I’ve been using Feedbin since Google Reader shut down. Been very happy with it. I access it through the web on desktop and using Reeder 4 on iOS; both work well.
Really depends what you mean by “a career in astronomy”.
Being a research astrophysicist at a university or major lab likely requires a PhD and (to achieve tenure) many years of postdoctoral experience.
However, systems like Rubin (which I have worked on) require complex data processing and management systems to make them effective. Building those doesn't require expertise a PhD astronomy — although some level of interest and enthusiasm certainly helps — but rather the sorts of engineering skills that the typical Hacker News reader might possess. Skillsets like that are increasingly vital as astronomy moves towards large-scale, data-intensive infrastructures like Rubin, SKA, etc.
That said, it's certainly true that taking your career down this path isn't likely to be as well remunerated as a career in commercial software development (although that varies a bit with geography).
Academic jobs are weird, right? I think trying to write down contract that specifies everything involved would be pretty challenging.
At any rate, the last time I was employed as astrophysics faculty, my offer letter told me that I should “engage in scholarly activities”. I certainly interpreted that as an invitation to review the odd paper on the university's dime.
I don't think this is true in general. Certainly, they aren't paid by the publisher, but I'd imagine most referees are in paid employment with institutions that expect them to review the occasional manuscript as part of their job.
I'm British. Lived in the USA for six years: three in Manhattan, three in Seattle. Moved to the Netherlands in late 2020; currently living in Utrecht.
Downsides:
The most obvious sacrifice is financial: I took a substantial pay cut to come here, and, on top of that, I now pay more tax. The day-to-day cost of living is a bit less in Utrecht than in Seattle, but not (nearly) enough to compensate. That doesn't make much direct impact on my disposable income — I have more than enough to live on from month to month — but it does mean I save substantially less.
House prices are out of control here; buying a house that we like feels like an impossible dream.
It's also harder to meet people and make friends. Part of that is Covid-related, of course, but the language issue makes it hard to join groups, clubs or activities — although my neighbours can speak effectively perfect English when necessary, that's understandably not how they want to spend their down time. That's compounded because most people my age are well embedded in social networks already, so it's hard for a newcomer to make connections with them.
I miss the landscape of the Pacific Northwest. The Dutch flatlands don't really compete.
Upsides:
The level of visible poverty is much lower. I found the level of homelessness, begging, deprivation, in the places I lived in the USA to be genuinely distressing. That's much less of an issue here (not zero issue, but much less).
Similarly, the level of visible inequality is lower. Sure, there are rich people and poor people in the Netherlands, but the differences feel less stark. Even the fairly poor have a decent standard of living. This makes me feel much more comfortable. I should add: neither this point nor the one above it are intended to minimize the plight of people living in Europe who are really struggling.
There's a safety net. I was well paid in the USA; I had good health insurance, etc. But there are enough “gofundme” stories of people who were in a similar position, and for health or whatever reasons it suddenly all goes wrong and they need help to deal with whatever life throws at them. Here, I'm pretty confident that if I or my family are suddenly unable to work, there's a safety net and we won't be out on the street. (In practice, if it had all gone wrong in the USA, I'd have escaped back to the UK, but you take my point.)
In general, infrastructure feels more solid. The road surfaces are better (seriously, American roads are terrible). Trains well-kept and reliable. Public spaces are clean and well maintained. Banking systems feel like they are decades more modern.
A good standard of education is fairly ubiquitously available to everybody, without costing a fortune. Although I save less, I don't have to worry about how I'm going to afford to put my kids through college.
Evens:
I biked everywhere in Manhattan, in Seattle, and now in Utrecht. I have never owned a car. I guess I failed at my American integration!
The Department of Astrophysical Sciences at Princeton University has an open position for an experienced software developer to work on the development of the scientific data processing pipelines for the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST). The role will involve working with Jim Bosch & John Swinbank within the Princeton Astronomical Data Group (led by Robert Lupton, Michael Strauss and Jim Gunn), which, in addition to LSST, is deeply involved in the Hyper Suprime Cam and Prime Focus Spectrograph instruments on the Subaru Telescope and expects to play a part in WFIRST, the space-based Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope.
The LSST will conduct the largest astronomical survey yet undertaken, observing a total of 20000 square degrees in six bands and around 1000 epochs, collecting over 50 PB of raw data and measuring the properties of 40 billion astronomical sources. Princeton is responsible for multi-epoch deep imaging and catalog production based on the LSST survey. All software written for LSST will be made freely available under an open source license; all data collected made publicly available within the US with no proprietary period.
This is a grant-funded, one-year term position with possibility of renewal.
We are seeking an experienced scientific software developer to contribute to the development of the scientific algorithms and supporting infrastructure. The ideal candidate would have at least 5 years of C++ expertise (required) and experience with collaborative software development in an astronomical environment (preferred). Knowledge of Python would be advantageous. An advanced degree in Physics, Astronomy, Computer Science or a related field, or equivalent practical experience is required.
We are seeking to recruit from as diverse a pool of talent as possible, and endeavor to preserve the Astrophysical Sciences Department's reputation as a pleasant workplace with a lively and friendly scientific atmosphere which recognizes that technical innovations are an important intellectual contribution to the science produced by major astronomical surveys.
Interested persons should send a curriculum vita including bibliography, if applicable, and provide contact information for three references. The final candidate will be required to complete a background check successfully.