Ben Waber

Muggsy Bogues isn't obscure, but I want to use this opportunity to plug him as the most skilled player of all time. Dude is 5'3" and played in the NBA for *14 YEARS* - he started 556 games too, and for his career clocked in at 7.7 ppg, 7.6 apg, and 1.5 steals per game 🐐

Representation in Compensation Cases Are you making or considering making a PO Compensation claim?

Not sure if there are any PO scandal victims on here, who are unrepresented, but if there are or you know any please take a quick look at this... richardmoorhead.substack.com/p/representa...

The Story of Human Language Discover the fascinating history of human language-from its beginning as a single tongue spoken some 150,000 years ago to the estimated 6,000 languages spoken today.

Last was "The Story of Human Language" by John McWhorter. This is an essential introductory series of lectures to the nature of human language - its development, evolutionary processes, and forms. Highly recommend

Full review: bookwyrm.social/user/bwaber/... (5/5)

Language Families of the World Using the tools of linguistics, undertake a voyage of discovery to uncover the origins of language families around the world and the ways languages have developed and changed over time.

Next was "Language Families of the World" by John McWhorter, who provides his characteristic wit and deep linguistic expertise to this compelling tour through the language groups of the world. Highly recommend

Full review: bookwyrm.social/user/bwaber/... (4/5)

Ancient Writing and the History of the Alphabet Examine the alphabet from A to Z with linguist John McWhorter and discover what the development of writing can teach us about language, culture, and human connection.

Next was "Ancient Writing and the History of the Alphabet" by John McWhorter, who cracks jokes throughout this methodical examination of the history of the modern English alphabet. Highly recommend

Full review: bookwyrm.social/user/bwaber/... (3/5)

Tacit Racism We need to talk about racism before it destroys our democracy. And that conversation needs to start with an acknowledgement that racism is coded into even the most ordinary interactions. Every time we...

First was "Tacit Racism" by Anne Warfield Rawls and Waverly Duck. This book focuses on how social expectations and conversational dynamics build on top of institutional racism to lead to even greater anti-Black bias. Highly recommend

Full review: bookwyrm.social/user/bwaber/... (2/5)

A selfie of me in front of a snow-covered forest on a sunny day. I'm a bald, middle-aged, white man with a red beard flecked with white. I'm wearing glasses with a metal top rim, a black partially unzipped hoodie with the hood over my head, a blue t-shirt, and a dark blue winter coat with a check pattern.

It was a gorgeous weekend in Boston, and while getting what will probably be one of my last glimpses of the snow this winter I listened to books for my #AcademicRunPlaylist! (1/5)

My medium sized, short haired, black dog with a bit of grey at the end of his muzzle, resting his head on the arm of a white upholstered chair.

For a change of pace, here's my dog. He has decided he's not going to move from this chair for the rest of the evening.

Plymouth Rock: The official sponsor of storrowing Ron Newman spotted this ad from Boston's own Plymouth Rock Assurance, expanding its coverage to include illiterate drivers who storrow their trucks, atop an entrance to the Kendall Square Red Line sto...

Plymouth Rock: The official sponsor of storrowing
www.universalhub.com/2026/plymout...

#Boston #storrowing

This week is particularly packed with extremely intriguing books

Gladly:

"You used ChatGPT enough to export data? How many dirty Christmas themed limericks can you possibly need?"

"Ah, taking the moral stance and moving to the company that eschews military uses in favor of eugenics, I see."

"It's great that you won't have to make up data a second time."

A highly complex website showing two betting accounts earning nearly $500,000 and $120,000 on a minimal number of positions.

In case you were wondering, Polymarket had yet another spate of likely inside traders betting that the US would strike Iran by February 28.

Per the due diligence investigation service Bubblemaps, the wallets used were created 24 hours earlier.

The Pentagon Pizza Index has been replaced.

Headline from Tokyo Shimbun. JP text: 外国人摘発４割減、警察庁データ　２５年間分析、１４都道県半分に

Right-wing online dialogue says foreigners are making Japan less safe. But a report from the National Police Agency says the number of crimes in which foreigners were apprehended has dropped by a full 40% from its peak in 2019-2024, falling by half in 14 prefectures.

I was desperately hoping this would turn out to be untrue, but my gut knew better.

I don’t believe in hell, but days like today would be easier if I did.

Iran says death toll in strike on elementary school rises to 85

abcnews.com/Internationa...

