May 2021 Newsletter

Purple dragons for May 2021

Hi, Welcome to the slightly late May 2021 Newsletter. It was kind of a big month. My birthday, Eurovision, finishing another group of Navy teaching and a new job. Along with concerts, house renos and other new things.

Big News

I have guinea pigs. I picked up Houdini and Rossi on Saturday. They are very cute and we are all very happy.

Exciting science

The standard model of physics might be wrong. There has been a mismatch between the measurement and the theoretical results of muon g-2 experiments. It’s very exciting. If you want to find out more, which I’m sure you are, check out some of my favourite physicists from the internet Matt from PBS Space Time or Don from Fermilab or Ed and Tony on Sixty Symbols

10 Female Science Geeks

This list of 10 female geeks who changed history appeared on Domestika. Some of the usual suspects are there but some new ones I hadn’t heard of before like Valerie Thomas, Roberta Williams, Shirley Ann Jackson, Stephanie Kwolek and Lizzie Magie

Fun F1

So I came across 3 youtube channels for an alternative take on F1 this month. The Moving Bricks channel completely recreates each F1 race in LEGO. The Official Minis Channel is so cute. They have a cartoon version of all the F1 and MotoGP races. They are very funny all the little mini drivers have great personalities. If music is more your thing check out Sim Dane Channel, think “Weird Al” Yankovic meets F1.

Music

I was fortunate enough to get to go to 2 concerts this month. My first cocktail hour concert in the Utzon Room at the Opera House since 2019. It was lovely to be back in such a beautiful setting listening to such beautiful music. There were 2 pieces Evard Grieg’s String Quartet No.1 in G minor, Op.27 and Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Souvenir de Florence, Op.70. I could continue on waxing lyrically about it all but I’ll save your eyes. If you want to see the program click here or hear it here on Spotify.
The other concert was epic. The concert was simply named Sydney Symphony Brass and it opened with Aaron Copeland’s Fanfare for a Common Man. Some of the highlights were Handel’s ‘The arrival of the Queen of Sheba’ and Bizet’s ‘Carmen Suite’ both arranged for just brass and percussion. So very very cool. Here is a link to a playlist of a small selection of the pieces. Unfortunately, they haven’t been arranged for brass.

So that’ll do for this month. There are Guinea pigs to go and play with and sewing to continue with. Chat to you next month