Farrah Bostic
@farrahbostic.bsky.social
Founder of The Difference Engine. Researcher, strategist, truth-teller. Host of Cross Tabs. Asking better questions since forever.
Honestly a lot of the time I spend talking to product and brand leaders - esp in tech - is spent uncovering how little time some have spent even noticing other humans, much less how completely they abandoned the cognitive step of perspective-taking, which is essential to living in a society.
If you’d like to independently investigate this for yourself, here’s one simple way:
www.theverge.com/ai-artificia...
www.theverge.com/ai-artificia...
November 25, 2025 at 8:41 PM
Honestly a lot of the time I spend talking to product and brand leaders - esp in tech - is spent uncovering how little time some have spent even noticing other humans, much less how completely they abandoned the cognitive step of perspective-taking, which is essential to living in a society.
Reposted by Farrah Bostic
Every American should have this in their wallet:
November 25, 2025 at 5:01 PM
Every American should have this in their wallet:
When the wealthy starve democratic governments by spending their resources defending their wealth instead of paying into the commonwealth, you get less democracy everywhere.
So much for the Magna Carta.
So much for the Magna Carta.
Jury trials in England and Wales to be scrapped except for most serious cases on.ft.com/3LY1Ceq
Jury trials in England and Wales to be scrapped except for most serious cases
Proposed changes unlikely to apply for trials of serious offences such as rape and murder
on.ft.com
November 25, 2025 at 3:51 PM
When the wealthy starve democratic governments by spending their resources defending their wealth instead of paying into the commonwealth, you get less democracy everywhere.
So much for the Magna Carta.
So much for the Magna Carta.
I am so glad to see this being reported out.
I’ve been running around asking tech execs and academics if language was the same as intelligence for over a year now - and, well, it isn’t. @benjaminjriley.bsky.social explains how the bubble is built on ignoring cutting-edge research into the science of thought www.theverge.com/ai-artificia...
November 25, 2025 at 3:48 PM
I am so glad to see this being reported out.
Reposted by Farrah Bostic
This isn't just heart breaking, it's terrifying. Your financial situation shouldn't be a factor in receiving or responding to life-saving care. news.harvard.edu/gazette/stor...
Odds of surviving cancer drop drastically when credit score dips — Harvard Gazette
Study explores links between financial stress and mortality risk.
news.harvard.edu
November 25, 2025 at 2:39 AM
This isn't just heart breaking, it's terrifying. Your financial situation shouldn't be a factor in receiving or responding to life-saving care. news.harvard.edu/gazette/stor...
THE
MURRAY’S
CONFRONTATION
I am not afraid of confrontation, please leave the cheeses.
MURRAY’S
CONFRONTATION
I am not afraid of confrontation, please leave the cheeses.
one of my uncles is banned from thanksgiving after he brought a giant spread of artisanal cheese, engaged in a planned confrontation with my cousins who were hosting and called them assholes, and then left and TOOK THE CHEESE AWAY
the Murray's Confrontation has never been forgiven
the Murray's Confrontation has never been forgiven
November 25, 2025 at 2:47 AM
THE
MURRAY’S
CONFRONTATION
I am not afraid of confrontation, please leave the cheeses.
MURRAY’S
CONFRONTATION
I am not afraid of confrontation, please leave the cheeses.
I spent most of today trying to finish up a countertop customization project - lots of lifting and carrying and struggle…
But the thing I did that was the most strenuous was giving my 75 lb dog a bath. My dream house will have a giant utility room with a dogwashing sink.
But the thing I did that was the most strenuous was giving my 75 lb dog a bath. My dream house will have a giant utility room with a dogwashing sink.
November 24, 2025 at 10:08 PM
I spent most of today trying to finish up a countertop customization project - lots of lifting and carrying and struggle…
But the thing I did that was the most strenuous was giving my 75 lb dog a bath. My dream house will have a giant utility room with a dogwashing sink.
But the thing I did that was the most strenuous was giving my 75 lb dog a bath. My dream house will have a giant utility room with a dogwashing sink.
Reposted by Farrah Bostic
Reposted by Farrah Bostic
A 91-year-old woman refused to sell her home of 60 years to make room for a $100 billion Micron superfab. She finally gave up when authorities threatened to take it through eminent domain. from @peard33.bsky.social
A $100 Billion Chip Project Forced a 91-Year-Old Woman From Her Home
Azalia King was the last holdout preventing the construction of a Micron "megafab." Onondaga County authorities threatened to use eminent domain to take her home away by force.
www.wired.com
November 24, 2025 at 1:25 PM
A 91-year-old woman refused to sell her home of 60 years to make room for a $100 billion Micron superfab. She finally gave up when authorities threatened to take it through eminent domain. from @peard33.bsky.social
Reposted by Farrah Bostic
Can LLMs stand in for human respondents? We highlight some ways to consider the data in the context of moral judgments.
