Isaac Baumann
@ibaumann.bsky.social
📈 and 🐈 | Econ PhD student at UIC
Formerly: data stuff at UW-Madison, the mouse house, and CNN; SDSU and Mizzou alum
Formerly: data stuff at UW-Madison, the mouse house, and CNN; SDSU and Mizzou alum
This semester has been good overall but I’m definitely getting reacquainted with the “I think I’m getting dumber, actually” phase of grad school
December 1, 2025 at 12:32 AM
This semester has been good overall but I’m definitely getting reacquainted with the “I think I’m getting dumber, actually” phase of grad school
Doubly robust estimators? In this economy???
November 24, 2025 at 3:58 AM
Doubly robust estimators? In this economy???
How on earth have I not used DAGitty before now?
November 15, 2025 at 11:13 PM
How on earth have I not used DAGitty before now?
If I didn’t already like my header photo I think I’d use this lede from my hometown newspaper in an article about my high school quiz bowl team circa 2010 instead
November 14, 2025 at 12:50 PM
If I didn’t already like my header photo I think I’d use this lede from my hometown newspaper in an article about my high school quiz bowl team circa 2010 instead
Reposted by Isaac Baumann
Some parts of the state are waking up to snow on the ground on this cold November 9.
While not a big snowmaker, it’s the first measurable snowfall across southern Wisconsin, and wind chills have dipped into the single digits and teens across the state.
Stay warm this weekend!
While not a big snowmaker, it’s the first measurable snowfall across southern Wisconsin, and wind chills have dipped into the single digits and teens across the state.
Stay warm this weekend!
November 9, 2025 at 1:57 PM
Some parts of the state are waking up to snow on the ground on this cold November 9.
While not a big snowmaker, it’s the first measurable snowfall across southern Wisconsin, and wind chills have dipped into the single digits and teens across the state.
Stay warm this weekend!
While not a big snowmaker, it’s the first measurable snowfall across southern Wisconsin, and wind chills have dipped into the single digits and teens across the state.
Stay warm this weekend!
Who decided this was a good idea
November 4, 2025 at 1:41 PM
Who decided this was a good idea
New foods I’ve eaten since moving to Wisconsin (corn edition):
✅ risotto (made with sweet corn)
✅ pad thai (also make with sweet corn, new as of today)
✅ risotto (made with sweet corn)
✅ pad thai (also make with sweet corn, new as of today)
October 31, 2025 at 11:26 PM
New foods I’ve eaten since moving to Wisconsin (corn edition):
✅ risotto (made with sweet corn)
✅ pad thai (also make with sweet corn, new as of today)
✅ risotto (made with sweet corn)
✅ pad thai (also make with sweet corn, new as of today)
Reposted by Isaac Baumann
We need to have a conversation about random seeds. Don't use 42.
blog.genesmindsmachines.com/p/if-your-ra...
blog.genesmindsmachines.com/p/if-your-ra...
If your random seed is 42 I will come to your office and set your computer on fire🔥
Figuratively. More likely you'll get a stern talking to.
blog.genesmindsmachines.com
October 22, 2025 at 12:49 PM
We need to have a conversation about random seeds. Don't use 42.
blog.genesmindsmachines.com/p/if-your-ra...
blog.genesmindsmachines.com/p/if-your-ra...
It’s a really nice day in Madison for a casual walk to the state capitol
October 18, 2025 at 9:43 PM
It’s a really nice day in Madison for a casual walk to the state capitol
1) found an implementation of something I needed on CRAN
2) it didn’t have a feature I needed
3) wrote the feature, tested it
4) found a GitHub repo from the maintainer under the package name
5) forked it, started on a PR
6) only then realized the repo isn’t actually for the CRAN package (???)
🎢
2) it didn’t have a feature I needed
3) wrote the feature, tested it
4) found a GitHub repo from the maintainer under the package name
5) forked it, started on a PR
6) only then realized the repo isn’t actually for the CRAN package (???)
🎢
October 17, 2025 at 3:00 AM
1) found an implementation of something I needed on CRAN
2) it didn’t have a feature I needed
3) wrote the feature, tested it
4) found a GitHub repo from the maintainer under the package name
5) forked it, started on a PR
6) only then realized the repo isn’t actually for the CRAN package (???)
🎢
2) it didn’t have a feature I needed
3) wrote the feature, tested it
4) found a GitHub repo from the maintainer under the package name
5) forked it, started on a PR
6) only then realized the repo isn’t actually for the CRAN package (???)
🎢
Me after not caring about Mizzou football in at least a decade
October 11, 2025 at 6:08 PM
Me after not caring about Mizzou football in at least a decade
Millennium Park a few nights ago
October 11, 2025 at 2:17 PM
Millennium Park a few nights ago
One year of this relentless ball of energy
October 5, 2025 at 2:32 PM
One year of this relentless ball of energy
Made it to four gallons total as a blood donor today
October 4, 2025 at 5:24 PM
Made it to four gallons total as a blood donor today
Reposted by Isaac Baumann
R-Universe by @rOpenSci is an extremely useful project.
My latest R package, {pmtiles}, is not a good fit for CRAN as it bundles a pre-compiled Go library.
With R-Universe, I was able to get installable cross-platform binaries built in hours!
#rstats
walkerke.r-universe....
My latest R package, {pmtiles}, is not a good fit for CRAN as it bundles a pre-compiled Go library.
With R-Universe, I was able to get installable cross-platform binaries built in hours!
#rstats
walkerke.r-universe....
October 3, 2025 at 12:09 PM
R-Universe by @rOpenSci is an extremely useful project.
My latest R package, {pmtiles}, is not a good fit for CRAN as it bundles a pre-compiled Go library.
With R-Universe, I was able to get installable cross-platform binaries built in hours!
#rstats
walkerke.r-universe....
My latest R package, {pmtiles}, is not a good fit for CRAN as it bundles a pre-compiled Go library.
With R-Universe, I was able to get installable cross-platform binaries built in hours!
#rstats
walkerke.r-universe....
Reposted by Isaac Baumann
"Many people still have an elderly relative who survived a bout of severe childhood illness; not one of us has an elderly relative who did not."
This is the best and perhaps most important illustration of sample selection i have seen in a good long while.
This is the best and perhaps most important illustration of sample selection i have seen in a good long while.
Good history helps us avoid nostalgia. The great article “Economic History and the Historians” (2020) by Anne McCants reminds me why nostalgia can get us in trouble. Two of her examples are very relevant to today: vaccinations and the popular narrative of some economic “good old days.”
October 1, 2025 at 10:45 AM
"Many people still have an elderly relative who survived a bout of severe childhood illness; not one of us has an elderly relative who did not."
This is the best and perhaps most important illustration of sample selection i have seen in a good long while.
This is the best and perhaps most important illustration of sample selection i have seen in a good long while.
Now we tune into today’s installment of Seen From The Metra Train
September 28, 2025 at 10:18 PM
Now we tune into today’s installment of Seen From The Metra Train
Making simple, seemingly easily navigable, and accessible class pages is such a fun self-inflicted foray into “UX is my passion/UX is my burden” territory
September 23, 2025 at 2:47 AM
Making simple, seemingly easily navigable, and accessible class pages is such a fun self-inflicted foray into “UX is my passion/UX is my burden” territory
September 22, 2025 at 11:50 PM
September 21, 2025 at 1:35 PM
