Alison
@ampage.bsky.social
All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players. They have their exits and their entrances, and each one in their time plays many parts.
I have watched the first two episodes of Pluribus, the new SF series by Brian Singer. Almost all of humanity is united in a kind of benign mind-meld, with only a handful immune. Other viewers are guessing our protagonist will lead a global resistence to restore individuality. A r/w parable...
November 10, 2025 at 3:57 PM
I have watched the first two episodes of Pluribus, the new SF series by Brian Singer. Almost all of humanity is united in a kind of benign mind-meld, with only a handful immune. Other viewers are guessing our protagonist will lead a global resistence to restore individuality. A r/w parable...
Reposted by Alison
Don't kill spiders.
This time of year, spiders start coming inside. While it might terrify many of us (myself included), killing them is bad luck in some cultures, perhaps because they are such good pest control. Killing a spider might bring bad winter luck. #FolkloreSunday
🖼️: V. Rybakow
🖼️: V. Rybakow
November 9, 2025 at 2:29 PM
Don't kill spiders.
Reposted by Alison
The BBC is too important an institution to be judged on its news coverage alone. It's kind of been forgotten that for most people, the BBC is things like EastEnders, Strictly, The Traitors, Call The Midwife, repeats of TOTP on BBC4, Later, David Bloody Attenborough... not THE NEWS-
November 9, 2025 at 6:54 PM
The BBC is too important an institution to be judged on its news coverage alone. It's kind of been forgotten that for most people, the BBC is things like EastEnders, Strictly, The Traitors, Call The Midwife, repeats of TOTP on BBC4, Later, David Bloody Attenborough... not THE NEWS-
Reposted by Alison
In the spring of 1972, John Myers, then in his late twenties, started taking portraits of his neighbors in and around the town of Stourbridge, in England’s West Midlands.
November 9, 2025 at 5:34 PM
In the spring of 1972, John Myers, then in his late twenties, started taking portraits of his neighbors in and around the town of Stourbridge, in England’s West Midlands.
Reposted by Alison
It's funny that Musk is like "empathy will destroy society" and then cries when someone is mean to him
November 9, 2025 at 4:38 PM
It's funny that Musk is like "empathy will destroy society" and then cries when someone is mean to him
Reposted by Alison
This, talking about the books that have been published with interviews of senior Labour figures bragging about how they deliberately wrecked their own party and Britain into Boris Johnson and diamond hard Brexit. I imagine a lot of folk would take that stuff back now, if they could.
I can’t help but think that when they wrote their book, they felt they could be very bold about what happened because it would all be celebrated as master politics from people on the way to bossing it in government. Perhaps now they and others are wishing they’d been a bit more circumspect.
November 8, 2025 at 1:45 PM
This, talking about the books that have been published with interviews of senior Labour figures bragging about how they deliberately wrecked their own party and Britain into Boris Johnson and diamond hard Brexit. I imagine a lot of folk would take that stuff back now, if they could.
An interesting read. Damning that academics use AI as stand ins for human research subjects. Higher Ed is in a very bad place.
LLMs are now widely used in social science as stand-ins for humans—assuming they can produce realistic, human-like text
But... can they? We don’t actually know.
In our new study, we develop a Computational Turing Test.
And our findings are striking:
LLMs may be far less human-like than we think.🧵
But... can they? We don’t actually know.
In our new study, we develop a Computational Turing Test.
And our findings are striking:
LLMs may be far less human-like than we think.🧵
Computational Turing Test Reveals Systematic Differences Between Human and AI Language
Large language models (LLMs) are increasingly used in the social sciences to simulate human behavior, based on the assumption that they can generate realistic, human-like text. Yet this assumption rem...
arxiv.org
November 7, 2025 at 5:34 PM
An interesting read. Damning that academics use AI as stand ins for human research subjects. Higher Ed is in a very bad place.
Pluribus! Rhea Seehorn as a writer of sexy SF ('Bloodstone of Wycaro') and the sole human immune to the alien happiness virus.
November 7, 2025 at 7:18 AM
Pluribus! Rhea Seehorn as a writer of sexy SF ('Bloodstone of Wycaro') and the sole human immune to the alien happiness virus.
