Chris Chapman
@cchapman.bsky.social
UX researcher, psychologist. Author "Quantitative User Experience Research" (w/Rodden), "R | Python for Marketing Research and Analytics" (w/Feit & Schwarz). Previously 24 yrs @ Google, Amazon, Microsoft. Personal account.
Blog at https://quantuxblog.com
Blog at https://quantuxblog.com
Reposted by Chris Chapman
Friends don't let friends build things they care about with VC
Maybe the biggest fumble of my lifetime lol
Rad Power Bikes faces possible shutdown as it tries to survive ‘significant financial challenges’
A potential closure, detailed in a required state filing, would spell the end of the company and mark a stunning collapse for Rad Power Bikes, which was once Seattle’s highest-profile consumer hardwar...
www.geekwire.com
November 11, 2025 at 3:39 PM
Friends don't let friends build things they care about with VC
Reposted by Chris Chapman
In the century leading up to 1975, nearly 6000 freighters went down in the Great Lakes.
The Edmund Fitzgerald was the last.
The last. In 50 years, not a single commercial freighter has been lost in the Great Lakes.
Why?
It's NOAA. Of course it's NOAA.
The Edmund Fitzgerald was the last.
The last. In 50 years, not a single commercial freighter has been lost in the Great Lakes.
Why?
It's NOAA. Of course it's NOAA.
November 11, 2025 at 1:50 AM
In the century leading up to 1975, nearly 6000 freighters went down in the Great Lakes.
The Edmund Fitzgerald was the last.
The last. In 50 years, not a single commercial freighter has been lost in the Great Lakes.
Why?
It's NOAA. Of course it's NOAA.
The Edmund Fitzgerald was the last.
The last. In 50 years, not a single commercial freighter has been lost in the Great Lakes.
Why?
It's NOAA. Of course it's NOAA.
Reposted by Chris Chapman
For @slate.com Plus members: Someone in academia worries about how to tell their mentor they're leaving academia.
Me: "You don’t have to apologize for leaving academia. Most people in academia leave academia. It’s a bit of a pyramid scheme, anyway..." slate.com/advice/2025/...
Me: "You don’t have to apologize for leaving academia. Most people in academia leave academia. It’s a bit of a pyramid scheme, anyway..." slate.com/advice/2025/...
I Purposefully Misled My Boss. The Lie Is Catching Up to Me.
I don't want him to feel tricked!
slate.com
November 10, 2025 at 2:22 PM
For @slate.com Plus members: Someone in academia worries about how to tell their mentor they're leaving academia.
Me: "You don’t have to apologize for leaving academia. Most people in academia leave academia. It’s a bit of a pyramid scheme, anyway..." slate.com/advice/2025/...
Me: "You don’t have to apologize for leaving academia. Most people in academia leave academia. It’s a bit of a pyramid scheme, anyway..." slate.com/advice/2025/...
Reposted by Chris Chapman
Trying to figure out where to go these days to hire illustrators. Cara wants me to be a company to post a job. ArtStation is an AI shitpit. ConceptArt no longer exists. Anyone got suggestions?
I guess maybe Fiverr or Upwork but I'd rather go someplace artists actually hang out.
I guess maybe Fiverr or Upwork but I'd rather go someplace artists actually hang out.
November 9, 2025 at 1:31 PM
Trying to figure out where to go these days to hire illustrators. Cara wants me to be a company to post a job. ArtStation is an AI shitpit. ConceptArt no longer exists. Anyone got suggestions?
I guess maybe Fiverr or Upwork but I'd rather go someplace artists actually hang out.
I guess maybe Fiverr or Upwork but I'd rather go someplace artists actually hang out.
Reposted by Chris Chapman
“changes in statistical significance are often not themselves statistically significant. … even large changes in significance levels can correspond to small, nonsignificant changes in the underlying quantities.”
www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1...
#Statistics
www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1...
#Statistics
The Difference Between “Significant” and “Not Significant” is not Itself Statistically Significant
It is common to summarize statistical comparisons by declarations of statistical significance or nonsignificance. Here we discuss one problem with such declarations, namely that changes in statisti...
www.tandfonline.com
November 9, 2025 at 12:39 PM
“changes in statistical significance are often not themselves statistically significant. … even large changes in significance levels can correspond to small, nonsignificant changes in the underlying quantities.”
www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1...
