Stephen Chrisomalis @schrisomalis.bsky.social · 20mInterested in a graduate degree in a collegial, holistic, community-engaged anthropology department, or know someone who is? Wayne State is holding its annual Open House on Zoom on 10/19, 4:30pm EDT. See the flyer below, or register at tinyurl.com/3xdmcuwt. DM me with any questions. Share widely! 000
Stephen Chrisomalis @schrisomalis.bsky.social · 4hNobody believes that "writing IS thinking". People do (correctly) believe that writing is a critical *form* of thinking, one that is cognitively useful, aesthetically powerful, and that cannot simply be substituted or abandoned without serious consequence. 071
Reposted by Stephen ChrisomalisU of T Centre for Medieval Studies @uoftcms.bsky.social · 10hCongratulations to Shannon McSheffrey and Walid A. Saleh, who have been elected Fellows of the Royal Society of Canada. www.medieval.utoronto.ca/news/shannon... 0273
Stephen Chrisomalis @schrisomalis.bsky.social · 30/09/2026I'm not saying that what I do is of no practical use (I promise!). But there is something to be said for spending an evening reading 100-year-old advertisements from the Mount Barker Courier and Onkaparinga and Gumeracha Advertiser. 021
Stephen Chrisomalis @schrisomalis.bsky.social · 29/09/2026Won't anyone out there please think about the poor folks of Anguilla? 011
Stephen Chrisomalis @schrisomalis.bsky.social · 29/09/2026Apparently there is no law in Canada that requires electoral districts to be geographically contiguous. There is a district that has inhabited parts you can only access by travelling through other ridings and then back in. Anyone care to puzzle out which one? (I'll answer yes/no questions). 220
Stephen Chrisomalis @schrisomalis.bsky.social · 25/09/2026This is exceptionally well deserved. Helen is incredibly missed across such a wide network of folks across multiple disciplines. 0100
Stephen Chrisomalis @schrisomalis.bsky.social · 25/09/2026Anyone have any ideas of articles or books that a really bright, really interested, kid (roughly 12-14 yo) might read in linguistics, to help get them interested in the field? Probably stuff that is more cognitive / formal than socio? I have ideas (of course) but suggestions would be welcome! 1121
Stephen Chrisomalis @schrisomalis.bsky.social · 25/09/2026Good news! I woke up this morning and realized that a serious admin issue that would require my chair's immediate intervention was solely a product of my dream. Bad news! I woke up to an email that a different, more serious admin issue has arisen, and is very real. 140
Stephen Chrisomalis @schrisomalis.bsky.social · 25/09/2026I have been working on the most personally appealing new course idea I've had in years, an interdisciplinary cognitive/historical seminar aimed at grad students across disciplines, including humanities and sciences, called "Human Minds and Cultures". Now if only bureaucracy doesn't get in its way. 1100
Stephen Chrisomalis @schrisomalis.bsky.social · 24/09/2026This episode of @manymindspod.bsky.social featuring @damianblasi.bsky.social is IMO the best I've listened to, and I'm saying that despite having been a previous guest on the podcast! I'll admit to some bias as a fellow-traveller in this field, but still, it's absolutely a banger! 0104
Reposted by Stephen ChrisomalisLeah McElrath @leahmcelrath.bsky.social · 24/09/2026AP Stylebook warns against anthropomorphizing AI systems: “Avoid language that gives them human characteristics… Instead, explain what a system does, how well it performs, who built it and who could be affected by it.” 1970102257
Reposted by Stephen ChrisomalisSteven Strogatz @stevenstrogatz.com · 23/09/2026www.nytimes.com/2026/09/22/s...nytimes.comMathematics Isn’t Just a Game to Let A.I. Solve. History Shows Why. (Gift Article)In our field of applied mathematics, the long, human process of trial and error — not just the solutions themselves — is often what has led to progress. 15721
Stephen Chrisomalis @schrisomalis.bsky.social · 22/09/2026I mean this question earnestly; I don't know the answer. Do mathematicians who use LLMs to generate new proofs/results have a different view of the aesthetics of mathematical work, than those who don't? Are we just reliving four-colour theorem angst, on steroids? 220
