Laura K. Nelson
@lauraknelson.bsky.social
Associate Professor @ UBC
computational sociology
machine learning is feminist
You only have to look at the Medusa straight on to see her. And she’s not deadly. She’s beautiful and she’s laughing.
www.lauraknelson.com
computational sociology
machine learning is feminist
You only have to look at the Medusa straight on to see her. And she’s not deadly. She’s beautiful and she’s laughing.
www.lauraknelson.com
I have a small project that is taking me outside of academia to dip into industry, just ever so briefly.
I engage a lot with AI. I was not at all prepared for how industry is using it. Not. at. all.
This brief little window is definitely helping me better frame my teaching in this new world.
I engage a lot with AI. I was not at all prepared for how industry is using it. Not. at. all.
This brief little window is definitely helping me better frame my teaching in this new world.
February 17, 2026 at 9:28 PM
I have a small project that is taking me outside of academia to dip into industry, just ever so briefly.
I engage a lot with AI. I was not at all prepared for how industry is using it. Not. at. all.
This brief little window is definitely helping me better frame my teaching in this new world.
I engage a lot with AI. I was not at all prepared for how industry is using it. Not. at. all.
This brief little window is definitely helping me better frame my teaching in this new world.
Reposted by Laura K. Nelson
Now posted ahead of print:
"Conceptualizing Academic Freedom," forthcoming, Annual Review of Political Science.
(Uncorrected proofs, so a few minor edits different from the version that will be published in June.)
doi.org/10.1146/annu...
"Conceptualizing Academic Freedom," forthcoming, Annual Review of Political Science.
(Uncorrected proofs, so a few minor edits different from the version that will be published in June.)
doi.org/10.1146/annu...
February 16, 2026 at 2:10 PM
Now posted ahead of print:
"Conceptualizing Academic Freedom," forthcoming, Annual Review of Political Science.
(Uncorrected proofs, so a few minor edits different from the version that will be published in June.)
doi.org/10.1146/annu...
"Conceptualizing Academic Freedom," forthcoming, Annual Review of Political Science.
(Uncorrected proofs, so a few minor edits different from the version that will be published in June.)
doi.org/10.1146/annu...
Reposted by Laura K. Nelson
I'm looking for emergency reviewers for FAccT papers about ethics and LLMs. So many reviewers have ghosted, and I have one paper that currently has zero reviews, two days after the deadline :( Please reach out if you could write a review for me!
February 16, 2026 at 4:23 AM
I'm looking for emergency reviewers for FAccT papers about ethics and LLMs. So many reviewers have ghosted, and I have one paper that currently has zero reviews, two days after the deadline :( Please reach out if you could write a review for me!
Whenever I see a complaint about robots serving food I think about a news segment where they interviewed service workers who had been laid off (COVID) and were hired as robot fixers at Amazon. When asked if they would go back to service again every single one said oh hell no this is so much better
February 16, 2026 at 4:04 AM
Whenever I see a complaint about robots serving food I think about a news segment where they interviewed service workers who had been laid off (COVID) and were hired as robot fixers at Amazon. When asked if they would go back to service again every single one said oh hell no this is so much better
Reposted by Laura K. Nelson
I haven't promoted my own work on here in a while, but I do need to do a booking push because it's, you know, how I make a living. Bring me to your college, conference, festival, fundraiser, or other community event! This link has a contact form + more info about what I do: guante.info/booking
An intro: I'm a poet and performer; a lot of my actual work is visiting schools, colleges, etc. to use art as a doorway into dialogue—about power, agency, counter-narrative masculinity, and beyond.
Find my sci-fi poetry book, climate crisis concept album, booking info, and more: guante.info/latest
Find my sci-fi poetry book, climate crisis concept album, booking info, and more: guante.info/latest
February 14, 2026 at 11:36 PM
I haven't promoted my own work on here in a while, but I do need to do a booking push because it's, you know, how I make a living. Bring me to your college, conference, festival, fundraiser, or other community event! This link has a contact form + more info about what I do: guante.info/booking
Ok but I'll be frank: the most mind blowing keynote I've seen was Kathleen Carley and she broke all of this advice. She stood right by the podium, never looked around, didn't command the stage. But holy crap she knows the science and it was stunning. Sure perform, but also just do good scholarship?
