Miles
@milesbrick.bsky.social
Sociology grad student. Currently focused on transportation.
Reposted by Miles
I used MEMES as a teaching tool:
Students designed memes to capture a core idea of the course readings.
The ensuing class discussion often led to new perspectives on the readings, plus students had fun.
The course was on State and Violence @ipz.bsky.social University of Zurich
A selection:
Students designed memes to capture a core idea of the course readings.
The ensuing class discussion often led to new perspectives on the readings, plus students had fun.
The course was on State and Violence @ipz.bsky.social University of Zurich
A selection:
December 5, 2025 at 1:04 PM
I used MEMES as a teaching tool:
Students designed memes to capture a core idea of the course readings.
The ensuing class discussion often led to new perspectives on the readings, plus students had fun.
The course was on State and Violence @ipz.bsky.social University of Zurich
A selection:
Students designed memes to capture a core idea of the course readings.
The ensuing class discussion often led to new perspectives on the readings, plus students had fun.
The course was on State and Violence @ipz.bsky.social University of Zurich
A selection:
Reposted by Miles
The most important theorist to American conceptions of "freedom of speech" is John Stuart Mill, who spent decades as a colonial administrator and leader in India & did not believe that his ideas about liberty applied to colonial subjects and this seems relevant to how universal his ideas truly were
December 5, 2025 at 4:58 PM
The most important theorist to American conceptions of "freedom of speech" is John Stuart Mill, who spent decades as a colonial administrator and leader in India & did not believe that his ideas about liberty applied to colonial subjects and this seems relevant to how universal his ideas truly were
Reposted by Miles
"can u explain these gaps in your CV" yes those are spaces they help you know what's a word and what's another word, it's the long bar on the keyboard here gimme your phone I can help u it's easy
December 5, 2025 at 5:04 PM
"can u explain these gaps in your CV" yes those are spaces they help you know what's a word and what's another word, it's the long bar on the keyboard here gimme your phone I can help u it's easy
Median income for households in the US is around 80k.
1/ I may write something about this, but I've noticed some folks, notably Noah Smith, but others as well, deriding the $140,000=poverty in today's US guy.
So I thought I'd work out what a family of 4 budget would look like in my well-off Boston suburb (Brookline).
TL:DR--pretty damn tight...
So I thought I'd work out what a family of 4 budget would look like in my well-off Boston suburb (Brookline).
TL:DR--pretty damn tight...
December 5, 2025 at 2:48 AM
Median income for households in the US is around 80k.
Reposted by Miles
Simply amazing that the Supreme Court declared an end to legal race discrimination in the affirmative action case two years ago and now allows overt racism in both immigration arrests and redistricting.
Using race to help minorities? Bad. Using it to discriminate against them? Very, very good.
Using race to help minorities? Bad. Using it to discriminate against them? Very, very good.
BREAKING: Supreme Court GRANTS Texas request to restore redistricting maps
apparent 6-3 ruling with the liberals in dissent @courthousenews.bsky.social
apparent 6-3 ruling with the liberals in dissent @courthousenews.bsky.social
December 4, 2025 at 11:52 PM
Simply amazing that the Supreme Court declared an end to legal race discrimination in the affirmative action case two years ago and now allows overt racism in both immigration arrests and redistricting.
Using race to help minorities? Bad. Using it to discriminate against them? Very, very good.
Using race to help minorities? Bad. Using it to discriminate against them? Very, very good.
It's endlessly fascinating to me when people say things like this.
Even a cursory glance at historical trends should make you stop and think "would I have considered myself a good person if I opposed the abolition of slavery or expanding civil rights" just because they're progressive?
Even a cursory glance at historical trends should make you stop and think "would I have considered myself a good person if I opposed the abolition of slavery or expanding civil rights" just because they're progressive?
December 4, 2025 at 8:34 PM
It's endlessly fascinating to me when people say things like this.
