Axel Maas
@axelmaas.bsky.social
Professor for Theoretical Particle Physics at University of Graz (Austria). QFT, Higgs, BSM and quantum gravity. Views are my own.
Also doing my best for a safe and liveable world for everyone.
He/Him. Others may apply in the future.
Also doing my best for a safe and liveable world for everyone.
He/Him. Others may apply in the future.
Ongoing right now @uni-graz.at ! The workshop of @simonplaetzer.bsky.social and myself on how to deal with the production of many #Higgs and W/Z at future colliders: indico.cern.ch/event/159983...
COMETA workshop on electroweak evolution and electroweak showers
This workshop, organized under the umbrella of the COMETA COST Action, will bring together people in the developing field of electroweak parton shower algorithms, electroweak evolution, and the defini...
indico.cern.ch
February 18, 2026 at 8:06 AM
Ongoing right now @uni-graz.at ! The workshop of @simonplaetzer.bsky.social and myself on how to deal with the production of many #Higgs and W/Z at future colliders: indico.cern.ch/event/159983...
Me, writing my textbook. Live footage.
Seriously, how to explain all of those amazing mathematical connections without forcing people to cyclic reading is...challenging.
Seriously, how to explain all of those amazing mathematical connections without forcing people to cyclic reading is...challenging.
a man is pointing at a bulletin board that says pete silvie
Alt: A man (not me) frantically explaining a pinboard full of papers and connections.
Famous meme.
media.tenor.com
February 13, 2026 at 6:46 PM
Me, writing my textbook. Live footage.
Seriously, how to explain all of those amazing mathematical connections without forcing people to cyclic reading is...challenging.
Seriously, how to explain all of those amazing mathematical connections without forcing people to cyclic reading is...challenging.
The only biosphere in the known universe capable of supporting human life is being turned into a hell planet because most of Earth's governments refuse to stop trying to satisfy the insatiable greed of a plutocracy composed of people who already have more money than they could spend in 20 lifetimes.
Point of no return: a hellish ‘hothouse Earth’ getting closer, scientists say
Continued global heating could set irreversible course by triggering climate tipping points, but most people unaware
www.theguardian.com
February 12, 2026 at 7:33 AM
Here a bit of things we can do to #LeaveNoOneBehind in the ongoing polycrisis.
Es war an der Zeit. :-) Hier ist die Aktualisierung unserer beliebten Grafik „Schwierigkeitsgrad und Wirksamkeit klimafreundlicher Alltagsentscheidungen“.
February 11, 2026 at 7:56 AM
Here a bit of things we can do to #LeaveNoOneBehind in the ongoing polycrisis.
Seriously bleak news, especially for hadron physics (also the EIC is affected).
Unfortunately, I expect this only to be among the first of many sizable cuts to fundamental physics in the next years, due to desperate attempts to keep late-stage capitalism alive.
physicsworld.com/a/cern-upgra...
Unfortunately, I expect this only to be among the first of many sizable cuts to fundamental physics in the next years, due to desperate attempts to keep late-stage capitalism alive.
physicsworld.com/a/cern-upgra...
CERN upgrade to LHCb experiment threatened by UK funding cuts – Physics World
Upgrade to the UK-led project is unlikely to go ahead if UK funding cuts are not reversed
physicsworld.com
February 9, 2026 at 1:57 PM
Seriously bleak news, especially for hadron physics (also the EIC is affected).
Unfortunately, I expect this only to be among the first of many sizable cuts to fundamental physics in the next years, due to desperate attempts to keep late-stage capitalism alive.
physicsworld.com/a/cern-upgra...
Unfortunately, I expect this only to be among the first of many sizable cuts to fundamental physics in the next years, due to desperate attempts to keep late-stage capitalism alive.
physicsworld.com/a/cern-upgra...
Feeling this hard, re:climate.
Also, it is true even for quantum physics and relativity. Honestly, if we want to do a big science conspiracy, we would not have chosen something as annoying and cumbersome. Really.
No matter how regularily many want to disprove modern physics.
Also, it is true even for quantum physics and relativity. Honestly, if we want to do a big science conspiracy, we would not have chosen something as annoying and cumbersome. Really.
No matter how regularily many want to disprove modern physics.
February 9, 2026 at 11:08 AM
Feeling this hard, re:climate.
Also, it is true even for quantum physics and relativity. Honestly, if we want to do a big science conspiracy, we would not have chosen something as annoying and cumbersome. Really.
