Andrew Pontzen

Alternative hypothesis - people are happy to buy your book when it is made visible to them…

I should probably repost this, since it’s about… er… me.

Yay me!

New Elements - BBC Sounds What does it take to make something which has never existed on Earth before?

Looking for some weekend listening? 🎧

Prof Andrew Pontzen, in our Department of Physics, looks at the search for element 120 on the periodic table - and what motivates scientists to pursue something possibly only produced in the violent explosions of stars 💥

👉 www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

This was enormous fun to make for Radio 4 - thanks to everyone at the LBNL heavy element group for being so welcoming

How did the oldest star clusters form? A computational model of the early-to-present-day Universe predicts that some of the first stars formed in structures that challenge conventional classification.

Excellent accompanying overview in nature’s news and views section www.nature.com/articles/d41...

A dwarf galaxy from the EDGE simulations which has formed a bright clump - a star cluster - within it

Today, our EDGE simulations are in Nature with the brilliant @astroeth.bsky.social paper on the formation of globular clusters, the clumps of ancient stars that have puzzled astronomers for centuries. Turns out to happen all by itself when you crank up the resolution. www.nature.com/articles/s41...

The first paper (arxiv.org/abs/2508.21126) presenting our new set of galaxy formation simulations is now out!

This is the culmination of years of work by a large team.

The COLIBRE project will hopefully be a new milestone in the physics included in large-scale galaxy simulations.

(Sound on!)

YouTube video by Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics The Universe in a Box: Simulating the Cosmos with Supercomputers

In his recent public lecture at Perimeter Institute, cosmology professor @apontzen.bsky.social explored how computing helps us decode cosmic history and our place in the universe.

Watch the talk on our YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPkW...

Predators famously don’t know how to use apostrophes

I’ve often wondered how it’s possible to “assist” someone in their “professing”.

The Vera C Ruben event at the Cheltenham Science Festival

At today’s Cheltenham Science Festival event on @vrubinobs.bsky.social, @apontzen.bsky.social‬ asked the questions while Hiranya Peiris and
‪@chrislintott.bsky.social‬ explained why Rubin is unique and shared their excitement about the opportunities that the forthcoming data will provide 🔭

Another Gradescope fan here. It is that rarest of beasts - a piece of software sold to HE that actually does its core task well and makes our lives easier.

I was wondering the same! Helpful to know this. Another thing that we’ll have to get people to unlearn 🙁

UK scientists build core components of global neutrino experiment Engineers and technicians in the North West have started production of a key piece of equipment for a major international science experiment.

Though it somehow fails to mention that major parts of DUNE are being manufactured in Daresbury! www.ukri.org/news/uk-scie...

Excellent news, and two of the nicest people in astronomy too. Just saying.

BBC Radio 4 - Curious Cases, Series 23, Invisibility Quest Hannah Fry and Dara Ó Briain search the universe for stuff we can't see

Is anything in the #Universe truly invisible?

Prof @apontzen.bsky.social in our Department of Physics joins Prof Hannah Fry and @daraobriain.bsky.social on BBC Radio 4’s Curious Cases, 10am (BST), Saturday 19 April, to discuss: www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...

#comedy #physics #curiouscases

A great group of osmologists

If you're into your science podcasts, check out BBC R4 Inside Science this week, as the lovely @apontzen.bsky.social,
@amsterdammed.bsky.social and I have a nice long geeky chat about the new dark energy results from @desisurvey.bsky.social 🤓

📻: www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

#cosmology 🔭

In conversation with Andrew Pontzen

Professor @apontzen.bsky.social, cosmologist at UCL, takes us on a journey through 13.8 billion years of cosmic history. How do scientists model the universe’s past & future? What’s our cosmic fate? Discover the role of simulations in unlocking deep space secrets.

humanists.uk/events/in-co...

We're excited to chair the "A multi-scale and multi-tracer view of the cosmic web" session - with @emeegray.bsky.social @apontzen.bsky.social, @abdrake.bsky.social, Tianyi Yang, and me!

Lovely! But, if only our EDGE2 paper had been out in time that figure 4 would’ve looked so much better…

Don’t try this at home!

Your black hole will explode and kill you in one quadrillionth of a second, courtesy of Mr Hawking

As things stand, the baryon acoustic oscillations strongly favour boring old dark energy.

I think I like this idea too…

Hmmm… mixed feelings on that one

Oh yes! “If you pretend not to have received this message, I promise not to follow up with a passive aggressive query about whether you received it.”

Dare someone to add to their signature “I chose to contact you, but respect the fact that you have autonomy and may choose to ignore or even delete this message”.

Yep!

I’m afraid I can offer no money-back guarantees on this point.

Outstanding choice of present, congratulations.