Reposted by Alison
bro are you fucking kidding me
![quote from the Economist article which says "[study authors] are now looking at whether AI facial analysis can give lenders useful clues about a person’s propensity to repay loans. For people without access to credit, that could be a blessing."](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:6ofjbklfvptnupad4lxumblw/bafkreia3yctiqd7ejumpd6novxjpiycphtfkc3bdgd573jw37faqdl7o7m@jpeg)
November 6, 2025 at 5:59 PM
bro are you fucking kidding me
I can still recall this page. The mouse has a big pair of scissors. I used to read it in a funny voice and make my children laugh.
Hello, hello. Are you there?
Hello! I called you up to say hello.
I said Hello.
Can you hear me, Joe?
Oh no, I cannot hear your call.
I cannot hear your call at all.
This is not good, and I know why.
A mouse has cut the wire, goodbye!
Hello! I called you up to say hello.
I said Hello.
Can you hear me, Joe?
Oh no, I cannot hear your call.
I cannot hear your call at all.
This is not good, and I know why.
A mouse has cut the wire, goodbye!
November 7, 2025 at 5:02 AM
I can still recall this page. The mouse has a big pair of scissors. I used to read it in a funny voice and make my children laugh.
The wind-down of Reform has begun at last in the UK. I think/hope the party has peaked too early. They functioned best as a vague repository for grumpy feelings. They do not have enough people with the strength of character to run a county council, let alone a government.
It’s right of course that Reform’s mad economic policies are scrutinised, but it’s still quite weird to frame “What a Reform government would really look like” as if it was just a bit of trouble making budget cuts, while omitting the ICE-style mass thuggery as they aim to deport 1% of the population
What a UK government led by Reform would really look like
What the party's first six months at the helm at local level shows about how they govern - and whether they can keep their promises
www.bbc.co.uk
November 6, 2025 at 6:35 AM
The wind-down of Reform has begun at last in the UK. I think/hope the party has peaked too early. They functioned best as a vague repository for grumpy feelings. They do not have enough people with the strength of character to run a county council, let alone a government.
A race now between AI companies getting the money from Trump, and the end of the MAGA gravy train.
BREAKING: OpenAI is requesting US government support to help guarantee financing for the massive investments in AI chips and data centers it needs for expansion, per Bloomberg.
November 6, 2025 at 6:07 AM
A race now between AI companies getting the money from Trump, and the end of the MAGA gravy train.
Reposted by Alison
too big to fail speedrun
BREAKING: OpenAI is requesting US government support to help guarantee financing for the massive investments in AI chips and data centers it needs for expansion, per Bloomberg.
November 6, 2025 at 1:30 AM
too big to fail speedrun
Will get this. Just my sort of thing
November’s book of the month is The Whispers of Rock by @anjanakhatwa.bsky.social
An incredible book, it makes geology accessible but without dumbing it down. Moving across the world forming links between places, people & rocks. We urge you all to seek out!
An incredible book, it makes geology accessible but without dumbing it down. Moving across the world forming links between places, people & rocks. We urge you all to seek out!
November 5, 2025 at 1:03 PM
Will get this. Just my sort of thing
I am reading The Rose Field which is the final book in Philip Pullman's double trilogy His Dark Materials/ Book of Dust. I'm a big fan and I'm enjoying it a lot. I was worried it wouldn't shape up but seems to have maintained the style I like
November 5, 2025 at 1:01 PM
I am reading The Rose Field which is the final book in Philip Pullman's double trilogy His Dark Materials/ Book of Dust. I'm a big fan and I'm enjoying it a lot. I was worried it wouldn't shape up but seems to have maintained the style I like
Reposted by Alison
It was the best of Tims, it was the worst of Tims.
November 2, 2025 at 5:22 PM
It was the best of Tims, it was the worst of Tims.
I sat through a presentation on using AI to generate maths test questions - which is actually not the worst use - I was open minded. But the questions and matching answers displayed as examples were all wrong. They looked like maths questions but they were number salad.
November 2, 2025 at 6:26 AM
I sat through a presentation on using AI to generate maths test questions - which is actually not the worst use - I was open minded. But the questions and matching answers displayed as examples were all wrong. They looked like maths questions but they were number salad.
