Karmela Padavic-Callaghan (they/them)

Niels Bohr:
⚽ Goalie for Akademisk Boldklub
💥 Worked on the UK atom bomb project that pre-dated the Manhattan Project
⚛️ Devised a quantum experiment with Einstein that has now been conducted
Podcast: open.spotify.com/episode/13fB... cc @jjaron.bsky.social @kpc.bsky.social

Placing both AI and quantum technologies in a single office makes sense, says Steven Girvin, a quantum engineer at Yale University, as AI has emerged as a powerful tool for developing quantum computers. The office’s effectiveness will depend on coordinating myriad strains of research, he says. “It’s nice to have one box on the org chart that sees the big picture of all the quantum investments,” he says. “But whoever does that work has to spend all their time then making connections to all the other types of science that quantum needs.”

Machine learning is a useful tool for plenty of scientific areas. The reason 'AI' is getting grouped with quantum computing specifically—at companies like Google and now at DOE—is because of branding and wishcasting.
www.science.org/content/arti...

Man unexpectedly cured of HIV after stem cell transplant A handful of people with HIV have been cured after receiving HIV-resistant stem cells – but a man who received non-resistant stem cells is also now HIV-free

A man has become the seventh person to be free of HIV after receiving a stem cell transplant to treat blood cancer. Crucially, he received stem cells that were not resistant to the virus, prompting scientists to rethink what's necessary for an HIV cure.

www.newscientist.com/article/2506...

First, Sauté the Onions What does it mean to cook a mom's recipe?

In my personal newsletter this week, a small detour into food writing, where I reflect on cooking recipes that come from moms, and all the mess of nostalgia and gender politics that comes along with that ultracold.substack.com/p/first-saut...

It’s ⚡COVER REVEAL Friday⚡ for @kpc.bsky.social!

ENTANGLED STATES unveils some of the most mind-bending physics concepts in the universe while illuminating Karmela’s own fascinating life story as a young queer millennial physicist.

Watch this space in May 2026!👀

Cover design: Louis Roe

this is amazing news - the HPV vaccine promises to eliminate cervical cancer in countries where uptake is high.

Karmela's ability to weave threads from physics, culture, and society together into original insights always astounds me. Looking forward to this.

Thank you so much Will!

Entangled States by Karmela Padavic-Callaghan: 9780807016985 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books A young queer millennial physicist unveils some of the most mind-bending physics concepts in the universe—and uses them to illuminate their own fascinating life story “I see physics everywhere,”...

Pre-orders make a huge difference for first time authors, please consider pre-ordering Entangled States here: www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/804548...

Entangled States On writing my memoir, now available for pre-order

In my personal newsletter today I reveal the cover of my book, write about its backstory and what the book's mission is, and it's now available to pre-order! ultracold.substack.com/p/entangled-...

Closing Central Madrid To Cars Resulted In 9.5% Boost To Retail Spending, Finds Bank Analysis City of Madrid significantly boosted the takings of its shops and restaurants last Christmas by banning cars from the CBD, finds an analysis by Spain's second largest bank.

Keep this in mind when people claim cars mean business — closing Central #Madrid to cars over holidays resulted in a 9.5% boost in retail spending on its main shopping street: STUDY.

There was also a 71% drop in air pollution.

Via @carltonreid.com in @forbes.com. #citymakingmath #citiesforpeople

Why quasicrystals shouldn’t exist but are turning up in strange places Matter with “forbidden” symmetries was once thought to be confined to lab experiments, but is now being found in some of the world’s most extreme environments

Just edited this fantastic feature by @elisecutts.bsky.social: quasicrystals are turning up in meteorites, lightning strikes and even the aftermath of the Trinity test ⚛️

A wild detective story about forbidden symmetries hiding in extreme places
www.newscientist.com/article/2503...

Just want to emphasize here that this is an image of an INTERSTELLAR COMET taken by a camera orbiting MARS. Space is so cool!

Join us at CU Denver Biology! We have an open search for an assistant professor in cell and molecular biology to support our research and teaching mission. cu.taleo.net/careersectio...

Redesign Your World Can I write in service of remaking the reader's world?

