Shawn Hurst
@chimpan.bsky.social
Reposted by Shawn Hurst
Hey Martians, did I mention we now also have a video of epic Phobos passing over a Martian dust storm near Pavonis Mons? 🌪️🌋🥔
Video & full info: flic.kr/p/2rNN8wk
Credit: ESA/DLR/FUBerlin/AndreaLuck CC BY
@esa.int Mars Express HRSC
300 MP Photo quoted below
Easy zoom: easyzoom.com/image/674026
Video & full info: flic.kr/p/2rNN8wk
Credit: ESA/DLR/FUBerlin/AndreaLuck CC BY
@esa.int Mars Express HRSC
300 MP Photo quoted below
Easy zoom: easyzoom.com/image/674026
December 27, 2025 at 2:01 PM
Hey Martians, did I mention we now also have a video of epic Phobos passing over a Martian dust storm near Pavonis Mons? 🌪️🌋🥔
Video & full info: flic.kr/p/2rNN8wk
Credit: ESA/DLR/FUBerlin/AndreaLuck CC BY
@esa.int Mars Express HRSC
300 MP Photo quoted below
Easy zoom: easyzoom.com/image/674026
Video & full info: flic.kr/p/2rNN8wk
Credit: ESA/DLR/FUBerlin/AndreaLuck CC BY
@esa.int Mars Express HRSC
300 MP Photo quoted below
Easy zoom: easyzoom.com/image/674026
Reposted by Shawn Hurst
Time for another what-is-AI thread, because there’s a lot of confusion, seeded on purpose by shitty vulture capitalists trying to sell stuff.
AI is a legit branch of computer science with a LOT of different approaches & addressing MANY different types of problems.
AI is a legit branch of computer science with a LOT of different approaches & addressing MANY different types of problems.
June 3, 2024 at 3:56 AM
Time for another what-is-AI thread, because there’s a lot of confusion, seeded on purpose by shitty vulture capitalists trying to sell stuff.
AI is a legit branch of computer science with a LOT of different approaches & addressing MANY different types of problems.
AI is a legit branch of computer science with a LOT of different approaches & addressing MANY different types of problems.
Reposted by Shawn Hurst
Glutamate is the primary molecule that neurons use to communicate with each other.
Previously, scientists have mostly recorded when neurons fire output signals, but now with a new glutamate indicator, they can record the many inputs that causes cells to fire. 🧵
#neuroskyence
Previously, scientists have mostly recorded when neurons fire output signals, but now with a new glutamate indicator, they can record the many inputs that causes cells to fire. 🧵
#neuroskyence
December 23, 2025 at 6:01 PM
Glutamate is the primary molecule that neurons use to communicate with each other.
Previously, scientists have mostly recorded when neurons fire output signals, but now with a new glutamate indicator, they can record the many inputs that causes cells to fire. 🧵
#neuroskyence
Previously, scientists have mostly recorded when neurons fire output signals, but now with a new glutamate indicator, they can record the many inputs that causes cells to fire. 🧵
#neuroskyence
Paleontology rocks!
#FossilFriday Stack of opalised vertebrae from an Early Cretaceous ichthyosaur. Another remarkable fossil on display in the South Australia Museum, Adelaide.
December 19, 2025 at 9:58 PM
Paleontology rocks!
Reposted by Shawn Hurst
I think the funniest thing to me is that the people who are working to create an Artificial General Intelligence is that it’s a bunch of libertarians who have never realised that what makes us smart as humans is community, society, empathy. The things they find an anathema.
December 19, 2025 at 10:26 AM
I think the funniest thing to me is that the people who are working to create an Artificial General Intelligence is that it’s a bunch of libertarians who have never realised that what makes us smart as humans is community, society, empathy. The things they find an anathema.
Reposted by Shawn Hurst
“What archaeology asks of everyone is an openness to alternate worlds. An understanding that your society, with its ways of working, worshipping, learning, loving—even knowing a dog—is just one permutation of endless human and beyond human possibilities.”
www.sapiens.org/archaeology/...
www.sapiens.org/archaeology/...
