Mike Urbancic
@urbancic.bsky.social
teaching professor of economics, faculty unionist at the University of Oregon | pedagogy, astronomy, tabletop gaming, parodies, data visualization, maps, sundry | #TeachEcon #EconSky ππ | alum UArizona & Berkeley Econ | he/him
Pinned
Mike Urbancic
@urbancic.bsky.social
Β· Aug 11
Anyone on Bluesky a fan of astronomy, LEGO, or general nerdery?
Β
I stumbled on a MIND-BLOWING Easter egg on the pink panel of LEGO set 21340: Tales of the Space Age.
Β
π€―π±π€©
Β
Itβs so subtle and so *wonderful*!
Β
Settle in for a tale within a Taleβ¦
Β
π§΅
Β
I stumbled on a MIND-BLOWING Easter egg on the pink panel of LEGO set 21340: Tales of the Space Age.
Β
π€―π±π€©
Β
Itβs so subtle and so *wonderful*!
Β
Settle in for a tale within a Taleβ¦
Β
π§΅
Reposted by Mike Urbancic
do you have any idea how much you have to piss somebody off to make them change their gauge
#Finland will begin to #Russia - proof its rail network, integrate with EU train infrastructure.
The Finnish government has announced the conversion of its rail network from Russian gauge (1,524 mm) to European standard (1,435 mm).
www.trenvista.net/en/news/flas...
The Finnish government has announced the conversion of its rail network from Russian gauge (1,524 mm) to European standard (1,435 mm).
www.trenvista.net/en/news/flas...
November 23, 2025 at 4:40 PM
do you have any idea how much you have to piss somebody off to make them change their gauge
Well I was born an original sinner.
I was borne from original sin.
And if I had a dollar bill
For all the things I've done
There'd be a mountain of money
Piled up to my chin
I was borne from original sin.
And if I had a dollar bill
For all the things I've done
There'd be a mountain of money
Piled up to my chin
November 23, 2025 at 7:08 AM
Well I was born an original sinner.
I was borne from original sin.
And if I had a dollar bill
For all the things I've done
There'd be a mountain of money
Piled up to my chin
I was borne from original sin.
And if I had a dollar bill
For all the things I've done
There'd be a mountain of money
Piled up to my chin
Reposted by Mike Urbancic
If nothing else, the LLM revolution is a great opportunity to *choose* to distinguish yourself - schools, governments, authorities of all kinds are telling people to check out, but you really donβt have to.
Itβs widely known (and, I think, pretty uncontroversial) that learning requires effort β specifically, if you donβt have to work at getting the knowledge, it wonβt stick.
Even if an LLM could be trusted to give you correct information 100% of the time, it would be an inferior method of learning it.
Even if an LLM could be trusted to give you correct information 100% of the time, it would be an inferior method of learning it.
Relying on ChatGPT to teach you about a topic leaves you with shallower knowledge than Googling and reading about it, according to new research that compared what more than 10,000 people knew after using one method or the other.
Shared by @gizmodo.com: buff.ly/yAAHtHq
Shared by @gizmodo.com: buff.ly/yAAHtHq
November 22, 2025 at 11:15 PM
If nothing else, the LLM revolution is a great opportunity to *choose* to distinguish yourself - schools, governments, authorities of all kinds are telling people to check out, but you really donβt have to.
Brooks spends the book describing what the road to character looks like as it recedes in his rearview mirror, I presume.
November 21, 2025 at 10:27 PM
Right? At that point it just looked like the list had been prepared by an intern or AI.
(What about a *suburb* of Moscow or St Petersburg?)
(What about a *suburb* of Moscow or St Petersburg?)
November 21, 2025 at 7:29 AM
Right? At that point it just looked like the list had been prepared by an intern or AI.
(What about a *suburb* of Moscow or St Petersburg?)
(What about a *suburb* of Moscow or St Petersburg?)
Borders get tricky when the courses of rivers meander over time!
(Many such cases for state borders along the Mississippi River, for instance.)
I can certainly see how this might lead to misunderstandings. Hopefully nothing serious.
