Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Ariel Kalil

@arielkalil.bsky.social

5.2K followers 880 following 120 posts

Daniel Levin Professor @HarrisPolicy @UChicago & @NHHnor. Co-director @HarrisBIPLab. Applying behavioral insights to understand parental decision-making & child development. https://harris.uchicago.edu/directory/ariel-kalil .. more

Videos

Education 40%

Political science 18%

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Pinned

Ariel Kalil @arielkalil.bsky.social · Nov 17

I refuse to join Bsky; I don’t want to help build an Art Deco chamber

2 16

Reposted by Janet Gornick, Guido Alfani, Ariel Kalil

Miles Corak @milescorak.com · Nov 9

If you are interested in #inequality, how it shapes economic opportunities, and the implications for both public policy and economic research, then listen to this engaging conversation I had with Steven Durlauf, director of @ucstonecenter.bsky.social

podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/t...

#econsky

Miles Corak on the Great Gatsby Curve and Cross-Country Comparisons of Inequality and Mobility

Podcast Episode · The Inequality Podcast · 2024-10-07 · 50m

podcasts.apple.com

26 67

Reposted by Ariel Kalil

BIP Lab @biplab.bsky.social · Apr 29

"If Head Start disappears, working parents with few alternatives will lose child care options that enable them to earn a living," @arielkalil.bsky.social said. "Children who need extra support...will instead fall even further behind." www.edweek.org/policy-polit...

Trump Wants to Gut Head Start. He's Already Begun

More than 800,000 students would lose access to early childhood education if Trump's draft budget proposal is enacted.

www.edweek.org

1 1 4

Reposted by Colette L. Heald, Olaf Weber, Ariel Kalil , and 8 more Colette L. Heald, Olaf Weber, Ariel Kalil, Joshua L. Rosenbloom, Emily Mendenhall, Mathew V. Kiang, C. Kirabo Jackson, Aaron Shaw, Florencia Torche, Jamie R. Daw, Carlota Pérez

Malinda Lo @malindalo.bsky.social · Apr 14

Harvard redid its whole homepage to push back against the administration’s demands. I mean, this is just a website but I think it’s kind of a great PR move: www.harvard.edu

Harvard University

Harvard University is devoted to excellence in teaching, learning, and research, and to developing leaders who make a difference globally.

www.harvard.edu

110 1.5K 7K

Ariel Kalil @arielkalil.bsky.social · Apr 10

harris.uchicago.edu/news-events/...

Behavioral Insights and Parenting Lab Introduces Mobile App to Spur Quality Parent-Child Conversation

Chicago, IL, April 9, 2025 – The University of Chicago Behavioral Insights and Parenting Lab (BIP Lab) announced the launch of its mobile app, Chat2Learn, an award-winning, evidence-based messaging pr...

harris.uchicago.edu

1 3

Ariel Kalil @arielkalil.bsky.social · Apr 10

I'm so proud of our relational technology that augments rather than replaces human connections.

1 2

Ariel Kalil @arielkalil.bsky.social · Apr 10

Chat2Learn guides rich, dynamic adult-child conversations that build children's skills and curiosity. It offers rich, open-ended questions that encourage children to think big and creatively, tell stories, recall memories, form opinions, solve problems, and ask questions.

Ariel Kalil @arielkalil.bsky.social · Apr 10

The Behavioral Insights and Parenting Lab at @harrissocial.bsky.social UChicago announces the launch of our responsive parenting tool, Chat2Learn. Thanks to tech partners MJV, partners in global research at the Development Innovation Lab and Midis Peru, and funders at JPAL-NA and UChicago Global.

1 1 2

Reposted by Ariel Kalil

Department of Economics, NHH Norwegian School of Economics @nhhecon.bsky.social · Apr 9

"Economic mobility and parents’ opportunity hoarding" by @marlisschneider.bsky.social (@nhhecon.bsky.social, @nhhnor.bsky.social & @fair-thechoicelab.bsky.social), David M. Silverman, Ivan A. Hernandez, Rebecca M. Ryan, @arielkalil.bsky.social and Mesmin Destin: www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...

Economic mobility and parents’ opportunity hoarding | PNAS

Creating opportunities for people to achieve socioeconomic mobility is a widely shared societal goal. Paradoxically, however, achieving this goal c...

www.pnas.org

1 7

Ariel Kalil @arielkalil.bsky.social · Apr 4

What a wonderful, invigorating week in Potsdam and Berlin! Many thanks to @shushmargaryan.bsky.social and my other lovely, gracious hosts.

