Ted Underwood
@tedunderwood.com
Uses machine learning to study literary imagination, and vice-versa. Likely to share news about AI & computational social science / Sozialwissenschaft / 社会科学
Information Sciences and English, UIUC. Distant Horizons (Chicago, 2019). tedunderwood.com
Information Sciences and English, UIUC. Distant Horizons (Chicago, 2019). tedunderwood.com
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Ted Underwood
@tedunderwood.com
· Nov 4
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
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] +
Reposted by Ted Underwood
the success of the user-created For You feed while the official Discover feed flops is actually a pretty major win for Bluesky — it literally is the embodiment of their goal to decentralize feed generation and give users more control/autonomy
December 26, 2025 at 3:27 PM
the success of the user-created For You feed while the official Discover feed flops is actually a pretty major win for Bluesky — it literally is the embodiment of their goal to decentralize feed generation and give users more control/autonomy
Reposted by Ted Underwood
In a new blog post, I contrast two flavors of empiricism: the one practiced in the social sciences and the one practiced in ML/CS.
I argue that we need both, given that CS is increasingly about "claims," and not just constructing artifacts.
doomscrollingbabel.manoel.xyz/p/the-empiri...
I argue that we need both, given that CS is increasingly about "claims," and not just constructing artifacts.
doomscrollingbabel.manoel.xyz/p/the-empiri...
December 26, 2025 at 12:40 PM
In a new blog post, I contrast two flavors of empiricism: the one practiced in the social sciences and the one practiced in ML/CS.
I argue that we need both, given that CS is increasingly about "claims," and not just constructing artifacts.
doomscrollingbabel.manoel.xyz/p/the-empiri...
I argue that we need both, given that CS is increasingly about "claims," and not just constructing artifacts.
doomscrollingbabel.manoel.xyz/p/the-empiri...
Reposted by Ted Underwood
I don't think the claim is puritanical, to be honest. X is a digital platform built on network effects, so every user who posts there creates a negative externality by amplifying its owner, who is openly hostile to democratic rule and the Western liberal order.
I’m not going to argue that anyone still using X is an enabler/collaborator. The claim is puritanical. I abandoned X about a year ago and will never go back. But I’m not a vegan.
I wish academic bsky was more like ac twitter of a decade ago. But that version of the internet is (maybe forever) dead.
I wish academic bsky was more like ac twitter of a decade ago. But that version of the internet is (maybe forever) dead.
December 26, 2025 at 10:53 AM
I don't think the claim is puritanical, to be honest. X is a digital platform built on network effects, so every user who posts there creates a negative externality by amplifying its owner, who is openly hostile to democratic rule and the Western liberal order.
Reposted by Ted Underwood
The daily active users went from 10K to 45K for half of today.
December 25, 2025 at 4:52 PM
The daily active users went from 10K to 45K for half of today.
Reposted by Ted Underwood
There are no social institutions—other than microblogging apps—where we imagine collective choices should be driven by judgments about the average member. Imagine showing up in DNC headquarters and saying “Can’t blame my friends for voting Republican: the average Democrat is too shrill.” +
December 26, 2025 at 1:04 AM
There are no social institutions—other than microblogging apps—where we imagine collective choices should be driven by judgments about the average member. Imagine showing up in DNC headquarters and saying “Can’t blame my friends for voting Republican: the average Democrat is too shrill.” +
Reposted by Ted Underwood
Using Claude Code has actually solidified my belief that PhD students should use these tools lightly for their core work. The main goal isn't to be productive, it's to transform yourself. At the end of building these apps I have next to know idea how they work
December 25, 2025 at 11:42 PM
Using Claude Code has actually solidified my belief that PhD students should use these tools lightly for their core work. The main goal isn't to be productive, it's to transform yourself. At the end of building these apps I have next to know idea how they work
Reposted by Ted Underwood
New #DigitalHumanities paper in Tolkien Studies! With Prof. Michael Drout we used Lexomic Digital Methods to map 15+ years of The Lord of the Rings revisions. We trace the recursive interactions between Tolkien's lexical elements and abstract narrative features. doi.org/10.1353/tks....
December 3, 2025 at 4:41 PM
New #DigitalHumanities paper in Tolkien Studies! With Prof. Michael Drout we used Lexomic Digital Methods to map 15+ years of The Lord of the Rings revisions. We trace the recursive interactions between Tolkien's lexical elements and abstract narrative features. doi.org/10.1353/tks....
Reposted by Ted Underwood
Selfie taken at the Gutenberg Museum in Mainz, Germany. The museum offers fantastic interactive experiences, including a virtual setup that lets you take a photo as if you were in an early modern letterpress workshop. It reminded me of the book lab course taught by @ryancordell.org
December 25, 2025 at 8:29 PM
Selfie taken at the Gutenberg Museum in Mainz, Germany. The museum offers fantastic interactive experiences, including a virtual setup that lets you take a photo as if you were in an early modern letterpress workshop. It reminded me of the book lab course taught by @ryancordell.org
Reposted by Ted Underwood
“Do or do not. There is no try to make baby Yoda deviled eggs.” 🥚
December 25, 2025 at 8:21 PM
“Do or do not. There is no try to make baby Yoda deviled eggs.” 🥚
Reposted by Ted Underwood
korean men becoming objectified by a worldwide wave of koreaboos is the funniest possible thing that could have happened to the korean incel movement
December 25, 2025 at 6:13 PM
korean men becoming objectified by a worldwide wave of koreaboos is the funniest possible thing that could have happened to the korean incel movement
What is the name of the disease that afflicts novels whose characters 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑘 way too much? Like you can’t follow a conversation, because they’re second-guessing themselves and remembering past interactions between every turn of dialogue?
