Don’t use ‘dark matter’ to mean ‘something we don’t understand’

Matthew R. Francis – Writer of science, blogger of physics and astronomy, director of CosmoAcademy, writes: “Physicists are serial offenders when it comes to cross-disciplinary meddling. Whether it’s a theoretical cosmologist claiming to solve consciousness or a professor smugly claiming all other sciences are “soft”, physicists are too ... More

Neutrinos and the Speed of Light on the Front Pages!

Dark matter, the string theory, particles, the theory of relativity… Unless you have a keen interest for physics and astrophysics, you won’t read about them very often. But since yesterday, neutrinos and the speed of light are on the front pages; who would have thought? On CNN, Particles appear to travel faster than light: ‘Scientists in ... More

Sunday Roundup: Bahrain, Sudan, Physics…

The Bahrain Grand Prix will not go ahead. Many concerned people such as #Nicholas Kristof and Kenneth Roth tweeted this week about the upcoming Formula One Grand Prix expected to take place next October in Bahrain. In a post published on Foreign Policy we can read: ‘On Friday, the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile, the governing body for ... More

Sunday Roundup: Sudan, particles, Gil Scott-Heron

New Visual Evidence of Government of Sudan War Crimes in Abyei. Here we are, again. Al-Bashir is back, alive and kicking. Hard. Again. And unlike in #Darfur, this time we have proof of what is happening right now, thanks to the Satellite Sentinel Project: ‘The Satellite Sentinel Project (SSP) has released new visual evidence that the Government of ... More

Dark Matter(s) Explained by PhD Comics

Baryonic or nonbaryonic dark matter? Honestly, I am not a physicist and even if I have a keen interest for the universe and particles, I am far from being ‘dark matter savvy’. Nevertheless, I read a lot about it and a few days ago I read on BoingBoing: Video comic about dark matter. And this video comic is the cleverest thing I have ever read on ... More

Global particle physics photowalk and Atlas mural at CERN

Who said particle physics and Art were two different things? On August 7, 2010, more than 200 amateur photographers from around the world had the rare opportunity to experience state-of-the-art accelerators and detectors in all of their complexity and beauty as part of the first Particle Physics Photowalk. And I wish I could have experienced it too. Now ... More

ICHEP 2010: high energy physics, neutrinos and dark matter in Paris

I am interested in high energy physics, neutrinos and dark matter. I am no physician but I always had a keen interest for the universe, what it is made of, how/when/from what did it start and ultimately, what is the meaning of our tiny, insignificant life amidst this universe with no limits (and countless dimensions according to the M-Theory). The 35th ... More