Peter Tarras
@petertarras.bsky.social
Postdoc @jacculturelmu.bsky.social | Blog: http://medisi.hypotheses.org | Book History | Manuscript Studies | Provenance | MENA Intellectual History | SciCom | #FirstGen
https://www.naher-osten.uni-muenchen.de/personen/wiss_ma/peter-tarras/index.html
https://www.naher-osten.uni-muenchen.de/personen/wiss_ma/peter-tarras/index.html
Reposted by Peter Tarras
I made this 19 page list of resources for questioning AI because I was so frustrated by this dynamic, the tipping point for me was an admin saying that people who were questioning the push for AI were being "emotional": docs.google.com/document/d/1...
Questioning AI Resource List
Excellent summary of major problems with companies’ focus on AI written by expert in machine learning: https://ludic.mataroa.blog/blog/i-will-fucking-piledrive-you-if-you-mention-ai-again/ Another g...
docs.google.com
February 4, 2026 at 2:27 PM
I made this 19 page list of resources for questioning AI because I was so frustrated by this dynamic, the tipping point for me was an admin saying that people who were questioning the push for AI were being "emotional": docs.google.com/document/d/1...
Reposted by Peter Tarras
Read Nabataean!
Uploaded:
February 4, 2026 at 11:36 AM
Read Nabataean!
Reposted by Peter Tarras
It is exhausting to sit in meetings a/b “AI” & to have colleagues who’ve got nothing but logical-fallacy-laden big tech pro-AI talking points basically project on you their own laziness & malpractice. Care to see my no-genAI policy, bud? It’s got dozens of carefully considered rationales & footnotes
February 4, 2026 at 1:27 PM
It is exhausting to sit in meetings a/b “AI” & to have colleagues who’ve got nothing but logical-fallacy-laden big tech pro-AI talking points basically project on you their own laziness & malpractice. Care to see my no-genAI policy, bud? It’s got dozens of carefully considered rationales & footnotes
Reposted by Peter Tarras
I’m gonna name it. This isn’t a case of “legitimately differing opinions.” It is blatant professorial malpractice to adopt/allow genAI (or really *any* new edtech) just b/c we are told that we must. Especially in the humanities classroom, the only “ethical use” or reasonable stance is to keep it out
February 4, 2026 at 1:36 PM
I’m gonna name it. This isn’t a case of “legitimately differing opinions.” It is blatant professorial malpractice to adopt/allow genAI (or really *any* new edtech) just b/c we are told that we must. Especially in the humanities classroom, the only “ethical use” or reasonable stance is to keep it out
Reposted by Peter Tarras
A problem is that there are many of us who read about, research, and publish on AI (and have been doing so for years), but the university puts us on the same playing field of decision-making about it with those who have not.
I’m gonna name it. This isn’t a case of “legitimately differing opinions.” It is blatant professorial malpractice to adopt/allow genAI (or really *any* new edtech) just b/c we are told that we must. Especially in the humanities classroom, the only “ethical use” or reasonable stance is to keep it out
February 4, 2026 at 1:53 PM
A problem is that there are many of us who read about, research, and publish on AI (and have been doing so for years), but the university puts us on the same playing field of decision-making about it with those who have not.
Reposted by Peter Tarras
Today my translation of al-Dani's Taysir has come out! I hope to write a little bit more about this later, but for now here is a link. And it's Open Access!
www.openbookpublishers.com/books/10.116...
www.openbookpublishers.com/books/10.116...
February 4, 2026 at 9:39 AM
Today my translation of al-Dani's Taysir has come out! I hope to write a little bit more about this later, but for now here is a link. And it's Open Access!
www.openbookpublishers.com/books/10.116...
www.openbookpublishers.com/books/10.116...
Schuchardt recently made it onto my "Collectors and Dealers" list as he bought a batch of Georgian and Armenian manuscripts originally from Sinai, now held by the University Library of Graz, Austria. He was also involved in bringing some Old Church Slavonic manuscripts from Sinai to Vienna.
February 4, 2026 at 9:34 AM
Schuchardt recently made it onto my "Collectors and Dealers" list as he bought a batch of Georgian and Armenian manuscripts originally from Sinai, now held by the University Library of Graz, Austria. He was also involved in bringing some Old Church Slavonic manuscripts from Sinai to Vienna.
Reposted by Peter Tarras
Manuscripts tell stories of borders, upheaval, and resilience. On February 25 (11am CT), Dr. Josh Mugler shares ways that manuscripts bear witness to the consequences of partition and how we can reconnect what was thought to be lost.
RSVP for this free, virtual program: hmml.org/events
RSVP for this free, virtual program: hmml.org/events
February 3, 2026 at 3:37 PM
Manuscripts tell stories of borders, upheaval, and resilience. On February 25 (11am CT), Dr. Josh Mugler shares ways that manuscripts bear witness to the consequences of partition and how we can reconnect what was thought to be lost.
RSVP for this free, virtual program: hmml.org/events
RSVP for this free, virtual program: hmml.org/events
Reposted by Peter Tarras
New #openaccess article by Mila Neishtadt exploring Aramaic as a contact language in oil‑pressing terminology.
