Courtney E. Thompson
@cethompson.bsky.social
#histmed #histSTM #emohist #bodyhist | Assoc. prof. at Mississippi State | Osiris Editor | #AnOrganofMurder | #ACalculusofCompassion | Winnie & Gigi #pupdates | extremely online
Pinned
Looking to spice up your #histmed classes? Consider two new books coming out just in time for Fall 2025! Full of pithy and provocative essays, Do Less Harm (ed. me & @drkyliesmith.bsky.social) and The Nursing Clio Reader (@nursingclio.bsky.social) offer new perspectives to meet the moment. 1/2
Reposted by Courtney E. Thompson
This is a metaphor for the tech industry overall circa 2025
another robot highlight for 2025: man wearing humanoid mocap suit kicks himself in the balls
December 27, 2025 at 5:38 PM
This is a metaphor for the tech industry overall circa 2025
Reposted by Courtney E. Thompson
There's a bizarre sleight of hand here where professors resisting implementing AI into the classroom via ed-tech (a very winnable battle) is being equated with making all Gen AI "go away" (a much bigger fight).
Academics literally cannot make Gen AI go away. As in it is not possible to make it happen on a political, legal, and technical level. We do not and will not command the massive violence necessary to make chatGPT or Claude disappear. Responsible pedagogy grapples with the fact!
No one says to legit business owners, "hey I see there's an underground market selling toxic knock-offs of your product: how will you incorporate the toxic product AND protect your customers against its harms?" But apparently it's fine to make this suggestion to educators with respect to AI.
December 27, 2025 at 3:29 PM
There's a bizarre sleight of hand here where professors resisting implementing AI into the classroom via ed-tech (a very winnable battle) is being equated with making all Gen AI "go away" (a much bigger fight).
Relatedly, I learned recently that there are simplified devices (speakers, etc) designed specifically for Alzheimer's patients, and if they could be made to look just slightly cooler and keep the word "Alzheimer's" off the packaging, I would buy the shit out of that stuff for certain loved ones.
It is surprising to me that none of the major platforms have actual _parental control_ features so that we can limit the amount of time that our parents can spend online, and which apps they’re allowed to use. I don’t worry about my teenager’s use of the internet at all, just my octogenarian dad’s.
December 27, 2025 at 3:30 PM
Relatedly, I learned recently that there are simplified devices (speakers, etc) designed specifically for Alzheimer's patients, and if they could be made to look just slightly cooler and keep the word "Alzheimer's" off the packaging, I would buy the shit out of that stuff for certain loved ones.
Reposted by Courtney E. Thompson
It is surprising to me that none of the major platforms have actual _parental control_ features so that we can limit the amount of time that our parents can spend online, and which apps they’re allowed to use. I don’t worry about my teenager’s use of the internet at all, just my octogenarian dad’s.
December 26, 2025 at 7:42 PM
It is surprising to me that none of the major platforms have actual _parental control_ features so that we can limit the amount of time that our parents can spend online, and which apps they’re allowed to use. I don’t worry about my teenager’s use of the internet at all, just my octogenarian dad’s.
Reposted by Courtney E. Thompson
Thanks for sharing this document, @rweingarten.bsky.social.
I read it, and I believe it's inexcusably inadequate and will not prepare teachers or schools to confront the very real dangers of the "A.i." products pushed by your partners, including OpenAI.
A few thoughts for your consideration...
I read it, and I believe it's inexcusably inadequate and will not prepare teachers or schools to confront the very real dangers of the "A.i." products pushed by your partners, including OpenAI.
A few thoughts for your consideration...
Read about Commonsense Guardrails for Using Advanced Technology in Schools aiinstruction.org/sites/defaul...
aiinstruction.org
December 24, 2025 at 3:43 AM
Thanks for sharing this document, @rweingarten.bsky.social.
I read it, and I believe it's inexcusably inadequate and will not prepare teachers or schools to confront the very real dangers of the "A.i." products pushed by your partners, including OpenAI.
A few thoughts for your consideration...
I read it, and I believe it's inexcusably inadequate and will not prepare teachers or schools to confront the very real dangers of the "A.i." products pushed by your partners, including OpenAI.
A few thoughts for your consideration...
Not an archivist, but one of the most striking things I've ever seen in an archive (@ Duke): a midwife's tiny notebook, containing locks of hair of the babies she delivered. How do you digitize that?? No digital copy could capture it or inspire the same feeling as holding it in your hands.
Archivists/librarians please share the coolest thing in your collections that will never be digitized.
I live in the heart of California gold country. One of the richest mines ever in CA is nearby. Opened circa 1860 closed 1942. A local foundation has preserved the records on site. I know not a stitch has been digitized and am confident no more than 2 pro historians have ever been in there.
December 27, 2025 at 4:36 AM
Not an archivist, but one of the most striking things I've ever seen in an archive (@ Duke): a midwife's tiny notebook, containing locks of hair of the babies she delivered. How do you digitize that?? No digital copy could capture it or inspire the same feeling as holding it in your hands.
Reposted by Courtney E. Thompson
Archivists/librarians please share the coolest thing in your collections that will never be digitized.
