Jonathan Pritchard
@pritchardjr.bsky.social
Bewildered vagabond and student of the stars. Professor of uncertain opinions. Radio cosmologist at MPIfR.
(Opinions mine, not employers)
(Opinions mine, not employers)
Slightly soul destroying to hear about GenAI generated referee reports. The authors pour blood and sweat into writing a scientific article; the referee writes a prompt and calls it a day.
December 15, 2025 at 4:46 PM
Slightly soul destroying to hear about GenAI generated referee reports. The authors pour blood and sweat into writing a scientific article; the referee writes a prompt and calls it a day.
I’m thankful that I have never had to worry about even the possibility of a shooting attack in my lecture theatre. My heart goes out to colleagues at Brown.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
Two people dead and nine wounded in mass shooting at Brown University, as suspect remains at large
Mayor of Providence, Rhode Island, says ‘shooter’ still at large, as officials embark on widespread manhunt
www.theguardian.com
December 14, 2025 at 11:54 AM
I’m thankful that I have never had to worry about even the possibility of a shooting attack in my lecture theatre. My heart goes out to colleagues at Brown.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
I like fireworks, but I’m astonished they seem to happen every weekend in Bonn.
December 13, 2025 at 8:17 PM
I like fireworks, but I’m astonished they seem to happen every weekend in Bonn.
An 8hr travel day is the worst time for my Kindle to stop working…
December 12, 2025 at 2:51 PM
An 8hr travel day is the worst time for my Kindle to stop working…
This sounds concerning for the future SciX and the current ADS. Slashing funding at the point of a huge transition could be quite damaging. Interesting to see the slides on it all.
ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/about/adsug/...
ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/about/adsug/...
December 9, 2025 at 4:21 PM
This sounds concerning for the future SciX and the current ADS. Slashing funding at the point of a huge transition could be quite damaging. Interesting to see the slides on it all.
ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/about/adsug/...
ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/about/adsug/...
Just another day of stumbling over the debris created by Brexit that is yet to be cleaned up.
December 9, 2025 at 10:01 AM
Just another day of stumbling over the debris created by Brexit that is yet to be cleaned up.
Reposted by Jonathan Pritchard
Speaker Naman Jain has just told us that the CHIME radio telescope is detecting about 2 new fast radio bursts A DAY. No wonder it has the largest uniform sample of FRBs around. #SALFXI
Image: CHIME collaboration + MIT News
Image: CHIME collaboration + MIT News
December 8, 2025 at 10:22 AM
Speaker Naman Jain has just told us that the CHIME radio telescope is detecting about 2 new fast radio bursts A DAY. No wonder it has the largest uniform sample of FRBs around. #SALFXI
Image: CHIME collaboration + MIT News
Image: CHIME collaboration + MIT News
Visiting Orleans for SALF conference and looking forward to lots of low frequency radio science and a trip to the Nancay Observatory.
December 8, 2025 at 8:06 AM
Visiting Orleans for SALF conference and looking forward to lots of low frequency radio science and a trip to the Nancay Observatory.
Reposted by Jonathan Pritchard
2026 LAD Laboratory Astrophysics Prize
Daniel W. Savin will receive Laboratory Astrophysics Division's highest honor in recognition of contributions to studies in X-ray astrophysics & early universe star formation & extensive service to the laboratory astrophysics community. aas.org/posts/news/2...
Daniel W. Savin will receive Laboratory Astrophysics Division's highest honor in recognition of contributions to studies in X-ray astrophysics & early universe star formation & extensive service to the laboratory astrophysics community. aas.org/posts/news/2...
December 4, 2025 at 2:50 PM
2026 LAD Laboratory Astrophysics Prize
Daniel W. Savin will receive Laboratory Astrophysics Division's highest honor in recognition of contributions to studies in X-ray astrophysics & early universe star formation & extensive service to the laboratory astrophysics community. aas.org/posts/news/2...
Daniel W. Savin will receive Laboratory Astrophysics Division's highest honor in recognition of contributions to studies in X-ray astrophysics & early universe star formation & extensive service to the laboratory astrophysics community. aas.org/posts/news/2...
Reposted by Jonathan Pritchard
From Stoppard’s Arcadia:
November 29, 2025 at 8:30 PM
From Stoppard’s Arcadia:
Absolutely loved Ken Liu’s Dandelion Dynasty series of books. Super engaging and creative “Silkpunk”. I’m astonished I’d never heard anyone talking about it.
November 24, 2025 at 11:04 AM
Absolutely loved Ken Liu’s Dandelion Dynasty series of books. Super engaging and creative “Silkpunk”. I’m astonished I’d never heard anyone talking about it.
