Brad Langdale

Lucy Mensing, 1940

Lucy Mensing, forgotten pioneer of quantum mechanics ⚛️

Lucy Mensing was born #OTD in Hamburg in 1901. In the 1920s she made fundamental contributions to the new quantum mechanics. Nevertheless, she is almost completely forgotten today. What did she contribute and what led

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WOMEN IN PHYSICS DAY! In honor of the pioneering women in physics who broke down barriers to do what they love, we celebrate Women in Physics Day on November 7th, the birthdate of both Marie Curie and Lise Meitner. Marie Skrodowska-Curie (1867-1934) Radioactivity pioneer, two-time Nobel laureate A giant of science, Marie Sktodowska-Curie conducted pioneering research on radioactivity, a term she coined. She discovered two elements, founded two medical research centres, won two Nobels, and invented mobile X-ray units (dubbed petites Curies), saving countless lives in World War Lise Meitner (1878-1968) Nuclear physicist When Lise Meitner was a teen, Austria restricted female higher education. She pursued physics anyway, and 25 years later became the first woman in Germany to hold a professorship in physics. She helped discover nuclear fission, but was contentiously not awarded the 1944 Nobel alongside collaborator Otto Hahn. NOVEMBER 7TH

Dear Physicists and Physics fans,

I would like to encourage you to celebrate #WomenInPhysics Day this Friday, November 7th.

Why November 7th? Because it is the birthday of two of the most impactful women physicists of the 1900's: Marie Curie and Lise Meitner. 🎢 ⚛️ 🧪 👩‍🔬

I feel like I say this every year but I really need people to hear it. Halloween is the best American holiday. Just kids outside welcomed into their world, marching around together, showing off their costumes to the elderly, parents meeting parents, neighbors catching up with neighbors.

Thousands of teachers. One message: Fund public education.

stealing paintings from museums will soon be considered just another tool in the artist's toolbelt

you don't understand. as someone who isn't inherently good at art, stealing paintings from the museum is the *only* way i'm able to express myself creatively. i wouldn't be able to paint beautiful portraits. but by breaking into a museum and stealing the paintings, now i am

Amedeo Capelli, Italian #artist celebrated for his #handcrafted wooden automata that merge playfulness, #craftsmanship & kinetic charm

Each piece tells a visual story, blending precise #woodworking with unexpected motion that delights both #children & #adults

@stoccafisso_design

#art #woodworking

@heatherlangdale.bsky.social

Around this time, 15 years ago, we witnessed Jordan Eberle score one of the best first-career goals in NHL history.

Don't go into tomorrow worried about how you are going to cope with it. Go into it knowing that you will cope with it, come what may. Knowing that you are a warrior, that you are worthy, come what may.

Wow #yyc!

(Pics by Kelly Hofer FB)

#abpoli #ableg #cdnpoli #abed

We need a strong vision for public education. Here it is!

Teachers and the public gather at the Legislature Grounds

Pretty wild gathering at the Leg grounds today. More people than I ever imagined fighting for Public Education in Alberta. Some rare good feelings after a tough week at school.

ALBERTA: Come out and support public school teachers today in Edmonton, Calgary, and Lethbridge!

Free, universal public education is a cornerstone of Canadian society. Don't let Danielle Smith ruin it. Teachers are fighting for it right now, and deserve your support.

I think for me the most compelling answer for "why fund basic research?" (and the one most relevant to the people doing the work) is that humans are curious and finding stuff out makes us happy and fulfilled. Science is a thing humans like. Life would be more dull and sad if we didn't do it.

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You can also make a public-good argument about research trainees. Not everyone who does fundamental research stays in academia, so training people in technical skills and research methods benefits everyone when those folks go off and apply their expertise to something else.

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There's also an argument for fundamental research that basically says that in the process of doing the research you have to develop new technologies and techniques and those are eventually going to be useful for other stuff, like aerogel or essentially all medical scanning technology.

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The economic argument for doing fundamental (non-applied) scientific research is that it has a FANTASTIC return on investment. That return may take decades, and you can't predict it, but it has worked out like this since science began. Basic discoveries lead to tech advances, eventually.

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As a theoretical cosmologist, I'm frequently asked "what is the benefit of the work you're doing for people's lives?" Nothing I work on makes money or cures disease.

There are a few different answers one can give, at various levels of "convincing" / "actually relevant to why the work is done."

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We also run a forensics class here in my high school in Alberta. While the course counts towards high school grad requirements, it’s not a pre-req they can use for college or university. But that was a choice made by post secondary, not our school or school board.

I was looking for this gif yesterday and I actually searched “Brad Pitt Nodding” and was disappointed I couldn’t find it. I’m such a dumb-dumb.

But are they viewing it on Netscape Navigator?

This underfunding is a choice. The result?
Overcrowded classrooms, fewer resources, and students left behind. Try the tool yourself, then ask your MLA why Alberta kids are worth less.

For example: the new school in Coaldale (which replaced Kate Andrews, where I taught for 17 years). With proper funding, that school would have:

11 more teachers at the national average

8 more with Saskatchewan’s funding

13 more with Manitoba’s

Alberta spends the least per student in the entire country. Now you can see what your school—or your child’s school—could look like with funding that matched the National average or that of BC and Manitoba:

Reminds me of Montreal Canadian’s defender Arber Xhekaj, whose nickname is WiFi, for similar reasons.

Yes! Also happening in Alberta.

Thank goodness, I thought I was the only one.

🤯 #physics

sometimes when you're very overdue on doing laundry, your only shirts available are your worst shirt, for obvious reasons, and your favorite shirt, which you have reserved in case of emergency. this is known as the Launderer's Paradox and may result in you wearing your favorite shirt to walgreens

Happy Birthday to an absolute wizard with the puck, Ales Hemsky who turns 42 today 🎂

🎥: @Sportsnet