Grit Wesser
LightNews LightNews
anthrogrit.bsky.social
Grit Wesser
@anthrogrit.bsky.social
120 followers 170 following 5 posts
Social Anthropologist
Posts Replies Media Videos
Reposted by Grit Wesser
gabriellehecht.bsky.social
Wow @asanews.bsky.social this is really not a good look.

Shit like this is why members quit professional societies. Just saying
May 15, 2025 at 2:59 AM
Reposted by Grit Wesser
berghahnbooks.bsky.social
GERMAN RULE, AFRICAN SUBJECTS: State Aspirations and the Reality of Power in Colonial Namibia by Jürgen Zimmerer (@juergenzimmerer.bsky.social) is now available in paperback!

Find out more here: buff.ly/i3zESCb

#ColonialHistory #History
April 14, 2025 at 12:03 PM
Reposted by Grit Wesser
hypervisible.blacksky.app
“I’m not particularly interested in assisting the process of flattening myself into an array of data points, to serve the interests of tech companies by making myself even more machine-readable. I’m not convinced that the best way to understand oneself is through quantification.“
We have more data on ourselves than ever before. But can we really track our way into happiness? | Samantha Floreani
Self-tracking is regularly promoted as a way toward self-improvement. But life is not a mathematical problem waiting to be solved
www.theguardian.com
April 7, 2025 at 12:27 AM
Reposted by Grit Wesser
theguardian.com
‘Meta has stolen books’: authors to protest in London against AI trained using ‘shadow library’
‘Meta has stolen books’: authors to protest in London against AI trained using ‘shadow library’
Writers will gather at the Facebook owner’s King’s Cross office in opposition to its use of the LibGen database to train its AI models Authors and other publishing industry professionals will stage a demonstration outside Meta’s London office today in protest of the organisation’s use of copyrighted books to train artificial intelligence. Novelists Kate Mosse and Tracy Chevalier as well as poet and former Royal Society of Literature chair Daljit Nagra will be among those in attendance outside the company’s King’s Cross office. Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com
April 3, 2025 at 7:10 AM
anthrogrit.bsky.social
On a lime background, people protesting Meta's use of LibGen, a large database of pirated material, to train its AI models. Poster reads: "Stop Thief! Meta must #DoTheWriteThing
April 3, 2025 at 7:10 AM
Reposted by Grit Wesser
ilkokowalczuk.bsky.social
1/Das freiheitlichste Kämpferherz, das ich kenne, hat gerade für immer aufgehört zu schlagen.Vier Wochen hat mein Freund, mein großes Vorbild Gerd „Poppoff“ Poppe gekämpft – diesen letzten Kampf hat er nun verloren.Ein großes Leben hat sich nur wenige Tage nach seinem 84. Geburts
March 29, 2025 at 9:32 PM
anthrogrit.bsky.social
Peeps in/around Edinburgh: Check out this amazing 2 day CPD course on nature connection in May run by the wonderful Hannah McNeilly (not on here): www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/nature-con...
Nature Connection Specialist 2-day CPD training in Edinburgh
Do you work in health, care, education, or wellbeing and want to add nature connection skills to your toolkit? This training is for you!
www.eventbrite.co.uk
March 30, 2025 at 10:41 AM
Reposted by Grit Wesser
docgaby.bsky.social
"Glauben Sie, es ist ein Zufall, dass die Tesla-Verkäufe in Deutschland um fast 80 % zurückgegangen sind? Sie wissen, was sein Gruß bedeutet."

#TeslaTakedown
lincolnproject.us The Lincoln Project @lincolnproject.us · Mar 19
You think it’s an accident Tesla sales are down almost 80% in Germany? They know what his salute meant.
March 20, 2025 at 6:11 PM
Reposted by Grit Wesser
tompepinsky.com
The public really needs to understand this. Every university system in the world rests on public funding, there has never been an alternative model at any time in history.

We have universities for literally the same reason that we have roads and armies.
dandekadt.bsky.social Dan de Kadt @dandekadt.bsky.social · Mar 8
I don't disagree that the US university business model was/is fragile, but surely not for this reason?

