Johan Ugander
@jugander.bsky.social
Associate Professor, Yale Statistics & Data Science. Social networks, social and behavioral data, causal inference, mountains. https://jugander.github.io/
Pinned
Johan Ugander
@jugander.bsky.social
· Jul 1
📣 Update: I've moved to Yale, joining the Department of Statistics & Data Science as an Associate Professor today (July 1)! The last year's sabbatical here has been great for me and my family, and I am excited for great things ahead! Come visit! Trading the wind of freedom for light and truth!
Reposted by Johan Ugander
Well, no. What reduces productivity is not AI. It's the corporates' quick trading off of experienced humans with AI without a good understanding of when, how, and by whom it should be used.
January 17, 2026 at 3:50 PM
Well, no. What reduces productivity is not AI. It's the corporates' quick trading off of experienced humans with AI without a good understanding of when, how, and by whom it should be used.
Reposted by Johan Ugander
Applications are open for the second annual Disinformation Summer Institute. This is a 4-day, intensive summer institute intended primarily for early career researchers. It will be held at IslandWood. Beautiful place! Applications short and due February 15th, 2026. More info: disinfoinstitute.org
Disinformation Summer Institute (DSI) - Disinformation Summer Institute
Disinformation Disinformation is false or misleading information created and spread to advance policy, political, economic or ideological goals. It is sometimes used by industries, governments, and ot...
disinfoinstitute.org
January 16, 2026 at 10:15 PM
Applications are open for the second annual Disinformation Summer Institute. This is a 4-day, intensive summer institute intended primarily for early career researchers. It will be held at IslandWood. Beautiful place! Applications short and due February 15th, 2026. More info: disinfoinstitute.org
Reposted by Johan Ugander
I had to look up Lizardman's Constant: the 4% of people who will tell a pollster lizard people are taking over the world, ie the minimum answer you will get for even the most absurd question.
"Do you think it would be a good idea or a bad idea for the U.S. to use military force to take possession of Greenland from Denmark?"
Good idea: 4%
Bad idea: 71%
(Ipsos)
4%. He did it. He finally hit Lizardman's Constant.
Good idea: 4%
Bad idea: 71%
(Ipsos)
4%. He did it. He finally hit Lizardman's Constant.
January 14, 2026 at 7:19 PM
I had to look up Lizardman's Constant: the 4% of people who will tell a pollster lizard people are taking over the world, ie the minimum answer you will get for even the most absurd question.
- DeMarzo et al. (2003) "Persuasion Bias, Social Influence, and Unidimensional Opinions", QJE. academic.oup.com/qje/article-...
- DellaPosta et al. (2015) "Why Do Liberals Drink Lattes?, " AJS. www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/...
- DellaPosta et al. (2015) "Why Do Liberals Drink Lattes?, " AJS. www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/...
i feel like it's somehow a very controversial take to say one generally supports immigration enforcement but not shooting unarmed women in the face
January 10, 2026 at 9:51 PM
- DeMarzo et al. (2003) "Persuasion Bias, Social Influence, and Unidimensional Opinions", QJE. academic.oup.com/qje/article-...
- DellaPosta et al. (2015) "Why Do Liberals Drink Lattes?, " AJS. www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/...
- DellaPosta et al. (2015) "Why Do Liberals Drink Lattes?, " AJS. www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/...
I've often joked that as faculty I program in a high-level language called "graduate student". Having tried out Claude Code this morning, I (i) feel extremely at home, (ii) am realizing that research-by-graduate-student is perhaps the original vibe-coding. 1/2
January 8, 2026 at 12:24 PM
I've often joked that as faculty I program in a high-level language called "graduate student". Having tried out Claude Code this morning, I (i) feel extremely at home, (ii) am realizing that research-by-graduate-student is perhaps the original vibe-coding. 1/2
Reposted by Johan Ugander
this is an interesting descriptive statistic for bsky network [pareto principle of production, most people are rubberneckers] that is estimable thanks to atproto's openness. script to make your own is attached - make your own!.
what does this look like for other networks? cc @jugander.bsky.social
what does this look like for other networks? cc @jugander.bsky.social
also that topline follower count is an overestimate for the typical people signed up but disappeared / got put off by the general feed and vibe on here reasons. plotted timestamps of last post for my ~5k+ followers and i'd say ~2k are 'active' [in the last 3mo]
code: gist.github.com/apoorvalal/6...
code: gist.github.com/apoorvalal/6...