Even a cursory glance at historical trends should make you stop and think "would I have considered myself a good person if I opposed the abolition of slavery or expanding civil rights" just because they're progressive?
Even a cursory glance at historical trends should make you stop and think "would I have considered myself a good person if I opposed the abolition of slavery or expanding civil rights" just because they're progressive?
Data centers can and do polute drinking water. Denying water issues IS doing what big tech wants
thefern.org/2025/11/the-...
thefern.org/2025/11/the-...
December 3, 2025 at 2:30 AM
Data centers can and do polute drinking water. Denying water issues IS doing what big tech wants
thefern.org/2025/11/the-...
thefern.org/2025/11/the-...
Brave new world stuff
My read of the economy is that consumer commodities have gotten cheaper, but the things which you need for upward mobility in the economy (education, housing) have become inaccessible while things which can send you down the economic ladder (healthcare costs) continue to worsen
December 3, 2025 at 2:21 AM
Brave new world stuff
Reposted by Miles
After becoming a congressional leader, a politician’s stock portfolio beats out those of peers by 47 (!!!) percentage points a year through trades timed around bills and firms that later get government contracts
www.nber.org/papers/w34524
via @florianederer.bsky.social
www.nber.org/papers/w34524
via @florianederer.bsky.social
December 3, 2025 at 1:42 AM
After becoming a congressional leader, a politician’s stock portfolio beats out those of peers by 47 (!!!) percentage points a year through trades timed around bills and firms that later get government contracts
www.nber.org/papers/w34524
via @florianederer.bsky.social
www.nber.org/papers/w34524
via @florianederer.bsky.social
If you want a good sport for kids that helps facilitate these relationships, I'd hang my hat on climbing.
The gyms and teams are usually very integrated gender-wise and there's almost no difference between sexes regarding how hard they can compete
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
The gyms and teams are usually very integrated gender-wise and there's almost no difference between sexes regarding how hard they can compete
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
December 2, 2025 at 7:37 PM
If you want a good sport for kids that helps facilitate these relationships, I'd hang my hat on climbing.
The gyms and teams are usually very integrated gender-wise and there's almost no difference between sexes regarding how hard they can compete
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
The gyms and teams are usually very integrated gender-wise and there's almost no difference between sexes regarding how hard they can compete
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Reposted by Miles
"the issue isn’t that we need more 'boy-friendly' reforms. It’s that boys are socialized to compete only with boys and to read girls’ success as illegitimate or emasculating. The result is dissonance, resentment, and disengagement for boys—and hostile climates for girls."
time.com/7335723/auto...
time.com/7335723/auto...
The Real Way Schools are Failing Boys
“If we really want boys to succeed, we need to ensure that they know how to both beat—and lose— to girls."
time.com
December 2, 2025 at 11:21 AM
"the issue isn’t that we need more 'boy-friendly' reforms. It’s that boys are socialized to compete only with boys and to read girls’ success as illegitimate or emasculating. The result is dissonance, resentment, and disengagement for boys—and hostile climates for girls."
time.com/7335723/auto...
time.com/7335723/auto...
There is very real water problems with AI and data centers. These centers can and do exacerbate water quality problems. They can contaminate water supplies just like fracking or anything else
thefern.org/2025/11/the-...
thefern.org/2025/11/the-...
December 1, 2025 at 6:20 AM
There is very real water problems with AI and data centers. These centers can and do exacerbate water quality problems. They can contaminate water supplies just like fracking or anything else
thefern.org/2025/11/the-...
thefern.org/2025/11/the-...
Reposted by Miles
I used to point students at this, though lately it's felt somewhat pointless as they're almost fully alienated from their work and most cannot imagine being any part of its maintenance and dissemination.
The Plain Person’s Guide to Plain Text Social Science
The Plain Person’s Guide to Plain Text Social Science
plain-text.co
November 28, 2025 at 10:07 PM
I used to point students at this, though lately it's felt somewhat pointless as they're almost fully alienated from their work and most cannot imagine being any part of its maintenance and dissemination.
