Katie Mack

Finally finished listening to the Complexly podcast about the entire history of the universe.

I must say that @astrokatie.com and @johngreensbluesky.bsky.social did an excellent job.

At last a podcast where host knows that the podcast isn't about them, and let's the guest speak. 🤩🥰

What are you using that bathroom for??

Thank you for your advocacy!

In case you needed some good news this week:

We now have OVER A THOUSAND spectra of PLANETS AROUND OTHER STARS.

This is our training ground for modeling extreme weather. For understanding the diversity of planets across our Galaxy. For searching for biosignatures.

This is very, very cool.

🚄TRAINS🚆

At first glance this is very, very good news for NASA and other agencies. I think that many missions zeroed out by the White House decree are reversed here. Still a long way to go but this is an excellent sign. I'm sure many others will chime in on this.

Thank you!

I had a wonderful time in Australia! Massive thanks to Chris Stewart and the @sydney.edu.au International Science School for bringing me over and to @cosmicrami.com and @spaceaustralia.com for arranging all my other talks and events! 🙏🏼

CERN Physicists Find Key Piece of the Matter-Antimatter Puzzle In a first, CERN physicists succeeded in observing matter-antimatter imbalance in baryons, fundamental particles that make up most of the observable universe.

New result from CERN (@lhcb.bsky.social) finds CP violation in the decay of baryons for the first time. Not unexpected - and not violation of baryon number itself! - but hopefully one more step in understanding why there is more matter than antimatter in the universe.
gizmodo.com/cern-physici...

Pioneering theoretical physicist Mary K. Gaillard has died at 86 - Berkeley News Gaillard's calculations correctly predicted the mass of the charm quark and contributed to the discovery of the Higgs boson as she triumphed over sexism in the field of physics.

Mary Gaillard's calculations correctly predicted the mass of the charm quark and contributed to the discovery of the Higgs boson as she triumphed over sexism in the field of physics. R.I.P. #physics

Do house spiders released outside survive, or navigate back? The fate of spiders caught in the home and released some distance away depends on the species - and the temperature

I think it depends on the spider and the conditions. www.newscientist.com/lastword/mg2...

Comic. The Three Types of Unsolved Physics Problem (First panel) Vague. PERSON [next to curved diagram] What is the nature of time in quantum gravity? Is it a background parameter, a dynamic aspect of spacetime, or an emergent phenomenon? (Second panel) Precise. PERSON 2 with short hair [device with equation below: 71Ga + νe → 71Ge + e- .] Why does the *S.A.G.E.* Gallium Neutrino Capture Experiment produce only 75% as much germanium as predicted? (Third panel) Cursed. PERSON 3 with white hat [rectangular block with hairs growing out of it labeled Zinc Whiskers] Why does some metal randomly grow hairs? It keeps causing short circuits and we have no idea what’s going on. OFF-PANEL: Is this a joke? PERSON 3: No! Please help!

Unsolved Physics Problems

xkcd.com/3115/

Not every rainbow parades across the sky for everyone to see… some are just quietly waiting on a doormat and are just for me. 🌈

YouTube video by NC State Disorientation by Katie Mack

Terrific conversation this evening between @astrokatie.com and @aliciasometimes.bsky.social at the @wheelercentre.bsky.social — poetry, dark matter, making art about science, detecting gravity waves, thriving in creative workplaces, and more.

m.youtube.com/watch?v=2wT1...

Alicia Sometimes and Dr Katie Mack on stage at an event. There is a screen behind them that reads “creating the universe feat. Katie Mack with Alicia Sometimes.

Looking out across a rooftop bar in Melbourne. The roof is covered and hanging are bunches of purple flowers and lights. There are people at tables eating and socialising.

Another really fun conversation — about how art and science are intertwined — at tonight’s event at the @wheelercentre.bsky.social feat. @astrokatie.com and @aliciasometimes.bsky.social

Then we went to my fav little rooftop bar for dinner post-event, and @astronerdika.bsky.social joined us too!

Based on my e-mail inbox there’s a great deal of overlap between people who are actively having major psychiatric difficulties and people who think they’ve discovered new physics breakthroughs with no background in the subject

Imagine how I feel

Same thing happening at NASA JPL. They’re breaking our scientific institutions.

Look, speaking as a physicist, it is hard for me to put into words how batshit crazy this is.

This is tonight and there are a few tickets left! #Melbourne

And after you finish dying you will be more likely to haunt due to the irresponsible choices by the editors

Me wearing an N95 mask standing in front of a sign with the RRR logo inside the recording studio building

Going on Breakfasters on Triple R 102.7FM in about 5 minutes! I’ll be talking a bit about my work and about the art & science event I’m doing tonight at the Wheeler Centre. (You can listen here www.rrr.org.au/explore/prog...)

😡😡😡

Every time I think Elon Musk can’t possibly find a new way to make my life worse he somehow pulls it off

If you wanna know why the AGN Channel folks are VERY EXCITED about today’s LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA (gravitational wave, binary black hole merger) announcement, read this thread 🧵:

I did take the mask off for the (7-minute) interview after some extensive negotiations to make the studio as Covid-safe as possible. The camera guy and the person who showed me around wore masks and I didn’t let them do makeup… a whole big thing but they were very accommodating!

A selfie of me wearing a black mask standing next to a neon sign that says “ABC Studio Green Room”. Behind me are some chairs and a wall that is covered in wallpaper of a forest

I really appreciate this green room’s commitment to being green

Me in a big coat smiling next to a bright multicolored wall with little lights and the ABC logo

Going to be on ABC TV News Breakfast in about 45 minutes! Talking cosmology 🌌✨

Poster for Queers in Science event with Dr Katie Mack, cosmicrami and other queer scientists in Melbourne. The event is sold out.

Excited to announce that our upcoming special #QueersInScience event in Melbourne with @astrokatie.com + our wonderful local QIS scientists has now sold out!

Doors open: 5pm
Short talks start: 5:20pm (runtime: 1 hour)

Catch you folks on Thursday!

We joined @astrokatie.com of @perimeterinstitute.ca and @spaceaustralia.com's Rami Mandow at the Stawell Underground Physics Lab today. Dr Mack was involved with the lab when it was no more than a big idea. Now, it is a state-of-the-art facility soon to host the SABRE South #darkmatter experiment.🧪