#or teaching astronomy

[charlotterenaissance]

duality is watching super pupz for grandpa dave foley and then fargo for eyepatch dave foley

[shatterinseconds]

klance as university professors but no one knows they're married bc one (lance) willingly talks about his amazing husband all the time yet never seems to mention his occupation. and the other (keith) has to be needled into revealing anything about his husband (usually only obliging his students if no one failed the recent test which is rare)

they get found out a few years in when a student catches them kissing in the staff parking lot at the end of a semester

[lulublack90]

Prompt 19 - Astronomy Tower

@wolfstarmicrofic November 19, word count 384

“Hey Moony, what are you doing up here?” Sirius asks as he folds the marauder's map away. Remus doesn’t startle at all. He probably heard Sirius coming, what with his insane werewolf hearing and sense of smell. 

“What does it look like I’m doing? I’m way behind on my star charts because of the damned full moon, and I need to get caught up before Professor Jarvis wants them handed in,” Remus grumbles as he looks through his telescope that is balanced precariously on the railing surrounding the Astronomy Tower. Sirius sighs and moves closer so he can see what Remus has written down. He hates that he’s good at astronomy, with a name like Sirius. It would be odd not to be. But the literal years that his parents forced him to memorise every single thing about the night sky that he could, is permanently seared into his memory.

“Moony, Moony, Moony, you total outrage,” He said in a mock disappointed voice, tsking at the end. “After all these years you still can’t identify my star. Oh, Moony, do you even love me?” 

“What? Oh, shit, sorry,” Remus stares down at his scroll of parchment and quickly erases the error. 

“Do you need some lessons from Professor Black?” Sirius asked teasingly. Remus sighs. 

“Would you? That would relieve some of the stress. I just can’t remember all the separate names for everything.” Sirius takes pity on him, but he’s also going to have a bit of fun with this. He moved behind Remus and wrapped his arms around his chest and waist. Holding him close to his body. Remus relaxed into him like he always did. 

Sirius turned them so they were pointing at Canis Major. 

“See that really bright star right there?” He asked, letting his hand slide down from where it rested against Remus’s chest to his wrist and guiding his hand through the air. 

“Yes,” Remus breathed out, a slight tremor running through his body as Sirius’s breath tickled against his ear. 

“That’s me.” 

They did this for a  few more stars and constellations before Remus had had enough. He spun in Sirius’s arms, and Sirius was ready for him. It was such a cliché making out in the astronomy tower, but honestly, Sirius didn’t care even the tiniest bit.  

[artilaz]

Modern AU in which Gale and Raphael are professors at the same university, and sort of in a friendly rivalry with each other. Whenever they meet somewhere on campus, they break out in impromptu poetry slams, reciting texts against each other. And when I say against, I mean it.

I cannot stress enough that they have nothing against each other in this AU, you'll likely even see them having a drink together at the fanciest bar in town the same evening, but they just constantly try to one-up each other, which is always an absolutely delightful show for everyone who happens to witness such an instance.

One day it'd absolutely come down to them reciting the entirety of Faust among the two of them, with Gale as Faust, and Raphael as - oh, the irony - Mephistopheles.

[bernievm]

If you are still heart broken about the destruction of the Alexandria library, you will be happy to hear in a far away world, there’s a vast library hidden from the world for centuries, contains 84,000 books, which are planned to be digitised, translated and share with the world.

The Sakya Monastery in Tibet, founded in 1073 by Khon Konchog Gyalpo, is renowned for its vast library of ancient manuscripts, many of which remain untouched for centuries.

Most of these texts are Buddhist scriptures, meticulously handwritten in various languages like Chinese, Tibetan, Mongolian, and Sanskrit. But the depth of this collection is vast. It isn’t limited to religious teachings; it expands into the realms of literature, history, philosophy, the stars above with astronomy, the logic of mathematics, the beauty of art, and even the practical wisdom of agriculture.

The scale of this library is staggering. Picture traditional bookshelves stretching 200 feet and soaring to 33 feet, all packed with a whopping 84,000 books! Among these, there’s a standout: a single scripture that tips the scales at a massive 1,100 pounds, claiming the title of the heaviest in the world. Thanks to the region’s dry climate, the library also boasts a collection of delicate palm-leaf manuscripts, preserved in near-perfect condition.

