Helen Czerski / is on Nostr

Physics, bubbles, oceans, hot chocolate and curiosity. Associate Professor at UCL, writer, broadcaster. Author of Storm in a Teacup and Blue Machine: https://linktr.ee/helenczerski #fedi22 #physics #ocean #climate #bikes

Website: www.helenczerski.net
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/helen_czerski/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/helen-czerski-045b956/recent-activity/
BlueSky: helenczerski.bsky.social

Last Notes

2024-10-11 10:39:40

And here we are for the first day of Everything Electric SOUTH in Farnborough. Loads of people, loads of new clean electric tech - domestic heating, solar panels, zero-carbon kitchen, EVs, e-bikes, skateboards, scooters & discussions rich in ideas. Come along and join us!
https://uk.everythingelectric.show/south
https://fediscience.org/system/media_attachments/files/113/288/359/450/415/390/original/31b01e75ffd89aa7.jpeg

2024-09-16 09:31:00

It was a huge privilege this morning to give the opening keynote lecture at the International Congress of Maritime Museums. I showed NASA's 1972 picture The Blue Marble, and afterwards someone came up to me and gave me an actual blue marble. No idea how they knew it would come up, but very lovely.
https://fediscience.org/system/media_attachments/files/113/146/531/665/679/673/original/e64a82c5069b9eb3.png

2024-09-13 08:40:33

It blows my mind that in many designated marine protected areas (MPAs), bottom trawling is still allowed, along with many other destructive activities. Surely, the default state for a "marine protected area" should be no commercial fishing. Otherwise, what's the point?
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/sep/13/more-than-80-of-eu-marine-protected-areas-are-ineffective-study-shows?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

2024-09-04 07:59:38

- reply

This impossible triangle (only impossible when viewed from a very specific location) might have been my favourite.
https://fediscience.org/system/media_attachments/files/113/078/224/278/839/037/original/6befac2b398b13b8.jpeg

2024-09-04 07:59:13

I'm in Mantua in Italy to speak at their literary festival, and I discovered this morning that they've got a fabulous set of optical and audio illusions scattered around the city park.
#science #books #Italy
https://fediscience.org/system/media_attachments/files/113/078/221/277/794/694/original/bf72ba5578247310.mp4

2024-09-03 13:00:04

Playground is only out in the UK in 3 weeks time, but I got a US copy & it's brilliant. It's a novel, focussed on the ocean, and very compelling reading. And I LOVE the US cover - it's shimmery!
Also very nice that he acknowledges my book Blue Machine as useful background reading :)
https://fediscience.org/system/media_attachments/files/113/073/743/701/895/601/original/f9b4f72293c29e6c.jpeg

2024-09-02 20:46:41

Just finished Everything is Predictable by Tom Chivers, and it's great. If you've heard of Bayes theorem or p-hacking but couldn't really say why they matter, this is the book for you. Also I just noticed it's shortlisted for the Royal Society book prize - very well deserved
https://fediscience.org/system/media_attachments/files/113/069/916/184/257/700/original/f8bd0bad8a37da99.jpeg

2024-08-30 18:29:28

I get excited whenever the carbon intensity of the UK electricity grid is below ~100g of CO2 per kilowatt hour of electricity.
The 2023 average was 162g gCO2/kWh
But just look at this figure - in 2009 it was regularly ~600. We ARE making big changes. Hooray!
Source: https://tinyurl.com/48dwzz33
https://fediscience.org/system/media_attachments/files/113/052/389/536/519/109/original/869208ee670798b9.png

2024-08-21 09:00:00

I generally dislike labels. But I am happy to call myself a #HumanistBecause humans are wonderful, fun & creative, & we do best when we consciously take responsibility for ourselves, those around us & our planet. Compassion, empathy & flexibility are our most powerful tools.
https://humanists.uk

2024-08-21 08:00:36

Eggs used to have a round end and a pointy end. I have been noticing, over the past few months, that increasingly I have to really look hard to see which is which. Is someone doing something weird to chickens that increases the symmetry?
https://fediscience.org/system/media_attachments/files/112/998/956/127/205/911/original/4351f9fb68085bf0.jpeg

2024-08-17 09:18:03

Just finished The Good Virus by Tom Ireland. I had never thought about phages (viruses that infect bacteria) much before, but he makes a convincing case that they are a critical part of how all life on Earth works, in a very readable way. Highly recommended!
"For all the world's a phage..."
https://fediscience.org/system/media_attachments/files/112/976/611/320/589/111/original/fa114f34b8cb1eec.jpg

2024-08-12 16:15:06

Nice piece here from Smith Mordak on what we can learn about climate solutions from the Paris Olympics, and about the problem not being the unavailability of technology (we already have so much), but the cultural and social barriers that stop us using it:
"Technology will save us" they cry, and yet when the technology lies in plain sight, it's questioned and derided. Meanwhile, everyone wants the latest smartphone, why?"
https://www.dezeen.com/2024/08/08/paris-olympics-air-conditioning-smith-mordak-opinion-olympic-impact/

2024-08-09 08:48:33

Today on Rare Earth (noon on BBC R4 + podcast after): seabirds - how are they doing and how can we help them do better? Also, top advice on how to stop gulls nicking your chips.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0020ph9
For live seabird footage while you listen, here's a Kittiwake Cam:
https://www.durhamwt.com/kittiwake-cam
https://fediscience.org/system/media_attachments/files/112/931/196/935/085/441/original/bee21d00be277985.png

2024-06-13 15:55:27

This is very important and needs to be understood by everyone:
"Nonconsensual condom removal is classified as rape under English and Welsh law."
Rape. Not something to laugh off, or to ask forgiveness for with a cutsy smile. Rape. It matters.
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/article/2024/jun/13/london-man-jailed-stealthing-removing-condom-without-consent

2024-03-28 17:08:42

One very noticeable (and welcome) shift at Everything Electric London (previously Fully Charged LIVE) is the sudden increase in the number of small EVs. In the future, where we really need cars, they should be as small as possible. More of this! #EverythingElectric #cars
If you’re in or near London, you can still come along to see it all tomorrow or Saturday.
https://uk.everythingelectric.show/london/ev-test-drive
https://fediscience.org/system/media_attachments/files/112/174/404/930/349/076/original/eeadc92d768b4997.png