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Richard Bower

Professor in Physics, Durham University

A long time ago, Richard Bower grew up in a small Cornish village where the sky was dark and it was warm enough to sit outside and wonder where they came from. Today, he is Professor of Cosmology at Durham University. He works at the ICC, the Institute for Computational Cosmology, creating a virtual Universe with some of the world’s largest computers. This is clearly an almost impossible task, yet recently his simulations have taken a major step forward and are able to reproduce galaxies in the observed universe in remarkable detail.

Professor Bower’s interests span observational and theoretical studies of galaxy formation. His research time is shared between observational and theoretical cosmology. In particular, he works on the formation and evolution of galaxies and clusters of galaxies. He is fascinated by the existence of galaxies and the ways in which they formed. Why is the night sky so full of stars? What has made the different types of galaxies so different from each other? He likes to speculate about what it would be like to live in a galaxy cluster.

After graduating with a First in Physics at Oxford, he completed his PhD thesis at the University of Durham and went on hold research positions in Munich and Edinburgh before returning to Durham as a lecturer. As well as teaching courses on Cosmology and Computing, he has lectured on topics as diverse as the Physics of Motorsport and, now, on Robert Grosseteste’s 13th century vision of the creation of the Universe, “De Luce”. Professor Bower leads the Intel Parallel Computing Centre at Durham, developing SWIFT, a revolutionary new approach to high-performance computing.

Time travel: a conversation between a scientist and a literature professor

May 23, 2017 12:38 pm UTC| Science

Literature professor Simon John James and physicist Richard Bower were both involved in the curating the exhibition, Time Machines the past, the future, and how stories take us there. Their conversations quickly revealed...

Economy

Nigerians throw naira notes around to show love: but it could land you in jail

The legal implication of physically damaging the naira, Nigerias currency, came into focus recently with the prosecution of at least two celebrities by the countrys Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. Nigeria has a...

The US is one of the least trade-oriented countries in the world – despite laying the groundwork for today’s globalized system

Given the spate of news about international trade lately, Americans might be surprised to learn that the U.S. isnt very dependent on it. Indeed, looking at trade as a percentage of gross domestic product a metric...

Beyond the spin, beyond the handouts, here’s how to get a handle on what’s really happening on budget night

Three weeks from now, some of us will be presented with a mountain of budget papers, and just about all of us will get to hear about them on radio, TV or news websites on budget night. The quickest way to find out what...

Johannesburg in a time of darkness: Ivan Vladislavić’s new memoir reminds us of the city’s fragility

Ivan Vladislavić is Johannesburgs literary linkman. He tells us, in the first pages of his new book, The Near North, that before cities were lit, first by gaslight and later electricity, people of means paid torchbearers...

Economist Chris Richardson on an ‘ugly’ inflation result and the coming budget

With Jim Chalmerss third budget on May 14, Australians will be looking for some more cost-of-living relief beyond the tax cuts although they have been warned extra measures will be modest. As this weeks consumer price...

Politics

Sudan’s civil war is rooted in its historical favouritism of Arab and Islamic identity

The current civil war in Sudan goes beyond a simple power struggle between two generals. It reflects a deep-rooted crisis within the countrys governing structure thats been present since it gained independence from the...

South Africa’s youth are a generation lost under democracy – study

South African president Cyril Ramaphosa recently painted a rosy picture in which the countrys youth democracys children had enormous opportunities for advancement, all thanks to successive post-apartheid governments led...

Sadiq Khan on track for third term as London mayor – but nearly half of Londoners dissatisfied with performance

Polls have consistently shown that the incumbent mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, appears to be on track to win a third term in office at the upcoming mayoral elections on May 2. One poll we commissioned as part of our...

The politics stopping the UK from opening a youth mobility scheme with Europe

Earlier this week, it seemed possible that young people in the UK might soon be able to travel freely to work and live in Europe again. The European Commission laid out proposals to open mobility to millions of 18- to...

Biden administration tells employers to stop shackling workers with ‘noncompete agreements’

Most American workers are hired at will: Employers owe their employees nothing in the relationship except earned wages, and employees are at liberty to quit at their option. As the rule is generally stated, either party...

Science

IceCube researchers detect a rare type of energetic neutrino sent from powerful astronomical objects

About a trillion tiny particles called neutrinos pass through you every second. Created during the Big Bang, these relic neutrinos exist throughout the entire universe, but they cant harm you. In fact, only one of them is...

The Mars Sample Return mission has a shaky future, and NASA is calling on private companies for backup

A critical NASA mission in the search for life beyond Earth, Mars Sample Return, is in trouble. Its budget has ballooned from US$5 billion to over $11 billion, and the sample return date may slip from the end of this...

Dark matter: our new experiment aims to turn the ghostly substance into actual light

A ghost is haunting our universe. This has been known in astronomy and cosmology for decades. Observations suggest that about 85% of all the matter in the universe is mysterious and invisible. These two qualities are...

A Nasa rover has reached a promising place to search for fossilised life on Mars

While we go about our daily lives on Earth, a nuclear-powered robot the size of a small car is trundling around Mars looking for fossils. Unlike its predecessor Curiosity, Nasas Perseverance rover is explicitly intended to...

The rising flood of space junk is a risk to us on Earth – and governments are on the hook

A piece of space junk recently crashed through the roof and floor of a mans home in Florida. Nasa later confirmed that the object had come from unwanted hardware released from the international space station. The 700g,...

Technology

Huawei's Mate 70 Series to Run on Kirin 9100 Chip: AnTuTu Scores Equal Snapdragon 8 Gen 1

Rumors swirl around Huaweis upcoming Mate 70 flagship series, hinting at a groundbreaking inclusion: the Kirin 9100 chipset. Initial performance figures suggest the chip matches Qualcomms Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, setting the...

Kraken's Bold Move: Expanding into Germany with DLT Finance Partnership

Cryptocurrency giant Kraken makes waves with its strategic decision to launch operations in Germany, a pivotal move in its broader European expansion plan. Teaming up with DLT Finance, a regulated financial institution,...

Macron's France Targets Fourfold Increase in EV Sales by 2027; Welcomes BYD Factory Plans

France has announced plans to quadruple EV sales by 2027. The agreement, enhancing Frances position against global competitors, aligns with a state visit from China, spotlighting potential collaborations with major...

Shiba Inu Insider Urges Focus on SHIB and BTC Amid Market Rally

In a recent wake-up call, Lucie of the Shiba Inu team urged the cryptocurrency community to closely monitor Shiba Inu (SHIB) and Bitcoin (BTC) as both tokens exhibit strong price recoveries. This comes amid growing...

Is China Opening Doors to Bitcoin ETFs? Investor's Comment Sparks Debate

Following the recent launch of Bitcoin ETFs in Hong Kong, speculation is mounting over potential access for mainland Chinese investors. Richard Byworth, a prominent Bitcoin investor, suggested that these ETFs could soon be...