Stephen Chrisomalis @schrisomalis.bsky.social · 21/09/2026As an official professor of numbers, I can only marvel at this presentation by @paulrobalino.bsky.social on the latest @smartypants.dropout.tv and wonder what parts of it I can scam ... err ... repurpose for scholarly inquiry. 030
Reposted by Stephen ChrisomalisStandplaats Kraków could really use some cash! @standplaatskrk.pl · 14/09/2026 2850222
Reposted by Stephen ChrisomalisSteven (with a PH) @sjksalisbury.bsky.social · 20/09/2026Christening a baby is nothing like christening a ship. I know that now. Once again I can only apologise. 159191003840
Reposted by Stephen ChrisomalisKen Jennings @kenjennings.bsky.social · 18/09/2026I don’t usually meddle on the writing side of Jeopardy!, but tonight I called in a favor for our Bluesky viewers. 15710294777
Stephen Chrisomalis @schrisomalis.bsky.social · 18/09/2026Mark Carney should wake up every morning and thank the powers that be that Donald Trump is an idiot. 70% approval rating. 70. What a world. 030
Reposted by Stephen ChrisomalisAlex Ip 葉清霖 @alexip718.com · 18/09/2026INBOX: Science retracted a news article this week after editors found that the author (likely an AI agent) impersonated the identity of an established science journalist, both with editors and sources in the story. Furthermore, two of the quotes provided were plagiarized: (h/t @wudan.bsky.social)science.orgYour heartbeat quietly shapes how your brain processes informationFrequently ignored bodily rhythms may be skewing neuroscience experiments 1012880
Reposted by Stephen ChrisomalisMany Minds podcast @manymindspod.bsky.social · 16/09/2026News!! 🎉🎉🎉 We've officially re-launched our newsletter! Our first post is a "starter pack"—a brief orientation for newcomers to the show, with suggested episodes on different themes. Feel free to make alternate suggestions in the comments! manymindspodcast.substack.com/p/many-minds...manymindspodcast.substack.comMany Minds podcast: A starter packA guide for new listeners 13913
Stephen Chrisomalis @schrisomalis.bsky.social · 16/09/2026I find it deeply ironic that I, who have a fairly open view about what makes human language distinct from non-human communication, am confronted every year with students who are absolutely convinced that if you don't grant (some?) animals language, you're some kind of weird bigot. 230
Stephen Chrisomalis @schrisomalis.bsky.social · 15/09/2026I imagine I'm in agreement with most Canadians that I don't actually want Canada to join the EU. But, from a purely selfish perspective, anything that might make me eligible more widely for ERC / EU funding would be welcome, given that basically the US has nothing for me at all anymore. 001
Stephen Chrisomalis @schrisomalis.bsky.social · 14/09/2026Students, give me some credit! You're saying that within 2 hours of my opening the week's module on Canvas, you read an entire peer-reviewed article (for NEXT week) and asked a thoughtful / analytical question about it, without using AI... come on. At least wait a few days for plausible deniability. 060
Stephen Chrisomalis @schrisomalis.bsky.social · 13/09/2026I don't really understand how adding white text to an assignment prompt is supposed to catch cheating students. Doesn't it just get copied as black text when you copy/paste it into the LLM? Or is the assumption that students don't even read the prompt, and just throw the assignment into the LLM? 110
Reposted by Stephen ChrisomalisJuan L Rodriguez @jlrodriguez10.bsky.social · 12/09/2026But also, want to know how f@%# up AI is? Study linguistic anthropology. 01711
Stephen Chrisomalis @schrisomalis.bsky.social · 11/09/2026Offered without further justification: Coyote vs. Acme is an exceptionally trenchant defense of the humanities without ever using the term. 031
Stephen Chrisomalis @schrisomalis.bsky.social · 10/09/2026Do you have / are you a student looking for broad interdisciplinary graduate training? I am actively recruiting this year - definitely not just folks who work in numerals! Let me know, or just send your student my direction. Wayne State has a great ecosystem of folks across disciplines and topics. 063
