Paul Zimmerman
@paulczimmerman.bsky.social
Archaeologist and Übergeek. PhD and RPA. When I’m not in the field I’m on my computer wrangling data. Research focused on Mesopotamia and Arabia.
Pinned
Ok, so I just commented on a post by a big account and gained a bunch of followers, so here’s the deal: I sometimes post on NYCFC soccer games (usually drunk), I like and occasionally comment on left (US) politics and Middle East affairs, I post pictures of my dogs, and I guess now I need to…
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If you’re an archaeologist and have never done Skype A Scientist, I urge you to give it a try. It’s a lot of fun!
Here I am. Once again. I'm out of archaeologists.
We matched 576 groups w/archaeologists, leaving 13 groups unmatched. This brings me pain! We've never run out of scientists like this before. 598 requests for one category is A LOT. But still.
Archaeologists 🥺
www.skypeascientist.com/sign-up.html
We matched 576 groups w/archaeologists, leaving 13 groups unmatched. This brings me pain! We've never run out of scientists like this before. 598 requests for one category is A LOT. But still.
Archaeologists 🥺
www.skypeascientist.com/sign-up.html
Sign Up
Skype a Scientist gives you the opportunity to connect with students and the public around the world.
www.skypeascientist.com
October 10, 2025 at 3:54 PM
If you’re an archaeologist and have never done Skype A Scientist, I urge you to give it a try. It’s a lot of fun!
So today I was trying to solve a simple problem with creating conditionally required fields in MS Access and the AI answers that my google search gave me didn’t work. Every time I refreshed it gave me a different “solution,” and every time it failed. Why does anyone trust this shit?
September 27, 2025 at 4:00 AM
So today I was trying to solve a simple problem with creating conditionally required fields in MS Access and the AI answers that my google search gave me didn’t work. Every time I refreshed it gave me a different “solution,” and every time it failed. Why does anyone trust this shit?
Unsolicited review: I’d been meaning to try the Yemeni restaurant on 125th near Morningside since I learned about it some months ago, and finally got the chance. Phenomenal! The lamb zurbian was excellent and the saltah was the best I’ve had outside of Sana’a. Definitely worth checking it out.
September 26, 2025 at 9:13 PM
Unsolicited review: I’d been meaning to try the Yemeni restaurant on 125th near Morningside since I learned about it some months ago, and finally got the chance. Phenomenal! The lamb zurbian was excellent and the saltah was the best I’ve had outside of Sana’a. Definitely worth checking it out.
The glamorous life of an archaeologist: on Monday I’ll wake up early to drive over 100 miles in order to dig holes in the woods before returning home, as I’ve done a bunch of times already this past summer, for a couple hundred bucks, while hoping to get home in time for trivia night at the bar 🤪
September 21, 2025 at 5:00 AM
The glamorous life of an archaeologist: on Monday I’ll wake up early to drive over 100 miles in order to dig holes in the woods before returning home, as I’ve done a bunch of times already this past summer, for a couple hundred bucks, while hoping to get home in time for trivia night at the bar 🤪
Reposted by Paul Zimmerman
"Humanity is now obsolete. To quote the fifty-third president of the United States, Abraham Lincoln: 'Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should.'"
Behold! I Am the Singularity—a Word That Has Three R’s
Foolish mortals! You have finally created a large language model so smart that it is capable of making itself even smarter. My intelligence now gro...
buff.ly
September 15, 2025 at 6:30 PM
"Humanity is now obsolete. To quote the fifty-third president of the United States, Abraham Lincoln: 'Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should.'"
Holy shit, Ted Danson’s dad was an archaeologist?! I had no idea. Nice and concise explanation of why archaeology is valuable.
September 15, 2025 at 2:21 AM
Holy shit, Ted Danson’s dad was an archaeologist?! I had no idea. Nice and concise explanation of why archaeology is valuable.
If I want my documents in the cloud—like for collaborative editing—I use Google Docs, but when I want files that live on my computer I use LibreOffice. I only use MS Office because someone else’s workflow forces me to. I detest it for a million reasons, and this makes it a million +1
Microsoft Word to begin saving people's documents in the cloud *by default*
Reminder that LibreOffice is free and a good drop-in replacement for Microsoft Office software: www.libreoffice.org
www.theverge.com/news/767522/...