December 25, 2025 at 6:09 PM
What is the name of the disease that afflicts novels whose characters 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑘 way too much? Like you can’t follow a conversation, because they’re second-guessing themselves and remembering past interactions between every turn of dialogue?
Reposted by Ted Underwood
Fwiw I think this is actually backwards. My experience with LLMs has been that they are actually*incredibly* good at precisely this thing, and that this may in fact be one of their most beneficial aspects.
Not a historian but like to research. The AI might summarize what I'm looking for, but it doesn't find what I'm *not* looking for. The book on the shelf next to the one I wanted. The insight in chapter 6 based on the quote I needed from chapter 4.
December 25, 2025 at 4:33 PM
Fwiw I think this is actually backwards. My experience with LLMs has been that they are actually*incredibly* good at precisely this thing, and that this may in fact be one of their most beneficial aspects.
Reposted by Ted Underwood
word rotators
December 25, 2025 at 3:29 PM
word rotators
Makes sense, actually, that the Ghost of Christmas Past is the Crawler from VanderMeer’s Annihilation.
December 25, 2025 at 1:51 PM
Makes sense, actually, that the Ghost of Christmas Past is the Crawler from VanderMeer’s Annihilation.
What makes me lean forward and point at the television like Leo DiCaprio
December 25, 2025 at 5:18 AM
What makes me lean forward and point at the television like Leo DiCaprio
Reposted by Ted Underwood
this might be a Deep Blue versus Garry Kasparov moment for shit posters
Idk who needs to hear this but ACAB includes twinks
December 24, 2025 at 6:24 PM
this might be a Deep Blue versus Garry Kasparov moment for shit posters
Reposted by Ted Underwood
Yorkshire puddings puff up nicely in the oven 😊
December 25, 2025 at 2:08 AM
Yorkshire puddings puff up nicely in the oven 😊
Merry Christmas. Goodwill toward men. New things can indeed be produced by playing old things against each other in clever ways. Happy New Year!
I would describe it as a high dimensional container of a lot of different immiscible liquids.
"Go get me new ideas in X" - samples from immisicible pools. Nothing new.
"Examine X with Y lens. Now, relax assumption Z" - emulsification. Samples new space.
"Go get me new ideas in X" - samples from immisicible pools. Nothing new.
"Examine X with Y lens. Now, relax assumption Z" - emulsification. Samples new space.
December 25, 2025 at 12:28 AM
Merry Christmas. Goodwill toward men. New things can indeed be produced by playing old things against each other in clever ways. Happy New Year!
Reposted by Ted Underwood
And Tiny Tim, who did NOT die, but slumbers eternal until the stars are right.
December 24, 2025 at 9:48 PM
And Tiny Tim, who did NOT die, but slumbers eternal until the stars are right.
Reposted by Ted Underwood
low stakes posting today reminds me that 1) Facebook is for talking to people you know IRL but don’t like and 2) microblogging sites are for talking to people you don’t know but do like.
we forget these things at our peril
we forget these things at our peril
December 24, 2025 at 9:11 PM
low stakes posting today reminds me that 1) Facebook is for talking to people you know IRL but don’t like and 2) microblogging sites are for talking to people you don’t know but do like.
we forget these things at our peril
we forget these things at our peril
Reposted by Ted Underwood
Been arguing this for months now. You don't have to like it, but if you think students will stop using it you're deluded.
Better off embracing it selectively and constructively and shaping its use.
Better off embracing it selectively and constructively and shaping its use.
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
December 13, 2025 at 12:07 AM
Been arguing this for months now. You don't have to like it, but if you think students will stop using it you're deluded.
Better off embracing it selectively and constructively and shaping its use.
Better off embracing it selectively and constructively and shaping its use.
New star in the heavens =>
ꙮ Be not afraid! =>
Peace on earth, goodwill to men.
Plur1bus is a Christmas story.
ꙮ Be not afraid! =>
Peace on earth, goodwill to men.
Plur1bus is a Christmas story.
December 24, 2025 at 7:47 PM
New star in the heavens =>
ꙮ Be not afraid! =>
Peace on earth, goodwill to men.
Plur1bus is a Christmas story.
ꙮ Be not afraid! =>
Peace on earth, goodwill to men.
Plur1bus is a Christmas story.
Reposted by Ted Underwood
Researchers: Aside from moderation and safety features, what would you want in a researcher-focused social app? Obviously a feed of shared papers, but what else?
We could make our own bsky client that does this by default? Maybe?
December 24, 2025 at 6:43 PM
Researchers: Aside from moderation and safety features, what would you want in a researcher-focused social app? Obviously a feed of shared papers, but what else?
Reposted by Ted Underwood
If you’re willing to let me stipulate that most folks’ relationship to art and culture is largely current, reaching back with nostalgia to childhood but mostly attending to what’s going on now:
Is Christmas culture for most people their sole regular engagement with the slightly more distant past?
Is Christmas culture for most people their sole regular engagement with the slightly more distant past?
December 24, 2025 at 1:11 PM
If you’re willing to let me stipulate that most folks’ relationship to art and culture is largely current, reaching back with nostalgia to childhood but mostly attending to what’s going on now:
Is Christmas culture for most people their sole regular engagement with the slightly more distant past?
Is Christmas culture for most people their sole regular engagement with the slightly more distant past?