Joshua Earle, Ph.D.
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cyborgapologist.bsky.social
Joshua Earle, Ph.D.
@cyborgapologist.bsky.social
4.1K followers 1.2K following 1.7K posts
Ass Prof of STS @ UVA
Communications Director for Society for Philosophy and Technology
Phil Tech, Disability Studies, Med Hums, Bioethics, Hist of Eugenics, Transhumanism
I teach engineers what the stuff they build does to people.
Posts Replies Media Videos
cyborgapologist.bsky.social
With alt text:
Parody of the Gadsden Flag with a grey snake coiled on a yellow background. This one is wearing a red MAGA cap, a ball gag and a leash. The text says "Tread on me, Daddy."
November 9, 2025 at 5:17 PM
cyborgapologist.bsky.social
fwiw, there is no language re: trans athletes in the official agreement. You can see that here: federalinfo.virginia.edu/sites/federa...

That said, this part is where all the knives are hidden:
7. Both parties affirm the importance of and their support for civil rights. UVA affirms its committment to complying with federal civil rights law and agrees to apply Civil Rights Law internally according tothe Department of Justice's "Guidance for Recipients of Federal Funding Regarding Unlawful Discrimination" of July 29, 2025, so long as that Guidance remains in force and to the extent consistent with relevant judicial decisions.
October 23, 2025 at 1:26 AM
cyborgapologist.bsky.social
About to hear @karenhao.bsky.social talk about her book Empire of AI. I hope they play the organ.
A stage with chairs and decorative gourds. A lectern sta ds to one side. Alarmed mural covers the back wall and the pipes of an organ cover the wall beside.
October 21, 2025 at 10:28 PM
cyborgapologist.bsky.social
Woot! Interim President Mahoney told Trump et al to pound sand. Let's go! Pressure works!
October 17, 2025 The United States Department of Education Washington, DC 20202 Dear Secretary McMahon, Ms. Mailman, and Mr. Haley, Thank you for your letter inviting comment on the proposed Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education. We wholeheartedly agree that “American higher education is the envy of the world.” We also agree with many of the principles outlined in the Compact, including a fair and unbiased admissions process, an affordable and academically rigorous education, a thriving marketplace of ideas, institutional neutrality, and equal treatment of students, faculty, and staff in all aspects of university operations. Indeed, the University of Virginia leads in several of these areas and is committed to continuous improvement in all of them. We seek no special treatment in exchange for our pursuit of those foundational goals. The integrity of science and other academic work requires merit-based assessment of research and scholarship. A contractual arrangement predicating assessment on anything other than merit will undermine the integrity of vital, sometimes lifesaving, research and further erode confidence in American higher education. Higher education faces significant challenges and has not always lived up to its highest ideals. We believe that the best path toward real and durable progress lies in an open and collaborative conversation. We look forward to working together to develop alternative, lasting approaches to improving higher education. Sincerely yours, Paul Mahoney Interim President University of Virginia
October 18, 2025 at 2:17 AM
cyborgapologist.bsky.social
Shoutout to this guy for being on the ball with the shirt.
Man in jeans and a grey shirt that has the gadsden snake but the text "don't compact me"
October 17, 2025 at 4:36 PM
cyborgapologist.bsky.social
✊️
A sign along the UVA Rotunda saying "Do not fold. Do not sign."
October 17, 2025 at 4:20 PM
cyborgapologist.bsky.social
Happening now. Come on down to the Lawn, Cville folx. Tell the admin to reject the compact.
A crowd of people gather in front of the UVA Rotunda.
October 17, 2025 at 4:05 PM
cyborgapologist.bsky.social
Image of the Little Caesars mascot, a toga-wearing roman with an olive crown, holding a spear which impales a pizza, and eating one slice.
October 13, 2025 at 6:35 PM
cyborgapologist.bsky.social
Since I can't QT this...

This is likely true, BUT... will probably be used for the regime's benefit anyway. Because when the result is what it will be, it'll be used as proof by the regime that the school has violated the agreement and is affirmativing their actions all over and will cut funding.