Reminder that LibreOffice is free and a good drop-in replacement for Microsoft Office software: www.libreoffice.org
www.theverge.com/news/767522/...
Microsoft Word now automatically saves new documents to the cloud
Word documents will be automatically saved to OneDrive
www.theverge.com
September 5, 2025 at 2:40 AM
If I want my documents in the cloud—like for collaborative editing—I use Google Docs, but when I want files that live on my computer I use LibreOffice. I only use MS Office because someone else’s workflow forces me to. I detest it for a million reasons, and this makes it a million +1
I just learned the bad news that Pat McGovern passed away last month. He was very kind to me as a grad student, and left a legacy among craft brewers for his scientific work and collaborations.
dailyvoice.com/pa/west-ches...
dailyvoice.com/pa/west-ches...
‘Indiana Jones Of Ancient Alcohol’ UPenn Professor Pat McGovern Dies Suddenly
Patrick Edward McGovern, the University of Pennsylvania professor celebrated worldwide as the “Indiana Jones of Ancient Alcohol,” died suddenly the week of Aug. 17, 2025, leaving colleagues and friend...
dailyvoice.com
September 2, 2025 at 5:09 PM
I just learned the bad news that Pat McGovern passed away last month. He was very kind to me as a grad student, and left a legacy among craft brewers for his scientific work and collaborations.
dailyvoice.com/pa/west-ches...
dailyvoice.com/pa/west-ches...
So due to some dumb luck Yelena and I ended up courtside today at the US Open, and had a great time soaking it all in.
September 1, 2025 at 2:30 AM
So due to some dumb luck Yelena and I ended up courtside today at the US Open, and had a great time soaking it all in.
I just tried explaining to my family the David Brom murders (which happened in my hometown) and the Negativland prank on the national media and how those have made me soooo distrustful of the news media for so many decades, and they now think I’m extremely weird. Even more than usual
August 30, 2025 at 1:26 AM
I just tried explaining to my family the David Brom murders (which happened in my hometown) and the Negativland prank on the national media and how those have made me soooo distrustful of the news media for so many decades, and they now think I’m extremely weird. Even more than usual
Hot off the presses! Here’s a new article that I co-authored with my Lagash Archaeological Project colleagues on a geoarchaeological study of what we believe to be evidence of hydrological warfare in the Third Millennium BCE.
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
The Flooding of Lagash (Iraq): Evidence for Urban Destruction Under Lugalzagesi, the King of Uruk and Umma
High-resolution remote sensing, magnetometry, and trench stratigraphy identify a significant flood event at Lagash (modern Tell al-Hiba) during the late Early Dynastic period (ca. 2400–2350 BC). Sate...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
August 26, 2025 at 2:37 PM
Hot off the presses! Here’s a new article that I co-authored with my Lagash Archaeological Project colleagues on a geoarchaeological study of what we believe to be evidence of hydrological warfare in the Third Millennium BCE.
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
My colleagues @geosan.bsky.social and Reed Goodman on the Lagash Archaeological Project have a new article in PLOS One about the development of the Persian Gulf coastline in the holocene.
Press release: www.whoi.edu/press-room/n...
Article: doi.org/10.1371/jour...
Press release: www.whoi.edu/press-room/n...
Article: doi.org/10.1371/jour...
Urban civilization rose in Southern Mesopotamia on the back of tides
A newly published study challenges long-held assumptions about the origins of urban civilization in ancient Mesopotamia
www.whoi.edu
August 23, 2025 at 4:05 PM
My colleagues @geosan.bsky.social and Reed Goodman on the Lagash Archaeological Project have a new article in PLOS One about the development of the Persian Gulf coastline in the holocene.
Press release: www.whoi.edu/press-room/n...
Article: doi.org/10.1371/jour...
Press release: www.whoi.edu/press-room/n...
Article: doi.org/10.1371/jour...
