Today, we’re talking with Emily Bender and Alex Hanna, co-authors of the book The AI Con, which came out earlier this year.  Emily is a Professor of Linguistics at the University of Washington where she is also the Faculty Director of the Computational Linguistics Master of Science program in the School of Computer Science and Engineering and the Information School. In 2023, she was included in the inaugural Time 100 list of the most influential people in AI.  Alex is Director of Research at the Distributed AI Research Institute and a Lecturer in the School of Information at the University of California Berkeley. She is an outspoken critic of the tech industry, a proponent of community-based uses of technology, and a highly sought-after speaker and expert.  We discuss how AI hoodwinks people by exploiting their natural tendency to assign intelligence to things that produce language, how “science is squarely in the hype danger zone,” labor and structural issues related to AI exploitation and extraction, and so much more. You can get a sense of their witty approach to tackling this by realizing that when they talk about “synthetic text extruding machines,” it reduces to “STEM.” We also get their “Discoveries of the Week.” Visit this page for information about contacting Emily. Visit this page for information about contacting Alex. For more information about their book, visit this page. Our book — available for PRESALE — is here: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/How-the-Internet-Disrupted-Science/Kent-Anderson/9781493094400 Music provided by Provoke the Truth — https://provokethetruth.net/ 

Today, we’re talking with Mike Olson, Assistant Professor and Cataloging & Discovery Librarian at Murphy Library, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. Mike published two guest posts on “The Scholarly Kitchen” earlier this year which caught our eye. The first was in March, where he wrote about library catalogs as colonization systems with the power to make naming decisions appear neutral and inevitable by disguising bias behind what a former ALA president called “a facade of technical objectivity.” His next post in August had to do with layoffs at OCLC justified by claims of advances in AI that could lead to efficiency. Mike noted that “the same technological advances celebrated for their efficiency are erasing the human expertise that creates the high-quality metadata these systems depend on to function.”   As fans of human expertise, local and disciplinary control, and skepticism about tech claims, we wanted to bring him on for a conversation. The interview does not disappoint, as it echoes concerns from earlier interviews about how academia is being appropriated for rents and extractive processes by tech companies without support for the kind of skepticism and support of human expertise we’d expect from universities. Subscribe today Subscribe on Apple Podcasts Subscribe on Spotify Subscribe on Amazon Music/Audible Subscribe on YouTube Music provided by Provoke the Truth — https://provokethetruth.net/ 

Today, we’re joined by Seth Leopold, an orthopaedic surgeon and Editor-in-Chief of Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research, also known as CORR, a top journal in orthopaedic surgery.  Seth and Kent got to know one another through some projects and mutual concerns about scientific publishing, and this year they published a piece with another editor in marine science outlining their concerns about unreviewed preprints. Today we talk about some of the challenges the editorial team at CORR wrestles with on a daily basis, some of the stances the orthopaedic journals have taken collectively, and some of the more recent challenges AI has posed for them. Show Notes Preprint paper by Leopold, Browman, and Anderson: https://journal.trialanderror.org/pub/preprinting-responsibility/release/1 Paper about CORR wrestling with AI LTEs: https://journals.lww.com/clinorthop/fulltext/2025/10000/editorial__ai_assisted_letters_to_the_editor_scope.1.aspx Music provided by Provoke the Truth — https://provokethetruth.net/ 

Acetamiophen is one of the most studied analgesics in the world, and was the centerpiece of a famous product recall when a murderer laced capsules with potassium cyanide. The company swept the shelves in the name of public safety, and restocked them only after establishing new tamper-proof packaging. Today, Big Tech is releasing products that are leading to clear consumer harms, yet remain idolized and immunized. Why is this? Is there a quasi-religious aspect to technology and its offshoots we need to recognize? How does this dovetail with re-emerging religious fundamentalism in general? And where does it leave science? We discuss these topics and share our ”Discoveries of the Week.” Music provided by Provoke the Truth — https://provokethetruth.net/   

This week, in a special Friday episode, we are pleased to bring you an interview with Christine Laine, the Editor-in-Chief of Annals of Internal Medicine, which is published by the American College of Physicians (ACP). The Annals and the ACP have been at the center of a couple of controversies stirred up by the MAHA crowd. You’ll hear how word reached the Annals team that RFK, Jr., wanted a paper about vaccines and autism retracted. (Hint: RFK, Jr., looks bad, the Annals comes out smelling like a rose.) And you’ll hear more about that BMC Environmental Health paper, and why its methodology is suspect, how its author still involved in the legal case where his evidence was disallowed by a judge, and more. We also discuss the use of AI in medical science, point-of-care systems, and physician training and practice — including how it’s affecting patient interactions. At its heart, it is an interview about the power of expertise, the importance of good journals within scientific communities, the role of editorial care and collaborations, and how we collectively get science done right. Unlike what some would have you believe, it’s not easy. We hope you enjoy the interview.   Show Notes Dr. Andrea Love’s coverage of the Tylenol paper’s disreputable background: https://news.immunologic.org/p/the-tylenolautism-pseudoscience-pipeline The paper in question: https://ehjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12940-025-01208-0  Music provided by Provoke the Truth — https://provokethetruth.net/   