Out now in Scientific Reports! Despite high correlations, ChatGPT models failed to replicate human moral judgments. We propose tests beyond correlation to compare LLM data and human data.
With @mattgrizz.bsky.social @andyluttrell.bsky.social @chasmonge.bsky.social
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
With @mattgrizz.bsky.social @andyluttrell.bsky.social @chasmonge.bsky.social
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
ChatGPT does not replicate human moral judgments: the importance of examining metrics beyond correlation to assess agreement - Scientific Reports
Scientific Reports - ChatGPT does not replicate human moral judgments: the importance of examining metrics beyond correlation to assess agreement
www.nature.com
November 24, 2025 at 4:54 PM
Can LLMs stand in for human respondents? We highlight some ways to consider the data in the context of moral judgments.
Reposted by Farrah Bostic
A flood of debt to fund AI data centers is overwhelming appetite for bonds:
* Amazon, Alphabet, Meta, Oracle issued $90 billion in the past 2.5 months alone
* that's more debt than they issued in the previous 3.5 years
www.wsj.com/finance/inve...
* Amazon, Alphabet, Meta, Oracle issued $90 billion in the past 2.5 months alone
* that's more debt than they issued in the previous 3.5 years
www.wsj.com/finance/inve...
Flood of AI Bonds Adds to Pressure on Markets
Prices of newly issued bonds have slid, adding to investors’ anxieties about stock valuations.
www.wsj.com
November 24, 2025 at 4:58 PM
A flood of debt to fund AI data centers is overwhelming appetite for bonds:
* Amazon, Alphabet, Meta, Oracle issued $90 billion in the past 2.5 months alone
* that's more debt than they issued in the previous 3.5 years
www.wsj.com/finance/inve...
* Amazon, Alphabet, Meta, Oracle issued $90 billion in the past 2.5 months alone
* that's more debt than they issued in the previous 3.5 years
www.wsj.com/finance/inve...
All the “mows the lawn, clears the sidewalk, fixes the steps” videos on YouTube are lovely but also speak to how badly systems are failing.
So many essentially abandoned homes, neighborhoods, people.
So many essentially abandoned homes, neighborhoods, people.
November 23, 2025 at 11:34 PM
All the “mows the lawn, clears the sidewalk, fixes the steps” videos on YouTube are lovely but also speak to how badly systems are failing.
So many essentially abandoned homes, neighborhoods, people.
So many essentially abandoned homes, neighborhoods, people.
You can only con people into thinking they don’t live in a society up to a point.
November 23, 2025 at 9:49 PM
You can only con people into thinking they don’t live in a society up to a point.
I come from a Pacific Northwest mindset that is already pretty DIY, but in the early 90s, MTV’s House of Style reinforced this tendency, and Todd Oldham was my favorite:
youtu.be/fMOTDZQVmoQ?...
youtu.be/fMOTDZQVmoQ?...
POP LUNCH - Todd Oldham transforms flea market finds into furniture
YouTube video by Pop Lunch
youtu.be
November 23, 2025 at 6:16 PM
I come from a Pacific Northwest mindset that is already pretty DIY, but in the early 90s, MTV’s House of Style reinforced this tendency, and Todd Oldham was my favorite:
youtu.be/fMOTDZQVmoQ?...
youtu.be/fMOTDZQVmoQ?...
Reposted by Farrah Bostic
Kavanaugh stop. Smashed the kid’s car windows and arrested him. He told them he was a U.S. citizen. The officer replied “I don’t care.”
www.oregonlive.com/portland/202...
www.oregonlive.com/portland/202...
High school senior, a U.S. citizen, detained by ICE in Oregon
The 17-year-old was held more than five hours Friday in an ICE facility, his brother said.
www.oregonlive.com
November 23, 2025 at 12:34 AM
Kavanaugh stop. Smashed the kid’s car windows and arrested him. He told them he was a U.S. citizen. The officer replied “I don’t care.”
www.oregonlive.com/portland/202...
www.oregonlive.com/portland/202...
Reposted by Farrah Bostic
Not only are generations fake, they’re also something we basically invented a few decades ago. Compare when generations occurred (shaded areas) with when we settled on their names.
From this week’s newsletter: www.howtoreadthisch.art/ample-exampl...
From this week’s newsletter: www.howtoreadthisch.art/ample-exampl...
November 22, 2025 at 10:33 PM
Not only are generations fake, they’re also something we basically invented a few decades ago. Compare when generations occurred (shaded areas) with when we settled on their names.
From this week’s newsletter: www.howtoreadthisch.art/ample-exampl...
From this week’s newsletter: www.howtoreadthisch.art/ample-exampl...
I’ve got to tell you - @kwcollins.bsky.social is incredibly knowledgeable so the show notes for this episode include a pretty impressive list of referenced books and articles that I highly recommend you check out AFTER you read this: www.survey160.com/methodologic...
