The government’s suggestion that rolling out 20 minute courses on writing “AI“ prompts, sponsored by Google, Microsoft and Amazon, is somehow comparable to the founding of the Open University (the Wilson government‘s, & Jennie Lee’s, proudest achievement), is an insult to our human intelligence.

Well. I used to use Candi Syrup D-240 as a key ingredient in my gluten free stout. I say used to, as apparently they shut down all manufacture last year. I suspect it’s simply caramelized beet syrup, but I do not know for sure. I guess in the not too distant I’ll have to try to make some.

I’ve heard some terrible things in my life but nothing — not a single thing — comes even close to these new Adobe Acrobat AI ads. I would strongly prefer Vogon poetry. I’m getting suspicious that all these tech companies are using AI panels to test their AI ads, hence they’re all donkey doodoo.

I remember a group of my cognitive psych students once did an experiment on expert knowledge and maps. A variant on theories of chunking for recall. Basically, can experts remember more because they use patterns rather than details? (The answer is yes) 1/

Gemini looks like a map from a TTRPG where we have the island of York. It has included Clifford's Tower and the Shambles. But everything else is random. 25/n

ChatGPT has just given up here. We have the Minster and Clifford's Tower. Street names are random, although I like that it's renamed Coppergate as Willygate! 24/n

This thread is hilarious — scroll for the funniest AI maps.

What is it that happens every single time ten minutes after shoveling snow from the driveway? Every single time, within minutes, they drive by again and rebuild the Great Wall of Snow in front of the driveway. How do they know?

The thing I learned from living in the UK during Murdoch’s ascendancy. In today’s society, there is no meaningful boundary between press and government. To all intents and purposes, Big Media perceives itself the government PR department. As they put it “It’s The Sun Wot Won It”

Kwik Fit's Thought Sommelier said my offside rear tyre might have a rich inner life

Gods I hate AI. I ask how long to roast cauliflower, and I get a hundred ad-packed web pages on the Maillard reaction.

Good question this. I’d say it’s biological essentialism all the way down, both IQ and gender. There has to be some “objective” basis for their supremacy. Hence the resurgence of eugenics and natalism. And frankly, biological essentialism is bollocks. Which is why we need to burn it down.

“What force or guile could not subdue, Thro' many warlike ages, Is wrought now by a coward few For hireling traitor's wages.” I’ll be toasting with a dram and a haggis tonight. And tomorrow, let’s clean out the rogues.

They’re literally the Black and Tans. All those J6ers who were pardoned and released have signed up to harass, hurt and kill innocent people. It’s going to be a version of the Troubles, but on a continental scale. So unnecessary.

This is just straight intimidation and I will be so pissed at @mark-carney.bsky.social if he lets it influence him. He has to stand by his values now. Let the consequences fall. If T is that petty, let him show it on the global stage for everyone to see.

From the official White House account, not realising that penguins are Antarctica not the Arctic. The White House also saying penguins and Trump have the same sized feet.

Well this is a turn up. Here’s their previous terms of use. They wanted to do this, but their claim was as weak as vapour. This is so fascinating. To take a cut they’re going to need to assert ownability on the output of an algorithm, and that might not go the way they think.

Ye gods no. But I’d happily pay for a new iPod Nano that they canned years ago.

The US granted visas to Jews but only allowed 30,000 in from Germany a year. You had to wait for your number to come up. Meet Robert Smallbones. An unassuming British diplomat who 'hacked' this system so effectively (saving 48 THOUSAND Jews) the UK government kept his scheme secret for decades /1 🧵

Apropos of which (I’d been remembering how incredible John Tenniel’s political cartoons were). Title “The American Juggernaut”, published September 1864.

The irony of a market sector saying the free market will determine value while simultaneously complaining that if all goes belly up it’s the customers fault.