(Many such cases for state borders along the Mississippi River, for instance.)
I can certainly see how this might lead to misunderstandings. Hopefully nothing serious.
November 20, 2025 at 11:47 PM
Borders get tricky when the courses of rivers meander over time!
(Many such cases for state borders along the Mississippi River, for instance.)
I can certainly see how this might lead to misunderstandings. Hopefully nothing serious.
(Many such cases for state borders along the Mississippi River, for instance.)
I can certainly see how this might lead to misunderstandings. Hopefully nothing serious.
Congress is healing π₯°π
November 20, 2025 at 5:00 AM
Congress is healing π₯°π
So... *not* a spaceship, Benny?
November 19, 2025 at 10:25 PM
So... *not* a spaceship, Benny?
Reposted by Mike Urbancic
There's got to be SOME hypothesis that makes our experiment useless. THINK!
COMIC β www.smbc-comics.com/comic/stats-3
PATREON β www.patreon.com/ZachWeinersm...
STORE β smbc-store.myshopify.com
COMIC β www.smbc-comics.com/comic/stats-3
PATREON β www.patreon.com/ZachWeinersm...
STORE β smbc-store.myshopify.com
November 18, 2025 at 11:30 PM
There's got to be SOME hypothesis that makes our experiment useless. THINK!
COMIC β www.smbc-comics.com/comic/stats-3
PATREON β www.patreon.com/ZachWeinersm...
STORE β smbc-store.myshopify.com
COMIC β www.smbc-comics.com/comic/stats-3
PATREON β www.patreon.com/ZachWeinersm...
STORE β smbc-store.myshopify.com
scrolling up, my sadness for my country was eclipsed by my relief that this post wasn't about bamboo
November 18, 2025 at 3:31 AM
scrolling up, my sadness for my country was eclipsed by my relief that this post wasn't about bamboo
Even if Chi were ultimately to lose, this primary challenge will motivate Jeffries to change his positions and tactics over the next year (and beyond).
Especially given the timing of national events, this strong push now may be just as important as whoever might win the primary (& election) later.
Especially given the timing of national events, this strong push now may be just as important as whoever might win the primary (& election) later.
November 17, 2025 at 11:43 PM
Even if Chi were ultimately to lose, this primary challenge will motivate Jeffries to change his positions and tactics over the next year (and beyond).
Especially given the timing of national events, this strong push now may be just as important as whoever might win the primary (& election) later.
Especially given the timing of national events, this strong push now may be just as important as whoever might win the primary (& election) later.
I have to think more folks in Alaska would be familiar with the word "taiga".
For what it's worth, I think that would make a *great* name for a dog.
For what it's worth, I think that would make a *great* name for a dog.
November 17, 2025 at 9:41 PM
I have to think more folks in Alaska would be familiar with the word "taiga".
For what it's worth, I think that would make a *great* name for a dog.
For what it's worth, I think that would make a *great* name for a dog.
impressive attention to detail!
November 17, 2025 at 1:21 AM
impressive attention to detail!
Reposted by Mike Urbancic
I will never get tired of watching meteorites blast new craters on the Moon.
This likely lunar impact flash appeared today. Like a space firefly. π§ͺ
This likely lunar impact flash appeared today. Like a space firefly. π§ͺ
Vous assistez, quasiment en direct à la formation d'un cratère sur la Lune, avec un impact filmé ce matin !
November 16, 2025 at 8:51 PM
I will never get tired of watching meteorites blast new craters on the Moon.
This likely lunar impact flash appeared today. Like a space firefly. π§ͺ
This likely lunar impact flash appeared today. Like a space firefly. π§ͺ
Maybe there's a reason Tom isn't being added to everyone's Signal chats.
November 16, 2025 at 5:39 PM
Maybe there's a reason Tom isn't being added to everyone's Signal chats.
Today I've done a lot of laundry, washed a lot of dishes, and carameled a lot of popcorn.
Part of me just thought: "Maybe I should do a bit of work before going to bed."
The other part of me thought: "That part of me can go to hell."
Part of me just thought: "Maybe I should do a bit of work before going to bed."
