-fmars-canada-for-upgrade-work-science-mission/

2023-07-06 10:59:22

In addition to still photography, I've dabbled in time lapse photography over the years.
This video shows a pair of supercell thunderstorms drifting across the high plains of eastern Colorado, USA in June 2018. There's even a potential very brief and wispy tornado that touches down at the 1:05 minute mark.
I probably have enough footage to make a nice compilation reel at this stage, just need to buckle down!
#Timelapse #Photography #Weather
https://youtu.be/eBPW22nWZgM

2023-07-05 16:04:23

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@npub19k3…jvz6 I would agree. It's definitely a function of several exacerbating factors (the Bay Area has a notoriously high cost of living to begin with), although the easiest depending on the nature of the program the student attended would be to allow for all but key sections to be completed remotely. Reducing in person requirements to twice per semester, or even monthly would be a vast improvement from the 230+ flights they logged to meet daily in-person attendance requirements.

2023-07-05 12:53:53

Good day and hello to my new followers! I typically post a photo or two each week and I felt like this aerial panorama taken about two years ago would be a good fit for today.
This was taken during an evening outing while I was on a writing retreat to work on my dissertation. Nestled in the Ozarks, the area near the town of Jasper, Arkansas, USA is one of my favorite nearby places to explore. This photo was taken just after a summer thunderstorm passed through.
#Photography #Drone #Arkansas
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2023-07-05 10:42:25

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While not every postdoc can be fully or partially remote, I would strongly encourage PI's and other hiring managers to consider the option, particularly for short-term positions and largely computer-based work. I'm seeing where that may be happening already with internships, too.
I can't overstate how much that matters for providing access to opportunities to people who would otherwise have to pass for any number of family, financial, or other reasons.
#AcademicChatter #Academia

2023-07-05 10:32:47

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I'll hopefully fit in one more trip before the end of the position in early September, but we'll see.
It's been an overwhelmingly positive experience and not one I would have had otherwise. Flagstaff rent, lack of childcare, and lack of job opportunities for my partner would have made moving for 1 year not only cost-prohibitive but exceptionally disruptive.
As much as we love the town and weren't opposed to relocating, it just wasn't feasible.

2023-07-05 10:25:34

Berkeley graduate student super commutes by flying to class from LA to SF.
This is an extreme case, but sometimes it's the only viable option to take advantage of short-term opportunities in high cost of living areas.
I'm *technically* a super commuter for my current postdoc in Flagstaff, which on paper is a remote position but I've traveled between Arkansas and Arizona to work onsite on 3 occasions, most recently in March and combining with other trips to the area.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2023/06/30/berkeley-grad-student-flight-commute-rent/70374527007/

2023-07-04 15:23:39

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@npub10gy…722n thanks! I try to share photos often!

2023-07-04 15:22:29

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@npub1esh…5fqz I would not be surprised if it's a segue to a promo. He's been sponsored by a handful of brands in recent years (thinking Flex Seal as his most recent sponsor) and even when you're the best of the best in the storm chasing world it's still hard to strap together full-time income.

2023-07-04 15:08:07

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@npub1syf…apd0 thanks!

2023-06-23 12:35:26

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Adding insult to injury is that yesterday we found out that my wife's grandmother, who is over 100 years old, has been without electricity in Tulsa for the past week after losing power during the derecho.
Local relatives have been keeping an eye on them, but have been unsuccessful in convincing her to stay with them temporarily during the excessive heat this past week.
We've had no clue how bad the situation was in Tulsa, less than 2 hours away due to a lack of media coverage.

2023-06-22 13:08:16

It isn't a stretch to understand why Twitter was and continues to be a crucial source of information for many.
We had severe weather move through the area late Saturday night. I knew about the potential because I check a few different sources to get the forecast.
Posts with weather warnings surfaced on my Facebook page yesterday, 4 days after the fact.
Today, a local news website posted a "breaking news" banner with a forecast blog about the potential for severe wx - that occurred 5 days ago.