Rafid H. Dejrah

Whether you are looking for a rigorous textbook to sleep with under your pillow, or a blog to read while procrastinating on your problem sets, here is my curated collection of the good stuff.

The "Holy Texts"

These are the standards. If you see these on a shelf, you know the person means business.

• Introduction to Cosmology (Barbara Ryden)

  The Verdict: The friendliest introduction you will find. It explains the expansion of the universe without making you cry. Start here.



• The First Three Minutes (Steven Weinberg)

  The Verdict: The absolute classic. Even though it was written in the 70s, it captures the excitement of the Big Bang better than almost anything else. It’s the book that made many of us want to be cosmologists in the first place.



• Modern Cosmology (Scott Dodelson)

  The Verdict: The heavy hitter. This is for when you want to understand the machinery behind the CMB and Large Scale Structure. It’s tough, but rewarding.



• David Tong's Lecture Notes

  The Verdict: Okay, not a book, but legendary. David Tong (Cambridge) writes great physics notes. They are free, funny, and incredibly clear.

The Internet Rabbit Holes 🌐

Websites that make you smarter just by looking at them.

• Astrobites

  What is it? Daily summaries of new research papers, written by grad students for undergrads.

  Why read it? Real papers are scary. Astrobites translates them into human language. It is the single best way to keep up with what is happening in astrophysics right now.

• Quanta Magazine

  What is it? The gold standard of science journalism.

  Why read it? They have the best graphics and they explain complex theoretical concepts (like String Theory or Entanglement) without dumbing them down. It’s beautiful to look at.

• Preposterous Universe (Sean Carroll)

  What is it? A blog by one of the most articulate theoretical physicists alive.

  Why read it? Deep dives into the philosophy of physics, quantum mechanics, and time. Also, he has a great podcast called Mindscape.

• Of Particular Significance (Matt Strassler)

  What is it? A blog dedicated to particle physics.

  Why read it? Ever wondered what a "field" actually is? Or how the Higgs mechanism works? Matt explains the gritty details that pop-sci books gloss over.

• Max Tegmark's Universe

  What is it? The personal website of MIT professor Max Tegmark.

  Why read it? If you like your physics with a side of philosophy and AI, this is the place. From the "Mathematical Universe Hypothesis" (is reality just math?) to the future of life, it’s a mind-bending trip through one of the most creative brains in physics.

• Benn Lehmann

  Who is he? A theoretical physicist (MIT) working on the interface of particle physics and cosmology.

  Why look? If you want to see what "Dark Matter Phenomenology" looks like in practice, his site is a gold mine. plus, he explains things with a clarity that makes you feel smarter just by reading.

• Sarah R. Geller

  Who is she? A theoretical physicist exploring the early universe.

  Why look? Her work is a great example of rigorous theory meeting big questions. It's also a fantastic example of how to structure a personal academic website—clean, professional, and research-focused.

• Jaco de Swart

  Who is he? A historian of physics and a cosmologist.

  Why look? Ever wonder how we actually discovered Dark Matter? Jaco digs into the history of the ideas we take for granted. His work bridges the gap between hard science and the human story behind it. Highly recommended if you like context!

• Andrew L. Miller

  Who is he? An Assistant Professor at the ICTP-AP (Beijing) and a key member of the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA collaborations.

  Why look? He is literally listening to the universe for the "dark" stuff. His work bridges the gap between theoretical predictions and the actual data coming from gravitational wave detectors. A must-follow if you are interested in how we test exotic physics with real data.

• S. Shankaranarayanan

  Who is he? A Professor of Physics at IIT Bombay specializing in Gravity, Cosmology, and Quantum Field Theory.

  Why look? His research covers the deep, fundamental questions of the universe—from inflation to black hole thermodynamics. His website is a great resource for seeing how a senior professor organizes a research group and tackles multiple complex topics at once.