banner
schrisomalis.bsky.social
Stephen Chrisomalis
@schrisomalis.bsky.social
2.6K followers 2.3K following 2.3K posts
Linguistic anthropologist, Wayne State University. Numbers, cognition, writing and literacy, mathematics. Left, 🇨🇦, he/him. https://glossographia.com/ https://phrontistery.info
glossographia.com
Posts Media Videos Starter Packs
Pinned
schrisomalis.bsky.social
Stephen Chrisomalis @schrisomalis.bsky.social · Oct 22
Hey folks, good to see new people here! I mostly post academic stuff. I do research on numbers as cultural and cognitive things. mitpress.mit.edu/978026204463...
But for those of you less book-inclined, let me point you to some podcasts I've featured on, by some amazing Bluesky folks: 1/
Reckonings
Insights from the history of numerical notation suggest that how humans write numbers is an active choice involving cognitive and social factors.Over the pas...
mitpress.mit.edu
2 5 36
schrisomalis.bsky.social
Stephen Chrisomalis @schrisomalis.bsky.social · 18h
I am never reminded of the Emerson quotation, "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds" so much as I am when arguing with a university webmaster.
3
Reposted by Stephen Chrisomalis
kojamf.bsky.social
KOJAMF🤘🖤🤘 @kojamf.bsky.social · 3d
Dr. Jane Goodall filmed an interview with Netflix in March 2025 that she understood would only be released after her death.
800 17K 37K
schrisomalis.bsky.social
Stephen Chrisomalis @schrisomalis.bsky.social · 3d
Thought I was familiar with the genre of pop-ling books about profanity; ran into Bozzimacoo by Mary Marshall (1975) at the local church book sale for $2 in great condition. Never heard of it but seems to be a fun if dated collection of essays and a glossary. To the shelf! @stronglang.bsky.social
A hardback book "Bozzimacoo: Origins and Meanings of Oaths and Swearwords"; the dust jacket is black at top, white at bottom, with the title in a red speech bubble and a cartoon image of a priest holding a "swear box" out to two men in old style clothing.
2
schrisomalis.bsky.social
Stephen Chrisomalis @schrisomalis.bsky.social · 4d
One of the real joys of being the interdisciplinary weirdo that I am is that, in the cause of research, I get to do things like look up wire gauge measurement terminology. The relevant Wikipedia page has a whole section on reading numbers: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/America...
American wire gauge - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
8
schrisomalis.bsky.social
Stephen Chrisomalis @schrisomalis.bsky.social · 6d
It was super easy to find on archive.org, borrow it, and get a couple of sections of appropriate text. Thanks!
Internet Archive: Digital Library of Free & Borrowable Texts, Movies, Music & Wayback Machine
archive.org
1
schrisomalis.bsky.social
Stephen Chrisomalis @schrisomalis.bsky.social · 6d
Fantastic, thanks Mark! That's exactly what I need.
schrisomalis.bsky.social
Stephen Chrisomalis @schrisomalis.bsky.social · 6d
That's a great idea if I can find the texts. Thanks!
schrisomalis.bsky.social
Stephen Chrisomalis @schrisomalis.bsky.social · 6d
Yeah, I suppose that's true. I guess I was thinking of something not too Christian, but that's probably too much to hope for.
1
schrisomalis.bsky.social
Stephen Chrisomalis @schrisomalis.bsky.social · 6d
Does anyone know of a short bit of text, other than the Lord's Prayer, that we have a good version of in both Old English and Middle English?
5 4
Reposted by Stephen Chrisomalis
hraf755.bsky.social
Human Relations Area Files at Yale University @hraf755.bsky.social · 6d
www.nbcnews.com/news/obituar...
Jane Goodall, renowned chimpanzee researcher and animal advocate, dies at 91
"Dr. Goodall's discoveries as an ethologist revolutionized science, and she was a tireless advocate for the protection and restoration of our natural world," the Jane Goodall Institute said in a Wedne...
www.nbcnews.com
1 4
Reposted by Stephen Chrisomalis
merriam-webster.com
Merriam-Webster @merriam-webster.com · 6d
We are thrilled to announce that our NEW Large Language Model will be released on 11.18.25.
650 8.2K 25K
schrisomalis.bsky.social
Stephen Chrisomalis @schrisomalis.bsky.social · 6d
Looks like there are a few folks in Texas with the appropriate level of appreciation for their northern neighbo(u)rs. 🇨🇦
(Seen recently locally in Detroit-Windsor)
A red and white Texas state license plate with TEXAS at the top and the vanity plate O C4NADA.
3
schrisomalis.bsky.social
Stephen Chrisomalis @schrisomalis.bsky.social · 8d
Oops, I did it again: wrote a 2000+ word peer review of a really quite good paper. I'm really sure it's no one here, but if you ever get one of those from me, please understand I wouldn't have written a 2000+ word review of your crappy paper, so take it in that spirit?
1 8
Reposted by Stephen Chrisomalis
siobhancully.bsky.social
Siobhán Cully 🇺🇸 🐱🥼🤓🩼 @siobhancully.bsky.social · 8d
Join our fantastic department at #Rutgers University. We are hiring an assistant professor in socio-cultural #anthropology who focuses on language and power. Ad here:

jobs.rutgers.edu/postings/260...
Assistant Professor in Sociocultural Anthropology, Tenure-Track
The Department of Anthropology seeks to hire a tenure-track Assistant Professor in sociocultural anthropology, with a particular emphasis on the dynamic intersections of Language, Culture, and Power. ...
jobs.rutgers.edu
1 1
Reposted by Stephen Chrisomalis
anthrosciences.bsky.social
Society for Anthropological Sciences @anthrosciences.bsky.social · 9d
Submissions are now open for the 2025 SAS Carol R. Ember Book Prize. This prize recognizes books whose significant theoretical, empirical, or methodological contributions to anthropology embody the mission of SAS to advance the scientific study of human societies.
