Adrian Kirwan
LightNews LightNews
banner
adriankirwan.bsky.social
Adrian Kirwan
@adriankirwan.bsky.social
630 followers 1.8K following 160 posts
Historian of Science and Technology. Mostly talking about history of telecommunications, Irish history, radium and technology in teaching and learning. Teaches Critical Skills Maynooth University.
Posts Replies Media Videos
Pinned
adriankirwan.bsky.social
Adrian Kirwan @adriankirwan.bsky.social · Sep 19
My latest article has just been published in The Irish Journal of Medical Science

'An Irish Radium Institute: the Royal Dublin Society and the promotion of radioactive therapy in twentieth-century Ireland'

rdcu.be/eHct4
a man playing a trumpet and a man playing a guitar are standing next to each other
ALT: a man playing a trumpet and a man playing a guitar are standing next to each other
media.tenor.com
Reposted by Adrian Kirwan
averyedison.com
sigh
Post from Avery Edison: I wrote "I am alive" on a piece of paper, and placed it into a photocopier. What I saw next has shocking implications
February 11, 2026 at 2:28 PM
Reposted by Adrian Kirwan
dib.ie
#Women&GirlsinScienceDay Academic & particle physicist Anne Kernan was a huge advocate for women in science, on one occasion funding a trip to CERN for an undergrad she had never met, meeting her at the airport and paying for her accommodation until funding came through. www.dib.ie/biography/ke...
February 11, 2026 at 8:48 AM
Reposted by Adrian Kirwan
abeba.bsky.social
We are demanding that EU co-legislators reject attempts in the AI Omnibus to remove a key transparency safeguard from the AI Act.

We cannot open a loophole that would let providers exempt themselves from the AI Act’s high risk requirements with no transparency www.accessnow.org/press-releas...
Access Now - A call to EU legislators: protect rights and reject the call to delete transparency safeguard in AI Act
We, the undersigned organisations and individuals, urge you in the strongest possible terms to reject the deletion of the Article 49(2) transparency safeguard for high-risk AI systems that is proposed...
www.accessnow.org
February 11, 2026 at 9:47 AM
Reposted by Adrian Kirwan
nataliajagielska.bsky.social
It is International Day of Women in Science! For this ocassion, a thread on influential women that illustrate prehistoric life🧵

Marta Szubert. Creator of one of the first to-scale feathered dinosar models (1997). If you've been to Poland or Slovakia, you've probably seen her models on display.
marta with dyzio the feathered dilophosaurus from 1997 A protoceratops family from the museum of evolution Muzeum Przyrody i Techniki w Starachowicach
February 11, 2026 at 2:42 AM
Reposted by Adrian Kirwan
dustinedwards.bsky.social
Every so often you get to do really cool things at universities. This is one of them. Can't wait to facilitate a dialogue on Powering AI from the Borderlands: Organizing Against Data Centers on Feb 24th.
Flyer with event details, featuring a desert landscape with power lines running through the middle. Powering AI from the Borderlands: Organizing Against Data Centers Tuesday, Feb. 24 at 4 pm Digital Humanities Center / SDSU Library SDSU College of Arts and Letters Panelists bios and headshots featuring Annie Ersinghaus, award-winnign independent filmaker from Las Cruces, New Mexico. Daisy A. Maldonado, community advocate for environmental justice, public health, and climate preservation in southern New Mexico. Gilberto Manzanarez, community advocate and educator from Calexico, California, focused on environmental justice and government transparency in the Imperial Valley
February 5, 2026 at 8:07 PM
Reposted by Adrian Kirwan
usili.bsky.social
Bilbo looking at his phone top on bottom is ChatGPT After all, why not? Why shouldn't I keep it? You're absolutely right — you found it, it's been with you a long while, and it's only natural to feel fond of something that's served you so well, especially when someone like Gandalf suddenly seems to want it for himself.
January 28, 2026 at 1:51 AM
Reposted by Adrian Kirwan
ncecire.bsky.social
There is money for "education" if and only if that money is being directly funneled to corporations. Anything involving actual learning, however, well there's no magic money tree
peterstefanovic.bsky.social Peter Stefanovic @peterstefanovic.bsky.social · 14d
BREAKING: Free AI training will be offered to every adult in the UK, with short courses to teach people how to use simple AI tools effectively in the workplace.

