Remote

Level 98 🇺🇦

@level98@mastodon.social

mastodon 4.8.0-nightly.2026-10-06

Always learning!... and helping others to do the same. I've done research, written papers, taught maths, physics and science at high school and university... now doing bits and pieces
#Physics #ITeachPhysics #Maths #Math #Mathematics #JustCuriousAboutTheWorld
Theo Hughes | he/him/his | 🇦🇺

753 Followers

1105 Following

50 Posts

Joined October 28, 2022

Level 98:

https://level98.org/

ORCID:

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9126-345X

Level 98 🇺🇦 @level98@mastodon.social

· 2mo ago

The school I work at is not perfect. However, when you see a lady unloading wheelchairs from a van (to give students a feel of wheelchair basketball) and then a bunch of students who just happened to be passing, offering to help take them to the gym (and then doing a good job of helping)... you know it's a bit different to many schools.

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Level 98 🇺🇦 @level98@mastodon.social

· 2mo ago

Light is like a wave, and sometimes it's like a particle, but actually it's both... but neither... it's its own thing. [Also fulfilling my desire to naturally use "it's its" in a sentence.] #ExplainItWrongButGetItRight #HashTagGames

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Level 98 🇺🇦 @level98@mastodon.social

· 2mo ago

#Mathematics The intro of i = √(-1) is commonly motivated by its historical appearance in solving polynomials. Veritasium did (IMO) a nice explanation of this. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUzklzVXJwo However, for more technical detail/perspectives etc. (but skimming the history) Mathologer's better: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-KXStupwsc I emphasise to students there's no perfect resource. Consult multiple, to improve understanding etc. Do you know of other nice resources on this topic (similar level).

How Imaginary Numbers Were Invented

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Level 98 🇺🇦 @level98@mastodon.social

· 3mo ago

Apparently, seeking an even better alignment with FIFAs core principles, they'll be moving the next soccer World Cup to North Korea.

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Level 98 🇺🇦 @level98@mastodon.social

· 5mo ago

Replying to

@katzenberger@tldr.nettime.org @SecureOwl@infosec.exchange "A candle?... A candle!" "Luxury!!" "We 'ad to generate t' heat by rubbing our hands together, and... let me tell ya... that was pretty rough on little 'One-hand Billy'. "

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Level 98 🇺🇦 @level98@mastodon.social

· 2mo ago

What evil person put an odd number of dog treats in a bag? The dogs are looking at me like it's my fault!

Fortunately I learnt of the wisdom of Solomon, and so... the solution was simple, I cut a baby in half... I mean, I cut the dog treat in half.

mastodon.social

Mastodon

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Level 98 🇺🇦 @level98@mastodon.social

· 2mo ago

#Mathematics To use. or not, a particular axiom, is a choice. Such as the parallel postulate, or... the Axiom of Choice. "To choose, or not to choose, the Axiom of Choice. That is the question. Whether 'tis nobler in the mind..."

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Level 98 🇺🇦 @level98@mastodon.social

· 5mo ago

Replying to

@ChrisMayLA6@zirk.us Oh for the days of "Yes Minister" (or Yes Prime Minister) when the UK Civil Service was a an amusing joke, rather than a sad one.

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Level 98 🇺🇦 @level98@mastodon.social

· 4mo ago

Replying to

@TheBreadmonkey@beige.party For those not from the UK, "Y' ferc" is a classic endorsement of the food one has just eaten e.g. "That was an y'fercing burger!" So here, they are clearly selling great "ooxie". And, admit it, who isn't always struggling to find great "ooxie"?!

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Level 98 🇺🇦 @level98@mastodon.social

· 2mo ago

#Mathematics I remember having conversations as a kid that involved the protagonists trying to up each other on the number i.e. "20", "No!, 100"... "No infinity"... "Infinity +1, Ha!"

Little did we know:

infinity + 1 = infinity

at least, sometimes. We would have been even more confused if we had found out that, also, sometimes:

infinity + 1 > infinity

"Just" search up cardinal, and ordinal numbers and check out this nice take on it from the other day:

@universe_of_discourse@functional.cafe

mastodon.social

Mastodon

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Level 98 🇺🇦 @level98@mastodon.social

· 4mo ago

Replying to

@ewen@social.ewenbell.com "Riding to school on a kangaroo"? I was brought up in the UK and, no doubt, at some point, thought this is what all Aussie kids did! 😀

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Level 98 🇺🇦 @level98@mastodon.social

· 5mo ago

Replying to

@alanferrier@mastodon.scot Given the way that the "centre" has been running the place, is it any surprise?

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Level 98 🇺🇦 @level98@mastodon.social

· 5mo ago

Replying to

@feather1952 @MsDropbear42 @MelissaBearTrix It wasn't just the Angels who were weeping!

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Level 98 🇺🇦 @level98@mastodon.social

· 5mo ago

Posting in the morning in Australia while many others in the world are yet to wake.

