Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Stephen McCarthy

noyb

@noyb.eu

🗞️ "This is the biggest attack on Europeans' digital rights in years. When the #commission states that it 'maintains the highest standards', it clearly is incorrect," Austrian privacy activist Max #Schrems said."

Read more 👉 www.dw.com/en/eu-propos...

EU proposes softening AI and data privacy regulations – DW – 11/19/2025

The EU is responding to calls by businesses and member states that have argued the bloc needs to keep up with tech innovation. Meanwhile, cookie consent pop-up banners are also set to be scaled back.

www.dw.com

November 22, 2025 at 4:00 PM

Reposted by Stephen McCarthy

Matthew Cheney

@melikhovo.bsky.social

Just saw someone described as an "ontologist" and now I want Clinical Ontologist to be a job title.

Welcome to the Department of Clinical Ontology. Let's go over your chart. I see that you are. Are you still as you were or are you otherwise? For your case of being, I prescribe becoming.

November 21, 2025 at 5:25 PM

Reposted by Stephen McCarthy

Kerria

@kerria.bsky.social

Gargoyles, grotesques, and corbels reading books are my favorites.

July 18, 2025 at 7:24 PM

Reposted by Stephen McCarthy

Eiko Fried

@eikofried.bsky.social

70 teaspoons placed in tearooms around the institute & observed weekly over 5 months. 80% of spoons disappeared; spoon halflife~81 days. Communal room halflife lower than in specific labs. 250 spoons annually required to maintain 70 spoon population.

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...

The case of the disappearing teaspoons: longitudinal cohort study of the displacement of teaspoons in an Australian research institute

Objectives To determine the overall rate of loss of workplace teaspoons and whether attrition and displacement are correlated with the relative value of the teaspoons or type of tearoom. Design Longitudinal cohort study. Setting Research institute ...

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

November 20, 2025 at 3:44 AM

Reposted by Stephen McCarthy

David✶🇬🇹

@vuc.bsky.social

He said "Amen" straight into the drop

Lmao Pope Leo threw a rave for an archbishop's 75th birthday this is kind of incredible

November 20, 2025 at 4:22 PM

Reposted by Stephen McCarthy

Al Jazeera English

@aljazeera.com

The 24-year-old says death and destruction make him question the purpose of writing, but he looks for a glimmer of hope.

Young man documents Gaza’s untold stories of Israel’s genocide in book

The 24-year-old says death and destruction make him question the purpose of writing, but he looks for a glimmer of hope.

bit.ly

November 22, 2025 at 11:30 AM

Reposted by Stephen McCarthy

BernieQuinn 🇮🇪 🏳️‍🌈 🏳️‍⚧️

@scarpetta.bsky.social

Just saw rip.ie being described as Mournhub and lads I'm.......dying.

RIP.ie - most recent death notices | rip.ie

Discover the most recent death notices from Ireland. A reliable source to be informed of the passing of those close to you.

rip.ie

November 21, 2025 at 6:55 PM

Stephen McCarthy

@misterjabsticks.bsky.social

I've been reading the proposed changes to GDPR from von der Leyn and Michael McGrath et al. I find them abhorrent. They are purely in service of tech companies. But the other bunch that will benefit are organisations and institutions who have no interest in transparency and accountability.

November 21, 2025 at 6:39 PM

Reposted by Stephen McCarthy

Dr Abeba Birhane

@abeba.bsky.social

just great

Largest study of its kind shows AI assistants misrepresent news content 45% of the time – regardless of language or territory

An intensive international study was coordinated by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and led by the BBC

November 21, 2025 at 3:13 PM

Reposted by Stephen McCarthy

Dan McQuillan

@danmcquillan.bsky.social

Resisting GenAI and Big Tech in Higher Education - Tuesday 25th Nov, free registration, great panel, big focus on climate justice. Register here: lmula.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

Resisting GenAI and Big Tech in Higher Education

Tuesday 25th November 2025

8am - 9:30am PST | 11am -12:30pm EST | 4pm - 5:30pm GMT | 5pm - 6:30pm CET

Virtual on Zoom – REGISTER HERE: http://bit.ly/4qE27dB

Generative AI is permeating higher education in many different ways—it is increasingly embedded in university work and life, even if we don’t want to use it. But people are also sounding the alarm: Gen AI is disrupting learning and undermining trust in the integrity of academic work, while big tech’s energy consumption, use of water, and rapid expansion of data centers are exacerbating ecological crises.

