Adi Foord, PhD
@adifoord.bsky.social
/uh ˈdee/
Assistant Prof. of Physics @ UMBC | searching for supermassive black holes |
www.adifoord.com
Assistant Prof. of Physics @ UMBC | searching for supermassive black holes |
www.adifoord.com
Writing an NSF AAG with my 4 m/o permanently attached to me and averaging <2 hours of consecutive sleep… my dear collaborators, please triple-check all my text.
(I’m so grateful for this little human, and for the ability to keep doing what I love, even if a bit more slowly these days.)
(I’m so grateful for this little human, and for the ability to keep doing what I love, even if a bit more slowly these days.)
November 11, 2025 at 7:18 PM
Writing an NSF AAG with my 4 m/o permanently attached to me and averaging <2 hours of consecutive sleep… my dear collaborators, please triple-check all my text.
(I’m so grateful for this little human, and for the ability to keep doing what I love, even if a bit more slowly these days.)
(I’m so grateful for this little human, and for the ability to keep doing what I love, even if a bit more slowly these days.)
Reposted by Adi Foord, PhD
Valuable info about the Physics Nobel Prize today from Prof. Joseph Barranco at SFSU on Martinis and Devoret being a grad student and postdoc in Clarke's lab at UC Berkeley & Clark and Devoret being immigrants. "California *public* education made this happen. Immigration made this happen." ⚛️
October 7, 2025 at 5:53 PM
Valuable info about the Physics Nobel Prize today from Prof. Joseph Barranco at SFSU on Martinis and Devoret being a grad student and postdoc in Clarke's lab at UC Berkeley & Clark and Devoret being immigrants. "California *public* education made this happen. Immigration made this happen." ⚛️
Find yourself a friend like @astronomay.bsky.social who drops off Taylor Swift–themed desserts while you’re on maternity leave 😍🔥
(I’ve only managed to snap a photo ... demanding, but cute, baby won’t let me actually eat them yet)
(I’ve only managed to snap a photo ... demanding, but cute, baby won’t let me actually eat them yet)
August 29, 2025 at 6:13 PM
Find yourself a friend like @astronomay.bsky.social who drops off Taylor Swift–themed desserts while you’re on maternity leave 😍🔥
(I’ve only managed to snap a photo ... demanding, but cute, baby won’t let me actually eat them yet)
(I’ve only managed to snap a photo ... demanding, but cute, baby won’t let me actually eat them yet)
Reposted by Adi Foord, PhD
When Adi Foord's work on supermassive black holes received NSF funding, it created prime opportunities for UMBC students to contribute, like Ph.D. student Zack Reeves and his research on pairs of black holes in the early stages of a potential merger.
umbc.edu/stories/blac...
umbc.edu/stories/blac...
Black Hole Mergers Open Doors For Students - UMBC: University Of Maryland, Baltimore County
Adi Foord is co-leading a research project designed to further understanding of how a rare type of black hole forms and changes over time. The project, recently funded by the NSF, also creates prime o...
umbc.edu
August 19, 2025 at 7:21 PM
When Adi Foord's work on supermassive black holes received NSF funding, it created prime opportunities for UMBC students to contribute, like Ph.D. student Zack Reeves and his research on pairs of black holes in the early stages of a potential merger.
umbc.edu/stories/blac...
umbc.edu/stories/blac...
Thanks to the @umbc.edu for highlighting my recent NSF AAG grant and the student research it supports!
And yes - I’m 38 weeks pregnant in these photos. I’m proud to show that it’s possible to lead a thriving science program while also prioritizing life outside of work 💫
umbc.edu/stories/blac...
And yes - I’m 38 weeks pregnant in these photos. I’m proud to show that it’s possible to lead a thriving science program while also prioritizing life outside of work 💫
umbc.edu/stories/blac...
Black Hole Mergers Open Doors For Students - UMBC: University Of Maryland, Baltimore County
Adi Foord is co-leading a research project designed to further understanding of how a rare type of black hole forms and changes over time. The project, recently funded by the NSF, also creates prime o...
umbc.edu
July 11, 2025 at 2:59 PM
Thanks to the @umbc.edu for highlighting my recent NSF AAG grant and the student research it supports!
And yes - I’m 38 weeks pregnant in these photos. I’m proud to show that it’s possible to lead a thriving science program while also prioritizing life outside of work 💫
umbc.edu/stories/blac...
And yes - I’m 38 weeks pregnant in these photos. I’m proud to show that it’s possible to lead a thriving science program while also prioritizing life outside of work 💫
umbc.edu/stories/blac...