Screenshot of Moira Donegan noting that the Regime's requirement that schools not consider sex in administrations will not go the way they think it will.
October 3, 2025 at 5:20 AM
cyborgapologist.bsky.social
What's your sign.
Yellow warning sign, standing in a scrubby field which says, in large type "CAUTION this sign has SHARP EDGES Do not touch the edges of this sign" Then in smaller type, barely legible, it says: "Also, the bridge is out ahead"
September 28, 2025 at 5:43 PM
cyborgapologist.bsky.social
"self" harm? Nailed it, bsky. 10/10. No notes.
Screenshot of a quote-skeet with the referenced skeet labeled "self-harm". The skeet in question has an image of the scarred back of an enslaved man.
September 15, 2025 at 11:26 PM
cyborgapologist.bsky.social
eg, this is the entirety of the course description for the class I teach this fall (I couldn't *quite* fit it in a skeet... but almost). So, uh... what topics do I teach?
This course engages students with the idea that success in posing and solving engineering problems requires attention to the social dimensions of professional endeavors and practice. STS theories and methods are applied to student thesis projects. Students produce a prospectus for the undregraduate thesis project. Students must be in residence to take this course. Students are not permitted to take STS 4500 and STS 4600 simultaneously. Prereq: STS 2600 and STS 2000 or STS 3000 level (or writing requirement equivalent) course. 4th Year Engineering or by instructor permission for early graduation.
September 10, 2025 at 5:36 AM
cyborgapologist.bsky.social
Aight, lets do this.
A posting meme challenge: “Music Ask 1. A song you like with a color in the title 2. A song you like with a number in the title 3. A song that reminds you of summertime 4. A song that reminds you of someone you would rather forget about 5. A song that needs to be played LOUD 6. A song that makes you want to dance 7. A song to drive to 8. A song about drugs or alcohol 9. A song that makes you happy 10. A song that makes you sad 11. A song that you never get tired of 12. A song from your preteen years 13. One of your favorite 80's songs 14. A song that you would love played at your wedding 15. A song that is a cover by another artist 16. One of your favorite classical songs 17. A song that would sing a duet with on karaoke 18. A song from the year that you were born 19. A song that makes you think about life 20. A song that has many meanings to you 21. A favorite song with a person's name in the title 22. A song that moves you forward 23. A song that you think everybody should listen to 24. A song by a band you wish were still together 25. A song by an artist no longer living 26. A song that makes you want to fall in love 27. A song that breaks your heart 28. A song by an artist with a voice that you love 29. A song that you remember from your childhood 30. A song that reminds you of yourself”
September 6, 2025 at 12:48 AM
cyborgapologist.bsky.social
Now learning about shared governance at UVA. #LaborDay
Man in a red shirt stands at a microphone flanked by two people and white arches in the background.
September 1, 2025 at 4:40 PM
cyborgapologist.bsky.social
Music break.
Group stands around the microphone leading the teach in with a song.
September 1, 2025 at 4:34 PM
cyborgapologist.bsky.social
English prof talks to us about the labor statues that don't exist.
Tall white man in shadow at a microphone in front of white arches. A person with long hair and a red short that reads #CampusWorkers4Democracy sits in the foreground.
September 1, 2025 at 4:28 PM
cyborgapologist.bsky.social
Meant to add pic...
White woman with short white hair stands at a microphone with people and white arches behind her.
September 1, 2025 at 4:11 PM
cyborgapologist.bsky.social
Reposting with Alt Text
White man in Alabama gear looks annoyed and flips off the camera. A score of Alabama 17 to Florida State 31 is on the lower chyron.
