Prof Anna Watts
@profannawatts.bsky.social
Professor of Astrophysics @ Univ. of Amsterdam. Neutron stars, pulsars, dense matter, X-ray astronomy. Mom, Migrant. "Particles in stars blah blah". Does science with NICER on the International Space Station and schemes for EVEN BIGGER SPACE TELESCOPES.
Feeling judged by Strands
January 10, 2026 at 9:56 AM
Feeling judged by Strands
Reposted by Prof Anna Watts
Good example of the Dutch version of the American “only the Democrats have agency” thinking problem. A community gazette article on someone who does something nice for immigrants will make far-right voters angry, this sort of polarization is the left’s fault
January 10, 2026 at 9:14 AM
Good example of the Dutch version of the American “only the Democrats have agency” thinking problem. A community gazette article on someone who does something nice for immigrants will make far-right voters angry, this sort of polarization is the left’s fault
Ik kan (uiteindelijk) wel begrijpen hoe röntgenstralen zich verdraaien in de vervormde ruimtetijd van een neutronenster. En hoe de deeltjes in de kern van de ster samengeperst worden. Maar dit👇is te ingewikkeld.
Dus GL-PvdA is volgens de VVD te radicaal om volwaardig mee te regeren, maar wél goed genoeg om het kabinet vanuit de oppositie te steunen?
Make it make sense.
Make it make sense.
January 9, 2026 at 8:10 PM
Ik kan (uiteindelijk) wel begrijpen hoe röntgenstralen zich verdraaien in de vervormde ruimtetijd van een neutronenster. En hoe de deeltjes in de kern van de ster samengeperst worden. Maar dit👇is te ingewikkeld.
Minority government formed in the Netherlands.
I guess at least it will be interesting. Wonder if the VVD will actually let them put forward any reasonable policies though?
I guess at least it will be interesting. Wonder if the VVD will actually let them put forward any reasonable policies though?
D66, VVD en CDA kiezen voor minderheidskabinet, uitzonderlijk in Nederland
D66, VVD en CDA kiezen voor minderheidskabinet, uitzonderlijk in Nederland
De drie onderhandelende partijen hebben definitief besloten om geen andere partij te benaderen om te regeren. Een minderheidskabinet komt zelden voor.
nos.nl
January 9, 2026 at 7:10 PM
Minority government formed in the Netherlands.
I guess at least it will be interesting. Wonder if the VVD will actually let them put forward any reasonable policies though?
I guess at least it will be interesting. Wonder if the VVD will actually let them put forward any reasonable policies though?
Reposted by Prof Anna Watts
very disappointing.
There is a code of conduct for Royal Society fellows - it's not a value judgement to say that Musk has contravened it!
see relevant bits of code and the Royal Society stated values below.
There is a code of conduct for Royal Society fellows - it's not a value judgement to say that Musk has contravened it!
see relevant bits of code and the Royal Society stated values below.
January 9, 2026 at 5:11 PM
very disappointing.
There is a code of conduct for Royal Society fellows - it's not a value judgement to say that Musk has contravened it!
see relevant bits of code and the Royal Society stated values below.
There is a code of conduct for Royal Society fellows - it's not a value judgement to say that Musk has contravened it!
see relevant bits of code and the Royal Society stated values below.
"Are matrices a Good Thing, Mom?"
Kid the Eldest
Kid the Eldest
a poster for netflix shows a cat girl and a blonde girl standing next to each other
Alt: Adora and Catra are standing next to each other saying " Eh, long story"
media.tenor.com
January 8, 2026 at 9:50 PM
"Are matrices a Good Thing, Mom?"
Kid the Eldest
Kid the Eldest
My zodiac watchlist Netflix? Are you freaking kidding me?
a woman is wearing a hat and pearls and says it 's unprofessional
Alt: A woman is wearing a hat and pearls and says " it 's unprofessional"
media.tenor.com
January 8, 2026 at 9:29 PM
My zodiac watchlist Netflix? Are you freaking kidding me?
Is there already a term for someone citing a paper - misleadingly - for the exact opposite of what that paper actually concludes?!
Original. Authors et al. say "Our study shows X is small"
New. Authors et al. state "X is ginormous (O.Authors et al.)"
Lie-tations? 🤷♀️ #academia
Original. Authors et al. say "Our study shows X is small"
New. Authors et al. state "X is ginormous (O.Authors et al.)"
