Chad Orzel
@orzelc.bsky.social
Physicist, professor, author of books about science for non-scientists. Longer-form stuff at https://chadorzel.substack.com/
Today's minor mystery: What the hell does this bumper sticker mean?
November 11, 2025 at 1:35 AM
Today's minor mystery: What the hell does this bumper sticker mean?
This story is well done, but I think my reaction to the whole quantum-without-complex-numbers program is summed up by this screenshotted quote www.quantamagazine.org/physicists-t...
November 8, 2025 at 3:05 PM
This story is well done, but I think my reaction to the whole quantum-without-complex-numbers program is summed up by this screenshotted quote www.quantamagazine.org/physicists-t...
Incredibly, this is only the SECOND hardest "No!" to turn up in my inbox today:
November 5, 2025 at 6:07 PM
Incredibly, this is only the SECOND hardest "No!" to turn up in my inbox today:
Eight years ago today, this Very Good Boy moved into Chateau Steelypips:
October 28, 2025 at 10:14 PM
Eight years ago today, this Very Good Boy moved into Chateau Steelypips:
Hi from the original No Kings rally
October 18, 2025 at 5:40 PM
Hi from the original No Kings rally
Outstanding Strained Pun Headline (hey to @thepressbox.bsky.social ) work from the Albany Times Union: www.timesunion.com/hudsonvalley...
October 18, 2025 at 11:41 AM
Outstanding Strained Pun Headline (hey to @thepressbox.bsky.social ) work from the Albany Times Union: www.timesunion.com/hudsonvalley...
Yep, that's chemistry, all right...
(Not a sure thing, what with recent Chemistry prizes going to biology and Physics prizes for computing...)
(Not a sure thing, what with recent Chemistry prizes going to biology and Physics prizes for computing...)
October 8, 2025 at 9:55 AM
Yep, that's chemistry, all right...
(Not a sure thing, what with recent Chemistry prizes going to biology and Physics prizes for computing...)
(Not a sure thing, what with recent Chemistry prizes going to biology and Physics prizes for computing...)
The Nobel foundation's press materials describe the work a little oddly, but I suspect this is something of a prize for superconducting qubits, a massively popular application of the same basic ideas.
October 7, 2025 at 10:21 AM
The Nobel foundation's press materials describe the work a little oddly, but I suspect this is something of a prize for superconducting qubits, a massively popular application of the same basic ideas.
My low-key favorite thing about Nobel Prize announcement season is that the Literature prize is announced a full hour later than the others, because writers.
October 6, 2025 at 9:48 AM
My low-key favorite thing about Nobel Prize announcement season is that the Literature prize is announced a full hour later than the others, because writers.
The Pip's travel team played under the lights last night, which means a lot of the photos ended up with significant motion blur because of slower shutter speeds. Every now and then, though, I end up really liking the effect:
September 20, 2025 at 4:44 PM
The Pip's travel team played under the lights last night, which means a lot of the photos ended up with significant motion blur because of slower shutter speeds. Every now and then, though, I end up really liking the effect:
Today in "Oh, My Sweet Summer Child..." (or possibly "Well, Bless Your Heart..."):
September 19, 2025 at 9:45 AM
Today in "Oh, My Sweet Summer Child..." (or possibly "Well, Bless Your Heart..."):
Not all those who wander are lost, but sometimes that's the way to bet:
September 5, 2025 at 9:46 AM
Not all those who wander are lost, but sometimes that's the way to bet:
Today is my first day of 48th grade.
September 3, 2025 at 4:00 PM
Today is my first day of 48th grade.
This isn't a great pic in an objective sense, but I'm pleasantly surprised that I got any shots at all where you can see this quick-flitting little bastard #birds:
August 31, 2025 at 9:32 PM
This isn't a great pic in an objective sense, but I'm pleasantly surprised that I got any shots at all where you can see this quick-flitting little bastard #birds:
Subscriber email from the NYT is sadly deficient in clairvoyant junkies having religious visions at the racetrack:
August 31, 2025 at 8:18 PM
Subscriber email from the NYT is sadly deficient in clairvoyant junkies having religious visions at the racetrack:
I watched this owl fly into this tree, and it still took me a couple of minutes to actually find it. Nice of it to sit still for photos. #birds
August 31, 2025 at 4:49 PM
I watched this owl fly into this tree, and it still took me a couple of minutes to actually find it. Nice of it to sit still for photos. #birds
Alternative "Fuck, yeah" image:
August 23, 2025 at 8:52 PM
Alternative "Fuck, yeah" image:
Accidentally awesome action shot from this morning's photo hike through a swamp is this kingfisher doing an abrupt turn after noticing me and my camera at the edge of the woods #birds:
August 14, 2025 at 5:15 PM
Accidentally awesome action shot from this morning's photo hike through a swamp is this kingfisher doing an abrupt turn after noticing me and my camera at the edge of the woods #birds:
Highlight was probably this red-tail circling over the last bridge; this doesn't quite do justice to how cool the back-lighting looked in person:
August 10, 2025 at 9:02 PM
Highlight was probably this red-tail circling over the last bridge; this doesn't quite do justice to how cool the back-lighting looked in person:
Somebody on our regular dog walk route left this life-size tiger plushie at the curb, and Charlie the pupper is NOT a fan. Gave it a wide berth with a lot of side-eye, and slightly raised hackles.
August 7, 2025 at 10:53 AM
Somebody on our regular dog walk route left this life-size tiger plushie at the curb, and Charlie the pupper is NOT a fan. Gave it a wide berth with a lot of side-eye, and slightly raised hackles.
We haven't settled on a band name yet, but "Electric Fly Swatter Assault" is definitely the name of our first album
August 6, 2025 at 9:44 AM
We haven't settled on a band name yet, but "Electric Fly Swatter Assault" is definitely the name of our first album
Ominous image from this morning's dog walk:
August 5, 2025 at 11:14 AM
Ominous image from this morning's dog walk:
How your email finds me:
August 3, 2025 at 7:42 PM
How your email finds me: