Iain Bancarz 🇨🇦
@iainrb.bsky.social
Fights cancer with computers in Toronto, Canada. Fan of SF, cinema and various sports. Sort of an ominous robed figure pointing and saying "BEWARE" in a hoarse voice every time AI is mentioned. 🇨🇦/🇬🇧 citizen. Parent, husband, cat servant. He/him.
Reposted by Iain Bancarz 🇨🇦
November 16, 2025 at 2:52 AM
Reposted by Iain Bancarz 🇨🇦
Gonna tell my son this is Fleetwood Mac
November 15, 2025 at 10:08 PM
Gonna tell my son this is Fleetwood Mac
Reposted by Iain Bancarz 🇨🇦
They want $60 for an hour at the axe throwing place? For that money I can buy a case of beer and my own axe, and throw it at whatever I want until I'm arrested again
November 14, 2025 at 5:20 AM
They want $60 for an hour at the axe throwing place? For that money I can buy a case of beer and my own axe, and throw it at whatever I want until I'm arrested again
Post your favorite Star Trek character. Wrong answers only.
November 15, 2025 at 8:52 PM
Post your favorite Star Trek character. Wrong answers only.
Reposted by Iain Bancarz 🇨🇦
Nov 15th - Superhero Thunderhead (Tall, storm powers, nice man, good with kids) saved the day, but then his cape caught on a missile fin #NoCapes
📽️📅 The Incredibles (2004)
📽️📅 The Incredibles (2004)
November 15, 2025 at 6:42 PM
Nov 15th - Superhero Thunderhead (Tall, storm powers, nice man, good with kids) saved the day, but then his cape caught on a missile fin #NoCapes
📽️📅 The Incredibles (2004)
📽️📅 The Incredibles (2004)
Reposted by Iain Bancarz 🇨🇦
ZACH IS BACK! 🤩
He'll make his season debut tonight when the /EdmontonOilers visit Carolina!
He'll make his season debut tonight when the /EdmontonOilers visit Carolina!
November 15, 2025 at 5:59 PM
ZACH IS BACK! 🤩
He'll make his season debut tonight when the /EdmontonOilers visit Carolina!
He'll make his season debut tonight when the /EdmontonOilers visit Carolina!
Reposted by Iain Bancarz 🇨🇦
So, a bunch of my friends back in college actually researched the potential future mRNA applications could have.
I genuinely thought it sounded magical, something that might happen in the next century.
And now it's real! It's effective!
I genuinely thought it sounded magical, something that might happen in the next century.
And now it's real! It's effective!
November 15, 2025 at 12:05 AM
So, a bunch of my friends back in college actually researched the potential future mRNA applications could have.
I genuinely thought it sounded magical, something that might happen in the next century.
And now it's real! It's effective!
I genuinely thought it sounded magical, something that might happen in the next century.
And now it's real! It's effective!
Iain, 47, lives in a condo on the unfashionable edge of Toronto, where squirrels on the balcony taunt his cat without mercy. Chinese cookbooks stained with soy sauce sit on the kitchen counter beside a bottle of Gibson's whisky, as he watches old Star Trek episodes, a Tom Waits song come to life.
h/T to @baddestmamajama.bsky.social who did this and really made me laugh:
Olivia Nuzzi bio Mad Libs
GO
Olivia Nuzzi bio Mad Libs
GO
November 14, 2025 at 11:50 PM
Iain, 47, lives in a condo on the unfashionable edge of Toronto, where squirrels on the balcony taunt his cat without mercy. Chinese cookbooks stained with soy sauce sit on the kitchen counter beside a bottle of Gibson's whisky, as he watches old Star Trek episodes, a Tom Waits song come to life.
Reposted by Iain Bancarz 🇨🇦
Goodness me, I stayed up late reading and it’s already Partially Muscled Skeleton Screaming by the Perimeter Fence Day. Hope you’ve all been good this year!
November 14, 2025 at 5:34 AM
Goodness me, I stayed up late reading and it’s already Partially Muscled Skeleton Screaming by the Perimeter Fence Day. Hope you’ve all been good this year!
