Teacher. Physics, Astronomy, and Space are my interests. Wooded area out the back door. This blog is about these and more. I also blog with Melanie at Our View From Iowa.
My first 23 years as a teacher were in Illinois teaching physics to gifted teens and reading skills to prison inmates. I ran summer teacher institutes at Fermilab. Walked inside the Tevatron accelerator tunnel and some detectors. Stood in a 3 Tesla magnetic field which enhanced my personality a lot.
Here are a with a few signposts along my life journey.
Taught an additional 15 years in Iowa at one of the top high schools in the nation. Coached a national champion engineering team in 2007.
Concerned about climate change, the poor funding of R&D, hunger and poverty, campaign finance reform, restrictions on voting rights, the war on women.
I like to see thoughtful comments from readers. It is greatly appreciated when a reader takes the time to consider what the post said, follow some links, and offer reactions and their own insight. I enjoy discussion. That’s a trait from my teaching days.
Eye candy and pretty pictures might show up in some posts. Mostly, I leave those things to others. I am interested in telling a story about something interesting in the world.
Join me. Comment. Re-blog. Give credit. Thank you.
How I See It 
So much to learn here! It seems teaching is still very much your career.
I thank you. It is part of me. I appreciate your taking a moment to comment.
Well now … receiving Alex’s endorsement goes a long way with me. Thanks for stopping by!
My pleasure. I am sure I will be back.
Great, I have also adopted Gravitar icon like earth, but it is with Google Earth, due to all downloads available at my website are travel and tour story with Google Earth!!!!
Hi, i love astronomy, atmsophere etc. something which attarcts you so much you put your garavtar on same pattern.
Your blog is great, also welcome to my blog on travel and tour, get some video presentations download:
Thank you for your recent visit and nice comment. I appreciate that you took the time to do that. Yes, astronomy and the other sciences are very special to me. I hope you will come back and read more of my posts.
I will take a look at your blog when I am using a better computer. This iPad makes it difficult to explore easily.
Kind regards… Jim
[…] wit. (Has anyone encountered him?) No way do I know as much about space as Alex, or physics as Jim. I can’t garden or compose music as Lynn, and gathering puns like Fasab is against my […]
Jim,
As a way of letting you know how much I’ve enjoyed your blog and connecting with you, I’ve nominated you for Very Inspiring Blogger Award, Best Moment Award, and Sunshine Award. You can pick them up from here, if you’re so inclined. 🙂
That was so nice of you. I just got back from viewing your blog about the awards for you. I noticed my blog on your list and felt humbled. It has been a pleasure to be in touch with you and your writing. Thank you very much.
Does being nominated mean I need to do anything? I’m new to this aspect of blogging and how it works.
Again… kind of shocked. 😯
No, participation is optional. I should have probably posted the rules on my post, but I’m not one to follow rules too closely myself, uh-oh … I hope awards police are not reading! I suggest visiting Fae’s blog for better explanation.
You can display the award icons proudly somewhere on your blog, if you like! You also now have the privilege to pass them on to your own nominees.
Great blog! Intriguing.. in a good way 😉 I like science 😀
Thank you very much.
Happy Blogging 😀
May your medical training go well. The world needs more doctors and people who help others.
Jim … just an FYI …. It’s Friday afternoon, and unusually so, this is my first check of the day due to family illness. I faithfully monitor my Spam folder, thus found your comments. WP gets funky at times.
Oh, good. I was afraid you had blocked me. But, it worked this morning just fine. Thanks for the info.
I hope things will be alright regarding the illness.
Very interesting blog! I’m looking forward to following, reading and the best part…learning! Thank you for sharing!
Welcome. I hope you find many things of interest. I appreciate that you stopped and commented. By the way, that is a cute icon picture. 🙂
Come back often. 🙂
Thanks! I look forward to visiting and one day introducing my son to the wonderful world of science!
Excellent! Have fun with him. Let him explore. Help him see the world through curious eyes and mind. Enjoy.
Thanks. My husband and I very much enjoy encouraging his curious and developing mind. It’s wonderful to see him discover nature, his environment and navigate around his new world. it really has been so much fun!!! Thanks again.
Wow, I’m so happy I found your blog after you liked one of my posts. A former scientist myself (chemist, actually) I’m very interested in developments in science and teaching it to high school/undergrads.
Welcome. I hope you will be a regular visitor. We sciency types need to stick together.
Thanks for stopping and saying hi.
[…] a YouTube video what shows people using the old-fashioned pulley system to unload hay. (Thank you Jim in Iowa for finding this link and sharing it when I did the previous post on this […]
As a poet, I really love astronomy, because of its vocabulary, its beauty, its “reality”… your pages about are as amazing as interesting, you have a great blog, thank you for sharing 🙂
What a great message to wake to in the morning. It helps start my day on a positive note.
I hope you come back often. Keep looking up.
Thank you.
I like bloggers with something to say and who teach at the same time. I’ve meant to click on your blog for a long time and now that time finally arrived via Shore Acres blog.
I am very happy that you have arrived. Please make a habit of visiting and offering your comments.
