Sign in

Christopher Berry

@cplberry.bsky.social
4.3K followers 620 following 4.6K posts

Gravitational-wave astrophysicist. University of Glasgow Senior Lecturer. Science, education, LEGO & cake. May contain traces of nuts 🐘 mastodon.online/@cplberry 📚 cplberry.com

PostsRepliesMedia
Reposted by Christopher Berry
University and College Union (UCU) @ucu.org.uk · 19h
Nottingham today. Everywhere tomorrow. 2,700 staff put at risk. 600+ jobs targeted. At least 48 courses facing closure. What happens here sets the template for the sector. Stand with Nottingham.
15640
Reposted by Christopher Berry
Christopher Berry @cplberry.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
🔭 Anyone interested in applying for a RAS Fellowship or 1851 Fellowship at @uofgravity.bsky.social, please get in touch! We have a great gravitational-wave group ⚛️ These fellowships are great for those coming straight from a PhD. We have internal deadlines, so we need to know who's interested soon
0910
Reposted by Christopher Berry
Prof Jim Wild @jim-wild.bsky.social · 20h
Fabulous that humanity has regained the ability to image the Earth's entire auroral oval from orbit. Well done to the whole SMILE/UVI team! 👏 Note how the whole oval seen here is in daylight These ultraviolet images were captured during the middle of summer in the northern hemisphere 👀
0103
Reposted by Christopher Berry
Conor Fitzpatrick @fitzparticle.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
@robinbisson.bsky.social doing great work here. If I were on @ukri.org's STFC council I'd be very unhappy with the chair altering approved minutes I'm named on without consultation. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...
researchprofessionalnews.com
New evidence raises questions for UKRI on edited STFC minutes - Research Professional News
Funder insists amended minutes are “accurate summary”, despite differing with slide presented to council
131
Reposted by Christopher Berry
Astronomer Royal for Scotland | Catherine Heymans @astroroyalscot.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
I absolutely love the idea of everyone across the world, looking up at the cosmos, together. Join in the international fun for 100 hours of stargazing! The challenges start this Thursday! 🔭🎢🧪⚛️ ℹ️: 100hours.online
55321
Reposted by Christopher Berry
Matt Henderson @matthen.com · 26/09/2026
How have the constellations changed since humans first looked up? Has the big dipper always pointed to Polaris? Has Polaris always been the North star? (nope!)
211119
Reposted by Christopher Berry
LIGO Scientific Collaboration @ligo.org · 25/09/2026
The latest issue of the @ligomagazine.bsky.social is now out with all the latest #GravitationalWaves news! Read it for free at ligo.org/wp-content/u... 🔭🧪⚛️🎶
LIGO Magazine Issue 29

