Sue Burke
@sueburke.bsky.social
📤 1508
📥 1660
📝 332
Writer.
https://sueburke.site/
These plants hate you.
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These Are the 12 Most Dangerous Plants Hiding in Plain Sight. How Many Can You Identify?
These 12 plants are among the most dangerous in North America. Here are some expert tips on how to identify and avoid them.
https://www.outdoorlife.com/survival/common-plants-that-are-toxic/?ref=botany.one
3 days ago
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My short story “To Defeat Water” has been translated into Spanish as “Derrotar al agua” and published by Microficciones y Cuentos. The site is run by Sergio Gaut vel Hartman, one of the founding fathers of Spanish-language science fiction. A link to the story in English is in the comments.
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DERROTAR AL AGUA
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https://microficcionesycuentos.blogspot.com/2026/04/derrotar-al-agua.html
5 days ago
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"Defensive deflection, TINA rhetoric, resignation, victim mentality, nihilism. These aren’t fringe phenomena, but precisely the arguments we must contend with, again and again, whenever we talk about AI."
dorotheabaur.ch/en/texts-and...
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Hallucinated References: Five Excuses for Academic Misconduct
When I proposed rejecting papers with hallucinated references, the support was overwhelming. But the critical voices revealed five argument patterns: from AI hype through TINA rhetoric to nihilism.
https://dorotheabaur.ch/en/texts-and-media/hallucinated-references-five-excuses-for-academic-misconduct/?ref=botany.one
6 days ago
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No bugs, thanks, too risky.
www.botany.one/what-if-a-fl...
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What if a Flower Never Needed a Pollinator at All?
New research shows that one small mountain orchid secures reproduction before its flowers even open and may fare better selfing than crossing with its neighbours.
https://www.botany.one/what-if-a-flower-never-needed-a-pollinator-at-all/
8 days ago
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Let's go to the Moon and eat hummus.
www.sciencenews.org/article/chic...
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Chickpeas can grow in moon dirt and make seeds
Chickpeas produced seeds in simulated lunar soil, offering clues for future space farming.
https://www.sciencenews.org/article/chickpeas-moon-dirt-seeds-space-farming?ref=botany.one
9 days ago
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A graffiti artist discovers flowers!
www.npr.org/2026/03/18/n...
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A mysterious floral artist brings beauty to fire escapes — and dumpsters
Mr. Flower Fantastic is a graffiti artist turned floral designer who keeps his identity a secret. His new show is an ode to NYC in orchids. Oh, and did we mention he's allergic to flowers?
https://www.npr.org/2026/03/18/nx-s1-5745092/mr-flower-fantastic-new-york-garden?ref=botany.one
10 days ago
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I learned surprising things about myself from my Grokipedia entry, and I wrote about it at my blog.
sueburke.site/2026/04/01/i...
11 days ago
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It's hot and smells like rotting flesh. Clever early Spring strategy to attract flies for pollination.
add a skeleton here at some point
12 days ago
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“Evolutionary rescue occurs when the few individuals that are left have the right genetic makeup to do better than the ones that died, so they do well or thrive within these new conditions, so the population inches back from extinction.”
edition.cnn.com/2026/03/12/s...
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A wildflower survived a historic megadrought. Scientists now think they know how | CNN
Wild scarlet monkeyflowers in California survived a historic drought by relying on a rapid evolution, marking the first time the process has been observed in the wild.
https://edition.cnn.com/2026/03/12/science/california-wildflower-megadrought-evolution?ref=botany.one
12 days ago
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From my neighborhood No Kings rally
14 days ago
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reposted by
Sue Burke
Allison Pottern
16 days ago
@sueburke.bsky.social
, author of SEMIOSIS and DUAL MEMORY described this collection of stories as akin to "eating a box of chocolates" with their range of themes and tone. Mmmmm.
semiosispax.com/2025/01/03/g...
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My 50-word science fiction short story “Good Boy” has been published: 50 Give or Take Story No.1967
preview.mailerlite.com/s7k8d9b5y3/2...
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50 Give or Take Story No.1967
https://preview.mailerlite.com/s7k8d9b5y3/2974178634836744287/w8d0/
16 days ago
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reposted by
Sue Burke
Cristina Jurado
17 days ago
📗📘 Story Bundle is in "da" house 📘📗 Extremely happy to report that my eco-horror novel CHLOROPHILIA, translated by
@sueburke.bsky.social
, is part of Story Bundle. Curated by the one and only
@lavietidhar.bsky.social
, the line-up is by spectacular & talented authors
storybundle.com/blog/2026wor...
