Barbara Fantechi

@barbarafantechi

Mathematician, cis woman, bi, het married, parent of adults. Loud in the physical and metaphorical sense. I do not use AI.

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Barbara Fantechi@barbarafantechi· 28d

One more café breakfast with cappuccino e sfoglia (pastry made of puff pastry). This time it is a sfoglia alla mora (the filling is blackberry jam). I can't get sfoglie alla mora in Trieste. My dad is still hospitalised; physically better, but he can't chew, struggles with reading and speaking. 💔

On a café table, a little white plate with a pastry and a cappuccino.

Barbara Fantechi@barbarafantechi· 28d

And this is why we didn't use to have bedrooms directly under the roof, only storage space. I will now switch on the AC so I can sleep before 1am. PS I have actually switched on the AC in the living room in the afternoon, to keep the temperature between 29⁰ and 30⁰, with 37+ outside.

An Aranet 4 shows
CO_2 698
Temperature 32.2⁰C
Humidity 51%

Barbara Fantechi@barbarafantechi· Jul 12

Criminal 1 came home late, raided the fridge for leftovers and left the dirty dish on the table, as usual. Criminal 2 (pictured) followed his adorable nose and ate most of the chicken bones.

My cat, stretched out very long on his right side on the wooden floor, his tail in a perfect curl

Barbara Fantechi@barbarafantechi· Jul 5

Greetings from Celje, Slovenia! We're having a weekend vacation. Picture taken by spouse/coauthor.

Me, the hair swept wildly by the wind, laughing on a medieval stone tower. In the background one can see a town with a small historical center, hills and mountains in the background

Barbara Fantechi@barbarafantechi· Jun 30

I will now see Brilliant as a 3D Rorschach test.

Barbara Fantechi@barbarafantechi· Jun 30

30⁰C at home. I have to move my schedule so I can get up at 6am and open windows.

My cat, lying on his right side on a wooden floor, his head on a carpet. The little coffee coloured over white heart on his nose is very clearly visible and adorable

Same position, but he is now using his left forepaw to cover his eyes. Which is incredibly cute but also one can't see the nose anymore.

Barbara Fantechi@barbarafantechi· Jun 27

I am visiting my father. Eldest sends me pics of the cat. #caturday

My cat mostly on his back on the wooden floor, his head on a green carpet. We can see all his fluffy belly and the bottom half of his head, with his rear paws stretched out and the forepaws crossed under his chin. He looks adorable (he always does)

Barbara Fantechi@barbarafantechi· Jun 21

Me smiling in front of a café labeled Illy. It is very sunny and I am wearing a knitted top with shoulders uncovered, totally inappropriate for my age

Barbara Fantechi@barbarafantechi· Jun 21

I do! In order: 1 finishing paper with coworkers 2 thinking about next paper with the soft coworker 3 about to reserve a table so me and my conpetent friends can try and plan a maths school next year.

A large table covered in a plastic tablecloth vaguely looking like white and blue tiles and lemons. On the table left to right: my laptop, my cat, printout of the paper with a pen, Lothar working on his laptop.

Me sleeping on a twin bed, slightly diagonal since next to my knees there's the cat curled up and also sleeping

Barbara Fantechi@barbarafantechi· Jun 20

#Caturday + #MathSky = Brilliant is helping us with the final edit! Alt text: four very similar pictures of my cat, sitting on top of an open printout of the paper, looking in various directions (including at the paper). On the table one can see a closed laptop, a monitor, and a pen.

Cat is turning even more in Lothar's direction

Cat is looking at the page he is sitting on

Cat is looking towards the door. One can see a bit of an open laptop, Overleaf (writing program for mathematicians) running

Barbara Fantechi@barbarafantechi· Jun 14

I spent Wednesday at Accademia delle Scienze, Villa Torlonia, and Thursday and Friday at Accademia dei Lincei, Palazzo Corsini, both in Rome. I love being in Rome whatever the reason, and I love academies because I feel so young there. Also, I have friends in both. PS More later, maybe.

The view from a high floor of a neoclassic building. We see part of the side of the building and of an outsider trace, then a grad garden with pals, in the distance a hill covered in trees, with background a blue summer sky streaked by thin white clouds.

Keen eyed plus Rome savvy viewers can recognize the equestrian statue of Garibaldi on top on the hill.

Barbara Fantechi@barbarafantechi· Jun 11

Gender neutral toilet at Accademia dei Lincei, Palazzo Corsini, Roma.

A public restroom, with an anteroom with a sink and a back room with a toilet.
Both doors are white with no symbols.

Barbara Fantechi@barbarafantechi· Jun 10

Colazione a Roma. Not pictured: the excellent glass of water (not still, not sparkling, a secret third thing) and The Local Accent. OMG The Local Accent.

A metal bistro style outdoor table. On it a cappuccino and a pastry with chocolate chips and custard.

Barbara Fantechi@barbarafantechi· Jun 7

Absolutely perfect. Reposted with added alt text.

Screenshot of what looks like a blogpost
Title, in blue: On the acceptance of GenAI
Hope Schuurkes — 5 April 2026

By using GenAI: (followed by a list with checkboxes)
I accept the models were trained on stolen data.
I accept that the data was labeled by exploited workers.
I accept the environmental costs of the data centers running these models.
I accept that I am outsourcing some of my skills to a company.
I accept these companies don't have a viable business model.
I accept that I am granting more power to big tech and their vision for the world.
I accept that I am granting more power to the United States.
I accept that all this effort could have been spent elsewhere.

