Jon Sullivan
@joncounts.mastodon.nz.ap.brid.gy
Kia ora! I'm a #nature nut, addict of #iNaturalist NZ — Mātaki Taiao, and an #ecologist at #LincolnUniversity in #Aotearoa-#NewZealand.
I spend an inordinate […]
[bridged from https://mastodon.nz/@joncounts on the fediverse by https://fed.brid.gy/ ]
I spend an inordinate […]
[bridged from https://mastodon.nz/@joncounts on the fediverse by https://fed.brid.gy/ ]
It struck me during Carl's talk that massive, general LLMs are yet another technology that, through the competitive haste of capitalism, we’ve unleashed globally without considering all of the likely effects on things we value (like social cohesion, functional democracies, and a healthy […]
Original post on mastodon.nz
mastodon.nz
February 13, 2026 at 9:17 AM
It struck me during Carl's talk that massive, general LLMs are yet another technology that, through the competitive haste of capitalism, we’ve unleashed globally without considering all of the likely effects on things we value (like social cohesion, functional democracies, and a healthy […]
I went to a fantastic seminar today at the University of Canterbury by Carl Bergstrom (@ct_bergstrom), titled “Information Foraging in a Social Media World.” Carl has been applying his knowledge of how information flows through ecological and evolutionary systems to better understand our digital […]
Original post on mastodon.nz
mastodon.nz
February 13, 2026 at 9:15 AM
I went to a fantastic seminar today at the University of Canterbury by Carl Bergstrom (@ct_bergstrom), titled “Information Foraging in a Social Media World.” Carl has been applying his knowledge of how information flows through ecological and evolutionary systems to better understand our digital […]
"Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On)" performed by David Byrne live.
It's an old song he wrote with the rest of Talking Heads, channeling life in an uncertain, ever-changing world.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQph7pZUIVk
#firesmokeandheat
#JukeboxFridayNight
It's an old song he wrote with the rest of Talking Heads, channeling life in an uncertain, ever-changing world.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQph7pZUIVk
#firesmokeandheat
#JukeboxFridayNight
February 13, 2026 at 7:59 AM
"Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On)" performed by David Byrne live.
It's an old song he wrote with the rest of Talking Heads, channeling life in an uncertain, ever-changing world.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQph7pZUIVk
#firesmokeandheat
#JukeboxFridayNight
It's an old song he wrote with the rest of Talking Heads, channeling life in an uncertain, ever-changing world.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQph7pZUIVk
#firesmokeandheat
#JukeboxFridayNight
@debe We saw Ed Sheeran sing this live at his concert in Ōtautahi last month. It was fantastic. He was out alone on this platform in the middle of the crowd singing, using some clever loops he’d set up live at the start of the song, while Smaug was flying on his […]
[Original post on mastodon.nz]
[Original post on mastodon.nz]
February 13, 2026 at 7:28 AM
@debe We saw Ed Sheeran sing this live at his concert in Ōtautahi last month. It was fantastic. He was out alone on this platform in the middle of the crowd singing, using some clever loops he’d set up live at the start of the song, while Smaug was flying on his […]
[Original post on mastodon.nz]
[Original post on mastodon.nz]
Reposted by Jon Sullivan
Ed Sheera "I See Fire" (from The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug)
🎶And should the sky be filled with fire and smoke
Keep watching over Durin's sons
If this is to end in fire
Then we should all burn together
Watch the flames climb high into the night🎶
https://youtu.be/mllXxyHTzfg […]
🎶And should the sky be filled with fire and smoke
Keep watching over Durin's sons
If this is to end in fire
Then we should all burn together
Watch the flames climb high into the night🎶
https://youtu.be/mllXxyHTzfg […]
Original post on mastodon.nz
mastodon.nz
February 13, 2026 at 7:09 AM
Ed Sheera "I See Fire" (from The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug)
🎶And should the sky be filled with fire and smoke
Keep watching over Durin's sons
If this is to end in fire
Then we should all burn together
Watch the flames climb high into the night🎶
https://youtu.be/mllXxyHTzfg […]
🎶And should the sky be filled with fire and smoke
Keep watching over Durin's sons
If this is to end in fire
Then we should all burn together
Watch the flames climb high into the night🎶
https://youtu.be/mllXxyHTzfg […]
Reposted by Jon Sullivan
Industrial #ArtDeco, at its finest! This abandoned powerplant plant control room in Hungary was powered down decades ago.
The oval room is lit by an immense skylight, which casts dramatic light across the original green metal control panels. These walls remain […]
[Original post on mstdn.social]
The oval room is lit by an immense skylight, which casts dramatic light across the original green metal control panels. These walls remain […]
[Original post on mstdn.social]
February 13, 2026 at 3:15 AM
Industrial #ArtDeco, at its finest! This abandoned powerplant plant control room in Hungary was powered down decades ago.
