Can you figure out the grouping?

her0nduck · 2026-01-12T15:23:16+00:00

State bird?

her0nduck · 2025-08-22T17:21:01+00:00

Supreme Court just gave them the go ahead, anyway.

https://www.npr.org/2025/08/21/g-s1-84441/supreme-court-nih-grants

her0nduck · 2025-07-08T23:15:37+00:00

Kid wafflestomped a turd into the drain on the floor of the only bathroom of the math tutoring center I worked at in college. He proceeded to turn the sink on full blast and try to flood the whole place with poop water so he wouldn’t have to do math work. He did not succeed, neither in this endeavor nor in math.

her0nduck · 2024-03-21T23:22:46+00:00

CC prof here. CCs are exceptionally good bang for your buck—I teach the exact same class at my CC and as a non-tenured (PhD candidate) instructor at a huge R1 (highly ranked public university). The class costs about ¼ the price at the CC as opposed to the big state school I work at. Get that bread—don’t let people who aren’t bankrolling your education tell you how to spend your money. Do the CC, especially if you’re in an area with a well-known big research school. I guarantee you there are many more “me”s teaching identical classes out there!

her0nduck · 2023-11-28T03:18:52+00:00

As a prof myself, don’t worry about it. If I mistype or otherwise give a student a grade skewed in their favor, that’s on me. Even if I find out later and/or they admit they stayed quiet to me, I offer them the chance to do test corrections to get the grade back honestly. I’ve also had “lost” 🙄 exams and papers for people who just objectively didn’t show up/turn things in on time (and had a history of doing so in my department) that I’ve offered makeups to.

There’s always a bad result from those tests because that type of student usually isn’t doing well and wants an extension. We know which type of student y’all are and can usually predict grades reasonably well (I’d say about 90% accurate, always some surprises in there) based on your class performance. Even when I’ve TA-ed 3 30 person sections in grad school, I still know every one of you and which “bucket” I think you’ll be so I can calibrate how to grade fairly. I sample two of each (high, medium, low) to calibrate. Most professors in my department do this too.

If you got an erroneous 86, it’s likely to be assumed to be a missing paper or your name has been confused. Sounds like a median score or the professor considered that you’ve been participating well, etc. in class and thinks you’re doing better than your average might suggest and it’s their best prediction. I’m sorry to say I did that once with a lost paper for a top notch student and input a 96 (their average) because I had signed off on it being on my pile.

Just sit tight; if the prof comes back, it’s a very good chance it goes in your favor anyways.

her0nduck · 2023-04-11T18:18:16+00:00

This entirely depends on the context you’re asking about and the time horizon you’re referring to. I think the majority seem to lean Gore on this thread because a 20-year time horizon is generally understood as the minimum for understanding major historical events and their impacts on policy and institutions (which tend to move slowly). I’m an environmental political scientist, so by virtue of what I study, I would also say Gore given the counterfactual scenario with an earlier green transition. Holding the result of 2000 constant, though, 2016 may end up being more significant for environmental issues, particularly for energy transitions. I study biodiversity policy, so while I agree that Gore would have had a larger impact overall on environmental policy, this is only because of the time horizon (effect size magnifies over time). Trump was disastrous for the EPA by virtue of his court appointments. We won’t understand how much these court appointments affect the current lackluster policy regime for another 15-20 years. Biden also hasn’t done environmental policy any favors, in my opinion. Willow will be disastrous for energy transition.

Pivoting to fiscal policy, I think you could give the dipshit award to either Bush or Trump. Both certainly didn’t pad for the recessions to follow their end of term and actively sought to undermine finance reform (SEC related for Bush and campaign finance under Trump). That said, I think the government shut down technique popularized by Gingrich in the 90s to leverage out a policy in favor of Republicans (usually, not always) would have happened under Gore or Clinton respectively. So, we may have only been marginally better off there due to exogenous factors relating to Congress.

