Mike "looking for research fellowship" Caulfield
@mikecaulfield.bsky.social
Author: Verified: How to Think Straight, Get Duped Less, and Make Better Decisions about What to Believe Online (University of Chicago Press).
Researcher, infolit/misinfo/rhetoric/civic reasoning. Currently researching AI as tool for critical thinking.
Researcher, infolit/misinfo/rhetoric/civic reasoning. Currently researching AI as tool for critical thinking.
Pinned
AI Is Not Your Friend
How the “opinionated” chatbots destroyed AI’s potential, and how we can fix it
www.theatlantic.com
In this article I argue treating LLMs like experts or authors or friends instead of as a conduit to access the insights of nameable others is a mistake, both in terms of dangers and lost opportunities www.theatlantic.com/technology/a...
Modern conspiracy theory acts primarily as a way for people to ignore uncomfortable evidence against their beliefs. Jan 6? False flag! Global warming? NWO plot to steal your freedom!
When the conspiracy *is* the uncomfortable fact, conspiracy theorists suddenly lose interest in conspiracies.
When the conspiracy *is* the uncomfortable fact, conspiracy theorists suddenly lose interest in conspiracies.
November 12, 2025 at 4:50 PM
Modern conspiracy theory acts primarily as a way for people to ignore uncomfortable evidence against their beliefs. Jan 6? False flag! Global warming? NWO plot to steal your freedom!
When the conspiracy *is* the uncomfortable fact, conspiracy theorists suddenly lose interest in conspiracies.
When the conspiracy *is* the uncomfortable fact, conspiracy theorists suddenly lose interest in conspiracies.
Did fridge magnets from the 1970s produce synesthesia in gen Xers? We fire up AI mode and find out. Complete with evidence table!!
youtu.be/ZP6f_IUyyIs?...
youtu.be/ZP6f_IUyyIs?...
Critical Thinking with AI Mode #33: Fridge Magnet Synesthesia
YouTube video by Mike Caulfield
youtu.be
November 12, 2025 at 2:55 AM
Did fridge magnets from the 1970s produce synesthesia in gen Xers? We fire up AI mode and find out. Complete with evidence table!!
youtu.be/ZP6f_IUyyIs?...
youtu.be/ZP6f_IUyyIs?...
Today I learned if your handle on your suitcase won't go back down, applying gentle pressure while holding the button down and rocking the handle back and forth the **long way** (horizontal, side to side) can work wonders.
November 12, 2025 at 2:22 AM
Today I learned if your handle on your suitcase won't go back down, applying gentle pressure while holding the button down and rocking the handle back and forth the **long way** (horizontal, side to side) can work wonders.
Reposted by Mike "looking for research fellowship" Caulfield
ever since I learned about three-cueing I've developed infinitely more patience for replies on social media. mfers literally do not know how to read. people are walking around conjuring random meanings into words they don't know, and they don't know a lot of words. it's crazy
November 11, 2025 at 6:15 PM
ever since I learned about three-cueing I've developed infinitely more patience for replies on social media. mfers literally do not know how to read. people are walking around conjuring random meanings into words they don't know, and they don't know a lot of words. it's crazy
Honestly I am pro anything that gets people replacing podcasts and short form video with even a bit more reading things in actual paragraphs. But Sarah's right first things first, ppl need to be able to read
ok one last post -- oldheads are always going to "why is the web dying.... how can we get the kids invested in the free and open web"
bro the kids can't read. that's why the web is dying. first things first
bro the kids can't read. that's why the web is dying. first things first
November 12, 2025 at 1:45 AM
Honestly I am pro anything that gets people replacing podcasts and short form video with even a bit more reading things in actual paragraphs. But Sarah's right first things first, ppl need to be able to read
The "one hour one life" guy says he is finished building and maintaining the game
Also apparently there is a rocket ship in it now (I last played in 2018 I think)
Also apparently there is a rocket ship in it now (I last played in 2018 I think)
November 12, 2025 at 1:38 AM
The "one hour one life" guy says he is finished building and maintaining the game
Also apparently there is a rocket ship in it now (I last played in 2018 I think)
Also apparently there is a rocket ship in it now (I last played in 2018 I think)
brawno agricultural report up next (it's got what plants crave)
They’ve laid off so many people that the government is now getting its economic data from DoorDash.
