iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Laura McCullough @lauramccphd.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

This led me to a library book I just got: The Tradition of Female Transvestism in Early Modern Europe. Researchers find the most oddly specific things to study!

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Laura McCullough @lauramccphd.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

I pick up a lot of random books vaguely related to gender issues. While in Sweden this summer, I bought “The Bones of Birka” about the Viking warrior grave whose inhabitant was assumed male but was genetically proven female.

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Reposted by Laura McCullough

Kelly McCullough @kellydmcc.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

So, one of my oldest friends @petsnakereggie.bsky.social is dying of cancer right now and that sucks, but he is a hellaciously funny man, I am going to miss him, and I wanted to write an appreciation while he was still alive to complain about the bits I got wrong: kellymccullough.com/tim-wick-an-...

kellymccullough.com

Tim Wick, An Appreciation – Kelly McCullough

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Laura McCullough @lauramccphd.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

First-year students are so cute! This morning someone hopped on their bike and when they got to a crosswalk on a minor street they stopped fully, one foot down, and looked both ways before crossing. I give that behavior a week, at most.

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Laura McCullough @lauramccphd.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

I was out the door in 13 minutes. Got to school by 7:35 with just enough time to grab my (carefully prepped and laid out) materials and do my normal first-day-of-class stuff. I am extremely glad that I prep materials ahead of time and I lay out all my clothes the night before. But geez.

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Laura McCullough @lauramccphd.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

Last night a very close lightning strike took out my physical alarm clock. My phone had a backup alarm but was too quiet to hear. I woke up at 7:13 am. With an 8 am class.

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Laura McCullough @lauramccphd.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

Irony, you're a bastard. This is the first time in 27 years of teaching that I didn't have school stress dreams ahead of the semester. My dreams are always about missing the first day of class: I'm in the wrong building, my car breaks down, I oversleep, I have the wrong schedule, etc.

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Laura McCullough @lauramccphd.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

I wonder how many of those people had what we call clinical depression. As someone with (treated) clinical depression, I understand wanting to just sit and not do anything. It really changes how I interact with those stories.

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Laura McCullough @lauramccphd.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

I have had a realization that has completely changed how I view some fairy tales and stories set in ancient times. (Kelly has been playing a bunch of video games set in historic Japan.) There are many, many stories about the lazy spouse (usually a husband) who just sits around and does nothing.

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Laura McCullough @lauramccphd.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

Getting back into exercising and today was a glorious morning and only 65 deg F. Walked along the river and saw this fellow napping.

Lake view from a bridge with a compactly resting Great Blue heron

View of a lakeshore with a compactly resting great blue heron

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Laura McCullough @lauramccphd.bsky.social · 07/04/2026

I heard a fascinating conversation between two students last week. One was saying: “yeah, but with all the ‘tism going around in engineering…“ I guess autism really is becoming accepted when it gets a nickname.

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Laura McCullough @lauramccphd.bsky.social · 07/04/2026

Walking to school in 20°. In October: winter coat, scarf, midweight hat, midweight gloves. In April: baseball cap, fleece jacket, consider a windbreaker.

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Laura McCullough @lauramccphd.bsky.social · 25/03/2026

Another one: "...when we eventually do move to other planets down the road."

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Laura McCullough @lauramccphd.bsky.social · 25/03/2026

Grading discussion posts. 25 years ago when I started this assignment, students had mixed feelings about climate change. Now it's a given, as I was reminded by this one: " I picked [this article] because there is always talk of us having to leave earth some day...."

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Laura McCullough @lauramccphd.bsky.social · 11/03/2026

...is that something you currently employ in your research?My apologies if it is mentioned in the abstract but I did not have time to read through everything. If so, then I'd like to invite you to meet with us at XYZ in the exhibit hall and discuss your work."

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Laura McCullough @lauramccphd.bsky.social · 11/03/2026

Pretty sure this is an AI fail. "Hi Laura, I was looking at the presentations list for the APS Global Physics Summit and saw that you are an author on "A Committee of One's Own: A History of the CSWP" that will be presented next week. Based on the title, you might be using vacuum equipment...

