Charles Roberts, a historian
@ckroberts.bsky.social
https://charleskennethroberts.wordpress.com/ read my blog if you want
Reposted by Charles Roberts, a historian
Next time somebody tries to get me to justify the existence of the humanities, I’ll just point out how for the past two Super Bowls we’ve all jumped online and engaged in collective semiotics and hermeneutics of the half-time show as text.
February 9, 2026 at 3:36 AM
Next time somebody tries to get me to justify the existence of the humanities, I’ll just point out how for the past two Super Bowls we’ve all jumped online and engaged in collective semiotics and hermeneutics of the half-time show as text.
Reposted by Charles Roberts, a historian
On this day in 1992, George H.W. Bush sent a memo to all White House staff about how fat his dog was
February 6, 2026 at 10:06 PM
On this day in 1992, George H.W. Bush sent a memo to all White House staff about how fat his dog was
"Another colleague in Hong Kong said that his contacts in consultancy and finance are now hiring philosophy and history majors rather than econ or business majors." www.marketplace.org/story/2026/0...
February 6, 2026 at 10:08 PM
"Another colleague in Hong Kong said that his contacts in consultancy and finance are now hiring philosophy and history majors rather than econ or business majors." www.marketplace.org/story/2026/0...
Reposted by Charles Roberts, a historian
I wonder if the New York Times will go after any of the prominent academics in the Epstein files for being rapists as hard as they went after Claudine Gay for being kind of sloppy with citations in her graduate thesis.
If not, why not?
If not, why not?
Here’s Duke behavioral economist Dan Ariely asking Jeffrey Epstein for “the name and email of the redhead that was here with you.” This is four years after Epstein’s 2008 conviction for procuring a child for prostitution.
Doo do doo
January 31, 2026 at 2:34 PM
I wonder if the New York Times will go after any of the prominent academics in the Epstein files for being rapists as hard as they went after Claudine Gay for being kind of sloppy with citations in her graduate thesis.
If not, why not?
If not, why not?
Reposted by Charles Roberts, a historian
UBI works
Seems promising www.oregonlive.com/politics/202...
Oregon tried giving homeless youth $1,000 a month with no strings attached. Here’s what happened
The program helped 94% of participants secure housing while building financial literacy skills that could break the cycle of homelessness.
www.oregonlive.com
January 31, 2026 at 4:29 PM
UBI works
Reposted by Charles Roberts, a historian
Just started doing new data analysis and I know I keep saying this, but: I really, really don't think people appreciate how much this moral panic was a deliberate and extremely expensive invention.
January 28, 2026 at 3:12 AM
Just started doing new data analysis and I know I keep saying this, but: I really, really don't think people appreciate how much this moral panic was a deliberate and extremely expensive invention.
Reposted by Charles Roberts, a historian
Saint Paul Public Schools, one of the biggest school districts in the state, is closed for the next two days because teachers need time to build hybrid learning because unaccountable masked, armed federal government goons have made it too difficult for nonwhite children to leave their homes.
January 20, 2026 at 1:14 PM
Saint Paul Public Schools, one of the biggest school districts in the state, is closed for the next two days because teachers need time to build hybrid learning because unaccountable masked, armed federal government goons have made it too difficult for nonwhite children to leave their homes.
Blogged about Indiana football of all things. A better future is possible.
charleskennethroberts.wordpress.com/2026/01/20/i...
charleskennethroberts.wordpress.com/2026/01/20/i...
Indiana football and a better future
It’s not a great time to be in the United States, and it’s hard to be hopeful about the future. I was trying to pick an example of all the bad things going on, and I don’t know if…
charleskennethroberts.wordpress.com
January 20, 2026 at 4:38 PM
Blogged about Indiana football of all things. A better future is possible.
charleskennethroberts.wordpress.com/2026/01/20/i...
charleskennethroberts.wordpress.com/2026/01/20/i...
Reposted by Charles Roberts, a historian
Trump trying to start a weird stupid war no one wants out of spite because he's mad about not getting a Nobel Peace Prize is dead center "gag you would leave in drafts because it is both too obvious and not funny." Obviously this is all bad but it is also just incredibly hack. What a way to go.
January 19, 2026 at 4:57 PM
Trump trying to start a weird stupid war no one wants out of spite because he's mad about not getting a Nobel Peace Prize is dead center "gag you would leave in drafts because it is both too obvious and not funny." Obviously this is all bad but it is also just incredibly hack. What a way to go.
Reposted by Charles Roberts, a historian
Dr. King did amazing things, but often we only talk about his successes. Dr. King also had some "failures", and they are important to discuss because we often learn a great deal from failure. And failure can inform or grow a movement, like Albany, Georgia's failure did for Dr. King. /1
January 19, 2026 at 3:24 PM
Dr. King did amazing things, but often we only talk about his successes. Dr. King also had some "failures", and they are important to discuss because we often learn a great deal from failure. And failure can inform or grow a movement, like Albany, Georgia's failure did for Dr. King. /1
Some other issues are larger cultural trends, my own stage of life, network effects, etc, but it's hard to imagine myself becoming as regularly involved in a place where posts are called skeets.
January 12, 2026 at 9:02 PM
Some other issues are larger cultural trends, my own stage of life, network effects, etc, but it's hard to imagine myself becoming as regularly involved in a place where posts are called skeets.
