Tom Scheinfeldt
@foundhistory.bsky.social
Dad, Husband, Swimmer, Historian, Professor of Digital Humanities at UConn. Online at https://foundhistory.org
I'm on sabbatical and supposed to be writing. But the thing I'm supposed to be writing isn't this. New at Found History:
foundhistory.org/contingency-...
#NewEngland #Maps #Archives #History #America250
foundhistory.org/contingency-...
#NewEngland #Maps #Archives #History #America250
Contingency and the Cartographic Making of New England (Part I)
New England's borders aren't natural. They're historical accidents.
foundhistory.org
February 17, 2026 at 12:33 PM
I'm on sabbatical and supposed to be writing. But the thing I'm supposed to be writing isn't this. New at Found History:
foundhistory.org/contingency-...
#NewEngland #Maps #Archives #History #America250
foundhistory.org/contingency-...
#NewEngland #Maps #Archives #History #America250
Trusting AI; Regional measles strategy; Moltbook’s agent ecologies; Why Socrates was right about AI; Knowledge-based literacy; and more.
Briefly Noted for February 9, 2026
Trusting AI; Regional measles strategy; Moltbook’s agent ecologies; Why Socrates was right about AI; Knowledge-based literacy; and more.
buff.ly
February 9, 2026 at 3:30 PM
Trusting AI; Regional measles strategy; Moltbook’s agent ecologies; Why Socrates was right about AI; Knowledge-based literacy; and more.
if you are wearing a mask, whether you are a federal agent or occupying a college quad, ordinary people are going to think you’re up to no good. We learned as toddlers that bad guys wear masks.
February 2, 2026 at 7:53 PM
if you are wearing a mask, whether you are a federal agent or occupying a college quad, ordinary people are going to think you’re up to no good. We learned as toddlers that bad guys wear masks.
The U.S. may lose its measles elimination status. But the surge isn't national. It's concentrated in a few states. The Southwest's rate is 15x the Northeast's.
Why this matters and why regional institutions should step up: foundhistory.org/the-measles-...
#Measles #PublicHealth #NewEngland
Why this matters and why regional institutions should step up: foundhistory.org/the-measles-...
#Measles #PublicHealth #NewEngland
The Measles Crisis Is Regional—Let's Keep It That Way
Measles is a national issue. It's not a national phenomenon.
foundhistory.org
January 30, 2026 at 8:13 PM
The U.S. may lose its measles elimination status. But the surge isn't national. It's concentrated in a few states. The Southwest's rate is 15x the Northeast's.
Why this matters and why regional institutions should step up: foundhistory.org/the-measles-...
#Measles #PublicHealth #NewEngland
Why this matters and why regional institutions should step up: foundhistory.org/the-measles-...
#Measles #PublicHealth #NewEngland
What does it mean to trust Gemini with document transcription? How is trusting an AI different than trusting a human? My thoughts and a conversation with Claude.
#AI #Archives #DigitalHumanities #Transcription #Trust #Philosophy
buff.ly/DIrWrWD
#AI #Archives #DigitalHumanities #Transcription #Trust #Philosophy
buff.ly/DIrWrWD
Trust and AI: A Conversation with Claude
How is trusting AI different than trusting people?
buff.ly
January 29, 2026 at 5:57 PM
What does it mean to trust Gemini with document transcription? How is trusting an AI different than trusting a human? My thoughts and a conversation with Claude.
#AI #Archives #DigitalHumanities #Transcription #Trust #Philosophy
buff.ly/DIrWrWD
#AI #Archives #DigitalHumanities #Transcription #Trust #Philosophy
buff.ly/DIrWrWD
Found History (Briefly Noted) is out!
🏛️ The medieval roots of the university
💰 Billionaires don't really believe in UBI
🔬 The myth of scientific "discovery"
📉 EnshittificationU
🪟 Lüften's OK but A/C isn't?
Read and subscribe: open.substack.com/pub/foundhis...
#HigherEd #AI #UBI #histsci #luften
🏛️ The medieval roots of the university
💰 Billionaires don't really believe in UBI
🔬 The myth of scientific "discovery"
📉 EnshittificationU
🪟 Lüften's OK but A/C isn't?
Read and subscribe: open.substack.com/pub/foundhis...
#HigherEd #AI #UBI #histsci #luften
Briefly Noted for January 28, 2026
The medieval roots of the university; Billionaires don't really believe in UBI; The myth of scientific 'discovery'; EnshittificationU; Lüften's OK but A/C isn't? and more.
open.substack.com
January 28, 2026 at 3:28 PM
Universities are medieval institutions—slow by design, optimized for consensus, built to last. We may never satisfy modern demands for efficiency, but we may outlive them.
