Brent Rosenstein
@bmrosenstein.bsky.social
PhD from University at Buffalo | Early Modern/Modern French views of North Africa | Education, translators, and community/belonging | They/He
Pinned
Hello new people, welcome! For those that don't know me, I'm a historian 🗃️ of early modern and modern France, focusing on interpreters and French relationships in the Mediterranean world.
More broadly interested in community, identity, and knowledge production - hoping to be more active here soon!
More broadly interested in community, identity, and knowledge production - hoping to be more active here soon!
Reposted by Brent Rosenstein
Reposted by Brent Rosenstein
Absolutely right.
AI might be able to summarize (poorly) what we currently know, but a major goal of historical research is to find the hidden surprises out there.
Let me illustrate …
AI might be able to summarize (poorly) what we currently know, but a major goal of historical research is to find the hidden surprises out there.
Let me illustrate …
Not a historian but like to research. The AI might summarize what I'm looking for, but it doesn't find what I'm *not* looking for. The book on the shelf next to the one I wanted. The insight in chapter 6 based on the quote I needed from chapter 4.
December 21, 2025 at 4:09 PM
Absolutely right.
AI might be able to summarize (poorly) what we currently know, but a major goal of historical research is to find the hidden surprises out there.
Let me illustrate …
AI might be able to summarize (poorly) what we currently know, but a major goal of historical research is to find the hidden surprises out there.
Let me illustrate …
Reposted by Brent Rosenstein
Building on this, “Feeding AI” also devalues the labor of archivists, while endangering original records as well as the authenticity and reliability of the records. People do not understand that end of the work and assume we can just digitize everything. No. No we cannot.
(standing in the NARA reading room, “feeding” a raft of unpublished government documents into AI somehow, as the archivists are definitely applauding me, telling it to find the important stuff)
“Look at me, I’m a historicalian!”
“Look at me, I’m a historicalian!”
December 21, 2025 at 9:14 PM
Building on this, “Feeding AI” also devalues the labor of archivists, while endangering original records as well as the authenticity and reliability of the records. People do not understand that end of the work and assume we can just digitize everything. No. No we cannot.
Reposted by Brent Rosenstein
I paid Rolling Stone enough money while they had a TV critic to not mind going around the paywall now. Enjoy! archive.ph/Ta745
Do not cite an academic paper unless you’ve read it
AI Is Inventing Academic Papers That Don't Exist -- And They're Being Cited in Real Journals
Academic articles from authors using large language model are creating an ecosystem of fake research that threatens human knowledge itself.
www.rollingstone.com
December 19, 2025 at 6:54 PM
I paid Rolling Stone enough money while they had a TV critic to not mind going around the paywall now. Enjoy! archive.ph/Ta745
Reposted by Brent Rosenstein
Injecting some LIGHT 🕎 onto my timeline, by sharing my throwback @historians.org essay “Of Potato Latkes and Pedagogy.” Gender history, auto-ethnography, pedagogy… and “Mom’s” latke recipe! 😋 🗃️
www.historians.org/perspectives...
www.historians.org/perspectives...
Of Potato Latkes and Pedagogy – AHA
A cooking assignment helps illuminate the lives of Jewish women in the past for students.
www.historians.org
December 15, 2025 at 4:51 PM
Injecting some LIGHT 🕎 onto my timeline, by sharing my throwback @historians.org essay “Of Potato Latkes and Pedagogy.” Gender history, auto-ethnography, pedagogy… and “Mom’s” latke recipe! 😋 🗃️
www.historians.org/perspectives...
www.historians.org/perspectives...
Reposted by Brent Rosenstein
the reason its bad to run universities like businesses is that almost all businesses fail on any reasonable timeline of evaluation.
hudson's bay made it the longest and even they only got to about half an oxford of longevity
hudson's bay made it the longest and even they only got to about half an oxford of longevity
They claim financial exigency, but then turn down $4 million pledges to keep the PhD programs open and disregard financial analyses that point to the real problem—bad real estate deals, spending on consultants, and their own salaries 2/2
December 6, 2025 at 5:42 PM
the reason its bad to run universities like businesses is that almost all businesses fail on any reasonable timeline of evaluation.
hudson's bay made it the longest and even they only got to about half an oxford of longevity
hudson's bay made it the longest and even they only got to about half an oxford of longevity
Reposted by Brent Rosenstein
Dr. Schen and her daughter Maddy Cherr's coauthored essay, "Embracing the Untamed Garden," which recently appeared in the AHR was highlighted by the UB Arts and Sciences! The project was also recently featured on the American Historical Review's podcast, "Mistakes I Have Made."
