Abe Smith
@abesmith.bsky.social
a complicated human in complicated times
Mathematician and scientist trying to make AI safer.
Talk to me about science, rural life, music, and trying to organize for a better future.
Wisconsin, USA
Mathematician and scientist trying to make AI safer.
Talk to me about science, rural life, music, and trying to organize for a better future.
Wisconsin, USA
Pinned
Abe Smith
@abesmith.bsky.social
· Jan 18
Here's a starter pack for actual people and sources relevant to Dunn County.
go.bsky.app/D4EMGFv
go.bsky.app/D4EMGFv
Reposted by Abe Smith
I don’t think I’m ever going to get the appeal of pivoting to video for podcasts. I’ve been listening to podcasts for 20 years, and never once have I thought, my God, I need to SEE these people! I’m on a walk or doing the dishes, I don’t need video. 
October 4, 2026 at 8:14 PM
I don’t think I’m ever going to get the appeal of pivoting to video for podcasts. I’ve been listening to podcasts for 20 years, and never once have I thought, my God, I need to SEE these people! I’m on a walk or doing the dishes, I don’t need video. 
Reposted by Abe Smith
Reposted by Abe Smith
NSF has reduced the research budget for all atmospheric, ocean, and earth sciences by ~80%.
80%!
A lot of us will not be conducting new research or training new students for the foreseeable future.
80%!
A lot of us will not be conducting new research or training new students for the foreseeable future.
September 15, 2026 at 9:58 PM
NSF has reduced the research budget for all atmospheric, ocean, and earth sciences by ~80%.
80%!
A lot of us will not be conducting new research or training new students for the foreseeable future.
80%!
A lot of us will not be conducting new research or training new students for the foreseeable future.
Reposted by Abe Smith
One of the coolest things about people who don't have a lot of power taking a principled stand is it lays bare the complete cowardice of the ones who actually *do* have power when they fail to do even a fraction as much.
Unlike Macklemore, these support acts don’t have big followings and they are giving up their chance to perform to stadiums to push back against censorship, not of themselves but of a fellow artist. Respect.
The Irish musicians, Beoga, who play alongside Ed Sheeran, have withdrawn from Sheeran’s tour.
This is the statement they published on Instagram:
This is the statement they published on Instagram:
September 15, 2026 at 10:27 PM
One of the coolest things about people who don't have a lot of power taking a principled stand is it lays bare the complete cowardice of the ones who actually *do* have power when they fail to do even a fraction as much.
Reposted by Abe Smith
"Big Tech has proved that its only principles are not paying taxes, invading your privacy, and not being broken up by antitrust enforcers. Tech companies will do anything for any leader who can guarantee those outcomes."
Sad but true
Sad but true
What if post-Trump America is even *worse*?
1/
1/
September 7, 2026 at 2:37 AM
"Big Tech has proved that its only principles are not paying taxes, invading your privacy, and not being broken up by antitrust enforcers. Tech companies will do anything for any leader who can guarantee those outcomes."
Sad but true
Sad but true
Reposted by Abe Smith
Anything that makes you enter information you can’t export should be regulated out of existence.
Then there's the online insurance company eHealth, whose execs crowed about a new "innovation" that forced senior patients to painstakingly enter a long list of their medications and doctors, but did not give them any way to export that data.
September 7, 2026 at 5:46 AM
Anything that makes you enter information you can’t export should be regulated out of existence.
Reposted by Abe Smith
Perfect opportunity to remind people "the only reason this and a million other sensible policies aren't happening is because Republicans control Congress and they do what Trump says."
But instead Schiff decides to go with: Trump is right, unspecified members of Congress are the problem.
But instead Schiff decides to go with: Trump is right, unspecified members of Congress are the problem.
I am in strong agreement with the President. Congress should immediately take up and pass a federal film tax incentive to bring back these good-paying jobs that we've lost to other countries.
September 1, 2026 at 2:35 AM
Perfect opportunity to remind people "the only reason this and a million other sensible policies aren't happening is because Republicans control Congress and they do what Trump says."
But instead Schiff decides to go with: Trump is right, unspecified members of Congress are the problem.
But instead Schiff decides to go with: Trump is right, unspecified members of Congress are the problem.
