Issues in Science and Technology
@issuesinst.bsky.social
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ISSUES is thrilled to join the Bluesky community! â A brief introduction: Weâre a digital and print opinion journal published by
@nationalacademies.org
and Arizona State University. We provide a forum for discussion of public policy related to science, technology, and society. â 1/
issues.org
over 1 year ago
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Shanthi Chandrasekar âMaya â Hridaya Kamalam,â 2011
3 days ago
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What allows us to depict the Tyrannosaurus rex as violence incarnate? ISSUES editor Jason Lloyd shares a review by Max Dresow, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Minnesota, of Elana Sheverâs âMaking Our Beasts.â
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9 days ago
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âAlthough the late 2020s may feel more like a dumpster fire than a garbage can, there are still many opportunities for policy innovation in todayâs turbulent streams and whorls of scandal and reaction,â ISSUES editor-in-chief
@lisamargonelli.bsky.social
writes. Read:
issues.org/mohole-momen...
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Mohole Moments
Mohole moments are when an investment in science goes disastrously wrong, revealing the tacit premise of scienceâs social contract.
https://issues.org/mohole-moments-margonelli/
12 days ago
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reposted by
Issues in Science and Technology
16 days ago
In case you missed it, author
@monicabyrne13.bsky.social
joined Jason Lloyd on Substack in collaboration with
@issuesinst.bsky.social
for a conversation on world-building in speculative fiction. View the full conversation here:
futuretensefiction.substack.com/p/world-buil...
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Imagine a legal system where punishment literally matches the crime. In âGolden Rule,â this monthâs Future Tense Fiction story, writer
@monicabyrne13.bsky.social
explores what it really means to seek justice for devastating crimes. Read the full story here:
issues.org/futuretensef...
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17 days ago
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reposted by
Issues in Science and Technology
Prof. Aviles
19 days ago
My new piece in
@issuesinst.bsky.social
with
@cyberlyra.bsky.social
comes at an urgent moment in science policy. New OMB rules and EOs threaten to politicize science and strip it of the democratic norms, autonomy, and pluralism meant to protect science as and for democracy
issues.org/merton-redux...
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Merton Redux: Re-Confronting the Norms of Science in Democracy
The decimation of democratic processes that undergird state-sponsored research may be ultimately more consequential than funding cuts.
https://issues.org/merton-redux-aviles-vertesi/
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Today at 12 PM ET! Join the live conversation with
@monicabyrne13.bsky.social
to discuss worldbuilding in speculative fictionâhow she thinks about the scientific and policy dimensions of her fictional worlds, and the tools she uses to create them. Register here:
open.substack.com/live-stream/...
22 days ago
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Engaging with policymakers or local communities hasnât traditionally been a part of the âculture of science.â Mary Woolley, president emerita of
@researchamerica.bsky.social
, a major research advocacy organization, wants to change that. Full episode of our podcast:
issues.org/mary-woolley...
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23 days ago
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Join Future Tense Fiction and Monica Byrne for a live conversation about worldbuilding in speculative fiction. Weâll discuss how Monica thinks about the scientific and policy dimensions of her fictional worlds, and the tools she uses to create them. Register here:
open.substack.com/live-stream/...
24 days ago
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reposted by
Issues in Science and Technology
Invest in Open Infrastructure
25 days ago
Who will keep research data infrastructure open and running? Jennifer Gibson (
@datadryad.bsky.social
) and IOI's Kaitlin Thaney (
@kaythaney.bsky.social
) break it down in an article in Issues in Science and Technology (
@issuesinst.bsky.social
).
issues.org/open-data-re...
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Who Will Keep Research Data Infrastructure Open and Running? | Real Numbers
The scientific community must consider the longevity of open research infrastructureâwhy it might fail and how to prevent it.
https://issues.org/open-data-research-%20infrastructure-gibson-thaney/
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reposted by
Issues in Science and Technology
25 days ago
This week's
#FreeFictionResponse
essay is "The Purpose of Punishment" by Randy McDonald in response to
@monicabyrne13.bsky.social
"Golden Rule" from
@issuesinst.bsky.social
McDonald relates fundamental principles of correction to the justice system in "Golden Rule".
issues.org/futuretensef...
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Current ethical principles guiding AI are insufficient. To shape how we implement world-changing technologies, John P. Nelson writes that AI âshould be deployed in a more agile and anticipatory way, to proactively advance public valuesââshared, common-ground goals that almost everyone endorses.
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What Do We Want From AI?
