General update (coronavirus stuff at the bottom)

[luzula]

Putting the coronavirus stuff at the bottom, so those who want can skip it. I have really enjoyed teaching the multivariable calculus course that ended this week--lovely students, and it was fun to try out flipped classroom. The students really enjoyed it, though I only did it on a few of the lectures.

I am still doing my organizational work--we had the annual meeting of my environmental organization, and I was re-elected to the board. And I joined the negotiations committee at my union. The first case I participated in was a guy who got fired for asking about sickness benefits. : / This is of course illegal in Sweden, and the company backtracked pretty quickly. I am still very new at this, and just wrote the minutes on this case.

Since I am still writing fic so intensely, my heart is not really in my organizational work right now, and it feels a little like a chore. I mean, I do my duty, but I take fewer initiatives than I would usually do, and I have told my fellow board members that is the case. But I had six years where I wasn't that fannish and ploughed a lot of work into those organizations. And now, I feel that it's okay to take a small step back and be starry-eyed and fannish instead. : )

***

500 covid-19 cases in Sweden so far, in a nice upticking exponential curve. We've just gone from the containment stage, with thorough testing and tracking, to mitigation. My university is preparing to close--we haven't done it yet, but we're holding workshops in how to do lectures online, etc. I am lucky in that my job for the rest of the spring is very easy to do remotely--it's mostly grading exams, giving feedback on papers, revising a teaching compendium, etc. And the government has now banned public events with more than 500 people.

I feel reasonably prepared: lots of ready-cooked food in the freezer, have stocked up on shelf-stable food (though I could do that more), I have a working thermometer and antipyretics, etc. Except for the doubled-edged thing that is living with other people--on the plus side, we can help each other if we get sick. On the minus, more vectors for infection, and one of my flatmates doesn't really take it seriously. But I will continue to talk to him.

I do find it ironic how this is putting a such a noticable dent in CO2 emissions. People are obviously capable of changing their behavior as a response to an immediate threat (coronavirus), but not to a long-term threat (climate change), although it is at least as serious. : /

Comments

[falena]

Re: your last point. Heh. Perhaps we can take away a lesson from all this.

[luzula]

Well, it would be nice! And I hope you're all right over in Italy...

[auroracloud]

A starry-eyed fannish break is good sometimes! I admit, I've become quite curious about that book, too. Maybe I'll check it out at some point. :-)

As a friend of mine said, it seems that the coronavirus is more effective at CO2 reduction than humans are.

[luzula]

Well, of course I encourage you to read it! *enables* : )

The coronavirus is not an intelligent actor, so the comparison is maybe not that relevant, but for sure we are not doing that good a job of it...

[desireearmfeldt]

There's a big difference between what people are willing/able to do as a short term emergency measure, and what they can sustain in the long term -- as I expect we'll find when virus curve flattening takes longer than a couple of months. To addrrss climate change, we need a large scale *systematic* and long term shift in how we do things.

[luzula]

Yes, for sure it needs a different kind of change, taken as a whole. But I was just struck by the examples of measures that actually are the same for both problems, on the individual level, such as not flying, which it is definitely possible to not do in the long term as well as short term.

[hurry_sundown]

Wait a minute, multivariable calculus is fun?

*laughs uncontrollably*

Stay safe, Luz.

[luzula]

Swedish has an expression: "Tastes are divided, like the butt." : P

You too!

[(Anonymous)]

*cackles*

I'd started to reply earlier "each to his taste," but I like the Swedish version better.

[luzula]

Well, "taste" and "butt" rhyme in Swedish ("smaken är som baken, delad"), that is probably the reason for the saying. : )

[jesse_the_k]

That is an essential expression! (In my part of the world, Swedes are stereotyped as shy & retiring, so I particularly appreciate the snarkiness).

We've only had 4 confirmed cases in my County and they've shifted the university to online after April 1.

[regshoe]

I'd not heard about the effect of coronavirus on CO2 emissions (down by a quarter in China, wow)—but I suppose it stands to reason. How ironic >:/

Anyway, I'm glad you're still enjoying starry-eyed fannishness, I hope the long fic is still going well :D

[luzula]

It is! : ) I haven't written anything today, but that's because I had to work all day.

[lyr]

Here in the US, we can't seem to settle on whether we're mitigating or containing at this point. Everyone's getting different info in different areas, and it's all chaotic and confusing at the national level. My university is closed for the next two weeks, at which time we'll find out if that's extended all semester.

[luzula]

I think we went over to mitigation when we got the first case where they couldn't trace the origin--we're at about 700 cases in Sweden now, though as they've stopped the comprehensive testing, that's probably not reliable any more.

I just found out now that our exams next week will be done by the students at home, instead of at the university. It's probably a necessary decision, but as a teacher, I am NOT thrilled. It means I will entirely have to rethink the examination, because the students will of course then have access to the course book, internet, etc, during the exam, and for a math exam, that makes rather a lot of difference. : /

[lyr]

We're doing hardly any testing at all, which makes it impossible to know much of anything.

Hmm, I can see the problem. Even requiring them to show their work and explain their thought process isn't really foolproof there.