Michael Tobis (mt)
@mtobis.bsky.social
PhD atmospheric/oceanic sciences 1996 but a bit rusty.
Opinionated.
Main topics: climate, sustainability, Canada, AI and ML, journalism.
Also: roots music, art, healthy plant-based food.
Please think like a planet!
https://initforthegold.blogspot.com
Opinionated.
Main topics: climate, sustainability, Canada, AI and ML, journalism.
Also: roots music, art, healthy plant-based food.
Please think like a planet!
https://initforthegold.blogspot.com
Pinned
Michael Tobis (mt)
@mtobis.bsky.social
· May 24
Climate change summarized.
"Carbon is Forever"
🧵 0/6
"Carbon is Forever"
🧵 0/6
Reposted by Michael Tobis (mt)
Three ghosts take Pierre Poilievre on spiritual journey through time to no effect
Three ghosts take Pierre Poilievre on spiritual journey through time to no effect
OTTAWA - Despite best efforts and an emotional journey through time and space, three ghosts visiting Official Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre failed to inspire him to change his ways through the sp...
www.thebeaverton.com
December 31, 2025 at 10:18 PM
Three ghosts take Pierre Poilievre on spiritual journey through time to no effect
People expressing admiration for this monstrosity further erode my already meager confidence in humanity.
I am hoping at least it’s some sort of AI nightmare but getting a sense from comments that it’s real, and that people actually like it.
We are doomed.
I am hoping at least it’s some sort of AI nightmare but getting a sense from comments that it’s real, and that people actually like it.
We are doomed.
Zaandam is a charming town located just 12 minutes by train from Amsterdam Netherlands 🇳🇱 #Travel #MondayMotivation
🎥photographer.amsterdam I IG
🎥photographer.amsterdam I IG
December 29, 2025 at 9:24 PM
People expressing admiration for this monstrosity further erode my already meager confidence in humanity.
I am hoping at least it’s some sort of AI nightmare but getting a sense from comments that it’s real, and that people actually like it.
We are doomed.
I am hoping at least it’s some sort of AI nightmare but getting a sense from comments that it’s real, and that people actually like it.
We are doomed.
Reposted by Michael Tobis (mt)
I’m Canadian. Apparently my life is bad. In reality, I have:
- Vaccines.
- Clean tap water.
- Public transport.
- Enforceable rights.
- Food safety as a baseline.
- Healthcare that doesn’t lead to bankruptcy.
And I don’t need to carry a concealed weapon to walk my dogs.
I LOVE CANADA 🇨🇦
- Vaccines.
- Clean tap water.
- Public transport.
- Enforceable rights.
- Food safety as a baseline.
- Healthcare that doesn’t lead to bankruptcy.
And I don’t need to carry a concealed weapon to walk my dogs.
I LOVE CANADA 🇨🇦
December 29, 2025 at 2:32 PM
I’m Canadian. Apparently my life is bad. In reality, I have:
- Vaccines.
- Clean tap water.
- Public transport.
- Enforceable rights.
- Food safety as a baseline.
- Healthcare that doesn’t lead to bankruptcy.
And I don’t need to carry a concealed weapon to walk my dogs.
I LOVE CANADA 🇨🇦
- Vaccines.
- Clean tap water.
- Public transport.
- Enforceable rights.
- Food safety as a baseline.
- Healthcare that doesn’t lead to bankruptcy.
And I don’t need to carry a concealed weapon to walk my dogs.
I LOVE CANADA 🇨🇦
Reposted by Michael Tobis (mt)
Morocco is racing to secure water as drought deepens. Desalination will rise from 25% to 60% of national drinking water by decade’s end. This is a stark sign of climate breakdown: instead of restoring ecosystems, states are forced into energy-intensive survival measures.
December 29, 2025 at 4:31 PM
Morocco is racing to secure water as drought deepens. Desalination will rise from 25% to 60% of national drinking water by decade’s end. This is a stark sign of climate breakdown: instead of restoring ecosystems, states are forced into energy-intensive survival measures.
