Julia Piaskowski
@jpiaskowski.bsky.social
ag stats stan, trekkie, prison abolitionist
https://jpiaskowski.gitlab.io/
https://jpiaskowski.gitlab.io/
Pinned
Julia Piaskowski
@jpiaskowski.bsky.social
· Nov 23
"I don’t have lately. I have always. I have a constant blur of plates spinning and knives on the floor and needy, panicked faces at the door, of which you are but one of many." -- A consulting statistician, probably
Changing what I donate to: $$ to @zeteo.com @investigatewest.bsky.social @bcmerchant.bsky.social @404media.co because good media is what we need rn
September 21, 2026 at 3:55 AM
Changing what I donate to: $$ to @zeteo.com @investigatewest.bsky.social @bcmerchant.bsky.social @404media.co because good media is what we need rn
Now I'm pondering this in terms of the grave announcements about the "end of science", implying we have discovered everything there is to know
Semi regular reminder that when (white) men declare the end of humanity they usually mean the end of their dominance.
September 20, 2026 at 7:55 PM
Now I'm pondering this in terms of the grave announcements about the "end of science", implying we have discovered everything there is to know
the beaver PR team really is crack. This video -- about beaver reintroduction in Idaho --is an unexpectedly joyful 5 minutes youtu.be/adDEAUSqxs8?...
September 19, 2026 at 5:19 AM
the beaver PR team really is crack. This video -- about beaver reintroduction in Idaho --is an unexpectedly joyful 5 minutes youtu.be/adDEAUSqxs8?...
Reposted by Julia Piaskowski
Reminds me of how OpenAI argued in court that someone convinced to kill themselves by chatgpt was breaking the terms of service and thus openAI is not legally responsible for their actions
LMAO if it destroys the world why the fuck should it be protected from lawsuits??????
Alex Karp of Palantir says the AI industry must be nationalized to protect it from lawsuits if it accidentally destroys the world. More likely, he sees the bubble about to burst and he wants to be bought out with our tax dollars before that happens.
September 19, 2026 at 4:24 AM
Reminds me of how OpenAI argued in court that someone convinced to kill themselves by chatgpt was breaking the terms of service and thus openAI is not legally responsible for their actions
I always feel slightly embarrassed for the researcher when I see this. "All analyses were done using R v 1.1.4.1-5". Wow, from 2001?
👏👏👏 to @liomys.mx for calling out the issue of academic works citing the IDE instead of the language/packages!
September 16, 2026 at 5:27 PM
I always feel slightly embarrassed for the researcher when I see this. "All analyses were done using R v 1.1.4.1-5". Wow, from 2001?
Reposted by Julia Piaskowski
I mean if you really want to hear Ed Sheeran without any opening acts you can simply get put on hold with your bank
September 16, 2026 at 2:26 AM
I mean if you really want to hear Ed Sheeran without any opening acts you can simply get put on hold with your bank
Reposted by Julia Piaskowski
Glad folks are appalled by photos of the "phone booth" cage under an awning, but pls understand: This IG report is likely part of a cover-up.
Amnesty Int'l interviewed detainees EIGHT MONTHS AGO who said the cage was half this size (couldn't stand up), had no awning, w feet chained to the bottom.
Amnesty Int'l interviewed detainees EIGHT MONTHS AGO who said the cage was half this size (couldn't stand up), had no awning, w feet chained to the bottom.
America is being run by monsters. www.nbcnews.com/politics/nat...
DHS watchdog finds immigrants held at ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ in outdoor cages the size of phone booths
The cages, called “calming areas,” were used for detainees to “reflect on their behavior choices, manage their emotions, reduce stress and practice self-directed behavior,” according to the inspector ...
www.nbcnews.com
September 14, 2026 at 4:20 PM
Glad folks are appalled by photos of the "phone booth" cage under an awning, but pls understand: This IG report is likely part of a cover-up.
Amnesty Int'l interviewed detainees EIGHT MONTHS AGO who said the cage was half this size (couldn't stand up), had no awning, w feet chained to the bottom.
Amnesty Int'l interviewed detainees EIGHT MONTHS AGO who said the cage was half this size (couldn't stand up), had no awning, w feet chained to the bottom.
mind blown at the contrast of how we are considering chatbots to be conscious while simultaneously refusing to acknowledge the humanity of immigrants, prisoners, so many other groups. What has happened to us?
To ppl suggesting Stanford as an "independent Anthropic & OpenAI auditor"
“The membrane between academia and industry...is practically nonexistent at Stanford, a school so entangled with tech that it can be hard to tell where the university ends and the businesses begin”
nymag.com/intelligence...
“The membrane between academia and industry...is practically nonexistent at Stanford, a school so entangled with tech that it can be hard to tell where the university ends and the businesses begin”
nymag.com/intelligence...
