David Sloan
@davesmaths.bsky.social
Chief Scientific Officer of the Foundational Questions Institute. Reader in Physics at Lancaster University. Friend to dogs. (He/Him)
Trans rights are human rights, black lives matter, Palestinians are human beings. The unfollow button is up there ⬆
Trans rights are human rights, black lives matter, Palestinians are human beings. The unfollow button is up there ⬆
Pinned
David Sloan
@davesmaths.bsky.social
· Nov 30
Now I'm loose on the internet, and I've got some strong opinions about contact manifolds.
Life imitates art...
November 11, 2025 at 10:51 PM
Life imitates art...
Reposted by David Sloan
Another not-at-all dated reference from today's lecture.
November 6, 2025 at 3:11 PM
Another not-at-all dated reference from today's lecture.
Looking for a postdoc in foundations of physics/cosmology/science? Come work with us at @fqxi.org on the Foundational Answers project
fqxi.org/jobs-postdoc...
fqxi.org/jobs-postdoc...
Postdoctoral Research Associate - FQxI
FQxI is seeking Postdoctoral Research Associates for the Foundational Answers project. Job Title: Postdoctoral Research Associate Organization: Foundational Questions Institute (FQxI) Location: Remote...
fqxi.org
November 3, 2025 at 2:41 PM
Looking for a postdoc in foundations of physics/cosmology/science? Come work with us at @fqxi.org on the Foundational Answers project
fqxi.org/jobs-postdoc...
fqxi.org/jobs-postdoc...
Reposted by David Sloan
This Halloween special edition of the FQxI podcast features Bernard Carr, who discusses primordial black holes, the notorious 1970s Enfield poltergeist case that Carr investigated, and more!
Listen to Part 1: qspace.fqxi.org/podcasts/126...
Listen to Part 1: qspace.fqxi.org/podcasts/126...
October 31, 2025 at 6:03 PM
This Halloween special edition of the FQxI podcast features Bernard Carr, who discusses primordial black holes, the notorious 1970s Enfield poltergeist case that Carr investigated, and more!
Listen to Part 1: qspace.fqxi.org/podcasts/126...
Listen to Part 1: qspace.fqxi.org/podcasts/126...
Almost all my publications have authors listed alphabetically. How nice for those of us with surnames from the arse end of the alphabet. Forever last author regardless of our contributions.
And of course you can't fix metrics by introducing new metrics. Particularly one-size-fits-none approaches.
And of course you can't fix metrics by introducing new metrics. Particularly one-size-fits-none approaches.
When I was leading an interdisciplinary collaboration and my name would have been last for “funded this” reasons, I happily ceded that position to a valued colleague whose field elevates last authorship (mine doesn’t).
It was a win-win at the time, which Google will now punish me for? Coolcoolcool
It was a win-win at the time, which Google will now punish me for? Coolcoolcool
🧪For those of us who do complex collaborations with multiple corresponding authors this is terrible . I suspect it will also hit female authors disproportionately as they tend to have more collaborations across fields…https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-03281-4
October 27, 2025 at 11:43 PM
Almost all my publications have authors listed alphabetically. How nice for those of us with surnames from the arse end of the alphabet. Forever last author regardless of our contributions.
And of course you can't fix metrics by introducing new metrics. Particularly one-size-fits-none approaches.
And of course you can't fix metrics by introducing new metrics. Particularly one-size-fits-none approaches.
French police finally realease an image from the Louvre heist getaway.
October 26, 2025 at 8:46 PM
French police finally realease an image from the Louvre heist getaway.
Postdoctoral Research Positions in the Foundations of physics.
fqxi.org/jobs-postdoctoral-research-associate/
We're looking for postdocs to work on the "Foundational Answers" program. Work with some brilliant, friendly people on a fun and exciting research project.
fqxi.org/jobs-postdoctoral-research-associate/
We're looking for postdocs to work on the "Foundational Answers" program. Work with some brilliant, friendly people on a fun and exciting research project.
Postdoctoral Research Associate - FQxI
FQxI is seeking Postdoctoral Research Associates for the Foundational Answers project. Job Title: Postdoctoral Research Associate Organization: Foundational Questions Institute (FQxI) Location: Remote...
fqxi.org
October 23, 2025 at 11:11 PM
Postdoctoral Research Positions in the Foundations of physics.
fqxi.org/jobs-postdoctoral-research-associate/
We're looking for postdocs to work on the "Foundational Answers" program. Work with some brilliant, friendly people on a fun and exciting research project.
fqxi.org/jobs-postdoctoral-research-associate/
We're looking for postdocs to work on the "Foundational Answers" program. Work with some brilliant, friendly people on a fun and exciting research project.
Harvard is destroying its PhD programs, instituting a hiring freeze and stopping work on "non-essential" spending. The reason given: A defecit of $113 million this year. I can see the concern - with their $57 billion endowment, if they keeps up for 503 years they could be in real trouble!