Dementia is a terrible thing. So often the personality is present, but completely detached from the world.
November 22, 2025 at 3:42 PM
Dementia is a terrible thing. So often the personality is present, but completely detached from the world.
It’s appalling that the Trump administration is trying to push a near surrender on Ukraine, all to give Putin time to rearm for a second attempt at total conquest.
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...
Zelenskyy says Ukraine has impossible choice as Trump pushes plan to end war
US president demands that Kyiv accepts plan that would mean giving up territory to Russia
www.theguardian.com
November 21, 2025 at 8:23 PM
It’s appalling that the Trump administration is trying to push a near surrender on Ukraine, all to give Putin time to rearm for a second attempt at total conquest.
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...
My favourite London haunt.
November 20, 2025 at 7:24 PM
My favourite London haunt.
Good to see @defjaf.bsky.social new book - the Random Universe - out in the wild. Heffers in Cambridge.
November 19, 2025 at 6:15 PM
Good to see @defjaf.bsky.social new book - the Random Universe - out in the wild. Heffers in Cambridge.
Reposted by Jonathan Pritchard
⏳ Two weeks to go!
Interested in a PhD in Astrophysics at Imperial?
Join our Astrophysics PhD Open Day — 3 Dec 2025, in person or online! ✨
👩🏫 Meet supervisors
🔭 Explore projects
❓ Ask your questions
Info & registration: imperial.ac.uk/astrophysics...
#PhD #Astrophysics
Interested in a PhD in Astrophysics at Imperial?
Join our Astrophysics PhD Open Day — 3 Dec 2025, in person or online! ✨
👩🏫 Meet supervisors
🔭 Explore projects
❓ Ask your questions
Info & registration: imperial.ac.uk/astrophysics...
#PhD #Astrophysics
Students and prospective students | Research groups | Imperial College London
imperial.ac.uk
November 18, 2025 at 8:15 PM
⏳ Two weeks to go!
Interested in a PhD in Astrophysics at Imperial?
Join our Astrophysics PhD Open Day — 3 Dec 2025, in person or online! ✨
👩🏫 Meet supervisors
🔭 Explore projects
❓ Ask your questions
Info & registration: imperial.ac.uk/astrophysics...
#PhD #Astrophysics
Interested in a PhD in Astrophysics at Imperial?
Join our Astrophysics PhD Open Day — 3 Dec 2025, in person or online! ✨
👩🏫 Meet supervisors
🔭 Explore projects
❓ Ask your questions
Info & registration: imperial.ac.uk/astrophysics...
#PhD #Astrophysics
Just once I’d love to attend an #SKAO meeting/telecon where the telescope was going to be bigger, faster, better than previously advertised. Just once.
November 18, 2025 at 7:24 PM
Just once I’d love to attend an #SKAO meeting/telecon where the telescope was going to be bigger, faster, better than previously advertised. Just once.
Old Peculiar in the old Pickerel. One of my few timeless Cambridge traditions.
November 17, 2025 at 6:24 PM
Old Peculiar in the old Pickerel. One of my few timeless Cambridge traditions.
Congratulations to the newly minted Dr Simon Pochinda! Fine work on multi-observation inference of cosmic dawn and super-resolution for 21cm simulations. Fun to discuss in his viva today.
November 17, 2025 at 6:23 PM
Congratulations to the newly minted Dr Simon Pochinda! Fine work on multi-observation inference of cosmic dawn and super-resolution for 21cm simulations. Fun to discuss in his viva today.
Labour seem to have completely lost the plot. They’re getting bogged down in political nonsense and failing to push forward the practical policies that are actually needed.
November 17, 2025 at 10:15 AM
Labour seem to have completely lost the plot. They’re getting bogged down in political nonsense and failing to push forward the practical policies that are actually needed.
Passing through KingsX to Cambridge once more.
November 16, 2025 at 4:34 PM
Passing through KingsX to Cambridge once more.
Sunset from my office takes some beating.
November 12, 2025 at 4:12 PM
Sunset from my office takes some beating.
Reposted by Jonathan Pritchard
The Random Universe isn’t out until tomorrow (November 11), but the Kindle edition is on sale in both the US and in the UK. (And if you look very carefully, you’ll see that it has broken into the top 100 UK cosmology bestsellers…)
November 10, 2025 at 12:55 PM
The Random Universe isn’t out until tomorrow (November 11), but the Kindle edition is on sale in both the US and in the UK. (And if you look very carefully, you’ll see that it has broken into the top 100 UK cosmology bestsellers…)