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richardalexander.bsky.social
Astrophysicist at the University of Leicester | Dad | Cyclist | Exiled Scot https://rdalexander.github.io
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As an old dog in need of new tricks, I've finally bitten the bullet and installed Python. Installation smooth; actual coding fine so far. But also some real "WTAF?" discoveries, which I plan to list here. First up - slicing lists. The start value is inclusive, but the end value is exclusive. 🤦🏻‍♂️

submitted 10 days ago • 1 comment

International or UK researcher looking for a #fellowship in #astrophysics, #planetaryscience, and/or space instrumentation? Leicester @physicsuol.bsky.social is inviting expressions of interest for this year's STFC 5-year Ernest Rutherford Fellowships (deadline June 26th): le.ac.uk/physics/rese...

submitted 25 days ago • 0 comments

Twelve ALMA/AGE-PRO papers just out! Exploring how gas and dust evolve in disks 🌟🌀 — Congrats to all authors! 🎉 NRAO press release: public.nrao.edu/news/alma-pl...

submitted 14 days ago • 0 comments

🔭🧪 Congratulations to Prof Nial Tanvir who has been elected a Fellow of the Royal Society for his work studying gamma-ray bursts, the most violent explosions we've ever seen. le.ac.uk/news/2025/ma...

submitted 38 days ago • 1 comment

Today we're celebrating 100 years of Physics and Chemistry at Leicester. Ten Physics undergraduates started at Leicester in 1925, today it's more like 650 students. Ken Pounds sharing a history of space science and astronomy @physicsuol.bsky.social from the 1960s onwards.

submitted 41 days ago • 1 comment

Astronomers' chat here recently: i) authors complaining that their referee report is late. ii) referees complaining about how many review requests they get. iii) editors complaining that it's hard to find referees. No idea what the solution is, but it feels like the system is close to breaking... 🔭

submitted 46 days ago • 15 comments

We are hosting the 2025 UK & Ireland Discs meeting at the University of Hertfordshire (8-10 September). Topics include discs of all sorts, but especially protoplanetary discs and white dwarf debris discs. Abstract submission deadline is 15 May: ukidiscs.github.io/discs2025/ 🔭🧪⚛️☄️

submitted 51 days ago • 0 comments

Happy #exoALMA day! www.exoalma.com

submitted 60 days ago • 2 comments

I wrote a research note about the recent publication of the MIRI/LRS spectrum of K2-18b. The authors had claimed the detection of potential signs of life. I find the data to be consistent with a flat line 🔭🧪

submitted 65 days ago • 5 comments

Ignas Snellen from Leiden University not pulling any punches in the Volkskrant: "I don't know whether to laugh or cry. This goes way beyond what I consider responsible science communication." (my translation)

submitted 71 days ago • 2 comments