The library is not open to the general public but is accessible to members and visiting scholars with permission. Efforts are underway to digitize these manuscripts, making them more widely available for research and study. This initiative highlights the library's role as a bridge between ancient wisdom and modern scholarship, offering invaluable insights into Tibetan culture and knowledge.

Now, these precious papers give us a peek into Tibet’s history. They show us how people lived, what they believed, and how they dreamed. Thanks to the Sakya Monastery, a whole world has been brought back to life from long ago. Everyone can learn and be amazed by the wonders of the past.

[Sources]:

*Earthly Mission: Tibet's Great Sakya Library (https://earthlymission.com/tibet-great-sakya-library-84000-scrolls-heaviest-scripture-world/)

*History Enhanced: Unveiling the Unseen (https://historyenhanced.com/unveiling-the-unseen-84000-unread-manuscripts-from-sakya-librarys-timeless-tales-discovered/)

*The Historians: The Secrets of Sakya Monastery Library (https://thehistorians.org/2023/12/24/the_secrets_of_sakya_monastery_library_in_tibet/)

[the-blossica-fan]

Who among the younger kids in the suitcase would need tutoring, who would be the tutors, who would not care about grades, and who would be fine without help?

(Not me imagining Eagle helping Mondlicht with her homework.)

Mmmm, well I believe characters like Mondlicht, Erick and Cristallio would need tutoring. Extra mention: Sotheby. She needs help in classes like common sense and advanced Mathematics.

I include Cristallio because she probably missed a lot of her classes back then and keeps trying to graduate, now it's easier but her illness doesn't allow much for her.

The tutors would, without a doubt, be Avgust and Eagle. Avgust is really good at explaining things and making it easy for others to understand, plus he's really kind and always wants to help.

Eagle is more like a straight A student by accident, she's just good at memorizing stuff since she's a scout. It's not like she even wanted to be a tutor but she's really good at explaining, she often helps Avgust explain things but yeah, she ends up helping Mondlicht more often.

Louis and Louisa are quite the exception though, they both cover each other's weakness and are able to tutor each other but when it comes to teaching others they're quite asocial. They could technically be tutors but only of one another.

While Sotheby is a lot more advanced than others, she's almost like a second teacher in the potion, arcane and creatures subjects. She masters them all perfectly. Except for everything else.

Erick and Mondlicht are actually the ones to not care too much about grades, Erick doesn't care about that since she's set to be a ruler one day (and she's quite ill so she doesn't spend as much time learning) and Mondlicht is too busy keeping watch of the wolf. Neither think studying is as important as the other things they have to do.

As for those that would do okay without help are Cristallio and Mondlicht.

Cristallio can catch up, very slowly and would need some collaboration from the teachers to send her extra work, but she would do good enough to pass even with her illness.

Mondlicht is smart, and while her grades are just enough to pass (she probably skips most classes out of paranoia) she still needs some extra credit in some classes.

Aside from that, the teachers are pretty chill so they'll be fine. since they're in the suitcase, it's probably Ms. Moissan teaching arcane & arcane creatures class as well as common sense, Vila teaching humanities, 37 giving mathematics and physics and Windsong teaches Ley Lines.

The most strict I can see is Ms. Moissan but she also understands the issues they all go through. 37 is pretty lenient, she likes sharing her knowledge so she won't mind explaining separately. And you don't even have to take exams for Ley Lines.

[olteacup]

hey (with the intention for someone to tell me about space, teach me about the stars and constellations as well as the planets, then discuss about if aliens are true or not and what’s beyond what the eye can see)

[sidewalkscienceguy]

Today was my last formal day of teaching. I resigned back in March, before spring break. I don't post much on my personal account, so unless you follow Sidewalk Science Center, you don't hear too much from me.

SSC is on a steep climb, projected to more than double our 2023 revenue, with 155% more anticipated events in 2024 compared to 2023 (225 vs 145). We now have 14 employees: 12 educators and 2 Event Coordinators, covering events that span 110 miles of Florida's coast.

Put simply, it's a lot, and teaching has been interfering with my ability to properly perform administrative work and event coordination for SSC, where I've been falling behind emails and calls. It's certainly a full-time job, anywhere from 40-60 hours per week, seeing upwards of 3,000-5,000 people per month across 20 events each month.

