Physgal ⚛️
@physgal.bsky.social
University physics lecturer and Associate Dean, Learning. Physics demystifier. Supporter of girls and women in physics. CAP Teaching Medal 2018, 3MNTF 2023. She/her Ph.D.
Pinned
Physgal ⚛️
@physgal.bsky.social
· Nov 13
📍Welcome to the Women In STEM feed! 📍
Anyone can post to this feed using #WomenInSTEM
Follow @afreeparticleemoji.bsky.social to post using one of these emojis: 👩🔬|👩🏻🔬|👩🏼🔬|👩🏽🔬|👩🏾🔬|👩🏿🔬
Anyone can post to this feed using #WomenInSTEM
Follow @afreeparticleemoji.bsky.social to post using one of these emojis: 👩🔬|👩🏻🔬|👩🏼🔬|👩🏽🔬|👩🏾🔬|👩🏿🔬
Spread the word #AcademicSky
My colleague, Dr. Vahid Abedini, was illegally detained by ICE on Saturday. He is currently being held without a court date in sight, despite being in the country legally. Please spread the word! We must ensure his due process rights are upheld. www.oudaily.com/news/ou-prof...
OU College of International Studies professor reportedly arrested by ICE
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement reportedly arrested an OU professor at Will Rogers International Airport Saturday.
www.oudaily.com
November 25, 2025 at 5:07 AM
Spread the word #AcademicSky
Bye bye Nike
It is the single largest donation Knight has made to an Oregon candidate or political action committee.
Nike co-founder Phil Knight makes record-setting donation to help elect Republicans
It is the single largest donation Knight has made to an Oregon candidate or political action committee.
www.oregonlive.com
November 25, 2025 at 4:24 AM
Bye bye Nike
Interesting results in this new paper:
Canadian physics counts: an exploration of the diverse identities of physics students and professionals in Canada.
🧪 🇨🇦 ⚛️ 👩🔬🎢
Canadian physics counts: an exploration of the diverse identities of physics students and professionals in Canada.
🧪 🇨🇦 ⚛️ 👩🔬🎢
Canadian physics counts: an exploration of the diverse identities of physics students and professionals in Canada
The lack of diversity in physics remains a worldwide problem. Despite being a quantitative discipline relying on measurements, there is a paucity of data on the demographic characteristics of underrep...
www.facetsjournal.com
November 24, 2025 at 8:26 PM
Interesting results in this new paper:
Canadian physics counts: an exploration of the diverse identities of physics students and professionals in Canada.
🧪 🇨🇦 ⚛️ 👩🔬🎢
Canadian physics counts: an exploration of the diverse identities of physics students and professionals in Canada.
🧪 🇨🇦 ⚛️ 👩🔬🎢
I think the huge Gen Z vote for Mamdani could be construed as a protest against Trump. Not to mention that retired folks have more time on their hands.
November 24, 2025 at 8:11 PM
I think the huge Gen Z vote for Mamdani could be construed as a protest against Trump. Not to mention that retired folks have more time on their hands.
Reposted by Physgal ⚛️
"all actions flowing from Ms. Halligan's defective appointment...were unlawful exercises of executive power and are hereby set aside."
November 24, 2025 at 7:54 PM
"all actions flowing from Ms. Halligan's defective appointment...were unlawful exercises of executive power and are hereby set aside."
That's interesting. I just double-checked and SFU's admission criteria do include "graduate high school" for traditional high school age students from BC, but only starting in Fall 2026. Huh. Students from other provinces are not required to have graduated.
November 24, 2025 at 4:21 AM
That's interesting. I just double-checked and SFU's admission criteria do include "graduate high school" for traditional high school age students from BC, but only starting in Fall 2026. Huh. Students from other provinces are not required to have graduated.
I have a great example of the Google AI getting a physics problem very wrong that I use as a clicker question in class. I ask them why the answer is wrong.
November 23, 2025 at 9:43 PM
I have a great example of the Google AI getting a physics problem very wrong that I use as a clicker question in class. I ask them why the answer is wrong.
True, but they do have to graduate high school to be admitted and passing the provincial assessments in BC are required for graduation.
November 23, 2025 at 9:33 PM
True, but they do have to graduate high school to be admitted and passing the provincial assessments in BC are required for graduation.
Now we're down to 2 Grade 10 assessments in literacy and numeracy and one Grade 12 assessment in literacy. Not exactly the same as SATs, but it's something and they are graduation requirements.
Provincial assessment | Building Student Success - B.C. Curriculum
curriculum.gov.bc.ca
November 23, 2025 at 9:31 PM
Now we're down to 2 Grade 10 assessments in literacy and numeracy and one Grade 12 assessment in literacy. Not exactly the same as SATs, but it's something and they are graduation requirements.
If nothing else, the exams helped standardize the curriculum across the province. Now we're seeing lots of variation in what students are exposed to in their HS science classes.
