Stuart Watt
@morungos.bsky.social
Cognitive/social scientist and occasional coder. Umquhile Mancunian. Purveyor of Jurassic Park memes. Writes on modernization and technology. Consciously uncoupling from corporate shenanigans. Halifax, Nova Scotia
https://morungos.com/
https://morungos.com/
A delicious calm day on the coast today. But no otters yet.
November 8, 2025 at 9:46 AM
A delicious calm day on the coast today. But no otters yet.
Reposted by Stuart Watt
Today I received my author's copies of Ghosts in Pencil, a one-man's-war story of a working-class Glasgow boy who flew 45 missions as a Lancaster bomb-aimer - from the Battle of Berlin to D-Day in an elite Pathfinder squadron.
On Amazon - or better still, order from a local bookshop.
On Amazon - or better still, order from a local bookshop.
October 9, 2025 at 4:19 PM
Today I received my author's copies of Ghosts in Pencil, a one-man's-war story of a working-class Glasgow boy who flew 45 missions as a Lancaster bomb-aimer - from the Battle of Berlin to D-Day in an elite Pathfinder squadron.
On Amazon - or better still, order from a local bookshop.
On Amazon - or better still, order from a local bookshop.
Yay. Finally made it.
November 2, 2025 at 4:28 PM
Yay. Finally made it.
Copilot backdoored all the things.
Write your developer horror story in 5 words or less. 🎃
We'll go first: Remote code execution.
https://github.blog/open-source/inside-the-breach-that-broke-the-internet-the-untold-story-of-log4shell/
We'll go first: Remote code execution.
https://github.blog/open-source/inside-the-breach-that-broke-the-internet-the-untold-story-of-log4shell/
October 31, 2025 at 11:49 AM
Copilot backdoored all the things.
I am, briefly, for once in Hope.
October 31, 2025 at 7:44 AM
I am, briefly, for once in Hope.
… thus putting them ahead of most politicians.
In a series of experiments, chimpanzees revised their beliefs based on new evidence, shedding light on the evolutionary origins of rational thought.
🔗 www.404media.co/chimps-are-c...
🔗 www.404media.co/chimps-are-c...
Chimps Are Capable of Human-Like Rational Thought, Breakthrough Study Finds
In a series of experiments, chimpanzees revised their beliefs based on new evidence, shedding light on the evolutionary origins of rational thought.
www.404media.co
October 30, 2025 at 10:02 PM
… thus putting them ahead of most politicians.
Reposted by Stuart Watt
‘AI’ thinks I’m a Skunk Cabbage!!
October 30, 2025 at 11:26 AM
‘AI’ thinks I’m a Skunk Cabbage!!
Okay hear me out.
Tech is telling the world they don’t need labour to deliver services.
Therefore, they’re overcharging us, a lot.
Therefore, we should pay them less — even nothing. Use free and open alternatives.
They don’t need tax breaks. Put social support into other sectors.
Tech is telling the world they don’t need labour to deliver services.
Therefore, they’re overcharging us, a lot.
Therefore, we should pay them less — even nothing. Use free and open alternatives.
They don’t need tax breaks. Put social support into other sectors.
October 28, 2025 at 2:39 PM
Okay hear me out.
Tech is telling the world they don’t need labour to deliver services.
Therefore, they’re overcharging us, a lot.
Therefore, we should pay them less — even nothing. Use free and open alternatives.
They don’t need tax breaks. Put social support into other sectors.
Tech is telling the world they don’t need labour to deliver services.
Therefore, they’re overcharging us, a lot.
Therefore, we should pay them less — even nothing. Use free and open alternatives.
They don’t need tax breaks. Put social support into other sectors.
Note the psychology behind this. You might “lose” that 2 day work week if you resist AI. And then loss aversion cuts in.
The modern era sells to us like this constantly, through risk and the fear of missing out. Hence crypto, hence NFTs.
Only by knowing reality can we make informed choices.
The modern era sells to us like this constantly, through risk and the fear of missing out. Hence crypto, hence NFTs.
Only by knowing reality can we make informed choices.
I "enjoy" this disconnect between tech titans claiming that AI will have us all eating pastries and working two days a week and the reality of firing people en masse while simultaneously supporting fascists who oppose universal basic income and are actively destroying the social safety net
October 28, 2025 at 2:00 PM
Note the psychology behind this. You might “lose” that 2 day work week if you resist AI. And then loss aversion cuts in.
