Colin Brown
@colinmbrown.bsky.social
AssocProf and UPD at Northeastern Poli Sci: immigration, representation, parties, Europe (esp. NL), pedagogy, SoTL.
Ass't. Ed.: PS Educator. Intro Comparative Politics textbook w/Cengage. Chaotic Neutral. J! non-champion. Bad jokes. Erstwhile Oregonian.
Ass't. Ed.: PS Educator. Intro Comparative Politics textbook w/Cengage. Chaotic Neutral. J! non-champion. Bad jokes. Erstwhile Oregonian.
Pinned
Colin Brown
@colinmbrown.bsky.social
· Oct 11
Looking through my old skeets in order to make a meaningless, silly pun and accidentally finding great teaching resources that I'd forgotten about, is about as on-brand as I get.
Reposted by Colin Brown
Some reflections from me on January 6 in comparative and historical perspective (first time on substack)
open.substack.com/pub/ziblatt4...
open.substack.com/pub/ziblatt4...
January 6 in Historical Perspective
January 6, 2026
open.substack.com
January 6, 2026 at 3:24 PM
Some reflections from me on January 6 in comparative and historical perspective (first time on substack)
open.substack.com/pub/ziblatt4...
open.substack.com/pub/ziblatt4...
Reposted by Colin Brown
The Netherlands has pulled out of U.S.-led counter-drug missions in the Caribbean, a reaction to the rising death toll from American military attacks on vessels suspected of being used to smuggle narcotics.
Netherlands pulls out of US Caribbean drug missions amid Venezuela tensions
Dutch defense forces traditionally worked closely with the U.S. but are balking after U.S. attacks on suspected smuggling boats.
www.politico.eu
January 6, 2026 at 3:13 PM
The Netherlands has pulled out of U.S.-led counter-drug missions in the Caribbean, a reaction to the rising death toll from American military attacks on vessels suspected of being used to smuggle narcotics.
One bright spot in this is that teaching methods last semester, my undergrads *got* this, deeply and universally. Most hadn't thought of it before, but once I showed a partial hallucination based on one of our papers they understood the implications and brought it back up a few times on their own.
This is a major threat to the research ecosystem as we know it. It is relatively easy to identify and contain a hallucinated citation. It is very hard to collectively identify and contain a legitimate citation to an hallucinated finding
This is a quite good analysis.
January 6, 2026 at 2:59 PM
One bright spot in this is that teaching methods last semester, my undergrads *got* this, deeply and universally. Most hadn't thought of it before, but once I showed a partial hallucination based on one of our papers they understood the implications and brought it back up a few times on their own.
Reposted by Colin Brown
This is a major threat to the research ecosystem as we know it. It is relatively easy to identify and contain a hallucinated citation. It is very hard to collectively identify and contain a legitimate citation to an hallucinated finding
This is a quite good analysis.
January 6, 2026 at 2:55 PM
This is a major threat to the research ecosystem as we know it. It is relatively easy to identify and contain a hallucinated citation. It is very hard to collectively identify and contain a legitimate citation to an hallucinated finding
Honestly its days were numbered as soon as private equity bought it out
Guys, we have failed Bluesky. We have failed utterly. In the days of yore it was clear that if you got two historians into a room and asked them when did the Roman Empire fall you would get three opinions.
Here’s a fun top five: things that are consensus among historians but are essentially unknown by the public. Richard I, a bad king of England. Roman Empire, fell in 1453. Paul, more important than Jesus. Witch burning, a modern phenomenon not a medieval one. Britain last invaded in 1688. Yours?
January 6, 2026 at 2:22 PM
Honestly its days were numbered as soon as private equity bought it out
Remember if you see a ninja stealing something no you didn't
January 6, 2026 at 2:19 PM
Remember if you see a ninja stealing something no you didn't
Holding the door open for others is a social obligation. But it falls on the person who will not get in the other's way regardless of anything else. First person to the door, usually, but if you get there at the same time, person the door swings toward has to do it.
This place needs some Innocuous Discourse pronto. Quote this with a take that’s not political or aggressive
January 6, 2026 at 2:13 PM
Holding the door open for others is a social obligation. But it falls on the person who will not get in the other's way regardless of anything else. First person to the door, usually, but if you get there at the same time, person the door swings toward has to do it.
Reposted by Colin Brown
Eggnog makes a great coffee creamer and it makes me sad that it isn’t available for most of the year.
This place needs some Innocuous Discourse pronto. Quote this with a take that’s not political or aggressive
January 6, 2026 at 1:33 PM
Eggnog makes a great coffee creamer and it makes me sad that it isn’t available for most of the year.
