AcademicChatter group
It's sad that like 90% of [#indieweb](https://mstdn.social/tags/indieweb) blogs are [#tech](https://mstdn.social/tags/tech) -focused. Had the internet developed slightly differently, I bet every [#humanities](https://mstdn.social/tags/humanities) scholar would have a delightfully idiosyncratic personal site. [\#smolweb](https://mstdn.social/tags/smolweb) [#smallweb](https://mstdn.social/tags/smallweb) [#bloggingcommunity](https://mstdn.social/tags/bloggingcommunity) [#socialmedia](https://mstdn.social/tags/socialmedia) [@academicchatter](https://a.gup.pe/u/academicchatter) [#academia](https://mstdn.social/tags/academia)
“one of the most frustrating kinds of AI hype is when people who are actually in a position to use their own expertise to push back instead give in to the FOMO and do the hype for tech companies. Today's case in point is a recent article in The Chronicle of Higher Education” [@emilymbender](https://dair-community.social/@emilymbender) 🎯 on [#AI](https://hci.social/tags/AI) [#hype](https://hci.social/tags/hype) [@academicchatter](https://a.gup.pe/u/academicchatter) [https://buttondown.email/maiht3k/archive/doing-their-hype-for-them/](https://buttondown.email/maiht3k/archive/doing-their-hype-for-them/)
I said it before and I'll say it again: scientific journals have hardly any relevance any more, except for academic careers. AI is just speeding up this evolution. We urgently need to rethink scientific communication! [@academicchatter](https://a.gup.pe/u/academicchatter) [#academia](https://mstdn.social/tags/academia) [#ugent](https://mstdn.social/tags/ugent) [#Science](https://mstdn.social/tags/Science) [#academicchatter](https://mstdn.social/tags/academicchatter) [https://garymarcus.substack.com/p/the-exponential-enshittification](https://garymarcus.substack.com/p/the-exponential-enshittification)
Scientific Supremacy : The Church of CyberScientology It is time to unveil a new religion: cyberscientology. Converts get the power to claim anything they believe (or sell) is 'science' and has, 'academic consensus.' Since facts are democratic this is a perfect religion. Converts also enjoy the privilege of paying others to promote the consensus and curse unbelievers with labels and political action, because we know that is how science really works. Converts get the privilege to cancel anyone who questions the 'science' or refuses to buy the product. Converts may anathematize anyone who fails to show enough spirited support of the consensus. Agreement is not enough. Believers must manifest fiery and fanatical agreement to prove their zeal in the faith. Converts get the privilege of placing a scarlet letter upon anyone who questions the, 'scientific consensus' or demonstrates lackluster zeal for the consensus. Heretics against cyberscientology shall be deleted after a rigorous slander campaign branding them as: { heretics, fascists, communists, nazis, neocons, traitors, oppressors, jingoists, snowflakes, retards, far-left, far-right, liberals, conservatives, anti-semites, haters, racists, bigots, nuts, psycho, evil, mental ... (choose your magic power word for slaying the enemy)}. Converts get 'hall monitor' privileges to police the speech and writing of all other persons and to immediately mobilize an army to dogpile and attack them, shadowban them, ban them, get them canceled, dox them, and organize protests to have them imprisoned or economically destroyed. The cyberscientology digital bridge to freedom shall consist of proving agreement with the Pope-ular consensus. The faithful convert will squash all academic divergence from the consensus. All unbelievers will be required to apologize profusely for any divergence from the scientific consensus, and then they will be canceled anyway. Selection of the new Cyber-Pope of the Church of Cyberscientology will be done, 'scientifically' using the, 'collective method' of inquiry (inquisition). If you don't trust the science cyberscientology will 'burn' you! [\#cyberscientology](https://neon.nightbulb.net?t=cyberscientology) [#science](https://neon.nightbulb.net?t=science) [#religion](https://neon.nightbulb.net?t=religion) [#TrustTheScience](https://neon.nightbulb.net?t=trustthescience) [#ScientificConsensus](https://neon.nightbulb.net?t=scientificconsensus) [#Obedience](https://neon.nightbulb.net?t=obedience) [#ThoughtCrime](https://neon.nightbulb.net?t=thoughtcrime) [#AcademicSupremacy](https://neon.nightbulb.net?t=academicsupremacy) [#ScienceSupremacy](https://neon.nightbulb.net?t=sciencesupremacy) [@academicchatter@a.gup.pe](https://a.gup.pe/u/academicchatter)
