My head has been constantly spinning…
Critics slam Trump's purge of National Science Board: 'Wholesale evisceration of American leadership in science' https://t.co/8hg7k5dFCv
@AndreasCrivell1@TheSkepticWiz Do we actually know that? I think the correct statement is that the observable Universe has a *horizon*, but a beginning is not definitely known. E.g. ekoyrotic/cyclic models, while not falsifiable, are examples of cosmologies beyond that horizon
@AndreasCrivell1@TheSkepticWiz What does it mean to be "outside time and space"? I read this position as "God exists outside our rational framework, so the rules don't apply". If the Universe always existed and never had a true beginning, would it be outside of time and space itself?
UK is massively cutting down funding for theoretical physics research. For high energy theory, it seems there will be around 40% cuts on overall funding and 60% cuts on postdoc positions. That will be a body blow.
I have signed the letter fwliw. 👇
UK astronomy postdoc time down by 75% !
The people in charge must be (made) aware that this isn't a marginal cut. A 75% cut risks throwing away the future of a field where the UK is genuinely world-leading. This mistake will cause lasting damage to UK science!
"The immediate economic impact will be more uncertainty. Businesses have spent the past year grumbling that America’s constantly changing trade policy has made hiring and investment a nightmare. Any hopes for calm in 2026 have now been dashed."
@ScottDodelson@mattshumer_ I really like this sentiment added to the discussion
I was forwarded this recent article by David Hogg that seems to be a nice complement
https://t.co/HFz5Kf2QP2
Can we measure neutrino mixing above 1 TeV with astrophysical neutrinos? Yes... with a caveat! Current measurements are a tad too broad, but in just a few years multi-telescope combinations will meaningfully constrain the mixing angles. https://t.co/TvowJx7XOE
@martinmbauer (I guess by jerk you mean the derivative of accel 😊)
Q: Is there an effective limit due to the Unruh effect? Would accelerations near the planck scale trigger black hole production from the Unruh thermal bath?
Great perspective. I think a first approximation of a guiding principle is: does the AI make the science more fun? I don't want to outsource the parts I enjoy (from hand calcs to the bigger journey of problem solving). Second and more importantly: does it compromise the vision?
After carefully reviewing the role of AI in this new scattering amplitude result, I must say that while the legends of the field (who co-authored, are acknowledged, and are cited in the paper) are fully on board and using AI appropriately (in this case for pattern recognition), the discourse here on X focuses on nitpicking—pointing out its percentage of contribution and debating whether it amounts to something meaningful.
AI is here to stay. It’s better to discuss better and more ethical ways of using this revolutionary tool instead of resisting it.
@ThomasVanRiet2 @girlcupid_ I get you. It's not that it gets in the way, I think you misunderstand me - we need to do both. I took issue particularly with the last part "Science needs people who think of research as a hobby/obsession, not as work" which comes across as tone deaf to a lot of folks
@ThomasVanRiet2 @girlcupid_ And let me correct myself further, as Mathieu puts it, even the most intense passion will not guarantee any position in the market.
@ThomasVanRiet2 @girlcupid_ My point is that we should do both, and I think most PhDs are already deeply excited about the subject. Think about how much more effective (and more passionate) people would be if they could more easily support a family, solve 2-body problem, balance other aspects etc.