Michael E Smith
@michaelesmith.bsky.social
Archaeologist, Arizona State Univ. Aztecs, Teotihuacan. Ancient & modern cities. Commoners in the past. Transdisciplinary, materialist, historical, occasionally musical. Kino the dog.
- These days I'm working on urban persistence over long periods.
- These days I'm working on urban persistence over long periods.
Pinned
I am an archaeologist at Arizona State University. I am into premodern cities, comparisons with cities today, methodological rigor, Aztecs, and Kino the dog. I have found Bluesky to be boring, although there are a few feeds here I like to follow. But I post more at the other place.
Kino at sunset
December 29, 2025 at 3:14 AM
Kino at sunset
We were at Tivoli in Copenhagen on opening day this fall, and heard a brass band playing Feliz Navidad. Didn’t manage to film the Spanish lyrics with Danish accents. K
December 25, 2025 at 12:21 AM
We were at Tivoli in Copenhagen on opening day this fall, and heard a brass band playing Feliz Navidad. Didn’t manage to film the Spanish lyrics with Danish accents. K
Should I sign up for the "Proposed Class Action Settlement Between Authors & Publishers and Anthropic PBC"? I can find 3 of my book (Univ. Arizona Press) included. Any suggestions? www.anthropiccopyrightsettlement.com?_gl=1*1v1xfk...
December 23, 2025 at 5:02 PM
Should I sign up for the "Proposed Class Action Settlement Between Authors & Publishers and Anthropic PBC"? I can find 3 of my book (Univ. Arizona Press) included. Any suggestions? www.anthropiccopyrightsettlement.com?_gl=1*1v1xfk...
Reposted by Michael E Smith
Sad death of CBS News as actual journalism
And a reminder that CECOT is a human rights travesty, and everyone up and down the Trump admin involved in illegally sending people there belong in The Hague.
And a reminder that CECOT is a human rights travesty, and everyone up and down the Trump admin involved in illegally sending people there belong in The Hague.
December 22, 2025 at 12:34 AM
Sad death of CBS News as actual journalism
And a reminder that CECOT is a human rights travesty, and everyone up and down the Trump admin involved in illegally sending people there belong in The Hague.
And a reminder that CECOT is a human rights travesty, and everyone up and down the Trump admin involved in illegally sending people there belong in The Hague.
Reposted by Michael E Smith
Here's our reporting on the proposed dismantling of the jewel of US atmospheric science, @ncar-ucar.bsky.social.
The plan is to break NCAR apart and disburse some parts to other locations (like the research aircraft fleet) and eliminate others.
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
🧪 #AGU25 #climate
The plan is to break NCAR apart and disburse some parts to other locations (like the research aircraft fleet) and eliminate others.
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
🧪 #AGU25 #climate
Trump team plans to break up ‘global mothership’ of climate science
Much of the National Center for Atmospheric Research’s non-climate portfolio will be dispersed, the White House says.
www.nature.com
December 17, 2025 at 6:59 PM
Here's our reporting on the proposed dismantling of the jewel of US atmospheric science, @ncar-ucar.bsky.social.
The plan is to break NCAR apart and disburse some parts to other locations (like the research aircraft fleet) and eliminate others.
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
🧪 #AGU25 #climate
The plan is to break NCAR apart and disburse some parts to other locations (like the research aircraft fleet) and eliminate others.
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
🧪 #AGU25 #climate
Spent some time in Texas organizing the field notes and data of my in-laws, from decades of field research on cicadas and other critters. I hope we can get the University of Illinois to archive some of this stuff.
December 17, 2025 at 2:30 AM
Spent some time in Texas organizing the field notes and data of my in-laws, from decades of field research on cicadas and other critters. I hope we can get the University of Illinois to archive some of this stuff.
Kino is so famous that he has schools and pools named after him.
December 17, 2025 at 2:22 AM
Kino is so famous that he has schools and pools named after him.
Reposted by Michael E Smith
"Editors of Journal of Philosophical Logic published open letter announcing that they will leave, no longer work with Springer Nature... launching new journal called Philosophical Logic at Open Library of Humanities... [due to] commercialisation of publishing process"
dailynous.com/2025/12/10/e...
dailynous.com/2025/12/10/e...
Editors at Springer’s Journal of Philosophical Logic Resign, Launch New Open Access Journal - Daily Nous
All of the editors-in-chief and associate editors of Springer Nature's Journal of Philosophical Logic have announced their immediate or pending resignation and the launch, as of today, of a new "diamo...
dailynous.com
December 11, 2025 at 9:41 PM
"Editors of Journal of Philosophical Logic published open letter announcing that they will leave, no longer work with Springer Nature... launching new journal called Philosophical Logic at Open Library of Humanities... [due to] commercialisation of publishing process"
dailynous.com/2025/12/10/e...
dailynous.com/2025/12/10/e...
Reposted by Michael E Smith
My year-end book roundup and gift recommendations: 29 books
familyinequality.wordpress.com/2025/12/14/y...
familyinequality.wordpress.com/2025/12/14/y...
December 14, 2025 at 2:02 PM
My year-end book roundup and gift recommendations: 29 books
familyinequality.wordpress.com/2025/12/14/y...
familyinequality.wordpress.com/2025/12/14/y...
