Abigail Nunes-Richards
@abinr.bsky.social
Mum, scientist, archaeologist, geneticist, cheese monger.
Reposted by Abigail Nunes-Richards
Noah Smith is paid in the high six-figures to write a blog read by Americans who believe themselves to be intelligent. Yet, he is both unable to read a sign and also for some reason chose to have a 90 minute layover for a flight that takes 90 minutes.
onemileatatime.com/news/economi...
onemileatatime.com/news/economi...
Economist Doesn't Follow Signs At Heathrow: Proof The UK Is Failing?
A economist had a bad experience connecting at Heathrow, suggesting it's reflective of bigger issues in the UK. There's only one issue...
onemileatatime.com
November 11, 2025 at 1:28 PM
Noah Smith is paid in the high six-figures to write a blog read by Americans who believe themselves to be intelligent. Yet, he is both unable to read a sign and also for some reason chose to have a 90 minute layover for a flight that takes 90 minutes.
onemileatatime.com/news/economi...
onemileatatime.com/news/economi...
Today's harvest.
Teaspoon for scale and, later, for tea.
Teaspoon for scale and, later, for tea.
November 11, 2025 at 12:33 PM
Today's harvest.
Teaspoon for scale and, later, for tea.
Teaspoon for scale and, later, for tea.
Reposted by Abigail Nunes-Richards
BBC impartiality: A full list of all the British MEPs who appeared on BBC Question Time.
November 11, 2025 at 12:11 AM
BBC impartiality: A full list of all the British MEPs who appeared on BBC Question Time.
Reposted by Abigail Nunes-Richards
I got this useful bon mot from a middle school teacher recently.
In response to, “I DONT UNDERSTAND,” he calmly said, “okay what steps have you taken to understand?”
And that’s when I realized that a lot of folks have no steps.
In response to, “I DONT UNDERSTAND,” he calmly said, “okay what steps have you taken to understand?”
And that’s when I realized that a lot of folks have no steps.
November 10, 2025 at 6:05 PM
I got this useful bon mot from a middle school teacher recently.
In response to, “I DONT UNDERSTAND,” he calmly said, “okay what steps have you taken to understand?”
And that’s when I realized that a lot of folks have no steps.
In response to, “I DONT UNDERSTAND,” he calmly said, “okay what steps have you taken to understand?”
And that’s when I realized that a lot of folks have no steps.
Sprouts and weeds still doing well at the allotment.
November 10, 2025 at 7:07 PM
Sprouts and weeds still doing well at the allotment.
Reposted by Abigail Nunes-Richards
There was a time when I'd have cared deeply about the BBC.
But they adopted a deliberate policy of kowtowing to the right, backing away from every fight, believing compliance would protect the license fee, and the right would leave them alone.
Stand up to bullies, or get knocked down by reality.
But they adopted a deliberate policy of kowtowing to the right, backing away from every fight, believing compliance would protect the license fee, and the right would leave them alone.
Stand up to bullies, or get knocked down by reality.
November 10, 2025 at 5:34 PM
There was a time when I'd have cared deeply about the BBC.
But they adopted a deliberate policy of kowtowing to the right, backing away from every fight, believing compliance would protect the license fee, and the right would leave them alone.
Stand up to bullies, or get knocked down by reality.
But they adopted a deliberate policy of kowtowing to the right, backing away from every fight, believing compliance would protect the license fee, and the right would leave them alone.
Stand up to bullies, or get knocked down by reality.
Reposted by Abigail Nunes-Richards
1/ The US Government has quietly removed a memorial to Black soldiers who died in World War II from the Netherlands American Cemetery in Margraten, South Limburg. The move follows a complaint from the right-wing Heritage Foundation to the American Battle Monuments Commission. ⬇️
November 9, 2025 at 9:23 AM
1/ The US Government has quietly removed a memorial to Black soldiers who died in World War II from the Netherlands American Cemetery in Margraten, South Limburg. The move follows a complaint from the right-wing Heritage Foundation to the American Battle Monuments Commission. ⬇️
Reposted by Abigail Nunes-Richards
A Sharon Begley byline, almost 5 years after her death.
Upon hearing the news James Watson had died, a STAT reporter said in our Slack, "I wish I could read what Sharon would have written."
Incredible news: Sharon in fact did pre-write a Watson obit. And it is masterful and excoriating.
🧪🧬🧫
Upon hearing the news James Watson had died, a STAT reporter said in our Slack, "I wish I could read what Sharon would have written."
Incredible news: Sharon in fact did pre-write a Watson obit. And it is masterful and excoriating.
