Rafael M Batista

@rafmbatista

Behavioral Scientist. Exploring how AI is shaping the way we experience the world. New DC resident + civically engaged, so occasionally I posting about that too.

1,286 Following4,501 Followers501 Posts

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Rafael M Batista@rafmbatista· 2d

Not sure I understood this part correctly, but it made me wonder whether this is the right balance or not. If three people post about some recent news, I might like all three *because* they’re on the same topic. But I wouldn’t necessarily want to see 3x that over some other bit of news.

Rafael M Batista@rafmbatista· 6d

Public boxes are backed up as self-contained zip files to: 1️⃣ @archive.org 2️⃣ Zenodo (with their own DOI)

Text reads:

WHAT IS
RESEARCHBOX?
The easiest to use platform for sharing
code,
and
materials. All files are organized into standardized
"Bingo
Tables" where you quickly know what is and is not available (see example). Among many features:
• Automatic file organization
• Instantaneous file-previews
• Codebooks
for
every
dataset
• Integration
with
AsPredicted.org

Text reads:

HOW PUBLIC ARE BOXES?
• New boxes are private & designed for peer-review.
• Files are not findable via search.
• Links to files include easy-to-change passcodes.
• Authors' identities are hidden.
• When published, all is public & findable.
• Search datasets (e.g., by variable description)
• Search code (e.g., by function or R Package used).
• Search boxes (e.g., by journal or author).

Text reads:

HOW PERMANENT ARE FILES?
• Before a box is public, all files can be changed.
• After a box is public, files can still be changed, but with track changes on.
Previous
versions
are
accessible
• Files are backed up in
physically remote servers.
• Public boxes are backed up as self-contained zip files to
1. The WebArchive
2. Zenodo (with their own
DOI)

Rafael M Batista@rafmbatista· 6d

ResearchBox (researchbox.org) Backs up public files to Zenodo and WebArchive

Rafael M Batista@rafmbatista· 6d

But same team has also recently come out with this doi.org/10.1038/s415...

Rafael M Batista@rafmbatista· 6d

Some nudging in the wild this morning: Nespresso defaulted me to a Standard Shipping - Paid when a free option was also available. Not today, Nespresso; you’re not catching me today.

Mobile checkout screen showing delivery options: Standard Shipping (Free), Standard Shipping - Paid ($6.95, selected), and Pick Up Point (UPS) (Free).

Rafael M Batista@rafmbatista· 15d

Neat! *very* easy to use. Tried with Semble just now but the image itself doesn't display. Maybe with the preview card mentioned it would do the trick... or if Semble treats Notes as meta-data to search through?

Rafael M Batista@rafmbatista· 15d

@bookhive.buzz what are the “specific parts” of our Bluesky account that Bookhive needs access to?

Rafael M Batista@rafmbatista· 18d

C’mon @nytimes.com — you can’t say it’s been a “rough season” for food-borne illnesses and then simply fail to mention how the #CDC has been decimated during this administration 🙄 what kind of reporting is this?

Screenshot that reads the following:

It has been a rough season when it comes to food-borne illnesses

A salmonella outbreak led to the recall of 19 million eggs. An E. coli infection was traced to some organic blueberries. And as of its latest update, the C.D.C. has confirmed or is investigating a record 11,500 cases of cyclosporiasis, an intestinal illness caused by a parasite and transmitted through food or water contaminated with human feces.
But top health regulators insisted this week that consumers could still trust what they were eating. "The U.S. food supply is safe," a top F.D.A. official said at a food safety conference yesterday. That hasn't stopped social media users from leaping to conclusions.

Rafael M Batista@rafmbatista· 28d

If you happen to be in Rio 🇧🇷 for #CogSci2026 & trying to enjoy proper Carioca beach experience, head to "Barraca da Ana 104" + tell them "Alok" sent you I worked as a vendor here last summer to learn about the beach economy 😎 Theyre friends & will treat you well 📍 maps.app.goo.gl/SMvuCm62aUUD...

A grainy, black-and-white photo taken on a sandy beach. In the foreground, a white beach stall banner reads "Barraca da Ana - IPANEMA - RJ" alongside the number 104. In front of the stall stand two large plastic coolers on stools, a plastic table with drinks, and a trash bin. To the left, several people sit in beach chairs under large umbrellas. A shirtless man stands near the center table facing left. High-rise city apartment buildings and skyscrapers rise up directly behind the beach in the background.

