@lyricalstork.bsky.social
🇦🇺🏳️🌈 trains, planes and 🚴♂️ lanes. Screams on rollercoasters. Naarm.
I’m experimenting with using a chatbot to help with family history research. Initially it seemed incredible at transcribing barely legible old handwritten records, but then it started to hallucinate information that just wasn’t in documents, and even insist that the documents must be wrong. Wild
December 7, 2025 at 7:20 AM
I’m experimenting with using a chatbot to help with family history research. Initially it seemed incredible at transcribing barely legible old handwritten records, but then it started to hallucinate information that just wasn’t in documents, and even insist that the documents must be wrong. Wild
Reposted
Whatever else it can do, this tech adds work and erodes trust. The extra work is time-wasting and wearying, and I resent the erosion of trust most deeply. I cannot believe it is healthy for society to be ever less sure that anything you encounter is the real thought or expression of a fellow human
I spend so much time verifying everything now from art to cited sources to photos to historical references to citations to quotes to legal and medical information that it's really hard to fathom how much work AI has collectively added to the world, not reduced
Here's the reality this example illustrates:
It's not even just about people blindly trusting what ChatGPT tells them. LLMs are poisoning the entire information ecosystem. You can't even necessarily trust that the citations in a published paper are real (or a search engine's descriptions of them).
It's not even just about people blindly trusting what ChatGPT tells them. LLMs are poisoning the entire information ecosystem. You can't even necessarily trust that the citations in a published paper are real (or a search engine's descriptions of them).
December 7, 2025 at 7:00 AM
Whatever else it can do, this tech adds work and erodes trust. The extra work is time-wasting and wearying, and I resent the erosion of trust most deeply. I cannot believe it is healthy for society to be ever less sure that anything you encounter is the real thought or expression of a fellow human
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This is the most horrific trophy I’ve ever seen. It looks like a cursed object found in a desert crypt.
December 5, 2025 at 5:38 PM
This is the most horrific trophy I’ve ever seen. It looks like a cursed object found in a desert crypt.
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it's advent you know what that means
December 1, 2025 at 8:04 AM
it's advent you know what that means
Every one of these early trains through the metro tunnel feels like a little party. Young and old having a blast I love it 😊
November 30, 2025 at 12:22 AM
Every one of these early trains through the metro tunnel feels like a little party. Young and old having a blast I love it 😊
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Google at its peak was basically the best information retrieval system in human history and they and every competitor decided going from there to “you didn’t want answers you wanted half-assed auto-complete 80%-wrong hallucinations” in a few years was the right idea
November 25, 2025 at 1:57 AM
Google at its peak was basically the best information retrieval system in human history and they and every competitor decided going from there to “you didn’t want answers you wanted half-assed auto-complete 80%-wrong hallucinations” in a few years was the right idea
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Dragon Age: Inquisition (2014).
November 22, 2025 at 1:06 AM
Dragon Age: Inquisition (2014).
More seasons of Ghosts Australia immediately please
November 3, 2025 at 2:23 AM
More seasons of Ghosts Australia immediately please
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"I’m not looking so bad now, huh? Absolute best case, the LLM-generated legal advice you get is merely plagiarizing, probably from me. But more likely, it’s a mish-mash of Reddit posts filtered through an algorithm coded by a Belarusian teen on the run from Interpol."
Hi, It’s Me, Wikipedia, and I Am Ready for Your Apology
“Wikipedia, the constantly changing knowledge base created by a global free-for-all of anonymous users, now stands as the leading force for the dum...
buff.ly
November 1, 2025 at 2:30 PM
"I’m not looking so bad now, huh? Absolute best case, the LLM-generated legal advice you get is merely plagiarizing, probably from me. But more likely, it’s a mish-mash of Reddit posts filtered through an algorithm coded by a Belarusian teen on the run from Interpol."
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Dutch Railways: social profit of €1.33 billion, financial loss of €141 million. It delivers 11x (!!!!) more value to society than it costs.
