Remembrance Day

November 11, 2018
Remembrance Day 

Let us each take a moment out of our busy schedules to remember all of those who sacrificed to protect our freedoms. Lest we forget...

 

Upgrades at TRIUMF

November 3, 2018
Normally I would not comment on political stories or news items about funding announcements, but I will be making an exception today as this news item not only concerns a major particle accelerator in Canada, but also the facility where I did a significant portion of my own research when I started out as a graduate student. (Which also means I may be a little biased on this particular item :) )

For those of you who are not familiar with this story, last Thursday the prime minister of Canada ...
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Posted In : Medical 

 

Two Probes Down

November 2, 2018
There is some sad news from NASA this week, as two major space probes have both been declared dead within the last few days.

Just two days ago, NASA announced that the 9 1/2 year old Kepler space probe, which has detected thousands of new exoplanets over its near decade long mission, had stopped working. Some readers may remember that earlier in the year the control team were having some trouble with the probe, but managed to get it working again. This time it is more serious and more perman...
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Posted In : Astronomy 

 

Happy Halloween!

October 31, 2018
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!


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The 2018 Nobel Prize In Physics...

October 2, 2018
The big day has arrived, and the Nobel committee has now announced the recipients of the 2018 Nobel Prize in Physics. And as I predicted, this year they have gone with a technological development rather than work in pure science. However the research that resulted in this year's prize is still pretty amazing.

I must also start with a disclaimer here that this research is well outside my own specialist field of theoretical and mathematical physics / astrophysics / particle physics. As such I ca...
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Nobel Predictions

October 2, 2018
Yes folks, its that time of year again. This week the Nobel committees will be announcing the 2018 winners of the most prestigious prize in science, and that means it is time to once again make a few predictions.

As usual I will begin with some comments on which theories and potential candidates will not be receiving a prize this year.

Every year when I make my predictions, I have readers from outside of the scientific community complain that I "forgot" to list certain people. I won't name the ...
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The Planet Pluto

September 11, 2018
Just when you thought you knew the solar system...

Some long term readers may recall a heated debate twelve years ago over the nature of Pluto. When it was first discovered over a century ago, astronomers named it and labelled it the ninth planet. Generations of students learned the names of the planets, and wrote endless reports about the ninth planet. A few years ago the New Horizons probe sent back detailed images of its surface, taken from orbit during a flyby as the probe left the solar s...
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Posted In : Astronomy 

 

Random Updates

September 7, 2018
Now that everyone is settling back in to their school and work schedules, I thought it was time to give a few updates on my life and websites and whatever else comes to mind.

First off is a blatant money grab :)

For a few years I have been accepting donations of bitcoins or litecoins to help offset the costs of maintaining my various websites, and I appreciate the response that I have received. It is certainly not required and I do not expect people to donate. I will always keep my website free...
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Posted In : Fundraising 

 

Back To School

September 4, 2018

Some loyal readers will recognize this entry as a repeat from the last four years. Each year it gets a good response, and kudos from my readers, and so as before I must appease my loyal followers...

To all the students starting University, enjoy this time of your life. Long ago when I started, a prof told me that this is the start of your real education. Now you get to choose your own courses and your own field of study. It is entirely up to you to decide what to do with this chance.

I know fro...


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Free Software

September 4, 2018
With the arrival of September, students around the world will be returning to classes this week. And for those who are starting out at college or university, one of the most important considerations is how to live on a budget. These are the years when one has little or no income, but must bear the expenses of living independently for the first time. While giving advice on living on a budget is far too expansive to cover in this blog, I can tackle one small aspect of student life by providing ...
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About Me


Dr. Chris Bird I am a theoretical physicist & mathematician, with training in electronics, programming, robotics, and a number of other related fields.

   

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