Melinda Baldwin
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mbaldwin.bsky.social
Melinda Baldwin
@mbaldwin.bsky.social
#histSTM studying scientific publishing, funding, and peer review. Associate prof @ UMD College Park. All opinions mine!
Reposted by Melinda Baldwin
"We are throwing half of our money in a well that legend has it will reward our tributes by making our wishes come true. We simply do not have any choice but to now throw the other half of our money in there too."
One explanation for economic populism in the US is the recurring cycle of bubbles and bailouts that happens without any democratic input
November 25, 2025 at 12:17 AM
Reposted by Melinda Baldwin
So-called "smart" devices are pushed heavily for the holidays, but be mindful of what you're opting that gift recipient into. www.eff.org/deeplinks/2...
Think Twice Before Giving Surveillance for the Holidays
With the holidays upon us, it's easy to default to giving the tech gifts that retailers tend to push on us this time of year: smart speakers, video doorbells, bluetooth trackers, fitness trackers,
www.eff.org
November 22, 2025 at 5:02 PM
I agree. Summers has said repeatedly, both in public and private, that he believes women are not as smart or talented as men. He has no business in a classroom. FEEL FREE TO REPEAT THIS INSIGHT.
I know that at this point it's a subplot in the Epstein files drama, but I feel compelled to point out, once again, that Larry Summers HAS NO BUSINESS teaching students at ANY university ever again!

My latest cries into the abyss, in @thenation.com

www.thenation.com/article/soci...
Why Is Larry Summers Still Employed?
The revelations about the economist’s attempts to pressure a women into a “relationship”—with guidance from Jeffrey Epstein—should finally disqualify him from teaching students.
www.thenation.com
November 19, 2025 at 7:43 PM
Reposted by Melinda Baldwin
I have been feeling depressed and discouraged that this man has the power and influence he does at my school and in my profession

And I am a tenured professor at Harvard! How much more protected can I be?

Imagine how STUDENTS feel. Junior faculty. This quote nails it
November 19, 2025 at 6:27 PM
Reposted by Melinda Baldwin
Remember: they used thousands of academic books too! If you’re a scholar, check for your books too. This isn’t just novelists and pop writers, it’s academic books too!
AI advocates have warned that if every author in the class action filed a claim, it would "financially ruin" the entire industry.
Authors celebrate “historic” settlement coming soon in Anthropic class action
Advocates fear such settlements will “financially ruin” the AI industry.
arstechnica.com
November 18, 2025 at 6:32 AM
Why is he still teaching?! That's where the students are!!!
Larry Summers tells @theharvardcrimson.bsky.social
he’s stepping back from all public commitments in light of his messages with Epstein, saying he is “deeply ashamed” and hopes “to rebuild trust and repair relationships.”

He will continue teaching.

www.thecrimson.com/article/2025...
November 18, 2025 at 11:55 AM
Reposted by Melinda Baldwin
we should take teaching more seriously
Larry Summers tells @theharvardcrimson.bsky.social
he’s stepping back from all public commitments in light of his messages with Epstein, saying he is “deeply ashamed” and hopes “to rebuild trust and repair relationships.”

He will continue teaching.

www.thecrimson.com/article/2025...
November 18, 2025 at 1:27 AM
Reposted by Melinda Baldwin
I think the universities didn’t convey clearly enough to Larry Summers and Laurence Krauss that they were expected to get sexual harassment PREVENTION training
November 17, 2025 at 6:28 PM
Reposted by Melinda Baldwin
Bsky hasn’t heard the story about the time that I was giving a virtual colloquium to the Aspen Center for Physics in September 2020 and Lawrence Krauss, Geoff Marcy, Christian Ott all attended as a group

ACP now has a policy that would prevent this from happening, because of that incident 🔭
November 16, 2025 at 7:11 PM
Reposted by Melinda Baldwin
The sense I am getting through all of this is that Larry Summers used his position to get a substantially junior colleague to listen to him whine about his marriage, then tried to get her to “have a drink with him” and stormed off when she was like no thanks I have a presentation tomorrow.
The emails have Summers reporting to Epstein about his attempts to date a Harvard economics student & to hit on her during a seminar she was giving.
November 16, 2025 at 4:00 PM
What in the actual hell. Econ seminars are rough enough on grad student presenters without a lecherous senior colleague hitting on you afterwards. I read this account and I recognize the behavior of someone who has NO interest in this man but also knows he can ruin her career.
The emails have Summers reporting to Epstein about his attempts to date a Harvard economics student & to hit on her during a seminar she was giving.
November 16, 2025 at 12:27 AM
Reposted by Melinda Baldwin
"This is what the systems of power, influence and money in creative spheres do: They are structures that place supposed Great Artists or powerful rainmakers beyond the realm of accountability, humility, responsibility and consequences."
November 13, 2025 at 6:24 PM
I once wrote a mildly critical piece about Feynman (VERY MILD, other historians scolded me for going too easy on him) and got many comments and missives calling me an ignorant hater who didn't understand Feynman's brilliance. His "quirks" were the price to pay for his genius, didn't I see that?
“I have decided that Feynman would have done what I did.. and I am therefore content.. no matter what..:)“
— Lawrence Krauss

