Dale Fields
@dalefields.bsky.social
I'm grading midterms and a student spelled the planet "Murcury". And my first thought was if we make Mercury great again by restarting its iron core. Maybe we keep those dirty Venusians from coming in and stealing all our mining and solar powered antimatter factory jobs.
October 25, 2025 at 9:42 PM
I'm grading midterms and a student spelled the planet "Murcury". And my first thought was if we make Mercury great again by restarting its iron core. Maybe we keep those dirty Venusians from coming in and stealing all our mining and solar powered antimatter factory jobs.
A relevant sociology book is Jane Ward's "The Tragedy of Heterosexuality", which could be subtitled "Are the straight women okay?"
Spoilers, but the answer is no, because have you seen patriarchy? I mean, dear gods.
I mean, other than the upcoming cleansing of queer people, we have it easier.
Spoilers, but the answer is no, because have you seen patriarchy? I mean, dear gods.
I mean, other than the upcoming cleansing of queer people, we have it easier.
October 20, 2025 at 12:38 AM
A relevant sociology book is Jane Ward's "The Tragedy of Heterosexuality", which could be subtitled "Are the straight women okay?"
Spoilers, but the answer is no, because have you seen patriarchy? I mean, dear gods.
I mean, other than the upcoming cleansing of queer people, we have it easier.
Spoilers, but the answer is no, because have you seen patriarchy? I mean, dear gods.
I mean, other than the upcoming cleansing of queer people, we have it easier.
The disgust emotional suite evolved to keep us safe in the era prior to medicine by judging when other humans were "off" enough to be sick. Disgust is behind the Uncanny Valley, when something is just off enough from human that "someone else is ill". The PWE is the Uncanny Valley of agency.
October 14, 2025 at 6:34 PM
The disgust emotional suite evolved to keep us safe in the era prior to medicine by judging when other humans were "off" enough to be sick. Disgust is behind the Uncanny Valley, when something is just off enough from human that "someone else is ill". The PWE is the Uncanny Valley of agency.
The reason why the Protestant Work Ethic so strongly hits my disgust emotions, is that it is *almost* right. The PWE says that there is meaning in work. Yes. But there is meaning in anything we choose to do. Work *can* be that choice, but it is not the *only* choice.
October 14, 2025 at 6:34 PM
The reason why the Protestant Work Ethic so strongly hits my disgust emotions, is that it is *almost* right. The PWE says that there is meaning in work. Yes. But there is meaning in anything we choose to do. Work *can* be that choice, but it is not the *only* choice.
The shift from being hunter-gatherers to farmers was the single most negative health event in human history. But, as much as it made humans more miserable, it is the event that gave humans more agency over their own lives than any other. That's powerful. The question is was it worth it.
October 10, 2025 at 9:14 PM
The shift from being hunter-gatherers to farmers was the single most negative health event in human history. But, as much as it made humans more miserable, it is the event that gave humans more agency over their own lives than any other. That's powerful. The question is was it worth it.
Hegseth said to our generals "Move out and draw fire."
Patton said "Your job is not to die for your country, it's to make the other poor bastard die for his."
When did we lose the ability to know how to military? But hey, I guess since this admin doesn't like veterans his comments are on message.
Patton said "Your job is not to die for your country, it's to make the other poor bastard die for his."
When did we lose the ability to know how to military? But hey, I guess since this admin doesn't like veterans his comments are on message.
October 1, 2025 at 12:54 AM
Hegseth said to our generals "Move out and draw fire."
Patton said "Your job is not to die for your country, it's to make the other poor bastard die for his."
When did we lose the ability to know how to military? But hey, I guess since this admin doesn't like veterans his comments are on message.
Patton said "Your job is not to die for your country, it's to make the other poor bastard die for his."
When did we lose the ability to know how to military? But hey, I guess since this admin doesn't like veterans his comments are on message.
I laughed at the idea of people organizing their books by size. Then I got to the point I had a lot of board games.
August 3, 2025 at 7:26 PM
I laughed at the idea of people organizing their books by size. Then I got to the point I had a lot of board games.
Of course, I can only be talking about traffic. Those who run ahead in a closed lane and then jump in front of others are using their agency to attack the social contract. Those who let them in are using their agency to make it worse for everyone behind them and enable bad behaviour to be viable.
July 14, 2025 at 11:48 PM
Of course, I can only be talking about traffic. Those who run ahead in a closed lane and then jump in front of others are using their agency to attack the social contract. Those who let them in are using their agency to make it worse for everyone behind them and enable bad behaviour to be viable.
Remember that there are two types of horrible people in the world. There are those who are commit the injury, and there are those who allow the injury to happen.
July 14, 2025 at 11:48 PM
Remember that there are two types of horrible people in the world. There are those who are commit the injury, and there are those who allow the injury to happen.
Reposted by Dale Fields
Bet all those people who said Suetonius was making shit up "because emperors didn't really act that way" are feeling pretty fucking stupid tonight
June 5, 2025 at 9:33 PM
Bet all those people who said Suetonius was making shit up "because emperors didn't really act that way" are feeling pretty fucking stupid tonight
So folks know, the claims that LLMs are now at "Ph.D." level is more propaganda. The Graduate-Level Google-Proof Q&A test (GPQA) that is the metric...
is multiple-choice.
is multiple-choice.
May 27, 2025 at 4:31 PM
So folks know, the claims that LLMs are now at "Ph.D." level is more propaganda. The Graduate-Level Google-Proof Q&A test (GPQA) that is the metric...
is multiple-choice.
is multiple-choice.