The oval room is lit by an immense skylight, which casts dramatic light across the original green metal control panels. These walls remain […]
[Original post on mstdn.social]
The oval room is lit by an immense skylight, which casts dramatic light across the original green metal control panels. These walls remain […]
[Original post on mstdn.social]
Reposted by Jon Sullivan
Roman elites drank from leaded cups because it made water sweeter. Radiation was thought at one time to have healing properties, so people would add uranium to their drinking water. Glowing dishes are still a collectors item. After the discovery of x-rays, shoe stores started installing them and […]
Original post on kolektiva.social
kolektiva.social
February 12, 2026 at 9:46 PM
Roman elites drank from leaded cups because it made water sweeter. Radiation was thought at one time to have healing properties, so people would add uranium to their drinking water. Glowing dishes are still a collectors item. After the discovery of x-rays, shoe stores started installing them and […]
Reposted by Jon Sullivan
I made it home from #profsamlecturetour without getting space debris on my noggins
February 13, 2026 at 6:50 AM
I made it home from #profsamlecturetour without getting space debris on my noggins
Reposted by Jon Sullivan
Greetings from Caracas, Venezuela, from these beautiful Gonatodes vittatus (Wiegmann's Striped Gecko) that I saw first today, about ten of them :)
February 13, 2026 at 3:36 AM
Greetings from Caracas, Venezuela, from these beautiful Gonatodes vittatus (Wiegmann's Striped Gecko) that I saw first today, about ten of them :)
Reposted by Jon Sullivan
Kia Ora, Wellington! Time to add some QR codes to my talk (starting in 90 min) to get a few more people to write to the FCC https://darksky.org/news/two-satellite-proposals-threaten-the-night-sky-the-window-to-act-is-now/
February 13, 2026 at 3:32 AM
Kia Ora, Wellington! Time to add some QR codes to my talk (starting in 90 min) to get a few more people to write to the FCC https://darksky.org/news/two-satellite-proposals-threaten-the-night-sky-the-window-to-act-is-now/
Reposted by Jon Sullivan
After the talk here in the Wairarapa Dark Sky Preserve, the organizer asked if I want to go stargazing, which was an enthusiastic "of course!" The clouds had cleared, and she drove me about 15 min away from the town where the talk was, to […]
[Original post on mastodon.social]
[Original post on mastodon.social]
February 12, 2026 at 7:26 PM
After the talk here in the Wairarapa Dark Sky Preserve, the organizer asked if I want to go stargazing, which was an enthusiastic "of course!" The clouds had cleared, and she drove me about 15 min away from the town where the talk was, to […]
[Original post on mastodon.social]
[Original post on mastodon.social]
Reposted by Jon Sullivan
I don't want self-driving cars. I want cars with speed governors and doors that won't open when cyclists are approaching.
February 12, 2026 at 3:33 PM
I don't want self-driving cars. I want cars with speed governors and doors that won't open when cyclists are approaching.
Reposted by Jon Sullivan
Haere rā: Goodbye, farewell
February 12, 2026 at 6:00 PM
Haere rā: Goodbye, farewell
Reposted by Jon Sullivan
Similarly, after his beloved seabed mining project application was rejected (again), Shane Jones now wants to campaign on ministers being able to do whatever their donors ask for without having to listen to any pesky experts, affected communities or environmental advocates at all.
NZ First to […]
NZ First to […]
Original post on mastodon.nz
mastodon.nz
February 11, 2026 at 11:54 PM
Similarly, after his beloved seabed mining project application was rejected (again), Shane Jones now wants to campaign on ministers being able to do whatever their donors ask for without having to listen to any pesky experts, affected communities or environmental advocates at all.
NZ First to […]
NZ First to […]
Reposted by Jon Sullivan
If China's emissions had kept growing at previous levels emissions would like, what, maybe a full GIGATONNE higher....the area of avoided emissions here is like deleting the emissions of entire countries. This is happening at a scale that will very clearly have an effect in lessening disasters
February 12, 2026 at 8:18 AM
If China's emissions had kept growing at previous levels emissions would like, what, maybe a full GIGATONNE higher....the area of avoided emissions here is like deleting the emissions of entire countries. This is happening at a scale that will very clearly have an effect in lessening disasters
Reposted by Jon Sullivan
It was really almost a religious experience to be so close to such massive, ancient trees.
There's a disease that kills these (kauri dieback disease) and they had boot cleaning/sanitizing before you could walk on the paths up to the huge trees. We talked to […]
[Original post on mastodon.social]
There's a disease that kills these (kauri dieback disease) and they had boot cleaning/sanitizing before you could walk on the paths up to the huge trees. We talked to […]
[Original post on mastodon.social]
February 3, 2026 at 6:46 PM
It was really almost a religious experience to be so close to such massive, ancient trees.
There's a disease that kills these (kauri dieback disease) and they had boot cleaning/sanitizing before you could walk on the paths up to the huge trees. We talked to […]
[Original post on mastodon.social]
There's a disease that kills these (kauri dieback disease) and they had boot cleaning/sanitizing before you could walk on the paths up to the huge trees. We talked to […]
[Original post on mastodon.social]
Reposted by Jon Sullivan
Weka: A large, brown flightless bird that has a famously feisty and curious personality.