November 24, 2025 at 6:02 PM
Dr. Schen and her daughter Maddy Cherr's coauthored essay, "Embracing the Untamed Garden," which recently appeared in the AHR was highlighted by the UB Arts and Sciences! The project was also recently featured on the American Historical Review's podcast, "Mistakes I Have Made."
Reposted by Brent Rosenstein
Publication!! Parution!!
The newest edition of French Colonial History (vol 23-24) is now available!
La dernière édition de French Colonial History (vol. 23-24) est maintenant disponible !
muse.jhu.edu/issue/55916?...
The newest edition of French Colonial History (vol 23-24) is now available!
La dernière édition de French Colonial History (vol. 23-24) est maintenant disponible !
muse.jhu.edu/issue/55916?...
Project MUSE - French Colonial History-Volume 23-24, 2025
muse.jhu.edu
November 19, 2025 at 8:00 PM
Publication!! Parution!!
The newest edition of French Colonial History (vol 23-24) is now available!
La dernière édition de French Colonial History (vol. 23-24) est maintenant disponible !
muse.jhu.edu/issue/55916?...
The newest edition of French Colonial History (vol 23-24) is now available!
La dernière édition de French Colonial History (vol. 23-24) est maintenant disponible !
muse.jhu.edu/issue/55916?...
Reposted by Brent Rosenstein
Niche joke, but its beautiful
October 18, 2025 at 1:12 PM
Niche joke, but its beautiful
Reposted by Brent Rosenstein
I appreciate how short this is, lol. Really emphasizes that this was not a tough call.
Just received from a colleague: looks like Penn is going to join the universities refusing the extortionary Trump "compact". I do not regret to inform you that we are going to win
October 16, 2025 at 5:20 PM
I appreciate how short this is, lol. Really emphasizes that this was not a tough call.
Reposted by Brent Rosenstein
And now "leadership" has completely cancelled all print editions of the student newspaper (in publication since 1867) www.idsnews.com/article/2025...
October 15, 2025 at 5:58 PM
And now "leadership" has completely cancelled all print editions of the student newspaper (in publication since 1867) www.idsnews.com/article/2025...
Reposted by Brent Rosenstein
Reposted by Brent Rosenstein
How to delete your account without agreeing to the new TOS:
In the dialogue box asking you to agree, DO NOT click agree. Instead, click on the TOS link which will open another tab. In the top right of that tab you can go to your account settings and delete your account.
In the dialogue box asking you to agree, DO NOT click agree. Instead, click on the TOS link which will open another tab. In the top right of that tab you can go to your account settings and delete your account.
If you’re on academia dot edu, let me suggest that you strongly consider deleting your account.
September 17, 2025 at 10:25 PM
How to delete your account without agreeing to the new TOS:
In the dialogue box asking you to agree, DO NOT click agree. Instead, click on the TOS link which will open another tab. In the top right of that tab you can go to your account settings and delete your account.
In the dialogue box asking you to agree, DO NOT click agree. Instead, click on the TOS link which will open another tab. In the top right of that tab you can go to your account settings and delete your account.
Reposted by Brent Rosenstein
1. Modeling data does not a historical argument make.
2. Lefebvre might have written an early classic, but his sources are not the complete 'archive' of Great Fear rumors.
1/n
2. Lefebvre might have written an early classic, but his sources are not the complete 'archive' of Great Fear rumors.
1/n
August 28, 2025 at 3:00 PM
1. Modeling data does not a historical argument make.
2. Lefebvre might have written an early classic, but his sources are not the complete 'archive' of Great Fear rumors.
1/n
2. Lefebvre might have written an early classic, but his sources are not the complete 'archive' of Great Fear rumors.
1/n
Reposted by Brent Rosenstein
Since I was focused here on transcription, I didn't mention perhaps the most important thing: it's by reading hundreds of these documents myself that I start to formulate my arguments, get an idea of the institutional set-up, the context, and so on.
A thread on transcription and AI. One reason I don't use AI to transcribe (besides the fact that AI is hugely detrimental to the environment & is coming for our jobs) is that it can't tell the difference between original documents & new notes added by staff members to whom documents were sent. 🗃️ 1/?
August 18, 2025 at 12:58 PM
Since I was focused here on transcription, I didn't mention perhaps the most important thing: it's by reading hundreds of these documents myself that I start to formulate my arguments, get an idea of the institutional set-up, the context, and so on.
Reposted by Brent Rosenstein
A thread on transcription and AI. One reason I don't use AI to transcribe (besides the fact that AI is hugely detrimental to the environment & is coming for our jobs) is that it can't tell the difference between original documents & new notes added by staff members to whom documents were sent. 🗃️ 1/?
August 18, 2025 at 1:45 AM
A thread on transcription and AI. One reason I don't use AI to transcribe (besides the fact that AI is hugely detrimental to the environment & is coming for our jobs) is that it can't tell the difference between original documents & new notes added by staff members to whom documents were sent. 🗃️ 1/?
