Adam Quinn
@adamquinnphd.com
Postdoctoral Fellow @ Science History Institute. Writing a labor & environmental history of the computer industry.
Views expressed here are my own and not my employer's.
To read my work & for queries, visit www.adamquinnphd.com
Views expressed here are my own and not my employer's.
To read my work & for queries, visit www.adamquinnphd.com
organized gangs of wine moms
January 13, 2026 at 6:41 PM
organized gangs of wine moms
Defense attorney: "You know who else in Pennsylvania had hundreds of illegally sourced human bones hidden in their house? Benjamin Franklin. [pauses for applause that doesn't happen]"
January 12, 2026 at 1:51 PM
Defense attorney: "You know who else in Pennsylvania had hundreds of illegally sourced human bones hidden in their house? Benjamin Franklin. [pauses for applause that doesn't happen]"
Today, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics published data that showed workers' share of business income is the lowest *ever recorded.*
By this metric, workers now receive a smaller cut of the revenue they generate than at any other time in recent history.
By this metric, workers now receive a smaller cut of the revenue they generate than at any other time in recent history.
January 9, 2026 at 2:12 AM
Today, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics published data that showed workers' share of business income is the lowest *ever recorded.*
By this metric, workers now receive a smaller cut of the revenue they generate than at any other time in recent history.
By this metric, workers now receive a smaller cut of the revenue they generate than at any other time in recent history.
I'm old enough to remember when tariffs were supposed to turn into big stimulus checks for every household instead of an excuse to increase the bloated military budget another half trillion to fund more wars
January 7, 2026 at 11:05 PM
I'm old enough to remember when tariffs were supposed to turn into big stimulus checks for every household instead of an excuse to increase the bloated military budget another half trillion to fund more wars
According to Defense Secretaries, the US invasion of Venezuela is the exact opposite of Iraq, and Iraq is the opposite of Vietnam, therefore *checks notes patriotically* this is in fact another Vietnam. Checkmate, libs.
January 4, 2026 at 5:58 PM
According to Defense Secretaries, the US invasion of Venezuela is the exact opposite of Iraq, and Iraq is the opposite of Vietnam, therefore *checks notes patriotically* this is in fact another Vietnam. Checkmate, libs.
I'm old enough to remember when they had to pretend an illegal invasion was about weapons of mass destruction for half a decade before anyone would admit it was always about oil
January 3, 2026 at 2:29 PM
I'm old enough to remember when they had to pretend an illegal invasion was about weapons of mass destruction for half a decade before anyone would admit it was always about oil
The reactionary vibe shift of 2025 has ended. Socialism was inaugurated in New York City in the first few minutes of the new year. Prepare for Woke 6.
January 1, 2026 at 12:09 PM
The reactionary vibe shift of 2025 has ended. Socialism was inaugurated in New York City in the first few minutes of the new year. Prepare for Woke 6.
Currently in Helsinki for a history of science workshop
December 16, 2025 at 3:26 PM
Currently in Helsinki for a history of science workshop
December 4 at 10am @ UMich and on Zoom, I'll be talking about the labor & environmental impacts of AI in historical context. Computing's long history of automation & pollution reframes how we understand capitalism in the digital age.
Register for free: sessions.studentlife.umich.edu/track/event/...
Register for free: sessions.studentlife.umich.edu/track/event/...
November 30, 2025 at 3:09 PM
December 4 at 10am @ UMich and on Zoom, I'll be talking about the labor & environmental impacts of AI in historical context. Computing's long history of automation & pollution reframes how we understand capitalism in the digital age.
Register for free: sessions.studentlife.umich.edu/track/event/...
Register for free: sessions.studentlife.umich.edu/track/event/...
A pretty Fall morning in my country, Philadelphia
November 24, 2025 at 8:39 PM
A pretty Fall morning in my country, Philadelphia
I don't think toddlers should be doing all that @nytimes.com
November 19, 2025 at 4:04 PM
I don't think toddlers should be doing all that @nytimes.com
*lack of coeherence. cohernance?
November 14, 2025 at 2:19 PM
*lack of coeherence. cohernance?
The AI Coca-Cola ad seems to have involved as many workers and expenses as their traditional ads. Generative AI won't fully replace jobs and give us a 12 hour workweek. It'll just save time on some tasks while making roles more rote, deskilled, and alienating.
That's how labor automation works!