No matter how regularily many want to disprove modern physics.
Also, it is true even for quantum physics and relativity. Honestly, if we want to do a big science conspiracy, we would not have chosen something as annoying and cumbersome. Really.
No matter how regularily many want to disprove modern physics.
On my way to Mainz (tomorrow) and Würzburg (Thursday) to discuss and give a talk on our work on #Higgs physics (in Würzburg). Meet me!
This time by German trains, heading into some snow apparently. Let's see how this works out.
This time by German trains, heading into some snow apparently. Let's see how this works out.
February 3, 2026 at 8:58 AM
On my way to Mainz (tomorrow) and Würzburg (Thursday) to discuss and give a talk on our work on #Higgs physics (in Würzburg). Meet me!
This time by German trains, heading into some snow apparently. Let's see how this works out.
This time by German trains, heading into some snow apparently. Let's see how this works out.
The last month of the semester with still a lot of teaching. Will now be better until October, as I also teach during the summer semester much less #ProfAt Work
Teaching in a classroom: 24.3%
Working directly with PhD/Master/Bachelor student: 21.6%
Email (mostly administration): 17.9%
Teaching in a classroom: 24.3%
Working directly with PhD/Master/Bachelor student: 21.6%
Email (mostly administration): 17.9%
Still a lot of teaching this month, but there was one week without lectures. One more month of teaching until this very full semester is completed. Overall 36% research, 28% administration, and 35% teaching. #ProfAtWork
Teaching in a classroom: 17.2%
Email (mostly administration): 15.1%
Teaching in a classroom: 17.2%
Email (mostly administration): 15.1%
This month goes on with a lot of teaching - this year my teaching load is balanced very asymmetrically between summer and winter #ProfAtWork
Teaching in a classroom: 24.1%
Email (mostly administration): 18.2%
Working directly with PhD/Master/Bachelor student: 9.2%
Activism: 9.2%
Teaching in a classroom: 24.1%
Email (mostly administration): 18.2%
Working directly with PhD/Master/Bachelor student: 9.2%
Activism: 9.2%
February 2, 2026 at 8:30 AM
The last month of the semester with still a lot of teaching. Will now be better until October, as I also teach during the summer semester much less #ProfAt Work
Teaching in a classroom: 24.3%
Working directly with PhD/Master/Bachelor student: 21.6%
Email (mostly administration): 17.9%
Teaching in a classroom: 24.3%
Working directly with PhD/Master/Bachelor student: 21.6%
Email (mostly administration): 17.9%
End of the semester. This academic year (this winter semester and next summer semester) I have a very asymmetric teaching load, mostly during the past semester. While I wanted to do that, in retrospect, this was not my brightest idea. #ProfAtWork
Anyways. Time for other things now.
Anyways. Time for other things now.
January 30, 2026 at 9:09 AM
End of the semester. This academic year (this winter semester and next summer semester) I have a very asymmetric teaching load, mostly during the past semester. While I wanted to do that, in retrospect, this was not my brightest idea. #ProfAtWork
Anyways. Time for other things now.
Anyways. Time for other things now.
#Collapse in the making.
This is what historian Robert Kagan on what it means for the world.
We’re responding to this crisis as if it’s just another crisis. It’s not. This is it. It’s the political crisis of our lifetimes. And how we respond in the US & UK & Europe is critical.
4/
We’re responding to this crisis as if it’s just another crisis. It’s not. This is it. It’s the political crisis of our lifetimes. And how we respond in the US & UK & Europe is critical.
4/
January 20, 2026 at 9:12 AM
#Collapse in the making.
Here is a (very brief text) interview with me about supervision and leadership: research-careers-campus.uni-graz.at/de/neuigkeit...
Making the cost of errors low to encourage initiative
Three questions for Axel Maas
research-careers-campus.uni-graz.at
January 16, 2026 at 7:48 AM
Here is a (very brief text) interview with me about supervision and leadership: research-careers-campus.uni-graz.at/de/neuigkeit...
Nice to see that activities involving our particle physicists @uni-graz.at get positive resonances.
We have a much bigger one in the making, starting end of this year. Stay tuned.
We have a much bigger one in the making, starting end of this year. Stay tuned.
Eine weitere schöne wissenschaftliche Kommunikation zur Teilchenphysik aus Österreich. Cooles Projekt! 🤩
sound.orf.at/radio/oe1/se...
sound.orf.at/radio/oe1/se...