Welcome…Jim
Your blog is great, Jim… and I love all the pictures you post, which make every entry a treat! I have to remember to check in more often!
Thank you. I appreciate that very much. Please do come back often.
really like the site and your work, esp how you interact with your readers… a lesson learned… thanks and keep up the good work 🙂
Thank you. I appreciate your feedback. Interaction is one of the reasons we write.
Have an interesting day.
I’ve never been in the Tevatron tunnel, but I’ve been at Fermi a couple of times. Climbing through the Atlas magnet at CERN, then under construction, is my equivalent. I’ve felt the eddy-current drag on the metal shoe-lace ringlets in my shoes from walking on a magnet. Haven’t calculated what the magnetic field was there. More at home in magnet technology than astronomy, so I am happy to use your guidance. Love woods too.
I envy your Atlas experience. Last week on PBS, there was a program featuring much of the work done by Atlas and the scientists chasing after a Higgs Boson.
I will be happy to guide you. Thanks for stopping to comment.
[…] Jim from Jim in IA […]
Hi Jim, I have another challenge for you, just follow this link https://anarette.com/2015/03/22/love-in-ten-lines
I did not realize, you also bogged on “View from Iowa” which I enjoy. Browsed around here and oh boy…so much to learn. Need to learn more….warm greetings form Ohio, Johanna
I will be happy to see you any time. Welcome.
Dale and I need your advise on something: http://adelectablelife.com/2015/05/18/signs-of-elvish-presence/comment-page-1/#comment-6063
hmmmmm…force fields for elves ⚡️⚡️
I’m about to leave for a platelet donation. I will think about this while in the couch and get back to you.
I knew you would be interested 🙂
I suggest a Van de graaff static electric generator for the little elves. It will produce an impressive electric field as evidenced by the effect on this little elf of a boy. https://youtu.be/jZEFuCxD7BE
Great explanation and video. I knew you would be able to explain it!
PS your valuable contribution is now listed on Elvepedia (http://anarette.com/elvepedia/)
I am honored and ‘shocked’ 🙂
Haha, no pun intended I bet.
[…] (voluntary we hope) to travel to Canada. If you want to know more about the force field, just ask Jim in IA. He is a physics teacher and found a great YouTube video to show how the force field works. […]
Good to meet you. 🙂
Thank you. I hope you will stop often for a visit in the future. Feel free to browse the posts. You might find things you like.
Yes, why not? Thank you and do feel free to visit my blog. You might find things you like too. 🙂
Love the new layout .. .and the header is awesome. FYI: My holiday party is in progress this weekend, … and I have a new supplier of gifts … but you can still wear your Area Man shirt.
I’m glad you like it.
Wish you could be the girls teacher for a year…they would love you.
Too bad we are not closer. Feel free to send a question from them if you wish.
I appreciate that very much. 🙂
Wonderful! Thank you so much.
I wonder, how does 3 tesla feel like?
The only things I felt were the vertical twist to my belt buckle and a name tag with a horizontal pin in my shirt. No wallets or loose metal objects were allowed anywhere nearby.
Cool enough!
Hi Jim. You’ve probably seen you around, I love your blog! 🙂 I can’t seem to find any of you contact information though, I’ve been asked to create some illustrations that I think your input would be invaluable as I am not an astronomer or physicist (although I would love to be!) so I don’t know if what I’m creating is scientifically accurate. Please drop me an email if you are available! jlaw[at]eso[dot]org 😀
Hi, Jim, I just happened across your blog, and think it’s great. I really like your astronomy posts (I haven’t had a chance to check much of the rest out yet). Keep up the great work!
Thank you, Scott. I will be checking out your blog as well.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family.
Thank you very much, Frank. We hope you will enjoy a rewarding and peaceful day. We will have one of our daughters and our son join us. Good food and conversation will be on the menu.
Peace… Jim and Melanie
Sounds grand … enjoy!
Hi Jim, I comment over at thekitchensgarden.com a lot. I wonder if you will be viewing the solar eclipse in August? If so, where will you go to view it? We finally found a place to stay in Kansas in order to see it from the Missouri location (in the band of highest visibility). My husband is very excited.
Hi
Very definitely planning on it. We will bring our daughter and two grandkids along. We are close enough to the centerline to drive and not stay. At least that is our hope. We saw one in Germany in 1999. It is a very fun event.
Thanks for your contact, Kim.
Hi Jim,
I just saw this about NASA’s CitSciCon this weekend, in the weekly email from Zooniverse. You probably already know about it, but I just wanted to be sure! 🙂
CitSciCon, a two-day celebration of NASA citizen science projects and people will be taking place on Friday and Saturday (May 21-22). This event features a series of Zoom-based talks and events, and features a keynote presentation by our very own Zooniverse PI Chris Lintott on Saturday, 22 May 2021 at 12-1:30pm US Eastern time! Register/RSVP for that event, along with many other great sessions, by visiting the CitSciCon website, or tune in to the live stream on the Citizen Science Association’s YouTube page.
I did see that. We must be getting the same email. Thanks for the heads-up.