Ralph Drayton @rddrayton.bsky.social · 10hThis is why I’ve said since forever to my students, when they’ve asked, that the value of a liberal arts education is that it gives you a shot (a shot, anyway) at being something other than a cog in a machine you don’t understand. 0100
Reposted by Ralph DraytonSonja Drimmer @sonjadrimmer.bsky.social · 09/10/2026Ask yourself why the CEO of an online gambling company is giving money for research into the history of art using AI. 211123
Reposted by Ralph DraytonSarah E. Bond @sarahebond.bsky.social · 09/10/2026184 new cuneiform tablets ✍️ (total), dating to c.1400 BCE. “Preliminary examination of the texts has revealed references to military activities, epidemics, the death of an infant princess & requests for assistance sent to the king by Hittite military commanders” www.heritagedaily.com/2026/10/184-...heritagedaily.com184 cuneiform tablets discovered in Hittite royal archiveArchaeologists excavating the ancient city of Kayalıpınar in Türkiye have discovered a Hittite royal archive containing 184 cuneiform tablets and fragments. - HeritageDaily - Archaeology News 11759176
Reposted by Ralph DraytonLiliana Segura @lilianasegura.bsky.social · 09/10/2026I've been thinking and talking and writing about the death penalty for my whole adult life and the past week+ has been truly surreal and exhausting, not only because of the onslaught of horrors but because there seems to be so little historical memory of what this system is and always has been. 9923231
Ralph Drayton @rddrayton.bsky.social · 07/10/2026There should be a nonplussed and a wayplussed, where plussed is where Bill and Ted are doing the air guitar thing. 010
Ralph Drayton @rddrayton.bsky.social · 06/10/2026Seems like the phrase “the ugly aspects of its institutional formation in [the] 19C” is right no matter what one is talking about. 130
Ralph Drayton @rddrayton.bsky.social · 05/10/2026It had to do with the evil version taking over the guy’s life if he fell asleep. Or something. 000
Ralph Drayton @rddrayton.bsky.social · 05/10/2026Me, episode of Night Stalker, where an evil doppelgänger was tossing rocks thru a little window of a church to keep his other from sleeping (he couldn’t enter the church, you see). I haven’t seen that episode since it first aired, so I don’t really know why it scared the hell out of me, but it did. 110
Ralph Drayton @rddrayton.bsky.social · 04/10/2026“Beef” — It’s What’s For Dinner. (Honestly, I think Robert Mitchum would totally have done an ad for “beef.”) 010
Ralph Drayton @rddrayton.bsky.social · 03/10/2026Just got my copy. Looking forward to reading it. 010
Ralph Drayton @rddrayton.bsky.social · 30/09/2026Plus, if we taxed them properly, that money could be going to public universities and colleges. 010
Reposted by Ralph DraytonEarth.com @earthdotcom.bsky.social · 29/09/2026A nearly intact medieval wax notebook found in Germany still bears readable Latin notes, offering a rare glimpse into the daily life of a wealthy 13th- or 14th-century merchant.earth.comA 700-year-old notebook was found at the bottom of a medieval latrine, now scientists have figured out how to read it 314344
Ralph Drayton @rddrayton.bsky.social · 28/09/2026Then there’s one of the great albums of all time— youtu.be/5zOOfX-wx0M?...youtu.beBut I've Got TexasYouTube video by Jon Wayne - Topic 171
Ralph Drayton @rddrayton.bsky.social · 25/09/2026OpenAI will keep going rogue until morale improves. 010
Reposted by Ralph DraytonKate Clancy @kateclancy.bsky.social · 22/09/2026I've now gotten three reviews from right-wing media outlets of Pregnancy Interrupted while most center and left-wing outlets have avoided coverage of a book that contests the cultural norms we put around the science of pregnancy. 26117
Reposted by Ralph DraytonMonica H Green @monicamedhist.bsky.social · 18/09/2026#histmed This is indeed a fascinating study. If you haven't heard of the "Plague of Cyprian" before, you're not alone. Its historiographical significance has only been realized in the past few years. And no, currently it's not believed to be plague (Yersinia pestis). What was it? We don't know yet! 0389
