Ern
@lenstalesiam.bsky.social
Bibliophile. Photographer. Foodie. Public health. Epidemiologist. PSA—avoid 3Cs & wear a mask. SARS-CoV-2 won’t get fatigued any time soon.
Reposted by Ern
Frikkin amazing stuff.
November 26, 2025 at 8:29 AM
Frikkin amazing stuff.
Reposted by Ern
we've finally actually hit the curing cancer stage of technological development & we're going to shit it all away for rotbrain political ideologies and to give LLMs a fucking crack at it
November 27, 2025 at 4:43 AM
we've finally actually hit the curing cancer stage of technological development & we're going to shit it all away for rotbrain political ideologies and to give LLMs a fucking crack at it
Reposted by Ern
THE HISTORY OF HIV | Explore four decades of the HIV story, from the first cases to breakthroughs in prevention, science, and South Africa’s fight against the virus: www.spotlightnsp.co.za/2025/11/25/a...
TIMELINE | The journey of HIV through science, struggle, activism, and hope
From the first reported cases of HIV in 1981 to the latest breakthroughs in long-acting prevention, this Spotlight timeline traces key moments in the global and South African response to the virus. It...
www.spotlightnsp.co.za
November 25, 2025 at 6:26 AM
THE HISTORY OF HIV | Explore four decades of the HIV story, from the first cases to breakthroughs in prevention, science, and South Africa’s fight against the virus: www.spotlightnsp.co.za/2025/11/25/a...
Reposted by Ern
What I've been noticing lately in convos with students is that they *despise* the AI-slopification of everything as much or even more than I do. And yet our universities & their admin seem to believe that students for some reason want it integrated into everything. THEY DON'T.
“To be sat there with this material in front of you that is just really not worth anyone’s time, when you could be spending that time actually engaging with something worthwhile, is really frustrating,” he said.
‘We could have asked ChatGPT’: students fight back over course taught by AI
Staffordshire students say signs material was AI-generated included suspicious file names and rogue voiceover accent
www.theguardian.com
November 20, 2025 at 2:38 PM
What I've been noticing lately in convos with students is that they *despise* the AI-slopification of everything as much or even more than I do. And yet our universities & their admin seem to believe that students for some reason want it integrated into everything. THEY DON'T.
Reposted by Ern
It’s like how Facebook gobbled up our phone numbers and Cambridge Analytica swallowed our data through our friend connections even if we never enabled or interacted with the options. As this shit proliferates, our agency to opt out is stolen by “helpful” settings.
Physician who was no longer at the hospital but was on the email list had Otter ai installed and his bot “attended” the meeting, generated a transcript, and sent it to all 65 people on the email list, 12 of whom also no longer worked at the hospital.
AI bot recorded doctors’ meeting, sent patient info to current and former hospital staff, watchdog says
The transcription tool recorded the meeting on behalf of a physician who no longer worked at the hospital
www.theglobeandmail.com
November 19, 2025 at 6:31 PM
It’s like how Facebook gobbled up our phone numbers and Cambridge Analytica swallowed our data through our friend connections even if we never enabled or interacted with the options. As this shit proliferates, our agency to opt out is stolen by “helpful” settings.
Reposted by Ern
there was an amazing article about exactly this somewhere
in the old days where everyone was paid well and was unionized, this chart was reversed, living expenses were cheap but luxuries like TVs and whatnot were what you had to save up for. You could live a comfortable life if you were frugal
in the old days where everyone was paid well and was unionized, this chart was reversed, living expenses were cheap but luxuries like TVs and whatnot were what you had to save up for. You could live a comfortable life if you were frugal
Pretty much all affordability discourse could benefit from just posting this chart.
If you're in the better off America, all the luxury goods you want in excess are for the most part much cheaper. If you're in the poorer America, most of the shit you need to live/grow is more expensive.
If you're in the better off America, all the luxury goods you want in excess are for the most part much cheaper. If you're in the poorer America, most of the shit you need to live/grow is more expensive.
November 18, 2025 at 7:12 AM
there was an amazing article about exactly this somewhere
in the old days where everyone was paid well and was unionized, this chart was reversed, living expenses were cheap but luxuries like TVs and whatnot were what you had to save up for. You could live a comfortable life if you were frugal
in the old days where everyone was paid well and was unionized, this chart was reversed, living expenses were cheap but luxuries like TVs and whatnot were what you had to save up for. You could live a comfortable life if you were frugal
Reposted by Ern
There is a severe shortage of rental stock for local residents in Cape Town’s inner city, and what is available is priced beyond the reach of the majority of Capetonians.
Read groundup.org.za/article/inne... by Steve Kretzmann
Read groundup.org.za/article/inne... by Steve Kretzmann
Inner city Cape Town: no room for locals
Short-term letting through various platforms, including Airbnb, locks up 70% of residential units in the central city
groundup.org.za
November 18, 2025 at 7:31 AM
There is a severe shortage of rental stock for local residents in Cape Town’s inner city, and what is available is priced beyond the reach of the majority of Capetonians.