Via:
social inclusion
increase in property values near stations;
welfare of employees and consumers;
productive use of travel time.
www.eur.nl/en/news/rese...
Via:
social inclusion
increase in property values near stations;
welfare of employees and consumers;
productive use of travel time.
www.eur.nl/en/news/rese...
Research shows that NS generates social profit: 1.33 billion euros
This is according to a new study by Professor Dirk Schoenmaker (Rotterdam School of Managemen) and Wander Marijnissen of strategic consultancy firm ftrprf.
www.eur.nl
October 22, 2025 at 8:48 AM
Dutch Railways: social profit of €1.33 billion, financial loss of €141 million. It delivers 11x (!!!!) more value to society than it costs.
Via:
social inclusion
increase in property values near stations;
welfare of employees and consumers;
productive use of travel time.
www.eur.nl/en/news/rese...
Via:
social inclusion
increase in property values near stations;
welfare of employees and consumers;
productive use of travel time.
www.eur.nl/en/news/rese...
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“A House of Dynamite” is all too plausible. I’m a nuke expert - and it scared the heck out of me.
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...
www.theatlantic.com
October 16, 2025 at 2:49 PM
“A House of Dynamite” is all too plausible. I’m a nuke expert - and it scared the heck out of me.
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...
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Visa and Mastercard have the opportunity to do something really funny.
Oh good, ChatGPT is getting "erotica for verified adults" later this year
October 14, 2025 at 8:52 PM
Visa and Mastercard have the opportunity to do something really funny.
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FINALLY some good fuckin science
www.cell.com/action/showP...
www.cell.com/action/showP...
October 5, 2025 at 1:10 AM
FINALLY some good fuckin science
www.cell.com/action/showP...
www.cell.com/action/showP...
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THE MEME IS REAL
September 29, 2025 at 1:38 AM
THE MEME IS REAL
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World Tram Driver championships now LIVE from Vienna. Featuring a team from Melbourne.
www.youtube.com/live/smp0voL...
www.youtube.com/live/smp0voL...
1st Official World Tram Driver Championship
YouTube video by TRAM-EM
www.youtube.com
September 13, 2025 at 8:54 AM
World Tram Driver championships now LIVE from Vienna. Featuring a team from Melbourne.
www.youtube.com/live/smp0voL...
www.youtube.com/live/smp0voL...
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Discovering computer as an adult makes you go crazy. Discovering computer as a baby makes you go crazy. In all of human history, there will only ever be one generation to discover computer at the correct age: 13
The problem with every post-Millennial generation is they got to go straight to high speed internet. Of course you'll get computer madness that way. Make them start with those old screeching modems and work their way up
September 12, 2025 at 8:58 PM
Discovering computer as an adult makes you go crazy. Discovering computer as a baby makes you go crazy. In all of human history, there will only ever be one generation to discover computer at the correct age: 13
This is a big moment and clearly took a lot of guts, but shouldn’t be seen as any kind of win or endorsement for the AFL’s handling of homophobia. Quite the opposite given that Mitch Brown said homophobia was part of his decision to retire in 2016 www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/a...
Former West Coast player Mitch Brown becomes first AFL player to come out as bisexual
Mitch Brown has become the first male AFL player, past or present, to come out as gay or bisexual, in a step he hopes will make others in the game feel seen
www.theguardian.com
August 27, 2025 at 3:37 AM
This is a big moment and clearly took a lot of guts, but shouldn’t be seen as any kind of win or endorsement for the AFL’s handling of homophobia. Quite the opposite given that Mitch Brown said homophobia was part of his decision to retire in 2016 www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/a...
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I know I'm beating a dead horse here, but imagine what would happen if Excel just sometimes failed basic calculations. Like, either Microsoft would rush out a fix or people would stop using the product. The whole point of using computers for this stuff is that they give a deterministic answer!