November 23, 2025 at 9:26 PM
If nothing else, the exams helped standardize the curriculum across the province. Now we're seeing lots of variation in what students are exposed to in their HS science classes.
SFU and UBC used the grades that included the provincial exam marks for admissions, so it made a difference here.
November 23, 2025 at 9:23 PM
SFU and UBC used the grades that included the provincial exam marks for admissions, so it made a difference here.
A colleague borrowed my copy of your C.S. Wu picture book to read to his child. Thought I'd let you know. 😊
November 23, 2025 at 9:22 PM
A colleague borrowed my copy of your C.S. Wu picture book to read to his child. Thought I'd let you know. 😊
Reposted by Physgal ⚛️
In Monrovia, California, protesters are purchasing 17¢ ICE scrapers from Home Depot and immediately returning them to create long lines and slow down the entire store. Their aim is to disrupt sales and convey a message opposing ICE raids occurring in their neighborhood.
November 23, 2025 at 11:37 AM
In Monrovia, California, protesters are purchasing 17¢ ICE scrapers from Home Depot and immediately returning them to create long lines and slow down the entire store. Their aim is to disrupt sales and convey a message opposing ICE raids occurring in their neighborhood.
Reposted by Physgal ⚛️
Today, a #WomenInSTEM thread dedicated to engineers
Li Fu Lee (1904 – 1985) was a Chinese engineer and teacher known for being the first Chinese woman to attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Her attendance starting in 1925 was reported by numerous media outlets.
Here at the MIT's radio experiment station, 1925
Her attendance starting in 1925 was reported by numerous media outlets.
Here at the MIT's radio experiment station, 1925
November 23, 2025 at 7:17 PM
Today, a #WomenInSTEM thread dedicated to engineers
Nice. We had an 8-track player at home when I was in high school. I had Journey's Escape album on 8-track. 😮
November 23, 2025 at 7:20 PM
Nice. We had an 8-track player at home when I was in high school. I had Journey's Escape album on 8-track. 😮
⬇️⬇️ Please ⬇️⬇️
Journalist challenge: Use “Machine Learning” when you mean machine learning and “LLM” when you mean LLM. Ditch “AI” as a catch-all term, it’s not useful for readers and it helps companies trying to confuse the public by obscuring the roles played by different technologies. 🧪
November 23, 2025 at 6:05 PM
⬇️⬇️ Please ⬇️⬇️
Reposted by Physgal ⚛️
There is a post circulating on Bluesky encouraging the moving of a frozen turkey straight into a pot of hot oil. We are combating this misinformation the best way we know how - through the power of dance music.
November 23, 2025 at 1:31 PM
There is a post circulating on Bluesky encouraging the moving of a frozen turkey straight into a pot of hot oil. We are combating this misinformation the best way we know how - through the power of dance music.
That's me in the corner
That's me in the spotlight, losing my religion
Trying to keep up with you
And I don't know if I can do it
Oh no, I've said too much
I haven't said enough...
That's me in the spotlight, losing my religion
Trying to keep up with you
And I don't know if I can do it
Oh no, I've said too much
I haven't said enough...
November 23, 2025 at 5:55 PM
That's me in the corner
That's me in the spotlight, losing my religion
Trying to keep up with you
And I don't know if I can do it
Oh no, I've said too much
I haven't said enough...
That's me in the spotlight, losing my religion
Trying to keep up with you
And I don't know if I can do it
Oh no, I've said too much
I haven't said enough...
We've seen a decline in the quantitative/math skills of incoming science students over the last 10 years or so and we're trying to figure out the best way to handle it. They're particularly bad at proportional reasoning according to the testing we have done so far.
November 23, 2025 at 5:26 PM
We've seen a decline in the quantitative/math skills of incoming science students over the last 10 years or so and we're trying to figure out the best way to handle it. They're particularly bad at proportional reasoning according to the testing we have done so far.
That's not totally true. In BC, we used to have provincial exams and high school grades were partially based on them. Now that they're gone, we're definitely seeing weaker math quantitative skills in our incoming students. We're thinking about instituting math placement exams to address the issue.
November 23, 2025 at 5:17 PM
That's not totally true. In BC, we used to have provincial exams and high school grades were partially based on them. Now that they're gone, we're definitely seeing weaker math quantitative skills in our incoming students. We're thinking about instituting math placement exams to address the issue.
I think the lack of understanding what they're doing is key. Students are great at memorizing patterns. I know that's how some of them get through high school physics. They arrive at university and their conceptual understanding isn't always that great.
November 23, 2025 at 5:12 PM
I think the lack of understanding what they're doing is key. Students are great at memorizing patterns. I know that's how some of them get through high school physics. They arrive at university and their conceptual understanding isn't always that great.
I'll ask the group that made them if they're willing to share.
November 23, 2025 at 5:08 PM
I'll ask the group that made them if they're willing to share.