Society for Anthropological Sciences Carol R. Ember Book Prize
Submissions are now open for the 2025 SAS Carol R. Ember Book Prize. This prize recognizes books whose significant theoretical, empirical, o...
www.societyforanthropologicalsciences.org
5 2
schrisomalis.bsky.social
Stephen Chrisomalis @schrisomalis.bsky.social · 11d
Apparently today is the day for bad personal and life news around my academic network. So, if that's you too, I'm thinking of you and my friends who are hurting.
1 5
schrisomalis.bsky.social
Stephen Chrisomalis @schrisomalis.bsky.social · 12d
Great new article by Katarzyna Mikulska, "Symmetry as a Cognitive Tool in Mesoamerican Divinatory Books" in the special issue of Topics in Cognitive Science, "Cognitive Technologies and their Histories", which I'm co-editing with @helenamiton.bsky.social
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Symmetry as a Cognitive Tool in Mesoamerican Divinatory Books
This article examines how pre-Hispanic codices from central Mexico employ various forms of symmetry as semiotic and cognitive devices for encoding meaning. Special attention is given to chiasmic (X-f....
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
9
schrisomalis.bsky.social
Stephen Chrisomalis @schrisomalis.bsky.social · 12d
Great new article by Conor Snoek, "Material Anchors in Language Learning" in the special issue of Topics in Cognitive Science, "Cognitive Technologies and their Histories", which I'm co-editing with @helenamiton.bsky.social
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Material Anchors in Language Learning
This article argues for the usefulness of Conceptual Blending theory in the analysis and development of language-learning materials. A chart is presented for learning verb structure in Blackfoot, a p....
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
6
schrisomalis.bsky.social
Stephen Chrisomalis @schrisomalis.bsky.social · 13d
Our Graduate Open House on Zoom is in just a couple of weeks, 10/06, 4pm Eastern, to learn more about our program / meet current faculty and students. wayne-edu.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
Welcome! You are invited to join a meeting: WSU Anthropology Graduate Open House. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the meeting.
Welcome! You are invited to join a meeting: WSU Anthropology Graduate Open House. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the meeting.
wayne-edu.zoom.us
1
schrisomalis.bsky.social
Stephen Chrisomalis @schrisomalis.bsky.social · 13d
Are you interested in working with me or one of my great colleagues here at Wayne State Anthropology? We have strong guaranteed PhD funding, lots of MA opportunities (some funded) and a really collegial and inclusive program! clas.wayne.edu/anthropology...
Future students: Graduate admissions
Graduate admissions info for the Department of Anthropology at Wayne State University.
clas.wayne.edu
1 2 5
Reposted by Stephen Chrisomalis
susankayequinn.bsky.social
Susan Kaye Quinn is Writing Solarpunk 🌞🌱 @susankayequinn.bsky.social · 13d
They've lost the 9yos
JA Westenberg @Daojoan@mastodon.social My 9 year old and his classmates have started using “that’s AI” to mean “I don’t believe you.” Me: we’re having dinosaur meat for dinner Kiddo: that’s AI Sep 24, 2025, 07:36 AM
110 2.9K 11K
Reposted by Stephen Chrisomalis
mashedradish.bsky.social
John Kelly @mashedradish.bsky.social · 13d
Meanwhile, I've declared the em dash (—) the 2025 Punctuation Mark of the Year: mashedradish.com/2025/09/24/2...
2025 Punctuation Mark of the Year
The em dash (—) straddles clauses—and urgent conversations about humanity and technology in 2025.
mashedradish.com
1 5
Reposted by Stephen Chrisomalis
schrisomalis.bsky.social
Stephen Chrisomalis @schrisomalis.bsky.social · 14d
Anthro (or adjacent) friends: I'm developing a roundtable for the @anthrosciences.bsky.social annual meeting (at SfAA, Albuquerque, 03/17-03/21), "Unhexing the Hexagon: Cognitive Anthropologists in Dialogue" where each presenter talks about a new-ish #cogsci paper (not their own) of anthro interest.
Cognitive anthropology has long been conceptualized as one of the six disciplines of the 'hexagon' encompassing cognitive science, but this integration is hindered by a lack of dialogue by both cognitive scientists and anthropologists. This roundtable aims to take a step towards stronger linkages by having anthropologists discuss recent work from the cognitive sciences broadly (e.g., neuroscience, psychology, linguistics, AI, philosophy) that is relevant to their work, and that would be of interest to an audience of anthropologists. Each presenter will briefly introduce an article from the last 10 years, authored by a non-anthropologist, and explain how it informs, or could inform, your work or research in cognitively oriented anthropology. So, for instance, you might talk about an experimental psychology study, or an empirical paper from cognitive linguistics, or a conceptual advance from the philosophy of mind. We would then be able to have a lively discussion about these studies that can inform and advance anthropological science.
2 3 6
schrisomalis.bsky.social
Stephen Chrisomalis @schrisomalis.bsky.social · 14d
I mean ... that would be fun but definitely not what I'm looking for!
1
schrisomalis.bsky.social
Stephen Chrisomalis @schrisomalis.bsky.social · 14d
Let me know if interested (DM, email, whatever); it'll be a receptive audience of folks, some cognitive anthro but also across subfields and orientations. I'd love folks not previously involved in SAS to come out; SfAA (the organizer) is a great mid-sized event that won't bust your budget.
1