Reposted by Stephen ChrisomalisStephen Chrisomalis @schrisomalis.bsky.social · 03/09/2026Here's a list of in-class students' questions on index cards in week 1 of my undergrad ling-anth course. Most have no ling background at all (with obvious exceptions). While it's easy to get down on 'kids these days', many are surprisingly insightful and full of things I have yet to teach them.glossographia.comWhat do (my) undergrads want to know?As an in-class exercise today, I had the students write down one or more questions on index cards and hand them in. Actually I asked them to each write one question, but most of them were energized… 052
Reposted by Stephen ChrisomalisNBC4 Washington @nbcwashington.com · 09/09/2026Charlie Kirk’s nonprofit Turning Point USA’s Professor Watchlist, which claims it uncovers the most radical left wing professors from universities that are known to suppress the conservative voices and advance the progressive agenda," has been taken down.nbcwashington.comTurning Point USA's Professor Watchlist is down. Instructors describe its impactThis week marks one year since the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. While the nonprofit he created, Turning Point USA, is still working to engage young conservative voters ahead of the m... 31650168
Reposted by Stephen ChrisomalisM.J. Crockett @mjcrockett.bsky.social · 07/09/2026This summer I led a series of conversations in my lab about "AI" and our research. Some colleagues have shared "AI policies" for their labs and we discussed whether this would make sense for us. We decided it did not, and came up with a different approach. Please feel free to share & adapt!zenodo.orgCrockett Lab Statement on AI and Scientific Research 315950
Stephen Chrisomalis @schrisomalis.bsky.social · 05/09/2026And now I have a 300+ page working document, of which 290+ pages are AI-generated responses to 30+ prompts. 020
Stephen Chrisomalis @schrisomalis.bsky.social · 05/09/2026I'm strongly considering a paper/presentation whose working title is "Am I the most important cognitive anthropologist in North America?". (The answer is "no", by the way!) It's a deep dive using LLM "data" across a set of prompts based on expert knowledge of my subfield. Laughable errors abound. 050
Reposted by Stephen ChrisomalisKatie Mack @astrokatie.com · 04/09/2026Update: the dialect map quiz thing going around is a cheap knockoff of the good one, which is here: www.nytimes.com/interactive/...nytimes.comHow Y’all, Youse and You Guys Talk (Published 2024)What does the way you speak say about where you’re from? Answer all the questions below to see your personal dialect map. 1201257321
Stephen Chrisomalis @schrisomalis.bsky.social · 04/09/2026My Android Auto updated this morning with its new @mapquest.com integration. Good news for this fellow born on the shores of Lake Ontario! 🇨🇦 030
Stephen Chrisomalis @schrisomalis.bsky.social · 03/09/2026Here's a list of in-class students' questions on index cards in week 1 of my undergrad ling-anth course. Most have no ling background at all (with obvious exceptions). While it's easy to get down on 'kids these days', many are surprisingly insightful and full of things I have yet to teach them.glossographia.comWhat do (my) undergrads want to know?As an in-class exercise today, I had the students write down one or more questions on index cards and hand them in. Actually I asked them to each write one question, but most of them were energized… 052
Stephen Chrisomalis @schrisomalis.bsky.social · 03/09/2026Just so you understand how Canadians are feeling right now: twice over the last week, at bars near Wayne State, I ordered decidedly mid-tier Canadian corporate beer instead of delicious non-corporate Michigan microbrews. Almost nothing could have gotten me to drink Labatt Blue, but here we are. 150