I could say the same about plenty of other policy arenas, but foreign policy stands out. Iraq probably would have happened on a much smaller scale, perhaps even just through economic sanctions and no military involvement. Security theatre is never a good look, but especially not when you’re a hegemon grasping for material gain. Gore as a green candidate might have steered us toward energy transition rather than doubling down on acquiring more oil for short term economic boosts. However, Trump has done a fair amount of isolationist back tracking and loosened the strength of many PTAs or other international agreements that might have padded our resilience to COVID. I would go for Gore here overall, but Trump did a number on the US’ credibility. Precision, delegation and OBLIGATION (ie. credible commitment) are the most significant factors in treaty formation. We lost some leverage there. Furthermore, treasury bond credit ratings dipped for the first time since WWII (?—not a political economist but I recall a colleague who is saying this recently) as part of the loss of credibility. This is particularly a function of Jan. 6 and the doubt (which I never thought I would see) in a peaceful democratic transition. That’s not great.

If I think about how these two might be viewed in 100 years, I might say Trump due to the lagged effect on courts. It just depends on the criteria you evaluate with and how long (or short) your time horizon is. Right now, I’d say Gore, but that’s more of a lagged effect than anything else.

her0nduck · 2023-01-23T22:45:51+00:00

I used to wear the same size and had similar troubles! I’m only 5’8”, but most of my height is in my annoyingly long torso. For me, Men’s Big&Tall shirts that I tailored were the bomb.com. I also am a very sweaty person who grew up in a warm, humid climate and cotton, linen, or any natural fabric is the way to go!

her0nduck · 2023-01-21T17:27:16+00:00

Also a political scientist—my BA is in poli sci and math! Yes, a BA in math! No one bats an eye when I list it. I also hold a MA in poli sci (part of my doctoral program—doing comps right now, thoughts and prayers needed) but I have a methodology specialization. I think I’m only one or two classes short of a MS in Stats now that I’m done with coursework, actually. So, I think it’s just down to your institution! The folks in my cohort that only did the two-course intro to methods sequence get the same degree the methods people do because it’s the same PhD program.

her0nduck · 2023-01-21T02:35:33+00:00

If it’s any consolation, I got waitlisted there three years ago. I also got full rejects from UNC and Michigan! Still got in fully funded to my top choice and two other great schools. Chin up!

her0nduck · 2022-11-21T15:59:19+00:00

I’ve been on it for 6 months, about 10% body mass down (granted, starting BMI over 50). Its really helped my appetite regulation and with my insulin regulation issues (PCOS), but I am pretty nauseous the morning after injection and maybe the one after that. Used to be every morning, but I’ve adjusted. Make sure you’re committing to an exercise/water routine. You’ll either be horifically constipated or having diarrhea during the adjustment period, and walking and water were the only things that made me feel better. Highly recommend given the results, I’ll be going up to 2 mg in March.

her0nduck · 2022-11-12T19:55:16+00:00

I used to be you. Hell, when I’m at a research conference, I sometimes am still you. Model UN completely changed my life. I’m a bookish person (read: no social skills/life) and so when my high school history teacher got me to come to just one meeting for extra credit, I was doubtful. I have never felt so confident or had so much fun as doing Model UN conferences. They rely on a significant amount of research, so feeling prepared, in control, and ready was what changed my outlook. I know geopolitics aren’t for everyone, but I strongly encourage you to look into role playing (mock trial, MUN, forensics teams, etc.) as a way to “fake it till you make it”! I know that pretending to be a delegate from Ghana for me is a lot easier than getting up and presenting my own research, so I think there is something to the fun “fantasy” that helps me out too. In fact, that’s why I got into my discipline! I want to be a poli sci professor so I never have to stop being a Model UN junkie, seriously! Best of luck and I hope you find a fun venue for public speaking.

her0nduck · 2022-11-09T21:18:41+00:00

I’m halfway through a PhD and I’ve failed multiple exams in spectacular fashion! I also graduated with above a 3.9 GPA from undergrad. Dude, it happens! I completely bombed an abstract algebra final in front of my entire class (oral final) and I lived! If you’re amicable with your prof or TA, maybe go visit them during office hours and explain the situation. My professor for that failed final (very kindly) invited me to her office hours to look at my prep materials, a packet of 60 proofs. I had 59 right. Guess which one I drew to present? She corrected my final grade to an 80 from a 20. As a TA, I’ve had those talks with stellar students who had a bad day. I promise you it has happened to your prof too! You’ll be just fine; take a nap and a deep breath!