A+ bigger beamsplitters: A major upgrade for LIGO's A+ phase, p 18
GWTC-5.0 - the catalogue continues: 161 events added to the collection, p 6
LIGO Virgo KAGRA teamwork: Gravitational-wave autotune, p 8
Sept. 2026 LVK Meeting in Pune: GW research in India, p 11
A decade on... LISA Pathfinder persists in discovery, p 28
0196
Reposted by Christopher Berry
LISA Community @lisacommunity.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
What do black holes and comic books have in common? More than you'd think. 📖 Read it for free: blackholecomicbook.com
A starry space scene with a glowing orange-black figure representing the black hole and its accretion disk, a small character and a floating figure at left, and the text “BLACK HOLES” in orange letters.
286
Christopher Berry @cplberry.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
🔭 Anyone interested in applying for a RAS Fellowship or 1851 Fellowship at @uofgravity.bsky.social, please get in touch! We have a great gravitational-wave group ⚛️ These fellowships are great for those coming straight from a PhD. We have internal deadlines, so we need to know who's interested soon
0910
Christopher Berry @cplberry.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
🔥 🔥🐶 ☕ 🔥 🔥
072
Reposted by Christopher Berry
Lucien Heurtier @lucienheurtier.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Excellent article about the crisis faced by physics research in the UK: Brian Cox: "I have no idea who mandated this shift or why they think it’s a good idea, but from my perspective it’s a disaster. I urge the new Burnham government to step in..." 🧪🔭 www.thetimes.com/uk/science/a...
thetimes.com
Brian Cox: Physics in Britain is facing a crisis
The celebrity physicist has joined officials in condemning the UK’s decision to withdraw £45 million in funding from the Large Hadron Collider
12812
Reposted by Christopher Berry
Thomas I-G @thomasig.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Higher education is good, actually.
76526
Reposted by Christopher Berry
Nick Harkaway @nickharkaway.com · 19/09/2026
The RNLI is the closest you will ever get to actual Batman. When rescue is visibly, viscerally, obviously impossible; when the water is a smothering, thundering black wall and the wind is screaming straight from Hell; when you are absolutely going to die: someone’s hand pulls you out and you don’t.
61257350
Christopher Berry @cplberry.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
What next, attacking the RSPB for helping Canada geese?
110
Christopher Berry @cplberry.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
I know Pokémon Go some to get people out, but this seems a bit far
130
Reposted by Christopher Berry
CosmicRami 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ @rami.spaceaustralia.com · 18/09/2026
I'm finally so excited to share this! My second PhD paper, and what I've spent the last year working on ... We've discovered not one, BUT TWO, profile change events on the closest and brightest millisecond pulsar (MSP) to Earth! www.spaceaustralia.com/feature/disc... Let's jump ito a 🧵👇 🔭📡
823357
Christopher Berry @cplberry.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
It's not even a real fish
040
Reposted by Christopher Berry
Lucien Heurtier @lucienheurtier.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
📢 Are you working in Particle Physics, Astronomy, and Nuclear (PPAN) in the UK? You were sent a survey regarding Early-Career Researchers and the impact of STFC cuts on them. If you didn't, PM me, as we need as many ECRs to fill it asap, and you could help spread it. If you were, fill/spread it!🧪
031
Reposted by Christopher Berry
Carbon Brief @carbonbrief.org · 17/09/2026
NEW – Analysis: India’s power-sector emissions flat for two years due to clean-energy surge ✍️ Written by @laurimyllyvirta.bsky.social and Anubha Aggarwal @creacleanair.bsky.social Read here: buff.ly/JIwsTKV
Chart titled "India’s power-sector emissions flat for two years due to clean-energy surge" and subtitled "Power-sector emissions, MtCO2 per half-year". Source: Analysis for Carbon Brief by CREA. H1 and H2 emissions rise from around 500 MtCO2 in 2020 and level off between 600–660 MtCO2 from 2024 to 2026. (alt text generated by Google Gemini)
46525
Reposted by Christopher Berry
Christopher Berry @cplberry.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Good to see @heraldscotland.bsky.social picking up the story of the chronic shortage of Physics teachers in Scotland www.heraldscotland.com/news/2655294... 🎢⚛️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿
eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com
Scotland faces worsening physics teacher shortage, says new IOP report
IOP Scotland is calling for a new 10-year strategy to boost retention, recruitment and retraining.
272
Christopher Berry @cplberry.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Good to see @heraldscotland.bsky.social picking up the story of the chronic shortage of Physics teachers in Scotland www.heraldscotland.com/news/2655294... 🎢⚛️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿
eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com
Scotland faces worsening physics teacher shortage, says new IOP report
IOP Scotland is calling for a new 10-year strategy to boost retention, recruitment and retraining.
272
Reposted by Christopher Berry
Rose Schmits @roseschmits.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Tapping the sign. There is a solution to the “problem“ of the *scary* (ooooOOOOooh spooky) asylum centre and its to just treat them as normal people and start integrating them into society the moment they get here and just find them homes
123540
Reposted by Christopher Berry
Carbon Brief @carbonbrief.org · 16/09/2026
NEW – CCC: Heathrow expansion could push flights to ‘80% of UK emissions by 2050’ | By @joshgabbatiss.bsky.social Read here: buff.ly/SBtfvG3
Aviation is on track to reach 80% of UK CO2 emissions by 2050 with Heathrow expansion, says CCC. Residual CO2 emissions in 2050 under the CCC balanced net-zero pathway, with the impact of a proposed Heathrow expansion, MtCO2. Horizontal bar chart showing aviation far exceeding all other sectors. Source: Climate Change Committee - (alt text generated by Google Gemini)
34528
Reposted by Christopher Berry
CosmicRami 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ @rami.spaceaustralia.com · 16/09/2026
Western Australia’s wildflower season is happening, and the ASKAP and SKA antennas are surrounded by lots of growth! Inyarrimanha Ilgari Bundara, the CSIRO Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory, looks great thanks to the early winter rains! Read more: www.csiro.au/en/news/All/... 📸 CSIRO
Single radio dish antenna pointing upwards with many white wildflowers scattered around the base and red earthGrass and flowers growing around the SKA antennas
38121
Reposted by Christopher Berry
Paul Blinkhorn @paulblinkhorn.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
