Thom Volker
@thomvolker.bsky.social
PhD Candidate in Statistics, Utrecht University
Creates fake data for a living.
thomvolker.github.io
Creates fake data for a living.
thomvolker.github.io
Reposted by Thom Volker
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
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
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
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
Reposted by Thom Volker
Friendly reminder that a few sponsored registrations are still available. Priority given to black, indigenous people of color in high-income countries or those from low and middle-income countries.
Did I tweak nearly every slide of my regression deck in preparation for next month’s charity course? Only one way to find out!
Join us by dropping a 50 USD donation to World Central Kitchen or United Farm Workers. A few sponsored spots available. Details at betanalpha.github.io/courses/.
Join us by dropping a 50 USD donation to World Central Kitchen or United Farm Workers. A few sponsored spots available. Details at betanalpha.github.io/courses/.
November 19, 2025 at 5:38 AM
Friendly reminder that a few sponsored registrations are still available. Priority given to black, indigenous people of color in high-income countries or those from low and middle-income countries.
Reposted by Thom Volker
Reposted by Thom Volker
November 19, 2025 at 11:41 AM
Reposted by Thom Volker
Few things bug me more than higher ed leaders saying that we lost our mission and lost the trust of the public, when we have actually been the target of a decades-long smear campaign by the right wing that worked. The moment we’re losing our mission is right now, in capitulation.
November 19, 2025 at 1:03 PM
Few things bug me more than higher ed leaders saying that we lost our mission and lost the trust of the public, when we have actually been the target of a decades-long smear campaign by the right wing that worked. The moment we’re losing our mission is right now, in capitulation.
One of my students today: "Ugh next week on Tuesday I have statistics classes from 9 to 5, I'd rather die"
Me doing statistics every weekday from 9 to 5:
Me doing statistics every weekday from 9 to 5:
a cartoon of homer simpson standing in a grassy area
ALT: a cartoon of homer simpson standing in a grassy area
media.tenor.com
November 19, 2025 at 2:18 PM
One of my students today: "Ugh next week on Tuesday I have statistics classes from 9 to 5, I'd rather die"
Me doing statistics every weekday from 9 to 5:
Me doing statistics every weekday from 9 to 5:
Reposted by Thom Volker
Did I tweak nearly every slide of my regression deck in preparation for next month’s charity course? Only one way to find out!
Join us by dropping a 50 USD donation to World Central Kitchen or United Farm Workers. A few sponsored spots available. Details at betanalpha.github.io/courses/.
Join us by dropping a 50 USD donation to World Central Kitchen or United Farm Workers. A few sponsored spots available. Details at betanalpha.github.io/courses/.
November 18, 2025 at 5:26 AM
Did I tweak nearly every slide of my regression deck in preparation for next month’s charity course? Only one way to find out!
Join us by dropping a 50 USD donation to World Central Kitchen or United Farm Workers. A few sponsored spots available. Details at betanalpha.github.io/courses/.
Join us by dropping a 50 USD donation to World Central Kitchen or United Farm Workers. A few sponsored spots available. Details at betanalpha.github.io/courses/.
Reposted by Thom Volker
Enorme heisa om privébericht Wijers, intussen gaat PVV’er met haatpagina weer fluitend aan het werk
Enorme heisa om privébericht Wijers, intussen gaat PVV’er met haatpagina fluitend aan het werk
www.volkskrant.nl
November 17, 2025 at 6:41 PM
Enorme heisa om privébericht Wijers, intussen gaat PVV’er met haatpagina weer fluitend aan het werk
Reposted by Thom Volker
hot take: if people think they can only fit straight lines with linear regression, they should stay yards away from something more complex than linear regression
Confusing stats language:
The "linear" is linear regression means "linear in the parameters".
It does not mean "can only fit straight lines", and things like polynomials and splines can be included in linear models.
online.stat.psu.edu/stat501/less...
1/2
The "linear" is linear regression means "linear in the parameters".
It does not mean "can only fit straight lines", and things like polynomials and splines can be included in linear models.
online.stat.psu.edu/stat501/less...
