D. Hicks
@danhicks.bsky.social
philosopher turned data scientist turned philosopher. enviro policy, data science, phil sci/STS, lefty stuff. UC Merced. they/them. Signal: danhicks.50
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D. Hicks
@danhicks.bsky.social
· Nov 30
This is a thread to illustrate the nuclear block. I'm going to reply with a throwaway account, then block it, and screenshot the results from my alt account.
Reposted by D. Hicks
MAKE YOUR BAD DAY YOUR SHITTY REP'S PROBLEM!!!!!
I live in Tennessee and am represented by a bunch of MAGA idiots (Blackburn, Haggerty, and Burchett) so I called today and asked them to fire Kristi Noem and Gregory Bovino. Like @mostlybree.kitrocha.com says, I’m gonna at least make my rage their problem
January 25, 2026 at 3:13 AM
MAKE YOUR BAD DAY YOUR SHITTY REP'S PROBLEM!!!!!
Reposted by D. Hicks
We're mourning yet again in Minnesota — and struggling to square the gut-churning video of Alex Pretti's final moments with official accounts.
I'm teaching techniques of neutralization this term, so I made this quick slide on the DHS statement. Share if it's useful. www.nytimes.com/live/2026/us...
I'm teaching techniques of neutralization this term, so I made this quick slide on the DHS statement. Share if it's useful. www.nytimes.com/live/2026/us...
January 25, 2026 at 12:05 AM
We're mourning yet again in Minnesota — and struggling to square the gut-churning video of Alex Pretti's final moments with official accounts.
I'm teaching techniques of neutralization this term, so I made this quick slide on the DHS statement. Share if it's useful. www.nytimes.com/live/2026/us...
I'm teaching techniques of neutralization this term, so I made this quick slide on the DHS statement. Share if it's useful. www.nytimes.com/live/2026/us...
Reposted by D. Hicks
Trump v. Anderson is every bit as wrong as Dred Scott, Plessy, or Korematsu.
What's happening in Minnesota is one reason the Reconstruction Amendments banned insurrectionists from holding office. Unfortunately, the originalists on the Supreme Court interpreted the plain language of the amendment to mean its opposite.
January 25, 2026 at 1:26 AM
Trump v. Anderson is every bit as wrong as Dred Scott, Plessy, or Korematsu.
Reposted by D. Hicks
The Old Heresies are trying to come back, which is why it’s worthwhile teaching the old versions as an inoculation against their resurgence.
I’ll be doing that in my seminar in a week and a half.
I’ll be doing that in my seminar in a week and a half.
Fantastic article on the current state of race science (with a guest appearance from @stairwaytokevin.bsky.social)
Genetic Data From Over 20,000 U.S. Children Misused for ‘Race Science’
www.nytimes.com
January 25, 2026 at 2:06 AM
The Old Heresies are trying to come back, which is why it’s worthwhile teaching the old versions as an inoculation against their resurgence.
I’ll be doing that in my seminar in a week and a half.
I’ll be doing that in my seminar in a week and a half.
Reposted by D. Hicks
January 25, 2026 at 1:33 AM
Reposted by D. Hicks
Feds shot a peaceful white man who was concealed carrying. It’s a scenario these guys have been masturbating about since Ruby Ridge
Wow, the MAGA pigs really have lost even the Reddit conservative community now - the one that WAS on board with “well, killing Renee Good was justified because she was a lesbian bitch”
www.reddit.com/r/Conservati...
www.reddit.com/r/Conservati...
From the Conservative community on Reddit
Explore this post and more from the Conservative community
www.reddit.com
January 25, 2026 at 12:37 AM
Feds shot a peaceful white man who was concealed carrying. It’s a scenario these guys have been masturbating about since Ruby Ridge
Reposted by D. Hicks
What's happening in Minnesota is one reason the Reconstruction Amendments banned insurrectionists from holding office. Unfortunately, the originalists on the Supreme Court interpreted the plain language of the amendment to mean its opposite.
January 24, 2026 at 11:31 PM
What's happening in Minnesota is one reason the Reconstruction Amendments banned insurrectionists from holding office. Unfortunately, the originalists on the Supreme Court interpreted the plain language of the amendment to mean its opposite.
Reposted by D. Hicks
Question for the brick wall: What concept would you consider an essential inclusion in a "Quantitative Reasoning for Computational Social Science" class where the only prerequisite is basic programming?
No math requirement but I'd hold their hands through some basic calculus and linear algebra.
No math requirement but I'd hold their hands through some basic calculus and linear algebra.
January 24, 2026 at 7:35 PM
Question for the brick wall: What concept would you consider an essential inclusion in a "Quantitative Reasoning for Computational Social Science" class where the only prerequisite is basic programming?
No math requirement but I'd hold their hands through some basic calculus and linear algebra.
No math requirement but I'd hold their hands through some basic calculus and linear algebra.
