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Greg Schwanbeck

@gregschwanbeck.bsky.social
530 followers 374 following 93 posts

I teach Educational Theory & Practice at MIT and #Physics, #Astronomy, & #EdTech at Westwood High School. Fulbright TGC '17, HGSE '07, dad of 2, lover of puns. www.schwanbeck.org #iteachphysics #EDUsky Views my own.

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Greg Schwanbeck @gregschwanbeck.bsky.social · 27/11/2025
Here's a quick, addictive(?) game to keep your "6-7 meme" obsessed kids occupied if need be: schwanbeck.org/67/ Sound effects are just me speaking in a deep voice. #sixseven #meme #game #aicoding
schwanbeck.org
6-7 CHALLENGE!
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Greg Schwanbeck @gregschwanbeck.bsky.social · 21/10/2025
I made this total #eclipse countdown for my #astronomy class to 1) make the point that upcoming eclipse timing is known with very high precision, & 2) use as a demo for other teachers showing how easy it is to make simple websites with generative #AI. #AIinEDU #EduSky schwanbeck.org/eclipse/
schwanbeck.org
Westwood High School Eclipse Totality Countdown
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Greg Schwanbeck @gregschwanbeck.bsky.social · 16/09/2025
Today is 9/16/25 which is 3²/4²/5². The next date that will be of the format a²/b²/c² where a, b, & c are consecutive, increasing, integers won't be until January 4th, 2109. The next #date that will be of the format a²/b²/c² where a, b, & c are *any* integers is Jan. 1st, 2036. #math #uselesfacts
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Greg Schwanbeck @gregschwanbeck.bsky.social · 15/09/2025
This "Seasons" simulator from EarthSpaceLab.com is a great tool for students to learn about equinoxes/seasons/etc. in an interactive way. www.earthspacelab.com/app/seasons/ #astronomy #iteachscience #scienceed
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Greg Schwanbeck @gregschwanbeck.bsky.social · 09/09/2025
At the rate #AI is advancing, you can never be too careful. That's why I made these printable CAPTCHAs for folks to pass before our meeting starts.
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Greg Schwanbeck @gregschwanbeck.bsky.social · 27/08/2025
First day of #Astronomy class! The tagline for my course is "By better understanding our #universe we can better understand our place within it... and ourselves." (We'll revisit this slide throughout the course, revealing later on that the period after "ourselves" is the Earth) #space #palebluedot
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Greg Schwanbeck @gregschwanbeck.bsky.social · 14/08/2025
New graph puts death risk from asteroid impact in context with other dangerous events. I’ve long taught my #astronomy students their odds of #death by #asteroid are surprisingly high—rare event, but huge toll. Now I can include quantitative info! iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3... #science #space
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Greg Schwanbeck @gregschwanbeck.bsky.social · 24/06/2025
Awesome to see the weight of a paper airplane recorded as it flies over a scale! Great video for #physics #teachers to use when teaching Newtonian Mechanics/force diagrams/etc. #iteachphysics www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnvt...
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I weighed an airplane... while it was flying!
YouTube video by AlphaPhoenix
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Greg Schwanbeck @gregschwanbeck.bsky.social · 27/05/2025
I've designed a really great course for teachers on AI and I'm teaching it fully-remotely in June. Would love to have you join the class! More info & register here: tec-coop.org/offering/emp... #EduSky #AIinEDU
tec-coop.org
Empowering Educators with AI: Leveraging Generative AI to Enhance Teaching & Learning | The Education Cooperative (TEC)
Generative AI has the power to reshape classrooms, empower educators, and unlock new possibilities for teaching and learning. The goal […]
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Greg Schwanbeck @gregschwanbeck.bsky.social · 21/05/2025
LegoGPT: a text-to-lego project out of Carnegie Mellon. avalovelace1.github.io/LegoGPT/
avalovelace1.github.io
Generating Physically Stable and Buildable LEGO Designs from Text
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Greg Schwanbeck @gregschwanbeck.bsky.social · 20/05/2025
Excited to be speaking about innovative ways #teachers can use generative AI to differentiate instruction at UCF's Teaching & Learning with #AI conference next week! How are you using AI for differentiation? I'd love to hear your ideas. #AiEdu #EdChat
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Greg Schwanbeck @gregschwanbeck.bsky.social · 14/05/2025
Rigatoni becomes spaghetti!
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Greg Schwanbeck @gregschwanbeck.bsky.social · 14/05/2025
Wild, out-of-the-box questions like this have the potential to engage students in fun ways. This is a great example of a question where students thinking about and volunteering answers gives me insight into the degree to which they really "get it." It's why I love @xkcd.com's "What If" series.
