I wrote a textbook! I hope you like it. https://t.co/CoV9e4Iwha

To be clear, I think there are lots of engineering challenges to putting massive amounts of compute space that mean it might never be profitable. And listing “cooling“ as a reason it’s easier is wrong. Cooling is space is hard. But not, I think, the showstopper.

Yes, it is much harder to cool things in space than on Earth. But you also need to collect energy with solar panels, which actually gives you all the area you need to do the radiation. I am not sure our tech lords understand this, but it’s actually not a huge showstopper?

If we build a Dyson sphere, this paper explores the outer limits of how much computation it could possibly do, and how we might find such things around other stars.

Since the waste heat associated with computers and space seems to be all the rage on social media these days, I’ll point out this paper I wrote on the theoretical maximum number of computations. You can do giving that it’s hard to cool things in space: https://t.co/scfgoI35oC

I wonder, @DrPhiltill, does your analysis include the environmental costs of lots of launches and data centers burning up in the atmosphere at end of life? If you increase those by 10^n, regulation and mitigation costs per launch might go way up, yes?

My vibe read from Phil is that space offers a few factor of ~2 advantages (continuous daylight) and *lots* of big disadvantages to the engineering. The biggest advantage is practical: space avoids the high cost and delay of regulation and feedback on the environment on Earth.

I used to believe this so I never lied to my kids about it but they "forgot" and ended up believing in him anyway and enjoyed the whole Santa thing even though they "knew" he was fake. Turns out kids are very, very good at understanding play "truths". It's just not a big deal.

Harvard Astronomer Burned in the Funny Pages https://t.co/NrXHthZR5F

The 2nd PRIMA GO Science Book is out! So excited to see so many use cases for an All-Sky Survey. The best FIR map in some ways is still from IRAS—we're overdue for an orders-of-mag. leap in FIR imaging sensitivity and resolution across the entire sky! https://t.co/pzVbFRP24f

Really interesting analysis here on how claims get amplified by our current media environment (and a rebuttal of sorts to those who argue that Avi Loeb's alien spacecraft hype is good because any science engagement is good engagement): https://t.co/5QxE9tsGzb

Come work with us at Penn State! The @PSU_CEHW is hiring postdocs, and welcomes applicants who can make connections with its sibling centers like @PSETI_Center doing SETI, Astrobiology, and Planetary Systems Science: https://t.co/MX1mvtaoin

The Moon’s two faces don’t match, and we think we know why The lunar far side is maria-poor, crater-rich, and full of highlands. With our first far side samples now in Earth laboratories, our leading explanation awaits its big test. https://t.co/6l7mVTmK8P

So Steve Desch has taken a look at Loeb's latest. No surprise, Loeb's lack of understanding of basic comet physics led him to erroneous conclusions: https://t.co/O2p195boQC

"The fallacies behind the cult of Loeb" New entry in my blog. Other articles have covered the scientific aspects; this one reflects on the social phenomenon. I argue it’s driven by a series of fallacies https://t.co/vN7tOz9M1x

New images of interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS are coming in as it moves out of the Sun's glare and (barely) back into view. This shot, by Michael Buechner and Frank Niebling, shows an intriguing anti-tail and a "smoking" tail. https://t.co/2LvkP6qiDJ

Amid all the hype and counter-hype, let’s make sure we forefront all the amazing work being done to study our new interstellar visitor! https://t.co/R1xsePrpdU

Here is a great review from @LeeBillings on the actual science around 3I/Atlas. It seems like lots of folks won't care about this amazing object unless it turns out to be aliens - which it won't (though I'd be psyched too be wrong). https://t.co/o7P7QEfDF0

@cosmicfactfile This is why I’m a little more vocal on the comet. I learnt from the LHC experience that what seems like fun scientific speculation (in that case around micro black holes - which would have been very difficult to detect and posed no threat to the LHC!) can cause genuine distress

@cosmicfactfile This is for me a key point - people get genuinely worried about stuff like this. We had a similar issue with LHC many years ago - and that was before social media was as daft as it is today!

"3I/ATLAS may be revving an engine, Harvard professor suggests". As the comet starts its journey out of our Solar System as expected, paying us no special attention, I am reminded of the insignificance of humankind or any one individual in the grand scheme of the Universe.