Clifford Johnson
@asymptotia.bsky.social
Professor of Physics at UCSB: Research, Teaching, and Science Communication (TV/Movies/Books/etc). Get my graphic book on science here: http://thedialoguesbook.com and see my blog here: http://asymptotia.com
Well, this is awkward. (Walking around the amazing traveling Doctor Who exhibit at the San Diego Comic-Con museum, and running into myself explaining spacetime and black holes in many rooms.) #sdcc
November 9, 2025 at 5:59 AM
Well, this is awkward. (Walking around the amazing traveling Doctor Who exhibit at the San Diego Comic-Con museum, and running into myself explaining spacetime and black holes in many rooms.) #sdcc
For my usual outdoor office for thinking through research ideas, I’ve temporarily swapped Pacific for Atlantic. Worked rather well. Visiting Stony Brook U’s Simons Center for Geometry and Physics for a conference.
November 3, 2025 at 3:08 AM
For my usual outdoor office for thinking through research ideas, I’ve temporarily swapped Pacific for Atlantic. Worked rather well. Visiting Stony Brook U’s Simons Center for Geometry and Physics for a conference.
@UCSBPhysics 2025 Nobel Prize winners John Martinis and Michel Devoret, speaking at the annual Nobel Prize Who/What/Why colloquium Tuesday 10/14. See next post for link to recording of it.
October 18, 2025 at 2:47 PM
@UCSBPhysics 2025 Nobel Prize winners John Martinis and Michel Devoret, speaking at the annual Nobel Prize Who/What/Why colloquium Tuesday 10/14. See next post for link to recording of it.
Maybe over-egging the pudding a bit for my SUSY2025 talk tomorrow… #theoreticalphysicslife
August 17, 2025 at 11:27 PM
Maybe over-egging the pudding a bit for my SUSY2025 talk tomorrow… #theoreticalphysicslife
Elsewhere in the garden, the spheres pack themselves. #Gardening #FoodAndDrink
August 10, 2025 at 3:48 AM
Elsewhere in the garden, the spheres pack themselves. #Gardening #FoodAndDrink
Morning sphere packing. #Gardening #FoodAndDrink.
August 8, 2025 at 9:09 PM
Morning sphere packing. #Gardening #FoodAndDrink.
There’s a lot of joyful knife-work in my future. #bolognese #summersalad
August 4, 2025 at 4:12 PM
There’s a lot of joyful knife-work in my future. #bolognese #summersalad
New work with postdoc Krishan Saraswat and grad student Wasif Ahmed. In early 2024 I discovered a very fun way of computing Weil-Petersson volumes from an ODE (well, a subset). It works stunningly well. We show here that it works for extended JT supergravity giving a whole new class of volumes!
July 28, 2025 at 2:43 AM
New work with postdoc Krishan Saraswat and grad student Wasif Ahmed. In early 2024 I discovered a very fun way of computing Weil-Petersson volumes from an ODE (well, a subset). It works stunningly well. We show here that it works for extended JT supergravity giving a whole new class of volumes!
… today’s quick pickings. #gardening #foodanddrink
July 27, 2025 at 11:38 PM
… today’s quick pickings. #gardening #foodanddrink
A recent paper co-authored with UCSB postdoc Maciej Kolanowski. The results are very exciting (at least to me!) and so I'm happy to get this one out for colleagues to read. I wrote a little post on the blog about it too, for those who want more: asymptotia.com/2025/07/13/t.... Enjoy!
July 14, 2025 at 9:09 PM
A recent paper co-authored with UCSB postdoc Maciej Kolanowski. The results are very exciting (at least to me!) and so I'm happy to get this one out for colleagues to read. I wrote a little post on the blog about it too, for those who want more: asymptotia.com/2025/07/13/t.... Enjoy!
Wednesday’s “get back into the routine” run. 80 minutes well spent. Head cleared.
July 12, 2025 at 9:59 PM
Wednesday’s “get back into the routine” run. 80 minutes well spent. Head cleared.
To appear today on the ArXiv. (For there’s a blog post here: asymptotia.com/2025/06/24/s...)
June 24, 2025 at 6:56 PM
To appear today on the ArXiv. (For there’s a blog post here: asymptotia.com/2025/06/24/s...)
Sometimes I like to imagine that I’m the odd one, just out of frame, swimming in the other direction.
March 29, 2025 at 10:07 PM
Sometimes I like to imagine that I’m the odd one, just out of frame, swimming in the other direction.
Bit late for pi day, but no less tasty for it. A chicken and mushroom pie to share with a guest coming over (earlier this week). #baking #foodanddrink
March 23, 2025 at 3:09 PM
Bit late for pi day, but no less tasty for it. A chicken and mushroom pie to share with a guest coming over (earlier this week). #baking #foodanddrink
Transformation and renewal is happening all around, and I’m trying to find the positive wherever I can.
March 23, 2025 at 3:44 AM
Transformation and renewal is happening all around, and I’m trying to find the positive wherever I can.
When you’re drinking from the Imperial College mug that Jess Wade gave you a while back…and then Jess Wade comes on the radio! @imperialcollegeldn.bsky.social
March 13, 2025 at 5:28 PM
When you’re drinking from the Imperial College mug that Jess Wade gave you a while back…and then Jess Wade comes on the radio! @imperialcollegeldn.bsky.social
OTOH, I love an excuse to wear these cufflinks make of repurposed watch works…
March 1, 2025 at 5:17 AM
OTOH, I love an excuse to wear these cufflinks make of repurposed watch works…
This week’s lectures on instantons in my gauge theory class were a lot of fun to do, and mark the culmination of a month-long theme on topological objects and non-perturbative effects in this subject. I always enjoy teaching this stuff, including the history! #theoreticalphysicslife
February 27, 2025 at 10:21 PM
This week’s lectures on instantons in my gauge theory class were a lot of fun to do, and mark the culmination of a month-long theme on topological objects and non-perturbative effects in this subject. I always enjoy teaching this stuff, including the history! #theoreticalphysicslife
I’m *very* pleased with how great this board looks. Because, you know…reasons. (Fairly certain that most of my theoretical physicist colleagues will want a pop-up chalkboard like this!) #FantasticFourFirstSteps
February 5, 2025 at 6:45 AM
I’m *very* pleased with how great this board looks. Because, you know…reasons. (Fairly certain that most of my theoretical physicist colleagues will want a pop-up chalkboard like this!) #FantasticFourFirstSteps
Making a swift batch of scones as part of a welcome gathering for fire-displaced friends and their families…
January 11, 2025 at 6:28 PM
Making a swift batch of scones as part of a welcome gathering for fire-displaced friends and their families…
Take a wild guess: What will my class be about this quarter? (Major omission from this photo: amazing online notes by David Tong.) #gaugetheory #quantumfieldtheory
January 6, 2025 at 7:00 PM
Take a wild guess: What will my class be about this quarter? (Major omission from this photo: amazing online notes by David Tong.) #gaugetheory #quantumfieldtheory
First run of the year. (I took a break - long story.) Restarting the routine just in time for the new term. Felt great to be back! #running
January 6, 2025 at 5:44 AM
First run of the year. (I took a break - long story.) Restarting the routine just in time for the new term. Felt great to be back! #running
One rose for each year… overall it has been a blast so far! Here’s to a dozen more! #weddinganniversary
December 31, 2024 at 8:04 PM
One rose for each year… overall it has been a blast so far! Here’s to a dozen more! #weddinganniversary
You know how it goes…
December 28, 2024 at 6:22 AM
You know how it goes…