Helpful speaking tips here--especially for early career academics. Sure, your command of the audience at your next talk may not rival a young, hungry to get noticed/make a mark Bono at Live Aid (YouTube it), but always ways to improve.
Public-speaking tips from the experts: what scientists can learn from comics, musicians and actors
Taking to the stage to present your science is a key part of research, but talks often fall flat, says John Tregoning. Can scientists learn from performers to better engage an audience?
www.nature.com
February 14, 2026 at 7:22 AM
Ok but I'll be frank: the most mind blowing keynote I've seen was Kathleen Carley and she broke all of this advice. She stood right by the podium, never looked around, didn't command the stage. But holy crap she knows the science and it was stunning. Sure perform, but also just do good scholarship?
By some stroke of luck, I get to play on an NVidia Blackwell tomorrow. I'm really not sure what to expect, but I'm certainly excited to see one in action 👩💻
February 13, 2026 at 1:49 AM
By some stroke of luck, I get to play on an NVidia Blackwell tomorrow. I'm really not sure what to expect, but I'm certainly excited to see one in action 👩💻
Reposted by Laura K. Nelson
📢WORK! At the Sociology department of @utrechtuniversity.bsky.social we are hiring a postdoc who will work on applications of AI in sociological research. Join our vibrant-yet-cohesive research community doing cutting-edge research. Please share or apply! www.uu.nl/en/organisat...
Postdoctoral researcher on applications of AI in sociological research
Are you able to lead sociological research into the AI age?
www.uu.nl
February 12, 2026 at 11:11 AM
📢WORK! At the Sociology department of @utrechtuniversity.bsky.social we are hiring a postdoc who will work on applications of AI in sociological research. Join our vibrant-yet-cohesive research community doing cutting-edge research. Please share or apply! www.uu.nl/en/organisat...
Reposted by Laura K. Nelson
We've extended submissions for our #CHI2026 workshop on Developing Standards and Documentation For LLM Use as Simulated Research Participants.
Submit a short position paper by Feb 20th and let's think through some thorny issues together!
sites.google.com/andrew.cmu.e...
Submit a short position paper by Feb 20th and let's think through some thorny issues together!
sites.google.com/andrew.cmu.e...
CHI'26 Workshop on Developing Standards and Documentation For LLM Use as Simulated Research Participants
Workshop Motivation
sites.google.com
February 12, 2026 at 12:53 AM
We've extended submissions for our #CHI2026 workshop on Developing Standards and Documentation For LLM Use as Simulated Research Participants.
Submit a short position paper by Feb 20th and let's think through some thorny issues together!
sites.google.com/andrew.cmu.e...
Submit a short position paper by Feb 20th and let's think through some thorny issues together!
sites.google.com/andrew.cmu.e...
Reposted by Laura K. Nelson
Check out our new paper on the demographic foundations of trust in science in @poqjournal.bsky.social
The tldr is that w/ all of the radical shifts in trust in the US over the last 50+ years, the demographic predictors of trust in science have been rock steady(!)
academic.oup.com/poq/advance-...
The tldr is that w/ all of the radical shifts in trust in the US over the last 50+ years, the demographic predictors of trust in science have been rock steady(!)
academic.oup.com/poq/advance-...
February 10, 2026 at 7:20 PM
Check out our new paper on the demographic foundations of trust in science in @poqjournal.bsky.social
The tldr is that w/ all of the radical shifts in trust in the US over the last 50+ years, the demographic predictors of trust in science have been rock steady(!)
academic.oup.com/poq/advance-...
The tldr is that w/ all of the radical shifts in trust in the US over the last 50+ years, the demographic predictors of trust in science have been rock steady(!)
academic.oup.com/poq/advance-...
Reposted by Laura K. Nelson
Brandi Carlile's accompaniment for "America the Beautiful" before the game last night was SistaStrings. The duo, Chauntee and Monique Ross, played another American anthem, "Lift Every Voice and Sing," on the Library's Stradivarius instruments in 2024.
Here's a clip of that impromptu performance. ⬇️
Here's a clip of that impromptu performance. ⬇️
February 9, 2026 at 6:55 PM
Brandi Carlile's accompaniment for "America the Beautiful" before the game last night was SistaStrings. The duo, Chauntee and Monique Ross, played another American anthem, "Lift Every Voice and Sing," on the Library's Stradivarius instruments in 2024.