Cannot imagine a better sales pitch than this, this just talked me into doing a second one today
I've said it before but: cryptic crosswords are just dad jokes with a British accent.
This place needs some Innocuous Discourse pronto. Quote this with a take that’s not political or aggressive
January 6, 2026 at 2:07 PM
Cannot imagine a better sales pitch than this, this just talked me into doing a second one today
Reposted by Colin Brown
Glitter should be a Schedule II substance. Not impossible to get, but extremely annoying
This place needs some Innocuous Discourse pronto. Quote this with a take that’s not political or aggressive
January 6, 2026 at 2:00 PM
Glitter should be a Schedule II substance. Not impossible to get, but extremely annoying
Reposted by Colin Brown
If I am forced to participate in the @dutchnewsnl.bsky.social annual ophef podcast, you should be forced to listen to it.
January 6, 2026 at 12:44 PM
If I am forced to participate in the @dutchnewsnl.bsky.social annual ophef podcast, you should be forced to listen to it.
Reposted by Colin Brown
Take off at least one of those new readings in April that you just added to your syllabus. I see you.
January 5, 2026 at 5:12 PM
Take off at least one of those new readings in April that you just added to your syllabus. I see you.
Today's Plan: inbox number go down
Today's Reality: inbox number go up
Today's Reality: inbox number go up
January 5, 2026 at 4:04 PM
Today's Plan: inbox number go down
Today's Reality: inbox number go up
Today's Reality: inbox number go up
🎵It's time to circle back
Got 50 unread chats inside my Slack
All think they're special, don't know how to act
It's 9:15 guess it's time for a snack
Time to circle back (really thought we were done with it)
Time to circle back (really thought we were done with it)
Got 50 unread chats inside my Slack
All think they're special, don't know how to act
It's 9:15 guess it's time for a snack
Time to circle back (really thought we were done with it)
Time to circle back (really thought we were done with it)
shout-out to everyone who's circling back today
January 5, 2026 at 2:11 PM
🎵It's time to circle back
Got 50 unread chats inside my Slack
All think they're special, don't know how to act
It's 9:15 guess it's time for a snack
Time to circle back (really thought we were done with it)
Time to circle back (really thought we were done with it)
Got 50 unread chats inside my Slack
All think they're special, don't know how to act
It's 9:15 guess it's time for a snack
Time to circle back (really thought we were done with it)
Time to circle back (really thought we were done with it)
Reposted by Colin Brown
Some early Venezuela polling:
-40% haven't heard much, high DKs, room for opinion to shift
-Early coalescing along party lines
-Split on military action but consensus it req'd Congress authorization
-Little appetite for US "taking control" of Venezuela
-40% haven't heard much, high DKs, room for opinion to shift
-Early coalescing along party lines
-Split on military action but consensus it req'd Congress authorization
-Little appetite for US "taking control" of Venezuela
First Post flash poll of 2026!
www.washingtonpost.com/politics/int...
www.washingtonpost.com/politics/int...
We texted 1,000 Americans about U.S. actions in Venezuela. Here’s what they said.
A Washington Post poll shows Americans are split on sending military forces to Venezuela to capture Maduro. Most say it should have required Congress’s approval.
www.washingtonpost.com
January 5, 2026 at 1:52 PM
Some early Venezuela polling:
-40% haven't heard much, high DKs, room for opinion to shift
-Early coalescing along party lines
-Split on military action but consensus it req'd Congress authorization
-Little appetite for US "taking control" of Venezuela
-40% haven't heard much, high DKs, room for opinion to shift
-Early coalescing along party lines
-Split on military action but consensus it req'd Congress authorization
-Little appetite for US "taking control" of Venezuela
Reposted by Colin Brown
The last year was very hard as my father was dying. It became that much harder when I discovered that AI played a role in amplifying his physical pain, and perhaps hastening the end of his life. It wasn’t easy to write about what happened, but I’ve tried.
open.substack.com/pub/buildcog...
open.substack.com/pub/buildcog...
The role of AI in the death of my father
A sad strange story
open.substack.com
January 5, 2026 at 12:54 PM
The last year was very hard as my father was dying. It became that much harder when I discovered that AI played a role in amplifying his physical pain, and perhaps hastening the end of his life. It wasn’t easy to write about what happened, but I’ve tried.
open.substack.com/pub/buildcog...
open.substack.com/pub/buildcog...
Reposted by Colin Brown
Funny enough it was actually invented in colonial America by two older Quaker women. The full name of (if you ever see it written out) is the Pilates of Penn's aunts.
January 5, 2026 at 12:08 AM
Funny enough it was actually invented in colonial America by two older Quaker women. The full name of (if you ever see it written out) is the Pilates of Penn's aunts.
