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Back from the Break

Posted in Biographical, Covid-19, Maynooth on March 21, 2022 by telescoper

As well as returning to the Department for the first time after the Study Week break, I’ve also had the chance to update my Covid-19 data page with five days’ worth of numbers after the Bank Holiday and Weekend hiatus. A total of 63,954 positive tests (either antigen or PCR) were reported today.

The latest 7-day rolling average is around 5200 new PCR-confirmed cases per day, but that number is a considerable underestimate because much less PCR testing is being done compared with earlier in the pandemic. Over 10,000 positive antigen tests were logged today (21st March) but not included in the figure below:

The surge expected after the St Patrick’s Day festivities won’t have registered in this plot yet either. Anecdotal evidence is that lots of undergraduate students have been absent from lectures and tutorials on the first day back from the break citing Covid-19 as the reason, and some tutors are also off sick. My first lecture and first laboratory session aren’t until tomorrow though.

As of this morning, 1308 people are in hospital in Ireland with Covid-19, over double the number at the start of the month. Fortunately the number in ICU and the number of deaths remain reasonably low.

It seems there is no intention at Government level to reintroduce public health restrictions so we have to continue teaching as if nothing is wrong. The fact of the matter remains, however, that the much-vaunted “return to campus” hasn’t really been achieved this Semester, with many students staying away from classes either through choice or necessity.

As Head of a small Department that is already short-staffed I am worried about what I’m supposed to do if we suffer absences among those who are teaching. We’ve got six weeks until the end of the Semester. I just hope we get through it without a crisis caused by the high case numbers.

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The Vernal Equinox 2022

Posted in Maynooth with tags , , , on March 20, 2022 by telescoper

Just a quick note to say that the Vernal Equinox, or Spring Equinox, (in the Northern hemisphere) takes place this afternoon at 15.33 UTC (which is 3.33 pm local Irish Time). Many people regard this as the first day of spring. The weather in Maynooth is certainly spring-like. Of course in the Southern hemisphere this is the Autumnal Equinox.

The date of the Vernal Equinox is usually given as 21st March, but in fact it has only been on 21st March twice this century so far (2003 and 2007); it was on 20th March in 2008, has been on 20th March every spring from then until now, and will be until 2044 (when it will be on March 19th).

People sometimes ask me how one can define the `equinox’ so precisely when surely it just refers to a day on which day and night are of equal length, implying that it’s a day not a specific time?

The answer is that the equinox is defined by a specific event, the event in question being when the plane defined by Earth’s equator passes through the centre of the Sun’s disk (or, if you prefer, when the centre of the Sun passes through the plane defined by Earth’s equator). Day and night are not necessarily exactly equal on the equinox, but they’re the closest they get. From now until the Autumnal Equinox days in the Northern hemisphere will be longer than nights, and they’ll get longer until the Summer Solstice before beginning to shorten again.

Loughcrew (County Meath), near Newgrange, an ancient burial site and a traditional place to observe the sunrise at the Equinox

Here in Ireland we celebrated Saint Patrick’s day on March 17th, the reputed date of his death in 461 AD. Although he may have been born in Wales, nobody really knows for sure precisely where St Patrick was born, though, so it would be surprising if the when were any better known.

In any case, it wasn’t until the 17th Century that Saint Patrick’s feast day was placed on the universal liturgical calendar in the Catholic Church. In the thousand years that passed any memory of the actual date was probably lost, so the Equinox was perhaps rebranded for the purpose.

The early Christian church in Ireland incorporated many pre-Christian traditions that survived until roughly the 12th century, including the ancient festival of Ēostre (or Ostara), the goddess of spring associated with the spring equinox after whom Easter is named. During this festival, eggs were used a symbol of rebirth and the beginning of new life and a hare or rabbit was the symbol of the goddess and fertility. In turn the Celtic people of Ireland probably adapted their own beliefs to absorb much older influences dating back to the stone age. St Patrick’s Day and Easter therefore probably both have their roots in prehistoric traditions around the Spring Equinox, although the direct connection has long been lost.

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On Researchfish

Posted in Biographical, Cardiff, Maynooth, Science Politics with tags , on March 18, 2022 by telescoper

One of the things I definitely don’t miss about working in the UK university system is the dreaded Researchfish. If you’ve never heard of this bit of software, it’s intended to collect data relating to the outputs of research grants funded by the various Research Councils. That’s not an unreasonable thing to want to do, of course, but the interface is – or at least was when I last used it several years ago – extremely clunky and user-unfriendly. That meant that once a year along with other academics with research grants (in my case STFC) I had to waste hours uploading bibliometric and other data by hand. A sensible system would have harvested this automatically as it is mostly available online at various locations or allowed users simply to upload their own publication list as a file; most of us keep an up-to-date list of publications for various reasons (including vanity!) anyway. Institutions also keep track of all this stuff independently. All this duplication seems utterly pointless.

I always wondered what happened to the information I uploaded every year, which seemed to disappear without trace into the bowels of RCUK. I assume it was used for something, but mere researchers were never told to what purpose.