Here's a clip of that impromptu performance. ⬇️
Here's a clip of that impromptu performance. ⬇️
Recent publications arguing against the use of genAI in reflexive qual research inspired us (Elida Ibrahim and @andreavoyer.bsky.social) to write our own perspective. Not to convince anyone to use genAI but for those who might be interested and are looking for guidance.
osf.io/preprints/so...
osf.io/preprints/so...
February 9, 2026 at 6:49 PM
Recent publications arguing against the use of genAI in reflexive qual research inspired us (Elida Ibrahim and @andreavoyer.bsky.social) to write our own perspective. Not to convince anyone to use genAI but for those who might be interested and are looking for guidance.
osf.io/preprints/so...
osf.io/preprints/so...
As an American in Canada I'm very happy about my proximity to certain groups here 🇨🇦
February 9, 2026 at 7:10 AM
As an American in Canada I'm very happy about my proximity to certain groups here 🇨🇦
Reposted by Laura K. Nelson
☞ ☞ ☞ the index finger is a pointing gesture to be found in manuscript and print traditions. It was used to draw the reader's attention to a certain part of a text or image. This slow-moving thread highlight a few of them:
February 8, 2026 at 2:27 PM
☞ ☞ ☞ the index finger is a pointing gesture to be found in manuscript and print traditions. It was used to draw the reader's attention to a certain part of a text or image. This slow-moving thread highlight a few of them:
Reposted by Laura K. Nelson
Consider submitting a paper to the session I am organizing at ASA this year on “Comparative-Historical Sociology and Computational Social Science.” The submission deadline is February 25.
February 8, 2026 at 12:59 PM
Consider submitting a paper to the session I am organizing at ASA this year on “Comparative-Historical Sociology and Computational Social Science.” The submission deadline is February 25.
Reposted by Laura K. Nelson
"Sinners" is a musical
Some of you are probably going "Duh...?" but a few people got legitimately angry at me for saying it after the movie first came out. It's not a traditional take on the genre but it's 100% a musical.
Some of you are probably going "Duh...?" but a few people got legitimately angry at me for saying it after the movie first came out. It's not a traditional take on the genre but it's 100% a musical.
February 6, 2026 at 2:40 AM
"Sinners" is a musical
Some of you are probably going "Duh...?" but a few people got legitimately angry at me for saying it after the movie first came out. It's not a traditional take on the genre but it's 100% a musical.
Some of you are probably going "Duh...?" but a few people got legitimately angry at me for saying it after the movie first came out. It's not a traditional take on the genre but it's 100% a musical.
This is a truly stunning book 👇
I am incredibly honored that the Death and Life of Gentrification is reviewed in the February 9 issue of the New Yorker. My great thanks to them for their engagement with the book.
Check out this @newyorker.com Briefly Noted column for a review of @jbrownsaracino.bsky.social’s The Death and Life of Gentrification:
February 5, 2026 at 6:29 PM
This is a truly stunning book 👇
Reposted by Laura K. Nelson
📣 CALL FOR APPLICATIONS
Join us at the 2026 Summer Institute in Computational Social Science at Penn, from June 15–26!
ℹ️ More info: sicss.io/2026/penn
.
⏳ Deadline: Friday, March 6, 2026, at 11:59 pm EST.
#SICSS #ComputationalSocialScience
Join us at the 2026 Summer Institute in Computational Social Science at Penn, from June 15–26!
ℹ️ More info: sicss.io/2026/penn
.
⏳ Deadline: Friday, March 6, 2026, at 11:59 pm EST.
#SICSS #ComputationalSocialScience
Summer Institute in Computational Social Science
sicss.io
February 4, 2026 at 4:19 PM
📣 CALL FOR APPLICATIONS
Join us at the 2026 Summer Institute in Computational Social Science at Penn, from June 15–26!
ℹ️ More info: sicss.io/2026/penn
.
⏳ Deadline: Friday, March 6, 2026, at 11:59 pm EST.
#SICSS #ComputationalSocialScience
Join us at the 2026 Summer Institute in Computational Social Science at Penn, from June 15–26!
