Izabella Laba 🇨🇦
@ijlaba.bsky.social
Mathematician. Childless cat lady. Noise is the new secondhand smoke.
ORCID 0000-0002-3810-6121
ORCID 0000-0002-3810-6121
In completely unrelated news, the noise level in most restaurants is somewhere between jackhammers and screaming raccoons. That's to support the sales of noise-cancelling headphones, presumably? Having each other's back like good friends?
Corporate media lecture us about our spending habits and tell us we are poor bc we go out to eat too often and buy too many lattes, but also beg us to please please please go out to eat and buy lattes, & we shouldn’t pack our lunch bc we need to make sacrifices for the economy 🥴
November 24, 2025 at 4:59 PM
In completely unrelated news, the noise level in most restaurants is somewhere between jackhammers and screaming raccoons. That's to support the sales of noise-cancelling headphones, presumably? Having each other's back like good friends?
Here's a story. I have hyperacusis, meaning I'm sensitive to noise. It's been a problem for a long time. But I never cared to see an audiologist about it b/c medical websites liked to attribute hyperacusis to anxiety and psychological issues. That's a no from me.
Anyway, I recognize that there is a lot of awful shit out there, but truly you have to understand that (a) Western medicine is not the be all and end all of the entire world and (b) we have some huge honking holes in our ability to treat people, and people are going to try everything they can.
November 23, 2025 at 1:26 AM
Here's a story. I have hyperacusis, meaning I'm sensitive to noise. It's been a problem for a long time. But I never cared to see an audiologist about it b/c medical websites liked to attribute hyperacusis to anxiety and psychological issues. That's a no from me.
Reposted by Izabella Laba 🇨🇦
you can't tell me ostrich convoy is an actual thing happening and not a King Crimson album
Leaders of Canada’s newest convoy worry police are trying to sabotage a nationwide protest avenging a flock of dead ostriches
Ostrich Convoy organizers say they are at ‘war’ with the federal government, but insist they will remain ‘peaceful’
Ostrich Convoy organizers say they are at ‘war’ with the federal government, but insist they will remain ‘peaceful’
Leaders of Canada’s Newest Convoy Worry Police Are Trying to Sabotage a Nationwide Protest Avenging a Flock of Dead Ostriches
Convoy organizers say they are at ‘war’ with food inspectors and the federal government, but insist they will remain ‘peaceful’
pressprogress.ca
November 22, 2025 at 5:38 AM
you can't tell me ostrich convoy is an actual thing happening and not a King Crimson album
Reposted by Izabella Laba 🇨🇦
While empires are ravaging Ukraine, think about donating to Ukrainians if you can. And consider de-centring these empires from your cultural consumption. There is fantastic music and literature in Ukraine that Russia is trying to destroy. Support it by learning about it. chapterukraine.com
Ukrainian literature in English translation – Chapter Ukraine
Build your own bookshelf dedicated to Ukrainian literature in English translation. | Chapter Ukraine
chapterukraine.com
November 21, 2025 at 9:32 PM
While empires are ravaging Ukraine, think about donating to Ukrainians if you can. And consider de-centring these empires from your cultural consumption. There is fantastic music and literature in Ukraine that Russia is trying to destroy. Support it by learning about it. chapterukraine.com
Reposted by Izabella Laba 🇨🇦
We have a US administration trying to bully Ukrainians into accepting Russia’s proposal that their sovereignty be undone. Aside from the naked injustice of this, there are five basic practical reasons why it would make the world far more dangerous.
(video)
snyder.substack.com/p/the-putin-...
(video)
snyder.substack.com/p/the-putin-...
The Putin-Witkoff Plan Worsens the War
Five Reasons the US should not help Russia subjugate Ukraine
snyder.substack.com
November 21, 2025 at 9:11 PM
We have a US administration trying to bully Ukrainians into accepting Russia’s proposal that their sovereignty be undone. Aside from the naked injustice of this, there are five basic practical reasons why it would make the world far more dangerous.
(video)
snyder.substack.com/p/the-putin-...
(video)
snyder.substack.com/p/the-putin-...
Phone pics from a walk.
November 21, 2025 at 1:02 AM
Phone pics from a walk.
Reposted by Izabella Laba 🇨🇦
i think if you want to have those disgusting LED headlights on your car, you should have to do a test where they blast you point blank with your own headlights and then you have 15 seconds to successfully complete some sort of vision-based task, and if you can't do it they push your car off a cliff
November 20, 2025 at 2:25 AM
i think if you want to have those disgusting LED headlights on your car, you should have to do a test where they blast you point blank with your own headlights and then you have 15 seconds to successfully complete some sort of vision-based task, and if you can't do it they push your car off a cliff
Fall is a great time for cooking.
November 19, 2025 at 2:04 AM
Fall is a great time for cooking.
Just figured out that something I've been trying to prove is actually false...
... and this is exciting! That is how real progress often starts. At least for me.
... and this is exciting! That is how real progress often starts. At least for me.