Lie-tations? 🤷♀️ #academia
January 6, 2026 at 8:29 PM
Is there already a term for someone citing a paper - misleadingly - for the exact opposite of what that paper actually concludes?!
Original. Authors et al. say "Our study shows X is small"
New. Authors et al. state "X is ginormous (O.Authors et al.)"
Lie-tations? 🤷♀️ #academia
Original. Authors et al. say "Our study shows X is small"
New. Authors et al. state "X is ginormous (O.Authors et al.)"
Lie-tations? 🤷♀️ #academia
"Winter assignment" set by one of the schools for the snow days.
January 6, 2026 at 2:08 PM
"Winter assignment" set by one of the schools for the snow days.
Joining the institute management team, which to my horror means that I have to reinstall Microsoft Teams, genuinely the worst package ever developed 😭
January 6, 2026 at 11:51 AM
Joining the institute management team, which to my horror means that I have to reinstall Microsoft Teams, genuinely the worst package ever developed 😭
CRICKET!!!
The second is a tiny sneak preview of my forthcoming book The Edge of Space-Time, which you can preorder here:
www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/746817...
Yes, I use cricket--and the idea that cricket is art--to talk about the edge of space-time!
Enjoy 😘
www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/746817...
Yes, I use cricket--and the idea that cricket is art--to talk about the edge of space-time!
Enjoy 😘
January 5, 2026 at 10:04 PM
CRICKET!!!
Very glad the kids' schools have declared a snow day though!
The Utrecht morning rush hour in the snow did not disappoint!
January 5, 2026 at 7:41 AM
Very glad the kids' schools have declared a snow day though!
Reposted by Prof Anna Watts
How can a certain Secretary General possibly keep claiming Trump is great for NATO?
It's wild that the PM of a NATO member feels compelled to put out a statement like this vis-à-vis the US government.
January 4, 2026 at 9:07 PM
How can a certain Secretary General possibly keep claiming Trump is great for NATO?
Reposted by Prof Anna Watts
Here is the EU statement: bsky.app/profile/kaja...
My statement supported by 26 EU Member States on the aftermath of the U.S. intervention in Venezuela ↓
January 4, 2026 at 9:07 PM
Here is the EU statement: bsky.app/profile/kaja...
Reposted by Prof Anna Watts
De illegale aanval van de regering Trump op Venezuela kan grote gevolgen hebben voor de regio, óók voor Aruba, Bonaire en Curaçao.
Ongeacht Maduro’s beleid schept dit een gevaarlijk precedent. Wij willen vandaag van de regering duidelijkheid over de veiligheid van de eilanden.
Ongeacht Maduro’s beleid schept dit een gevaarlijk precedent. Wij willen vandaag van de regering duidelijkheid over de veiligheid van de eilanden.
January 3, 2026 at 12:03 PM
De illegale aanval van de regering Trump op Venezuela kan grote gevolgen hebben voor de regio, óók voor Aruba, Bonaire en Curaçao.
Ongeacht Maduro’s beleid schept dit een gevaarlijk precedent. Wij willen vandaag van de regering duidelijkheid over de veiligheid van de eilanden.
Ongeacht Maduro’s beleid schept dit een gevaarlijk precedent. Wij willen vandaag van de regering duidelijkheid over de veiligheid van de eilanden.
Reposted by Prof Anna Watts
do democratic transitions usually start with a kidnapping ursula
Following very closely the situation in Venezuela.
We stand by the people of Venezuela and support a peaceful and democratic transition.
Any solution must respect international law and the UN Charter.
We stand by the people of Venezuela and support a peaceful and democratic transition.
Any solution must respect international law and the UN Charter.
January 3, 2026 at 1:54 PM
do democratic transitions usually start with a kidnapping ursula
The USA isn't even pretending to do law any more, is it?
January 3, 2026 at 6:12 PM
The USA isn't even pretending to do law any more, is it?
Sneaking in at the end of 2025, our Reviews of Modern Physics article on 'Neutron stars and the dense matter equation of state' is finally published! #highenergyastro 🔭⚛️
journals.aps.org/rmp/abstract...
journals.aps.org/rmp/abstract...
