Duncan Lawrence
@uncadunc.bsky.social
I like dark humor, social science, and cold weather sports. My dog is very cute. Opinions are my own.
Curious how the @nytimes.com editorial algorithm deems what might be one of the largest single day protests in US history (#nokings) as so important that...(my thumbs now tired, I'm still scrolling and can't find it). Seems like a bit of an own goal.
October 19, 2025 at 8:14 PM
Curious how the @nytimes.com editorial algorithm deems what might be one of the largest single day protests in US history (#nokings) as so important that...(my thumbs now tired, I'm still scrolling and can't find it). Seems like a bit of an own goal.
I don't teach any more, but I still always read the news as if I am looking for examples for class. For authoritarianism and capitalism week, this would be a nice illustration of Fraenkel's normative state as the US devolves into a dual state: apnews.com/article/smuc...
Smucker sues Trader Joe's, saying its new PB&J sandwiches are too similar to Uncrustables
J.M. Smucker is suing Trader Joe’s, saying its new frozen peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are too similar to Smucker’s Uncrustables in their design and packaging.
apnews.com
October 15, 2025 at 10:20 PM
I don't teach any more, but I still always read the news as if I am looking for examples for class. For authoritarianism and capitalism week, this would be a nice illustration of Fraenkel's normative state as the US devolves into a dual state: apnews.com/article/smuc...
A couple positives in my world this week. The Portland Frog and @mit.edu saying what every university and college should say in response to the demands of an administration that aspires to authoritarian rule: orgchart.mit.edu/letters/rega...
Regarding the Compact | MIT Organization Chart
orgchart.mit.edu
October 11, 2025 at 3:35 AM
A couple positives in my world this week. The Portland Frog and @mit.edu saying what every university and college should say in response to the demands of an administration that aspires to authoritarian rule: orgchart.mit.edu/letters/rega...
Reposted by Duncan Lawrence
So proud of our Stanford colleague Will Tarpeh, newly named a 2025 MacArthur Fellow! Will is a brilliant and innovative scientist and a deeply committed community builder who helped launch a support network for junior Black faculty at Stanford. We’re all beaming!
news.stanford.edu/stories/2025...
news.stanford.edu/stories/2025...
Stanford Professor William Tarpeh receives MacArthur Fellowship
The chemical engineering professor was recognized for his advances in recovering valuable materials from wastewater. “This award is a testament to my community,” he says.
news.stanford.edu
October 10, 2025 at 5:39 PM
So proud of our Stanford colleague Will Tarpeh, newly named a 2025 MacArthur Fellow! Will is a brilliant and innovative scientist and a deeply committed community builder who helped launch a support network for junior Black faculty at Stanford. We’re all beaming!
news.stanford.edu/stories/2025...
news.stanford.edu/stories/2025...
An important win for science, health, and democracy.
Looks the Crimson was yet again the first to print some big news: the NIH has restored funding to Harvard, sending over $46 million today. Fighting works. www.thecrimson.com/article/2025...
Harvard Receives $46 Million in Federal Grants, Ending 4-Month Freeze | News | The Harvard Crimson
Millions of dollars in federal research grants from the National Institutes of Health began to flow to Harvard on Friday, the first grant money to return to the University since a judge struck down th...
www.thecrimson.com
September 19, 2025 at 9:21 PM
An important win for science, health, and democracy.
Reposted by Duncan Lawrence
I have many thoughts about Charlie Kirk—and perhaps even more about the white elites, including some on the left, who insist we can’t hold multiple realities at once. We can. And we must.
A brief 🧵
A brief 🧵
September 13, 2025 at 5:08 PM
I have many thoughts about Charlie Kirk—and perhaps even more about the white elites, including some on the left, who insist we can’t hold multiple realities at once. We can. And we must.
A brief 🧵
A brief 🧵
Reposted by Duncan Lawrence
wrote on charlie kirk for the newsletter this weekend
Opinion | Charlie Kirk Didn’t Shy Away From Who He Was. We Shouldn’t Either.
www.nytimes.com
September 13, 2025 at 3:35 PM
wrote on charlie kirk for the newsletter this weekend
I wonder which economist is getting data from Etsy right now to assess this impact.
20 countries have now stopped shipping all valuable mail parcels to the United States.
It’s a result of the White House’s large and chaotic taxes on Americans who buy products made with any input from overseas (‘tariffs’).
If you listen closely, you can hear small businesses dying.
It’s a result of the White House’s large and chaotic taxes on Americans who buy products made with any input from overseas (‘tariffs’).
If you listen closely, you can hear small businesses dying.
Map shows countries suspending postal service to United States
Countries across the world are suspending parcel shipments to the U.S. over uncertainty over the Trump administration's policies.
www.newsweek.com
August 26, 2025 at 4:02 PM
I wonder which economist is getting data from Etsy right now to assess this impact.
This is spot on.
To demand both absolute power and absolute impunity is the demand of a tyrant.
New from me in the NYT, on the Trump administration’s attempt to zero out noncitizens’ rights, and how that inevitably implicates citizens as well. www.nytimes.com/2025/06/16/o...
New from me in the NYT, on the Trump administration’s attempt to zero out noncitizens’ rights, and how that inevitably implicates citizens as well. www.nytimes.com/2025/06/16/o...
