EssayWells
@essaywells.bsky.social
Scientist, husband, parent, possibly a little too into Dungeons and Dragons. @essayWells on Twitter (Ex-Twitter?)
Reposted by EssayWells
Second time in 3 days I’m posting this Vonnegut quote wrt AI.
February 8, 2026 at 4:57 PM
Second time in 3 days I’m posting this Vonnegut quote wrt AI.
Reposted by EssayWells
An F-16 fighter jet of Ukraine's Air Force spectacularly shoots down a Russian Shahed-136 kamikaze drone in the skies over Ukraine.
📹 Telegram/AirTeam UA
📹 Telegram/AirTeam UA
February 8, 2026 at 8:08 PM
An F-16 fighter jet of Ukraine's Air Force spectacularly shoots down a Russian Shahed-136 kamikaze drone in the skies over Ukraine.
📹 Telegram/AirTeam UA
📹 Telegram/AirTeam UA
Reposted by EssayWells
6. Telling people off for being excited about something positive and productive in this time of relentless shit is not praxis. It’s being a miserable shitlord. I’m sure it feels great to tell people off online, but you’re being a dick.
February 8, 2026 at 7:21 PM
6. Telling people off for being excited about something positive and productive in this time of relentless shit is not praxis. It’s being a miserable shitlord. I’m sure it feels great to tell people off online, but you’re being a dick.
Reposted by EssayWells
Morgan McSweeney's genius is twofold: he is literally amazing at 1) despising the left and 2) giving exclusives to journalists who also despise the left. I can't believe those smarts didn't have staying power!
February 8, 2026 at 2:58 PM
Morgan McSweeney's genius is twofold: he is literally amazing at 1) despising the left and 2) giving exclusives to journalists who also despise the left. I can't believe those smarts didn't have staying power!
Reposted by EssayWells
the thing i'm waiting for with the ai romance novel lady is for another scammer to figure out that purely ai-generated material w no human authorship is generally not considered to be protected by copyright in the US rn, and saving themselves the 45 mins per book by reselling hers
February 8, 2026 at 6:06 PM
the thing i'm waiting for with the ai romance novel lady is for another scammer to figure out that purely ai-generated material w no human authorship is generally not considered to be protected by copyright in the US rn, and saving themselves the 45 mins per book by reselling hers
Reposted by EssayWells
consumer-facing llm chatbots must be stopped.
it's like crack to some people. worse, maybe, because they are being led to believe they're doing the smart thing by using "AI"
it's like crack to some people. worse, maybe, because they are being led to believe they're doing the smart thing by using "AI"
according to a pediatric ER doctor my wife follows on Instagram they have started to see children coming in sick because their parents are asking ChatGPT what the correct dosage is on over the counter medication instead of just looking at the instructions on the bottle
One of the easiest ways to shoot down the idea that "AI" is an expert is to show how it deals with something people know about.
Younger readers may not get this as most appliances come pre-wired, but anyone 35+ can see these are chaotic fire hazards.
From Mastodon, AI asked how to wire a plug:
Younger readers may not get this as most appliances come pre-wired, but anyone 35+ can see these are chaotic fire hazards.
From Mastodon, AI asked how to wire a plug:
February 8, 2026 at 4:44 PM
consumer-facing llm chatbots must be stopped.
it's like crack to some people. worse, maybe, because they are being led to believe they're doing the smart thing by using "AI"
it's like crack to some people. worse, maybe, because they are being led to believe they're doing the smart thing by using "AI"
Reposted by EssayWells
Why is a contributing editor to Harper's and a lecturer at Columbia Law cribbing independent journalist Marisa Kabas's posts word for word without attribution
February 8, 2026 at 5:12 PM
Why is a contributing editor to Harper's and a lecturer at Columbia Law cribbing independent journalist Marisa Kabas's posts word for word without attribution
Reposted by EssayWells
people who say that all creative endeavor can be replaced with AI probably need to reckon with the fact that all televised sports events with human athletes could easily be replicated by high-definition computer-animated simulations….and yet we don’t do this and no one seems to want to.
February 8, 2026 at 7:26 PM
people who say that all creative endeavor can be replaced with AI probably need to reckon with the fact that all televised sports events with human athletes could easily be replicated by high-definition computer-animated simulations….and yet we don’t do this and no one seems to want to.
Reposted by EssayWells
Sometimes I think “everyone is twelve” is overstated. Then I see the literal health secretary announcing that he will never eat his vegetables and you can’t make him.
RFK Jr on what he'll eat during the Super Bowl: "I am on a carnivore diet so I just eat meat and ferments, and I'm very happy with that. So I'm probably going to have yogurt."
February 8, 2026 at 6:49 PM
Sometimes I think “everyone is twelve” is overstated. Then I see the literal health secretary announcing that he will never eat his vegetables and you can’t make him.
Reposted by EssayWells
More than half the drugs on the TrumpRx site have a cheaper generic version on the market.
