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Katie Mack Profile picture
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20 Jul, 4 tweets, 1 min read
I'm quoted in this great NYT piece by @MaryRobinette: "Selection of space crew based on whim and money rather than based on selections by governmental agencies is a shift I’m still struggling with." nytimes.com/2021/07/19/sci…
Tomorrow, Wally Funk, one of the people most prepared for space flight of any human in history, will go briefly to space, for the first time, after a six-decade wait, alongside three vastly less qualified but extremely wealthy men.
I am told again and again by reliable and respected sources that this is a step toward the democratization of space flight and greater access to space for everyone and this may be true but it does make me wonder if it is really the only possible path from here to there.
Godspeed, Wally

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More from @AstroKatie

Katie Mack Profile picture
11 Jul
Watching the @virgingalactic launch this morning 🚀 #Unity22
My feelings about the whole billionaire space race thing are, shall we say, mixed. I’m watching the launch because I’m interested in spaceships but there’s a lot going on with this whole endeavor that a tweet can’t really encapsulate.
Wow this livestream is really putting the “commercial” into “commercial spaceflight”
Read 5 tweets
Katie Mack Profile picture
10 Jul
A lot of people who worry about vaccines wonder why we shouldn’t just rely on our natural immune systems, instead of some artificial substance.

Here’s the thing: vaccines are FOR your immune system. And they’re not artificial. Vaccines are a way for your body to HELP ITSELF.
Your immune system’s job is to see some pathogen — a virus or bacteria — recognize that it’s bad, and create specialized weapons to destroy it. When a virus enters your system, that’s like a pop quiz. Your immune system has to scramble to respond before the virus wreaks havoc.
The way a vaccine works is by letting your immune system study for the test before it happens. It gives your body information about the virus (BEFORE the virus gets in) so your immune system will be ready, knows what to do, & can use its OWN tools to save you before you get sick.
Read 5 tweets
Katie Mack Profile picture
27 Jun
Extrapolating from the rest of the world, seems likely if the US doesn’t get to MUCH higher vaccination rates VERY soon we’ll either have emergency lockdowns in low-vaccine areas or a lot more death. The Delta variant is literally a different beast. We haven’t seen this before.
Given the options, I vote for vaccines, personally.
The vaccines are safe, effective, free, and available to everyone in the US age 12 or older. We need to make it easier for people who want them to get access to them and encourage those who are on the fence to get their shots ASAP.
Read 4 tweets
Katie Mack Profile picture
9 Jun
There are two equally distressing possibilities for explaining this.

1) Gohmert thinks we can adjust the orbits of the Earth or Moon or tweak solar activity.

2) He’s knows that’s impossible & is being sarcastic because he thinks addressing climate change is always impossible.
The first possibility is distressing because it suggests that despite being in conversations with NASA officials about them, he does not understand how orbits work. The second is distressing because it suggests he will oppose all attempts to address climate change as futile.
The most dangerous current strategy employed by those who oppose doing anything about climate change is to convince us that we can’t do anything & will only harm ourselves by trying. Don’t let them convince you we’re helpless. We know exactly what to do. We’ve known for decades.
Read 5 tweets
Katie Mack Profile picture
26 May
If the Moon is visible where you are right now, go look!! It should be a lovely deep red, illuminated not by direct sunlight but by the light of all the sunrises and sunsets of the Earth while in its shadow. #LunarEclipse2021
If you CAN’T see the Moon, I highly recommend browsing the hashtag #LunarEclipse2021 or #LunarEclipse and admiring everyone’s excited cell phone photos, they are delightful 🙂
This is one of my favorite weird optical illusions in astronomy. When it’s fully eclipsed, the Moon suddenly really looks 3D! #LunarEclipse2021 #LunarEclipse
Read 4 tweets
Katie Mack Profile picture
19 May
One of the frustrating things about debunking UFOs or ghost sightings or paranormal phenomena or whatever is that the actual explanation is usually both mundane and complicated (featuring math and geometry and physics) and that just can't compete with an exciting mystery.
"Space aliens using trans-dimensional physics are visiting us and demonstrating rapid low-altitude flight enabled by advanced otherworldy technology!"
"Okay, so, let's talk about parallax; when an object is moving slowly in the near field against a distant background..."
“This guy has a thrilling first-person account of his terrifying encounter!”
“I’d like to talk about perceptual illusions and emotional memory but in the meantime if you’ll take a moment to look at this graph....”
Read 4 tweets

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