Reposted by Iain Bancarz 🇨🇦
Reposted by Iain Bancarz 🇨🇦
You can disagree and argue as much as you like but the point of evaluating something scientifically is that not every statement should be given equal credence because evidence matters
JD Vance: "Science as practiced in its best form is that if you disagree with it, then you ought to criticize it and you ought to argue against it."
November 13, 2025 at 7:36 PM
You can disagree and argue as much as you like but the point of evaluating something scientifically is that not every statement should be given equal credence because evidence matters
Reposted by Iain Bancarz 🇨🇦
November 13, 2025 at 1:39 AM
A long and excellent thread, explaining why coders cannot make any sort of "AI" do their thinking for them. Read the whole thing.
Not just "should not", but really "cannot". It won't work and will bring you much grief if you try.
Not just "should not", but really "cannot". It won't work and will bring you much grief if you try.
Man. Back when I worked in AI we had a system designed to do conference planning. At one point it decided the optimal conference would have every talk be in the same room, one minute long each. (They'd all have great seating and AV access, you see!) Glad to see the state of the art hasn't improved.
Just saw a similar anecdote on Reddit. Poster's company had decided to use an "AI assistant" to schedule interviews, so that they'd be evenly distributed throughout the week. All 50 applicants were, you guessed it, called up on the same day, at the same time.
November 12, 2025 at 8:34 PM
A long and excellent thread, explaining why coders cannot make any sort of "AI" do their thinking for them. Read the whole thing.
Not just "should not", but really "cannot". It won't work and will bring you much grief if you try.
Not just "should not", but really "cannot". It won't work and will bring you much grief if you try.
Reposted by Iain Bancarz 🇨🇦
So this morning I get an urgent email for a same day cardiology appointment at my local treatment centre.
I was surprised (and alarmed) but fine. I moved things around and went there a few minutes ago.
Only there was no real appointment. The receptionist said I wasn't supposed to receive any 1/
I was surprised (and alarmed) but fine. I moved things around and went there a few minutes ago.
Only there was no real appointment. The receptionist said I wasn't supposed to receive any 1/
November 12, 2025 at 4:15 PM
So this morning I get an urgent email for a same day cardiology appointment at my local treatment centre.
I was surprised (and alarmed) but fine. I moved things around and went there a few minutes ago.
Only there was no real appointment. The receptionist said I wasn't supposed to receive any 1/
I was surprised (and alarmed) but fine. I moved things around and went there a few minutes ago.
Only there was no real appointment. The receptionist said I wasn't supposed to receive any 1/
Reposted by Iain Bancarz 🇨🇦
Nov 12th - The Hill Valley clock tower was struck by lightning, George decked Biff and saved Lorraine, Marty travelled Back to the Future.
📽️📅 Back to the Future (1985)
📽️📅 Back to the Future (1985)
November 12, 2025 at 12:13 PM
Nov 12th - The Hill Valley clock tower was struck by lightning, George decked Biff and saved Lorraine, Marty travelled Back to the Future.
📽️📅 Back to the Future (1985)
📽️📅 Back to the Future (1985)
Reposted by Iain Bancarz 🇨🇦
My father did not have a ‘dangerous’ war, but he was the last medical officer discharged from the Canadian army overseas. For him, and for all those who served, and especially all those who died, my toast goes out tonight, and my remembering.
People die in bad wars and in ‘good’ ones. A hard truth.
People die in bad wars and in ‘good’ ones. A hard truth.
November 11, 2025 at 11:22 PM
My father did not have a ‘dangerous’ war, but he was the last medical officer discharged from the Canadian army overseas. For him, and for all those who served, and especially all those who died, my toast goes out tonight, and my remembering.
People die in bad wars and in ‘good’ ones. A hard truth.
People die in bad wars and in ‘good’ ones. A hard truth.
Reposted by Iain Bancarz 🇨🇦
Remember, we're dealing with the supreme world champion of Not Getting It. I believe he has applied his eyeballs to the words in the books, occasionally saying things like "car in orbit, cool" or "ha ha, slap-drone, that's great". Any deeper meaning bounces off his brain without leaving a trace.
