Susan Nesom retweeted
21-year-old Olivia Newton-John walking through the crowd with her dog at the 10th National Jazz and Blues Festival at Plumpton Racecourse in East Sussex, England, in August 1970....
Though she’s often thought of as Australian, Newton-John was born in Cambridge, England, in 1948. Her family moved to Melbourne when she was five, and she grew up there. Her grandfather was Max Born, a pioneering physicist who won the Nobel Prize in 1954 for his work in quantum mechanics.
As a teenager, she won a TV talent contest whose prize was a trip to London. She moved back to England to pursue music, and by 1970 she was part of Toomorrow, a manufactured pop group that even starred in its own science-fiction movie. Neither the band nor the film took off.
Her solo career did. In 1971, her cover of Bob Dylan’s “If Not for You” became her first international hit. She went on to win four Grammys and became one of the best-selling female artists of the 1970s.
Then, in 1978, she starred opposite John Travolta in “Grease.” Her role as Sandy made her a global icon, and the soundtrack became one of the best-selling albums of all time.
She died in 2022 at the age of 73.
#archaeohistories
Susan Nesom retweeted
During her adolescence, Sabrina Gonzalez Pasterski constructed a functioning aircraft from an assembly kit and piloted the vehicle independently by the age of sixteen. Today, the prominent theoretical physicist, frequently compared to Albert Einstein by academic peers, conducts research aimed at uncovering the fundamental mathematical structure governing the cosmos. She currently serves as a faculty member at the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics in Ontario, Canada, where she manages the Celestial Holography Initiative.
Her primary research focuses on quantum gravity, a profound challenge in modern physics centered on reconciling Albert Einstein's general relativity, which explains macro-scale gravity, space, and time, with quantum mechanics, which dictates the behavior of subatomic particles. Within this domain, she has formulated a novel structural framework designed to describe the essential physics of our universe.
This model, known as celestial holography, maps bulk gravitational interactions onto a lower-dimensional boundary. The paradigm conceptualizes the universe similarly to a standard hologram, suggesting that four-dimensional spacetime phenomena can be mathematically encoded on a vast, distant spherical boundary encompassing the cosmos, mirroring the way a flat surface stores a three-dimensional visual image. Pasterski notes that the highly specialized nature of this advanced framework limits meaningful discussion of her research to a few thousand experts globally.
Her path to high-energy physics deviated significantly from traditional academic trajectories. After completing her experimental aircraft construction as a teenager, she attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, graduating in 2013 with the highest achievable grade point average in the physics department. She subsequently pursued graduate studies at Harvard University, earning a doctorate in 2019.
During her doctoral work, she co-discovered a novel manifestation of infrared physics known as the spin memory effect. This phenomenon represents a permanent, physical distortion or angular momentum imprint left behind in the fabric of spacetime after the passage of gravitational waves. While these concepts currently remain entirely theoretical, they establish a foundational roadmap for ongoing investigations into quantum gravity.
References:
Pasterski, S., Pate, M., & Raclariu, A. M. (2021). Celestial Holography. Snowmass 2022 White Paper, arXiv:2111.11392. DOI: 10.48550/arXiv.2111.11392
Pasterski, S. (2024). A Chapter on Celestial Holography. In Handbook of Quantum Gravity, Springer, arXiv:2310.04932. DOI: 10.48550/arXiv.2310.04932
Pasterski, S., Strominger, A., & Zhiboedov, A. (2016). New Gravitational Memories. Journal of High Energy Physics, 2016(12), 053. DOI: 10.1007/JHEP12(2016)053
Susan Nesom retweeted
An uncontacted Indigenous community living deep within the Amazon rainforest, typically in regions near the border between Brazil and Peru...
They live in communal circular houses (malocas) and rely on traditional hunting, gathering and small-scale cultivation (such as growing crops in forest clearings). These groups choose or need to remain isolated to protect their territory and way of life. Because they lack immunity to common outside illnesses, any direct contact with the modern world can be dangerous or fatal to their population. Organizations like Survival International and national indigenous agencies monitor and advocate for the protection of their land rights to prevent illegal logging, mining and forced contact.
