Dr Darcey Gillie
@dfgillie.bsky.social
Careers consultant. Still loves mountains, knitting, bumblebees, agus Gàidhlig cuideachd. #Archbiscuit of #TheBiscuitAppreciationSociety Inbhir Nis. #BeeKind
Pinned
Reposted by Dr Darcey Gillie
There are a bunch of reply guys to this being like 'ok AI sucks in a lot of ways but why does chess matter?' And not to counter well actually the well actuallies, but it does in fact speak to a fundamental flaw in LLMs, as Gary Marcus describes in this piece (also where I found the chess example)
Generative AI’s crippling and widespread failure to induce robust models of the world
LLM failures to reason, as documented in Apple’s Illusion of Thinking paper, are really only part of a much deeper problem
open.substack.com
January 6, 2026 at 3:10 PM
There are a bunch of reply guys to this being like 'ok AI sucks in a lot of ways but why does chess matter?' And not to counter well actually the well actuallies, but it does in fact speak to a fundamental flaw in LLMs, as Gary Marcus describes in this piece (also where I found the chess example)
Reposted by Dr Darcey Gillie
'In an era of climate uncertainty, Irish weather lore points to something we risk losing: the habit of paying attention to what nature is telling us' ...
Reading the sky: how Irish weather lore preserved a deep understanding of the natural world
Irish people have historically looked to the natural world to forecast the weather and make sense of their surroundings.
theconversation.com
January 6, 2026 at 2:36 PM
'In an era of climate uncertainty, Irish weather lore points to something we risk losing: the habit of paying attention to what nature is telling us' ...
Hey Bluesky, send us your best ducks
(Happy #InternationalUnsolicitedDuckPicDay to all who celebrate)
(Happy #InternationalUnsolicitedDuckPicDay to all who celebrate)
January 6, 2026 at 12:46 PM
Also current status in IV2
January 6, 2026 at 12:41 PM
Also current status in IV2
Current status in IV2
January 6, 2026 at 12:40 PM
Current status in IV2
@bigdaveg.bsky.social Happy Birthday from me and @martingillie.bsky.social
a cat wearing a sombrero is eating a piece of cake .
ALT: a cat wearing a sombrero is eating a piece of cake .
media.tenor.com
January 5, 2026 at 10:17 PM
@bigdaveg.bsky.social Happy Birthday from me and @martingillie.bsky.social
Reposted by Dr Darcey Gillie
Indeed - and it means we actually had a white Christmas!
Happy twelfth night everyone! It is still Christmas, and anyone who says different us weird and being weird.
🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄
🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄
January 5, 2026 at 10:57 AM
Indeed - and it means we actually had a white Christmas!
Reposted by Dr Darcey Gillie
We just had an illuminating realization that tomorrow is the Epiphany.
January 5, 2026 at 2:22 PM
We just had an illuminating realization that tomorrow is the Epiphany.
Just permanently deleted twitter 😔 sad to see what it became although not entirely surprised. Grateful for all the good times, debates, new friends, and things I learned.
January 5, 2026 at 6:49 PM
Just permanently deleted twitter 😔 sad to see what it became although not entirely surprised. Grateful for all the good times, debates, new friends, and things I learned.
My friends in Austria sent this and I can't stop watching...wait for the end. 🤗💜
January 5, 2026 at 5:32 PM
Reposted by Dr Darcey Gillie
It’s true. Scots will deep-fry anything.
January 5, 2026 at 12:08 PM
It’s true. Scots will deep-fry anything.
No more nice cheese, no more malmsey, no more mince pies, no more holiday.
a statue of a dinosaur with a big eye
ALT: a statue of a dinosaur with a big eye
media.tenor.com
January 4, 2026 at 9:05 PM
No more nice cheese, no more malmsey, no more mince pies, no more holiday.
Cavolo nero, onions, garlic, green olives, pine nuts, broad beans, chickpeas, sundried tomato, harissa paste, ras el hanout - roast. To serve - lemon, yogurt and tahini dressing.
January 4, 2026 at 7:46 PM
Cavolo nero, onions, garlic, green olives, pine nuts, broad beans, chickpeas, sundried tomato, harissa paste, ras el hanout - roast. To serve - lemon, yogurt and tahini dressing.
Reposted by Dr Darcey Gillie
-2C by the Union Canal in Edinburgh.
Only a swan could fall through broken ice so gracefully. 🦢
Only a swan could fall through broken ice so gracefully. 🦢
January 4, 2026 at 4:40 PM
-2C by the Union Canal in Edinburgh.