ℹ️ More info: sicss.io/2026/penn
.
⏳ Deadline: Friday, March 6, 2026, at 11:59 pm EST.
#SICSS #ComputationalSocialScience
Reposted by Laura K. Nelson
Interested in #Moltbook? Social scientists have been studying whether LLMs can simulate entire social media platforms for some time. 2.5 years ago we published the paper below, and there have been dozens of studies since then which I reviewed last year in this piece: www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
February 4, 2026 at 8:07 PM
Interested in #Moltbook? Social scientists have been studying whether LLMs can simulate entire social media platforms for some time. 2.5 years ago we published the paper below, and there have been dozens of studies since then which I reviewed last year in this piece: www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Reposted by Laura K. Nelson
If you're thinking seriously about slop (and we should) consider applying for this virtual mini-conference hosted by the great @dlcplus.org on SLOP call-for-papers.sas.upenn.edu/cfp/2026/01/...
February 4, 2026 at 10:23 PM
If you're thinking seriously about slop (and we should) consider applying for this virtual mini-conference hosted by the great @dlcplus.org on SLOP call-for-papers.sas.upenn.edu/cfp/2026/01/...
"Why Slop Matters"
The authors argue that AI slop "should be taken seriously as an object of study in its own right." AI slop has (1) an important social function and (2) has aesthetic value.
This is great. Any sociologists out there studying the social function of slop?
The authors argue that AI slop "should be taken seriously as an object of study in its own right." AI slop has (1) an important social function and (2) has aesthetic value.
This is great. Any sociologists out there studying the social function of slop?
New paper on Why Slop Matters w/ great group of co authors (@hoytlong.bsky.social @eduede.bsky.social @ari-holtzman.bsky.social + others not on Bluesky) from ACM AI Letters. We try to move the debate re: AI Slop past normative, neg claims & towards parsing its social uses. dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/...
Why Slop Matters | ACM AI Letters
AI-generated “slop” is often seen as digital pollution. We argue that this dismissal
of the topic risks missing important aspects of AI Slop which deserve rigorous study.
AI Slop serves a social funct...
dl.acm.org
February 4, 2026 at 6:24 PM
"Why Slop Matters"
The authors argue that AI slop "should be taken seriously as an object of study in its own right." AI slop has (1) an important social function and (2) has aesthetic value.
This is great. Any sociologists out there studying the social function of slop?
The authors argue that AI slop "should be taken seriously as an object of study in its own right." AI slop has (1) an important social function and (2) has aesthetic value.
This is great. Any sociologists out there studying the social function of slop?
My 4 y/o has switched his default response question from "Whyyy?" to "How do you know that?" and I am so ready for this moment
February 4, 2026 at 6:07 PM
My 4 y/o has switched his default response question from "Whyyy?" to "How do you know that?" and I am so ready for this moment
Whoa this is neat
February 3, 2026 at 12:31 AM
Whoa this is neat
Reposted by Laura K. Nelson
Hey sociologists, I'm organizing an ASA Methodology session on AI! Submissions are due by 2/25. Looking forward to a timely cross-method convo on emerging research best practices and disciplinary norms and ethics in August.
February 2, 2026 at 5:49 PM
Hey sociologists, I'm organizing an ASA Methodology session on AI! Submissions are due by 2/25. Looking forward to a timely cross-method convo on emerging research best practices and disciplinary norms and ethics in August.
Reposted by Laura K. Nelson
If you are in the Bay Area next week, join us for what will surely be a fascinating discussion about the future of higher education in California. Feat. UC Provost Katherine Newman, Charlie Eaton, et moi.
matrix.berkeley.edu/events/calif...
matrix.berkeley.edu/events/calif...
California Spotlight: Higher Education Under Attack - Social Science Matrix
This California Spotlight panel brings together leading scholars to examine the forces challenging public higher education today. Drawing on areas spanning finance, policy, and labor, the discussion w...
matrix.berkeley.edu
February 2, 2026 at 6:33 PM
If you are in the Bay Area next week, join us for what will surely be a fascinating discussion about the future of higher education in California. Feat. UC Provost Katherine Newman, Charlie Eaton, et moi.
matrix.berkeley.edu/events/calif...
matrix.berkeley.edu/events/calif...