Unearthing What Archaeologists Can and Cannot Know
An archaeologist studying 1,000-year-old dog burials reflects on the need for evidence and imagination in archaeology.
www.sapiens.org
December 16, 2025 at 5:59 PM
“What archaeology asks of everyone is an openness to alternate worlds. An understanding that your society, with its ways of working, worshipping, learning, loving—even knowing a dog—is just one permutation of endless human and beyond human possibilities.”
www.sapiens.org/archaeology/...
www.sapiens.org/archaeology/...
Reposted by Shawn Hurst
This is an excellent think piece on the threat of AI-enabled techno-authoritarianism. 80000hours.org/problem-prof...
Problem profiles: Extreme power concentration | 80,000 Hours
Advanced AI technology may enable its creators, or others who control it, to attempt and achieve unprecedented societal power grabs. Under certain circumstances, they could use these systems to take c...
80000hours.org
December 14, 2025 at 2:39 AM
This is an excellent think piece on the threat of AI-enabled techno-authoritarianism. 80000hours.org/problem-prof...
Reposted by Shawn Hurst
As was true with the translators I heard from in an earlier edition, copywriters never felt that they were being replaced because the AI's work was better. It was almost always worse. It was simply cheaper and faster, and deemed "good enough" by clients.
December 12, 2025 at 7:00 PM
As was true with the translators I heard from in an earlier edition, copywriters never felt that they were being replaced because the AI's work was better. It was almost always worse. It was simply cheaper and faster, and deemed "good enough" by clients.
Reposted by Shawn Hurst
I'm really pleased that my first coauthored article of 2026 is out. With some amazing folks @marckissel.bsky.social @anthrofuentes.bsky.social we think through a synthesis of behavioral ecology, emotional cognition, and archaeology.
www.johnhawks.net/p/bringing-e...
www.johnhawks.net/p/bringing-e...
Bringing emotional cognition to deep time
In a new article, my coauthors and I draw upon cognitive science to draw out archaeological traces of ancient social lives
www.johnhawks.net
December 2, 2025 at 10:27 PM
I'm really pleased that my first coauthored article of 2026 is out. With some amazing folks @marckissel.bsky.social @anthrofuentes.bsky.social we think through a synthesis of behavioral ecology, emotional cognition, and archaeology.
www.johnhawks.net/p/bringing-e...
www.johnhawks.net/p/bringing-e...
Reposted by Shawn Hurst
Researchers have used Japan’s Fugaku supercomputer to build a virtual mouse cortex. The model lets scientists run “virtual experiments” on diseases such as epilepsy or Alzheimer’s, tracing how disruptions spread, and testing interventions. buff.ly/JqiLr9q
#ShareGoodNewsToo
#ShareGoodNewsToo
One of world’s most detailed virtual brain simulations is changing how we study the brain
Scientists use supercomputer that can process quadrillions of calculations per second to simulate mouse cortex for “virtual experiments”
buff.ly
December 1, 2025 at 1:50 PM
Researchers have used Japan’s Fugaku supercomputer to build a virtual mouse cortex. The model lets scientists run “virtual experiments” on diseases such as epilepsy or Alzheimer’s, tracing how disruptions spread, and testing interventions. buff.ly/JqiLr9q
#ShareGoodNewsToo
#ShareGoodNewsToo
Guilty.
Twitter accounts are based in Russia. BlueSky accounts are based in homes with, frankly, too many books, plants, obsolete cables, and pieces of rustic pottery, that could do with a bit of a tidying up, to be honest.
November 26, 2025 at 11:42 AM
Guilty.
Reposted by Shawn Hurst
At no point has this been about anything ohter than these people being very upset that they aren't the main character, and the whole world does not in fact revolve around them.
Now they want to be absolved of their misdeeds, and to be told it's not their fault. Because it's always about them.
Now they want to be absolved of their misdeeds, and to be told it's not their fault. Because it's always about them.
November 16, 2025 at 5:50 AM
At no point has this been about anything ohter than these people being very upset that they aren't the main character, and the whole world does not in fact revolve around them.
Now they want to be absolved of their misdeeds, and to be told it's not their fault. Because it's always about them.
Now they want to be absolved of their misdeeds, and to be told it's not their fault. Because it's always about them.
