Kevin Zollman
@kevinzollman.com
Philosophy and Game Theory at Carnegie Mellon 🦚 Research the interface between philosophy, economics, and biology 💱 www.kevinzollman.com
Pinned
Kevin Zollman
@kevinzollman.com
· Jul 17
raw.githubusercontent.com
I did the thing you are never supposed to do. I wrote a (rough draft of a) textbook: Theories of Rational Decision
It's technical, but from a philosophical perspective. It focuses on the normative theory but touches on some behavioral issues as well.
raw.githubusercontent.com/kzollman/Rat...
It's technical, but from a philosophical perspective. It focuses on the normative theory but touches on some behavioral issues as well.
raw.githubusercontent.com/kzollman/Rat...
One of the most serious problems in academia is that there are basically no consequences for sloppy peer review. What can the journal do? Ban them from reviewing again (the horror!)
Springer-Nature statement
“Whilst the details of peer review are confidential, we can confirm that the article underwent two rounds of review from two independent peer reviewers, supporting an accept decision.”
How am I now expected to believe that two people looked at the paper twice and DGAF?
“Whilst the details of peer review are confidential, we can confirm that the article underwent two rounds of review from two independent peer reviewers, supporting an accept decision.”
How am I now expected to believe that two people looked at the paper twice and DGAF?
Riding the Autism Bicycle to Retraction Town
Does anyone *really* know their Factor Fexcectorn?
nobreakthroughs.substack.com
November 28, 2025 at 3:33 PM
One of the most serious problems in academia is that there are basically no consequences for sloppy peer review. What can the journal do? Ban them from reviewing again (the horror!)
Reposted by Kevin Zollman
Even the the damn twitter card for this Nature Scientific Reports is clearly AI Slop.
November 27, 2025 at 6:56 PM
Even the the damn twitter card for this Nature Scientific Reports is clearly AI Slop.
Reposted by Kevin Zollman
Those of us who are immigrants should stand up today and say it loudly: I am an immigrant and I have given more to this country than I have taken. I am not ashamed.
November 28, 2025 at 2:30 PM
Those of us who are immigrants should stand up today and say it loudly: I am an immigrant and I have given more to this country than I have taken. I am not ashamed.
Reposted by Kevin Zollman
Our grandmothers got to close the door and kick everyone out of the kitchen. Now, it's Grand Central Station all day.
The inventor of the open plan kitchen wanted to be able to sneak bites of dinner all day without having to help cook.
November 27, 2025 at 2:31 PM
Our grandmothers got to close the door and kick everyone out of the kitchen. Now, it's Grand Central Station all day.
Reposted by Kevin Zollman
these two brothers in Sheffield decided to have a rice cake eating contest every 25th July for the rest of their lives. it was the middle of the work day but hundreds of people turned up this year
nowthenmagazine.com/articles/the...
nowthenmagazine.com/articles/the...
The rice cake gobblers have inadvertently provided Sheffield with its art event of the year
A rain-damaged invitation to watch two individuals consume rice cakes in Sheffield's Weston Park – bulletproof recession entertainment meets nouveau punk Dada art.
nowthenmagazine.com
November 26, 2025 at 7:54 PM
these two brothers in Sheffield decided to have a rice cake eating contest every 25th July for the rest of their lives. it was the middle of the work day but hundreds of people turned up this year
nowthenmagazine.com/articles/the...
nowthenmagazine.com/articles/the...
I want to be bombarded with every food-oriented holiday on the planet. Do you and your friends eat jello every March 17th? I want you to post about it until your fingers bleed!
November 26, 2025 at 7:43 PM
I want to be bombarded with every food-oriented holiday on the planet. Do you and your friends eat jello every March 17th? I want you to post about it until your fingers bleed!
Reposted by Kevin Zollman
Reposted by Kevin Zollman
"a zero-sum mindset is associated with stronger support for government redistribution, race- and gender-based affirmative action, and more restrictive immigration policies. We also find that zero-sum thinking is predicted by the experiences of respondents and their ancestors"
Forthcoming in the AER: "Zero-Sum Thinking and the Roots of U.S. Political Differences" by Sahil Chinoy, Nathan Nunn, Sandra Sequeira, and Stefanie Stantcheva. www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=...