November 11, 2025 at 8:37 PM
Remember, we're dealing with the supreme world champion of Not Getting It. I believe he has applied his eyeballs to the words in the books, occasionally saying things like "car in orbit, cool" or "ha ha, slap-drone, that's great". Any deeper meaning bounces off his brain without leaving a trace.
Reposted by Iain Bancarz 🇨🇦
i cannot emphasize enough that this is how the society in The Culture novels, which he claims are his favorite but probably only heard about from Grimes, deals with murderers.
it is an anarchist utopia in the far future
it is an anarchist utopia in the far future
November 11, 2025 at 7:29 PM
i cannot emphasize enough that this is how the society in The Culture novels, which he claims are his favorite but probably only heard about from Grimes, deals with murderers.
it is an anarchist utopia in the far future
it is an anarchist utopia in the far future
Reposted by Iain Bancarz 🇨🇦
This is the Canadian Premier League soccer finals and we have a bicycle kick goal in the middle of a blizzard … and that’s the most Canadian thing I’ve ever seen 😂
November 10, 2025 at 2:38 AM
This is the Canadian Premier League soccer finals and we have a bicycle kick goal in the middle of a blizzard … and that’s the most Canadian thing I’ve ever seen 😂
Reposted by Iain Bancarz 🇨🇦
I got this useful bon mot from a middle school teacher recently.
In response to, “I DONT UNDERSTAND,” he calmly said, “okay what steps have you taken to understand?”
And that’s when I realized that a lot of folks have no steps.
In response to, “I DONT UNDERSTAND,” he calmly said, “okay what steps have you taken to understand?”
And that’s when I realized that a lot of folks have no steps.
November 10, 2025 at 6:05 PM
I got this useful bon mot from a middle school teacher recently.
In response to, “I DONT UNDERSTAND,” he calmly said, “okay what steps have you taken to understand?”
And that’s when I realized that a lot of folks have no steps.
In response to, “I DONT UNDERSTAND,” he calmly said, “okay what steps have you taken to understand?”
And that’s when I realized that a lot of folks have no steps.
George Lucas had a bad case of Dune envy. He wanted political intrigue, galactic trade, prophecies, the collapse of the old order at the hands of the Chosen One.
He didn't understand we loved OG Star Wars because it was the anti-Dune, a fun pulp adventure which didn't take itself too seriously.
He didn't understand we loved OG Star Wars because it was the anti-Dune, a fun pulp adventure which didn't take itself too seriously.
It’s also funny because the prequels are actually about trade deficits? Like there’s obviously the top line plot but the secondary plot is about trade
November 10, 2025 at 7:21 PM
George Lucas had a bad case of Dune envy. He wanted political intrigue, galactic trade, prophecies, the collapse of the old order at the hands of the Chosen One.
He didn't understand we loved OG Star Wars because it was the anti-Dune, a fun pulp adventure which didn't take itself too seriously.
He didn't understand we loved OG Star Wars because it was the anti-Dune, a fun pulp adventure which didn't take itself too seriously.
Reposted by Iain Bancarz 🇨🇦
Reposted by Iain Bancarz 🇨🇦
It snowed last night and whenever it snows not long after Halloween, it puts me in the mood to watch Batman Returns.
a man in a batman suit stands in front of a large batman logo
Alt: Catwoman looks up in the night sky at the bat signal during snowfall.
media.tenor.com
November 10, 2025 at 4:50 PM
It snowed last night and whenever it snows not long after Halloween, it puts me in the mood to watch Batman Returns.
Reposted by Iain Bancarz 🇨🇦
Reposted by Iain Bancarz 🇨🇦
Hungover Egyptologist Just Gonna Call In Cursed Today
Hungover Egyptologist Just Gonna Call In Cursed Today
CAIRO—Admitting he was unable to face a lengthy session of indexing artifacts after drinking too much the night before, hungover Egyptologist Henry Chapman confirmed Tuesday he was just gonna call in ...
theonion.com
November 10, 2025 at 4:00 PM
Hungover Egyptologist Just Gonna Call In Cursed Today