Back to Cosmology, Data Analysis and Cardiff
Today is my first day back in the School of Physics and Astronomy at Cardiff University. Although my job title, Professor of Theoretical Astrophysics, is the same as it was when I was here in a previous incarnation it will be quite a different job and I’m going to be located in a different building (though not far from my old office). In fact my office is in a newly refurbished space connected with the Data Innovation Research Institute just on the other side of a car park from my old office. It looks like being an exciting time over the next few months and years as new staff across a range of disciplines join the Institute, expanding its research portfolio from astrophysics (especially gravitational wave research) into biomedical sciences and beyond.
Here’s a little video about the Data Innovation Research Institute, which is about conducting fundamental research into the aspects of managing, analysing and interpreting massive volumes of textual and numerical information:
But for the moment it’s been a day for administrative matters: taking my P45 to the Human Resources Department, getting my new Staff ID card, trying to get myself set up on the University computer network, and so on. Oh, and I’ve agreed to do some teaching in the Spring Semester, a Level 4 module on The Physics of the Early Universe. It will be nice to be teaching some cosmology again!
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In the Dark 
September 1, 2016 at 3:08 pm
Good luck in the new job. I hope everything goes excellently and that you enjoy the research.
I looked at the website of the Data Innovation Research Institute. The website spells Bernard Schutz’s name wrongly. Good luck with changing that. One of the most difficult things I found in academia was getting central university websites to amend their content.
September 1, 2016 at 3:16 pm
Yes, I noticed that.
I hope you saw that we also have Roger Whitaker to entertain us…
September 1, 2016 at 3:44 pm
Yes. You will find Roger Whittaker’s singing, guitar playing and whistling very entertaining while you work. You’ll be pleased with his beard too.
September 4, 2016 at 10:55 am
That song appears to suggest, incorrectly, that the River Tyne runs through Durham town.
September 5, 2016 at 9:56 am
The verse concerned goes
“When I was a boy, I spent my time,
Sitting on the banks of the river Tyne.
Watching all the ships going down the line, they were leaving,
Leaving, leaving, leaving, leaving me.”
This seems to me to refer to a past recollection
September 5, 2016 at 4:06 pm
He may be in Durham now, but as a child was somewhere more interesting (ie Newcastle).
September 5, 2016 at 6:23 pm
Well there’s no way he could see ever ships travelling along the Wear at Durham. It’s way too shallow!
September 7, 2016 at 1:20 pm
Can’t they spell “Weir” up there?
September 7, 2016 at 3:01 pm
There is a weir on the Wear at Durham, actually…
September 2, 2016 at 3:30 pm
Works fine for me, even on a mobile connection.
September 1, 2016 at 10:43 pm
It sounds a great place to disseminate Bayesian ideas; enjoy the new job!
September 2, 2016 at 1:07 pm
Congratulations on your re-appointment at Cardiff and enjoy the teaching. Your structure of galaxies course at Nottingham was one of my favourites!