Ed Macaulay

A previous #RASReach event in 2019. Picture courtesy of Lucinda Offer.

Final reminder ⏰️ ⌛️

Are you a @royalastrosoc.bsky.social Fellow, science communicator, educator, student or member of a local astronomical society?

Today is the last chance to submit abstracts for talks at our one-day #RASreach event for Education and Outreach in Manchester on 27 March.

⤵️

I really enjoyed answering some questions from @colinstuartspace.bsky.social for his report in @skyandtelescope.bsky.social on the @darkenergysurvey.org.web.brid.gy 6-year #cosmology results. A great article on some impressive results:

skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-ne...

A seminar on gravitational wave cosmology at Queen Mary University of London by Professor Tessa Baker from Portsmouth Cosmology.

We had a superb seminar this week by Tessa Baker from Portsmouth Cosmology on #GravitationalWave cosmology. Amazing to see the measurements of the #HubbleConstant and the first detection of the cross-correlation between GW sources and galaxies!

A 'brunch and learn' event with people sitting around a long table and a lecturer standing at the end

I had a great time this weekend speaking at a 'brunch and learn' event on the #OverviewEffect and how it can shape our own view of life on Earth. I especially enjoyed hearing everyone's personal take on the #CosmicPerspective - thank you to everyone who took part!

And our other Specialist Discussion Meeting is 'Machine Learning advances for Rare Events in Solid Earth Science'.

Tickets can be booked by scanning the QR code on the graphic or visiting ras.ac.uk

Visitor Services Assistant (IS- 0303-07) Job Opening: Visitor Services Assistant (IS- 0303-07) at Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory in Amado, AZ.

Dear astro #scicomm folks,

A good boss is hiring someone to help expand public engagement at Whipple Observatory’s Science Centre.

On-site (no remote work) in Amado, Arizona. $50-66k/year, Smithsonian Trust-funded. Tues-Sat workweek

#jobs

trustcareers.si.edu/en/postings/...

A lecturer standing next to a projector display showing 'THANK YOU ED!'

A thank you card, a bunch of flowers, a tub of chocolates, and a chocolate cake

A lecturer sitting in front of a desk with a thank you card, a bunch of flowers, a tub of chocolates, and a chocolate cake

A chocolate cake decorated with 'T Y ED'

I had such a wonderful end of year surprise from my data science students! It's been a real pleasure working with these brilliant students this semester, and this means more than I can say. I'm so grateful - thank you!

📆 Our next Small Grant deadline is in 4 weeks! 📆

Calling all QMUL staff & students: if you'd like funding for a small scale public / community engagement or PPI project, apply for up to £1k with a Small Grant.

Apply by 5pm 09/01. Find out more & apply: buff.ly/f1i6RWT

Queen Mary University launches conversion MSc to help non-STEM graduates enter AI field

New MSc in AI at Queen Mary University welcomes non-STEM grads into the world of Artificial Intelligence! Designed for those from humanities, arts & social sciences, this conversion course opens doors to tech careers and helps diversify the AI workforce. Find out more: www.qmul.ac.uk/eecs/news-an...

Ed Macaulay, lecturer in physics and data science at Queen Mary University of London Podcast Episode · Books and More with William Cooper · 12/08/2025 · 23m

I really enjoyed discussing #FirstStepsInSpaceTime with @wcooperbooks.bsky.social on the Books and More podcast. We had a fascinating conversation about #SpaceTime, #Relativity, and how the #CosmicPerspective can shape our view of life on Earth - hope you enjoy!

podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/e...

Overjoyed to have received the @sephysics.bsky.social Innovation Project Award for #outreach at the #LambethCountryShow! So grateful for support from @engageqm.bsky.social, help from our brilliant
@qmul.bsky.social #physics student ambassadors, and everyone who tried #aBiteOfSpaceTime - thank you!

Association for science and discovery centres open letter 2025 This open letter is part of the campaign 'Science Centres for our Future: Supporting engagement, education and diversity in STEM for the next 25 years' calling on the Department for Science,…

STAND UP FOR SCIENCE! 🔭🔬⚗️

Want to support UK science centres? Join the @sciencecentres.bsky.social campaign by signing an open letter calling on the Government to recognise science and discovery centres as part of the UK's scientific and cultural ecosystem.

📝 sciencecentres.org.uk/openletter2025/

Is the expansion of the universe slowing down? It is widely accepted that the universe is expanding at an accelerating rate, but now researchers say our measurements of the mysterious force driving that may be wrong and that the universe began to slow 1.5 billion years ago – yet other scientists disagree

It is widely accepted that the universe is expanding at an accelerating rate, but now researchers say our measurements of the mysterious force driving that may be wrong and that the universe began to slow 1.5 billion years ago – yet other scientists disagree

A physics lecture at Queen Mary University of London by Professor Takaaki Kajita on neutrino oscillations.

A physics lecture at Queen Mary University of London by Professor Takaaki Kajita on neutrino oscillations.

A physics lecture at Queen Mary University of London by Professor Takaaki Kajita on neutrino oscillations.

A physics lecture at Queen Mary University of London by Professor Takaaki Kajita on neutrino oscillations.

We had a superb #physics lecture this week by Professor Takaaki Kajita on his work on #neutrino oscillations that led to his 2015 #NobelPrize in Physics. Fascinating to hear his first-hand account of the physics of the discovery woven together with the history of the #SuperKamiokande detector.

Two teenagers working together at a robotics workshop

💼 Work opportunity! 🧪

Are you enthusiastic about enriching young people’s experiences of STEM?

We are looking for a Project Coordinator to join our Masterclasses team. The programme reaches thousands of students all over the UK.