Reposted by Abe Smith
Our rulers have gotten so stupid that it’s broken my mind, every last guideline I thought was “the real world” turned out to be negotiable
September 1, 2026 at 2:33 AM
Our rulers have gotten so stupid that it’s broken my mind, every last guideline I thought was “the real world” turned out to be negotiable
Reposted by Abe Smith
Abdul El-Sayed: “Canadians are like the only people in the world who are going to preemptively apologize for something they didn't even do. So if you're starting a trade war with Canada, it's because you're the asshole.”
August 31, 2026 at 5:46 PM
Abdul El-Sayed: “Canadians are like the only people in the world who are going to preemptively apologize for something they didn't even do. So if you're starting a trade war with Canada, it's because you're the asshole.”
Reposted by Abe Smith
I’m not joking, Canada should expel American diplomats over this
This is a picture of two women from the Vernon Cadet Training Centre, which holds summer programming for 12-18 year olds to develop skills on the way to adulthood. Unlike Secretary Hegseth, they do not deserve contempt or ridicule.
September 1, 2026 at 2:31 AM
I’m not joking, Canada should expel American diplomats over this
Reposted by Abe Smith
Reposted by Abe Smith
We're being told that if we sacrifice the rights of some people, then the rest of us get to keep our rights.
We all know that's some BS.
We all know that's some BS.
August 23, 2026 at 3:19 PM
We're being told that if we sacrifice the rights of some people, then the rest of us get to keep our rights.
We all know that's some BS.
We all know that's some BS.
Reposted by Abe Smith
When America is gone, remember NYT headlines like this and never again ask what role corporate media played in normalizing the most dangerous man on Earth
August 23, 2026 at 11:25 PM
When America is gone, remember NYT headlines like this and never again ask what role corporate media played in normalizing the most dangerous man on Earth
Reposted by Abe Smith
Conservatives in 2026 are like: “When we said Barack Obama was like Hitler we meant it as a metaphor for something bad, not a reference to real Hitler who we think is cool but not in a way that lets you say we’re racist.”
August 24, 2026 at 1:49 AM
Conservatives in 2026 are like: “When we said Barack Obama was like Hitler we meant it as a metaphor for something bad, not a reference to real Hitler who we think is cool but not in a way that lets you say we’re racist.”
Reposted by Abe Smith
August 20, 2026 at 6:14 PM
Reposted by Abe Smith
ICE just arrested a 5-year-old on his way to a soccer game in Austin.
His name is Liam, just like the little boy from Minnesota.
He should be in kindergarten this week. Instead he's in a trailer prison in the desert.
Release Liam. Release these kids. Close the Dilley children’s prison.
His name is Liam, just like the little boy from Minnesota.
He should be in kindergarten this week. Instead he's in a trailer prison in the desert.
Release Liam. Release these kids. Close the Dilley children’s prison.
August 20, 2026 at 9:36 PM
ICE just arrested a 5-year-old on his way to a soccer game in Austin.
His name is Liam, just like the little boy from Minnesota.
He should be in kindergarten this week. Instead he's in a trailer prison in the desert.
Release Liam. Release these kids. Close the Dilley children’s prison.
His name is Liam, just like the little boy from Minnesota.
He should be in kindergarten this week. Instead he's in a trailer prison in the desert.
Release Liam. Release these kids. Close the Dilley children’s prison.
Reposted by Abe Smith
Scoop: For nearly a year, NSF has struggled to make new grants. Now we know that it will not catch up.
In fact, NSF will award just 6,100 new grants—a 30% y/o/y decline, itself down from a previous avg. of 11,000+. In fact, the last time NSF awarded so few grants was in the early '80s.
In fact, NSF will award just 6,100 new grants—a 30% y/o/y decline, itself down from a previous avg. of 11,000+. In fact, the last time NSF awarded so few grants was in the early '80s.
Exclusive: NSF set to issue lowest number of new grants in four decades
The US science-funding agency is withholding $1 billion of its budget so that the money can go to a special White House project.
www.nature.com
August 20, 2026 at 6:12 PM
Scoop: For nearly a year, NSF has struggled to make new grants. Now we know that it will not catch up.
In fact, NSF will award just 6,100 new grants—a 30% y/o/y decline, itself down from a previous avg. of 11,000+. In fact, the last time NSF awarded so few grants was in the early '80s.
In fact, NSF will award just 6,100 new grants—a 30% y/o/y decline, itself down from a previous avg. of 11,000+. In fact, the last time NSF awarded so few grants was in the early '80s.