Neutron stars and the dense matter equation of state
Neutron stars, the remnants of supernova explosions, are the densest objects in the Universe. A typical neutron star has a mass between one and two solar masses, and a radius of around 12 km. The dens...
journals.aps.org
January 2, 2026 at 10:58 AM
Sneaking in at the end of 2025, our Reviews of Modern Physics article on 'Neutron stars and the dense matter equation of state' is finally published! #highenergyastro 🔭⚛️
journals.aps.org/rmp/abstract...
journals.aps.org/rmp/abstract...
Starting 2026 in style with a trip to the vet that ended up in the cat (who was not wild about the idea of an abscess being lanced) stabbing the vet with a scalpel.
#TheOnlyWayIsUp #WarriorCat
#TheOnlyWayIsUp #WarriorCat
January 2, 2026 at 9:56 AM
Starting 2026 in style with a trip to the vet that ended up in the cat (who was not wild about the idea of an abscess being lanced) stabbing the vet with a scalpel.
#TheOnlyWayIsUp #WarriorCat
#TheOnlyWayIsUp #WarriorCat
Starting off the year by reading and giving feedback on something I was sent in May 2025 😅
January 1, 2026 at 5:59 PM
Starting off the year by reading and giving feedback on something I was sent in May 2025 😅
Excited to have an article in the January 2026 edition of Sky & Telescope (with my lovely nuclear physics colleagues Kai Hebeler and Achim Schwenk)! Join us for a Journey into Neutron Stars.....
skyandtelescope.org/sky-and-tele...
skyandtelescope.org/sky-and-tele...
Inside the January 2026 Issue
The January 2026 issue of Sky & Telescope explores nebulae from the VdB catalog and dives into the inner workings of neutron stars.
skyandtelescope.org
January 1, 2026 at 2:30 PM
Excited to have an article in the January 2026 edition of Sky & Telescope (with my lovely nuclear physics colleagues Kai Hebeler and Achim Schwenk)! Join us for a Journey into Neutron Stars.....
skyandtelescope.org/sky-and-tele...
skyandtelescope.org/sky-and-tele...
Happy new year my lovely people!
December 31, 2025 at 11:17 PM
Happy new year my lovely people!
Reposted by Prof Anna Watts
WATCH: MSF Executive Director @sana.msf.ca speaks to CTV about vital humanitarian activities in #Palestine at risk from Israeli registration rules.
MSF provides a vast amount of life-saving healthcare, yet even this is not enough to meet the overwhelming needs of people in #Gaza.
MSF provides a vast amount of life-saving healthcare, yet even this is not enough to meet the overwhelming needs of people in #Gaza.
December 31, 2025 at 3:35 PM
WATCH: MSF Executive Director @sana.msf.ca speaks to CTV about vital humanitarian activities in #Palestine at risk from Israeli registration rules.
MSF provides a vast amount of life-saving healthcare, yet even this is not enough to meet the overwhelming needs of people in #Gaza.
MSF provides a vast amount of life-saving healthcare, yet even this is not enough to meet the overwhelming needs of people in #Gaza.
Got the kids to watch "The Martian".
"Wow mum, that was a space film that was actually good!"
Huh?
"You know - real. Not just full of aliens... or Thor."
"Wow mum, that was a space film that was actually good!"
Huh?
"You know - real. Not just full of aliens... or Thor."
thor and loki are standing next to each other in a room .
Alt: Thor and Loki are standing next to each other in a lift, feeling judged by my eldest kid.
media.tenor.com
December 31, 2025 at 5:36 PM
Got the kids to watch "The Martian".
"Wow mum, that was a space film that was actually good!"
Huh?
"You know - real. Not just full of aliens... or Thor."
"Wow mum, that was a space film that was actually good!"
Huh?
"You know - real. Not just full of aliens... or Thor."
Reposted by Prof Anna Watts
Countless people will imminently lose access to critical medical care, water, and lifesaving support if Israel revokes MSF’s access to work in Gaza.
https://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/latest/msfs-vital-humanitarian-assistance-risk-amid-israels-new-ingo-registration-rules-gaza
https://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/latest/msfs-vital-humanitarian-assistance-risk-amid-israels-new-ingo-registration-rules-gaza
December 22, 2025 at 6:30 PM
Countless people will imminently lose access to critical medical care, water, and lifesaving support if Israel revokes MSF’s access to work in Gaza.
https://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/latest/msfs-vital-humanitarian-assistance-risk-amid-israels-new-ingo-registration-rules-gaza
https://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/latest/msfs-vital-humanitarian-assistance-risk-amid-israels-new-ingo-registration-rules-gaza