We've just had our first session at the NZ Institute of Physics Conference. The focus was on astrophysics, and we heard from Richard Easther about 'Precision Cosmology' – measuring things about the universe accurately enough to test theories and models of the universe. We ablso heard about binary stars and supernovae, and evidence for the […]
Continue readingRemember, if it weren't for physics, there'd be no America's cup as we know it. It's the NZ Institute of Physics Conference this weekend (well, Friday evening to Monday lunchtime to be more precise). There's a great line-up of speakers and posters, so there should be lots to blog about in the coming days.( I […]
Continue readingWell, I have to get in an Auld Mug post before the end of the event. Today's cancellation gives me an extra day to do it. Watching the coverage of the boats for the first time was very interesting for me. First of all, it was alarming the speeds that they got to. This is […]
Continue readingI was talking with a PhD student yesterday (not one of my students) about her research. She's well into her second year here and things are generally going fine, but she feels she's a bit stuck. What should she do next? She's happy to do her experiments, and work through the analyses of the results, […]
Continue readingI've just come out of a very interesting cross-faculty discussion on effective use of 'tutors' in our courses. It's hard to define the word, because the role of 'tutor' means different things in different parts of the university. But, think of it broadly as being someone who is paid (often not very much and on […]
Continue readingAt the end of last week there was a problem with the water supply to part of the science buildings here at The University of Waikato. Today, there's been work going on to fix the problems. As a result, we have a very much reduced water pressure. The tea-room on the first floor is still […]
Continue readingFirst things first. PhysicsStop is back on-line after an enjoyable two-week break in warm and sunny southern England. Second things second. What advice can anyone give to the parents of a fourteen-month-old with jetlag who insists that 4 am is time to get up, have breakfast, and feed the chickens (or the "Choo Chuk" as […]
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