Apply here: rigb.org/about-us/work-with-us#a7xPy000000h3NdIAI

Is the expansion of the universe slowing down? It is widely accepted that the universe is expanding at an accelerating rate, but now researchers say our measurements of the mysterious force driving that may be wrong and that the universe began to ...

If you're curious about the Son et al. (2025) #MNRAS study published by @royalastrosoc.bsky.social, @astrojonny.bsky.social has written a fascinating report in @newscientist.com - is there now a real case that #DarkEnergy must be physics beyond #LambdaCDM?

www.newscientist.com/article/2503...

New theory of universe expansion may upend way we look at cosmos A study has challenged the common conception that the universe’s expansion is accelerating, supporting the idea that reality could one day end in a ‘big crunch’

Great article in @thetimes.com by @rhysblakely.bsky.social about the Son et al. (2025) #MNRAS paper published by @royalastrosoc.bsky.social on supernova host-galaxy ages and the implications for #CosmicExpansion - is there now a real case for evolving #DarkEnergy?

www.thetimes.com/uk/science/a...

A panel discussion at the 'AI for Educators: Sharing Current Practice, Shaping Future Directions' symposium, hosted by the Queen Mary Academy Centre for Excellence in AI Education.

I especially enjoyed the afternoon panel discussion on approaches to #AI in #HigherEducation - and it was brilliant to hear one of my #DataScience students share his experiences working with #AppliedAI at #PwC

A talk at the 'AI for Educators: Sharing Current Practice, Shaping Future Directions' symposium by Lilian Schofield on a 'GenAI Curriculum Alignment Model'.

It was great to hear from Lilian Schofield on her 5-step model for aligning #AI in #CurriculumDesign - I thought it was especially helpful to emphasise starting with the Learning Outcomes - a really insightful talk!

An introduction to the Queen Mary Academy AI for Educators event by Professor Alastair Robertson

Great to be at the Queen Mary Academy 'AI for Educators' event today - looking forward to exploring the opportunities at @qmul.bsky.social for including #AI in education!

A talk at the AI Collaborative Workshop at Queen Mary University of London by Søren Riis on 'Humanity's Last Exam: What Hard Questions Teach Us About AI'

A talk at the AI Collaborative Workshop at Queen Mary University of London by Amaranta Membrillo Solis on 'Finding shape and structure in data: geometry and topology in the natural sciences'

A talk at the AI Collaborative Workshop at Queen Mary University of London by Valentina Donzella on 'Do we need better AI or better data?'

A talk at the AI Collaborative Workshop at Queen Mary University of London by Pat Healey on 'Artificial Companions and Relational Intelligence'

I had a fantastic time at the #AI Collaborative Workshop today - brilliant to hear about all of the amazing work going on at @qmul.bsky.social on applications of AI. I'm always keen to find interesting use cases of AI for our #AppliedAI degree, so please do let me know if you have any more examples!

Great to be at the #AI Collaborative Workshop today at the #QMUL School of Mathematics - looking forward to hearing about interdisciplinary examples of #AppliedAI

An image from Duolingo celebrating a 1500-day learning streak.

I've just reached a 1500-day learning streak with #Duolingo! I began just to learn a new language, but the great examples of #Gamification and #ActiveLearning have actually shaped my own approach to teaching. Let me know if you're a fan of Duolingo, too - and anything else you've learned from it!

A seminar at the Queen Mary Centre for Education Research by Tolúwalàse Akanbi-Akinlolu from King's College London on belonging and identity in maths and physics students.

We had an excellent talk this week from Tolúwalàse Akanbi-Akinlolu - fascinating to hear about her work on belonging and identity in maths and physics students. Do let me know if you've seen any effective approaches that have helped students feel more of a sense of belonging with their subjects.

Graphic promoting the RAS Public Talk on Tuesday 21st October from 6-7pm.

Time is running out to bag a ticket for next week's RAS Public Talk! ⏰

Want to hear about the Royal Observatory Greenwich's fascinating 350-year history? 🔭

Book your FREE ticket at: www.ras.ac.uk/events-and-m...

There's still time to join tonight's livestream with @marcusdusautoy.bsky.social! 👇

The Startup of You Adapt to the Future, Invest in Yourself, and Transform Your Career. The Startup of You describes how to take a start-up approach to building a life: start with an idea, and work over your entire caree...

I'm really enjoying teaching professional career skills with my #DataScience students. I've suggested reading The Startup of You by @reidhoffman.bsky.social and Ben Casnocha - I love the idea of treating your own career like a startup. Any other recommendations? #TheStartupofYou
www.startupofyou.com

Blind Scientists from Past to Present: snapshots of their lives and impact | King's College London Dr Michele Mele explores the stories of remarkable scientists with low or no sight throughout history.

The next CRESTEM seminar takes place on the 12th November 2025 14:30 to 15:30 in G/8 of the Waterloo Bridge Wing.

Michele Mele will explore the stories of some remarkable scientists with low or no sight throughout history. For more information and to register see:

www.kcl.ac.uk/events/blind...

A cosmology seminar at Queen Mary University of London by Harry Desmond on Exhaustive Symbolic Regression

Fascinating cosmology seminar today by Harry Desmond on Exhaustive #SymbolicRegression - amazing to see the reconstructions of equations from cosmological data! Do let me know if you've seen other great examples of this kind of technique!

Interested in learning more about the history of the Royal Observatory Greenwich? 🔭

Next week we'll be hosting the first Public Talk of the 2025/26 season. Here's a snippet of what you can expect...

FREE 🎟️ @ ras.ac.uk/events-and-m...