iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

M.J. Dunlavy @mdunlavyca.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

New addition to the website. Hate that this needs to be said.

new side banner on the site saying no AI is used in the creation of materials for the website.

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M.J. Dunlavy @mdunlavyca.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

maptap September 3 100🎯 94🏅 96🔥 80✨ 100🎯 Final score: 926

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M.J. Dunlavy @mdunlavyca.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

My lifetime of telling people to "always check the cable first" about to be vindicated.

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M.J. Dunlavy @mdunlavyca.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

While it's great that anyone can now see this incredible film, it used to be so hard to watch these types of films. Back in the day, my pal and I had to promise the moon to an English prof who had a copy on VHS so she'd lend it to us. Anyway, go ahead. Watch the best film of all time. For free.

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M.J. Dunlavy @mdunlavyca.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

A thing you can learn from the web traffic of a physics education website geared towards teachers is the time when folks start preparing for the start of Fall classes. And that time is now. Summer traffic doldrums are over!

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M.J. Dunlavy @mdunlavyca.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

Q: What's the best thing to use as an example of something that weighs 80lbs? A big dog (german shepherd)? 10yr old kid? Asking for a friend...

screen cap from a video attempting to explain what 80lbs translates to.

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M.J. Dunlavy @mdunlavyca.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

Partially-eclipsed sun as seen inside the partially-air conditioned Atrium at SMU

Eclipse sen through Atrium skylight windows

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Reposted by M.J. Dunlavy

Tiffany @tiffzny.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

Practicing

Selfie of Tiffany wearing eclipse glasses looking towards the sun

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M.J. Dunlavy @mdunlavyca.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

This is amazing. And as I sign of good faith, I won't do it to the person who reposted it for me to learn about. But everyone else...

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M.J. Dunlavy @mdunlavyca.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

I have a ticket with a pretty decent seat for The Odyssey in 70mmIMAX this weekend (Sun 11am showing)... that I am cancelling. If any locals want it, DM me and I'll let you know when I hit the refund button.

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M.J. Dunlavy @mdunlavyca.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

An underrated aspect of the prism-rainbow refraction effect is that since the transparent prism bends all of the light, it leaves a shadow as if it is opaque.

A transparent prism creates both a rainbow as well as a dark shadow.

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M.J. Dunlavy @mdunlavyca.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

2001 NYT crosswords hit different.

the solution to the clue "Bachelor's counterpart" is "Spinster"

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M.J. Dunlavy @mdunlavyca.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

For no particular reason: here's an explanation for why the sun looks red when there's a lot of particles in the atmosphere. demos.smu.ca/demos/astron...

M.J. Dunlavy @mdunlavyca.bsky.social · 10/07/2026

It's been 8yrs but I'd like to get a limited series podcast going again. I found the research folder for Earth's Mixtape and sadly it'll take that much work again. Speaking of: Like NASA history? Like thinking about talking to aliens? Well then... podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/e...

podcasts.apple.com

Earth's Mixtape

Education Podcast · A fun journey through the Voyager Golden Record, Earth's mixtape to the stars!

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M.J. Dunlavy @mdunlavyca.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

Let me see... what do I remember from that weekend...

Box Office Game for the weekend before 9/11

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M.J. Dunlavy @mdunlavyca.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

I thought I was proud of this mushroom-spinach risotto *before* putting it on the table...

$Plate of risotto with a diffracted sun beam on it from a prism in the window on a sunny day.$

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M.J. Dunlavy @mdunlavyca.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

If you are on the SMU campus and have something you'd like photographed in infra-red, send me a DM within the next hour.

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M.J. Dunlavy @mdunlavyca.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

So we have in the Atrium a glassed three story stairwell that acts as a type of greenhouse column. On a hot day like today, the temperature difference from top to bottom is noticeable! 1/3

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M.J. Dunlavy @mdunlavyca.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

After far too long, the "Search" function on the site has been fixed! Now teachers and students can search for the demos they are looking for as if this site was made in the 21st century. demos.smu.ca

Website search function returns for the term "forces".

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M.J. Dunlavy @mdunlavyca.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

New Poll: 1) Complicated questions about public policy have answers that can only be expressed with nuance and context. 🔲 Agree 🔲 Disagree

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Reposted by M.J. Dunlavy

Tiffany @tiffzny.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

If you're interested in spotting Venus blip out of view then come back, position yourself IN A SHADOW of a solid object, like a building without windows (not trees!) so you CANNOT accidentally look at the sun. I beg!! Do NOT accidentally look at the sun with a telescope or binocs!!!

