Peter Onyisi
@peteronyisi.bsky.social
Professor of Physics at UTAustin. Member of the ATLAS Experiment at the Large Hadron Collider. Particle wrangler, opinionated software user, fan of Texas State Parks, Austin FC, and Newcastle United; sometimes I pick up heavy things.
Oh no
BREAKING: A fire at a bar in the Swiss Alps has left people dead and injured during New Year’s celebrations. The blaze occurred in the Alpine ski resort municipality of Crans-Montana, Switzerland.
Fire at a bar in the Swiss Alps left people dead and injured during New Year's celebrations
A fire at a bar in the Swiss Alps has left people dead and injured during New Year’s celebrations. Local media reported that police had confirmed fatalities and injuries but an exact figure was not immediately available.
bit.ly
January 1, 2026 at 5:42 PM
Oh no
Google AI, delusional Burnley fan
December 31, 2025 at 9:03 PM
Google AI, delusional Burnley fan
Visiting the seat of the Commonwealth
December 30, 2025 at 11:12 PM
Visiting the seat of the Commonwealth
Finally, someone has cracked the problem of teaching Critical Thinking
December 28, 2025 at 2:23 AM
Finally, someone has cracked the problem of teaching Critical Thinking
Relativistically-Covariant Cache Coherence Protocols send tweet
December 27, 2025 at 5:02 AM
Relativistically-Covariant Cache Coherence Protocols send tweet
Thought I would share a compilation of the Nigerian Television Authority's absolute refusal to change its logo for the past 47 years
youtu.be/6KprYLacjPE?...
youtu.be/6KprYLacjPE?...
Nigeria Television Authority Logo/ID History (1959-present)
YouTube video by TheIridiumic138
youtu.be
December 27, 2025 at 3:14 AM
Thought I would share a compilation of the Nigerian Television Authority's absolute refusal to change its logo for the past 47 years
youtu.be/6KprYLacjPE?...
youtu.be/6KprYLacjPE?...
The view from Nigeria
December 26, 2025 at 8:17 PM
The view from Nigeria
Not knowing how to spell the name of the place you're bombing really inspires confidence
December 26, 2025 at 1:40 AM
Not knowing how to spell the name of the place you're bombing really inspires confidence
See also public universities
An enraging trend right now, from CBS to the CDC, of people actively undermining institutions, then taking the reins of those institutions and claiming they need to rebuild the trust they helped destroy. (Also, people already trusted 60 Minutes.) bsky.app/profile/just...
Bari Weiss just sent this Christmas Eve email to the CBS News staff about "building trust," which includes her tripling down on spiking the CECOT piece "to make sure it's comprehensive and fair."
One CBS staffer tells me: "She really has no idea how insulting she comes across."
One CBS staffer tells me: "She really has no idea how insulting she comes across."
December 24, 2025 at 8:24 PM
See also public universities
Rust advice
December 20, 2025 at 4:20 AM
Rust advice
It was once suggested that we resolve the UK-English-vs-US-English back-and-forth at ATLAS by standardizing on Canadian English
“Promoters of Canadian English say the federal government is sending the wrong message to the world with its recent use of British spelling in official documents.”
Linguistic experts urge Carney government to stop using British spellings | CBC News
Promoters of Canadian English say the federal government is sending the wrong message to the world with its recent use of British spelling in official documents, including the 2025 federal budget.
www.cbc.ca
December 18, 2025 at 1:32 PM
It was once suggested that we resolve the UK-English-vs-US-English back-and-forth at ATLAS by standardizing on Canadian English
Every day, Vought finds a new Bamiyan to blow up
An absolute bedrock institution for understanding how the planet works, just civilization-scaled vandalism by the most incurious morons on Earth
December 17, 2025 at 4:42 AM
Every day, Vought finds a new Bamiyan to blow up
Trump has decided that my dad should not be able to get a tourist visa to visit me
Here is a map of the affected countries (excluding Tonga), to give you a sense of how much this new ban restricts immigration from Africa in particular.
Of the newly-added country, Nigeria faces the largest impact, with tens of thousands of visas issued every year to Nigerians.
Of the newly-added country, Nigeria faces the largest impact, with tens of thousands of visas issued every year to Nigerians.
December 16, 2025 at 10:09 PM
Trump has decided that my dad should not be able to get a tourist visa to visit me
U-spin
a man with a beard says " now that 's a name i 've not heard in a long time .
