Peter Watson
@peter-w.bsky.social
Physicist, retired nuisance. Still teach occasionally, intrigued by Time.
What is the best fado song in English? In Portugal, saudade is the heart of the fado: the best translation is melancholic longing. So the closest has to be Country and Western music: I'll offer "Me and Bobby McGee". Anyone else?
September 27, 2026 at 8:21 PM
What is the best fado song in English? In Portugal, saudade is the heart of the fado: the best translation is melancholic longing. So the closest has to be Country and Western music: I'll offer "Me and Bobby McGee". Anyone else?
Nope. Brexit was
I said it at the time (and before!), but I truly believe that American voters electing Donald Trump for a second term in 2024 was the dumbest and most self-harming choice made by an electorate in the history of humanity
September 16, 2026 at 1:40 PM
Nope. Brexit was
No, I didn't make this one up.
September 11, 2026 at 11:23 AM
No, I didn't make this one up.
At least Apple Maps still has it correct!
August 30, 2026 at 11:53 PM
At least Apple Maps still has it correct!
To see heaven in a grain of sand...
August 30, 2026 at 11:26 PM
To see heaven in a grain of sand...
Today's good news: in the daily Telegraph no less.
May 27, 2026 at 1:54 PM
Today's good news: in the daily Telegraph no less.
So as an ignorant outsider, can I ask: does this allow Comey and Powell to make claims on the fund?
Yup!
*DOJ ESTABLISHES 'ANTI-WEAPONIZATION FUND' AFTER IRS SUIT
*DOJ: FUND TO GET $1.776B
*DOJ: ANTI-WEAPONIZATION FUND WILL COME FROM JUDGMENT FUND
*DOJ ESTABLISHES 'ANTI-WEAPONIZATION FUND' AFTER IRS SUIT
*DOJ: FUND TO GET $1.776B
*DOJ: ANTI-WEAPONIZATION FUND WILL COME FROM JUDGMENT FUND
So he's gone ahead with stealing our money, huh?
May 19, 2026 at 3:21 PM
So as an ignorant outsider, can I ask: does this allow Comey and Powell to make claims on the fund?
My favourite evaluation was "I did not like this course at all. Dr Watson expected us to think about new ideas almost every class". I used it to get a teaching award
I braved reading my course evals, & I'm glad because this one comment made my day:
"Dr. A is an absolute treasure to have as a professor; if there was a class about watching grass grow, as long as Dr. A was the one teaching it, I'd be the very first person in line to sign up."
"Dr. A is an absolute treasure to have as a professor; if there was a class about watching grass grow, as long as Dr. A was the one teaching it, I'd be the very first person in line to sign up."
May 19, 2026 at 3:17 PM
My favourite evaluation was "I did not like this course at all. Dr Watson expected us to think about new ideas almost every class". I used it to get a teaching award
When my son was about that age, we were in Nigeria. At the start of the dry season he couldn't talk, but 4 months later, the first downpour hit and he dashed into the house, shouting "Water! From sky" and dashed out to dance in it
April 30, 2026 at 6:41 PM
When my son was about that age, we were in Nigeria. At the start of the dry season he couldn't talk, but 4 months later, the first downpour hit and he dashed into the house, shouting "Water! From sky" and dashed out to dance in it
I recently watched the re-release of Caligula, which is actually quite a good movie with Malcolm Macdowell at his scenery-chewing best. In it, Caligula defeats Neptune by capturing a lot of sea-shells. There is no possible similarity to Trump getting angry over a whole lot of sea-shells.
April 30, 2026 at 6:32 PM
I recently watched the re-release of Caligula, which is actually quite a good movie with Malcolm Macdowell at his scenery-chewing best. In it, Caligula defeats Neptune by capturing a lot of sea-shells. There is no possible similarity to Trump getting angry over a whole lot of sea-shells.
It is not widely known that Shakespeare anticipated Schrödinger by several hundred years. In the manuscript of “Hamlet” the start of the soliloquy is crossed out and replaced by
“To be and not to be..
That is the answer”
“To be and not to be..
That is the answer”
January 18, 2026 at 3:21 PM
It is not widely known that Shakespeare anticipated Schrödinger by several hundred years. In the manuscript of “Hamlet” the start of the soliloquy is crossed out and replaced by
“To be and not to be..
That is the answer”
“To be and not to be..
That is the answer”
Yesterday I landed in Portugal, one of the few sane countries left in the world. And my favourite coffee shop greeted me with a cattuccino.
January 18, 2026 at 3:13 PM
Yesterday I landed in Portugal, one of the few sane countries left in the world. And my favourite coffee shop greeted me with a cattuccino.
