David Adger
@davidadger.bsky.social
syntax and other stuff, mainly more linguistics and cogsci but occasional queerness, poetry, cats and @ans.bsky.social 🏳️🌈
https://davidadger.org
https://davidadger.org
Reposted by David Adger
When AI was added to a tool for sinus surgery: “Cerebrospinal fluid leaked from one patient’s nose. In another… a surgeon mistakenly punctured the base of a patient’s skull. In two other cases, patients suffered strokes after a major artery was accidentally injured”
www.reuters.com/investigatio...
www.reuters.com/investigatio...
As AI enters the operating room, reports arise of botched surgeries and misidentified body parts
Medical device makers have been rushing to add AI to their products. While proponents say the new technology will revolutionize medicine, regulators are receiving a rising number of claims of patient ...
www.reuters.com
February 9, 2026 at 11:42 PM
When AI was added to a tool for sinus surgery: “Cerebrospinal fluid leaked from one patient’s nose. In another… a surgeon mistakenly punctured the base of a patient’s skull. In two other cases, patients suffered strokes after a major artery was accidentally injured”
www.reuters.com/investigatio...
www.reuters.com/investigatio...
Reading @tashwalker.bsky.social and @adamzmith.bsky.social ‘s amazing new book The Logbooks and this call to Gay Switchboard they quote had me in hysterics #lgbthistories
February 7, 2026 at 10:52 AM
Reading @tashwalker.bsky.social and @adamzmith.bsky.social ‘s amazing new book The Logbooks and this call to Gay Switchboard they quote had me in hysterics #lgbthistories
Reposted by David Adger
Sir Ian McKellen performing a monologue from Shakespeare’s Sir Thomas More on the Stephen Colbert show. Never have I heard this monologue performed with such a keen sense of prescience. Nor have I ever been in this exact historical moment.TY Sir Ian, for reaching us once again.
#Pinks #ProudBlue
#Pinks #ProudBlue
February 5, 2026 at 11:50 AM
Sir Ian McKellen performing a monologue from Shakespeare’s Sir Thomas More on the Stephen Colbert show. Never have I heard this monologue performed with such a keen sense of prescience. Nor have I ever been in this exact historical moment.TY Sir Ian, for reaching us once again.
#Pinks #ProudBlue
#Pinks #ProudBlue
Reposted by David Adger
Reposted by David Adger
What we all need to see is a red squirrel in a power pose.
You're welcome.
You're welcome.
January 29, 2026 at 8:21 AM
What we all need to see is a red squirrel in a power pose.
You're welcome.
You're welcome.
Reposted by David Adger
Illustrations from the beguiling Clavis Artis, a German alchemical manuscript which claims to hail from the 13th century and have pages made from dragon skin: https://publicdomainreview.org/collection/clavis-artis
January 28, 2026 at 8:46 PM
Illustrations from the beguiling Clavis Artis, a German alchemical manuscript which claims to hail from the 13th century and have pages made from dragon skin: https://publicdomainreview.org/collection/clavis-artis
Reposted by David Adger
One more time, syntax matters. I do hope the snake had a good time, though.
January 25, 2026 at 6:43 PM
One more time, syntax matters. I do hope the snake had a good time, though.
Reposted by David Adger
I reckon it would be a good move for cinemas in the US to be showing the original Downfall film now. Magnificent film with huge relevance for today
January 27, 2026 at 8:54 AM
I reckon it would be a good move for cinemas in the US to be showing the original Downfall film now. Magnificent film with huge relevance for today
Reposted by David Adger
January 26, 2026 at 9:00 AM
Reposted by David Adger
New blog post "Achievements 2025" userblogs.fu-berlin.de/langsci-pres...
January 27, 2026 at 8:22 AM
New blog post "Achievements 2025" userblogs.fu-berlin.de/langsci-pres...
Reposted by David Adger
I really understand very little about the current version of reality.
January 25, 2026 at 10:26 PM
I really understand very little about the current version of reality.
Reposted by David Adger
Same story over and over. These larpers - Kirkegard, Pesta et al - pumping out the same effluence with their strategy - exposed by @harryshukman.bsky.social + @hopenothate.org.uk - to normalise and spread scientific racism. They KNOW it's bullshit too.
Read this:
www.theguardian.com/world/2024/o...
Read this:
www.theguardian.com/world/2024/o...