August 19, 2025 at 6:58 PM
I know I'm beating a dead horse here, but imagine what would happen if Excel just sometimes failed basic calculations. Like, either Microsoft would rush out a fix or people would stop using the product. The whole point of using computers for this stuff is that they give a deterministic answer!
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But when the equation's prediction is *words* instead of numbers it seems to break peoples' brains, even though what it's doing is essentially the same thing.
August 9, 2025 at 11:28 PM
But when the equation's prediction is *words* instead of numbers it seems to break peoples' brains, even though what it's doing is essentially the same thing.
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we need to make this shit taboo. It’s grotesque, like making a puppet of a dead person
At 4p ET/1p PT, I’ll have a one of a kind interview with Joaquin Oliver. He died in the Parkland school shooting. But his parents have created an AI version of their son for a powerful message on gun violence. Plus TX Rep. @jamestalarico.bsky.social - see you soon on Substack and later on YouTube.
August 4, 2025 at 9:23 PM
we need to make this shit taboo. It’s grotesque, like making a puppet of a dead person
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Every TERF is like 'birds and bees, it's easy, folks' and (almost) every scientist actually working on questions of sex is like 'oof guys, what can I tell you, I have been working on this question for 52 years, and frankly, I know less and less every year' theconversation.com/world-athlet...
World Athletics’ mandatory genetic test for women athletes is misguided. I should know – I discovered the relevant gene in 1990
World Athletics says its genetic test for women ensures ‘the integrity of women’s sport’ – but science does not support this overly simplistic idea.
theconversation.com
August 4, 2025 at 6:28 AM
Every TERF is like 'birds and bees, it's easy, folks' and (almost) every scientist actually working on questions of sex is like 'oof guys, what can I tell you, I have been working on this question for 52 years, and frankly, I know less and less every year' theconversation.com/world-athlet...
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🚆🛴🚲We don't think a blanket ban of e-bikes and e-scooters from trains is the best way forward. A more nuanced approach is needed, addressing safety but not losing the obvious advantages for first mile/last mile connectivity.
Have your say: engage.vic.gov.au/pu...
Have your say: engage.vic.gov.au/pu...
August 1, 2025 at 3:37 AM
🚆🛴🚲We don't think a blanket ban of e-bikes and e-scooters from trains is the best way forward. A more nuanced approach is needed, addressing safety but not losing the obvious advantages for first mile/last mile connectivity.
Have your say: engage.vic.gov.au/pu...
Have your say: engage.vic.gov.au/pu...
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A record of people, overwhelming gay men, who died of AIDS and who had surviving friends or whose families cared enough to make a patch for them on one of these hundreds of quilts. Many didn't. I don't think younger queers realise they scale of devastation.
July 28, 2025 at 6:13 AM
A record of people, overwhelming gay men, who died of AIDS and who had surviving friends or whose families cared enough to make a patch for them on one of these hundreds of quilts. Many didn't. I don't think younger queers realise they scale of devastation.
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Unlike CEOs and other executives, individual contributors understand concert OPSEC
July 17, 2025 at 5:29 PM
Unlike CEOs and other executives, individual contributors understand concert OPSEC
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I challenge Sam Altman to climb K2 using an AI route shortener
"AllTrails has a new generative AI feature that can be asked to 'shorten my route' or 'make this more scenic.'
But the people in charge of searching for lost hikers say the feature is going to exacerbate an issue they’ve been warning about for years: hiking apps providing false information."
But the people in charge of searching for lost hikers say the feature is going to exacerbate an issue they’ve been warning about for years: hiking apps providing false information."
AllTrails launches AI route-making tool, worrying search-and-rescue members
One of the world’s most popular hiking apps has a new generative AI feature that can be asked to "shorten my route" or "make this more scenic." But the people in charge of searching for lost hikers sa...
www.nationalobserver.com
June 20, 2025 at 3:39 AM
I challenge Sam Altman to climb K2 using an AI route shortener