🧪⚛️
November 13, 2025 at 3:35 PM
Reposted by Melinda Baldwin
Like on a serious note, this is a decade after Epstein had been prosecuted and Larry Summers was still gossiping with him
November 12, 2025 at 5:40 PM
Reposted by Melinda Baldwin
thinking about how i get anxious writing emails because i don't want to sound like a moron while larry summers is apparently typing emails like this:

u kno she dint want to talk tomorrow. make me bad pheel.
November 13, 2025 at 1:38 AM
Reposted by Melinda Baldwin
The first photo of my new book, courtesy of my editor... "The Most Awful Responsibility: Truman and the Secret Struggle for Control of the Atomic Age" comes out in early December! Feel free to pre-order it today! www.harpercollins.com/products/the...
November 6, 2025 at 10:41 AM
Reposted by Melinda Baldwin
Apparently all you needed to do to predict the NYC election results was read that one N.K. Jemisin novel.
November 5, 2025 at 2:07 AM
Reposted by Melinda Baldwin
I think hostile architecture is the perfect metaphor for our current culture. We will refuse to have comfortable outdoor seating just to prevent the people we don’t want to be there from using it. We will all just be uncomfortable.
October 25, 2025 at 4:41 PM
Subscribe to @theonion.com now to secure YOUR whimsical holiday wrapping paper insert! (You can't have this one, it's mine and I saved it from December 2024 fair and square.)
October 14, 2025 at 11:53 PM
Reposted by Melinda Baldwin
BREAKING: Friday night massacre underway at CDC. Doznes of "disease detectives," high-level scientists, entire Washington staff and editors of the MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report) have all been RIFed and received the following notice:
October 11, 2025 at 2:10 AM
Reposted by Melinda Baldwin
Me: Oh my god is this another LLM?
Personify Health, ripping off mask: Oh my GOSH how do you keep finding me??????
October 8, 2025 at 11:16 AM
Reposted by Melinda Baldwin
Cigna: please complete our health assessment
Me: oh great another stupid service
Cigna: access it here
Me: why...why does it want me to log in to another service
Cigna: it's just our health partner, Personify Health!
Me: what...what does that do
Cigna: ohhhhhhh... helps you advocate for your needs
October 8, 2025 at 11:15 AM
Ancient historians, we're so excited for this search! Spread the news far and wide!
New History Job Posted Today: Assistant Professor of Ancient History | University of Maryland Department of History
Assistant Professor of Ancient History | University of Maryland Department of History
College Park, Maryland, The University of Maryland, College Park Department of History, invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor position from historians of the Ancient Mediterranean worlds within the broad geographical zone that extends into Asia, Africa, and Europe. Chronological specialization is open. However, expertise in the Roman Imperial or late antique periods in particular aligns with existing areas of teaching and research expertise in the department.  Preference will be given to scholars whose work engages with the diversity and complexity of the Mediterranean world in such areas as ethnicity, gender, environment, or connectivity. In addition to exceptional scholarly promise, the successful candidate will demonstrate excellence in teaching. Responsibilities include teaching a general survey of the ancient Mediterranean and the Near East, other lecture courses, and upper-level undergraduate and graduate seminars as they align with the candidate’s interests and departmental requirements, as well as engaging in curriculum development. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS Education: A Ph.D. in History or a related field is required in hand by August 1, 2026 Experience: Teaching experience at the college or university level is required. PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS We seek candidates whose research, teaching, and service have prepared them to contribute to all the pillars of the College of Arts and Humanities’ Strategic Plan: Transformative Thinking; Boundless Creativity; Expansive Empathy; and Meaningful Futures. Contributions toward those goals and values might include leadership in teaching, mentoring, research, or service toward building an equitable and inclusive scholarly environment and/or increasing access or participation of all individuals equitably and fairly. The University of Maryland, College Park, actively subscribes to a policy of equal employment opportunity, and will not discriminate against any employee or applicant because of race, age, sex, color, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, religion, ancestry or national origin, marital status, genetic information, political affiliation, and gender identity or expression. This search is contingent upon the availability of funds. Apply Here
dlvr.it
October 8, 2025 at 11:18 AM
Reposted by Melinda Baldwin
🎙️ Just published: Communicable E37: 'Peer review is broken'

Hosted by @angelahuttner.bsky.social & @anniejoseph.bsky.social

w/ invited guests: Melinda Baldwin @mbaldwin.bsky.social & Serge Horbach

Listen on Communicable:

#IDSky #Clinmicro #MedSky #peerreview #AI
Communicable E37: 'Peer review is broken'
Contrary to popular belief, peer review has only recently become an...
share.transistor.fm
October 5, 2025 at 10:00 PM