Kevin Zollman

I don't know much, but my general impression is that this division of labor didn't really happen before Newton

USA! USA!

My impressions: In physics there is a pretty strong division of labor

It seems like economics has less than physics, but still pretty strong division

Followed by biology with some division of labor

Followed by psychology with almost none

Different disciplines handle the division of labor between theory and experiment. Some fields have dedicated theoreticians who hardly ever do experiments (and vice versa). Others divide it less strongly or not at all.

Why is this?

A photo taken through the window of a train. The name of the station "Newton for Hyde" can be seen on a sign. Inside the train a piece of paper is held up to the window with a sketch of a bewigged gentleman holding up a sign saying "Leibnitz for Jekyll"

Nerdy joke warning. 😁 I've been planning this since I first saw the Newton for Hyde sign.

When does the next bus come? GoTriangle reduces wait time on its busiest routes The regional agency joins GoDurham and GoRaleigh in offering bus service at 15-minute intervals between Durham and Chapel Hill.

Raleigh increased bus service from every 30 min to every 15 min on its route serving Glenwood Ave. Ridership then doubled in the year that followed.

Over last year, city’s high-frequency routes have had 89% ridership growth.

People will ride when you give them service that they can rely on!

I agree, although I have less to compare it to :)

This reminded me of my IT teacher, who required us to "check out" mouse balls from her because they kept getting stolen.

She also absolutely insisted that we can them "mouse sphericals" because she didn't want to hear dick jokes from us. Guess how well that worked.

Any economists on here who cen speak about experiences in their (non-US) country with the politicization of official statistics? DM me.
#EconSky

English especially had so much freedom, which in some ways makes all this more arbitrary. There are so many constructions that are technically fine, but not how "we" would say it. It leaves so much room to enforce not just nativist, but also classist or regionalist standard

I realise editors need a shorthand for encouraging authors to polish their language but this can be done without using nativist language. Some of us who learned English later in life are bigger snobs about it than many native speakers. Let’s just encourage attention to clarity of expression.

August 1, 2025 AMERICAN ECONOMIC ASSOCIATION Committee on Economic Statistics and Committee on Government Relations Statement from the American Economic Association on the Dismissal of the BLS Commissioner Leaders of the American Economic Association express their grave concern over the dismissal of the Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) earlier today. The independence of the federal statistical agencies is essential to the proper functioning of a modern economy. Accurate, timely, and impartial statistics are the foundation upon which households, businesses, and policymakers make critical decisions. Undermining the independence or credibility of these agencies threatens the integrity of the information that markets, institutions, and the public rely on every day. Measuring the vast and dynamic U.S. economy in real time is inherently challenging. It is standard practice for statistical estimates to be revised as more complete and higher-quality data become available. These revisions reflect the commitment of statistical agencies to accuracy, transparency, and methodological rigor-not failure or bias. The BLS has long had a well-deserved reputation for professional excellence and nonpartisan integrity. Safeguarding this tradition is vital for the continued health of the U.S. economy and public trust in our institutions. We call upon elected officials to respect and preserve the independence of the nation's statistical infrastructure. Lawrence Katz President, American Economic Association Katharine Abraham President-Elect, American Economic Association Karen Dynan Chair, American Economic Association Committee on Economic Statistics Kenneth Troske Chair, American Economic Association Committee on Government Relations

Statement from the largest economics association about the BLS firing

As context: AEA approximately never makes such public statements

This is a big deal

"Meh" is never wrong

3

You're definitely right. I'm guessing he had more analytic than continental. And, as you say, the continental might have been in other places (including law school)

At Stanford, he probably took both

If you think that taking philosophy courses will make you a good person, just remember Peter Thiel has a degree in philosophy

Dr. Erika McEntarfer has devoted her career to public service. She has conducted herself as BLS Commissioner with great integrity. There is no evidence whatsoever that BLS data are politically biased.

#econsky

Don’t know why people are mad about this article. “Treating women like they are actual human beings will make you more attractive” is a message more men need to hear and internalize. That men so reliably fail to do this is like 97% of what makes dating them so dreadful.

I'm not as confidence as you two are about this. In part that's because some *philosophers* in this thread are defending the view that it *is* an expert opinion. If we philosophers aren't sure whether the APA's statement relies on expertise, why do we think other people can sort that out?

If the APA was considering a statement like that: "our specialists who study the philosophy of genocide say that this is a genocide because of x, y,z" I would be much more supportive.

But that's not what is being suggested.

But I don't think the APA or PSA should just issue a statement saying "climate change is bad" It should be more about what we have to add to conversation

I agree with you about public humanities work, for sure. And climate change is a case where our expertise can be relevant (about philosophy of science, about moral obligations to future generations, and about the distribution of costs and benefits as a moral issue).

I don't think you or anyone needs a philosopher to tell you genocide is wrong

Just because it's not as much trust as we would like, doesn't mean it can't get worse.

Republicans (the voters) do in general trust science, yes. Not about everything (climate change and COVID were notable cases), but by in large they do.

The politicians also have some trust. The GOP controlled Senate just proposed increasing the NIH budget, for instance.

I have never said that academia is isolated from politics. If the APAs expertise is relevant, they *should* speak up. My point is that here, their expertise is not relevant. What part of Gaza requires a philosophical expertise?

After Natured endorsed Biden, there was a study that showed that it had no effect on people's perception of Biden. But it did negatively affect republican's view of science.

I think it is likely to harm authority, because we have a close parallel that did exactly that.

I'm more sensitive to this concern, that letter give PIs a kind of veto power over students. But that seems like a good reason to ask for *more* letters rather than fewer.

It's also not clear that removing the letters really addresses the PIs power.

I address that later in the thread.

bsky.app/profile/kevi...