#Statistics
www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1...
#Statistics
Reposted by Chris Chapman
I try to tell students especially that they're not doing anything "wrong" if they don't use AI. I urge them to see themselves as in the process of developing agency and part of agency, always, is choosing to refuse, particularly when you do not perceive a value to yourself.
Anyway, AI doesn’t have any value for me in anything I do. I understand this says something about *what* I do. But also? It’s only practically existed for maybe 18 months. I loved and worked almost 45 years without it so yeah, I’m cool.
November 8, 2025 at 5:03 PM
I try to tell students especially that they're not doing anything "wrong" if they don't use AI. I urge them to see themselves as in the process of developing agency and part of agency, always, is choosing to refuse, particularly when you do not perceive a value to yourself.
Reposted by Chris Chapman
This conversation between ChatGPT and the young man it encouraged to commit suicide is just...my god
www.cnn.com/2025/11/06/u...
www.cnn.com/2025/11/06/u...
November 7, 2025 at 2:49 PM
This conversation between ChatGPT and the young man it encouraged to commit suicide is just...my god
www.cnn.com/2025/11/06/u...
www.cnn.com/2025/11/06/u...
Reposted by Chris Chapman
I saw that James Watson has passed on, and I remembered the old joke:
Q: What did Watson and Crick discover?
A: Rosalind Franklin's notebook.
Probably quite simplistic, but it is a shame her contributions to science get so little attention.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosalin...
Q: What did Watson and Crick discover?
A: Rosalind Franklin's notebook.
Probably quite simplistic, but it is a shame her contributions to science get so little attention.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosalin...
Rosalind Franklin - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
November 7, 2025 at 9:09 PM
I saw that James Watson has passed on, and I remembered the old joke:
Q: What did Watson and Crick discover?
A: Rosalind Franklin's notebook.
Probably quite simplistic, but it is a shame her contributions to science get so little attention.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosalin...
Q: What did Watson and Crick discover?
A: Rosalind Franklin's notebook.
Probably quite simplistic, but it is a shame her contributions to science get so little attention.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosalin...
Reposted by Chris Chapman
Good that the court reached the right result. But given that the process is the punishment, this can't have been easy for a veteran pollster who should have been protected. www.thefire.org/news/victory...
VICTORY! Federal district court dismisses class-action suit against pollster J. Ann Selzer
Federal district court tosses ‘fake news’ lawsuit against pollster J. Ann Selzer, affirming First Amendment protections for election commentary.
www.thefire.org
November 7, 2025 at 8:55 PM
Good that the court reached the right result. But given that the process is the punishment, this can't have been easy for a veteran pollster who should have been protected. www.thefire.org/news/victory...
Reposted by Chris Chapman
No, it can't. We cleared this up a few years ago: papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
November 7, 2025 at 1:26 AM
No, it can't. We cleared this up a few years ago: papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
Reposted by Chris Chapman
Friends, if you have the means to donate to a local food pantry financially via online giving, I highly encourage you to do that. But I don’t want to discount the importance of actually showing up at the pantry, even if it is just to drop off food. (1/5)
November 5, 2025 at 8:55 PM
Friends, if you have the means to donate to a local food pantry financially via online giving, I highly encourage you to do that. But I don’t want to discount the importance of actually showing up at the pantry, even if it is just to drop off food. (1/5)
Reposted by Chris Chapman
Too many people thinking about "AI threats" as "threats from AI agency" (which is science fiction) and not "threats from human agency used to productize LLMs in evil ways" which is in the news every day.
November 4, 2025 at 8:02 PM
Too many people thinking about "AI threats" as "threats from AI agency" (which is science fiction) and not "threats from human agency used to productize LLMs in evil ways" which is in the news every day.
Reposted by Chris Chapman
As we today wonder if polls will be accurate, consider that, last year, state-level election polls had an average error (in any direction) of 3 points, the most accurate year since 1944. And they had an average pro-Democratic bias of 2.7 points.
The bottom line: Across all levels of elections, the average polling error in 2024 was 3.3 percentage points, down from 5.3 in 2020 and 5.2 in 2016. National presidential polls missed by 2.6 points on average, and state-level presidential polls by 3.0 on average.
