Jonathan Pritchard
pritchardjr.bsky.social
Jonathan Pritchard
@pritchardjr.bsky.social
Bewildered vagabond and student of the stars. Professor of uncertain opinions. Radio cosmologist at MPIfR.
(Opinions mine, not employers)
My favourite London haunt.
November 20, 2025 at 7:24 PM
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
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
Students and prospective students | Research groups | Imperial College London
imperial.ac.uk
November 18, 2025 at 8:15 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.
November 18, 2025 at 7:24 PM
Old Peculiar in the old Pickerel. One of my few timeless Cambridge traditions.
November 17, 2025 at 6:24 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.
November 17, 2025 at 6:23 PM
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
Passing through KingsX to Cambridge once more.
November 16, 2025 at 4:34 PM
Sunset from my office takes some beating.
November 12, 2025 at 4:12 PM
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
Reposted by Jonathan Pritchard
On the event of James Watson's death, I highly recommend this 2023 commentary from @matthewcobb.bsky.social and Nathaniel Comfort with crucial new insights into the discovery of the double helix. (And also check out Cobb's brand new biography of Francis Crick) www.nature.com/articles/d41...
What Rosalind Franklin truly contributed to the discovery of DNA’s structure
Franklin was no victim in how the DNA double helix was solved. An overlooked letter and an unpublished news article, both written in 1953, reveal that she was an equal player.
www.nature.com
November 7, 2025 at 9:25 PM
Reposted by Jonathan Pritchard
A significant new development in the Imperial College pay dispute.

The Joint Trade Unions have uncovered that key 2018 pay benchmarking recommendations—based on extensive staff consultation—were quietly set aside by College management.

Read the full update here: ucu.imperial.ac.uk/archives/1143
Joint Trade Unions demand transparency over Imperial’s pay benchmarking
In brief (if you don’t have much time) The Imperial Joint Trade Unions (JTU) have written to the University Negotiating Team (UNT) to raise serious concerns about the College’s handling of the 2018 Pa...
ucu.imperial.ac.uk
November 7, 2025 at 11:24 AM
Celebrating St Martin in the center of Bonn. Children with lanterns, a legionary on a white horse, and a huge bonfire!
November 5, 2025 at 5:12 PM
Too long for Jon, too short for Jonathan. That seems my current state of play.
November 4, 2025 at 8:08 PM
Reposted by Jonathan Pritchard
Are you a grad student interested in writing for Astrobites, or do you know one? We're recruiting! Apply by November 26 :)

astrobites.org/2025/10/31/a...
Apply to Write for Astrobites 2025!
Love astronomy, astrophysics, and science communication? Come join the Astrobites team! Applications due November 26th.
astrobites.org
October 31, 2025 at 6:40 PM
Americans should be seriously concerned about the state of their democracy. It won’t get better if you deny the problem.
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
Opinion | In Trump’s America, Are We Losing Our Democracy? (Gift Article)
Donald Trump has wielded power as no previous president has.
www.nytimes.com
October 31, 2025 at 2:01 PM
Reposted by Jonathan Pritchard
#nasa is shuttering the Goddard #space #flight center in a move that may not be entirely legal, according to critics. For months, our #staff #writer @joshdinner.bsky.social interviewed NASA #employees, read #senate reports and more to give you the deepest dive yet.

www.space.com/space-explor...
October 31, 2025 at 12:37 PM
Wowed by the “Nigerian Modernism” exhibition at Tate Modern. Fascinating subject matter and colour palettes.
October 31, 2025 at 12:56 PM
“Wherever law ends, tyranny begins…” - John Locke (1689)
October 31, 2025 at 10:35 AM
Reposted by Jonathan Pritchard
Professor Alice Gast, former Imperial President and Emeritus Professor of Chemical Engineering, died on 27 October 2025.

Remembering Alice Gast: www.imperial.ac.uk/news/270893/...
Remembering Professor Alice Gast | Imperial News | Imperial College London
Professor Alice Gast, former Imperial President and Emeritus Professor of Chemical Engineering, died on 27 October 2025.
www.imperial.ac.uk
October 30, 2025 at 10:41 AM
Frustrating how messed up is UK policy around Higher Education. Even if there’s so many sectors already in breakdown, maybe fixing things before there’s one more would be wise.
Ok a bit of policy wonky gossip on UK research and universities.

1. Universities in deficit hoping for a bail out are dreaming.

2. HE policy is drawing on success of schools policy.
October 29, 2025 at 6:14 PM
Godspeed to the poor people of Jamaica and other countries affected. Terrifying.
www.theguardian.com/world/live/2...
Hurricane Melissa latest updates: Red Cross says 1.5m people in Jamaica could be impacted by ‘storm of the century’
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) says hurricane Melissa is expected to cause a ‘catastrophic situation’
www.theguardian.com
October 28, 2025 at 1:19 PM
Kudos to PSF. Definitely the right call.
TLDR; The PSF has made the decision to put our community and our shared diversity, equity, and inclusion values ahead of seeking $1.5M in new revenue. Please read and share. pyfound.blogspot.com/2025/10/NSF-...
🧵
The official home of the Python Programming Language
www.python.org
October 27, 2025 at 5:25 PM
Reposted by Jonathan Pritchard
The Random Universe isn’t due out until November 11, but not only can you pre-order your copy today, you can also download a free sample from the e-book. (Similar on Amazon UK and Apple Books — though it’s even better if you buy your hardcopy from an independent bookseller!)
October 27, 2025 at 4:17 PM
Reposted by Jonathan Pritchard
Imperial UCU members are on strike today and tomorrow.
This action covers all parts of the College — academic, technical, administrative, and operational.
It’s about fairness, dignity, and pay that keeps pace with the cost of living.
Joint Trade Unions
Joint Trade Unions
imperial.ac.uk
October 27, 2025 at 8:56 AM