The author of the book, Predatory Data: Eugenics in Big Tech and Our Fight for an Independent Future, Anita Chan is a Professor in the School of Information Sciences and Department of Media and Cinema Studies at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Today, she joins us to discuss the relationships between Big Data, eugenics, Big Tech, techno-fascism, AI in science, and more. It's an enlightening conversation, and an especially urgent one given how hard Big Tech is attempting to co-opt our culture. We also share our “Discoveries of the Week,” including a rediscovery of a classic technique for teaching. (Hint: It still works.)   Show Notes Predatory Data book: https://www.ucpress.edu/books/predatory-data/paper?ref=the-geyser.com Interview with Olivia Guest and Iris van Rooij: https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-6amys-196264a Music provided by Provoke the Truth — https://provokethetruth.net/  Platypus Pups video: https://youtu.be/ZEl5RJiiLbk “Disrupted Science” t-shirt: https://crowdmade.com/collections/petty-larceny-merch/products/petty-larceny-disrupted-science-t-shirt-black  

It's Peer Review Week — but what does that mean anymore? We examine the focus on AI in this year's event, dissect how the definition of "peer review" has shifted from audience-focused selection and refinement to author-focused speed and scale as science has been platformed and adopted a tech-influenced mindset.   Show Notes [Due to a technical problem, this week is audio-only] Peer Review Week: https://peerreviewweek.net/ Silverchair AI thoughts: https://www.silverchair.com/news/the-coming-inflection-point/ Elsevier announcement: https://www.elsevier.com/about/press-releases/redefining-research-elsevier-announces-next-generation-ai-powered-researcher-solution Cactus Communications announcement: https://cactusglobal.com/media-center/paperpal-ai-that-brings-out-the-best-in-you/ Interview with Olivia Guest and Iris van Rooij: https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-6amys-196264a Music provided by Provoke the Truth — https://provokethetruth.net/ 

In this special episode, we speak with two authors of the position paper, "Against the Uncritical Adoption of 'AI' Technologies in Academia," Olivia Guest and Iris van Rooij, and discuss how academics and scientists need to probe the claims of so-called AI systems, their compatibility with scientific and academic endeavors, and the personal responsibilities academics, researchers, and teachers retain despite these new toys.   Show Notes "AI Slop and the Destruction of Knowledge": https://irisvanrooijcogsci.com/2025/08/12/ai-slop-and-the-destruction-of-knowledge/ "Against the Uncritical Adoption of 'AI' Technologies in Academia": https://zenodo.org/records/17065099 Music provided by Provoke the Truth — https://provokethetruth.net/ 

A July 2025 preprint on Preprints.org (MDPI) gets withdrawn, and the caterwauling about censorship begins. This episode helps you get your bearings, we hope. Show Notes The MDPI withdrawal: https://www.preprints.org/manuscript/202507.2155/v1 The MAHA Substack complaint: https://www.thefocalpoints.com/p/breaking-mdpi-censors-one-of-the  

The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI) is widely reported as a philanthropy. In fact, it is an LLC operated by the holding company the family uses, sells assets off after acquisition, and is platforming biomedical preprints and other scientific information for its own purposes. It has effectively acquired bioRxiv and medRxiv, operating them in a new entity, openRxiv Corp. In this episode, we explore how CZI LLC was set up, how Meta got its name (hint: they acquired the brand via a science AI acquisition), and discuss the implications of having billionaires with shifting political ideologies involved in funding scientific initiatives.   Show Notes Krumholz Is an Officer of openRxiv — https://www.the-geyser.com/krumholz-is-officer-of-openrxiv/ Editor Becomes a MAHA Darling — https://www.the-geyser.com/editor-becomes-a-maha-darling/ What Is CZI Really Up To? — https://www.the-geyser.com/what-is-czi-really-up-to/  Chicago bird collision monitors — https://www.birdmonitors.net/ Music provided by Provoke the Truth — https://provokethetruth.net/ 

In this episode, we dive deeper into the background of Jim O’Neill, the interim acting Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on the heels of the messy firing of the Senate-approved Director (and actual scientist) Susan Monarez. It turns out, the Silicon Valley desire to have science become predictable, end death, and create endless wealth for a few is really driving a lot of this, from Peter Thiel to RFK Jr. to O’Neill.    Show Notes Interview with Demetre Daskalakis: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-c-d-c-s-vaccine-chief-on-why-quitting-was-his-only-option/id1200361736?i=1000724015879  Insilico.com: https://insilico.com/  Provoke the Truth (pod music) — https://provokethetruth.net/ 

