Brock Napierkowski
@b-r-o-c-k.bsky.social
Dad, 🎻, sci/tech & games
Reposted by Brock Napierkowski
🧵In 2018 the Senate Intelligence Committee asked me to field a team and analyze a data set that social media platforms had turned over: several hundred gigs of data chronicling a multi-year effort to divide American society *and* interfere in an American election
www.lawfaremedia.org/article/retc...
www.lawfaremedia.org/article/retc...
July 9, 2025 at 6:35 PM
🧵In 2018 the Senate Intelligence Committee asked me to field a team and analyze a data set that social media platforms had turned over: several hundred gigs of data chronicling a multi-year effort to divide American society *and* interfere in an American election
www.lawfaremedia.org/article/retc...
www.lawfaremedia.org/article/retc...
Reposted by Brock Napierkowski
This is the core of it. In the 20th century, verification happened inside institutions.
Now, it has to happen in us.
A short thread on what that shift really means, and why it has to start in schools. 🧵
Now, it has to happen in us.
A short thread on what that shift really means, and why it has to start in schools. 🧵
Who should do the fact checks with millions and millions of fake news? The nature of social media itself is the problem. However it probably is impossible to get rid of every social network and revert debates to pre 2010-status.
June 8, 2025 at 7:59 AM
This is the core of it. In the 20th century, verification happened inside institutions.
Now, it has to happen in us.
A short thread on what that shift really means, and why it has to start in schools. 🧵
Now, it has to happen in us.
A short thread on what that shift really means, and why it has to start in schools. 🧵
Reposted by Brock Napierkowski
THREAD 🧵
Internal State Department records show that months of warnings have become a reality: The Trump administration’s sudden withdrawal of foreign humanitarian aid has brought about death, violence and unrest. 1/
Internal State Department records show that months of warnings have become a reality: The Trump administration’s sudden withdrawal of foreign humanitarian aid has brought about death, violence and unrest. 1/
May 29, 2025 at 2:55 AM
THREAD 🧵
Internal State Department records show that months of warnings have become a reality: The Trump administration’s sudden withdrawal of foreign humanitarian aid has brought about death, violence and unrest. 1/
Internal State Department records show that months of warnings have become a reality: The Trump administration’s sudden withdrawal of foreign humanitarian aid has brought about death, violence and unrest. 1/
Reposted by Brock Napierkowski
My Brother in Christ I wrote a whole ass online course for nineteen-year-olds that starts by making that point before moving on to some modest degree of nuance that is being taught at dozens of universities around the country so why exactly are lecturing me on this again?
Modern-Day Oracles or Bullshit Machines: Introduction
A free online humanities course about how to learn and work and thrive in an AI world.
thebullshitmachines.com
May 17, 2025 at 6:46 AM
My Brother in Christ I wrote a whole ass online course for nineteen-year-olds that starts by making that point before moving on to some modest degree of nuance that is being taught at dozens of universities around the country so why exactly are lecturing me on this again?
Reposted by Brock Napierkowski
“We've arranged a society based on science and technology, in which nobody understands anything about science and technology. And this combustible mixture of ignorance and power, sooner or later, is going to blow up in our faces.”
~ Carl Sagan
~ Carl Sagan
April 26, 2025 at 1:51 PM
“We've arranged a society based on science and technology, in which nobody understands anything about science and technology. And this combustible mixture of ignorance and power, sooner or later, is going to blow up in our faces.”
~ Carl Sagan
~ Carl Sagan
Reposted by Brock Napierkowski
Honest people don’t lie. Or do they? Liars aren’t honest. Or are they?
One puzzling conundrum in contemporary politics is that politicians who seem to be estranged from facts and evidence are nonetheless considered honest by their followers.
1/n
One puzzling conundrum in contemporary politics is that politicians who seem to be estranged from facts and evidence are nonetheless considered honest by their followers.
1/n
April 10, 2025 at 10:47 AM
Honest people don’t lie. Or do they? Liars aren’t honest. Or are they?
One puzzling conundrum in contemporary politics is that politicians who seem to be estranged from facts and evidence are nonetheless considered honest by their followers.
1/n
One puzzling conundrum in contemporary politics is that politicians who seem to be estranged from facts and evidence are nonetheless considered honest by their followers.