Reposted by Colin Brown
Semesterly reminder to everyone - Canvas in many cases defaults to showing students the course's grade distribution and student's place on it.
If you *don't* want your students to be aware of where they "rank" at all times, take a second to double check it's turned off.
#TeachLearnSky #EduSky
If you *don't* want your students to be aware of where they "rank" at all times, take a second to double check it's turned off.
#TeachLearnSky #EduSky
September 2, 2025 at 1:42 PM
Semesterly reminder to everyone - Canvas in many cases defaults to showing students the course's grade distribution and student's place on it.
If you *don't* want your students to be aware of where they "rank" at all times, take a second to double check it's turned off.
#TeachLearnSky #EduSky
If you *don't* want your students to be aware of where they "rank" at all times, take a second to double check it's turned off.
#TeachLearnSky #EduSky
Reposted by Colin Brown
The first two hours this morning
January 5, 2026 at 11:21 AM
The first two hours this morning
Reposted by Colin Brown
How Germany’s historical high mobility fell short of its reputation: Our data reveals that intergenerational income persistence sharply increased for recent cohorts, reaching levels comparable to the US and coinciding with increasingly class-dependent educational attainment.
Social Mobility in Germany: New Study Reveals a Steep Decline in Opportunity
Baarck, Bode & Peichl: "Rising Inequality, Declining Mobility: The Evolution of Intergenerational Mobility in Germany" CRC Discussion Paper No. 550
190researchblog.substack.com
January 5, 2026 at 12:00 PM
How Germany’s historical high mobility fell short of its reputation: Our data reveals that intergenerational income persistence sharply increased for recent cohorts, reaching levels comparable to the US and coinciding with increasingly class-dependent educational attainment.
Reposted by Colin Brown
At least 40 people were killed in the U.S. attack on Venezuela early Saturday, including military personnel and civilians, according to a senior Venezuelan official.
Venezuelan Official Says at Least 40 People Were Killed in U.S. Attack
The official said the dead included civilians and military personnel. At least one of the civilians was killed in a U.S. airstrike outside of Caracas, according to her family.
nyti.ms
January 4, 2026 at 12:25 AM
At least 40 people were killed in the U.S. attack on Venezuela early Saturday, including military personnel and civilians, according to a senior Venezuelan official.
My joking-but-not-joking-opinion continues to be that Sid Meier really needs to answer for his (inadvertent) sins, and none of today's details have shaken me from this.
I don't think we understood how the rise of viewing others as "NPCs" instead of "lesser people" could be so much worse
I don't think we understood how the rise of viewing others as "NPCs" instead of "lesser people" could be so much worse
January 3, 2026 at 11:54 PM
My joking-but-not-joking-opinion continues to be that Sid Meier really needs to answer for his (inadvertent) sins, and none of today's details have shaken me from this.
I don't think we understood how the rise of viewing others as "NPCs" instead of "lesser people" could be so much worse
I don't think we understood how the rise of viewing others as "NPCs" instead of "lesser people" could be so much worse
Reposted by Colin Brown
Here’s my wisest advice to students: one day, the US government might ask them to help create a constitution for a country based solely on the fact that they are 22, have a polisci degree, a pulse and are there.
Turn them down.
Turn them down.
January 3, 2026 at 9:29 PM
Here’s my wisest advice to students: one day, the US government might ask them to help create a constitution for a country based solely on the fact that they are 22, have a polisci degree, a pulse and are there.
Turn them down.
Turn them down.
Reposted by Colin Brown
Some thoughts on what Trump has done in Venezuela and what it might mean for US national security. Caveat: not a Latin America scholar so this is focused on US policy. Clearly huge consequences for Venezuela that others can address.
First, despite the buildup, I didn't think Trump would do it.
1/
First, despite the buildup, I didn't think Trump would do it.
1/
January 3, 2026 at 2:37 PM
Some thoughts on what Trump has done in Venezuela and what it might mean for US national security. Caveat: not a Latin America scholar so this is focused on US policy. Clearly huge consequences for Venezuela that others can address.
First, despite the buildup, I didn't think Trump would do it.
1/
First, despite the buildup, I didn't think Trump would do it.
1/
Reposted by Colin Brown
I just cannot believe this shit exists. This is worse than a lot of dystopian sci-fi
This person went on a buying spree over the past 24 hours. Fresh wallet. Only existed since Dec 27th and has only bet on Venezuela-related markets.
polymarket.com/@0x31a56e9E6...
polymarket.com/@0x31a56e9E6...
January 3, 2026 at 1:15 PM
I just cannot believe this shit exists. This is worse than a lot of dystopian sci-fi