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Does nature need help? - Los Angeles Times
www.latimes.com/california/s...
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If the giant sequoia is dying out, why are there tens of thousands of seedlings and saplings?
Thousands of giant sequoia seedlings sprouted after a fire swept a grove in the Sierra in 2021. Will they replace the behemoths that died or become extinct?
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-03-13/if-giant-sequoia-is-dying-out-why-so-many-seedlings-saplings?ref=botany.one
18 days ago
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I'm attending No Kings's event, “NO KINGS Edgewater neighborhood Chicago” - sign up now to join me.
www.mobilize.us/nokings/even...
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NO KINGS Edgewater neighborhood Chicago · No Kings
This is our 3rd rally listed here. We are a community of seniors, many who cannot make it to the big rally downtown. All ages are invited to join us. **We have the power and are claiming it togeth...
https://www.mobilize.us/nokings/event/905640/?force_banner=true&share_context=event_details&share_medium=bluesky
18 days ago
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reposted by
Sue Burke
Mondo Mascots
19 days ago
Jinenger, an eccentric, energetic mountain yam, is an unofficial mascot for Shiroi City.
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Can you correctly place all six kinds of plants in this Sudoku Garden?
www.botany.one/sudoku-garde...
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Sudoku Garden
National (US) Cereal Day
https://www.botany.one/sudoku-garden-4/
19 days ago
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Dirty birds. | All About Birds
www.allaboutbirds.org/news/from-mu...
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From Museum Drawers, Scientists Uncover Our Sooty Past
From the Spring 2018 issue of Living Bird magazine. Subscribe now. So an art historian and an ornithologist walk into a museum... It sounds like the setup for a punchline, but when Carl Fuldner and...
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/from-museum-drawers-scientists-uncover-our-sooty-past/
20 days ago
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Very big flowers.
apnews.com/article/braz...
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Decades-old palm trees in Rio de Janeiro flower for the first — and only — time
Talipot palms in a Rio de Janeiro park are flowering for the first and only time in their lives. These palms were introduced by landscape architect Roberto Burle Marx in the 1960s.
https://apnews.com/article/brazil-rio-talipot-palm-flamengo-park-dcfb1ce237af7a10ab72205fc9bbdc02?utm_source=bluesky&utm_medium=share <br>Decades-old
22 days ago
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It's like forest bathing but small-scale.
www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guide...
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Health Benefits of Houseplants
Houseplants that boost your mood, help you breathe easier, and keep away dust? Find out which indoor foliage can deliver health benefits.
https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/ss/cm/slideshow-health-benefits-houseplants
24 days ago
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Die Hard, starring Moss. | Popular Science
www.popsci.com/science/moss...
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Moss helped nab notorious grave-robbers
Botanists say the plant ‘is a little bit freaky.’
https://www.popsci.com/science/moss-grave-robbing-case/?ref=botany.one
24 days ago
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Neanderthals lived in nice places.
add a skeleton here at some point
24 days ago
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I hate midges but this guy is right. | Taxonomy | The Guardian
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
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‘I love midges because I know what their hearts look like’: is the passion for taxonomy in danger of dying out?
Insect taxonomist Art Borkent has described and named more than 300 species of midges but fears his field of science is dying out, despite millions of insects, fungi and other organisms waiting to be ...
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/mar/02/identify-species-taxonomists-crisis-art-borkent?ref=botany.one
26 days ago
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"Farming in medieval Europe was a far cry from the sprawling, pesticide-laden monocultures of the 21st century. In the 1300s, farms were a mix of natural and cultivated spaces—fields interspersed with hedgerows, marshes, and forest.”
www.anthropocenemagazine.org/2026/03/the-...
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The Black Death holds a surprising lesson: Humans and biodiversity can go hand in hand
When the Black Death depopulated Europe, abandoned farmland reverted to forest—and plant diversity declined. The lesson may complicate modern calls to simply “let nature take over.”
https://www.anthropocenemagazine.org/2026/03/the-black-death-holds-a-surprising-lesson-humans-and-biodiversity-can-go-hand-in-hand/
about 1 month ago
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My translation of “Bodyhoppers” by Rocío Vega, published at Clarkesworld Magazine, has been nominated in the category of the Best Translated Short Fiction for the British Science Fiction Association Awards.
www.bsfa.co.uk/bsfa-awards-...
about 1 month ago
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Springtime is coming.
www.youtube.com/watch
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[Timelapse] A dandelion flower is opening 4K (민들레 꽃열림)
YouTube video by Yoon Forest Ecology Lab
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dz-R-GSKeVY&list=PL8pVDUVdjpe47haQKtdG7_hv_wn1rcM29
about 1 month ago
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AI-assisted writing turns every essay into an essay with the exact same prose style. The writer’s voice gets lost, subsumed by uniformity and conformity.
litmagnews.substack.com/p/q-what-is-...
