Scott Ma
@scma.bsky.social
Doctorand in History at the University of Zurich🇨🇭. Working on the history of agricultural science in modern Japan & the legacy of Confucian thought. Polyglot and hapless cosmopolitan. Tweets are public reason and not private. Site: https://scott-ma.com
Pinned
here I am giving up trying to read ancient chinese texts in the original and finding the japanese yomikudashi because I can't take this anymore
seriously I don't even know which of these two languages is more stupid
seriously I don't even know which of these two languages is more stupid
February 15, 2026 at 1:42 AM
here I am giving up trying to read ancient chinese texts in the original and finding the japanese yomikudashi because I can't take this anymore
seriously I don't even know which of these two languages is more stupid
seriously I don't even know which of these two languages is more stupid
The republicans hate democracy
Kristi Noem: "When it gets to Election Day, we've been proactive to make sure we have the right people voting, electing the right leaders to lead this country."
February 14, 2026 at 11:57 PM
The republicans hate democracy
Is 民 better translated as people, subjects, or citizens?
See eg the use of 臣民 in the Meiji constitution. Is this “subjects,” “subjects and retainers,” or “subject-retainers”? But very different from 国民
See eg the use of 臣民 in the Meiji constitution. Is this “subjects,” “subjects and retainers,” or “subject-retainers”? But very different from 国民
February 14, 2026 at 8:17 PM
Is 民 better translated as people, subjects, or citizens?
See eg the use of 臣民 in the Meiji constitution. Is this “subjects,” “subjects and retainers,” or “subject-retainers”? But very different from 国民
See eg the use of 臣民 in the Meiji constitution. Is this “subjects,” “subjects and retainers,” or “subject-retainers”? But very different from 国民
バレンタインデーとかもうちょい声を小さく仲良くやろうよ…
February 14, 2026 at 7:07 PM
バレンタインデーとかもうちょい声を小さく仲良くやろうよ…
うちの家族って、言葉遣い荒い方、文化レベルが恥ずかしいところあるから、帰るたびに蛮人に戻った気分ある、そういう俺もそうだけど
February 14, 2026 at 7:06 PM
うちの家族って、言葉遣い荒い方、文化レベルが恥ずかしいところあるから、帰るたびに蛮人に戻った気分ある、そういう俺もそうだけど
ユーチューブで見たタロちゃん可愛くてなあ…やっぱりドイツ語でも…ゴクリ
February 14, 2026 at 7:03 PM
ユーチューブで見たタロちゃん可愛くてなあ…やっぱりドイツ語でも…ゴクリ
妹帰省したから家がだいぶうるさくなっちゃったのー
兄弟3人穏やかな陰キャ二人と喧嘩娘一人……
兄弟3人穏やかな陰キャ二人と喧嘩娘一人……
February 14, 2026 at 7:02 PM
妹帰省したから家がだいぶうるさくなっちゃったのー
兄弟3人穏やかな陰キャ二人と喧嘩娘一人……
兄弟3人穏やかな陰キャ二人と喧嘩娘一人……
ポケモンSVの追加版のタロちゃんにお会いしたく買いたいんだけど元のゲームをドイツ語に設定してクリアしちゃって、これ以上ドイツ語なんか無理だって、言語を今更変えられない
タロちゃん…そういう よくないと思うの…
タロちゃん…そういう よくないと思うの…
February 14, 2026 at 7:00 PM
ポケモンSVの追加版のタロちゃんにお会いしたく買いたいんだけど元のゲームをドイツ語に設定してクリアしちゃって、これ以上ドイツ語なんか無理だって、言語を今更変えられない
タロちゃん…そういう よくないと思うの…
タロちゃん…そういう よくないと思うの…
Reposted by Scott Ma
Bluesky is the new science Twitter, new study by @whysharksmatter.bsky.social and Julia Wester concludes!
"Results show that for every reported professional benefit that scientists once gained from Twitter, scientists can now gain that benefit more effectively on Bluesky than on Twitter."
"Results show that for every reported professional benefit that scientists once gained from Twitter, scientists can now gain that benefit more effectively on Bluesky than on Twitter."
Scientists no Longer Find Twitter Professionally Useful, and have Switched to Bluesky
Synopsis. Social media has become widely used by the scientific community for a variety of professional uses, including networking and public outreach. For
academic.oup.com
February 13, 2026 at 10:08 PM
Bluesky is the new science Twitter, new study by @whysharksmatter.bsky.social and Julia Wester concludes!
"Results show that for every reported professional benefit that scientists once gained from Twitter, scientists can now gain that benefit more effectively on Bluesky than on Twitter."
"Results show that for every reported professional benefit that scientists once gained from Twitter, scientists can now gain that benefit more effectively on Bluesky than on Twitter."
Did Harootunian reprint a chapter from his 2000 book that reprinted an early article in his 2019 book. I guess if you reprint it enough times no one will notice it was actually written in the 1970s
February 13, 2026 at 2:40 PM
Did Harootunian reprint a chapter from his 2000 book that reprinted an early article in his 2019 book. I guess if you reprint it enough times no one will notice it was actually written in the 1970s
やはり俺の博士論文の論理展開は間違っている
なんちゃって……
なんちゃって……
February 13, 2026 at 1:19 AM
やはり俺の博士論文の論理展開は間違っている
なんちゃって……
なんちゃって……
On the list of things I like about Japan is the veneration of learning. I can’t think of retired Americans spending their aging years researching a scholarly monograph or teaching themselves how to read premodern script but legit Japanese local history is built on the backs of retirees
February 12, 2026 at 11:40 PM
On the list of things I like about Japan is the veneration of learning. I can’t think of retired Americans spending their aging years researching a scholarly monograph or teaching themselves how to read premodern script but legit Japanese local history is built on the backs of retirees
Is not the true victory of the Anglo ideology not convincing the second and third generation descendants of the Italian and Irish that they were always White (as opposed to, say, drunkards and rascals)?