Reposted by D. Hicks
Of course, the Alt National Park Service is no stranger to using their massive online presence to speculate wildly and spread panic.
Christ.
AltNPS is blasting out misinformation to their millions of followers. We don't know the agent's name, and the real photos of him are being mixed in with obvious AI fakes. This is wildly, WILDLY irresponsible.
AltNPS is blasting out misinformation to their millions of followers. We don't know the agent's name, and the real photos of him are being mixed in with obvious AI fakes. This is wildly, WILDLY irresponsible.
January 24, 2026 at 5:47 PM
Of course, the Alt National Park Service is no stranger to using their massive online presence to speculate wildly and spread panic.
Reposted by D. Hicks
Completely insane. AltNPS claimed to know the name of Alex Pretti's killer, refused to say it because "the truth always comes out," and then just deleted the post.
A man was executed on the street in my hometown, and AltNPS is using that as an excuse to vaguepost for attention.
A man was executed on the street in my hometown, and AltNPS is using that as an excuse to vaguepost for attention.
January 24, 2026 at 10:22 PM
Completely insane. AltNPS claimed to know the name of Alex Pretti's killer, refused to say it because "the truth always comes out," and then just deleted the post.
A man was executed on the street in my hometown, and AltNPS is using that as an excuse to vaguepost for attention.
A man was executed on the street in my hometown, and AltNPS is using that as an excuse to vaguepost for attention.
Reposted by D. Hicks
One way to think about it is that the state has a "monopoly on the legitimate use of force." But if you can show that the state is illegitimately using violence, then the state loses one of its core functions. It ceases, in some sense, to be a state.
Nonviolence is, in fact, working. This administration is weaker than it was a year ago. More and more of the public is becoming galvanized against it; its agents are being impeded.
Do you honestly think people in the civil rights movement and other nonviolent movements faced no violence themselves? They practiced nonviolence because it works, because the oppressor wants a shooting war, which is the war it will win
January 24, 2026 at 10:05 PM
One way to think about it is that the state has a "monopoly on the legitimate use of force." But if you can show that the state is illegitimately using violence, then the state loses one of its core functions. It ceases, in some sense, to be a state.
Reposted by D. Hicks
Both of Nevada's senators--Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen--have officially come out against the DHS funding bill following the execution of Alex Pretti by ICE agents in Minneapolis this morning. This effectively ends the DHS funding bill in the Senate.
January 24, 2026 at 9:39 PM
Both of Nevada's senators--Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen--have officially come out against the DHS funding bill following the execution of Alex Pretti by ICE agents in Minneapolis this morning. This effectively ends the DHS funding bill in the Senate.
Reposted by D. Hicks
Democrats can and must make it clear there will be trials and anyone even somewhat associated with ICE will face them. Maybe give a quit-your-job deadline on appeasement and give people 72 hours. I don't know. But currently the plan is to let them murder us in the street and get away with it.
January 24, 2026 at 6:53 PM
Democrats can and must make it clear there will be trials and anyone even somewhat associated with ICE will face them. Maybe give a quit-your-job deadline on appeasement and give people 72 hours. I don't know. But currently the plan is to let them murder us in the street and get away with it.
Reposted by D. Hicks
What's the plan, Chuck? I run a fake news website. You're the Senate Minority Leader. What's the plan?
ICE out of Minnesota NOW.
Breaking News: Federal law enforcement agents shot and killed a person in Minneapolis on Saturday morning, state and local officials said. Follow live updates.
January 24, 2026 at 7:11 PM
What's the plan, Chuck? I run a fake news website. You're the Senate Minority Leader. What's the plan?
Reposted by D. Hicks
Immigration is a fake problem. We have politicians on the one hand who want to use immigrants as scapegoats for our real ones and politicians on the other who are too cowardly to stand against them and tell the truth. That is the entire situation. Until that changes, people will continue to die.
January 24, 2026 at 4:25 PM
Immigration is a fake problem. We have politicians on the one hand who want to use immigrants as scapegoats for our real ones and politicians on the other who are too cowardly to stand against them and tell the truth. That is the entire situation. Until that changes, people will continue to die.
Reposted by D. Hicks
This is really is a great piece, and Kevin makes an important point in it: “the data was made vulnerable because our scientific institutions assume good faith in people. There needs to be an acknowledgment that there are bad-faith researchers. The rules and regulations need to catch up with that”
An excellent, bone-chilling story about a cadre of online racists who stole genetic data from studies on children so they could make specious arguments for the innate inferiority of non-white people, it's embrace by Elon Musk/twitter & how the Trump administration might make it easier to do again.
Genetic Data From Over 20,000 U.S. Children Misused for ‘Race Science’
www.nytimes.com
January 24, 2026 at 5:19 PM
This is really is a great piece, and Kevin makes an important point in it: “the data was made vulnerable because our scientific institutions assume good faith in people. There needs to be an acknowledgment that there are bad-faith researchers. The rules and regulations need to catch up with that”
Since we're talking about fringe race scientists today, here's a reminder that they aren't just on the fringes direct.mit.edu/qss/article/...