Opinion | When Rights Erode for Some of Us, Something Corrodes in All of Us
www.nytimes.com
June 18, 2025 at 12:36 AM
This is spot on.
Reposted by Duncan Lawrence
In 2015, I tried to get this data, but instead was scolded for using a Meta (Facebook) employee bike (bike riding = data request denied?). So glad someone finally did. Amazing visualization and a story of mobility that is really hard to tell from other data sources.
This is an excellent visualization of global migration flows based on Facebook data. www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
Opinion | To Understand Global Migration, You Have to See It First
These estimates, drawn from the location data of three billion Facebook users, provide a view of human migration in extraordinary detail.
www.nytimes.com
April 19, 2025 at 3:19 PM
In 2015, I tried to get this data, but instead was scolded for using a Meta (Facebook) employee bike (bike riding = data request denied?). So glad someone finally did. Amazing visualization and a story of mobility that is really hard to tell from other data sources.
This is about as clear a statement as you could make about what is at stake and not just to a legal audience: storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
storage.courtlistener.com
April 18, 2025 at 3:54 AM
This is about as clear a statement as you could make about what is at stake and not just to a legal audience: storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
March 25, 2025 at 7:23 PM
If so, to date, it's coordination to be largely silent with a few exceptions. Long term, staying silent is a losing strategy.
👇shows the importance of coordination, to generate safety in numbers.
It would be good to know whether US university leaders are currently working on a coordination of their responses.
It would be good to know whether US university leaders are currently working on a coordination of their responses.
"On October 8, 1931, a law went into effect requiring every Italian university professor to sign an oath pledging their loyalty to the government of Benito Mussolini. Out of over 1,200 professors in the country, only 12 refused. All of them were immediately fired." www.chronicle.com/article/what...
March 22, 2025 at 4:10 PM
If so, to date, it's coordination to be largely silent with a few exceptions. Long term, staying silent is a losing strategy.
I often wonder who in #philanthropy will step up and be the @arnoldventures.bsky.social for #immigrationpolicy. Kudos to Arnold for building better evidence across these critical areas.
Exciting to read about the 14 studies funded so far under @arnoldventures.bsky.social quasi-experimental RFP.
And...one week left to submit a 3-page letter of interest to be considered for the next round of funding.
www.arnoldventures.org/stories/av-r...
And...one week left to submit a 3-page letter of interest to be considered for the next round of funding.
www.arnoldventures.org/stories/av-r...
Arnold Ventures | AV Research Grants Build Evidence for Policy…
Fourteen recently funded Building Evidence grants will help provide actionable knowledge for policies on housing, education, and contraceptive access.
www.arnoldventures.org
March 18, 2025 at 4:30 PM
I often wonder who in #philanthropy will step up and be the @arnoldventures.bsky.social for #immigrationpolicy. Kudos to Arnold for building better evidence across these critical areas.
This collaboration from @cgdev.org and @nytimes.com is powerful. My hope is scholars and journalists find more paths to work collaboratively in data-driven storytelling, to understand the harm being caused, and to jointly defend freedom of speech.
The White House stated that USAID’s elimination would cause no deaths.
A top official said (verbatim), “I give zero f*cks” about widespread credible reports of deaths already occurring.
That official is incompetent. He did no analysis whatsoever of the death toll. Here is a serious analysis:
A top official said (verbatim), “I give zero f*cks” about widespread credible reports of deaths already occurring.
That official is incompetent. He did no analysis whatsoever of the death toll. Here is a serious analysis:
Opinion | Musk Said No One Has Died Since Aid Was Cut. That Isn’t True.
A journey through the front lines of global poverty shows that when the world’s richest men slash aid for the world’s poorest children, the result is sickness, starvation and death.
www.nytimes.com
March 15, 2025 at 10:22 PM
This collaboration from @cgdev.org and @nytimes.com is powerful. My hope is scholars and journalists find more paths to work collaboratively in data-driven storytelling, to understand the harm being caused, and to jointly defend freedom of speech.
Leave aside how endowments work, I'd like people to just understand that if the overhead rate is 60%, that means the university is collecting 35% of the research $ for admin costs, not 60%.
Overhead on $1 million grant is $0.6m. So total award is $1.6m and admin percent is .6/1.6 = 35%.
Overhead on $1 million grant is $0.6m. So total award is $1.6m and admin percent is .6/1.6 = 35%.
March 14, 2025 at 4:49 PM
Reposted by Duncan Lawrence
Today's newsletter: www.readtpa.com/p/this-is-ho...
March 14, 2025 at 3:53 PM
Today's newsletter: www.readtpa.com/p/this-is-ho...
In my neighborhood today, some overly smiley guy. 27 positive honks, 0 negative. Go #PDX for supporting #science!! #standupforscience @standupforscience.bsky.social
March 7, 2025 at 9:14 PM
In my neighborhood today, some overly smiley guy. 27 positive honks, 0 negative. Go #PDX for supporting #science!! #standupforscience @standupforscience.bsky.social
I could start my Bluesky era with snark, but cute dog photos for now. This is how to weekend in #PDX when you haven't seen the sun in 4 months.
March 2, 2025 at 9:04 PM
I could start my Bluesky era with snark, but cute dog photos for now. This is how to weekend in #PDX when you haven't seen the sun in 4 months.