Beth DeSombre
@bethdesombre.bsky.social
Songwriter, professor (Wellesley College, ES), activist, dog mom, runner. Songs that are “smart and uplifting...focusing on the quiet meaning to be found in ordinary life." Last year at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford.
Reposted by Beth DeSombre
The Dunning-Kruger Effect and the Streisand Effect, when merged, become the Bari Weiss Effect
December 22, 2025 at 8:27 PM
The Dunning-Kruger Effect and the Streisand Effect, when merged, become the Bari Weiss Effect
Reposted by Beth DeSombre
So Bari Weiss’s first real editorial intervention at CBS is to repress coverage of American concentration camps.
December 22, 2025 at 3:05 AM
So Bari Weiss’s first real editorial intervention at CBS is to repress coverage of American concentration camps.
Reposted by Beth DeSombre
In case you’re looking to give something to those on the “naughty” list…
Times are tough, but you are TOUGHER!
Give a gift of $25 to The Museum of Political Corruption and we'll send this message to the political leader of your choice.
Send a message today!
www.museumofpoliticalcorruption.org/donate
Give a gift of $25 to The Museum of Political Corruption and we'll send this message to the political leader of your choice.
Send a message today!
www.museumofpoliticalcorruption.org/donate
December 21, 2025 at 1:48 PM
In case you’re looking to give something to those on the “naughty” list…
Reposted by Beth DeSombre
It’s the “season of love and giving”…but this year, doesn’t it seem more like a “season of fear and taking”? Like many of you, I’ve been saddened by the human impact of draconian government budget cuts and how angry many housed Americans are at unhoused Americans.
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December 21, 2025 at 2:51 AM
It’s the “season of love and giving”…but this year, doesn’t it seem more like a “season of fear and taking”? Like many of you, I’ve been saddened by the human impact of draconian government budget cuts and how angry many housed Americans are at unhoused Americans.
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Reposted by Beth DeSombre
How I wish I was in Sherbrooke now
December 21, 2025 at 1:32 AM
How I wish I was in Sherbrooke now
Reposted by Beth DeSombre
This is a surgical dismantling of yet another dumb Matt Yglesias argument by a former clean energy exec and current Representative. This is the sort of thing that should make people stop listening to people like Yglesias.
Read the whole thing.
Read the whole thing.
This Yglesias piece in the NYT is horrifically bad. Almost every "fact" it cites is provably false. At best it is cocktail party banter from a pundit who knows nothing of energy. At worst, it was cut/paste from oil industry talking points. So, a rebuttal: www.nytimes.com/2025/12/18/o...
Opinion | Obama Supported It. The Left in Canada and Norway Does. Why Don’t Democrats?
www.nytimes.com
December 20, 2025 at 6:14 PM
This is a surgical dismantling of yet another dumb Matt Yglesias argument by a former clean energy exec and current Representative. This is the sort of thing that should make people stop listening to people like Yglesias.
Read the whole thing.
Read the whole thing.
Reposted by Beth DeSombre
This. A million times this.
no one wants to read the truth, that Harris ran a very good campaign that substantially moved the needle in her direction but it wasn't enough to overcome a hostile environments driven by factors outside her or anyone's control
OPINION by @zeeshanaleem.bsky.social:
“That the DNC is mothballing whatever audit it could bring itself to conduct underscores that the party remains petrified of its own reflection.”
READ MORE:
www.ms.now/opinion/dnc-...
“That the DNC is mothballing whatever audit it could bring itself to conduct underscores that the party remains petrified of its own reflection.”
READ MORE:
www.ms.now/opinion/dnc-...
December 19, 2025 at 6:58 PM
This. A million times this.
Reposted by Beth DeSombre
Muting a Black woman to claim the vote was unanimous is so incredibly on the nose
The White House claims the vote to rename the Kennedy Center was “unanimous.” That is false. I was muted on the call and denied the opportunity to speak or register my opposition. That is not consensus. That is censorship.