Public values must shape governance and implementation of artificial intelligence.
https://issues.org/ai-public-values-nelson/
29 days ago
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Coping with spam is an unavoidable fact of modern lifeâbut it didnât have to be. ISSUES editor Jason Lloyd spoke with policy researcher Rebecca Coyne about feckless efforts to address spam in the early 2000s.
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about 1 month ago
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Today! 3:30 ET! How do Moon missions reflect changes in scienceâs social contract? Come talk about space, science, and society with
@astrokatie.com
, Amy Kaminski, and Zachary Pirtleâmoderated by
@monscience.bsky.social
. Register:
asu.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
about 1 month ago
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Effectively launching the space age, the International Geophysical Year represented a rare moment of united, international cooperation during the Cold War to orchestrate a research effort of staggering scale.â Read the full piece here:
issues.org/internationa...
about 1 month ago
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How do Moon missions reflect changes in scienceâs social contract? Join us on May 20 at 3:30 PM ET for a conversation with Amy Kaminski,
@astrokatie.com
, Zachary Pirtle, and
@monscience.bsky.social
(moderator). Register Here:
asu.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
about 1 month ago
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reposted by
Issues in Science and Technology
Open Environmental Data Project
about 2 months ago
Check out Shannon Dosemagenâs and Gwen Ottingerâs new article: Constructing a New Knowledge Infrastructureâout now in Issues in Science and Technology. In this piece, Shannon and Gwen argue that we should move away from⌠(1/5)
#Data
#Community
#EnvironmentalResearch
#Infrastructure
#Advocacy
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Natalie Bomstad writes, âFor collective wellâbeing work, measurement canât be a rigid, one-and-done design. It has to move with the community, respond to change, and reflect whatâs actually happening, not our assumptions.â Read more on systems change and shared learning:
issues.org/wisconsin-we...
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We Created a Survey to Measure Community Well-Being and Activated a âMessy Middleâ
A Wisconsin county realized that systems change requires shared sensemaking as much as innovative metrics, writes Natalie Bomstad.
https://issues.org/wisconsin-wello-survey-messy-middle-bomstad/
about 2 months ago
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On our podcast,
@kumargarg.bsky.social
, president of Renaissance Philanthropy, shares his journey of finding and implementing big ideas within and outside of the government. Listen to the full episode of The Ongoing Transformation podcast here:
issues.org/kumar-garg-f...
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about 2 months ago
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reposted by
Issues in Science and Technology
Shannon Dosemagen
about 2 months ago
We need to move past the idea that we just hold on and ârebuildâ environmental research later. The issue isnât just politics, itâs fragmented data, short-term funding, and misaligned incentives. Weâre calling for an environmental knowledge commons built on shared stewardship and governanceđ
add a skeleton here at some point
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An environmental knowledge commons could support evidence-based policymaking, but it will require long-term coordination across the many communities monitoring pollution and local conditions. Read
@sdosemagen.bsky.social
and Gwen Ottingerâs essay in our Spring 2026 issue:
issues.org/environmenta...
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Constructing a New Knowledge Infrastructure
A knowledge commons could support evidence-based policymaking, but it will require coordination with the communities monitoring pollution.
https://issues.org/environmental-knowledge-commons-dosemagen-ottinger/
about 2 months ago
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Fitgi Saint-Louis Aunties, 2022
about 2 months ago
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Thereâs a growing problem with US Scientific research funding. As philosopher Heather Douglas notes, the current model for scientific research funding has failed to âarticulate the societal benefits of research funding.â
issues.org/science-fund...
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A Science Funding System Beyond the Linear Model
Research funders should embrace a new ontology of scientific work to improve the relationship between science and the public.
https://issues.org/science-funding-ontology-douglas/
about 2 months ago
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Earlier this month, Matt Sigelman, president of the Burning Glass Institute, sat down with ISSUES to share his insights on how AI is impacting the US workforce. For a deeper dive into the discussion, listen to our most recent episode of The Ongoing Transformation podcast:
issues.org/untangling-t...
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about 2 months ago
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In our Spring issue, Foundation for American Innovation research fellow Lars Erik SchĂśnander argues that the latest reforms of the Small Business Innovation Research program fall short. Read the full feature essay here:
issues.org/sbir-reforms...