ORF Sound
ORF Sound ist das digitale Audio-Angebot des ORF. Alle öffentlich-rechtlichen Radiosender Österreichs live und die besten Inhalte kuratiert, 30 Tage on Demand.
sound.orf.at
January 14, 2026 at 8:09 AM
Nice to see that activities involving our particle physicists @uni-graz.at get positive resonances.
We have a much bigger one in the making, starting end of this year. Stay tuned.
We have a much bigger one in the making, starting end of this year. Stay tuned.
Congratulations to my bachelor student Julian Czettl, who successfully finished his bachelor thesis on ZZ production at the LHC. You can have a look at his thesis on our homepage particle.uni-graz.at/en/structure...
Structures and Observables - Axel Maas - particle.uni-graz.at
We investigate the concepts of quantum field theory, in particular gauge theories, using analytical methods and large-scale numerical simulations.
particle.uni-graz.at
January 9, 2026 at 11:00 AM
Congratulations to my bachelor student Julian Czettl, who successfully finished his bachelor thesis on ZZ production at the LHC. You can have a look at his thesis on our homepage particle.uni-graz.at/en/structure...
Just had the opportunity to visit the construction site of our new #GCP @uni-graz.at. Here are a few impressions. It is a good feeling to see take form what we initiated and pushed for, more than half a decade ago. And it is really big.
January 9, 2026 at 10:23 AM
Just had the opportunity to visit the construction site of our new #GCP @uni-graz.at. Here are a few impressions. It is a good feeling to see take form what we initiated and pushed for, more than half a decade ago. And it is really big.
Still a lot of teaching this month, but there was one week without lectures. One more month of teaching until this very full semester is completed. Overall 36% research, 28% administration, and 35% teaching. #ProfAtWork
Teaching in a classroom: 17.2%
Email (mostly administration): 15.1%
Teaching in a classroom: 17.2%
Email (mostly administration): 15.1%
This month goes on with a lot of teaching - this year my teaching load is balanced very asymmetrically between summer and winter #ProfAtWork
Teaching in a classroom: 24.1%
Email (mostly administration): 18.2%
Working directly with PhD/Master/Bachelor student: 9.2%
Activism: 9.2%
Teaching in a classroom: 24.1%
Email (mostly administration): 18.2%
Working directly with PhD/Master/Bachelor student: 9.2%
Activism: 9.2%
This semester the new semester started, and especially with a block course on introductory math, and this shows #ProfAtWork
Teaching in a classroom: 34.6%
Email (mostly administration): 15.2%
Working directly with PhD/Master/Bachelor student: 8.6%
Administration: 8.1%
Teaching preparation: 6.0%
Teaching in a classroom: 34.6%
Email (mostly administration): 15.2%
Working directly with PhD/Master/Bachelor student: 8.6%
Administration: 8.1%
Teaching preparation: 6.0%
January 8, 2026 at 8:06 AM
Still a lot of teaching this month, but there was one week without lectures. One more month of teaching until this very full semester is completed. Overall 36% research, 28% administration, and 35% teaching. #ProfAtWork
Teaching in a classroom: 17.2%
Email (mostly administration): 15.1%
Teaching in a classroom: 17.2%
Email (mostly administration): 15.1%
Want to hear me talking about our research on #QuantumGravity? Then here is a video of an online talk I gave at the end of December: www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bpk...
It is, unfortunately, somewhat technical, as it was a seminar aimed at scientists roughly in the same field.
It is, unfortunately, somewhat technical, as it was a seminar aimed at scientists roughly in the same field.
Axel Maas: Looking for geons
YouTube video by Asymptotic Safety Seminars
www.youtube.com
January 7, 2026 at 8:42 AM
Want to hear me talking about our research on #QuantumGravity? Then here is a video of an online talk I gave at the end of December: www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bpk...
It is, unfortunately, somewhat technical, as it was a seminar aimed at scientists roughly in the same field.
It is, unfortunately, somewhat technical, as it was a seminar aimed at scientists roughly in the same field.
While in German, the threads, and answer threads, are very worthwhile to read as a basis for reflection of where one wants to go. And what all the enormously complicated interrelations are, and how our own emotions can be a stumbling block in #TalkCollapse.
