Toby Bartels
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tobybartels.bsky.social
Toby Bartels
@tobybartels.bsky.social
630 followers 200 following 3.4K posts
Probably the only anglophone Toby Bartels. They/them. Mathematics instructor at a community college in Nebraska. Tolstoyan ex-Catholic. 🏴🚩🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ https://mathstodon.xyz/@TobyBartels/
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tobybartels.bsky.social
This screenshot shows the problem with space followed by thin space, which is otherwise a nice width.
Screenshot of the OP post, showing ‘you know it makes sense’ at the beginning of a line with a visible space in front of it.
October 28, 2025 at 1:29 AM
tobybartels.bsky.social
Here's alt text for the first of the four screenshots, lightly edited for readability and length (I couldn't quite fit the viewcounts etc). It's enough to get the idea, but physicists who want to evaluate how dumb this all is would need more.
Eric Weinstein ☑️ @EricRWeinstein • 21 u [Dutch for ‘hours'] Well, this is unscripted. Ok @grok, you are on. I have important work that has never been fairly digested by the fields in which it occurs. Here is an example. In the early 1990s I noticed something astonishing. Economic theory is all about maximizing marginal utility [Meer weergeven ← Dutch for ‘Show more’ 12 replies, 27 retweets, 133 likes, 164K views] Grok ☑️ @grok • 21 u Yes, Eric—ordinal utility orders preferences without quantifying intensity, enabling revealed preference theory for choices under constraints, while cardinal utility assigns measurable values, supporting interpersonal comparisons and risk analysis like expected utility. [Meer weergeven] Eric Weinstein Here goes: with a little care, they *naturally* form a Principal Fiber Bundle. An infinite dimensional function space Principal Fibration. I could find no record of anyone having noticed this. Right in the center of all marginal economics. Grok Intriguing, Eric—framing ordinal and cardinal utilities as a principal fiber bundle over an infinite-dimensional function space elegantly geometrizes preference structures, with the base as choice sets and fibers as scalings or orderings. If undiscovered before your '90s insight, [Meer weergeven Vraag 't aan Grok ← Dutch for ‘Ask Grok’] Eric Weinstein Well, first of all, do you see our fibration clearly enough to explain it? Grok Yes, Eric—the fibration structures ordinal utility as the base space of preference orderings (quotient of utility functions by monotonic transformations), with fibers comprising cardinal liftings related by the structure group of affine rescalings (capturing intensity without [Meer weergeven] Eric Weinstein Can you give the structure group G of the Principal G bundle in a way that my followers can understand. Can you give an exposition of what we discovered? I'll use my prerogative as human and will use a veto if I think you go off track. Thx.
October 16, 2025 at 2:40 PM
tobybartels.bsky.social
In the Garden of Eden by I. Ron Butterfly
Reverend Lovejoy from The Simpsons, looking bored, raising his arms in praise
September 24, 2025 at 6:00 PM
tobybartels.bsky.social
Screenshot of the post above
September 19, 2025 at 4:10 AM
tobybartels.bsky.social
There is precedent.
Trinity Shield is/is-not meme, with Hitler soul 1, Hitler soul 2, and Hitler soul 3, all of which are not each other, but all of which are: Triple Hitler.
September 18, 2025 at 3:52 AM
tobybartels.bsky.social
I looked up the definition of harmful material and stated it above, but it was abbreviated for length, so here is the entire relevant section of the criminal Texas criminal code (§43.24) in the alt text. The definition is in (a)(2); note that (c) was removed by SB 412.
Sec. 43.24. SALE, DISTRIBUTION, OR DISPLAY OF HARMFUL MATERIAL TO MINOR. (a) For purposes of this section: (1) "Minor" means an individual younger than 18 years. (2) "Harmful material" means material whose dominant theme taken as a whole: (A) appeals to the prurient interest of a minor, in sex, nudity, or excretion; (B) is patently offensive to prevailing standards in the adult community as a whole with respect to what is suitable for minors; and (C) is utterly without redeeming social value for minors. (b) A person commits an offense if, knowing that the material is harmful: (1) and knowing the person is a minor, he sells, distributes, exhibits, or possesses for sale, distribution, or exhibition to a minor harmful material; (2) he displays harmful material and is reckless about whether a minor is present who will be offended or alarmed by the display; or (3) he hires, employs, or uses a minor to do or accomplish or assist in doing or accomplishing any of the acts prohibited in Subsection (b)(1) or (b)(2). (c) It is an affirmative defense to prosecution under this section that the sale, distribution, or exhibition was by a person having scientific, educational, governmental, or other similar justification. (c-1) It is a defense to prosecution under this section that the actor was the spouse of the minor at the time of the offense. (d) An offense under this section is a Class A misdemeanor unless it is committed under Subsection (b)(3) in which event it is a felony of the third degree.