1/n
Reposted by Brock Napierkowski
On 7/29/16, Tech billionaire Peter Thiel met w/ Kevin DeAnna who wrote under the pseudonyms ‘Gregory Hood’ & ‘James Kirkpatrick. In 2012, DeAnna (as Hood) had written that, “It’s time to fight for a country of our own. It’s time to stop being Americans. It’s time to start being White Men again.” 1/
February 9, 2025 at 6:08 AM
On 7/29/16, Tech billionaire Peter Thiel met w/ Kevin DeAnna who wrote under the pseudonyms ‘Gregory Hood’ & ‘James Kirkpatrick. In 2012, DeAnna (as Hood) had written that, “It’s time to fight for a country of our own. It’s time to stop being Americans. It’s time to start being White Men again.” 1/
Reposted by Brock Napierkowski
Generally not a fan of Nicholas Kristof but he's a sound person to track the deaths that Elon claims haven't occurred on his watch.
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
March 15, 2025 at 1:04 PM
Generally not a fan of Nicholas Kristof but he's a sound person to track the deaths that Elon claims haven't occurred on his watch.
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
Reposted by Brock Napierkowski
“A document authored by an anonymous group of [Silicon Valley] whistleblowers accuses Elon Musk of attempting to spearhead a private hostile takeover of the US Government on behalf of an extremist anti-democracy philosophy known as the ‘neo-reactionary’ movement...” 2/7/25 1/
Silicon Valley Whistleblowers Warn Elon Musk ‘Hijacking’ Republicans to Control Entire US Government
Former followers of the ‘Dark Enlightenment’ say a planned 'neo-reactionary' hollowing out of government is happening in real time
bylinetimes.com
March 7, 2025 at 7:25 PM
“A document authored by an anonymous group of [Silicon Valley] whistleblowers accuses Elon Musk of attempting to spearhead a private hostile takeover of the US Government on behalf of an extremist anti-democracy philosophy known as the ‘neo-reactionary’ movement...” 2/7/25 1/
Reposted by Brock Napierkowski
lol IMO the turn towards anti-intellectualism is because of two things:
Intellectuals don't talk to everyday people and when they do, they talk down to people instead of talking to them. There is an air of arrogance and paternalism that screams "I'm better than you!"
Intellectuals don't talk to everyday people and when they do, they talk down to people instead of talking to them. There is an air of arrogance and paternalism that screams "I'm better than you!"
The failure of academia to explain things in layperson terms (up until some efforts recently) is one of the reasons for anti-intellectualism.
When you make science inaccessible, people will opt for those who sell easier solutions.
When you make science inaccessible, people will opt for those who sell easier solutions.
March 1, 2025 at 2:08 PM
lol IMO the turn towards anti-intellectualism is because of two things:
Intellectuals don't talk to everyday people and when they do, they talk down to people instead of talking to them. There is an air of arrogance and paternalism that screams "I'm better than you!"
Intellectuals don't talk to everyday people and when they do, they talk down to people instead of talking to them. There is an air of arrogance and paternalism that screams "I'm better than you!"
Reposted by Brock Napierkowski
Reposted by Brock Napierkowski
This thread will be stories of how people hold the line--continue to behave responsibly and ethically.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey pushed back Thursday on Trump administration plans to review a newly negotiated police-reform agreement with the city: “Regardless of the Trump administration’s announcement, we will be moving forward with the terms outlined in the consent decree.” buff.ly/3Eb8PE8
Trump threatens Minneapolis police agreement; Frey pushes back
President Trump’s new civil rights division head issued a memo that puts the implementation of the Minneapolis consent decree in question.
buff.ly
January 23, 2025 at 8:48 PM
This thread will be stories of how people hold the line--continue to behave responsibly and ethically.
Reposted by Brock Napierkowski
Here is Adam Levitin on how the Treasury payment system works, and some of the damage that messing with it could cause.
www.creditslips.org/creditslips/...
www.creditslips.org/creditslips/...
February 2, 2025 at 3:10 PM
Here is Adam Levitin on how the Treasury payment system works, and some of the damage that messing with it could cause.
www.creditslips.org/creditslips/...
www.creditslips.org/creditslips/...
