Amelia McNamara
LightNews LightNews
banner
amelia.mn
Amelia McNamara
@amelia.mn
4.9K followers 540 following 320 posts
Associate professor of statistics and data science at the University of St Thomas. Into data visualization and reproducible research, obsessed with R. pronoun.is/she

website: amelia.mn
mastodon: @vis.social/@amelia
Posts Replies Media Videos
amelia.mn
POD president Carl Moore is talking about the theme of Writing our Future, and reminding us of our humanity. Loving this emphasis on balancing intellect and intuition, evidence and empathy, and rigor and relationship. #pod25
Photograph of Carl Moore with a slide of his talk. The slide includes icons to illustrate "intellect + intuition," "evidence + empathy" and "rigor + relationship."
November 21, 2025 at 8:30 PM
amelia.mn
Excited for @edufuturist.bsky.social's keynote at the POD Network conference. "Writing the Future," what a great topic. #pod25
November 20, 2025 at 9:07 PM
Reposted by Amelia McNamara
clauswilke.com
This seems important. Current AI models can't read graphs. They "see" what they expect to see, even if the data shows something else.
posit.co Posit @posit.co · 11d
Introducing bluffbench, a new tool to evaluate how well LLMs actually see data plots.

When we trick LLMs with secret #RStats transformations, they can miss the visual contradiction.

bluffbench helps us measure this "blind spot" in AI coding agents. Learn more: posit.co/blog/introdu...
When plotting, LLMs see what they expect to see - Posit
Data science agents need to accurately read plots even when the content contradicts their expectations. Our testing shows today's LLMs still struggle here.
posit.co
November 19, 2025 at 4:58 PM
amelia.mn
I'm heading to San Diego for the POD Network conference. It's my first time, and I don't think I'll know anyone there! I'm excited to learn some new things and spread the word about data science pedagogy. #POD25
November 19, 2025 at 5:02 PM
Reposted by Amelia McNamara
purlgurly.bsky.social
Using asbestos as a metaphor for the current industry-driven AI push is genius.
olivia.science Olivia Guest · Ολίβια Γκεστ @olivia.science · 16d
Love to see community action against this AI nonsense! neighborhoodview.org/2025/11/13/d...
As one Massachusetts school administrator recently said; this moment with AI is remarkably like the moment when we were introduced to asbestos. Yes, it had some remarkably promising characteristics – fireproofing! – and had some real utility in science, research, and industrial applications. But a profit-driven industry bullied us into inserting it everywhere; into our homes and schools and public spaces, before we really understood the risks. This resulted in decades, if not centuries, of illness, injuries, deaths, and the astronomical financial burden of trying to remove the stuff. As you, the leaders and policymakers in our schools, craft an AI policy for our district, we the undersigned call on you to: 1. Ban AI tools into the classroom, protect our students and teachers from de-skilling and allow them the space and time to engage in assignments themselves. 2. Resist any direct financial relationship or contracts with AI providers, as well as the “training” they might offer. 3. Provide a digital literacy curriculum to help students navigate the current digital landscape, and promote critical engagement with technology. 4. Guarantee that anywhere generative AI has already entered our classrooms or curriculum, an opt-out will allow students and teachers to refuse the use of these products at no risk to their grades, progress or employment.
November 14, 2025 at 1:57 PM
Reposted by Amelia McNamara
linkletter.org
I have been dreaming of this day for over five years. Proctorio’s lawsuit against me is forever over. I’ve won my life back!

linkletter.org/update-33-th...
Update #33: The lawsuit is over! | Stand Against Proctorio's SLAPP!
linkletter.org
November 13, 2025 at 11:49 PM
Reposted by Amelia McNamara
carlbergstrom.com
Twin cities friends: I'll be speaking tomorrow at the Minnesota Center for Philosophy of Science on how AI disrupts the sometimes precarious balance of scientific incentives.
November 13, 2025 at 9:02 PM
Reposted by Amelia McNamara
tonydamiano.bsky.social
I know some folks were asking for something like this (@meshm.bsky.social iirc) So I made a quick dot density map of the first choice Minneapolis mayoral results. This allows you to see two things that choropleth maps can't show... umn.maps.arcgis.com/apps/mapview...
November 6, 2025 at 7:57 PM
Reposted by Amelia McNamara
wolvendamien.bsky.social
If you've stopped masking in public for whatever reason, now is a really good time to start again
November 4, 2025 at 1:28 AM
Reposted by Amelia McNamara
themountaingoats.bsky.social
all the staffers at teen vogue who just got laid off I hope yall feel how appreciated your work has been by so many.
November 3, 2025 at 9:31 PM
Reposted by Amelia McNamara
phineas.bsky.social
New awareness campaign
A digital poster in the style of a World War II propaganda piece. Isolaed on a yellow background, a normal, squarish, 20-something guy with glasses is sitting working on a laptop. A ghostly figure of Hitler has his arm around the guy and is grinning and shaking a fist triumphantly looking at the laptop screen. On the lid of the laptop where an apple might otherwise be is an openAI logo, bright green, and dripping green ooze down the lid. Text on the poster, in combinations of sans-serif type and brush script reads: Using Generative AI? You’re prompting with Hitler! GenAI is a Fascist Project! Try using your brain instead Don’t surrender your creativity to the tech billionaire’s control
November 3, 2025 at 3:23 PM
Reposted by Amelia McNamara
carnage4life.bsky.social
arXiv will no longer accept review articles and position papers unless they have been accepted at a journal or a conference and complete successful peer review.

This is due to being overwhelmed by a hundreds of AI generated papers a month.

