David K Butler
@davidkbutler.bsky.social
Lecturer at Maths Learning Centre, Uni Adelaide (my views here). Grad Dip Ed & PhD Finite Geom. Love maths and helping people learn. he/him
Pinned
David K Butler
@davidkbutler.bsky.social
· Oct 20
Hello those drifing through BlueSky.
I mostly post about these:
* My experiences with students in the Maths Learning Centre
* Maths and maths teaching thoughts I have, including live problem-solving
* Books I read (mainly childrens fiction)
* Observations and photos of things I see in the world
I mostly post about these:
* My experiences with students in the Maths Learning Centre
* Maths and maths teaching thoughts I have, including live problem-solving
* Books I read (mainly childrens fiction)
* Observations and photos of things I see in the world
Reposted by David K Butler
An old woman with white hair and a white cardigan sits on a park bench. A black swan stands in front of her looking up into her face. The swan nods and the woman nods back.
November 12, 2025 at 6:36 AM
An old woman with white hair and a white cardigan sits on a park bench. A black swan stands in front of her looking up into her face. The swan nods and the woman nods back.
Reposted by David K Butler
A tornado of implausibly many flies spirals up and out from a dog poo on the ground as I pass.
November 12, 2025 at 12:24 AM
A tornado of implausibly many flies spirals up and out from a dog poo on the ground as I pass.
Reposted by David K Butler
A dusty path is flanked by two rustic grey logs. A fluffy yellow dog and a small boy wearing blue run back and forth across the path between the logs. Each one waits for the other to arrive on top of the opposite log before jumping down at the same time to starting the process again.
November 12, 2025 at 12:23 AM
A dusty path is flanked by two rustic grey logs. A fluffy yellow dog and a small boy wearing blue run back and forth across the path between the logs. Each one waits for the other to arrive on top of the opposite log before jumping down at the same time to starting the process again.
People are always so surprised when I say I don’t follow music. I don’t have a favourite band, and I’ve been to maybe five live music performances in my life (not counting musicals). /1
November 11, 2025 at 6:59 PM
People are always so surprised when I say I don’t follow music. I don’t have a favourite band, and I’ve been to maybe five live music performances in my life (not counting musicals). /1
Reposted by David K Butler
Want to know why your mobile phone photos of the Moon look like crap?
I have a new @aunz.theconversation.com article explaining why, how you can take better(ish) photos, and what astronomical sights your phone can photograph well.
theconversation.com/why-is-it-so...
I have a new @aunz.theconversation.com article explaining why, how you can take better(ish) photos, and what astronomical sights your phone can photograph well.
theconversation.com/why-is-it-so...
Why is it so hard to take a good photo of the Moon with my phone?
Phones can often take great photos, but why photos of the Moon typically disappointing? The Moon itself and camera design are both part of the answer.
theconversation.com
November 11, 2025 at 1:50 AM
Want to know why your mobile phone photos of the Moon look like crap?
I have a new @aunz.theconversation.com article explaining why, how you can take better(ish) photos, and what astronomical sights your phone can photograph well.
theconversation.com/why-is-it-so...
I have a new @aunz.theconversation.com article explaining why, how you can take better(ish) photos, and what astronomical sights your phone can photograph well.
theconversation.com/why-is-it-so...
A month ago I had 50 ten-year-olds come and do a One Hundred Factorial session at the uni for a couple of hours. I’ve just received an envelope containing thank-you letters they have written me. If you need me I’ll be over here dying of cuteness.
November 11, 2025 at 6:58 AM
A month ago I had 50 ten-year-olds come and do a One Hundred Factorial session at the uni for a couple of hours. I’ve just received an envelope containing thank-you letters they have written me. If you need me I’ll be over here dying of cuteness.
One more collection of flowers.
November 11, 2025 at 6:47 AM
One more collection of flowers.
Reposted by David K Butler
My mouth says "That's fine", but my face is not saying that.
November 11, 2025 at 4:53 AM
My mouth says "That's fine", but my face is not saying that.
Reposted by David K Butler
Interesting paper: Researchers wondered if it's possible to predict "Eureka!" moments based on observable behaviour (on a blackboard), so they recorded mathematicians working on Putnam problems. tl;dr: Definitely some hints!
www.pnas.org/doi/10....
www.pnas.org/doi/10....
November 10, 2025 at 9:52 PM
Interesting paper: Researchers wondered if it's possible to predict "Eureka!" moments based on observable behaviour (on a blackboard), so they recorded mathematicians working on Putnam problems. tl;dr: Definitely some hints!
www.pnas.org/doi/10....
www.pnas.org/doi/10....
I swing in and out of hope. Today I am definitely out.
In a meeting recently, we were asked to write how we were feeling on a post-it and put it on the chart. I wrote "hopeless". That feeling hasn't changed.