Alt: That's a name I've not heard in a long time
media.tenor.com
December 16, 2025 at 3:14 PM
U-spin
Some day I will introduce ATLAS as a hermeneutic detector and see what happens
December 15, 2025 at 11:46 PM
Some day I will introduce ATLAS as a hermeneutic detector and see what happens
Mike got to it first, but congrats to Marc!
One of the great privileges of my job is sitting on PhD thesis committees and watching folks present the culmination of years of effort at the cutting edge of their field, resulting in them being awarded their PhD. (Also, I often get cookies, which is a nice side benefit.) Congrats to Dr. Marc Tost!
December 11, 2025 at 3:44 AM
Mike got to it first, but congrats to Marc!
Yesterday at 8:30 pm we had high-volume loudspeaker-amplified activity on the @utaustin.bsky.social campus, next to a dorm, on the first night going into the reading period. I guess the time, place, and manner rules are flexible.
December 9, 2025 at 3:28 PM
Yesterday at 8:30 pm we had high-volume loudspeaker-amplified activity on the @utaustin.bsky.social campus, next to a dorm, on the first night going into the reading period. I guess the time, place, and manner rules are flexible.
Reposted by Peter Onyisi
I know this is the least nerdy of the social media networks but I can't deny you this gem.
December 7, 2025 at 11:37 AM
I know this is the least nerdy of the social media networks but I can't deny you this gem.
Reposted by Peter Onyisi
Curtailment of faculty authority in governing higher education institutions today will not only undermine professional freedoms--it will spoil the fruits of those freedoms: an independent, intellectually rigorous, and incorruptible education for future generations
-- Afshan Jafar (Conn AAUP)
-- Afshan Jafar (Conn AAUP)
In Defense of an Independent and Representative Faculty Voice: The Case of Faculty Senates
BY AFSHAN JAFAR We have recently seen accelerating legislative and political attacks on faculty governing bodies at state institutions, including legislation recently enacted in Indiana, Ohio, Utah…
academeblog.org
November 30, 2025 at 12:36 AM
Curtailment of faculty authority in governing higher education institutions today will not only undermine professional freedoms--it will spoil the fruits of those freedoms: an independent, intellectually rigorous, and incorruptible education for future generations
-- Afshan Jafar (Conn AAUP)
-- Afshan Jafar (Conn AAUP)
Well, yes, but the men *deserved* to be admitted you see
Brown University accepted nearly equal numbers of male and female students, but got almost twice as many female applicants. That math meant it was easier for men to get in.
Trump's DEI ban may end gender balancing efforts that often benefit men.
Trump's DEI ban may end gender balancing efforts that often benefit men.
Trump’s attack on DEI may hurt college men, particularly White men
The Trump administration’s ban on diversity, equity and inclusion also targets gender. The ban may impact gender balancing practices that often benefit college men.
www.washingtonpost.com
December 4, 2025 at 11:35 PM
Well, yes, but the men *deserved* to be admitted you see
The sort of thing that you might imagine could prompt some real discussions at the School of Civic Leadership!
Trump: "It’s a hellhole right now. And those Somalians should be out of here. They've destroyed our country. And all they do is complain, complain, complain. You have her. She’s always talking about the Constitution provides me with – go back to your own country and figure out your constitution."
December 3, 2025 at 11:04 PM
The sort of thing that you might imagine could prompt some real discussions at the School of Civic Leadership!
As a random aside on the topic of grading rubrics, I recall one example we were given in a professional development session of a response to an astronomy question
December 1, 2025 at 11:51 PM
As a random aside on the topic of grading rubrics, I recall one example we were given in a professional development session of a response to an astronomy question
One major issue with this "Statement on Academic Integrity" is it fails to emphasize that students, too, bear responsibility for creating a respectful and productive educational environment
It is a, let's say, interesting fact that "academic integrity" is discussed here primarily not as a question of, say, honesty or disclosure of conflicts but as one of "respect for differences" and "balanced treatment of disputed issues"
Texas Statement on Academic Integrity | University of Texas at Austin
www.utexas.edu
December 1, 2025 at 12:24 PM
One major issue with this "Statement on Academic Integrity" is it fails to emphasize that students, too, bear responsibility for creating a respectful and productive educational environment