Incredibly important story that everyone should read.
These are not disorganized lone actors, but well-funded and powerful networks to be treated as serious threats.
They are using our work to push a eugenicist and racist agenda that is scientifically invalid and morally reprehensible.
These are not disorganized lone actors, but well-funded and powerful networks to be treated as serious threats.
They are using our work to push a eugenicist and racist agenda that is scientifically invalid and morally reprehensible.
Genetic Data From Over 20,000 U.S. Children Misused for ‘Race Science’
www.nytimes.com
January 24, 2026 at 5:15 PM
Since we're talking about fringe race scientists today, here's a reminder that they aren't just on the fringes direct.mit.edu/qss/article/...
Reposted by D. Hicks
We cannot keep our heads in the sand.
This has consequences for our participants, for our communities, for our work, and for ourselves.
Our circus, our monkeys.
This has consequences for our participants, for our communities, for our work, and for ourselves.
Our circus, our monkeys.
I wrote about how we must stand and fight against the threat of eugenics.
Fueled by white nationalism and scientific racism, these beliefs are factually wrong and ethically abhorrent.
This fight includes supporting efforts to diversify our workforce & science. To stop now would be a deep betrayal.
Fueled by white nationalism and scientific racism, these beliefs are factually wrong and ethically abhorrent.
This fight includes supporting efforts to diversify our workforce & science. To stop now would be a deep betrayal.
Eugenics is on the rise again: human geneticists must take a stand
Scientists must push back against the threat of rising white nationalism and the dangerous and pseudoscientific ideas of eugenics.
www.nature.com
January 24, 2026 at 5:12 PM
We cannot keep our heads in the sand.
This has consequences for our participants, for our communities, for our work, and for ourselves.
Our circus, our monkeys.
This has consequences for our participants, for our communities, for our work, and for ourselves.
Our circus, our monkeys.
Reposted by D. Hicks
If you do watch the video, have substantial credibility, and really want to post, rather than reposting it you could describe as accurately as possible what you see in the video which would be a bigger help than pushing it in people's faces.
Remember you don't have to watch the videos. You are allowed to just trust honest people who describe what happens.
January 24, 2026 at 4:37 PM
If you do watch the video, have substantial credibility, and really want to post, rather than reposting it you could describe as accurately as possible what you see in the video which would be a bigger help than pushing it in people's faces.
Reposted by D. Hicks
As temperatures drop, please remember:
Space heaters should NEVER be plugged into extension cords or surge protectors.
Space heaters should NEVER be plugged into extension cords or surge protectors.
January 23, 2026 at 7:47 PM
As temperatures drop, please remember:
Space heaters should NEVER be plugged into extension cords or surge protectors.
Space heaters should NEVER be plugged into extension cords or surge protectors.
Reposted by D. Hicks
They are never, ever going to win in Minnesota.
January 23, 2026 at 8:56 PM
They are never, ever going to win in Minnesota.
Reposted by D. Hicks
We are hiring at the 2035 Initiative at UC Santa Barbara! We are looking for a Senior Energy Analyst to take on analysis, research, and project management tasks, with a particular focus on energy systems modeling and analysis. Check out the job posting here: www.2035initiative.com/jobs
Jobs — The 2035 Initiative at UC Santa Barbara
The 2035 Initiative at UCSB is a "think and do tank" aimed at confronting the climate crisis.
www.2035initiative.com
January 23, 2026 at 8:44 PM
We are hiring at the 2035 Initiative at UC Santa Barbara! We are looking for a Senior Energy Analyst to take on analysis, research, and project management tasks, with a particular focus on energy systems modeling and analysis. Check out the job posting here: www.2035initiative.com/jobs
Reposted by D. Hicks
It’s -9 degrees. Downtown Minneapolis is packed for the anti-ICE rally and the crowd keeps growing
January 23, 2026 at 8:16 PM
It’s -9 degrees. Downtown Minneapolis is packed for the anti-ICE rally and the crowd keeps growing
Reposted by D. Hicks
STOP ORCHESTRATING AGENTS
Chatbots were NEVER meant to form a chorus
Want to talk to 9 imaginary disembodied entities at once? We had a tool for that it was called PSYCHOSIS
Chatbots were NEVER meant to form a chorus
Want to talk to 9 imaginary disembodied entities at once? We had a tool for that it was called PSYCHOSIS
January 23, 2026 at 5:45 PM
STOP ORCHESTRATING AGENTS
Chatbots were NEVER meant to form a chorus
Want to talk to 9 imaginary disembodied entities at once? We had a tool for that it was called PSYCHOSIS
Chatbots were NEVER meant to form a chorus
Want to talk to 9 imaginary disembodied entities at once? We had a tool for that it was called PSYCHOSIS