Piers Kelly
@pierskelly.bsky.social
Linguistic anthropologist at the University of New England, Armidale, and the Australian Museum, Sydney.
Graphic codes in Australia, Southeast Asia, West Africa.
Researcher at the Australian Message Stick Project
https://messagesticks.com.au/
Graphic codes in Australia, Southeast Asia, West Africa.
Researcher at the Australian Message Stick Project
https://messagesticks.com.au/
What the hell is this creature? Cross between a dingo and a drop bear?
(Reminiscences of Australia, 1846)
(Reminiscences of Australia, 1846)
September 19, 2025 at 9:58 PM
What the hell is this creature? Cross between a dingo and a drop bear?
(Reminiscences of Australia, 1846)
(Reminiscences of Australia, 1846)
Four different approaches to The Dreaming, an Aboriginal narrative complex guiding belief and action. bravenewwords.info/2025/09/14/d...
The Dreaming, in translation
I’ve recently read four pieces of writing that together tell an interesting story: David Uniapon’s Legendary tales of the Australian Aborigines [1924-1925] (2001), W. E. H. Stanner̵…
bravenewwords.info
September 16, 2025 at 7:00 AM
Four different approaches to The Dreaming, an Aboriginal narrative complex guiding belief and action. bravenewwords.info/2025/09/14/d...
Reposted by Piers Kelly
one of the biggest arguments against AI dependence is that the strongest proponents of its use have become visibly *dumber* in the last few years.
It really does feel like a lot of formerly reasonable people have been infected by some sort of terrifying brain parasite when it comes to unthinking and total acceptance of using AI tools
Absolute worst part, imo, is the pressure from school administrators to "welcome our new overlords" by adopting AI. It's also happening in elite universities, to my utter bafflement & horror. Anyone who calls bullshit on AI is treated as if only ignorance could explain their perspective.
August 11, 2025 at 4:51 PM
one of the biggest arguments against AI dependence is that the strongest proponents of its use have become visibly *dumber* in the last few years.
I've just read W. E. H. Stanner's 1953 essay 'The Dreaming' for the first time.
I'm surprised by how well it holds up after 72 years.🧵
I'm surprised by how well it holds up after 72 years.🧵
July 19, 2025 at 11:52 PM
I've just read W. E. H. Stanner's 1953 essay 'The Dreaming' for the first time.
I'm surprised by how well it holds up after 72 years.🧵
I'm surprised by how well it holds up after 72 years.🧵
Reposted by Piers Kelly
Most humanist critique of #genAI falls into the ideological trap of treating machine learning systems as less perfect quasi-human subjects, by claiming that human «creativity» or «intelligence» will always surpass machinic ones. That’s not the point, the comparison is flawed from the beginning
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June 30, 2025 at 5:27 AM
Most humanist critique of #genAI falls into the ideological trap of treating machine learning systems as less perfect quasi-human subjects, by claiming that human «creativity» or «intelligence» will always surpass machinic ones. That’s not the point, the comparison is flawed from the beginning
1/
1/
Reposted by Piers Kelly
Jordan Peterson on lasagne
May 26, 2025 at 9:42 AM
Jordan Peterson on lasagne
Me and Alwyn talking about message sticks with David Marr on Late Night Live, wherevery you get podcasts, and also here: www.abc.net.au/listen/progr...
Message sticks: small items with big cultural power - ABC listen
The humble message stick may be one of the most significant, but underrated, cultural artefacts of Australian First Nations people.
Guests: Piers Kelly, linguist at the University of New England. F...
www.abc.net.au
May 16, 2025 at 4:52 AM
Me and Alwyn talking about message sticks with David Marr on Late Night Live, wherevery you get podcasts, and also here: www.abc.net.au/listen/progr...
Every academic gets submission-request spam from predatory publishers, but what about requests to review a submitted manuscript?
If you're predatory, why bother going through the charade of peer-review? I've received two requests in the past month and I'm confused.
If you're predatory, why bother going through the charade of peer-review? I've received two requests in the past month and I'm confused.
April 28, 2025 at 9:06 PM
Every academic gets submission-request spam from predatory publishers, but what about requests to review a submitted manuscript?
If you're predatory, why bother going through the charade of peer-review? I've received two requests in the past month and I'm confused.