This is what I did when a student submitted a paper about sacred geometry and I genuinely couldn't tell if it was religious gibberish or conspiracy gibberish
Give them a C-
if this is discrimination, I’m genuinely unsure what you’re supposed to do when a student responds to a prompt with some religious gibberish
December 1, 2025 at 1:14 AM
This is what I did when a student submitted a paper about sacred geometry and I genuinely couldn't tell if it was religious gibberish or conspiracy gibberish
Reposted by Miles
i am not a christian but i have no idea why there isn't some big panic about a guy called "mr. beast" amassing tremendous amounts of fame and influence by literally getting people to do dangerous and degrading things
November 30, 2025 at 4:51 AM
i am not a christian but i have no idea why there isn't some big panic about a guy called "mr. beast" amassing tremendous amounts of fame and influence by literally getting people to do dangerous and degrading things
Reposted by Miles
Lord I see what You’ve done for others
But if the court finds OpenAI knowingly trained on pirated books and deleted the evidence to to avoid scrutiny, that could mean actual consequences to the tune of billions of dollars.
November 29, 2025 at 4:39 PM
Lord I see what You’ve done for others
Reposted by Miles
Medical frymblal: Nature’s latest AI-generated paper
Factor Fexcectorn on the autism bicycle
www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUY3... - video
pivottoai.libsyn.com/20251128-med... - podcast
time: 6 min 32 sec
Factor Fexcectorn on the autism bicycle
www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUY3... - video
pivottoai.libsyn.com/20251128-med... - podcast
time: 6 min 32 sec
November 28, 2025 at 9:37 PM
Medical frymblal: Nature’s latest AI-generated paper
Factor Fexcectorn on the autism bicycle
www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUY3... - video
pivottoai.libsyn.com/20251128-med... - podcast
time: 6 min 32 sec
Factor Fexcectorn on the autism bicycle
www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUY3... - video
pivottoai.libsyn.com/20251128-med... - podcast
time: 6 min 32 sec
Reposted by Miles
Being among the first interrogated and ultimately fired by DOGE, I certainly felt we were facing the business end of a right-wing conspiracy theory 🧵
DOGE was not a money-saving effort. It was an effort to chase down and prove right-wing conspiracy theories. They went after USAID to prove conspiracy theories about foreign aid. Then they went after SSA to, again, pursue conspiracy theories about Dems paying "illegals" to vote. 1/2
All DOGE accomplished was purging critical government staff, handing private data to outsiders, and sentencing thousands in developing countries to death by gutting USAID.
I don’t say this lightly: if there were any justice in this world, the people responsible for this devastation would be in jail
I don’t say this lightly: if there were any justice in this world, the people responsible for this devastation would be in jail
November 26, 2025 at 2:31 AM
Being among the first interrogated and ultimately fired by DOGE, I certainly felt we were facing the business end of a right-wing conspiracy theory 🧵
Reposted by Miles
LLMs really do be making up the most random stuff.
November 27, 2025 at 5:23 PM
LLMs really do be making up the most random stuff.
Reposted by Miles
As you’re preparing for your Thanksgiving meal, remember the skilled work it took to get that food to your grocery store.
Tell us your favorite Thanksgiving dish, and we can share some of what we know about the work behind the ingredients.
Tell us your favorite Thanksgiving dish, and we can share some of what we know about the work behind the ingredients.
November 26, 2025 at 6:03 PM
As you’re preparing for your Thanksgiving meal, remember the skilled work it took to get that food to your grocery store.
Tell us your favorite Thanksgiving dish, and we can share some of what we know about the work behind the ingredients.
Tell us your favorite Thanksgiving dish, and we can share some of what we know about the work behind the ingredients.