#highered #academia #history
buff.ly/DUb1FY5
#highered #academia #history
buff.ly/DUb1FY5
January 21, 2026 at 2:46 PM
Universities are medieval institutions—slow by design, optimized for consensus, built to last. We may never satisfy modern demands for efficiency, but we may outlive them.
#highered #academia #history
buff.ly/DUb1FY5
#highered #academia #history
buff.ly/DUb1FY5
New Found History (Briefly Noted) post: Tech transfer's failings; Crypto kleptocracy; Springsteen's poetry; and more.
#AI #TechTransfer #Poetry #Crypto #Politics #HigherEd
buff.ly/bzUyVDU
#AI #TechTransfer #Poetry #Crypto #Politics #HigherEd
buff.ly/bzUyVDU
Briefly Noted for January 7, 2026
Tech transfer's failings; Crypto kleptocracy; Springsteen's poetry; and more.
buff.ly
January 7, 2026 at 9:23 PM
New Found History (Briefly Noted) post: Tech transfer's failings; Crypto kleptocracy; Springsteen's poetry; and more.
#AI #TechTransfer #Poetry #Crypto #Politics #HigherEd
buff.ly/bzUyVDU
#AI #TechTransfer #Poetry #Crypto #Politics #HigherEd
buff.ly/bzUyVDU
Check out @ncph.bsky.social's webinar series on the WWII Homefront, starting at the end of the month and including my brilliant colleague, @cjceglio.bsky.social!
community.ncph.org/events/Event...
community.ncph.org/events/Event...
community.ncph.org
January 7, 2026 at 4:05 PM
Check out @ncph.bsky.social's webinar series on the WWII Homefront, starting at the end of the month and including my brilliant colleague, @cjceglio.bsky.social!
community.ncph.org/events/Event...
community.ncph.org/events/Event...
Gmail UI gripe: Why does the star appear on the left (in yellow) in the web app but on the right (in blue) in the mobile app? This is bad design.
January 5, 2026 at 3:06 PM
Gmail UI gripe: Why does the star appear on the left (in yellow) in the web app but on the right (in blue) in the mobile app? This is bad design.
Reposted by Tom Scheinfeldt
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.
Brought this little Chestnut home yesterday.
December 22, 2025 at 5:55 PM
Brought this little Chestnut home yesterday.
The best response to AI is critical engagement, not protest and rejection. Nothing will work, but everything might.
#AI #HigherEd #Academia #CulturalHeritage #Education #DigitalHumanities
#AI #HigherEd #Academia #CulturalHeritage #Education #DigitalHumanities
AI Lessons from 1999
Nothing will work, but everything might.
buff.ly
December 22, 2025 at 3:36 PM
The best response to AI is critical engagement, not protest and rejection. Nothing will work, but everything might.
#AI #HigherEd #Academia #CulturalHeritage #Education #DigitalHumanities
#AI #HigherEd #Academia #CulturalHeritage #Education #DigitalHumanities
Why can’t economists get it? The reason people are worried about affordability even though technically inflation is low is because the things that are cheap (TVs, toys, etc.) don’t matter and the things that are expensive (prescriptions, elder care, education) do.
open.substack.com/pub/noahpini...
open.substack.com/pub/noahpini...
Can we make America feel more affordable?
Americans want prices to actually go down, not just to rise more slowly. Making that happen will be tough.
open.substack.com
December 20, 2025 at 11:25 AM
Why can’t economists get it? The reason people are worried about affordability even though technically inflation is low is because the things that are cheap (TVs, toys, etc.) don’t matter and the things that are expensive (prescriptions, elder care, education) do.
open.substack.com/pub/noahpini...
open.substack.com/pub/noahpini...
Student accommodations; HBO and Netflix; Historicizing AI; UNESCO recognizes Italian cuisine; Fighting online vice is political winner; and more.
buff.ly/NzeQjt6
buff.ly/NzeQjt6
Briefly Noted for December 17, 2025
Student accommodations; HBO and Netflix; Historicizing AI; UNESCO recognizes Italian cuisine; Fighting online vice is political winner; and more.
buff.ly
December 18, 2025 at 1:05 AM
Student accommodations; HBO and Netflix; Historicizing AI; UNESCO recognizes Italian cuisine; Fighting online vice is political winner; and more.
buff.ly/NzeQjt6
buff.ly/NzeQjt6
I'm frustrated with the coverage of Netflix-HBO merger debate, which tends to define "choice" entirely in terms of how the merger will affect creativity. But Hollywood's choice isn't the same as consumer choice. My thoughts at: buff.ly/JwB7mUK
#HBO #Netflix #Media #Choice
#HBO #Netflix #Media #Choice
Netflix and HBO
Hollywood's choice isn't consumer choice
buff.ly
December 15, 2025 at 3:30 PM
I'm frustrated with the coverage of Netflix-HBO merger debate, which tends to define "choice" entirely in terms of how the merger will affect creativity. But Hollywood's choice isn't the same as consumer choice. My thoughts at: buff.ly/JwB7mUK
#HBO #Netflix #Media #Choice
#HBO #Netflix #Media #Choice
A lot has been written this week about student accommodations—most of it by people who haven’t been in college for 20 years. I have my problems with accommodations, but you can’t critique one piece without seeing the whole system. foundhistory.org/the-forest-a...