Movies and TV have one starting state and one end state while video games have one starting state and multiple end states. Therefore, video games have entropy and are thus physical systems.
May 20, 2025 at 6:59 PM
Movies and TV have one starting state and one end state while video games have one starting state and multiple end states. Therefore, video games have entropy and are thus physical systems.
As a neurodivergent person, I *get* that a large chunk of "communication" is non-lexical exchange. When someone says "how are you?" they don't care, it is just the rote symbol. LLMs also don't (can't) care, but since the importance is the exchange, the text activates the recipient's context anyway
May 20, 2025 at 3:46 AM
As a neurodivergent person, I *get* that a large chunk of "communication" is non-lexical exchange. When someone says "how are you?" they don't care, it is just the rote symbol. LLMs also don't (can't) care, but since the importance is the exchange, the text activates the recipient's context anyway
I get that writers (whose job is to be creative and novel) are threatened by the inapplicable use of these regurgitation programs. I agree! But I disagree with the thesis that language has to have illocutionary force.
May 20, 2025 at 3:46 AM
I get that writers (whose job is to be creative and novel) are threatened by the inapplicable use of these regurgitation programs. I agree! But I disagree with the thesis that language has to have illocutionary force.
Socrates was upset at the Sophists who were (pearl clutching!) paid teachers for the upcoming Athenian middle class. Sophists weren't there to make their students into philosophers, but to do practical education. And for that purpose, mediocrity is good enough.
May 20, 2025 at 3:46 AM
Socrates was upset at the Sophists who were (pearl clutching!) paid teachers for the upcoming Athenian middle class. Sophists weren't there to make their students into philosophers, but to do practical education. And for that purpose, mediocrity is good enough.
It's not wrong, but I think the mediocrity is part of the point. Anyone using this to think they are writing quality text is delusional, but at the same time, do we need to devote brain power to writing text that is only for mediocre purposes?
May 20, 2025 at 3:46 AM
It's not wrong, but I think the mediocrity is part of the point. Anyone using this to think they are writing quality text is delusional, but at the same time, do we need to devote brain power to writing text that is only for mediocre purposes?
A fundamental issue with the marketing for LLM chatbots is that they claim to be able to turn unskilled labor magically into skilled labor when the research is clear that any productivity gain is directly proportional to the original skill.
Sorry students.
Sorry corporate managers.
Sorry students.
Sorry corporate managers.
May 13, 2025 at 7:24 PM
A fundamental issue with the marketing for LLM chatbots is that they claim to be able to turn unskilled labor magically into skilled labor when the research is clear that any productivity gain is directly proportional to the original skill.
Sorry students.
Sorry corporate managers.
Sorry students.
Sorry corporate managers.
Catholic Church:
Child abusers: not excommunicated
Turning in child abusers: excommunicated
Child abusers: not excommunicated
Turning in child abusers: excommunicated
May 9, 2025 at 2:56 AM
Catholic Church:
Child abusers: not excommunicated
Turning in child abusers: excommunicated
Child abusers: not excommunicated
Turning in child abusers: excommunicated
Whoa. They've gotten the modeling uncertainty below the observational errors? That's wild. I'm always amazed with how far astronomy has come since the +-50% days
May 7, 2025 at 10:14 PM
Whoa. They've gotten the modeling uncertainty below the observational errors? That's wild. I'm always amazed with how far astronomy has come since the +-50% days
At the end of the semester, I guess if students get anything from my science class it is that their choices are only as good as the information they're basing them on.
May 6, 2025 at 2:49 AM
At the end of the semester, I guess if students get anything from my science class it is that their choices are only as good as the information they're basing them on.
Added because it is one of my favorite and most depressing clips:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDPU...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDPU...
The Boondocks Ed Wuncler, Sr The American Way
YouTube video by Donelfakih
www.youtube.com
April 28, 2025 at 11:50 PM
Added because it is one of my favorite and most depressing clips:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDPU...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDPU...
I make my students do an analysis of their exam performance. What worked, what didn't, and therefore what they will do next time, and what they won't do next time. I often get the response that the one thing they did didn't work with the analysis that therefore they need to do it *more* next time.
April 28, 2025 at 11:50 PM
I make my students do an analysis of their exam performance. What worked, what didn't, and therefore what they will do next time, and what they won't do next time. I often get the response that the one thing they did didn't work with the analysis that therefore they need to do it *more* next time.
What used to be:
www.nist.gov/how-do-you-m...
If I remember correctly, the cartoon figures accompanying some of the explanations were not white.
www.nist.gov/how-do-you-m...
If I remember correctly, the cartoon figures accompanying some of the explanations were not white.
April 28, 2025 at 11:36 PM
What used to be:
www.nist.gov/how-do-you-m...
If I remember correctly, the cartoon figures accompanying some of the explanations were not white.
www.nist.gov/how-do-you-m...
If I remember correctly, the cartoon figures accompanying some of the explanations were not white.
When I was a kid and read archaeology texts about the growth of states, it *always* claimed that specialization and urbanization inevitably led to wealth inequality.
A massive study of 50,000 households over 1,000 archaeological sites provides ample evidence that inequality is not a "natural" outgrowth of sophistication. Instead, it is a political choice. Which means, kids, that we don't have to choose it.
archaeologymag.com/2025/04/stud...
archaeologymag.com/2025/04/stud...
New study reveals wealth inequality was never inevitable
A recent study published in the journal PNAS is overturning traditional wisdom regarding the origins and inevitability of wealth inequality
archaeologymag.com
April 27, 2025 at 4:25 AM
When I was a kid and read archaeology texts about the growth of states, it *always* claimed that specialization and urbanization inevitably led to wealth inequality.