Today, we dive into a few aspects of the imposition of tech thinking into the scientific endeavor, including business models, AI, accidental certifications, and new NIH policies.    Show Notes Jessica Knurick post: https://drjessicaknurick.substack.com/p/trust-the-science-doesnt-mean-what Comet Plus: https://www.perplexity.ai/hub/blog/introducing-comet-plus "Scholarly Kitchen" guest post by Mike Olson: https://scholarlykitchen.sspnet.org/2025/08/26/guest-post-beyond-classification-the-human-cost-of-library-and-information-labor-under-digital-capitalism/ Clay Shirky on the return of the Blue Books: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/26/opinion/culture/ai-chatgpt-college-cheating-medieval.html Pygmy sea horses: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/25/science/evolution-genetics-seahorses.html Video of pygmy sea horses (NatGeo): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4q3sBuCkRQ Better bee food to thwart colony collapse: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/08/250822073807.htm See our book cover: https://www.the-geyser.com/how-the-internet-disrupted-science/  Provoke the Truth (pod music) — https://provokethetruth.net/  Contact us: DISRUPTEDSCIENCE@GMAIL.COM 

It's our first interview for the podcast, and we landed a great guest! Jason Steinhauer is a “public historian” working at the intersection of history, tech, media and politics. He writes and speaks about how social media, tech, and A.I. are shaping our history, politics, democracy, and future. His 2021 book, “History, Disrupted,” touches on many of the same issues we discuss in our forthcoming book about expertise, gatekeepers, the sharing of knowledge, and how information incentives work. Link to his book: https://www.amazon.com/History_-Disrupted_-How-Social-Media-and-the-World-Wide-Web-Have-Changed-the-Past/dp/3030851168/ Link to his newsletter: https://jasonsteinhauer.substack.com/ Link to his page: https://www.jasonsteinhauer.com/  Link to the FT story about Sam Altman’s desecration of the kitchen: https://www.ft.com/content/b1804820-c74b-4d37-b112-1df882629541  Provoke the Truth (pod music) — https://provokethetruth.net/  Contact us: DISRUPTEDSCIENCE@GMAIL.COM 

A brief episode to talk about where the podcast has been and exciting plans for where it is going next. Also, two great "Discoveries of the Week," and don't miss this week's silly sign-off in honor of National Joke Day.  

Paid OA has co-opted editors into paid placement collaborators within publishers. We talk about the implications of this, explore it as a cleaner thought experiment and its implications, and reflect on how dumb a business it is if the goal is article placement commerce. Also, we discuss the related issue of why paper mills and others exist and are flooding the literature. PNAS paper: https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2420092122 NYTimes coverage: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/04/science/04hs-science-papers-fraud-research-paper-mills.html Provoke the Truth (pod music) — https://provokethetruth.net/  Contact us: DISRUPTEDSCIENCE@GMAIL.COM 

In this episode, we talk about "gaslight" preprints, retractions, and then explore some of the signs that we may be approaching an "AI winter" due to high expenses, lackluster offerings, a conceptual bubble bursting, and more. Inspired by Ed Zitron's work, we apply it to some scientific publishing offerings, as well.   Our "Discoveries of the Week" involve music, books, and delight.   Show Notes "Gaslight" preprints — https://www.the-geyser.com/now-its-gaslight-preprints/ Ed Zitron's newsletter — https://www.wheresyoured.at/ Ed Zitron's podcast — https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/better-offline/id1730587238 Hum "manifesto" — https://blog.hum.works/posts/the-alchemist-future  Katina review of AI tools — https://katinamagazine.org/content/article/reviews/2025/deep-dive-into-three-ai-academic-search-tools  Our Cactus Communications interview — https://allthingsscicomm.buzzsprout.com/1933426/episodes/17561515-rethinking-science-communication-beyond-technology-trends  Joy's "Discovery of the Week" — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOigILEBilo  Kent's "Discovery of the Week" — https://www.amazon.com/Genius-Myth-Curious-History-Dangerous/dp/B0DX9W74SZ/  Provoke the Truth (pod music) — https://provokethetruth.net/   

The USDA is quashing scientific research. Ozzy leaves us. And two discoveries of the week. Music stings provided by friend of the pod, Lucas, at Provoke the Truth: https://provokethetruth.net/   Related posts: https://www.the-geyser.com/scientific-pubs-epstein-file/ https://www.the-geyser.com/sci-pubs-epstein-files-part-2/ https://www.the-geyser.com/fascism-comes-to-the-farm/  

We tackle a host of topics and try new technology Sleuths and Dirty Laundry Peer Review Congress Agenda YLE Praising NIH Caps AUP "Mass Resignation" Update on "Gaslight Journals" Rick Tackles CC Adam Becker's New Book and Kara Swisher Interview ALSO, "Discoveries of the Week" that will chill you out and make you feel alive!

In this week's special episode, we cover some recent news (medical groups suing HHS, NSF grants icing out biomedicine, and sleuths being leveraged for anti-science), dive into the recent interview the Director of the NIH had with Charlie Kirk, give a book update, and share our Discoveries of the Week.

We summarize a terrible week for science, provide a book update, share some News of the Week, add a couple of justifiable rants, and provide two nice science-based discoveries you can use. Four thumbs up!   Link to the third thumb.