Physicist and Professor at a university in Chicago. I study black holes, quantum gravity, and cosmology. Rocky Top, Tar Heel. Reposts are spooky action at a distance. My views, not my employer's. https://jacobi.luc.edu https://mcnees.github.iohttps://bsky.app/profile/mcnees.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/mcnees.bsky.social/post/3mts4emtn7k26First day of school tomorrow. https://youtu.be/oTOOLYcsJao?is=wstV6KzZqPYP4UgS24 Aug 2026 01:05 +0000at://did:plc:6435lftcmpvxasbkrtsw22i7/app.bsky.feed.post/3mts4emtn7k26https://bsky.app/profile/mcnees.bsky.social/post/3mtru2vvtb227I hate that we have to do this — teachers should have everything they need. But the fact that we can do this is imo a truly useful application of social media. [contains quote post or other embedded content]23 Aug 2026 22:36 +0000at://did:plc:6435lftcmpvxasbkrtsw22i7/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtru2vvtb227https://bsky.app/profile/mcnees.bsky.social/post/3mtrdmutqo22aThese are ~gorgeous~ [contains quote post or other embedded content]23 Aug 2026 17:42 +0000at://did:plc:6435lftcmpvxasbkrtsw22i7/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtrdmutqo22ahttps://bsky.app/profile/mcnees.bsky.social/post/3mtrcr2ulns2aSpider-Man going after nazis in Minneapolis puts him in great company. [contains quote post or other embedded content]23 Aug 2026 17:27 +0000at://did:plc:6435lftcmpvxasbkrtsw22i7/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtrcr2ulns2ahttps://bsky.app/profile/mcnees.bsky.social/post/3mtr4vip5y22aWhen you really love to chat online.23 Aug 2026 15:42 +0000at://did:plc:6435lftcmpvxasbkrtsw22i7/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtr4vip5y22ahttps://bsky.app/profile/mcnees.bsky.social/post/3mtpojcumdk2lGet a big late summer peach, let it get ripe. Slice it thin, put them in a mason jar with a half cup each water & sugar, tsp apple cider vinegar, pinch of salt. Mix, cover, give it a day. When ready, muddle a few slices with 2-4 mint leaves. Add 1.5 oz bourbon, 1 oz syrup, splash of seltzer, ice.23 Aug 2026 01:52 +0000at://did:plc:6435lftcmpvxasbkrtsw22i7/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtpojcumdk2lhttps://bsky.app/profile/mcnees.bsky.social/post/3mtpdgvywgs2nPretty good night web. About 10 feet off the ground, anchored to the light post and a tree branch about ten or twelve feet away.22 Aug 2026 22:34 +0000at://did:plc:6435lftcmpvxasbkrtsw22i7/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtpdgvywgs2nhttps://bsky.app/profile/mcnees.bsky.social/post/3lbn7uyter22bOptimist: The cup is half full Pessimist: The cup is half empty Physicist: You could even say that the cup is mostly empty space. Nevertheless, powerful residual electromagnetic interactions between neutral atoms in your hand and the cup explain its solidity. [wheels out chalkboard] In fact, if you- [contains quote post or other embedded content]23 Nov 2024 19:25 +0000at://did:plc:6435lftcmpvxasbkrtsw22i7/app.bsky.feed.post/3lbn7uyter22bhttps://bsky.app/profile/mcnees.bsky.social/post/3mtmjvcbd6s23Always nice when you’re reading a paper, see something familiar and think “that sounds like what we did in our paper,” and then realize they cite your paper. I mean, that’s how it’s supposed to work. But it’s still nice!21 Aug 2026 19:51 +0000at://did:plc:6435lftcmpvxasbkrtsw22i7/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtmjvcbd6s23https://bsky.app/profile/mcnees.bsky.social/post/3mtmiqlcd7s23The pollen is thick and the butts are fuzzy.21 Aug 2026 19:30 +0000at://did:plc:6435lftcmpvxasbkrtsw22i7/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtmiqlcd7s23https://bsky.app/profile/mcnees.bsky.social/post/3mtknzyl7n22jmy body is like a temple (folks who attend are getting older; a little less important to Americans every year) [contains quote post or other embedded content]21 Aug 2026 02:00 +0000at://did:plc:6435lftcmpvxasbkrtsw22i7/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtknzyl7n22jhttps://bsky.app/profile/mcnees.bsky.social/post/3mtjrjz73ec2jThat’s a non-starter. I’m so sorry, I’m trying to delete this. [contains quote post or other embedded content]20 Aug 2026 17:30 +0000at://did:plc:6435lftcmpvxasbkrtsw22i7/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtjrjz73ec2jhttps://bsky.app/profile/mcnees.bsky.social/post/3mtjlnwrebc2wI need a delinter for exclamation points.20 Aug 2026 15:45 +0000at://did:plc:6435lftcmpvxasbkrtsw22i7/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtjlnwrebc2whttps://bsky.app/profile/mcnees.bsky.social/post/3mtgxdllatc2mYou literally cannot believe a single word of this. https://www.nature.com/articles/d44148-026-00236-319 Aug 2026 14:36 +0000at://did:plc:6435lftcmpvxasbkrtsw22i7/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtgxdllatc2mhttps://bsky.app/profile/mcnees.bsky.social/post/3mtgtfqesdk2mTime to talk to the kids about why they are here.19 Aug 2026 13:25 +0000at://did:plc:6435lftcmpvxasbkrtsw22i7/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtgtfqesdk2mhttps://bsky.app/profile/mcnees.bsky.social/post/3mtfqissgbc2pThe Call of Chocthulhu [contains quote post or other embedded content]19 Aug 2026 03:01 +0000at://did:plc:6435lftcmpvxasbkrtsw22i7/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtfqissgbc2phttps://bsky.app/profile/mcnees.bsky.social/post/3mtfiaohtqk2pHe was the one without one. https://apple.news/A7Kc4LasZRz-0xJOpS0tkDA19 Aug 2026 00:33 +0000at://did:plc:6435lftcmpvxasbkrtsw22i7/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtfiaohtqk2phttps://bsky.app/profile/mcnees.bsky.social/post/3mtf6vjkrk22xI feel bad that I trolled Josh and then missed his amazing rebuttal. [contains quote post or other embedded content]18 Aug 2026 21:46 +0000at://did:plc:6435lftcmpvxasbkrtsw22i7/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtf6vjkrk22xhttps://bsky.app/profile/mcnees.bsky.social/post/3mtf5aixk7c27The headline sounds like a Point-Counterpoint that was too ridiculous to make it out of the Onion writer's room. https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/08/ice-gloves-school-shock-omaha-compliant-technologies-resource-officer/18 Aug 2026 21:16 +0000at://did:plc:6435lftcmpvxasbkrtsw22i7/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtf5aixk7c27https://bsky.app/profile/mcnees.bsky.social/post/3mtf3ab3u5k27When the software updates and there are suddenly a bunch of AI prompts and pop-ups.18 Aug 2026 20:40 +0000at://did:plc:6435lftcmpvxasbkrtsw22i7/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtf3ab3u5k27https://bsky.app/profile/mcnees.bsky.social/post/3mtetg7gzps2dOh for sure, trying to outsmart teens and limit their access is a famously successful strategy. [contains quote post or other embedded content]18 Aug 2026 18:20 +0000at://did:plc:6435lftcmpvxasbkrtsw22i7/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtetg7gzps2dhttps://bsky.app/profile/mcnees.bsky.social/post/3mtcfdcgzks2uMargaret Hamilton, a pioneer of software engineering who led NASA's in-flight software team for the Apollo mission, was born #OTD in 1936. 🧪 🔭 👩‍🔬 Image: NASA17 Aug 2026 19:03 +0000at://did:plc:6435lftcmpvxasbkrtsw22i7/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtcfdcgzks2u