Astrophysics
73rd Harden Conference 'Machines on Genes II'
73rd Harden Conference - Machines on Genes II - The central dogma at the interface of biology, chemistry and physics
19—23 August 2012
St Anne's College, Oxford, UK
20 July 2012
STFC Ernest Rutherford Fellowships
STFC have announce the 2012 round of Ernest Rutherford Fellowships. These are prestigious 5 year fellowships which may be held in any of the science areas supported by STFC. See oxford physics opportunities for further details about applying to hold one of these fellowships here.
3 July 2012
2012 Institute of Physics Prizes
Jocelyn Bell Burnell has been elected as an Honorary Fellow of the Institute of Physics.
Katherine Blundell has been awarded the Bragg Medal "For promoting engagement in and learning of physics both by carrying research in astronomy into schools in developing countries and by helping graduate students and postdocs in the UK to talk to schoolchildren about their science."
26 June 2012
Mihran Vardanyan & Chris Boddy awarded prizes by OxTALENT 2012
Oxford University Computing Services' OxTALENT program has awarded First Prize in the Student IT Innovation category to Mihran Vardanyan for his development of the iCosmos cosmology calculator.
21 June 2012
Neutrinos put cosmic ray theory on ice
The IceCube telescope buried beneath the South Pole has failed to detect any high energy neutrinos accompanying exploding fireballs in space, undermining a leading theory of how cosmic rays are born (Nature 484:351,2012).
Philip Wetton Workshop 2012 "Realising the Astronomy of the Future"
Motivation:
To bring together people working on telescopes and instrumentation across a range of wavelengths to provide an update on status and progress, identify synergies and consider how a healthy programme of technology and instrument development can be sustained into the future. Speakers will be encouraged to identify how the key technology developments, on which their instrument rely, came about.
The Inaugural Wetton Lecture 'Giant Telescopes of the Future' (Professor Roger Davies)
Progress in astronomy is driven by discovery which often arises from the application of a new telescope or instrument. Now that detectors capture almost all the light incident on them, astronomers are planning a generation of giant telescopes 10-25 times larger than those in use today. I will describe these developments and trace the origins of the crucial technologies on which they, and the instruments that will exploit them, rely.
Vanessa Ferraro-Wood: vfw@astro.ox.ac.uk
16 May 2012
Application submitted for Athena Swan Silver Award
Physics has long been a male-dominated subject. To fulfil the department's scientific mission, it is vital that we use the full potential of the population and redress that imbalance. Since 2010, the department has been developing a portfolio of new and existing actions to improve the employment conditions and practice for all staff and students. Good practice benefits everyone, but disproportionately benefits women. These actions, and the critical assessment that led to them, are described in our application for an Athena Swan Silver Award.
Lost in Intergalactic Space
Leverhulme Lecture
Lost in Intergalactic Space
You've signed up for a mission to travel to the nearest star.
Unfortunately due to a computer error you end up travelling in
hibernation through space at a tenth of the speed of light for a billion
years. This talk is about where you end up, how we know what the
remotest possible regions of the Universe are like, and why studying
them can tell us more about the beginning (and fate) of the Universe
than anywhere else. You may also find out how to get back home again.
First Oxford Miniseries: The Arrow of Time
Talks will be aimed at a general audience, but they are likely to be controversial; speakers may well disagree over fundamentals. This miniseries is the first of several on philosophy of cosmology to take place in Oxford and Cambridge over the next two years.
Entry is free and all are welcome. We request that you REGISTER HERE if you plan to come in order to help us gauge numbers (for spaces and coffee). In the event that the venue is filled up, priority will be given to those who registered.