Check it out here: 🔗brill.com/view/journ...
Check it out here: 🔗brill.com/view/journ...
February 4, 2026 at 8:30 AM
New #openaccess article by Mila Neishtadt exploring Aramaic as a contact language in oil‑pressing terminology.
Check it out here: 🔗brill.com/view/journ...
Check it out here: 🔗brill.com/view/journ...
Reposted by Peter Tarras
Reposted by Peter Tarras
Unsettling that there's seemingly zero reporting on this and the best info you can get comes from people on subreddits guessing it's "AI" related.
Google Books is down. Old links work, but the search function is dead. 🚨📔
@thomasgermain.bsky.social Are you aware that Google Books has effectively stopped working - the material is still there, but all search functions no longer seem to work, making fresh access impossible. Can't find any reportage on this but it seems a major story with huge implications..
February 3, 2026 at 6:26 PM
Unsettling that there's seemingly zero reporting on this and the best info you can get comes from people on subreddits guessing it's "AI" related.
Reposted by Peter Tarras
Collecting some information on #GoogleBooks breakdown in this thread below:
Unsettling that there's seemingly zero reporting on this and the best info you can get comes from people on subreddits guessing it's "AI" related.
Google Books is down. Old links work, but the search function is dead. 🚨📔
February 3, 2026 at 7:08 PM
Collecting some information on #GoogleBooks breakdown in this thread below:
Collecting some information on #GoogleBooks breakdown in this thread below:
Unsettling that there's seemingly zero reporting on this and the best info you can get comes from people on subreddits guessing it's "AI" related.
Google Books is down. Old links work, but the search function is dead. 🚨📔
February 3, 2026 at 7:08 PM
Collecting some information on #GoogleBooks breakdown in this thread below:
Reposted by Peter Tarras
In two weeks, world leaders and tech executives will descend on Delhi for the AI Impact Summit 2026. There, power brokers will paint a pretty picture of the role AI will play in saving the world - from sharing prosperity to fixing climate change.
February 3, 2026 at 6:14 PM
In two weeks, world leaders and tech executives will descend on Delhi for the AI Impact Summit 2026. There, power brokers will paint a pretty picture of the role AI will play in saving the world - from sharing prosperity to fixing climate change.
Reposted by Peter Tarras
Medieval manuscript lost in World War II returns to Poland www.medievalists.net/2026/02/medi... #medievalmanuscripts #Poland
Medieval manuscript lost in World War II returns to Poland - Medievalists.net
A medieval manuscript that vanished in the upheaval of the Second World War has surfaced on the shelves of an American university, and is now heading home to Poland.
www.medievalists.net
February 3, 2026 at 6:28 PM
Medieval manuscript lost in World War II returns to Poland www.medievalists.net/2026/02/medi... #medievalmanuscripts #Poland
Unsettling that there's seemingly zero reporting on this and the best info you can get comes from people on subreddits guessing it's "AI" related.
Google Books is down. Old links work, but the search function is dead. 🚨📔
@thomasgermain.bsky.social Are you aware that Google Books has effectively stopped working - the material is still there, but all search functions no longer seem to work, making fresh access impossible. Can't find any reportage on this but it seems a major story with huge implications..
February 3, 2026 at 6:26 PM
Unsettling that there's seemingly zero reporting on this and the best info you can get comes from people on subreddits guessing it's "AI" related.
Reposted by Peter Tarras
A big lexical project for Old Uyghur
Das Altuigurische spielt für die Turkvölker dieselbe Rolle, wie Latein für die romanischen Sprachen. Ein aktuelles wissenschaftliches Wörterbuch, gibt es jedoch nicht. Das Akademieprojekt „Wörterbuch des Altuigurischen“ um Jens Peter Laut ändert das nun und trägt zum Erhalt dieser Kultur bei.
February 3, 2026 at 3:07 PM
A big lexical project for Old Uyghur
Reposted by Peter Tarras
We have now a bsky page for the Vienna project, which just announced the 2026 online seminar. Check it out, it's a nice series of talks – organised by @dekayra.bsky.social.
We're thrilled to share with you the programme for the 2026 online seminar of the project! The series is curated by our colleague Maria S. Thomas (@dekayra.bsky.social).
All welcome! Let us know if you'd like to add you to the email list. genaut.univie.ac.at/?page_id=671
All welcome! Let us know if you'd like to add you to the email list. genaut.univie.ac.at/?page_id=671
February 2, 2026 at 3:09 PM
We have now a bsky page for the Vienna project, which just announced the 2026 online seminar. Check it out, it's a nice series of talks – organised by @dekayra.bsky.social.
Reposted by Peter Tarras
Over the years, Helen Giunaishvili (Ilia State University) has written four posts on the digitization of Georgian and Persian manuscripts preserved at Georgia’s Korneli Kekelidze Georgian National Centre of Manuscripts.
Read more on our blog ⬇️
Read more on our blog ⬇️
February 2, 2026 at 1:51 PM
Over the years, Helen Giunaishvili (Ilia State University) has written four posts on the digitization of Georgian and Persian manuscripts preserved at Georgia’s Korneli Kekelidze Georgian National Centre of Manuscripts.
