Simon J. Greenhill

@simongreenhill.bsky.social

1947 Followers 1075 Following

I study how languages and cultures evolve. Primarily with phylogenies and other assorted computational methods. Based at @Biology_UoA. Never met a language phylogeny or a cultural phylogeny I didn't like. #phylolinguistics

Heatmap showing phonological distances between Indo-European languages. Darker means more similar.

Map showing the congruence of Giant Panda fossils and SW Mandarin

Will Climate Change Kill Santa Claus?

Hello Reddit! I have a bit of a sad and unusual question. Last weekend, a horrific shooting took place at/near the university where I did my PhD. I am now living in another country on a postdoc, but I feel sad and angry thinking about the loss of life and the grief and anxiety that I expect my colleagues and friends there are still feeling. That town was my home for so long, and I have been thinking about it a lot.

Yesterday, I unexpectedly received a request for more information from a search committee for a tenure track position, and the request asks for letters of recommendation. I feel conflicted asking my advisors for a letter right now (even in the best of circumstances, I hate asking for letters). The timing would be bad even without the tragedy, because it's the end of the year and the letters would be due in early January

ANUs map of Papuan Languages.

Late 90s University lecturer starter pack