Dr. Diane Tober
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dianetober.bsky.social
Dr. Diane Tober
@dianetober.bsky.social
3.3K followers 1.5K following 160 posts
Anthropologist, Professor, author, filmmaker, examining reproductive technologies and body commodification. Author of Eggonomics: The Global Market in Human Eggs and the Donors Who Supply Them.
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dianetober.bsky.social
Dr. Diane Tober @dianetober.bsky.social · Nov 9
How does donating eggs impact donors' lives? Eggonomics: based on a 10 year study with egg donors.
www.amazon.com/Eggonomics-S...
Eggonomics: The Global Market in Human Eggs and the Donors Who Supply Them (Social Science Perspectives on Childbirth and Reproduction): 9781032549910: Medicine & Health Science Books @ Amazon.com
Eggonomics: The Global Market in Human Eggs and the Donors Who Supply Them (Social Science Perspectives on Childbirth and Reproduction): 9781032549910: Medicine & Health Science Books @ Amazon.com
www.amazon.com
Reposted by Dr. Diane Tober
sapiens.org
From the archive. Many museums are reckoning with the colonial legacies of the human remains and cultural objects in their collections. Now anthropologists are advocating to pay similar respects to primates. Read more: www.sapiens.org/biology/grea...
Envisioning a More Empathetic Treatment of Great Ape Remains
As museums reckon with the colonial legacies of human remains in their collections, anthropologists advocate paying similar respects to apes.
www.sapiens.org
November 16, 2025 at 8:00 PM
Reposted by Dr. Diane Tober
tressiemcphd.bsky.social
It’s the same everywhere but here is our version:

www.dailytarheel.com/article/2025...
UNC's lack of a standardized AI policy leaves students and faculty to their own devices
In a 2024 survey from the Provost’s AI Committee, 94 percent of undergraduate respondents said that they understood the benefits and detriments AI can pose to learning.
www.dailytarheel.com
October 25, 2025 at 2:25 PM
Reposted by Dr. Diane Tober
lmacthompson1.bsky.social
I am writing this because it has swiftly become crystal clear to me that many people have no idea what is happening or how this works. Here is a thread for non-academics to put into context what just happened to Dr. Mark Bray, a fellow historian.
October 10, 2025 at 4:45 PM
Reposted by Dr. Diane Tober
707kat.bsky.social
olivia.science Olivia Guest · Ολίβια Γκεστ @olivia.science · Sep 6
Finally! 🤩 Our position piece: Against the Uncritical Adoption of 'AI' Technologies in Academia:
doi.org/10.5281/zeno...

We unpick the tech industry’s marketing, hype, & harm; and we argue for safeguarding higher education, critical
thinking, expertise, academic freedom, & scientific integrity.
1/n
Abstract: Under the banner of progress, products have been uncritically adopted or even imposed on users — in past centuries with tobacco and combustion engines, and in the 21st with social media. For these collective blunders, we now regret our involvement or apathy as scientists, and society struggles to put the genie back in the bottle. Currently, we are similarly entangled with artificial intelligence (AI) technology. For example, software updates are rolled out seamlessly and non-consensually, Microsoft Office is bundled with chatbots, and we, our students, and our employers have had no say, as it is not considered a valid position to reject AI technologies in our teaching and research. This is why in June 2025, we co-authored an Open Letter calling on our employers to reverse and rethink their stance on uncritically adopting AI technologies. In this position piece, we expound on why universities must take their role seriously toa) counter the technology industry’s marketing, hype, and harm; and to b) safeguard higher education, critical thinking, expertise, academic freedom, and scientific integrity. We include pointers to relevant work to further inform our colleagues. Figure 1. A cartoon set theoretic view on various terms (see Table 1) used when discussing the superset AI (black outline, hatched background): LLMs are in orange; ANNs are in magenta; generative models are in blue; and finally, chatbots are in green. Where these intersect, the colours reflect that, e.g. generative adversarial network (GAN) and Boltzmann machine (BM) models are in the purple subset because they are both generative and ANNs. In the case of proprietary closed source models, e.g. OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Apple’s Siri, we cannot verify their implementation and so academics can only make educated guesses (cf. Dingemanse 2025). Undefined terms used above: BERT (Devlin et al. 2019); AlexNet (Krizhevsky et al. 2017); A.L.I.C.E. (Wallace 2009); ELIZA (Weizenbaum 1966); Jabberwacky (Twist 2003); linear discriminant analysis (LDA); quadratic discriminant analysis (QDA). Table 1. Below some of the typical terminological disarray is untangled. Importantly, none of these terms are orthogonal nor do they exclusively pick out the types of products we may wish to critique or proscribe. Protecting the Ecosystem of Human Knowledge: Five Principles
October 9, 2025 at 8:55 AM
Reposted by Dr. Diane Tober
emmawilson.bsky.social
This piece by @olivia.science et al is a fantastic read for anyone navigating AI in academia — I’ve included it in the reading for the lecture I’m giving to MSc students later this week
olivia.science Olivia Guest · Ολίβια Γκεστ @olivia.science · Sep 6
Finally! 🤩 Our position piece: Against the Uncritical Adoption of 'AI' Technologies in Academia:
doi.org/10.5281/zeno...

