Clio and the Contemporary
@cliocontemporary.bsky.social
Connecting history to the present—articles, teaching materials, & advice for the contemporary historian. Accepting submissions. Eds
@sarahking.bsky.social & @malszy.bsky.social
clioandthecontemporary.com | #bskystorians
@sarahking.bsky.social & @malszy.bsky.social
clioandthecontemporary.com | #bskystorians
Reposted by Clio and the Contemporary
With the end of 2025 upon us, I wanted to create a thread of everything I'm thankful for from this past year. 2025 was filled with highs and lows, but I'm filled with grace from all the comradery and support I received this year.
Please share your own lists as well. 🗃️ Let's celebrate us!
Please share your own lists as well. 🗃️ Let's celebrate us!
December 31, 2025 at 7:05 PM
With the end of 2025 upon us, I wanted to create a thread of everything I'm thankful for from this past year. 2025 was filled with highs and lows, but I'm filled with grace from all the comradery and support I received this year.
Please share your own lists as well. 🗃️ Let's celebrate us!
Please share your own lists as well. 🗃️ Let's celebrate us!
Reposted by Clio and the Contemporary
SO to my team @cliocontemporary.bsky.social for an incredible year of growth. I'll be continuing my role editing pieces on Breaking News/Politics as well as Film and TV Reviews.
If you want to write for us, please do not hesitate to reach out to me or the team. Below are the pieces I edited.
If you want to write for us, please do not hesitate to reach out to me or the team. Below are the pieces I edited.
December 31, 2025 at 7:05 PM
SO to my team @cliocontemporary.bsky.social for an incredible year of growth. I'll be continuing my role editing pieces on Breaking News/Politics as well as Film and TV Reviews.
If you want to write for us, please do not hesitate to reach out to me or the team. Below are the pieces I edited.
If you want to write for us, please do not hesitate to reach out to me or the team. Below are the pieces I edited.
Reposted by Clio and the Contemporary
Great advice. Mine is this: all good abstracts do the following
1. Background (who what when where)
2. Problem — what's the hole your research addresses?
3. Argument/Hypothesis
4. Evidence — on what basis are you making the argument?
5. Answer the "so what" question — why does this matter? to whom?
1. Background (who what when where)
2. Problem — what's the hole your research addresses?
3. Argument/Hypothesis
4. Evidence — on what basis are you making the argument?
5. Answer the "so what" question — why does this matter? to whom?
I'm reviewing abstracts for an upcoming scientific conference, helping the planning team to select which attendees get a chance to present their work.
Some are amazingly good.
Some suggest that the applicant has not ever been taught how to write an abstract.
Here are some basic tips:
🧪
Some are amazingly good.
Some suggest that the applicant has not ever been taught how to write an abstract.
Here are some basic tips:
🧪
December 30, 2025 at 7:25 AM
Great advice. Mine is this: all good abstracts do the following
1. Background (who what when where)
2. Problem — what's the hole your research addresses?
3. Argument/Hypothesis
4. Evidence — on what basis are you making the argument?
5. Answer the "so what" question — why does this matter? to whom?
1. Background (who what when where)
2. Problem — what's the hole your research addresses?
3. Argument/Hypothesis
4. Evidence — on what basis are you making the argument?
5. Answer the "so what" question — why does this matter? to whom?
Reposted by Clio and the Contemporary
What have #skystorians been reading in 2025? Look back at some of our most popular pieces this year.
Topping the list is Julia Haagar's primer on grad school reading and note-taking. clioandthecontemporary.com/2019/09/23/h...
Topping the list is Julia Haagar's primer on grad school reading and note-taking. clioandthecontemporary.com/2019/09/23/h...
Surviving Grad School: How to Read and Take Notes Efficiently
When I googled how to survive a graduate seminar, I found a zillion different websites with a zillion different opinions. I realized that I could spend my entire graduate career reading tips on how…
clioandthecontemporary.com
December 29, 2025 at 3:40 PM
What have #skystorians been reading in 2025? Look back at some of our most popular pieces this year.
Topping the list is Julia Haagar's primer on grad school reading and note-taking. clioandthecontemporary.com/2019/09/23/h...
Topping the list is Julia Haagar's primer on grad school reading and note-taking. clioandthecontemporary.com/2019/09/23/h...