The other part of me thought: "That part of me can go to hell."
November 16, 2025 at 6:52 AM
Today I've done a lot of laundry, washed a lot of dishes, and carameled a lot of popcorn.
Part of me just thought: "Maybe I should do a bit of work before going to bed."
The other part of me thought: "That part of me can go to hell."
Part of me just thought: "Maybe I should do a bit of work before going to bed."
The other part of me thought: "That part of me can go to hell."
Reposted by Mike Urbancic
If women are underrepresented in STEM, it's at least partly because men like this offer mentoring, then embarrass themselves by assuming their mentees must be into them, then decide the best solution is to cut ties, which sends the signal to other faculty that the mentee must not be good enough.
The emails have Summers reporting to Epstein about his attempts to date a Harvard economics student & to hit on her during a seminar she was giving.
November 16, 2025 at 12:13 AM
If women are underrepresented in STEM, it's at least partly because men like this offer mentoring, then embarrass themselves by assuming their mentees must be into them, then decide the best solution is to cut ties, which sends the signal to other faculty that the mentee must not be good enough.
I, for one, think it's beautiful that the Georgia band plays "Battle Hymn of the Republic" when the Bulldogs score a touchdown. π₯Ή
November 16, 2025 at 1:11 AM
I, for one, think it's beautiful that the Georgia band plays "Battle Hymn of the Republic" when the Bulldogs score a touchdown. π₯Ή
*Kid 1 starts to tell me a story about an incident in the DoughCo parking lot*
Kid 1: So I was sitting... in silence--but I didn't walk away.
me, weakly: ... 'Cause--because Ian told you not to???
me: *bursts into a bizarre mixture of sharp grief, genuine tears, and peals of HYSTERICAL laughter*
Kid 1: So I was sitting... in silence--but I didn't walk away.
me, weakly: ... 'Cause--because Ian told you not to???
me: *bursts into a bizarre mixture of sharp grief, genuine tears, and peals of HYSTERICAL laughter*
November 15, 2025 at 10:53 PM
50th anniversary celebration at Prince PΓΌckler's this afternoon!
November 15, 2025 at 10:49 PM
50th anniversary celebration at Prince PΓΌckler's this afternoon!
Reposted by Mike Urbancic
This is a very early morning way to say:
I think more academic administrators should teach classes, at least a little bit.
I think more academic administrators should teach classes, at least a little bit.
November 15, 2025 at 10:26 AM
This is a very early morning way to say:
I think more academic administrators should teach classes, at least a little bit.
I think more academic administrators should teach classes, at least a little bit.
*Kid 1 starts to tell me a story about an incident in the DoughCo parking lot*
Kid 1: So I was sitting... in silence--but I didn't walk away.
me, weakly: ... 'Cause--because Ian told you not to???
me: *bursts into a bizarre mixture of sharp grief, genuine tears, and peals of HYSTERICAL laughter*
Kid 1: So I was sitting... in silence--but I didn't walk away.
me, weakly: ... 'Cause--because Ian told you not to???
me: *bursts into a bizarre mixture of sharp grief, genuine tears, and peals of HYSTERICAL laughter*
November 15, 2025 at 10:37 AM
*Kid 1 starts to tell me a story about an incident in the DoughCo parking lot*
Kid 1: So I was sitting... in silence--but I didn't walk away.
me, weakly: ... 'Cause--because Ian told you not to???
me: *bursts into a bizarre mixture of sharp grief, genuine tears, and peals of HYSTERICAL laughter*
Kid 1: So I was sitting... in silence--but I didn't walk away.
me, weakly: ... 'Cause--because Ian told you not to???
me: *bursts into a bizarre mixture of sharp grief, genuine tears, and peals of HYSTERICAL laughter*
πΆ Your own... Lucifer... chatbot
Hold up
November 15, 2025 at 10:21 AM
πΆ Your own... Lucifer... chatbot
came to the replies to see this
was not disappointed
was not disappointed
November 15, 2025 at 7:43 AM
came to the replies to see this
was not disappointed
was not disappointed