Becky
@beckvalle.bsky.social
Background in geography, archaeology, & programming - agent-based evacuation models - high performance computing - geographic information systems - learning Bangla - interested in many things - Formerly UIUC CIGI Lab & CyberGIS Center, Now USF - She/they
Reposted by Becky
i’ve noticed recently that when i’m having an in-person conversation, i feel this internal pressure to make my point faster/a perception that the other person is growing impatient. and i realized it’s because we’re so used to getting info in quick clips now that a longer explanation feels foreign.
October 4, 2026 at 4:23 PM
i’ve noticed recently that when i’m having an in-person conversation, i feel this internal pressure to make my point faster/a perception that the other person is growing impatient. and i realized it’s because we’re so used to getting info in quick clips now that a longer explanation feels foreign.
Reposted by Becky
Americans have never been angrier with one another. But polarization is not the disease—it is the response to a revanchist movement seeking to roll back sixty years of social progress.
🆕 by @lilymasonphd.bsky.social
muse.jhu.edu/pub/1/a...
🆕 by @lilymasonphd.bsky.social
muse.jhu.edu/pub/1/a...
October 1, 2026 at 6:23 PM
Americans have never been angrier with one another. But polarization is not the disease—it is the response to a revanchist movement seeking to roll back sixty years of social progress.
🆕 by @lilymasonphd.bsky.social
muse.jhu.edu/pub/1/a...
🆕 by @lilymasonphd.bsky.social
muse.jhu.edu/pub/1/a...
I got my flu shot at our campus library this week! If you study or work at a university, flu shots are often offered at convenient pop-up locations around campus in the Fall. Check it out!
October 1, 2026 at 9:38 PM
I got my flu shot at our campus library this week! If you study or work at a university, flu shots are often offered at convenient pop-up locations around campus in the Fall. Check it out!
Reposted by Becky
My main thought with this article is really need AI takes from outside elite liberal arts schools bubble. “Just have in-depth searching conversations w/ your handful of students and then give each 45 min oral exams!” This has no relevance to most professors or students at most schools in the country
October 1, 2026 at 12:13 PM
My main thought with this article is really need AI takes from outside elite liberal arts schools bubble. “Just have in-depth searching conversations w/ your handful of students and then give each 45 min oral exams!” This has no relevance to most professors or students at most schools in the country
Reposted by Becky
one of the reasons that I warn researchers away from adapting commercial LLMs into their pipeline is that Big Tech has a history of sunsetting popular, usable products and replacing them with worse ones. (i'm trying to ween myself off of google scholar, but it is hard).
In the vein of AI making everything better 🙄 today google discontinued their google assistant that we used to verbally add things to a grocery list. Instead you now have to use Gemini which cannot complete the same task.
Anyone have a good android list app that allows you to add things by speaking?
Anyone have a good android list app that allows you to add things by speaking?
October 1, 2026 at 1:53 PM
one of the reasons that I warn researchers away from adapting commercial LLMs into their pipeline is that Big Tech has a history of sunsetting popular, usable products and replacing them with worse ones. (i'm trying to ween myself off of google scholar, but it is hard).
Reposted by Becky
Yet more evidence for the towering heap of proof that synthetic users are bullshit.
As with all AI products, they do not improve "productivity" for a task but create an excuse not to do the task. In this case, the task is research. AI participants do not help you do research, but to AVOID research.
As with all AI products, they do not improve "productivity" for a task but create an excuse not to do the task. In this case, the task is research. AI participants do not help you do research, but to AVOID research.
There is a lot of "oh dear" to go around in the results of this very thorough Pew study on the issues with synthetic samples, but this strikes me as particularly "oh dear"
www.pewresearch.org/data-labs/20...
www.pewresearch.org/data-labs/20...
September 30, 2026 at 8:25 PM
Yet more evidence for the towering heap of proof that synthetic users are bullshit.
As with all AI products, they do not improve "productivity" for a task but create an excuse not to do the task. In this case, the task is research. AI participants do not help you do research, but to AVOID research.
As with all AI products, they do not improve "productivity" for a task but create an excuse not to do the task. In this case, the task is research. AI participants do not help you do research, but to AVOID research.
Reposted by Becky
"For many Black scholars, academia is a burning house. If we cannot extinguish that fire, Black scholars will always bear a greater risk of being burned–& therefore have to insulate themselves against the risk more than others." @cydneydupree.bsky.social
www.timeshighereducation.com/opinion/blac...
www.timeshighereducation.com/opinion/blac...
Black academics face extra scrutiny. Our research shows its consequences
Scholars of colour told us they engage in strategies to make it harder for them to be dismissed as biased or lacking rigour, says Cydney Hurston Dupree
www.timeshighereducation.com
September 30, 2026 at 2:12 PM
"For many Black scholars, academia is a burning house. If we cannot extinguish that fire, Black scholars will always bear a greater risk of being burned–& therefore have to insulate themselves against the risk more than others." @cydneydupree.bsky.social
www.timeshighereducation.com/opinion/blac...
www.timeshighereducation.com/opinion/blac...