November 18, 2025 at 2:45 AM
Just figured out that something I've been trying to prove is actually false...
... and this is exciting! That is how real progress often starts. At least for me.
... and this is exciting! That is how real progress often starts. At least for me.
Behind The Shieling (Mini-Documentary)
YouTube video by Fergus McCreadie
www.youtube.com
November 16, 2025 at 10:45 PM
And then we have to spend additional time arguing with the incompetent "correction teams".
The irony here is that academics don’t just write the articles for free—we also referee and edit for them for free. Something is deeply broken.
“New Zealand's eight universities spent $30-million a year on journal licences and about half of that sum went to Elsevier.
www.rnz.co.nz/news/nationa...
“New Zealand's eight universities spent $30-million a year on journal licences and about half of that sum went to Elsevier.
www.rnz.co.nz/news/nationa...
Universities in 'battle of the century' with journal publisher Elsevier
One New Zealand university told its staff all universities in New Zealand and Australia would "lose some degree of access" to the publisher's 1600 titles from the start of next year.
www.rnz.co.nz
November 16, 2025 at 3:31 AM
And then we have to spend additional time arguing with the incompetent "correction teams".
Y'all, octopus eggshells are so incredibly beautiful. Like jewels. These, from Haida Gwaii, were just about the right size to put on your finger.
November 15, 2025 at 10:45 PM
Y'all, octopus eggshells are so incredibly beautiful. Like jewels. These, from Haida Gwaii, were just about the right size to put on your finger.
This is such a scourge. Faculty have to spend 2 or more hours per applicant, creating accounts, updating passwords, completing long questionnaires, etc, just to say "X was in my class and got an A". Which is already included in X's transcript.
PSA to anyone on any kind of search or admissions committee: try to limit the number of rec letters you require and don't make rec letter writers do anything other than upload a PDF. Thank you!!
November 15, 2025 at 6:31 PM
This is such a scourge. Faculty have to spend 2 or more hours per applicant, creating accounts, updating passwords, completing long questionnaires, etc, just to say "X was in my class and got an A". Which is already included in X's transcript.
Reposted by Izabella Laba 🇨🇦
CHOTINER: So you had reasons for visiting the island?
SUMMERS: Is butiful plce
CHOTINER: Is that buttiful or beautiful?
SUMMERS: 51 % of 1. Wmen or seenery, nt shr wich.
SUMMERS: Is butiful plce
CHOTINER: Is that buttiful or beautiful?
SUMMERS: 51 % of 1. Wmen or seenery, nt shr wich.
I am putting my bets on Summers being the first Epstein correspondent to be interviewed by Chotiner: he has exactly the right mix of arrogance and self-righteousness
November 14, 2025 at 12:54 AM
CHOTINER: So you had reasons for visiting the island?
SUMMERS: Is butiful plce
CHOTINER: Is that buttiful or beautiful?
SUMMERS: 51 % of 1. Wmen or seenery, nt shr wich.
SUMMERS: Is butiful plce
CHOTINER: Is that buttiful or beautiful?
SUMMERS: 51 % of 1. Wmen or seenery, nt shr wich.
Reposted by Izabella Laba 🇨🇦
In mathematics, I have a hard time thinking of people who *don’t* have any Chinese collaborators or graduate students or postdocs. This proposed law is xenophobic and will also decimate mathematics.
“The prohibited activities would include joint research, co-authorship on papers, and advising a foreign graduate student or postdoctoral fellow. The language is retroactive, meaning any interactions during the previous 5 years could make a scientist ineligible for future federal funding.”
U.S. Congress considers sweeping ban on Chinese collaborations
Researchers speak out against proposal that would bar funding for U.S. scientists working with Chinese partners or training Chinese students
www.science.org
November 14, 2025 at 2:00 AM
In mathematics, I have a hard time thinking of people who *don’t* have any Chinese collaborators or graduate students or postdocs. This proposed law is xenophobic and will also decimate mathematics.
Reposted by Izabella Laba 🇨🇦
Every office has an executive tier whose emails are like:
saw on news , , can we replce complianc dept with web 3
and a worker tier whose emails are like:
Dear Jim,
First of all, I *love* this idea! Unfortunately, I spoke with Legal and identified a few issues with this approach. For starters…
saw on news , , can we replce complianc dept with web 3
and a worker tier whose emails are like:
Dear Jim,
First of all, I *love* this idea! Unfortunately, I spoke with Legal and identified a few issues with this approach. For starters…
Well, it's a little clearer now why billionaires are so invested in technology that produces better written emails.
November 13, 2025 at 12:10 AM
Every office has an executive tier whose emails are like:
saw on news , , can we replce complianc dept with web 3
and a worker tier whose emails are like:
Dear Jim,
First of all, I *love* this idea! Unfortunately, I spoke with Legal and identified a few issues with this approach. For starters…
saw on news , , can we replce complianc dept with web 3
and a worker tier whose emails are like:
Dear Jim,
First of all, I *love* this idea! Unfortunately, I spoke with Legal and identified a few issues with this approach. For starters…
All the best people.