November 10, 2025 at 3:05 AM
I swing in and out of hope. Today I am definitely out.
Reposted by David K Butler
Been thinking a lot about expectations, perfectionism and people pleasing recently
Inspired by britchida’s work
Inspired by britchida’s work
November 9, 2025 at 8:21 PM
Been thinking a lot about expectations, perfectionism and people pleasing recently
Inspired by britchida’s work
Inspired by britchida’s work
Reposted by David K Butler
One of my very favorite things is when a proof asks you to recall something you’ve absolutely never heard of in your life
December 28, 2024 at 8:08 PM
One of my very favorite things is when a proof asks you to recall something you’ve absolutely never heard of in your life
I think about these concepts in evolution often.
Anyway. I like that not everything has to have a good reason to be the way it is, or that reason may be the opposite way around than what you thought, or the reason may be just "fuck it, I’m doing it my way”.
November 9, 2025 at 7:40 PM
I think about these concepts in evolution often.
#read2025
“Father Brown” (the Wordsworth Classics edition) by GK Chesterton.
A collection of Father Brown stories written between 1911 and 1936. Not *all* of the stories, but a decent number of them. I’d never read them before and asked my father in law if I could borrow his.
“Father Brown” (the Wordsworth Classics edition) by GK Chesterton.
A collection of Father Brown stories written between 1911 and 1936. Not *all* of the stories, but a decent number of them. I’d never read them before and asked my father in law if I could borrow his.
November 9, 2025 at 7:44 AM
#read2025
“Father Brown” (the Wordsworth Classics edition) by GK Chesterton.
A collection of Father Brown stories written between 1911 and 1936. Not *all* of the stories, but a decent number of them. I’d never read them before and asked my father in law if I could borrow his.
“Father Brown” (the Wordsworth Classics edition) by GK Chesterton.
A collection of Father Brown stories written between 1911 and 1936. Not *all* of the stories, but a decent number of them. I’d never read them before and asked my father in law if I could borrow his.
Reposted by David K Butler
If you’re wondering what a “least weasel” is, they absolutely live up to the name. This is the least amount of animal you can have that can still meet the bar for “is weasel”
June 2, 2025 at 6:30 AM
If you’re wondering what a “least weasel” is, they absolutely live up to the name. This is the least amount of animal you can have that can still meet the bar for “is weasel”
Reposted by David K Butler
On days when there will be merger meetings, I try to remind myself of what’s important to me, so it won’t get lost in discussions of “business processes”. Today I am thinking about a blog post I wrote ten years ago called “Jack Frost’s Centre”. www.adelaide.edu.au/mathslearnin...
Jack Frost's centre
www.adelaide.edu.au
August 13, 2025 at 10:55 PM
On days when there will be merger meetings, I try to remind myself of what’s important to me, so it won’t get lost in discussions of “business processes”. Today I am thinking about a blog post I wrote ten years ago called “Jack Frost’s Centre”. www.adelaide.edu.au/mathslearnin...
A trillion dollars? A *trillion*?! What the actual fuck?
November 8, 2025 at 11:03 PM
A trillion dollars? A *trillion*?! What the actual fuck?
The university merger thing overwhelming me most today is that there are thousands of people I am going to have to teach about what I do and why I do it and why I do it the way I do it, when I am struggling to help even the new people in the teams closest to me to understand.
November 8, 2025 at 11:00 PM
The university merger thing overwhelming me most today is that there are thousands of people I am going to have to teach about what I do and why I do it and why I do it the way I do it, when I am struggling to help even the new people in the teams closest to me to understand.
Damn I hate writing documents jointly with people, especially people who I disagree with about both the content and what the purpose of each section is.
November 8, 2025 at 10:48 PM
Damn I hate writing documents jointly with people, especially people who I disagree with about both the content and what the purpose of each section is.
Reposted by David K Butler
A woman walks by at the shopping centre with at least eight labubus dangling in clusters from her handbag.
November 8, 2025 at 7:30 PM
A woman walks by at the shopping centre with at least eight labubus dangling in clusters from her handbag.
Reposted by David K Butler
An office window opens and a man leans out of it to shake water out of a plastic salad bag onto the garden bed below.
November 8, 2025 at 7:28 PM
An office window opens and a man leans out of it to shake water out of a plastic salad bag onto the garden bed below.
Did a full-day stint in the Maths Learning Centre and it was so good! I love helping the students. It’s my favourite part of my job and I am sad I haven’t gotten to do as much of it this year.
November 7, 2025 at 6:17 AM
Did a full-day stint in the Maths Learning Centre and it was so good! I love helping the students. It’s my favourite part of my job and I am sad I haven’t gotten to do as much of it this year.