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Greg Schwanbeck @gregschwanbeck.bsky.social · 14/05/2025
• Food you subsequently ate would add to your mass, but not your volume. • Swimming would become *very* dangerous as your density increased. • You'd starve, eventually. • Body core temperature would increase uncomfortably from the accretion disk? What other implications am I missing?
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Greg Schwanbeck @gregschwanbeck.bsky.social · 14/05/2025
"What would happen if you ate a small black hole, like, with an even horizon the size of an M&M?" A creative question from an #Astronomy student in class today. We talked about why this wouldn't be possible, but then discussed hypothetically:
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Greg Schwanbeck @gregschwanbeck.bsky.social · 12/05/2025
Purported to be the "first #fault rupture ever filmed," this video going directly into the slide deck for my geology unit once I verify it. #geology #earthscience #earthquake www.youtube.com/watch?v=77ub...
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First fault rupture ever filmed. M7.9 surface rupture filmed near Thazi, Myanmar
YouTube video by 2025 Sagaing Earthquake Archive
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Greg Schwanbeck @gregschwanbeck.bsky.social · 17/04/2025
Second, I think such an explanation would require light be treated as a particle, which would imply that the law of reflection is "proof" that light is a particle, not a wave... but I've never heard that mentioned/taught before. But maybe I am thinking about it all wrong and/or mistaken.
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Greg Schwanbeck @gregschwanbeck.bsky.social · 17/04/2025
I was thinking about an explanation built upon momentum of light, but that didn't sit well with me for 2 reasons. 1st, I think my explan. would end up being identical to the basketball bounce explanation, & it feels weird to use Newtonian mech to explain a phenomenon of light. Maybe it shouldn't?
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Greg Schwanbeck @gregschwanbeck.bsky.social · 17/04/2025
ChatGPT for the code and Suno for the background music.
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Greg Schwanbeck @gregschwanbeck.bsky.social · 17/04/2025
I'm teaching Law of Reflection in Conceptual #Physics & realized I don't have a good understanding of *why* light follows the law. That is, I can explain why θi=θr for a basketball bounce pass w/ Newtonian mech, but I don't have an equivalent explanation for light. Anyone have a good one to share?
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Greg Schwanbeck @gregschwanbeck.bsky.social · 11/04/2025
I created this free game for my #astronomy students to get a sense of relative sizes of solar system objects. Adjust moon/planet/comet/etc. sizes, lock in guess, & score accuracy points! Made entirely with #AI Would love your feedback gregschwanbeck.github.io/scale-game/ #AIEDU #EduSKY #edchat
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Greg Schwanbeck @gregschwanbeck.bsky.social · 31/03/2025
It's amazing how easy it is for #teachers to program their own education games/simulations using #AI, without having to know *any* coding at all. Here's a tutorial video demoing how I made an Astronomy game from start to finish in 26 minutes! www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnAe... #EduSKY #AiEDU #STEM
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Create Educational Games/Programs with AI – No Coding Knowledge Needed At All!
YouTube video by Schwanbeck Physics
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Greg Schwanbeck @gregschwanbeck.bsky.social · 24/03/2025
My #physics department's Airzooka air vortex cannon things were all broken because the elastic cords had all worn out, so I replaced them. There didn't seem to be an already-existing tutorial video on how to do this, so I made one. www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fUp... #iteachphysics
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How to fix your Airzooka Air Vortex Cannon by replacing the elastic rubber bungee cord
YouTube video by Schwanbeck Physics
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Greg Schwanbeck @gregschwanbeck.bsky.social · 06/03/2025
I'm not sure if it is marketed or sold as physics equipment. I think it might just be sold to wine enthusiasts that are looking to spend money on wine-related nonsense. That said, I think it is this glass available on Amazon for ~$40 www.amazon.com/HFLWYWD-Remo...
