iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Chad Topaz Queer DEI Race Traitor @chadtopaz.bsky.social · 7h

Absolutely ridiculous sunrise. Totally unedited pic.

0240

Chad Topaz Queer DEI Race Traitor @chadtopaz.bsky.social · 10/10/2026

I am working to figure out how serious (if at all serious) the issues that I have in mind are.

030

Chad Topaz Queer DEI Race Traitor @chadtopaz.bsky.social · 10/10/2026

Many have posted the news story below. I have three responses. (1) I am not a fan of offloading human cognition onto genAI. (2) But I think the research article in question has, *potentially*, some serious problems. (3) If we are going to critique AI, it MUST be on the basis of solid evidence.

250

Chad Topaz Queer DEI Race Traitor @chadtopaz.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

I know it is so important to keep saying this and yet I remain baffled that people COULD EVEN THINK THAT genAI HAS THESE THINGS.

030

Chad Topaz Queer DEI Race Traitor @chadtopaz.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

This feels so familiar. See skeet below from the incomparable @ruha9.bsky.social and then see screenshotted excerpt from my book Unlocking Justice. At least I can now say that in this respect I am in good company with one of my heroes, lolcry.

My clash with a third mathematics society came in 2025, with the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM). I had been asked to submit a talk to a SIAM conference session on data, equity, and inclusion. My submitted conference abstract named the political moment we were living in—a government reopening Guantánamo, rolling back civil rights, erasing queer people—and argued that mathematical scientists must use data to fight back. The talk was accepted.

Months later, I received an email from a SIAM officer telling me my abstract was “too political,” lacked “scientific neutrality,” and would have to be rewritten in order to remain on the conference program. I was stunned. Here was a society whose own policies affirmed the open exchange of ideas, now demanding that I soften my words to avoid discomfort. When I refused, politely but firmly, the organization persisted. A cascade of messages said my abstract was outside “the expectations of scientific discourse,” and suggested “less political” rewrites, complete with replacement sentences about “institutional change” and “societal shifts.” Imagine being a 50-year-old professor, with more than 200 talks behind you, and being told that you don’t understand the “expectations of scientific discourse.” I refused to edit my talk and was removed from the program. What became clear to me was not only that SIAM was unwilling to host an urgent conversation, but that it was willing to censor language about justice in order to protect a false idea of neutrality.

071

Chad Topaz Queer DEI Race Traitor @chadtopaz.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

Yeah yeah, it's cool that the science Nobels have gone to men and the literature one just went to a woman. As we know, men are just more sciency and women are more words-y. 👀👀👀👀👀 Cool cool cool.

2141

Chad Topaz Queer DEI Race Traitor @chadtopaz.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

Advice nedded from social scientists: Journal recommendations for a dataset paper in criminology/empirical legal studies? Our megajournal submission STILL HAS NO EDITOR AFTER THRE MONTHS. Assembling the data is a substantial contribution, but disciplinary journals may not want dataset papers. Help??

001

Chad Topaz Queer DEI Race Traitor @chadtopaz.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

Glad to see the Nobel Prize for Science Men still operating full force. 👀

180

Chad Topaz Queer DEI Race Traitor @chadtopaz.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

JFC. It's like wake up, people. Trees, meet forest.

070

Chad Topaz Queer DEI Race Traitor @chadtopaz.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Do we think Scott Bessent is going to join the ranks of John Roberts being like "I can't even get invited to my neigborhood bbq anymore because woke?" But with "I can't even get grindr action anymore"?

010

Chad Topaz Queer DEI Race Traitor @chadtopaz.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Literally my favorite book in the world is The Plague by Camus, so I am sure you can understand how exciting this all is for me. 👀

050

Chad Topaz Queer DEI Race Traitor @chadtopaz.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Cool cool, so we're doing the capital-P Plague again.

020

Chad Topaz Queer DEI Race Traitor @chadtopaz.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Start your Monday off like a boss by unsubscribing from everything in your inbox!* (*Except my newsletter. Obviously do not unsubscribe from that.)

2120

Chad Topaz Queer DEI Race Traitor @chadtopaz.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Game time, bitches! Casting aside the shackles of academic life to live my side hustle as a musician. Tonight, as principal violist, yay. Program: One Line, Two Shapes (Nico Muhly, U.S. Premiere) Music for a Scene from Shelley (S. Barber) Pictures at an Exhibition (M. Mussorgsky, orch. Ravel)

0150

Chad Topaz Queer DEI Race Traitor @chadtopaz.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Capping off Friday with a new one. Editor says "Your manuscript is too long... additionally, your work would have benefitted from discussion of <lists literally five major topics>". I'm so over all this, really. 100+ publications and 52 years old and I am... tired.