Yet another open submission process killed by LLMs.
Attention Authors: Updated Practice for Review Articles and Position Papers in arXiv CS Category – arXiv blog
blog.arxiv.org
November 1, 2025 at 5:28 PM
Reposted by Amelia McNamara
jessicacalarco.com
We have progressed from data collection to data analysis.
My 11-year-old sitting with her pile of Halloween candy, sorting it into a bar graph
November 1, 2025 at 12:31 AM
amelia.mn
I am SO excited for the Women in AI and Data Science event at the U of M on November 3. sites.google.com/umn.edu/wiad... In particular, I can't wait for @alexhanna.bsky.social's keynote, which I am sure will bring a critical perspective on AI.
WiADS '25
Join the Data Science and AI Hub for a day dedicated to amplifying the voices of women, non-binary, and gender-diverse professionals in AI and data science. Experience inspiring talks, engaging storie...
sites.google.com
October 25, 2025 at 5:13 PM
Reposted by Amelia McNamara
cscheid.net
Quarto friends! I need your help:

We are implementing a new QMD parser in Quarto. It will be super nice. But it's a big change, and we want to minimize the impact.

1. Can you share a link to your Quarto project at github.com/quarto-dev/q...
2. repost this and let your Quarto friends know too?
Epic: are we production yet · Issue #63 · quarto-dev/quarto-markdown
We need to check against many large sites to get a good sense for the impact of this new syntax in practice. autogenerated qmd quartodoc-generated sites (tbd meet with @machow) sites quarto.org Shi...
github.com
October 16, 2025 at 2:13 PM
amelia.mn
Rare opportunity to pick up a copy of Mary Eleanor Spear's Charting Statistics: www.ebay.com/itm/19776587... Need to learn about Spear? nightingaledvs.com/credit-where...
Pardon Our Interruption...
www.ebay.com
October 12, 2025 at 10:01 PM
Reposted by Amelia McNamara
wolvendamien.bsky.social
*Lil Jon Voice* States' Rights to What
October 10, 2025 at 12:26 AM
Reposted by Amelia McNamara
wolvendamien.bsky.social
I have been saying this for 3 years now; it is evident from even a theorerical understanding of these systems' operations. But ppl keep claiming it's not true or not important, or could be patched over, & so I keep hoping each time an "AI" company CEO comes out & admits will be the one that sticks
September 21, 2025 at 8:29 PM
amelia.mn
Motion City Soundtrack-- one of my favorite bands-- just released a new album, and wouldn't you know it, a song mentions statistics! m.youtube.com/watch?v=A7y8... (okay, the lyric is "I flunked statistics" but still)
September 19, 2025 at 3:03 PM
amelia.mn
Today marks one year of my sibling being bedridden from long covid (not leaving bed for any reason). They are part of the #millionsmissing from post-viral conditions. www.meaction.net
#MEAction Network
Our movement fights for all people with ME/CFS and Long COVID to have access to compassionate and effective care. Join us!
www.meaction.net
September 10, 2025 at 4:07 PM
Reposted by Amelia McNamara
irisvanrooij.bsky.social
"Many chefs I know get upset at me … But this is the truth: If you can’t cook everything you make in a microwave thats a skill issue. You need to learn now because when everything is cooked in a microwave you’ll be out of a job."

www.colincornaby.me/2025/08/in-t... (h/t @olivia.science )
In the Future All Food Will Be Cooked in a Microwave, and if You Can’t Deal With That Then You Need to Get Out of the Kitchen
As a restaurant owner – I’m astounded at the rate of progress since microwaves were released a few short years ago. Today’s microwave can cook a frozen burrito. Tomorrow’s m…
www.colincornaby.me
August 8, 2025 at 7:23 PM
amelia.mn
JSM session on Teaching Data Storytelling in the Age of AI is starting now! My talk is called Are Graphical User Interfaces the answer to AI? and the slides are here: www.amelia.mn/presentation...
Screenshot of presentation slide with the title Are Graphical User Interfaces the answer to AI? by author Amelia McNamara University of St. Thomas department of Computer & Data Sciences https://amelia.mn
August 5, 2025 at 1:35 PM
amelia.mn
I was just listening to @thecurrent.org and heard Your Direction by Goose. I caught the lyric "You wait around for a statistical ripple." I'll have to add that to my list of songs that mention stats!
August 1, 2025 at 3:48 PM
Reposted by Amelia McNamara
sesmith.lol
The systemic wage abuse of care workers is so infuriating. Care workers make it possible for us to live in our communities. For family to have support so they're not on their own. For people to be safe. They should be making so much more and getting much more robust labor protections overall.
paleofuture.bsky.social Matt Novak @paleofuture.bsky.social · Jul 22
“Under one of the Labor Department’s proposals, an estimated 3.7 million workers employed by home care agencies could be paid below the federal minimum wage — currently $7.25 per hour — and made ineligible for overtime pay if they aren’t covered by corresponding state laws.”
Trump's Labor Department proposes more than 60 rule changes in a push to deregulate workplaces
The U.S. Department of Labor is aiming to rewrite or repeal more than 60 “obsolete” workplace regulations adopted under previous presidential administrations.
apnews.com
July 22, 2025 at 10:38 PM
Reposted by Amelia McNamara
governorwalz.mn.gov
Mark and Melissa lie peacefully at the center of our state and our hearts today. Their memorial, guarded by service dogs and men and women in uniform, casts a momentary shadow over L'Étoile du Nord as we honor their life’s work to make Minnesota shine brighter for all.
June 27, 2025 at 6:52 PM