My talk on urban relocation in the past from the MR2025 conference. Its at 1:55 to 17:10. youtu.be/xHlVwwzCq2o?...
Mobility Issues in Rural and Urban Contexts
YouTube video by Columbia Climate School
youtu.be
December 11, 2025 at 8:43 PM
My talk on urban relocation in the past from the MR2025 conference. Its at 1:55 to 17:10. youtu.be/xHlVwwzCq2o?...
Kino is five years old today. He enjoyed his peanut butter birthday treat at Camp Bow Wow
December 10, 2025 at 8:00 PM
Kino is five years old today. He enjoyed his peanut butter birthday treat at Camp Bow Wow
youtube.com/watch?v=ns3y.... Incredible duet, Rufus Wainwright and Sara Bareilles.
Sara Bareilles ft. Rufus Wainwright - She Used To Be Mine (New Year's Eve 2025)
YouTube video by JohnThe13thBaptist
youtube.com
November 30, 2025 at 12:30 AM
youtube.com/watch?v=ns3y.... Incredible duet, Rufus Wainwright and Sara Bareilles.
See my feature on "Best books on the Aztecs" on @five_books
. I went with some oldies but goodies.
fivebooks.com/best-books/a...
. I went with some oldies but goodies.
fivebooks.com/best-books/a...
The Aztecs
Aztecs
fivebooks.com
November 13, 2025 at 3:02 PM
See my feature on "Best books on the Aztecs" on @five_books
. I went with some oldies but goodies.
fivebooks.com/best-books/a...
. I went with some oldies but goodies.
fivebooks.com/best-books/a...
🧵The cosmogram crowd are at it again. Sigh. Cool new site, Aguada Fenix, is interpreted by Takeshi Inomata et al as a big cosmogram. The article is here: science.org/doi/10.1126/..., with a journalism article in LiveScience here: livescience.com/archaeology/.... What's wrong with that? 1/6
Landscape-wide cosmogram built by the early community of Aguada Fénix in southeastern Mesoamerica
The cosmogram of Aguada Fénix built over the landscape between 1050 and 700 BCE rivaled the extents of later Mesoamerican cities.
science.org
November 8, 2025 at 2:20 PM
🧵The cosmogram crowd are at it again. Sigh. Cool new site, Aguada Fenix, is interpreted by Takeshi Inomata et al as a big cosmogram. The article is here: science.org/doi/10.1126/..., with a journalism article in LiveScience here: livescience.com/archaeology/.... What's wrong with that? 1/6
This sounds like a good rationale for the tremendous success of cities, all over the world, for the past 6,000 years. "Cities are cool and lots of people enjoy living in them". Yes, indeed.
It shouldn’t be forgotten that a big piece of Mamdani’s campaign was simply “cities are cool and lots of people enjoy living in them” which in and of itself dismantles alot of rightwing talking points
November 7, 2025 at 8:14 PM
This sounds like a good rationale for the tremendous success of cities, all over the world, for the past 6,000 years. "Cities are cool and lots of people enjoy living in them". Yes, indeed.
MDPI, not only predatory, but clueless. "Dear Dr. Smith - We contacted you 31 Oct, regarding a Special Issue, "Inositol Phosphates in Health & Disease, 2nd Ed." in the "Biomolecules". Based on your expertise in this field, we think you could make an excellent contribution."
November 7, 2025 at 12:36 PM
MDPI, not only predatory, but clueless. "Dear Dr. Smith - We contacted you 31 Oct, regarding a Special Issue, "Inositol Phosphates in Health & Disease, 2nd Ed." in the "Biomolecules". Based on your expertise in this field, we think you could make an excellent contribution."
Reposted by Michael E Smith
October 27, 2025 at 7:12 PM
Reposted by Michael E Smith
Indiana University has fired the staff director of the student newspaper, after disputes in which university leadership tried to pressure him to prevent students from publishing news.
October 14, 2025 at 11:56 PM
Indiana University has fired the staff director of the student newspaper, after disputes in which university leadership tried to pressure him to prevent students from publishing news.
My Aztlander zoom lecture on Calixtlahuaca is now on YouTube:
youtu.be/ROBc5t2QZGo?...
youtu.be/ROBc5t2QZGo?...
youtu.be
September 25, 2025 at 3:11 AM
My Aztlander zoom lecture on Calixtlahuaca is now on YouTube:
youtu.be/ROBc5t2QZGo?...
youtu.be/ROBc5t2QZGo?...
Kino in the afternoon sun
September 24, 2025 at 1:03 AM
Kino in the afternoon sun
Nap in the sun
September 20, 2025 at 7:05 PM
Nap in the sun
Wow, Unforgotten is a 2025 Bronze Winner, Prix de la Photographie de Paris - UNFORGOTTEN: ANCIENT CITIES FROM A DISTANT PAST px3.fr/winners/px3/... Maybe this was because of my excellent essay. Ha ha, in my dreams. Bill Frej's photos of sites are gorgeous, well worth a look.
September 17, 2025 at 9:33 PM
Wow, Unforgotten is a 2025 Bronze Winner, Prix de la Photographie de Paris - UNFORGOTTEN: ANCIENT CITIES FROM A DISTANT PAST px3.fr/winners/px3/... Maybe this was because of my excellent essay. Ha ha, in my dreams. Bill Frej's photos of sites are gorgeous, well worth a look.