Claude is helping me run some code, preparing inputs, monitoring outputs, &c. It kept making badly wrong predictions about how long the run would take, and told me that it was “doing it in my head”, by which it meant it “was computing the estimate inline as part of generating text”.
Author: defjaf
Thanks to some local heroes, the only officially designated river bathing spot in London is a short walk away. Let’s hope Thames Water can keep it clean enough to actually use.
River Thames in London gets first official bathing spot — The Guardian
The Random Universe reviewed in Nature Astronomy:
The book works. It takes you from the reliability of London buses to the Big Bang in a circuitous but continuous path, leaving you with an accomplished feeling of having slotted parts of the Universe and parts of our understanding into their logical places.
Home state in London.
Invigilating (good British word) for the first time in a couple of years — year 4 Information Theory. Good luck!
Canvas Down! A hacker group has taken down the Canvas “Virtual Learning Environment” across many higher-ed institutions. Great: Imperial will be using Canvas starting next year…
Another London pub talk! Come hear me discuss The Random Universe and the Big Bang at Pints Of Knowledge on 16 June at The Blues Kitchen in Brixton.
Follow-up to my scientific colleagues: I did this project with Claude code under a Claude Pro subscription, but should I prefer (or try) purchasing API access instead (or in addition)?
First proper vibe-coding science/data project with Claude. Hardly looked at the code at all. A lot of plumbing between pre-existing codebases, but also helped me actually understand what was going on. (References to come!)
“Workers of the world &c!…”
If you’ve read my book The Random Universe—about how scientists use models and probability to make sense of the cosmos—a short Goodreads review really increases the probability that other readers will find it. Even a sentence or two makes a difference.
Azaleas in bloom. Isabella plantation, Richmond Park, London.
Still time to come see me talk about The Random Universe in Oxford tomorrow night, Tuesday, 21 April! Epistemology! Probability! Physics! Cosmic tensions!
Failed sourdough. Icarus-like, it rose too high and fell too fast.
(Tasted ok, but a bit dense.)
There will be a “70 Up”, completing Michael Apted’s magnificent series of 7 Up documentaries! Watch them ASAP, if you haven’t already. (From The Guardian: Asif Kapadia to direct 70 Up, last chapter of influential ITV documentary series)
As someone who owes his passion for science, and his career, to early glimpses of the Apollo launches, I hope that Artemis II is just as inspiring today.
Discussing The Random Universe on The Resonance FM Science Show.
Seder plate, of a sort.
We thought we knew the shape of the universe. We were wrong | Scientific American — the topology of the Universe and our COMPACT collaboration. (The subhead conflates topology and geometry, but the article gets it right.)
Spending the day at the UK Cosmo meeting here at Imperial College, with excellent talks by young cosmologists from around the country. We’ll also be taking the opportunity to remember the great Tom Kibble, one of the founders of cosmology here at Imperial and throughout the UK (and the world).
Just recorded a segment on probability, randomness, cosmology and The Random Universe for “The Science Show” with Richard Marshall on Resonance FM. It will be broadcast at 3pm on Monday 6 April (and available on MixCloud from then on…).
Most ideas that disagree with the dominant scientific paradigm in any field are certainly wrong — even though the dominant paradigm is probably also wrong.
Water fountain water is the best water.
In honor of the coming vernal equinox, my first cycle ride into work since October.
Thanks to Richard Marshall — and a fantastic audience, especially! — for a great evening of cosmology, cosmological tensions, and beer @pubsci.bsky.social.
Off to The Old King’s Head for some cosmology.
Last day of regular teaching for the academic year — two hours of tutorials and the final lecture of my cosmology course (for the aficionados, we will be working toward the processed power spectrum of density perturbations).
Talking about The Random Universe and cosmological controversies at PubSci — Wednesday at the Old King’s Head near Borough Market in London. Come enjoy the beverages of your choice with some cutting edge science! (Latest — sold out! But you can join the waitlist.)
Preparing to go on stage for 12 Last Songs at Battersea Arts Centre.