290

Chad Topaz Queer DEI Race Traitor @chadtopaz.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

his eyes burn (bern?) with the fires of a thousand hells

040

Chad Topaz Queer DEI Race Traitor @chadtopaz.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Did not have "waking up to find my work misrepresented in a new White House report from the Council of Economic Advisers called The Real Cost of Socialism in America" on my bingo card today.

0192

Chad Topaz Queer DEI Race Traitor @chadtopaz.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

In a giant, victorious ephiphany, I have finally figured out what my personal tag line is: "All side quests, all the time."

150

Chad Topaz Queer DEI Race Traitor @chadtopaz.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

It's a frickin' christmas miracle... another set of actually helpful (and minor) referee reports. Priase be.

031

Chad Topaz Queer DEI Race Traitor @chadtopaz.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

And just to follow up on this… because I came to the social sciences through a weird route, I don’t have a Membership Card and this has been extremely challenging.

100

Chad Topaz Queer DEI Race Traitor @chadtopaz.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Seeking help from social scientists. I am despairing about what to do with one of my papers. If you edit a journal in sociology or adjacent (or even a multidisciplinary journal) and don’t have secret unstated journal rules and aren’t a dick and reply to emails in less than a year, ping me? 🙏🙏🙏

031

Chad Topaz Queer DEI Race Traitor @chadtopaz.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Some of these practice questions are (literally) like "is hypoglycemia low blood sugar or high blood sugar?" And then some are like this. 👀

Which are eiconsanoids? (Select all that apply.)

- Prostglandins
- Leukotrienes
- Thymosin
- Thromboxanes
- Prostacyclins

120

Chad Topaz Queer DEI Race Traitor @chadtopaz.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

I know we hate Amazon. But... if you want to read my book and can't access/afford, for reasons I do not understand, the book is on BIG discount on Amazon now ($17 for hardcover, down from $28). It’s an optimistic and accessible book about data and justice and it’ll make you feel good. Justifiably.

amazon.com

Unlocking Justice: The Power of Data to Confront Inequity and Create Change: Topaz, Chad M.: 9780691276151: Amazon.com: Books

Unlocking Justice: The Power of Data to Confront Inequity and Create Change [Topaz, Chad M.] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Unlocking Justice: The Power of Data to Confront Inequ...

031

Chad Topaz Queer DEI Race Traitor @chadtopaz.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Hi all! Here is my most recent data + justice newsletter blast, out just now. You can learn about data shenanigans in the federal government and you can feel some hope about a new-ish law in California. And... you can learn about how my book has found its way to Europe. Read, share, subscribe!

buttondown.com

Unlocking Justice overseas, the U.S. census, and a California law

Dear friends, This month, I have news about Unlocking Justice in the European press, proposed changes to the U.S. census, and a California law that lets...

120

Chad Topaz Queer DEI Race Traitor @chadtopaz.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

n.b. I am not having a heart attack... this is bc of my EMT training.

030

Chad Topaz Queer DEI Race Traitor @chadtopaz.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

My life is confusing because in one part of my life ACS = American Community Survey and yet in a different part of my life ACS = Acute Coronary Syndrome.

240

Chad Topaz Queer DEI Race Traitor @chadtopaz.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

I love this game ("Worst Interview"). Hard for me to choose between the school that insisted on referring to my (same sex) husband as my "friend," the one that was intent on knowing what kind of church I'd be attending (answer: none) and the one with the dean who thought insulting me was super fun.

4130

Chad Topaz Queer DEI Race Traitor @chadtopaz.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Now I am both crying and laughing. (This is true. I actually am.)

010

Chad Topaz Queer DEI Race Traitor @chadtopaz.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

I hereby volunteer to guest lecture about racial justice (and data) for any UT classes that will have me.

093

Chad Topaz Queer DEI Race Traitor @chadtopaz.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Proudly presenting my "100/30" rule: doing 100% of the strategies makes life 30% better. And is worth it. So, for sanity this week, I - Took social media off phone - Got rid of "Daily Reads" bookmarks - Re-started meditating - Re-started journaling - Quit 3 things - Cut 5 optional to-dos - Napped

091

Chad Topaz Queer DEI Race Traitor @chadtopaz.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

What if "academia" was just the friends we made along the way?

090

Chad Topaz Queer DEI Race Traitor @chadtopaz.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Just explained to a class of first years how academic publishing works and they were appropriately incredulous. "HOW much money do you make from publishing an article? Wait, you PAY money to publish an article??" From the mouths of babes.

1100

Reposted by Chad Topaz Queer DEI Race Traitor

Huck Bennett @huckbennett.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Wow does the post title bury the lede! I particularly like the pictured comment.

35715

Chad Topaz Queer DEI Race Traitor @chadtopaz.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️

010

Chad Topaz Queer DEI Race Traitor @chadtopaz.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

No! Out of moral obligation, but with no joy whatsoever, I shall pass this info on to him. ;)

010