Dr Rajika "Reggie" Kuruwita

Annoyed at how long it took me to FINALLY start using VS Code. But to be fair, I am an older grumpy academic, set in my ways. #AcademicSky

*sigh* I know that an international move, and getting set up at a few workplace is intense, and it's reasonable I missed some abstract submission deadlines for conferences. But I am bummed to not be able to mingle with the star formation community at some upcoming meetings.#AcademicChatter

I have student projects available for all levels!

Interested in simulating star formation and interactions with the star-forming cloud? Have a look at these!

I work with students to align the project to their skills, interests, and academic level. 🔭✨#Astronomy

rajikalk.github.io/html_pages/s...

The local supercomputer is down for maintenance, so I guess I finally have time to catch up my myADS paper notifications that I've been ignoring for weeks 😅 #astronomy #academia

Mornings - ABC listen You'll get a deeper insight into the issues that matter each morning.

I was lucky enough to be interviewed on ABC Brisbane radio! I got to talk about stargazing and my work! 😊

www.abc.net.au/listen/progr...

AUSTRALIAN REALTORS! If you're going to attach a floor plan of an apartment to the listing, can you at least make sure the scale is CORRECT. measured one to be over 200m^2, and few others >120m^2, which was way too large for the price.

Just list the area. That really should be standard.

We've been using Zoom for how long now? You figured most people would learn. But maybe most people aren't as bothered by it as I am haha

"Not hearing anything? Turn up volume"
"Not hearing anything? Turn up volume"
"Not hearing anything? Turn up volume"
"Not hearing anything? Turn up volume"
"Not hearing anything? Turn up volume"

Please hit the X 🙏🙏🙏. I want to focus on the talk, but I can't. Is it just me?

I turn 33 today, and survived the gommage (because I finished #ClairObsur Expedition 33 😂)

Also, I wasn't the one playing! I couldn't quite play some of the bits I wrote hahaha, so I had a friend (a much better pianist) play it.

Oh, I know the mistakes, because I wrote it :P. But I guess no one else knows what I intended. It's just a couple of little things haha

I think I tried that 6 years ago (when I posted the piece on SoundCloud) and I wasn't successful. I don't know why, but what is spit out was nonsense. But maybe I can try again!

Danke! I wonder if I can dig up the sheet music and re-record it... There are a couple of minor errors, but the teacher wouldn't allow us to do another take 😭

Voyager, The Escape HSC composition of Rajika Kuruwita, performed by Brent Giggins Copyright 2009

Rediscovered music I composed for my high school exams.

Inspired by the Voyager space craft 🔭. My thought of the parts were: 1. The launch, 2. Discovering the weirdness of space, 3. Excitement about what's to come.

I was embarrassed, but it's not bad for a 16yo 😅

on.soundcloud.com/YiUFgvT8gMtr...

Moving back to Australia, which I am excited about. But there are definitely little things I'm already missing during my rental hunting. Namely:
1. I hate that the m^2 isn't listed and I need to calculate it from floor plans
2. I'm going to miss hardwood floors. So much easier to clean than carpet!

At the Stars to Life at McMaster for the rest of the week! 🔭

Maybe the worm inside RFK's head was an agent of the Absolute #BaldursGate

Is it just me, but I tend to wear headphones while doing tasks that don't need too much focus (debugging, cleaning up plots), but I don't on tasks that need more focus (writing).

I just wish my colleagues knew I was more open to being interrupted when I'm wearing headphones 🤣

What the hell just NEARLY happened? #eurovision

Oh no, just a super fan dressed up like him hahah the real Tommy is probably resting up for the grand final!

I just took a million screenshots from the show hahahaha. Oh my gosh, my screaming is annoying! I apologise 😅

It was on #Eurovision!!! 🥹 FYI, Tommy Cash borrowed my Australian flag hahahaha.

I know it's small, but it was such a lovely way to wrap what will be my last Live Eurovision experience for a few years.

I don't know where you got that info. All flags (except ones banned by Swiss government) are allowed in the arena. I took my Palestine flag into the arena.

The restrictions are on artists during the parade of flags. They can only carry the flag of the country they are representing.

It'll be nice being back in the Aussies Astro community 😊

I'm moving back to Australia!! 🇦🇺 I'll be continuing as a post doc at the Australian National University, back where it all started.

I have absolutely loved my time in Europe and working with the Astronomical communities here, but it was always the long term plan to go back.

I'm actually hoping my train arrival is delayed by a few more minutes so I can get compensated. It's already 58min late, what's a couple more minutes? Haha

Companies that like to poach grad students might benefit a lot from PromoPlot ;) #AprilFools

arxiv.org/abs/2503.24254

PromoPlot: Covering open-access fees by filling wasted space in corner plots In an effort to reduce drain on grant funds and decrease unused space in publications, we have developed a Python package for inserting advertisements into the space left empty by corner plots. This n...

Finally some practical advice to deal with rising publication costs!

#AprilFools

arxiv.org/abs/2503.24254

Submit your abstracts for the multiplicity in Young Stars Conference!

🔭 ✨

Today is exactly 30 years since my family left Sri Lanka (due to civil war)

I was two years old. I have realised that no matter where I go, I will always be seen as an immigrant, and it is a core part of identity.

I hate Immigration politics, but talk of it makes me wary of who I want to befriend.