Harvard FAS Cuts Ph.D. Seats By More Than Half Across Next Two Admissions Cycles | News | The Harvard Crimson
The Faculty of Arts and Sciences slashed the number of Ph.D. student admissions slots for the Science division by more than 75 percent and for the Arts & Humanities division by about 60 percent for th...
www.thecrimson.com
October 21, 2025 at 6:40 PM
Harvard is destroying its PhD programs, instituting a hiring freeze and stopping work on "non-essential" spending. The reason given: A defecit of $113 million this year. I can see the concern - with their $57 billion endowment, if they keeps up for 503 years they could be in real trouble!
28th hour of the meeting. I imagine at this point someone has a question, or "..really more of a comment than a question"
October 16, 2025 at 1:00 PM
28th hour of the meeting. I imagine at this point someone has a question, or "..really more of a comment than a question"
For anyone who needs the musical accompaniment www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_Ho...
October 15, 2025 at 6:57 PM
For anyone who needs the musical accompaniment www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_Ho...
Now on its tenth hour.
October 15, 2025 at 6:56 PM
Now on its tenth hour.
A wonderful quirk of Teams seems to be that online meeting officially continue until everyone has left the call. Due to what I *really hope* is a somewhat distracted professor, it appears that a meeting I attended but left earlier is just entering its eighth straight hour.
October 15, 2025 at 5:48 PM
A wonderful quirk of Teams seems to be that online meeting officially continue until everyone has left the call. Due to what I *really hope* is a somewhat distracted professor, it appears that a meeting I attended but left earlier is just entering its eighth straight hour.
This remains the most accurate depiction of history lessons as I experienced them in high school.
The “authenticity” of books.😂😂😂#viral #trending #shorts #comedy
YouTube video by LukeFrame
www.youtube.com
October 13, 2025 at 5:09 PM
This remains the most accurate depiction of history lessons as I experienced them in high school.
Won't someone please think of the poor merchants of death - however will they defend themselves?
www.theguardian.com/education/20...
www.theguardian.com/education/20...
UK universities offered to monitor students’ social media for arms firms, emails show
Loughborough, Heriot-Watt and Glasgow corresponded with companies concerned about campus protests
www.theguardian.com
October 8, 2025 at 5:32 PM
Won't someone please think of the poor merchants of death - however will they defend themselves?
www.theguardian.com/education/20...
www.theguardian.com/education/20...
This is the best answer. Our understanding of the universe is part of our shared culture. It's a beautiful end in itself. Yes, the spinoffs make money eventually, but the value of great literature is more than the box-office taking of the films based upon it. Understanding science enriches us all.
I think for me the most compelling answer for "why fund basic research?" (and the one most relevant to the people doing the work) is that humans are curious and finding stuff out makes us happy and fulfilled. Science is a thing humans like. Life would be more dull and sad if we didn't do it.
end/🧵
end/🧵
October 3, 2025 at 7:39 PM
This is the best answer. Our understanding of the universe is part of our shared culture. It's a beautiful end in itself. Yes, the spinoffs make money eventually, but the value of great literature is more than the box-office taking of the films based upon it. Understanding science enriches us all.
Reposted by David Sloan
When I see requirements (from reviewers, funders, etc.) to motivate research in terms of economic benefits/ #commercialisation, I want to scream. #PublicGoods often have far-reaching economic benefits, but this should be a perk, not the driving reason. #PublicHealth #Science #ProfitCorrupts
October 3, 2025 at 11:57 AM
When I see requirements (from reviewers, funders, etc.) to motivate research in terms of economic benefits/ #commercialisation, I want to scream. #PublicGoods often have far-reaching economic benefits, but this should be a perk, not the driving reason. #PublicHealth #Science #ProfitCorrupts
An external grant for shovel time has overheads to pay the others. The workload model won't allow a reduction in form filling for digging, so you have to do it on your own time. But you should be demonstrating how you contribute to the Hole Excellence Framework.
September 30, 2025 at 8:03 AM
An external grant for shovel time has overheads to pay the others. The workload model won't allow a reduction in form filling for digging, so you have to do it on your own time. But you should be demonstrating how you contribute to the Hole Excellence Framework.
The one advantage to having to write exams so damned early is that by the time we get to the revision sessions I can honestly answer that I have no recollection of the content whatsoever.
September 29, 2025 at 1:24 PM
The one advantage to having to write exams so damned early is that by the time we get to the revision sessions I can honestly answer that I have no recollection of the content whatsoever.
Reposted by David Sloan
FQxI is seeking an Academic Managing Editor for a new project, the Foundational Review Series.
Remote (Global applicants welcome)
Full-Time (will consider alternative working arrangements for the ideal candidate)
~$70,000 – $100,000 based on experience
fqxi.org/academic-man...
Remote (Global applicants welcome)
Full-Time (will consider alternative working arrangements for the ideal candidate)
~$70,000 – $100,000 based on experience
fqxi.org/academic-man...
September 26, 2025 at 3:01 PM
FQxI is seeking an Academic Managing Editor for a new project, the Foundational Review Series.
