Jimmy Newland
@jimmynewland.bsky.social
Academic and STEM educator working at TACC at UT Austin. PhD in physics education using computer science pedagogy from University of Houston. https://jimmynewland.com
Reposted by Jimmy Newland
Another board game night - tonight is Patchwork Christmas Edition
November 29, 2025 at 1:24 AM
Another board game night - tonight is Patchwork Christmas Edition
Reposted by Jimmy Newland
I don’t know if anyone else notices or cares, but when I see a presentation in which the speaker uses obviously generated-AI images to illustrate their slides, it makes me immediately less confident in whatever other content they’re presenting.
November 28, 2025 at 3:07 PM
I don’t know if anyone else notices or cares, but when I see a presentation in which the speaker uses obviously generated-AI images to illustrate their slides, it makes me immediately less confident in whatever other content they’re presenting.
Reposted by Jimmy Newland
What does it mean to understand language? We argue that the brain’s core language system is limited, and that *deeply* understanding language requires EXPORTING info to other brain regions.
w/ @neuranna.bsky.social @evfedorenko.bsky.social @nancykanwisher.bsky.social
arxiv.org/abs/2511.19757
1/n🧵👇
w/ @neuranna.bsky.social @evfedorenko.bsky.social @nancykanwisher.bsky.social
arxiv.org/abs/2511.19757
1/n🧵👇
What does it mean to understand language?
Language understanding entails not just extracting the surface-level meaning of the linguistic input, but constructing rich mental models of the situation it describes. Here we propose that because pr...
arxiv.org
November 26, 2025 at 4:26 PM
What does it mean to understand language? We argue that the brain’s core language system is limited, and that *deeply* understanding language requires EXPORTING info to other brain regions.
w/ @neuranna.bsky.social @evfedorenko.bsky.social @nancykanwisher.bsky.social
arxiv.org/abs/2511.19757
1/n🧵👇
w/ @neuranna.bsky.social @evfedorenko.bsky.social @nancykanwisher.bsky.social
arxiv.org/abs/2511.19757
1/n🧵👇
I left the classroom in 2024 after teaching physics, astronomy, and computer science because I finished a doctorate in science education. I still feel like I don’t know what I’m doing in academia. I assume this is normal…
November 26, 2025 at 4:47 PM
I left the classroom in 2024 after teaching physics, astronomy, and computer science because I finished a doctorate in science education. I still feel like I don’t know what I’m doing in academia. I assume this is normal…
Reposted by Jimmy Newland
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 22, 2025 at 4:50 PM
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. 🧪
Reposted by Jimmy Newland
UPDATE: Americans who use
YouTube 84%
Facebook 71%
Instagram 50%
TikTok 37%
WhatsApp 32%
Reddit 26%
Snapchat 25%
X (Twitter) 21%
Threads 8%
Bluesky 4%
Truth Social 3%
Full Pew Research Center report: https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2025/11/20/americans-social-media-use-2025/
YouTube 84%
Facebook 71%
Instagram 50%
TikTok 37%
WhatsApp 32%
Reddit 26%
Snapchat 25%
X (Twitter) 21%
Threads 8%
Bluesky 4%
Truth Social 3%
Full Pew Research Center report: https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2025/11/20/americans-social-media-use-2025/
November 23, 2025 at 9:55 PM
UPDATE: Americans who use
YouTube 84%
Facebook 71%
Instagram 50%
TikTok 37%
WhatsApp 32%
Reddit 26%
Snapchat 25%
X (Twitter) 21%
Threads 8%
Bluesky 4%
Truth Social 3%
Full Pew Research Center report: https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2025/11/20/americans-social-media-use-2025/
YouTube 84%
Facebook 71%
Instagram 50%
TikTok 37%
WhatsApp 32%
Reddit 26%
Snapchat 25%
X (Twitter) 21%
Threads 8%
Bluesky 4%
Truth Social 3%
Full Pew Research Center report: https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2025/11/20/americans-social-media-use-2025/
Reposted by Jimmy Newland
🧵Why I'm loving cluster photometry. Point a telescope, measure brightness in B and V filters, and suddenly thousands of stars tell a single story: temperature, evolution stage, and where the cluster sits in space. Short, sharp, and addictive. 1/6 🧪🔭
November 23, 2025 at 2:32 PM
🧵Why I'm loving cluster photometry. Point a telescope, measure brightness in B and V filters, and suddenly thousands of stars tell a single story: temperature, evolution stage, and where the cluster sits in space. Short, sharp, and addictive. 1/6 🧪🔭
Reposted by Jimmy Newland
so yeah, your students should learn basic physics, not just what's immediately required for their specialty
November 20, 2025 at 6:00 PM
so yeah, your students should learn basic physics, not just what's immediately required for their specialty
Reposted by Jimmy Newland
20 years ago there was huge pressure to train for “financial physics”, then computer science, now AI. And while a good physics program will give exposure to tools relevant for the area of the day, it will strongly resist focusing on that area and instead focus on the fundamentals.
