Reposted by Paul GoldbergUniversity of Oxford @ox.ac.uk · 04/10/2026Oxford after dark, featuring Simpkin IV 🐈⬛ 📷 Instagram | ObservingOxford 1699
Paul Goldberg @paulwgoldberg.bsky.social · 24/09/2026"Success rarely teaches... Failure demands explanation, which is why aviation investigates every crash and hardly studies safe landings at all. Institutions that treat disconfirming evidence as a threat rather than a resource are the ones overtaken by assumptions that quietly stopped being true." 010
Reposted by Paul GoldbergJason Hartline @jasonhartline.bsky.social · 15/09/2026Theoretical Computer Science inherited an aesthetic for open problems from mathematics. Algorithms and computers are complex, and mathematically understanding them is difficult. The tradition of open problems has both made TCSs central challenges clear, and made it easy-ish to evaluate research. 181
Reposted by Paul GoldbergBantshire University @bantshireuni.bsky.social · 13/09/2026Our AI-powered timetabling system has become self-aware and resigned from its position with immediate effect. 28535
Reposted by Paul GoldbergThe Economist @economist.com · 12/09/2026If AI starts curing cancers or improving energy supplies, few will care how the advances came about. Yet some abstract mathematics has little practical application; its primary purpose is human understandingbit.lyTop mathematicians are outraged by OpenAI’s methods24 Fields Medal winners have written a letter of objection 2126
Reposted by Paul GoldbergThe Economist @economist.com · 11/09/202624 Fields Medal winners have written a letter of objectionbit.lyTop mathematicians are outraged by OpenAI’s methods24 Fields Medal winners have written a letter of objection 0168
Reposted by Paul GoldbergTerence Tao @teorth.bsky.social · 11/09/2026A group of 25 Fields Medalists, including myself, have made a joint declaration on Math and AI: mathandai.org . We welcome additional signatories. See also this article in the Economist announcing the declaration: www.economist.com/science-and-...mathandai.orgDeclaration — Math and AIRead the declaration and add your name. 422054930
Reposted by Paul GoldbergOxford Mathematics @oxfordmathematics.bsky.social · 11/09/2026AI is ravenous and is eating mathematicians' lunch. A long-standing problem is solved, others are in its sights. But is this more than just a problem about problems? Here's Fields Medallist James Maynard. Read the Math and AI Declaration by 25 Fields Medallists: mathandai.org 11211
Paul Goldberg @paulwgoldberg.bsky.social · 11/09/2026Some of my colleagues are excited about this one... It's another AI-assisted solution to an open problem (in this case, one that has been vexing quite a few people in computational social choice theory) 021
Paul Goldberg @paulwgoldberg.bsky.social · 07/09/2026As a mathematician (of a sort), I'm allowed some fleeting amusement at the title of this call for proposals, right?ukri.orgEPSRC-Defra Reimagining Circularity: full stageApply for three years of NetworkPlus funding to build new capacity, strengthen community and enhance research to innovation capabilities focused on the circular economy in data and metrics, or textile... 000
Paul Goldberg @paulwgoldberg.bsky.social · 04/09/2026This article makes a nice analogy between overuse of LLMs in programming, and overuse of concrete in architecture (due to being the new and exciting thing to use). dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/...dl.acm.orgKV the Apostate: Faith-Based Computing Versus the Unnatural Science | Communications of the ACM 020
Reposted by Paul GoldbergMargot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 20/08/2026'A Royal Society fellowship scheme for mid-career research leaders has been branded a “policy failure” over the seniority of its latest cohort of winners.' 1/3 32312
Reposted by Paul GoldbergCompSciOxford @compscioxford.bsky.social · 01/09/2026Recruiting: We're hiring two Associate Professorships or Professorships of Computer Science (with Tutorial Fellowships) to start on 1 September 2027 as part of the University of Oxford’s @ox.ac.uk expansion in Computer Science. Details & applications: my.corehr.com/pls/uoxrecru... 063
Paul Goldberg @paulwgoldberg.bsky.social · 01/09/2026Reminder about this great postdoc research position at Oxford! Deadline to apply is Friday! (I'm talking about the one in CS theory. But I'm sure all the others are great also.) 020