Remote (Global applicants welcome)
Full-Time (will consider alternative working arrangements for the ideal candidate)
~$70,000 – $100,000 based on experience
fqxi.org/academic-man...
Remote (Global applicants welcome)
Full-Time (will consider alternative working arrangements for the ideal candidate)
~$70,000 – $100,000 based on experience
fqxi.org/academic-man...
Reposted by David Sloan
Sara Walker and Paul Davies on the physics of life. Our $53,000 quantum biology essay contest asks: How Quantum is Life? qspace.fqxi.org/competitions...
September 23, 2025 at 5:36 PM
Sara Walker and Paul Davies on the physics of life. Our $53,000 quantum biology essay contest asks: How Quantum is Life? qspace.fqxi.org/competitions...
Now on the arXiv: Dynamical Similarity in Multisymplectic Field Theory
arxiv.org/abs/2509.16099
In which my students maths the hell out of reducing field theories by eliminating redundant scale.
Comments, questions and complaints welcome!
arxiv.org/abs/2509.16099
In which my students maths the hell out of reducing field theories by eliminating redundant scale.
Comments, questions and complaints welcome!
Dynamical Similarity in Multisymplectic Field Theory
Symmetry under a particular class of non-strictly canonical transformations may be used to identify, and subsequently excise degrees of freedom which do not contribute to the closure of the algebra of...
arxiv.org
September 22, 2025 at 11:10 AM
Now on the arXiv: Dynamical Similarity in Multisymplectic Field Theory
arxiv.org/abs/2509.16099
In which my students maths the hell out of reducing field theories by eliminating redundant scale.
Comments, questions and complaints welcome!
arxiv.org/abs/2509.16099
In which my students maths the hell out of reducing field theories by eliminating redundant scale.
Comments, questions and complaints welcome!
@fqxi.org is hiring
We're looking for an Academic Managing Editor for the Foundational Answers series.
Come work with brilliant, kind colleagues. Also me.
fqxi.org/academic-man...
Non-geographic - work remotely anywhere in the world.
We're looking for an Academic Managing Editor for the Foundational Answers series.
Come work with brilliant, kind colleagues. Also me.
fqxi.org/academic-man...
Non-geographic - work remotely anywhere in the world.
Academic Managing Editor - FQxI
FQxI is seeking an Academic Managing Editor for a new project, the Foundational Review Series. Organization: Foundational Questions Institute (FQxI) Location: Remote (Global applicants welcome) Positi...
fqxi.org
September 21, 2025 at 9:26 PM
@fqxi.org is hiring
We're looking for an Academic Managing Editor for the Foundational Answers series.
Come work with brilliant, kind colleagues. Also me.
fqxi.org/academic-man...
Non-geographic - work remotely anywhere in the world.
We're looking for an Academic Managing Editor for the Foundational Answers series.
Come work with brilliant, kind colleagues. Also me.
fqxi.org/academic-man...
Non-geographic - work remotely anywhere in the world.
Cursed knowledge. Why would you do this to us @zachweinersmith.bsky.social ?
www.smbc-comics.com/comic/nuke
www.smbc-comics.com/comic/nuke
Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal - Nuke
Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal - Nuke
www.smbc-comics.com
September 20, 2025 at 11:43 PM
Cursed knowledge. Why would you do this to us @zachweinersmith.bsky.social ?
www.smbc-comics.com/comic/nuke
www.smbc-comics.com/comic/nuke
The Picard-Worf interactions in this episode were great. Michael Dorn was great portraying a man who was righteous, strong and wrong.
Fellow #StarTrek fans: the writers told us what to look for. We are seeing it now.
September 18, 2025 at 11:11 PM
The Picard-Worf interactions in this episode were great. Michael Dorn was great portraying a man who was righteous, strong and wrong.
Reposted by David Sloan
'What does a good mother eat⁉️'
I wish this wasn't a choice anyone had to make❗
Here is a piece by our very own Dr @charu220.bsky.social from her experience in the field.
You can read more about it in our project Newsletter#6(page 4):
wp.lancs.ac.uk/foodequity/f...
#foodequity#foodinsecurity#India
I wish this wasn't a choice anyone had to make❗
Here is a piece by our very own Dr @charu220.bsky.social from her experience in the field.
You can read more about it in our project Newsletter#6(page 4):
wp.lancs.ac.uk/foodequity/f...
#foodequity#foodinsecurity#India
August 13, 2025 at 11:28 AM
'What does a good mother eat⁉️'
I wish this wasn't a choice anyone had to make❗
Here is a piece by our very own Dr @charu220.bsky.social from her experience in the field.
You can read more about it in our project Newsletter#6(page 4):
wp.lancs.ac.uk/foodequity/f...
#foodequity#foodinsecurity#India
I wish this wasn't a choice anyone had to make❗
Here is a piece by our very own Dr @charu220.bsky.social from her experience in the field.
You can read more about it in our project Newsletter#6(page 4):
wp.lancs.ac.uk/foodequity/f...
#foodequity#foodinsecurity#India