November 20, 2025 at 6:10 PM
20 years ago there was huge pressure to train for “financial physics”, then computer science, now AI. And while a good physics program will give exposure to tools relevant for the area of the day, it will strongly resist focusing on that area and instead focus on the fundamentals.
Reposted by Jimmy Newland
Those claiming Dems should retreat on racial justice aren't hard-headed realists, they're pushing against the electoral tide rather than leaning into it. The story of Gen Z isn't about racist backlash or red-pilled young men. It's the most racially progressive generation in American history. 🧵
November 14, 2025 at 8:44 PM
Those claiming Dems should retreat on racial justice aren't hard-headed realists, they're pushing against the electoral tide rather than leaning into it. The story of Gen Z isn't about racist backlash or red-pilled young men. It's the most racially progressive generation in American history. 🧵
Reposted by Jimmy Newland
periodic reminder of the existence of Atkinson Hyperlegible, a free font available from the Braille Institute designed to improve readability for people with low vision
I use it in talks because it's pretty and also because, as an audience member, I am perpetually squinting at people's slides
I use it in talks because it's pretty and also because, as an audience member, I am perpetually squinting at people's slides
Atkinson Hyperlegible Font - Braille Institute
Read easier with Atkinson Hyperlegible Font, crafted for low-vision readers. Download for free and enjoy clear letters and numbers on your computer!
www.brailleinstitute.org
November 17, 2025 at 4:19 AM
periodic reminder of the existence of Atkinson Hyperlegible, a free font available from the Braille Institute designed to improve readability for people with low vision
I use it in talks because it's pretty and also because, as an audience member, I am perpetually squinting at people's slides
I use it in talks because it's pretty and also because, as an audience member, I am perpetually squinting at people's slides
Reposted by Jimmy Newland
Saturn’s rings remain disconcertingly thin
November 16, 2025 at 7:20 AM
Saturn’s rings remain disconcertingly thin
Reposted by Jimmy Newland
hashtag data science
November 11, 2025 at 10:36 PM
hashtag data science
Reposted by Jimmy Newland
From Niloofar Sharei @astroneal.bsky.social : JWST reveals galaxies that built up heavy elements at record speed, reaching near-modern metallicities only a billion years after the Big Bang. ⚛️🔭☄🧪
astrobites.org/2025/11/10/f...
astrobites.org/2025/11/10/f...
Fast metal factories at z ~ 5, lessons from ALPINE-CRISTAL-JWST
JWST reveals galaxies that built up heavy elements at record speed, reaching near-modern metallicities only a billion years after the Big Bang.
astrobites.org
November 10, 2025 at 9:10 PM
From Niloofar Sharei @astroneal.bsky.social : JWST reveals galaxies that built up heavy elements at record speed, reaching near-modern metallicities only a billion years after the Big Bang. ⚛️🔭☄🧪
astrobites.org/2025/11/10/f...
astrobites.org/2025/11/10/f...
Next week, I am presenting with a teacher friend at the Texas science education conference about how to bring data science into a high school astronomy class. The activity is using a few different data moves. Here is the coding version. github.com/jimmynewland... #datascience #astronomy #csed
colabnotebooks/Color_Magnitude_Diagram_using_Gaia_and_IRSA.ipynb at main · jimmynewland/colabnotebooks
Google Colab Notebooks Labs. Contribute to jimmynewland/colabnotebooks development by creating an account on GitHub.
github.com
November 10, 2025 at 10:32 PM
Next week, I am presenting with a teacher friend at the Texas science education conference about how to bring data science into a high school astronomy class. The activity is using a few different data moves. Here is the coding version. github.com/jimmynewland... #datascience #astronomy #csed
Reposted by Jimmy Newland
Ever handed your students a “ready-to-paint” dataset?