I have nothing good to say about Anthropic just like I have nothing good to say about Muskrat during his spat with the orange man, or any of the orange man's associates when he turns on them. Anthropic knowingly partnered with the pentagon. Their other partner, Palantir,...

YouTube video by Paul G. Allen School Robotics Colloquium: Marynel Vázquez (Yale University)

Last was a compelling talk by Marynel Vázquez on embedding social intelligence in robots www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpS4... (10/10)

NBER Economic Fluctuations and Growth Program Meeting YouTube video by NBER

Next was a thought-provoking talk by @schoefer.bsky.social on modeling monopsony, markdowns, and minimum wages at @nber.org www.youtube.com/live/aWDp2xh... (9/10)

YouTube video by GRASP Lab Spring 2026 GRASP on Robotics - Daniel Lee, Cornell University

Next was an intriguing talk by Daniel Lee on quantifying the structure and similarity of high dimensional neural representations at the @grasplab.bsky.social www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfyF... (8/10)

YouTube video by IAIFI: Institute for AI & Fundamental Interactions From Entropy to Epiplexity: Rethinking Information for Computationally Bounded Intelligence

Next was an excellent talk by @andrewgwils.bsky.social on rethinking information theory for extremely large models at the NSF AI Institute for Artificial Intelligence and Fundamental Interactions (IAIFI) www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XBq... (7/10)

YouTube video by School of Law, Boston University Andrew R. Randall Chair Investiture Ceremony and Lecture

Next was an amazing talk by @hartzog.bsky.social on the need to prioritize collective well-being over individual protections in privacy law at @bulaw.bsky.social. Highly recommend www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mi9... (6/10)

YouTube video by Deep Learning Indaba Neuro AI in Africa: Dr Ilenna Jones on Brain Science, Compute Access & Research Equity

Next was an engaging conversation with @ilennaj.bsky.social on computational neuroscience in Africa and beyond at @deeplearningindaba.bsky.social www.youtube.com/watch?v=tU-W... (5/10)

YouTube video by Solove on Tech The Limitations of Privacy Rights

Next was a great talk by @daniel-solove.bsky.social on the limitations of privacy rights www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4rz... (4/10)

YouTube video by Plamadiso - Platforms, Markets & Digital Society “Balancing privacy & platform power in the mobile ecosystem: The case of Apple’s ATT” –Julia Krämer

Next was an interesting talk by @juliakraemer.bsky.social on balancing privacy and platform power in the mobile ecosystem at @weizenbauminstitut.bsky.social www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QfV... (3/10)

YouTube video by Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford A Democratic View on Trustworthy AI: From Worrying About Fabrications to Looking at Vulnerability

First was a fantastic talk by @eugeniaunivie.bsky.social on interrogating the notion of "trustworthy AI" at @oii.ox.ac.uk. Stamboliev incisively picks apart this concept, proposing a move to "democratic trustworthiness." Highly recommend www.youtube.com/watch?v=EH4j... (2/10)

A snowed-over frozen portion of the Charles River, with thick forest on the far bank, on a sunny day.

I had a hectic end to the week, but in between calls and shuttling the kids around I listened to talks for my #AcademicRunPlaylist! (1/10)

Empire of Purity How the US crusade against prostitution became a tool of empire

Last was "Empire of Purity" by @evapayne.bsky.social. This is an eye-opening look at a critical historical period - the half-century when the US successfully turned the world away from regulation and legalization of prostitution. Highly recommend

Full review: bookwyrm.social/user/bwaber/... (5/5)

YouTube video by Indigenous Data Alliance The World's First Indigenous Data Standard: IEEE 2890-2025 Provenance of Indigenous Peoples’ Data

Next was an important panel on the new IEEE indigenous data standard with Stephanie Carroll, Jane Anderson, Randall Akee, Maui Hudson, and @tahltanlibrarian.bsky.social at the Indigenous Data Alliance www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOwG... (4/5)

YouTube video by CASBS David Card: Behind the Nobel

Next was an engaging conversation with David Card on his career in economics at @casbsstanford.bsky.social www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_Hf... (3/5)

YouTube video by UCL Laws Professor Sir Robin Jacob's Lego Story Part 1

First was an incredible series of talks by Robin Jacob on Lego and intellectual property at @laws.ucl.ac.uk. Highly recommend

Part 1: www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Sbb...
Part 2: www.youtube.com/watch?v=HoT6...
Part 3: www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWgm... (2/5)