The Forest and the Tree: What the Latest Accommodation Debate Gets Wrong
A lot has been written this week about the increase in student accommodations on college campuses. It started with a lengthy examination of the system in The Atlantic. Matt Yglesias and Josh Barro…
foundhistory.org
December 14, 2025 at 11:59 PM
A lot has been written this week about student accommodations—most of it by people who haven’t been in college for 20 years. I have my problems with accommodations, but you can’t critique one piece without seeing the whole system. foundhistory.org/the-forest-a...
Reposted by Tom Scheinfeldt
Wrote a short piece arguing that higher ed must help steer AI. TLDR: If we outsource this to tech, we outsource our whole business. But rejectionism is basically stalling. If we want to survive, schools themselves must proactively shape AI for education & research. [1/6, unpaywalled at 5/6] +
Opinion | AI Is the Future. Higher Ed Should Shape It.
If we want to stay at the forefront of knowledge production, we must fit technology to our needs.
www.chronicle.com
November 4, 2025 at 7:55 PM
Wrote a short piece arguing that higher ed must help steer AI. TLDR: If we outsource this to tech, we outsource our whole business. But rejectionism is basically stalling. If we want to survive, schools themselves must proactively shape AI for education & research. [1/6, unpaywalled at 5/6] +
Getting lots of push back on here about my latest posts about Gemini 3 and handwriting recognition. Some is totally fair, for example, questions about labor, the relative worth of the technology for close vs. distant reading, etc.
December 11, 2025 at 11:35 PM
Getting lots of push back on here about my latest posts about Gemini 3 and handwriting recognition. Some is totally fair, for example, questions about labor, the relative worth of the technology for close vs. distant reading, etc.
Briefly Noted for December 10, 2025: AI manuscript transcription; online gambling as a wedge issue; the future of craft beer; blogging and social media; a solution for college football; and more.
open.substack.com/pub/foundhis...
open.substack.com/pub/foundhis...
Briefly Noted for December 10, 2025
AI manuscript transcription; online gambling as a wedge issue; the future of craft beer; blogging and social media; a solution for college football; and more.
open.substack.com
December 11, 2025 at 1:08 AM
Briefly Noted for December 10, 2025: AI manuscript transcription; online gambling as a wedge issue; the future of craft beer; blogging and social media; a solution for college football; and more.
open.substack.com/pub/foundhis...
open.substack.com/pub/foundhis...
Too many people formed their opinions about AI when ChatGPT came out three years ago and haven’t updated them, even though pretty much everything has changed.
open.substack.com/pub/theargum...
open.substack.com/pub/theargum...
Looking back at a year of AI cope and progress
AI isn’t going away or even slowing down. Now what?
open.substack.com
December 10, 2025 at 9:25 PM
Too many people formed their opinions about AI when ChatGPT came out three years ago and haven’t updated them, even though pretty much everything has changed.
open.substack.com/pub/theargum...
open.substack.com/pub/theargum...
Gemini’s ability to read handwritten archival documents has importance beyond the humanities. It opens new frontiers for scientific research and collaboration with the humanities.
foundhistory.org/seeing-old-s...
#ClimateScience #DataScience #Agriculture #Archives #Research #LandGrant #AI
foundhistory.org/seeing-old-s...
#ClimateScience #DataScience #Agriculture #Archives #Research #LandGrant #AI
Seeing Old Science
Gemini’s ability to read handwritten archival documents has importance beyond the humanities
foundhistory.org
December 8, 2025 at 2:34 PM
Gemini’s ability to read handwritten archival documents has importance beyond the humanities. It opens new frontiers for scientific research and collaboration with the humanities.
foundhistory.org/seeing-old-s...
#ClimateScience #DataScience #Agriculture #Archives #Research #LandGrant #AI
foundhistory.org/seeing-old-s...
#ClimateScience #DataScience #Agriculture #Archives #Research #LandGrant #AI
As someone who grew up in Worcester, MA and lives in Connecticut, it bugs me when people say CT isn’t New England. The only food service in New Haven Union Station is TWO Dunkin’s. Tell me that’s not New England.
December 8, 2025 at 12:51 PM
As someone who grew up in Worcester, MA and lives in Connecticut, it bugs me when people say CT isn’t New England. The only food service in New Haven Union Station is TWO Dunkin’s. Tell me that’s not New England.