Feynman's response to a student who wrote a letter to him worrying that he might never solve a big problem in his career. A lesson for the rest of us.

On the SIAM News blog, James Berger and Leonard Smith illustrate the strengths and weaknesses of the #statistical formalism and the ensemble approach to #UncertaintyQuantification, delineating both their successes and remaining challenges. Read more: siam.org/publications/s…

This is incredible from Les Wright It has everything: lasers, nonlinear optics, and a home made Arduino driven diamond saw. If you're planning to colonize mars to avoid an apocalypse, include Les in the passenger list! youtu.be/RxjqMh3gkx8?si…

My "Math, Revealed" series is freely available to anyone -- no paywall! -- in the thread below

To celebrate the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology (IYQ) and the International Day of Light (16 May), UNESCO 🏛️ #Education #Sciences #Culture 🇺🇳 and partners are launching Quantum light: A visual odyssey, a global call for visual works inspired by the intersection of light and quantum science.

A guide to academic denominations

Giorgio Parisi opening StatPhys29: AI resembles the heat engine in that the technology arrived before the theory.

New Book & Video Series!!! (late 2025) Optimization Bootcamp: Applications in Machine Learning, Control, and Inverse Problems Comment for a sneak peak to help proofread and I'll DM (proof reading, typos, HW problems, all get acknowledgment in book!)

My favourite math-chanson singer, Thomas Andrew Lehrer, is no more (1928-2025). I will however always enjoy his songs, hearing them often on the way to giving a lecture. Here's one of the favourites. RIP Lehrer, you brought joy to many. youtu.be/UQHaGhC7C2E?si…

I just had some fun verifing the 1/r potential drop from a plasma ball. The idea is from Simon Poliakoff and his video is here: youtube.com/watch?v=crW7pM… To get close to the ball (5 mm) I used a 10kOhm feedthrough terminator which yields around 25 V peak-peak !

Very sad to hear that the great soliton pioneer Akira Hasegawa has died on June 22. His work truly was revolutionary in so many ways and impacted so many different fields. An obituary from Columbia is below. apam.columbia.edu/memoriam-prof-…

“The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the convinced Communist, but people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction and the distinction between true and false no longer exist.” ― Hannah Arendt, The Origins of Totalitarianism

You: should I cite my paper? Maybe it's not related enough? Ok, screw it, I'll self-cite but only once. Other scientists: With AI, I can cite myself 1.3M times 😎

If you love supercontinuum (and who doesn't!) check out our forward-looking Perspective in EPL which is free to read. Thanks Goëry Genty John Travers Conor Roy Taylor😀 Thibaut Sylvestre, Alex Heidt. iopscience.iop.org/article/10.120…

Rainer Weiss (1932-2025). nature.com/articles/d4158…

Come & see our papers #ecoc2025!

Jochen Guck just passed away. He was not only a brilliant mind, amazing researcher, and outstanding person — he was also one of the best friends one could ever have. Jochen, you will be missed so deeply. Your spirit and laughter will stay in our hearts forever.

Those outside the field don't pay enough attention to what goes on in condensed matter. Indeed, even the otherwise excellent DPG Quantum History Wall didn't include yesterday's Nobel Prize winning work on tunnelling in its list of quantum milestones! quantum-history.de

Great news for Michael Berry who has received the Isaac Newton medal of the IOP. Congratulations! physicsworld.com/a/theoretical-…

Interested in joining Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) for a few years as an independent researcher? We have a programme that may suit you: oist.jp/research/burib…