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Laura McCullough @lauramccphd.bsky.social · 01/03/2026

We got into our hotel last night and I slept 10 hours. Had a leisurely breakfast, then I spent 7 hours writing the keynote talk I am giving on Wed. Normally I write talks over a week or two, so I don’t notice how much work they are. I am exhausted and my brain is just pudding. Now to bed.

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Laura McCullough @lauramccphd.bsky.social · 27/02/2026

Got lucky with parking at the airport and found a charging space. It’s getting harder and harder. Now waiting to board. Eight hour flight then <sigh> a seven-hour layover in Amsterdam Schiphol. Then finally we will get to Helsinki in time to collapse in a heap. Gonna be a loooooooooong day.

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Laura McCullough @lauramccphd.bsky.social · 20/02/2026

Thankfully, I don’t have access to that email account anymore and I was absent for the meeting of interest. I will check my personal notes but I am sure there is nothing there either. I am very sorry for my replacement on the Council since most of the request deals with their time on the Council.

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Laura McCullough @lauramccphd.bsky.social · 20/02/2026

New experience: I was just handed a sealed envelope from the City of Menomonie by a uniformed police officer. It is a formal records request from when I was on the City Council.

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Laura McCullough @lauramccphd.bsky.social · 06/02/2026

The last two flights I have done the Touchless TSAPre and it is amazing! No ID needed, just stand for your picture. Today I walked straight to the agent, no waiting. @kellydmcc.bsky.social did not have it and was sad.

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Laura McCullough @lauramccphd.bsky.social · 03/02/2026

It's going OK, but requiring a ton of new lesson planning. Not normally a problem, but this semester I'm overloaded, with 18 hours in the classroom. (For reference, my normal load is about 15 and someone in the humanities would have 12.) It's going to be a very interesting semester.

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Laura McCullough @lauramccphd.bsky.social · 03/02/2026

I'm starting with momentum, then impulse, then energy, then work. Then forces. It's a good thing I'm a very experienced teacher. Because the first day of teaching I realized students didn't have the ideas of independence of horizontal and vertical motions, nor had we reviewed vectors.

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Laura McCullough @lauramccphd.bsky.social · 03/02/2026

Last spring, I heard a talk by my grad supervisor Ken H. arguing compellingly for a different order for teaching intro physics. I thought about it all fall, and decided to give it a try. (Kelly's response: "Never listen to Ken! Listening to Ken means work!")

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Laura McCullough @lauramccphd.bsky.social · 26/01/2026

One disturbed me: "Fears: failure and hatred." I have a large # of Asian international students this semester and worry it was one of them. (By the handwriting, it probably was.) My syllabus says "this class is founded on respect". Now I know to keep a closer eye on that.

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Laura McCullough @lauramccphd.bsky.social · 26/01/2026

After class I read them all. The usual hopes: want an A, want to understand not memorize. A lot of the fears were common: workload, not understanding material, getting behind.

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Laura McCullough @lauramccphd.bsky.social · 26/01/2026

Today for the first day of class I tried a new-to-me activity. Students wrote their hopes/fears about the class on a scrap of paper, crumpled it up and threw it to the front of the room. I picked out random "snowballs" and read the hopes/fears to the class. It was very interesting.

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Laura McCullough @lauramccphd.bsky.social · 23/01/2026

Proud of Minnesota, where I grew up and learned that bullies are not to be tolerated.

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Laura McCullough @lauramccphd.bsky.social · 29/11/2025

My first hot tubbing in a snowfall for this season. It is peacefully quiet, just light enough to see the falling snow, and absolutely relaxing.

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Laura McCullough @lauramccphd.bsky.social · 31/10/2025

Crocheted most of this last year but gave myself tennis elbow doing it. Finished it a month ago and finally got to wear it!

A woman in a black and white skirt and a black shirt with a white crocheted spiderweb top.

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Laura McCullough @lauramccphd.bsky.social · 10/10/2025

Exciting news: I have been elected as a Fellow of the American Physical Society! I am so thrilled, and my citation makes me extremely happy: "For sustained, significant, and impactful research on and service towards promoting gender equity in physics." www.aps.org/funding-reco...

aps.org

APS Fellows Archive

The American Physical Society is a nonprofit membership organization working to advance physics by fostering a vibrant, inclusive, and global community dedicated to science and society.

