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Michael Banks

@michaelbanks.bsky.social

Science writer. Books: THE SECRET SCIENCE OF BABY (2022); PHYSICS AROUND THE CLOCK (out September 2025). News Editor of @physicsworld.bsky.social. http://linktr.ee/michaelbanks

221 Followers  |  693 Following  |  30 Posts  |  Joined: 12.11.2024  |  1.8883

Latest posts by michaelbanks.bsky.social on Bluesky


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Delighted that Physics Around the Clock has been chosen for the 2025 Christmas books catalogue (UK)… still time to get a copy in time forπŸŽ„πŸŽ

15.12.2025 14:00 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Delighted that Physics Around the Clock has been chosen for the 2025 Christmas books catalogue (UK)… still time to get a copy in time forπŸŽ„πŸŽ

15.12.2025 14:00 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Breakfast physics, delving into quantum 2.0, the science of sound, an update to everything: micro reviews of recent books – Physics World Condensed natter: Physics World editors give their compressed verdicts on top new books

physicsworld.com/a/breakfast-...

28.11.2025 15:32 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Had a lot of fun chatting on the @physicsworld.bsky.social podcast about all the physics you come across in your everyday life - from breakfast to bed.

Physics Around the Clock is out now in the UK (perfect for a Christmas present 🎁 ).

Out in the US on 7 April 2026 but available to pre-order now

20.11.2025 14:51 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Had a lot of fun chatting on the @physicsworld.bsky.social podcast about all the physics you come across in your everyday life - from breakfast to bed.

Physics Around the Clock is out now in the UK (perfect for a Christmas present 🎁 ).

Out in the US on 7 April 2026 but available to pre-order now

20.11.2025 14:51 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Thanks!

18.11.2025 15:50 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Michael Banks - Five Way Interview Michael Banks is a science writer and author and is currently news editor of Physics World magazine. As well as Physics World, he has writte...

Interview: Science writer and news editor Michael Banks tells us why physics appealed to him, the importance of relating physics to everyday life, and where to keep your toothbrush safe from toilet flush aerosols. popsciencebooks.blogspot.com/2025/10/mich... #interviews #physics #everydayscience

15.10.2025 10:10 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Books on bookshelf

Books on bookshelf

Signed copy of book

Signed copy of book

Front cover of Physics Around the Clock

Front cover of Physics Around the Clock

Signing copy of book

Signing copy of book

Writing a book is full of ups and downs, but seeing (and signing) a copy in your local bookshop is firmly in the β€œup” category

20.09.2025 19:53 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Books on bookshelf

Books on bookshelf

Signed copy of book

Signed copy of book

Front cover of Physics Around the Clock

Front cover of Physics Around the Clock

Signing copy of book

Signing copy of book

Writing a book is full of ups and downs, but seeing (and signing) a copy in your local bookshop is firmly in the β€œup” category

20.09.2025 19:53 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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10 things you (probably) don't know about the physics of your morning routine Have you ever wondered how to brew the perfect cup of coffee? Discover the physics behind your morning routine.

From whistling kettles to the 'wet-dog' shake, here's 10 things you (probably) don’t know about the physics of your morning routine: thehistorypress.co.uk/article/10-t...

18.09.2025 14:24 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Babies’ cries can make humans physically hotter, research finds When in distress, babies produce chaotic wails which have pronounced effects on humans, including changes in facial temperature

I cover the acoustic roughness of infant cries and the emotional response it can foster in my first book The Secret Science of Baby, but interesting it can even cause changes in facial temperature! www.theguardian.com/science/2025...

12.09.2025 15:36 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Physics Around the Clock - Michael Banks ***** One of the easiest ways to make science accessible is to tie it to everyday life - and this is something Michael Banks does well in his expl...

Review: Physics Around the Clock: Michael Banks ***** 11 September 2025 - Makes scientific concepts approachable by tying into aspects of everyday life. While some is predictable, many surprising delights included. popsciencebooks.blogspot.com/2025/09/phys... #bookreview #popularscience

11.09.2025 11:51 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 1
Cover of Physics Around the Clock

Cover of Physics Around the Clock

Cover of Physics Around the Clock

Cover of Physics Around the Clock

Cover of Physics Around the Clock

Cover of Physics Around the Clock

First πŸ“š copies have arrived… 🚚 Out 11 September (UK). lnk.to/PhysicsAroun...

24.08.2025 21:31 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
Cover of Physics Around the Clock

Cover of Physics Around the Clock

Cover of Physics Around the Clock

Cover of Physics Around the Clock

Cover of Physics Around the Clock

Cover of Physics Around the Clock

First πŸ“š copies have arrived… 🚚 Out 11 September (UK). lnk.to/PhysicsAroun...

24.08.2025 21:31 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

Wonder how much that would retail for?

27.06.2025 14:10 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Proof copy of Physics Around the Clock

Proof copy of Physics Around the Clock

Final #proofs of PHYSICS AROUND THE CLOCK have landed.

Out in the πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ on 11 September and the πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡Έ in spring 2026.

Did I say it was available to pre-order?

