Ryan Anderson
@anthropologia.bsky.social
Cultural, environmental, and economic anthropologist. All things coastal. Photography. Some baseball too.
Pinned
I realized that one of the threads linking some of the different aspects of things I work on is the problem of mistaking or conflating fiction with reality. This includes everything from manufactured beaches in LA to folks seeing a film like 'The Endless Summer' and seeing it as a reality to chase.
October 8, 2026 at 4:11 PM
I realized that one of the threads linking some of the different aspects of things I work on is the problem of mistaking or conflating fiction with reality. This includes everything from manufactured beaches in LA to folks seeing a film like 'The Endless Summer' and seeing it as a reality to chase.
Reposted by Ryan Anderson
The Association for Human Mathematics (AHM) statement on OpenAI’s October 6 release of mathematical documents just dropped! www.ahmath.org/statements
October 7, 2026 at 8:35 PM
The Association for Human Mathematics (AHM) statement on OpenAI’s October 6 release of mathematical documents just dropped! www.ahmath.org/statements
Reposted by Ryan Anderson
Trying to figure out if the fuckin war dot gov commercial that's playing ad nauseum during the baseball game is AI. Some of the scenes are probably real actors, but also filmed in a garage with a fifty dollar scenery budget.
I will also bet dollars to donuts that Hegseth wrote the script himself
I will also bet dollars to donuts that Hegseth wrote the script himself
October 7, 2026 at 10:07 PM
Trying to figure out if the fuckin war dot gov commercial that's playing ad nauseum during the baseball game is AI. Some of the scenes are probably real actors, but also filmed in a garage with a fifty dollar scenery budget.
I will also bet dollars to donuts that Hegseth wrote the script himself
I will also bet dollars to donuts that Hegseth wrote the script himself
Reposted by Ryan Anderson
Fascinating window into where Brazilian election discourse is at the moment. The gist for those who do not understand Portuguese is: "everything is expensive. if we vote Bolsonaro and sell out Brazil to Trump we can buy cheap gadgets again"
October 7, 2026 at 3:31 PM
Fascinating window into where Brazilian election discourse is at the moment. The gist for those who do not understand Portuguese is: "everything is expensive. if we vote Bolsonaro and sell out Brazil to Trump we can buy cheap gadgets again"
Reposted by Ryan Anderson
I came across this parody of a rumored upcoming press release by OpenAI:
"OpenAI Releases the Final Ten Minutes of 500 Previously Unreleased Films, Ushering in a New Era of Movie Watching" : x.com/Endings500/s...
"OpenAI Releases the Final Ten Minutes of 500 Previously Unreleased Films, Ushering in a New Era of Movie Watching" : x.com/Endings500/s...
Endings Fivehundred (@Endings500) on X
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
October 6th, 2026
OpenAI Releases the Final Ten Minutes of 500 Previously Unreleased Films, Ushering in a New Era of Movie Watching
x.com
October 6, 2026 at 2:53 PM
I came across this parody of a rumored upcoming press release by OpenAI:
"OpenAI Releases the Final Ten Minutes of 500 Previously Unreleased Films, Ushering in a New Era of Movie Watching" : x.com/Endings500/s...
"OpenAI Releases the Final Ten Minutes of 500 Previously Unreleased Films, Ushering in a New Era of Movie Watching" : x.com/Endings500/s...
Reposted by Ryan Anderson
A new study of Iron and Viking Age "body-objects" reveals a significant amount of violence in Scandinavia. 🏺🧪
Archaeologists discover a child's skull built into the floor of a 2,500-year-old Scandinavian house www.livescience.com/archaeology/...
Archaeologists discover a child's skull built into the floor of a 2,500-year-old Scandinavian house
A study of nearly 200 individuals buried in domestic contexts in ancient and Viking Age Scandinavia has revealed unusually high levels of violence.
www.livescience.com
October 6, 2026 at 10:06 PM
A new study of Iron and Viking Age "body-objects" reveals a significant amount of violence in Scandinavia. 🏺🧪
Reposted by Ryan Anderson
thread
If you think about the data that is constructed about a person by observing their public behavior as a kind of "affordance" or "handle" for doing things on or to that person (including compiling further information about them), the technicized use of public data is inherently nonconsensual.
October 6, 2026 at 10:16 PM
thread
Reposted by Ryan Anderson
If you think about the data that is constructed about a person by observing their public behavior as a kind of "affordance" or "handle" for doing things on or to that person (including compiling further information about them), the technicized use of public data is inherently nonconsensual.
October 6, 2026 at 10:09 PM
If you think about the data that is constructed about a person by observing their public behavior as a kind of "affordance" or "handle" for doing things on or to that person (including compiling further information about them), the technicized use of public data is inherently nonconsensual.
this x 1000 right here
It's notable that the mature information professions that typically deal with making sense of public data about people for instrumental ends (research, journalism, librarianship) have significant ethical guidelines and institutional process checks on how their work is done, and on whom.
