Inclusive B-meson flavour-tagging algorithm at LHCb arxiv.org/abs/2508.20180 - This new algorithm improves the tagging power by 35% for B0 mesons and 20% for B0s mesons when compared to the combined performance of the existing LHCb flavour-tagging algorithms.

Search for the decay B⁰→ϕϕ arxiv.org/abs/2507.20945 - No significant signal is observed, and an upper limit on the branching fraction of 1.3 (1.4)×10⁻⁸ at 90 (95)% confidence level is set.

Is it the name of a cat or the name of a particle physics experiment? forms.gle/f3mGxKjt6jAe...

Always good to be back at CERN! This time for the @lhcb.bsky.social collaboration week!

Congratulations to @sliippr.bsky.social, who successfully passed her PhD viva yesterday!

I’m a Dr now!

Instructions: “dig a 20cm square hole, 40cm deep, and fill with concrete” Me, a woman in STEM:

A fantastic group to have been part of!

Up to three postdoctoral positions are available in our group @edinburghppe.bsky.social working on the LHCb experiment @lhcb.bsky.social #hep-jobs. Feel free to contact us directly, if you have questions and apply at tinyurl.com/5f4ahk2p

Newnham college, Cambridge :)

𝗪𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝗖𝗣 𝘃𝗶𝗼𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗯𝗮𝗿𝘆𝗼𝗻𝘀! Today the LHCb collaboration posted a #preprint on the first observation of CP violation in baryons. What's the matter? Spoiler alert: contains bananas 🍌 #thread below

My first knitted colour work project - a hat with whales on! I knitted it with wool I bought in Iceland

Humpback whale spotted!

Email notifications off - time for a well-earned post-thesis-submission holiday to Reykjavik! Hoping the volcano doesn’t explode 🌋

The LHCb experiment in watercolour :)

Observation of a new charmed baryon decaying to Ξc⁺π⁻π⁺ arxiv.org/abs/2502.18987 - Four states are observed with high significance. The Ξc(2923)⁺ baryon is observed for the first time, and is consistent with being the isospin partner of the previously observed Ξc(2923)⁰ state.

Registration is open for A-Level #physics school groups / individual students to attend our one-day Particle Physics Masterclass at the University of Manchester on April 4th 2025! We have 300 available slots for students & school groups who wish to attend. Sign up here: indico.global/event/4172/

Knitted myself an @lhcb.bsky.social jumper!! Thesis defence outfit sorted

Being able to knit and crochet is all fun and games until it’s time to move house and organise the wool stash

Happy International Day of Women and Girls in Science 🔬 On 11 February, we celebrate the important contributions of women to the STEM disciplines. On this occasion, we asked six female scientists what science means to them: home.cern/news/news/cern/international-day-women-and-girls-science-2025

Incredible message I’ve just received.

Went to feed the deer at the Scottish deer centre with @parkinsonhb.bsky.social !

My most ambitious crochet project yet! Cat blanket for the wonderful @parkinsonhb.bsky.social

Luke (@lukario99.bsky.social) and I have discovered that we can “share content” on Apple Music and have our own little 2 person radio show. His playlist is full of bangers

Ok this might be my best yet

the army grows

I made a stripy sibling!

In this episode of “Mary does anything but write her thesis” I’ve made a tiny mouse on my sewing machine! It definitely isn’t perfect but it was a relaxing evening well spent

Best PhD task of the day: filming a cunk-style mockumentary for an outreach project

One of my favourite humans x

The value of g, the acceleration of an object under gravity at the Earth’s surface (9.81 m/s^2) is very close to pi^2 = 9.87. It’s a better approximation than g = 10 m/s^2, and this is no accident…

Latest thesis hack: use second monitor to have livestreams of puppies on while you write

POV: your mum doesn’t really understand what it is you’re doing

Headed back to Edinburgh after a fantastic LHCb UK annual meeting - I think it is one of the best events in the calendar

A few days ago my mother spent an entire evening searching the house for her new 2025 calendar that I got her for Christmas. We give up, believing it has been recycled by accident. Today the replacement turns up and the original was found in her bedroom 24 minutes later

Does anyone else use @thestorygraph.com ? Be my friend!

2025 - the year I should* get my PhD *touch wood Please send productive thesis writing vibes my way

Challenged myself to read more in 2024. This year I read 16 books! Here are some of my favourites from the last 12 months

All I want for Christmas is for bits of my thesis to magically write themselves

The scones of @sliippr.bsky.social are legendary and you can live on it

The Bell Burnell Graduate Scholarship Fund applications are open! This provides funding for current/prospective PhD students from underrepresented groups in #Physics ⚛️ & Astronomy 🔭 🧪Application deadline is 20th Jan 2025. FAQs: www.iop.org/about/suppor... #WomenInSTEM: www.iop.org/about/suppor...

“How have you been coping with the final year of your PhD, Mary?” Spotify reveals all

Happy birthday to pulsars!! (and me, hehe)

Jocelyn Bell Burnell transformed astronomy #OTD in 1967 when she made the first observation of a pulsar. She and advisor Antony Hewish initially dubbed the object LGM-1 (“Little Green Men”) for its regular signal, but soon identified it as a rotating, magnetized neutron star. (1/n) 🧪 🔭 👩‍🔬 ⚛️

Last week Keira Farmer won the Institute of Particle and Nuclear Physics prize for her poster at the School of Physics and Astronomy's poster session! 🎉 Well done Keira! 🎉

Our feature in the #CERNCourier is out: Patrick Koppenburg and Marco Pappagallo survey the 23 exotic hadrons discovered at the LHC so far. https://cerncourier.com/a/a-bestiary-of-exotic-hadrons/

Had a brilliant seminar today about physics journalism featuring this meme - I think it perfectly captures how I am feeling about writing my thesis

Bluesky now has over 20M people!! 🎉 We've been adding over a million users per day for the last few days. To celebrate, here are 20 fun facts about Bluesky:

Happy LGBTQ+ in STEM Day 🌈 #OnThisDay we acknowledge and celebrate the contribution of the LGBTQ+ community across all STEM disciplines, and we reflect on all the ways we can make our community a better and a more inclusive place for everyone. #LGBTQSTEM #PrideInSTEM

Since a lot of my old friends from the twitter times are flocking to bsky, I thought I would reintroduce myself!! I’m Mary, a PhD student at Edinburgh working on the LHCb experiment! I’m a crocheter, knitter, amateur painter and wannabe baker. I’m very happy to be here!