Pedro Teixeira-Dias
@physics42.bsky.social
Physics Prof. at Royal Holloway, University of London. Particle physicist, Higgs boson hunter. Tweets occasionally, in a personal capacity.
Pinned
For Math Fans: A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Number 42
Here is how a perfectly ordinary number captured the interest of sci-fi enthusiasts, geeks and mathematicians
www.scientificamerican.com
Everything you ever wanted to know about the number 42… and much, much more. www.scientificamerican.com/article/for-...
Reposted by Pedro Teixeira-Dias
Before the charm quark was discovered in bound states, it was predicted via indirect effects. An early success story of the electroweak model and QFT!
Mary Gaillard and John Rosner, who both passed last week, contributed to calculating the charm quark mass
🧵1/11
Mary Gaillard and John Rosner, who both passed last week, contributed to calculating the charm quark mass
🧵1/11
May 31, 2025 at 9:54 AM
Before the charm quark was discovered in bound states, it was predicted via indirect effects. An early success story of the electroweak model and QFT!
Mary Gaillard and John Rosner, who both passed last week, contributed to calculating the charm quark mass
🧵1/11
Mary Gaillard and John Rosner, who both passed last week, contributed to calculating the charm quark mass
🧵1/11
May 30, 2025 at 1:37 PM
Reposted by Pedro Teixeira-Dias
In operating theatres at UCLH this morning, with our wonderful theatre teams. Many people from many places, all of them helping us deliver the care. Couldn’t do it without them.
May 13, 2025 at 7:27 AM
In operating theatres at UCLH this morning, with our wonderful theatre teams. Many people from many places, all of them helping us deliver the care. Couldn’t do it without them.
Reposted by Pedro Teixeira-Dias
The problem with most machine-based random number generators is that they’re not TRULY random, so if you need genuine randomness it is sometimes necessary to link your code to an external random process like a physical noise source or the current rate of US tariffs on a given country.
April 9, 2025 at 7:15 PM
The problem with most machine-based random number generators is that they’re not TRULY random, so if you need genuine randomness it is sometimes necessary to link your code to an external random process like a physical noise source or the current rate of US tariffs on a given country.
Reposted by Pedro Teixeira-Dias
An unexpected surprise. The 2025 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics honors over 13,000 researchers whose labors have led to the precise description the Higgs mechanism, … breakthroughprize.org/News/91 @CERN
April 5, 2025 at 11:24 PM
An unexpected surprise. The 2025 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics honors over 13,000 researchers whose labors have led to the precise description the Higgs mechanism, … breakthroughprize.org/News/91 @CERN
Reposted by Pedro Teixeira-Dias
🔥 This is an absolutely devastating set of figures on the UK public's view of Brexit.
Absolutely damning. Look at each category one by one - particularly the economic ones. YouGov article on these data here. 👉 yougov.co.uk/politics/art...
Absolutely damning. Look at each category one by one - particularly the economic ones. YouGov article on these data here. 👉 yougov.co.uk/politics/art...
January 31, 2025 at 11:07 AM
🔥 This is an absolutely devastating set of figures on the UK public's view of Brexit.
Absolutely damning. Look at each category one by one - particularly the economic ones. YouGov article on these data here. 👉 yougov.co.uk/politics/art...
Absolutely damning. Look at each category one by one - particularly the economic ones. YouGov article on these data here. 👉 yougov.co.uk/politics/art...
Reposted by Pedro Teixeira-Dias
This is what the government did with 120K+ Japanese Americans in 1942.
I know. I was there in those camps.
I know. I was there in those camps.
January 31, 2025 at 7:11 PM
This is what the government did with 120K+ Japanese Americans in 1942.
I know. I was there in those camps.
I know. I was there in those camps.
Reposted by Pedro Teixeira-Dias
A universe in motion seen from the International Space Station during a night pass over Earth (view fullscreen).
January 20, 2025 at 10:28 PM
A universe in motion seen from the International Space Station during a night pass over Earth (view fullscreen).
Reposted by Pedro Teixeira-Dias
⚛️🧪Over the past years I've been writing a series of posts about the amazing Standard Model of particle physics. I've recently written about its special angle and its role in convincing physicists that they were on the right track. First article is this one profmattstrassler.com/2024/11/20/c...