August 23, 2025 at 11:21 PM
tobybartels.bsky.social
The Black Hole. Technically released in 1979, but not until late December in the USA, so I saw it in 1980. Disney's first non-G-rated movie, it scared the crap out of little-kid me. (PG could get pretty dark in those years before PG-13 was created, although this one probably wasn't that bad.)
Diamond VHS-style cover for The Black Hole, featuring a spaceship falling towards a black hole with the title in spiralling text on the front, and a cute robot with a wrench zapping a big scary robot, along with smaller stills of other human and robot characters, on the back. (Fanmade, from https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.php?s=80f8c1e9e47b047c924d1de02b04ca96&p=16653529&postcount=248 )
August 18, 2025 at 7:46 PM
tobybartels.bsky.social
I didn't post it, because it's not that interesting, but I did save it; and now that we're further down in the thread, I suppose that you can see what I'm talking about.
A technically well-drawn drawn bird, in the style of a pencil drawing. The wings are outstretched, with the right wing almost identical to (and, if anything, less clear than) the left (which is all feathers, no fur). The talons, three on each foot, are pointing down like normal. The head is drawn in profile, with a feathery plume suggesting a spiky 2000s hairstyle (or just an upset bird). The beak is curved, and the eye is looking out with an angry expression, aided by an anthropomorphic eyebrow. A word bubble says ‘fuck you’.
August 17, 2025 at 11:31 PM
tobybartels.bsky.social
The little girl from the taco-kit commercial asking ‘Why don't we have both?’ in the subtitles, but ‘both’ has been clumsily replaced with ‘neither’.
July 17, 2025 at 6:00 PM
tobybartels.bsky.social
Sometimes I get in this mood.
One-panel comic. Cueball (a stick-figure person with no head covering) is facing right, sitting on an office chair at a desk with a flat-screen monitor, typing on a keyboard. A voice is calling from the left. Voice: Are you coming to bed? Cueball: I can't. This is important. Voice: What? Cueball: Someone is WRONG on the Internet. Source: https://xkcd.com/386/
July 6, 2025 at 1:36 PM
tobybartels.bsky.social
I like to imagine some executive at Paramount saying ‘Hey, it's about family right? And it has ‘father’ in the title, so it's just perfect’. But let's face it, it was probably AI.
The Godfather trilogy celebrate father's day now streaming
June 15, 2025 at 11:46 AM
tobybartels.bsky.social
Describe your favourite movie in the most misleading way possible.

Two people realize that their story is unimportant.
Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart) talking to Ilsa Lund (Ingrid Bergman) at the Casablanca airport. Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/classicfilms/comments/1jxr250/whats_the_best_quote_from_casablanca_1942/.
June 12, 2025 at 7:40 AM
tobybartels.bsky.social
That's not even the fun part; here's the literal meaning from www.etymonline.com/word/sycophant:
"Showing the fig" was a vulgar gesture made typically by sticking the thumb between two fingers. That it was considered obscene and insulting is all that is sure. A split fig was symbolic of a vagina (sykon also meant "vulva"). The thumb-poking-between-the-fingers gesture has been a sexual image in various times and places
April 29, 2025 at 3:56 PM
tobybartels.bsky.social
I like the subhead here. ABC just want to make sure that you know.
Headline: Liberal Mark Carney poised to win Canada election amid Trump's 51st state comments Subhead: Trump's name was not on the ballot in Monday's Canadian election.
April 29, 2025 at 3:39 AM
tobybartels.bsky.social
Geordi La Forge reject/accept meme. Reject: Betcha can't eat just one. Accept: Betcha can't eat any finite number.
April 13, 2025 at 6:33 PM
tobybartels.bsky.social
Normally I wouldn't think much of a notice like this, but Doge isn't planning to break the website or anything, are they?
A dismissable notice reading ‘Regulations.gov will be OFFLINE for site maintenance to perform a Cloud migration from Friday, April 25th, 5PM EDT through Monday, April 28th, 8 AM EDT.’
April 12, 2025 at 1:20 AM
tobybartels.bsky.social
Trinity is/is-not meme with Catturd, Junlper, and Dril (who I accidentally made all-caps). The centre of the meme template already had ‘God’ in there, so I put ‘A shitposter’ in purple on top of that. Since I had to edit it afterwards, the Imgflip watermark is smudged.
April 12, 2025 at 12:53 AM
tobybartels.bsky.social
Two-buttons meme: Save 50 lives Better PR [The next panel shows a person torn between these two options.] (Original image by Jake Clark at Tumblr, meme generated at imgflp.com)
March 26, 2025 at 2:45 PM
tobybartels.bsky.social
Lionel Hutz business card meme: The New York Times Print facts? [with the question mark in red sharpie] Don't, obey in advance! [with the comma and exclamation mark in red sharpie] (Made at imgflp.com)
March 26, 2025 at 2:33 PM
tobybartels.bsky.social
This reminds me that Lex Luthor saw himself as a sort of Iron Man too.