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Reauthorizing the Small Business Innovation Research Program Isnât Enough
Reforms to Americaâs seed fund should be a catalyst for policies that help more small businesses bring new technologies to market.
https://issues.org/sbir-reforms-schonander/
2 months ago
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In our Forum section, Kathy Hessler, Becca Franks,
@lynneusneddon.bsky.social
, & Craig Callender respond to Jennifer Jacquet & Daniel Paulyâs article on the structural neglect of water-breathing animals in welfare science. Read the full discussion here:
issues.org/missing-anim...
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Whatâs Missing in Animal Welfare Efforts?
The suffering of water-breathing animals can be invisible to humansâand thus left out of initiatives to improve animal welfare.
https://issues.org/missing-animal-welfare-efforts-water-breathing-jacquet-pauly-forum/
2 months ago
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In our latest piece, Charles N. Herrick navigates the science and art of American grassland restoration in his review of George Frazierâs âRiverine Dream.â Read the full review here:
issues.org/riverine-dre...
2 months ago
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In our Spring 2026 interview, Burning Glass Institute president Matt Sigelman shares his insights about the worth of a college degree, the future of work in an age of artificial intelligence, and revitalizing the American dream. Read the interview here:
issues.org/burning-glas...
2 months ago
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âThe appearance of unparalleled quality and global leadership among American research universities belies a more complicated truth.â Robert Brown and Bruce Guile urge universities to shift attention from âchasing prestige to crafting strategies for long-term success.â
issues.org/american-res...
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How the American Research University Survives
University leadership needs to shift attention from chasing prestige to crafting strategies for long-term success.
https://issues.org/american-research-university-survival-guide-brown-guile/
2 months ago
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âWhen institutions privilege a narrow range of cognitive practices as legitimate knowledge,â Michael Crow, David Rosowsky, and William Dabars write, âthey marginalize the exploratory, embodied, and relational forms of intelligence through which innovation often emerges.â
issues.org/pluralistic-...
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Building Pluralistic Intelligence Into the American Research University
To respond to societal challenges, universities must deal with the mismatch between how knowledge is generated and what academia teaches.
https://issues.org/pluralistic-intelligence-american-research-university-crow-rosowsky-dabars/
2 months ago
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On our podcast, Emily Packard Dawson, a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Michigan Medical School, speaks with ISSUES managing editor Jason Lloyd about the ethical and policy challenges that assistive reproductive technologies raise for egg donations.
issues.org/the-future-o...
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3 months ago
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In our latest piece, US Representative Brian Babin argues that a disciplined division of labor between government agencies and commercial actors is critical for the US to maintain leadership in space. Read:
issues.org/america-next...
3 months ago
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How should the public fund science? How can research improve the quality of life in local communities? Our new Spring 2026 issue explores these questions and more to better understand how the social contract between science and society is evolving.
issues.org/issue/42-3/
3 months ago
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Kathryn Freeman Hunting Season, 2024
3 months ago
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âRobots would not be restrained by âhuman compassion, which can provide an important check on the killing of civilians.ââ Stuart Russell details the complexities of finding an international consensus to support a ban on lethal autonomous weapons in our Spring 2022 issue.
issues.org/banning-leth...
3 months ago
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âThink globally, act locally.â Amid a fragmented R&D system, Martin Ho, Pramod P. Khargonekar, and Eoin OâSullivan propose a grand challenge framework to make coordination across a decentralized and diverse network of public agencies, private industries, and philanthropic organizations effective.
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Repurposing Grand Challenges in Tumultuous Times
As research budgets tighten, the grand challenge framework can restore direction and shared purpose across the scientific enterprise.
https://issues.org/grand-challenge-framework-ho-khargonekar-osullivan/
3 months ago
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Tavares Strachan Shadow Maps (The Snowy Owl), 2022
3 months ago
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âAs a technologist, I absolutely believe in increased productivity, but that doesnât automatically translate into shared prosperity.â
@drfeifei.bsky.social
shares her thoughts with ISSUES on the ethical responsibilities surrounding AI in our Spring 2024 issue.
issues.org/interview-go...
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âAI Is a Tool, and Its Values Are Human Values.â
Fei-Fei Li shares insights on artificial intelligence, ethics, and the future of AI. This interview explores her perspective on technology and society.
https://issues.org/interview-godmother-ai-fei-fei-li/
3 months ago
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In the latest installment of our podcast, Edward You, a former special agent in the FBIâs Weapons of Mass Destruction Directorate, joins ISSUES editor-in-chief
@lisamargonelli.bsky.social
to discuss how You helped reframe how policymakers understand biosecurity.
issues.org/edward-you-p...
