Quantum mechanics is weird. To be a physicist you have to accept that the microscopic, underlying reality of nature looks and behaves very differently to the laws of physics we are used to in our every day lives. Many physicists struggle to accept this, including Einstein. Einstein disliked the fact that quantum mechanics, a theory … Continue reading Spooky Action at a Distance
Every so often I see a certain fun fact or news item about chocolates or soft drink do the rounds of the internet. The most recent example I saw said that when a KitKat fails quality control, it doesn’t get thrown out, instead it gets mashed up into the chocolate paste that fills the KitKat … Continue reading The Maths of Recycled KitKats
We used a telescope and a high-precision laser system to beam an atomic clock signal through thin air. While we only sent the signal between buildings, this is the first step in developing a system able to beam these signals to satellites in orbit, with the ultimate aim of pushing our theories of the universe … Continue reading Between a clock and outer space
One of the paybacks of being a scientist is that if you create some new thing or discover a new phenomenon, you get to name it. Biologists can name a new species after friends or family, experimenters enjoy finding clever acronyms to call their equipment, and astronomers have the opportunity to etch their choices into … Continue reading What’s in a name?
There is an old adage in the performing arts that you should never work with animals or children, though as a rule of thumb it seems to apply equally well to just about any profession. As an experimental physicist, I thought I had managed to steer clear of the troubles that working with animals and … Continue reading Natural anomalies: when animals get in the way of science
Science inspires art and art inspires science. It is unfortunate that our society considers science and art to be at opposition, rather than equal parts in the complex experience that it is to be human. Einstein played the violin, Queen guitarist Brian May has a PhD in astrophysics, Brian Cox was a keyboard player before … Continue reading Facing the Music: science inspired album covers
“Communication is not something you add on to science; it is of the essence of science.” – Alan Alda I consider science communication to be an important part of what I do as a scientist. Science and humanity derive the greatest benefit from research when scientists go beyond the cloistered environment of their fields and … Continue reading Signs of Science
Units are important. Units are how we measure things. They are how we know whether a cop is going to write us a speeding ticket, whether we need to try harder at that diet we’ve supposedly been on since New Year, or whether the bloke who owns the petrol station has pulled a fast one … Continue reading More Favourite Units
Doing a PhD is a long, challenging but rewarding journey. Earlier this year, astrophysics PhD student Fiona and I teamed up to pass on what we had learned and give our advice for new and prospective PhD students. The advice was compiled into two videos on my YouTube channel, and two accompanying blog posts on … Continue reading How to Handle Your PhD
30 things astronauts are not allowed to do in space. Inspired by the infamous Skippy List. I can only hope that one day I may have the opportunity to break any of these rules. 1. I am not allowed to fly around the cabin like Superman when I am supposed to be working. 2. The correct hull … Continue reading 30 Rules for Astronauts