Reposted by Brent Rosenstein
hoping that when they say the LLM talks like a Ph.D.-level expert, they mean "holds indecipherable decades-long academic grudges expressed largely in the form of questions that are actually more of a comment"
August 7, 2025 at 8:43 PM
hoping that when they say the LLM talks like a Ph.D.-level expert, they mean "holds indecipherable decades-long academic grudges expressed largely in the form of questions that are actually more of a comment"
Reposted by Brent Rosenstein
Be sure to read this new review of FIVE recent books on Algerian History (@tgpeterson.bsky.social, @elisefranklin.bsky.social, Sara Rahnama, Elizabeth Perego, and Susan Slyomovics) by @anaisfaurt.bsky.social in Contemporary European History!
www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
Beyond Independence: Rethinking the History of Algeria in the Twentieth Century | Contemporary European History | Cambridge Core
Beyond Independence: Rethinking the History of Algeria in the Twentieth Century
www.cambridge.org
August 5, 2025 at 1:06 PM
Be sure to read this new review of FIVE recent books on Algerian History (@tgpeterson.bsky.social, @elisefranklin.bsky.social, Sara Rahnama, Elizabeth Perego, and Susan Slyomovics) by @anaisfaurt.bsky.social in Contemporary European History!
www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
Reposted by Brent Rosenstein
Truly disgusting. Yes, Grok is a Nazi AI bot.
July 8, 2025 at 7:16 PM
Truly disgusting. Yes, Grok is a Nazi AI bot.
Reposted by Brent Rosenstein
This is insane.
So, here it is. Thanks to a new state law that was NEVER DEBATED, Indiana University has committed itself to abolishing majors in African-American/African Diaspora Studies: American Studies; Art History; French; Italian; Religious Studies etc. DOZENS of majors. www.ipm.org/news-section...
Indiana public colleges cut almost 20% of degrees
Public Indiana colleges and universities have eliminated 19 percent of their degree programs to meet requirements added to the state’s budget, according to the Commission for Higher Education.
www.ipm.org
June 30, 2025 at 10:26 PM
This is insane.
Reposted by Brent Rosenstein
Listen, @housedemocrats.bsky.social
@senatedemocrats.bsky.social address this flagrant, insulting & incendiary racism. Where is the censure motion?
Stop jumping at every smear against Mamdani.
Focus on what a U.S. Senator is saying abt a key part of your base.
www.al.com/politics/202...
@senatedemocrats.bsky.social address this flagrant, insulting & incendiary racism. Where is the censure motion?
Stop jumping at every smear against Mamdani.
Focus on what a U.S. Senator is saying abt a key part of your base.
www.al.com/politics/202...
Tuberville says ‘inner city rats’ live off the American taxpayers: Trump should send them ‘back home’
"These inner city rats, they live on the federal government," Tuberville said in the interview.
www.al.com
June 29, 2025 at 7:08 PM
Listen, @housedemocrats.bsky.social
@senatedemocrats.bsky.social address this flagrant, insulting & incendiary racism. Where is the censure motion?
Stop jumping at every smear against Mamdani.
Focus on what a U.S. Senator is saying abt a key part of your base.
www.al.com/politics/202...
@senatedemocrats.bsky.social address this flagrant, insulting & incendiary racism. Where is the censure motion?
Stop jumping at every smear against Mamdani.
Focus on what a U.S. Senator is saying abt a key part of your base.
www.al.com/politics/202...
Reposted by Brent Rosenstein
WE HAVE A BOOK COVER!! To pre-order, use the following link: nursingclio.org/the-nursing-...
February 20, 2025 at 8:45 PM
WE HAVE A BOOK COVER!! To pre-order, use the following link: nursingclio.org/the-nursing-...
Reposted by Brent Rosenstein
Looks like my book is in this @cornellupress.bsky.social sale! Want to know how a wildly unpopular king trumped up an attack on a Muslim country to justify suspending the rule of law at home? But then ended up getting overthrown himself? This is the book for you 🗃️
June 23, 2025 at 11:33 PM
Looks like my book is in this @cornellupress.bsky.social sale! Want to know how a wildly unpopular king trumped up an attack on a Muslim country to justify suspending the rule of law at home? But then ended up getting overthrown himself? This is the book for you 🗃️
Reposted by Brent Rosenstein
Sitting US Senator Alex Padilla forcibly wrestled to the ground and arrested by the FBI for attempting to ask a question of DHS secretary Kristin Noem.
June 12, 2025 at 6:41 PM
Sitting US Senator Alex Padilla forcibly wrestled to the ground and arrested by the FBI for attempting to ask a question of DHS secretary Kristin Noem.