I should get a block of coursework in today for marking. Only one of my students is likely to use AI - he's not confident in English. People I meet who struggle to express themselves embrace AI. Understandable if English is a second or third language. Or if they work under unmanageable pressure.
November 2, 2025 at 6:15 AM
I should get a block of coursework in today for marking. Only one of my students is likely to use AI - he's not confident in English. People I meet who struggle to express themselves embrace AI. Understandable if English is a second or third language. Or if they work under unmanageable pressure.
Reposted by Alison
Also IMO far and away the best music Eric Clapton ever did. (RETVRN, once we were a great nation that could afford global rock stars to do soundtracks for our public service broadcaster)
Time to watch some proper grownup telly you losers
Great news - one of the best mini-series ever with a dazzling & eccentric screenplay by Troy Kennedy Martin & superb direction by Martin Campbell is back on iplayer.
If you haven’t seen it then you’re in for a real treat.
Come for Bob Peck, stay for Joe Don Baker.
www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/epis...
If you haven’t seen it then you’re in for a real treat.
Come for Bob Peck, stay for Joe Don Baker.
www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/epis...
November 1, 2025 at 7:14 PM
Also IMO far and away the best music Eric Clapton ever did. (RETVRN, once we were a great nation that could afford global rock stars to do soundtracks for our public service broadcaster)
Reposted by Alison
Great news - one of the best mini-series ever with a dazzling & eccentric screenplay by Troy Kennedy Martin & superb direction by Martin Campbell is back on iplayer.
If you haven’t seen it then you’re in for a real treat.
Come for Bob Peck, stay for Joe Don Baker.
www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/epis...
If you haven’t seen it then you’re in for a real treat.
Come for Bob Peck, stay for Joe Don Baker.
www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/epis...
Edge of Darkness - Series 1: 1. Compassionate Leave
Thriller set in a world of obsessive state security. Ronald Craven is haunted by the murder of his daughter and begins his own investigation into her death.
www.bbc.co.uk
November 1, 2025 at 4:57 PM
Great news - one of the best mini-series ever with a dazzling & eccentric screenplay by Troy Kennedy Martin & superb direction by Martin Campbell is back on iplayer.
If you haven’t seen it then you’re in for a real treat.
Come for Bob Peck, stay for Joe Don Baker.
www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/epis...
If you haven’t seen it then you’re in for a real treat.
Come for Bob Peck, stay for Joe Don Baker.
www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/epis...
Reposted by Alison
Remake Poltergeist and the little girl in the TV is in there with them
AI sitcom accidentally a Lynchian fever dream. The sort of general malaise that only the genius possess and insane lament.
October 30, 2025 at 4:33 AM
Remake Poltergeist and the little girl in the TV is in there with them
Reposted by Alison
There are some goofy pulp stories that until just now felt unrealistic because they end with the main character scribbling in their diary, "The monsters are at the door! No no no..."
Until just now.
Until just now.
October 29, 2025 at 11:16 PM
There are some goofy pulp stories that until just now felt unrealistic because they end with the main character scribbling in their diary, "The monsters are at the door! No no no..."
Until just now.
Until just now.
Reposted by Alison
At a fundamental level, we have to accept much of silicon valley has gone insane.
An ex-Intel CEO’s mission to build a Christian AI: ‘hasten the coming of Christ’s return’
Patrick Gelsinger, executive chairman of Gloo, has made it his mission to advance Christian principles in Silicon Valley
www.theguardian.com
October 28, 2025 at 1:28 PM
At a fundamental level, we have to accept much of silicon valley has gone insane.
Now I'm reading Act of Oblivion by Robert Harris because there weren't that many English-language books at the airport. It's an historical novel about the hunt to arrest and execute the Puritan regicides after the restoration of the monarchy. It's pretty good. Not my usual thing.
October 28, 2025 at 4:29 PM
Now I'm reading Act of Oblivion by Robert Harris because there weren't that many English-language books at the airport. It's an historical novel about the hunt to arrest and execute the Puritan regicides after the restoration of the monarchy. It's pretty good. Not my usual thing.