What Cambridge professor should we investigate next?

This is the worst possible time to be having a flare up of one of my health conditions as I have so many funding deadlines over the next few weeks. Is the insecure nature of the academic lifestyle making me more sick?

I need a Gengar space man

European Space Agency@esa.int · 2d ago

For World Space Week 2026, we're teaming up with Pokémon to unite space exploration and a universe of imagination. More to come soon. ⚡https://www.esa.int/About_Us/Branding_and_Partnerships/ESA_and_Pokemon_team_up_to_celebrate_World_Space_Week #WorldSpaceWeek2026 #PokemonxESA

This Jason Arday stuff is now a full on Streisand Effect

Government says they “have to cut” the £2.8m budget for this world class telescope. How much did they spend on the PR, branding, consulting, and moving to Number 10 North? Why are we cutting funding to things that make us world leaders in Astrophysics? www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Reading about this Jason Arday stuff, unsurprised to learn Cambridge is involved

Learning how much a university takes in overheads when you secure a grant is radicalising. Like… that could be used to do more research or hire more people.

Congratulations to Dr Jake Taylor (@astrojake.bsky.social) on the publication of his paper "A parameterised approach to disequilibrium retrievals in the JWST era: Application to NIRCam observations of HD 189733b" You can read it here: arxiv.org/abs/2607.06491

A parameterised approach to disequilibrium retrievals in the JWST era: Application to NIRCam observations of HD 189733b

Atmospheric retrievals are a widely used technique for inferring the physical and chemical properties of exoplanetary atmospheres from observed spectra. A common simplifying assumption in such analyse...

arxiv.org

Never let the US host football ever again, utter cringe nonsense

It’s always in the journals you least suspect…

Lee Billings@leebillings.bsky.social · 4w ago

Now on @sciam.bsky.social: A recent paper in the high-profile journal Nature claimed what would've been an epochal revision to our understanding of the cosmos. Instead, independent follow-up work suggests the claim is wrong via a subtle-but-basic mistake. www.scientificamerican.com/article/phys...

Announcing a 4pm meeting on critical funding cuts with 2hrs notice, in July. <<Chef's kiss>>

Attended the last-minute @ukri.org STFC town hall about their damaging and potentially industry-destroying budget cuts to physics. Barely a mention of astronomy. My questions in the Q&A were ignored. Seems like all the issues are about estates and facilities that do not concern astronomy research.

I am very happy to share that my newest book, “Little Book of Eclipses”, is now available worldwide! The book is a comprehensive guide to solar and lunar eclipses, including everything you need to know for the three upcoming European solar eclipses in 2026/2027/2028!

Someone should measure its oxygen fugacity

New Scientist@newscientist.com · 4w ago

Earth was once covered by a global magma ocean, which later cooled and crystallised – now traces of this primordial event have been found in magma from a young volcano in the Indian Ocean

So is this heat the new normal because it’s been weeks with no hint of cooling down for a while

It’s fascinating to me how corporate “Pride” awards are

Is it not breaking the double anonymous process if in a talk you announce that you are applying for this data and beg the TAC to let it through?

My 5G was so good in Porto, but here in Oxford? Can’t even send a WhatsApp.

A paper that I started in 2022 has now been accepted for publication. This is what happens when I prioritise other peoples projects before my own.

I’ve just discovered Mariah Carey’s secret punk album from 1995 called Someone’s Ugly Daughter under the band name Chick. She has a pro-trans/self acceptance song called Prom Queen and I am obsessed with it! Mariah is a living legend, I wish her label didn’t stop her from releasing this. A true diva

The academic system is so different in the US compared to the UK. The US has so much money and more opportunities. People my junior are getting professor jobs. I wish the UK cared more about higher education.

Yessssssss 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

I should not be this stressed at 4am

Don't worry, King Charles will call the FIFA president.

This match is insane! EVERYTHING is happening

Security at Gatwick asked if I was old enough to be flying on my own when my passport didn’t work at the eGate

Whenever I sing a song in French I think about the lady that went on Bulgarias version of Pop Idol and sang Ken Lee.

Colour coordinate your science with your outfit

Planets @ Oxford@oxoplanets.bsky.social · last mo.

Congratulations to Dr Jake Taylor (@astrojake.bsky.social) on his poster presentation at #Exo6!

Can you tell I’m a Brit abroad? #Exo6

Please do not post papers on the arxiv during a conference and announce you’ve done that because I’ll forget to read it, I don’t check arxiv during conferences, it’s already information overload.