Reposted by Becky
I really do think tech crossed a line at some point between "helping you do the things you want to do" on the one hand, and "helping you do the things tech wants you to do" on the other.
At this point, we're all contorting ourselves to live how the tech industry thinks we should be living.
At this point, we're all contorting ourselves to live how the tech industry thinks we should be living.
September 30, 2026 at 6:07 PM
I really do think tech crossed a line at some point between "helping you do the things you want to do" on the one hand, and "helping you do the things tech wants you to do" on the other.
At this point, we're all contorting ourselves to live how the tech industry thinks we should be living.
At this point, we're all contorting ourselves to live how the tech industry thinks we should be living.
Reposted by Becky
"AI will free us from medical tyranny"
"AI is better informed than doctors"
I want OFF this ride
"AI is better informed than doctors"
I want OFF this ride
September 30, 2026 at 3:00 PM
"AI will free us from medical tyranny"
"AI is better informed than doctors"
I want OFF this ride
"AI is better informed than doctors"
I want OFF this ride
Reposted by Becky
Me: so if I need to, idk, go to work in the next 9mos, how am I supposed to do that?
US healthcare system: sounds like a non-covered expense! But do let us know immediately if you lose your job due to your disability--
Me: --so you can help?
USHCS: HAHAHA! No. So we can cancel your care.
US healthcare system: sounds like a non-covered expense! But do let us know immediately if you lose your job due to your disability--
Me: --so you can help?
USHCS: HAHAHA! No. So we can cancel your care.
September 30, 2026 at 1:15 PM
Me: so if I need to, idk, go to work in the next 9mos, how am I supposed to do that?
US healthcare system: sounds like a non-covered expense! But do let us know immediately if you lose your job due to your disability--
Me: --so you can help?
USHCS: HAHAHA! No. So we can cancel your care.
US healthcare system: sounds like a non-covered expense! But do let us know immediately if you lose your job due to your disability--
Me: --so you can help?
USHCS: HAHAHA! No. So we can cancel your care.
What software or web tool or workflow that you regularly use would cause the most grief if it just stopped working today? Can you think of a way to lessen the impact if it did?
September 28, 2026 at 5:16 PM
What software or web tool or workflow that you regularly use would cause the most grief if it just stopped working today? Can you think of a way to lessen the impact if it did?
As a researcher, I am trying to be more intentional about backing up files, data, and information in formats as close to raw text and images as possible. I want to be able to still access the information if a software company decides to no longer support the file formats or software I need anymore.
September 28, 2026 at 4:33 PM
As a researcher, I am trying to be more intentional about backing up files, data, and information in formats as close to raw text and images as possible. I want to be able to still access the information if a software company decides to no longer support the file formats or software I need anymore.
"Smart" appliances are not always a smart choice... arstechnica.com/gadgets/2026...
Owners mourn spoiled food after firmware update bricks Samsung smart fridges
So absurd and embarrassing ..."
arstechnica.com
September 24, 2026 at 8:19 PM
"Smart" appliances are not always a smart choice... arstechnica.com/gadgets/2026...
Reposted by Becky
The more we buy into the logic that academia needs to be more like "the real world"--the more we buy into the idea that all we're doing is training students to go out and be good workers--the less we are fulfilling any sort of distinct mission, and the less exciting our work is our students.
September 24, 2026 at 1:56 PM
The more we buy into the logic that academia needs to be more like "the real world"--the more we buy into the idea that all we're doing is training students to go out and be good workers--the less we are fulfilling any sort of distinct mission, and the less exciting our work is our students.
Reposted by Becky
That's the point--and, frankly, I think the more most students are exposed to what is truly unique about the academy, the more they love it. A university is one of the only places where people can play with ideas without needing to expect any sort of commercializability.
September 24, 2026 at 1:52 PM
That's the point--and, frankly, I think the more most students are exposed to what is truly unique about the academy, the more they love it. A university is one of the only places where people can play with ideas without needing to expect any sort of commercializability.
Reposted by Becky
Is Diamond Access a 'loss leader'?
Hundreds of ‘free’ academic journals have started charging fees www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Hundreds of ‘free’ academic journals have started charging fees www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Hundreds of ‘free’ academic journals have started charging fees
A study tracking diamond open-access journals has found an increase in titles switching to other publishing models — especially over the past few years.
www.nature.com
September 23, 2026 at 12:41 PM
Is Diamond Access a 'loss leader'?
Hundreds of ‘free’ academic journals have started charging fees www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Hundreds of ‘free’ academic journals have started charging fees www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Reposted by Becky
Check out this amazing course manual by @olivia.science for her course ‘AI as a Science’.