Celebrating the Standard Model: The Magic Angle
How did particle physicists become so confident in their Standard Model's equations? Here's the story of the Z boson and its magic angle.
profmattstrassler.com
December 30, 2024 at 2:31 PM
⚛️🧪Over the past years I've been writing a series of posts about the amazing Standard Model of particle physics. I've recently written about its special angle and its role in convincing physicists that they were on the right track. First article is this one profmattstrassler.com/2024/11/20/c...
Reposted by Pedro Teixeira-Dias
Required listening (one night late, oops): "Fireside" Al Maitland reads Frederick Forsyth's "The Shepherd"; a CBC tradition. "The year is 1957. An RAF pilot is heading home from Germany for Christmas. Fog sets in and all radio communication is lost."
www.cbc.ca/radio/asitha...
www.cbc.ca/radio/asitha...
'Fireside' Al Maitland reads Frederick Forsyth's The Shepherd | CBC Radio
The year is 1957. An RAF pilot is heading home from Germany for Christmas. Fog sets in, and all radio communication is lost.
www.cbc.ca
December 25, 2024 at 11:14 PM
Required listening (one night late, oops): "Fireside" Al Maitland reads Frederick Forsyth's "The Shepherd"; a CBC tradition. "The year is 1957. An RAF pilot is heading home from Germany for Christmas. Fog sets in and all radio communication is lost."
www.cbc.ca/radio/asitha...
www.cbc.ca/radio/asitha...
Reposted by Pedro Teixeira-Dias
Apollo 8 -- the first mission to see humans leave Earth and orbit another world (and capture the famous "Earthrise" photo) -- was launched 56 years ago today. A while back I wrote about the significance of this historic achievement, for @nbcnews.com: #Apollo8 #NASA www.nbcnews.com/mach/science...
Before 'one small step': How Apollo 8 became our first true moon shot
The historic flight launched 50 years ago this week.
www.nbcnews.com
December 21, 2024 at 7:20 PM
Apollo 8 -- the first mission to see humans leave Earth and orbit another world (and capture the famous "Earthrise" photo) -- was launched 56 years ago today. A while back I wrote about the significance of this historic achievement, for @nbcnews.com: #Apollo8 #NASA www.nbcnews.com/mach/science...
Reposted by Pedro Teixeira-Dias
My concise and heavily-referenced guide for #HigherEd #faculty on creating more #autistic -friendly #research groups is available here: arxiv.org/abs/2410.17929
Includes a downloadable printable poster.
#ActuallyAutistic #AutisticInSTEM #DisabledInSTEM #ScienceIsForEveryone #EDI
Includes a downloadable printable poster.
#ActuallyAutistic #AutisticInSTEM #DisabledInSTEM #ScienceIsForEveryone #EDI
November 29, 2024 at 9:59 PM
My concise and heavily-referenced guide for #HigherEd #faculty on creating more #autistic -friendly #research groups is available here: arxiv.org/abs/2410.17929
Includes a downloadable printable poster.
#ActuallyAutistic #AutisticInSTEM #DisabledInSTEM #ScienceIsForEveryone #EDI
Includes a downloadable printable poster.
#ActuallyAutistic #AutisticInSTEM #DisabledInSTEM #ScienceIsForEveryone #EDI
Reposted by Pedro Teixeira-Dias
schrödinger: *handing his daughter a box at christmas* open it honey
daughter: *already crying* daddy please no
daughter: *already crying* daddy please no
December 11, 2024 at 6:30 PM
schrödinger: *handing his daughter a box at christmas* open it honey
daughter: *already crying* daddy please no
daughter: *already crying* daddy please no
December 4, 2024 at 9:16 PM
Reposted by Pedro Teixeira-Dias
Reposted by Pedro Teixeira-Dias
So, Schrödinger walks into a vet with his cat. The nurse takes the cat, goes into the room, and comes out 10 minutes later.
"Sir, we have good news and bad news."
"Sir, we have good news and bad news."
November 24, 2024 at 5:11 PM
So, Schrödinger walks into a vet with his cat. The nurse takes the cat, goes into the room, and comes out 10 minutes later.
"Sir, we have good news and bad news."
"Sir, we have good news and bad news."
Reposted by Pedro Teixeira-Dias
Post-Brexit Britain’s Trump problem goes much deeper than trade tariffs. Latest post on my Brexit & Beyond Blog. The discussion of how the UK might respond to Trump's tariffs is already confused, and anyway misses the bigger challenge they betoken: chrisgreybrexitblog.blogspot.com/2024/11/post...