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M.J. Dunlavy @mdunlavyca.bsky.social · 16/06/2026

Just spent a good amount of time to make sure the antiquated programs I use to produce lab manuals continue to work on a modern computer for a few more years. All of which to say: good luck to my successor!

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M.J. Dunlavy @mdunlavyca.bsky.social · 08/06/2026

New video! Using a Hoberman switch-pitch ball (easily available from many fine toy stores) to demonstrate Quantum Indeterminacy in the classroom! #iTeachPhysics youtu.be/rim-hknwDO0

youtu.be

How to Model Quantum Indeterminacy in the Classroom

YouTube video by SMUPhysics

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M.J. Dunlavy @mdunlavyca.bsky.social · 05/06/2026

When I moved to Canada as a what-would-be-described now a media-obsessed kid, this was the Canadian show that made the biggest impression on me. And that impression was that Canadian shows were bad.

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M.J. Dunlavy @mdunlavyca.bsky.social · 04/06/2026

It's done. Gonna sit with it for a night and then release it tomorrow after checking it again with unbleary eyes.

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M.J. Dunlavy @mdunlavyca.bsky.social · 04/06/2026

Do this long enough, and you can hear feedback from the future while you are editing. (and yes, I can also hear your typo comments)

Text card saying "But! (I hear you ask) Is it truly random?"

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M.J. Dunlavy @mdunlavyca.bsky.social · 04/06/2026

The issue with filming at 1000fps (with my camera, at any rate) is the lo-res pixelation. Throwing lots of light at it helps, of course. But in this case, I think it works as an effect for the "indeterminate" state.

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M.J. Dunlavy @mdunlavyca.bsky.social · 04/06/2026

Ok. Doing a full video of this.

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M.J. Dunlavy @mdunlavyca.bsky.social · 03/06/2026

Was green. Then orange? A nice way to demonstrate superposition of states and how measurement (catching) collapses them. #iTeachPhysics

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M.J. Dunlavy @mdunlavyca.bsky.social · 02/06/2026

Sorry, I grabbed it because it is in a 4-pack with three others films I wanted.

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M.J. Dunlavy @mdunlavyca.bsky.social · 02/06/2026

Dang. Gonna get what-for from the Multi-Media office for this one...

Sticker on a slide projector with the text "On long-term loan to the Physics Dept. from the Multi-Media office Dec./77"

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M.J. Dunlavy @mdunlavyca.bsky.social · 29/05/2026

For anyone on the SMU campus, the "Free Shelf" in the English Department currently has a pretty spiffy-looking DVD of "Singin' in the Rain" (a legit best-ever movie candidate).

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M.J. Dunlavy @mdunlavyca.bsky.social · 29/05/2026

They can't all be winners. For instance, here's Mr. Eclipse-Eyes. He gets happier as the eclipse proceeds.

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M.J. Dunlavy @mdunlavyca.bsky.social · 29/05/2026

New video! Styrofoam Peanuts on a Van de Graaf. Also: this demo is a pain for clean-up. We propose a cleaner alternative in the 2nd half of the vid. youtu.be/paAbr4HF0OQ #iTeachPhysics

youtu.be

Fun with Van de Graaf - Styrofoam Peanuts

YouTube video by SMUPhysics

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M.J. Dunlavy @mdunlavyca.bsky.social · 28/05/2026

Deleting old videos on my desktop and found this sadly doomed rocket launch from 2016. I like the way it seems to head for the moon.

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M.J. Dunlavy @mdunlavyca.bsky.social · 26/05/2026

Coming soon: Updates to all of our filmed-on-video-tape Van de Graaf demos.

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M.J. Dunlavy @mdunlavyca.bsky.social · 25/05/2026

Hey. This classroom demo took a lot of figuring out and I think more of y'all should have seen it. How to Find Exoplanets (in the classroom) demos.smu.ca/demos/astron... Stand alone video here: youtu.be/rDNkVehVAP4 #iTeachPhysics

demos.smu.ca

How To Find Exoplanets (in the classroom)

An extensive collection of physics demonstrations and videos for use in the classroom and at home!

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Reposted by M.J. Dunlavy

Tiffany @tiffzny.bsky.social · 22/05/2026