iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Science-George @science-george.bsky.social · 13/10/2026

Damn, I haven't heard anyone butcher a pronunciation like this since Mickey Goldmill! #RockyVreferenceOfTheDay!

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Andre aka Otakuman5000 @otakuman5000.bsky.social · 12/10/2026

Happy birthday to him.

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Science-George @science-george.bsky.social · 12/10/2026

Hey, Blueskyverse! Join me in wishing a very Happy Birthday today to David! Follow him at: @davidbflower.bsky.social

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Science-George @science-george.bsky.social · 11/10/2026

Remember when the Jurassic Park movie opened back on June 11th, 1993? That was now a third of a century ago. You're welcome.

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Science-George @science-george.bsky.social · 10/10/2026

Hey, Blueskyverse, know what today is? Today's the 96th anniversary of the first appearance of particle accelerator technology in the literature - with Ernest Lawrence's publication of "On the Production of High Speed Protons" in the journal Science, back on October 10th, 1930.

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David Blanchflower BSc @davidbflower.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

Someone has created a fake me on Mastodon. Definitely not me. Avoid. 🔭 🧪

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Science-George @science-george.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

Hopefully this'll encourage them to go away.

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Science-George @science-george.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

Ok, thanks, because that's what I thought. I got a follow from this account, then followed back, only to receive this message almost immediately thereafter, so I thought I should check.

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Science-George @science-george.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

@davidbflower.bsky.social Quick question, did you very recently start an alternate account over on Mastodon ?

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Science-George @science-george.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

There are people in this world who actually have acquired high-level expertise. You know what they all have in common? They have no need to embarrass themselves with ridiculously exaggerated bragging like this.

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Science-George @science-george.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

Trump's doubling down on this sure seems like an odd midterm campaign strategy.

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Science-George @science-george.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

- the Nobel Committee (probably) /2

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Nobel Prize @nobelprize.org · 06/10/2026

BREAKING NEWS The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has decided to award the 2026 #NobelPrize in Physics to Francis Halzen “for decisive contributions to the IceCube Neutrino Observatory and the discovery of high-energy neutrinos of astrophysical origin.”

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Nobel Prize @nobelprize.org · 06/10/2026

Say hello to our 2026 physics laureate Francis Halzen! Halzen sent us a snapshot from his hotel room in Italy - join us in congratulating our new Nobel Prize laureate.

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Nobel Prize @nobelprize.org · 06/10/2026

”I hope this reflects on the really courageous people who joined me in the beginning of this project when no respectable conservative physicists would have joined me, but many talented people did, and that's why I'm here.” - physics laureate Francis Halzen speaking at today's prize announcement.

A illustrated portrait of physics laureate Francis Halzen

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Nobel Prize @nobelprize.org · 06/10/2026

Learn more about the 2026 Nobel Prize in Physics Press release: bit.ly/4yiVKzP Popular information: bit.ly/3V150cU Advanced information: bit.ly/4AeS03D

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Nobel Prize @nobelprize.org · 06/10/2026

The neutrino interactions that are continuously collected by IceCube will provide researchers with novel knowledge about the violent settings in which high-energy neutrinos can be created – and could even reveal previously unknown cosmic phenomena.

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Nobel Prize @nobelprize.org · 06/10/2026

The IceCube Neutrino Observatory – ideated by this year’s physics laureate Francis Halzen – tracks neutrinos that originate in the distant cosmos.

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Nobel Prize @nobelprize.org · 06/10/2026

Francis Halzen has received the 2026 Nobel Prize in Physics for his decisive contributions to the IceCube Neutrino Observatory and the discovery of high-energy neutrinos of astrophysical origin.

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Nobel Prize @nobelprize.org · 06/10/2026

Researchers soon discovered the first high-energy neutrinos and, a few years later, could publish their discovery of neutrinos that must originate far outside our solar system. The search for the universe’s neutrino sources could begin in earnest.

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Nobel Prize @nobelprize.org · 06/10/2026

Cosmic neutrinos with extremely high energies are very rare, so an enormous volume of ice is needed to observe an adequate number of collisions. The IceCube Neutrino Observatory covers an entire cubic kilometre and was finished in 2011.

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Nobel Prize @nobelprize.org · 06/10/2026

Using IceCube, researchers can capture neutrinos from extremely energy-rich processes in the distant universe.

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Nobel Prize @nobelprize.org · 06/10/2026

2026 physics laureate Francis Halzen realised that ice at the South Pole could be used to track particles known as neutrinos. His vision and scientific leadership have been fundamental for the IceCube Neutrino Observatory – a cubic kilometre of ice that is equipped with light sensors.

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Nobel Prize @nobelprize.org · 06/10/2026

The South Pole’s ice has many advantages, as it is free from various types of interference and the area is geologically stable, with no earthquakes. Halzen and his idea soon gained the support of other researchers and, just a few years later, preliminary testing was conducted on sensors in ice.