Shushan Margaryan @shushmargaryan.bsky.social · Apr 4

We had an amazing time this week hosting @arielkalil.bsky.social from UChicago in Potsdam & Berlin! Lots of fascinating conversations about parenting, behavioral tools, supporting disadvantaged kids, arts—and only a tiny detour into tariffs ;)

Reposted by Ariel Kalil

Shushan Margaryan @shushmargaryan.bsky.social · Apr 4

Reposted by Ariel Kalil

Prof. James Heckman @heckmanequation.bsky.social · Apr 2

@arielkalil.bsky.social's research shows that learning is enhanced in the home- and we couldn't agree more! The Big Brains Podcast met with Ariel to dive deep into this crucial topic: alumniandfriends.uchicago.edu/s/uchicago-r...

UChicago Alumni & Friends

alumniandfriends.uchicago.edu

1 5

Reposted by Ariel Kalil

Becker Friedman Institute for Economics @beckerfriedman.bsky.social · Mar 26

New research from @harrissocial.bsky.social @arielkalil.bsky.social on closing the achievement gap by supporting parental engagement in learning, thru approaches ranging from digital tools to identity priming. bfi.uchicago.edu/insights/boo...

Boosting Young Children’s Math Skill with Technology in the Home Environment; A Digital Library for Parent-Child Shared Reading Improves Literacy Skills for Young Disadvantaged Children; Priming Paren...

Students with stronger reading and math skills tend to perform better in school and earn higher incomes in adulthood. It is concerning, then, that children from low-income backgrounds enter school wit...

bfi.uchicago.edu

3 3

Reposted by Ariel Kalil

BIP Lab @biplab.bsky.social · Mar 20

We're so excited and proud to hear @arielkalil.bsky.social discussing our work on this University of Chicago Big Brains Podcast episode - tune in! news.uchicago.edu/big-brains-p...

The science behind raising successful kids, with Ariel Kalil

Developmental psychologist explains how parents can best invest time to close the education gap

news.uchicago.edu

1 5

Reposted by Ariel Kalil

Becker Friedman Institute for Economics @beckerfriedman.bsky.social · Mar 20

New federal data shows American kids are falling behind in reading and test scores. @harrissocial.bsky.social's @arielkalil.bsky.social explores how parental habits can impact childhood development. Listen now on Big Brains UC: ow.ly/BVkH50VlBpj

The science behind raising successful kids, with Ariel Kalil

Developmental psychologist explains how parents can best invest time to close the education gap

ow.ly

1 4

Ariel Kalil @arielkalil.bsky.social · Mar 18

The @HarrisBIPLab and @DILatUChicago launched Chat2Learn Peru! Fantastic team and stakeholders meeting with representatives from the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the Ministry of Development and Social Inclusion, the Ministry of Education, the World Bank, and UNICEF.

1 7

Reposted by Ariel Kalil

Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · Mar 1

Francis Collins led the mapping of the human genome, and chose to do big scientific to benefit the public. He is a a former NIH Director.
He just resigned his position in government. His resignation letter:
www.nytimes.com/2025/03/01/u...

Dr. Collins noted that when he was recruited to the institutes, and through many of the years that followed, “investment in medical research was seen as a high priority and a nonpolitical bipartisan effort — saving countless lives, relieving human suffering and contributing substantially to the U.S. economy.”

“N.I.H. is the largest supporter of biomedical research in the world,” he wrote. “It is the main piston of a biomedical discovery engine that is the envy of the globe. Yet it is not a household name. It should be.”

He went on: “When you hear about patients surviving stage 4 cancer because of immunotherapy, that was based on N.I.H. research over many decades. When you hear about sickle-cell disease being cured because of CRISPR gene editing, that was built on many years of research supported by N.I.H.”

64 1.6K 4.2K

Reposted by Ariel Kalil

Dan Munz @danmunz.bsky.social · Mar 1

Gene Hackman would be a great name for a scientist working on CRISPR

6 17 250

Ariel Kalil @arielkalil.bsky.social · Feb 28

Click on the post from Steven Durlauf that I reposted.

Ariel Kalil @arielkalil.bsky.social · Feb 28

I'm thrilled to be teaching in this @ucstonecenter.bsky.social school program in Dilijan, Armenia with @durlauf.bsky.social. Please apply!

Steven Durlauf @durlauf.bsky.social · Feb 28

Please apply!

UChicago | Stone Center on Wealth Inequality & Mobility @ucstonecenter.bsky.social · Feb 27

Apply to attend our Summer School in Dilijan, Armenia!

We invite early-career scholars with research priorities in inequality and mobility in cross-cultural contexts.

🔗Apply here: bit.ly/3QFMFwF
📅Deadline: May 14, 2025

Sponsored by @ucstonecenter.bsky.social and the Yerevan Economic School.

Reposted by Ariel Kalil

Steven Durlauf @durlauf.bsky.social · Feb 28

Please apply!