Israeli Damage to Archives, Libraries, and Museums in Gaza, October 2023–January 2024 (A Preliminary Report from Librarians and Archivists with Palestine). "The destruction of cultural heritage in Gaza impoverishes the collective identity of the Palestinian people, irrevocably denies them their history, and violates their sovereignty. In this report, we offer a partial list of archives, libraries, and museums in Gaza that have been destroyed, damaged, or looted by Israeli armed forces since October 7, 2023." "We compile and offer this information with the understanding that the erasure of Palestinian culture and history has long been an Israeli tactic of war and occupation, a means to further limit the self-determination of the Palestinian people." [\#War](https://hcommons.social/tags/War) [#CulturalHeritage](https://hcommons.social/tags/CulturalHeritage) [#Gaza](https://hcommons.social/tags/Gaza) [#Israel](https://hcommons.social/tags/Israel) [#Librarians](https://hcommons.social/tags/Librarians) [#Museum](https://hcommons.social/tags/Museum) [#Monument](https://hcommons.social/tags/Monument) [#Archive](https://hcommons.social/tags/Archive) [#Library](https://hcommons.social/tags/Library) [#Culture](https://hcommons.social/tags/Culture) [#History](https://hcommons.social/tags/History) [#Palestine](https://hcommons.social/tags/Palestine) [@academicchatter](https://a.gup.pe/u/academicchatter) [@histodons](https://a.gup.pe/u/histodons) [@histodon](https://a.gup.pe/u/histodon) [@culturalheritage](https://a.gup.pe/u/culturalheritage) [@archaeodons](https://a.gup.pe/u/archaeodons) [@anthropology](https://a.gup.pe/u/anthropology) [https://librarianswithpalestine.org/lap-gaza-report-2024/](https://librarianswithpalestine.org/lap-gaza-report-2024/)
New📜paper out in Aquatic Toxicology. In zebrafish, maternal exposure to the plastic additive Bisphenol S (a common replacement for BPA in many "BPA-free" products) negatively affects their male offspring. Similar to the effects of maternal estrogen exposure, male offspring hid less, decreased their shoal density in the presence of a predatory threat and reduced expression of multiple serotonin receptor genes. [https://authors.elsevier.com/c/1iNej,3oDQuP1s](https://authors.elsevier.com/c/1iNej,3oDQuP1s) [\#environment](https://fediscience.org/tags/environment) [#toxicology](https://fediscience.org/tags/toxicology) [#ecology](https://fediscience.org/tags/ecology) [@academicchatter](https://a.gup.pe/u/academicchatter)
"Colonial statues in post-colonial Africa: a multidimentional heritage" by Sophia Labadi (2023). "Is history being destroyed when colonial statues are removed from public space? This paper has explained that history is often being made when they are removed. Indeed, the hidden motivations for the construction and/or upkeep of these statues can then be revealed, along with their entangled colonial or racist legacies. Besides, their removals can aid in rectifying history, exposing in some cases the Eurocentrism of public spaces, and European epistemic domination. Such removal makes space for the erection of memorials for local heroes, who might have played more significant roles than colonial or racist