Zero-Sum Thinking and the Roots of U.S. Political Differences
(Forthcoming Article) - We investigate the origins and implications of zero-sum thinking -- the belief that gains for one individual or group come at the cost of others. Using a new survey of 20,400 U...
www.aeaweb.org
November 26, 2025 at 3:29 PM
"a zero-sum mindset is associated with stronger support for government redistribution, race- and gender-based affirmative action, and more restrictive immigration policies. We also find that zero-sum thinking is predicted by the experiences of respondents and their ancestors"
This does not surprise me, and it's exactly why slogans like "trust science" aren't really helpful. Conspiracy theorists often think of themselves *as* scientists: they are looking at evidence and developing theories. They trust the method of science, but think it's been perverted in this case.
Well-reported, this story is quite revealing.
It seems that RFK, Jr. may be genuinely trying to evaluate scientific evidence, but he cherry-picks evidence to support his preconceived views and dismisses other evidence as corrupt.
#ScienceNotScience
1/4
It seems that RFK, Jr. may be genuinely trying to evaluate scientific evidence, but he cherry-picks evidence to support his preconceived views and dismisses other evidence as corrupt.
#ScienceNotScience
1/4
NEW: When RFK Jr. first told Trump that Tylenol might cause autism, the president wanted to tweet out a warning. Kennedy told him not to do that. There was nuance, and the drug companies would push back. “I don’t give a shit about that,” Trump responded. www.theatlantic.com/magazine/202...
November 26, 2025 at 2:35 PM
This does not surprise me, and it's exactly why slogans like "trust science" aren't really helpful. Conspiracy theorists often think of themselves *as* scientists: they are looking at evidence and developing theories. They trust the method of science, but think it's been perverted in this case.
Reposted by Kevin Zollman
Good morning to Brazilian reporter Manuela Borges, who’s been waiting eleven years for this petty moment. ❤️ 🇧🇷
November 26, 2025 at 1:04 PM
Good morning to Brazilian reporter Manuela Borges, who’s been waiting eleven years for this petty moment. ❤️ 🇧🇷
Reposted by Kevin Zollman
You may be cool, but you'll never be as cool as these two cats wearing sunglasses in the window of an optician's Boulevard St Germain in 1925
November 26, 2025 at 10:43 AM
You may be cool, but you'll never be as cool as these two cats wearing sunglasses in the window of an optician's Boulevard St Germain in 1925
Reposted by Kevin Zollman
what's the reason for the season? I'm not sure, but I do know that SANTA CLAUS IS MADE OF FRACTAL PENISES
November 26, 2025 at 11:13 AM
what's the reason for the season? I'm not sure, but I do know that SANTA CLAUS IS MADE OF FRACTAL PENISES
If money were no object, I'm not sure I'd move. I'd just travel for fun more
Bluesky: “Obviously the housing crisis is the only reason anyone would choose to live outside of NYC”
Actual Americans: “Vegas, baby!”
Actual Americans: “Vegas, baby!”
November 25, 2025 at 10:14 PM
If money were no object, I'm not sure I'd move. I'd just travel for fun more
Bananas are gross. Garbage fruit
my take on Food Discourse is that it's always ridiculous but it's also nice to be fighting about dumb internet shit again instead of dealing with Oppressive Despair all the time so please keep posting your bad takes
November 25, 2025 at 10:12 PM
Bananas are gross. Garbage fruit
Reposted by Kevin Zollman
Every Christmas song is like "It's Christmas holy shit it's Christmas, everybody shut up Christmas is here." Yeah we know pal.
November 25, 2025 at 9:58 PM
Every Christmas song is like "It's Christmas holy shit it's Christmas, everybody shut up Christmas is here." Yeah we know pal.
Nope, nope, nope, nope, never been, nope, yeah maybe, NOPE, yeah maybe, probably no
Bluesky: “Obviously the housing crisis is the only reason anyone would choose to live outside of NYC”
Actual Americans: “Vegas, baby!”
Actual Americans: “Vegas, baby!”
