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
ยท Jul 1
๐ฃ 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
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 couldnโt 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
Yaleโs 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
Yaleโs 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.
๐ฃ Postdocs at Yale FDS! ๐ฃ 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
๐ฃ Postdocs at Yale FDS! ๐ฃ 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
Reposted by Johan Ugander
In economics we call these Manski Bounds.
AI could end scarcity, end humanity - or boost trend growth by 0.2 percentage points
November 7, 2025 at 8:26 PM
In economics we call these Manski Bounds.
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
Does Claude do badges? Claude should do badges.
October 28, 2025 at 6:24 PM
Does Claude do badges? Claude should do badges.
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...
I had not seen that before, thanks for the pointer!
October 27, 2025 at 1:58 AM
I had not seen that before, thanks for the pointer!
I don't agree that all these are examples where ethics let slip in a way "that wouldn't be acceptable for academics". Would love to chat in longer former about all this, best off social media :)
October 25, 2025 at 4:49 PM
I don't agree that all these are examples where ethics let slip in a way "that wouldn't be acceptable for academics". Would love to chat in longer former about all this, best off social media :)
FWIW, I am deeply sympathetic to the thesis of the paperโfor over a decade I have encouraged students interested in industry research to read Milosz's The Captive Mind in preparation. So I want to help you strengthen the work by encouraging precise arguments.
October 25, 2025 at 2:57 PM
FWIW, I am deeply sympathetic to the thesis of the paperโfor over a decade I have encouraged students interested in industry research to read Milosz's The Captive Mind in preparation. So I want to help you strengthen the work by encouraging precise arguments.
Huszรกr et al. wasn't an experiment, it was observational. And the UCSD and Cornell studies both went before IRB. So the journals didn't waive anything, as far as I know. I feel like precision here is quite important, because the history of these studies is full of muddled details.
October 25, 2025 at 2:56 PM
Huszรกr et al. wasn't an experiment, it was observational. And the UCSD and Cornell studies both went before IRB. So the journals didn't waive anything, as far as I know. I feel like precision here is quite important, because the history of these studies is full of muddled details.
Thanks, it just didn't seem like any of the three I knew the details of were "examples" of the previous sentence (journals waiving IRB).
October 25, 2025 at 2:40 AM
Thanks, it just didn't seem like any of the three I knew the details of were "examples" of the previous sentence (journals waiving IRB).
Am confusedโฆ
- Bond et al [33] was approved by UCSD IRB.
- Thomas & Wahedi [39] both authors had only Meta affils; no university IRB had jurisdiction.
- Huszar et al [75] dunno, cc @inference.vc.
- Kramer at al [82] was exempted; much has been written about this case. See the PNAS ed statement.
- Bond et al [33] was approved by UCSD IRB.
- Thomas & Wahedi [39] both authors had only Meta affils; no university IRB had jurisdiction.
- Huszar et al [75] dunno, cc @inference.vc.
- Kramer at al [82] was exempted; much has been written about this case. See the PNAS ed statement.
October 24, 2025 at 6:34 PM
Am confusedโฆ
- Bond et al [33] was approved by UCSD IRB.
- Thomas & Wahedi [39] both authors had only Meta affils; no university IRB had jurisdiction.
- Huszar et al [75] dunno, cc @inference.vc.
- Kramer at al [82] was exempted; much has been written about this case. See the PNAS ed statement.
- Bond et al [33] was approved by UCSD IRB.
- Thomas & Wahedi [39] both authors had only Meta affils; no university IRB had jurisdiction.
- Huszar et al [75] dunno, cc @inference.vc.
- Kramer at al [82] was exempted; much has been written about this case. See the PNAS ed statement.
Connecticut is approach peak fall. Shots from Lake Wintergreen this morning. A glorious start to the day.
October 24, 2025 at 3:21 PM
Connecticut is approach peak fall. Shots from Lake Wintergreen this morning. A glorious start to the day.
Cf. the Zachary Karate Club Club: networkkarate.tumblr.com cc @aaronclauset.bsky.social
Network Scientists with Karate Trophies
The first scientist at any conference on networks who uses Zachary's karate club as an example may...
networkkarate.tumblr.com
October 22, 2025 at 3:25 PM
Cf. the Zachary Karate Club Club: networkkarate.tumblr.com cc @aaronclauset.bsky.social
Reposted by Johan Ugander
New paper alert!!! ๐จ
โA Short History of Misinformation-at-scale and Efforts to Mitigate itโ in the Journal of Public Policy and Marketing
drive.google.com/file/d/1Klg9...
This article traces the social construction of misinformation-at-scale through changes to content moderation.