We unpick the tech industry’s marketing, hype, & harm; and we argue for safeguarding higher education, critical
thinking, expertise, academic freedom, & scientific integrity.
1/n
Abstract: Under the banner of progress, products have been uncritically adopted or even imposed on users — in past centuries with tobacco and combustion engines, and in the 21st with social media. For these collective blunders, we now regret our involvement or apathy as scientists, and society struggles to put the genie back in the bottle. Currently, we are similarly entangled with artificial intelligence (AI) technology. For example, software updates are rolled out seamlessly and non-consensually, Microsoft Office is bundled with chatbots, and we, our students, and our employers have had no say, as it is not considered a valid position to reject AI technologies in our teaching and research. This is why in June 2025, we co-authored an Open Letter calling on our employers to reverse and rethink their stance on uncritically adopting AI technologies. In this position piece, we expound on why universities must take their role seriously toa) counter the technology industry’s marketing, hype, and harm; and to b) safeguard higher education, critical thinking, expertise, academic freedom, and scientific integrity. We include pointers to relevant work to further inform our colleagues. Figure 1. A cartoon set theoretic view on various terms (see Table 1) used when discussing the superset AI (black outline, hatched background): LLMs are in orange; ANNs are in magenta; generative models are in blue; and finally, chatbots are in green. Where these intersect, the colours reflect that, e.g. generative adversarial network (GAN) and Boltzmann machine (BM) models are in the purple subset because they are both generative and ANNs. In the case of proprietary closed source models, e.g. OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Apple’s Siri, we cannot verify their implementation and so academics can only make educated guesses (cf. Dingemanse 2025). Undefined terms used above: BERT (Devlin et al. 2019); AlexNet (Krizhevsky et al. 2017); A.L.I.C.E. (Wallace 2009); ELIZA (Weizenbaum 1966); Jabberwacky (Twist 2003); linear discriminant analysis (LDA); quadratic discriminant analysis (QDA). Table 1. Below some of the typical terminological disarray is untangled. Importantly, none of these terms are orthogonal nor do they exclusively pick out the types of products we may wish to critique or proscribe. Protecting the Ecosystem of Human Knowledge: Five Principles
September 30, 2025 at 3:59 PM
Reposted by Dr. Diane Tober
carlosfnorena.bsky.social
A few new details have come to light, most of them noted in this essay by Judith Butler.

My dismay has only deepened. It is a shocking violation of institutional trust—and I write as an undergraduate alumnus and 20-year faculty member of a place that has meant so much to me. Devastating.
September 13, 2025 at 11:54 PM
Reposted by Dr. Diane Tober
culanth.bsky.social
Over the last eight years, I have crisscrossed the United States as an anthropologist, trying to make sense of why the rifts in our national culture run so deep.
@culanth.bsky.social president @anandian.bsky.social in The Guardian
Title of the article in black with author name in orange. To the left a small orange, black and beige drawing of a large house behind three gates.
August 9, 2025 at 9:50 PM
Reposted by Dr. Diane Tober
culanth.bsky.social
www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-i...
I crisscrossed America to talk to people whose views I disagreed with. I now have one certainty
I’ve spoken to white nationalists in Tennessee and Black activists in Texas – and learned about what it takes to connect across difference
www.theguardian.com
August 9, 2025 at 9:50 PM
Reposted by Dr. Diane Tober
kimkrawiec.bsky.social
Opinion | Silicon Valley Wants to Optimize Your Children’s Genes
www.nytimes.com
August 7, 2025 at 12:47 PM
Reposted by Dr. Diane Tober
irisvanrooij.bsky.social
Uncritical adoption of AI “undermines our basic pedagogical values and principles of scientific integrity. It prevents us from maintaining our standards of independence & transparency. And most concerning, AI use … hinder[s] learning and deskill critical thought.” openletter.earth/open-letter-...
Open Letter: Stop the Uncritical Adoption of AI Technologies in Academia
openletter.earth
July 26, 2025 at 7:08 PM
Reposted by Dr. Diane Tober
joshshepperd.bsky.social
One of best public universities on one of the five most beautiful campuses in the country. Decimated.
Indiana University Bloomington to Eliminate or Suspend Over 100 Academic Programs in Sweeping Restructuring - The Bloomingtonian
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Indiana University Bloomington is suspending or eliminating more than 100 academic programs across a wide range of disciplines ahead of the 2026-27 academic year. The programs are ...
bloomingtonian.com
July 1, 2025 at 3:00 AM
Reposted by Dr. Diane Tober
criticallyspeaking.bsky.social
Ever wondered who benefits most in the egg donation industry?
Explore the financial and ethical complexities with us on Critically Speaking, featuring "Eggonomics" author,  @dianetober.bsky.social 
LISTEN: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/critically-speaking/id1463016517