December 18, 2025 at 10:22 PM
Muting a Black woman to claim the vote was unanimous is so incredibly on the nose
Reposted by Beth DeSombre
December 18, 2025 at 7:21 PM
Reposted by Beth DeSombre
ProPublica's careful and meticulous journalism is why I am a regular reader and supporter, tools like this require an incredible breadth of experience and skill, and it's a huge bummer that it looks like they're about to be the latest bnewsroom to fall to 'AI tools.' Support @propublicaguild.org
It was amazing to watch the journalists who built this tool at work. Months and months of painstaking effort, careful reporting behind every decision.
It's the kind of work that ProPublica does best.
It's the kind of work that ProPublica does best.
NEW: The FDA won’t tell Americans where their generic drugs are made, so ProPublica did it instead.
Use information from your prescription label to locate the factory and see if the plant has a history of inspection violations.
Use information from your prescription label to locate the factory and see if the plant has a history of inspection violations.
December 18, 2025 at 4:10 PM
ProPublica's careful and meticulous journalism is why I am a regular reader and supporter, tools like this require an incredible breadth of experience and skill, and it's a huge bummer that it looks like they're about to be the latest bnewsroom to fall to 'AI tools.' Support @propublicaguild.org
What's the game with the recruitment text spam? I am literally not on ANY of the platforms they supposedly are seeing my profile on . . . but what are they trying to accomplish by contacting random people for "jobs"? What's the process by which this will make them money?
December 18, 2025 at 3:47 PM
What's the game with the recruitment text spam? I am literally not on ANY of the platforms they supposedly are seeing my profile on . . . but what are they trying to accomplish by contacting random people for "jobs"? What's the process by which this will make them money?
Reposted by Beth DeSombre
Behold: the first-ever list of news outlets that have banned generative AI in their reporting. As of today, this is literally information that you cannot find on Google.
My goal is to fill the starter pack, so please send over suggestions with supporting evidence!
go.bsky.app/8cn1XfT
My goal is to fill the starter pack, so please send over suggestions with supporting evidence!
go.bsky.app/8cn1XfT
December 17, 2025 at 7:18 PM
Behold: the first-ever list of news outlets that have banned generative AI in their reporting. As of today, this is literally information that you cannot find on Google.
My goal is to fill the starter pack, so please send over suggestions with supporting evidence!
go.bsky.app/8cn1XfT
My goal is to fill the starter pack, so please send over suggestions with supporting evidence!
go.bsky.app/8cn1XfT
Looking for a new POGO friend: 580728783320
December 17, 2025 at 9:34 PM
Looking for a new POGO friend: 580728783320
Reposted by Beth DeSombre
This is an implicit acknowledgement of the presence of violent right-wing extremists in the Coast Guard, as they're the only ones who would find this not divisive.
Coast Guard enacts policy calling swastikas, nooses ‘potentially divisive’
The Coast Guard’s workplace harassment manual that downgrades the definition of swastikas and nooses quietly went into effect this week.
www.washingtonpost.com
December 17, 2025 at 12:13 PM
This is an implicit acknowledgement of the presence of violent right-wing extremists in the Coast Guard, as they're the only ones who would find this not divisive.
Reposted by Beth DeSombre
Beware natural scientists doing social science
You wouldn't trust an economist doing physics or chemistry or astronomy. So don't trust the reverse
You wouldn't trust an economist doing physics or chemistry or astronomy. So don't trust the reverse
There is a growing problem of big name natural-science journals publishing social science that is "problematic".
This reflects a inability to accept the statistical standards and skills in social science are often much much higher than in many areas of the natural sciences.
(I'm a chemist btw).
This reflects a inability to accept the statistical standards and skills in social science are often much much higher than in many areas of the natural sciences.
(I'm a chemist btw).
You remember that Nature Aging paper about how multilingualism protects against accelerated aging? Well…
December 17, 2025 at 11:05 AM
Beware natural scientists doing social science
You wouldn't trust an economist doing physics or chemistry or astronomy. So don't trust the reverse
You wouldn't trust an economist doing physics or chemistry or astronomy. So don't trust the reverse
Reposted by Beth DeSombre
A deeply dangerous — and blatantly retaliatory action against Colorado — by the Trump administration.
NCAR is one of the most renowned scientific facilities in the WORLD — where scientists perform cutting-edge research everyday.
We will fight this reckless directive with every legal tool we have.
NCAR is one of the most renowned scientific facilities in the WORLD — where scientists perform cutting-edge research everyday.
