one of the great, pernicious myths perpetrated about higher ed—which media, higher ed administrators, politicians, and a number of faculty are complicit in spreading—is that humanities departments close due to some combination of cratering student demand and unjustifiable cost. It’s not true

I am submitting a AUD$500 bid for Warner Bros.

Another example of how AI - a supposedly productivity-enhancing technology - is creating more work for others and overwhelming/polluting communal goods.

Wheee, a very fast-paced session (mostly) on conspiracy theories to end #AANZCA25, also featuring my @qutdmrc.bsky.social colleague @katemfitzgerald.bsky.social presenting our audit of how GenAI chatbots respond to conspiracy theory-curious questions. Final liveblog here:

Live recording of Fossils and Fiction at Suburban Brew (Adelaide) on November 29. Palaeontologists Aiden Couzens and Matt Herne join our panel to talk about Australia's oddest fossils. The show begins with Professor Flint's Palaeojam followed by Fossils live! www.eventbrite.com.au/e/1964100016...

Learn all about Wellington Caves in the newest episode of Fossils and Fiction now in your favourite podcast player

A great keynote by @karinwahlj.bsky.social on the rise of boutique news media to start off the #AANZCA25 conference on the Sunshine Coast. Liveblog is up:

"we would like to assure you that the guided missiles currently converging with your ship are part of a special service we extend to all of our most enthusiastic clients, and the fully armed nuclear warheads are of course merely a courtesy detail."

The robot mower at my work just ran over a sprinkler and I think they're both stuffed now. There's a metaphor in there somewhere.

OVER A MILLION USERS DISCUSS SUICIDE WITH CHATGPT EVERY *WEEK* what the fuck are we DOING here

Episode 53: The deals with seals

Unless there’s a reset of senior officials at the top, universities won’t change. Toxic cultures are embedded. Broken governance is breaking people. theconversation.com/there-are-ne...

Your Sunday read! In 2010, a scientist argued that 2.1 billion-year-old African specimens showed complex life appearing far ahead of schedule. In doing so, he's run headlong into a very difficult question: How on earth do you prove it? My cover story (!) for @sciam.bsky.social! 🧪

Living in regional Australia, you become used to (if not accepting of) roadkill roos, wombats, birds, snakes. The fix for koalas is relatively simple and easy compared to those, and we can't get it done. Photo ops over real improvements. www.abc.net.au/news/2025-10...

When was the last time we heard anyone who represents universities let alone any politician defend the public university as a fundamentally important social institution that transforms lives and improves societies?

📚 EXCERPT: In 2002, an online database was set up allowing birdwatchers to record their species observations. It is now a vast resource, shaping scientific research. 👉 theconversation.com/the-rem...

We are thrilled to announce that our NEW Large Language Model will be released on 11.18.25.

New #paleoart posted to #Patreon: woolly mammoths around a duck-filled lake. Accompanying the hi-res and WIPs of this image is a discussion about mammoth colour: the uniform red-brown mammoths of classic palaeoart seem unlikely now. Check it out at www.patreon.com/posts/night-... #fossil #sciart

Some lovely things on the Aussie #urbanNature scene this week! First up - the work and creativity of friend-colleague @drkyliesoanes.bsky.social has been beautifully profiled by the ABC. If you use TikTok or Insta I highly encourage you to add Kylie to your feeds!🌏 www.abc.net.au/news/2025-09...

Are podcasts legitimate research outputs? My new survey is exploring how Australian academics view podcasting as a scholarly practice. Research-active staff are invited to share experiences here forms.cloud.microsoft/r/mYr4KvsiND

Newsletter: This is The Case Against Generative AI, a comprehensive analysis of a financial collapse built on myths I’ll dispel, the markets’ unhealthy obsession with NVIDIA's growth, and the fact that there is not enough money in the world to fund OpenAI. www.wheresyoured.at/the-case-aga...

It's not a pyramid scheme when publicly listed companies are doing it

It remains so bewildering why we as a country let entirely unexperienced non-experts who have no real knowledge of the sector run the country’s universities for million+ salaries.