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Nobel Prize @nobelprize.org · 06/10/2026

Newly awarded physics laureate Francis Halzen first presented his vision for capturing neutrinos at the South Pole in 1988. When a neutrino collides with an atomic nucleus, it produces a flash of light that can be tracked by sensors in the clear glacial ice.

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Nobel Prize @nobelprize.org · 06/10/2026

Neutrinos with extremely high energies are created in the same environments as other types of particles. However, unlike other particles, neutrinos reach us without changing direction or losing energy. This means they can provide information that is not available in any other way.

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Nobel Prize @nobelprize.org · 06/10/2026

Much about these sources is mysterious: what are they, where are they, and what are the main processes inside them?

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Nobel Prize @nobelprize.org · 06/10/2026

Scientists have long known that the cosmos contains natural particle accelerators, which fire out particles with energies up a million times more than can be achieved in laboratories on Earth.

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Science-George @science-george.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

A follow-up: bsky.app/profile/scie...

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Science-George @science-george.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

So, these were my predictions for the 2026 Nobel Prize in Physics: 1/ bsky.app/profile/scie...

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Science-George @science-george.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

And here's the whole thing posted with just a bit more than two hours to spare: bsky.app/profile/scie...

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Science-George @science-george.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Anyway, for what they're worth, those are my predictions for how today's announcement for the 2026 Nobel Prize in Physics might go. As always, my congratulations go out to all of the above for all the work they've done, and my congratulations to whomever wins today! /11

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Science-George @science-george.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

My final guess for this year is that David D. Awschalom might win for discovering the spin Hall effect in semiconductors &/or that Lene V. Hau might win/share for slowing/stopping light with Bose-Einstein condensates. 10/

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Science-George @science-george.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Next I'd guess Yakir Aharonov & Michael V. Berry to win for their contributions to foundational quantum mechanics If not, then I'd guess Časlav Brukner, Massimiliano Proietti, & Alessandro Fedrizzi to win for their experimental verification of local observer independence. 9/

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Science-George @science-george.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Next, I'd guess that Alexander Polyakov might win for his contributions to quantum field theory - a win he might share with Zhang Xiang for his 1st detecting heat transfer across a vacuum gap, via quantum fluctuations resulting from the Casimir effect. If neither win today, 8/

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Science-George @science-george.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Specifically, that Rafi Bistritzer, Pablo Jarillo-Herrero, & Allan H. MacDonald will each share this Nobel for their theoretical & experimental work on twisted bilayer graphene. Alternatively, Aephraim Steinberg might win for 1st measuring the duration of quantum tunneling. 7/

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Science-George @science-george.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

All of the above was premised on the Nobel Committee recognizing cosmology/astrophysics this year, but, assuming my suspicion is wrong about that (as is usually the case!), my next guess would be the Nobel Committee will recognize contributions in materials science this year. 6/

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Science-George @science-george.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

as he did when he won 2024's Wolf Prize in Physics - it's possible he may share* this year's Nobel with Alan Guth & Andrei Linde for their work on cosmic inflation. *(Paul Steinhardt should also, but almost certainly won't because he's since rejected his previous work.) 5/

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Science-George @science-george.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

She might also share that Nobel with Sandra M. Faber for the contributions to cosmology made by her work in extra-galactic astronomy. If neither of those two women are awarded a share of this year's Nobel, and assuming that Martin Rees still wins but doesn't do so alone - 4/

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Science-George @science-george.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

That Nobel may be shared with Jocelyn Bell Burnell for her pulsar research, which, in recent years, had already been recognized by her Breakthrough Prize win, and her having been only the 2nd woman to win the Royal Society's Copley Medal, the world's oldest scientific prize. 3/

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Science-George @science-george.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

My suspicion is that the Nobel Committee is leaning towards recognizing something in cosmology/astrophysics this year, so that's where I'll start. My 1st guess is that Martin Rees will be awarded this year's Physics Nobel for his career worth of contributions in cosmology. 2/

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Science-George @science-george.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Here are my predictions for today's announcement of the 2026 Nobel Prize in Physics - in descending order of my expectations for the likelihood of each. I was totally incorrect for nine of the past thirteen years, so don't bet on any of these, but just laugh when I'm wrong! 1/

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Science-George @science-george.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Ok, I've just finished my predictions for this year - and with only a couple hours & change to spare!

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Science-George @science-george.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

A follow-up here, as the deadline rapidly approaches, but then, if you know me, that shouldn't be surprising. I've been suspecting the Nobel Committee might lean in the direction of materials science this year, or (considering recipient longevity, to be honest) maybe cosmology.

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Science-George @science-george.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

I mean, I remember awakening to FROST (& I swear even a trace of snowfall) on October 1st back in 1993, placing it about midway between our Blizzard of '93, and our Blizzard of '94. [Yeah, I know, the latter didn't count due to a technicality, but I still shoveled tons of snow!]

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