Azeen Ghorayshi at the NYT has moved on from going after trans people and is now pushing the leasing question that autism diagnoses are too common because of its expansion of it to a spectrum. archive.ph/Whji1

Some bad news for STEM PhDs today regarding the eligibility for one of the biggest fellowships—only first-year graduate students and undergrads are able to apply to the NSF GRFP, no second-years. This will hurt a lot of graduate training and research, especially at less wealthy schools

Haven’t had any time to update this lately, but with fellowships season and a new academic year upon us, take a look for yourself and/or your students.

people helpfully replying "Trump doesn't have the power to do that" in response to discussions about Trump literally in the process of doing those things

The classic

Conference announcement/call for papers! You’ll note that there’s no theme beyond “new research on apocryphal Christian literature.” We truly just want to hear about whatever interests you most in apocryphal Christian literature right now. More info here: www.nasscal.com/meetings/

joining the war on autism on the side of autism

The digital version of God, Slavery, and Early Christianity is officially out! If you're interested in ancient Mediterranean slavery's effects on Christian thought and practice, this is for you. www.cambridge.org/core/books/g...

The Erich S. Gruen Prize | Society for Classical Studies www.classicalstudies.org/awards-and-f...

We are looking for a one-year full-time Research Associate to work on Coptic manuscripts in Manchester as part of a wonderful project that connects mss with local communities. Requires strong skills in Coptic, English, & Arabic. Deadline 31/10. Please share! www.jobs.manchester.ac.uk/Job/JobDetai...

Good recs for a _cultural_ history of "the alpha"? From evobio to its reception in pop culture, how ideologies about "biologically innate" "leadership" structures everyday social life for _humans_, and back to how evobio studies pack animals?

It really disturbs me that so many people in higher education seem to think that students are trying to get one over on them or wasting their time because they aren’t strong enough at particular skills.

My cat Bruno is definitely living up to his namesake all snuggled up in bed in a monkish way.

Newsom has backstabbed trans people and homeless people repeatedly, but you’re fine with that because you’re not affected. People like you demand one-way coalitions. Morally and strategically bankrupt.

Publication day for a book that Matthew and I spent six years on, anguished over, fought for, rewrote twice, and nearly abandoned. I hope it proves useful in continuing important conversations about the ancient world and about the societies we choose to build today. www.ucpress.edu/books/ancien...

Science is effectively dead in the US for at least the next 3½ years, and will then take another several years to even get started again. Canceled research doesn’t just uncancel itself, and scientists who find opportunity elsewhere won’t just come flocking back. The damage is generational.

Finally hung up this very cool sculpture by @oddoblivion.bsky.social that reminds me of my dissertation topic

the most recent attempt to control education: Section 4.b.(i): "Discretionary awards must, where applicable, demonstrably advance the President’s policy priorities."

Let's not use "hallucinate" or "lie" when we talk about ChatGPT. It can't make decisions, it doesn't have a conscious thought, it's not having a conversation with you. It's regurgitating false information based on stolen content without context or nuance.

they’re here! i only need like 3 of these. CUP sent me 10. so, how about this: i’ll mail the others to the first 7 contingent faculty and/or grad students who email me their mailing address.

Apparently, it's #InternationalOwlAwarenessDay! Here is my favourite #owl, depicted on a #Roman mosaic found in Uzès southern France, dating second half of the 1st century BC. 📷 Denis Gliksman, Inrap

Pliny the Younger apparently thought sports were very stupid but it's funny that it's for the exact reason laid out in Seinfeld s6e12 ("The Label Maker")

This is religion for depressed and bored psuedo-intellectual oafs trying to find meaning because spiritual stuff is girly and introspection is scary. They'd rather spend half their lives writing Sephiroth speeches about universities and grift off of other people experiencing the void

Thank you to @logeiongklat.bsky.social for making translation in a power outage possible

I found a 30 Rock easter egg on the official Fulbright website 👀

this is getting next to no media attention and it’s horrifying. transphobes weren’t going to stop at bathrooms, no hormones for minors, they are going to keep pushing until it’s entirely illegal and no one is standing up for us other than trans people

I did my MA and PhD at UChicago, and typically I feel proud of that. But today, I am beyond disappointed in my alma mater. www.chicagobusiness.com/health-care/...

We're not "descending into" fascism in the U.S. We are living under a fascist regime already. I wonder when most people will catch up to this reality and what that might portend.

I am delighted to announce the IRCI has 2 job openings in early Christianity (specialisation open, research-focus, early career). Closing date 15 Aug. Contact me with any questions. We hope you'll consider joining our excellent group of scholars! candidate.aurion.cloud/acu/producti...

late antiquity nerds! @vox-magica.bsky.social's awesome new Element is scheduled to drop *this week* so bookmark now so you can get your ~free~ download when it hits! www.cambridge.org/core/element...

The US is arming a literal genocide, has blocked international action against that genocide, and has now started a war with a sovereign nation by bombing some power plants its own intelligence reports are simply power plants - all on behalf of the country committing genocide.

Cuomo supporters are like "he has more experience working with people" and then the "people" are Harvey Weinstein

Playing with copper colors this time

Folks whose #NEH grants were terminated and have closeout costs to claim - go get your money ASAP!! Deadline is June 29, 2025.

I love the things I find through my job

Every Harry Potter book or shirt you buy directly funds the persecution of trans people. There's absolutely no excuse to support anything Harry Potter anymore unless you hate trans people.

Good mormy

On Saturday at NAPS I’ll be talking about why ancient doctors and magicians used the body parts of executed people for treatments, amulets, and curses. Don’t miss out if you like deeply unpleasant things first thing in the morning!

Will head to NAPS sometime around 1 tomorrow. Message me if you’d like to hang out! I’ve barely even looked at the sessions.

Who's ready for some fun with invective at #NAPS2025?

Glad NAPS isn’t this weekend

The deadline to apply for Ancient Worlds, Modern Communities is this week! This initiative provides mini-grants of up to $2,000 to support public engagement projects, and the next application deadline is Friday, May 16. www.classicalstudies.org/outreach/anc...

The european citizens' initiative to ban conversion therapies in the EU only has 250k signatures and needs to amass 1 million in the next 7 days... If you live in the EU, please sign it (you can't otherwise); if you don't, please share it around.

What a day to have studied Latin in Chicago.

Fulbright results are coming out and it’s so cool to see some of the students I saw through the whole process winning. They worked so hard!

Autism: Myth Vs. Fact theonion.com/autism-...