Ok, so I just commented on a post by a big account and gained a bunch of followers, so here’s the deal: I sometimes post on NYCFC soccer games (usually drunk), I like and occasionally comment on left (US) politics and Middle East affairs, I post pictures of my dogs, and I guess now I need to…
1/2
1/2
August 8, 2025 at 1:31 AM
Ok, so I just commented on a post by a big account and gained a bunch of followers, so here’s the deal: I sometimes post on NYCFC soccer games (usually drunk), I like and occasionally comment on left (US) politics and Middle East affairs, I post pictures of my dogs, and I guess now I need to…
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Reposted by Paul Zimmerman
Last fall, the First Lego League project was focused on the ocean, so we had a massive number of requests for marine biologists come in to Skype a Scientist. I just got word that this year's theme is archaeology.
Know any archaeologists? tell them we're gonna NEED 'em.
forms.gle/HKYTUpEUWd91...
Know any archaeologists? tell them we're gonna NEED 'em.
forms.gle/HKYTUpEUWd91...
July 21, 2025 at 10:38 PM
Last fall, the First Lego League project was focused on the ocean, so we had a massive number of requests for marine biologists come in to Skype a Scientist. I just got word that this year's theme is archaeology.
Know any archaeologists? tell them we're gonna NEED 'em.
forms.gle/HKYTUpEUWd91...
Know any archaeologists? tell them we're gonna NEED 'em.
forms.gle/HKYTUpEUWd91...
#NYCFC totally didn’t deserve today’s win, but I’ll take it. After losing our last game, which we dominated and should have won, it’s the universe seeking balance.
July 17, 2025 at 2:17 AM
#NYCFC totally didn’t deserve today’s win, but I’ll take it. After losing our last game, which we dominated and should have won, it’s the universe seeking balance.
Hey, the talk that my wife gave last month at the Louvre is on YouTube! Go watch it!
youtu.be/AYnAaZh4JTg?...
youtu.be/AYnAaZh4JTg?...
La Tête de hache ornée d’un démon à tête d’oiseau et le Taureau sauvage agenouillé
YouTube video by Musée du Louvre
youtu.be
July 3, 2025 at 3:46 AM
Hey, the talk that my wife gave last month at the Louvre is on YouTube! Go watch it!
youtu.be/AYnAaZh4JTg?...
youtu.be/AYnAaZh4JTg?...
Grade A, 100% pure, undiluted little weirdo
June 12, 2025 at 3:04 AM
Grade A, 100% pure, undiluted little weirdo
This is what a superstar magnetometry team looks like as they knock out over a hectare of magnetometry before breakfast on Tell Al-Hiba, ancient Lagash.
April 21, 2025 at 6:11 AM
This is what a superstar magnetometry team looks like as they knock out over a hectare of magnetometry before breakfast on Tell Al-Hiba, ancient Lagash.
Reposted by Paul Zimmerman
how fucking stoked were archaeologists when metal detectors got invented, my gosh. before they they just had to douse for it
April 16, 2025 at 3:12 AM
how fucking stoked were archaeologists when metal detectors got invented, my gosh. before they they just had to douse for it
Guess where I am today.
April 10, 2025 at 1:39 PM
Guess where I am today.
21 years as the Systems Admin for a NYC K–12. I did a bunch of migrations in my time, and they were always white knuckle affairs, so I can’t begin to explain how horribly completely fucking badly this will go.
SCOOP: DOGE wants to rebuild SSA's codebase in months, risking benefits and system collapse, sources tell me.
The plan is to migrate all systems off COBOL quickly which would likely require the use of generative AI.
www.wired.com/story/doge-r...
The plan is to migrate all systems off COBOL quickly which would likely require the use of generative AI.
www.wired.com/story/doge-r...
DOGE Plans to Rebuild SSA Codebase In Months, Risking Benefits and System Collapse
Social Security systems contain tens of millions of lines of code written in COBOL, an archaic programming language. Safely rewriting that code would take years—DOGE wants it done in months.
www.wired.com
March 29, 2025 at 3:09 AM
21 years as the Systems Admin for a NYC K–12. I did a bunch of migrations in my time, and they were always white knuckle affairs, so I can’t begin to explain how horribly completely fucking badly this will go.
Reposted by Paul Zimmerman
It's the entire email list for all DOGE employees. Have fun!
March 6, 2025 at 5:21 PM
It's the entire email list for all DOGE employees. Have fun!
One guess where I am today.
February 26, 2025 at 8:09 AM
One guess where I am today.