There is no society in the history of humanity that has successfully built a good university system without massive govt subsidies. US had already pushed the idea very far.
March 8, 2025 at 8:02 PM
Reposted by Grit Wesser
moritzvon.bsky.social
Sehr schöner Text, der zeigt wie es vielen in der Wissenschaft geht
amreibahr.bsky.social Amrei Bahr @amreibahr.bsky.social · Mar 4
Das Ende meiner Zeit in der Wissenschaft ist absehbar: Ich bin nach wie vor befristet, ohne Entfristungs-Perspektive. Was das mit mir macht? Trauer & Frust sind inzwischen was anderem gewichen: Erleichterung. Denn ich hab es satt, dieses Leben unter Vorbehalt. Heute in #ArbeitInDerWiss! #IchBinHanna
Wissenschaft jetzt, Leben später
Wenn ich an das Leben ohne Wissenschaft denke, das mir bevorsteht, dann spüre ich nun, mit fast 40, kaum noch Frust oder Trauer, sondern die Vorahnung einer tiefen Erleichterung.
open.substack.com
March 4, 2025 at 8:32 AM
Reposted by Grit Wesser
coldwarpod.bsky.social
#BOOKGIVEAWAY Follow @coldwarpod.bsky.social then reshare this post to enter a chance to win a copy of this book.

T&C's here coldwarconversations.com/giveaway/

@fleetstreetfox.bsky.social #nuclearveterans #nucleartests #coldwar @cnduk.bsky.social
March 1, 2025 at 8:04 PM
Reposted by Grit Wesser
johannamellis.bsky.social
Another way to see this:

White westerners have long told Eastern Europeans how they are not part of “the West,” not “as civilized” as they are, etc. a long history of discrimination against EE as a way to prop up alleged western superiority, including ideas of “democracy”
atrupar.com Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · Feb 28
GLENN: Why don't you wear a suit? You're at the highest level in this country's office & you refuse to wear a suit. A lot of Americans have problems with you not respecting the office.

ZELENSKYY: I will wear a costume after this war will finish. Maybe something like yours. Maybe something better.
February 28, 2025 at 7:21 PM
Reposted by Grit Wesser
olyduff.bsky.social
📰 Identical front page on every UK paper today, with homepage takeovers too. Only 2nd time this has happened.

As editors and reporters, we fear for the future of quality journalism - with unlawful scraping of content (theft) by AI firms. #MakeItFair

inews.co.uk/opinion/made...
February 25, 2025 at 3:28 PM
Reposted by Grit Wesser
theguardian.com
UK ministers mulling to change AI plans to protect creative industries
UK ministers mulling to change AI plans to protect creative industries
Exclusive: partial climbdown over use of work protected by copyright considered after intense lobbying by top artists Ministers are planning to offer key concessions to their plans to make it easier for artificial intelligence companies to use…
www.theguardian.com
February 25, 2025 at 6:47 PM
Reposted by Grit Wesser
theguardian.com
The Guardian has today joined the creative industries in a nationwide campaign to highlight the risks around content being given away for free to AI firms.

You can read more about how to get involved here: newsmediauk.org/make-it-fair/
February 25, 2025 at 11:02 AM
Reposted by Grit Wesser
jksteinberger.bsky.social
As promised, here are the slides I shared with students to convince them to NOT use chatGPT and other artificial stupidity.