Reposted by Adi Foord, PhD
A very curious 12-year old Kieran asked @theconversation.com, "How does the camera on the James Webb Space Telescope work and see so far out?"
UMBC's @adifoord.bsky.social, assistant professor of physics, to the rescue!
umbc.edu/stories/how-...
UMBC's @adifoord.bsky.social, assistant professor of physics, to the rescue!
umbc.edu/stories/how-...
How Can The James Webb Space Telescope See So Far? - UMBC: University Of Maryland, Baltimore County
Since it launched in December 2021, the James Webb Space Telescope has been orbiting more than a million miles from Earth, capturing breathtaking images of deep space. But how does it actually work? A...
umbc.edu
July 2, 2025 at 6:26 PM
A very curious 12-year old Kieran asked @theconversation.com, "How does the camera on the James Webb Space Telescope work and see so far out?"
UMBC's @adifoord.bsky.social, assistant professor of physics, to the rescue!
umbc.edu/stories/how-...
UMBC's @adifoord.bsky.social, assistant professor of physics, to the rescue!
umbc.edu/stories/how-...
Reposted by Adi Foord, PhD
American science to soon face its largest brain drain in history
The largest brain drain in history was when thousands of scientists left Nazi Germany; it became known as "Hitler's gift."
America's current assault on science is set to surpass that.
bigthink.com/starts-with-...
#space #science
The largest brain drain in history was when thousands of scientists left Nazi Germany; it became known as "Hitler's gift."
America's current assault on science is set to surpass that.
bigthink.com/starts-with-...
#space #science
American science to soon face its largest brain drain in history
Over the first half of 2025, the USA has cut science as never before. This disaster for American science is a gift to the rest of the world.
bigthink.com
July 2, 2025 at 4:06 PM
American science to soon face its largest brain drain in history
The largest brain drain in history was when thousands of scientists left Nazi Germany; it became known as "Hitler's gift."
America's current assault on science is set to surpass that.
bigthink.com/starts-with-...
#space #science
The largest brain drain in history was when thousands of scientists left Nazi Germany; it became known as "Hitler's gift."
America's current assault on science is set to surpass that.
bigthink.com/starts-with-...
#space #science
Reposted by Adi Foord, PhD
💥💥 Double detonation!
For the first time, astronomers have obtained visual evidence that a star met its end by detonating twice.
The fingerprint that points to this mechanism is represented by two separate shells of calcium.
Read more: https://www.eso.org/public/news/eso2511/
🔭 🧪 ☄️ 1/
For the first time, astronomers have obtained visual evidence that a star met its end by detonating twice.
The fingerprint that points to this mechanism is represented by two separate shells of calcium.
Read more: https://www.eso.org/public/news/eso2511/
🔭 🧪 ☄️ 1/
July 2, 2025 at 9:02 AM
💥💥 Double detonation!
For the first time, astronomers have obtained visual evidence that a star met its end by detonating twice.
The fingerprint that points to this mechanism is represented by two separate shells of calcium.
Read more: https://www.eso.org/public/news/eso2511/
🔭 🧪 ☄️ 1/
For the first time, astronomers have obtained visual evidence that a star met its end by detonating twice.
The fingerprint that points to this mechanism is represented by two separate shells of calcium.
Read more: https://www.eso.org/public/news/eso2511/
🔭 🧪 ☄️ 1/
Reposted by Adi Foord, PhD
The James Webb #Space Telescope doesn't take regular photos - its detectors convert infrared light to digital data, which scientists on Earth process into the stunning full-color space images we see. buff.ly/zKxkEBk #JWST By @adifoord.bsky.social, University of Maryland, Baltimore County 🔭
How can the James Webb Space Telescope see so far?
The James Webb Space Telescope has 2 powerful instruments that see light the human eye can’t.
buff.ly
July 1, 2025 at 2:30 AM
The James Webb #Space Telescope doesn't take regular photos - its detectors convert infrared light to digital data, which scientists on Earth process into the stunning full-color space images we see. buff.ly/zKxkEBk #JWST By @adifoord.bsky.social, University of Maryland, Baltimore County 🔭
Check out my latest "Curious Kids" article with the @us.theconversation.com about how the James Webb Space Telescope can see so far back in time 💫🛰️🤩
theconversation.com/how-can-the-...
theconversation.com/how-can-the-...
How can the James Webb Space Telescope see so far?
