David Abergel
@davidabergel.bsky.social
Chief Editor of Nature Physics. Former runner 🏃. Wannabe crossfitter 🏋️. Mediocre photographer 📷. Opinions my own. Debate welcomed.
Every month I have to go to our production database, copy a bunch of information about which papers in our next issue are associated with which News and Views etc into a Word document, and then send that document to the production team.
And every month the inefficiency drives me completely mad. 😡
And every month the inefficiency drives me completely mad. 😡
February 12, 2026 at 10:55 AM
Every month I have to go to our production database, copy a bunch of information about which papers in our next issue are associated with which News and Views etc into a Word document, and then send that document to the production team.
And every month the inefficiency drives me completely mad. 😡
And every month the inefficiency drives me completely mad. 😡
That feeling when your code mostly works but there's that one pathological edge case where it does something weird and you don't know why... 😡
February 9, 2026 at 7:57 PM
That feeling when your code mostly works but there's that one pathological edge case where it does something weird and you don't know why... 😡
Off to watch the #superbowl. #AnyoneButNewEngland
February 8, 2026 at 4:26 PM
Off to watch the #superbowl. #AnyoneButNewEngland
Reposted by David Abergel
No joke: I got angry hate mail today for writing an obituary of a Black woman scientist—because the person felt she did didn’t deserve the recognition.
Which just makes me want to share it again: www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Which just makes me want to share it again: www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Gladys Mae West obituary: mathematician who pioneered GPS technology
She made key contributions to US cold-war science despite facing huge barriers as a Black woman.
www.nature.com
February 6, 2026 at 9:09 AM
No joke: I got angry hate mail today for writing an obituary of a Black woman scientist—because the person felt she did didn’t deserve the recognition.
Which just makes me want to share it again: www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Which just makes me want to share it again: www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Big shots emailing to say that "you have made the right choice, in my view" is always so affirming. 🙄
February 4, 2026 at 5:31 PM
Big shots emailing to say that "you have made the right choice, in my view" is always so affirming. 🙄
Reposted by David Abergel
At any rate, your usual reminder: when the science media, being less careful than Natalie, asks "Is physics in crisis?", they mean high-energy physics, done by a small proportion of physicists.
January 29, 2026 at 5:14 PM
At any rate, your usual reminder: when the science media, being less careful than Natalie, asks "Is physics in crisis?", they mean high-energy physics, done by a small proportion of physicists.
I have to say that I disagree with the first point in this editorial from @cp-matter.bsky.social, that you should never appeal a desk rejection. I can think of several excellent papers that I have published after initially desk rejecting them. www.cell.com/matter/fullt...
January 20, 2026 at 12:11 PM
I have to say that I disagree with the first point in this editorial from @cp-matter.bsky.social, that you should never appeal a desk rejection. I can think of several excellent papers that I have published after initially desk rejecting them. www.cell.com/matter/fullt...
I wrote a research highlight on a paper in @physreve.bsky.social that uses statistical physics to analyse football matches. ⚛️
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Preferential play - Nature Physics
Nature Physics - Preferential play
www.nature.com
January 16, 2026 at 9:54 AM
I wrote a research highlight on a paper in @physreve.bsky.social that uses statistical physics to analyse football matches. ⚛️
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
When I'm assessing a manuscript, I quite often put the title into a google search as this can be a good way of finding related literature. I did this yesterday and, for largely procrastinatory reasons, took a look at the AI summary thingy that comes at the top of the results page.
It was shocking.
It was shocking.
January 15, 2026 at 11:50 AM
When I'm assessing a manuscript, I quite often put the title into a google search as this can be a good way of finding related literature. I did this yesterday and, for largely procrastinatory reasons, took a look at the AI summary thingy that comes at the top of the results page.
It was shocking.
It was shocking.
Reposted by David Abergel
A Review in Nature Reviews Psychology discusses individual, interpersonal and sociocultural influences on maths anxiety in children and their impacts on long-term engagement and achievement in mathematics. go.nature.com/3Z9kSbY 🔒
January 14, 2026 at 2:33 PM
A Review in Nature Reviews Psychology discusses individual, interpersonal and sociocultural influences on maths anxiety in children and their impacts on long-term engagement and achievement in mathematics. go.nature.com/3Z9kSbY 🔒
I gather we will learn what the new #NASCAR season format will be tomorrow. Exciting. If I was in charge, here's what I'd do:
I get the need for some kind of playoff because America, so I would go back to a ten-race chase-style runoff, but eliminate the bottom half of the field after five races.
I get the need for some kind of playoff because America, so I would go back to a ten-race chase-style runoff, but eliminate the bottom half of the field after five races.
January 11, 2026 at 4:03 PM
I gather we will learn what the new #NASCAR season format will be tomorrow. Exciting. If I was in charge, here's what I'd do:
I get the need for some kind of playoff because America, so I would go back to a ten-race chase-style runoff, but eliminate the bottom half of the field after five races.
I get the need for some kind of playoff because America, so I would go back to a ten-race chase-style runoff, but eliminate the bottom half of the field after five races.
Building a utility-scale fusion plant starting next year seems ambitious... www.bbc.com/news/article...
Trump Media to merge with fusion energy firm in $6bn deal
The company behind President Trump's Truth Social platform makes a surprising move into the energy sector.
www.bbc.com
December 19, 2025 at 12:17 PM
Building a utility-scale fusion plant starting next year seems ambitious... www.bbc.com/news/article...
Reposted by David Abergel
About that exclusive, "closed-to-press" MAHA summit last week with RFK and JD Vance: I got in.