What can we do? How do we resist? Come learn about the environmental, social, economic, and political threats that AI poses and how we can individually and collectively resist and refuse. Learn about how some are challenging the narrative of inevitability.

Join this interactive discussion with international scholars and activists on resisting GenAI and big tech in higher education. Inputs from multiple scholar-activists include: Christoph Becker (University of Toronto, Canada), Mary Finley-Brook (University of Richmond, USA), Dan McQuillan (Goldsmiths, University of London, UK), Sinéad Sheehan (University of Galway, Ireland), Jennie Stephens (National University of Ireland Maynooth, Ireland), and Paul Lachapelle (Montana State University, USA).

This event will be recorded and is co-sponsored by:
Climate Justice Universities Union and Climate Campus Network

November 21, 2025 at 2:02 PM

Reposted by Stephen McCarthy

Moby Dick

@mobydickatsea.bsky.social

Swerve me? The path to my fixed purpose is laid with iron rails, whereon my soul is grooved to run.

November 20, 2025 at 9:47 PM

Reposted by Stephen McCarthy

Davenant 📸

@marcdavenant.bsky.social

AI is a toxic technology, based on theft and fakery, that degrades everything it touches and everyone who uses it, while in parallel destroying the planet during a climate emergency. It has no place in the toolkit of anyone who values creativity and authenticity.

November 21, 2025 at 11:02 AM

Stephen McCarthy

@misterjabsticks.bsky.social

Techbro billionaires are the last people anyone should be capitulating to. This is dumb.

Adrian Weckler @adrianweckler.bsky.social · 1d

EU will now delay AI Act, bowing to business and big tech pressure.

So companies can more easily use AI to hire job candidates or decide who gets a loan, or who gets to be insured, at least until 2027.

m.independent.ie/business/tec...

Adrian Weckler: EU bows to pressure from US and Big Tech on AI and GDPR

Is the EU caving to the US and businesses on AI and privacy?

m.independent.ie

November 21, 2025 at 9:36 AM

Stephen McCarthy

@misterjabsticks.bsky.social

DPD sucks.

November 21, 2025 at 12:33 AM

Reposted by Stephen McCarthy

Darcie Little Badger

@littlebadger.bsky.social

This week, I withdrew from a speaking engagement at a public university because they sent me a list of prohibited “words & concepts.” I will not humor this censorship. It does a disservice to the stories I’m discussing & the audience, who deserve unfettered access to information & conversation.

“Prohibited words and concepts: Equity, diversity, & inclusion; anti-racism; Bias; Critical race theory; implicit bias; oppression; intersectionality; prohibited discriminatory practices; racial privilege; promoting stereotypes based on personal identity characteristics.”

November 20, 2025 at 10:20 PM

Reposted by Stephen McCarthy

Dutchscientist (the real one)

@dutchscientist.bsky.social

"No Mr AI, I expect you to die"

November 19, 2025 at 6:18 PM

Reposted by Stephen McCarthy

Susan Kaye Quinn is Writing Solarpunk 🌞🌱

@susankayequinn.bsky.social

My new favorite kind of meme is "here are detailed instructions on how to turn off AI". 🔨

ABI Bouhmaida
@forgoodcode
Every Windows 11 PC is now an Al
PC with Copilot at the center of
it all.
Here's how to get rid of Copilot
completely from your computer
(1/3)