1/2
November 14, 2025 at 10:00 AM
hot take: if people think they can only fit straight lines with linear regression, they should stay yards away from something more complex than linear regression
Reposted by Thom Volker
lets gooooo! Do some math with me
❗️Our next workshop will be on Dec 11 6 pm CET titled A Gentle Introduction to Mathematical Simulation in R by
@damiepak.bsky.social
Register or sponsor a student by donating to support Ukraine!
Details: bit.ly/3wBeY4S
Please share!
#AcademicSky #EconSky #RStats
@damiepak.bsky.social
Register or sponsor a student by donating to support Ukraine!
Details: bit.ly/3wBeY4S
Please share!
#AcademicSky #EconSky #RStats
November 14, 2025 at 11:17 AM
lets gooooo! Do some math with me
hot take: if people think they can only fit straight lines with linear regression, they should stay yards away from something more complex than linear regression
Confusing stats language:
The "linear" is linear regression means "linear in the parameters".
It does not mean "can only fit straight lines", and things like polynomials and splines can be included in linear models.
online.stat.psu.edu/stat501/less...
1/2
The "linear" is linear regression means "linear in the parameters".
It does not mean "can only fit straight lines", and things like polynomials and splines can be included in linear models.
online.stat.psu.edu/stat501/less...
1/2
November 14, 2025 at 10:00 AM
hot take: if people think they can only fit straight lines with linear regression, they should stay yards away from something more complex than linear regression
Research funding organizations would get so much more bang for their buck if they would collectively bargain a better deal with major publishers, or simply forbid the use of grant money for publishing fees
November 14, 2025 at 9:30 AM
Research funding organizations would get so much more bang for their buck if they would collectively bargain a better deal with major publishers, or simply forbid the use of grant money for publishing fees
Reposted by Thom Volker
We didn't plagiarize, you made us plagiarize by asking questions to which we stole the answers.
"Because its output is generated by users of the chatbot via their prompts, OpenAI said, they were the ones who should be held legally liable for it – an argument rejected by the court."
"Because its output is generated by users of the chatbot via their prompts, OpenAI said, they were the ones who should be held legally liable for it – an argument rejected by the court."
ChatGPT violated copyright law by ‘learning’ from song lyrics, German court rules
OpenAI ordered to pay undisclosed damages for training its language models on artists’ work without permission
www.theguardian.com
November 14, 2025 at 2:47 AM
We didn't plagiarize, you made us plagiarize by asking questions to which we stole the answers.
"Because its output is generated by users of the chatbot via their prompts, OpenAI said, they were the ones who should be held legally liable for it – an argument rejected by the court."
"Because its output is generated by users of the chatbot via their prompts, OpenAI said, they were the ones who should be held legally liable for it – an argument rejected by the court."
Reposted by Thom Volker
Reposted by Thom Volker
Reposted by Thom Volker
Omstreden zou zijn om te beweren dat Yesilgöz *geen* leugenaar is www.bnnvara.nl/joop/artikel...
Waarheid over nareis-leugen Yesilgöz, die tot val kabinet leidde, werd bewust achtergehouden tot na de verkiezingen - Joop - BNNVARA
Harde cijfers waren al direct na val kabinet bekend.
www.bnnvara.nl
November 13, 2025 at 6:03 PM
Omstreden zou zijn om te beweren dat Yesilgöz *geen* leugenaar is www.bnnvara.nl/joop/artikel...
Reposted by Thom Volker
Dilan sluit PVV nu uit, maar FvD niet. Op de foto met Zelenskiy, het hele tijd hebben over onze veiligheid maar in love zijn met de lange arm van Poetin in ons land.
GL-PvdA uitsluiten om de NAVO-norm, maar bereid zijn tot coalitie met een partij die NAVO helemaal wil opdoeken💩
GL-PvdA uitsluiten om de NAVO-norm, maar bereid zijn tot coalitie met een partij die NAVO helemaal wil opdoeken💩
November 13, 2025 at 9:55 AM
Dilan sluit PVV nu uit, maar FvD niet. Op de foto met Zelenskiy, het hele tijd hebben over onze veiligheid maar in love zijn met de lange arm van Poetin in ons land.