January 7, 2026 at 4:21 AM
this is an interesting descriptive statistic for bsky network [pareto principle of production, most people are rubberneckers] that is estimable thanks to atproto's openness. script to make your own is attached - make your own!.
what does this look like for other networks? cc @jugander.bsky.social
what does this look like for other networks? cc @jugander.bsky.social
Reposted by Johan Ugander
Computational Social Scientists in the Nordics, unite!
🇩🇰🇫🇮🇳🇴🇸🇪🇮🇸
The brand new Nordic Society for CSS welcomes all researchers and practitioners based in the Nordics. The Society will promote student mobility, events, and education initiatives.
Join for free: nosocss.org/join.html.
🇩🇰🇫🇮🇳🇴🇸🇪🇮🇸
The brand new Nordic Society for CSS welcomes all researchers and practitioners based in the Nordics. The Society will promote student mobility, events, and education initiatives.
Join for free: nosocss.org/join.html.
January 5, 2026 at 7:57 AM
Computational Social Scientists in the Nordics, unite!
🇩🇰🇫🇮🇳🇴🇸🇪🇮🇸
The brand new Nordic Society for CSS welcomes all researchers and practitioners based in the Nordics. The Society will promote student mobility, events, and education initiatives.
Join for free: nosocss.org/join.html.
🇩🇰🇫🇮🇳🇴🇸🇪🇮🇸
The brand new Nordic Society for CSS welcomes all researchers and practitioners based in the Nordics. The Society will promote student mobility, events, and education initiatives.
Join for free: nosocss.org/join.html.
Reposted by Johan Ugander
Wall Street Journal got an A.I.-run vending machine for their office.
Takeaway: Highly entertaining, but financially disastrous to let a generative A.I. chatbot run your business. www.wsj.com/tech/ai/anth...
Takeaway: Highly entertaining, but financially disastrous to let a generative A.I. chatbot run your business. www.wsj.com/tech/ai/anth...
We Let AI Run Our Office Vending Machine. It Lost Hundreds of Dollars.
An AI agent ran a snack operation in the WSJ newsroom. It gave away a free PlayStation, ordered a live fish—and taught us lessons about the future of AI.
www.wsj.com
December 18, 2025 at 5:24 PM
Wall Street Journal got an A.I.-run vending machine for their office.
Takeaway: Highly entertaining, but financially disastrous to let a generative A.I. chatbot run your business. www.wsj.com/tech/ai/anth...
Takeaway: Highly entertaining, but financially disastrous to let a generative A.I. chatbot run your business. www.wsj.com/tech/ai/anth...
Reposted by Johan Ugander
"Low-rank Covariate Balancing Estimators under Interference"
Always neat to see CBPS in the wild
arxiv: arxiv.org/abs/2512.13944
#statssky #causalsky
Always neat to see CBPS in the wild
arxiv: arxiv.org/abs/2512.13944
#statssky #causalsky
December 18, 2025 at 2:57 AM
"Low-rank Covariate Balancing Estimators under Interference"
Always neat to see CBPS in the wild
arxiv: arxiv.org/abs/2512.13944
#statssky #causalsky
Always neat to see CBPS in the wild
arxiv: arxiv.org/abs/2512.13944
#statssky #causalsky
Reposted by Johan Ugander
Use AI unto others as you would have them use AI unto you
December 16, 2025 at 5:54 PM
Use AI unto others as you would have them use AI unto you
There's an old social media post, lost to time, that goes something like: if you really want to be successful, make sure you wake up every morning and select on the dependent variable. (Guidance counselors hate this one weird trick!) poetsandquantsforundergrads.com/news/which-u...
Which Undergraduate B-Schools Are Most Likely To Produce A Unicorn Founder? This Stanford Prof Has Answers
Dream of building a unicorn? New Stanford research reveals which undergraduate schools most increase the odds.
poetsandquantsforundergrads.com
December 16, 2025 at 2:03 PM
There's an old social media post, lost to time, that goes something like: if you really want to be successful, make sure you wake up every morning and select on the dependent variable. (Guidance counselors hate this one weird trick!) poetsandquantsforundergrads.com/news/which-u...
Reposted by Johan Ugander
We're hiring interns in the Computational Social Science group at Microsoft Research NYC!
If you're interested in designing AI‑based systems and understanding their impact at both individual and societal scales, apply here by Jan 9, 2026: apply.careers.microsoft.com/careers/job/...
If you're interested in designing AI‑based systems and understanding their impact at both individual and societal scales, apply here by Jan 9, 2026: apply.careers.microsoft.com/careers/job/...