UChicago | Stone Center on Wealth Inequality & Mobility @ucstonecenter.bsky.social · Feb 27

2 5

Ariel Kalil @arielkalil.bsky.social · Feb 27

We updated our team photo slide for some upcoming talks. How lucky I am to work with this amazing group of people at the BIP Lab at UChicago! Every day with them is a gift to tune out the noise and discuss ideas that matter. Hopefully, our efforts will one day make the world a better place.

Reposted by Ariel Kalil

Misty Heggeness @mlheggeness.bsky.social · Feb 27

We're watching psychological warfare against a workforce that has been committed to furthering the lives of other people.

www.npr.org/sections/goa...

Why Dean Karlan, chief economist of USAID, resigned on Tuesday

He was hired in 2022 so the aid agency could get 'more bang for our buck' with its projects. He tried to reach out to help in the rebuilding of the agency. On Tuesday he tendered his resignation.

www.npr.org

3 9

Reposted by Ariel Kalil

Chris Karbownik @chriskarbownik.bsky.social · Feb 25

I have level of tolerance for what's happening but hands off the National Parks!!! (www.sierraclub.org/Sierra/natio...). These are what makes America great and likely the only thing that Rs and Ds have in common! 37/63 parks are in the red states! If it was not for NP it'd be easier for me to leave

A Storm Named Trump Hits the National Parks Ahead of Busy Season

The president’s unpopular cost-cutting measures resulted in thousands of rangers and scientists losing their jobs

www.sierraclub.org

1 2

Ariel Kalil @arielkalil.bsky.social · Feb 25

The real secret to a longer life is...cheese. Viva le Vacherin!

4 4

Reposted by Ariel Kalil

Joshua J. Friedman @joshuajfriedman.com · Feb 23

Dear Mr. Musk,

What we found out is that each one of us is

1. a brain
2. and an athlete
3. and a basket case
4. a princess
5. and a criminal.

Does that answer your question?

54 760 6K

Reposted by Ariel Kalil

Becker Friedman Institute for Economics @beckerfriedman.bsky.social · Feb 20

Sending conversation prompts to low-income parents encourages them to discuss vocabulary with their preschoolers, boosting children's vocabulary and strengthening parents' belief in their role. New brief from @arielkalil.bsky.social @harrissocial.bsky.social & co-authors. ow.ly/9tQj50V3OS0

Talking about Words Boosts Preschool-Age Children’s Vocabulary: Evidence from a Parent Intervention | Becker Friedman Institute

Language development is a fundamental aspect of formation, and researchers continue to explore the most effective ways to support young children in acquiring new vocabulary. Evidence indicates that pa...

bfi.uchicago.edu

4 7

Reposted by Ariel Kalil

Leonid Baezhnev @rev-avocado.bsky.social · Feb 14

"They wouldn't do that, that would be stupid, therefore you must be lying about what they want to do" is a load-bearing pillar of the Republican Party, and it's why we must touch the stove.

26 420 2.1K

Reposted by Hilary M. Babcock, Ariel Kalil, Bridgette Thom

Elizabeth Warren @warren.senate.gov · Feb 14

Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s idea of efficiency is stopping research on curing cancer.

180 1.2K 4.2K

Reposted by Ariel Kalil

Leah Feiger @leahfeiger.bsky.social · Feb 13

“I’ve never seen anything like this in my 55 years,” says Beth Pratt, a regional executive director for the National Wildlife Federation, who lives near Yosemite and is working on a book called “Yosemite Wildlife.” “Just to want to gut the Park Service? I don’t understand it.”

'Honestly terrifying': Yosemite National Park is in chaos

The Trump administration is derailing decades of conservation efforts in California's most loved park.

www.sfgate.com

15 160 290

Ariel Kalil @arielkalil.bsky.social · Feb 13

We've got a new paper from @biplab.bsky.social! Super excited to share promising experimental results from our new parent-child conversation tool, "Chat2Learn." Conversation prompts sent directly to parents by text significantly boost preschool-age children's vocabulary and parents' growth mindset.

Becker Friedman Institute for Economics @beckerfriedman.bsky.social · Feb 13

New working paper, "Talking about Words Boosts Preschool-Age Children’s Vocabulary: Evidence from a Parent Intervention," from Derek Rury, @arielkalil.bsky.social, Susan Mayer, and Daniela Bresciani. ow.ly/zVqx50UZBl8

Talking about Words Boosts Preschool-Age Children’s Vocabulary: Evidence from a Parent Intervention - Becker Friedman Institute

Correlational research shows that children whose parents talk with them more often have stronger vocabulary and language skills than children whose parents talk to them less frequently. To test whethe...

ow.ly

3 4