Es folgt ein längerer thread, weil ich noch einen Blogtext für diese Woche schulde, zu dem mir aber kurz vor Weihnachten die Inspiration fehlt. Außerdem habe ich gerade Lisas thread bsky.app/profile/lisa... gelesen, der sich ganz gut als Aufhänger und irgendwie auch Ausblick auf 2026 eignet. 1/
@tadziomueller.bsky.social wirft mir vor, für mich wäre die imperiale Lebensweise nicht verhandelbar, weil ich zwar vom Degrowth in einigen Wirtschaftsbereichen spreche, aber das nicht als Verzichtsdebatte kommunizieren würde.
Warum das falsch ist & warum ich dazu stehe.
bsky.app/profile/tadz...
Warum das falsch ist & warum ich dazu stehe.
bsky.app/profile/tadz...
December 18, 2025 at 2:56 PM
While in German, the threads, and answer threads, are very worthwhile to read as a basis for reflection of where one wants to go. And what all the enormously complicated interrelations are, and how our own emotions can be a stumbling block in #TalkCollapse.
Congratulations to my PhD student Yannick Dengler for successfully (and wonderfully) defending his PhD thesis on #DarkMatter - you can download it from our page particle.uni-graz.at/en/structure...
There will be more results coming out from this thesis, and it was a great experience!
There will be more results coming out from this thesis, and it was a great experience!
Structures and Observables - Axel Maas - particle.uni-graz.at
We investigate the concepts of quantum field theory, in particular gauge theories, using analytical methods and large-scale numerical simulations.
particle.uni-graz.at
December 16, 2025 at 11:26 AM
Congratulations to my PhD student Yannick Dengler for successfully (and wonderfully) defending his PhD thesis on #DarkMatter - you can download it from our page particle.uni-graz.at/en/structure...
There will be more results coming out from this thesis, and it was a great experience!
There will be more results coming out from this thesis, and it was a great experience!
Reposted by Axel Maas
A note on learning physics ⚛️ for starting PhD students:
At the risk of saying something completely useless because everyone has it worked out
There is no magic trick, your classmates *may* be faster than you, but they are still studying as long as they need to and you are quite capable of the same
At the risk of saying something completely useless because everyone has it worked out
There is no magic trick, your classmates *may* be faster than you, but they are still studying as long as they need to and you are quite capable of the same
December 4, 2025 at 9:18 PM
A note on learning physics ⚛️ for starting PhD students:
At the risk of saying something completely useless because everyone has it worked out
There is no magic trick, your classmates *may* be faster than you, but they are still studying as long as they need to and you are quite capable of the same
At the risk of saying something completely useless because everyone has it worked out
There is no magic trick, your classmates *may* be faster than you, but they are still studying as long as they need to and you are quite capable of the same
This account has really becoming a chaotic and incoherent mixture of transgenerational efforts in fundamental physics and talking about how to deal with the incoming collapse in #TalkCollapse.
Oh well, new horizons in either case.
Oh well, new horizons in either case.
December 4, 2025 at 12:24 PM
This account has really becoming a chaotic and incoherent mixture of transgenerational efforts in fundamental physics and talking about how to deal with the incoming collapse in #TalkCollapse.
Oh well, new horizons in either case.
Oh well, new horizons in either case.
That's us 😊 #ParticlePhysics #QuantumGravity
🥳 1,5 Mio Euro vom @fwf-at.bsky.social für Physik-Doktoratsausbildung in in der Theoretischen Elementarteilchenphysik der #unigraz
👏 Sechs Jungforscher:innen werden für 3,5 Jahre finanziert, um den Ursprung der Welt zu erforschen. ⬇️
@axelmaas.bsky.social #weworkfortomorrow
👏 Sechs Jungforscher:innen werden für 3,5 Jahre finanziert, um den Ursprung der Welt zu erforschen. ⬇️
@axelmaas.bsky.social #weworkfortomorrow
Dem Urknall auf der Spur: Uni Graz erhält 1,5 Mio Euro für Physik-Doktoratsausbildung
Der österreichische Wissenschaftsfonds FWF wählte neben acht anderen das Doktoratsprogramm in der Theoretischen Elementarteilchenphysik der Universität Graz für Gelder aus dem Doc.funds aus. Sechs Nac...
www.uni-graz.at
December 4, 2025 at 12:21 PM
That's us 😊 #ParticlePhysics #QuantumGravity
We, theoretical particle physics @uni-graz.at, is one of the successful programs! 6 fully funded PhD positions in #ParticlePhysics and #QuantumGravity. Watch this space for the advertisement!
What we will do is understand how elementary particle build composite states, both hadrons and black holes.
