“I haven’t checked if this is true, but…” Let me stop you right there, friend-o. There’s enough actually horrible stuff really happening without you spreading inflammatory wrong information.

Today in FB ads for AI. "Perfect for students"! In addition to everything else I think we need to talk more about how this relentless messaging is shaping the way students think about writing and what this layering of tools--generators, checkers, humanizers--is doing to the way we see each other.

At least eight states have deeply concerning anti-library, anti-literature bills on the docket for their legislative sessions so far. Here's what they are and what you can and should do at this point about them–whether or not you live in these states. *WE* save us. buttondown.com/wellsourced/...

ICE agent kills woman, DHS tells obvious, insane lies about it: defector.com/ice-agent-ki...

I’ve been wishing we would attach a lab period to first year writing forever. Would love to see this as part of more writing classes.

I hurt my back badly enough to go to urgent care two days before Christmas by (checks notes) putting on pants. I did not fall. I leaned over to put on my pants, as I’ve done almost everyday since I learned to dress myself as a child.

30 years ago they were like we have to ban song lyrics for the children but it’s full steam ahead for the here’s how to do drugs until you die machine

Here's Eve the 3 month old capybara at the Miami Zoo demonstrating one of the OTHER many ways capys have of moving through the water: half-hearted bipedalism. Note that eyes, ears and nostrils are fully above the water line.

I need a mood booster, let's talk about capybaras. Here's a capy demonstrating one of MANY ways they can move through the water: running along the bottom. They're 'semi-aquatic' mammals, just like hippos, seals & beavers. They LOVE water. (📷: Fernando Maidana)

Decreasing now and playing yarn chicken. Might run out, who knows? Also getting stabbed by needles a lot. Knitting with double-pointed needles is like wrangling an angry octopus who is very stabby.

Just did the math for my decreases, since I’m adapting a pattern instead of following it exactly. Admittedly, it’s a bold move for someone who hasn’t knit a hat in 20 years, and that time was not really successful. But my overall knitting skills have increased, so I’m confident I won’t fuck it up.

Not gonna doom scroll social media. Going to knit a hat for my father-in-law instead, then buy a couple books with a gift card from the holidays.

what the fuck did I just wake up to

If you’re struggling right now, know that you’re not alone. It’s ok if everything feels like it’s too much. It’s ok if you can’t show up the way you want to. It’s ok if you have to unplug, disappear, retreat or take a break. Self care is resistance.

Okay, AI puke it is

bye 2025👋

look we're all making a big bet on AI! and if it pays off as big as we hope, well, it's going to make a handful of people super rich and you're going to lose your job but get to watch mickey mouse fuck geralt from the witcher. if it doesn't pay off well then you get to pay for the bailouts

another robot highlight for 2025: man wearing humanoid mocap suit kicks himself in the balls

This is a great expression of the thing I keep saying about text-generating algorithms: “Hallucination” isn’t some kind of glitch. ALL their responses are hallucinations. Sometimes they align with reality, sometimes they don’t.

You can pretend to have your shit together if you want. They don’t really check

Here’s my parents’ cat Purrcy taking his present to go.

Merriam Christmas

Experimental evidence that students are more likely to contest grades when they are delivered by an evaluator with a female-sounding name. "These findings suggest that women in evaluative positions face disproportionate resistance when delivering negative assessments."

The document describes an actual course in which students used ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot, and Canva to develop a presentation about a venue of their creation for an event planning/tourism class. Everything described could be done just fine WITHOUT "A.i." This is an unnecessary product.

Ugh, I hurt my back this morning by… (checks notes)… putting on pants.

One of my students (an art student) decided to try and learn Sumi-e for her final in my Japanese Philosophy class and while her work isn't great, the narrative she wrote about learning to paint through reading texts and following instructions of master painters on YouTube is deeply philosophical.

Professional societies keep beclowning themselves buying into a lie about what an LLM "summary" is. They are inherently counterfeit: not an epistemic product of the ideas in the source, but summary-shaped text linguistically based on *other* works (in the training corpus) that use related language.

same. and if you're like "but what about [a predictive model that is not an LLM and is actually useful]" then maybe talk about it as a predictive model that does something useful and don't call it "ai" If it's a different thing use different words to describe it

Alright scientists! It's that time again! Time to sign up for Skype a Scientist's spring semester. Want to get matched with a classroom in 2026? Sign up now 🥰 docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

Watched Fantastic Four: First Steps yesterday. Loved it! But the most unbelievable part was how Sue Storm had autonomy over her body, even when pregnant, to the point that no one told her stay back, take it easy, or don’t go into space. Just let her make her own decisions. What a weird world.

Delilah thinking she’s hiding 🐈‍⬛ 🎄

3yo: “daddy’s phone is in his pocket!” me: “that’s true!” 3yo: “why isn’t mummy’s phone in her pocket?” me: “… buckle up, kiddo, we’re gonna discuss five hundred years of fashion and misogyny”

Something lovely for the weekend! A 1,800 year-old Roman glass flask shaped like a mouse! Squeak squeak! 🐭❤️ 📷 by me www.metmuseum.org/art/collecti... #Archaeology

Photorealistic AI fakes are a serious challenge to public understanding of science. We are all going to have to pay close attention to reputation and data provenance chains. A useful post on distinguishing the fake from the real:

I'm an "A.i." abolitionist. Here's why. gregpak.net/2025/12/19/i...

"This promise of an AI future, is really just a collective anxiety that wealthy people have about how well they're gonna be able to control us in the future." - @tressiemcphd.bsky.social with an absolute mic drop moment about AI bullshit. Incredible words. Listen to all of it!

The shark doctor is in! For the next two hours or so, ask me anything. Have questions about shark? About marine biology? About ocean conservation? About me? About...anything? Ask me anything! Please share, and tag friends who might have questions. #SciComm 🧪🦑🌎

to cheer you up, here's Patrick Warburton and his sons (two of which may actually be clones???) doing Kronk lines

lol at “AI meat widget.” Very evocative phrase. (Shudders)

In the academic world, I often say AI writing tools produce "the best C+ essays ever." Show me a professor or academic editor, and I'll show you someone tired of reading and evaluating writing that is, at best, bland and normcore. Instead, start with original ideas and make them excellent ones.

Jane Austen used 'however' at the beginning of a sentence, and so can you.

In my academic writing group, we've been talking about the value of having a method: when you need to revise a draft, you sit down and do this thing first. Then you do the next thing, and you keep going down the list of tasks until voilà, you've revised your draft.

American lawmakers, probably: "That's a weird way to say 'thoughts and prayers.'"

Grrrr... PEOPLE AREN'T RUNNING OUT OF IDEAS, WEALTH INEQUALITY IS PREVENTING CREATIVE PEOPLE FROM REALISING THEIR IDEAS, GOODNIGHT!

University admin should have to demonstrate understanding of “AI” actually works before they can: -buy licensing contracts -promote AI tools and especially, -use them

Gold octopus-shaped ornaments from Bronze Age Mycenae, Grave IV, Grave Circle A. The curled tips of the arms create eyelets for stitching the ornaments onto a garment or shroud some 3,500 years ago. National Archaeological Museum, Athens. 📷 by me #Archaeology

i love "Terracotta mask in the shape of the head of a fox, dog, or bat ca. 600–480 BCE" so much he's so perfect