Neal Caren
@haphazardsoc.bsky.social
AOL Keyword: Carolina Sociology
[Coding Snippets](https://nealcaren.github.io/notes/)
[Website](http://nealcaren.org)
[Coding Snippets](https://nealcaren.github.io/notes/)
[Website](http://nealcaren.org)
Carolina Sociology is hiring!
• Tenure-track in computational sociology or advanced quantitative methods
• Open rank in population health.
unc.peopleadmin.com/postings/307...
unc.peopleadmin.com/postings/307...
• Tenure-track in computational sociology or advanced quantitative methods
• Open rank in population health.
unc.peopleadmin.com/postings/307...
unc.peopleadmin.com/postings/307...
Assistant Professor
This Assistant Professor position will teach graduate and undergraduate courses, conduct research in the field of Sociology, participate in departmental service, and mentor graduate students.
unc.peopleadmin.com
September 26, 2025 at 3:34 PM
Carolina Sociology is hiring!
• Tenure-track in computational sociology or advanced quantitative methods
• Open rank in population health.
unc.peopleadmin.com/postings/307...
unc.peopleadmin.com/postings/307...
• Tenure-track in computational sociology or advanced quantitative methods
• Open rank in population health.
unc.peopleadmin.com/postings/307...
unc.peopleadmin.com/postings/307...
I've been testing the accuracy of LLMs in transcribing printed and handwritten historical texts stored as images. I put together a corpus of 400 pages from the Library of Congress.
Current leader is GPT4.1-mini, which at 11 cents per 1K pages, is also the cheapest option. github.com/nealcaren/In...
Current leader is GPT4.1-mini, which at 11 cents per 1K pages, is also the cheapest option. github.com/nealcaren/In...
September 11, 2025 at 8:11 PM
I've been testing the accuracy of LLMs in transcribing printed and handwritten historical texts stored as images. I put together a corpus of 400 pages from the Library of Congress.
Current leader is GPT4.1-mini, which at 11 cents per 1K pages, is also the cheapest option. github.com/nealcaren/In...
Current leader is GPT4.1-mini, which at 11 cents per 1K pages, is also the cheapest option. github.com/nealcaren/In...
It used to be much easier to get a faculty position.
September 4, 2025 at 1:34 PM
It used to be much easier to get a faculty position.
Reposted by Neal Caren
My lab's been attacked by an anti-wind group and their lawyers. They threatened the science funding of my whole university, to shut me and my undergraduate research assistants up.
NYT just covered it. 1/n
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/25/c...
NYT just covered it. 1/n
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/25/c...
Law Firm Pressures Brown University to Erase Research on Anti-Wind Groups
www.nytimes.com
August 25, 2025 at 11:32 AM
My lab's been attacked by an anti-wind group and their lawyers. They threatened the science funding of my whole university, to shut me and my undergraduate research assistants up.
NYT just covered it. 1/n
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/25/c...
NYT just covered it. 1/n
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/25/c...
Reposted by Neal Caren
This is an incredible data source!
Musician and data whizz Chris Dalla Riva has painstakingly compiled over 100 datapoints for every US Billboard Hot 100 Number One song since August 4th 1958, and it's now freely available here:
docs.google.com/spreadsheets...
docs.google.com/spreadsheets...
Billboard Hot 100 Number Ones Database
docs.google.com
August 17, 2025 at 2:34 PM
This is an incredible data source!
Reposted by Neal Caren
@asa-cbsm.bsky.social #contentiousky #CBSM2025 🧵 Some take-aways about protest and social movements. (1) Protest movements have opponents, who will fight back if they lose, things are never settled. (2) You protest when you are in a losing position, of course protest does not always win 1/
August 10, 2025 at 2:41 AM
@asa-cbsm.bsky.social #contentiousky #CBSM2025 🧵 Some take-aways about protest and social movements. (1) Protest movements have opponents, who will fight back if they lose, things are never settled. (2) You protest when you are in a losing position, of course protest does not always win 1/
I just realized that AJS articles are sorted within each issue by the number of authors and then alphabetically by the first author.