August 30, 2025 at 11:25 PM
cyborgapologist.bsky.social
The testimony that sealed the fate of Carrie Buck and all who were deemed unfit by SCOTUS in 1927 (via Gould, Carrie Buck's Daughter):
Miss Wilhelm then rendered her judgment of Vivian Buck by comparing her with the normal granddaughter of Mrs. Dobbs, born just three days earlier: It is difficult to judge probabilities of a child as young as that, but it seems to me not quite a normal baby. In its appearance-! should say that perhaps my knowledge of the mother may prejudice me in that regard, but I saw the child at the same time as Mrs. Dobbs' daughter's baby, which is only three days older than this one, and there is a very decided difference in the development of the babies. That was about two weeks ago. There is a look about it that is not quite normal, but just what it is, I can't tell. This short testimony, and nothing else, formed all the evidence for the crucial third generation of imbeciles. Cross-examination re- vealed that neither Vivian nor the Dobbs grandchild could walk or talk, and that "Mrs. Dobbs' daughter's baby is a very responsive baby. When you play with it or try to attract its attention-it is a baby that you can play with. The other baby is not. It seems very apathetic and not responsive." Miss Wilhelm then urged Carrie Buck's sterilization: "I think," she said, "it would at least prevent the propagation of her kind." Several years later, Miss Wilhelm denied that she had ever examined Vivian or deemed the child feebleminded.
August 28, 2025 at 3:04 AM
cyborgapologist.bsky.social
Hey... y'all know how people categorized mental ability in the eugenic era? By age.

Sydette isn't pulling this from nowhere (and yes, the whole treating Black folks as older than they are is Part Of It, not contradiction). It's long been a way to establish low-status categories to justify violence.
Picture from the eugenic era depicting people who have mental disabilities by what we would now call slurs associated with age.
August 23, 2025 at 4:14 AM
cyborgapologist.bsky.social
Wahoos4UVA statement of no confidence (images posted twice for alt text purposes):
WAHOOS 4 UVA August 19, 2025 University of Virginia Presidential Search Committee Members c/o Catherine Lindqvist Executive Director, UVA Executive Search Group Dear Members of the University of Virginia Presidential Search Committee: We are writing to you as concerned alumni of the University of Virginia and as leaders of Wahoos4UVA, a non-partisan coalition of more than 14,000 UVA alumni, students, parents, faculty, staff, and friends committed to protecting UVA from political interference. We love UVA and believe that it thrived under Jim Ryan's presidency. As such, we are deeply concerned and disturbed by his forced resignation. We know that you are also committed to UVA, and we thank you for your service. Undertaking a search for the next president of the University of Virginia is an arduous and challenging task, and we trust that you will do your best to continue the tradition of exceptional leadership here at UVA. Nevertheless, we urge you, as newly appointed members of the Presidential Search Committee, to consider whether this search is appropriately timed and has any chance of culminating in a result that would lead to the long-term success of the University. First, the governance bodies at UVA no longer trust this Board of Visitors (BOV). The Faculty Senate, General Faculty Council, and Student Council have all expressed "no confidence" in the BOV. The Rector and Vice Rector have failed to answer questions about the response of the BOV to the letters from the Department of Justice (DOJ), the circumstances of President Ryan's forced resignation, the potential terms of, or rationale for entering into, a "voluntary resolution agreement" with the DOJ, or the need to rush to hire a permanent replacement. Second, the BOV itself is under a court order disallowing at least one nominated candidate to sit; new nominees, some of whom sit on the Search Committee, have not been confirmed by the General Assembly and their membership is uncertain. Text Continues... Third, the leaders of Virginia's General Assembly have warned the Rector and Vice Rector that they should not move forward with a search for the next president until the BOV answers questions about its actions and until conflicts over BOV representation are resolved. An election this November will result in new statewide officials in Richmond. Ignoring the directives of members of the General Assembly is likely to aggravate tensions among the BOV, University leadership, and elected officials. Finally, many in the UVA community are concerned about the constitution of the Search Committee. Only one dean of a UVA school is on the committee and there are no faculty representing the humanities at all. The College