In a world of fast moving twitter feeds and ephemeral blogs, it is sometimes helpful to pause, look back, and take stock. Open Access week is a perfect time to do that. Like Toby A. Green, I wonder what is holding up efforts at a transition to more open scholarship. Sometimes, it feels like there…
Genetics, anthropology, and white supremacy: In the 1930s, anthropologists and geneticists weren’t afraid to speak. We need to follow their example
Even the New York times has noticed that geneticists and anthropologists are having trouble dealing with the current genetically driven revival of classical race theory and the return of its evil offspring, scientific racism. Amy Harmon rightly takes scholars to task for failing to address “the recurring appropriation of the field’s research in the name…
Pseudo-Archaeology as opportunity part 2: some concrete examples
I’ve written before about importance of seeking public engagement with pseudo-archaeology as an opportunity rather than a threat, and of building on people’s interest in the amazing claims of pseudo-archaeologists to foster critical thinking and public education. But how does that work in practice? Here are a few concrete examples from my years of practice.…
My mother’s further adventures with Academia.edu spam
Last week, I described my recent adventures trying to figure out why my mother, of all people, was getting frequent emails from Academia.edu, asking her to upgrade to premium. I found that she did indeed have an Academia.edu profile, but that of course, she has never created one. She was even said to have been…
My strange trip through Academia.edu’s spam
Academia.edu, which is “accelerating the world’s research”, has become notorious among academics for its relentless email appeals to upgrade to their premium service, which allows us to delve beyond the teasers of their free product, and to see things like who is reading us, who is mentioning us in their papers, and all the other…
ArcheoThoughts 