Peter Watson
@peter-w.bsky.social
Physicist, retired nuisance. Still teach occasionally, intrigued by Time.
But it isn't. This is
November 2, 2025 at 2:05 PM
But it isn't. This is
As part of an intro to kinetic theory I produced a movie of a single atom moving in a 1-D box, and advertised it as the most boring movie ever made.
November 2, 2025 at 2:05 PM
As part of an intro to kinetic theory I produced a movie of a single atom moving in a 1-D box, and advertised it as the most boring movie ever made.
Whole new meaning to the word "Reality" that I wasn't aware of.
BBC reports Kim Kardashian doesn't believe the moon landing happened
October 31, 2025 at 3:08 PM
Whole new meaning to the word "Reality" that I wasn't aware of.
Sure most of you know all of this, but it was fun writing it!
theconversation.com/our-understa...
theconversation.com/our-understa...
Our understanding of lightning has been driven by fear and shaped by curiosity
We’ve long been fascinated by lightning, which can also be found in volcanoes and on Jupiter.
theconversation.com
September 7, 2025 at 2:21 PM
Sure most of you know all of this, but it was fun writing it!
theconversation.com/our-understa...
theconversation.com/our-understa...
I had a very persistent guy who came back week after week with a theory. I finally asked him what he did for a living: turned out he was a plumber. So I needed some plumbing doing, so I asked him if he would do it: I'd provide the parts "What, work for free?" was his indignant response.
This is why all unsolicited theories I receive go into an appropriately labeled e-mail folder and never return
Heisenberg on Bohr's occasionally excesssively generous nature. One of the first lessons learnt as a Nature editor about the "fringe" submissions is that this is exactly what will happen if you let it.
August 11, 2025 at 11:58 AM
I had a very persistent guy who came back week after week with a theory. I finally asked him what he did for a living: turned out he was a plumber. So I needed some plumbing doing, so I asked him if he would do it: I'd provide the parts "What, work for free?" was his indignant response.
Maybe they should have asked for directions sooner.
May 8, 2025 at 1:59 PM
Maybe they should have asked for directions sooner.
Hands up if you feel you might have an inappropriate response during nuclear attack.....from the Diefenbunker in Ottawa
May 1, 2025 at 12:56 PM
Hands up if you feel you might have an inappropriate response during nuclear attack.....from the Diefenbunker in Ottawa
Next we take Manhattan?
April 30, 2025 at 2:22 PM
Next we take Manhattan?
To celebrate Lewis Carroll's unbirthday:
He thought he saw a Argument
That proved he was the Pope:
He looked again, and found it was
A Bar of Mottled Soap.
'A fact so dread,' he faintly said,
'Extinguishes all hope!'
He thought he saw a Argument
That proved he was the Pope:
He looked again, and found it was
A Bar of Mottled Soap.
'A fact so dread,' he faintly said,
'Extinguishes all hope!'
April 27, 2025 at 12:28 PM
To celebrate Lewis Carroll's unbirthday:
He thought he saw a Argument
That proved he was the Pope:
He looked again, and found it was
A Bar of Mottled Soap.
'A fact so dread,' he faintly said,
'Extinguishes all hope!'
He thought he saw a Argument
That proved he was the Pope:
He looked again, and found it was
A Bar of Mottled Soap.
'A fact so dread,' he faintly said,
'Extinguishes all hope!'
And I just thought it was a typo for Leeroy Brown (as in Bad, Bad...)
April 3, 2025 at 2:59 PM
And I just thought it was a typo for Leeroy Brown (as in Bad, Bad...)
As someone who doesn't understand US politics, I am always puzzled by the emphasis on raising money for elections. The votes in Florida and Wisconsin yesterday both went against the money raised by the candidates. What evidence is there that money raised equals votes obtained?
April 2, 2025 at 2:30 PM
As someone who doesn't understand US politics, I am always puzzled by the emphasis on raising money for elections. The votes in Florida and Wisconsin yesterday both went against the money raised by the candidates. What evidence is there that money raised equals votes obtained?
And in the UK it can be used to define social class
I asked the girl in dulcet tone
To bring to me a buttered scone
The silly girl has gone
And brought along a buttered scone
I asked the girl in dulcet tone
To bring to me a buttered scone
The silly girl has gone
And brought along a buttered scone
Can someone please explain to me why a scone in the UK is a hot, moist, buttery cube of delight, while a scone in the US is what happens when a biscuit makes love to a dust bunny?
March 30, 2025 at 2:37 PM
And in the UK it can be used to define social class
I asked the girl in dulcet tone
To bring to me a buttered scone
The silly girl has gone
And brought along a buttered scone
I asked the girl in dulcet tone
To bring to me a buttered scone
The silly girl has gone
And brought along a buttered scone
From the Burchfield-Penney Art Centre in Buffalo
March 24, 2025 at 8:37 PM
From the Burchfield-Penney Art Centre in Buffalo
Right next to them are the managers of fire.
March 24, 2025 at 8:32 PM
Right next to them are the managers of fire.
Reposted by Peter Watson
Elbows up, Canada.
March 22, 2025 at 10:11 PM
Elbows up, Canada.
What is Van Gogh’s “Starry Night” actually about? There is an idea that it shows he understood turbulence, long before anyone else. But the truth is probably much simpler: he was fascinated by astronomy. So why does it look so odd? For an answer, bit.ly/43tkad4
March 7, 2025 at 10:42 AM
What is Van Gogh’s “Starry Night” actually about? There is an idea that it shows he understood turbulence, long before anyone else. But the truth is probably much simpler: he was fascinated by astronomy. So why does it look so odd? For an answer, bit.ly/43tkad4
Reposted by Peter Watson
No matter what you call it this is what it is
February 17, 2025 at 2:51 AM
No matter what you call it this is what it is
February 14, 2025 at 9:23 AM
Any chance of getting Trump to strongly endorse Pierre Poilievre as next leader of Canada? Just asking for a friend.
February 9, 2025 at 11:54 AM
Any chance of getting Trump to strongly endorse Pierre Poilievre as next leader of Canada? Just asking for a friend.
The answer is Germans themselves don't know how it happens. We have "das internet" (fair enough) to go along with "das madchen" (huh?). When I enquired about it in a room of German speakers, it engendered an animated discussion with no agreement.
As absolutely stupid and arcane as the English language is, especially American English, at least we don’t have gendered objects as a staple of the language. Who gets to determine that a chair is female but the floor is male and why in the hell does it matter?
December 17, 2024 at 3:15 PM
The answer is Germans themselves don't know how it happens. We have "das internet" (fair enough) to go along with "das madchen" (huh?). When I enquired about it in a room of German speakers, it engendered an animated discussion with no agreement.
Scrooge was right!
December 15, 2024 at 1:37 PM
Scrooge was right!
Just in case you are wondering, Lucca is the cat. This will be the only cat picture I post this year
December 8, 2024 at 2:01 PM
Just in case you are wondering, Lucca is the cat. This will be the only cat picture I post this year
My all time favourite was "I hated this class. The professor expected us to think about new ideas almost every lecture". I used it to get a teaching award.
My all time favorite teaching review said ‘I don’t get why she is the assistant to the professor, who I’ve never seen, when she is doing all the work herself.’ This happened my second year as an assistant professor.
December 3, 2024 at 9:26 PM
My all time favourite was "I hated this class. The professor expected us to think about new ideas almost every lecture". I used it to get a teaching award.
Too many of the bird pictures on here look cute.
December 2, 2024 at 3:51 PM
Too many of the bird pictures on here look cute.