Mark Childs
@markchilds.bsky.social
Durham University Senior Learning Designer. Co-host of Pedagodzilla. DJ on The Thursday Night Show. Posts mainly about comics, cats and kaiju. Chaotic neutral apparently.
Hang on, when did reading become so performative?
November 10, 2025 at 6:36 PM
Hang on, when did reading become so performative?
If you see this, post an album cover with a motor vehicle on it.
November 8, 2025 at 8:53 PM
If you see this, post an album cover with a motor vehicle on it.
So - my MA is taking me down some unusual routes. Looking at transhumanism discovered that The Chase (ST-TNG 6: 20) was based on some actual science - the paper "Is Bacteriophage ~X174 DNA a Message from an Extraterrestrial Intelligence?" 1978 Yokoo and Oshima. they chose a phage found in the colon
November 7, 2025 at 3:10 PM
So - my MA is taking me down some unusual routes. Looking at transhumanism discovered that The Chase (ST-TNG 6: 20) was based on some actual science - the paper "Is Bacteriophage ~X174 DNA a Message from an Extraterrestrial Intelligence?" 1978 Yokoo and Oshima. they chose a phage found in the colon
www.comicsbeat.com/the-first-ev... Well congrats on Miss Piggy getting a movie deal but ... "the first American TV show to be legally simulcast in the Soviet Union". First AMERICAN TV show? WTAF? The Muppets were one of the most successful appropriations of American culture by a BRITISH TV company..
The first-ever MUPPETS solo movie is coming
Executive producers Jennifer Lawrence and Emma Stone are teaming up with writer Cole Escola to develop a Miss Piggy solo film.
www.comicsbeat.com
November 7, 2025 at 12:03 PM
www.comicsbeat.com/the-first-ev... Well congrats on Miss Piggy getting a movie deal but ... "the first American TV show to be legally simulcast in the Soviet Union". First AMERICAN TV show? WTAF? The Muppets were one of the most successful appropriations of American culture by a BRITISH TV company..
I don't remember if Follow Friday is a thing here - but follow Postcard from the Past - the juxtaposition of often bland imagery but intriguing snapshots of lives from just one sentence is hauntology at its purest. Or is that surrealism?
Wasn't it funny Pat coming round when she did?
November 7, 2025 at 11:50 AM
I don't remember if Follow Friday is a thing here - but follow Postcard from the Past - the juxtaposition of often bland imagery but intriguing snapshots of lives from just one sentence is hauntology at its purest. Or is that surrealism?
@tavoer8.bsky.social Hey just read your chapter in Outdoor Learning :-) loved it - I've been looking at ways to integrate ESD in the curriculum and this will be really useful. For everyone else - check out www.routledge.com/Outdoor-Lear...
Outdoor Learning in Higher Education: Educating Beyond the Seminar Room
Outdoor Learning in Higher Education is essential reading for educational developers and academic teachers of all disciplines interested in the theory behind, and benefits of, learning outdoors. Fille...
www.routledge.com
November 7, 2025 at 11:41 AM
@tavoer8.bsky.social Hey just read your chapter in Outdoor Learning :-) loved it - I've been looking at ways to integrate ESD in the curriculum and this will be really useful. For everyone else - check out www.routledge.com/Outdoor-Lear...
gizmodo.com/reality-is-t... "Study" doing a lot of overtime in that headline - whole thing hinges on this idea:
“Any simulation is inherently algorithmic—it must follow programmed rules, ... 1/3
“Any simulation is inherently algorithmic—it must follow programmed rules, ... 1/3
Reality Is Too Complex For Any Cosmic Computer Simulation, Study Suggests
The natural complexity of the universe should phase out the possibility of some advanced civilization controlling reality itself, researchers argue.
gizmodo.com
November 7, 2025 at 12:52 AM
gizmodo.com/reality-is-t... "Study" doing a lot of overtime in that headline - whole thing hinges on this idea:
“Any simulation is inherently algorithmic—it must follow programmed rules, ... 1/3
“Any simulation is inherently algorithmic—it must follow programmed rules, ... 1/3
The latest in my occasional series of "Today's Winner of the Internet"
He shall henceforth be known as the Hurl of Sandwich.