The best way of describing someone who’s all talk and no action that I’ve ever heard in the UK, by far, is “they’re all wardrobe and no Narnia.” * read on for fun ways of saying “all talk and no action” in other languages (a thread)

So happy to have seen a redpoll on my last little hike. Don't think I've seen them before. Their cheeping was just delightful.

To expand: a former colleague introduced me to Giddens' work on reflexive modernity. Giddens likens modernization to a juggernaut: unpredictable, uncontrollable, relentless motion. 1/4

I doubt if anyone respects me, but: 1. I've worked in AI on and off since 1985 2. I have a PhD 3. I used to manage an academic department of ~40 AI researchers 4. I've published ~100 articles on it This AI tech is a con. It's a play for corporations to steal industries, wealth, & governance.

It's that time of year again: we're looking for our next Antarctic team! If you can imagine a job that’s needed to keep a small, remote community safe and running, we have it. Escape the ordinary and apply for the job of a lifetime in Antarctica ⬇️

Never forget, never forgive. We are strong 🇨🇦, and the US government is run by corrupt charlatans and clowns.

Greenland, Iceland someone tell him the one he really wants is “the rich, fertile land just a bit to the south of Vinland” and maybe we can still get out of this

This is an excellent movie with a lovely nod to Local Hero. And it also tells the side-story of how my old university admin screwed itself by giving him an honorary degree (since rescinded), the stupid idiots.

Donald Trump was widely known in Scotland to be a deeply unpleasant businessman long before he becamse US President. We saw he was a vain, lying, bully who thought the law applied only to the little people. He demonstrated that he was totally unfit for high office. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/You%27v...

At this rate I think we’re only a couple of months away from a nuclear attack on penguins.

Nope. False. We are not hostile to the US. We are hostile to the US government and its policies. Not its people, not even its individual states. (Maybe a bit hostile to the corporations running the place.) Trust in the US government will remain at zero until there is reform & regime change.

I think C of E comms should use this. Somehow.

Re-watching Schlesinger's "Cold Comfort Farm" and peeked at some of the IMDB reviews. Pro-tip to the randoms: if you can't infer a movie is a comedy from Joanna Lumley's character's bra collection, or Ian McKellen's "THERE'LL BE NO BUTTER IN HELL", it's not the movie that has a problem. It's a joy.

Best headline I’ve seen for a few years.

Please enjoy this article about a porridge-making championship.

This is a very nice blog post. Not to be taken (only) as a criticism of one company, because they’re all like this. Some are even worse.

Just hilarious framing “These things that have been used globally for 50 years, do they work?” Meanwhile, many of (few) the roundabouts we do have are highway junctions. And we have crazy high collision rates. So… 1. Yes they work 2. NS has vintage mid-century road design 3. We need to do better

Data is correct, causal agency is (IMO) incorrect. The vast majority of ppl who use AI to make images and video have never touched and would never touch Photoshop/AfterEffects/Illustrator/etc. The issue is Adobe trying to squeeze its users with subscriptions, and other customer-hostile behavior.

Very good analysis. It’s only deregulation in the sense the rules are being replaced with direct control by a government-tech-sector nexus.

Beautiful article by local journalist Suzanne Rent, Halifax Examiner, about how birds and nature and the wonderful people you meet while pursuing both can bring sanity and hope shining some light against the darkness of world events. #nature #birding #naturephotography #hope #novascotia #canada

In this video, I install Linux on a -17- year old Dell laptop with just 4 gb of RAM. It runs amazing for general computing stuff & as a streamer. The new 3 Rs. Repair. Reuse. Replace Windows.

This is too important to be limited to peer review. It is right at the core of being an academic. This is what assessment is about. Student essays, academic papers, assessment is fundamentally the same. It’s all about using your judgement. Wisely, thoughtfully. And not least, with empathy.

Incoming U.S. Ambassador to Iceland joked about Iceland becoming the 52nd state.

"we are on an inevitable path to AGI"

Don't normally post this stuff any more (caring more about Canada and Greenland these days), but I just found this gem in my old photo library.