When I left the UK in 2018 to work full-time in Ireland, I took great pleasure in ignoring the multiple emails demanding that I do yet another Researchfish upload. The automated reminders turned into individual emails threatening that I would never again be eligible for funding if I didn’t do it, to which I eventually replied that I wouldn’t be applying for UK research grants anymore anyway so there. Eventually the emails stopped.

Now, four years later, it seems the software is no better. That’s not surprising as since everyone has to use it on threat of excommunication there is no incentive to improve it.

Yesterday I noticed on Twitter – not for the first time – an academic complaining about Researchfish. It was however the first time I saw this sinister reply from the company that runs the system:

I’m out of the UK system for good, so I can say what I think. To put it mildly I don’t think this response is at all appropriate. Researchfish would be better off trying to engage with the research community to improve its system, especially the awful user interface, than threatening the people who criticize it.

(And there are other software providers, you know…)

Update; unbelievably, with this crass “apology” they’ve made matters even worse!

Update: “ResearchfishGate” has now been covered by Research Professional and the Times Higher.

And now here’s their second attempt at an apology:

Apart from the very weird prose style, I’ve yet to see much evidence for what is claimed in the second paragraph…

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Paráid Lá Fhéile Pádraig i Maigh Nuad

Posted in Biographical, Maynooth with tags , , on March 17, 2022 by telescoper

Lá Fhéile Pádraig sona daoibh go léir!

Today being 17th March it is St Patrick’s Day, and there not having been a St Patrick’s Day Parade for the last two years in Maynooth, I decided to make the most of my morning off and go watch the festivities. Here are some snaps I took on Straffan Road as the Parade made its way into town. As you can see it was a bit overcast, and it was also a bit breezy, but it wasn’t cold and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves!

The front of the parade
Irish Dancing School
It must be hard to walk in those shoes
Maynooth GAA Club
View towards Maynooth
Tractors!
Tractor on Tractor Action
Not sure what this is
Bridge?
More Dancing

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R.I.P. Gene Parker (1927-2022)

Posted in The Universe and Stuff with tags , , on March 16, 2022 by telescoper
Professor Gene Parker, May 18, 2017. (Photo by Jean Lachat)

I was very sad to hear via the NASA website of the death, yesterday at the age of 94, of Professor Eugene N. Parker (known to all as “Gene”). He was best known for his work on solar magnetism and the solar wind, but he made important contributions across a wide range of astrophysics; he wrote an excellent book entitled Cosmical Magnetic Fields: Their Origin and Activity which I bought many years ago. Most recently NASA’s Parker Solar Probe was named in his honour.

I only met Gene Parker once, many years ago, and was a bit in awe of him because of his intellectual reputation but he came across as a very likeable and friendly man.

We have lost a giant in the field of astrophysics who leaves a huge legacy and will be greatly missed. I send my condolences to his family, friends and colleagues at the University of Chicago where he worked since 1955.

Rest in Peace, Professor Eugene N. Parker (1927-2022).

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Lapses of Memory

Posted in Biographical, Maynooth on March 15, 2022 by telescoper

Yesterday afternoon it was my turn to present a paper at our bi-weekly cosmology journal club. Because this is Study Week – that’s my excuse anyway – I forgot about it until I was reminded in late morning. I decided on a paper to present but it was only when I started that I was reminded that I had done that paper before, last year.

I had no recollection at all of having done that paper before. I didn’t have time to do another one, so I went through the paper again. Perhaps I’ll end up doing that paper once a year, like Groundhog Day! The last two years of pandemic have played havoc with my memory, so ‘ll put this lapse down to that. I’ve had to do so many things that maybe my old brain can’t cope with it all.

Maybe I’m just getting too old. I’ll be 60 next summer.

On the other hand, this morning I was chatting some colleagues before forming the academic procession for a conferring ceremony.  One of the people there was Italian and he complained that the robe hire company couldn’t find appropriate academic dress for the University of Padova, where he graduated, so he had just been given a random set of robes. I visited Padova many times in the past, until my colleague and co-author Francesco Lucchin passed away about 20 years ago.

While we waited for the procession to start we chatted about places in the City. Amazingly I could remember the names and addresses of various restaurants and other establishments, the precise location of the Physics Department Galileo Galilei, and all kinds of other details about the place that are still intact in my head.

Moreover, when we were inside the Aula Maxima and the conferring ceremony began (parts of which are in Latin) I found myself sitting there recalling the first lines of Book II of Virgil’s Aeneid, which I did for O-level many moons ago: 

Conticuere omnes intentique ora tenebant
inde toro pater Aeneas sic orsus ab alto:
Infandum, regina, iubes renovare dolorem,
Troianas ut opes et lamentabile regnum
eruerint Danai, quaeque ipse miserrima vidi
et quorum pars magna fui.