Technology Secretary Liz Kendall tells #BBCBreakfast about the scheme
January 28, 2026 at 9:40 AM
adriankirwan.bsky.social
IHTA is an amazing project for anyone interested in Irish History, Urban History and Cartography. Well worth a follow.
ihtaria.bsky.social ihtaria.bsky.social @ihtaria.bsky.social · 26d
Hello and welcome to the Irish Historic Towns Atlas BlueSky page! The IHTA is a long-term research programme housed by @ria.ie with the aim to record the topographical development and history of towns across the island of Ireland. To date, 32 atlases have been produced with many more in the works.
Excerpt from John Speed's map of Cork city in 1610 showing the line of rivers, walls, houses, bridges, churches etc from a birds eye view on a green background
January 16, 2026 at 9:07 PM
Reposted by Adrian Kirwan
abeba.bsky.social
are you disgruntled by the current safety evaluation landscape? curious about what conceptual clarity, methodological soundness and rigour in AI evaluation might look like? if so, consider coming to dublin and doing a phd with me

apply here: aial.ie/hiring/phd-a...
About the PhD Audits and evaluation of AI systems — and the broader context that AI systems operate in — have become central to conceptualising, quantifying, measuring and understanding the operations, failures, limitations, underlying assumptions, and downstream societal implications of AI systems. Existing AI audit and evaluation efforts are fractured, done in a siloed and ad-hoc manner, and with little deliberation and reflection around conceptual rigour and methodological validity. This PhD is for a candidate that is passionate about exploring what a conceptually cogent, methodologically sound, and well-founded AI evaluation and safety research might look like. This requires grappling with questions such as: What does it mean to represent “ground truth” in proxies, synthetic data, or computational simulation? How do we reliably measure abstract and complex phenomena? What are the epistemological or methodological implications of quantification and measurement approaches we choose to employ? Particularly, what underlying presuppositions, values, or perspectives do they entail? How do we ensure the lived experiences of impacted communities play a critical role in the development and justification of measurement metrics and proxies? Through exploration of these questions, the candidate is expected to engage with core concepts in the philosophy of science, history of science, Black feminist epistemologies, and similar schools of thought to develop an in-depth understanding of existing practices with the aim of applying it to advance shared standards and best practice in AI evaluation. The candidate is expected to integrate empirical (for example, through analysis or evaluation of existing benchmarks) or practical (for example, by executing evaluation of AI systems) components into the overall work.
December 17, 2025 at 7:33 PM
adriankirwan.bsky.social
Enjoy presenting today at Arqus European University Alliance workshop 'AI in teaching & Learning: International perspectives and best practices' on our work developing critical AI literacies with the Critical Skills programme, Maynooth University.
December 19, 2025 at 5:05 PM
Reposted by Adrian Kirwan
techwontsave.us
🚨 THE FINAL FOUR 🚨

We’re nearly at the end! 32 candidates have been narrowed down to a nefarious final four. But who will move on to the finals? You must decide!

🗳️ Cast your ballot: twsu.forms.app/wpit25-semif...
Bracket for the semifinals
December 18, 2025 at 2:46 PM
adriankirwan.bsky.social
Get your vote in!
techwontsave.us Tech Won’t Save Us @techwontsave.us · Dec 17
🚨 THE FINAL EIGHT 🚨

We’ve made it to the quarter finals — only two days away from crowning a winner for Worst Person in Tech 2025.

Don’t miss your chance to vote!

🗳️ Cast your ballot: twsu.forms.app/wpit2025-qf
Bracket showing 32 names narrowed down to a top 8.
December 17, 2025 at 2:38 PM
Reposted by Adrian Kirwan
techwontsave.us
🚨 ROUND TWO STARTS NOW 🚨

We’re down to the final 16 contestants as you decide who will be this year’s Worst Person In Tech!

Each day of this week new matchups will drop until we choose the winner on Friday.

🗳️ Cast your ballot: twsu.forms.app/wpit25-round...
Bracket of contestants in round two of the Worst Person in Tech
December 16, 2025 at 2:26 PM
Reposted by Adrian Kirwan
okwonga.bsky.social
Anyone who used ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, or the other targeted platforms while Urban VPN was installed after July 9, 2025 should assume those conversations are now on Urban VPN's servers and have been shared with third parties. Medical questions, financial details, proprietary code, personal dilemmas - all of it, sold for "marketing analytics purposes."
December 16, 2025 at 7:42 AM
Reposted by Adrian Kirwan
cbsnews.com
"Slop" chosen as Merriam-Webster's 2025 word of the year
"Slop" chosen as Merriam-Webster's 2025 word of the year
"Slop," which refers to creepy, zany and demonstrably fake content, has landed the title of Merriam-Webster's 2025 word of the year.
cbsn.ws
December 15, 2025 at 9:00 PM
Reposted by Adrian Kirwan
hstmnetworkireland.bsky.social
Do you love researching #History of #Science #Medicine or #Technology? #CFP now open for abstracts for the #HSTM Annual Meeting 26 April 2026 @unioflimerick.bsky.social CALL CLOSES 15 Jan 2026. This is a very friendly conference for those interested in how humans have constructed knowledge
December 12, 2025 at 7:38 PM
Reposted by Adrian Kirwan
chendirl.bsky.social
#HSTM has been quite a niche area in #Ireland and #Limerick seems to be the place to go for #IrishHistory in 2026! This is such a juicy theme! Maybe #Historians #Skystorians of #Philosophy have something to pitch in too. #CFP now open, call closes 15 Jan 2026 👇 #Speirgorm #Ireland #AcademicSky
hstmnetworkireland.bsky.social HSTM Network Ireland #HSTM @hstmnetworkireland.bsky.social · Dec 12
Do you love researching #History of #Science #Medicine or #Technology? #CFP now open for abstracts for the #HSTM Annual Meeting 26 April 2026 @unioflimerick.bsky.social CALL CLOSES 15 Jan 2026. This is a very friendly conference for those interested in how humans have constructed knowledge
December 12, 2025 at 7:54 PM
Reposted by Adrian Kirwan
historians.org
The AHA's Vetted Resources compile materials that have been professionally vetted by historians, offering instructors access to high-quality accessibility guides, pedagogy resources, and materials specific to a range of places, eras, topics, and fields that meet professional standards.🗃️
Vetted Resources - AHA
AHA Vetted Resources These resources include accessibility guides, pedagogy resources, and materials specific to a range of places, eras, topics, and fields, all shared by fellow historians or already...
www.historians.org
December 12, 2025 at 4:01 PM
adriankirwan.bsky.social
This could not possible go wrong.
December 12, 2025 at 3:59 PM
Reposted by Adrian Kirwan
ucdpress.bsky.social
*JOB FAIRY*