. . .
The Amazon rainforest is home to more uncontacted tribes than anywhere else in the world. It is hard to imagine that even today, there are more than 100 tribes who have never seen anything outside their home in the jungle. Although most people in the world now live in industrial and post-industrial societies, there are communities in remote areas who still live the way that humans have lived for thousands of years. One of these areas is the western Amazon. Deep within the Amazon rainforest are many people-groups that, rather than being incorporated into industrial civilization, have chosen to isolate themselves from the outside world. This is because of past pain and suffering that has resulted from contact with outside peoples. The rainforest is, however, at risk and will need to be protected if these tribes are to continue to maintain their traditional lifestyle.
Humans first settled the Amazon around 13,000 years ago. Although the Amazon is often thought of as a pristine wilderness, there is actually evidence that biodiversity of the Amazon has been shaped by human activity. Archaeological investigations reveal evidence of numerous towns and possibly even cities which once existed in the Amazon. Furthermore, many of the most common trees in the vicinity of archaeological sites are domesticated species. This is not uncommon for archaeological sites of course, but it suggests that at least some of the wild vegetation in the Amazon today was significantly influenced by the presence of humans. Although the Amazon appears to be a pristine wilderness, it may in part be a human creation.
The human population in the Amazon appears to have been much larger in prehistory. It is possible that entire civilizations once flourished within the vast 6 million square kilometer rainforest. The good fortune of the people of the Amazon changed with the arrival of Europeans as many native Amazonian peoples were subjugated, enslaved, or killed in war or from disease. Because of these unpleasant experiences, some Amazonian peoples have chosen to withdraw altogether into the rainforest to escape from the horrors of the past. These are called the uncontacted groups or uncontacted tribes.
The uncontacted peoples are hunter-gatherers and subsistence farmers living deep in the western Amazon. Unlike the eastern Amazon, the western Amazon is a relatively stable ecosystem with enormous diversity in plant life as well as mammal, amphibian, and bird species. The uncontacted people live by fishing along the rivers, collecting turtle eggs, and hunting animals in the forest. Some groups will also practice subsistence agriculture, farming at least part of the year. Some are nomadic while others live in small settlements. Because they rely heavily on their natural environment, they prioritize taking care of it. For this reason, it has been argued that protection of uncontacted peoples, as well as indigenous people living off the land in general, is important for conservation because many of them make great conservationists.
#archaeohistories
Susan Nesom retweeted
In 1970, a 23-year-old physics student at Imperial College London found himself at a life-altering crossroads.
Brian May was deep into his doctoral research on cosmic dust—specifically the zodiacal dust cloud, the tiny particles that drift through the solar system and scatter sunlight. His PhD was well underway, and a promising academic career in astrophysics lay ahead.
But there was another path calling him.
May was also the lead guitarist of a newly signed rock band named Queen. With a record deal secured and tours on the horizon, the band’s momentum was building fast. Faced with an impossible choice between the guitar and the telescope, May made his decision: he paused his studies and bet everything on music.
Queen’s ascent was meteoric. By the mid-1970s, they had become a global phenomenon. Timeless anthems like “Bohemian Rhapsody” and “We Will Rock You” exploded onto the charts, while May’s iconic homemade guitar, the Red Special, helped define the band’s legendary sound. Stadiums sold out worldwide, and millions of albums flew off the shelves.
Yet throughout his rock stardom, May never fully let go of his scientific passion. Even at the height of Queen’s fame, he stayed connected to astrophysics—reading journals, attending lectures when possible, and maintaining contact with his former supervisor, Professor Michael Rowan-Robinson, who had once told him: “You can always come back and finish.”
Thirty-six years after stepping away, in 2006, May decided the time had finally come. He reached out to Rowan-Robinson, and together they revived the long-dormant project. Though the field had moved forward and his original data needed updating, his early observations still held real scientific value.
Balancing his ongoing music career with late-night research sessions, May updated his work, incorporated new findings, and refined his analysis. In 2007, at the age of 60, Imperial College London officially awarded him a PhD in astrophysics—not an honorary title, but one earned through rigorous research and peer review.