In my personal newsletter this week, I reflect on a lecture on queering design and what it may have to do with my work as a science writer ultracold.substack.com/p/redesign-y...

Children’s book in front of plant. Book looks like a composition notebook with red title „X-ray crystallography adventures!“ subtitle: cat & elephant‘s sugar crystal mystery. Two cartoons of a cat in a lab coat and an elephant in baking gear are on bottom right.

Thrilled to announce publication of the crystallography children’s book illustrated by undergraduate Justine Wong!

You can buy it here for $15: meitneriumpress.com

50% of profits will support undergrad education at the Cal Poly Pomona Crystallography Co-op.

#chemsky #chemchat

The forgotten women of quantum physics Physics has a reputation for being dominated by men, especially a century ago, as quantum physics was just being invented – but there have been so many women who helped shaped the field since its ince...

In my latest quantum column for New Scientist I was delighted to read and reflect on a book about women in the history of quantum physics who may not have been paradigm-shifting heroes but still an integral part of how the field became established and successful www.newscientist.com/article/2504...

“Hitler: Blueprint of a Dictator” - my interview with Turi King here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XXB...

International Students Slack Community - The Open Notebook The Open Notebook's International Students Slack community is for science writers who are current, past, or aspiring international students to share information and advice about university application...

Are you a science writer who is (or was, or wants to be) an international student and are you interested in joining an online community of science writers for skills development, networking, and support? Consider applying to join our International Student Slack. It’s free! 🧪

4-panel vertical comic. (1) 100 Years Ago [two people standing next to bicycle with small car nearby] PERSON 1: It’s too dangerous riding a bike with these cars around. I should get a car, too. (2) 50 Years Ago [two people between smaller car and bigger car] PERSON 2 with short hair: Small cars are less safe in collisions with larger vehicles, so I should get a bigger one. (3) Today [two people between big car and even bigger car] PERSON 1: Everyone has huge SUVs now. If I don’t get the biggest one, I’m putting my family at risk. (4) Soon [two people next to large armored car with spiked clubs attached] PERSON 2: If I don’t install more whirling spike clubs, I’ll be destroyed by all the other drivers who...

Car Size

xkcd.com/3167/

A new #letter from Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), the ranking Democrat on the Committee on #Science, #Space, and #Technology, demands #NASA stop any closures of the #Goddard #spaceflight Center in #Maryland. The letter references our own Space.com #investigation done by spaceflight #writer @joshdinner.bky

It's an artistic representation of a circulatory system walking through a kitchen, as drawn by Dave Gibbons and written about by Alan Moore. It happens a lot 'round here.

Happy There Is A Circulatory System Walking Through The Kitchen Day to all who celebrate.

It’s almost as if the narratives we are constantly fed about the humanities and fine arts aren’t true 🤷🏻‍♂️

#SarcasmAlarm

Beshear: Let me be clear. The president has both the funding and the authority to fund snap during a shutdown. In fact, every other president in every other shutdown has done so. People going hungry in this instance is a choice that this president has made.

I was at a drone metal show when the NYC election was called and briefly felt like I'd left my body. Mamdani is my age, another immigrant, someone who actually likes New York, a person that feels familiar and attuned to the greatness + promise of our city. Folks turning out for him is so hopeful!

i love new york city. many people are weird about it but it’s a special place. and i’m very relieved that we did not allow a politics of despair to get a foothold

The biggest difference by far watching the various campaigns as a New Yorker and all of the messaging we were targeted with I think is an important takeaway for the whole country:

Cuomo’s entire message was threats and fear and cynicism.

Mamdani’s entire message was lightness and joy and hope.

Earle-Sears ran what felt like 12 billion ads about how much she hated trans kids and I didn’t hear a single pundit say she should stick to real issues that affect real people.

What We Lost When Condé Nast Unceremoniously Shuttered Teen Vogue This article is part of TPM Cafe, TPM’s home for opinion and news...

if you want to know what happened to Teen Vogue yesterday, my work wife @allegrak.bsky.social — who ran our politics section for 6 years until this past June — said it all in this.

can't even pull out a favorite part til I sign my separation letter lol, just read the whole thing.