But it isn't. This is
November 2, 2025 at 2:05 PM
But it isn't. This is
As part of an intro to kinetic theory I produced a movie of a single atom moving in a 1-D box, and advertised it as the most boring movie ever made.
November 2, 2025 at 2:05 PM
As part of an intro to kinetic theory I produced a movie of a single atom moving in a 1-D box, and advertised it as the most boring movie ever made.
Whole new meaning to the word "Reality" that I wasn't aware of.
BBC reports Kim Kardashian doesn't believe the moon landing happened
October 31, 2025 at 3:08 PM
Whole new meaning to the word "Reality" that I wasn't aware of.
Sure most of you know all of this, but it was fun writing it!
theconversation.com/our-understa...
theconversation.com/our-understa...
Our understanding of lightning has been driven by fear and shaped by curiosity
We’ve long been fascinated by lightning, which can also be found in volcanoes and on Jupiter.
theconversation.com
September 7, 2025 at 2:21 PM
Sure most of you know all of this, but it was fun writing it!
theconversation.com/our-understa...
theconversation.com/our-understa...
I had a very persistent guy who came back week after week with a theory. I finally asked him what he did for a living: turned out he was a plumber. So I needed some plumbing doing, so I asked him if he would do it: I'd provide the parts "What, work for free?" was his indignant response.
This is why all unsolicited theories I receive go into an appropriately labeled e-mail folder and never return
Heisenberg on Bohr's occasionally excesssively generous nature. One of the first lessons learnt as a Nature editor about the "fringe" submissions is that this is exactly what will happen if you let it.
August 11, 2025 at 11:58 AM
I had a very persistent guy who came back week after week with a theory. I finally asked him what he did for a living: turned out he was a plumber. So I needed some plumbing doing, so I asked him if he would do it: I'd provide the parts "What, work for free?" was his indignant response.
Maybe they should have asked for directions sooner.
May 8, 2025 at 1:59 PM
Maybe they should have asked for directions sooner.
Hands up if you feel you might have an inappropriate response during nuclear attack.....from the Diefenbunker in Ottawa
May 1, 2025 at 12:56 PM
Hands up if you feel you might have an inappropriate response during nuclear attack.....from the Diefenbunker in Ottawa
Next we take Manhattan?
April 30, 2025 at 2:22 PM
Next we take Manhattan?
To celebrate Lewis Carroll's unbirthday:
He thought he saw a Argument
That proved he was the Pope:
He looked again, and found it was
A Bar of Mottled Soap.
'A fact so dread,' he faintly said,
'Extinguishes all hope!'
He thought he saw a Argument
That proved he was the Pope:
He looked again, and found it was
A Bar of Mottled Soap.
'A fact so dread,' he faintly said,
'Extinguishes all hope!'
April 27, 2025 at 12:28 PM
To celebrate Lewis Carroll's unbirthday:
He thought he saw a Argument
That proved he was the Pope:
He looked again, and found it was
A Bar of Mottled Soap.
'A fact so dread,' he faintly said,
'Extinguishes all hope!'
He thought he saw a Argument
That proved he was the Pope:
He looked again, and found it was
A Bar of Mottled Soap.
'A fact so dread,' he faintly said,
'Extinguishes all hope!'
And I just thought it was a typo for Leeroy Brown (as in Bad, Bad...)
April 3, 2025 at 2:59 PM
And I just thought it was a typo for Leeroy Brown (as in Bad, Bad...)
As someone who doesn't understand US politics, I am always puzzled by the emphasis on raising money for elections. The votes in Florida and Wisconsin yesterday both went against the money raised by the candidates. What evidence is there that money raised equals votes obtained?
April 2, 2025 at 2:30 PM
As someone who doesn't understand US politics, I am always puzzled by the emphasis on raising money for elections. The votes in Florida and Wisconsin yesterday both went against the money raised by the candidates. What evidence is there that money raised equals votes obtained?
And in the UK it can be used to define social class
I asked the girl in dulcet tone
To bring to me a buttered scone
The silly girl has gone
And brought along a buttered scone
I asked the girl in dulcet tone
To bring to me a buttered scone
The silly girl has gone
And brought along a buttered scone
Can someone please explain to me why a scone in the UK is a hot, moist, buttery cube of delight, while a scone in the US is what happens when a biscuit makes love to a dust bunny?
March 30, 2025 at 2:37 PM
And in the UK it can be used to define social class
I asked the girl in dulcet tone
To bring to me a buttered scone
The silly girl has gone
And brought along a buttered scone
I asked the girl in dulcet tone
To bring to me a buttered scone
The silly girl has gone
And brought along a buttered scone