Gillian Lynn Ryan
@gillianlynnryan.bsky.social
Associate professor of physics, drinker of tea, herder of cats, Bluenoser, Canadian in Pittsburgh. She/Her.
Statements and posts made here reflect only my own thoughts or feelings.
Statements and posts made here reflect only my own thoughts or feelings.
Reposted by Gillian Lynn Ryan
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. 🧪
November 22, 2025 at 11:23 PM
Reposted by Gillian Lynn Ryan
People were arguing in my mentions today about whether the Earth is "round" when it's technically an irregular oblate spheroid and look "round" doesn't mean "absolutely perfect sphere" it means round. A soccer ball is round, a cantaloupe is round, a fluffy borb in winter is round, just go with it.
November 21, 2025 at 11:23 PM
People were arguing in my mentions today about whether the Earth is "round" when it's technically an irregular oblate spheroid and look "round" doesn't mean "absolutely perfect sphere" it means round. A soccer ball is round, a cantaloupe is round, a fluffy borb in winter is round, just go with it.
Reposted by Gillian Lynn Ryan
Meanwhile: "The UC San Diego report notes that more than a quarter of the students who placed into the elementary- and middle-school-level remedial course last year had earned straight A’s in their high-school math classes. Almost all of them had taken advanced math courses in high school." 🎢 ♾️ 🍎
‘A Recipe for Idiocracy’
What happens when even college students can’t do math anymore?
www.theatlantic.com
November 20, 2025 at 5:53 PM
Meanwhile: "The UC San Diego report notes that more than a quarter of the students who placed into the elementary- and middle-school-level remedial course last year had earned straight A’s in their high-school math classes. Almost all of them had taken advanced math courses in high school." 🎢 ♾️ 🍎
Reposted by Gillian Lynn Ryan
In a world in which people with too much power and influence desperately need to be told and to understand when they are wrong, we are suddenly all inescapably drowning in sycophancy machines.
November 21, 2025 at 3:53 AM
In a world in which people with too much power and influence desperately need to be told and to understand when they are wrong, we are suddenly all inescapably drowning in sycophancy machines.
Reposted by Gillian Lynn Ryan
Neither undergrad nor graduate physics degrees are job-training programs, and that’s part of what makes them so valuable on the job market.
so yeah, your students should learn basic physics, not just what's immediately required for their specialty
November 20, 2025 at 6:10 PM
Neither undergrad nor graduate physics degrees are job-training programs, and that’s part of what makes them so valuable on the job market.
Reposted by Gillian Lynn Ryan
"UNDERAGE WOMEN" ARE GIRLS
"UNDERAGE WOMEN" ARE CHILDREN
thank you for your attention to this matter
"UNDERAGE WOMEN" ARE CHILDREN
thank you for your attention to this matter
November 19, 2025 at 8:36 PM
"UNDERAGE WOMEN" ARE GIRLS
"UNDERAGE WOMEN" ARE CHILDREN
thank you for your attention to this matter
"UNDERAGE WOMEN" ARE CHILDREN
thank you for your attention to this matter
Happy academic advising season to those who celebrate.
I don’t know what I was going to tell them, but it was going to involve the words “I can’t do my job if none of you fucking listen to me”
November 18, 2025 at 2:01 AM
Happy academic advising season to those who celebrate.
Reposted by Gillian Lynn Ryan
You just know that “Did Women Ruin the Workplace?” bit would have done NUMBERS in this little clique
Something absolutely perfect about Larry Summers riffing about the scourge of woke cancel culture being unfair to predatory men in a friendly email to his pal JEFFREY EPSTEIN.
November 13, 2025 at 3:26 PM
You just know that “Did Women Ruin the Workplace?” bit would have done NUMBERS in this little clique
Reposted by Gillian Lynn Ryan
A question came up in the lab today:
How many fish could you (completely) boil with the energy it takes to train an LLM like ChatGPT?
How many fish could you (completely) boil with the energy it takes to train an LLM like ChatGPT?
