Jane Lankes Smith, PhD

@jessesmithsoc I'm not sure I agree that statistical wizardry will be or can be offloaded to the machines. Perhaps AI can run the basics, but effective troubleshooting seems to be reserved to humans who actually understand the underlying math.

Peter Berger complained sociology had taken a turn toward methodological fetishism—the application of ever more sophisticated statistical techniques to ever more trivial topics. I think he was correct, and that the observation extends beyond sociology. One optimistic, somewhat counterintuitive AI speculation is that as statistical wizardry is offloaded to the machines, that skill set will lose its scarcity and marketability. As a result, people who want to make real contributions to social science will need to learn to think more theoretically—dare I say, philosophically?—and ask more interesting questions about how the social world works. Academic training will thus start selecting for and developing that skill set. The machines and the humanists can triumph together!

Best angle I’ve seen so far. A catch. Clear as day. I will never get over this (at least until they finally win one). Unbelievable.

There are literally thousands of studies reporting sex differences in the brain, whether structural, functional, developmental, or related to aging and neurodegeneration. Some findings replicate, others do not. Some studies are more convincing than others. Yet across this literature, the variation is enormous: sample demographics, investigative methods, statistical pipelines, approaches to controlling covariates, scanner types, and more. Even the classic nature vs nurture debate is never far from the surface. So if someone claims there is NO evidence of average sex differences in the brain (for whatever reason), they are either uninformed or deliberately ignoring the literature. On the other hand, if someone insists we have pinpointed a single, consistent brain region, that too is inaccurate (though we can reasonably speculate about regions linked to core reproductive behaviours). What’s striking is how often sweeping claims are made in this field, usually without nuance or careful consideration (on both sides).

We don’t yet know what motivated the person who shot and killed Charlie Kirk, but this kind of despicable violence has no place in our democracy. Michelle and I will be praying for Charlie’s family tonight, especially his wife Erika and their two young children.

41 years old, took a redeye to Buffalo on Thursday, and a game winning field goal on Sunday. Welcome to Buffalo, Prater!

Exciting professional news! I am now a Research Scientist at the Ohio State Institute for Population Research. More research on family, gender, fertility, and well-being coming soon to a journal near you.

Collaborating with your spouse on a project is funny, because you say things like "Okay, let's plan to meet again during [child's] nap time."

@jessesmithsoc But but but. Salami slicing is boring!

As someone with a generalist outlook (so prone to pivoting), I see this as a bummer…but not really a surprise. Sometimes I get asked to review papers by people who, however smart and competent they might be, are clearly outsiders to my field, and it shows.

Excited to announce that come Fall 2025, I'll be part of the inaugural faculty of Ohio State's Chase Center for Civics, Culture, and Society. I've had a great experience at Benedictine College, but looking forward to contributing to this new academic enterprise!

We did baby led weaning, and ultimately I think it was a good thing. Kiddo has always fed herself, rather than us having to sit there and spoon feed her every bite. Still, the cult of BLW is...a lot. Do it if it's easier, don't do it if it's not. theatlantic.com/family/archive…

We have to go back.

Kieran Culkin's Oscar acceptance speech has gotta be one of my all-time favorites. Funny, appreciative, and just incredibly sweet toward his wife and kids.

(@AllisonDaminger)

Allison Daminger's recent substack post on mental load in pregnancy is so, so on point. "Do abcdefghijklmnop, but also, don't stress, it's bad for the baby!" open.substack.com/pub/allisondam…

MVP! MVP!

@jessesmithsoc It's a show of support!

Better Vision. Better Calls. Still literally offering all NFL refs free LASIK.

Much like her father, the baby appreciates Peter Berger. @jessesmithsoc

Go Bills! @jessesmithsoc

Anytime Damar Hamlin appears on screen for .2 seconds: Commentators: DO YOU GUYS REMEMBER WHEN IN THAT BENGALS GAME...