I wish we could have better control over what we remember and what we forget. If the problem is that there’s a finite amount of space in one’s head, it would be nice to have a spring clean every now and again to create a bit more room, jettisoning some old junk to let new things in. Unfortunately I don’t think it works like that.

Anyway, I almost forgot until all this Latin reminded me that today is the Idus Martiae (“the Ides of March”)  so here is the traditional extract from the First Folio Edition of Carry On Cleo, starring the sublime Kenneth Williams as Julius Caesar delivering one of the funniest lines in the whole Carry On series. The joke may be nearly as old as me, but it’s still a cracker…

 

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Beard of Ireland 2022. ‘Beard Off’ Final

Posted in Uncategorized on March 14, 2022 by telescoper

Against my expectations I’ve made it into the final round of voting for Beard of Ireland 2022! The competition is stiff and I’m currently in fourth place (out of four). Please consider giving me a vote! You can do so via the post below!

kmflett's avatarKmflett's Blog

Beard Liberation Front

Press release 13th March

Contact Keith Flett 07803 167266

BEARD OF IRELAND 2022 POLL FINAL ‘BEARD OFF’ ROUND OPEN

The Beard Liberation Front, the informal network of beard wearers, has said that competition for the final of the Irish Beard of the Year 2022 is officially open

Academic Peter Coles and rugby player Jamison Gibson-Park won the first Trim Off round with Businessman Adohan Connolly and Northern Ireland Health Minister Robin Swann winning the second and completing the line-up for the Beard Off final

The 2017 winner was politician Colum Eastwood who bearded broadcaster William Crawley for the annual Award.

In 2018 the DUP’s Lee Reynolds shaved writer Dominic O’Reilly for the honour with Colum Eastwood in a steady third place.

In 2019 Lee Reynolds retained the title

The 2020 winner was Maynooth academic Peter Coles

In 2021 Aodhan Connolly shaved opponents to win the coveted title

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After Pestilence

Posted in Uncategorized on March 13, 2022 by telescoper

From last week’s Private Eye.

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Half Semester Break

Posted in Biographical, Covid-19, Education, Maynooth with tags , on March 12, 2022 by telescoper

So we arrive at the start of the mid-Semester study break at Maynooth University. There are no lectures next week, and there are two bank holidays (17th March, St Patrick’s Day, and 18th March, the new holiday announced earlier this year).

I was talking to some students on Thursday and I think they’re all as tired as the staff are. Many have long commutes to and from college because they weren’t able to find local accommodation, some have to work to provide income, and some have been ill with Covid-19 and are still recovering. Some staff are also having to work from home being close contacts of people with Covid-19.

Although the Minister responsible for Higher Education declared that students would return to campus, the reality is not really like that. For the above reasons (and, no doubt, others), attendance at in-person lectures has fallen to very low levels, and from what I’ve heard this is not only in the Department of Theoretical Physics. I don’t know whether it is the case at other universities in Ireland. At least I’m recording my lectures – except when there’s a power cut! – so students who can’t come in can have something to study from.

Ironically, the one module I am teaching that is quite easy to deliver online – Computational Physics – still has good attendance for the laboratory sessions, with only one or two students tuning in remotely.

At the end of this Semester, in May 2022, we have examinations on campus for the first time in two years. For students in the first and second year these will be the first university examinations they have ever taken. I for one am a bit nervous about how things will go given the difficulties facing students up to this point.

But that’s for later. For now we have a break from teaching. I have an assignment ready for my Advanced Electromagnetism students but I decided not to put it up until after Study Week as I think it’s better for them to take a bit of a break before the final six weeks of the Semester. For many in my class this will be the final six weeks of their course so it’s important to approach this period with as much energy as possible.

For myself although I have no teaching next week there are a number of things going on between Monday and Wednesday – including some conferring ceremonies – and I’m behind with quite a lot of things, so I’ll be in the office more-or-less as usual. I’ll be looking forward to a glass of wine or several on Wednesday evening though, ahead of Thursday morning’s St Patrick’s Day parade in Maynooth (weather permitting).

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The Flexibility of Overlay Journals

Posted in Open Access on March 11, 2022 by telescoper

In the summer of 2021 we published a paper in the Open Journal of Astrophysics entitled A Differentiable Model of the Assembly of Individual and Populations of Dark Matter Halos. The authors are Andrew P. Hearin,  Jonás Chaves-Montero, Matthew R. Becker and Alex Alarcon, all of the Argonne National Laboratory.

Here is a screen grab of the overlay which includes the abstract:

One of the authors contacted me recently to ask if it would be possible to make some minor textual modifications to the version we already published. After discussing this with the Editorial Board we agreed on the following steps:

  1. The author sent us a new version containing the proposed revisions;
  2. The Editor checked that they were reasonable (i.e. minor and without any significant changes to the scientific content);
  3. After getting the green light the author placed a revised version on arXiv with a comment explanation the revisions (in this case v3);
  4. We changed our overlay to point at the new version.

The way we are set up no further action was necessary. I think this is a nice demonstration of the flexibility of an overlay journal!

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