figures". [\#Colonialism](https://hcommons.social/tags/Colonialism) [#Heritage](https://hcommons.social/tags/Heritage) [#CulturalHeritage](https://hcommons.social/tags/CulturalHeritage) [#History](https://hcommons.social/tags/History) [#Africa](https://hcommons.social/tags/Africa) [#SophiaLabadi](https://hcommons.social/tags/SophiaLabadi) [#HeritageStudies](https://hcommons.social/tags/HeritageStudies) [#OpenAccess](https://hcommons.social/tags/OpenAccess) [@academicchatter](https://a.gup.pe/u/academicchatter) [@histodons](https://a.gup.pe/u/histodons) [@histodon](https://a.gup.pe/u/histodon) [@anthropology](https://a.gup.pe/u/anthropology) [@culturalheritage](https://a.gup.pe/u/culturalheritage) [@archaedons](https://a.gup.pe/u/archaedons) [https://doi.org/10.1080/13527258.2023.2294738](https://doi.org/10.1080/13527258.2023.2294738)
1957: Soviet Union launches Sputnik 1, and there's concern of the U.S.' shortage of Russian speakers to monitor Soviet activity 1958: Congress authorizes funding to strengthen education in foreign language 2023: A new report shows the study of languages other than English experienced an unprecedented drop of 16.6% since 2016 “This creates greater risks for national security,” explains a professor: [https://theconversation.com/fewer-u-s-college-students-are-studying-a-foreign-language-and-that-spells-trouble-for-national-security-198135](https://theconversation.com/fewer-u-s-college-students-are-studying-a-foreign-language-and-that-spells-trouble-for-national-security-198135) [@academicchatter](https://a.gup.pe/u/academicchatter) [#academicchatter](https://newsie.social/tags/academicchatter) [#HigherEd](https://newsie.social/tags/HigherEd) [#ForeignPolicy](https://newsie.social/tags/ForeignPolicy)
"Museums, Heritage, Culture: Into the Conflict Zone" by Kavita Singh (2015). "But think for a moment of the history of museums. Think of the way their collections have been built, and the purposes they have served. Think of the violent encounters that often lay behind the collecting of curiosities in the age of exploration; or think of the museums built by missionaries to display pagan gods wrenched away from natives. Think of the vast collections built (and the ways these were built) during the age of colonialism, with entire monuments transported across the seas and re-erected in museum galleries. Think of the nations transformed by revolutions, where treasures were violently wrested away from the church and presented as desacralized avatars in museums". [\#KavitaSingh](https://hcommons.social/tags/KavitaSingh) [#Museum](https://hcommons.social/tags/Museum) [#Heritage](https://hcommons.social/tags/Heritage) [#CulturalHeritage](https://hcommons.social/tags/CulturalHeritage) [#Culture](https://hcommons.social/tags/Culture) [#Colonialism](https://hcommons.social/tags/Colonialism) [#Conflict](https://hcommons.social/tags/Conflict) [#Book](https://hcommons.social/tags/Book) [@academicchatter](https://a.gup.pe/u/academicchatter) [@archaedons](https://a.gup.pe/u/archaedons) [@bookstodon](https://a.gup.pe/u/bookstodon) [@anthropology](https://a.gup.pe/u/anthropology) [@histodons](https://a.gup.pe/u/histodons) [@culturalheritage](https://a.gup.pe/u/culturalheritage) [https://www.academia.edu/15989299/Museums\_Heritage\_Culture\_Into\_the\_Conflict\_Zone](https://www.academia.edu/15989299/Museums_Heritage_Culture_Into_the_Conflict_Zone)
Is academia hostile to families? "As is the case for many parents in academia, parental leave has played a major part in the trajectories of our lives and scientific careers". In contrast to Canada, "the United States has no federally mandated paid parental leave." Early career academics are often poorly paid and are required to relocate frequently, causing obvious major challenges for young families. [@academicchatter](https://a.gup.pe/u/academicchatter) [#AcademicChatter](https://fediscience.org/tags/AcademicChatter) [#Science](https://fediscience.org/tags/Science) [https://sites.google.com/view/parental-leave-in-academia](https://sites.google.com/view/parental-leave-in-academia) [https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-02544-2](https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-02544-2)