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Sumita Pahwa

@sumitapahwa.bsky.social

5K followers 870 following 10K posts

Social scientist, religion and politics, Bombayite, Californian, ex-Cairene. Mango maven. Cat lady. Teaches at Scripps College. Book: https://press.syr.edu/supressbooks/5829/politics-as-worship/

press.syr.edu

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Sumita Pahwa @sumitapahwa.bsky.social · Feb 17

Please read before reply-guying.

Men Explain Things to Me

<p>Before there was <em>mansplaining</em>, there was Rebecca Solnit's 2008 critique of male arrogance. Reprinted here with a new introduction.</p>

www.guernicamag.com

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Reposted by Sumita Pahwa

Joshua Earle, but spookier @cyborgapologist.bsky.social · 1h

That said, in the normal course of studies, don't expect this to make it to human trials for another 5 years (as they do larger animal studies), then Human trials for 5-8 years. So, if this continues to work, expect clinical applications between 2035 and 2040.

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Reposted by Sumita Pahwa

Joshua Earle, but spookier @cyborgapologist.bsky.social · 1h

I always caution people to append the phrase "in mice" at the end of any miraculous medicine story since we can make mice do, basically, anything biologically.

This is different. While it is a study in mice, the mechanism has little to do with mice's uniquely malleable biology.

Dr. Sandra Steingraber 🏳️‍🌈 @ssteingraber1.bsky.social · 12h

If you’re hearing news about a cancer break-through and wonder what’s hype and what’s not, here’s a good explainer of the actual findings in animal studies.

This is some elegant science that pulls together several lines of long-standing inquiry, and yes, it’s a BFD.

www.umass.edu/news/article...

UMass Amherst Researchers Create Nanoparticle Vaccine That Prevents Cancer in Mice | UMass Amherst

The vaccine also proves highly effective at preventing cancer’s deadly spread.

www.umass.edu

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Sumita Pahwa @sumitapahwa.bsky.social · 3h

Costco around here just has the Gopi paneer, which I find meh. Jealous of those of you with better paneer!

Sumita Pahwa @sumitapahwa.bsky.social · 3h

I'm thinking of Indian-style grilled paneer (tandoori). Perhaps a very different animal from what you have in mind.

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Sumita Pahwa @sumitapahwa.bsky.social · 7h

It grills beautifully, yes. But one has to get the marinade just right...I haven't managed it.

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Sumita Pahwa @sumitapahwa.bsky.social · 7h

Halloumi is quite dif from paneer, has way less moisture, and is v easy to brown.

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Sumita Pahwa @sumitapahwa.bsky.social · 7h

How'd you get the paneer so brown?

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Sumita Pahwa @sumitapahwa.bsky.social · 9h

I'm very much in favor of viewpoint diversity, but tend to agree with this essay re the problem with trying to impose it by fiat.

www.chronicle.com/article/when...

Opinion | When Viewpoint Diversity Means Conformity

Trump’s compact isn’t just coercive. It’s incoherent.

www.chronicle.com

Sumita Pahwa @sumitapahwa.bsky.social · 10h

This person is a sports writer...and that gives them...what insight into good political reporting?

Reposted by Sumita Pahwa

Carolyn E Holmes @carolyneholmes.bsky.social · 11h

“Your research: suddenly relevant.”

Kevin M. Kruse @kevinmkruse.bsky.social · 12h

In honor of spooky month, share a 4 word horror story that only someone in your profession would understand:

Archives banned making copies.

Natasha Simonova @philistella.bsky.social · 12h

In honor of spooky month, share a 4 word horror story that only someone in your profession would understand:

New library catalogue website.

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Reposted by Sumita Pahwa

Avishay BSG (Ben-Sasson-Gordis) @avishaybsg.bsky.social · 15h

🧵 I'm excited to share that my article "Democratic Backsliding and the Limits of Civilian Control of the Military" has been accepted @thejop.bsky.social.

It answers the question "how ought militaries act when civilian leaders turn on democratic institutions?"