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Level 98 🇺🇦 @level98@mastodon.social

· 2mo ago

Replying to

@bradr@infosec.exchange @freshstart@hachyderm.io @ColinTheMathmo@mathstodon.xyz What I said... except your clarifying its on daily basis (which I was assuming, but did not make clear) and adding a calculational example... thank you.

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Level 98 🇺🇦 @level98@mastodon.social

· 2mo ago

Replying to

@bradr@infosec.exchange @freshstart@hachyderm.io @ColinTheMathmo@mathstodon.xyz The links in this post provide more context. https://mastodon.social/@ewerybody/116913625952863054

mastodon.social

ëRiC: "@ColinTheMathmo@mathstodon.xyz kinda weird that t…" - Mastodon

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Level 98 🇺🇦 @level98@mastodon.social

· 2mo ago

Replying to

@muminpappa@mastodonsweden.se @freshstart@hachyderm.io @ColinTheMathmo@mathstodon.xyz ?... why should "standard deviation" not be used here. Its a reasonable way to compare the variation now to that in the past. The graph having negative and positive is simply how many SDs above (positive) or below (negative) the current temperature is compared to the mean from the period stated. It doesn't mean that the SD, as such, is negative. It would seem the SD is taken from modelling the variation over the period 1991-2020 as a normal distribution.

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Level 98 🇺🇦 @level98@mastodon.social

· 2mo ago

🎶 Soam, spam, spam, spam,
Spam, spam, spam, spam🎶

Monty Python's email inbox.

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Level 98 🇺🇦 @level98@mastodon.social

· 5mo ago

Replying to

@MsDropbear42 @nschultz "For those of you watching in black and white, the pink is next to the green." - Ted Lowe I reckon you got used to which colour was which by their distinctive shades of grey! 😀

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Level 98 🇺🇦 @level98@mastodon.social

· 5mo ago

Replying to

@backupbear Albanese is an ineffectual leader. Not directly obnoxious (like Dutton) but almost as bad by often saying "the right thing" while failing to deliver on the rhetoric.

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Level 98 🇺🇦 @level98@mastodon.social

· 4mo ago

Replying to

@loren@flipping.rocks Have you recently purchased a bottle of wine you mistakenly thought had been blessed? You may be entitled to consecration.

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Level 98 🇺🇦 @level98@mastodon.social

· 5mo ago

Replying to

@xeno@hexokina.se This is the physicist's version of getting achievement badges for Scouts. Next up... punching a hole in a whole frozen chicken to check your overpowered laser is working. 😀 #Physics

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Level 98 🇺🇦 @level98@mastodon.social

· 5mo ago

Replying to

Einstein's original prediction in 1911 was the same as Cavendish & Soldner (though he wasn't aware of Soldner's paper). Einstein's prediction essentially only took account of the curvature of time, not space. What? 5/9

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Level 98 🇺🇦 @level98@mastodon.social

· 5mo ago

Replying to

In 1804 Soldner published a paper on the gravitational bending of light, predicting the same value (+/- some minor tech details) as Cavendish. Despite some confusion over typos etc. Soldner (and Cavendish) did NOT predict the same result as GR. However, their predictions WERE the same as Einstein’s original prediction in 1911! 4/9 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/andp.202100203

onlinelibrary.wiley.com

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Level 98 🇺🇦 @level98@mastodon.social

· 5mo ago

Replying to

Newton thought about light being bent by gravity, WAY before Einstein. In his 1704 book "Opticks" he writes: "Do not Bodies act upon Light at a distance, and by their action bend its Rays; and is not that action (caeteris paribus) strongest at the least distance?" AND then comes Cavendish. 2/9

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Level 98 🇺🇦 @level98@mastodon.social

· 5mo ago

Replying to

Not that this is what Einstein did in 1911. He didn't have the full theory of GR at that time. He was really just relying on the "principle of equivalence". A nice discussion of all this, including an idea of what this means, can be found at the link below. 7/9 https://www.mathpages.com/rr/s6-03/6-03.htm

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Level 98 🇺🇦 @level98@mastodon.social

· 5mo ago

Replying to

A more mathematical discussion of this approximation can be found at the link below (part of site to help someone try learn a bit of GR). As it says there, this approximation assumes slow moving objects, which light definitely isn't! Not that this is what Einstein did in 1911. 6/9 [Originally, the link did NOT require a subscription. An "open" source is Ch 6 of Sean Carroll’s notes, but IMO this is more difficult for a “beginner” https://preposterousuniverse.com/wp-content/uploads/grnotes-six.pdf] https://einsteinrelativelyeasy.com/index.php/general-relativity/38-newtonian-limit

preposterousuniverse.com

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Level 98 🇺🇦 @level98@mastodon.social

· 5mo ago

Replying to

Between 1911 and 1915 It was fortunate for Einstein that several attempts at measuring the deflection failed. His 1915 prediction would not have been nearly as impressive seen as a correction coming after the experimental measurements! 9/9 THE END

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Level 98 🇺🇦 @level98@mastodon.social

· 5mo ago

Replying to

In 1915 Einstein revised his prediction based on the full theory of GR. This gave twice what he (Cavendish & Soldner) originally predicted. *This* is what Eddington confirmed. But... one final note. 8/9