GL-PvdA uitsluiten om de NAVO-norm, maar bereid zijn tot coalitie met een partij die NAVO helemaal wil opdoeken💩
GL-PvdA uitsluiten om de NAVO-norm, maar bereid zijn tot coalitie met een partij die NAVO helemaal wil opdoeken💩
Je bent natuurlijk ook pas een bezorgde burger wanneer je met een tractor het stadhuis binnen rijdt, vuurwerk naar ambtenaren gooit of een brandende fakkel in een politievoertuig joekelt. Blijf je fatsoenlijk, wordt je weggezet als schattig en aandoenlijk.
November 12, 2025 at 9:35 PM
Je bent natuurlijk ook pas een bezorgde burger wanneer je met een tractor het stadhuis binnen rijdt, vuurwerk naar ambtenaren gooit of een brandende fakkel in een politievoertuig joekelt. Blijf je fatsoenlijk, wordt je weggezet als schattig en aandoenlijk.
Reposted by Thom Volker
instead of saying this was good strategy, maybe senate dems should say: "the republicans were going to kill people by starving them to death, and because we aren't monsters, we decided to let this fight go. We'll keep fighting. Stop electing monsters."
November 11, 2025 at 1:42 PM
instead of saying this was good strategy, maybe senate dems should say: "the republicans were going to kill people by starving them to death, and because we aren't monsters, we decided to let this fight go. We'll keep fighting. Stop electing monsters."
Reposted by Thom Volker
The far right is obsessed with Lord of the Rings and Musk keeps posting about "hobbits" because modern scientific racism owes more to fantasy worlds and gaming systems than genetic science, and they see both as effective mediums for right-wing propaganda www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
Why Elon Musk Needs Dungeons and Dragons to Be Racist
The fantastical roots of “scientific racism”
www.theatlantic.com
November 11, 2025 at 2:42 PM
The far right is obsessed with Lord of the Rings and Musk keeps posting about "hobbits" because modern scientific racism owes more to fantasy worlds and gaming systems than genetic science, and they see both as effective mediums for right-wing propaganda www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
Reposted by Thom Volker
Ik neem aan dat Chris vanavond wordt uitgenodigd bij een talkshow om dit splijtende, tegendraadse en genuanceerde verhaal te vertellen. Toch?
Oh nee wacht liever meer feitenvrije onderbuikdiarree natuurlijk. (cynismeknopje uit)
Oh nee wacht liever meer feitenvrije onderbuikdiarree natuurlijk. (cynismeknopje uit)
Wie luistert naar makelaars in angst denkt dat het een puinzooi is rond asielzoekerscentra. Waar hardwerkende blanke burgers worden belaagd en vrouwen om het uur verkracht. Defend-groepen gebruiken het om geweld te plegen. Maar klopt dat narratief eigenlijk wel?
chrisklomp.nl/vals-narrati...
chrisklomp.nl/vals-narrati...
Vals narratief rond asielzoekers - Chris Klomp
Dus als u de komende jaren weer eens een domrechtse partij tekeer ziet gaan tegen asielzoekers, weet dan dat juist zij belang hebben bij het valse narratief. Een kwaadaardige frame dat geen enkele ste...
chrisklomp.nl
November 11, 2025 at 2:12 PM
Ik neem aan dat Chris vanavond wordt uitgenodigd bij een talkshow om dit splijtende, tegendraadse en genuanceerde verhaal te vertellen. Toch?
Oh nee wacht liever meer feitenvrije onderbuikdiarree natuurlijk. (cynismeknopje uit)
Oh nee wacht liever meer feitenvrije onderbuikdiarree natuurlijk. (cynismeknopje uit)
Reposted by Thom Volker
One of my favourite charts (my only contribution was the annotation)
Now this is how you detect whether an election was stolen. Humans choose rounder numbers.
by @TheEconomist
by @TheEconomist
November 6, 2025 at 3:37 PM
One of my favourite charts (my only contribution was the annotation)
Do these people feel like you should only pay for insurances if you actually need health care?
Remember that insurance is actually a thing you hope never to use, and then read this critique.
November 10, 2025 at 4:14 PM
Do these people feel like you should only pay for insurances if you actually need health care?
Reposted by Thom Volker
Chuck Schumer Helps Pull Democrats Back From Brink Of Courage
November 10, 2025 at 5:02 AM
Chuck Schumer Helps Pull Democrats Back From Brink Of Courage