Rafael M Batista@rafmbatista· Jul 17

From @nytimes.com

Screenshot from New York Times that reads:

Trump says he wants to protect elections, but his comments are aimed at the opposite, sowing deep distrust in the elections.
Throughout the speech he has stated that the elections are flawed, highlighting how they are "rigged." But he has presented no evidence in the documents released Thursday of those claims. They actually reinforce how difficult it is to manipulate the vote.

Rafael M Batista@rafmbatista· Jul 13

Op-Ed by Marco Rubio in @wsj.com titled “Why we’re dismantling the ICC” opens with this wild thought exercise Wild because it describes *exactly* what the U.S. has done to Maduro in Venezuela, but like they actually did it. Now Rubio is running Venezuela by proxy and complaining about ICC 🤷

Screenshot that reads: “Most of us would struggle to imagine a world in which U.S. soldiers, police officers, Border Patrol agents and elected leaders could be dragged before an international court, tried by judges from random countries across the globe, found guilty under international laws we neither consent to nor control, and then
imprisoned thousands of miles from
America.
But that is what the International Criminal
Court now claims the power to do.”

Rafael M Batista@rafmbatista· Jul 9

First book I checked out at @frarylibrarydc.bsky.social 📖 “These Strange New Minds” by @summerfieldlab.bsky.social

A close-up photograph of an open hardcover book resting on a smooth, warm-toned wooden table. The right page displays the book's title page with centered text. The main title reads "THESE STRANGE NEW MINDS" in a bold, capitalized serif font. Below it, the subtitle reads "How AI Learned to Talk and What It Means" in italics. A small decorative line separates the subtitle from the author's name, "CHRISTOPHER SUMMERFIELD," which is printed in bold capitals. The publisher's name, "VIKING," is printed in small capital letters near the bottom of the page. Text from the copyright page is faintly visible through the paper. The background is softly blurred, showing a modern interior with indoor seating.

Rafael M Batista@rafmbatista· Jul 8

Fixed it

Rafael M Batista@rafmbatista· Jul 6

I don’t get it, if Trump didn’t want a shadow cast of the tournament, why choose to interfere in the calls of the ref? Now there’s a huge shadow cast on the tournament. Even if U.S. wins, folks will say it’s because we had to get our president to call in a favor. #USMNT was doing so well too.

Screenshot that reads: Trump, who was instrumental in bringing the World Cup to the U.S. and views its success as a matter of personal pride, didn't want the ejection to cast a shadow over the tournament. So the president instructed his team to find a way to lift the suspension, the people said. Lutnick, Giuliani and other administration officials started recruiting high-powered, Trump-aligned lawyers to mount a legal challenge to the suspension. They discussed challenging FIFA's use of slow-motion replay to decide whether Balogun's stepping on an opponent's ankle constituted a red-card offense.

Rafael M Batista@rafmbatista· Jul 5

Happy 5th of July!

A wide shot taken at night from an elevated rooftop perspective, showing a massive line of vibrant red, white, and blue fireworks exploding simultaneously across the distant city skyline. The sky is a deep, smoky purple hue illuminated by the bright flashes. In the foreground, the dark silhouettes of trees and neighboring rooftop structures frame the lower portion of the image.

Rafael M Batista@rafmbatista· Jul 4

Patriot front marching from Union Station right now. White supremacist and neo-fascist organization. Cowards.

Rafael M Batista@rafmbatista· Jul 4

National Mall completely closed off in July 4th Happy Birthday, America! 🇺🇸

Rafael M Batista@rafmbatista· Jul 1

Sharing some good news 🎉 This month Im starting a 3yr Research Fellowship at @jhucarey.bsky.social's Tech & Society Initiative. Ill be based in downtown DC so if youre ever in the city, say hello! Oh and my wife @mkang.bsky.social is also here–– new AP at the JHU's new School of Govt & Policy! 🤩

A man in a blazer and glasses smiles broadly in the foreground of a selfie, while a woman in a black dress and boots stands on the steps of a blue-grey brick rowhouse, holding a bag and smiling at the camera.

Rafael M Batista@rafmbatista· Jun 19

Sensible reminder in @economist.com on #AI starting to ‘build itself’, what’s known as “recursive self-improvement” (RSI)

Screenshot that reads: “Building a model capable of RSI would require automating a range of specialist tasks currently carried out by humans. At present data scientists work on the theory of AI and coders put it into practice. Systems engineers build the foundations on which toy models can be raised to production scale. Other people seek out novel sources of training data, or experiment with ways to generate it fresh. Alignment and safety teams check that what comes out of the training process won't cause harm, intentional or otherwise.
The joy of repetition
Not all of those teams are equally amenable to AI assistance, and within each specialism some tasks are more automatable than others. It will not be too long until a human coder can do their job without ever writing a line of computer code themselves, but it may be some time until an AI is able to negotiate to acquire a previously undigitised collection of scientific papers.”