Dr. Brian May had finally completed what he started more than three decades earlier.
His journey is a powerful reminder that passion has no expiration date. Whether on stage under stadium lights or studying the dust between the planets, Brian May proved it’s never too late to finish what you began.
Susan Nesom retweeted
HOUSTON WE HAVE A PROBLEM:
This is a well written and thought out article written by a 26 yr old college student by the name of Alyssa Ahlgren, who's in grad school for her MBA.
What a GREAT perspecitve...
My Generation Is Blind to the Prosperity Around Us!
I'm sitting in a small coffee shop near Nokomis (Florida) trying to think of what to write about. I scroll through my newsfeed on my phone looking at the latest headlines of presidential candidates calling for policies to "fix" the so-called injustices of capitalism. I put my phone down and continue to look around.
I see people talking freely, working on their MacBook's, ordering food they get in an instant, seeing cars go by outside, and it dawned on me. We live in the most privileged time in the most prosperous nation and we've become completely blind to it.
Vehicles, food, technology, freedom to associate with whom we choose.These things are so ingrained in our American way of life we don't give them a second thought.
We are so well off here in the United States that our poverty line begins 31 times above the global average. Thirty One Times!!!
Virtually no one in the United States is considered poor by global standards. Yet, in a time where we can order a product off Amazon with one click and have it at our doorstep the next day, we are unappreciative, unsatisfied, and ungrateful. ??
Our unappreciation is evident as the popularity of socialist policies among my generation continues to grow.
Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez recently said to Newsweek talking about the millennial generation, "An entire generation, which is now becoming one of the largest electorates in America, came of age and never saw American prosperity."
Never saw American prosperity! Let that sink in.
When I first read that statement, I thought to myself, that was quite literally the most entitled and factually illiterate thing I've ever heard in my 26 years on this earth.
Many young people agree with her, which is entirely misguided.
My generation is being indoctrinated by a mainstream narrative to actually believe we have never seen prosperity. I know this first hand, I went to college, let's just say I didn't have the popular opinion, but I digress.
Why then, with all of the overwhelming evidence around us, evidence that I can even see sitting at a coffee shop, do we not view this as prosperity? We have people who are dying to get into our country.
People around the world destitute and truly impoverished. Yet, we have a young generation convinced they've never seen prosperity, and as a result, we elect some politicians who are dead set on taking steps towards abolishing capitalism.
Why? The answer is this,?? my generation has only seen prosperity. We have no contrast. We didn't live in the great depression, or live through two world wars, the Korean War, The Vietnam War or we didn't see the rise and fall of socialism and communism.
We don't know what it's like to live without the internet, without cars, without smartphones. We don't have a lack of prosperity problem. We have an entitlement problem, an ungratefulness problem, and it's spreading like a plague."
Susan Nesom retweeted
WE ARE SO SCREWED!
Special thanks to Justin Awad. Make sure to check him out and show him some love on his social media accounts:
Susan Nesom retweeted
This is fricken hilarious 😂
This is by far @Shawn_Farash best video so far 😂😂😂
Make sure to give him a follow and repost .
Susan Nesom retweeted
These angles shows exactly how devastating the situation in Nepal was. Stones and bridges… even humans were swept away like it was nothing. You might shed a tear watching this
Susan Nesom retweeted
Louisiana senator John Kennedy to @clayandbuck on Lane Kiffin: “He can go hit on Kristi Noem’s husband in a dark cocktail lounge. We don’t care as long as he wins. But he better win.”
Susan Nesom retweeted
Y'all wanna know how to end this "what is a woman" debate for good?
Donald Trump should identify as a woman and proclaim himself the first woman President in the United States
How fast do y'all think Democrats would hit the Supreme Court to clearly define what a woman is?
Susan Nesom retweeted
🐝 🐝🐝
Saviez-vous qu’une cuillerée de miel suffit à maintenir une personne en vie pendant 24 heures
Saviez-vous qu’une des premières pièces de monnaie au monde portait le symbole d’une abeille
Saviez-vous que le miel contient des enzymes vivantes
La meilleure façon de manger du miel est avec une cuillère en bois; si vous n’en trouvez pas, utilisez une cuillère en plastique.