26.06.2025 12:42 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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US astronomy facing 'extinction level' event following Trump's 2026 budget request – Physics World US president Trump sets out his budget request for 2026, which if passed, will see science hit like never before, as Peter Gwynne reports

Former US presidential science advisor Neal Lane fears the cuts will put people off from careers in science, even in the unlikely event that all the cuts get reversed. β€œThat’s a loss for all Americans.” βš›οΈπŸ§ͺ physicsworld.com/a/us-astrono...

17.06.2025 14:09 β€” πŸ‘ 18    πŸ” 10    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Trump's economic policy is certainly off the charts...

04.04.2025 12:58 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Sign the Petition Protect authors’ livelihoods from the unlicensed use of their work in AI training

Thank you to everyone who has signed our petition, 6,000+! Authors deserve to have a livelihood and compensation from their work, if you haven't signed do so now πŸ‘‡

02.04.2025 12:01 β€” πŸ‘ 215    πŸ” 185    πŸ’¬ 5    πŸ“Œ 33
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CERN releases plans for the "most extraordinary instrument ever built" – Physics World The Future Circular Collider would study the Higgs boson in unprecedented detail

The three-volume feasibility study calls for the Future Circular Collider to smash together electrons with positrons to study the Higgs boson in unprecedented detail before installing a proton "discovery machine" to search for new particles βš›οΈπŸ§ͺ physicsworld.com/a/cern-relea...

02.04.2025 12:24 β€” πŸ‘ 36    πŸ” 11    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 2
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The physics of opening swing-top bottles revealed – Physics World While the physics of uncorking a bottle of champagne has been well documented, less is known about the mechanisms at play when opening a swing-top bottle of beer. Physicist Max Koch from the Universit...

Physicists reveal the physics behind a swing-top bottle's "pop and slosh"πŸ§ͺβš›οΈ physicsworld.com/a/the-physic...

21.03.2025 16:39 β€” πŸ‘ 8    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

I sympathize with the fear, especially as it is evidently now not just about losing funding. But I don't think there has ever been a case historically where keeping silent ended well. As I've said repeatedly, it should be societies, institutions and professional bodies doing this, not individuals.

21.03.2025 15:24 β€” πŸ‘ 61    πŸ” 30    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 1
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The Unbelievable Scale of AI’s Pirated-Books Problem Meta pirated millions of books to train its AI. Search through them here.

Meta considered licensing books to train AIβ€”but opted instead to pirate LibGen, a database that currently contains more than 7.5 million books and 81 million research papers, Alex Reisner writes.

20.03.2025 12:55 β€” πŸ‘ 918    πŸ” 460    πŸ’¬ 33    πŸ“Œ 190
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Search LibGen, the Pirated-Books Database That Meta Used to Train AI Millions of books and scientific papers are captured in the collection’s current iteration.

Meta used at least 16 of my books, and numerous articles, to help train the AI it will use to make billions.

Authors, search your name here:

www.theatlantic.com/technology/a...

20.03.2025 12:16 β€” πŸ‘ 3412    πŸ” 2067    πŸ’¬ 281    πŸ“Œ 2101
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My second book - PHYSICS AROUND THE CLOCK - will be published on 11 September πŸ₯³
It’s all about the physics you encounter every day – whether when making a cup of coffee or tea, having a shave or taking the dog out for a walk in the rain.

13.03.2025 16:37 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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The secret's out! πŸš€

The 2025 Christmas Lectures, supported by CGI, will be presented by Dr Dame Maggie Aderin-Pocock, and will be about outer space and all the scientific wonders beyond planet Earth.

We can't wait until December! Find out more: rigb.org/christmas-lectures

14.03.2025 12:56 β€” πŸ‘ 93    πŸ” 28    πŸ’¬ 9    πŸ“Œ 6
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Physics Around the Clock by Michael Banks | Waterstones Buy Physics Around the Clock by Michael Banks from Waterstones today! Click and Collect from your local Waterstones or get FREE UK delivery on orders over Β£25.

Binding it all together is physics and what physical theories or experimental techniques can reveal about our everyday situations.

Now available to pre-order

www.waterstones.com/book/physics...

13.03.2025 16:42 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

The book follows a typical day, beginning at breakfast and the morning routine and then moving through daytime activities, including sports, gardening and looking after pets, before ending with evening pursuits such as enjoying a take-away or (bubbly) drink and watching a film.

13.03.2025 16:37 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
Post image

My second book - PHYSICS AROUND THE CLOCK - will be published on 11 September πŸ₯³
It’s all about the physics you encounter every day – whether when making a cup of coffee or tea, having a shave or taking the dog out for a walk in the rain.

13.03.2025 16:37 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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US science rues ongoing demotion of research under President Trump – Physics World US science continues to be hit hard by budget and staff cuts

Two months into Donald Trump’s second presidency and many parts of US science – across government, academia, and industry – continue to be hit hard by the new administration’s policies πŸ§ͺ physicsworld.com/a/us-science...

12.03.2025 15:07 β€” πŸ‘ 15    πŸ” 9    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 2

@michaelbanks is following 20 prominent accounts