2 neat things from the presentations I gave at the local science centre yesterday:

First, there was a Cree poet there who gave me a copy of his book https://www.yourwestcentral.com/articles/book-the-star-poems-a-cree-sky-narrative which is AMAZING. I didn't get a chance to look carefully at it until afterwards, so I didn't realize how incredibly special it was that he gave me a copy!

In the book, there's an appendix where the author discusses Cree translations for physics terms like gravity, boson, quantum foam, and time. I LOVE IT.

If you're interested in how anybody knows anything about what's happening in orbit, you should watch this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKXrFaE0wKY

Hint: It's Jonathan McDowell, all the way down!

His database is really the ONLY reason we know when a piece of space junk hits the ground, who dropped it. His work is just incredible, and he does this all in his spare time! I'm really grateful for it.

(...but wouldn't it be nice if commercial sat companies would actually release and curate this info?)

⚠️⚠️⚠️ Only one week left to apply for the two postdoc positions I am currently advertising. DL 28 February.

Post 1 on cosmic superfluidity:
https://jobs.royalholloway.ac.uk/vacancy.aspx?ref=1224-363

Post 2 on pulsar timing:
https://jobs.royalholloway.ac.uk/vacancy.aspx?ref=1224-362

Celebrating the women working on ESA/NASA #SolarOrbiter mission on this #WomenInScience day.

▶️ https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Images/2025/02/Celebrating_Solar_Orbiter_and_the_women_behind_the_mission

#esa #astrodon

The deadline for PhD applications at Royal Holloway is coming up next week (31 Jan). Sharing this again for anyone interested in working on neutron star science with me.

Advert 1:
https://www.findaphd.com/phds/project/laboratory-neutron-star-analogues-using-terrestrial-low-temperature-condensates-to-understand-cosmic-superfluidity/?p176546

Advert 2:
https://www.findaphd.com/phds/project/uncovering-the-nature-of-hidden-neutron-star-interiors-with-computational-fluid-dynamics/?p176545

🌟🌟 Are you or anyone you know interested in doing interdisciplinary neutron star research? I am looking to hire 2 POSTDOCS to join me at RHUL in October 2025. One post will focus on cosmic superfluidity, the other on radio pulsar timing. Application deadline is 28 February 2025. More details below.

Post 1 on cosmic superfluidity:
https://jobs.royalholloway.ac.uk/vacancy.aspx?ref=1224-363

Post 2 on pulsar timing:
https://jobs.royalholloway.ac.uk/vacancy.aspx?ref=1224-362

Es gibt jetzt eine Möglichkeit für ein Journalismus-Praktikum bei Spektrum - mit Stipendium.
Wir sind Partner-Redaktion bei diesem Programm für Physikerinnen und Physiker. Bewerbt euch! 😀

https://www.we-heraeus-stiftung.de/was-wir-foerdern/wiss-nachwuchs/stipendien-fuer-wissenschaftsjournalismus/

🚀 Astrodon Needs Your Support! 🪐

For 2 years, Astrodon.social has been a home for space enthusiasts across the Fediverse. With over 4,000 members and a growing, active community, it’s been amazing to see how this little experiment has turned into something so vibrant and meaningful.

But running Astrodon isn’t free - hosting costs have grown to €260/month, and it’s no longer sustainable for me to fund it alone. To keep Astrodon independent and ad-free, I’m launching a funding campaign!

How You Can Help:
- Check out the new Astrodon Store for space-themed merch: https://store.astrodon.social
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- Share this post with your network!

Every little bit helps keep our cosmic corner of the Fediverse thriving. Thank you for being part of this incredible journey! 💫

Spent two wonderful days in Manchester visiting the pulsar group. We had so many great chats about neutron stars and new projects. After what feels like months (or even years) of proposal and job application writing and dealing with admin tasks, I am so excited to finally get back to doing science.

@TestUser42 @vicgrinberg 😅 it does get rather hot and isn't for everyone. But I personally prefer a few seconds of pain over days of itchy skin.

@ives @vicgrinberg yes, exactly 😃. There's several different versions now.

@vicgrinberg please ignore if you don't want any advice (and yes climate change sucks so much; I got bitten last week as well and couldn't believe it) ... the secret weapon in our household of two people reacting terribly to mosquito bites is a little device called "bite away" ... I was sceptic but it works wonders. And there's science behind it 😃.

Want to learn about an exciting new laboratory analogue of the interiors of superfluid neutron stars, then this article is for you https://www.quantamagazine.org/physicists-spot-quantum-tornadoes-twirling-in-a-supersolid-20241106/

I am delighted that we our hosting the joint GR and Amaldi meetings in Glasgow in July 2025 @UofGravity

Abstract registration is now open https://iop.eventsair.com/gr24-amaldi16/abstract-submission

The conference will cover all areas of gravitation, gravitational-wave and multimessenger astronomy, cosmology and relativistic astrophysics, and we are currently planning a special early career workshop

#Astrodon

🌟🌟 If you or anyone else you know is interested in doing a PhD in neutron star astrophysics and working with me, I am currently looking for 2 PhD students to join me at Royal Holloway for the 2025/2026 academic year. Application deadline is 31 January 2025. More info on the two projects at the following links.

Advert 1:
https://www.findaphd.com/phds/project/laboratory-neutron-star-analogues-using-terrestrial-low-temperature-condensates-to-understand-cosmic-superfluidity/?p176546

Advert 2:
https://www.findaphd.com/phds/project/uncovering-the-nature-of-hidden-neutron-star-interiors-with-computational-fluid-dynamics/?p176545

Do you have a #PhD but work outside of #academia? Has it been several years since you finished? A friend and I are working on a book chapter about career transitions (what makes them easy, what makes them difficult) and we're capturing info. If you're interested, consider filling this out and boost!

#humanities
#STEM
#socialscience

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/177tL7mkJ5712O5nTsbzJBNmXBX8PdMwPY3s1fo5JJys/edit?ts=66c7f0f9

New paper just published 🥳: We used 3D numerical simulations to model the response of the superfluid neutron star interior to a sudden spin-up (a so-called glitch) for the first time in the full sphere.

https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/1538-4357/ad77d5

@vicgrinberg I certainly will 😄

@vicgrinberg it certainly is. Let me know next time you are in the area. We should try and meet up again 😃

A little (or rather big 😄) personal update: I was recently awarded a UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship and today was my first day at Royal Holloway, University of London. Seeing that sign on my new office door felt like such a massive achievement. Here's to more exciting neutron star science 🥳.