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Level 98 🇺🇦 @level98@mastodon.social

· 5mo ago

Replying to

About 1784, Cavendish seems to have calculated the effect Newton was pondering (link below). AND, soon after this, Soldner published a related paper. 3/9 https://link.springer.com/article/10.1140/epjh/s13129-021-00027-4

link.springer.com

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Level 98 🇺🇦 @level98@mastodon.social

· 5mo ago

Replying to

@JessTheUnstill @HG Hence the value of universal health care and other such social safety nets. (Not lecturing, your post is just a great opportunity to add to the convo). They can make everyone feel happier, including those with a reasonable amount of money,, reduce any desire to hoard etc. If, society bands together to ensure no one goes unfed, unhoused etc it's a far happier society for everyone... AND it doesn't have to prevent those who want to work harder from being "better off".

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Level 98 🇺🇦 @level98@mastodon.social

· 5mo ago

Replying to

@allrite Something I was so lied to by a whole generation of adults i.e. work hard, be kind etc. and you'll be rewarded... doesn't seem to work that way... and I'm not particularly talking about myself but so many good people who I see not getting the recognition, monetary reward etc. they deserve and so many "beeps" getting it in their stead. Sigh.

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Level 98 🇺🇦 @level98@mastodon.social

· 4mo ago

Replying to

@attoparsec@clacks.link Clearly a Beholder that's been squashed flat by a Golem and then petrified by a Gorgon. [And, yes, I picked these particular monsters for alliterative purposes. Thank you for noticing.] #DnD

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Level 98 🇺🇦 @level98@mastodon.social

· 4mo ago

Replying to

@ewen@social.ewenbell.com 😆

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Level 98 🇺🇦 @level98@mastodon.social

· 4mo ago

Replying to

@ronak@donphan.social 😀

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Level 98 🇺🇦 @level98@mastodon.social

· 5mo ago

Replying to

@sohkamyung@mstdn.io Yes. It's fantastic. I've recommended it to some students, and gone through some of it in class with others.

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Level 98 🇺🇦 @level98@mastodon.social

· 5mo ago

Replying to

@vnikolov@ieji.de I guess so!

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Level 98 🇺🇦 @level98@mastodon.social

· 5mo ago

Replying to

@derwellensittich Hoping the sign is a safe distance away / suitably shielded from the source! 😀

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Level 98 🇺🇦 @level98@mastodon.social

· 5mo ago

Replying to

@ninawillburger@social.anoxinon.de Wow, and amazing that it has survived so long!

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Level 98 🇺🇦 @level98@mastodon.social

· 5mo ago

Replying to

@christianp@mathstodon.xyz @kityates@mas.to "The bells, the bells!" [Just to mix cultural references... though, interestingly, never actually said by Quasimodo, as many think.]

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Level 98 🇺🇦 @level98@mastodon.social

· 5mo ago

Replying to

@feather1952@aus.social We have to be continuously vigilant. There are always morons trying to "burn the place down" to turn a quick buck!

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Level 98 🇺🇦 @level98@mastodon.social

· 5mo ago

Replying to

@upmultimedia Wondering if @ewen has expertise in this area?

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Level 98 🇺🇦 @level98@mastodon.social

· 4mo ago

Replying to

@ronak@donphan.social I'm imagining Euler wearing blue pants, and matching red and white striped top and bobble hat.

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Level 98 🇺🇦 @level98@mastodon.social

· 5mo ago

Replying to

@ColinTheMathmo@mathstodon.xyz 😀

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Level 98 🇺🇦 @level98@mastodon.social

· 5mo ago

Those who return their free bowel test kits together (me and my wife) stay together.

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Level 98 🇺🇦 @level98@mastodon.social

· 5mo ago

Replying to

@mastodonmigration@mastodon.online @JoBlakely@mastodon.social Yes. The Hunger Games reference is apt in various ways to the US right now: https://mastodon.social/@level98/116479079452793384

mastodon.social

Level 98 🇺🇦: "#USPol I just hope USians realise that the eventu…" - Mastodon

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Level 98 🇺🇦 @level98@mastodon.social

· 5mo ago

Replying to

@tubemapper@mastodonapp.uk Great shot!

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Level 98 🇺🇦 @level98@mastodon.social

· 2mo ago

Replying to

@freshstart@hachyderm.io @ColinTheMathmo@mathstodon.xyz The graph is not a "standard deviation" (SD) - that statement doesn't even make sense. An SD is a measure taken from a normal (gaussian) distribution. As the title states, the vertical *scale* is measured in SDs from 1991 - 2020 mean. I assume they modelled temperature variation from 1991 - 2020 as a normal distribution and this is then a comparison to that period. The red line showing the current variation is way outside the temperature variation from that period.

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Level 98 🇺🇦 @level98@mastodon.social

· 4mo ago

Replying to

@ronak@donphan.social Wally, from where's Wally (or Waldo, for USians or, I think, Charlie for French etc)

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