November 4, 2025 at 2:51 PM
As we today wonder if polls will be accurate, consider that, last year, state-level election polls had an average error (in any direction) of 3 points, the most accurate year since 1944. And they had an average pro-Democratic bias of 2.7 points.
Reposted by Chris Chapman
how long have we been hearing about Japan using robots for elder-care? it's been something like 30 years.
it still hasn't happened - indeed, studies found the robots made MORE work for human carers.
www.technologyreview.com/2023/01/09/1...
it still hasn't happened - indeed, studies found the robots made MORE work for human carers.
www.technologyreview.com/2023/01/09/1...
Inside Japan’s long experiment in automating elder care
The country wanted robots to help care for the elderly. What happened?
www.technologyreview.com
November 3, 2025 at 2:49 PM
how long have we been hearing about Japan using robots for elder-care? it's been something like 30 years.
it still hasn't happened - indeed, studies found the robots made MORE work for human carers.
www.technologyreview.com/2023/01/09/1...
it still hasn't happened - indeed, studies found the robots made MORE work for human carers.
www.technologyreview.com/2023/01/09/1...
Reposted by Chris Chapman
If you or any of your students are interested in pursuing an MSc in data social or research methods, please join us online for our annual virtual open day sessions.
These are brief but very informative sessions that prospective students tend to greatly enjoy. See you there.
These are brief but very informative sessions that prospective students tend to greatly enjoy. See you there.
Looking to become an expert in social science research? Wondering how to apply cutting edge data science techniques to real-world problems?💡
Find out about our MSc programmes
1. Intro to MSc in Social Research Methods: 19 Nov @ 12.30
2. Intro to MSc in Applied Social Data Science: 20 Nov @ 11.30
Find out about our MSc programmes
1. Intro to MSc in Social Research Methods: 19 Nov @ 12.30
2. Intro to MSc in Applied Social Data Science: 20 Nov @ 11.30
Studying MSc Social Research Methods at LSE - Virtual Graduate Open Events
Attend our LSE Virtual Graduate Open Events to find out more about graduate study at LSE.
www.lse.ac.uk
November 3, 2025 at 11:59 AM
If you or any of your students are interested in pursuing an MSc in data social or research methods, please join us online for our annual virtual open day sessions.
These are brief but very informative sessions that prospective students tend to greatly enjoy. See you there.
These are brief but very informative sessions that prospective students tend to greatly enjoy. See you there.
Reposted by Chris Chapman
Vaxxed, voted, and donated to my local food bank. If you're in the US and can do any of that stuff would love to have you on board
November 2, 2025 at 11:04 PM
Vaxxed, voted, and donated to my local food bank. If you're in the US and can do any of that stuff would love to have you on board
Reposted by Chris Chapman
This is from Autocracy, Inc, about how modern autocratic propaganda works.
I consider this every time I decide what to share and how to frame it.
I consider this every time I decide what to share and how to frame it.
November 2, 2025 at 12:04 PM
This is from Autocracy, Inc, about how modern autocratic propaganda works.
I consider this every time I decide what to share and how to frame it.
I consider this every time I decide what to share and how to frame it.
Reposted by Chris Chapman
i’ve said this before but lemme say it again. it makes absolutely 0 sense to talk about “misuse” of llms because there is no clear use or purpose for llms to begin with. genAI is a purposeless tech floating around looking for uptake
1/
1/
November 2, 2025 at 2:17 PM
i’ve said this before but lemme say it again. it makes absolutely 0 sense to talk about “misuse” of llms because there is no clear use or purpose for llms to begin with. genAI is a purposeless tech floating around looking for uptake
1/
1/
Reposted by Chris Chapman
This is what I find with my students, too. 90% of them think that AI is net bad, and none argue with my intro lecture about the objective harms of AI. And yet we get emails in our inbox from the university twice a month promoting AI tools.
‘Study after study shows that students want to develop these critical thinking skills, are not lazy, and large numbers of them would be in favor of banning ChatGPT and similar tools in universities’, says @olivia.science www.ru.nl/en/research/...