Reposted by Michael Tobis (mt)
I may not miss some of his policies (though I do miss others!) I sure do miss having a world leader with a sense of humor and at least a modicum of humility. 🇨🇦
“I stopped watching when Rick left.”
I have died DEAD.
RIP, me.
😵😂
I have died DEAD.
RIP, me.
😵😂
December 29, 2025 at 7:12 PM
I may not miss some of his policies (though I do miss others!) I sure do miss having a world leader with a sense of humor and at least a modicum of humility. 🇨🇦
Extremely interesting - a very simple model with enough complexity to explore a range of future scenarios.
The late Eugenia Kalnay had a pretty good idea of what's going on, and joined in on this paper. It's easy to understand, even if it's hard to accept. But being hard to accept doesn't stop something from happening.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Human and nature dynamics (HANDY): Modeling inequality and use of resources in the collapse or sustainability of societies
There are widespread concerns that current trends in resource-use are unsustainable, but possibilities of overshoot/collapse remain controversial. Col…
www.sciencedirect.com
December 27, 2025 at 4:55 PM
Extremely interesting - a very simple model with enough complexity to explore a range of future scenarios.
Reposted by Michael Tobis (mt)
😮
“The value of the world’s top ten companies is $25.6 trillion. Of that, $15.1 trillion has accumulated since 30 November 2022 and is directly linked to the AI boom.”
www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
John Lanchester · King of Cannibal Island: Will the AI bubble burst?
Nvidia shares are the purest bet you can make on the impact of AI. The leading firms are lending money to one another in...
www.lrb.co.uk
December 27, 2025 at 3:48 PM
😮
Reposted by Michael Tobis (mt)
The hard part I would have is finding a TV I'd want to buy. I have absolutely no use for most of the 'features' of a smart TV, but non smart TVs are hard to find now.
Something about the TV manufacturer making more money from selling your personal information than they make from selling the TV.
Something about the TV manufacturer making more money from selling your personal information than they make from selling the TV.
December 27, 2025 at 3:55 PM
The hard part I would have is finding a TV I'd want to buy. I have absolutely no use for most of the 'features' of a smart TV, but non smart TVs are hard to find now.
Something about the TV manufacturer making more money from selling your personal information than they make from selling the TV.
Something about the TV manufacturer making more money from selling your personal information than they make from selling the TV.
Reposted by Michael Tobis (mt)
As Hannah Arendt put it: "The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the dedicated communist, but people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction, true and false, no longer exists." Undermining that distinction will be a lasting legacy of generative AI.
December 27, 2025 at 12:16 PM
As Hannah Arendt put it: "The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the dedicated communist, but people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction, true and false, no longer exists." Undermining that distinction will be a lasting legacy of generative AI.
Reposted by Michael Tobis (mt)
My name is Aizymandias, king of kings
Look on my slop, ye mighty, and despair : (
Look on my slop, ye mighty, and despair : (
December 27, 2025 at 3:57 PM
My name is Aizymandias, king of kings
Look on my slop, ye mighty, and despair : (
Look on my slop, ye mighty, and despair : (
Reposted by Michael Tobis (mt)
A kingfisher made from a circular saw blade, paint pen, and spray paint. I sketched it, Echo cut it out and added the copper eye, and I painted it. This was a gift, but we'd love to make more birds like this! What birds would you want to see?
December 26, 2025 at 6:50 PM
A kingfisher made from a circular saw blade, paint pen, and spray paint. I sketched it, Echo cut it out and added the copper eye, and I painted it. This was a gift, but we'd love to make more birds like this! What birds would you want to see?
Reposted by Michael Tobis (mt)
Starting my holiday stretch of shifts, 5 in a row, keeping the hospital running with my Jewish, Hindu, Sikh and Muslim friends. We are all happy to be of service, to all those unfortunate souls who are away from their families and need our help.
Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas!
a man in armor with the words so it begins
ALT: a man in armor with the words so it begins
media.tenor.com
December 25, 2025 at 8:29 PM
Starting my holiday stretch of shifts, 5 in a row, keeping the hospital running with my Jewish, Hindu, Sikh and Muslim friends. We are all happy to be of service, to all those unfortunate souls who are away from their families and need our help.
Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas!
Reposted by Michael Tobis (mt)
As a very long time student and admirer of both GOFAI and procedural art, 100% to all of this. (Those things will still exist and be doing great things, after the last LLM is ashes.)
bsky.app/profile/symb...
bsky.app/profile/symb...
STOP using the term 'ai' to market anything if it is not actual fraud—for which 'ai' is now synonymous.
IF you have developed a _useful and effective_ GOFAI optimisation or search method, AVOID THE ACRONYM 'AI' if you _ever_ want to be taken seriously.
PSA: Describe Things Accurately.
#electronics
IF you have developed a _useful and effective_ GOFAI optimisation or search method, AVOID THE ACRONYM 'AI' if you _ever_ want to be taken seriously.
PSA: Describe Things Accurately.
#electronics
Eeek Alors! AI-Powered PCB Layout Is Here and It’s Awesome www.eejournal.com/article/eeek... Using JITX AI-driven PCB layout, it took only 3 days and 3 layers to replicate something that humans took more than 6 weeks and 5 layers with one of the leading layout tools on the market.
December 26, 2025 at 8:44 PM
As a very long time student and admirer of both GOFAI and procedural art, 100% to all of this. (Those things will still exist and be doing great things, after the last LLM is ashes.)
bsky.app/profile/symb...
bsky.app/profile/symb...
Reposted by Michael Tobis (mt)
Anyway, it’s okay to say AI was a mistake. If AI people didn’t want everything to be lumped in with the nonsense LLMs are forcing onto society, they had a decade to draw that distinction and never bothered to. Now the branding is stuck, sorry guys you have to have ideas now not just sneers.
December 26, 2025 at 1:37 PM
Anyway, it’s okay to say AI was a mistake. If AI people didn’t want everything to be lumped in with the nonsense LLMs are forcing onto society, they had a decade to draw that distinction and never bothered to. Now the branding is stuck, sorry guys you have to have ideas now not just sneers.
Reposted by Michael Tobis (mt)
Not to be controversial but I think we should use tools and resources to make people's lives less miserable instead of more
December 27, 2025 at 12:17 AM
Not to be controversial but I think we should use tools and resources to make people's lives less miserable instead of more
Reposted by Michael Tobis (mt)
Canada is no 1, while USA isn't even in the top 20 of countries with the best reputation. Canada is also in the top 5 countries, according to Freedom index. 🇨🇦
December 26, 2025 at 11:20 PM
Canada is no 1, while USA isn't even in the top 20 of countries with the best reputation. Canada is also in the top 5 countries, according to Freedom index. 🇨🇦
Reposted by Michael Tobis (mt)
The @theatlantic.com claims that Canadians will use "treachery" to make America and its media look "silly".
No, we are a democratic people who hate thugs and their pusillanimous enablers.
Deal with it.
No, we are a democratic people who hate thugs and their pusillanimous enablers.
Deal with it.
December 25, 2025 at 8:16 PM
The @theatlantic.com claims that Canadians will use "treachery" to make America and its media look "silly".
No, we are a democratic people who hate thugs and their pusillanimous enablers.
Deal with it.
No, we are a democratic people who hate thugs and their pusillanimous enablers.
Deal with it.
Reposted by Michael Tobis (mt)
Can't wait for the loosened up, non-perfect, but quickly shipped AI-enhanced updates to hit my banking and insurance services next year.
Im sure there will be no issues there at all.
Im sure there will be no issues there at all.
December 26, 2025 at 2:28 PM
Can't wait for the loosened up, non-perfect, but quickly shipped AI-enhanced updates to hit my banking and insurance services next year.
Im sure there will be no issues there at all.
Im sure there will be no issues there at all.
Reposted by Michael Tobis (mt)
Someone remake “It’s a Wonderful Life” but Mr. Potter believes that hoarding is morally required so he can devote resources to delivering a far future with trillions of humans while George Bailey is like, “Gosh Darnit! What if taking care of people today is what takes care of people in the future?!”