#Eggonomics #EggDonors
June 21, 2025 at 4:15 PM
Reposted by Dr. Diane Tober
criticallyspeaking.bsky.social
LISTEN: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/critically-speaking/id1463016517
Did you know that egg donation is now a massive global industry with potential risks for donors? Dive into this week's Critically Speaking episode as we explore this w/ @dianetober.bsky.social 

#EggDonors
June 19, 2025 at 2:05 PM
Reposted by Dr. Diane Tober
criticallyspeaking.bsky.social
How much do egg donors get paid, and what's the real cost?
🎧 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/critically-speaking/id1463016517
Uncover the truth about the egg donation industry and donor experiences in our latest podcast episode with expert @dianetober.bsky.social 

#Eggonomics #EggDonors
June 17, 2025 at 3:04 PM
Reposted by Dr. Diane Tober
aclu.org
BREAKING: A federal judge reversed National Institutes of Health's terminations of hundreds of critical research grants that were canceled because of their alleged connection to disfavored topics, including diversity, equity, inclusion, and gender identity.

This is a major win for public health.
June 16, 2025 at 9:46 PM
Reposted by Dr. Diane Tober
professormutch.bsky.social
Many of us have been talking about the intersection of abortion and assisted reproduction for a couple of decades now, so I was glad to have a chance to talk about the issue on the Critically Speaking podcast!
criticallyspeaking.bsky.social Critically Speaking with Therese Markow @criticallyspeaking.bsky.social · Jun 10
When IVF meets law: Are frozen embryos people, property, or something in between?
LISTEN: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/critically-speaking/id1463016517
Discover the complexities with expert @professormutch.bsky.social  on this week’s Critically Speaking podcast.

#frozenembryos #conception
June 10, 2025 at 9:13 PM
dianetober.bsky.social
www.wsj.com/business/cha...
They Were Every Student’s Worst Nightmare. Now Blue Books Are Back.
Cheating with ChatGPT has become a huge problem for colleges. The solution is painfully old-school.
www.wsj.com
May 24, 2025 at 2:28 PM
dianetober.bsky.social
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Sperm donor 'dad-of-180' loses parental rights court bid
Robert Albon, who uses the name Joe Donor, claims to have fathered more than 180 children worldwide.
www.bbc.com
May 15, 2025 at 10:52 AM
Reposted by Dr. Diane Tober
rajodm.bsky.social
#TidyTuesday week 18.
Data: NSF Grant Terminations Under the Trump Administration.

Code: github.com/rajodm/TidyT...

#dataviz #rstats #ggplot2
A waffle chart showing 1,041 NSF research grants terminated since April 18, 2025, where each single square represents a project. STEM Education and Social Sciences were most affected, with colors indicating remaining time before projects' expected completion date. Many long term projects were terminated with more than 2 years before the (expected) completion date.
May 6, 2025 at 3:03 AM
Reposted by Dr. Diane Tober
amethno.bsky.social
📚📚📚 New Book Review! 📚📚📚

Timothy Y. Loh reviews //Disability Worlds// by Faye Ginsburg & Rayna Rapp 2024 @dukepress.bsky.social #AnthroSky

Find it here in the latest issue of AE (52.1): ⤵️ anthrosource.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
February 10, 2025 at 1:20 PM
Reposted by Dr. Diane Tober
robinmarty.com
Also not being mentioned is what was probably the most impactful demonstration - the purposeful no shows. A LOT of rearranging occurred to make the space look full. This was the scene at 7. It was supposed to start at 6:30.
Two large sections of almost completely open seats as well as another section that is half empty.
May 2, 2025 at 1:39 PM
Reposted by Dr. Diane Tober
geneticsandsociety.bsky.social
In "Eggonomics: The Global Market in Human Eggs and the Donors Who Supply Them" @dianetober.bsky.social shows how a lack of transparency and oversight in egg donation leaves egg donors vulnerable to exploitation, abuse, and health complications.
www.geneticsandsociety.org/biopolitical...
How Much Do (Human) Eggs Really Cost?
A Review of Eggonomics: The Global Market in Human Eggs and the Donors W
www.geneticsandsociety.org
April 25, 2025 at 9:31 PM
dianetober.bsky.social
www.geneticsandsociety.org/biopolitical...
How Much Do (Human) Eggs Really Cost?
A Review of Eggonomics: The Global Market in Human Eggs and the Donors W
www.geneticsandsociety.org
April 24, 2025 at 11:52 PM
Reposted by Dr. Diane Tober
fil.bsky.social
“What awards are being cut by NSF?
Awards that are not aligned with NSF's priorities have been terminated, including […] those on […] misinformation/disinformation."

SO WE'RE ALL CLEAR, OUR GOVERNMENT IS TRYING TO STOP RESEARCH ON DISINFORMATION

www.nsf.gov/updates-on-p...
Updates on NSF Priorities
www.nsf.gov
April 19, 2025 at 3:20 PM
Reposted by Dr. Diane Tober
juliaehbrown.bsky.social
Moderating this book event was the highlight of my week! Thank you @dianetober.bsky.social for doing such important work to uncover the economic coercion and devastating consequences that egg donors face. More registries, informed consent, long-term follow up and public conversation is needed!
April 19, 2025 at 4:24 AM