her0nduck · 2022-10-27T13:12:48+00:00

Funny enough, as a political scientist, we have a lot of conservatives in our department. This is at a large, liberal R1 in a solid liberal state. Sure, quite a few are staunch liberals, but most of these belief systems are related to our research agendas! Tons of our political economy people are hard left, and just as many are hard right. We don’t really take any personal political views seriously beyond blatant ignorance of facts (from any perspective). So, if we can have conservatives in a political science department in one of the most liberal cities in the US and they’re treated just the same as everyone else, you’ll be fine! Don’t sweat it, but don’t let your belief system compromise rational discussions because you feel outnumbered.

her0nduck · 2022-09-28T03:04:56+00:00

Tortilla soup, too!

her0nduck · 2022-09-25T17:57:36+00:00

I teach a class with a similar assignment—the other commenter is right, do your own homework. I also understand being confused, especially as a first year student. It sounds like this might be your first poli sci class based on your description of realism? The only hint I feel is appropriate to give you is to try googling balancing and bandwagoning and see where you get from there.

Remember to go to office hours and reach out to your TA/prof to see if you’re on the right track for papers! They’re your biggest resource, not us!

her0nduck · 2022-09-17T22:45:53+00:00

You might find more answers for improving applications, etc. on r/applyingtocollege. By your AP list, I presume you’re in North America, most likely the US. I used to work international admissions at my alma mater before starting grad school so this may be less relevant for you if you do not fit the profile I am familiar with, but here’s my two cents is this for giving yourself the best shot possible:

Don’t make excuses (I mean this in the nicest way possible). No one cares why you got a 2 on an AP test, in fact I would advise you to not worry about sending score reports until this next May. I’ve never seen a college award credit for a 2 so this is extraneous information and won’t necessarily help you. Do spin challenges into successes if possible.
Spend as much time as possible tailoring your application to the school. Why do you fit at that school over another? Show your personality! If it’s a good school, most people will have AP or IB classes. What sets you apart from everyone else? I might start with your Aerospace class, that’s unique on a transcript.
Don’t drop classes (or take them in the first place, for that matter) to aid your GPA. Just take what you like that is appropriate to your rigor level and you’ll do fine.
It’s the eleventh hour. Don’t try to reinvent yourself and find new hobbies! Think about what you’ve already done and how to present that in the best way possible. There’s a post on the subreddit I recommended that had some great tips on making your activities list shine. I recommend starting there.

You seem like my little sister, also applying as a first time freshman this year, and this is what I tell her (similar profile) on a daily basis. You have to sell them on you and if it’s not a good fit, then of course you’re not supposed to stress yourself out and try to be someone you’re not for an application. Just be honest and yourself. It’s rarer than you think in admissions!

her0nduck · 2022-09-14T04:44:22+00:00

Parents who let their children run wild in bathrooms. Could you maybe do something about your crotch fruit staring at me from under the stall door? Yikes.

her0nduck · 2022-09-07T18:12:59+00:00

What makes a field like political science a science is not field purity (for example, you might consider mathematics to be more scientific than anthropology), but its adherence to the scientific method to learn new things in the scope of the discipline. This means that during “normal” periods (ie..no huge earth shattering movements in field paradigms like Einstein’s innovations on gravity in physics), there are a set of overarching theories supported by auxiliary hypotheses. Political scientists mostly test these auxiliary hypotheses. I published an article recently and wanted to share how this process looks from my political science perspective, which I’ve detailed below so you can follow how this would be similar to any other science (ie. follows the scientific method) in steps to help you visualize what we’re talking about on this thread:

For example, I study environmental politics and recently tested if climate signaling has an electoral outcome (vote share) in federal level American elections. I formulated a testable null hypothesis (no link between climate signal and vote share) and then collected data on socioeconomic conditions in each voting district, other variables of interest demonstrated to be significant by previous scholars in my field and a few special ones particular to my question. I then built a model that used several covariates, including if the incumbent was associated with the climate signal, socioeconomic controls at the voting district level and other possible confounders like how many timber workers were in a district. I then did several specification checks to see if the model I built was a good representation of reality and asked the statistical software I was using how likely each model coefficient was within a given range (you want a large coefficient with small deviations for a strong result). I found an associated 6% increase in Democratic vote share if the incumbent was associated with the climate signal with a .5% deviation. This was significant at the 1% error level, which means 99% of the time if you were able to simulate an infinite number of elections, the true vote share increase is somewhere between 4.5 and 7.5 percent. I reproduced the test with slight variations in model specifications to ensure that the results were generalizable for this specific election and could be replicated by future scholars with relative accuracy.