amazon.com
Spinning Wine Decanter Glass with Crystals,Creative Rotating Goblets,Rotating Crystal Glass Red Wine or White Wine Glass with Removable Cup,Idea Wine Accessory Gift for Christmas Halloween
SpecificationName: rotating red wine glassMaterial: glassStyle: simpleScene: hotel, home, KTV, restaurants, nightclubsSize: height of about 23.5 cm (9.25 inches), the mouth of the glass diameter of about 6 cm (2.36 inches)Capacity: 500mlDESCRIPTIONUnique design: turn the wine glass upside down and spin it quickly without leaking a drop. Made of glass, artisanal, one-piece molding, suitable for all occasionsVERSATILE USE: suitable for red or white wine, daily use or special occasions. Swivel the column to rotate the glass without moving the bottom of the glass, thus easy to sober up without making the wine overflow.WORTH GIFTING: Ideal gift for family and friends at Christmas, weddings, anniversaries or birthdays.REMOVABLE CUP: Aluminum stem with removable cup for easy cleaning.MULTIFUNCTIONAL: Creative swivel highball glasses can be used to serve wine, whiskey, champagne, cocktails and more.Product List1*Red wine glass1*High-grade gift box
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Greg Schwanbeck @gregschwanbeck.bsky.social · 05/03/2025
This spinning wine glass would make a pretty cool rotational motion demo for #physics classes. #iteachphysics
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Greg Schwanbeck @gregschwanbeck.bsky.social · 26/02/2025
Several of my colleagues are using #AI to make educational songs. Often these songs work best when students can read the lyrics while the song plays, so I just made this tutorial for #teachers on making "scrolling lyrics" music videos. www.youtube.com/watch?v=aP0P... #edusky #edchat #edtech #AiEDU
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How to Make a "Scrolling Lyrics" Video for your AI-Generated songs using slides & iMovie
YouTube video by Schwanbeck Physics
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Greg Schwanbeck @gregschwanbeck.bsky.social · 25/02/2025
I made a very quick tour of Google's "Learn About" tool to introduce it to my colleagues. This #AI tool is helps you learn about whatever topic you are interested in, generating something akin to an interactive, multimedia textbook as you go. www.youtube.com/watch?v=V90z... #AIinEducation #EduSky
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Learn about Learn About: Take a quick tour of Google’s generative AI tool for learning about… stuff.
YouTube video by Schwanbeck Physics
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Greg Schwanbeck @gregschwanbeck.bsky.social · 24/02/2025
Thanks Mike I am glad you enjoyed it!
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Greg Schwanbeck @gregschwanbeck.bsky.social · 24/02/2025
Overall I'd say it took 2-3 hours, plus however much time it took me to make the original lecture slides. Slides with all these transitions and animations can get pretty time consuming.
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Greg Schwanbeck @gregschwanbeck.bsky.social · 24/02/2025
Thanks! It's hard to say how long it took because nearly all the visuals are slides I've made in for my classes over the years. The movie is Keynote presentation that I recorded/exported as a movie, then fine-tuned to the song in iMovie. The song is AI-generated from lyrics I wrote.
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Greg Schwanbeck @gregschwanbeck.bsky.social · 24/02/2025
I finally made that punk rock song about finding the north star and reckoning latitude that you always wanted! I hope it's the best #video in the "punk rock musical #astronomy education" category that you see today. www.youtube.com/watch?v=gC0E... #space #iteachphysics #science #STEM #edusky
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Learn to find the NORTH STAR (Polaris) & also North/South/East/West & even LATITUDE (via punk rock!)
YouTube video by Schwanbeck Physics
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Greg Schwanbeck @gregschwanbeck.bsky.social · 20/02/2025
Don't NotebookLM's terms & conditions restrict it to users over 18? I love the tool and have been using it a lot myself to support teaching & learning in my classroom. I also see a lot of powerful and creative ways students could use it. I hope Google changes the (arbitrary?) age limit soon.
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Greg Schwanbeck @gregschwanbeck.bsky.social · 14/02/2025
Beautiful quote from #Astronaut William Anders about the famous "Earthrise" photograph that he took during #Apollo 8. #Earth #Space #Astronomy #NASA
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Greg Schwanbeck @gregschwanbeck.bsky.social · 13/02/2025
Cool animation shows the relative rotation speeds/periods/directions of our 8 planets. #space #astronomy #nasa #iteachastro #geology
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Greg Schwanbeck @gregschwanbeck.bsky.social · 12/02/2025
View of our #ocean planet in the "rear view mirror" of Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost spacecraft. Blue Ghost Mission 1 ( #BGM1 ) is part of #NASA 's Commercial Lunar Payload Services program. It'll land on the #Moon on 3/2. More info here: fireflyspace.com/news/blue-gh... #space #astronomy #earth
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Greg Schwanbeck @gregschwanbeck.bsky.social · 11/02/2025
Cool visualizer by @ssaltman.bsky.social maps habitable-zone #exoplanets within the sphere of humanity's radio signal influence. Includes an "earliest reply date" in case anyone on #exoplanet is listening... booksandstuff.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/index3.html #astronomy #space #nasa #iteachastro
Screenshots of the visualizer.
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Greg Schwanbeck @gregschwanbeck.bsky.social · 10/02/2025
#PHYSICS FACT: The range of a trebuchet is independent of the planet/moon on which you fire it. Because it is gravity-powered, an earth-based trebuchet will have exact same range when on the moon. (Air resistance ignored, of course.) michaeldominik.substack.com/p/physics-re... #iteachphysics
michaeldominik.substack.com
Physics Rediscovered #6: My trebuchet is bigger than yours
We just explored how medieval engineers managed to hurl stones the size of body-positivity activists at people, causing them some mild inconvenience.