Here's what I saw. 🧵 🧪
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Here's what I saw. 🧵 🧪
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
November 21, 2025 at 5:01 PM
About that exclusive, "closed-to-press" MAHA summit last week with RFK and JD Vance: I got in.
Here's what I saw. 🧵 🧪
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Here's what I saw. 🧵 🧪
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
<<Insert comment about contemporary political discourse here>>
The ability to change your mind in response to better evidence is a hallmark of human cognition. Experiments now show that chimps are capable of rational thought too
go.nature.com/3JVLhGk
go.nature.com/3JVLhGk
Be rational: chimp decision-making is guided by the strongest evidence
The ability to change your mind in response to better evidence is a hallmark of human cognition. Experiments now show that chimps are capable of rational thought too.
go.nature.com
November 11, 2025 at 2:11 PM
<<Insert comment about contemporary political discourse here>>
I'm not sure I would describe this Review as "pedagogical", exactly, but if you're interested in finding out about one of the most lively topics in condensed-matter physics then this is a great place to start.
Today we publish a Review on the fractional quantum anomalous Hall effect and fractional Chern insulators.
It discusses the underlying theoretical ideas, then moves on to describe recent experiments where these exotic states were observed in moiré materials. ⚛️
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
It discusses the underlying theoretical ideas, then moves on to describe recent experiments where these exotic states were observed in moiré materials. ⚛️
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Fractional quantization in insulators from Hall to Chern - Nature Physics
This Review describes the concepts behind generalized quantum Hall effects that can take place without a magnetic field, and summarizes recent experimental manifestations of these phenomena in twisted...
www.nature.com
November 7, 2025 at 11:55 AM
I'm not sure I would describe this Review as "pedagogical", exactly, but if you're interested in finding out about one of the most lively topics in condensed-matter physics then this is a great place to start.
Reposted by David Abergel
Happy to share that our book on computing in physics education has just dropped, @ioppublishing.bsky.social
You can get all the chapters written by some of incredible colleagues who are improving physics education through computing right now.
iopscience.iop.org/book/edit/97...
#iteachphysics
You can get all the chapters written by some of incredible colleagues who are improving physics education through computing right now.
iopscience.iop.org/book/edit/97...
#iteachphysics
Integrating Computing into the Undergraduate Physics Curriculum - Book - IOPscience
iopscience.iop.org
October 24, 2025 at 1:37 PM
Happy to share that our book on computing in physics education has just dropped, @ioppublishing.bsky.social
You can get all the chapters written by some of incredible colleagues who are improving physics education through computing right now.
iopscience.iop.org/book/edit/97...
#iteachphysics
You can get all the chapters written by some of incredible colleagues who are improving physics education through computing right now.
iopscience.iop.org/book/edit/97...
#iteachphysics
There are certain ways in which Scientific Reports is the best journal in the world.
Dogs may watch TV differently depending on their personality, suggests a study in Scientific Reports. Excitable dogs follow on-screen movement, while anxious ones react more to sounds like doorbells or car horns: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
#AnimalBehaviour #VetMedSky @natureportfolio.nature.com
#AnimalBehaviour #VetMedSky @natureportfolio.nature.com
October 20, 2025 at 4:29 PM
There are certain ways in which Scientific Reports is the best journal in the world.
Our team is discussing our November editorial, which will be on this year's Nobel Prize.
I have to say that it's a monthly moment of immense relief when we get to the stage of having a workable draft. Phew.
#EditorLife #Physics
I have to say that it's a monthly moment of immense relief when we get to the stage of having a workable draft. Phew.
#EditorLife #Physics
October 20, 2025 at 4:27 PM
Our team is discussing our November editorial, which will be on this year's Nobel Prize.
I have to say that it's a monthly moment of immense relief when we get to the stage of having a workable draft. Phew.
#EditorLife #Physics
I have to say that it's a monthly moment of immense relief when we get to the stage of having a workable draft. Phew.
#EditorLife #Physics
My working hypothesis is that the little red dots were put there by the little green men.
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Mysterious cosmic ‘dots’ are baffling astronomers. What are they?
A consensus is emerging that the dots, sometimes called rubies, are an entirely new type of object in the Universe.
www.nature.com
October 16, 2025 at 4:17 PM
My working hypothesis is that the little red dots were put there by the little green men.
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
I often reflect on the ambiguity of how responding to a message with the word
lol
also looks like you think they've just scored a touchdown (or hit a six).
lol
also looks like you think they've just scored a touchdown (or hit a six).
October 16, 2025 at 2:23 PM
I often reflect on the ambiguity of how responding to a message with the word
lol
also looks like you think they've just scored a touchdown (or hit a six).
lol
also looks like you think they've just scored a touchdown (or hit a six).
My depressingly nerdy opinion of the day is that it's still an absolute travesty that file explorer does not do bulk file renaming.
October 15, 2025 at 12:41 PM
My depressingly nerdy opinion of the day is that it's still an absolute travesty that file explorer does not do bulk file renaming.
Went to the zoo recently. Bought a membership for the year. Please expect more animal photos in this feed.
October 14, 2025 at 8:45 PM
Went to the zoo recently. Bought a membership for the year. Please expect more animal photos in this feed.
We don't usually sign our editorials at @natphys.nature.com, but this month we've made an exception because it's a bit personal.
The journal's three chief editors take a moment to reflect on its history and look forward to the future.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
The journal's three chief editors take a moment to reflect on its history and look forward to the future.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
October 14, 2025 at 11:58 AM
We don't usually sign our editorials at @natphys.nature.com, but this month we've made an exception because it's a bit personal.
The journal's three chief editors take a moment to reflect on its history and look forward to the future.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
The journal's three chief editors take a moment to reflect on its history and look forward to the future.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...