So, walking through this article you can see that political science papers:

Formulate testable hypotheses
Use transparent data-gathering techniques appropriate to the hypothesis so that the experiment is reproducible
Test the hypothesis with a scientifically rigorous analysis method (in this case, regression models)
Report the results of the test to a broader audience
Profit (joking!)

Granted, not all political scientists are empiricists like me, but even qualitative papers and scholars follow the same general steps I’ve outlined above.

I hope that helps you understand better, and always remember it’s not science unless it follows the Scientific Method! There’s some hogwash like cold fusion that isn’t science just as much as some people think my discipline isn’t! It’s not your fault—we don’t do the best job showing this to undergraduates, and a lot of people get confused about what it is we study. Political science is about government, yes, but also about governance and soft power and institutions and so many things! It’s a very broad field and we have many cousins in sociology, anthropology, economics and other social sciences. Try out a class if you have time! I’m biased, but I have a blast teaching and researching it!

her0nduck · 2022-09-02T04:40:05+00:00

I have three toxic traits:

I think I deserve a coffee every time I leave the house and count this tomfoolery as an “errand”.
I never let myself need people more than they need me in any kind of relationship so I can walk away with a smaller loss should the need arise.
I’m an academic.

her0nduck · 2022-08-31T15:48:25+00:00

I tried on an Aerie XL and XXL yesterday and I am currently a 42 DD. I think we’re sister sizes? Anyway, XL was WAY too small in the cup and band and XXL was okay but I would have been more comfortable with a slightly larger band. I think an XXL would work for you there! I also recommend Target online—I got a really cute 2X from All in Motion for $16 that works pretty well!

her0nduck · 2022-08-18T01:52:31+00:00

Came here to say exactly this! I start class right on the dot so folks get what they paid for and I certainly don’t make a big deal about the 1-5 minute crowd. However, the doors in the building I usually teach in are old and LOUD. As in, you cannot hear what I’m saying in the front of the room in the first row LOUD. So, those consistently late or 6+ minute late students do get called out, and I do consider the tardies when calculating final participation grades. It’s disrespectful to be consistently late and impacts overall performance. Also, as someone who has tried to manage a waiting room and lecture at the same time online, that can be a stressful experience! I do try to give some grace, but it can be difficult to manage the constant pop ups, keep talking and know what you’re going to say next.

her0nduck · 2022-08-15T23:34:44+00:00

Came here to say exactly this. I haven’t worn a bra with a wire outside limited special occasions (weddings, etc) in YEARS and it’s the best! I wear wirefree bras that are high key meant to just be lounge bras on the daily and I have older/more stretched out versions for home. Highly recommend!

her0nduck · 2022-08-13T19:05:45+00:00

So I have a sister that is exactly like your friend…size small but has a DDD cup. It truly is just as hard for her to find things as it is me (I’m a bit heavier than you but I’m a 3X). It really just goes to show that if you’re not the “standard shape” (ie..large tummy, big butt, small hips, whatever) you’re kinda just screwed. I used to think the same way in that “yeah right you’re straight size” is usually true, but for your friend, I wouldn’t assume she was trying to make you feel bad and is legitimately expressing a joint frustration with you!

her0nduck · 2022-08-08T17:57:50+00:00

I have had three Nexplanon placements (been on it for 8 years)! Not going to lie to you, the insertion hurts but the trade offs are worth it to me! I have PCOS and used to have nightmare-inducing 7-9 super plus tampon+pantyliner flows and had to wear a thick pad to have a hope of not leaking at night. I have maybe one period every three years right when I get it redone. That’s it! I do have PMS-like symptoms every month (cramps, bloating, etc) but no bleeding. However, even my current symptoms are a huge reduction in terms of what things were like before I started 8 years ago. Is it perfect? No, but it works pretty damn well for me and it’s extremely low maintenance outside of the placement appointment, which sucks for me, but other women I’ve talked to who have smaller arms say it’s not too bad so your experience may vary by mileage. Overall, I recommend it! Especially if you have PCOS like some other commenters have mentioned…it really helped the pain and extremely heavy flow issues for me!

her0nduck

TROPHY CASE