I should probably repost this, since it’s about… er… me. Yay me!

Looking for some weekend listening? 🎧 Prof Andrew Pontzen, in our Department of Physics, looks at the search for element 120 on the periodic table - and what motivates scientists to pursue something possibly only produced in the violent explosions of stars 💥 👉 www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

This was enormous fun to make for Radio 4 - thanks to everyone at the LBNL heavy element group for being so welcoming

Today, our EDGE simulations are in Nature with the brilliant @astroeth.bsky.social paper on the formation of globular clusters, the clumps of ancient stars that have puzzled astronomers for centuries. Turns out to happen all by itself when you crank up the resolution. www.nature.com/articles/s41...

The first paper (arxiv.org/abs/2508.21126) presenting our new set of galaxy formation simulations is now out! This is the culmination of years of work by a large team. The COLIBRE project will hopefully be a new milestone in the physics included in large-scale galaxy simulations. (Sound on!)

In his recent public lecture at Perimeter Institute, cosmology professor @apontzen.bsky.social explored how computing helps us decode cosmic history and our place in the universe. Watch the talk on our YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPkW...

At today’s Cheltenham Science Festival event on @vrubinobs.bsky.social, @apontzen.bsky.social‬ asked the questions while Hiranya Peiris and ‪@chrislintott.bsky.social‬ explained why Rubin is unique and shared their excitement about the opportunities that the forthcoming data will provide 🔭

Excellent news, and two of the nicest people in astronomy too. Just saying.

Is anything in the #Universe truly invisible? Prof @apontzen.bsky.social in our Department of Physics joins Prof Hannah Fry and @daraobriain.bsky.social on BBC Radio 4’s Curious Cases, 10am (BST), Saturday 19 April, to discuss: www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m... #comedy #physics #curiouscases

If you're into your science podcasts, check out BBC R4 Inside Science this week, as the lovely @apontzen.bsky.social, @amsterdammed.bsky.social and I have a nice long geeky chat about the new dark energy results from @desisurvey.bsky.social 🤓 📻: www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/... #cosmology 🔭

Professor @apontzen.bsky.social, cosmologist at UCL, takes us on a journey through 13.8 billion years of cosmic history. How do scientists model the universe’s past & future? What’s our cosmic fate? Discover the role of simulations in unlocking deep space secrets. humanists.uk/events/in-co...

We're excited to chair the "A multi-scale and multi-tracer view of the cosmic web" session - with @emeegray.bsky.social @apontzen.bsky.social, @abdrake.bsky.social, Tianyi Yang, and me!

Don’t try this at home! Your black hole will explode and kill you in one quadrillionth of a second, courtesy of Mr Hawking

I think I like this idea too…

This is wonderful for so many reasons. Lawrence Bragg at the Royal Institution. www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vwjc...

Job! jobs.ncl.ac.uk/job/Newcastl... Data sonification, working with excellent people at Newcastle Uni, also perhaps with excellent people at Northumbria Uni, more excellent people at Life science centre, and just maybe possibly some of us @nustem.bsky.social. Or we'd probably, you know, meet.

Turns out stars aren’t just giant blobs after all! When individual stars are resolved in galaxy simulations, things change a lot. Beautiful work from Eric Andersson, Martin Rey + EDGE team arxiv.org/abs/2409.08073

First day in a new institution. Status: ready for new challenges!

Is it just me or is making decent docs with sphinx actually a total nightmare? Writing docs is hard enough without the toolset being so obtuse

A huge thrill to talk in the RI lecture theatre again. www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2Pe...

My final plug for this event at The Royal Institution on Monday - find out how algorithms and physics combine to teach us about the universe... www.rigb.org/whats-on/uni...

Shameless self-promotion, but what better new year gift can you buy for yourself than an evening at the Royal Institution? Dark matter, genius algorithms and hidden figures from science history collide - should all be fun: www.rigb.org/whats-on/uni...

Writing unit tests for parallel code 😱 send help

'Tis the season to teach the bitwise operators...

I’m really enjoying @apontzen.bsky.social new book. Currently overly amused that he has renamed dark matter simulation particles “smarticles” 🍬 to distinguish them from real dark matter particles. Very much hoping that this new nomenclature takes off at cosmology conferences 🤓🤞🔭