Mike Byrne
@mikebyrnephd.bsky.social
Professor of Psychological Sciences and Computer Science at Rice University. work on human factors and human-computer interaction. Current main projects are voting system usability, computational modeling, surgical training.
Reposted by Mike Byrne
Imagine the government demanding a key to your home, promising only police would use it. Then, a hostile foreign power steals it and walks in.
This just happened. "Salt Typhoon," a Chinese-sponsored group, exploited backdoors built for US intelligence. There is no safe backdoor.
This just happened. "Salt Typhoon," a Chinese-sponsored group, exploited backdoors built for US intelligence. There is no safe backdoor.
October 17, 2025 at 12:15 AM
Imagine the government demanding a key to your home, promising only police would use it. Then, a hostile foreign power steals it and walks in.
This just happened. "Salt Typhoon," a Chinese-sponsored group, exploited backdoors built for US intelligence. There is no safe backdoor.
This just happened. "Salt Typhoon," a Chinese-sponsored group, exploited backdoors built for US intelligence. There is no safe backdoor.
Reposted by Mike Byrne
This isn't abstract. It is the fight for a secure, trustworthy Internet for everyone. We cannot allow this foundation to erode.
21 October is #GlobalEncryptionDay. Read Sally's urgent warning, share this thread, and demand protection for encryption. prosyn.org/zQ7OiTg?h=SS...
21 October is #GlobalEncryptionDay. Read Sally's urgent warning, share this thread, and demand protection for encryption. prosyn.org/zQ7OiTg?h=SS...
October 17, 2025 at 12:15 AM
This isn't abstract. It is the fight for a secure, trustworthy Internet for everyone. We cannot allow this foundation to erode.
21 October is #GlobalEncryptionDay. Read Sally's urgent warning, share this thread, and demand protection for encryption. prosyn.org/zQ7OiTg?h=SS...
21 October is #GlobalEncryptionDay. Read Sally's urgent warning, share this thread, and demand protection for encryption. prosyn.org/zQ7OiTg?h=SS...
Why, no, Apple devices, I do not want to install an x.0 version of the operating system.
I will vaguely consider x.0.1 but won't actually do it until AT LEAST x.0.2, so you can stop asking for a while.
I will vaguely consider x.0.1 but won't actually do it until AT LEAST x.0.2, so you can stop asking for a while.
September 19, 2025 at 9:30 PM
Why, no, Apple devices, I do not want to install an x.0 version of the operating system.
I will vaguely consider x.0.1 but won't actually do it until AT LEAST x.0.2, so you can stop asking for a while.
I will vaguely consider x.0.1 but won't actually do it until AT LEAST x.0.2, so you can stop asking for a while.
Reposted by Mike Byrne
folks surfaced a lot of past brendan carr tweets that seem to contradict his current agenda but i feel like this one got unfairly slept on a bit
September 19, 2025 at 4:49 PM
folks surfaced a lot of past brendan carr tweets that seem to contradict his current agenda but i feel like this one got unfairly slept on a bit
Currently in Salt Lake City for the Election Center 40th Annual Conference. Very cool meeting!
Election officials are amazing.
Election officials are amazing.
August 22, 2025 at 5:56 PM
Currently in Salt Lake City for the Election Center 40th Annual Conference. Very cool meeting!
Election officials are amazing.
Election officials are amazing.
Reposted by Mike Byrne
In case you're wondering why we use voting machines in the US: podcast.voting.works/2407158/epis...
Episode 2 – Voting Machines - How Voting Works
Let's talk about why we need voting machines in the US, and the specific types of voting machines we use and how they work.The Reality of Full Hand Counts: A Guide for Election Officials, by the Elect...
podcast.voting.works
August 18, 2025 at 2:35 PM
In case you're wondering why we use voting machines in the US: podcast.voting.works/2407158/epis...
And now for something entirely non-academic.
August 10, 2025 at 11:03 PM
And now for something entirely non-academic.
Reposted by Mike Byrne
New research confirms what election experts have said all along: Noncitizen voting occasionally happens, but in minuscule numbers, and not in any coordinated way.
Despite grand claims, a new report shows noncitizen voting hasn't materialized
New research confirms what election experts have said all along: Noncitizen voting occasionally happens but in minuscule numbers, and not in any coordinated way.
n.pr
July 30, 2025 at 12:57 PM
New research confirms what election experts have said all along: Noncitizen voting occasionally happens, but in minuscule numbers, and not in any coordinated way.