August 7, 2025 at 11:17 AM
I just realized that AJS articles are sorted within each issue by the number of authors and then alphabetically by the first author.
Reposted by Neal Caren
Do you want to visit Chile and meet other labor market and inequality researchers? Submit your paper to our International Workshop in December! We are honored to have @kateweisshaar.bsky.social and Ben Schoefer as keynote speakers. Submit here: www.lm2c2.cl/call-for-pap...
July 8, 2025 at 9:08 PM
Do you want to visit Chile and meet other labor market and inequality researchers? Submit your paper to our International Workshop in December! We are honored to have @kateweisshaar.bsky.social and Ben Schoefer as keynote speakers. Submit here: www.lm2c2.cl/call-for-pap...
Reposted by Neal Caren
For the @puddingviz.bsky.social, I explored which animals we gender, and why.
Come for the extremely cute interactive viz of animals, stay for the extremely nerdy etymology of the ladybug.
Story: pudding.cool/2025/07/kids...
Come for the extremely cute interactive viz of animals, stay for the extremely nerdy etymology of the ladybug.
Story: pudding.cool/2025/07/kids...
July 7, 2025 at 6:36 PM
For the @puddingviz.bsky.social, I explored which animals we gender, and why.
Come for the extremely cute interactive viz of animals, stay for the extremely nerdy etymology of the ladybug.
Story: pudding.cool/2025/07/kids...
Come for the extremely cute interactive viz of animals, stay for the extremely nerdy etymology of the ladybug.
Story: pudding.cool/2025/07/kids...
Reposted by Neal Caren
Here's a summary of some of our top findings from our study of the #NoKings Day-of-Action across the 3 samples we collected. Check it out for some consistent themes across hosts, national participants, and at the flagship event where we surveyed in Philly: danarfisher.com/2025/06/28/w...
What We Learned Studying the #NoKings Day Across the US
One of the challenges of studying protest in this era of distributed activism is that it’s extremely difficult to get a decent sample of who is participating across sites. When my team survey…
danarfisher.com
June 28, 2025 at 11:36 AM
Here's a summary of some of our top findings from our study of the #NoKings Day-of-Action across the 3 samples we collected. Check it out for some consistent themes across hosts, national participants, and at the flagship event where we surveyed in Philly: danarfisher.com/2025/06/28/w...
Reposted by Neal Caren
Data collection is underway with the hosts for the 1000+ events scheduled across the US for the #NoKings day of action. If you're organizing an event, please fill out the survey when asked: our findings will only be as good as the data we collect 💪 @indivisible.org @sarahdohl.bsky.social
June 5, 2025 at 12:56 PM
Data collection is underway with the hosts for the 1000+ events scheduled across the US for the #NoKings day of action. If you're organizing an event, please fill out the survey when asked: our findings will only be as good as the data we collect 💪 @indivisible.org @sarahdohl.bsky.social
Reposted by Neal Caren
UNC's BOT has belatedly, and after public outcry, approved the pending tenure cases. While I am relieved for my colleagues who were held in limbo, our issues here are far from settled. @insidehighered.com obtained board member's emails - hoo boy, buckle up 1/ www.insidehighered.com/news/faculty...
After Delay, Chapel Hill Board Votes to Award Tenure
After faculty raised alarm over the board’s delay on the decisions, trustees finally debated and voted by email. A couple of them said they generally opposed tenure.
www.insidehighered.com
June 4, 2025 at 6:07 PM
UNC's BOT has belatedly, and after public outcry, approved the pending tenure cases. While I am relieved for my colleagues who were held in limbo, our issues here are far from settled. @insidehighered.com obtained board member's emails - hoo boy, buckle up 1/ www.insidehighered.com/news/faculty...
Reposted by Neal Caren
Thanks to WRAL for covering the very disappointing decision of the UNC-CH Board of trustees to defer considering granting tenure to faculty in the College of Arts and Sciences whose teaching and scholarship has passed all other levels of review.
www.wral.com/news/educati...
www.wral.com/news/educati...