What we will do is understand how elementary particle build composite states, both hadrons and black holes.
Sieben Forschungsteams erhalten Unterstützung im Rahmen der doc.funds-Förderungen: Mit rund 16,5 Millionen Euro setzt der #FWF einen starken Impuls für 65 neue #Doktoratsstellen und für die nächste Generation exzellenter Forschung an Universitäten. #docfunds 🎓
www.fwf.ac.at/aktuelles/de...
www.fwf.ac.at/aktuelles/de...
65 neue Doktoratsstellen entstehen in ganz Österreich
Der FWF investiert rund 16,5 Millionen Euro in 65 neue Doktoratsstellen innerhalb von sieben Forschungsteams an Universitäten und Fachhochschulen in ganz Österreich. Das soll die Karrierechancen von D...
www.fwf.ac.at
December 3, 2025 at 12:31 PM
We, theoretical particle physics @uni-graz.at, is one of the successful programs! 6 fully funded PhD positions in #ParticlePhysics and #QuantumGravity. Watch this space for the advertisement!
What we will do is understand how elementary particle build composite states, both hadrons and black holes.
What we will do is understand how elementary particle build composite states, both hadrons and black holes.
This month goes on with a lot of teaching - this year my teaching load is balanced very asymmetrically between summer and winter #ProfAtWork
Teaching in a classroom: 24.1%
Email (mostly administration): 18.2%
Working directly with PhD/Master/Bachelor student: 9.2%
Activism: 9.2%
Teaching in a classroom: 24.1%
Email (mostly administration): 18.2%
Working directly with PhD/Master/Bachelor student: 9.2%
Activism: 9.2%
This semester the new semester started, and especially with a block course on introductory math, and this shows #ProfAtWork
Teaching in a classroom: 34.6%
Email (mostly administration): 15.2%
Working directly with PhD/Master/Bachelor student: 8.6%
Administration: 8.1%
Teaching preparation: 6.0%
Teaching in a classroom: 34.6%
Email (mostly administration): 15.2%
Working directly with PhD/Master/Bachelor student: 8.6%
Administration: 8.1%
Teaching preparation: 6.0%
This month, I was basically in office without any events and obligations, and this shows in the numbers 😊 #ProfAtWork
Email (mostly administration): 18.3%
Research by myself: 15.7%
Working directly with PhD/Master/Bachelor student: 14.4%
Writing papers: 12.5%
Teaching preparation: 8.3%
Email (mostly administration): 18.3%
Research by myself: 15.7%
Working directly with PhD/Master/Bachelor student: 14.4%
Writing papers: 12.5%
Teaching preparation: 8.3%
December 3, 2025 at 8:21 AM
This month goes on with a lot of teaching - this year my teaching load is balanced very asymmetrically between summer and winter #ProfAtWork
Teaching in a classroom: 24.1%
Email (mostly administration): 18.2%
Working directly with PhD/Master/Bachelor student: 9.2%
Activism: 9.2%
Teaching in a classroom: 24.1%
Email (mostly administration): 18.2%
Working directly with PhD/Master/Bachelor student: 9.2%
Activism: 9.2%
I will #TalkCollapse next week!
BETWEEN NET ZERO AND COLLAPSE: Reflection & discussion following the UN Climate Change Conference in Belém, with @ilonamotto.bsky.social, @axelmaas.bsky.social & @dmaraun.bsky.social
📆 04.12., 5 pm | SR 62.31 @uni-graz.at & online 👉 wegcenter.uni-graz.at/en/events/be...
📆 04.12., 5 pm | SR 62.31 @uni-graz.at & online 👉 wegcenter.uni-graz.at/en/events/be...
November 28, 2025 at 10:11 AM
I will #TalkCollapse next week!
We are organizing a workshop on complex electroweak final states - basically having a lot of Higgs, W, and Z particles popping out of a collision. This will be a new frontier at any future collider.
It takes place next February @uni-graz.at - registration is open at inspirehep.net/conferences/...
It takes place next February @uni-graz.at - registration is open at inspirehep.net/conferences/...
INSPIRE
inspirehep.net
November 21, 2025 at 11:43 AM
We are organizing a workshop on complex electroweak final states - basically having a lot of Higgs, W, and Z particles popping out of a collision. This will be a new frontier at any future collider.
It takes place next February @uni-graz.at - registration is open at inspirehep.net/conferences/...
It takes place next February @uni-graz.at - registration is open at inspirehep.net/conferences/...