Research Intern - Computational Social Science | Microsoft Careers
Research Interns put inquiry and theory into practice. Alongside fellow doctoral candidates and some of the world's best researchers, Research Interns learn, collaborate, and network for life. Researc...
apply.careers.microsoft.com
December 15, 2025 at 4:33 PM
We're hiring interns in the Computational Social Science group at Microsoft Research NYC!
If you're interested in designing AI‑based systems and understanding their impact at both individual and societal scales, apply here by Jan 9, 2026: apply.careers.microsoft.com/careers/job/...
If you're interested in designing AI‑based systems and understanding their impact at both individual and societal scales, apply here by Jan 9, 2026: apply.careers.microsoft.com/careers/job/...
Reposted by Johan Ugander
A new app developed at @princetoncitp.bsky.social allows researchers to construct a large-scale dataset that aggregates individual worker data across many thousands of rides to shed light on the working conditions of rideshare drivers.
Princeton Engineering - New tool drives gig workers toward wage transparency
A new tool developed by Princeton researchers provides gig workers access to aggregate wage data that companies do not provide, a boon for rideshare labor
bit.ly
December 10, 2025 at 8:30 PM
A new app developed at @princetoncitp.bsky.social allows researchers to construct a large-scale dataset that aggregates individual worker data across many thousands of rides to shed light on the working conditions of rideshare drivers.
Reposted by Johan Ugander
The Center for Information Technology Policy at Princeton invites applications for a Postdoctoral Fellow to work with an interdisciplinary team (me, @bstewart.bsky.social, and @manoelhortaribeiro.bsky.social).
Link: puwebp.princeton.edu/AcadHire/app...
Please apply by THIS SUNDAY, Dec. 14!
Link: puwebp.princeton.edu/AcadHire/app...
Please apply by THIS SUNDAY, Dec. 14!
December 9, 2025 at 9:34 PM
The Center for Information Technology Policy at Princeton invites applications for a Postdoctoral Fellow to work with an interdisciplinary team (me, @bstewart.bsky.social, and @manoelhortaribeiro.bsky.social).
Link: puwebp.princeton.edu/AcadHire/app...
Please apply by THIS SUNDAY, Dec. 14!
Link: puwebp.princeton.edu/AcadHire/app...
Please apply by THIS SUNDAY, Dec. 14!
Reposted by Johan Ugander
New paper in Science:
In a platform-independent field experiment, we show that reranking content expressing antidemocratic attitudes and partisan animosity in social media feeds alters affective polarization.
🧵
In a platform-independent field experiment, we show that reranking content expressing antidemocratic attitudes and partisan animosity in social media feeds alters affective polarization.
🧵
December 1, 2025 at 7:59 AM
New paper in Science:
In a platform-independent field experiment, we show that reranking content expressing antidemocratic attitudes and partisan animosity in social media feeds alters affective polarization.
🧵
In a platform-independent field experiment, we show that reranking content expressing antidemocratic attitudes and partisan animosity in social media feeds alters affective polarization.
🧵
Reposted by Johan Ugander
Happy to announce the 2nd edition of our Summer School in Computational Social Science that will take place in the beautiful Villa del Grumello on Lake Como between June 22-26, 2026!
*** DEADLINE FOR APPLICATION: February 15, 2026 (firm deadline) ***
More details here:
css2.lakecomoschool.org
*** DEADLINE FOR APPLICATION: February 15, 2026 (firm deadline) ***
More details here:
css2.lakecomoschool.org
November 27, 2025 at 5:21 PM
Happy to announce the 2nd edition of our Summer School in Computational Social Science that will take place in the beautiful Villa del Grumello on Lake Como between June 22-26, 2026!
*** DEADLINE FOR APPLICATION: February 15, 2026 (firm deadline) ***
More details here:
css2.lakecomoschool.org
*** DEADLINE FOR APPLICATION: February 15, 2026 (firm deadline) ***
More details here:
css2.lakecomoschool.org
"Understanding the strengths and limitations of community-based responses to misinformation" — very nice commentary by @ekvraga.bsky.social in PNAS, covering my recent paper on causal effects of Community Notes w/ @isaacslaughter.bsky.social @axelp.bsky.social @msaveski.bsky.social
PNAS
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), a peer reviewed journal of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) - an authoritative source of high-impact, original research that broadly spans...
www.pnas.org
November 26, 2025 at 7:35 PM
"Understanding the strengths and limitations of community-based responses to misinformation" — very nice commentary by @ekvraga.bsky.social in PNAS, covering my recent paper on causal effects of Community Notes w/ @isaacslaughter.bsky.social @axelp.bsky.social @msaveski.bsky.social
Reposted by Johan Ugander
I wrote about the fake account blowup on X this weekend. A genuine post-truth nightmare and proof that these companies have polluted their platforms so thoroughly and traded reality for profit that they've undermined the very idea of what the internet is supposed to be.