October 6, 2026 at 10:54 PM
this x 1000 right here
I have some thoughts about choosing Big Sur (and Point Sur specifically) for this photo shoot. Lots going on there.
October 6, 2026 at 10:49 PM
I have some thoughts about choosing Big Sur (and Point Sur specifically) for this photo shoot. Lots going on there.
By somewhat problematic I mean VERY.
I also just finished Adam's book, which I highly recommend if you're interested in learning more about the *somewhat problematic* beliefs and ideologies of the folks who are key players in this whole AI scene right now. Link: www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/adam-...
More Everything Forever
This "smart and wonderfully readable" (New York Times) exposé shows why Silicon Valley’s heartless, baseless, and foolish obsessions—with escaping death...
www.hachettebookgroup.com
October 6, 2026 at 10:40 PM
By somewhat problematic I mean VERY.
Reposted by Ryan Anderson
Quant data funding without Qual contextual inquiry leaves a lot of data undiscovered. Unfortunately, the consequences of these decisions will impact us—and not in ways they expected. Quant data can only count what is visible. Qual discovers the invisible so it can be counted.
NEW: In March the White House released an FY27 budget request that zeroed out the National Science Foundation's directorate of Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences (SBE). For months it was unclear what would happen. Now, with FY26 over, the damage to SBE is coming to light.
My reporting:
My reporting:
‘Complete devastation’: How NSF gutted its social sciences research
Agency body that funds sociology, linguistics, and archaeology studies in U.S. gave 90% fewer new grants this year
www.science.org
October 6, 2026 at 9:10 PM
Quant data funding without Qual contextual inquiry leaves a lot of data undiscovered. Unfortunately, the consequences of these decisions will impact us—and not in ways they expected. Quant data can only count what is visible. Qual discovers the invisible so it can be counted.
Reposted by Ryan Anderson
In addition to spending less money and making fewer new grants, SBE also dramatically narrowed where it made those new grants. Areas such as economics, sociology, and archaeology received few to no grants.
October 6, 2026 at 8:13 PM
In addition to spending less money and making fewer new grants, SBE also dramatically narrowed where it made those new grants. Areas such as economics, sociology, and archaeology received few to no grants.
Reposted by Ryan Anderson
NEW: In March the White House released an FY27 budget request that zeroed out the National Science Foundation's directorate of Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences (SBE). For months it was unclear what would happen. Now, with FY26 over, the damage to SBE is coming to light.
My reporting:
My reporting:
‘Complete devastation’: How NSF gutted its social sciences research
Agency body that funds sociology, linguistics, and archaeology studies in U.S. gave 90% fewer new grants this year
www.science.org
October 6, 2026 at 8:13 PM
NEW: In March the White House released an FY27 budget request that zeroed out the National Science Foundation's directorate of Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences (SBE). For months it was unclear what would happen. Now, with FY26 over, the damage to SBE is coming to light.
My reporting:
My reporting:
Reposted by Ryan Anderson
Thanks for the boost! There is also this one from us: (2025) "External Intelligence: Oracles, Divination and Animism, and the Use of #LLMs/#Generative #AI
By Michael D. Fischer; Sally A. Applin; Sridhar Ravula"
www.emerald.com/books/edited... #genai
By Michael D. Fischer; Sally A. Applin; Sridhar Ravula"
www.emerald.com/books/edited... #genai
External Intelligence: Oracles, Divination and Animism, and the Use of LLMs/Generative AI
Abstract. Applying Symbolic Interactionist (SI) and Anthropological theory, this chapter relates divination and oracle consultation as these manifest withi
www.emerald.com
October 6, 2026 at 9:04 PM
Thanks for the boost! There is also this one from us: (2025) "External Intelligence: Oracles, Divination and Animism, and the Use of #LLMs/#Generative #AI
By Michael D. Fischer; Sally A. Applin; Sridhar Ravula"
www.emerald.com/books/edited... #genai
By Michael D. Fischer; Sally A. Applin; Sridhar Ravula"
www.emerald.com/books/edited... #genai
Reposted by Ryan Anderson
Michael D. Fischer and I have a chapter out in the new "Handbook of Anthropology and Artificial Intelligence."Open Access (free). Click on purple retangle: www.e-elgar.com/shop/usd/han... See Chapter 5, Anthropology of artificial intelligence: agency, powerful knowledge, and
the algorithmic other."
the algorithmic other."
Handbook on Anthropology and Artificial Intelligence
‘Anthropology at its best – this collection looks beyond AI hype and panic to explore what specific challenges AI offers in different communities of practice, ranging from educating, healing to fighti...
www.e-elgar.com
July 25, 2026 at 12:47 AM
Michael D. Fischer and I have a chapter out in the new "Handbook of Anthropology and Artificial Intelligence."Open Access (free). Click on purple retangle: www.e-elgar.com/shop/usd/han... See Chapter 5, Anthropology of artificial intelligence: agency, powerful knowledge, and
the algorithmic other."
the algorithmic other."