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Greg Schwanbeck @gregschwanbeck.bsky.social · 07/02/2025
How old will you be 1 MILLION seconds from now? What about *1 BILLION* seconds from now? For years I've asked these ?s to help kids put the difference between million & billion into perspective. I finally made it a video! www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jp6... #math #edusky #science #mtbos #iteachmath
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Million vs. Billion: How old will you be 1 MILLION seconds from now?...What about 1 BILLION seconds?
YouTube video by Greg Schwanbeck
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Greg Schwanbeck @gregschwanbeck.bsky.social · 07/02/2025
I think it might have to do w/ the weight of the water causing the card to "sag," reducing the pressure inside the mug. That is to ask, is it *just* the airtight seal on the rim of the cup? Or is the flexibility of the card also a factor? Would a rigid card stick better/worse/same as a flexible one?
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Greg Schwanbeck @gregschwanbeck.bsky.social · 05/02/2025
"How to make a custom bookplate using #ChatGPT and Google Slides"; a new tutorial video I *just* made! Make a personal bookplate for your classroom #library. I had WAY too much fun making the soundtrack! #GenerativeAI #AI #EduSky #AIedu #AIineducation #EdChat www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQQh...
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How to Make a Custom Bookplate Using ChatGPT & Google Slides - Perfect for your classroom library!
YouTube video by Greg Schwanbeck
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Greg Schwanbeck @gregschwanbeck.bsky.social · 04/02/2025
Soda cans are 94% #soda and 6% can. The #SpaceShuttle external fuel tank was 96% propellant & 4% "can." Amazing that something so large could have such an efficient weight-to-capacity ratio... while also holding cryogenic fuels at 20 K & 60 psi, experiencing 3gs! #science #astronomy #space #NASA
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Greg Schwanbeck @gregschwanbeck.bsky.social · 03/02/2025
Quick new video I just released on my SchwanbeckPhysics #YouTube channel. Demonstrates the conversion of kinetic energy into thermal energy by hitting a penny with a hammer and raising its temperature. Features #AI generated power metal. #iteachphysics #physics www.youtube.com/watch?v=56G3...
youtube.com
Kinetic Energy to Thermal (Heat) Energy Physics Demo - Smashing a Penny with a Hammer
YouTube video by Greg Schwanbeck
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Greg Schwanbeck @gregschwanbeck.bsky.social · 03/02/2025
Made some snow angles with my sons while waiting for the bus this morning. #math #dadjokes
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Greg Schwanbeck @gregschwanbeck.bsky.social · 02/02/2025
Made this for my #Astronomy class to convey size of the Green Bank Observatory, the world's largest fully-steerable radio #telescope. Used to use a pic w/ Statue of Liberty, but who has a sense of its size? My #Boston area students all have size sense of #Bruins #Celtics home though #space #science
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Greg Schwanbeck @gregschwanbeck.bsky.social · 31/01/2025
Here it is as a video with sound if you want more Rick Astronomley in your life.
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Greg Schwanbeck @gregschwanbeck.bsky.social · 31/01/2025
I made this graphic to help my #astronomy students visualize roughly how fast the New Horizons #spacecraft was traveling for most of its journey to #Pluto. It's currently 61 AU away from Earth (17 light-hours), deep in the Kuiper Belt. Inspired by @xkcd.com! #nasa #space #iteachastro #physics
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Greg Schwanbeck @gregschwanbeck.bsky.social · 30/01/2025
A scale-of-our-universe fact to consider during breakfast this morning: If the #galaxy were the size of a frozen waffle, the #Earth would be roughly the size of a proton within it. #astronomy #space #science
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Greg Schwanbeck @gregschwanbeck.bsky.social · 27/01/2025
Yesterday the #Commanders were warned that the #Eagles would be awarded a touchdown if they kept jumping offsides at the goal line. This is too bad; only a few more "half the distance to the goal line" penalties and we'd have gotten to see the refs break out the micrometers. #NFL #physics #math
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Greg Schwanbeck @gregschwanbeck.bsky.social · 02/01/2025
For friends born in 1980: In 2025 you will turn 45. 45² = 2025. It's pretty rare to be age X in the year X². The last time this was possible was in 1936 for 44 year olds born in 1892. The next time it will be possible will be 2116 for 46 year olds born in 2070. #math #newyear #iteachmath #mtbos
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Greg Schwanbeck @gregschwanbeck.bsky.social · 18/12/2024
#Astronomy Fact of the Day: Voyager 1 will reach a distance of 1 light-day away from Earth sometime around October/November 2026. It has travelled an average of about 29 light-minutes per year since its launch in 1977. #science #space
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