That's how labor automation works!
November 5, 2025 at 1:29 PM
The AI Coca-Cola ad seems to have involved as many workers and expenses as their traditional ads. Generative AI won't fully replace jobs and give us a 12 hour workweek. It'll just save time on some tasks while making roles more rote, deskilled, and alienating.
That's how labor automation works!
That's how labor automation works!
The votes are in four years later: unions and @organizeworkers.bsky.social confirmed cool
November 5, 2025 at 3:01 AM
The votes are in four years later: unions and @organizeworkers.bsky.social confirmed cool
This year's environmental history job market is the wettest we've ever seen, from the standpoint of water studies
November 4, 2025 at 6:20 PM
This year's environmental history job market is the wettest we've ever seen, from the standpoint of water studies
Talk I gave yesterday; the "Wild West" title refers to how two Silicon Valley firefighters I interviewed from separate fire departments both called Silicon Valley the "Wild West" due to the chemical fires, explosions, and toxic leaks in the under-regulated 20th century electronics industry.
October 29, 2025 at 3:57 PM
Talk I gave yesterday; the "Wild West" title refers to how two Silicon Valley firefighters I interviewed from separate fire departments both called Silicon Valley the "Wild West" due to the chemical fires, explosions, and toxic leaks in the under-regulated 20th century electronics industry.
Sorry but you have to change your clocks and mess up your sleep schedule because someone over a century ago wanted to sell more cigars.
October 26, 2025 at 10:01 PM
Sorry but you have to change your clocks and mess up your sleep schedule because someone over a century ago wanted to sell more cigars.
It also appears that the AI Bed that doesn't work during an AWS outage has a $200 per year subscription and inexplicably uses about as much data per month as the average smartphone
October 21, 2025 at 11:10 AM
It also appears that the AI Bed that doesn't work during an AWS outage has a $200 per year subscription and inexplicably uses about as much data per month as the average smartphone
My personal favorite bit of the AWS outage so far: "my AI Bed is down and won't let me sleep"
October 21, 2025 at 11:03 AM
My personal favorite bit of the AWS outage so far: "my AI Bed is down and won't let me sleep"
Historian here, to be annoying to the Philly influencer accounts
October 17, 2025 at 1:12 PM
Historian here, to be annoying to the Philly influencer accounts
The top downloader this year of my old master's thesis on the First Red Scare is a law firm. Maybe not a great sign for how society is doing.
October 16, 2025 at 3:35 PM
The top downloader this year of my old master's thesis on the First Red Scare is a law firm. Maybe not a great sign for how society is doing.
I saw this chart on the other site. I don't think ChatGPT alone caused this divergence; other things like interest rates factor in.
But it is revealing of how AI investment, like monetary policy, was intended to help "correct" the leverage workers gained in the hot labor market of early Covid.
But it is revealing of how AI investment, like monetary policy, was intended to help "correct" the leverage workers gained in the hot labor market of early Covid.
October 1, 2025 at 11:16 PM
I saw this chart on the other site. I don't think ChatGPT alone caused this divergence; other things like interest rates factor in.
But it is revealing of how AI investment, like monetary policy, was intended to help "correct" the leverage workers gained in the hot labor market of early Covid.
But it is revealing of how AI investment, like monetary policy, was intended to help "correct" the leverage workers gained in the hot labor market of early Covid.
Judge Young (a Reagan appointee) ruled in favor of the AAUP/AFT and against Trump for punishing immigrant students for pro-Palestine speech.
His decision remarks that the government's campaign goes "beyond its closest analogues in the Red Scare."
Here's how he starts the decision off:
His decision remarks that the government's campaign goes "beyond its closest analogues in the Red Scare."
Here's how he starts the decision off:
September 30, 2025 at 7:35 PM
Judge Young (a Reagan appointee) ruled in favor of the AAUP/AFT and against Trump for punishing immigrant students for pro-Palestine speech.
His decision remarks that the government's campaign goes "beyond its closest analogues in the Red Scare."
Here's how he starts the decision off:
His decision remarks that the government's campaign goes "beyond its closest analogues in the Red Scare."
Here's how he starts the decision off:
I'm walking near Penn's Landing, and I think I may have just stumbled upon the greatest road sign typo in history.
September 29, 2025 at 5:55 PM
I'm walking near Penn's Landing, and I think I may have just stumbled upon the greatest road sign typo in history.