Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Sohini Kar @karsohini.bsky.social · 14d

I had debilitating nausea in pregnancy that required anti-nausea tablets. Perfectly safe, but even as a well-informed, pro-biomedicine person, I was anxious to take it b/c of the discourse around medicines in pregnancy. Putting this kind of anxiety on women for taking a Tylenol is unconscionable.

NPR @npr.org · 15d

The President says pregnant women should stay away from Tylenol due to possible autism link. World health authorities strongly disagree, say the drug is safe in pregnancy.

World health officials reject Trump's claims that Tylenol is linked to autism

The President says pregnant women should stay away from Tylenol due to possible autism link. World health authorities strongly disagree, say the drug is safe in pregnancy.

n.pr

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Jeremy Schmidt @jeremyjschmidt.bsky.social · 16d

If you are still looking for that reading at the intersection of environment, health, extraction and disposession (with a dash of the digital)...

Geo: Geography and Environment @geoopenaccess.bsky.social · Jun 13

💻New in Geo!🛢️

'Minecraft's territory: Alberta's oil sands, settler knowledge infrastructure & digital geographies' by @jeremyjschmidt.bsky.social

This paper traces how the data used for a Minecraft extension are tied to broader extractive networks of knowledge production.

doi.org/10.1002/geo2...

A photograph showing the 3D print of the Minecraft model of Peace River - a cross section of the geological formation of this site in different shades of grey and white to show the layers beneath the surface of the earth.

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Reposted by Sohini Kar

Tim Bale @timbale.bsky.social · 20d

Sorry to disappoint.

LSE British Politics and Policy blog @lsepoliticsblog.bsky.social · 20d

🔎New! A Reform UK government isn’t inevitable, argues @timbale.bsky.social.

blogs.lse.ac.uk/politicsandp...

A Reform UK government isn’t inevitable - British Politics and Policy at LSE

Joanna Bale interviews Tim Bale about the prospect of Reform UK ending up in power, and the obstacles along the way.

blogs.lse.ac.uk

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Sohini Kar @karsohini.bsky.social · 20d

Deleted. Please get in touch with me if you would like access to one of my papers. Always happy to share.

Ordinary Notes @hystericalblkns.bsky.social · 21d

If you’re on academia dot edu, let me suggest that you strongly consider deleting your account.

The new TOC from academia dot edu.

By creating an Account with Academia.edu, you grant us a worldwide, irrevocable, non-exclusive, transferable license, permission, and consent for Academia.edu to use your Member Content and your personal information (including, but not limited to, your name, voice, signature, photograph, likeness, city, institutional affiliations, citations, mentions, publications, and areas of interest) in any manner, including for the purpose of advertising, selling, or soliciting the use or purchase of Academia.edu's Services.

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Sohini Kar @karsohini.bsky.social · 24d

on.ft.com/3Vi46FW Memo to women: get ready to work for free again

Memo to women: get ready to work for free again

The gender pay gap is tediously persistent and worse than we thought

on.ft.com

Sohini Kar @karsohini.bsky.social · 29d

Congratulations!

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Sohini Kar @karsohini.bsky.social · 29d

They also conveniently left out the part where the Bible is also part of the Core Curriculum... but facts are inconvenient to narratives.

Reposted by Sohini Kar

Sarah Taber @sarahtaber.bsky.social · Sep 3

When people say "We used to drink raw milk from our own cow and it was fine,"

That's... usually not the case!

In families w their own cow, the mom usually boiled it before using.

We just forgot bc that's a boring chore that mom did. And who pays attention to that?

youtu.be/vKDPast9WFk

"Everyone Drank Raw Milk!" No They Didn't

YouTube video by Farm to Taber

youtu.be

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Sohini Kar @karsohini.bsky.social · Aug 29

“I am looking directly into a tent at another mother who is in hell.” www.vogue.co.uk/article/gaza...

How Do We Talk To Our Children In This Moment?

“Images of dead, injured and starving children are, rightfully, in our newspapers and on our screens and on our phones,” writes Nell Frizzell. “Whatever is coming, I want my children to remember how i...

www.vogue.co.uk

Sohini Kar @karsohini.bsky.social · Aug 28

Every day of this administration I wonder how it’s the same country I did my undergraduate and graduate degrees in as an international student. (Even given the changes after 9/11…)

Oren Samet @osamet.bsky.social · Aug 28

I know there's a lot happening today, but this is sneaking in under the radar. This proposed new rule would absolutely crush foreign PhD students, potentially making it impossible for them to enroll with any certainty of their ability to finish www.politico.com/news/2025/08...

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Jeremy Schmidt @jeremyjschmidt.bsky.social · Aug 17

“On Tuesday, the government announced a “nationally significant” water shortage in England, which means the whole country is at risk of running out if the dry weather continues”

www.theguardian.com/news/ng-inte...

