I saw ‘the Testament of Ann Lee’ last night (in New England no less) and I am completely obsessed. the childbirth scenes, the music, the filming, the acting, the drawings. Absolute banger

In this work, we use population genetic simulations to show that when sex interacts with geography or other factors, modeling individuals of the same sex as interchangeable can change common genomic signals of historical migration. Check out our explainer blog! www.genderscilab.org/blog/gsl-pap...

Big Grump is trying to get to me with more fatigue and cold symptoms but I shall persevere

Every day at Harvard so far has been filled brilliant and kind people, gorgeous little walks, and inspiration to write!

As explained in our short video, we found that these algorithms risk perpetuating “crude ontologies of sex and gender that undermine both scientific validity and health justice” (p. 1). www.youtube.com/watch?v=9TqL...

My colleagues at the GenderSci Lab just published a paper on sex-specific algorithms in Alzheimer's research, along with a plain-language blog post and video. A helpful teaching tool and an important provocation for current conversations about health and data. I'm honored to be a part of this lab!

Somebody, think of the Harvard Krokodiloes!!

Boston is chilly

Took a little work break today to go see "The Medium is the Message" at the College of Psychic Studies in Kensington, London. They have mediumistic art (including ova!), channeled messages, and spirit photographs and spanning the 19th to 21st centuries. It's only on display for a few more weeks!

If anyone’s been wondering what on earth I'm doing these days: the Cambridge History and Philosophy of Science department gave me a couple of minutes to yap about it! www.instagram.com/reel/DTf2RCj...

after a month of intermittent flu symptoms I am very happy to be in the library again, even if that library literally inspired Orwell's 1984 Ministry of Truth

On #PublicRadioBroadcastingDay, a look back to the BBC’s first daytime Women’s Hour (1923–24), when women on air discussed everything from infant welfare to journalism. Read more: womenshistorynetwork.org/early-radio-... #WomensHistory #RadioHistory #GenderHist

mind blowing how cost of therapy has increased in recent years *me nodding seriously* “indeed. shrinkflation.”

Less than a week until I'm relocating to Boston for three months. It's only suddenly dawning in that that's longer than "just a research trip" and may constitute "living elsewhere" for the duration of a season.

I regret to report that getting proper flat white cups did, in fact, magically upgrade my barista skills

Who does the algorithm think I am

In just under a month, I’ll be leaving Cambridge for the other Cambridge. For three months, I’ll be a visiting scholar at Harvard’s History of Science Department, and I’m so excited! If you’re around between late January and late April, please reach out.

OK thanks I'll read the thesis in 2125 I guess

Met this guy in an archive. 1852

Study spot of the week

"Op het overlijdensbericht van Betsy liet de familie een foto van haar als achttienjarig meisje afdrukken." – Adèle Yon.  👉 www.nederlandseboekengids.com/20251125-man...

One of the best parts of my "job" is that male professors/archivists/librarians are often forced to say "obstetrics" and almost never succeed

Skeletons in the river, 1861

Psychic Dexter finds missing person, 1856

"The Clairvoyant Family Physician," Mrs Lucina Tuttle, 1855: Nightmares can KILL and you should take some syrup.

Book recommendations in the Staatsbibliothek Berlin: “Kill the Mockingbird”

Bad breath? Stomach Pain? Nose picking? It's probably WORMS (ad in the Jeffersonian, 1853)

For the past 10yrs or so I've tried to explain to students how keyword searching trains us to see looking at the world as seeking a known target. By contrast, being in a library, archive, gallery asks us to make a network of connections, questions, possibilities. Which one makes thinking more free?

Seems to me an increasing amount of bad history is based on the idea that you can just keyword search terms (esp. 21st c. terms) to locate origins & relative usage. It's totally unimaginable to these keyword searchers why folks in the past would use diff terms or not mention common practice at all.

Working from home is a lot more bearable when housesitting in Paris

This book is so incredibly well-written, dissecting a topic that I was a bit apprehensive about with a bold and engaging writing style that I absolutely envy

No, Adobe, I do not want your AI summaries, leave me alone

Magnetic medicated paper and hair clips, advertisement in "American Spiritualist," 1869.

Proud to announce my unprecedentedly fast ascent to the position of university chair

And now: running around - only somewhat frantically - as a volunteer at BSHS (hist of sci) conference in Cambridge. More snacks!

Massive personal win: after 2.5 years and an ungodly amount of lessons, I finally passed my driving test today!! Silly as it may sound, it might be the hardest thing I've ever done.

🚨 #Skystorians of accidents, environmental health, drink, drugs, sex, crime, #police 🚨 CfP 'Policing and #PublicHealth, c.1800-2000' workshop www.lshtm.ac.uk/research/cen... [typo in desc': we *may* be able to make a small travel contribution] #HistSTM #LegalHist #HistSex #HistGender #HistMed

What a slogan for a city

I had so much fun geeking out about Christian Science and childbirth at #ESSWE10! Thanks to all who were there and to all the lovely people providing input in the breaks between sessions as well.

Wouter Hanegraaff just opened #ESSWE10, the tenth conference of the European Society for the Study of Western Esotericism in Vilnius. I’m very excited to present here and to wear my new badge labeled ‘United Kingdom’!

🚨Salaried PhD position in history of medicine at the University of Zurich with the wonderful @fcondrau.bsky.social 🚨 (ignore the 60%, this is just the Swiss system, and amounts to a very respectable pay) #histmed #histstm jobs.uzh.ch/job-vacancie...

It was a delight to practice my conference presentation for the home crowd, the Cambridge HPS PhD workshop. Yes, with a glass of wine on the side!

From 'Breathe through your nose' to 'Care for your feet', a cast of largely unimpressed London infants spreading the municipal health message in 1938 More excellent health advice available through our digitised sources on British healthcare, 1900-1948, at warwick.ac.uk/services/lib...

A group of spirits, from the short-lived journal "Gallery of Spirit Art: An Illustrated Quarterly Magazine Devoted to and Illustrative of Spirit Photography, Spirit Paintings, the Photographing of Materialized Forms and Every Form of Spirit Art." Ran from 1882-1883, quarterly.

Wow, this is the condom I wrote up in a blog post a few years ago having come across mention in sale catalogue a former colleague had passed on to me. Glad to see it has found a home where it can be appreciated and viewed by the public. lesleyahall.blogspot.com/2022/07/coll...

The medium Cora L. V. Scott (also known at various times as Hatch, Daniels, Tappan, and Richmond, thanks to multiple marriages) is honestly such a style icon.

Review and ad for Alpha Undergarments, 1881, published in The Alpha.

This walking stick with skull pommel and emerald eyes once belonged to Charles Darwin. Yep, you read that right! I bet you didn't know Darwin was such a badass. It's now on display at the Wellcome Collection in London, and I think you'll agree it's pretty amazing. #MementoMoriMonday

...in a coupla weeks time...

Living in England is like a cute little joke. This is Knaresborough, North Yorkshire. The rock-carved chapel is from 1408, Nostradamus wrote about its bridge collapsing, Henry VIII may have referenced its local witch, Mother Shipton.