Trump nominated a legit white nationalist to a top post at the State Department. I asked him some basic questions about his belief in the “erasure of white culture”. Watch this embarrassing, fumbling answer. Like he has never before been asked to explain his views.
February 12, 2026 at 11:38 PM
Is not the true victory of the Anglo ideology not convincing the second and third generation descendants of the Italian and Irish that they were always White (as opposed to, say, drunkards and rascals)?
Reposted by Scott Ma
Someone told me lately "Bluesky is just like Twitter." I argued that was untrue on the basis that last time I had a Twitter account most times I got a new follower their bio said "single & looking for fun" & here when I get a new follower it tends to say something like "professor of rare moths".
February 12, 2026 at 10:55 AM
Someone told me lately "Bluesky is just like Twitter." I argued that was untrue on the basis that last time I had a Twitter account most times I got a new follower their bio said "single & looking for fun" & here when I get a new follower it tends to say something like "professor of rare moths".
If this was Europe every few weeks I’d get bored and take a train somewhere for a change of scenery but because this is the U.S. even if there are trains I don’t even want to bother going anywhere
February 12, 2026 at 11:20 PM
If this was Europe every few weeks I’d get bored and take a train somewhere for a change of scenery but because this is the U.S. even if there are trains I don’t even want to bother going anywhere
A lot maybe has to do with me having ridiculously high standards for my own prose idk
February 12, 2026 at 10:20 PM
A lot maybe has to do with me having ridiculously high standards for my own prose idk
Don’t envy professional academics who have to do this while raising kids, teaching, other academic work, etc. I’m struggling to get stuff done literally with just the dissertation only
February 12, 2026 at 10:19 PM
Don’t envy professional academics who have to do this while raising kids, teaching, other academic work, etc. I’m struggling to get stuff done literally with just the dissertation only
So many good ideas, but they’re sporadic and trying to fit them into coherent prose is hell
Yes I know the Zettlr system. It doesn’t work for me, maybe because I’m doing it wrong
Yes I know the Zettlr system. It doesn’t work for me, maybe because I’m doing it wrong
February 12, 2026 at 10:18 PM
So many good ideas, but they’re sporadic and trying to fit them into coherent prose is hell
Yes I know the Zettlr system. It doesn’t work for me, maybe because I’m doing it wrong
Yes I know the Zettlr system. It doesn’t work for me, maybe because I’m doing it wrong
Revising my writing is just patching stuff I wrote back together and by the time you notice it’s been five hours and I’ve both read nothing new and wrote nothing new
February 12, 2026 at 10:17 PM
Revising my writing is just patching stuff I wrote back together and by the time you notice it’s been five hours and I’ve both read nothing new and wrote nothing new
“Things I would rather do than revise my writing”
February 12, 2026 at 10:16 PM
“Things I would rather do than revise my writing”
Will historians still exist in 2040????? Ponder
February 12, 2026 at 5:22 PM
Will historians still exist in 2040????? Ponder
Two other things I’d say
1/ any practical focus further disencourages historical work sans pretzel twisting, which is very bad bad bad
2/ Europe has a worse problem but it’s tied to not social justice but “development goals”, shorthand for STS related and thus seemingly more “useful”
1/ any practical focus further disencourages historical work sans pretzel twisting, which is very bad bad bad
2/ Europe has a worse problem but it’s tied to not social justice but “development goals”, shorthand for STS related and thus seemingly more “useful”
I'm hoping that Tyler Austin Harper's latest piece in @theatlantic.com kicks off an overdue conversation about the Mellon Foundation's de facto monopoly on humanities funding and the way in which "impact" has utterly transformed grantmaking.
www.theatlantic.com/magazine/202...
www.theatlantic.com/magazine/202...
The Multibillion-Dollar Foundation That Controls the Humanities
Is the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation the last best hope for American arts and letters—or is it killing them?
www.theatlantic.com
February 12, 2026 at 5:19 PM
Two other things I’d say
1/ any practical focus further disencourages historical work sans pretzel twisting, which is very bad bad bad
2/ Europe has a worse problem but it’s tied to not social justice but “development goals”, shorthand for STS related and thus seemingly more “useful”
1/ any practical focus further disencourages historical work sans pretzel twisting, which is very bad bad bad
2/ Europe has a worse problem but it’s tied to not social justice but “development goals”, shorthand for STS related and thus seemingly more “useful”
Reposted by Scott Ma
I'm assuming Bluesky will just ignore it but this is a must-read for anyone who cares about the future of the humanities.
I'm hoping that Tyler Austin Harper's latest piece in @theatlantic.com kicks off an overdue conversation about the Mellon Foundation's de facto monopoly on humanities funding and the way in which "impact" has utterly transformed grantmaking.
www.theatlantic.com/magazine/202...
www.theatlantic.com/magazine/202...
The Multibillion-Dollar Foundation That Controls the Humanities
Is the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation the last best hope for American arts and letters—or is it killing them?
www.theatlantic.com
February 12, 2026 at 5:01 PM
I'm assuming Bluesky will just ignore it but this is a must-read for anyone who cares about the future of the humanities.