November 10, 2025 at 8:23 PM
A question came up in the lab today:
How many fish could you (completely) boil with the energy it takes to train an LLM like ChatGPT?
How many fish could you (completely) boil with the energy it takes to train an LLM like ChatGPT?
Reposted by Gillian Lynn Ryan
the difference between sci-fi and fantasy is: beep boop, and schwing clang
November 10, 2025 at 10:01 PM
the difference between sci-fi and fantasy is: beep boop, and schwing clang
Reposted by Gillian Lynn Ryan
Dems backed Trump into a corner where he’s advocating for starving Americans and hemorrhaging support. If they vote to let him off the hook in exchange for nothing it’s a cataclysmic failure. I know people are in pain but insulating Republicans from political consequences is not the answer.
November 9, 2025 at 10:58 PM
Dems backed Trump into a corner where he’s advocating for starving Americans and hemorrhaging support. If they vote to let him off the hook in exchange for nothing it’s a cataclysmic failure. I know people are in pain but insulating Republicans from political consequences is not the answer.
Reposted by Gillian Lynn Ryan
Caving on the shutdown won’t make you “moderate.” It makes you WEAK! Giving Republicans what they want for NOTHING more than a “promise” of a vote and risking millions of Americans’ healthcare isn’t compromise—it’s surrender and it’s the most RADICAL thing you could do in this moment. 1/
November 9, 2025 at 10:50 PM
Caving on the shutdown won’t make you “moderate.” It makes you WEAK! Giving Republicans what they want for NOTHING more than a “promise” of a vote and risking millions of Americans’ healthcare isn’t compromise—it’s surrender and it’s the most RADICAL thing you could do in this moment. 1/
Reposted by Gillian Lynn Ryan
If sandwich shops don’t start offering a sandwich named “the acquittal” then what are we even doing
November 6, 2025 at 9:27 PM
If sandwich shops don’t start offering a sandwich named “the acquittal” then what are we even doing
Reposted by Gillian Lynn Ryan
United just emailed me that "FAA & DOT have directed every airline to reduce their schedules across 40 airports during the government shutdown."
We're already in history's longest government shutdown, breaking the previous record set by Trump.
Are we great yet? So much winning. Just ridiculous.
We're already in history's longest government shutdown, breaking the previous record set by Trump.
Are we great yet? So much winning. Just ridiculous.
November 6, 2025 at 3:50 PM
United just emailed me that "FAA & DOT have directed every airline to reduce their schedules across 40 airports during the government shutdown."
We're already in history's longest government shutdown, breaking the previous record set by Trump.
Are we great yet? So much winning. Just ridiculous.
We're already in history's longest government shutdown, breaking the previous record set by Trump.
Are we great yet? So much winning. Just ridiculous.
Reposted by Gillian Lynn Ryan
Yes, defend SNAP, but making econometric arguments about it saving other costs or increasing productivity is losing the plot.
As Elaine Brown said, "Because we are so used to the capitalist construct, it doesn’t occur to us that we have a human right to eat; because if you don’t eat you will die."
As Elaine Brown said, "Because we are so used to the capitalist construct, it doesn’t occur to us that we have a human right to eat; because if you don’t eat you will die."
November 2, 2025 at 5:02 PM
Yes, defend SNAP, but making econometric arguments about it saving other costs or increasing productivity is losing the plot.
As Elaine Brown said, "Because we are so used to the capitalist construct, it doesn’t occur to us that we have a human right to eat; because if you don’t eat you will die."
As Elaine Brown said, "Because we are so used to the capitalist construct, it doesn’t occur to us that we have a human right to eat; because if you don’t eat you will die."
Reposted by Gillian Lynn Ryan
me explaining daylight saving time to the cat
November 2, 2025 at 8:42 PM
me explaining daylight saving time to the cat
Reposted by Gillian Lynn Ryan
This.
"I DON'T NEED YOU TO FUCKING REWRITE WHAT I'VE JUST WRITTEN!"