You can't blame Ed Sheeran for caving in to American stadium owners I suppose. I mean, take these guys in the 60s, they refused to play to racially-segregated audiences in stadiums in the southern states of the USA and who remembers them now?
bbc.co.uk
The Beatles banned segregated audiences, contract shows
The Beatles refused to play to segregated audiences in the US, a contract for one of the group's concerts shows.
21993072831
Reposted by Christopher Berry
LIGO Scientific Collaboration @ligo.org · 14/09/2026
Happy birthday #GW150914! 11 years ago today, we caught our first gravitational wave, and founded a new type of astronomy A decade later, we now have hundreds of observations! 🔭🧪🎂
Classic plot showing GW150914. Filtered data from LIGO Livingston and LIGO Hanford are shown, both show the characteristic signal of a binary black hole. Crucially, data from the two observatories agree, indicating a real signal.
413247
Reposted by Christopher Berry
Dr Shanika Galaudage @astronerdika.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Since then we have seen 390 events!
173
Reposted by Christopher Berry
Sam @samdolan.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
if 50% of the country were to donate £3, we could nearly match today's donations by two crypto-bros
022
Reposted by Christopher Berry
Emma Mitchell @silverpebble2.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
A small good (arguably v cute) thing happened in my garden a few days ago - a break from the doom scroll 👇🏼🪶
29114
Reposted by Christopher Berry
Dr Áine O’Brien @aineclareob.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Thanks @sophieatrpn.bsky.social for covering this, glad to have had the chance to be heard (and remain so gutted we are losing the vital work of RPN)
033
Christopher Berry @cplberry.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Follow your dreams
030
Christopher Berry @cplberry.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
I'd love to know the context of the statement that academics are spending “hours if not days” on grant applications? The prospect of spending only hours on a proposal feels ridiculous to me #AcademicSky
McDonald said that “our most capable academics” are spending “hours if not days” completing forms to acquire funding, and that the current approach also creates “great uncertainty for postdoctoral researchers”.
060
Reposted by Christopher Berry
Grant @syncingsinking.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
This is just to say I have solved the open questions that were in your paper and which you were probably saving for your phd students Forgive me they were delicious so incentive-laden and followed so readily once your postdoc's drafts mysteriously found their way into my training data
4356114
Reposted by Christopher Berry
Chris Parr @chrisjparr.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Chris McDonald: funding system ‘destroying’ value of research. New science minister wants fewer, longer-term grants and a “smoother and simpler system”. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-p...
014
Reposted by Christopher Berry
Markus Pössel @mpoessel.de · 10/09/2026
When we do outreach or education, astronomers frequently claim that public and student interest in astronomy is greater than in other sciences, making it an ideal entry way for science. My article analyzing Wikipedia page views which (somewhat) supports this claim is out in the CAP Journal. 🔭⚛️🧪🎢
capjournal.org
English-speaking Wikipedia users’ interest in astronomy
Wikipedia users’ interest in astronomy is examined using data available for pageviews over the period 2016–2025. Interest, as measured by the level of engagement, is gauged by examining the top 30 ast...
14117
Reposted by Christopher Berry
Ed Hawkins @edhawkins.org · 09/09/2026
How much warmer was summer 2026 than 1976 for the UK? Interesting differences between daytime (Tmax) and nighttime (Tmin). 2026 was much warmer than 1976, including in rural areas. (The only exception is daytime temperatures in Scotland.)
Temperatures in 2026 were much warmer than 1976 except for daytime temperatures in Scotland.
05018
Reposted by Christopher Berry
Jake Grumbach @jakemgrumbach.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
111331209
Reposted by Christopher Berry
Prof Anna Watts @profannawatts.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Join us! We are advertising not one but TWO new observation-oriented tenure track faculty positions, in the areas of massive stars/compact binaries and exoplanets. Links in thread! [Genuine footage from our staff meetings, seen below]
static.klipy.com
Avengers Assemble with Thor
Alt: Avengers Assemble - camera pans around the Avengers on a New York (?) street. Thor chairs the staff meeting.
22715
Reposted by Christopher Berry
Daniel Williams @daniel-williams.co.uk · 07/09/2026
In arxiv.org/abs/2609.03859 @cplberry.bsky.social and myself have a look at the new things the cornucopia of new black hole collisions have taught us about the Universe and the way it works. We also have what I hope are some handy never-seen-before plots.
The primary mass spectrum of black holes. The plot shows three lines, each with an accompanying shaded region showing the line's uncertainty, plotted on axes: primary mass on the x axis and rate on the y axis. The lines are broadly similar, peaking around a value of 10, with an elbow close to 40 solar masses where the rate starts to drop off more sharply. A timeline showing various observing runs as coloured blocks and data releases as diamonds. There are lines above the blocks which indicate the content of each data release.The image shows three plots. On the left are two similar waveform plots, with time on the x axis of each, and whitened strain on the y axis. The upper plot shows GW150914 in blue, the lower GW250114 in green. The lines look similar, with both containing a noisy waveform, but the green, lower plot is much clearer than the blue, upper plot. On the right hand side two contour plots are overlaid, showing the posterior distribution of the primary against the secondary mass. The blue contour is much larger than the green one, but they have very similar median values.A timeline plot showing coloured bars for each observing run. The height of the bar is proportional to the sensitivity of the detectors in that observing run. There are points marked on the plot which indicate detected candidates which are plotted against their inferred luminosity distance on the y-axis.
111
Reposted by Christopher Berry
JRho @jrho.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
The most absolutely massive flex from the state fair exhibit. This quilt is made of 40 years of prize ribbons from various categories at the New Mexico State Fair won by Carol St. Clair Johnson. She also won a prize for this quilt.
Massive quilt made of prize ribbons in blue, red, yellow, and whiteCenter square of quilt made of yellow and red ribbons and yellow rosettesBlock of quilt made of blue, yellow, red, and white ribbons. Ribbons state the year. Some have the prize winning object written on in markerCarol St. Clair Johnson
born 1954; resides Albuquerque, NM