Barbara Fantechi@barbarafantechi· Jun 5

Buonanotte e sogni d'oro

Barbara Fantechi@barbarafantechi· Jun 1

I imagine you feel it and that can't be helped, but at least you din't have to look at it! I use that approach on my "I fell in a manhole and my thigh fat saved my muscles and veins from any harm" scar.

Photo of the back of leg and knee of a white person (me). One can see a scar vaguely shaped like a seven or a hockey stick, the straight part is about the length and width of a pinky finger.

Barbara Fantechi@barbarafantechi· May 31

Extended weekend in Croatia with Lothar (you can see his glasses). We are trying very hard to finish the paper we started when he retired, end January. We also go for long walks along the sea. Paper should be ready soon IF WE STOP ADDING TO IT.

Me, a mature woman with short salt and pepper hair, sitting at a table and smiling. On the table are a folded pair of glasses ; I also wear glasses and a white and red checkered shirt. One can see I am on a balcony and behind me are a large oleander with pink flowers, various trees, and grey sky.

Barbara Fantechi@barbarafantechi· May 31

Fascism was bad. Not just after the racial laws, not even after they took power. It was criminal from the beginning.

Una targa in marmo con scritta bilingue, italiano e croato, sotto la targa una corona d'alloro e una coccarda tricolore:

In questa casa l'orda fascista spezzò la vita ma non piegò gli ideali di Francesco Papo segretario del circolo giovanile comunista di Buie. Nel 50⁰ dell'Olocausto, i cittadini di Buie 30 marzo 1971

(Sorry I am not good at transcribing Croatian)

Barbara Fantechi@barbarafantechi· May 23

Happy #Caturday everyone

My cat curled up on his side on a blanket in a relaxed shrimp like position.
My wrist is between his hind legs and my hand splashed on his soft belly.

Barbara Fantechi@barbarafantechi· May 22

I understand people wanting to put cute images in their slide talks, BUT. Now wondering whether I should include images like this instead of AI.

My cat curled up on a bed, looking extemely cute and also a bit like a singular cubic

Barbara Fantechi@barbarafantechi· May 14

Unfortunately, this is how the cat decided to spend the evening. No, those are not my legs, I can't sit like that.

Screenshot of a whatsapp picture
A person wearing shorts is sitting on their feet on an armchair, wrapped in cute blankets. Draped across their legs is a cat, head on an armrest, the front paw hanging out, eyes closed and body relaxed.
The text across the picture reads:
Current situation. Earlier we couldn't find the cat, but then realized someone had "hidden a vespa wheel" under the blanket in the new double bed.

Barbara Fantechi@barbarafantechi· May 13

I usually much prefer being in Florence than in Trieste. But there are good sides in being home again.

Me holding in my arms a large cat, belly up, my fingers disappearing in the belly fur, one of the forepaws softly touching my nose. The cat is looking at the photographer, I am looking at the cat

Barbara Fantechi@barbarafantechi· May 11

One of my kids is in Greece for university reasons. He has sent nine pictures to the family group. Nine pictures with the same subject. I apparently managed to teach essentials.

A tiny, thin, striped red kitten on a grey steps background.

Barbara Fantechi@barbarafantechi· May 10

Me when I had all my mothers! My mom, her mom, and my father's two aunts. This picture is 50+ years old. NB I was lucky and kept all my mothers until I was almost 25.

A very faded, sepia toned picture of a smiling child at the seaside. The child has short dark hair, dark eyes, a cloth hat, and a golden chain with a medal hanging hallway to the belly button.

Barbara Fantechi@barbarafantechi· May 10

Cherries from Southern Italy, peaches from Southern Spain. The peaches are small but tasty.

on a grey table, let to right
a ceramic tray with apples and a clementine
a ceramic bowl with cherries and two small peaches
an empty glass water jug

Barbara Fantechi@barbarafantechi· May 9

Sabato mattina a Scandicci = mercato in Piazza Togliatti. Stamani colazione al bar con sfoglia alla pera (no, a Trieste non si trova).

A small wooden table. On it a cappuccino and a small white dish with a pastry.

Barbara Fantechi@barbarafantechi· May 3

the cat's owner replacement. the cat is purring. yes I'm wearing a pajama, it's sunday

me sitting on my bed in my pajamas and a woolen sweater, my thighs almost completely hidden by the large cat curled up on them

Barbara Fantechi@barbarafantechi· May 1

I wouldn't go to a store il primo maggio (they should all be closed anyway!) but a used book seller in the street feels okay. There are occasional good sides in living in the former Austro-Hungarian Empire.

A book with a brown cloth cover showing some signs of what and treat.

The cover has two words, both embossed in golden old German characters:

Euler
Algebra

Barbara Fantechi@barbarafantechi· Apr 29

Film you've watched more than six times with gif. Except I can't find GIFs, sorry. hard mode: no star wars, star trek, lotr, dc, marvel, disney, pixar, dreamworks, spielberg, cameron, wachowskis, or ghibli

A frame of a cartoon, drawing quality rough but emotions visible. Scene is outside, grass and flowers, in the background a wagon and a work fence.

A white blond woman in a cowboy outfit pulled angrily along behind her a man, his torso down. He wears a cowboy outfit with two guns in holsters, and has a cigarette in his mouth.

Barbara Fantechi@barbarafantechi· Apr 28

No, I haven't yet emptied my suitcase.