Reposted by Shawn Hurst
This sounds reasonable but is 100% wrong. Whether you or agree or disagree with a study is completely immaterial. What matters is whether the study was conducted properly and generates valid results. And it's impolitic to say but it's true: you have to have some level of expertise to judge that.
JD Vance: "Science as practiced in its best form is that if you disagree with it, then you ought to criticize it and you ought to argue against it."
November 12, 2025 at 5:57 PM
This sounds reasonable but is 100% wrong. Whether you or agree or disagree with a study is completely immaterial. What matters is whether the study was conducted properly and generates valid results. And it's impolitic to say but it's true: you have to have some level of expertise to judge that.
Reposted by Shawn Hurst
spoke with the executive director of my local food bank today and got this really incredible line: "if you donate 1 can of green beans, we can give away 1 can of green beans. but if you donate a dollar, we can give away 6 cans of green beans"
November 10, 2025 at 7:32 PM
spoke with the executive director of my local food bank today and got this really incredible line: "if you donate 1 can of green beans, we can give away 1 can of green beans. but if you donate a dollar, we can give away 6 cans of green beans"
Reposted by Shawn Hurst
Prominent Afrikaners are pushing back after President Trump announced no U.S. officials will attend the G20 in Johannesburg, rejecting his claims of "white persecution" in South Africa as false and politically driven.
Prominent Afrikaners refuse to be 'pawns,' and hit back at Trump's claims about South Africa
Prominent Afrikaners are pushing back after President Trump announced no U.S. officials will attend the G20 in Johannesburg, rejecting his claims of "white persecution" in South Africa as false and politically driven.
n.pr
November 11, 2025 at 2:09 AM
Prominent Afrikaners are pushing back after President Trump announced no U.S. officials will attend the G20 in Johannesburg, rejecting his claims of "white persecution" in South Africa as false and politically driven.
Reposted by Shawn Hurst
When a chatbot gets something wrong, it’s not because it made an error. It’s because on that roll of the dice, it happened to string together a group of words that, when read by a human, represents something false. But it was working entirely as designed. It was supposed to make a sentence & it did.
June 19, 2025 at 11:28 AM
When a chatbot gets something wrong, it’s not because it made an error. It’s because on that roll of the dice, it happened to string together a group of words that, when read by a human, represents something false. But it was working entirely as designed. It was supposed to make a sentence & it did.
Reposted by Shawn Hurst
Chatbots — LLMs — do not know facts and are not designed to be able to accurately answer factual questions. They are designed to find and mimic patterns of words, probabilistically. When they’re “right” it’s because correct things are often written down, so those patterns are frequent. That’s all.
June 19, 2025 at 11:21 AM
Chatbots — LLMs — do not know facts and are not designed to be able to accurately answer factual questions. They are designed to find and mimic patterns of words, probabilistically. When they’re “right” it’s because correct things are often written down, so those patterns are frequent. That’s all.
Reposted by Shawn Hurst
This video from Portland is a metaphor for what is going on in America. ICE trying so hard to get Americans to cross a line and if they don't, dragging them across the line and violently attacking.
October 26, 2025 at 7:17 PM
This video from Portland is a metaphor for what is going on in America. ICE trying so hard to get Americans to cross a line and if they don't, dragging them across the line and violently attacking.
IU may be playing Michigan State for Homecoming but the Purdue Exponent and the Indiana Daily Student have won the game.
October 18, 2025 at 9:33 PM
IU may be playing Michigan State for Homecoming but the Purdue Exponent and the Indiana Daily Student have won the game.
Reposted by Shawn Hurst
Sorry today to hear about the death of Drew Struzan. He was probably the artist that was most globally well-known without most people knowing his name. He invented an entire style of art, which just like the movies themselves, borrowed from everywhere and became part of our whole culture.
October 15, 2025 at 5:59 AM
Sorry today to hear about the death of Drew Struzan. He was probably the artist that was most globally well-known without most people knowing his name. He invented an entire style of art, which just like the movies themselves, borrowed from everywhere and became part of our whole culture.