The James Webb Space Telescope has 2 powerful instruments that see light the human eye can’t.
theconversation.com
June 30, 2025 at 2:35 PM
Check out my latest "Curious Kids" article with the @us.theconversation.com about how the James Webb Space Telescope can see so far back in time 💫🛰️🤩
theconversation.com/how-can-the-...
theconversation.com/how-can-the-...
lol so many memories of stressful afternoons trying to perfectly time my submissions
This is me finding out that people timed their arxiv submissions. I literally do it as early as possible because I’ve had many occasions where I’ve had a bug during the upload that has taken hours to fix.
June 24, 2025 at 9:48 PM
lol so many memories of stressful afternoons trying to perfectly time my submissions
Reposted by Adi Foord, PhD
Chatbots — LLMs — do not know facts and are not designed to be able to accurately answer factual questions. They are designed to find and mimic patterns of words, probabilistically. When they’re “right” it’s because correct things are often written down, so those patterns are frequent. That’s all.
June 19, 2025 at 11:21 AM
Chatbots — LLMs — do not know facts and are not designed to be able to accurately answer factual questions. They are designed to find and mimic patterns of words, probabilistically. When they’re “right” it’s because correct things are often written down, so those patterns are frequent. That’s all.
Reposted by Adi Foord, PhD
The Vera C. Rubin Observatory is releasing its first images on 23 June, showing us galaxies as we’ve never seen them before. Here’s how you can join a watch party to see those shots in full definition.
Why you should join a watch party for the first Vera C. Rubin images
The Vera C. Rubin Observatory is releasing its first images on 23 June, showing us galaxies as we’ve never seen them before. Here’s how you can join a party to see those shots in full definition
www.newscientist.com
June 18, 2025 at 8:40 AM
The Vera C. Rubin Observatory is releasing its first images on 23 June, showing us galaxies as we’ve never seen them before. Here’s how you can join a watch party to see those shots in full definition.
Reposted by Adi Foord, PhD
Don’t miss our interactive AGN SIG session TODAY at 10am AK! Come to Egan Rm 11/12 to learn about the progress we’ve made since the last Astro2020, the upcoming NASA mission capabilities, and where we go from here. #AAS246 🔭
cor.gsfc.nasa.gov/copag/meetin...
cor.gsfc.nasa.gov/copag/meetin...
June 10, 2025 at 4:27 PM
Don’t miss our interactive AGN SIG session TODAY at 10am AK! Come to Egan Rm 11/12 to learn about the progress we’ve made since the last Astro2020, the upcoming NASA mission capabilities, and where we go from here. #AAS246 🔭
cor.gsfc.nasa.gov/copag/meetin...
cor.gsfc.nasa.gov/copag/meetin...
Reposted by Adi Foord, PhD
A wild @norashipp.bsky.social appears!
You get a star, everyone gets a star!
NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory will collect precise data about 17 billion stars in our galaxy and nearby. That's more than twice the number of people on Earth!
With such a detailed map, scientists will better understand our home galaxy's history.
🔭 🧪
NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory will collect precise data about 17 billion stars in our galaxy and nearby. That's more than twice the number of people on Earth!
With such a detailed map, scientists will better understand our home galaxy's history.
🔭 🧪
May 12, 2025 at 9:39 PM
A wild @norashipp.bsky.social appears!
Reposted by Adi Foord, PhD
Don't miss our new NASA Science spending and economic impact resource at dashboards.planetary.org/nasa-science.html — see space science spending in every state and congressional district and custom reports for each region. A unique resource.
June 2, 2025 at 11:44 AM
Don't miss our new NASA Science spending and economic impact resource at dashboards.planetary.org/nasa-science.html — see space science spending in every state and congressional district and custom reports for each region. A unique resource.
Reposted by Adi Foord, PhD
There's a lot to unpack in the president's FY26 requested #NASA budget, but the near zeroing of the physics of the cosmos program (from $196M to $1.5M) is especially bleak. If passed, the future of high-energy astrophysics is not in the US. 🔭
May 31, 2025 at 11:12 PM
There's a lot to unpack in the president's FY26 requested #NASA budget, but the near zeroing of the physics of the cosmos program (from $196M to $1.5M) is especially bleak. If passed, the future of high-energy astrophysics is not in the US. 🔭
Reposted by Adi Foord, PhD
The White House Vision for Dismantling Science in One Simple Plot
(Proposed NIH, NSF, and NASA budgets would be catastrophic for innovation and discovery. But they aren’t reality yet. The time to speak up is now.)
joshuasweitz.substack.com/p/the-white-...
(Proposed NIH, NSF, and NASA budgets would be catastrophic for innovation and discovery. But they aren’t reality yet. The time to speak up is now.)
joshuasweitz.substack.com/p/the-white-...