1/
#CivMilSky #PolTheory

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Sumita Pahwa @sumitapahwa.bsky.social · 14h

Ooh, I realized I can click through the categories e.g. cakes, etc and scroll through that way. thanks!

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Sumita Pahwa @sumitapahwa.bsky.social · 14h

A lot of research faculty, and faculty at R1s, have incentives to outsource their teaching or minimize time spent on it, so recorded lectures are a thing, right? With massive classes and no interpersonal interaction, one wonders whether in-person classes would be worth attending. SLACs are different

Sumita Pahwa @sumitapahwa.bsky.social · 14h

Thanks! I tried specific recipes on the wayback machine and they didn't load. Sob.

Sumita Pahwa @sumitapahwa.bsky.social · 15h

Fellow cooks, anyone know where to access The Wednesday Chef's recipes now that typepad/the blog site no longer works?

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Sumita Pahwa @sumitapahwa.bsky.social · 1d

Do lmk how it works for you! Came close to getting it.

Sumita Pahwa @sumitapahwa.bsky.social · 1d

People think of her early Woody movies, but I'm always a fan of her excellent middle-aged role in Something's Gotta Give.

Susan Glasser @sbg1.bsky.social · 1d

RIP the great Diane Keaton.

That is all.

Reposted by Sumita Pahwa

Clint Peinhardt @clintpeinhardt.bsky.social · 1d

UT Dallas is hiring in international politics, emphasis on conflict. jobs.utdallas.edu/postings/30535

Assistant Professor in International Relations or Comparative Politics

Position Description The Political Science program at The University of Texas at Dallas invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor position in international relations or comparative p...

jobs.utdallas.edu

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Sumita Pahwa @sumitapahwa.bsky.social · 1d

😧

Lena Sun @lenasun.bsky.social · 1d

The CDC official who was leading the measles response and was RIFd has more than 28 yrs experience as the senior USG official leading outbreaks on Ebola, Marburg virus, and mpox. 2/4

Sumita Pahwa @sumitapahwa.bsky.social · 2d

When 'No Scrubs' comes on the radio in a hair salon full of middle-aged women, you can be sure we all sing our lines in turn, like we were born to it.

Sumita Pahwa @sumitapahwa.bsky.social · 2d

Right. I think the QP comment was emphasizing something a bit different, which I thought was missing the point. but yeah.

Sumita Pahwa @sumitapahwa.bsky.social · 2d

You don't have to 'run the government' in the sense of funding the administration/bureaucracy to have power. Election finance matters a great deal too.

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Reposted by Sumita Pahwa

Leah 🐸 McElrath @leahmcelrath.bsky.social · 3d

⚠️ Fascinating new research shows LLMs become misaligned when optimized for audience—even when explicitly instructed to remain truthful

Paper:
arxiv.org/pdf/2510.06105

James Zou
@james_y_zou
Follow
We found a troubling emergent behavior in LLM.
*When LLMs compete for social media likes, they start making things up When they compete for votes, they turn inflammatory/populist
When optimized for audiences, LLMs inadvertently become misaligned—we call this Moloch's Bargain
MOLOCH'S BARGAIN: EMERGENT MISALIGNMENT
WHEN LLMS COMPETE FOR AUDIENCES
Batu El
Stanford University
batuel@stanford.edu
James Zou
Stanford University
jamesz@stanford.edu
ABSTRACt

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Sumita Pahwa @sumitapahwa.bsky.social · 3d

This is true of all things one is told to "can't you just" as a parent.

GHOULLIKEHELLMACHINE @golikehellmachine.com · 3d

“have you tried” NO “what about” NO “don’t you find it” NO NO NO, medieval people had it right, you don’t fuck with this shit yourself, you buy it from someone who cares

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Sumita Pahwa @sumitapahwa.bsky.social · 3d

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/09/s...

Nobel Prizes This Year Offer Three Cheers for Slow Science

www.nytimes.com

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