Ralph Drayton @rddrayton.bsky.social · 16/09/2026Beautiful. Also, scroll through Maria Sibylla Merian’s illustrations here and learn about her if she’s unfamiliar to you, and poke around for more pics. You will not be disappointed! www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/mar...nhm.ac.ukMaria Sibylla Merian: Metamorphosis unmasked by art and science | Natural History MuseumAdventuring unchaperoned in seventeenth century Suriname, Maria Sibylla Merian blazed a trail for women and science. 000
Ralph Drayton @rddrayton.bsky.social · 10/09/2026It’s a prediction market, not a gambling site, so don’t feel like an idiot. 010
Ralph Drayton @rddrayton.bsky.social · 10/09/2026Accepting the award on behalf of Mr. McCarthy, who is on location in Morocco, is Elmer Fudd. Mr. Fudd can be seen currently in MGM’s production of The Postman Always Rings Twice. 010
Ralph Drayton @rddrayton.bsky.social · 10/09/2026Charlie McCarthy raises questions about what synthetic performers should be nominated for. 100
Reposted by Ralph DraytonIrene Soto Marín @irenin.bsky.social · 09/09/2026My book has a face! 🥹📚 So excited to finally share the cover of The Nile Flows with Gold. Forthcoming, Spring 2027 with Princeton University Press. 310121
Reposted by Ralph DraytonKathleen Crowther @sacrobosco.bsky.social · 07/09/2026If you want to read about labor (the reproductive kind) this Labor Day, Policing Pregnant Bodies is on sale (30% off with code HLAB26) www.press.jhu.edu/books/title/...press.jhu.eduPolicing Pregnant BodiesFrom Ancient Greece to Post-Roe America 031
Ralph Drayton @rddrayton.bsky.social · 06/09/2026Exactly. You bought the books, you read the books. You xeroxed the articles, you read the articles. Or you read reserved copies in the library. No problem. You turned your paper in to the prof’s mail box. No problem. (Downhill since lawsuits preventing copy shops from selling course packets.) 020
Ralph Drayton @rddrayton.bsky.social · 06/09/2026I’m assuming I don’t see the superscript thing bc I use a steam-powered iPhone 0.03. And I’m okay with that. 010
Reposted by Ralph DraytonPeter Frankopan @peterfrankopan.bsky.social · 05/09/2026Peter has written a guest post which you can read here peterfrankopan.substack.com/p/how-did-he...peterfrankopan.substack.comHow Did Hermes Reach China? A Silk Road Detective StoryPeter Stewart is an outstanding scholar with a remarkable breadth of interests. 33313
Reposted by Ralph DraytonSarah McAnulty, Ph.D. @sarahmackattack.bsky.social · 05/09/2026Please repost! Drexel announced that it will close the Academy of Natural Sciences public museum- the oldest nat history museum in the US. There are 2 petitions to support the academy. Please sign both & come to our rally Tues. actionnetwork.org/petitions/pe... www.change.org/p/the-academ... 9909862
Reposted by Ralph DraytonKarl Galle @karlgalle.bsky.social · 05/09/2026Interesting profile of a woman who in the 1950s wrote some of the earliest programming code for running computer simulations, including pioneering work in non-linear dynamics: wapo.st/3UXwSyu [gift link] #HistSTMwapo.stHer work was key to a landmark experiment. She was credited in a footnote.Mary Tsingou Menzel, who has died at 97, played a central role in a Los Alamos physics experiment. A half-century later, she finally got her due. 083
Reposted by Ralph DraytonPhillip Maciak @pjmaciak.bsky.social · 04/09/2026No matter how you refine your questions, the chatbot will generate responses reflecting what the greatest number of users are likely to want to hear, which tends to be close to what they think they already know." A great, painstaking piece. www.hnn.us/article/ai-i...hnn.usAI Is an Anti-Primary Source MachineReal voices from the past are threatened by chatbots designed to amplify — and ultimately become — the loudest voices in the room. 37633
Reposted by Ralph DraytonDave Mazella @davemazella.bsky.social · 03/09/2026This is the endgame for TX "core reform": wiping out any traces of the last 100 yrs of scholarship in the humanities, but also wiping out the humanities. This is coming to every system in the state. www.statesman.com/news/educati...statesman.comUT proposes cutting more than 100 'narrow' courses from core this springUT courses on slavery, race, sexuality and environmental history are among those that could stop counting toward UT's core. 10265124