November 6, 2025 at 10:30 PM
The latest in my occasional series of "Today's Winner of the Internet"
Reposted by Mark Childs
Strange Tales 72, 1959. Art by Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko.
November 6, 2025 at 12:46 PM
Strange Tales 72, 1959. Art by Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko.
Thoughts and prayers.
Big day at U.S. District Court in D.C. where Sean Dunn, the D.C. Sandwich Guy, is on trial for misdemeanor assault of a federal officer.
Border Patrol agent Gregory Lairmore is on the stand narrating surveillance video of the sammie toss.
'Now he’s struck me with the sandwich,' Lairmore says.
Border Patrol agent Gregory Lairmore is on the stand narrating surveillance video of the sammie toss.
'Now he’s struck me with the sandwich,' Lairmore says.
November 4, 2025 at 4:16 PM
Thoughts and prayers.
Nothing really new to say this week for my blog - so here's an extract of my philosophy writings - my thoughts on Leibniz and how much I miss christmas cake
markchilds.org/2025/11/04/a...
markchilds.org/2025/11/04/a...
November 4, 2025 at 2:59 PM
Nothing really new to say this week for my blog - so here's an extract of my philosophy writings - my thoughts on Leibniz and how much I miss christmas cake
markchilds.org/2025/11/04/a...
markchilds.org/2025/11/04/a...
Most played in October according to #Musicolet. Mixture of sets I'm putting together for ttns.uk about different types of Man, different types of Insects and last month's Hitch-Hiker's set for #ALTC
November 3, 2025 at 7:20 PM
Most played in October according to #Musicolet. Mixture of sets I'm putting together for ttns.uk about different types of Man, different types of Insects and last month's Hitch-Hiker's set for #ALTC
Reposted by Mark Childs
Academics in Assyria in the 7th c BC complain that admin is preventing them from doing research and teaching
November 3, 2025 at 10:04 AM
Academics in Assyria in the 7th c BC complain that admin is preventing them from doing research and teaching
Reposted by Mark Childs
Reposted by Mark Childs
Regardless of what you've been up to as a student, chatgpt/cheating/busting ass or no, your life is bigger and more important than a grade and if you are feeling like the pressure is getting to you, seek support. Live!
October 30, 2025 at 10:26 PM
Regardless of what you've been up to as a student, chatgpt/cheating/busting ass or no, your life is bigger and more important than a grade and if you are feeling like the pressure is getting to you, seek support. Live!
Hairdresser Klingons: "Today is a good day to dye"
Science Klingons: "Today is a good day to quantify"
Nosey Klingons: "Today is a good day to pry"
October 30, 2025 at 5:23 PM
Hairdresser Klingons: "Today is a good day to dye"
Just seen a job advertised in the Guardian for someone to do psychometric testing at a recruitment agency. 😱 People do know psychometric testing is just palm reading for HR people don't they? Shocking that a "proper" newspaper is promoting the post-truth environment we're all in now.
October 30, 2025 at 9:51 AM
Just seen a job advertised in the Guardian for someone to do psychometric testing at a recruitment agency. 😱 People do know psychometric testing is just palm reading for HR people don't they? Shocking that a "proper" newspaper is promoting the post-truth environment we're all in now.
Big picture stuff ... how do we make sense of the meaning of what we do? Is there - ultimately speaking - any point? markchilds.org/2025/10/29/w...
What’s it all for?
Talking to a friend last week and he summarised my approach to life as “it doesn’t have any meaning, but that’s ok”. Which is spot on. I do actually envy people who can conv…
markchilds.org
October 29, 2025 at 3:08 PM
Big picture stuff ... how do we make sense of the meaning of what we do? Is there - ultimately speaking - any point? markchilds.org/2025/10/29/w...
I think what's so shocking about this is that it reveals that there are such vast swathes of people who seem to completely understand what's going on around them that when they don't it throws them into a panic. Whereas I just go, "yep" and add it to the huge pile of things that make no sense.
Well, today’s historical anniversary could have been precision-tooled for the benefit of @cowtoolsdaily.bsky.social...
October 29, 2025 at 12:48 PM
I think what's so shocking about this is that it reveals that there are such vast swathes of people who seem to completely understand what's going on around them that when they don't it throws them into a panic. Whereas I just go, "yep" and add it to the huge pile of things that make no sense.
this is how pretty much how every plague-based or uplift-based apocalypse story starts. My guess is they're not only very sick, they're also very very smart - I mean do we know what species caused the crash?
October 29, 2025 at 12:37 PM
this is how pretty much how every plague-based or uplift-based apocalypse story starts. My guess is they're not only very sick, they're also very very smart - I mean do we know what species caused the crash?
Reposted by Mark Childs
If you wait for the right time to do something difficult, you may be waiting forever. Worse, you may deceive yourself with excuses to wait. Avoid being reckless, but do not wait for another day when today is waiting for you.
October 26, 2025 at 9:52 PM
If you wait for the right time to do something difficult, you may be waiting forever. Worse, you may deceive yourself with excuses to wait. Avoid being reckless, but do not wait for another day when today is waiting for you.
This reminds me of a comment Douglas Adams made about working with Hollywood producers, ordering tonnes of chocolate chip ice cream, then complaining because it's got chocolate chips in it news.sky.com/story/britis... I might have the details wrong.
British Airways pulls Louis Theroux podcast funding over Bob Vylan interview
The frontman of the controversial punk duo Bob Vylan was quizzed by Theroux after his IDF chant at Glastonbury caused uproar.
news.sky.com
October 26, 2025 at 11:37 PM
This reminds me of a comment Douglas Adams made about working with Hollywood producers, ordering tonnes of chocolate chip ice cream, then complaining because it's got chocolate chips in it news.sky.com/story/britis... I might have the details wrong.
Reposted by Mark Childs
Apparently some folks are playing real dumb about skull symbols so let’s play a little game I like to call “Nazi skull or not a Nazi skull”
First up, the Jolly Roger. This is a pirate skull, not a Nazi skull. It means you might get robbed, but prolly not genocided.
With me so far? 1/x
First up, the Jolly Roger. This is a pirate skull, not a Nazi skull. It means you might get robbed, but prolly not genocided.
With me so far? 1/x
October 22, 2025 at 5:23 AM
Apparently some folks are playing real dumb about skull symbols so let’s play a little game I like to call “Nazi skull or not a Nazi skull”
First up, the Jolly Roger. This is a pirate skull, not a Nazi skull. It means you might get robbed, but prolly not genocided.
With me so far? 1/x
First up, the Jolly Roger. This is a pirate skull, not a Nazi skull. It means you might get robbed, but prolly not genocided.
With me so far? 1/x
Shiniest and oldest of the Tarot decks to survive, this recreation is a work of art - I blog about them here. tarot117.wordpress.com/2025/10/19/v...
Visconti-Sforza Tarot
So I’m starting a series of four posts about four of the five key decks in the history of Tarot (I’ve already done the Tarot de Marseilles). The VST is the oldest surviving deck –…
tarot117.wordpress.com
October 24, 2025 at 7:34 PM
Shiniest and oldest of the Tarot decks to survive, this recreation is a work of art - I blog about them here. tarot117.wordpress.com/2025/10/19/v...
The last hour of my contribution to #ALTC this year, an hour compilation of two Pedagodzilla episodes back-to-back. In 5 mins on ttns.uk This is possibly the best way to hear them, they're two halves of the same discussion. With Claire Hill, @mikecollins.bsky.social and @lizisabella.bsky.social
Internet Radio Live Music Eclectic | thethursdaynightshow
Eclectic Internet Radio with online live music and art showings every Thursday Night! www.thethursdaynightshow.com
ttns.uk
October 24, 2025 at 4:57 PM
The last hour of my contribution to #ALTC this year, an hour compilation of two Pedagodzilla episodes back-to-back. In 5 mins on ttns.uk This is possibly the best way to hear them, they're two halves of the same discussion. With Claire Hill, @mikecollins.bsky.social and @lizisabella.bsky.social