Mark Hannam
@markdhannam.bsky.social
Gravitational-wave astronomer. Author, physicist, philosopher. Revealer of truths, exposer of lies. Exemplar of humanity. Also rather modest. https://fictionalaether.substack.com/
Reposted by Mark Hannam
Bluetorial-Jim Watson
I met Jim Watson a few times but did not know him well. However, I was greatly influenced by his book “The Double Helix”. He was a complicated human being with some very, very bad features, but some good contributions.
What follows is my personal perspective.
1/41
I met Jim Watson a few times but did not know him well. However, I was greatly influenced by his book “The Double Helix”. He was a complicated human being with some very, very bad features, but some good contributions.
What follows is my personal perspective.
1/41
a cartoon says hey everybody an old man 's talking while bart simpson looks on
ALT: a cartoon says hey everybody an old man 's talking while bart simpson looks on
media.tenor.com
November 8, 2025 at 1:58 PM
Bluetorial-Jim Watson
I met Jim Watson a few times but did not know him well. However, I was greatly influenced by his book “The Double Helix”. He was a complicated human being with some very, very bad features, but some good contributions.
What follows is my personal perspective.
1/41
I met Jim Watson a few times but did not know him well. However, I was greatly influenced by his book “The Double Helix”. He was a complicated human being with some very, very bad features, but some good contributions.
What follows is my personal perspective.
1/41
My latest, on reasons to read The Power Broker, and some things that might help you do it.
open.substack.com/pub/fictiona...
open.substack.com/pub/fictiona...
How to read a great book
Robert Caro's Power Broker, and some guides to powering through it.
open.substack.com
November 2, 2025 at 10:29 AM
My latest, on reasons to read The Power Broker, and some things that might help you do it.
open.substack.com/pub/fictiona...
open.substack.com/pub/fictiona...
I would expect that’s the one book I stubbornly would NOT have read…
Reading today's thing about the evils of LLM slop, and reminded of one of my undergrad professors ranting about dumb plagiarism. "Did you think I wouldn't've read the book on [class subject] by [author name] WHOSE OFFICE IS NEXT TO MINE?!?!"
October 10, 2025 at 1:01 PM
I would expect that’s the one book I stubbornly would NOT have read…
Reposted by Mark Hannam
Ahead of tomorrow’s #NobelPrize announcement, I went on a deep dive in search of the most obscure physics Nobel Prizes in history. That means it's time for a thread on...🧵
PHYSICS NOBEL PRIZES YOU’VE NEVER HEARD OF – PART 1
(1/n)
PHYSICS NOBEL PRIZES YOU’VE NEVER HEARD OF – PART 1
(1/n)
October 6, 2025 at 3:22 PM
Ahead of tomorrow’s #NobelPrize announcement, I went on a deep dive in search of the most obscure physics Nobel Prizes in history. That means it's time for a thread on...🧵
PHYSICS NOBEL PRIZES YOU’VE NEVER HEARD OF – PART 1
(1/n)
PHYSICS NOBEL PRIZES YOU’VE NEVER HEARD OF – PART 1
(1/n)
Reposted by Mark Hannam
In which I valiantly defend my artistic freedom and, of course, freedom of speech.
open.substack.com/pub/fictiona...
open.substack.com/pub/fictiona...
An encounter with my brilliant and terrifying Head of Department
This is definitely a piece of fiction
open.substack.com
October 4, 2025 at 10:15 AM
In which I valiantly defend my artistic freedom and, of course, freedom of speech.
open.substack.com/pub/fictiona...
open.substack.com/pub/fictiona...
In which I valiantly defend my artistic freedom and, of course, freedom of speech.
open.substack.com/pub/fictiona...
open.substack.com/pub/fictiona...
An encounter with my brilliant and terrifying Head of Department
This is definitely a piece of fiction
open.substack.com
October 4, 2025 at 10:15 AM
In which I valiantly defend my artistic freedom and, of course, freedom of speech.
open.substack.com/pub/fictiona...
open.substack.com/pub/fictiona...
Already several comments on this line.
All I can say is, “Wow, you made it all the way* through the piece!”
open.substack.com/pub/fictiona...
All I can say is, “Wow, you made it all the way* through the piece!”
open.substack.com/pub/fictiona...
My dream postdoc
It's all true and not a single bit is made up.
open.substack.com
September 14, 2025 at 5:26 PM
Already several comments on this line.
All I can say is, “Wow, you made it all the way* through the piece!”
open.substack.com/pub/fictiona...