Only a swan could fall through broken ice so gracefully. 🦢
Only a swan could fall through broken ice so gracefully. 🦢
Reposted by Dr Darcey Gillie
The wisdom of Mr. Rogers is eternal:
January 4, 2026 at 11:57 AM
The wisdom of Mr. Rogers is eternal:
Noticed this when, as a childless former cat lady, building my snowman yesterday. Most adults sort of crab walked past me and avoided making eye contact. Otoh,it's right outside the window and later on could see, and hear delighted comments (especially when bathroom window was out 🙄) from all ages.
One of the perks of having small kids is you're socially allowed to be feral again, running around soft play, doing silly voices, climbing stuff, and everyone just thinks you're a "great parent". Dreading the day they grow up and I have to go back to pretending I'm normal.
January 4, 2026 at 10:44 AM
Noticed this when, as a childless former cat lady, building my snowman yesterday. Most adults sort of crab walked past me and avoided making eye contact. Otoh,it's right outside the window and later on could see, and hear delighted comments (especially when bathroom window was out 🙄) from all ages.
Spotted by alert #biscuiteer @fidaisyg.bsky.social 👀 Always a delight to encounter applied biscuit appreciation in the world #TheBiscuitAppreciationSociety
Still getting attention in Bath with heritage events www.brlsi.org/baking-dr-ol... and the replacement #BathSquare parkfarm.co.uk/products/bat...
Baking Dr Oliver’s Biscuits For Heritage Open Day! – Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution
Dr William Oliver (1695–1764), one of the founding fathers of the Bath General Hospital, tussled with this problem. He also suffered from gout, observing that “It pricks, tears and rends the nervous m...
www.brlsi.org
January 4, 2026 at 10:24 AM
Spotted by alert #biscuiteer @fidaisyg.bsky.social 👀 Always a delight to encounter applied biscuit appreciation in the world #TheBiscuitAppreciationSociety
Reposted by Dr Darcey Gillie
January (detail), Castello del Buonconsiglio (Trento, Italy), c. 1400
January 4, 2026 at 1:03 AM
January (detail), Castello del Buonconsiglio (Trento, Italy), c. 1400
Late stroll. The moon is an attentive pupil in an eye of tinted cloud iris. A security light draws a bar code with tree shadows. Roadworks have closed the path, and my diversion is lit by a redambergreen traffic disco. My phone torch catches my breath, and I am a dragon.
January 3, 2026 at 8:06 PM
Reposted by Dr Darcey Gillie
The next online talk will look at life on the road in the mediaeval period. What was it like to travel, who could be found on the road, and what observations did they leave us?
I'll be live online at 7pmGMT on Wednesday 28 January.
Booking & more info:
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-mediae...
I'll be live online at 7pmGMT on Wednesday 28 January.
Booking & more info:
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-mediae...
January 3, 2026 at 12:16 PM
The next online talk will look at life on the road in the mediaeval period. What was it like to travel, who could be found on the road, and what observations did they leave us?
I'll be live online at 7pmGMT on Wednesday 28 January.
Booking & more info:
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-mediae...
I'll be live online at 7pmGMT on Wednesday 28 January.
Booking & more info:
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-mediae...
Reposted by Dr Darcey Gillie
It's back in its proper place and functioning better than ever.
2026 is full of surprises. Just went up stairs to discover bathroom sash window completely removed from its frame on the coldest day of the year.
"It just came out."
"It just came out."
a black and white cat is laying on its back on a bed
ALT: a black and white cat is laying on its back on a bed
media.tenor.com
January 3, 2026 at 4:42 PM
It's back in its proper place and functioning better than ever.
I can't seem to reply to @lakesstiles.bsky.social post or the original - but he's drawn attention to some great #biscuiteering - real gold medal effort #TheBiscuitAppreciationSociety
I've never heard of these. 🥰
@dfgillie.bsky.social ⬆️
Did you hear (different scale, obvs) BBC Radio Cumbria programme about Carlisle's biscuit factory? It's ace.
@dfgillie.bsky.social ⬆️
Did you hear (different scale, obvs) BBC Radio Cumbria programme about Carlisle's biscuit factory? It's ace.
January 3, 2026 at 4:38 PM
I can't seem to reply to @lakesstiles.bsky.social post or the original - but he's drawn attention to some great #biscuiteering - real gold medal effort #TheBiscuitAppreciationSociety
2026 is full of surprises. Just went up stairs to discover bathroom sash window completely removed from its frame on the coldest day of the year.
"It just came out."
"It just came out."
a black and white cat is laying on its back on a bed
ALT: a black and white cat is laying on its back on a bed
media.tenor.com
January 3, 2026 at 1:08 PM
2026 is full of surprises. Just went up stairs to discover bathroom sash window completely removed from its frame on the coldest day of the year.
"It just came out."
"It just came out."
Absolute scenes in IV2 @simonvarwell.bsky.social @dgplacenames.bsky.social
January 3, 2026 at 11:20 AM
Absolute scenes in IV2 @simonvarwell.bsky.social @dgplacenames.bsky.social