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Laura McCullough @lauramccphd.bsky.social · 03/10/2025

Every damn demo failed. Even using my Fun Fly Stick to create charge failed. I let class out 15 minutes early because what was the point in watching NOTHING HAPPEN.

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Laura McCullough @lauramccphd.bsky.social · 03/10/2025

Climate change for the...fail. Big old fail. This is the week that I start teaching static electricity. Early October. Works great since the humidity is low and static demos work well. Today will get into the high 80s and the current humidity is about 85%.

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Laura McCullough @lauramccphd.bsky.social · 12/09/2025

We got a message from the cats this morning, but I’m not sure what it means.

A litter box with three long, parallel, poops slightly off shifted from each other.

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Laura McCullough @lauramccphd.bsky.social · 04/09/2025

“Excuse me, can you help me find my class?”

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Laura McCullough @lauramccphd.bsky.social · 13/08/2025

If you have a solution that you think would be valuable for others to read about, please fill out this form. We appreciate the advice that others can give! Please feel free to share this link with other women in physics, and thanks! forms.gle/3WH7zefcHXL1...

forms.gle

Success Stories from Women in Physics

The authors of a forthcoming book focused on helping women thrive in physics are looking for success stories! We are collecting short quotes and stories from women in physics who have successfully na...

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Laura McCullough @lauramccphd.bsky.social · 13/08/2025

Hey women in physics! I am co-authoring a forthcoming book focused on helping women thrive in physics, and we are looking for success stories! We are collecting short quotes and stories from women in physics who have successfully navigated challenges they faced due to being a woman in physics.

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Laura McCullough @lauramccphd.bsky.social · 20/05/2025

This has been one of the worst days in years. All I want now is to spend 12 hours in one place with a good bed and no problematic texts or calls or emails. Just 12 hours, please.

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Laura McCullough @lauramccphd.bsky.social · 14/05/2025

I have submitted my grades and my gen ed assessments. I am now weeping with relief. It was a more stressful semester than ever, and I had to take several mental health days. But I survived. And my students did very well. Now to prepare for three trips in one week. <sigh> But done!

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Laura McCullough @lauramccphd.bsky.social · 09/05/2025

The Gen Z generation is so much more open about things that my generation would never consider or talk about. It gives me hope.

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Laura McCullough @lauramccphd.bsky.social · 09/05/2025

The guy said “It just is!“ She kept asking why, and he didn’t have a good answer. Finally, he said “It isn’t fair because I can’t hit you back.“ It was fascinating that he had absorbed the message that boys don’t hit girls, but he also recognized the unfairness of it when she tagged him.

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Laura McCullough @lauramccphd.bsky.social · 09/05/2025

I witnessed an unusual encounter as I was walking home the other day. A male-female couple were holding hands and chatting. The guy said something, and the young woman whacked him on the shoulder. He said a fake “ow!” and then said “That’s not fair!” She responded with “Why isn’t it fair?”

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Laura McCullough @lauramccphd.bsky.social · 06/05/2025

Dragon Magic was really good too. That was @kellydmcc.bsky.social ‘s favorite. I was thinking of rereading the Beast Master books next!

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Laura McCullough @lauramccphd.bsky.social · 05/05/2025

Last night I finished the last of Andre Norton’s Magic series. I especially enjoyed Octagon Magic and Fur Magic. I gave up on Lavender Green Magic since I thought the main character too stupid about life. A kid probably wouldn’t have that problem. They were a great gentle read for these times.

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Laura McCullough @lauramccphd.bsky.social · 05/05/2025

...That shows your true character and for that I say thank you, because everyone believes professors are these perfect humans with no flaws of what they teach." 💖💖💖

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Laura McCullough @lauramccphd.bsky.social · 05/05/2025

From a student: "Laura, I felt you greatly helped show me that it isn’t scary to be wrong, as sometimes during lecture you would even get things wrong, and you would fix them and explain why you went wrong...

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