Reposted by Shawn Hurst
The reason why LLMs fail to play a game of chess, even though they can cite the rules from their training data, is an awesome example of what's stopping autonomous AI agents from being reliable.
Great discussion between @garrykasparov.bsky.social ♟️ and @garymarcus.bsky.social 🧠 on limits of GenAI.
Great discussion between @garrykasparov.bsky.social ♟️ and @garymarcus.bsky.social 🧠 on limits of GenAI.
September 15, 2025 at 6:53 PM
The reason why LLMs fail to play a game of chess, even though they can cite the rules from their training data, is an awesome example of what's stopping autonomous AI agents from being reliable.
Great discussion between @garrykasparov.bsky.social ♟️ and @garymarcus.bsky.social 🧠 on limits of GenAI.
Great discussion between @garrykasparov.bsky.social ♟️ and @garymarcus.bsky.social 🧠 on limits of GenAI.
Reposted by Shawn Hurst
8 of the 10 top-ranked research institutions worldwide are in China. Only 1 is in the United States.
"If this does not constitute a Sputnik moment, it is hard to imagine what would."
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/08/o...
"If this does not constitute a Sputnik moment, it is hard to imagine what would."
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/08/o...
Opinion | We Are Watching a Scientific Superpower Destroy Itself
www.nytimes.com
September 8, 2025 at 6:28 PM
8 of the 10 top-ranked research institutions worldwide are in China. Only 1 is in the United States.
"If this does not constitute a Sputnik moment, it is hard to imagine what would."
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/08/o...
"If this does not constitute a Sputnik moment, it is hard to imagine what would."
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/08/o...
Reposted by Shawn Hurst
Easy test, ask an LLM what the weather was 3 months ago at your location. They will give an plausible sounding answer, which in 90% of cases will be completely wrong. Any "junior researcher" can answer that for you correctly.
September 3, 2025 at 1:55 PM
Easy test, ask an LLM what the weather was 3 months ago at your location. They will give an plausible sounding answer, which in 90% of cases will be completely wrong. Any "junior researcher" can answer that for you correctly.
Reposted by Shawn Hurst
A @robert_zubrin article on the Black Horse spaceplane:
www.ai.mit.edu/projects/im/...
It takes off on small wings and lightweight wheels with only fuel onboard, then loads up H2O2 oxidizer after aerial refueling. Switching to rocket mode at Mach 0.8 requires 8.5 km/s dV, Mach 5.5 takes 6.3 km/s.
www.ai.mit.edu/projects/im/...
It takes off on small wings and lightweight wheels with only fuel onboard, then loads up H2O2 oxidizer after aerial refueling. Switching to rocket mode at Mach 0.8 requires 8.5 km/s dV, Mach 5.5 takes 6.3 km/s.
August 10, 2025 at 1:58 PM
A @robert_zubrin article on the Black Horse spaceplane:
www.ai.mit.edu/projects/im/...
It takes off on small wings and lightweight wheels with only fuel onboard, then loads up H2O2 oxidizer after aerial refueling. Switching to rocket mode at Mach 0.8 requires 8.5 km/s dV, Mach 5.5 takes 6.3 km/s.
www.ai.mit.edu/projects/im/...
It takes off on small wings and lightweight wheels with only fuel onboard, then loads up H2O2 oxidizer after aerial refueling. Switching to rocket mode at Mach 0.8 requires 8.5 km/s dV, Mach 5.5 takes 6.3 km/s.
Reposted by Shawn Hurst
The Democratic party "has clearly begun to string together a cohesive narrative that Trump is not a scourge of, but a protector of, the elites, and he has abandoned the working-class voters he promised to help." Better late than never. @lauren-egan.bsky.social: www.thebulwark.com/p/democrats-...
Democrats’ 2026 Rallying Cry Is Staring Them in the Face
Plus: The big difference in where money for the midterms is going so far.
www.thebulwark.com
July 27, 2025 at 4:01 AM
The Democratic party "has clearly begun to string together a cohesive narrative that Trump is not a scourge of, but a protector of, the elites, and he has abandoned the working-class voters he promised to help." Better late than never. @lauren-egan.bsky.social: www.thebulwark.com/p/democrats-...