โA Short History of Misinformation-at-scale and Efforts to Mitigate itโ in the Journal of Public Policy and Marketing
drive.google.com/file/d/1Klg9...
This article traces the social construction of misinformation-at-scale through changes to content moderation.
donovan-2025-express-a-short-history-of-misinformation-at-scale-and-efforts-to-mitigate-it.pdf
drive.google.com
October 16, 2025 at 9:04 AM
New paper alert!!! ๐จ
โA Short History of Misinformation-at-scale and Efforts to Mitigate itโ in the Journal of Public Policy and Marketing
drive.google.com/file/d/1Klg9...
This article traces the social construction of misinformation-at-scale through changes to content moderation.
โA Short History of Misinformation-at-scale and Efforts to Mitigate itโ in the Journal of Public Policy and Marketing
drive.google.com/file/d/1Klg9...
This article traces the social construction of misinformation-at-scale through changes to content moderation.
Reposted by Johan Ugander
Reposted by Johan Ugander
Join the Social Algorithms Workshop at Yale to learn how algorithms amplify ideas, and (sometimes) mislead us, organized by @jugander.bsky.social w/ talks by @brendannyhan.bsky.social & @informor.bsky.social. Use code sawitonX on last registration page for 25% off yalefds.swoogo.com/socialalgori...
October 6, 2025 at 3:21 PM
Join the Social Algorithms Workshop at Yale to learn how algorithms amplify ideas, and (sometimes) mislead us, organized by @jugander.bsky.social w/ talks by @brendannyhan.bsky.social & @informor.bsky.social. Use code sawitonX on last registration page for 25% off yalefds.swoogo.com/socialalgori...
Re-upping for 2025.
The Manski bound for the number of Nobel Prizes received by Chuck Manski by next Monday is [0, 1]
October 6, 2025 at 2:45 PM
Re-upping for 2025.
Reposted by Johan Ugander
"Many people still have an elderly relative who survived a bout of severe childhood illness; not one of us has an elderly relative who did not."
This is the best and perhaps most important illustration of sample selection i have seen in a good long while.
This is the best and perhaps most important illustration of sample selection i have seen in a good long while.
Good history helps us avoid nostalgia. The great article โEconomic History and the Historiansโ (2020) by Anne McCants reminds me why nostalgia can get us in trouble. Two of her examples are very relevant to today: vaccinations and the popular narrative of some economic โgood old days.โ
October 1, 2025 at 10:45 AM
"Many people still have an elderly relative who survived a bout of severe childhood illness; not one of us has an elderly relative who did not."
This is the best and perhaps most important illustration of sample selection i have seen in a good long while.
This is the best and perhaps most important illustration of sample selection i have seen in a good long while.
Reposted by Johan Ugander
Happy Birthday Google
For many of your 27 years you were called a lazy vice. Finally you have attained the status of a thoughtful virtue of the good old days.
๐ฅ ๐ฅณ
For many of your 27 years you were called a lazy vice. Finally you have attained the status of a thoughtful virtue of the good old days.
๐ฅ ๐ฅณ
September 27, 2025 at 10:30 PM
Happy Birthday Google
For many of your 27 years you were called a lazy vice. Finally you have attained the status of a thoughtful virtue of the good old days.
๐ฅ ๐ฅณ
For many of your 27 years you were called a lazy vice. Finally you have attained the status of a thoughtful virtue of the good old days.
๐ฅ ๐ฅณ
Very excited for this talk Mor!!! Should lead to a lively discussion. The purpose of the workshop is to ask/ponder/problematize the big questions!
September 24, 2025 at 2:39 PM
Very excited for this talk Mor!!! Should lead to a lively discussion. The purpose of the workshop is to ask/ponder/problematize the big questions!
I'm really looking forward to this workshop Oct 16-17! Poster submission deadline today ๐๏ธ 9/22, travel funding available for students and postdocs! Join us!
๐ฃ Yale workshop, Oct 16-17! ๐ฃ How could/should content ranking work? What's new in content moderation? How can platforms promote civility? Hosted by Yale's Institute for Foundations of Data Science (FDS). Great speakers! Submit posters by 9/22! Spread the word! yalefds.swoogo.com/socialalgori...
New Directions in Social Algorithms Research on October 16-17, 2025 at Yale University
As social media algorithms increasingly mediate social experiences, there has been a rapid increase in research on the effects of how these algorithms are configured, alternatives to engagement-centri...
yalefds.swoogo.com
September 22, 2025 at 8:09 AM
I'm really looking forward to this workshop Oct 16-17! Poster submission deadline today ๐๏ธ 9/22, travel funding available for students and postdocs! Join us!