November 25, 2025 at 9:44 PM
Nope, nope, nope, nope, never been, nope, yeah maybe, NOPE, yeah maybe, probably no
Reposted by Kevin Zollman
One week left to apply to the UVA Biology PhD program! If you or someone you know are interested in contagion from a complex systems perspective, please reach out! I'm looking for a grad student! bio.as.virginia.edu/how-apply-gr...
How to Apply to the Graduate Program
bio.as.virginia.edu
November 25, 2025 at 4:31 PM
One week left to apply to the UVA Biology PhD program! If you or someone you know are interested in contagion from a complex systems perspective, please reach out! I'm looking for a grad student! bio.as.virginia.edu/how-apply-gr...
Reposted by Kevin Zollman
Nearly-perfect printed and handwritten text recognition is the most consequential technical contribution to the study of human culture of the last fifteen years, and it's not even close.
It fundamentally changes our (both lay and expert) relationship with the written past.
It fundamentally changes our (both lay and expert) relationship with the written past.
New issue of my newsletter: "The Writing Is on the Wall for Handwriting Recognition" — One of the hardest problems in digital humanities has finally been solved, and it's a good use of AI newsletter.dancohen.org/archive/the-...
The Writing Is on the Wall for Handwriting Recognition
One of the hardest problems in digital humanities has finally been solved
newsletter.dancohen.org
November 25, 2025 at 6:14 PM
Nearly-perfect printed and handwritten text recognition is the most consequential technical contribution to the study of human culture of the last fifteen years, and it's not even close.
It fundamentally changes our (both lay and expert) relationship with the written past.
It fundamentally changes our (both lay and expert) relationship with the written past.
Reposted by Kevin Zollman
when we say we want more streets to be pedestrianized, this is what we mean
November 25, 2025 at 4:46 PM
when we say we want more streets to be pedestrianized, this is what we mean
Reposted by Kevin Zollman
“Moi?"
(American Red Squirrel) 🌿
(American Red Squirrel) 🌿
November 25, 2025 at 1:13 PM
“Moi?"
(American Red Squirrel) 🌿
(American Red Squirrel) 🌿
Reposted by Kevin Zollman
Things almost every culture has in common:
• some sort of dumpling
• history of misogyny
• some sort of dumpling
• history of misogyny
November 25, 2025 at 3:07 AM
Things almost every culture has in common:
• some sort of dumpling
• history of misogyny
• some sort of dumpling
• history of misogyny
Reposted by Kevin Zollman
This Millikan line goes (as they say) hard.
November 25, 2025 at 11:36 AM
This Millikan line goes (as they say) hard.
Reposted by Kevin Zollman
25 yrs ago, with co-author John, we did a lot of research for Wittgenstein’s Poker on the costly deal with the Nazis (for 2 sisters to be classified Aryan). John has just found the files. A treasure trove. This is the US lawyer’s letter to Ludwig -exposing splits in the Wittgenstein family
November 25, 2025 at 12:09 PM
25 yrs ago, with co-author John, we did a lot of research for Wittgenstein’s Poker on the costly deal with the Nazis (for 2 sisters to be classified Aryan). John has just found the files. A treasure trove. This is the US lawyer’s letter to Ludwig -exposing splits in the Wittgenstein family
Reposted by Kevin Zollman
Paleo folks: Please recommend researchers (incl yourselves) interested in phylogenetic reconstruction in deep time, molecular clocks (discord w/ fossil clocks), foundational/methodological issues in phylo/paleo-reconstruction & who'd be interested in hanging w/ historians & philosophers of science ⚒️
November 24, 2025 at 12:02 AM
Paleo folks: Please recommend researchers (incl yourselves) interested in phylogenetic reconstruction in deep time, molecular clocks (discord w/ fossil clocks), foundational/methodological issues in phylo/paleo-reconstruction & who'd be interested in hanging w/ historians & philosophers of science ⚒️
Reposted by Kevin Zollman
Somewhere there’s a guy who’s genuinely morally opposed to vegetarianism because of Hitler.
November 25, 2025 at 2:50 AM
Somewhere there’s a guy who’s genuinely morally opposed to vegetarianism because of Hitler.