Read groundup.org.za/article/inne... by Steve Kretzmann
Read groundup.org.za/article/inne... by Steve Kretzmann
Reposted by Ern
We bought into the "post scarcity" narrative because digital tech feels so magic and ethereal but we need to get back to an understanding of the material costs and effects of those systems. They are not very post-scarce in reality.
November 15, 2025 at 6:09 PM
We bought into the "post scarcity" narrative because digital tech feels so magic and ethereal but we need to get back to an understanding of the material costs and effects of those systems. They are not very post-scarce in reality.
Reposted by Ern
"Our actions are working, and they are not enough.
Nothing we do is sufficient, and everything we do matters.
We must be strategic, and we must operate on multiple fronts simultaneously.
Time is of the essence, and we have to act for the long haul.
This is how change happens." Dan Berger
Nothing we do is sufficient, and everything we do matters.
We must be strategic, and we must operate on multiple fronts simultaneously.
Time is of the essence, and we have to act for the long haul.
This is how change happens." Dan Berger
November 14, 2025 at 10:45 PM
"Our actions are working, and they are not enough.
Nothing we do is sufficient, and everything we do matters.
We must be strategic, and we must operate on multiple fronts simultaneously.
Time is of the essence, and we have to act for the long haul.
This is how change happens." Dan Berger
Nothing we do is sufficient, and everything we do matters.
We must be strategic, and we must operate on multiple fronts simultaneously.
Time is of the essence, and we have to act for the long haul.
This is how change happens." Dan Berger
“I think most people recognise that as a dystopian nightmare. That’s why it’s taking so much money and manipulation to shove it down our throats, to convince us it’s the only way.“
www.dailymaverick.co.za/opinionista/...
via @dailymaverick.co.za
www.dailymaverick.co.za/opinionista/...
via @dailymaverick.co.za
AI and tech bros don’t get to decide our future
We’re allowed to resist AI – even if we’re told there’s nothing we can do about it.
www.dailymaverick.co.za
November 15, 2025 at 9:10 AM
“I think most people recognise that as a dystopian nightmare. That’s why it’s taking so much money and manipulation to shove it down our throats, to convince us it’s the only way.“
www.dailymaverick.co.za/opinionista/...
via @dailymaverick.co.za
www.dailymaverick.co.za/opinionista/...
via @dailymaverick.co.za
Reposted by Ern
Hey so “underage girls” are…children. The word you’re looking for is children. They’re not like, women-in-waiting or women-lite or whatever. They’re children. I think some of you are very uncomfortable with what that means for you but it is still true.
November 12, 2025 at 11:05 PM
Hey so “underage girls” are…children. The word you’re looking for is children. They’re not like, women-in-waiting or women-lite or whatever. They’re children. I think some of you are very uncomfortable with what that means for you but it is still true.
Reposted by Ern
My takeaway from every new Epstein revelation is that some powerful people victimized many powerless young women, many more knew, some actively enabled it--and we're still being told that MeToo and accountability for sexual violence have gone too far
November 12, 2025 at 5:05 PM
My takeaway from every new Epstein revelation is that some powerful people victimized many powerless young women, many more knew, some actively enabled it--and we're still being told that MeToo and accountability for sexual violence have gone too far
Reposted by Ern
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.
Reposted by Ern
I think that superhero movies have done a number of human beings conditioning some people to believe that extraordinary actions are what matter. And if one can't be a superhero, then simple, ordinary efforts aren't worth doing.
November 9, 2025 at 3:47 AM
I think that superhero movies have done a number of human beings conditioning some people to believe that extraordinary actions are what matter. And if one can't be a superhero, then simple, ordinary efforts aren't worth doing.
Reposted by Ern
I am a f*ing health economist and I approve this message.
I have a f*ing doctorate in epidemiology and I’m still so confused about how to pick a health insurance plan. Open enrollment should not be this hard!
November 9, 2025 at 4:35 PM
I am a f*ing health economist and I approve this message.
Reposted by Ern
Studio Ghibli, Bandai Namco, Square Enix demand OpenAI stop using their content to train AI
Studio Ghibli, Bandai Namco, Square Enix demand OpenAI stop using their content to train AI
No more Spirited Away and Demon Slayer in Sora 2.
buff.ly
November 3, 2025 at 5:50 PM
Studio Ghibli, Bandai Namco, Square Enix demand OpenAI stop using their content to train AI
Reposted by Ern
If you just banked that coffee money every week and denied yourself every other instance of life’s gastronomic pleasures, however small and ordinary, you could save enough to make the down payment on that starter house in [checks notes] five hundred and seventy three years
“At the same time, more than half of Gen Z members say they are struggling to make ends meet, yet a majority buy themselves a small treat, such as a pastry, coffee, or sweet, at least once a week. That can lead to overspending…”
archive.ph/2TI8J
archive.ph/2TI8J
October 31, 2025 at 6:25 PM
If you just banked that coffee money every week and denied yourself every other instance of life’s gastronomic pleasures, however small and ordinary, you could save enough to make the down payment on that starter house in [checks notes] five hundred and seventy three years
Reposted by Ern
👇🏻 our new paper on updated evidence for respiratory virus vaccines
Even as the anti-vax lobby erodes public trust, new evidence confirms that "immunizations against Covid-19, RSV, and influenza have shown consistent effectiveness & safety and are associated with a substantially reduced risk of hospitalization & severe disease"
www.nejm.org/doi/full/10....
www.nejm.org/doi/full/10....