We will fight this reckless directive with every legal tool we have.
Exclusive: The Trump administration is moving to dismantle the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Colorado, according to a senior White House official, taking aim at one of the world's leading climate research labs.
Trump moves to dismantle major US climate research center in Colorado
The Trump administration is breaking up the National Center for Atmospheric Research, taking aim at one of the world's leading climate research labs.
bit.ly
December 17, 2025 at 3:23 AM
A deeply dangerous — and blatantly retaliatory action against Colorado — by the Trump administration.
NCAR is one of the most renowned scientific facilities in the WORLD — where scientists perform cutting-edge research everyday.
We will fight this reckless directive with every legal tool we have.
NCAR is one of the most renowned scientific facilities in the WORLD — where scientists perform cutting-edge research everyday.
We will fight this reckless directive with every legal tool we have.
Reposted by Beth DeSombre
December 17, 2025 at 6:38 AM
Reposted by Beth DeSombre
We are failing our kids
December 16, 2025 at 3:06 PM
We are failing our kids
Reposted by Beth DeSombre
Professor's pro-tip for anyone with college-age kids: Tell your kids go to class. It's really that simple. If you show up, you'll do okay. You don't have to be smart, you just have to be there. Maybe stay off your phones for 50 minutes. Just listen. You'll absorb something. I have data to prove it.
December 15, 2025 at 8:42 PM
Professor's pro-tip for anyone with college-age kids: Tell your kids go to class. It's really that simple. If you show up, you'll do okay. You don't have to be smart, you just have to be there. Maybe stay off your phones for 50 minutes. Just listen. You'll absorb something. I have data to prove it.
Reposted by Beth DeSombre
Reposted by Beth DeSombre
Rob Reiner: “Silence in the face of authoritarianism is complicity. Speaking out is a patriotic act. Democracy doesn’t defend itself. It requires participation, vigilance, and courage from ordinary people."
December 15, 2025 at 1:41 PM
Rob Reiner: “Silence in the face of authoritarianism is complicity. Speaking out is a patriotic act. Democracy doesn’t defend itself. It requires participation, vigilance, and courage from ordinary people."
Reposted by Beth DeSombre
Because so many have excused and normalized his behavior, it is worth saying plainly that Donald Trump is a vile human being. When he eventually passes, we should remember him honestly. He will have earned nothing less.
December 15, 2025 at 7:05 PM
Because so many have excused and normalized his behavior, it is worth saying plainly that Donald Trump is a vile human being. When he eventually passes, we should remember him honestly. He will have earned nothing less.
Reposted by Beth DeSombre
I’m a worrier. This makes me adept at identifying potential failure modes. Occasionally I identify them in time to address them.
December 15, 2025 at 4:26 PM
I’m a worrier. This makes me adept at identifying potential failure modes. Occasionally I identify them in time to address them.
Reposted by Beth DeSombre
Congresswoman Ilhan Omar's son was pulled over by ICE and forced to prove he is an American.
Two options:
1) ICE deliberately targeted him.
2) ICE is stopping all non-White people without any probable cause and forcing them to prove they are citizens.
Hard to say which option is scarier.
Two options:
1) ICE deliberately targeted him.
2) ICE is stopping all non-White people without any probable cause and forcing them to prove they are citizens.
Hard to say which option is scarier.
December 15, 2025 at 2:11 AM
Congresswoman Ilhan Omar's son was pulled over by ICE and forced to prove he is an American.
Two options:
1) ICE deliberately targeted him.
2) ICE is stopping all non-White people without any probable cause and forcing them to prove they are citizens.
Hard to say which option is scarier.
Two options:
1) ICE deliberately targeted him.
2) ICE is stopping all non-White people without any probable cause and forcing them to prove they are citizens.
Hard to say which option is scarier.
Reposted by Beth DeSombre
It is amazing that the ruling administration has managed to set up not one but multiple opaque schemes that essentially allow for mass money laundering/payouts/corruption, some of which have already resulted in favors such as pardons, and the rest of the government isn't even trying to stop them.
trumpcard.gov is live and the million dollar fees are all referred to as “gifts” or “contributions” to an undisclosed party lol
December 15, 2025 at 1:56 AM