May 31, 2025 at 2:38 PM
The White House Vision for Dismantling Science in One Simple Plot
(Proposed NIH, NSF, and NASA budgets would be catastrophic for innovation and discovery. But they aren’t reality yet. The time to speak up is now.)
joshuasweitz.substack.com/p/the-white-...
(Proposed NIH, NSF, and NASA budgets would be catastrophic for innovation and discovery. But they aren’t reality yet. The time to speak up is now.)
joshuasweitz.substack.com/p/the-white-...
Got my PhD in Spring 2020 (peak lockdown, no hooding ceremony). Now I’m an Assistant Professor heading to undergrad commencement… and I have no clue how to wear this hood 😅🎓
Currently studying Google Images like it’s a final exam. Wish me luck! 👍
Currently studying Google Images like it’s a final exam. Wish me luck! 👍
a cat in a blue shirt is playing a keyboard
ALT: a cat in a blue shirt is playing a keyboard
media.tenor.com
May 22, 2025 at 5:12 PM
Got my PhD in Spring 2020 (peak lockdown, no hooding ceremony). Now I’m an Assistant Professor heading to undergrad commencement… and I have no clue how to wear this hood 😅🎓
Currently studying Google Images like it’s a final exam. Wish me luck! 👍
Currently studying Google Images like it’s a final exam. Wish me luck! 👍
Grading is finished.
a man in a suit and tie is making a sad face in front of a window .
ALT: a man in a suit and tie is making a sad face in front of a window .
media.tenor.com
May 20, 2025 at 11:06 PM
Grading is finished.
The homework has been graded... and a few students sent back secret codes with unique seeds for me to decipher on my end 🥹
"Your class was amazing to take"
"You were an amazing professor to have"
"I immensely enjoyed this class"
"... this was a great class and I truly enjoyed it"
"Your class was amazing to take"
"You were an amazing professor to have"
"I immensely enjoyed this class"
"... this was a great class and I truly enjoyed it"
May 16, 2025 at 6:44 PM
The homework has been graded... and a few students sent back secret codes with unique seeds for me to decipher on my end 🥹
"Your class was amazing to take"
"You were an amazing professor to have"
"I immensely enjoyed this class"
"... this was a great class and I truly enjoyed it"
"Your class was amazing to take"
"You were an amazing professor to have"
"I immensely enjoyed this class"
"... this was a great class and I truly enjoyed it"
Wrapped up the last lecture of the semester and still standing! Today’s last student project presentation was an awesome one on Hawking Radiation — such a great way to end the semester 🎉 👏🏼
(I do have >30 hours of grading left, but we won’t think about that right now)
(I do have >30 hours of grading left, but we won’t think about that right now)
May 8, 2025 at 6:26 PM
Wrapped up the last lecture of the semester and still standing! Today’s last student project presentation was an awesome one on Hawking Radiation — such a great way to end the semester 🎉 👏🏼
(I do have >30 hours of grading left, but we won’t think about that right now)
(I do have >30 hours of grading left, but we won’t think about that right now)
Reposted by Adi Foord, PhD
📞 Your voice matters! Today, call your senators and representatives to tell them why funding science and space is critical for America's future. It only takes a few minutes — and it can have a huge impact. #WeekOfAction ow.ly/m0oO50VN0Nm
May 6, 2025 at 12:19 PM
📞 Your voice matters! Today, call your senators and representatives to tell them why funding science and space is critical for America's future. It only takes a few minutes — and it can have a huge impact. #WeekOfAction ow.ly/m0oO50VN0Nm
Reposted by Adi Foord, PhD
✉️ It's time to speak up for science! Kick off our Week of Action by writing to your members of Congress. Urge them to robustly fund space science in FY 2026 & beyond. Every letter makes a difference! You can use our prompts for inspiration. #WeekOfAction aas.org/advocacy/get...
May 5, 2025 at 12:24 PM
✉️ It's time to speak up for science! Kick off our Week of Action by writing to your members of Congress. Urge them to robustly fund space science in FY 2026 & beyond. Every letter makes a difference! You can use our prompts for inspiration. #WeekOfAction aas.org/advocacy/get...
Reposted by Adi Foord, PhD
More urgent than ever, now is the time to call up your congresspeople (see e.g. AAS guide if you want):
aas.org/urge-nasa-su...
aas.org/urge-nasa-su...
May 2, 2025 at 5:05 PM
More urgent than ever, now is the time to call up your congresspeople (see e.g. AAS guide if you want):
aas.org/urge-nasa-su...
aas.org/urge-nasa-su...