ViCEPHEC2026 Proudly hosted by the University of Nottingham

The abstract submission deadline for #ViCEPHEC26 has been extended to Tuesday April 21st. vicephec2026.wordpress.com

Graphic promoting the exhibition Cosmos: The Art of Observing Space.

Last chance! ⌛️

There is now less than a week to go until the exhibition Cosmos: the Art of Observing Space closes at the Royal West of England Academy. 💫 🪐 🎨

Curated by Ione Parkin RWA and delivered in partnership with us, it explores humanity's enduring fascination with the cosmos.

⤵️

As Nasa’s Artemis II Moon mission ends, a new adventure for humanity beckons The successful mission marks the beginning of a new chapter in lunar exploration.

I've been enthralled by the voyage and crew of #ArtemisII - I've written an article for @uk.theconversation.com on the achievements of the mission and the broader human context:

theconversation.com/as-nasas-art...

📢 Public Artwork Commission Opportunity!

We are looking for an east London based artist to design an original artwork to be displayed in a permanent outdoor public location on the Queen Mary Mile End Campus.

Submit an expression of interest by 5pm, Thurs 23 April.
www.qmul.ac.uk/publicengage...

A view of the Moon through a window of the Artemis II Orion spacecraft. Image credit: NASA, Artemis II (2026).

Like the rest of planet Earth, I'm mesmerised by incredible images like this NASA photo from #ArtemisII. I'm thrilled to be going on LBC News (@lbc.co.uk) tomorrow morning to discuss the latest from the mission with Simon Conway. We're scheduled for 6:45 am - I hope you can join!

I have a new book coming out next month -- my children's astronomy books have become a trilogy 😀

Want to know about time travel, black holes, wormholes, and whether we live in a multiverse? Mastering the Multiverse is out May 7th, and available to preorder now. 🔭🧪

dk.com/products/978...

Heat shield safety concerns raise stakes for Nasa’s Artemis II Moon mission Worries were raised when the heat shield from a previous mission came back damaged.

Seeing images of the #SpaceLaunchSystem on the pad really underscores the magnitude of the #ArtemisII mission. I wrote an article for @uk.theconversation.com on the #OrionSpacecraft heat shield and its critical role in the mission:

theconversation.com/heat-shield-...

Einstein’s theories fuel the drama in Project Hail Mary The film embraces the theories of relativity in a way that’s rare to see in science fiction cinema.

I was so impressed by the scientific accuracy in #ProjectHailMary - I wrote an article for @uk.theconversation.com on the amazing and realistic effects of #relativity in the novel and the film:

theconversation.com/einsteins-th...

Why not come and visit the brilliant 'Our Fragile Space' exhibition here at the Royal Astronomical Society...

The free display about space debris, which opened to the public last week, will be in Burlington House courtyard until 10 May. 🛰️ 🚀 🔭

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!