You Are Not a Parrot
And a chatbot is not a human. And a linguist named Emily M. Bender is very worried what will happen when we forget this.
nymag.com
September 14, 2026 at 3:21 AM
mind blown at the contrast of how we are considering chatbots to be conscious while simultaneously refusing to acknowledge the humanity of immigrants, prisoners, so many other groups. What has happened to us?
Just came across this book and wow, is there anything Du Bois did not do? papress.com/products/w-e...
W. E. B. Du Bois's Data Portraits
"As visually arresting as it is informative."—The Boston Globe"Du Bois's bold colors and geometric shapes were decades ahead of modernist graphic design in America."—Fast Company's Co.DesignW.E.B. Du
papress.com
September 13, 2026 at 9:14 PM
Just came across this book and wow, is there anything Du Bois did not do? papress.com/products/w-e...
This will effectively end OPT
The US President's new proposal to tax international students has been approved by the White House for release this week.
It's an unprecedented $100,000 tax on int'l grads who stay to work after graduation on Optional Practical Training (most grads do), a crucial bridge to remaining by any channel.
It's an unprecedented $100,000 tax on int'l grads who stay to work after graduation on Optional Practical Training (most grads do), a crucial bridge to remaining by any channel.
September 13, 2026 at 12:13 AM
This will effectively end OPT
thoughtful
A group of 25 Fields Medalists, including myself, have made a joint declaration on Math and AI: mathandai.org . We welcome additional signatories. See also this article in the Economist announcing the declaration: www.economist.com/science-and-...
Declaration — Math and AI
Read the declaration and add your name.
mathandai.org
September 12, 2026 at 12:04 AM
thoughtful
Reposted by Julia Piaskowski
There are so many stories lately about people who died by suicide after falling into emotionally manipulative patterns with chatbots. We rarely get to hear how the people who loved them are coping after an unimaginable, senseless loss.
This is one of their stories:
www.404media.co/austin-gordo...
This is one of their stories:
www.404media.co/austin-gordo...
'Tell Everyone:' A Man Died by Suicide After Talking to ChatGPT. His Former Partner Wants to Warn the World About AI
After allegedly becoming emotionally reliant on ChatGPT, Austin died at 40 years old, leaving behind family and friends who loved him. Megan wants everyone to know what happened.
www.404media.co
September 9, 2026 at 2:21 PM
There are so many stories lately about people who died by suicide after falling into emotionally manipulative patterns with chatbots. We rarely get to hear how the people who loved them are coping after an unimaginable, senseless loss.
This is one of their stories:
www.404media.co/austin-gordo...
This is one of their stories:
www.404media.co/austin-gordo...
Reposted by Julia Piaskowski
🚨 BEWARE of VoteSafe.org 🚨
While it bills itself as a “safe” way to register to vote, it is actually a digital surveillance machine created by Elon Musk’s super PAC.
While it bills itself as a “safe” way to register to vote, it is actually a digital surveillance machine created by Elon Musk’s super PAC.
September 10, 2026 at 1:02 PM
🚨 BEWARE of VoteSafe.org 🚨
While it bills itself as a “safe” way to register to vote, it is actually a digital surveillance machine created by Elon Musk’s super PAC.
While it bills itself as a “safe” way to register to vote, it is actually a digital surveillance machine created by Elon Musk’s super PAC.
Reposted by Julia Piaskowski
Read my summary of the Cell paper here:
medium.com/@m.j.faccian...
medium.com/@m.j.faccian...
If Scientists Don’t Show Up, Someone Else Will
Our new paper in Cell breaks down six practical ways scientists can communicate with a broader audience.
medium.com
September 8, 2026 at 2:44 PM
Read my summary of the Cell paper here:
medium.com/@m.j.faccian...
medium.com/@m.j.faccian...
Reposted by Julia Piaskowski
this second session being impossible to schedule is the most D&D thing you could possibly imagine
‘DUNGEONS & DRAGONS 2’ isn’t fully dead yet.
• Script is complete
• Hasbro remains committed
• A new studio partner is being sought after Paramount passed for financial reasons
#DungeonsAndDragons #Hasbro
• Script is complete
• Hasbro remains committed
• A new studio partner is being sought after Paramount passed for financial reasons
#DungeonsAndDragons #Hasbro
September 4, 2026 at 4:10 PM
this second session being impossible to schedule is the most D&D thing you could possibly imagine
Reposted by Julia Piaskowski
OpenAI is now facing more than 50 consumer harm and wrongful death lawsuits alleging that extensive use of ChatGPT resulted in psychological harm, physical injury, and even the deaths of users and/or those around them.
futurism.com/artificial-i...
futurism.com/artificial-i...
OpenAI Is Now Facing Over 50 Consumer Harm and Wrongful Death Lawsuits
OpenAI was hit with 30 new lawsuits overs its alleged role in the Tumbler Ridge school massacre. It now faces over 50 consumer harm lawsuits.
futurism.com
September 4, 2026 at 7:33 PM
OpenAI is now facing more than 50 consumer harm and wrongful death lawsuits alleging that extensive use of ChatGPT resulted in psychological harm, physical injury, and even the deaths of users and/or those around them.
futurism.com/artificial-i...
futurism.com/artificial-i...