TL;DR? AI is evil, unsustainable and stupid, and I'd much rather they use their own brains, make their own mistakes, and actually learn something. 🪄
NO CHATGPT Or other artificial stupidity: motivation First, clarity on distinguishing AIs: Non-generative: grammar aid, translation, dictionary, text-to-audio (e.g. Natural Reader): no problem As long as you use the appropriate tools (least intensive in data and server energy use). Why? Because you provide the content. Your brain is doing the most important work Generative: ChatGPT & Co. You only supply the prompt, the AI supplies the content. Why is this delegation of work problematic? 3 domains: ethical, environmental, intellectual engagement. (Caveat: generative is probably ok for computer programming, where it can be useful and save time. Not relevant to this class.) 1) AI and ethics Mass theft of all and everything «learning» on books, articles, blogs, social media, images, music, cultural production, without permission of authors/creators, and leading to their mass joblessness. Profits are not reditributed to originators. Permanent destruction of the mental health of underpaid precarious tech workers in the Global South (Kenya, Philippines …): «correction» to avoid production of violent and pedophile contents etc, tech workers are obliged to watch and correct super violent contents for days on end, leading to extreme psychological suffering and trauma, from which recovery is doubtful. No or little compensation (certainly not at the level of the suffering inflicted). In short, an industry built on theft of real human creation and sacrifice of real human health, profiting a few megafortunes. 2) AI and (un)sustainability Massive consumption of electricity, water, server capacity for generative AI. Outcome: keep fossil fuel companies in business, using up new renewable capacity, without any satisfaction of basic human needs. Massive misappropriation of the finance necessary for climate and ecological action (renewable generation, efficiency and retrofit for buildings, public transit, infrastructures for cycling etc) towards AI industry. Overall: undermine climate action, reinforce fossil industry, waste resources necessary for human development. 3) AI and intellectual engagement First, what learning is (or should be) about: The goal should not (only) be the reproduction of «correct» knowledge, But mainly personal engagement and experience of thinking about topics of interest. Personal engagement = using one’s own brain. The most important activity for learning and intellectual engagement is the experience of making one’s own mistakes, by trial and error, corrections based on new ideas, starting over again. Learning to recognise nuances, knowledge gaps, better explanations This kind of learning is possible only through using your own brain, not AI. Also, Ais are not «intelligent». At all. They simply reproduce pre-existing patterns. They «bullshit», invent false references, false facts, false data, simply because those sound plausible. VERY DANGEROUS. If you learn how to NOT use AI, and how to research facts and data on your own, this will serve you and your communities for the rest of your life.
February 23, 2025 at 1:45 PM
Reposted by Grit Wesser
hypervisible.blacksky.app
Destruction of critical thinking continues apace.
How AI is affecting the way kids learn to read and write
Teachers are increasingly relying on AI to boost their student's reading and writing skills.
www.usatoday.com
February 22, 2025 at 12:47 PM
Reposted by Grit Wesser
llantwit.bsky.social
Two Weeks In The Death Spiral Of Cardiff University, by an anonymous academic.
This is truly shocking read.
The Cardiff executive board should hang their heads in shame.
voice.cymru/two-weeks-in...
Two Weeks In The Death Spiral Of Cardiff University -
Reading Time: 4 minutesBy an anonymous academic. Cover image by Adwitiya Pal On the second day of classes…
voice.cymru
February 21, 2025 at 3:42 PM
Reposted by Grit Wesser
dhprice.bsky.social
A huge loss for us all. An important voice on the political economy and power of inequality falls silent.
James Ferguson, professor of anthropology and former department chair, dies at 65
James “Jim” Ferguson played a pivotal roles in the department's history and will be remembered for his remarkable character, kindness and contributions to the field.
stanforddaily.com
February 20, 2025 at 8:42 PM
Reposted by Grit Wesser
bildoperationen.bsky.social
Das ist katastrophal. Angesichts von Technologien, die so tiefgreifend in gesellschaftliche Verhältnisse und unser Verständnis von Kultur eingreifen wie das derzeit KI tut, bräuchte es im Gegenteil eine Stärkung historisch reflektierter Perspektiven in enger Auseinandersetzung mit den MINT-Fächern
maximilianbenz.bsky.social Maximilian Benz @maximilianbenz.bsky.social · Feb 20
Die TU Berlin will die gesamte geisteswissenschaftliche Fakultät schließen. Unfaßbar. Gestern noch wurde in der FAZ ein Gastbeitrag gedruckt, der auf die Schwierigkeiten, aber auch die Potentiale der Geisteswissenschaften hinwies.

www.faz.net/aktuell/feui...
Nur noch jeder zehnte Student wählt Geisteswissenschaften
Die neueste Studentenbewegung ist eine Flucht aus den Palaverfächern: Pointiert betonte der Philosoph Odo Marquard vor 40 Jahren die Modernität der Geisteswissenschaften, die jetzt zum Anachronismus z...
www.faz.net
February 20, 2025 at 7:33 AM
anthrogrit.bsky.social
Ich bekam meine Wahluunterlagen gestern per Expresspost und habe sie sofort abgeschickt, aber ich bezweifle sehr, dass diese rechtzeitig in DE ankommen werden. #nothappy
February 20, 2025 at 10:20 AM
Reposted by Grit Wesser
monahornsteiner.bsky.social
Vielen Dank @janinefunke.bsky.social für die spannenden Einblicke in die Wissenschaftsvermittlung via Podcasts. Dringende Empfehlung ihr Podcast über die Entwicklung der Care-Arbeit. Denn, Who cares (for the children)? ist schon lange eine heiß debattierte Frage 👉 open.spotify.com/episode/6bvZ...
Vom Ernährer zum Fürsorger? Ein Rückblick auf Väter in der zweiten Hälfte des 20. Jahrhunderts
Who Cares? Ökonomie und Sorgearbeit in der zweiten Hälfte des 20. Jhd. in der Bundesrepublik · Episode
open.spotify.com
February 6, 2025 at 10:25 AM
Reposted by Grit Wesser
restocruz.bsky.social
How about a kinship studies starter pack?

Please let me know if you’d like to be included (or removed). And please share!

Cc: @wennergrenorg.bsky.social
November 19, 2024 at 7:45 AM