November 24, 2024 at 10:48 AM
Post-Brexit Britain’s Trump problem goes much deeper than trade tariffs. Latest post on my Brexit & Beyond Blog. The discussion of how the UK might respond to Trump's tariffs is already confused, and anyway misses the bigger challenge they betoken: chrisgreybrexitblog.blogspot.com/2024/11/post...
Reposted by Pedro Teixeira-Dias
The news says today is a “Multi-Hazard Weather Event”. I’m old enough to remember when we’d just use the shortened version: “wet and windy”
November 23, 2024 at 9:38 AM
The news says today is a “Multi-Hazard Weather Event”. I’m old enough to remember when we’d just use the shortened version: “wet and windy”
…or a cup of coffee ☕️.
Great day for looking out of the window with a cup of tea and your hand on your hip.
November 23, 2024 at 12:27 PM
…or a cup of coffee ☕️.
Reposted by Pedro Teixeira-Dias
"Congratulations! You didn’t die of measles." @laurahelmuth.bsky.social on the miracle of vaccines are, and the dangers of RFK Jr.
slate.com/_pages/cm3qc...
slate.com/_pages/cm3qc...
There Are Three Main Reasons You Are Alive Right Now. RFK Jr. Is Fighting Tooth and Nail Against One of Them.
Things could get really bad.
slate.com
November 21, 2024 at 1:08 PM
"Congratulations! You didn’t die of measles." @laurahelmuth.bsky.social on the miracle of vaccines are, and the dangers of RFK Jr.
slate.com/_pages/cm3qc...
slate.com/_pages/cm3qc...
Reposted by Pedro Teixeira-Dias
Reposted by Pedro Teixeira-Dias
Wherever you stand on assisted dying, I’d urge you to read this superb, thoughtful, evidence-based piece from @iandunt.bsky.social.
A couple of points to add, from my perspective as an atheist palliative care doctor who opposes legal change at this time 🧵 open.substack.com/pub/iandunt/...
A couple of points to add, from my perspective as an atheist palliative care doctor who opposes legal change at this time 🧵 open.substack.com/pub/iandunt/...
Trying to make a damn bit of sense of the assisted dying debate
Everything you need to know about a profound change in the law
open.substack.com
November 23, 2024 at 7:24 AM
Wherever you stand on assisted dying, I’d urge you to read this superb, thoughtful, evidence-based piece from @iandunt.bsky.social.
A couple of points to add, from my perspective as an atheist palliative care doctor who opposes legal change at this time 🧵 open.substack.com/pub/iandunt/...
A couple of points to add, from my perspective as an atheist palliative care doctor who opposes legal change at this time 🧵 open.substack.com/pub/iandunt/...
Reposted by Pedro Teixeira-Dias
‘Phonetic’ is not.
‘Abbreviation’ is 12 letters.
‘Thesaurus’ doesn’t have a synonym.
Say what you will about English, but it has a sense of humor.
‘Abbreviation’ is 12 letters.
‘Thesaurus’ doesn’t have a synonym.
Say what you will about English, but it has a sense of humor.
November 21, 2024 at 3:45 PM
‘Phonetic’ is not.
‘Abbreviation’ is 12 letters.
‘Thesaurus’ doesn’t have a synonym.
Say what you will about English, but it has a sense of humor.
‘Abbreviation’ is 12 letters.
‘Thesaurus’ doesn’t have a synonym.
Say what you will about English, but it has a sense of humor.
Reposted by Pedro Teixeira-Dias
Snow is falling in London (son sent us a video!) so thought you might like a reminder that here in Scotland we name the gritting machines and there’s a site that tracks where they all are!
My favs are Gritty Gritty Bang Bang and Spready Mercury ☃️😂
#writingcommunity #scotland
My favs are Gritty Gritty Bang Bang and Spready Mercury ☃️😂
#writingcommunity #scotland
November 19, 2024 at 8:43 AM
Snow is falling in London (son sent us a video!) so thought you might like a reminder that here in Scotland we name the gritting machines and there’s a site that tracks where they all are!
My favs are Gritty Gritty Bang Bang and Spready Mercury ☃️😂
#writingcommunity #scotland
My favs are Gritty Gritty Bang Bang and Spready Mercury ☃️😂
#writingcommunity #scotland