If you're predatory, why bother going through the charade of peer-review? I've received two requests in the past month and I'm confused.
Reposted by Piers Kelly
“is my calculator horny?“ our tech columnist asks. “i entered 5318008 into it and turned it upside down. what i saw surprised me”
“Can ChatGPT experience joy or suffering? Does Gemini deserve human rights?” our tech columnist asks. “Many A.I. experts I know would say no, not yet, not even close. But I was intrigued.”
Should We Start Taking the Welfare of A.I. Seriously?
As artificial intelligence systems become smarter, one A.I. company is trying to figure out what to do if they become conscious.
www.nytimes.com
April 24, 2025 at 6:24 PM
“is my calculator horny?“ our tech columnist asks. “i entered 5318008 into it and turned it upside down. what i saw surprised me”
Reposted by Piers Kelly
Centrists right now be all like
April 20, 2025 at 8:53 AM
Centrists right now be all like
Reposted by Piers Kelly
We've made this article from @cash4questions.bsky.social free to read, as it is proving very popular.
University funding crisis: How to stay serene when wellbeing sessions are offered.
"Beware employers bearing yoga mats..."
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-funding-k...
University funding crisis: How to stay serene when wellbeing sessions are offered.
"Beware employers bearing yoga mats..."
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-funding-k...
Coping with the university funding crisis - Research Professional News
Positive steps in uncertain times, including how to stay serene when wellbeing sessions are offered
www.researchprofessionalnews.com
April 15, 2025 at 2:56 PM
We've made this article from @cash4questions.bsky.social free to read, as it is proving very popular.
University funding crisis: How to stay serene when wellbeing sessions are offered.
"Beware employers bearing yoga mats..."
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-funding-k...
University funding crisis: How to stay serene when wellbeing sessions are offered.
"Beware employers bearing yoga mats..."
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-funding-k...
As someone who is fascinated by intellectual history, I'm well aware that crackpots and fanatics have existed in all times and places.
They are abundant, usually harmless, rarely achieve success and tend to disappear without leaving much of a trace.
1/
They are abundant, usually harmless, rarely achieve success and tend to disappear without leaving much of a trace.
1/
April 11, 2025 at 1:12 AM
As someone who is fascinated by intellectual history, I'm well aware that crackpots and fanatics have existed in all times and places.
They are abundant, usually harmless, rarely achieve success and tend to disappear without leaving much of a trace.
1/
They are abundant, usually harmless, rarely achieve success and tend to disappear without leaving much of a trace.
1/
Reposted by Piers Kelly
hello moudhy sorry to interrupt but did you see the cuneiform nail art
www.instagram.com/share/BAJktv...
www.instagram.com/share/BAJktv...
April 5, 2025 at 12:19 PM
hello moudhy sorry to interrupt but did you see the cuneiform nail art
www.instagram.com/share/BAJktv...
www.instagram.com/share/BAJktv...
Easily the best thing I've read about A.I. in higher ed, by @tressiemcphd.bsky.social (thanks @bicycleuser.bsky.social): www.nytimes.com/2025/03/29/o...
Opinion | The Tech Fantasy That Powers A.I. Is Running on Fumes
A.I. is just what we need in the post-fact era: less research and more predicting what we want to hear.
www.nytimes.com
March 31, 2025 at 11:04 PM
Easily the best thing I've read about A.I. in higher ed, by @tressiemcphd.bsky.social (thanks @bicycleuser.bsky.social): www.nytimes.com/2025/03/29/o...
Reposted by Piers Kelly
For #smallpoemsunday, this beauty.
Lawrence Ferlinghetti.
Lawrence Ferlinghetti.
March 30, 2025 at 1:56 PM
For #smallpoemsunday, this beauty.
Lawrence Ferlinghetti.
Lawrence Ferlinghetti.
I'm not going to use generative AI. I don't see any legitimate role for it in unis.
It's OK if you like it! I won't let students use it, and I won't read synthetic text if I can knowingly avoid it.
Here's my personal policy, drafted with help from colleagues.
bravenewwords.info/my-policy-on...
It's OK if you like it! I won't let students use it, and I won't read synthetic text if I can knowingly avoid it.
Here's my personal policy, drafted with help from colleagues.
bravenewwords.info/my-policy-on...