In our latest Learning Progressions Blog post, Tim Erickson shows why students should help prepare the data—filtering, grouping, and summarizing—before diving in.
Read → ds4e.substack.com/p/making-dat...
#LearningProgressions
In our latest Learning Progressions Blog post, Tim Erickson shows why students should help prepare the data—filtering, grouping, and summarizing—before diving in.
Read → ds4e.substack.com/p/making-dat...
#LearningProgressions
Making Data Moves: The Prep Work Behind Every Good Analysis
Tim Erickson, Epistemological Engineering
ds4e.substack.com
November 10, 2025 at 2:51 PM
Ever handed your students a “ready-to-paint” dataset?
In our latest Learning Progressions Blog post, Tim Erickson shows why students should help prepare the data—filtering, grouping, and summarizing—before diving in.
Read → ds4e.substack.com/p/making-dat...
#LearningProgressions
In our latest Learning Progressions Blog post, Tim Erickson shows why students should help prepare the data—filtering, grouping, and summarizing—before diving in.
Read → ds4e.substack.com/p/making-dat...
#LearningProgressions
I’m a big fan of Desmos. Yesterday I taught BigO notation to teachers practicing for the CS Praxis certification exam. www.desmos.com/calculator/h... #csed
November 9, 2025 at 6:48 PM
I’m a big fan of Desmos. Yesterday I taught BigO notation to teachers practicing for the CS Praxis certification exam. www.desmos.com/calculator/h... #csed
Reposted by Jimmy Newland
📢 #EdWorkingPapers: Do K–12 computer science education policies boost CS majors in college?
Using 20+ years of data, Paul Bruno & colleagues show these policies are often too light-touch to matter, reflecting, not driving, rising CS interest.
📄 edworkingpapers.com/ai25-1301
Using 20+ years of data, Paul Bruno & colleagues show these policies are often too light-touch to matter, reflecting, not driving, rising CS interest.
📄 edworkingpapers.com/ai25-1301
October 29, 2025 at 7:02 PM
📢 #EdWorkingPapers: Do K–12 computer science education policies boost CS majors in college?
Using 20+ years of data, Paul Bruno & colleagues show these policies are often too light-touch to matter, reflecting, not driving, rising CS interest.
📄 edworkingpapers.com/ai25-1301
Using 20+ years of data, Paul Bruno & colleagues show these policies are often too light-touch to matter, reflecting, not driving, rising CS interest.
📄 edworkingpapers.com/ai25-1301
Reposted by Jimmy Newland
CHOOSE STATISTICAL TEST in 4 QUESTIONS (NO MATH! 🤯) Stop struggling with T-Tests, ANOVAs & Chi-Square. Use this simple flowchart guide to pick the right test every time👇
Watch the full beginner's guide now: youtu.be/EeASQZvGRcg
#Statistics #DataScience #DataAnalysis #stats
Watch the full beginner's guide now: youtu.be/EeASQZvGRcg
#Statistics #DataScience #DataAnalysis #stats
November 8, 2025 at 6:21 PM
CHOOSE STATISTICAL TEST in 4 QUESTIONS (NO MATH! 🤯) Stop struggling with T-Tests, ANOVAs & Chi-Square. Use this simple flowchart guide to pick the right test every time👇
Watch the full beginner's guide now: youtu.be/EeASQZvGRcg
#Statistics #DataScience #DataAnalysis #stats
Watch the full beginner's guide now: youtu.be/EeASQZvGRcg
#Statistics #DataScience #DataAnalysis #stats
Reposted by Jimmy Newland
"Pairing computer science with culturally responsive education shows results" great to get details of this study via Ed Finkel in K12 Ed Dive whose bluesky handle i can't find anywhere. #cseducation #k12 #research
www.k12dive.com/news/compute...
www.k12dive.com/news/compute...