🧪🧬🧫
James Watson, dead at 97, was a scientific legend and a pariah among his peers
James Watson, the co-discoverer of the structure of DNA who died Thursday at 97, was a scientific legend and a pariah among his peers.
www.statnews.com
November 8, 2025 at 1:39 PM
A Sharon Begley byline, almost 5 years after her death.
Upon hearing the news James Watson had died, a STAT reporter said in our Slack, "I wish I could read what Sharon would have written."
Incredible news: Sharon in fact did pre-write a Watson obit. And it is masterful and excoriating.
🧪🧬🧫
Upon hearing the news James Watson had died, a STAT reporter said in our Slack, "I wish I could read what Sharon would have written."
Incredible news: Sharon in fact did pre-write a Watson obit. And it is masterful and excoriating.
🧪🧬🧫
Reposted by Abigail Nunes-Richards
One can’t help but suspect that the Telegraph is going to be disappointed by whoever is appointed if they are to the left of Attila the Hun.
November 9, 2025 at 6:46 PM
One can’t help but suspect that the Telegraph is going to be disappointed by whoever is appointed if they are to the left of Attila the Hun.
Reposted by Abigail Nunes-Richards
the right winger who was appointed to lead the BBC in the hope of appeasing right wingers has been driven out by right wingers for not appeasing right wingers enough and the BBC has the chance to do the funniest thing ever
November 9, 2025 at 6:38 PM
the right winger who was appointed to lead the BBC in the hope of appeasing right wingers has been driven out by right wingers for not appeasing right wingers enough and the BBC has the chance to do the funniest thing ever
Reposted by Abigail Nunes-Richards
Quite right too. It's like when Laura Kuenssberg resigned after she edited footage of Jeremy Corbyn so that he was giving an answer to an entirely different question. Oh, did I say "resigned"? Sorry, I meant "got promoted", because that's BBC impartiality, right there.
November 9, 2025 at 7:21 PM
Quite right too. It's like when Laura Kuenssberg resigned after she edited footage of Jeremy Corbyn so that he was giving an answer to an entirely different question. Oh, did I say "resigned"? Sorry, I meant "got promoted", because that's BBC impartiality, right there.
Reposted by Abigail Nunes-Richards
Like why would the bbc need to ‘balance’ its cover of the US in this way?
When the BBC covers, say, Xi critically should it also run a programme dedicated to the CCP’s achievements?
When the BBC covers, say, Xi critically should it also run a programme dedicated to the CCP’s achievements?
November 9, 2025 at 9:38 PM
Like why would the bbc need to ‘balance’ its cover of the US in this way?
When the BBC covers, say, Xi critically should it also run a programme dedicated to the CCP’s achievements?
When the BBC covers, say, Xi critically should it also run a programme dedicated to the CCP’s achievements?
A David Attenborough documentary ending in a cliff hanger is not cool
November 9, 2025 at 9:05 PM
A David Attenborough documentary ending in a cliff hanger is not cool
Reposted by Abigail Nunes-Richards
And there are many other reasons I don't use LLMs. They're not reliable, they are built on theft, their creation incurs environmental costs & direct harm to people. The broader societal push to use AI for everything is destructive in countless ways & has horrifying political ramifications.
November 8, 2025 at 1:53 PM
And there are many other reasons I don't use LLMs. They're not reliable, they are built on theft, their creation incurs environmental costs & direct harm to people. The broader societal push to use AI for everything is destructive in countless ways & has horrifying political ramifications.
Reposted by Abigail Nunes-Richards
I get this a lot too. I don't use ChatGPT or any LLMs in my work because I want my writing to sound like me, not like the averaged-out voice of the internet. But also, writing is thinking, and thinking is a habit. I don't want to get out of that habit.
A friend recently texted me the same thing. “Do you really not use ChatGPT?!” It was a sign of where we are culturally on this. People are compelled to use it but also starting to question the normalcy?
Recently met someone who was very surprised to hear I didn’t use ChatGPT or any LLM.
I said my job depended on doing distinctive work. That was my selling point. If I started to sound like ChatGPT and turn out what it did, then how on earth could I justify doing it? What would that make me?
I said my job depended on doing distinctive work. That was my selling point. If I started to sound like ChatGPT and turn out what it did, then how on earth could I justify doing it? What would that make me?
November 8, 2025 at 1:43 PM
I get this a lot too. I don't use ChatGPT or any LLMs in my work because I want my writing to sound like me, not like the averaged-out voice of the internet. But also, writing is thinking, and thinking is a habit. I don't want to get out of that habit.
Reposted by Abigail Nunes-Richards
WHITE POPPY ON MAIN
"I want to make a country we can all afford to live in."
@zackpolanski.bsky.social tells it straight on The Last Leg.