Reposted by Abe Smith
A load bearing mythos of pop leftism is that the Dems used to be good and for the working man and then embraced neoliberalism so the working man got sold out, instead of "white America as a whole turned on the Dems after the Civil Rights Act and began tearing down their own commons and prosperity"
August 13, 2026 at 7:45 AM
A load bearing mythos of pop leftism is that the Dems used to be good and for the working man and then embraced neoliberalism so the working man got sold out, instead of "white America as a whole turned on the Dems after the Civil Rights Act and began tearing down their own commons and prosperity"
Reposted by Abe Smith
I 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...
The only reason you’ll ever need not to write with AI — The Carlson Lab
Over 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...
www.carlsonlab.bio
August 10, 2026 at 4:43 PM
I 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...
Reposted by Abe Smith
Has there been a bigger and faster and more total strategic failure in American history than Trump’s decision to attack Iran?
Reuters:
Iran wants fees of 5%-7% of the price of cargo from ships using the strait; Oman wants 3%.
"Making fees voluntary, at least nominally, could be a way out of the impasse, although an implied threat of Iranian attacks could mean shippers would be unlikely to risk transit without paying."
Iran wants fees of 5%-7% of the price of cargo from ships using the strait; Oman wants 3%.
"Making fees voluntary, at least nominally, could be a way out of the impasse, although an implied threat of Iranian attacks could mean shippers would be unlikely to risk transit without paying."
August 6, 2026 at 2:06 AM
Has there been a bigger and faster and more total strategic failure in American history than Trump’s decision to attack Iran?
Reposted by Abe Smith
It was revealed the president's bank accounts got shut down by Capitol One for money laundering but the media is too obsessed with Francesca Hong's take on Thanksgiving to notice.
August 6, 2026 at 3:02 AM
It was revealed the president's bank accounts got shut down by Capitol One for money laundering but the media is too obsessed with Francesca Hong's take on Thanksgiving to notice.
Reposted by Abe Smith
Your tax dollars are working to terrorize & arrest & imprison & deport & bomb & kill children
but you’re worried about subsidized grocery stores.
Go to hell.
but you’re worried about subsidized grocery stores.
Go to hell.
August 4, 2026 at 3:51 AM
Your tax dollars are working to terrorize & arrest & imprison & deport & bomb & kill children
but you’re worried about subsidized grocery stores.
Go to hell.
but you’re worried about subsidized grocery stores.
Go to hell.
Reposted by Abe Smith
Academics and scoleres are not gate-keeperes. Thei will talke to you about their topiques. For dayes. Thei will sende lynkes. Thei will order bookes. Thys ys why thei lyve. Thei are the route bitwene past knowledge and future knowledge.
August 4, 2026 at 3:55 AM
Academics and scoleres are not gate-keeperes. Thei will talke to you about their topiques. For dayes. Thei will sende lynkes. Thei will order bookes. Thys ys why thei lyve. Thei are the route bitwene past knowledge and future knowledge.
Reposted by Abe Smith
Just so everyone knows, this is a tried-and-true mainstream media tactic.
For progressives/leftist candidates, every election is a “crucial test” and any loss would serve as proof to the media that the latest left-side moment is at its end. Any win, though, just means it’s time to find a new test.
For progressives/leftist candidates, every election is a “crucial test” and any loss would serve as proof to the media that the latest left-side moment is at its end. Any win, though, just means it’s time to find a new test.
Michigan will provide another crucial test of whether progressives can not only keep up their winning streak in safe-blue seats but also break through in battlegrounds crucial for control of Congress.
The stakes for the Democratic Party are huge.
The stakes for the Democratic Party are huge.
We’re about to find out how powerful progressives really are
A strong performance across the Senate race and two House primaries would bolster the left’s argument that its message has potency in a key battleground.
www.politico.com
August 4, 2026 at 2:22 AM
Just so everyone knows, this is a tried-and-true mainstream media tactic.
For progressives/leftist candidates, every election is a “crucial test” and any loss would serve as proof to the media that the latest left-side moment is at its end. Any win, though, just means it’s time to find a new test.
For progressives/leftist candidates, every election is a “crucial test” and any loss would serve as proof to the media that the latest left-side moment is at its end. Any win, though, just means it’s time to find a new test.