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Q: What is AI-voice and--honestly?--what's the harm?
"What is AI voice, exactly?"
https://litmagnews.substack.com/p/q-what-is-ai-voice-and-honestly-whats?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=165591&post_id=190102868&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=true&r=5g9kp&triedRedirect=true&utm_medium=email
about 1 month ago
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Hummus in space!
phys.org/news/2026-03...
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Scientists successfully harvest chickpeas from 'moon dirt'
As the U.S. plans to return to the moon with the upcoming Artemis II mission, a question endures: What will future lunar explorers eat? According to new research from The University of Texas at Austin...
https://phys.org/news/2026-03-scientists-successfully-harvest-chickpeas-moon.html
about 1 month ago
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These species go back thousands of years and sustain the region’s ecosystems, and they're in danger.
www.wbez.org/environment/...
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A network is racing to save the Midwest’s native seeds
As climate change intensifies wildfires and other extreme weather events, demand for native seeds is surging.
https://www.wbez.org/environment/2026/03/02/midwest-seed-bank
about 1 month ago
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Dark chocolate has the lowest climate impact -- a little good news (in my opinion since I like that kind the best) on an otherwise frightening day.
www.anthropocenemagazine.org/2026/02/whic...
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Which type of chocolate has the lowest climate impact?
A lifecycle analysis compares dark, milk, white, and compound chocolate, and detects the surprising environmental burden of different ingredients.
https://www.anthropocenemagazine.org/2026/02/which-type-of-chocolate-has-the-lowest-climate-impact/
about 1 month ago
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Last Fridays Poetry open mic 8 p.m. Friday, February 27, at Esquina, 4602 N. Western Ave., Chicago. I’ll be there!
about 1 month ago
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Chicago Just Named A Snowplow ‘Abolish ICE’— Here Are The Other Winners
blockclubchicago.org/2026/02/23/c...
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Chicago Just Named A Snowplow ‘Abolish ICE’— Here Are The Other Winners
The city received a record number of entries and votes for its annual snowplow-naming contest. The Department of Streets and Sanitation announced the six winners Monday.
https://blockclubchicago.org/2026/02/23/chicago-just-named-a-snowplow-abolish-ice-here-are-the-other-winners/
about 2 months ago
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A French fan of the novel Semiosis was moved to write a suite of seven songs based on the book’s seven chapters. I don’t speak French, but the music captures the energy and vibe of each chapter. You can listen to it here: Semiosis - YouTube playlist
www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...
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Semiosis - YouTube
A suite in seven parts, from the book "Semiosis" by Sue Burke Lyrics and music by BLB Vocals, all instruments by BLB except the guitar solo of Pax, by DLT © ...
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRNHnXSkPniC7-9fBJyJjbE0vrcDwL1U6
about 2 months ago
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Here's the list. | Sue Burke
sueburke.site/2026/02/18/1...
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17 ways to start a story
At the Capricon science fiction convention earlier this month, I led a writing workshop. “It’s A Start: A Workshop On Your First Paragraph — A good opening paragraph for a story or novel will carry…
https://sueburke.site/2026/02/18/17-ways-to-start-a-story/
about 2 months ago
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Contest open until March 31. Theme: Metamorphosis. No fee.
parsec-sff.org/short-story-...
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Short Story Contest – Parsec Inc.
https://parsec-sff.org/short-story-contest/
about 2 months ago
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reposted by
Sue Burke
Caryanna Reuven
about 2 months ago
Hugo Nominations are open! For first time in my life I have an elegible short story: Proxima One translated by
@sueburke.bsky.social
is eligible if you enjoyed it... all votes are wellcome 😉
clarkesworldmagazine.com/reuven_05_25/
add a skeleton here at some point
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The beetles then latch onto the bee, hitch a ride to its nest, and eat the eggs in the nest. Nature is horrible. | Science | AAAS
www.science.org/content/arti...
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Bee-hunting beetles are the first animals known to fake the smell of flowers
Study of parasitic blister beetles reveals a new form of chemical deception
https://www.science.org/content/article/bee-hunting-beetles-are-first-animals-known-fake-smell-flowers?utm_source=BotanyOne&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=the-week-in-botany-february-2-2026
2 months ago
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I hesitate to post this because if Trump finds out, he'll have the trees cut down.
people.com/beronda-mont...
