Adam Smith
@adsmit.bsky.social
Assoc. Curator, Penn Museum
Views are mine, not my employer's
UK (1970-1993)
PRC (1993-2001)
US (2001-)
http://upenn.academia.edu/AdamSmith
https://twitter.com/AdamDSmith1970
Views are mine, not my employer's
UK (1970-1993)
PRC (1993-2001)
US (2001-)
http://upenn.academia.edu/AdamSmith
https://twitter.com/AdamDSmith1970
"The noise made by the tendons of the fingers."
October 20, 2025 at 8:44 PM
"The noise made by the tendons of the fingers."
Lecture on murals at the Gyantse Dzong (which most people have heard of in the context of the 1904 Younghusband invasion.) Raised the interesting question of how Chinese art styles were transmitted and incorporated with Tibetan and Nepalese traditions here.
www.youtube.com/live/P-8pQh-...
www.youtube.com/live/P-8pQh-...
A Forgotten Milestone in Tibetan Art: The Murals of Gyantse Dzong’s Temple
YouTube video by The Met
www.youtube.com
October 20, 2025 at 7:27 PM
Lecture on murals at the Gyantse Dzong (which most people have heard of in the context of the 1904 Younghusband invasion.) Raised the interesting question of how Chinese art styles were transmitted and incorporated with Tibetan and Nepalese traditions here.
www.youtube.com/live/P-8pQh-...
www.youtube.com/live/P-8pQh-...
Reposted by Adam Smith
If you're new to the Warring States manuscripts, I published a piece with my colleague Li Yumeng which introduces the *Kongzi said and *Zhongni said manuscripts. And it's open access!
www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
October 9, 2025 at 2:44 PM
If you're new to the Warring States manuscripts, I published a piece with my colleague Li Yumeng which introduces the *Kongzi said and *Zhongni said manuscripts. And it's open access!
www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
Reposted by Adam Smith
The problem is not the gender of the person wielding the gun.
It's the gun.
The gun is the problem.
It's always been the gun.
It will always be the gun.
It's the gun.
The gun is the problem.
It's always been the gun.
It will always be the gun.
August 28, 2025 at 6:00 PM
The problem is not the gender of the person wielding the gun.
It's the gun.
The gun is the problem.
It's always been the gun.
It will always be the gun.
It's the gun.
The gun is the problem.
It's always been the gun.
It will always be the gun.
Reposted by Adam Smith
The Qianlong Emperor [r. 1735-1799] enshrined his conquests as the "Ten Complete Victories" - he even had a nickname: 十全老人: "The Old Man of the Ten Victories"
He went so far as to have it carved onto his own white-jade imperial seal.
But your "World's Best Dad" mug is cool, too, I guess...
He went so far as to have it carved onto his own white-jade imperial seal.
But your "World's Best Dad" mug is cool, too, I guess...
August 28, 2025 at 6:43 PM
The Qianlong Emperor [r. 1735-1799] enshrined his conquests as the "Ten Complete Victories" - he even had a nickname: 十全老人: "The Old Man of the Ten Victories"
He went so far as to have it carved onto his own white-jade imperial seal.
But your "World's Best Dad" mug is cool, too, I guess...
He went so far as to have it carved onto his own white-jade imperial seal.
But your "World's Best Dad" mug is cool, too, I guess...
The grains of sand in eight million kotis of nayutas of Ganges rivers are a tiny handful compared to the number of deterministic steps that this six-state Turing machine starting on an empty tape takes before halting.
www.quantamagazine.org/busy-beaver-...
www.quantamagazine.org/busy-beaver-...
September 6, 2025 at 5:15 PM
The grains of sand in eight million kotis of nayutas of Ganges rivers are a tiny handful compared to the number of deterministic steps that this six-state Turing machine starting on an empty tape takes before halting.
www.quantamagazine.org/busy-beaver-...
www.quantamagazine.org/busy-beaver-...
Reposted by Adam Smith
Cool Sinological question from @michaelerard.bsky.social -- can anyone think of any historical sources that describe young children talking or record their first words?