of Arts and Sciences, the University's largest school, is barely represented. In addition, only one undergraduate student has been appointed. Under these circumstances, this presidential search will face significant headwinds. At the outset, UVA will fail to attract the best candidates from across the nation. President Ryan's resignation has been the subject of numerous national news stories, many of which have raised critical questions about the actions of the Board of Visitors. Few, if any, qualified candidates will apply for a position working for the same Board of Visitors that failed to support and protect President Ryan. Even if the search ends with a plausible candidate, we fear that he or she will be unable to govern the University effectively. A search process is intended not only to find the best person for the presidency, but also to be conducted in such a manner that the person selected has the greatest chance of success. This process is so tainted that we fear that no one selected will have credibility with the faculty, staff, students, and alumni, or with the General Assembly and the next governor. We do not question the integrity of the Search Committee's members; we trust that you will serve with distinction and to the best of your ability. But even a conscientious member of the committee cannot avoid and overcome the structural deficiencies of this current search and the circumstances that led to it, many of which have been subject to a cloud of secrecy and lack of transparency. Text continues... Respectfully, we urge you to use your voice to insist that UVA pause the presidential search and reconstitute the committee once the status of the BOV has been resolved, and trust and confidence of the University community has been restored. We hope you will also urge the Rector and Vice Rector to begin to rebuild that trust by answering the questions posed to them by the Faculty Senate, Student Council, Wahoos4UVA, and members of the General Assembly. UVA cannot embark on a search for our 10th president until the Board of Visitors has honestly and transparently explained what happened to the 9th one. We are available to you and eager to share our views, if you would be receptive to a conversation. We can be reached at Ann. Brown@Wahoos4UVA.com and Chris.Ford@Wahoos4UVA.com. All the best, Ann Brown (College '74, Law '77) and Chris Ford (Engineering '87) Co-Chairs, Wahoos4UVA CC: Jeri Seidman, Faculty Senate Chair jks7v@virginia.edu Paul Mahoney, Interim President pmahoney@law.virginia.edu Brie Gertler, Interim Provost gertler@virginia.edu About Wahoos4UVA Wahoos4UVA is a nonpartisan coalition of alumni, students, parents, faculty, staff, and friends of UVA who are committed to protecting the University of Virginia from political interference. Founded in May 2025 by two University of Virginia faculty members concerned about the threat posed by political interference to the ability of the University to fulfill its mission, Wahoos4UVA quickly grew into an alumni-led grassroots movement with more than 14,000 supporters. Wahoos4UVA empowers its members with concrete ways to make their voices heard. Through weekly action alerts, media engagement, letter-writing campaigns, and legislative outreach, Wahoos4UVA advocates for meaningful structural reforms to protect the University from political interference and uphold the shared values that define the University of Virginia. Wahoos4UVA.com
August 20, 2025 at 11:40 PM
cyborgapologist.bsky.social
Yeah, and it's not, like... subtext... he comes out and says it straight.
Screenshot of highlighted text reading "For example, it cannot be a coincidence that the "UVA Lawyer" magazine I receive as an alumnus documents year after year the disproportionate percentage of non-white males who have joined the law faculty, especially in the years Ryan was president."
August 19, 2025 at 1:47 AM
cyborgapologist.bsky.social
I'm sure this will be fine. Just an irl lex luthor, who thinks democracy should be scrapped for a cyberpunk megacorp model of rule, enriching uranium. What could possibly go wrong?
Matthew Mcconaughey in True Detective taking a panicked drag on a cigarette.
July 26, 2025 at 5:51 AM
cyborgapologist.bsky.social
1994 was an absolute banger of a year (Nas, Biggie, Outkast and Warren G all debuted and I wasn't even into hip-hop yet)... hard to pick just 4, but here you go (those last two were released on the same damn day).
ALbum cover for Cherry Poppin' Daddies' Rapid City Muscle Car. Album cover for The Cranberries No Need to Argue Album Cover for Soundgarden Superunknown Album cover for Nine Inch Nails The Downward Spiral
July 23, 2025 at 12:13 AM
cyborgapologist.bsky.social
Thanks, Discover feed.
Two posts from @infinitescream back to back, the second slotted into my feed by the Discover algo.
July 14, 2025 at 4:44 AM