November 12, 2025 at 1:20 AM
brawno agricultural report up next (it's got what plants crave)
Reposted by Mike "looking for research fellowship" Caulfield
Buried inside the deal to reopen government is a provision that would give Senators private right of action to sue for millions in damages over their phone records being analyzed by Jack Smith's team.
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Shutdown Deal Would Let Senators Sue Over Jack Smith Searches
Senators whose phone records were sought by Special Counsel Jack Smith would gain authority to sue for millions in damages under a provision buried in the Senate-advanced deal to reopen the government...
news.bloomberglaw.com
November 10, 2025 at 8:20 PM
Buried inside the deal to reopen government is a provision that would give Senators private right of action to sue for millions in damages over their phone records being analyzed by Jack Smith's team.
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
This is really good
I scribbled down all my shutdown-related intrusive thoughts and put them in a blog post.
open.substack.com/pub/davekarp...
open.substack.com/pub/davekarp...
The Shutdown Surrender
I just... I mean... Whatever.
open.substack.com
November 10, 2025 at 5:43 PM
This is really good
Worth a look. Josh points out it's completely compatible to say screw team cave and also see this as achieving something in that it gave the senators outside team cave a sense the third rails they imagine in their head aren't actually electrified talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/a-qui...
A Quick Take on Team Cave’s Big Win
I have what I suspect is a somewhat counterintuitive take on the...
talkingpointsmemo.com
November 10, 2025 at 1:49 PM
Worth a look. Josh points out it's completely compatible to say screw team cave and also see this as achieving something in that it gave the senators outside team cave a sense the third rails they imagine in their head aren't actually electrified talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/a-qui...
Is it even a critical thinking class if we don't look at chocolate research youtu.be/8v4iefmWfIs?...
Critical Thinking with AI Mode #31: Chocolate Memory
YouTube video by Mike Caulfield
youtu.be
November 8, 2025 at 6:28 PM
Is it even a critical thinking class if we don't look at chocolate research youtu.be/8v4iefmWfIs?...
Reposted by Mike "looking for research fellowship" Caulfield
Pope Leo to AI Forum: “The Church calls all builders of AI to cultivate moral discernment as a fundamental part of their work — to develop systems that reflect justice, solidarity, and a genuine reverence for life.” www.vatican.va/content/leo-...
November 7, 2025 at 10:18 AM
Pope Leo to AI Forum: “The Church calls all builders of AI to cultivate moral discernment as a fundamental part of their work — to develop systems that reflect justice, solidarity, and a genuine reverence for life.” www.vatican.va/content/leo-...
This one was a bit slow, and less engaging as it was done at 5 am before a flight. But I did keep my commitment of doing one a day youtu.be/WAstvsUzRuo?...
Critical Thinking with AI Mode #30: Chill to Slim
YouTube video by Mike Caulfield
youtu.be
November 7, 2025 at 9:33 PM
This one was a bit slow, and less engaging as it was done at 5 am before a flight. But I did keep my commitment of doing one a day youtu.be/WAstvsUzRuo?...
Reposted by Mike "looking for research fellowship" Caulfield
when you start thinking of pelosi's historical peers you're thinking of people like henry clay
November 7, 2025 at 3:03 PM
when you start thinking of pelosi's historical peers you're thinking of people like henry clay
We need to talk a bit less about LLM hallucination which is serious but fairly rare apart from links and a bit more about conflation. The flash sideways scene is from season 6, not season 2. I get about one conflation error like this a day that I notice. It's a *very* common failure mode.
November 7, 2025 at 2:56 PM
We need to talk a bit less about LLM hallucination which is serious but fairly rare apart from links and a bit more about conflation. The flash sideways scene is from season 6, not season 2. I get about one conflation error like this a day that I notice. It's a *very* common failure mode.
November 7, 2025 at 1:49 PM
I'm a liberty and prosperity Democrat myself.