September 2, 2025 at 6:50 PM
Cool Sinological question from @michaelerard.bsky.social -- can anyone think of any historical sources that describe young children talking or record their first words?
Reposted by Adam Smith
China has announced that from next month, Tibetan will no longer be a subject in the annual National College Entrance Examination (高考 gaokao), China's most important test for high school students. According to the announcement (www.scio.gov.cn/live/2025/36...):
www.scio.gov.cn
August 6, 2025 at 1:41 AM
China has announced that from next month, Tibetan will no longer be a subject in the annual National College Entrance Examination (高考 gaokao), China's most important test for high school students. According to the announcement (www.scio.gov.cn/live/2025/36...):
Reposted by Adam Smith
Boards of Trustees ***LIKE*** the Trump demands. They ***AGREE*** with them.
They like the idea of putting the screws on activist, lefty, and Muslim students. They like the idea of a whiter student body and conservative curriculum. They want these things and think $200 million is a fair price.
They like the idea of putting the screws on activist, lefty, and Muslim students. They like the idea of a whiter student body and conservative curriculum. They want these things and think $200 million is a fair price.
July 29, 2025 at 12:40 PM
Boards of Trustees ***LIKE*** the Trump demands. They ***AGREE*** with them.
They like the idea of putting the screws on activist, lefty, and Muslim students. They like the idea of a whiter student body and conservative curriculum. They want these things and think $200 million is a fair price.
They like the idea of putting the screws on activist, lefty, and Muslim students. They like the idea of a whiter student body and conservative curriculum. They want these things and think $200 million is a fair price.
Reposted by Adam Smith
The extremely simple fact is that Jeff Epstein was the most notorious child sex trafficker in history, and the President of the US was his close personal friend for decades
Acting like this is complicated is absurd. The man knew what Epstein did, didn't care, and participated
Acting like this is complicated is absurd. The man knew what Epstein did, didn't care, and participated
July 29, 2025 at 4:35 PM
The extremely simple fact is that Jeff Epstein was the most notorious child sex trafficker in history, and the President of the US was his close personal friend for decades
Acting like this is complicated is absurd. The man knew what Epstein did, didn't care, and participated
Acting like this is complicated is absurd. The man knew what Epstein did, didn't care, and participated
HONEY
"Sesame oil, milk, honey, [and] syrup are to be cooked in a vessel [so that] half [of it] remains. ... pepper is to be strewed in – this is to be drunk as a medicine against cancer."
cetom.univie.ac.at?m-ioltoch306
"Sesame oil, milk, honey, [and] syrup are to be cooked in a vessel [so that] half [of it] remains. ... pepper is to be strewed in – this is to be drunk as a medicine against cancer."
cetom.univie.ac.at?m-ioltoch306
July 28, 2025 at 2:27 AM
HONEY
"Sesame oil, milk, honey, [and] syrup are to be cooked in a vessel [so that] half [of it] remains. ... pepper is to be strewed in – this is to be drunk as a medicine against cancer."
cetom.univie.ac.at?m-ioltoch306
"Sesame oil, milk, honey, [and] syrup are to be cooked in a vessel [so that] half [of it] remains. ... pepper is to be strewed in – this is to be drunk as a medicine against cancer."
cetom.univie.ac.at?m-ioltoch306
Reposted by Adam Smith
The Phillies did the kiss cam thing to Coldplay
July 19, 2025 at 2:17 AM
The Phillies did the kiss cam thing to Coldplay
Reposted by Adam Smith
Very sad news about Andrew West, an online friend to many of us on here, who had a rare combination of expertises and was always generous with advice on 'Phags-pa script wine advertisements, fake Yuan-dynasty passports, and less-explored reaches of the higher Unicode planes.
Vale @babelstone.co.uk (reposted from Sinologists FB group). 嗚呼哀哉！
Andrew C. West 魏安 1960–2025
corp.unicode.org
July 15, 2025 at 4:54 PM
Very sad news about Andrew West, an online friend to many of us on here, who had a rare combination of expertises and was always generous with advice on 'Phags-pa script wine advertisements, fake Yuan-dynasty passports, and less-explored reaches of the higher Unicode planes.