What have #skystorians been reading in 2025? Look back at some of our most popular pieces this year.
Topping the list is Julia Haagar's primer on grad school reading and note-taking. clioandthecontemporary.com/2019/09/23/h...
Topping the list is Julia Haagar's primer on grad school reading and note-taking. clioandthecontemporary.com/2019/09/23/h...
Surviving Grad School: How to Read and Take Notes Efficiently
When I googled how to survive a graduate seminar, I found a zillion different websites with a zillion different opinions. I realized that I could spend my entire graduate career reading tips on how…
clioandthecontemporary.com
December 29, 2025 at 3:40 PM
What have #skystorians been reading in 2025? Look back at some of our most popular pieces this year.
Topping the list is Julia Haagar's primer on grad school reading and note-taking. clioandthecontemporary.com/2019/09/23/h...
Topping the list is Julia Haagar's primer on grad school reading and note-taking. clioandthecontemporary.com/2019/09/23/h...
Reposted by Clio and the Contemporary
I will keep saying this until it gets through to people who are not directly involved in education today (i.e., who are not actually teaching kids in classrooms/seminar/lecture rooms today): we can’t talk about AI in education if we don’t start with the single most common use by students: cheating!
In that frame, education should be actively engaging with AI, but not in "write me my essay" mode or an "assistant" type posture. Instead as a thinking space which expands rather than shortcuts cognition when done right.
December 28, 2025 at 12:13 AM
I will keep saying this until it gets through to people who are not directly involved in education today (i.e., who are not actually teaching kids in classrooms/seminar/lecture rooms today): we can’t talk about AI in education if we don’t start with the single most common use by students: cheating!
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what!!!!!
Side note: Sinatra’s mom Natalina “Dolly” Garaventa, a midwife by trade, ran an underground free abortion clinic, chained herself to a fence to fight for women’s suffrage and was an extremely influential organizer for the Democratic Party
www.irishtimes.com/opinion/eamo...
www.irishtimes.com/opinion/eamo...
December 26, 2025 at 7:01 PM
what!!!!!
Reposted by Clio and the Contemporary
Historian: AI has no place in historical research or writing.
AI pusher: You don't know what you're talking about!
Historian: I do. I am a historian.
AI advocate: Luddite!
Historian: *writes twenty-seven post thread about Luddism*
AI pusher: You don't know what you're talking about!
Historian: I do. I am a historian.
AI advocate: Luddite!
Historian: *writes twenty-seven post thread about Luddism*
You absolutely will not convince a bunch of historians and sociologists and whoever else is in this thread that you know more than we do about this and we should use it. I wish you AI enthusiasts would stop wading into our conversations. You have nothing helpful to contribute and are snarky.
December 21, 2025 at 9:05 PM
Historian: AI has no place in historical research or writing.
AI pusher: You don't know what you're talking about!
Historian: I do. I am a historian.
AI advocate: Luddite!
Historian: *writes twenty-seven post thread about Luddism*
AI pusher: You don't know what you're talking about!
Historian: I do. I am a historian.
AI advocate: Luddite!
Historian: *writes twenty-seven post thread about Luddism*
Reposted by Clio and the Contemporary
Does anyone have a good assignment to help history survey students understand how bias and context work in our discipline? I'm struggling to get them past "source is worthless because it's bias" to "evaluate the source's perspective using context and use that to help us understand things"
December 21, 2025 at 6:34 PM
Does anyone have a good assignment to help history survey students understand how bias and context work in our discipline? I'm struggling to get them past "source is worthless because it's bias" to "evaluate the source's perspective using context and use that to help us understand things"
Reposted by Clio and the Contemporary
Not only this, but for teaching purposes, you have to *already know the thing* to properly verify LLM outputs. It takes expertise and discernment, which means students by definition cannot do it. This is my problem with “teach them AI skills” position—there are no AI skills without actual skills
suspect a big reason why many academics and others who work in areas where getting facts RIGHT is key are disinterested in using LLMs for research:
they’ve tried it, they keep noticing major errors in output, and they conclude that having to verify all that doesn’t actually save them time.
they’ve tried it, they keep noticing major errors in output, and they conclude that having to verify all that doesn’t actually save them time.