O Fair New Mexico-41 Fair Years
2023
satin ribbons

After unexpectedly winning her first blue ribbon for a sewn cape in 1981, Carol St. Clair Johnson developed an enduring love for the New Mexico State Fair. The quilt Fair New Mexico-41 Fair Years incorporates more than six hundred of the ribbons she won at the fair every subsequent year except 2020 (when the fair was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic). Johnson earned ribbons for needlework, knitting, crochet, pies, cookies, cakes, canning, jewelry, flowers, vegetables, and potted plants. The title of the quilt is a reference to the state song, and the design places the state's Zia sun symbol at the center. The quilt earned Johnson yet another ribbon: Best in Category (miscellaneous quilt) at the 2023 New Mexico State Fair.

Courtesy of Carol St. Clair Johnson
6861112007
Reposted by Christopher Berry
Alisa Bokulich @alisabokulich.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
Help save Maxwell's resting place & make his work known to broader audiences! #HPS ⚛️ 🧪
12915
Reposted by Christopher Berry
Shiv Ramdas Mens Rice Activist @nameshiv.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
Happy Rice Truck Day to all who observe
13140001089
Christopher Berry @cplberry.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
Preprint out today: A short review of science to come from GWTC-4.0 and GWTC-5.0 put together with @daniel-williams.co.uk arxiv.org/abs/2609.03859 Catch up on some of the recent advances in gravitational-wave astronomy 🔭☄️🧪⚛️ #GWTC4 #GWTC5
Timeline of LIGO Virgo KAGRA observing runs, showing the increase in detector range and increase in the number of detectionsComparison of our first detection GW150914 and recent loud detection GW250114. While the sources are similar, GW250114 is much louder because of advances in our detectors. This means that measurements of source properties are much more precise.The inferred mass distribution of binary black holes from GWTC-3.0, GWTC-4.0 and GWTC-5.0. As we have built larger catalogues, the precision of the inferred distribution has improved.Timeline of observing runs and data releases. GWTC-6.0 will release in December this year, so expect more science!
0184
Reposted by Christopher Berry
CIERA @nuciera.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
🔭 Postdoctoral positions open at CIERA! We're now accepting applications for CIERA Postdoctoral Fellowships and Postdoctoral Associate positions in theoretical astronomy and astrophysics. Learn more and apply: bit.ly/3SLEvHK
031
Christopher Berry @cplberry.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Wow, this is shocking! Farage caught on film actually in his constituency!
070
Reposted by Christopher Berry
Corey S. Powell @coreyspowell.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Happy Carrington Event Day to all who celebrate. On Sept 2-3, 1859, a huge solar flare hit Earth with the most intense magnetic storm on record. Auroras bloomed, magnetometers went wild, and telegraph machines sparked around the world. 🧪 link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Carrington’s (1859) carefully executed drawing of his sunspot group 520 on 1 September 1859, the first visual record of a solar flare. The initial (A and B) and final (C and D) positions of the white-light emission are indicated. Solar east is to the right. Below: Enlargement of region 520 from an early solar photograph made at Kew Observatory by Warren De la Rue on 31 August 1859.
27527
Reposted by Christopher Berry
James Dyke @jamesgdyke.info · 02/09/2026
It cannot be stated enough: whatever your view of technology & policy development over the rest of this century & beyond, the rapid ending of fossil fuels is the most resilient & robust way to secure a liveable climate.
217584
Reposted by Christopher Berry
Hella Hannah 🌟 [Comms Open!] @hellahannah.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
The first Przewalski’s foal born on the steppes of Kazakhstan in 200 years <3
A digital sketch of a Przewalski’s horse mare and foal trotting on a blank background. The text beneath them reads “restoring the species with mama”
1666172586
Reposted by Christopher Berry
Astronomer Royal for Scotland | Catherine Heymans @astroroyalscot.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
That was a v fast-paced debate on the STFC funding cuts! Good things: * The minister did not trot out the infuriating "there are no cuts" line * Lots of MPs there passionately standing up for their constituents who are directly impacted * Everyone there seemed to genuinely love the work we do!
15014