Role: Rights and Administration Assistant (1 year, part time)

UCD Press is seeking a person to support with rights and administration development. We are looking for a person to research, initiate and develop translation rights for the Press, especially in the Chinese market.
December 12, 2025 at 2:56 PM
Reposted by Adrian Kirwan
bettovanwaarden.bsky.social
My new book is now out in print:

POLITICIANS AND MASS MEDIA IN THE AGE OF EMPIRE
Examines how an expanding mass media created a new type of politician and system of transnational media politics between 1890 and World War I.

www.cambridge.org/core/books/p...
November 25, 2025 at 7:44 AM
Reposted by Adrian Kirwan
danmcquillan.bsky.social
Today, 12 EST/5 GMT.
danmcquillan.bsky.social Dan McQuillan @danmcquillan.bsky.social · Dec 8
"Our conversation with Dan McQuillan will examine the political stakes of AI, asking what can and should be done". Livestreamed Friday 12 EST/5 GMT on YouTube with audience Q&A. www.youtube.com/live/wi0u3Hs...
Screenshot of Youtube livestream page with a photo of Dan McQuillan and the talk title, 'Resisting AI', and timing, 12 EST / 5 GMT,
December 12, 2025 at 7:08 AM
Reposted by Adrian Kirwan
darwinsbulldog.bsky.social
Now on Bluesky: @darwin-online.bsky.social. Give 'em a follow!

#HPS #histsci
December 10, 2025 at 4:49 PM
Reposted by Adrian Kirwan
seroddy.bsky.social
We are delighted to announce that we'll be hosting the SSNCI conference in Maynooth next June. Call for papers attached. Please spread far and wide!
December 8, 2025 at 8:52 AM
Reposted by Adrian Kirwan
jathansadowski.com
Call for PhD Student!

I'm recruiting a PhD student to work with me on a project related to my Future Fellowship at Monash University on the political economy of insurance, risk technology, climate governance, and the crisis of uninsurability. Here's the overview of my fellowship.
A necessary analysis of polycrisis and its consequences must account for the industries, technologies, and policies that govern risks-and, crucially, how they engage in socio-technical processes of defining, predicting, and valuing risks. By synthesising the following objectives into a cohesive research program, this Future Fellowship aims to create essential empirical knowledge about urgent problems of insurability, which will inform new policy solutions and critical theories, all for the purpose of understanding and tackling the complex polycrisis at the nexus of insurance markets, risk technologies, and climate governance regimes. • Objective 1: Examine the design and construction of climate risk models by insurance industry and risk analytics firms to identify the assumptions, trade-offs, values, and goals built into these systems. • Objective 2: Engage directly with governments and communities at the frontlines of risk vulnerability to understand how abstract computational models and simulations connect to lived experiences and ground truth. • Objective 3: Develop new policies and frameworks for climate risk justice, which are informed by original empirical work and contribute to greater equity and security in risk governance. • Objective 4: Generate critical theoretical contributions that guide analytical and applied work about the techno-politics of risk governance in an age of global polycrisis. This fellowship advances our understanding of climate risk governance across three Workstreams. Workstream 1 will conduct ethnography at insurance industry conferences and with companies building climate risk models. Workstream 2 will engage in research with governments and communities who are managing the risks and realities of uninsurability from natural disasters. Workstream 3 will collaborate with a climate policy think tank to develop innovative policies grounded in original empirical research and conceptual analysis-that advance climate justice.
November 25, 2025 at 10:44 PM