Breaking News: The biggest name in popular astronomy publishing, Sky At Night Magazine, has a new writer. It's me!
Over the next three issues (November 2012 – January 2013), I'll have a series of four-page feature articles about the physics of space – what it is, how it works and where it comes from. The series is called “The Big Questions” and, in each article, I’ll tackle one of the enduring questions about the Universe, and try to convince the readers that they don’t need to be Albert Einstein to understand the answers.
The first article will be called “What is spacetime?”. I guess everyone has heard of “spacetime” and felt curious about what it really means, but most people assume that you need to be good at maths or have a degree in physics to have any chance of really knowing about it. I believe that no topic is too advanced to be explained in an entertaining way.
So my articles are aimed at everyone. Curiosity is the only qualification that my readers need. The style is going to be irreverent, but never at the expense of accuracy. I expect to answer more "Big Questions" later in the year, as well as more news-based features on areas of applied maths and theoretical physics.
I enjoy writing, and I think that helping to make science more accessible is one of the most worthwhile things I can do. So I'm very excited to be embarking on this new project. Sky At Night Magazine has a great reputation, and it turns out that the editorial staff are really friendly and easy to work with. It's been great to see my scribblings being turned into polished and visually stunning articles.
As a theoretical physicist, I regularly talk about my research in academic circles - in seminars and at conferences. So I often rub shoulders with the great and the good - I've met a few Nobel laureates, and am no longer easily star-struck. But I have to admit that writing for the partner publication to the world-renowned television programme, founded and presented by Patrick Moore, does give me a frisson of pride and excitement. Or, to put it another way, Woohoo!
The November issue will be in the shops from 16th October.
The first article will be called “What is spacetime?”. I guess everyone has heard of “spacetime” and felt curious about what it really means, but most people assume that you need to be good at maths or have a degree in physics to have any chance of really knowing about it. I believe that no topic is too advanced to be explained in an entertaining way.
So my articles are aimed at everyone. Curiosity is the only qualification that my readers need. The style is going to be irreverent, but never at the expense of accuracy. I expect to answer more "Big Questions" later in the year, as well as more news-based features on areas of applied maths and theoretical physics.
I enjoy writing, and I think that helping to make science more accessible is one of the most worthwhile things I can do. So I'm very excited to be embarking on this new project. Sky At Night Magazine has a great reputation, and it turns out that the editorial staff are really friendly and easy to work with. It's been great to see my scribblings being turned into polished and visually stunning articles.
As a theoretical physicist, I regularly talk about my research in academic circles - in seminars and at conferences. So I often rub shoulders with the great and the good - I've met a few Nobel laureates, and am no longer easily star-struck. But I have to admit that writing for the partner publication to the world-renowned television programme, founded and presented by Patrick Moore, does give me a frisson of pride and excitement. Or, to put it another way, Woohoo!
The November issue will be in the shops from 16th October.
