#Trump Is Closing #NASA’s Largest Library

Holdings from the #library at the #GoddardSpaceFlightCenter, which includes unique documents from the early 20th century to the Soviet #space race, will be warehoused or thrown out.

The shutdown of the library…is part of a larger reorganization under the Trump admin that includes the closure of 13 buildings & >100 #science & #engineering laboratories on the 1,270-acre campus by March 2026.

#history #knowledge #education
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/31/climate/nasa-goddard-library-closing.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share

#Trump Is Closing #NASA’s Largest Library

Holdings from the #library at the #GoddardSpaceFlightCenter, which includes unique documents from the early 20th century to the Soviet #space race, will be warehoused or thrown out.

The shutdown of the library…is part of a larger reorganization under the Trump admin that includes the closure of 13 buildings & >100 #science & #engineering laboratories on the 1,270-acre campus by March 2026.

#history #knowledge #education
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/31/climate/nasa-goddard-library-closing.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share

Akin's Laws of Spacecraft Design [pdf]

https://www.ece.uvic.ca/~elec399/201409/Akin%27s%20Laws%20of%20Spacecraft%20Design.pdf

#HackerNews #AkinsLaws #SpacecraftDesign #PDF #Engineering #SpaceExploration #RocketScience

"Before GPS became an everyday utility, it was a hard mathematical problem.
In the 1950s–70s, Gladys West, a mathematician at the U.S. Naval Surface Warfare Center in Dahlgren, Virginia, worked on one of the most difficult challenges in satellite navigation: accurately modeling the Earth itself.
Modern GPS accuracy depends on:
• Precise satellite ephemerides
• Accurate gravitational field modeling
• Correct Earth reference frames
West’s work directly advanced all three.
Her contributions weren’t widely recognized at the time. In fact, it wasn’t until 2018 that she was inducted into the U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Pioneers Hall of Fame—decades after GPS reshaped global navigation, logistics, finance, defense, and mobile computing...
Before GPS could tell us where we are, someone had to define what the Earth actually looks like—mathematically…”
#Engineering #GPS #Geodesy #STEM #TechHistory #WomenInTech #DataScience #Infrastructure #WomenInGeoSpatial
H/T Evan Kirstel

62 years in the making: NYC's newest water tunnel nears the finish line

https://ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/news/2025/11/09/water--dep--tunnels-

#HackerNews #NYC #Water #Tunnel #Infrastructure #Innovation #Urban #Development #Engineering

"Before GPS became an everyday utility, it was a hard mathematical problem.
In the 1950s–70s, Gladys West, a mathematician at the U.S. Naval Surface Warfare Center in Dahlgren, Virginia, worked on one of the most difficult challenges in satellite navigation: accurately modeling the Earth itself.
Modern GPS accuracy depends on:
• Precise satellite ephemerides
• Accurate gravitational field modeling
• Correct Earth reference frames
West’s work directly advanced all three.
Her contributions weren’t widely recognized at the time. In fact, it wasn’t until 2018 that she was inducted into the U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Pioneers Hall of Fame—decades after GPS reshaped global navigation, logistics, finance, defense, and mobile computing...
Before GPS could tell us where we are, someone had to define what the Earth actually looks like—mathematically…”
#Engineering #GPS #Geodesy #STEM #TechHistory #WomenInTech #DataScience #Infrastructure #WomenInGeoSpatial
H/T Evan Kirstel

#introduction I am new here. My brother @jaforbes tells me it is customary to do an opening post of things I find interesting or likely to discuss in the future. Here is my list: #democracy #ai #eng #engineering #osint #geopol #math #mathematics #humanrights #compsci #history #philosophy #space #australia #japan #bluemountains #science #tech #anu #unsw #uts #physics #uai #agi #nafo #peace #ukraine #taiwan #photography #tdd #andor. I have friends everywhere. I hope that you'll join me.

#introduction I am new here. My brother @jaforbes tells me it is customary to do an opening post of things I find interesting or likely to discuss in the future. Here is my list: #democracy #ai #eng #engineering #osint #geopol #math #mathematics #humanrights #compsci #history #philosophy #space #australia #japan #bluemountains #science #tech #anu #unsw #uts #physics #uai #agi #nafo #peace #ukraine #taiwan #photography #tdd #andor. I have friends everywhere. I hope that you'll join me.

Building an AI agent inside a 7-year-old Rails monolith

https://catalinionescu.dev/ai-agent/building-ai-agent-part-1/

#HackerNews #Building #AI #Rails #Monolith #Agent #AI #Development #Software #Engineering

Project Dropstone: A Neuro-Symbolic Runtime for Long-Horizon Engineering [pdf]

https://archive.blankline.org/api/media/file/d3_engine_public_release%20(1)-1.pdf

#HackerNews #ProjectDropstone #NeuroSymbolic #Engineering #LongHorizon #AIResearch

Qntm's Power Tower Toy

https://qntm.org/files/knuth/knuth.html

#HackerNews #Qntm #Power #Tower #Toy #ToyDesign #Creativity #Engineering

Oof, I felt that.

#technology #tech #innovation #engineering #business #technews #gadgets

Edit - since this got so much attention, come join the Inkican Crew. We offer encouragement, guidance, and a place for members to connect

https://inkican.com/join-inkican-crew-scifi-community-independent-science-fiction-short-stories-sci-fi-short-stories-creator-economy-escape-narratives/

Linux kernel developers have officially approved Rust as a full programming language alongside C and assembler, ending its experimental phase and marking a shift toward safer, more modern code. 🦀

Key subsystems still need bindings, but work is progressing, including a Rust-based Nvidia graphics driver. 🛠️

@linuxfoundation

🔗 https://www.heise.de/en/news/Linux-Kernel-Rust-Support-Officially-Approved-11109808.html

#TechNews #Linux #Rust #OpenSource #Kernel #Security #Developers #Programming #Innovation #Systems #FOSS #Technology #Code #Engineering #Nvidia

How do you cool house-sized instruments to –270°C… right in the middle of #Chile 's Atacama Desert?

That’s one of the challenges behind our Extremely Large Telescope (ELT), whose astronomical instruments (the largest ever built!) must stay ultra-cold to catch the faintest cosmic signals.

The solution: giant custom cryogenic facilities, built on a scale never attempted before, as so often with the ELT 😉

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ms194oA_xaw

#astrodon #astronomy #astrophysics #space #science #engineering

How to be a 10x teammate (not just a 10x engineer):

1. Create an environment of psychological safety.
2. Encourage everyone to participate equally.
3. Assign credit accurately and generously.
4. Amplify unheard voices in meetings.
5. Give constructive, actionable feedback and avoid personal criticism.
6. Hold yourself and others accountable.
7. Cultivate excellence in an area that is valuable to the team.
8. Educate yourself about diversity, inclusivity, and equality in the workplace.
9. Maintain a growth mindset.
10. Advocate for company policies that increase workplace equality.

I'd say this applies to all other roles and teams, too. Not just IT & engineering.

Original source via @RxBrad Thanks!

#Engineering #Leadership #Teamwork #Performance