Are podcasts legitimate research outputs? My new survey is exploring how Australian academics view podcasting as a scholarly practice. Research-active staff are invited to share experiences here forms.cloud.microsoft/r/mYr4KvsiND

Private consultants are taking control of how public universities are evaluated and run. My submission to the Senate university governance inquiry raises concerns about the impact of Nous Group and their dodgy UniForum data on our universities. www.aph.gov.au/DocumentStor... A thread

My hot take that got me yelled at by ppl here was "doesn't seem 'leftist', extremely online but not getting NVE, not much evidence for groyper, doesn't read as cohesively strongly ideological in any direction, there's just not enough info, wait 48 hrs": www.kenklippenstein.com/p/exclusive-...

The sobering assessment is a national call to action. The sooner Australia mitigates and adapts, the safer we will be.

best one-line insight about the Kirk assassin: “To them, murder is the ultimate act of trolling, and they want to be remembered for it.” www.theatlantic.com/technology/a...

A thoughtful and powerful critique of the modern university www.abc.net.au/religion/anu...

"We have let school shootings in America persist long enough that we have created a culture where kids grow up seeing them as a path towards fame and glory." www.garbageday.email/p/charlie-ki...

New on Persona Studies: A Peek at Cesuo as Nonhuman Online Fan Persona on Weibo by Yifei Yang from @ucddublin.bsky.social ojs.deakin.edu.au/index.php/ps...

I really love this piece. It engages with the ideas behind the orcs in a way most analysis of them doesn’t—neither apologia for Tolkien nor a dismissal of him.

The people most intently searching for life beyond Earth are also, rightfully, those most cautious about exciting prospects

found out what former Wondery COO Jeanine Wright is up to: flooding the internet with unlistenable AI podcasts Her company has put out around 156,000 AI podcast episodes in two years and has averaged about 64 listens per podcast total in that time (less than one download a week)

Melbourne Uni is killing the literary journal Meanjin. It's cultural vandalism. Australian universities are now deeply anti-intellectual places www.crikey.com.au/2025/09/04/m...

Exclusive: Australia’s second-oldest literary journal, Meanjin, is being shut down today for "financial" reasons, Crikey can reveal.

Artist Zev Landes is responsible for some iconic modern Australian palaeo-art, but maybe he doesn't like the field at all? Find out in the newest episode of Fossils and Fiction, now in your feeds rss.com/podcasts/fos...

The 50th Anniversary of Jaws popped up this week and of course I took the chance to see it on the big screen... Some (unoriginal) thoughts: (1/9)

My Honours student Courtney is investigating GenAI influence on celebrity persona. If you wish to participate, please click the link before to see more information and complete the survey! forms.cloud.microsoft/r/nUaA1unKb4

Utterly bizarre behaviour that should not be written off as Katter being Katter. www.abc.net.au/news/2025-08...

Very good article and thread about open alternatives to google scholar, which clearly will go away when its founder retires. The @barcelonadori.bsky.social movement is getting a lot if attention and OpenAlex.org a lot of support. The Lens currently looking for new home about.lens.org/expressions-...

Price increase notifications for Netflix, YouTube and Spotify within 24 hours. Kayo went up to $40 last month. Time to slash the services I reckon.

My Honours student Courtney is investigating GenAI influence on celebrity persona. If you wish to participate, please click the link before to see more information and complete the survey! forms.cloud.microsoft/r/nUaA1unKb4

'One of the proposed solutions to the fact that these AI companies are already stealing the work of creatives, writers and artists is not to wonder – not even performatively – about how to protect the output of the creators but to suggest formalising the theft'. rick-morton.ghost.io/crumbs-at-th...

Margaret Pomeranz's tribute to David Stratton 🥺 www.theguardian.com/film/2025/au...

Blades of Glory sequel incoming

NASA’s acting chief calls for the end of Earth science at the space agency arstechnica.com/space/2025/0...

that $10 billion number is simply incredible NSW Police are responsible for nearly 9 million people across an area of 800,000km² their annual budget is AUD$5.5 billion, which is USD$3.5 billion

Sometimes an episode name presents itself, sometimes you're stretching. Here, apparently I was inspired to copy the last episode title.