Teaching was never the goal, just a walking stick to get up the mountain of starting a business - and a nonprofit, at that. I've been running SSC for nearly 6 years, and while we've still got kinks and shortcomings and things to iron out, we've also integrated ourselves into local communities, meeting kids and families outside the classroom, outside the museum, outside the work hours.

Around here, SSC has sort of stopped being strange to people. Many know to expect us. Many tell us that they look for us at the park. Some have traveled from other states and added us to their itinerary. We're just a table, a team, and a commitment to providing access to resources they likely don't have at home, at a place and time when it may otherwise be difficult to take your kids and families to educational institutions.

I've been building a dream. I'm a writer at heart, and an educator in mind. Creating these experiences not only for people at the park, but for our employees, too, who now have avenues to teach and reach a whole new audience. Traveling and experiencing things we otherwise never would? That's all part of it.

I'll still substitute teach to supplement necessary income, but without formal teaching in the picture, I can dedicate a vast amount of time I've never had for Sidewalk Science Center before, all while knowing it's to a point where this is a viable route to follow. I'm nervous, of course. I'm quitting a guaranteed financial safeguard. But trusting that I can now utilize 8 extra hours every day, rather than squeezing it into 2 or 3? I really feel like this is the best choice.

Really, the SSC team has made this life-change possible. SSC is a place where you can project your passion onto the world. You're not teaching, you're inspiring. When people have conversations with our educators where passion shines through above all else, you can feel the joy or learning flood through them. It's so important to find people who understand that this is not a job, it's a lifestyle, and we've only just started living it.

If you feel so inclined, you can leave a tax-deductible donation for us here (we are a 501c3 nonprofit corporation): www.donorbox.org/ssc-2024

To all our endeavors.

[whim-prone-pirate]

hmmm. hmm. they realized they felt things for each other during the first moonlight scene. they were looking at the same moon at the same time while they were apart. they reunited fully under the light of the moon. hmmmmmm.

[cricket-toast]

do you think the sun gets lonely without a shadow

[ikigaisvt]

went stargazing tonight too🤍 (alone cause im s/o less) and it was so nice. this world is truly SO pretty and i love the sky sm 🫶 (definitely did Not thought of stargazing with seungkwan no no)

also my sister is gonna bring her telescope next time she comes over i CANT wait!!!!

[the-sun-is-also-a-star]

the fact that regulus black would have loved hermione haunts me everyday

[specializationisforinsects]

College was the fulfillment of my dreams: I found teachers who not only understood science, but who were actually able to explain it. I was lucky enough to attend one of the great institutions of learning of the time, the University of Chicago. I was a physics student in a department orbiting around Enrico Fermi; I discovered what true mathematical elegance is from Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar; I was given the chance to talk chemistry with Harold Urey; over summers I was apprenticed in biology to H. J. Muller at Indiana University; and I learned planetary astronomy from its only full-time practitioner at the time, G. P. Kuiper.

From “The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark” by Carl Sagan, 1995.

This is fucking insane, y’all. All these people have important scientific things named after them, Nobel prizes, or both.

Fermi worked at Los Alamos and created the first nuclear reactor, Chandrasekhar revolutionized our understanding of the relationship between stellar mass and lifespan, Urey is one-half of the duo with the iconic experiment behind our current understanding of the origins of life on planet Earth, Muller (despite being a eugenicist, ew,) discovered that X-rays cause damage to DNA and thus mutations, and Kuiper was (one of) the first planetary scientists.

I talk about the ideas of these guys in my classes every year! And all of this was in the previous century! Hell, Hubble only proved conclusively that there are other galaxies outside the Milky Way in Ninteen-twenty-four! Less than a hundred years ago.

What else will we learn in the next hundred????

[cookiefate]

Cookiefate for June 24th: "One learns most from teaching others."

"Those who can't learn succeed."

[stiltonbasket]

Yunhua and her himbo husband? He kicks ass, cuddles babies and animals, and cooks! Also he is very cute when he's teaching his tiny minions.

Chang Liao, every time Nie Yunhua enters a room he's in: Yunhua! :D

Chang Liao's disciples, in Tiny™: shiniang! :D shiniang! :D shiniang! :D