How can England possibly be running out of water?

While famously rainswept, climate crisis, population growth and profligacy mean the once unthinkable could be possible

www.theguardian.com

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Reposted by Sohini Kar

Nassos Stylianou @nassosstylianou.bsky.social · Aug 7

The second piece in our AI series explores how the growing energy demand for training and running artificial intelligence models is driving increased investment in fossil fuels - and how accounting techniques distract from the surge in tech company data centre emissions
on.ft.com/4lkAjXN

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Sohini Kar @karsohini.bsky.social · Aug 5

"If these practices continue to expand, and trying to buy things or earn money begins to feel increasingly like making a series of bets in the dark, then more and more people will start to suspect the corollary: that the house always wins."

on.ft.com/4od2MRM

Dynamic wages make work a gamble

Ride-hailing and food-delivery companies’ new pay models use algorithms to decide bespoke fees

on.ft.com

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Reposted by Sohini Kar

Jeremy Schmidt @jeremyjschmidt.bsky.social · Jun 2

Why did Alberta's response to health concerns over oil sands extraction in Peace River include an extension to Minecraft?

It was a long enough story (and important enough for thinking about geology and politics) for me to write this article: doi.org/10.1002/geo2... #oilsands #alberta #minecraft

Minecraft's territory: Alberta's oil sands, settler knowledge infrastructure and digital geographies

In 2017, the Alberta Geological Survey published an extension to Minecraft that allows players to virtually mine bitumen in Peace River. This article traces how the data used for the Minecraft extens...

doi.org

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Sohini Kar @karsohini.bsky.social · May 27

Important findings: "Access to university has not yet had a great deal of attention from the new Government. But given its importance as a route to social mobility, it should be considered a key part of the Government’s Opportunity Mission." www.suttontrust.com/news-opinion...

The Opportunity Index – What does it tell us about access to HE? - The Sutton Trust

Looking at access to university using our latest region-level and constituency-level data.

www.suttontrust.com

Sohini Kar @karsohini.bsky.social · May 23

I like to remind my students that they really don't need AI summarize articles, because they already have that in abstracts that come directly from the author...

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Sohini Kar @karsohini.bsky.social · May 23

Solidarity to international students and scholars at Harvard and beyond. Photo from my time there as an international postdoc on campus.

Photo with engraving of sentence "And gladly wolde he lerne and gladly teche" from the Canterbury Tales.

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Sohini Kar @karsohini.bsky.social · May 20

❤️ CC Class of 2025.

Prem Thakker ツ @premthakker.bsky.social · May 20

Columbia University Acting President Claire Shipman welcomed to Columbia College's graduation ceremony with sustained jeers and boos.

Minutes later, students break out in loud chants of "Free Mahmoud":

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Reposted by Sohini Kar

Jo Wolff @jowolff.bsky.social · Apr 15

I understand looking for historical parallels when we’re at the stage of warning signs, but when the evil arrives the priority is to deal with what’s actually in front of you.

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Sohini Kar @karsohini.bsky.social · Apr 15

Does anyone have a PDF of Das & Poole's 2004 Introduction to 'Anthropology in the Margins of the State,' before I have to recall the book from the library?

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Sohini Kar @karsohini.bsky.social · Apr 9

What could possibly go wrong with using data that is inherently flawed and biased to predict murders? www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

UK creating ‘murder prediction’ tool to identify people most likely to kill

Exclusive: Algorithms allegedly being used to study data of thousands of people, in project critics say is ‘chilling and dystopian’

www.theguardian.com

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Sohini Kar @karsohini.bsky.social · Apr 8

Remember, the oligarchs always live in other places, as we in London well know... on.ft.com/4lo57b5

Former Google chief Eric Schmidt buys £42mn London mansion

US buyers emerge as major force in UK capital’s property market

on.ft.com

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Sohini Kar @karsohini.bsky.social · Apr 7

On crashing the economy, Trump to Liz Truss: "Hold my beer." Anyone have a lettuce going?

Business Insider @businessinsider.com · Apr 7

Goldman Sachs has raised its 12-month recession probability from 35% to 45%, but that will rise further should the tariffs come in this week.

Goldman Sachs expects a recession if tariffs take effect on Wednesday

Goldman Sachs has raised its 12-month recession probability from 35% to 45%, but that will rise further should the tariffs come in this week.

www.businessinsider.com

Sohini Kar @karsohini.bsky.social · Apr 5

Time to pull out Lauren Berlant’s Cruel Optimism again.

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Erik Baker @erikmbaker.bsky.social · Apr 3

Revealed preferences theory suggests that Wall Street executives value their ability to call their subordinates gay at approximately 8 trillion dollars

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