December 25, 2025 at 2:35 AM
Someone remake “It’s a Wonderful Life” but Mr. Potter believes that hoarding is morally required so he can devote resources to delivering a far future with trillions of humans while George Bailey is like, “Gosh Darnit! What if taking care of people today is what takes care of people in the future?!”
Reposted by Michael Tobis (mt)
As a Chinese/Taiwanese American, my tradition of eating Jewish food on Christmas is in trouble, as Saul's in Berkeley is unexpectedly going to be closed on Christmas day! Not sure if there are any other Jewish delis in the area that will be open.
December 24, 2025 at 11:55 PM
As a Chinese/Taiwanese American, my tradition of eating Jewish food on Christmas is in trouble, as Saul's in Berkeley is unexpectedly going to be closed on Christmas day! Not sure if there are any other Jewish delis in the area that will be open.
Reposted by Michael Tobis (mt)
Okay, so at the request of the lovely @trance.bsky.social , I'm going to tell a story about what happens when a shitty person is "just joking", and then discovers there are consequences.
AKA That Time Kat Started An Antifascist Hallway Riot In The Third Grade.
Grab your beverage of choice.
AKA That Time Kat Started An Antifascist Hallway Riot In The Third Grade.
Grab your beverage of choice.
February 16, 2025 at 8:53 AM
Okay, so at the request of the lovely @trance.bsky.social , I'm going to tell a story about what happens when a shitty person is "just joking", and then discovers there are consequences.
AKA That Time Kat Started An Antifascist Hallway Riot In The Third Grade.
Grab your beverage of choice.
AKA That Time Kat Started An Antifascist Hallway Riot In The Third Grade.
Grab your beverage of choice.
I should probably let everyone know about my discovery that substituting chick pea flour (besan) for half the flour in your latkes adds an excellent crispness to the surface.
(But don’t go 100% besan or they become unrecognizable as latkes.)
(But don’t go 100% besan or they become unrecognizable as latkes.)
December 24, 2025 at 7:32 PM
I should probably let everyone know about my discovery that substituting chick pea flour (besan) for half the flour in your latkes adds an excellent crispness to the surface.
(But don’t go 100% besan or they become unrecognizable as latkes.)
(But don’t go 100% besan or they become unrecognizable as latkes.)
I’m pretty sure I saw the Smothers Brothers episode that got them yanked off of CBS on Canadian TV.
So there’s a precedent.
So there’s a precedent.
December 23, 2025 at 5:04 PM
I’m pretty sure I saw the Smothers Brothers episode that got them yanked off of CBS on Canadian TV.
So there’s a precedent.
So there’s a precedent.
Reposted by Michael Tobis (mt)
Have you also asked an AI chatbot about climate and found the answer to be quite good? Maybe that is because it was you who asked.
Some AI (e.g. Grok) tailors their response to suit your beliefs. It’s called ‘AI sycophancy’ (a new word I just learned.)
globalwitness.org/en/campaigns...
Some AI (e.g. Grok) tailors their response to suit your beliefs. It’s called ‘AI sycophancy’ (a new word I just learned.)
globalwitness.org/en/campaigns...
AI chatbots share climate disinformation to susceptible users
AI chatbots' personalised answers risk inflaming conspiracy and misinformation, as investigation shows climate disinformation shared to sceptic user personas
globalwitness.org
December 21, 2025 at 10:54 AM
Have you also asked an AI chatbot about climate and found the answer to be quite good? Maybe that is because it was you who asked.
Some AI (e.g. Grok) tailors their response to suit your beliefs. It’s called ‘AI sycophancy’ (a new word I just learned.)
globalwitness.org/en/campaigns...
Some AI (e.g. Grok) tailors their response to suit your beliefs. It’s called ‘AI sycophancy’ (a new word I just learned.)
globalwitness.org/en/campaigns...
Reposted by Michael Tobis (mt)
How many times must we keep saying this?
Correlation does not imply cognition
www.wired.com/story/in-a-f...
Correlation does not imply cognition
www.wired.com/story/in-a-f...
December 14, 2025 at 3:32 PM
How many times must we keep saying this?
Correlation does not imply cognition
www.wired.com/story/in-a-f...
Correlation does not imply cognition
www.wired.com/story/in-a-f...