Reposted by Mike Byrne
Just your regular reminder that the gov’t does not leak or tweet that they’ve found crimes - they indict and prosecute when they have the evidence. If you see any gov’t off’l, incl the AG, DNI, or POTUS, do that, it’s an admission they have absolutely nothing.
July 27, 2025 at 12:16 AM
Just your regular reminder that the gov’t does not leak or tweet that they’ve found crimes - they indict and prosecute when they have the evidence. If you see any gov’t off’l, incl the AG, DNI, or POTUS, do that, it’s an admission they have absolutely nothing.
Reposted by Mike Byrne
The Presidential Oath, which he has sworn to twice:
"I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."
www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
"I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."
www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
Trump says ‘I don’t know’ when asked if he’s required to uphold Constitution
The president also downplayed fears of a recession and spoke of potential successors when his four-year term ends in an NBC interview.
www.washingtonpost.com
May 5, 2025 at 2:06 PM
The Presidential Oath, which he has sworn to twice:
"I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."
www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
"I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."
www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
Headed to #chi2025. Was going to read the program on the 14-hour flight but there’s no PDF version I can mark up, only a web version with a UI I would characterize as sub-optimal.
April 27, 2025 at 4:24 PM
Headed to #chi2025. Was going to read the program on the 14-hour flight but there’s no PDF version I can mark up, only a web version with a UI I would characterize as sub-optimal.
It just keeps getting worse and worse. Sigh.
OMFG.
The Trump regime is now using US Attorneys to intimidate academic journals by sending them letters demanding they explain how they ensure ‘viewpoint diversity.’ Journal editors should be public about this and coordinate to refuse to comply with these fascist tactics.
April 18, 2025 at 12:10 AM
It just keeps getting worse and worse. Sigh.
Reposted by Mike Byrne
you can't spell "tariffs" without "FFS"
April 8, 2025 at 8:57 PM
you can't spell "tariffs" without "FFS"
Reposted by Mike Byrne
JFC. So the White House now confirms that their not-actually-at-all-reciprocal tariffs are totally unrelated to actual tariffs imposed on us, and just calculated based on our trade deficit, on the assumption that this is a proxy for “cheating”. nypost.com/2025/04/02/u...
April 3, 2025 at 12:51 AM
JFC. So the White House now confirms that their not-actually-at-all-reciprocal tariffs are totally unrelated to actual tariffs imposed on us, and just calculated based on our trade deficit, on the assumption that this is a proxy for “cheating”. nypost.com/2025/04/02/u...
Reposted by Mike Byrne
Reminder: the First Amendment protects everyone who resides in our country. It doesn't matter if you have a green card or a visa or if you're undocumented. The Supreme Court has repeatedly affirmed that any person residing in the United States, regardless of status, is entitled to 1A protections.
March 27, 2025 at 2:59 PM
Reminder: the First Amendment protects everyone who resides in our country. It doesn't matter if you have a green card or a visa or if you're undocumented. The Supreme Court has repeatedly affirmed that any person residing in the United States, regardless of status, is entitled to 1A protections.
Good news has been in short supply of late. Here’s some: my favorite Twitter and then Mastodon client will be built for Bluesky!
March 11, 2025 at 8:18 PM
Good news has been in short supply of late. Here’s some: my favorite Twitter and then Mastodon client will be built for Bluesky!
I am thrilled to announce the Rice Center for Voting, a new center for interdisciplinary research on election administration.
centerforvoting.rice.edu
As part of this effort, we are planning to re-launch both the EVT workshop and the JETS journal!
centerforvoting.rice.edu
As part of this effort, we are planning to re-launch both the EVT workshop and the JETS journal!
centerforvoting.rice.edu
February 24, 2025 at 7:51 PM
I am thrilled to announce the Rice Center for Voting, a new center for interdisciplinary research on election administration.
centerforvoting.rice.edu
As part of this effort, we are planning to re-launch both the EVT workshop and the JETS journal!
centerforvoting.rice.edu
As part of this effort, we are planning to re-launch both the EVT workshop and the JETS journal!
You know it's going to be a rough road when the book about human factors has... endnotes. Not footnotes, but endnotes. Sigh.