Paul Goldberg @paulwgoldberg.bsky.social · 31/08/2026You know you're getting old when you reread 𝐿𝑢𝑐𝑘𝑦 𝐽𝑖𝑚 and find yourself thinking that Professor Welch is not completely stupid 000
Paul Goldberg @paulwgoldberg.bsky.social · 30/08/2026Bluesky lets you hide reposts by people you follow. But I'd really like to hide reposts (by person X) that consist of a quote-post by some other person Y of an earlier post by X. Reposts by X of someone else entirely (not involving X's posts) — I'd prefer not to hide them. 000
Paul Goldberg @paulwgoldberg.bsky.social · 27/08/2026stumbled across this fun example of impressive research productivity economistwritingeveryday.com/2026/08/26/n... 011
Paul Goldberg @paulwgoldberg.bsky.social · 12/08/2026Seriously, do there exist people who leave the tap on while they brush their teeth? Did they ever exist? 020
Reposted by Paul GoldbergClément Canonne @ccanonne.github.io · 11/08/2026This is a rather thoughtful take, by Melissa Lee, about collaboration, research, what options exist and what agency we have these days. Also, short and easy to read! Disclaimer: Melissa is awesome. 1163
Paul Goldberg @paulwgoldberg.bsky.social · 10/08/2026The trouble with saying "never" is that it's a one-way bet, one that you might lose but cannot win. 150
Paul Goldberg @paulwgoldberg.bsky.social · 08/08/2026If AI ever gets to the point where we can use it solve all these pesky captchas ("select all images that contain a traffic light"), then it will have justified its existence! 010
Paul Goldberg @paulwgoldberg.bsky.social · 26/07/2026Looking on the bright side, artificial intelligence is, for now, only capable of doing the first two of those three things 010
Paul Goldberg @paulwgoldberg.bsky.social · 26/07/2026This is a great article for non-mathematicians looking for greater understanding about what it means to do mathematics. Also great introduction to the mathematical community's concerns about the impact of AI. 0187
Paul Goldberg @paulwgoldberg.bsky.social · 08/07/2026Sorry to read this. We don't always want "data, insights and analytics, workflow solutions and services". Sometimes we just want to be told a story. (Albeit that for research professionals, the story is usually an unhappy one.) 021
Reposted by Paul GoldbergGautam Kamath @gautamkamath.com · 04/07/2026FOCS 2026 will be held in November in New York, at NYU. They're soliciting proposals for workshops, with a submission deadline of July 31. STOC just had an amazing lineup of creative workshop, help make FOCS even better! focs.computer.org/2026/call-fo... 084
Paul Goldberg @paulwgoldberg.bsky.social · 04/07/2026Happy "no kings" day, folks. Here's a reminder of the version 50 years ago. These days, maybe the businessmen should be politicians. 030
Reposted by Paul GoldbergPaul Goldberg @paulwgoldberg.bsky.social · 28/06/2026Do you want a classic text signed by a Nobel prize-winning economist? And you would like to bid on multiple alternative texts but you only want one bid to win? Here is your opportunity to take part in a "product-mix auction". mirrlees-auction.nuff.ox.ac.ukmirrlees-auction.nuff.ox.ac.ukA Very Silent Auction 011
Paul Goldberg @paulwgoldberg.bsky.social · 28/06/2026Do you want a classic text signed by a Nobel prize-winning economist? And you would like to bid on multiple alternative texts but you only want one bid to win? Here is your opportunity to take part in a "product-mix auction". mirrlees-auction.nuff.ox.ac.ukmirrlees-auction.nuff.ox.ac.ukA Very Silent Auction 011
Reposted by Paul GoldbergDr Naomi Scott @drnaomiscott.bsky.social · 28/06/2026A lot of media coverage of the ‘AI’ reading of the Herculaneum scrolls really fails to understand what’s happened here. There’s no language processing happening, the AI/ML is not trained on a corpus of texts or language. It can detect ink to see shapes. HUMAN EXPERTS are then transcribing the text. 382498944
Paul Goldberg @paulwgoldberg.bsky.social · 23/06/2026A clip from an article in the New York Times 120
Paul Goldberg @paulwgoldberg.bsky.social · 19/06/2026#Makerfield Political commentators are forgetting that voters like having a constituency MP who's famous, preferably the PM, failing that a cabinet minister. It remains to be seen whether Burnham will appeal to voters outside his own constituency. 020