Former Harvard President Lawrence Summers maintained a close personal relationship with convicted sex criminal Jeffrey Epstein until just months before his death, according to emails released by Congress.
Dhruv T. Patel and Cam N. Srivastava report.
www.thecrimson.com/article/2025...
Dhruv T. Patel and Cam N. Srivastava report.
www.thecrimson.com/article/2025...
Email Cache Reveals How Former Harvard President Larry Summers Stayed in Jeffrey Epstein’s Orbit | News | The Harvard Crimson
A new cache of emails released by a House committee paints a vivid portrait of the relationship between former Harvard President Lawrence H. Summers and convicted sex offender Jeffrey E. Epstein. The…
www.thecrimson.com
November 13, 2025 at 4:51 PM
All the best people.
Reposted by Izabella Laba 🇨🇦
Today is a good day to remember, and to say, that the #MeToo movement was right, and was righteous, and has been vindicated over and over again. There was no overreach. There was no excess. There was no they-went-too-far.
So much work remains to be done.
So much work remains to be done.
November 12, 2025 at 11:16 PM
Today is a good day to remember, and to say, that the #MeToo movement was right, and was righteous, and has been vindicated over and over again. There was no overreach. There was no excess. There was no they-went-too-far.
So much work remains to be done.
So much work remains to be done.
Reposted by Izabella Laba 🇨🇦
Seems possible that this is about even more than underage women.
Perhaps money changing hands— corruptly and internationally, and intertwined with underaged women?
Man, oh man.
Perhaps money changing hands— corruptly and internationally, and intertwined with underaged women?
Man, oh man.
The Kremlin disguised a nearly $100 mn payment to Trump in the form of a brokered real estate deal... and both Jeffrey Epstein and William Pulte were involved in the deal. That's very interesting.
November 13, 2025 at 1:24 AM
Seems possible that this is about even more than underage women.
Perhaps money changing hands— corruptly and internationally, and intertwined with underaged women?
Man, oh man.
Perhaps money changing hands— corruptly and internationally, and intertwined with underaged women?
Man, oh man.
Sent from his iPad.
Insights from Larry Summers
"I observed that half the IQ In world was possessed by women without mentioning they are more than 51 percent of population..."
"I observed that half the IQ In world was possessed by women without mentioning they are more than 51 percent of population..."
November 12, 2025 at 9:07 PM
Sent from his iPad.
OMG
Is this why some of my math students just write random handfuls of math-related words and expect *me* to make sense of it? B/c they were taught to read using "3 clues" to approximate the meaning so now they expect me to apply the same method to reading their work?
Is this why some of my math students just write random handfuls of math-related words and expect *me* to make sense of it? B/c they were taught to read using "3 clues" to approximate the meaning so now they expect me to apply the same method to reading their work?
how did i go so long not knowing we were literally teaching people to read wrong. i knew something wasn't right but jesus christ www.apmreports.org/episode/2019...
How a flawed idea is teaching millions of kids to be poor readers
For decades, schools have taught children the strategies of struggling readers, using a theory about reading that cognitive scientists have repeatedly debunked. And many teachers and parents don't kno...
www.apmreports.org
November 11, 2025 at 7:00 PM
OMG
Is this why some of my math students just write random handfuls of math-related words and expect *me* to make sense of it? B/c they were taught to read using "3 clues" to approximate the meaning so now they expect me to apply the same method to reading their work?
Is this why some of my math students just write random handfuls of math-related words and expect *me* to make sense of it? B/c they were taught to read using "3 clues" to approximate the meaning so now they expect me to apply the same method to reading their work?
Reposted by Izabella Laba 🇨🇦
Photos last year from Juno, Auschwitz, Hiroshima, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Bosnia.
Remembering, mourning, and hoping this century does not fall victim to the same needless horrors as the last one.
Remembering, mourning, and hoping this century does not fall victim to the same needless horrors as the last one.
November 11, 2025 at 5:56 PM
Photos last year from Juno, Auschwitz, Hiroshima, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Bosnia.
Remembering, mourning, and hoping this century does not fall victim to the same needless horrors as the last one.
Remembering, mourning, and hoping this century does not fall victim to the same needless horrors as the last one.
Reposted by Izabella Laba 🇨🇦
One thing I've learned is that it's okay to talk about the basics and people really appreciate it when you do a good job explaining them.
What's "basic" to me isn't to them (and vice versa) so trade knowledge freely and make us all better.
What's "basic" to me isn't to them (and vice versa) so trade knowledge freely and make us all better.
November 10, 2025 at 7:26 PM
One thing I've learned is that it's okay to talk about the basics and people really appreciate it when you do a good job explaining them.
What's "basic" to me isn't to them (and vice versa) so trade knowledge freely and make us all better.
What's "basic" to me isn't to them (and vice versa) so trade knowledge freely and make us all better.