December 21, 2025 at 6:46 PM
Not only this, but for teaching purposes, you have to *already know the thing* to properly verify LLM outputs. It takes expertise and discernment, which means students by definition cannot do it. This is my problem with “teach them AI skills” position—there are no AI skills without actual skills
Reposted by Clio and the Contemporary
Serious question for #skystorians. Is there a mechanism for forcing the AHA to withdraw its appalling LLM guidelines? Because it is just wildly unacceptable that these should be the standards for research in our field
I read the list you took this item from (attached). It has a row: "Ask AI to summarize a book or article in your field. Reproduce that summary in your literature review without reading the book or article; Acceptable: No, never acceptable"
You're interpretation is plainly incorrect.
You're interpretation is plainly incorrect.
December 21, 2025 at 2:36 PM
Serious question for #skystorians. Is there a mechanism for forcing the AHA to withdraw its appalling LLM guidelines? Because it is just wildly unacceptable that these should be the standards for research in our field
Reposted by Clio and the Contemporary
Do not cite an academic paper unless you’ve read it
AI Is Inventing Academic Papers That Don't Exist -- And They're Being Cited in Real Journals
Academic articles from authors using large language model are creating an ecosystem of fake research that threatens human knowledge itself.
www.rollingstone.com
December 19, 2025 at 4:46 PM
Do not cite an academic paper unless you’ve read it
Reposted by Clio and the Contemporary
In honor of me being mad on the internet, and also needing to feel like other people share my values:
Tell me about the class you didn't want to take in college that ended up bending your mind or being otherwise "useful" in your development as a person
Tell me about the class you didn't want to take in college that ended up bending your mind or being otherwise "useful" in your development as a person
December 19, 2025 at 1:06 AM
In honor of me being mad on the internet, and also needing to feel like other people share my values:
Tell me about the class you didn't want to take in college that ended up bending your mind or being otherwise "useful" in your development as a person
Tell me about the class you didn't want to take in college that ended up bending your mind or being otherwise "useful" in your development as a person
Reposted by Clio and the Contemporary
Whew, we made it through Fall ‘25.
Tell us about a teaching success story.
Big or small, what worked in your history courses this year? 🗃️ #academicsky
Tell us about a teaching success story.
Big or small, what worked in your history courses this year? 🗃️ #academicsky
December 17, 2025 at 1:38 PM
Whew, we made it through Fall ‘25.
Tell us about a teaching success story.
Big or small, what worked in your history courses this year? 🗃️ #academicsky
Tell us about a teaching success story.
Big or small, what worked in your history courses this year? 🗃️ #academicsky
Reposted by Clio and the Contemporary
#Histmed folks, I'm cooking up a review essay and I'm trying to guage the influence of eradicationism on a medical essay published in the mid-20th century US.
Any recommendations on historiography about the mid-20th century belief in the possibility of eradicating disease? 🗃️
Any recommendations on historiography about the mid-20th century belief in the possibility of eradicating disease? 🗃️
December 17, 2025 at 5:53 PM
#Histmed folks, I'm cooking up a review essay and I'm trying to guage the influence of eradicationism on a medical essay published in the mid-20th century US.
Any recommendations on historiography about the mid-20th century belief in the possibility of eradicating disease? 🗃️
Any recommendations on historiography about the mid-20th century belief in the possibility of eradicating disease? 🗃️
Reposted by Clio and the Contemporary
#Skystorians I am recreating my world history since 1500 course and want to include antisemitism as a major theme. Do you have any suggestions for resources?
December 17, 2025 at 8:36 PM
#Skystorians I am recreating my world history since 1500 course and want to include antisemitism as a major theme. Do you have any suggestions for resources?
Whew, we made it through Fall ‘25.
Tell us about a teaching success story.
Big or small, what worked in your history courses this year? 🗃️ #academicsky
Tell us about a teaching success story.
Big or small, what worked in your history courses this year? 🗃️ #academicsky
December 17, 2025 at 1:38 PM
Whew, we made it through Fall ‘25.
Tell us about a teaching success story.
Big or small, what worked in your history courses this year? 🗃️ #academicsky
Tell us about a teaching success story.
Big or small, what worked in your history courses this year? 🗃️ #academicsky
Reposted by Clio and the Contemporary
It's fitting that the cover on AI mindlessly apes an earlier creation and also displaces workers while elevating Silicon Valley plutocrats.