January 25, 2026 at 11:39 AM
Same story over and over. These larpers - Kirkegard, Pesta et al - pumping out the same effluence with their strategy - exposed by @harryshukman.bsky.social + @hopenothate.org.uk - to normalise and spread scientific racism. They KNOW it's bullshit too.
Read this:
www.theguardian.com/world/2024/o...
Read this:
www.theguardian.com/world/2024/o...
I've just used Good Law Project's tool to email MPs on the Council of Europe about the conversion therapy ban and Sex Matter’s transphobic threats. goodlaw.social/9f10d1
Stop Sex Matters infiltrating the Council of Europe
In just one week, the Council of Europe will be voting to ban conversion therapy. This would be an incredibly important step to stop the rollback in the rights of LGBTQ+ people. But Sex Matters is inf...
goodlaw.social
January 23, 2026 at 3:11 PM
I've just used Good Law Project's tool to email MPs on the Council of Europe about the conversion therapy ban and Sex Matter’s transphobic threats. goodlaw.social/9f10d1
Reposted by David Adger
I just created a series of seven deep-dive videos about AI, which I've posted to youtube and now here. 😊
Targeted to laypeople, they explore how LLMs work, what they can do, and what impacts they have on learning, well-being, disinformation, the workplace, the economy, and the environment.
Targeted to laypeople, they explore how LLMs work, what they can do, and what impacts they have on learning, well-being, disinformation, the workplace, the economy, and the environment.
Part 1: How do LLMs work?
YouTube video by Andrew Perfors
www.youtube.com
January 22, 2026 at 12:45 AM
I just created a series of seven deep-dive videos about AI, which I've posted to youtube and now here. 😊
Targeted to laypeople, they explore how LLMs work, what they can do, and what impacts they have on learning, well-being, disinformation, the workplace, the economy, and the environment.
Targeted to laypeople, they explore how LLMs work, what they can do, and what impacts they have on learning, well-being, disinformation, the workplace, the economy, and the environment.
Do love some syntactic ambiguity in the morning
Yesterday it was cows using tools, today its penguins using satellite imagery.
January 21, 2026 at 7:31 AM
Do love some syntactic ambiguity in the morning
Reposted by David Adger
You can find me in the Times flying the flag for humanities and social sciences in this story about changes to funding at @ukri.org
www.thetimes.com/article/be92...
www.thetimes.com/article/be92...
January 19, 2026 at 8:50 PM
You can find me in the Times flying the flag for humanities and social sciences in this story about changes to funding at @ukri.org
www.thetimes.com/article/be92...
www.thetimes.com/article/be92...
Reposted by David Adger
I feel I should bang the drum for this post, which hasn't received the love it deserves.
It helps to know that Jenrick's constituency is Newark.
It helps to know that Jenrick's constituency is Newark.
Robert Jenrick is unique in British politics for being the only MP who is an anagram of his constituency
January 18, 2026 at 12:58 PM
I feel I should bang the drum for this post, which hasn't received the love it deserves.
It helps to know that Jenrick's constituency is Newark.
It helps to know that Jenrick's constituency is Newark.
Reposted by David Adger
“The United States will not let men steal trophies from women…”
- says guy who happily took the Nobel Peace Prize awarded to a woman
- says guy who happily took the Nobel Peace Prize awarded to a woman
January 17, 2026 at 8:58 AM
“The United States will not let men steal trophies from women…”
- says guy who happily took the Nobel Peace Prize awarded to a woman
- says guy who happily took the Nobel Peace Prize awarded to a woman
Reposted by David Adger
The Doomsday Machine that is our university funding system will destroy everything in the end. First it destroys individual lives, then social mobility, then most universities, followed by the structure of income tax and the pension system. In the end it could threaten to destroy the economy itself.
I left university in 2019 with £49,600 of debt. A few months later, I became an MP and have since received a salary that puts me in the top 5% in the country. 6 years on, the repayments from my salary have brought this total to down to £48,600 - just £1,000 less.
January 17, 2026 at 10:34 AM
The Doomsday Machine that is our university funding system will destroy everything in the end. First it destroys individual lives, then social mobility, then most universities, followed by the structure of income tax and the pension system. In the end it could threaten to destroy the economy itself.
Reposted by David Adger
The new chair of EHRC within first week seeking to meet with transphobic group about how to collaborate 🤮 So much for Stephenson wanting to build relationships with LGBTQI+ community again and to be judged on her actions.
The fight continues.
Wonder what @commonswec.parliament.uk can do?