November 4, 2025 at 5:18 PM
"Pairing computer science with culturally responsive education shows results" great to get details of this study via Ed Finkel in K12 Ed Dive whose bluesky handle i can't find anywhere. #cseducation #k12 #research
www.k12dive.com/news/compute...
www.k12dive.com/news/compute...
Reposted by Jimmy Newland
Australia has so much electricity from solar power that it is going to start offering free electricity to everyone for at least three hours during the day as the wholesale price of power goes negative
electrek.co/2025/11/04/a...
electrek.co/2025/11/04/a...
Australia has so much solar that it's offering everyone free electricity
Australia's extensive solar power penetration makes so much energy that the government wants to offer free electricity at peak hours.
electrek.co
November 6, 2025 at 4:58 AM
Australia has so much electricity from solar power that it is going to start offering free electricity to everyone for at least three hours during the day as the wholesale price of power goes negative
electrek.co/2025/11/04/a...
electrek.co/2025/11/04/a...
Reposted by Jimmy Newland
🔭 ~1,400 people globally have contributed to the construction of Rubin, including
500 construction staff,
500 contractors,
100 staff on operations (so far), and
300 in-kind contributors, from software and hardware contributions to follow-up observing time on other telescopes
500 construction staff,
500 contractors,
100 staff on operations (so far), and
300 in-kind contributors, from software and hardware contributions to follow-up observing time on other telescopes
June 18, 2025 at 10:05 PM
🔭 ~1,400 people globally have contributed to the construction of Rubin, including
500 construction staff,
500 contractors,
100 staff on operations (so far), and
300 in-kind contributors, from software and hardware contributions to follow-up observing time on other telescopes
500 construction staff,
500 contractors,
100 staff on operations (so far), and
300 in-kind contributors, from software and hardware contributions to follow-up observing time on other telescopes
Reposted by Jimmy Newland
Rubin First Look is FIVE days away! The best part of NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory? The community we've grown along the way 💫
Rubin is only able to #CaptureTheCosmos because of its global collaboration. ✨ 🌎 Over the past couple of decades, over 4,000 people made Rubin a reality!
Rubin is only able to #CaptureTheCosmos because of its global collaboration. ✨ 🌎 Over the past couple of decades, over 4,000 people made Rubin a reality!
June 18, 2025 at 10:05 PM
Rubin First Look is FIVE days away! The best part of NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory? The community we've grown along the way 💫
Rubin is only able to #CaptureTheCosmos because of its global collaboration. ✨ 🌎 Over the past couple of decades, over 4,000 people made Rubin a reality!
Rubin is only able to #CaptureTheCosmos because of its global collaboration. ✨ 🌎 Over the past couple of decades, over 4,000 people made Rubin a reality!
Reposted by Jimmy Newland
From Kaz Gary: For Pride Month, Astrobites is interviewing one transgender astronomer every week. This week we interviewed Dr. Eliot Halley Vrijmoet, a postdoctoral fellow at Smith College! 🔭✨☄️
astrobites.org/2025/06/06/e...
astrobites.org/2025/06/06/e...
Transgender in Astronomy: Interview with Dr. Eliot Halley Vrijmoet
For Pride Month, Astrobites is interviewing one transgender astronomer every week. This week we interviewed Dr. Eliot Halley Vrijmoet, a postdoctoral fellow at Smith College!
astrobites.org
June 8, 2025 at 12:36 AM
From Kaz Gary: For Pride Month, Astrobites is interviewing one transgender astronomer every week. This week we interviewed Dr. Eliot Halley Vrijmoet, a postdoctoral fellow at Smith College! 🔭✨☄️
astrobites.org/2025/06/06/e...
astrobites.org/2025/06/06/e...
On Tuesday at the WeTeach_CS Summit, Dr. Stella Offner will share with CS educators how CS and AI can lead to new science. Below are animations from the STARFORGE showing a simulation of star formation (Guszejnov et al. 2021, Grudic et al. 2021).
June 7, 2025 at 6:54 PM
On Tuesday at the WeTeach_CS Summit, Dr. Stella Offner will share with CS educators how CS and AI can lead to new science. Below are animations from the STARFORGE showing a simulation of star formation (Guszejnov et al. 2021, Grudic et al. 2021).