December 12, 2025 at 3:40 AM
It's fitting that the cover on AI mindlessly apes an earlier creation and also displaces workers while elevating Silicon Valley plutocrats.
Reposted by Clio and the Contemporary
🧵Teaching Students NOT to use AI
So...I've tried to explain to my students why they aren't allowed to use genAI in MY class (even though the university seems to be encouraging them to)
I've written this document to try to explain WHY it's a bad idea rather than just forbidden fruit.
#AI
#genAI
So...I've tried to explain to my students why they aren't allowed to use genAI in MY class (even though the university seems to be encouraging them to)
I've written this document to try to explain WHY it's a bad idea rather than just forbidden fruit.
#AI
#genAI
December 12, 2025 at 10:20 AM
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We’re looking for recent PhDs from outside the UK / not UK citizens who are interested in working with @icshc.bsky.social for a #sporthistory postdoc application through the British Academy International Fellowship #skystorians 🗃️
networks.h-net.org/group/discus...
networks.h-net.org/group/discus...
Postdoc Opportunity at DMU's International Centre for Sports History and Culture | H-Net
De Montfort University's International Centre for Sports History and Culture is open to individuals outside the UK who would be interested in applying for the British Academy International Fellowship:...
networks.h-net.org
December 2, 2025 at 3:01 PM
We’re looking for recent PhDs from outside the UK / not UK citizens who are interested in working with @icshc.bsky.social for a #sporthistory postdoc application through the British Academy International Fellowship #skystorians 🗃️
networks.h-net.org/group/discus...
networks.h-net.org/group/discus...
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Historians. Do any of you use a historical timeline feature in your teaching at the lower levels where students can collectively add to it? We can’t use Padlet here so I’m wondering what alternatives are out there. Any experiences to share?
December 11, 2025 at 8:39 AM
Historians. Do any of you use a historical timeline feature in your teaching at the lower levels where students can collectively add to it? We can’t use Padlet here so I’m wondering what alternatives are out there. Any experiences to share?
Reposted by Clio and the Contemporary
Historians - What are your top assigned reading recommendations for a grad level 20th century US History seminar? 🗃️
December 11, 2025 at 1:59 AM
Historians - What are your top assigned reading recommendations for a grad level 20th century US History seminar? 🗃️
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Hi Historians. We’re splitting our US history, 1945-present course in half. I have to write the proposal for the new 1975-present course. What scholarship do you recommend for me to read to better get a grip on the just emerging historiography? #AcademicSky 🗃️
December 11, 2025 at 1:35 AM
Hi Historians. We’re splitting our US history, 1945-present course in half. I have to write the proposal for the new 1975-present course. What scholarship do you recommend for me to read to better get a grip on the just emerging historiography? #AcademicSky 🗃️
Reposted by Clio and the Contemporary
The latest episode of Heartland History is out now. We had a great conversation with Daniel Clark about his recent work “Listening to Workers: Oral Histories of Metro Detroit Autoworkers in the 1950s.” 🗃️
New Episode!
Check out the newest installment of Heartland History as we visit with Daniel J. Clark about his new work "Listening to Workers: Oral Histories of Metro Detroit Autoworkers in the 1950s."
Check out the newest installment of Heartland History as we visit with Daniel J. Clark about his new work "Listening to Workers: Oral Histories of Metro Detroit Autoworkers in the 1950s."
December 8, 2025 at 10:51 PM
The latest episode of Heartland History is out now. We had a great conversation with Daniel Clark about his recent work “Listening to Workers: Oral Histories of Metro Detroit Autoworkers in the 1950s.” 🗃️
Reposted by Clio and the Contemporary
Quoted and did a lot of background for a great piece in USA Today talking about the new US unilateralism and actions against Venezuela in historical perspective🗃️: www.usatoday.com/story/news/p...
Will Venezuela buckle under Trump? Maduro wouldn't be the first to fall
U.S. presidents have successfully moved to remove Latin American leaders for over a century. What to know about U.S. involvement in coups in the region.
www.usatoday.com
December 6, 2025 at 6:01 PM
Quoted and did a lot of background for a great piece in USA Today talking about the new US unilateralism and actions against Venezuela in historical perspective🗃️: www.usatoday.com/story/news/p...