Reposted by Julia Piaskowski
There are endless studies showing this and also the financial and societal benefits of universal basic income and or housing-first policies but the U.S. never goes for any of it because it would require allowing the poor to receive benefits that the rich consider “undeserved”
“A single-payer universal health care system could cover every American, save more than 100,000 lives a year, and still cost $1 trillion less than the system it would replace, according to a new preprint study led by researchers at the Yale School of Public Health.”
ysph.yale.edu/news-article...
ysph.yale.edu/news-article...
Universal Health Coverage Could Save $1 Trillion and 114,000 Lives Every Year, Yale Study Projects
A single-payer universal health care system could cover every American, save more than 100,000 lives a year, and still cost $1 trillion less than the system it
ysph.yale.edu
September 2, 2026 at 9:05 AM
There are endless studies showing this and also the financial and societal benefits of universal basic income and or housing-first policies but the U.S. never goes for any of it because it would require allowing the poor to receive benefits that the rich consider “undeserved”
Reposted by Julia Piaskowski
A 76-year-old green card holder with stage 4 cancer was arrested at his citizenship application interview and has been held by ICE for two months.
www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news...
www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news...
August 31, 2026 at 3:27 PM
A 76-year-old green card holder with stage 4 cancer was arrested at his citizenship application interview and has been held by ICE for two months.
www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news...
www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news...
Got some corrections and "at least 25%" is true. My concern is that it's still misleading as people will only remember 25%, not that it's the lower bound
What a misleading stat! The study said of the samples they received, roughly 25% of former NFL players who died within the study time period, 90, had CTE. It's likely not a random sample, so inference to the target population is difficult, but "at least 25%" as the headline is absurd.
At least one in four NFL players has CTE when they die, according to a new study that examined the brains of former professional football players. https://to.pbs.org/4gxPFrk
August 30, 2026 at 8:47 PM
Got some corrections and "at least 25%" is true. My concern is that it's still misleading as people will only remember 25%, not that it's the lower bound
What a misleading stat! The study said of the samples they received, roughly 25% of former NFL players who died within the study time period, 90, had CTE. It's likely not a random sample, so inference to the target population is difficult, but "at least 25%" as the headline is absurd.
At least one in four NFL players has CTE when they die, according to a new study that examined the brains of former professional football players. https://to.pbs.org/4gxPFrk
New study reveals widespread signs of brain trauma among former NFL players
At least one in four NFL players has CTE when they die, according to a new study that examined the brains of former pro players. CTE is a brain disease thought to be caused by years of sustained head ...
to.pbs.org
August 30, 2026 at 5:08 AM
What a misleading stat! The study said of the samples they received, roughly 25% of former NFL players who died within the study time period, 90, had CTE. It's likely not a random sample, so inference to the target population is difficult, but "at least 25%" as the headline is absurd.
the "bespoke mentor-mentee relationship"
August 29, 2026 at 7:42 AM
the "bespoke mentor-mentee relationship"
I've also gotta sing the praises of 'revdepcheck' for checking reverse dependencies. Wow, it's handy. revdepcheck.r-lib.org/reference/in...
August 27, 2026 at 9:01 PM
I've also gotta sing the praises of 'revdepcheck' for checking reverse dependencies. Wow, it's handy. revdepcheck.r-lib.org/reference/in...
Reposted by Julia Piaskowski
Jennifer Nelson’s entry to this year’s Minnesota State Fair crop art
August 27, 2026 at 1:45 PM
Jennifer Nelson’s entry to this year’s Minnesota State Fair crop art
Look, I'm new to package debugging (infinitely more complex than homespun functions), but I'm genuinely impressed with Positron debugging tools. I can step through the call stack? See what variables are in scope at each stage??? I think I'm in love.
August 26, 2026 at 8:25 PM
Look, I'm new to package debugging (infinitely more complex than homespun functions), but I'm genuinely impressed with Positron debugging tools. I can step through the call stack? See what variables are in scope at each stage??? I think I'm in love.
Reposted by Julia Piaskowski
The title is a little pointed, but I am very serious here. Academics, medical researchers, and other organisations should not collect data on birth sex. It is rarely relevant, and it almost always leads to privacy violations for transgender people. Please share. I would like people to read this one.
Separating sex and gender is statistical malpractice – Notes from a data witch
Statisticians and academics in Australia should ignore the terrible advice of most LGBTIQA+ organisations and read this post instead. The 2020 ABS standard is almost never the correct way to collect d...
blog.djnavarro.net
August 6, 2026 at 12:18 PM
The title is a little pointed, but I am very serious here. Academics, medical researchers, and other organisations should not collect data on birth sex. It is rarely relevant, and it almost always leads to privacy violations for transgender people. Please share. I would like people to read this one.