Chris Santangelo
@materialsgeometry.bsky.social
theoretical physicist,
studier of the geometry and topology of soft materials,
lover of figuring things out,
teacher and dad, opinions are my own
studier of the geometry and topology of soft materials,
lover of figuring things out,
teacher and dad, opinions are my own
It all depends on what you are trying to do. That way of thinking about it doesn’t get a first year student in physics anything they could use at their stage of development to calculate something. It comes into its own in graduate level classes though
October 25, 2025 at 12:21 PM
It all depends on what you are trying to do. That way of thinking about it doesn’t get a first year student in physics anything they could use at their stage of development to calculate something. It comes into its own in graduate level classes though
I sometimes think, on my darkest days, that promoting the communication of science with the public was a terrible mistake and a major contributor to the snake-oil science era we now find ourselves in.
October 15, 2025 at 6:13 PM
I sometimes think, on my darkest days, that promoting the communication of science with the public was a terrible mistake and a major contributor to the snake-oil science era we now find ourselves in.
There aren’t really enough Americans. Americans aren’t dumber or even less hard working - there just aren’t enough of us to support the size of the current tech/university sector. I read we have 5% of the population but 20% of the “smart” people. can’t find a source for that now.
September 20, 2025 at 5:48 PM
There aren’t really enough Americans. Americans aren’t dumber or even less hard working - there just aren’t enough of us to support the size of the current tech/university sector. I read we have 5% of the population but 20% of the “smart” people. can’t find a source for that now.
It is an annual fee too so it is worse than the headline says. But can be lifted at will for companies that toe the party line I guess so it could be used to exert extra control over private companies.
September 20, 2025 at 5:23 PM
It is an annual fee too so it is worse than the headline says. But can be lifted at will for companies that toe the party line I guess so it could be used to exert extra control over private companies.
I am trying to remember where I read this first but, in fact, as Asimov predicted, our technology may be so advanced in some areas it already is indistinguishable from magic. Not only to our ancestors but essentially even to ourselves.
September 19, 2025 at 11:22 PM
I am trying to remember where I read this first but, in fact, as Asimov predicted, our technology may be so advanced in some areas it already is indistinguishable from magic. Not only to our ancestors but essentially even to ourselves.
You’re worried too?
September 12, 2025 at 11:17 AM
You’re worried too?
I wonder how they feel about supernovas?
September 7, 2025 at 4:38 PM
I wonder how they feel about supernovas?
So do something. Please. People’s lives are at risk.
September 5, 2025 at 11:46 PM
So do something. Please. People’s lives are at risk.
So far China is the only one competing in terms of money. If the US goes full authoritarian, that may be where people go. For now I am doing my best helping my people get postdocs in Europe. but the numbers are not in our favor
July 10, 2025 at 8:07 PM
So far China is the only one competing in terms of money. If the US goes full authoritarian, that may be where people go. For now I am doing my best helping my people get postdocs in Europe. but the numbers are not in our favor
they are certainly trying but the loss of funding is far too great for them to make up. Many were cutting science themselves. There are now new programs throughout the world to attract US scientists but the numbers are still so small.
July 10, 2025 at 5:37 PM
they are certainly trying but the loss of funding is far too great for them to make up. Many were cutting science themselves. There are now new programs throughout the world to attract US scientists but the numbers are still so small.
The fact that it depends on the observer’s idea of “naive” makes me nervous. I feel like something like an “emergent symmetry” can be defined less ambiguously, so the key may be to have a measure a “behavior”.
June 16, 2025 at 11:06 AM
The fact that it depends on the observer’s idea of “naive” makes me nervous. I feel like something like an “emergent symmetry” can be defined less ambiguously, so the key may be to have a measure a “behavior”.
isn’t it like a game of chicken? like a bubble. we all know what’s coming but they want to ride it to the end and jump off just in the nick of time.
June 9, 2025 at 7:18 PM
isn’t it like a game of chicken? like a bubble. we all know what’s coming but they want to ride it to the end and jump off just in the nick of time.
This is actually quite right. A joke that speaks to a larger truth: the commitment required of parents is such that one can only invest that much in so many kids.
June 7, 2025 at 1:38 PM
This is actually quite right. A joke that speaks to a larger truth: the commitment required of parents is such that one can only invest that much in so many kids.
I will train anyone that wants to be trained at any level, because that is what I am. But I may not be able to pay anyone when doing it.
June 4, 2025 at 5:24 PM
I will train anyone that wants to be trained at any level, because that is what I am. But I may not be able to pay anyone when doing it.
The NAS is captured? In private, I am taking to scientists about “what do we do now?” but the context is one of preserving what we can and minimizing loss. There are no opportunities to be had here, and working WITH the current regime will make all the identified problems worse. yeesh!
June 4, 2025 at 4:11 PM
The NAS is captured? In private, I am taking to scientists about “what do we do now?” but the context is one of preserving what we can and minimizing loss. There are no opportunities to be had here, and working WITH the current regime will make all the identified problems worse. yeesh!
Well, I and my family would probably be quite happy living in Europe … in case anyone is reading this….
June 2, 2025 at 6:23 PM
Well, I and my family would probably be quite happy living in Europe … in case anyone is reading this….
If Europe steps up. So far, however, they are not really doing that. Offering a few millions here and there while their own countries have decreased their own research budgets isn’t going to do it. If China steps up, and they might, they could be very attractive to many but not all.
June 2, 2025 at 3:54 PM
If Europe steps up. So far, however, they are not really doing that. Offering a few millions here and there while their own countries have decreased their own research budgets isn’t going to do it. If China steps up, and they might, they could be very attractive to many but not all.
So is the strategy to do joint grants with shared students then? It’s devastating and, if permanent, basically the end of US dominance in science and technology. But if you thought we just had to weather it for a little while, what is the strategy?
May 31, 2025 at 12:45 AM
So is the strategy to do joint grants with shared students then? It’s devastating and, if permanent, basically the end of US dominance in science and technology. But if you thought we just had to weather it for a little while, what is the strategy?
NSF’s MPS faired poorly as well. Target funding rates will be 7%.
May 31, 2025 at 12:41 AM
NSF’s MPS faired poorly as well. Target funding rates will be 7%.
I sorta hope they mean what they say that it is a pause of a few days. I also hope our international students scheduled appointments already.
May 28, 2025 at 6:27 PM
I sorta hope they mean what they say that it is a pause of a few days. I also hope our international students scheduled appointments already.
It’s not even compromising honesty, ethics and freedom for money. We would be compromising it for the privilege of begging for scraps like trained circus animals.
May 27, 2025 at 11:23 AM
It’s not even compromising honesty, ethics and freedom for money. We would be compromising it for the privilege of begging for scraps like trained circus animals.
It is the fool’s gold standard
May 26, 2025 at 7:03 PM
It is the fool’s gold standard