All I can say is, “Wow, you made it all the way* through the piece!”
open.substack.com/pub/fictiona...
My dream postdoc
It's all true and not a single bit is made up.
open.substack.com
September 14, 2025 at 2:38 PM
Reposted by Mark Hannam
Our collaboration member Mark Hannam @markdhannam.bsky.social shares his insights on working on our latest discover, the particularly tricky gravitational-wave signal #GW231123
fictionalaether.substack.com/p/gw231123-a...
fictionalaether.substack.com/p/gw231123-a...
GW231123: an unearthly signal
A report on some actual science
fictionalaether.substack.com
July 14, 2025 at 10:24 PM
Our collaboration member Mark Hannam @markdhannam.bsky.social shares his insights on working on our latest discover, the particularly tricky gravitational-wave signal #GW231123
fictionalaether.substack.com/p/gw231123-a...
fictionalaether.substack.com/p/gw231123-a...
My summary of the latest @ligo.org observation paper.
Massive black holes!
open.substack.com/pub/fictiona...
Massive black holes!
open.substack.com/pub/fictiona...
GW231123: an unearthly signal
A report on some actual science
open.substack.com
July 14, 2025 at 1:12 PM
My summary of the latest @ligo.org observation paper.
Massive black holes!
open.substack.com/pub/fictiona...
Massive black holes!
open.substack.com/pub/fictiona...
Here we go: the first of three trials of the scientific paper writer!
fictionalaether.substack.com/p/a-collisio...
fictionalaether.substack.com/p/a-collisio...
A collision of co-authors
Three trials of a scientific paper writer: the first trial
fictionalaether.substack.com
July 12, 2025 at 7:40 AM
Here we go: the first of three trials of the scientific paper writer!
fictionalaether.substack.com/p/a-collisio...
fictionalaether.substack.com/p/a-collisio...
In honour of the second night of Oasis in Cardiff, I’m at home listening to Blur.
July 5, 2025 at 5:28 PM
In honour of the second night of Oasis in Cardiff, I’m at home listening to Blur.
Latest piece: “The 2025 vacation life hack”
Including a (fashionably ambivalent) cameo appearance from Bluesky.
open.substack.com/pub/fictiona...
Including a (fashionably ambivalent) cameo appearance from Bluesky.
open.substack.com/pub/fictiona...
The 2025 vacation life hack
Or: how to write an article that mentions Donald Trump yet remains frothy and whimsical. (Hopefully.)
open.substack.com
July 5, 2025 at 12:59 PM
Latest piece: “The 2025 vacation life hack”
Including a (fashionably ambivalent) cameo appearance from Bluesky.
open.substack.com/pub/fictiona...
Including a (fashionably ambivalent) cameo appearance from Bluesky.
open.substack.com/pub/fictiona...
The Trump Administration vs Springer? Please don’t ask me to pick a side.
NASA scientists will apparently no longer be able to read @nature.com at their jobs, as the Trump administration has canceled all subscriptions to Springer Nature journals, per the agency. (1/3) 🧵
Received one more - this time from NASA
“NASA sent a notification to Springer Nature stating the agency was cancelling its subscriptions. Our engineers and scientists will still have access to NASA mission data shared with their journals, as well as have access to many other scientific journals.”
“NASA sent a notification to Springer Nature stating the agency was cancelling its subscriptions. Our engineers and scientists will still have access to NASA mission data shared with their journals, as well as have access to many other scientific journals.”
July 1, 2025 at 8:21 AM
The Trump Administration vs Springer? Please don’t ask me to pick a side.
Is Lolita the only case where the song is better than the book?
June 28, 2025 at 4:32 PM
Is Lolita the only case where the song is better than the book?
June 28, 2025 at 1:49 PM
Finally, a new post! (And it’s not *just* about the lack of posts…)
“It’s been so quiet here lately that you might be wondering whether this ‘Stack continues to exist. Do not fear! The Fictional Aether exists just as certainly as the real aether does not.”
open.substack.com/pub/fictiona...
“It’s been so quiet here lately that you might be wondering whether this ‘Stack continues to exist. Do not fear! The Fictional Aether exists just as certainly as the real aether does not.”
open.substack.com/pub/fictiona...
An artist in peril
It’s been so quiet here lately that you might be wondering whether this ‘Stack continues to exist.
open.substack.com
June 28, 2025 at 8:42 AM
Finally, a new post! (And it’s not *just* about the lack of posts…)
“It’s been so quiet here lately that you might be wondering whether this ‘Stack continues to exist. Do not fear! The Fictional Aether exists just as certainly as the real aether does not.”
open.substack.com/pub/fictiona...