October 30, 2025 at 5:04 AM
👇🏻 our new paper on updated evidence for respiratory virus vaccines
Reposted by Ern
honestly the only piece worth reading on the platner situation. @tressiemcphd.bsky.social is absolutely cooking here. (gift link)
Opinion | A Nazi Tattoo Exposes Democrats’ Greatest Weakness
www.nytimes.com
October 29, 2025 at 1:36 PM
honestly the only piece worth reading on the platner situation. @tressiemcphd.bsky.social is absolutely cooking here. (gift link)
Reposted by Ern
"Girls are asking to be seen not only for the challenges they face, but for who they are and the solutions they bring."
This International Day of the Girl, 'Doing Nothing Is Not an Acceptable Choice'
On Oct. 11, we celebrate International Day of the Girl, a global call to recognize girls’ rights and confront persistent inequality.
When hope wavers and progress stalls, I look for words that steady...
msmagazine.com
October 13, 2025 at 5:33 PM
"Girls are asking to be seen not only for the challenges they face, but for who they are and the solutions they bring."
Reposted by Ern
MUST READ | Childhood immunisation programmes have saved millions of lives. Today, these vital efforts are losing momentum. In this #InTheSpotlight feature, @elri-voigt.bsky.social unpacks the data and explores how to revive these life-saving programmes.
www.spotlightnsp.co.za/2025/10/13/i...
www.spotlightnsp.co.za/2025/10/13/i...
#InTheSpotlight | Amid all the noise, how well is SA’s immunisation programme actually doing
Childhood immunisation programmes have saved many millions of lives and prevented much suffering. Yet, immunisation programmes have lost momentum over the last decade or so. In this #InTheSpotlight sp...
www.spotlightnsp.co.za
October 13, 2025 at 8:51 AM
MUST READ | Childhood immunisation programmes have saved millions of lives. Today, these vital efforts are losing momentum. In this #InTheSpotlight feature, @elri-voigt.bsky.social unpacks the data and explores how to revive these life-saving programmes.
www.spotlightnsp.co.za/2025/10/13/i...
www.spotlightnsp.co.za/2025/10/13/i...
Reposted by Ern
These briefings are of the best things we publish on Spotlight
MUST READ | Childhood immunisation programmes have saved millions of lives. Today, these vital efforts are losing momentum. In this #InTheSpotlight feature, @elri-voigt.bsky.social unpacks the data and explores how to revive these life-saving programmes.
www.spotlightnsp.co.za/2025/10/13/i...
www.spotlightnsp.co.za/2025/10/13/i...
#InTheSpotlight | Amid all the noise, how well is SA’s immunisation programme actually doing
Childhood immunisation programmes have saved many millions of lives and prevented much suffering. Yet, immunisation programmes have lost momentum over the last decade or so. In this #InTheSpotlight sp...
www.spotlightnsp.co.za
October 13, 2025 at 11:09 AM
These briefings are of the best things we publish on Spotlight
Reading about the TRC, quoting from the book authored by Piet Meiring
What happened to the children
1960-1989: 7000 people died due to political violence, 1750 children
12000 severely injured (conservatively)- bullets,tear gas, rubber bullets, sjamboks
80000 detained, 25% children.
/1
What happened to the children
1960-1989: 7000 people died due to political violence, 1750 children
12000 severely injured (conservatively)- bullets,tear gas, rubber bullets, sjamboks
80000 detained, 25% children.
/1
October 5, 2025 at 2:26 PM
Reading about the TRC, quoting from the book authored by Piet Meiring
What happened to the children
1960-1989: 7000 people died due to political violence, 1750 children
12000 severely injured (conservatively)- bullets,tear gas, rubber bullets, sjamboks
80000 detained, 25% children.
/1
What happened to the children
1960-1989: 7000 people died due to political violence, 1750 children
12000 severely injured (conservatively)- bullets,tear gas, rubber bullets, sjamboks
80000 detained, 25% children.
/1
A recent read, CA Davids’s How to be a revolutionary was the reminder I needed to read more on the TRC
The difficulty of engaging with material detailing the violence of Apartheid South Africa is heavy.
Necessary, important. Timeous even. But still heavy.
/1
The difficulty of engaging with material detailing the violence of Apartheid South Africa is heavy.
Necessary, important. Timeous even. But still heavy.
/1
October 3, 2025 at 7:48 PM
A recent read, CA Davids’s How to be a revolutionary was the reminder I needed to read more on the TRC
The difficulty of engaging with material detailing the violence of Apartheid South Africa is heavy.
Necessary, important. Timeous even. But still heavy.
/1
The difficulty of engaging with material detailing the violence of Apartheid South Africa is heavy.
Necessary, important. Timeous even. But still heavy.
/1