The fight continues.
Wonder what @commonswec.parliament.uk can do?
FOI reveals that within the first week in office, Dr Mary-Ann Stephenson requested a meeting with Sex Matters to discuss "mutual priorities and ways to work together going forward"
January 17, 2026 at 8:29 AM
The new chair of EHRC within first week seeking to meet with transphobic group about how to collaborate 🤮 So much for Stephenson wanting to build relationships with LGBTQI+ community again and to be judged on her actions.
The fight continues.
Wonder what @commonswec.parliament.uk can do?
The fight continues.
Wonder what @commonswec.parliament.uk can do?
great post by @dingemansemark.bsky.social on predatory publishers in academia, some of whom are quite well established and reputable ideophone.org/on-plagiaris...
On plagiarism, predatory publishers and creating the future we want – The Ideophone
ideophone.org
January 17, 2026 at 8:31 AM
great post by @dingemansemark.bsky.social on predatory publishers in academia, some of whom are quite well established and reputable ideophone.org/on-plagiaris...
Reposted by David Adger
Please help spread the word on this, especially to those who may be feeling cold winds towards their research.
We’ve opened the call for our International Fellowships, enabling early career researchers to work for two years at a UK research institution
www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/funding/sche...
We’ve opened the call for our International Fellowships, enabling early career researchers to work for two years at a UK research institution
www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/funding/sche...
January 15, 2026 at 8:00 PM
Please help spread the word on this, especially to those who may be feeling cold winds towards their research.
We’ve opened the call for our International Fellowships, enabling early career researchers to work for two years at a UK research institution
www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/funding/sche...
We’ve opened the call for our International Fellowships, enabling early career researchers to work for two years at a UK research institution
www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/funding/sche...
Reposted by David Adger
Just published "The (in)transparency of meaning change and variation: A study of the indefinite cualquiera in European and Argentinian Spanish" by Olga Kellert #openaccess #ahl langsci-press.org/catalog/book...
January 13, 2026 at 2:22 PM
Just published "The (in)transparency of meaning change and variation: A study of the indefinite cualquiera in European and Argentinian Spanish" by Olga Kellert #openaccess #ahl langsci-press.org/catalog/book...
Reposted by David Adger
Excited to share that our book "History of Ideas in the Science of AI" (co-authored with Luc Steels and Ann Dooms) is now freely available as #OpenAccess!
#OpenScience, #AIResearch, #HistoryOfAI
doi.org/10.5281/zeno...
#OpenScience, #AIResearch, #HistoryOfAI
doi.org/10.5281/zeno...
January 12, 2026 at 9:33 AM
Excited to share that our book "History of Ideas in the Science of AI" (co-authored with Luc Steels and Ann Dooms) is now freely available as #OpenAccess!
#OpenScience, #AIResearch, #HistoryOfAI
doi.org/10.5281/zeno...
#OpenScience, #AIResearch, #HistoryOfAI
doi.org/10.5281/zeno...
Reposted by David Adger
our profile of Nadhim Zahawi from 2023, including
- his friendship with author-turned-jailbird Jeffrey Archer
- his HMRC settlement of nearly £5mn, made up of £3.7mn of unpaid taxes, a £1.1mn fine and some interest
- his work as an oil industry fixer *while* a Tory MP
www.ft.com/content/9a49...
- his friendship with author-turned-jailbird Jeffrey Archer
- his HMRC settlement of nearly £5mn, made up of £3.7mn of unpaid taxes, a £1.1mn fine and some interest
- his work as an oil industry fixer *while* a Tory MP
www.ft.com/content/9a49...
From Iraqi oilfields to Tory HQ: how Nadhim Zahawi mixed business and politics
The UK Conservative party chair’s tax travails are the latest chapter in a career that has brought him great wealth
www.ft.com
January 12, 2026 at 11:59 AM
our profile of Nadhim Zahawi from 2023, including
- his friendship with author-turned-jailbird Jeffrey Archer
- his HMRC settlement of nearly £5mn, made up of £3.7mn of unpaid taxes, a £1.1mn fine and some interest
- his work as an oil industry fixer *while* a Tory MP
www.ft.com/content/9a49...
- his friendship with author-turned-jailbird Jeffrey Archer
- his HMRC settlement of nearly £5mn, made up of £3.7mn of unpaid taxes, a £1.1mn fine and some interest
- his work as an oil industry fixer *while* a Tory MP
www.ft.com/content/9a49...