Cite as:
Guest, O. (2020). AI as a Science: Course Manual. Radboud University Nijmegen. doi.org/10.5281/zeno...
Cite as:
Guest, O. (2020). AI as a Science: Course Manual. Radboud University Nijmegen. doi.org/10.5281/zeno...
July 9, 2025 at 11:24 PM
Check out this amazing course manual by @olivia.science for her course ‘AI as a Science’.
Cite as:
Guest, O. (2020). AI as a Science: Course Manual. Radboud University Nijmegen. doi.org/10.5281/zeno...
Cite as:
Guest, O. (2020). AI as a Science: Course Manual. Radboud University Nijmegen. doi.org/10.5281/zeno...
Reposted by Becky
"Organizers had placed all barricades and staff at the market's entrance, and the episode has them rethinking whether access points need to allow authorized vehicles onto the site during setup without leaving an opening for others to slip through."
Absolutely. Never give robots a physical opening.
Absolutely. Never give robots a physical opening.
September 22, 2026 at 4:11 PM
"Organizers had placed all barricades and staff at the market's entrance, and the episode has them rethinking whether access points need to allow authorized vehicles onto the site during setup without leaving an opening for others to slip through."
Absolutely. Never give robots a physical opening.
Absolutely. Never give robots a physical opening.
Reposted by Becky
There is something so unbelievably bleak about an article that calmly walks readers through how to navigate being laid off after 50, losing your health insurance, and somehow surviving the years until Medicare. What a broken country.
Laid Off After 50, and No Health Insurance? Here’s What to Consider. (Gift Article)
At best, older workers will struggle to find health insurance that bridges the years before they qualify for Medicare at age 65.
www.nytimes.com
September 22, 2026 at 4:43 PM
There is something so unbelievably bleak about an article that calmly walks readers through how to navigate being laid off after 50, losing your health insurance, and somehow surviving the years until Medicare. What a broken country.
Reposted by Becky
"the assessment did not consider the crocodiles" is my new metaphor for people choosing to just ignore the data point that doesn't agree with them
Now, just personally, I would have considered the crocodiles
September 17, 2026 at 2:20 PM
"the assessment did not consider the crocodiles" is my new metaphor for people choosing to just ignore the data point that doesn't agree with them
Commiserates in Floridian.
River that is home to 500 crocodiles chosen to host 2032 Olympic rowing and canoe events
River that is home to 500 crocodiles chosen to host 2032 Olympic rowing and canoe events
A river that is home to about 500 saltwater crocodiles is given the OK to host Olympic and Paralympic rowing and canoeing events at the 2032 Brisbane Games.
www.bbc.co.uk
September 18, 2026 at 10:20 PM
Commiserates in Floridian.
Reposted by Becky
Nice campaign by the Norwegian Consumer Council about the declining lifespan of products. Enjoy!
September 17, 2026 at 7:34 AM
Nice campaign by the Norwegian Consumer Council about the declining lifespan of products. Enjoy!
Reposted by Becky
3-y.o. has interpreted the “lemon” from “easy peasy lemon squeezy” as an all-purpose intensifier.
If something hurts: “Owie”
If something *really* hurts: “Owie owie lemon owie”
If something hurts: “Owie”
If something *really* hurts: “Owie owie lemon owie”
September 13, 2026 at 9:58 PM
3-y.o. has interpreted the “lemon” from “easy peasy lemon squeezy” as an all-purpose intensifier.
If something hurts: “Owie”
If something *really* hurts: “Owie owie lemon owie”
If something hurts: “Owie”
If something *really* hurts: “Owie owie lemon owie”
Reposted by Becky
A small request: If you're sending people a form in which there are fields for "Name" and "Title," please specify whether by "Title" you mean "honorific" (Dr/Prof/Ms/Mx etc) or "job title" (Professor of Physics) because I absolutely never know which is being requested and the answers are different.
September 10, 2026 at 3:51 PM
A small request: If you're sending people a form in which there are fields for "Name" and "Title," please specify whether by "Title" you mean "honorific" (Dr/Prof/Ms/Mx etc) or "job title" (Professor of Physics) because I absolutely never know which is being requested and the answers are different.
Reposted by Becky
"The digital is the future"
Meanwhile:
Every link I have on my syllabus from *checks notes* 12 months ago is broken and much of the content no longer exists.
Meanwhile:
Every link I have on my syllabus from *checks notes* 12 months ago is broken and much of the content no longer exists.
September 8, 2026 at 4:54 PM
"The digital is the future"
Meanwhile:
Every link I have on my syllabus from *checks notes* 12 months ago is broken and much of the content no longer exists.
Meanwhile:
Every link I have on my syllabus from *checks notes* 12 months ago is broken and much of the content no longer exists.