Read more on our blog ⬇️
Read more on our blog ⬇️
Reposted by Peter Tarras
Watch: Jon McGinnis' "The Concept of Matter and the Concept of Spirit in Judaism, Christianity and Islam" recently posted by the Bavarian Research Center for Interreligious Discourses.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvlX...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvlX...
The Concept of Matter in Islam: Prof. Dr. Jon McGinnis, University of Toronto (Canada)
YouTube video by BaFID
www.youtube.com
February 3, 2026 at 3:00 PM
Watch: Jon McGinnis' "The Concept of Matter and the Concept of Spirit in Judaism, Christianity and Islam" recently posted by the Bavarian Research Center for Interreligious Discourses.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvlX...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvlX...
Reposted by Peter Tarras
New blog post: "Biblia Arabica becomes an Academies project: Q&A with Nathan P. Gibson and Ronny Vollandt"
biblia-arabica.com/biblia-arabi...
biblia-arabica.com/biblia-arabi...
February 3, 2026 at 2:50 PM
New blog post: "Biblia Arabica becomes an Academies project: Q&A with Nathan P. Gibson and Ronny Vollandt"
biblia-arabica.com/biblia-arabi...
biblia-arabica.com/biblia-arabi...
One of the central problems is summed up well here: museums can be places to further understanding and inspire deeper interest in cultural diversity. Those images turn culture into an interchangeable setting and disguise: "It is “as if all these cultures are the same”."
British Museum’s A.I.-Generated Post Sparks Online Backlash
news.artnet.com/art-world/br...
news.artnet.com/art-world/br...
British Museum’s A.I.-Generated Post Sparks Online Backlash
The British Museum has been called out for posting images containing A.I. generated content on its Instagram and Facebook.
news.artnet.com
February 3, 2026 at 8:11 AM
One of the central problems is summed up well here: museums can be places to further understanding and inspire deeper interest in cultural diversity. Those images turn culture into an interchangeable setting and disguise: "It is “as if all these cultures are the same”."
Reposted by Peter Tarras
An diesem Artikel ist so vieles falsch (niemand zwingt einen randomly über einen „mittelalterlichen Theologen“ zu schreiben), aber der grundsätzliche Punkt ist mal wieder: KI soll Probleme „lösen“, die durch Ressourcenmangel überhaupt erst entstehen, und macht sie natürlich nur schlimmer
Hausarbeiten haben einen schlechten Ruf. Aber mit diesen Tipps und KI-Unterstützung schafft man die Abgabe auch ohne Nachtschicht – und ohne Schummeln.
Hausarbeit schreiben: So gelingt die erste Hausarbeit (ohne zu betrügen)
Hausarbeiten haben einen schlechten Ruf. Aber mit diesen Tipps und KI-Unterstützung schafft man die Abgabe auch ohne Nachtschicht – und ohne Schummeln.
www.spiegel.de
February 2, 2026 at 7:48 PM
An diesem Artikel ist so vieles falsch (niemand zwingt einen randomly über einen „mittelalterlichen Theologen“ zu schreiben), aber der grundsätzliche Punkt ist mal wieder: KI soll Probleme „lösen“, die durch Ressourcenmangel überhaupt erst entstehen, und macht sie natürlich nur schlimmer
Reposted by Peter Tarras
A new #OpenAccess textbook for Sahidic Coptic!
#Egyptology #ClassicsBlueSky
#AncientBlueSky #LangSky
uclpress.co.uk/book/sahidic...
#Egyptology #ClassicsBlueSky
#AncientBlueSky #LangSky
uclpress.co.uk/book/sahidic...
Sahidic Coptic
Begin your journey in Sahidic Coptic. This open access textbook offers essential grammar and readings for understanding Coptic texts.
uclpress.co.uk
January 30, 2026 at 7:47 PM
A new #OpenAccess textbook for Sahidic Coptic!
#Egyptology #ClassicsBlueSky
#AncientBlueSky #LangSky
uclpress.co.uk/book/sahidic...
#Egyptology #ClassicsBlueSky
#AncientBlueSky #LangSky
uclpress.co.uk/book/sahidic...
Reposted by Peter Tarras
this is amazing: "It was only as we continued to work on the text that we realized what was going on and how important it was. The document turns out to be a report written by a Fatimid official in Tyre in the early summer of 1109, two weeks before the Franks conquered Tripoli."
"A Fatimid Interoffice Memo about the Franks, May God Forsake Them" by Marina Rustow, Alan Elbaum, and Paul M. Cobb
Fragment of the Month: January 2026
In January 2026's Fragment of the Month, Rustow, Elbaum and Cobb have pieced together a lengthy Fatimid document and the history behind it.
www.lib.cam.ac.uk
February 2, 2026 at 8:15 AM
this is amazing: "It was only as we continued to work on the text that we realized what was going on and how important it was. The document turns out to be a report written by a Fatimid official in Tyre in the early summer of 1109, two weeks before the Franks conquered Tripoli."