February 24, 2025 at 4:57 AM
You know it's going to be a rough road when the book about human factors has... endnotes. Not footnotes, but endnotes. Sigh.
Reposted by Mike Byrne
How does Germany count ballots so quickly by hand? Because this is their ballot. Two questions. That's it.
It takes longer for Germany to count than France, because in France it's *one* question.
We use machines to count in the US because we have 30, 40, 50, sometimes 80 questions per ballot.
It takes longer for Germany to count than France, because in France it's *one* question.
We use machines to count in the US because we have 30, 40, 50, sometimes 80 questions per ballot.
February 24, 2025 at 12:55 AM
How does Germany count ballots so quickly by hand? Because this is their ballot. Two questions. That's it.
It takes longer for Germany to count than France, because in France it's *one* question.
We use machines to count in the US because we have 30, 40, 50, sometimes 80 questions per ballot.
It takes longer for Germany to count than France, because in France it's *one* question.
We use machines to count in the US because we have 30, 40, 50, sometimes 80 questions per ballot.
Reposted by Mike Byrne
Firing all the military lawyers seems like a preparation for doing war crimes. amp.cnn.com/cnn/2025/02/...
Trump administration fires top US general and Navy chief in unprecedented purge of military leadership | CNN Politics
In an unprecedented purge of the military’s senior leadership Friday night, President Donald Trump fired the top US general just moments before his defense secretary fired the chief of the US Navy and...
amp.cnn.com
February 22, 2025 at 1:48 AM
Firing all the military lawyers seems like a preparation for doing war crimes. amp.cnn.com/cnn/2025/02/...
Reposted by Mike Byrne
Reposted by Mike Byrne
DOJ leadership has put all Public Integrity Section lawyers into a room with 1 hour to decide who will dismiss Adams indictment or else all will be fired. Sending them strength to stand by their oath, which is to support the Constitution, not the president’s political agenda. 🇺🇸
February 14, 2025 at 4:01 PM
DOJ leadership has put all Public Integrity Section lawyers into a room with 1 hour to decide who will dismiss Adams indictment or else all will be fired. Sending them strength to stand by their oath, which is to support the Constitution, not the president’s political agenda. 🇺🇸
Reposted by Mike Byrne
When Musk, Vance, and others complain about the judiciary ensuring balance between the 3 branches, remember these same people forum-shopped to friendly judges, and applauded when courts enjoined Obamacare, student debt relief, and other executive actions. This is how the system is supposed to work.
February 10, 2025 at 9:04 PM
When Musk, Vance, and others complain about the judiciary ensuring balance between the 3 branches, remember these same people forum-shopped to friendly judges, and applauded when courts enjoined Obamacare, student debt relief, and other executive actions. This is how the system is supposed to work.
Reposted by Mike Byrne
Science is the backbone of American strategic dominance.
Whats going on right now is the biggest bonanza since 1849.
They’re gunna cut NSF funding by 2/3rds? Every other nationstate ought to be salivating over that.
Want to rule the world in 50 years? Hire American scientists now. In bulk!
Whats going on right now is the biggest bonanza since 1849.
They’re gunna cut NSF funding by 2/3rds? Every other nationstate ought to be salivating over that.
Want to rule the world in 50 years? Hire American scientists now. In bulk!
February 9, 2025 at 5:37 AM
Science is the backbone of American strategic dominance.
Whats going on right now is the biggest bonanza since 1849.
They’re gunna cut NSF funding by 2/3rds? Every other nationstate ought to be salivating over that.
Want to rule the world in 50 years? Hire American scientists now. In bulk!
Whats going on right now is the biggest bonanza since 1849.
They’re gunna cut NSF funding by 2/3rds? Every other nationstate ought to be salivating over that.
Want to rule the world in 50 years? Hire American scientists now. In bulk!
Reposted by Mike Byrne
🚨BREAKING. From a program officer at the National Science Foundation, a list of keywords that can cause a grant to be pulled. I will be sharing screenshots of these keywords along with a decision tree. Please share widely. This is a crisis for academic freedom & science.
February 4, 2025 at 1:26 AM
🚨BREAKING. From a program officer at the National Science Foundation, a list of keywords that can cause a grant to be pulled. I will be sharing screenshots of these keywords along with a decision tree. Please share widely. This is a crisis for academic freedom & science.