Reposted by Brock Napierkowski
This Fiona Apple narrated explainer PSA on how to film (and release footage from, not livestream) ICE arrests is exactly what we need from people with production skills right now and is worth about 3 million celebrity “imagine” covers in terms of survival utility
We Have Rights: When Documenting ICE Arrests
This is "We Have Rights: When Documenting ICE Arrests" by MediaTank on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.
vimeo.com
February 2, 2025 at 1:24 PM
This Fiona Apple narrated explainer PSA on how to film (and release footage from, not livestream) ICE arrests is exactly what we need from people with production skills right now and is worth about 3 million celebrity “imagine” covers in terms of survival utility
Reposted by Brock Napierkowski
1/ OK, Democratic members of Congress in the US Senate. It’s time for some tough love.
I am aware your pollsters and consultants tell you things like “the American people want us to work together” and “ focus on prescription drug prices in the economy.”
I am aware your pollsters and consultants tell you things like “the American people want us to work together” and “ focus on prescription drug prices in the economy.”
February 2, 2025 at 3:02 PM
1/ OK, Democratic members of Congress in the US Senate. It’s time for some tough love.
I am aware your pollsters and consultants tell you things like “the American people want us to work together” and “ focus on prescription drug prices in the economy.”
I am aware your pollsters and consultants tell you things like “the American people want us to work together” and “ focus on prescription drug prices in the economy.”
Reposted by Brock Napierkowski
I won’t equate my or my colleagues’ experiences as academics* with the more vulnerable communities targeted by the Trump administration. But there are some developments I’d like to share as an academic in a red state working at a public university. 1/
January 30, 2025 at 3:03 AM
I won’t equate my or my colleagues’ experiences as academics* with the more vulnerable communities targeted by the Trump administration. But there are some developments I’d like to share as an academic in a red state working at a public university. 1/
Reposted by Brock Napierkowski
I was going to post something else this week, but the structural inability of global corporations to govern platforms seems inescapably relevant.
www.wrecka.ge/bad-shape/
www.wrecka.ge/bad-shape/
Bad shape
The idea I keep coming back to is that the big platforms, like Dickens' Marley, were dead to begin with, and are now something particularly bad, which is dead on their feet.
www.wrecka.ge
January 9, 2025 at 9:59 PM
I was going to post something else this week, but the structural inability of global corporations to govern platforms seems inescapably relevant.
www.wrecka.ge/bad-shape/
www.wrecka.ge/bad-shape/
Reposted by Brock Napierkowski
Tech billionaire Marc Andreessen is reportedly getting involved w/ DOGE. He’s also invested in the “network state” movement led by Balaji Srinivasan, which aims 2 build crypto-based countries w/in existing states via the creation of “parallel institutions” like X. Listen. 1/
November 30, 2024 at 1:28 AM
Tech billionaire Marc Andreessen is reportedly getting involved w/ DOGE. He’s also invested in the “network state” movement led by Balaji Srinivasan, which aims 2 build crypto-based countries w/in existing states via the creation of “parallel institutions” like X. Listen. 1/
Reposted by Brock Napierkowski
I wrote up at more length what I was trying to get at in this conversation with @gregsargent.bsky.social.
www.emptywheel.net/2024/12/21/c...
www.emptywheel.net/2024/12/21/c...
December 21, 2024 at 7:22 PM
I wrote up at more length what I was trying to get at in this conversation with @gregsargent.bsky.social.
www.emptywheel.net/2024/12/21/c...
www.emptywheel.net/2024/12/21/c...
Reposted by Brock Napierkowski
One additional thought to add to Hank Green's excellent video: the current phase after "the Internet" is ML recommendations and targeted ads allowing popularists to be popular with everyone. youtu.be/d8PndpFPL8g @hankgreen.bsky.social
Populism, Media Revolutions, and Our Terrible Moment
YouTube video by vlogbrothers
youtu.be
November 25, 2024 at 1:47 PM
One additional thought to add to Hank Green's excellent video: the current phase after "the Internet" is ML recommendations and targeted ads allowing popularists to be popular with everyone. youtu.be/d8PndpFPL8g @hankgreen.bsky.social