Yes, excellent point. Mikie Sherrill's use of the "liberty and prosperity" slogan is really important. It captures this emerging Dem politics of the Trump 2.0 era very well.
Sherrill was hammering “liberty and prosperity,” the NJ state motto — which is a very flexible and nonpartisan message for Dems. Freedom from corruption, kidnappings, speech crackdowns, etc, and a chicken or at least an affordable dozen eggs in every pot
November 7, 2025 at 12:37 PM
I'm a liberty and prosperity Democrat myself.
Reposted by Mike "looking for research fellowship" Caulfield
No idea why people keep saying this is socialism.
When Trump says "us" he isn't talking about Novo Nordisk giving a piece of the company to the US government, he's talking about them giving a piece of the company to him and his crooked ass sons.
When Trump says "us" he isn't talking about Novo Nordisk giving a piece of the company to the US government, he's talking about them giving a piece of the company to him and his crooked ass sons.
Trump to the Novo Nordisk CEO: "Maybe you should give us a piece of the company like I've been asking for."
November 6, 2025 at 10:05 PM
No idea why people keep saying this is socialism.
When Trump says "us" he isn't talking about Novo Nordisk giving a piece of the company to the US government, he's talking about them giving a piece of the company to him and his crooked ass sons.
When Trump says "us" he isn't talking about Novo Nordisk giving a piece of the company to the US government, he's talking about them giving a piece of the company to him and his crooked ass sons.
The Ziwe / Adams interview is somehow a bigger trainwreck than I even imagined
November 7, 2025 at 5:28 AM
The Ziwe / Adams interview is somehow a bigger trainwreck than I even imagined
Did a post on checking a consumer sentiment claim. One thing I have to say is I really should find a time to do these that isn't early morning -- I'm so sluggish. If there's a millionaire out there with "fund Mike to do these in the daytime" money let me know... www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfHg...
Critical Thinking with AI Mode #29: Consumer Sentiment
YouTube video by Mike Caulfield
www.youtube.com
November 6, 2025 at 3:14 PM
Did a post on checking a consumer sentiment claim. One thing I have to say is I really should find a time to do these that isn't early morning -- I'm so sluggish. If there's a millionaire out there with "fund Mike to do these in the daytime" money let me know... www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfHg...
One of the things I learned teaching search literacy is that search sucks because the world wide web doesn't exist anymore. The blogs that held it together with links are paywalled, big publishers paywall and don't link, the platforms users post to don't link. You're left with reddit and Wikipedia.
I need accounts like this to actually link to the story they’re citing. If I have the right link, this strikes me as an overstatement.
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
November 6, 2025 at 2:15 AM
One of the things I learned teaching search literacy is that search sucks because the world wide web doesn't exist anymore. The blogs that held it together with links are paywalled, big publishers paywall and don't link, the platforms users post to don't link. You're left with reddit and Wikipedia.
Honestly this is 100% the correct take, and to the extent I've sometimes seen affordability politics as competing with anti-authoritarianism these candidates did both well
The factional grifters will hate this, but the Mamdani-Spanberger-Sherrill axis actually suggests the outlines of a broad, emerging Dem coalition organized around both anti-Trump *and* affordability politics, not a party bitterly divided against itself.
These big wins will embolden Dems to take on Trump's lawbreaking and show there's a price for GOP enabling of him. Folks hate to hear this, but normal patterns are asserting themselves: Liberalism isn't dead, Rs are likely to lose in 2026, and Trump is really unpopular, not a magical exception.
November 5, 2025 at 1:59 PM
Honestly this is 100% the correct take, and to the extent I've sometimes seen affordability politics as competing with anti-authoritarianism these candidates did both well
In case it's not clear just this tiny portion is what came to mind watching Zohran. "Move aside I've got work to do"
Thought of this HST observation about Carter tonight youtu.be/yvpPosKe-I0?...
Hunter S. Thompson says Jimmy Carter is ruthless, 1977 | CBC
YouTube video by CBC
youtu.be
November 5, 2025 at 6:35 AM
In case it's not clear just this tiny portion is what came to mind watching Zohran. "Move aside I've got work to do"