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Trees Connect Us with Our Ancestors. 'When Trees Testify' Explores the Powerful Link (Exclusive)
"We don’t have to just live with the memories of our ancestors," writes author Beronda L. Montgomery in an exclusive essay for PEOPLE in advance of her new book 'When Trees Testify,' out Jan. 20. "We ...
https://people.com/beronda-montgomery-when-trees-testify-essay-exclusive-11888102?utm_source=BotanyOne&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=the-week-in-botany-january-26-2026
2 months ago
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How to survive when the going gets tough: Keep all your options open.
botany.one/2026/01/anyt...
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Anything Goes When You Live in a Crack
New research shows that the plants thriving in parking lots succeed not just because they are tough, but because they spread their pollen and seeds in many different ways.
https://botany.one/2026/01/anything-goes-when-you-live-in-a-crack/?utm_source=BotanyOne&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=the-week-in-botany-january-26-2026
2 months ago
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Last Fridays poetry open mic tonight, January 30, 8 p.m. at Esquina event space, 4602 N. Western Ave., Chicago. See you there!
2 months ago
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Sad news.
www.nature.com/immersive/d4...
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US science after a year of Trump: what has been lost and what remains
A series of graphics reveals how the Trump administration has sought historic cuts to science and the research workforce.
https://www.nature.com/immersive/d41586-026-00088-9/index.html
2 months ago
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I highly recommend this, and you can enter a giveaway at Goodreads.
www.goodreads.com/book/show/23...
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The Language of Liars
Speak another people's language. Know them. Become them…
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/231126905-the-language-of-liars
2 months ago
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reposted by
Sue Burke
Caryanna Reuven
3 months ago
Clarkesworld 2025 finalists to vote!! If you enjoyed it you can vote for my short story “Proxima One” translated by
@sueburke.bsky.social
a story about a bunch of silico beings seeking for inteligent life across the galaxy. "We yearn, we hope". "We collaborate. Exist. Persist. But we are alone"
add a skeleton here at some point
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Touch grass, and it touches back.
www.vice.com/en/article/p...
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Plants Can Talk to Each Other When They Touch, and It Makes Them Stronger
When plants grow close enough to touch, they appear to warn each other that trouble is on the way, and that warning makes them tougher.
https://www.vice.com/en/article/plants-can-talk-to-each-other-when-they-touch-and-it-makes-them-stronger/?utm_source=BotanyOne&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=the-week-in-botany-january-19-2026
3 months ago
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A few good things happened in 2025 | Kew
www.kew.org/read-and-wat...
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Kew's top 10 new species of 2025
Kew's scientists and international partners share their favourite species named as new to science in another big year for nature.
https://www.kew.org/read-and-watch/top-10-species-2025
3 months ago
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This is probably a good metaphor for human invasion.
botany.one/2026/01/when...
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When an invader vanishes, so does an ecosystem's winter defences
A pretty riverside invader does its worst damage after it dies, destabilising riverbanks when floods hit hardest.
https://botany.one/2026/01/when-an-invader-vanishes-so-does-an-ecosystems-winter-defences/
3 months ago
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Latin names are accurate, unambiguous, and weird. That's why there's a genus named "Hebejeebie." For real. | Scientist Sees Squirrel
scientistseessquirrel.wordpress.com/2025/12/22/l...
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Latin Names for Gardeners, Part 1: Why Latin names?
I often write articles for the newsletter of our local Botanic Garden. Recently, it’s been a 4-part series (so far) on Latin names, intended for gardeners who don’t necessarily have any background …
https://scientistseessquirrel.wordpress.com/2025/12/22/latin-names-for-gardeners-part-1-why-latin-names/
3 months ago
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The Speculative Literature Foundation will host a Deep Dish reading at the store at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, January 3, 1373 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago. Come, enjoy the performances, and buy a book. I’ll be one of the readers.
3 months ago
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You might need this. Wikipedia:Signs of AI writing - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikiped...
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Wikipedia:Signs of AI writing - Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Signs_of_AI_writing#Signs_of_human_writing
3 months ago
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"Checking the output is not sufficient as humans are notoriously poor at checking automated processes while the overhead of checking bullshit is often the same or even higher than creating the underlying content." This is true in all sorts of contexts beyond teaching and computer science.
add a skeleton here at some point
3 months ago
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