Saviez-vous que le miel contient une substance qui aide le cerveau à mieux fonctionner
Saviez-vous que le miel est l’un des rares aliments de la planète qui peut à lui seul soutenir la vie humaine
Saviez-vous que les abeilles ont sauvé des personnes de la faim en Afrique
Saviez-vous que le propolis produit par les abeilles est l’un des antibiotiques naturels les plus puissants
Saviez-vous que le miel n’a pas de date d’expiration
Saviez-vous que les corps de certains des plus grands empereurs étaient enterrés dans des objets en or et recouverts de miel pour éviter la décomposition
Saviez-vous que le terme « lune de miel » vient de la tradition des époux de consommer du miel pour la fertilité après le mariage
Saviez-vous qu’une abeille vit moins de 40 jours, visite au moins 1 000 fleurs et produit moins d’une cuillère à café de miel, mais pour elle c’est une vie de travail
Merci, précieuses abeilles...
Susan Nesom retweeted
This PERFECTLY explains the Capitalism vs Socialism argument for America
“So now, Colombia rejected a socialist. Peru rejected a socialist. El Salvador, Chile, Honduras, Ecuador, Bolivia, Argentina all rejected Marxist or socialist leadership. And Venezuela was destroyed by socialism. Latin Americans are rejecting socialism after having tried it. So why are Americans accepting socialism, having never tried it?
Well, partially because most Americans don't know what socialism is
It's not healthcare for all or affordable housing. Socialism isn't a synonym for all the things I want, but I'm not getting in my capitalist country. It's not a vibe. It's an economic system characterized by collective or governmental ownership of the means of production. Means of production meaning infrastructure used to produce goods and services like factories, farms, and companies.
Capitalism also isn't a vibe. It's not billionaires and corporations controlling politics. It's not a synonym for all the things I hate about my country. It's an economic system characterized by private or corporate ownership of capital goods, AKA the means of production.
Now, just like Mac versus Windows, there are different versions of capitalism and socialism. Finland, Norway, Denmark, and Sweden are less capitalistic than America, but they are still capitalist. Although they have a few exceptions to the rule, private companies own the means of production, not the government in those countries.
Now, you might like certain programs that socialism promises, like universal healthcare, but those programs aren't tied to a specific operating system. You can run Photoshop on Mac or Windows, just like you can have universal healthcare in socialism or capitalism. But it seems we as a people keep getting more confused about what socialism is.
In 1949, 34% of Americans correctly identified socialism as government ownership of the economy. By 2018, only 17% did, and I suspect it's even worse now.
American politicians are confused, too. In 2015, Denmark's prime minister had to correct Bernie Sanders and say, "Denmark is far from a socialist planned economy. Denmark is a market economy." Zoran Mamdani is a democratic socialist. Democratic socialism is a version of socialism.
Now, you could argue that socialism just hasn't been done right yet. And when every socialist experiment at the national level in the 20th century failed, and every experiment in the 21st century is failing, maybe the problem isn't that socialism hasn't worked in practice, it, that it almost certainly can't work in principle.
And maybe the assertion that this time will be different isn't optimism, it's actually just unfalsifiability, where a theory cannot ever be contradicted by actual evidence.
We have bugs in this version of capitalism that need to be fixed, principally that there is too much money in politics, that billions of dollars speak louder than millions of voices. And you know what? The socialists might create healthy pressure to fix those bugs. That's good, but that's different than changing the whole operating system.
Sometimes the cure is worse than the disease. Because when there's never been a successful socialist country in history, and the countries who have actually experimented with it are abandoning it, the results start to speak for themselves. And lately, they're speaking Spanish.”
And just so we’re crystal clear, here are the stated goals of the Democratic Socialists of America in America
- Abolish the US Senate
- Replace the Presidency and Supreme Court
- Abolish the Electoral College
• Abolish police and the prison system
• Abolish ICE, grant amnesty to all immigrants and end visa restrictions
• Public ownership of the largest corporations
- Defund the US military
- End economic sanctions on Iran
- Government owned social housing