ABI Bouhmaida
@forgoodcode
1/ Settings App
> Personalization
> Taskbar
> Other System Tray Icons
> Switch "Microsoft 365 Copilot App" Off
This hides Copilot from your
taskbar

$(9) ABI Bouhmaida @forgoodcode 2/ Press Win + R > Type in ‘regedit’ > Navigate to "HKEY _CURRENT_USER\ Software \ Policie s\Microsoft\ Windows" > Right-click on the "Windows" Key > New > Key > Name the new key "WindowsCopilot’ > Right-click on the new key EY > DWORD (32-bit) Value$ @forgoodcode
3/
> Name the value
"TurnOffWindowsCopilot’
> Double-click the name of the value
> Set the "Value Data" to 1
> Restart your computer
Congrats! Copilot is now completely
gone from your computer.
Hope this helps

@forgoodcode
3/
> Name the value
"TurnOffWindowsCopilot’
> Double-click the name of the value
> Set the "Value Data" to 1
> Restart your computer
Congrats! Copilot is now completely
gone from your computer.
Hope this helps

November 19, 2025 at 3:00 PM

Reposted by Stephen McCarthy

Rick Caruso’s Private Fire Crew

@amandasmith.bsky.social

I just did this and I feel like a hacker in an early 2000s movie

Susan Kaye Quinn is Writing Solarpunk 🌞🌱 @susankayequinn.bsky.social · 3d

My new favorite kind of meme is "here are detailed instructions on how to turn off AI". 🔨

$(9) ABI Bouhmaida @forgoodcode 2/ Press Win + R > Type in ‘regedit’ > Navigate to "HKEY _CURRENT_USER\ Software \ Policie s\Microsoft\ Windows" > Right-click on the "Windows" Key > New > Key > Name the new key "WindowsCopilot’ > Right-click on the new key EY > DWORD (32-bit) Value$ @forgoodcode
3/
> Name the value
"TurnOffWindowsCopilot’
> Double-click the name of the value
> Set the "Value Data" to 1
> Restart your computer
Congrats! Copilot is now completely
gone from your computer.
Hope this helps

November 21, 2025 at 12:17 AM

Reposted by Stephen McCarthy

Steve Peers

@stevepeers.bsky.social

CJEU, environmental law

New judgment: Ireland is in breach of numerous provisions of EU law on water pollution - curia.europa.eu/juris/docume...

CURIA - Documents

curia.europa.eu

November 20, 2025 at 10:10 AM

Reposted by Stephen McCarthy

Andrew Coogan

@cooganlab.bsky.social

“…in the cheapest way possible”. Yup 👍
www.theguardian.com/education/20...

‘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 11:48 AM

Reposted by Stephen McCarthy

weeder

@weeder.bsky.social

Commas are the parsley, in the teeth of my posts

November 19, 2025 at 9:41 PM

Reposted by Stephen McCarthy

Jane Rosenzweig

@janerosenzweig.bsky.social

Discussion on here this morning about 1)whether Gemini is good at "creative writing" and 2)a study showing people preferred AI imitations of writers to the writers themselves. I come back to my trusty all-purpose question: What problem are we solving when we outsource "creative writing"?

November 19, 2025 at 2:22 PM

Reposted by Stephen McCarthy

Tony - Pod Guy - Groves

@tonygroves.bsky.social

If you are feeling down and like a bit of a failure, remember that the guy who failed children with scoliosis and mishandled the children’s hospital to the tune of €bn’s is now the min for finance. You got this!

November 19, 2025 at 8:06 AM

Reposted by Stephen McCarthy

21 Group

@21group.bsky.social

Nottingham University plans to axe music & languages

Cuts always hit academics & lower-level professional service staff

They never touch the bloated upper bureaucracy

The Vice Chancellor's entourage stays untouched (or even expands)

www.theguardian.com/education/20...