The modern era sells to us like this constantly, through risk and the fear of missing out. Hence crypto, hence NFTs.
Only by knowing reality can we make informed choices.
The modern era sells to us like this constantly, through risk and the fear of missing out. Hence crypto, hence NFTs.
Only by knowing reality can we make informed choices.
Reposted by Stuart Watt
Yup - that’s exactly how I feel.
"I DON'T NEED YOU TO FUCKING REWRITE WHAT I'VE JUST WRITTEN!"
October 28, 2025 at 1:36 PM
Yup - that’s exactly how I feel.
Double vaccinated yesterday and the arm is a wee bit cranky today. I’ll take it over getting flu and/or Covid.
October 28, 2025 at 1:49 PM
Double vaccinated yesterday and the arm is a wee bit cranky today. I’ll take it over getting flu and/or Covid.
Reposted by Stuart Watt
We have zero plans to put AI in LibreOffice, of course. Our focus is privacy and letting you control your data. Some users want AI features and they can get them via optional extensions made by the community – but we won't put it in the app itself.
October 28, 2025 at 1:14 PM
We have zero plans to put AI in LibreOffice, of course. Our focus is privacy and letting you control your data. Some users want AI features and they can get them via optional extensions made by the community – but we won't put it in the app itself.
Reposted by Stuart Watt
I was just reminded of this excellent piece by @tepski.tech. Highly recommended reading, especially in the IP world:
"Hard Truths About Soft IP" by Amanda Levendowski
People routinely refer to copyright and trademark as “soft IP” to distinguish these practices from another area of intellectual property: patent. But the term reflects implicit biases against copyrigh...
scholarship.law.georgetown.edu
October 27, 2025 at 3:28 PM
I was just reminded of this excellent piece by @tepski.tech. Highly recommended reading, especially in the IP world:
As someone with a deep background in AI who’s worked in oncology and cancer bioinformatics, this is complete horseshit.
Informatics made a massive contribution, sure (before they all got cut) but cancer is not one thing. It’s a disease of aging, basically, and it is whack-a-mole on human biology.
Informatics made a massive contribution, sure (before they all got cut) but cancer is not one thing. It’s a disease of aging, basically, and it is whack-a-mole on human biology.
October 26, 2025 at 7:31 PM
As someone with a deep background in AI who’s worked in oncology and cancer bioinformatics, this is complete horseshit.
Informatics made a massive contribution, sure (before they all got cut) but cancer is not one thing. It’s a disease of aging, basically, and it is whack-a-mole on human biology.
Informatics made a massive contribution, sure (before they all got cut) but cancer is not one thing. It’s a disease of aging, basically, and it is whack-a-mole on human biology.
So we have seven pounds of bouncing baby quinces, lovely and aromatic and ripe. What an aroma!
October 26, 2025 at 5:30 PM
So we have seven pounds of bouncing baby quinces, lovely and aromatic and ripe. What an aroma!
Nom. With that cream, it might be an appley relative of tablet. And if so, double nom.
Me? I’d probably not go with the salt. Call me a heretic, but that is not my thing.
Me? I’d probably not go with the salt. Call me a heretic, but that is not my thing.
This is the best candy I've *ever* made. It compacts a whole bottle of fresh apple cider into a salt-flecked, cinnamon-y, buttery caramel that is so loud with everything awesome about fall, no October is complete without it.
smittenkitchen.com/2012/10/appl...
smittenkitchen.com/2012/10/appl...
October 26, 2025 at 3:37 PM
Nom. With that cream, it might be an appley relative of tablet. And if so, double nom.
Me? I’d probably not go with the salt. Call me a heretic, but that is not my thing.
Me? I’d probably not go with the salt. Call me a heretic, but that is not my thing.
Reposted by Stuart Watt
NEW
The gaming of the American constitution
How a codified “written” constitution is being manipulated by those acting in bad faith
By me, at @prospectmagazine.co.uk
www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/ideas/law/th...
The gaming of the American constitution
How a codified “written” constitution is being manipulated by those acting in bad faith
By me, at @prospectmagazine.co.uk
www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/ideas/law/th...