Pristiq, an antidepressant, is available with a TrumpRx coupon for ~$200 for a 30-day supply.
A generic version is on GoodRx for less than $30 and Mark Cuban's CostPlusDrugs for $16.65.
Pristiq, an antidepressant, is available with a TrumpRx coupon for ~$200 for a 30-day supply.
A generic version is on GoodRx for less than $30 and Mark Cuban's CostPlusDrugs for $16.65.
How TrumpRx drug prices compare to generic alternatives
Patients could save more buying non-branded copycat drugs, even if they don't have insurance.
www.axios.com
February 8, 2026 at 6:00 PM
More than half the drugs on the TrumpRx site have a cheaper generic version on the market.
Pristiq, an antidepressant, is available with a TrumpRx coupon for ~$200 for a 30-day supply.
A generic version is on GoodRx for less than $30 and Mark Cuban's CostPlusDrugs for $16.65.
Pristiq, an antidepressant, is available with a TrumpRx coupon for ~$200 for a 30-day supply.
A generic version is on GoodRx for less than $30 and Mark Cuban's CostPlusDrugs for $16.65.
Reposted by EssayWells
The point of the AI project is to provoke despair in creative people. They haven’t produced profits or anything anyone wants, just a steady stream of articles about how us artistic types can’t do the thing we’re already doing, making art. Jokes on them, we’re even better at despair than they are.
February 8, 2026 at 6:24 PM
The point of the AI project is to provoke despair in creative people. They haven’t produced profits or anything anyone wants, just a steady stream of articles about how us artistic types can’t do the thing we’re already doing, making art. Jokes on them, we’re even better at despair than they are.
Reposted by EssayWells
Buried in this piece is a throwaway line about how actually her real hustle is selling online courses to aspiring AI hacks, marking an extraordinary symbiosis of my two most hated internet poisons
“If I can generate a book in a day, and you need six months to write a book, who’s going to win the race?” God this is bleak
The New Fabio Is Claude
www.nytimes.com
February 8, 2026 at 5:51 PM
Buried in this piece is a throwaway line about how actually her real hustle is selling online courses to aspiring AI hacks, marking an extraordinary symbiosis of my two most hated internet poisons
Reposted by EssayWells
Massie on Howard Lutnick: "He should just resign. Three people in Great Britain resigned for less than what we've seen Howard Lutnick lie about. He clearly went to the island, if we believe what's in these files. He was in business with Jeffrey Epstein."
February 8, 2026 at 4:29 PM
Massie on Howard Lutnick: "He should just resign. Three people in Great Britain resigned for less than what we've seen Howard Lutnick lie about. He clearly went to the island, if we believe what's in these files. He was in business with Jeffrey Epstein."
Reposted by EssayWells
"should the government kidnap 5 year olds and deport them? We asked seventeen ethics professors and they all just screamed"
February 8, 2026 at 5:42 PM
"should the government kidnap 5 year olds and deport them? We asked seventeen ethics professors and they all just screamed"
Reposted by EssayWells
One of my cherished roadtrip moments was walking past a rock shop that had a "mosasaur" skull in the window, causing Señor Maltese to give an impromptu lecture on mosasaur physiology for the employee and I.
This would be the first time I heard the phrase "more Moroccan folk art than fossil".
This would be the first time I heard the phrase "more Moroccan folk art than fossil".
Hahahaha oh lord look at this complete pile of shit.
And someone paid dollars for it.
And someone paid dollars for it.
February 8, 2026 at 5:54 PM
One of my cherished roadtrip moments was walking past a rock shop that had a "mosasaur" skull in the window, causing Señor Maltese to give an impromptu lecture on mosasaur physiology for the employee and I.
This would be the first time I heard the phrase "more Moroccan folk art than fossil".
This would be the first time I heard the phrase "more Moroccan folk art than fossil".
Reposted by EssayWells
Officials in authoritarian regimes frequently make absurd false statements in public to signal their loyalty
BASH: Is this measles outbreak a consequence of the administration undermining support for vaccines?
DR OZ: I don't believe so. Secretary Kennedy has been advocating for measles vaccines
BASH: Oh, come on
DR OZ: I don't believe so. Secretary Kennedy has been advocating for measles vaccines
BASH: Oh, come on
February 8, 2026 at 5:55 PM
Officials in authoritarian regimes frequently make absurd false statements in public to signal their loyalty
Reposted by EssayWells
One of the easiest ways to shoot down the idea that "AI" is an expert is to show how it deals with something people know about.
Younger readers may not get this as most appliances come pre-wired, but anyone 35+ can see these are chaotic fire hazards.
From Mastodon, AI asked how to wire a plug:
Younger readers may not get this as most appliances come pre-wired, but anyone 35+ can see these are chaotic fire hazards.