My policy on AI
What I will not do In the interests of transparency about my methods, it is important for you to know that I will never publish any text that was generated by AI, nor any text produced with assista…
bravenewwords.info
March 28, 2025 at 4:18 AM
I'm not going to use generative AI. I don't see any legitimate role for it in unis.
It's OK if you like it! I won't let students use it, and I won't read synthetic text if I can knowingly avoid it.
Here's my personal policy, drafted with help from colleagues.
bravenewwords.info/my-policy-on...
It's OK if you like it! I won't let students use it, and I won't read synthetic text if I can knowingly avoid it.
Here's my personal policy, drafted with help from colleagues.
bravenewwords.info/my-policy-on...
Wild illustration from F. M. van Helmont's 'Alphabeti vere naturali Hebraici' (1657), attempting to demonstrate that Hebrew letters are derived from their places of articulation in the mouth. This is 'alef' א
March 17, 2025 at 10:38 PM
Wild illustration from F. M. van Helmont's 'Alphabeti vere naturali Hebraici' (1657), attempting to demonstrate that Hebrew letters are derived from their places of articulation in the mouth. This is 'alef' א
Reposted by Piers Kelly
Old and rare David Brooks banger
March 13, 2025 at 7:15 PM
Old and rare David Brooks banger
AI enshittifies Apple support
March 9, 2025 at 3:11 AM
AI enshittifies Apple support
Reposted by Piers Kelly
Let's talk about this Nature piece in more detail.
I've rarely read something so anti-scientific anywhere short of the National Review.
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
I've rarely read something so anti-scientific anywhere short of the National Review.
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Three AI-powered steps to faster, smarter peer review
Tired of spending countless hours on peer reviews? An AI-assisted workflow could help.
www.nature.com
March 6, 2025 at 5:34 AM
Let's talk about this Nature piece in more detail.
I've rarely read something so anti-scientific anywhere short of the National Review.
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
I've rarely read something so anti-scientific anywhere short of the National Review.
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Reposted by Piers Kelly
old Soviet joke for our times:
Guy stops by the newsstand every day, scans the front page, doesn’t buy the paper. One day the vendor asks what he’s up to.
Guy says: “looking for an obituary.”
Vendor says “those are towards the back of the paper, comrade.”
Guy says: “not the one I’m looking for.”
Guy stops by the newsstand every day, scans the front page, doesn’t buy the paper. One day the vendor asks what he’s up to.
Guy says: “looking for an obituary.”
Vendor says “those are towards the back of the paper, comrade.”
Guy says: “not the one I’m looking for.”
March 3, 2025 at 12:54 AM
old Soviet joke for our times:
Guy stops by the newsstand every day, scans the front page, doesn’t buy the paper. One day the vendor asks what he’s up to.
Guy says: “looking for an obituary.”
Vendor says “those are towards the back of the paper, comrade.”
Guy says: “not the one I’m looking for.”
Guy stops by the newsstand every day, scans the front page, doesn’t buy the paper. One day the vendor asks what he’s up to.
Guy says: “looking for an obituary.”
Vendor says “those are towards the back of the paper, comrade.”
Guy says: “not the one I’m looking for.”
Reposted by Piers Kelly
"Life’s weird that way. There’s no rhyme or reason to anything. You can go into one building and see one group of people, and then go across the street into another building and see an entirely different group of people. Can you explain that? Of course you can’t."
That’s Life
That’s life. You deal with it and you move on. Sometimes you lose your job, or you can’t make rent, or you get sick, and you just have to be able t...
buff.ly
March 1, 2025 at 2:00 AM
"Life’s weird that way. There’s no rhyme or reason to anything. You can go into one building and see one group of people, and then go across the street into another building and see an entirely different group of people. Can you explain that? Of course you can’t."
Reposted by Piers Kelly
Absolutely overwhelmed to be in the presence of the first-ever printed book to use the Cherokee syllabary, the Cherokee Constitution of 1827. At the American Antiquarian Society.
February 26, 2025 at 7:28 PM
Absolutely overwhelmed to be in the presence of the first-ever printed book to use the Cherokee syllabary, the Cherokee Constitution of 1827. At the American Antiquarian Society.
Reposted by Piers Kelly