That MAGA Account Might Be a Troll From Pakistan
How X blew up its own platform with a new location feature
www.theatlantic.com
November 24, 2025 at 4:33 PM
I wrote about the fake account blowup on X this weekend. A genuine post-truth nightmare and proof that these companies have polluted their platforms so thoroughly and traded reality for profit that they've undermined the very idea of what the internet is supposed to be.
Powerful read. If you're a US resident age 18-35, consider registering for the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP, formerly BeTheMatch): www.nmdp.org
A Battle with My Blood
When I was diagnosed with leukemia, my first thought was that this couldn’t be happening to me, to my family.
www.newyorker.com
November 23, 2025 at 4:15 AM
Powerful read. If you're a US resident age 18-35, consider registering for the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP, formerly BeTheMatch): www.nmdp.org
Reposted by Johan Ugander
Yale’s Institute for Foundations of Data Science (FDS) @yaledatascience.bsky.social is seeking applications for postdoctoral positions. These are cool, generously supported, competitive positions, expected to last 2-3 years, for independent scholars working on the foundations of data science.
Yale University, Institute for the Foundations of Data Science
Job #AJO31114, Postdoc in Foundations of Data Science, Institute for the Foundations of Data Science, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, US
academicjobsonline.org
November 17, 2025 at 8:08 PM
Yale’s Institute for Foundations of Data Science (FDS) @yaledatascience.bsky.social is seeking applications for postdoctoral positions. These are cool, generously supported, competitive positions, expected to last 2-3 years, for independent scholars working on the foundations of data science.
📣 Postdocs at Yale FDS! 📣 Tremendous freedom to work on data science problems with faculty across campus, multi-year, great salary. Deadline 12/15. Spread the word! Application: academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/31114 More about Yale FDS: fds.yale.edu
Yale University, Institute for the Foundations of Data Science
Job #AJO31114, Postdoc in Foundations of Data Science, Institute for the Foundations of Data Science, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, US
academicjobsonline.org
November 18, 2025 at 3:54 AM
📣 Postdocs at Yale FDS! 📣 Tremendous freedom to work on data science problems with faculty across campus, multi-year, great salary. Deadline 12/15. Spread the word! Application: academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/31114 More about Yale FDS: fds.yale.edu
New office trinket: I 3D-printed "Lewitt's missing cube". Quite happy with how it turned out. Many thanks to Paul for sending me the stl file! Skip to 49:55 in his video to appreciate why this is fun.
November 4, 2025 at 9:21 PM
New office trinket: I 3D-printed "Lewitt's missing cube". Quite happy with how it turned out. Many thanks to Paul for sending me the stl file! Skip to 49:55 in his video to appreciate why this is fun.
Excellent report on experiences of @guidoimbens.bsky.social & Mary Wootters co-teaching "Causality, Decision Making, and Data Science" to undergrads at Stanford fall 2024: hdsr.mitpress.mit.edu/pub/uynpjlow... Course material here: stanford-causal-inference-class.github.io
November 3, 2025 at 4:14 PM
Excellent report on experiences of @guidoimbens.bsky.social & Mary Wootters co-teaching "Causality, Decision Making, and Data Science" to undergrads at Stanford fall 2024: hdsr.mitpress.mit.edu/pub/uynpjlow... Course material here: stanford-causal-inference-class.github.io
Reposted by Johan Ugander
ICYMI: Drop everything and spend 13 minutes with Amy Sherald--with her singular vision and talent, with her clarity about her central place in the jagged American story. You will be stirred by it all. www.cbsnews.com/video/amy-sh...
Artist Amy Sherald: The 60 Minutes Interview
Amy Sherald spent years painting in obscurity, and almost died from a rare heart condition. Now 52, the artist behind Michelle Obama's official portrait is one of America's most celebrated painters.
www.cbsnews.com
October 26, 2025 at 6:39 PM
ICYMI: Drop everything and spend 13 minutes with Amy Sherald--with her singular vision and talent, with her clarity about her central place in the jagged American story. You will be stirred by it all. www.cbsnews.com/video/amy-sh...