January 25, 2026 at 6:00 PM
Weka: A large, brown flightless bird that has a famously feisty and curious personality.
Phew!! I just got home after biking into a roaring strong head wind for 21 km. Now it’s definitely time to refuel with dinner. 🚲️ 😀
#headwind #BikeTooter
#headwind #BikeTooter
February 12, 2026 at 6:59 AM
Phew!! I just got home after biking into a roaring strong head wind for 21 km. Now it’s definitely time to refuel with dinner. 🚲️ 😀
#headwind #BikeTooter
#headwind #BikeTooter
Reposted by Jon Sullivan
And now for some #goodnews on how the ocean can recover when it is given a chance to and how indigenous led initiatives can be the way forward for ocean protection.
Sea life returns to Maitai Bay, eight years after local hapū declares unofficial fishing ban […]
Sea life returns to Maitai Bay, eight years after local hapū declares unofficial fishing ban […]
Original post on mastodon.nz
mastodon.nz
February 12, 2026 at 3:42 AM
And now for some #goodnews on how the ocean can recover when it is given a chance to and how indigenous led initiatives can be the way forward for ocean protection.
Sea life returns to Maitai Bay, eight years after local hapū declares unofficial fishing ban […]
Sea life returns to Maitai Bay, eight years after local hapū declares unofficial fishing ban […]
I just watched Anton Petrov’s introduction to some recent discoveries in electrostatic ecology. At smaller scales electrostatic forces are very important and we’re increasingly discovering how lots of small animals (and plant parts like pollen) make use of electrostatic forces to jump and fly […]
Original post on mastodon.nz
mastodon.nz
February 11, 2026 at 8:26 AM
I just watched Anton Petrov’s introduction to some recent discoveries in electrostatic ecology. At smaller scales electrostatic forces are very important and we’re increasingly discovering how lots of small animals (and plant parts like pollen) make use of electrostatic forces to jump and fly […]
Reposted by Jon Sullivan
hi! why the fuck is this on a government website for the tertiary education commission!
and no, it doesn't just take you to a page that says "don't."
and no, it doesn't just take you to a page that says "don't."
February 11, 2026 at 7:09 AM
hi! why the fuck is this on a government website for the tertiary education commission!
and no, it doesn't just take you to a page that says "don't."
and no, it doesn't just take you to a page that says "don't."
Reposted by Jon Sullivan
Keep this in mind when people claim cars mean business — closing Central #Madrid to cars over holidays resulted in a 9.5% boost in retail spending on its main shopping street: STUDY.
There was also a 71% drop in air pollution.
Via @carltonreid.com in @forbes.com. #citymakingmath #citiesforpeople
There was also a 71% drop in air pollution.
Via @carltonreid.com in @forbes.com. #citymakingmath #citiesforpeople
Closing Central Madrid To Cars Resulted In 9.5% Boost To Retail Spending, Finds Bank Analysis
City of Madrid significantly boosted the takings of its shops and restaurants last Christmas by banning cars from the CBD, finds an analysis by Spain's second largest bank.
www.forbes.com
February 8, 2026 at 5:09 AM
Keep this in mind when people claim cars mean business — closing Central #Madrid to cars over holidays resulted in a 9.5% boost in retail spending on its main shopping street: STUDY.
There was also a 71% drop in air pollution.
Via @carltonreid.com in @forbes.com. #citymakingmath #citiesforpeople
There was also a 71% drop in air pollution.
Via @carltonreid.com in @forbes.com. #citymakingmath #citiesforpeople
Reposted by Jon Sullivan
FYI I’ve opened this up for full public reading, listening & sharing after requests from paying subscribers. Their support allows me to do this kind of public interest journalism on Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate & poverty in public. #nzpol thekaka.substack.com/p/why-not-sp...
Why not spend $2.7b on solar & batteries instead?
Govt to pay up to $180m/year or $2.7b over 15 years to lease LNG re-gasification plant, paid for by $15-$30 'levy' per household per year. That $2.7b would build four Benmore Dams worth of electricity
thekaka.substack.com
February 10, 2026 at 3:59 AM
FYI I’ve opened this up for full public reading, listening & sharing after requests from paying subscribers. Their support allows me to do this kind of public interest journalism on Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate & poverty in public. #nzpol thekaka.substack.com/p/why-not-sp...
@donkey @jackyan Related was this story in #rnz today about how growth in EV sales in NZ have fizzled since the current government changed the rules to favour petrol cars.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/thedetail/586362/the-ev-slowdown-how-government-decisions-changed-the-road-ahead
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/thedetail/586362/the-ev-slowdown-how-government-decisions-changed-the-road-ahead
February 10, 2026 at 6:47 AM
@donkey @jackyan Related was this story in #rnz today about how growth in EV sales in NZ have fizzled since the current government changed the rules to favour petrol cars.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/thedetail/586362/the-ev-slowdown-how-government-decisions-changed-the-road-ahead
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/thedetail/586362/the-ev-slowdown-how-government-decisions-changed-the-road-ahead