Reposted by Miles
There's a big divide in how Americans are thinking about vaccines:
♦️83% of Republicans don't want an updated COVID-19 vaccine.
🔷64% of Democrats want to get or have already received an updated vaccine.
www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/... 🧪
♦️83% of Republicans don't want an updated COVID-19 vaccine.
🔷64% of Democrats want to get or have already received an updated vaccine.
www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/... 🧪
November 25, 2025 at 11:19 PM
There's a big divide in how Americans are thinking about vaccines:
♦️83% of Republicans don't want an updated COVID-19 vaccine.
🔷64% of Democrats want to get or have already received an updated vaccine.
www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/... 🧪
♦️83% of Republicans don't want an updated COVID-19 vaccine.
🔷64% of Democrats want to get or have already received an updated vaccine.
www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/... 🧪
Reposted by Miles
NEWS --> BBC confirms to me that they did edit a line out of historian @rutgerbregman.com's speech. It called Trump "the most openly corrupt president in US history."
BBC also confirms this was done on the advice of lawyers. So Trump's threats worked.
New piece:
newrepublic.com/article/2036...
BBC also confirms this was done on the advice of lawyers. So Trump's threats worked.
New piece:
newrepublic.com/article/2036...
Trump’s Fury at BBC Gets Unnerving Results with Pro-MAGA Edit Stunner
First, British Broadcasting Corporation execs resigned after Trump complained about a segment. Now the BBC edited out a line from a historian that was critical of Trump. Where does this end?
newrepublic.com
November 25, 2025 at 4:10 PM
NEWS --> BBC confirms to me that they did edit a line out of historian @rutgerbregman.com's speech. It called Trump "the most openly corrupt president in US history."
BBC also confirms this was done on the advice of lawyers. So Trump's threats worked.
New piece:
newrepublic.com/article/2036...
BBC also confirms this was done on the advice of lawyers. So Trump's threats worked.
New piece:
newrepublic.com/article/2036...
Reposted by Miles
Turkeys are flavorless and dry, and they want to live. This Thanksgiving, @mbolotnikova.bsky.social encourages you to challenge the status quo and embrace plant-based alternatives, have conversations about ethical food choices, and create more sustainable and compassionate traditions.
8 million turkeys will be thrown in the trash this Thanksgiving
We don’t have to accept all that death and waste for a dry, flavorless bird no one likes.
www.vox.com
November 23, 2025 at 10:03 PM
Turkeys are flavorless and dry, and they want to live. This Thanksgiving, @mbolotnikova.bsky.social encourages you to challenge the status quo and embrace plant-based alternatives, have conversations about ethical food choices, and create more sustainable and compassionate traditions.
Reposted by Miles
the last 24 hours on X, summed up:
November 23, 2025 at 2:26 PM
the last 24 hours on X, summed up:
Reposted by Miles
If you needed proof that Trump/Republicans are a white supremacist outfit:
- When locals noticed, the US ambassador claimed this was due to rotating exhibitions; changed that to "they are being repaired"; then to "they're politically motivated & should not be there".
www.reddit.com/r/europe/com...
- When locals noticed, the US ambassador claimed this was due to rotating exhibitions; changed that to "they are being repaired"; then to "they're politically motivated & should not be there".
www.reddit.com/r/europe/com...
US removes memorial for black WW2 soldiers, the Dutch place it back
Posted in r/europe by u/ericvr • 16,239 points and 695 comments
old.reddit.com
November 23, 2025 at 3:02 PM
If you needed proof that Trump/Republicans are a white supremacist outfit:
- When locals noticed, the US ambassador claimed this was due to rotating exhibitions; changed that to "they are being repaired"; then to "they're politically motivated & should not be there".
www.reddit.com/r/europe/com...
- When locals noticed, the US ambassador claimed this was due to rotating exhibitions; changed that to "they are being repaired"; then to "they're politically motivated & should not be there".
www.reddit.com/r/europe/com...