UNC-CH faculty concerned over 'highly unusual' lack of tenure promotions
UNC-Chapel Hill faculty are raising concerns about a lack of professors receiving tenure this year, especially in the College of Arts and Sciences.
www.wral.com
May 30, 2025 at 11:20 AM
Thanks to WRAL for covering the very disappointing decision of the UNC-CH Board of trustees to defer considering granting tenure to faculty in the College of Arts and Sciences whose teaching and scholarship has passed all other levels of review.
www.wral.com/news/educati...
www.wral.com/news/educati...
Reposted by Neal Caren
This is shameful. The UNC Board of Trustees fails to vote on all tenure cases in Arts & Sciences, holding faculty in limbo without any explanation or timeline. This affects both assistant profs up for tenure and new tenured hires.
www.chronicle.com/article/at-c...
www.chronicle.com/article/at-c...
At Chapel Hill, Only Health-Sciences Professors Have Been Getting Tenure
The UNC Chapel Hill board hasn’t tenured a single professor in fields outside the health sciences since January. The inaction has prompted confusion and alarm among faculty.
www.chronicle.com
May 28, 2025 at 12:06 AM
This is shameful. The UNC Board of Trustees fails to vote on all tenure cases in Arts & Sciences, holding faculty in limbo without any explanation or timeline. This affects both assistant profs up for tenure and new tenured hires.
www.chronicle.com/article/at-c...
www.chronicle.com/article/at-c...
Reposted by Neal Caren
💣💥2025 COSMOS Summer school: Studying protest. Methodological practices in social movement research
When? 8-13th Sept
Where? In beautiful Cortona, Italy
Deadline to apply: 31st May
NO TUITION FEES
Keynotes: Donatella della Porta & David A. Snow
All info: cosmos.sns.it/all-events/2...
When? 8-13th Sept
Where? In beautiful Cortona, Italy
Deadline to apply: 31st May
NO TUITION FEES
Keynotes: Donatella della Porta & David A. Snow
All info: cosmos.sns.it/all-events/2...
2025 COSMOS Summer school: Studying protest. Methodological practices in social movement research
The Centre on Social Movement Studies
cosmos.sns.it
May 15, 2025 at 10:19 AM
💣💥2025 COSMOS Summer school: Studying protest. Methodological practices in social movement research
When? 8-13th Sept
Where? In beautiful Cortona, Italy
Deadline to apply: 31st May
NO TUITION FEES
Keynotes: Donatella della Porta & David A. Snow
All info: cosmos.sns.it/all-events/2...
When? 8-13th Sept
Where? In beautiful Cortona, Italy
Deadline to apply: 31st May
NO TUITION FEES
Keynotes: Donatella della Porta & David A. Snow
All info: cosmos.sns.it/all-events/2...
Reposted by Neal Caren
Somehow the Social Security Administration still has the resources to release name counts for last year. Here's a quick thread on name trends.
/1
/1
May 10, 2025 at 10:11 PM
Somehow the Social Security Administration still has the resources to release name counts for last year. Here's a quick thread on name trends.
/1
/1
Reposted by Neal Caren
New preprint from @lauraknelson.bsky.social, @mattwilkens.bsky.social, and myself tests different ways of simulating the past with LLMs. We don't fully answer the title question here—just show that simple strategies based on prompting and fine-tuning are insufficient. +
Can Language Models Represent the Past without Anachronism?
Before researchers can use language models to simulate the past, they need to understand the risk of anachronism. We find that prompting a contemporary model with examples of period prose does not pro...
arxiv.org
May 2, 2025 at 12:47 PM
New preprint from @lauraknelson.bsky.social, @mattwilkens.bsky.social, and myself tests different ways of simulating the past with LLMs. We don't fully answer the title question here—just show that simple strategies based on prompting and fine-tuning are insufficient. +
Reposted by Neal Caren
As we were writing this paper the NSF ADVANCE program was "archived" (cancelled). A heavy moment for us mid-paper. The results are important - check it out:
ADVANCE is one of the (if not the) longest running NSF programs, and, unusually for the NSF, is a collaboration among multiple directorates.
🧵
ADVANCE is one of the (if not the) longest running NSF programs, and, unusually for the NSF, is a collaboration among multiple directorates.