@zackpolanski.bsky.social tells it straight on The Last Leg.
November 8, 2025 at 7:09 PM
WHITE POPPY ON MAIN
Reposted by Abigail Nunes-Richards
Reports OpenAI's theft bot was not intelligent enough to realise it needed cover up its activities by deleting its database of stolen intellectual property, so the humans in charge did it and now could face charges of intentionally destroying evidence.
OpenAI in Danger After Authors Suing It Gain Access to Its Internal Slack Messages
Authors and publishers, who are suing OpenAI, secured access to internal Slack messages and emails discussing the deletion of pirated books.
futurism.com
November 9, 2025 at 10:36 AM
Reports OpenAI's theft bot was not intelligent enough to realise it needed cover up its activities by deleting its database of stolen intellectual property, so the humans in charge did it and now could face charges of intentionally destroying evidence.
Reposted by Abigail Nunes-Richards
'British Asian families are being urged to record the experiences of relatives who fought for Britain for “future generations” as data reveals half the British public don’t know that Indian members of the armed forces served in the second world war.' 1/2
British Asian families urged to share stories of ‘greatest generation’ who fought for Britain
Half of UK public unaware of contribution made by 2.5m British Asian members of armed forces who served in second world war
www.theguardian.com
November 9, 2025 at 8:43 AM
'British Asian families are being urged to record the experiences of relatives who fought for Britain for “future generations” as data reveals half the British public don’t know that Indian members of the armed forces served in the second world war.' 1/2
Reposted by Abigail Nunes-Richards
When I first brought this up about 7 years ago in the wake of Brexit - an elderly gentleman rang into the local radio station I was appearing on and said that "while he respected my opinion" I should be shot.
That was it for me. After a lifetime of poppy wearing, I stopped.
That was it for me. After a lifetime of poppy wearing, I stopped.
Flags don’t mean what they used to just months ago. I’ve written about how I think the same is happening to the poppy.
One thing I noticed today on that topic: so many people are wearing poppies that look nothing like the various ones the Royal British Legion sells…
One thing I noticed today on that topic: so many people are wearing poppies that look nothing like the various ones the Royal British Legion sells…
First the flag. Now the poppy
A sombre display of remembrance is being weaponised and policed by nationalists
www.thenewworld.co.uk
November 8, 2025 at 11:59 AM
When I first brought this up about 7 years ago in the wake of Brexit - an elderly gentleman rang into the local radio station I was appearing on and said that "while he respected my opinion" I should be shot.
That was it for me. After a lifetime of poppy wearing, I stopped.
That was it for me. After a lifetime of poppy wearing, I stopped.
Reposted by Abigail Nunes-Richards
Reposted by Abigail Nunes-Richards
Swifts have declined 70% since 1994.
They fly from Africa to breed here, only to find we've blocked their nest sites.
A £35 swift brick nest box was proposed for all new buildings.
The construction industry lobbied Labour to block it.
Biodiversity sustains life. Labour sustains economic power.
They fly from Africa to breed here, only to find we've blocked their nest sites.
A £35 swift brick nest box was proposed for all new buildings.
The construction industry lobbied Labour to block it.
Biodiversity sustains life. Labour sustains economic power.
November 8, 2025 at 8:04 AM
Swifts have declined 70% since 1994.
They fly from Africa to breed here, only to find we've blocked their nest sites.
A £35 swift brick nest box was proposed for all new buildings.
The construction industry lobbied Labour to block it.
Biodiversity sustains life. Labour sustains economic power.
They fly from Africa to breed here, only to find we've blocked their nest sites.
A £35 swift brick nest box was proposed for all new buildings.
The construction industry lobbied Labour to block it.
Biodiversity sustains life. Labour sustains economic power.
Reposted by Abigail Nunes-Richards
Quite a headline.
Europeans recognize Zohran Mamdani’s supposedly radical policies as ‘normal’
Critics of New York City’s mayor-elect have said his pledges of free bus service and universal childcare are unrealistic, but in Europe it’s a given
www.theguardian.com
November 7, 2025 at 2:49 PM
Quite a headline.
But is Gordon ok? Not asking after the guy who collapsed is just as bad, or worse, than having a go at they guys who stayed out of the way of a doctor assisting or leaving the room (maybe he went for help?)
Seriously though. Is Gordon ok?
Seriously though. Is Gordon ok?
November 7, 2025 at 9:11 AM
But is Gordon ok? Not asking after the guy who collapsed is just as bad, or worse, than having a go at they guys who stayed out of the way of a doctor assisting or leaving the room (maybe he went for help?)
Seriously though. Is Gordon ok?
Seriously though. Is Gordon ok?
Reposted by Abigail Nunes-Richards
