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First solo trip to NYC in more than a decade, visiting the Simons Foundation Flatiron Institute for their Learning The Universe meeting.
New post: The Talk I Gave on September 12
More 25th anniversary thoughts and recollections. I was heading off to Durham, in the north of England — my first big talk now that I had started my permanent academic job. I arrived toward the end of the first day of the conference: September 11, 2001.
New post: Second test post
Here’s an excerpt!
New post: Test post
The Random Universe in Physics World:
A masterful and refreshing take… I found the book’s thesis – that uncertainty is not a hindrance to knowledge, but an opportunity to learn (and learn more) about the world – simultaneously liberating, humbling and empowering.
— Chrysi Malouchou Kanellopoulou
Who else is off to Spain (or Iceland, or Greenland, or… ) for the eclipse?
Thomas Bayes proved we can never be 100% certain of anything — but that probability tells us exactly how to learn anyway. That’s the core of my SXSW 2027 proposal, from the physics of the cosmos to the beliefs we live by.
Vote here (free, 30 sec) — closes Aug 23.
Peter Coles points out, I fear with some justification, that the recent STFC cuts to high-profile fields of physics like astronomy, cosmology, and particle physics might have as much (or more) to do with internal conflicts and jealousy within physics as with financial issues.
@andrewhickey.500songs.com, only 3/4 of the way through the Dark Star episode, you’ve managed what none of my Deadhead friends, nor years of reading Xgau, have done: made me wish I had seen the Grateful Dead (possibly with appropriate psychedelic enhancement) when I had the chance 40 years ago.
Invigilating (good British word) for the first time in a couple of years — year 4 Information Theory. Good luck!
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.
Failed sourdough. Icarus-like, it rose too high and fell too fast.
(Tasted ok, but a bit dense.)
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.)
Why did I only just learn about Floyd Cramer’s “Last Date”?? (Thanks, of course, to Andrew Hickey’s 500 Songs podcast episode on “For What It’s Worth”.)
UK government threatening savage cuts to astronomy and particle physics: to pay for fluctuations in costs to participate and run large shared facilities, a very small part of UK science is being targeted for massive cuts, especially to funding for early career researchers.
Holiday buns. Finally perfected with the third batch of the season. (6/12)
Our first sourdough…
I’m on a new podcast, Science for Fiction, hosted by my Imperial colleague, and fellow author, David Clements, discussing my book, The Random Universe.
Podcast appearance: I discuss The Random Universe on The New Books Network with host Gregory McNiff. (Apple podcast link.)
Thrilling to see The Random Universe in the real world.
Grateful to the colleagues, friends, students, and others who showed up for The Random Universe launch last night, and to Imperial College and Yale University Press for sponsoring and enabling the event.
Listening to A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs on the Richmond origins of The Yardbirds while riding the 65 London bus through Richmond.
Today in the NY Times: Lisa Lucas’ love letter to Leiden, one of the intellectual capitals of Europe.
The clocks went back an hour here in London overnight—summertime is over. I suppose I’m happy for the extra time to rest (though in fact I didn’t sleep very well last night) but not looking forward to six months of early darkness.
The Trump Administration’s Contempt for Science. (Thanks to the Yale University Press for letting me express my opinions.)
This seems like a whole mess of bugs. (Trying to update to macOS 26 Tahoe. Perhaps this is telling me it’s a bad idea?…)
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And more…
The amazing Lisa Lucas’ latest for the NY Times, on hunting the autumn leaves in Japan — 3 Days of ‘Momijigari’: Experiencing Japan’s Fiery Autumnal Foliage.