🧵
🏛️ Funding #EquityInitiatives = funding academic careers
New #Socius study by Drs. Gates, @lauraknelson.bsky.social, Grudt & @kzippel.bsky.social finds #NSF #ADVANCE awards help faculty doing #OrganizationalChange work maintain—or boost—#ResearchProductivity.
Read: doi.org/10.1177/2378...
New #Socius study by Drs. Gates, @lauraknelson.bsky.social, Grudt & @kzippel.bsky.social finds #NSF #ADVANCE awards help faculty doing #OrganizationalChange work maintain—or boost—#ResearchProductivity.
Read: doi.org/10.1177/2378...
April 23, 2025 at 5:38 PM
As we were writing this paper the NSF ADVANCE program was "archived" (cancelled). A heavy moment for us mid-paper. The results are important - check it out:
ADVANCE is one of the (if not the) longest running NSF programs, and, unusually for the NSF, is a collaboration among multiple directorates.
🧵
ADVANCE is one of the (if not the) longest running NSF programs, and, unusually for the NSF, is a collaboration among multiple directorates.
🧵
Reposted by Neal Caren
New blog post: Turning Congressional Job Listings Into Data Using LLM
I had 10 years' worth of weekly House job listings as PDFs. Now they are structured JSON, thanks to the Python library llm and LLMs.
thescoop.org/archives/202...
I had 10 years' worth of weekly House job listings as PDFs. Now they are structured JSON, thanks to the Python library llm and LLMs.
thescoop.org/archives/202...
February 28, 2025 at 10:56 PM
New blog post: Turning Congressional Job Listings Into Data Using LLM
I had 10 years' worth of weekly House job listings as PDFs. Now they are structured JSON, thanks to the Python library llm and LLMs.
thescoop.org/archives/202...
I had 10 years' worth of weekly House job listings as PDFs. Now they are structured JSON, thanks to the Python library llm and LLMs.
thescoop.org/archives/202...
I ballparked estimates of a 15% cap on NIH indirects based on awards granted in 2024 (which is different from funded in 2024). My numbers are less than NIH's, but still pretty devastating, including $250 million loss for North Carolina institutions. nih-funding-direct.vercel.app
February 8, 2025 at 11:29 PM
I ballparked estimates of a 15% cap on NIH indirects based on awards granted in 2024 (which is different from funded in 2024). My numbers are less than NIH's, but still pretty devastating, including $250 million loss for North Carolina institutions. nih-funding-direct.vercel.app
Reposted by Neal Caren
Recently, UNC Press authors have had their US visas revoked and talks canceled.
For over 100 years, we have stood for academic freedom and open discourse, and continue to do so. Read more on the UNC Press Blog ⬇️
For over 100 years, we have stood for academic freedom and open discourse, and continue to do so. Read more on the UNC Press Blog ⬇️
Academic Freedom and Open Discourse - UNC Press Blog
For over 100 years UNC Press has championed the principles of academic freedom, open discourse, and the free exchange of ideas—values essential to a democratic society and the pursuit of knowledge. R...
uncpressblog.com
January 31, 2025 at 8:04 PM
Recently, UNC Press authors have had their US visas revoked and talks canceled.
For over 100 years, we have stood for academic freedom and open discourse, and continue to do so. Read more on the UNC Press Blog ⬇️
For over 100 years, we have stood for academic freedom and open discourse, and continue to do so. Read more on the UNC Press Blog ⬇️
Found one!
[The AI Overview is based on the plot of a pretty great episode of AP Bio.]
[The AI Overview is based on the plot of a pretty great episode of AP Bio.]
January 28, 2025 at 1:29 AM
Found one!
[The AI Overview is based on the plot of a pretty great episode of AP Bio.]
[The AI Overview is based on the plot of a pretty great episode of AP Bio.]
Jesse Jackson's "I am Somebody" from season 3 of Sesame Street (1972).
www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTB1...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTB1...
Sesame Street - I Am Somebody
YouTube video by LittleJerryFan92 *RETIRED CHANNEL*
www.youtube.com
January 27, 2025 at 1:25 AM
Jesse Jackson's "I am Somebody" from season 3 of Sesame Street (1972).
www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTB1...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTB1...