From Mastodon, AI asked how to wire a plug:
February 6, 2026 at 5:20 PM
One of the easiest ways to shoot down the idea that "AI" is an expert is to show how it deals with something people know about.
Younger readers may not get this as most appliances come pre-wired, but anyone 35+ can see these are chaotic fire hazards.
From Mastodon, AI asked how to wire a plug:
Younger readers may not get this as most appliances come pre-wired, but anyone 35+ can see these are chaotic fire hazards.
From Mastodon, AI asked how to wire a plug:
Reposted by EssayWells
very excited for next week’s new rash of sudden retirements for family reasons
With nearly half of the vote reporting in the Louisiana #HD60 (Trump+13) special election:
Chasity Martinez (D)- 61%
Brad Daigle (R)- 39%
Martinez is currently outperforming Harris's 2024 margins by around 30 points throughout the district.
Chasity Martinez (D)- 61%
Brad Daigle (R)- 39%
Martinez is currently outperforming Harris's 2024 margins by around 30 points throughout the district.
February 8, 2026 at 2:57 AM
very excited for next week’s new rash of sudden retirements for family reasons
Reposted by EssayWells
remarkably this is still a "what if ai takes everyone's job" story rather than a "what if this thing we've been pouring all our money into is bullshit" story
Improv Comedy Group Fear Grips Wall Street as a New Stock Market Reality Sets In
For months, investors have been growing increasingly anxious about how improv comedy groups will potentially transform the economy. Last week, those concerns suddenly spilled over into the stock market.
For months, investors have been growing increasingly anxious about how improv comedy groups will potentially transform the economy. Last week, those concerns suddenly spilled over into the stock market.
February 8, 2026 at 5:03 PM
remarkably this is still a "what if ai takes everyone's job" story rather than a "what if this thing we've been pouring all our money into is bullshit" story
Reposted by EssayWells
Improv Comedy Group Fear Grips Wall Street as a New Stock Market Reality Sets In
For months, investors have been growing increasingly anxious about how improv comedy groups will potentially transform the economy. Last week, those concerns suddenly spilled over into the stock market.
For months, investors have been growing increasingly anxious about how improv comedy groups will potentially transform the economy. Last week, those concerns suddenly spilled over into the stock market.
February 8, 2026 at 4:57 PM
Improv Comedy Group Fear Grips Wall Street as a New Stock Market Reality Sets In
For months, investors have been growing increasingly anxious about how improv comedy groups will potentially transform the economy. Last week, those concerns suddenly spilled over into the stock market.
For months, investors have been growing increasingly anxious about how improv comedy groups will potentially transform the economy. Last week, those concerns suddenly spilled over into the stock market.
Reposted by EssayWells
“We cannot just abolish ICE!”
Bestie, you are older than ICE.
Bestie, you are older than ICE.
February 8, 2026 at 3:56 PM
“We cannot just abolish ICE!”
Bestie, you are older than ICE.
Bestie, you are older than ICE.
Reposted by EssayWells
Oh she’s a scam artist, got it! Every single time you hear about a person offering coaching in one of these pieces they’re just a scammer and the media falls for it
February 8, 2026 at 5:06 PM
Oh she’s a scam artist, got it! Every single time you hear about a person offering coaching in one of these pieces they’re just a scammer and the media falls for it
Reposted by EssayWells
the magic of the Muppets is that there are two fourth walls. they constantly break the one that reminds the audience they are performers. they NEVER break the one that reminds the audience they are puppets. this dynamic is the key to their entire comedy style
MY KIDS: so why are there muppets in the AUDIENCE
ME: THE CONCEIT!! IS THAT THEY'RE PUTTING ON A VARIETY SHOW!!! IN A WORLD WHERE MUPPET AND HUMAN COEXIST!!! YOU ARE WATCHING A DOCUMENTARY!! FILMED!! IN REAL TIME!!!
ME: THE CONCEIT!! IS THAT THEY'RE PUTTING ON A VARIETY SHOW!!! IN A WORLD WHERE MUPPET AND HUMAN COEXIST!!! YOU ARE WATCHING A DOCUMENTARY!! FILMED!! IN REAL TIME!!!
February 8, 2026 at 6:22 AM
the magic of the Muppets is that there are two fourth walls. they constantly break the one that reminds the audience they are performers. they NEVER break the one that reminds the audience they are puppets. this dynamic is the key to their entire comedy style
Reposted by EssayWells
You know, I read Stephen King's On Writing and I don't remember him talking about the step in the process where you have to bargain with your computer
February 8, 2026 at 3:06 PM
You know, I read Stephen King's On Writing and I don't remember him talking about the step in the process where you have to bargain with your computer
Reposted by EssayWells
The whole article is repulsive but this passage is at the core of it. She has no interest in writing books, she wants to win some kind of competition that nobody entered
February 8, 2026 at 3:00 PM
The whole article is repulsive but this passage is at the core of it. She has no interest in writing books, she wants to win some kind of competition that nobody entered