I live in the heart of California gold country. One of the richest mines ever in CA is nearby. Opened circa 1860 closed 1942. A local foundation has preserved the records on site. I know not a stitch has been digitized and am confident no more than 2 pro historians have ever been in there.
December 22, 2025 at 2:31 AM
Archivists/librarians please share the coolest thing in your collections that will never be digitized.
Reposted by Courtney E. Thompson
Accessibility just means everyone being able to use or get the same enjoyment that everyone else takes for granted.
December 27, 2025 at 3:15 AM
Accessibility just means everyone being able to use or get the same enjoyment that everyone else takes for granted.
Reposted by Courtney E. Thompson
Odd that Gender is a biological, immutable certainty AND something you can lose if you own the wrong dog.
December 26, 2025 at 5:23 PM
Odd that Gender is a biological, immutable certainty AND something you can lose if you own the wrong dog.
Reposted by Courtney E. Thompson
My annual Christmas reminder: The letters to Santa are not why Santa was found in court to be Santa in "Miracle on 34th Street." It was because prosecuting Santa Claus looked really bad politically for the judge and he was looking for any excuse to let him go. The moral is: Work the refs
December 25, 2025 at 9:04 PM
My annual Christmas reminder: The letters to Santa are not why Santa was found in court to be Santa in "Miracle on 34th Street." It was because prosecuting Santa Claus looked really bad politically for the judge and he was looking for any excuse to let him go. The moral is: Work the refs
December 27, 2025 at 1:43 AM
Reposted by Courtney E. Thompson
This is rank nonsense. Even if future iterations of generative AI can read handwriting in a wide variety of languages and handle drift in meaning, only a small fraction of archival material will have been digitized and described.
December 26, 2025 at 4:56 PM
This is rank nonsense. Even if future iterations of generative AI can read handwriting in a wide variety of languages and handle drift in meaning, only a small fraction of archival material will have been digitized and described.
Reposted by Courtney E. Thompson
Not to be controversial but I think we should use tools and resources to make people's lives less miserable instead of more
December 27, 2025 at 12:17 AM
Not to be controversial but I think we should use tools and resources to make people's lives less miserable instead of more
Reposted by Courtney E. Thompson
1. End Citizens United
2. Tax the rich
3. Prosecute wage theft
4. Pass Medicare for All
5. Vote out bought, corrupt politicians
2. Tax the rich
3. Prosecute wage theft
4. Pass Medicare for All
5. Vote out bought, corrupt politicians
December 26, 2025 at 10:45 PM
1. End Citizens United
2. Tax the rich
3. Prosecute wage theft
4. Pass Medicare for All
5. Vote out bought, corrupt politicians
2. Tax the rich
3. Prosecute wage theft
4. Pass Medicare for All
5. Vote out bought, corrupt politicians
A View to a Deadline
Make a Bond movie academic
Tenure is Forever
Tenure is Forever
Make a Bond movie casual
From Russia with Best Wishes
From Russia with Best Wishes
December 27, 2025 at 12:37 AM
A View to a Deadline
Reposted by Courtney E. Thompson
There are no correct interpretations of texts or consensus exegetical strategies that would make LLMs “very good at summarizing texts.” There is no interpretive tradition with a constant, unchanging answer to the problem of a text. There are no texts posing only one problem. This isn’t arithmetic
I don’t think AI couldn’t have some uses if there’s a system that uses consensually-gathered data, and where outputs that may be inaccurate (hallucinations) are labeled. LLMs are very good at summarizing texts. But using them without citing is irresponsible, and obviously the bigger issue…
December 21, 2025 at 4:44 PM
There are no correct interpretations of texts or consensus exegetical strategies that would make LLMs “very good at summarizing texts.” There is no interpretive tradition with a constant, unchanging answer to the problem of a text. There are no texts posing only one problem. This isn’t arithmetic
Reposted by Courtney E. Thompson
we are living thorough 10 years of moral collapse. it’s happening everywhere but is concentrated in the US. we have given up on even trying to argue that there must be more to life, both individually and collectively, than bare materialism and power. we must rededicate ourselves to meaningful life.
December 26, 2025 at 6:09 PM
we are living thorough 10 years of moral collapse. it’s happening everywhere but is concentrated in the US. we have given up on even trying to argue that there must be more to life, both individually and collectively, than bare materialism and power. we must rededicate ourselves to meaningful life.
Reposted by Courtney E. Thompson
That time of year again!
December 26, 2025 at 8:09 PM
That time of year again!
Reposted by Courtney E. Thompson
"PO-FUCKING-TA-TOES"
The Lord of The Rings movies were rated PG-13. By current rules that means that each film could contain one use of the word "Fuck". Which line are you altering to insert the most useful swear word?
"I can't carry it for you, but I can Fucking carry you"
"I can't carry it for you, but I can Fucking carry you"
December 26, 2025 at 10:52 PM
"PO-FUCKING-TA-TOES"
From a student eval: "Taking your class is like trying to eat soup with your hands."
What's an insult you'll never forget?
December 26, 2025 at 7:18 PM
From a student eval: "Taking your class is like trying to eat soup with your hands."