October 24, 2025 at 10:47 AM
NEW
The gaming of the American constitution
How a codified “written” constitution is being manipulated by those acting in bad faith
By me, at @prospectmagazine.co.uk
www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/ideas/law/th...
The gaming of the American constitution
How a codified “written” constitution is being manipulated by those acting in bad faith
By me, at @prospectmagazine.co.uk
www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/ideas/law/th...
It should not be as miserable as it is to get an Acer laptop booting into different systems. But it was a huge palaver. Half the time the EFI data vanished entirely, or was inconsistent. I still can’t see how it can work, finding systems there’s no reference to. But… it’s good enough.
October 25, 2025 at 8:51 PM
It should not be as miserable as it is to get an Acer laptop booting into different systems. But it was a huge palaver. Half the time the EFI data vanished entirely, or was inconsistent. I still can’t see how it can work, finding systems there’s no reference to. But… it’s good enough.
Reposted by Stuart Watt
He’s designing the ballroom with AI isn’t he www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
October 25, 2025 at 3:45 PM
He’s designing the ballroom with AI isn’t he www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
Reposted by Stuart Watt
Goodbye internet.
Google AI doing terribly here. It appears to claim the osprey is actually a wader, because it eats fish. Not a raptor at all. For some reason the kestrel is too. The nuthatch is also wrong.
Ospreys with a long pointed beak. lol. 🤣
Ospreys with a long pointed beak. lol. 🤣
October 23, 2025 at 10:51 PM
Goodbye internet.
Reposted by Stuart Watt
Myth: Worker ownership is unstable and inefficient.
Reality: Worker-owned businesses outperform traditional companies.
employeeownership.co.uk/Site/Site/co...
Reality: Worker-owned businesses outperform traditional companies.
employeeownership.co.uk/Site/Site/co...
October 23, 2025 at 9:46 PM
Myth: Worker ownership is unstable and inefficient.
Reality: Worker-owned businesses outperform traditional companies.
employeeownership.co.uk/Site/Site/co...
Reality: Worker-owned businesses outperform traditional companies.
employeeownership.co.uk/Site/Site/co...
Another bird🪶 thing from yesterday, the wee lake is temporary home to hundreds of ring-necked ducks. And I mean hundreds. Just a few shown here.
I never knew it, but ducks have "thumb" winglets, like a plane wing's slats, and the whoosh when a bunch of them slow down for landing is something else.
I never knew it, but ducks have "thumb" winglets, like a plane wing's slats, and the whoosh when a bunch of them slow down for landing is something else.
October 23, 2025 at 7:15 PM
Another bird🪶 thing from yesterday, the wee lake is temporary home to hundreds of ring-necked ducks. And I mean hundreds. Just a few shown here.
I never knew it, but ducks have "thumb" winglets, like a plane wing's slats, and the whoosh when a bunch of them slow down for landing is something else.
I never knew it, but ducks have "thumb" winglets, like a plane wing's slats, and the whoosh when a bunch of them slow down for landing is something else.
Google AI doing terribly here. It appears to claim the osprey is actually a wader, because it eats fish. Not a raptor at all. For some reason the kestrel is too. The nuthatch is also wrong.
Ospreys with a long pointed beak. lol. 🤣
Ospreys with a long pointed beak. lol. 🤣
October 23, 2025 at 5:07 PM
Google AI doing terribly here. It appears to claim the osprey is actually a wader, because it eats fish. Not a raptor at all. For some reason the kestrel is too. The nuthatch is also wrong.
Ospreys with a long pointed beak. lol. 🤣
Ospreys with a long pointed beak. lol. 🤣
Today our little local #halisky was honoured by a visit from (what I think is) a small flockette of lesser yellowlegs 🪶— a sandpiper that apparently has usually migrated through long ago.
Anyway, they flew in, flew in circles for about fifteen minutes, then flew out again. A wonderful experience.
Anyway, they flew in, flew in circles for about fifteen minutes, then flew out again. A wonderful experience.
October 22, 2025 at 11:13 PM
Today our little local #halisky was honoured by a visit from (what I think is) a small flockette of lesser yellowlegs 🪶— a sandpiper that apparently has usually migrated through long ago.
Anyway, they flew in, flew in circles for about fifteen minutes, then flew out again. A wonderful experience.
Anyway, they flew in, flew in circles for about fifteen minutes, then flew out again. A wonderful experience.