Rafael M Batista@rafmbatista· Jun 18

A “birthday minute”. Featured in this week’s The Good List ( @nytimes.com ) Small ritual for adding joy to your life — enjoy!

Screenshot that reads: “Stephanie Ruedlin, a reader from St. Louis, has a ritual for adding happiness to her life:
Every day I treat myself to a "birthday minute." I was born on Feb. 23, so if I happen to notice the clock at 2:23 p.m., I take a minute to celebrate me.
Sometimes I do a little happy dance, or a quick shimmy, whatever. It costs nothing and makes me smile, and when the minute is up, I tell myself, "See ya tomorrow!”

Rafael M Batista@rafmbatista· Jun 1

Oh come on @nytimes.com “anti-diversity stance”, really?? How about calling it what it is- his racist stance; his misogynist stance

Screenshot from New York Times article that reads “Hegseth Strikes Female and Black Navy Officers From Promotion List. The defense secretary's decision to block the officers' promotions appears driven by his anti-diversity stance rather than based on merit.”

Rafael M Batista@rafmbatista· May 29

Voted for @samwang.bsky.social today and you can too NJ Primaries Early Voting is happening now. Get out and #vote!

Rafael M Batista@rafmbatista· May 29

The Trump Administration has no decency. They launched an “alien” themed government site to dehumanize immigrants who remain undocumented. It’s frankly sickening to scroll through. And many Americans seem fine with this crap… I’m not sure folks, it’s sad.

A graphic image with a black, starry night sky background and glowing green text. At the top left, the word "ALIENS" is written in a bold, glowing green font, with the word "DECLASSIFIED" in a smaller, spaced-out white font to its right. Below this, the main headline reads "THEY WALK AMONG US" in a large, bright, glowing green serif font. The bottom half of the image features a short paragraph in a smaller, green typewriter-style font that reads: "For 60 years, the U.S. government has kept a closely guarded secret. Aliens have been walking among us, living in our neighborhoods, and interacting with us in our daily lives."

Screenshot from The Economist that reads: The White House launched a space-themed website that declares "For 60 years, the US government has kept a closely guarded secret. Aliens have been walking among us.." It is referring not to extra-terrestrial beings, but illegal immigrants. The website has a live "alien arrest map" and a ticker showing the number of "encounters" with border authorities, which surpassed 3.1m on Friday morning.

Rafael M Batista@rafmbatista· May 26

Dr. Kang!! @mkang.bsky.social graduated with a PhD from @princeton.edu Sociology program yesterday. So damn proud of her 🥰 She’s a rockstar

A smiling woman in a black graduation gown with an orange sash stands next to a smiling man with glasses, who is holding a small, white dog. The woman, on the left, has long dark hair, leans her head toward the man, and holds a large bouquet of calla lilies and wildflowers wrapped in brown paper with a graduation-cap patterned ribbon. The man wears a short-sleeve, grid-patterned button-down shirt and brown pants. They are posing indoors in a room with hardwood floors, a wooden dining table, and a hanging light fixture in the background.

Rafael M Batista@rafmbatista· May 16

Philosophy majors are crushing it lately!

Rafael M Batista@rafmbatista· May 6

⚠️ Caution ⚠️ Septic tanker transporting political promises

The back of a white septic tank truck, which has some rust spots, parked on a street. On the back of the tank is a phone number, "1-855-GottaGo," and the word "CAUTION" in a red and white striped box. Below "CAUTION" it says, "Transporting Political Promises." Two large green hoses are wrapped around the back of the tank. The truck has a New Jersey license plate. A brick building and some trees are in the background under an overcast sky.

Rafael M Batista@rafmbatista· May 2

My wife @mkang.bsky.social is now officially Dr. Kang after having successfully defended her dissertation yesterday 🥳🤓📚 She’s a superstar sociologist 🤩 an urban ethnographer who studies crime (gangs + guns), soon-to-be Assistant Prof at @jhu.edu So so proud of her! 🥰 More here: megankang.com

Dr. Megan Kang’s dissertation committee, left to right: Mitch Duneier, Kathryn Edin, Matthew Desmond, and Patrick Sharkey. Megan is pictured between Kathryn Edin and Matthew Desmond

Rafael M Batista@rafmbatista· Apr 20

Something really nice about psychology studies conducted in a lab where everything is controlled Tightly controlled psych studies be like ‘Adding picture of nature to your desk, increases life satisfaction, productivity, and job prospects (p’s<.05)’ I mean… it certainly won’t hurt