*listened, of course.
Just listed to @adambecker.bsky.social's podcast episode with @emilymbender.bsky.social and I highly recommend it. One thing that really resonates with me is when Dr. Bender says that she was just doing her work and 'minding her own business' and then this whole AI thing went sideways. Can relate.
October 6, 2026 at 7:46 PM
*listened, of course.
Just listed to @adambecker.bsky.social's podcast episode with @emilymbender.bsky.social and I highly recommend it. One thing that really resonates with me is when Dr. Bender says that she was just doing her work and 'minding her own business' and then this whole AI thing went sideways. Can relate.
October 6, 2026 at 7:37 PM
Just listed to @adambecker.bsky.social's podcast episode with @emilymbender.bsky.social and I highly recommend it. One thing that really resonates with me is when Dr. Bender says that she was just doing her work and 'minding her own business' and then this whole AI thing went sideways. Can relate.
Reposted by Ryan Anderson
This is getting a lot of quotes, so I feel I should correct this a bit (sorry @anildash.com!)
“AI” was 100% born toxic! The first AI workshop was born from the field of “automata studies”, and…1/
(Pictured: the folks who convened for the first workshop. Notice anything notable here?)
“AI” was 100% born toxic! The first AI workshop was born from the field of “automata studies”, and…1/
(Pictured: the folks who convened for the first workshop. Notice anything notable here?)
October 6, 2026 at 1:59 PM
This is getting a lot of quotes, so I feel I should correct this a bit (sorry @anildash.com!)
“AI” was 100% born toxic! The first AI workshop was born from the field of “automata studies”, and…1/
(Pictured: the folks who convened for the first workshop. Notice anything notable here?)
“AI” was 100% born toxic! The first AI workshop was born from the field of “automata studies”, and…1/
(Pictured: the folks who convened for the first workshop. Notice anything notable here?)
Reposted by Ryan Anderson
I'm about to lose it guys
October 4, 2026 at 2:58 PM
I'm about to lose it guys
Reposted by Ryan Anderson
And yes, the 'machine' is a puree of ideas and thoughts stolen from you, me, and half the people on this site, so they're actually riding on *our* shoulders
3/3
3/3
October 4, 2026 at 4:35 PM
And yes, the 'machine' is a puree of ideas and thoughts stolen from you, me, and half the people on this site, so they're actually riding on *our* shoulders
3/3
3/3
Reposted by Ryan Anderson
Killed. NSF’s SBE was killed, in violation of law. The President does not have the power to choose to kill programs at a whim by defunding them. The imperial presidency was a mistake and we are in a separation of powers constitutional crisis.
The fiscal year is over.
The dying Social, Behavioral, and Economic division of NSF ended up awarding 90 total grants this year, as opposed to ~700-800 in recent past years.
Source: grantwitness.org/nsf/analyses...
The dying Social, Behavioral, and Economic division of NSF ended up awarding 90 total grants this year, as opposed to ~700-800 in recent past years.
Source: grantwitness.org/nsf/analyses...
October 3, 2026 at 3:28 PM
Killed. NSF’s SBE was killed, in violation of law. The President does not have the power to choose to kill programs at a whim by defunding them. The imperial presidency was a mistake and we are in a separation of powers constitutional crisis.
Reposted by Ryan Anderson
![A report of the Battle of Poitiers composed by an anonymous Iberian Christian in 754 describes Charles Martel’s forces in Latin as Europeenses.[2] This is odd: use of the terms “Europe” and “European” was rare in this era. After the Persian Wars continents had been left for the most part to the geographers. As late as the first century BCE some Roman geographers were still unsure whether Europe and Africa were separate continents.[3] And in an empire that stretched across them all the concept was largely irrelevant.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:lzlqyldh7nfc34pfffvd24ko/bafkreibn5l5fxui5w5lmsr2flo7zju7iqdbdmqjlnoxrwiqlvpurejjxz4)
Reposted by Ryan Anderson
Reposted by Ryan Anderson
There are a lot of Trump officials who need to be impeached, but Russell Vought -- the quarterback of all the Project 2025 fuckery and a central player in the administration's overreach -- really needs to be at the top of the list.
Unless Congress reclaims its power, this will just become the new normal. A good first step would be to impeach Vought.
www.nytimes.com/2026/10/02/u...
www.nytimes.com/2026/10/02/u...
National Science Foundation Diverted $1.4 Billion in Science Funds Mandated by Congress
The move, affecting about one-fifth of the National Science Foundation’s primary research budget, is the latest sign of how the White House is asserting more control over grants.
www.nytimes.com
October 2, 2026 at 9:15 PM
There are a lot of Trump officials who need to be impeached, but Russell Vought -- the quarterback of all the Project 2025 fuckery and a central player in the administration's overreach -- really needs to be at the top of the list.