Reposted by Charles Roberts, a historian
semi-regular reminder that ICE was only created in 2003
when you are asked to imagine a world without ICE, you're basically being asked to remember where you were when Lilo & Stitch came out
when you are asked to imagine a world without ICE, you're basically being asked to remember where you were when Lilo & Stitch came out
January 12, 2026 at 8:04 PM
semi-regular reminder that ICE was only created in 2003
when you are asked to imagine a world without ICE, you're basically being asked to remember where you were when Lilo & Stitch came out
when you are asked to imagine a world without ICE, you're basically being asked to remember where you were when Lilo & Stitch came out
Reposted by Charles Roberts, a historian
For those keeping score, Bellingcat, The New York Times Visual Investigation Team, & Washington Post's Visual Forensic team have all published analysis showing the ICE shooter wasn't in the path of Renee Nicole Good’s vehicle when he shot her, contradicting statements by the President & his cronies
January 8, 2026 at 3:35 PM
For those keeping score, Bellingcat, The New York Times Visual Investigation Team, & Washington Post's Visual Forensic team have all published analysis showing the ICE shooter wasn't in the path of Renee Nicole Good’s vehicle when he shot her, contradicting statements by the President & his cronies
Reposted by Charles Roberts, a historian
Abolish and prosecute ICE. They did a murder in broad daylight today. Imagine what they're doing in the closed facilities we're somehow not even allowed to see.
January 7, 2026 at 6:20 PM
Abolish and prosecute ICE. They did a murder in broad daylight today. Imagine what they're doing in the closed facilities we're somehow not even allowed to see.
It's extremely difficult, as a college professor, to tell students to avoid podcasts or TikTok as their main source of news and instead use more respectable sources when the respectable sources are like this.
the nyt says that no version of events in minneapolis can be "verified independently." but that's not true! there are multiple videos proving that the ICE version of events is a total lie. maybe the nyt can, y'know, watch one of them? www.nytimes.com/live/2026/01...
January 7, 2026 at 7:34 PM
It's extremely difficult, as a college professor, to tell students to avoid podcasts or TikTok as their main source of news and instead use more respectable sources when the respectable sources are like this.
Reposted by Charles Roberts, a historian
no, absolutely not, you all should've been nicer to my trans homies
January 7, 2026 at 6:15 PM
no, absolutely not, you all should've been nicer to my trans homies
Reposted by Charles Roberts, a historian
"Academics literally cannot make genAI go away" we also can't make underage drinking go away and we're not advocating for installing bar carts in every classroom.
December 27, 2025 at 11:46 PM
"Academics literally cannot make genAI go away" we also can't make underage drinking go away and we're not advocating for installing bar carts in every classroom.
Reposted by Charles Roberts, a historian
It’s genuinely wild that the United States spent decades building an elaborate rules-based international order which de facto cemented its permanent status as the dominant global hegemon, sustained by ideology rather than might, and now is just blowing it all up for literally no reason
January 6, 2026 at 12:35 AM
It’s genuinely wild that the United States spent decades building an elaborate rules-based international order which de facto cemented its permanent status as the dominant global hegemon, sustained by ideology rather than might, and now is just blowing it all up for literally no reason
Reposted by Charles Roberts, a historian
A corollary to this principle is that finding a single hallucinated citation should lead to an automatic rejection. Automatic. This should be a matter of policy.
And this is one of easier AI-related problems for our journals!
And this is one of easier AI-related problems for our journals!
Journal editors: I suggest manually clicking on DOI links in the references section of submitted manuscripts. You may be surprised by what you see.
Gen AI has lots of uses, and one of them is generating fraudulent citations.
Gen AI has lots of uses, and one of them is generating fraudulent citations.
December 27, 2025 at 5:54 AM
A corollary to this principle is that finding a single hallucinated citation should lead to an automatic rejection. Automatic. This should be a matter of policy.
And this is one of easier AI-related problems for our journals!
And this is one of easier AI-related problems for our journals!
Reposted by Charles Roberts, a historian
Nothing comes out of these water jets but lies and insinuations. Why did I buy a j'accuzzi?
December 31, 2025 at 11:47 AM
Nothing comes out of these water jets but lies and insinuations. Why did I buy a j'accuzzi?
Reposted by Charles Roberts, a historian
(daft punk One More Time voice) Auld Lang Syne
December 26, 2025 at 3:39 PM
(daft punk One More Time voice) Auld Lang Syne
Reposted by Charles Roberts, a historian
This is genuinely horrifying. Fact-free far-right agitprop given accolades by credible media across the political spectrum.
Congratulations to Stephen Macedo & Frances Lee, whose book In Covid's Wake has been recognized as:
⭐ A @newyorker.com Best Book of the Year
⭐ An @economist.com Book of the Year
⭐ A @wsj.com Best Book of the Year
Learn more about this eye-opening book: press.princeton.edu/books/hardco...
⭐ A @newyorker.com Best Book of the Year
⭐ An @economist.com Book of the Year
⭐ A @wsj.com Best Book of the Year
Learn more about this eye-opening book: press.princeton.edu/books/hardco...
December 24, 2025 at 5:00 AM
This is genuinely horrifying. Fact-free far-right agitprop given accolades by credible media across the political spectrum.
Reposted by Charles Roberts, a historian
Simply Havana wonderful syndrome time
December 19, 2025 at 3:32 AM
Simply Havana wonderful syndrome time
Reposted by Charles Roberts, a historian
The bullfrog in a tweed suit whose land I live on, came by to tell me they were busy planting this year's carrots. He proudly told me he still employs two gardeners, as his father did, though "only one maid." He then observed the rising spring sun and said "it's all diminishing."
November 24, 2023 at 5:52 AM
The bullfrog in a tweed suit whose land I live on, came by to tell me they were busy planting this year's carrots. He proudly told me he still employs two gardeners, as his father did, though "only one maid." He then observed the rising spring sun and said "it's all diminishing."
One of the countless examples of how the idea of left-leaning academia is a myth is to look at the actual hiring practices that colleges and universities use.
December 19, 2025 at 5:13 PM
One of the countless examples of how the idea of left-leaning academia is a myth is to look at the actual hiring practices that colleges and universities use.