While I'm no longer active in many commercial #SocialMedia platforms, as a #science communicator I still keep an eye on them to see how people (mis)understand #astronomy, and incorporate those lessons to my job.

While I'm no longer active in many commercial #SocialMedia platforms, as a #science communicator I still keep an eye on them to see how people (mis)understand #astronomy, and incorporate those lessons to my job.

Today Facebook crushed my soul with this abomination.

A while ago I wrote this article explaining how to spot fake #astrophotography images using science:

https://www.eso.org/public/blog/csi-astronomy/

That article has now been superseded by "this is fake because <waves hands angrily in despair>"

While I'm no longer active in many commercial #SocialMedia platforms, as a #science communicator I still keep an eye on them to see how people (mis)understand #astronomy, and incorporate those lessons to my job.

Today Facebook crushed my soul with this abomination.

A while ago I wrote this article explaining how to spot fake #astrophotography images using science:

https://www.eso.org/public/blog/csi-astronomy/

That article has now been superseded by "this is fake because <waves hands angrily in despair>"

The replies to that post are a rollercoaster of emotions:

1. people who think it's real (I genuinely don't fault them, if you've never seen a real one you're not expected to know this is fake)
2. people who say it's fake but then use it to justify some "flat Earth/physics is fake" b.s.
3. people who correctly explain why this is fake
4. people mad at (3) because they incorrectly think that (3) are science deniers like (2)

Why are we in the darkest timeline.

The replies to that post are a rollercoaster of emotions:

1. people who think it's real (I genuinely don't fault them, if you've never seen a real one you're not expected to know this is fake)
2. people who say it's fake but then use it to justify some "flat Earth/physics is fake" b.s.
3. people who correctly explain why this is fake
4. people mad at (3) because they incorrectly think that (3) are science deniers like (2)

Why are we in the darkest timeline.

@astro_jcm i’m distraught at (1)s. it says solar eclipse then says lunar and then shows the moon?! come on

@astro_jcm Facebook is such a shit hole, but a lot of older people still use it. I don't know if they are more susceptible to this bs

@astro_jcm That is really, really bad.

I was desperately fortunate to take my whole family to the US total solar eclipse in 2024, so my kids could see this effect for themselves. I wish we could enrich more people's experiences (of astronomy, and beyond) in this way. A tiny portion of the capex being spent on systems which generate this crap would be a good start.

@astro_jcm
Why?
Because we were conditioned to believe that science was a-political, like it was when Galileo was forced by the Inquisition to submit to their "a-political" views about the universe.

So, we swallowed the blue pill and set out to enjoy the "end of history" in the ideal politico-economic system where Google, FB etc were "democratizing" technology, completely a-politically of course, and just making an a-political buck on the side.

#sarcasm

We sleep-walked into a nightmare.

@tehstu It's such a unique experience, isn't it? No words can fully convey what it's like to see one live.

@astro_jcm Amazing things happen at the poles - this is one of my favourites…
“An amazing photo and not one easily duplicated.” yepppp

While I'm no longer active in many commercial #SocialMedia platforms, as a #science communicator I still keep an eye on them to see how people (mis)understand #astronomy, and incorporate those lessons to my job.

Today Facebook crushed my soul with this abomination.

A while ago I wrote this article explaining how to spot fake #astrophotography images using science:

https://www.eso.org/public/blog/csi-astronomy/

That article has now been superseded by "this is fake because <waves hands angrily in despair>"

@astro_jcm

I like how you break down these interactions, group 2 and 4 tells me how there is little room for nuance on social media. Unfortunately misinformation campaigns and fake clickbaity posts like these have gotten more popular over the years

@astro_jcm Amazing things happen at the poles - this is one of my favourites…
“An amazing photo and not one easily duplicated.” yepppp

@astro_jcm I immediately blocked any page that posted this abomination and asserted it as true.

While I'm no longer active in many commercial #SocialMedia platforms, as a #science communicator I still keep an eye on them to see how people (mis)understand #astronomy, and incorporate those lessons to my job.

Today Facebook crushed my soul with this abomination.

A while ago I wrote this article explaining how to spot fake #astrophotography images using science:

https://www.eso.org/public/blog/csi-astronomy/

That article has now been superseded by "this is fake because <waves hands angrily in despair>"

@literally I think you confused the terminology there. A solar eclipse is when the sun gets eclipsed by the moon, so the moon is in front of the sun.

The text description is not the problem here.

@astro_jcm

While I'm no longer active in many commercial #SocialMedia platforms, as a #science communicator I still keep an eye on them to see how people (mis)understand #astronomy, and incorporate those lessons to my job.

Today Facebook crushed my soul with this abomination.

A while ago I wrote this article explaining how to spot fake #astrophotography images using science:

https://www.eso.org/public/blog/csi-astronomy/

That article has now been superseded by "this is fake because <waves hands angrily in despair>"

While I'm no longer active in many commercial #SocialMedia platforms, as a #science communicator I still keep an eye on them to see how people (mis)understand #astronomy, and incorporate those lessons to my job.

Today Facebook crushed my soul with this abomination.

A while ago I wrote this article explaining how to spot fake #astrophotography images using science:

https://www.eso.org/public/blog/csi-astronomy/

That article has now been superseded by "this is fake because <waves hands angrily in despair>"

@65dBnoise @astro_jcm Actually that's slightly fake news. His treatise also had bible theology in it and the science bit was obsolete. Contemporary Kepler went further. Galileo also had mistaken ideas about tides that sailors had complained of.
His punishment was to stay in the Villa he didn't want to leave.
The Churches did do terrible things, but this often quoted one is misleading. The Pope was a close friend of Galileo.
BTW Kepler's mother was accused of being a witch, but got off.