Reposted by Ralph DraytonKarl Galle @karlgalle.bsky.social · 02/09/2026Did someone say Sacrobosco? Look what forthcoming book by @sacrobosco.bsky.social now has an official January 2027 publication date: 👀 😃 press.princeton.edu/books/hardco... #HistSTM #MedievalSkypress.princeton.eduThe Book Everyone ReadHow an all-but-forgotten medieval astronomy book ushered in the modern age of science 54410
Reposted by Ralph DraytonBen Gross @bhgross144.bsky.social · 01/09/2026Happy 250th birthday, America! To celebrate the occasion, we're closing your oldest natural history museum. www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/a... #scicomm #Philadelphianbcphiladelphia.comAcademy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University to close museum on Sept. 30The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University will close its museum in Philadelphia on Sept. 30, 2026, NBC10 confirmed. 111974
Reposted by Ralph DraytonKarl Galle @karlgalle.bsky.social · 01/09/2026Online lecture on "Alchemy and the Scientific Revolution" by Prof. Lawrence Principe, this Thursday at 7:00 p.m. CDT, hosted by The Linda Hall in Kansas City: events.lindahall.org/alchemyandsc... #HistSTM #EarlyModernevents.lindahall.orgAlchemy and the Scientific Revolution (Virtual)Although alchemy was once considered unrelated to the history of science, or even imagined to be an “obstacle” to the emergence of modern chemistry, historians now recognize it as a crucial contributo... 0169
Reposted by Ralph DraytonGallica BnF @gallicabnf.bsky.social · 01/09/2026Aujourd’hui, Gallica se penche sur l’extraordinaire bestiaire de l’un des plus célèbres récits de voyage du Moyen Âge, "Le Devisement du monde" ou "Livre des Merveilles", de Marco Polo : licornes, dragons, léopards, éléphants ou hommes-loups sont au rendez-vous ! => c.bnf.fr/ASg 17529
Ralph Drayton @rddrayton.bsky.social · 31/08/2026Mike’s Movie Madness in Portland — legendary, and still going strong. Amazing collection of movie memorabilia and 90,000+ titles. 131
Ralph Drayton @rddrayton.bsky.social · 23/08/2026All of this is yet another reminder of the value of history of science, which of course includes histories of “rejected knowledge” — astrology, alchemy, “scientific racism,” eugenics, etc. People really need a better understanding of when, how, why knowledge comes to be accepted/rejected. 050
Ralph Drayton @rddrayton.bsky.social · 22/08/2026what would the credibility of a physics department be with a flat earther on the staff, or a pilot training school be with me, say, teaching there? 120
Ralph Drayton @rddrayton.bsky.social · 22/08/2026But actually, it would be fun to see them in person after all this time, if I get back to Madison sometime. 011
Ralph Drayton @rddrayton.bsky.social · 22/08/2026I love radio and what it does to the imagination. I’ve been listening to the Mel & Floyd Summer Replacement Show on WORT in Madison for 30 years. I’ve never even seen a picture of the hosts, and I’m glad bc I have very specific images of them in my mind (sorry, guys lol). 120
Ralph Drayton @rddrayton.bsky.social · 21/08/2026not sure why some people think philosopher is equivalent to guy with opinions, any more than physicist or airline pilot, say. (I think I know why but they’re wrong.) 100
Reposted by Ralph DraytonChris @multiplicityct.bsky.social · 21/08/2026Pangram experiment part two. I forgot to click "More Human" on Deft AI Writing's interface. A completely LLM-written paragraph comes up 100% human-written in Pangram if I use that Deft feature. It sounds clunky to my ear, and is definitely not my voice. 031
Reposted by Ralph DraytonChris @multiplicityct.bsky.social · 21/08/2026Did a little experiment since Pangram is in the discourse this week. First & second grafs of my dissertation chapter (written 100% by me): judged 100% AI. The two grafs together (no changes): judged 67% AI. Then I had Deft rewrite the first graf -- completely LLM text, judged 54% AI. 🤷🏻♂️ 53413