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3 months ago
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In the latest installment of our
#FutureTenseFiction
newsletter, our managing editor Jason Lloyd introduces Gunnar Andersonâs âThe Pocket Boxâ˘,â this monthâs story, along with a behind the scenes conversation with Anderson and related readings.
futuretensefiction.substack.com/p/what-if-yo..
.
3 months ago
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reposted by
Issues in Science and Technology
Torie Bosch
3 months ago
The Future Tense Fiction team invited me back to weigh in on the super cool short story "The Pocket Box." Give it a read and then read my response!
issues.org/futuretensef...
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How long does it take for a ground-breaking scientific discovery to become a mass consumer product? Gunnar Andersonâs âThe Pocket Boxâ˘,â the new
#FutureTenseFiction
story, explores when a world-changing breakthrough in physics becomes a commodity with next-day shipping.
issues.org/futuretensef...
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3 months ago
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Marc Rotenberg,
@csmarcum.sciences.social.ap.brid.gy
, Amina Fazlullah, and Joshua Joseph &
@zittrain.bsky.social
respond to
@jbbranch.bsky.social
âs piece on regulatory frameworks for AI companions in our Forum section. Read the discussion here:
issues.org/reducing-pot...
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Reducing the Potential Harms of AI Companions
AI companions and chatbots present novel risks to vulnerable people and communities. Can regulatory efforts keep up?
https://issues.org/reducing-potential-harms-ai-companions-branch-forum/
3 months ago
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"Then one day the workshop was shuttered and a bright, desiccant, metallic soot took place from the pleasant and hectic comings and goings, and we none of us recalled what had been doneâŚ." Read more of G. L. Ford's poem "Industry" in our recent issue:
issues.org/industry-poe...
3 months ago
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Nathalie Miebachâs series "The Floods" explores how experiencing data through art can deepen our engagement with the realities of climate change. It asks not how art can explain science, but how it can help us feel the systems we seek to understand. Read:
issues.org/sculpting-th...
3 months ago
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âWe should be deeply skeptical of the promotion of AI as a solution to the fog of war, which imagines that the right technology will find the important signals amid the noise.â In our Winter 2024 issue, Lucy Suchman questions the narratives underlying AI-enabled warfare.
issues.org/ai-pretense-...
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AI Aids the Pretense of Military âPrecisionâ
We should be deeply skeptical of the promotion of AI as a military solution to the fog of war, Lucy Suchman writes
https://issues.org/ai-pretense-military-precision-suchman/
3 months ago
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In 2017, Wilmington, North Carolina, was faced with what seemed to be a worst case scenario: a chemical pollutant had been found in the regionâs drinking water, and researchers werenât sure how to remove it. So the stateâs General Assembly called the NC Collaboratory.
issues.org/north-caroli...
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Research That Solves North Carolinaâs Problems
The North Carolina Collaboratory is working to make publicly funded science accountable to the people of the state.
https://issues.org/north-carolina-collaboratory-state-directed-research-warren-rhoades/
3 months ago
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reposted by
Issues in Science and Technology
Maxwell C. K. Leung, Ph.D.
4 months ago
I look forward to continuing the discussion of our recent article, "A Coordinated Approach to Cannabis Policy and Product Safety" (
doi.org/10.58875/NLN...
) at Issues in Science and Technology (
@issuesinst.bsky.social
)'s Forum section! đż đ đĄ đ§ľ 3/4
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A Coordinated Approach to Cannabis Policy and Product Safety
The United States urgently needs a coordinated approach to regulating cannabis use that prioritizes product safety and patient well-being.
https://doi.org/10.58875/NLNB6840
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âIf you want to make impact, this is a great place to play.â On the latest episode of our podcast,
@ansidotorg.bsky.social
president & CEO Laurie Locascio discusses all things standards with host Megan Nicholson. Listen or read the transcript:
issues.org/who-sets-the...
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Who Sets the Standard?
Standards expert Laurie Locascio explains how standards quietly drive innovation and why more people should be involved.
https://issues.org/who-sets-the-standard/
4 months ago
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On âproductive struggleâ and the AI expertise paradox: âThe tools that enable novices to perform more like experts simultaneously make them less likely to become experts.â Christopher Cotton & Lydia Scholle-Cotton respond to our podcast with labor economist David Autor:
issues.org/ai-expertise...
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The AI Expertise Paradox
Are early-career professionalsâwhose output benefits most from AI todayâgoing to be prepared to lead their fields in an AI-driven future?
https://issues.org/ai-expertise-paradox-autor-forum/
5 months ago
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