Reposted by Adam Smith
Opposing ICE in chalk with sidewalk goatses; what a time to be alive
July 16, 2025 at 2:45 AM
Opposing ICE in chalk with sidewalk goatses; what a time to be alive
Reposted by Adam Smith
I am utterly shocked and saddened by the news of Andrew West‘s @babelstone.co.uk untimely passing. He was a huge inspiration, an impressive scholar, and a kind and generous person.
FAMA PER ORA VOLAT
SPIRITUS ASTRA TENET
FAMA PER ORA VOLAT
SPIRITUS ASTRA TENET
July 16, 2025 at 10:18 AM
I am utterly shocked and saddened by the news of Andrew West‘s @babelstone.co.uk untimely passing. He was a huge inspiration, an impressive scholar, and a kind and generous person.
FAMA PER ORA VOLAT
SPIRITUS ASTRA TENET
FAMA PER ORA VOLAT
SPIRITUS ASTRA TENET
Reposted by Adam Smith
I've just heard the terrible news that my friend - and friend of many here - Andrew West, @babelstone.co.uk, the incomparably brilliant Sinologist and Tangutologist passed away suddenly but peacefully on 10th July. 1/2
July 14, 2025 at 5:49 PM
I've just heard the terrible news that my friend - and friend of many here - Andrew West, @babelstone.co.uk, the incomparably brilliant Sinologist and Tangutologist passed away suddenly but peacefully on 10th July. 1/2
Qinshihuang Kunlun magic herbs inscription latest.
Turns out this so-called uninhabited zone 無人區 isn't quite so uninhabited after all. A local Tibetan guy Dorje Namgyal [sp?] (pic L) used to herd his flock of 3000 sheep there and says he saw the inscription in 1986.
www.nbd.com.cn/articles/202...
Turns out this so-called uninhabited zone 無人區 isn't quite so uninhabited after all. A local Tibetan guy Dorje Namgyal [sp?] (pic L) used to herd his flock of 3000 sheep there and says he saw the inscription in 1986.
www.nbd.com.cn/articles/202...
July 11, 2025 at 8:13 PM
Qinshihuang Kunlun magic herbs inscription latest.
Turns out this so-called uninhabited zone 無人區 isn't quite so uninhabited after all. A local Tibetan guy Dorje Namgyal [sp?] (pic L) used to herd his flock of 3000 sheep there and says he saw the inscription in 1986.
www.nbd.com.cn/articles/202...
Turns out this so-called uninhabited zone 無人區 isn't quite so uninhabited after all. A local Tibetan guy Dorje Namgyal [sp?] (pic L) used to herd his flock of 3000 sheep there and says he saw the inscription in 1986.
www.nbd.com.cn/articles/202...
Reposted by Adam Smith
Look unlike China we're not running camps I mean unlike China we're not dramatically raising military spending I mean unlike China we're not pressuring private companies to follow a political agenda I mean unlike China we don't have a cult of personality around our paramount leader I mean unlike Chi
July 9, 2025 at 11:32 PM
Look unlike China we're not running camps I mean unlike China we're not dramatically raising military spending I mean unlike China we're not pressuring private companies to follow a political agenda I mean unlike China we don't have a cult of personality around our paramount leader I mean unlike Chi
Reposted by Adam Smith
cursed chengyu
A colleague found this gem in an 1875 book of Chinese proverbs. A literal translation would be "an umbrella penetrating the anus, one segment at a time" #諺語珍珠
June 21, 2025 at 3:35 PM
cursed chengyu
Reposted by Adam Smith
pedocop theory.
There were 29 law enforcement officers who were arrested, pled guilty and/or were sentenced to prison for child sex crimes in the month of June.
July 3, 2025 at 12:57 AM
pedocop theory.
Reposted by Adam Smith
NEW: A ChinaFile investigation into China's powerful, but leaky, internet censorship system at locknet.chinafile.com
1/21
1/21
June 30, 2025 at 10:42 AM
NEW: A ChinaFile investigation into China's powerful, but leaky, internet censorship system at locknet.chinafile.com
1/21
1/21