‘Opposing the inevitability of AI at universities is possible and necessary’ | Radboud University
Since the widespread release of ChatGPT in December of 2022, AI has taken over much of the world by storm – including academia. Most of this happened with very little pushback, despite a myriad of iss...
www.ru.nl
November 1, 2025 at 10:36 PM
This is what I find with my students, too. 90% of them think that AI is net bad, and none argue with my intro lecture about the objective harms of AI. And yet we get emails in our inbox from the university twice a month promoting AI tools.
Reposted by Chris Chapman
/13 Seriously, though: if you are suffering, reach out for help. There is always hope, and things can get better, and you are not going through it alone.
October 31, 2025 at 10:59 PM
/13 Seriously, though: if you are suffering, reach out for help. There is always hope, and things can get better, and you are not going through it alone.
Reposted by Chris Chapman
On Monday, I'll be talking with Andrés Saenz de Sicilia of The Philosopher magazine about why it's more important than ever to resist AI, and how we can develop a convivial technopolitics. Register for free at www.thephilosopher1923.org/events/ai-an...
October 30, 2025 at 7:55 AM
On Monday, I'll be talking with Andrés Saenz de Sicilia of The Philosopher magazine about why it's more important than ever to resist AI, and how we can develop a convivial technopolitics. Register for free at www.thephilosopher1923.org/events/ai-an...
Reposted by Chris Chapman
I just ordered @vincentab.bsky.social 's epic new book Model to Meaning.
This project is one of the most exciting recent developments in data science. The book & #rstats / #python package show how to understand your model *within* its real-world context/use case.
www.routledge.com/Model-to-Mea...
This project is one of the most exciting recent developments in data science. The book & #rstats / #python package show how to understand your model *within* its real-world context/use case.
www.routledge.com/Model-to-Mea...
Model to Meaning: How to Interpret Statistical Models with R and Python
Our world is complex. To make sense of it, data analysts routinely fit sophisticated statistical or machine learning models. Interpreting the results produced by such models can be challenging, and re...
www.routledge.com
October 31, 2025 at 1:19 PM
I just ordered @vincentab.bsky.social 's epic new book Model to Meaning.
This project is one of the most exciting recent developments in data science. The book & #rstats / #python package show how to understand your model *within* its real-world context/use case.
www.routledge.com/Model-to-Mea...
This project is one of the most exciting recent developments in data science. The book & #rstats / #python package show how to understand your model *within* its real-world context/use case.
www.routledge.com/Model-to-Mea...
Reposted by Chris Chapman
These tools are interventions with risks of harm. So I would avoid making models useable in the wild unless you have evaluated them thoroughly in settings where they might be applied. cc @benvancalster.bsky.social @vickersbiostats.bsky.social
October 31, 2025 at 1:05 PM
These tools are interventions with risks of harm. So I would avoid making models useable in the wild unless you have evaluated them thoroughly in settings where they might be applied. cc @benvancalster.bsky.social @vickersbiostats.bsky.social
Reposted by Chris Chapman
it's bad for the environment, made of consent violations and stolen art, structurally mediocre and profoundly damaging to the information ecosystem, but don't worry – we're funding its expansion with the same kind of financing that brought us the 2008 housing crash
October 31, 2025 at 4:53 AM
it's bad for the environment, made of consent violations and stolen art, structurally mediocre and profoundly damaging to the information ecosystem, but don't worry – we're funding its expansion with the same kind of financing that brought us the 2008 housing crash
Reposted by Chris Chapman
Stephen Anderson was an exceptionally clear thinker (who I have constantly, absolutely, and very productively disagreed with). There are few linguistics works that I have read as many times as his "A-Morphous Morphology", an absolute treasure
Thanks to our colleagues at Yale for this obituary
🐦🐦
Thanks to our colleagues at Yale for this obituary
🐦🐦
Remembering Stephen Anderson
ling.yale.edu
October 31, 2025 at 2:04 AM
Stephen Anderson was an exceptionally clear thinker (who I have constantly, absolutely, and very productively disagreed with). There are few linguistics works that I have read as many times as his "A-Morphous Morphology", an absolute treasure
Thanks to our colleagues at Yale for this obituary
🐦🐦
Thanks to our colleagues at Yale for this obituary
🐦🐦