“It’s been so quiet here lately that you might be wondering whether this ‘Stack continues to exist. Do not fear! The Fictional Aether exists just as certainly as the real aether does not.”
open.substack.com/pub/fictiona...
Reposted by Mark Hannam
A cautionary tale of duplicity and wickedness disguised as a piece of advice. Or, let’s face it: just a piece of advice.
“How to get your name on a paper”:
open.substack.com/pub/fictiona...
“How to get your name on a paper”:
open.substack.com/pub/fictiona...
How to get your name on a paper
I am in a panic.
open.substack.com
June 7, 2025 at 10:00 AM
A cautionary tale of duplicity and wickedness disguised as a piece of advice. Or, let’s face it: just a piece of advice.
“How to get your name on a paper”:
open.substack.com/pub/fictiona...
“How to get your name on a paper”:
open.substack.com/pub/fictiona...
A cautionary tale of duplicity and wickedness disguised as a piece of advice. Or, let’s face it: just a piece of advice.
“How to get your name on a paper”:
open.substack.com/pub/fictiona...
“How to get your name on a paper”:
open.substack.com/pub/fictiona...
How to get your name on a paper
I am in a panic.
open.substack.com
June 7, 2025 at 10:00 AM
A cautionary tale of duplicity and wickedness disguised as a piece of advice. Or, let’s face it: just a piece of advice.
“How to get your name on a paper”:
open.substack.com/pub/fictiona...
“How to get your name on a paper”:
open.substack.com/pub/fictiona...
This happened to me recently. I was also making simple syrup (essential for cocktails), but then my daughter called me upstairs to help with some homework, and I completely forgot about it. When I came downstairs later there was an amazing amount of smoke...
This is a good way to teach kids exactly how “carbohydraty” sugar is.
March 24, 2025 at 2:46 PM
This happened to me recently. I was also making simple syrup (essential for cocktails), but then my daughter called me upstairs to help with some homework, and I completely forgot about it. When I came downstairs later there was an amazing amount of smoke...
Really looking forward to this book. It's a while since I've been this excited by an upcoming release. It feels good.
Wow, this is amazing.
So here is the great man on the Beatles to tide you over on.ft.com/4iqLUnx Simon Schama on John & Paul — a wonderful Beatles love story
March 22, 2025 at 3:15 PM
Really looking forward to this book. It's a while since I've been this excited by an upcoming release. It feels good.
Part 3 is here and, yes, it does include a character whose friends, I've just realised, probably call Iggy Poop.
I should add my disclaimer from the post-script to Part 2:
fictionalaether.substack.com/p/the-resear...
I should add my disclaimer from the post-script to Part 2:
fictionalaether.substack.com/p/the-resear...
March 15, 2025 at 3:37 PM
Part 3 is here and, yes, it does include a character whose friends, I've just realised, probably call Iggy Poop.
I should add my disclaimer from the post-script to Part 2:
fictionalaether.substack.com/p/the-resear...
I should add my disclaimer from the post-script to Part 2:
fictionalaether.substack.com/p/the-resear...
On the fascinating potential trend of defence work to become cool.
I used to joke to idealistic PhD students that of course there are lots of amazing and fulfilling careers outside academia — so long as they don’t work for the military. I’m not sure I’d say that any more.
I used to joke to idealistic PhD students that of course there are lots of amazing and fulfilling careers outside academia — so long as they don’t work for the military. I’m not sure I’d say that any more.
The Ruffian has LANDED. This week: on the hipster-military-industrial complex www.ian-leslie.com/p/its-just-a...
It's Just a Rumour That Was Spread Around Town
The Hipster-Military-Industrial Complex
www.ian-leslie.com
March 15, 2025 at 1:01 PM
On the fascinating potential trend of defence work to become cool.
I used to joke to idealistic PhD students that of course there are lots of amazing and fulfilling careers outside academia — so long as they don’t work for the military. I’m not sure I’d say that any more.
I used to joke to idealistic PhD students that of course there are lots of amazing and fulfilling careers outside academia — so long as they don’t work for the military. I’m not sure I’d say that any more.
I'm sure my science journalist followers will all appreciate this...
fictionalaether.substack.com/p/the-resear...
fictionalaether.substack.com/p/the-resear...
March 7, 2025 at 9:28 AM
I'm sure my science journalist followers will all appreciate this...
fictionalaether.substack.com/p/the-resear...
fictionalaether.substack.com/p/the-resear...