Reposted by Stephen ChrisomalisOlivia Guest · Ολίβια Γκεστ @olivia.science · 04/08/2026Open Letter: Stop the Uncritical Adoption of AI Technologies in Academia It's been a year & people tell me they've changed their mind, feel safer now to sign, etc. So I'm sharing it again for them. We're almost at 2k & anybody from anywhere can add their names. openletter.earth/open-letter-... 6312144
Reposted by Stephen ChrisomalisMany Minds podcast @manymindspod.bsky.social · 31/08/2026New episode!! 🎙️🎉 A conversation with @damianblasi.bsky.social about linguistic diversity and what it can tell us. Linguistic diversity is a precious part of our species' heritage. It also offers a wellspring of clues about history, culture, and the human mind. Listen: disi.org/the-natural-... 14620
Stephen Chrisomalis @schrisomalis.bsky.social · 27/08/2026I guess I should feel honoured to have been the target of one of these scams today. (Thanks to @philiplaughlin.bsky.social along with my own deep skepticism about pay-to-play, I knew to be wary). Sigh ... www.nytimes.com/2026/02/25/b...nytimes.comHungry for Affirmation, Vulnerable to Scams: As a Writer, I Know the FeelingFrom George Saunders to the National Book Foundation, the literary world has been besieged by fake requests. Just like me. 130
Reposted by Stephen ChrisomalisThe Beaverton @thebeaverton.com · 24/08/2026Report: Trump admin demanded Canada execute Bonhommethebeaverton.comReport: Trump admin demanded Canada execute BonhommeOTTAWA - Reports from the Canada-U.S. trade talks indicates that the Trump Administration made a last-minute demand for the public execution of beloved Québécois celebrity Bonhomme Carnaval. 39929283
Stephen Chrisomalis @schrisomalis.bsky.social · 23/08/2026I'm tired of my American friends telling me that I just have to wait for them to get their shit together in 2028. Elbows up, and all that. 🇨🇦 070
Reposted by Stephen ChrisomalisKevin Hearne @kevinhearne.bsky.social · 23/08/2026Not sure American folks understand what the Tromp admin did, so bear with me here: If any country came to the U.S. & said you can’t make trade deals without our approval and also you can’t protect English as a language anymore, we think it’s inconvenient, how would you respond? Would ANGER be fair? 441080209
Reposted by Stephen ChrisomalisKen Jennings @kenjennings.bsky.social · 23/08/2026Proust on AI, 1918. “He imagines a sort of composite of all the good books that he has read, whereas a good book is something special, something unforeseeable…” 1164175
Reposted by Stephen ChrisomalisMary Dudziak @marydudziak.bsky.social · 18/08/2026Beginning my research seminar, as always, with Lynn Hunt's essay How Writing Leads to Thinking (and Not the Other Way Around). Should be mandatory reading in light of the impact of AI. www.historians.org/perspectives... 9478153
Stephen Chrisomalis @schrisomalis.bsky.social · 16/08/2026I am actively recruiting MA and PhD students in linguistic, historical, and cognitive anthropology at Wayne State for Fall 2027. No GRE; multi-year funding for all PhD students. Application deadline 01/15. Share widely, or contact me for more info. clasprofiles.wayne.edu/profile/dz6179 0810
Reposted by Stephen ChrisomalisCrow @abbyjane.cloverdalelane.com · 14/08/2026I think about this a lot. 7895092494
Stephen Chrisomalis @schrisomalis.bsky.social · 14/08/2026Do I have anyone on here who can help with a tricky issue in early modern (late 16th century) Portuguese lexicography / etymology? 415
Reposted by Stephen ChrisomalisColin Carlson @colincarlson.bsky.social · 10/08/2026I wrote about a reason not to use generative AI in your writing that I haven't seen anyone talking about. Once I realized this, banning GenAI in our lab's writing became a no-brainer. Feel free to share, I think this is probably useful especially for trainees: www.carlsonlab.bio/thoughts/the...carlsonlab.bioThe only reason you’ll ever need not to write with AI — The Carlson LabOver the last year, our lab has been developing a policy on AI use. To do this, we did three main things: We read a lot of academic publications and tech news. We set up an #ai channel on our la... 361563629
Reposted by Stephen Chrisomalisdepths of wikipedia @depthsofwikipedia.bsky.social · 10/08/2026not to be confused with quesadilla 5581071802