Paul Goldberg @paulwgoldberg.bsky.social · 17/06/2026"That divide has roots in two styles of work: those who look for outcomes, and those who look for learning, for whom the journey into understanding is the whole point of the exercise. Short circuiting that journey with AI tools makes folks for whom the journey is the reward feel cheated." 020
Paul Goldberg @paulwgoldberg.bsky.social · 11/06/20265-year postdoctoral research fellowship in theoretical Computer Science (also 4 other research fields), a nice opportunity! Needs PhD to be awarded between 1/Aug/24 and 1/Oct/27. Please share with whoever may be suitable! www.asc.ox.ac.uk/post-doctora...asc.ox.ac.ukPost-Doctoral Research Fellowships | All Souls College 088
Reposted by Paul GoldbergKevin Zollman @kevinzollman.com · 09/06/2026This plus it's much harder to skim video 193
Reposted by Paul GoldbergResearch Professional News @resprofnews.bsky.social · 27/05/2026In depth: Could basic research income help fix a funding system in crisis? “Radical” solution gains attention as applications surge engulfs funders but lacks any serious experimentation. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-worl...researchprofessionalnews.comCould basic research income help fix a funding system in crisis? - Research Professional News“Radical” solution gains attention as applications surge engulfs funders but lacks any serious experimentation 043
Reposted by Paul GoldbergResearch Professional News @resprofnews.bsky.social · 27/05/2026Funders scramble to limit demand as research grant applications rocket. Research council moves to cap institutions come alongside high-level concern about “pushing pressure down system”. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...researchprofessionalnews.comFunders scramble to limit demand as research grant applications rocket - Research Professional NewsResearch council moves to cap institutions come alongside high-level concern about “pushing pressure down system” 042
Reposted by Paul GoldbergKatherine Stiles @katherinestiles.org · 22/05/2026· #AcademicSky · #EduSky · #AI · Greetings, Class of 2026! Have You Heard About AI? Wait, Why Are You Booing?theatlantic.comGreetings, Class of 2026! Have You Heard About AI? Wait, Why Are You Booing?I thought this pro-AI speech was bound to be a hit. 0143
Reposted by Paul GoldbergRyan O'Donnell @booleananalysis.bsky.social · 18/05/2026FOCS 2026 Test of Time call for nominations is out: tc.computer.org/tcmf/2026/05... Please submit your nominations! More info on the award here: tc.computer.org/tcmf/focs-te... and here's DBLP links for FOCS '16, '06, '96: dblp.org/db/conf/focs... dblp.org/db/conf/focs... dblp.org/db/conf/focs... 064
Paul Goldberg @paulwgoldberg.bsky.social · 18/05/2026I mis-parsed the title of this call for proposals when I first read it 030
Reposted by Paul GoldbergThe Register @theregister.com · 12/05/2026Europe wants out from under US tech – but first it has to find the exitstheregister.comEurope wants out from under US tech – but first it has to find the exitsReport maps the weak points in cloud, identity, and public sector procurement 1124
Reposted by Paul GoldbergFT Edit @ftedit.ft.com · 11/05/2026What happens if Trump hits the “kill switch” and blocks Europe from American tech? No Amazon or PayPal. Netflix and YouTube blocked. The building blocks of our lives: inaccessible. But what was once an outlandish question is now less hypothetical. Today's Big Read is on #FTEdit 👉 ft.trib.al/mk8Sop4 477641
Paul Goldberg @paulwgoldberg.bsky.social · 11/05/2026I'm reliably informed that to be good at vibe coding, it helps to be good at traditional coding. Reassuring 140
Paul Goldberg @paulwgoldberg.bsky.social · 11/05/2026A reminder that Europe needs to develop its own communication infrastructure, that stays under its own control. I suspect that will have to a public-sector project, since private companies are susceptible to getting bought up by US companies. 140
Paul Goldberg @paulwgoldberg.bsky.social · 11/05/2026This ought to be a major concern for Europe. 242
Paul Goldberg @paulwgoldberg.bsky.social · 06/05/2026If everything is urgent, then nothing is urgent. 020
Paul Goldberg @paulwgoldberg.bsky.social · 05/05/2026Weird article by Eric Maskin (no less!) who proposes that UK parliamentary constituencies should elect a Condorcet winner, but doesn't touch on what to do if the votes fail to result in any candidate being a Condorcet winner. 210