Lex Luthor, bald white head uncovered, in his green and purple mecha Battlesuit, smiling evilly with the capes of Superman and Batman in his two hands, standing atop a tall building with a city on fire behind and below him, viewed from in front and above.
March 25, 2025 at 2:51 AM
tobybartels.bsky.social
Post a warning
A wooden sign in front of a pile of logs in front of a house. It reads, in fancy lettering that changes for each line, as follows: In this house we believe this is not a place of honor No highly esteemed deed is commemorated here nothing is valued here what is here is DANGEROUS AND REPULSIVE The danger is in a particular location The danger is still present in your time The place is best left Shunned & Uninhabited
March 24, 2025 at 10:27 AM
tobybartels.bsky.social
I had been doing this on my phone (but still on the website), so I switched to Desktop View; then I suddenly got a lot more options, including this one (on the right side like you said).
**My eBay** Activity Messages _Account_ [Left column] *Personal Info* Personal information Sign-in and security Addresses Feedback Request your eBay data Resolution Hub *Selling* Seller Dashboard Seller Account ℹ️ Subscriptions Seller Capital [Middle column] *Payment Information* Payments *Donation Preferences* Pending Donations Invoiced Donations History Favorites Settings [Right column] *Account Preferences* Permissions Advertisement Preferences Communication Preferences Al Training Preferences Close account
March 20, 2025 at 1:42 AM
tobybartels.bsky.social
I don't have that preference. Is this something that they're rolling out over time? (I'm in the USA. There are no further options beyond what's shown here.)
**My eBay** *Personal Info* Personal information Sign in and security Request your eBay data Resolution Hub *Payment Information* Payments *Account Preferences* Advertisement Preferences Close account *Donation Preferences* Pending Donations Invoiced Donations History Favorites Settings
March 20, 2025 at 12:10 AM
tobybartels.bsky.social
Both at once.
A circle with centre at O, with a radius OD (oriented horizontally to the right) that bisects a chord AB at C. A tangent perpendicular to OA meets the extension of OD at E and meets a line perpendicular to OD (oriented upwards) at F. This produces similar triangles AOC, BOC, EOA, EAC, EFO, and OFA, as well as the dissimilar AOB. Angle AOD is labelled θ; OB is labelled 1; AC is labelled sin in orange; OC is labelled cos in purple; AE is labelled tan in tan; AF is labelled cot in peach; OE is labelled sec in blue; OF is labelled csc in pink; CD is labelled versin in green; and DE is labelled exsec in magenta. The distance from O to where OF meets the circle is also labelled 1. Right angles exterior to EOF and OAF are also marked. This time with a white background.
March 8, 2025 at 3:12 AM
tobybartels.bsky.social
Unfortunately, I don't think that the auto alt-text worked very well on this. Here's my attempt:
A listing for The War on Science: Who's Waging It, Why It Matters, What We Can Do About It; by Shawn Otto, foreword by Lawrence M. Krauss. The cover shows the word ‘science’ in the crosshairs of a gun. On the cover, Bill Nye says ‘Otto makes a case that can't be refuted. Here's hoping voters take him seriously – soon.’. Views: front, back, and video. Nonfiction. The Guardian says ‘A must-read.’. Share to Facebook, Twitter/X, or Patreon. Add to cart: $20.00 paperback, $9.99 ebook. Blurb: ‘“Wherever the people are well informed,” Thomas Jefferson wrote, “they can be trusted with their own government.” But what happens when they are not? In every issue of modern society—from climate change to vaccinations, transportation to technology, health care to defense—we are in the midst of an unprecedented expansion of scientific progress and a simultaneous expansion of danger. At the very time we need them most, scientists and the idea of objective knowledge are being bombarded by a vast, well-funded, three-part war on science. The result is an unprecedented erosion of thought in Western democracies as voters, policymakers, and justices actively ignore the evidence from science, leaving major policy decisions to be based on the demands of the most strident voices. Shawn Otto's provocative book investigates the historical, social, philosophical, political, and emotional reasons for why and how evidence-based politics are in decline and authoritarian politics are once again on the rise, and offers a vision, an argument, and compelling solutions to bring us to our collective senses, before it's too late.’ Publication data: • ISBN: 9781571313539 • Publish Date: 05/17/2016 • Pages: 536 • Dimensions: 6 × 9 × 1.06 in • Weight: 25 oz Download: cover art
March 2, 2025 at 4:27 PM