November 22, 2025 at 5:36 PM
I’ve got to tell you - @kwcollins.bsky.social is incredibly knowledgeable so the show notes for this episode include a pretty impressive list of referenced books and articles that I highly recommend you check out AFTER you read this: www.survey160.com/methodologic...
And if you're an Apple Podcasts friend, it's available now there, too: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/c...
November 22, 2025 at 5:09 PM
And if you're an Apple Podcasts friend, it's available now there, too: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/c...
New episode of @crosstabspodcast.com just dropped featuring @kwcollins.bsky.social discussing his work at Survey 160 looking at the limits of AI in survey research + a brief discussion about popularism and its (also limited) uses. It's available already on Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/1SW1...
Intelligence Is Not Wisdom, with Kevin Collins
open.spotify.com
November 22, 2025 at 5:05 PM
New episode of @crosstabspodcast.com just dropped featuring @kwcollins.bsky.social discussing his work at Survey 160 looking at the limits of AI in survey research + a brief discussion about popularism and its (also limited) uses. It's available already on Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/1SW1...
I’m going to go ahead and agree with some of the commenters that Dems should consider outlets and reporters like these as hostile mouthpieces for capital… and then care a lot less what they think about Democrats. It is known.
"That's absolutely a ridiculous assertion. Shame on you for saying that" -- Hakeem Jeffries was not happy when CNBC's Rebecca Quick claimed he actually wants healthcare costs to go up to score political points on Republicans
November 21, 2025 at 5:10 PM
I’m going to go ahead and agree with some of the commenters that Dems should consider outlets and reporters like these as hostile mouthpieces for capital… and then care a lot less what they think about Democrats. It is known.
Reposted by Farrah Bostic
Santa Fe is now the first city to tie the minimum wage to the cost of rent.
The Santa Fe City Council voted to raise its minimum wage from $15/hr to $17.50 by 2027 — but they also added another provision.
Future increases will factor in inflation, and the price of housing.
The Santa Fe City Council voted to raise its minimum wage from $15/hr to $17.50 by 2027 — but they also added another provision.
Future increases will factor in inflation, and the price of housing.
With new ordinance, Santa Fe becomes first city to tie minimum wage to rental costs
SANTA FE — The Santa Fe City Council voted on Wednesday to raise its minimum wage from $15 an hour to $17.50 in 2027, eliciting praise from workers’ rights advocates
www.abqjournal.com
November 20, 2025 at 3:21 PM
Santa Fe is now the first city to tie the minimum wage to the cost of rent.
The Santa Fe City Council voted to raise its minimum wage from $15/hr to $17.50 by 2027 — but they also added another provision.
Future increases will factor in inflation, and the price of housing.
The Santa Fe City Council voted to raise its minimum wage from $15/hr to $17.50 by 2027 — but they also added another provision.
Future increases will factor in inflation, and the price of housing.
I suppose we can continue to quibble about whether it’s fascism or authoritarianism but the fascist obsession with aesthetics - of class and of masculinity/femininity - are everywhere in this administration of reality tv players.
Trump's Transportation Secretary on how to improve air travel:
"People dress up like they're going to bed when they fly... We want to push people as we come into a really busy travel season, help people out, be in a good mood, dress up"
"People dress up like they're going to bed when they fly... We want to push people as we come into a really busy travel season, help people out, be in a good mood, dress up"
November 20, 2025 at 9:54 PM
I suppose we can continue to quibble about whether it’s fascism or authoritarianism but the fascist obsession with aesthetics - of class and of masculinity/femininity - are everywhere in this administration of reality tv players.
Reposted by Farrah Bostic
Important: House Dem leaders just said Trump's call for execution of Dems has prompted them to contact US Capitol Police and House Sergeant at Arms to "ensure the safety of these members and their families."
Treat Trump like an unhinged menace. He's weak and in deep political trouble. Don't let up.
Treat Trump like an unhinged menace. He's weak and in deep political trouble. Don't let up.
November 20, 2025 at 4:46 PM
Important: House Dem leaders just said Trump's call for execution of Dems has prompted them to contact US Capitol Police and House Sergeant at Arms to "ensure the safety of these members and their families."
Treat Trump like an unhinged menace. He's weak and in deep political trouble. Don't let up.
Treat Trump like an unhinged menace. He's weak and in deep political trouble. Don't let up.
Reposted by Farrah Bostic
More open ends, please.
I disagree that people are "learning the wrong lesson" but I agree that people should be running more open ended responses instead of putting voters into ideological boxes just because of the way they have constructed their survey analysis (averaging a bunch of yes/no policy questions)
I think people are learning the wrong lesson from Elliott's post. My peace plan: everyone stops arguing over labels and instead runs surveys (like this one) with OPEN ENDED responses and we listen to what voters actually say.
And then we act on those feelings to win more elections :)
And then we act on those feelings to win more elections :)
November 20, 2025 at 6:08 PM
More open ends, please.