October 28, 2025 at 10:57 PM
This.
Reposted by Gillian Lynn Ryan
Food relief orgs can do a LOT with a little. $50 to the Atlanta Food Bank provides 150 meals. $100 to the Greater Cleveland Food Bank provides 250 meals. Anything you can share will go a long way. Never feel like your efforts are too small to make a difference.
Heartfelt thanks to those who supported their neighbors with donations to food banks. I wish I could match them all! I'm matching the first $1K and reposted all the orgs. If you're looking for ways to help, check my feed and let the example of these generous folks inspire you. ❤️
Following Ada's lead, I'd like to do the same.
Reply to me w/ a receipt of a donation to a food bank of your choice, and I'll also match your donations, up to $500. 🍎🍌🥬🍞🥩❤️
Reply to me w/ a receipt of a donation to a food bank of your choice, and I'll also match your donations, up to $500. 🍎🍌🥬🍞🥩❤️
October 28, 2025 at 4:05 PM
Food relief orgs can do a LOT with a little. $50 to the Atlanta Food Bank provides 150 meals. $100 to the Greater Cleveland Food Bank provides 250 meals. Anything you can share will go a long way. Never feel like your efforts are too small to make a difference.
Reposted by Gillian Lynn Ryan
How your email finds me. Photo from my collection, no date/info.
October 28, 2025 at 12:05 AM
How your email finds me. Photo from my collection, no date/info.
Happy National Black Cat Day, from this refined gentleman
October 27, 2025 at 6:45 PM
Happy National Black Cat Day, from this refined gentleman
Reposted by Gillian Lynn Ryan
Measles was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000.
RFK Jr. must resign.
RFK Jr. must resign.
October 27, 2025 at 12:08 AM
Measles was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000.
RFK Jr. must resign.
RFK Jr. must resign.
Reposted by Gillian Lynn Ryan
Some bird highlights from the 2025 Nikon Comedy Wildlife awards
📸 1. Lars Beygang - "Outdoor smoking zone"
📸 2. John Speirs - "It’s tough being a duck"
📸 3. Erkko Badermann - "Landing gears down"
📸 4. Warren Price - "Headlock"
📸 1. Lars Beygang - "Outdoor smoking zone"
📸 2. John Speirs - "It’s tough being a duck"
📸 3. Erkko Badermann - "Landing gears down"
📸 4. Warren Price - "Headlock"
October 24, 2025 at 2:22 AM
Some bird highlights from the 2025 Nikon Comedy Wildlife awards
📸 1. Lars Beygang - "Outdoor smoking zone"
📸 2. John Speirs - "It’s tough being a duck"
📸 3. Erkko Badermann - "Landing gears down"
📸 4. Warren Price - "Headlock"
📸 1. Lars Beygang - "Outdoor smoking zone"
📸 2. John Speirs - "It’s tough being a duck"
📸 3. Erkko Badermann - "Landing gears down"
📸 4. Warren Price - "Headlock"
Reposted by Gillian Lynn Ryan
The thieves start at a height of 5.0 meters and the ladder makes an angle of 60 degrees with the horizontal. It takes them 2.5 seconds to reach the ground. How fast was the bucket moving? 😂 🎢
cannot stop laughing at the louvre heist escape video as they’re slowly lowered down the ladder in a bucket
October 23, 2025 at 11:46 PM
The thieves start at a height of 5.0 meters and the ladder makes an angle of 60 degrees with the horizontal. It takes them 2.5 seconds to reach the ground. How fast was the bucket moving? 😂 🎢
Reposted by Gillian Lynn Ryan
Double sigh 🧪
Some doctoral programmes in the US are admitting no students at all amid uncertainty about federal science funding
go.nature.com/4o63boK
go.nature.com/4o63boK
US PhD admissions shrink as fears over Trump’s cuts take hold
Some doctoral programmes are admitting no students at all amid uncertainty about federal science funding.
go.nature.com
October 22, 2025 at 11:54 PM
Double sigh 🧪