Michelle Bastian
@mhbastian.bsky.social
Senior Lecturer in Environmental Humanities at Edinburgh College of Art. Field philosopher working on clocks, phenology and questioning the charisma of our favourite time solutions. Image from artist David Horwitz
Reposted by Michelle Bastian
Good to see that butterfly numbers have increased this year at Lauriston Farm, Edinburgh's Agroecology project, you can read their report here www.lauristonfarm.scot/news/results...
Results of the Butterfly Survey 2025 | Lauriston Farm
www.lauristonfarm.scot
November 9, 2025 at 4:20 PM
Good to see that butterfly numbers have increased this year at Lauriston Farm, Edinburgh's Agroecology project, you can read their report here www.lauristonfarm.scot/news/results...
Reposted by Michelle Bastian
"The report found that the heaviest AI users are thought leadership writers" lololololsob
November 9, 2025 at 4:46 PM
"The report found that the heaviest AI users are thought leadership writers" lololololsob
Reposted by Michelle Bastian
Tomorrow (Monday, Nov 10) the tables are turned: I’m the guest on the Greenhouse #envhum book talk to discuss Ghosts Behind Glass with @finnarne.me & guest host @medievalpenguin.bsky.social
Join us online for the discussion! 4pm CET/3pm GMT/10am EST
newnatures.org/greenhouse/e...
Join us online for the discussion! 4pm CET/3pm GMT/10am EST
newnatures.org/greenhouse/e...
November 9, 2025 at 2:30 PM
Tomorrow (Monday, Nov 10) the tables are turned: I’m the guest on the Greenhouse #envhum book talk to discuss Ghosts Behind Glass with @finnarne.me & guest host @medievalpenguin.bsky.social
Join us online for the discussion! 4pm CET/3pm GMT/10am EST
newnatures.org/greenhouse/e...
Join us online for the discussion! 4pm CET/3pm GMT/10am EST
newnatures.org/greenhouse/e...
Reposted by Michelle Bastian
Excited to share that my new collaborative book - Eco-communities - is now published with Bloomsbury + open access
We examine eco-communities worldwide through questions of transformative possibilities, inclusion, collective governance + diverse economics
Please read + share!
We examine eco-communities worldwide through questions of transformative possibilities, inclusion, collective governance + diverse economics
Please read + share!
Eco-communities
www.bloomsburycollections.com
June 19, 2025 at 10:33 AM
Excited to share that my new collaborative book - Eco-communities - is now published with Bloomsbury + open access
We examine eco-communities worldwide through questions of transformative possibilities, inclusion, collective governance + diverse economics
Please read + share!
We examine eco-communities worldwide through questions of transformative possibilities, inclusion, collective governance + diverse economics
Please read + share!
Reposted by Michelle Bastian
This is huge news in @cameronwilson.bsky.social's @thesizzle.com.au- Microsoft is being forced by the Aus regulator refund all the ultra-dodgy AI plan pushing it was doing for Office 365
Wild that other regions aren't also using regulatory power to punish Microsoft
thesizzle.com.au/p/google-sur...
Wild that other regions aren't also using regulatory power to punish Microsoft
thesizzle.com.au/p/google-sur...
November 6, 2025 at 12:02 PM
This is huge news in @cameronwilson.bsky.social's @thesizzle.com.au- Microsoft is being forced by the Aus regulator refund all the ultra-dodgy AI plan pushing it was doing for Office 365
Wild that other regions aren't also using regulatory power to punish Microsoft
thesizzle.com.au/p/google-sur...
Wild that other regions aren't also using regulatory power to punish Microsoft
thesizzle.com.au/p/google-sur...
Reposted by Michelle Bastian
Resisting GenAI and big tech in higher education. Join the conversation 25 November
REGISTER HERE: bit.ly/4qE27dB co-sponsored by the @climatejusticeuni.bsky.social and the Campus Climate Network
REGISTER HERE: bit.ly/4qE27dB co-sponsored by the @climatejusticeuni.bsky.social and the Campus Climate Network
November 7, 2025 at 8:15 AM
Resisting GenAI and big tech in higher education. Join the conversation 25 November
REGISTER HERE: bit.ly/4qE27dB co-sponsored by the @climatejusticeuni.bsky.social and the Campus Climate Network
REGISTER HERE: bit.ly/4qE27dB co-sponsored by the @climatejusticeuni.bsky.social and the Campus Climate Network
Reposted by Michelle Bastian
A lack of media prevalence has led the public to think that they are in the minority for wanting climate action. The reality is that most ("roughly 80 to 89%") want their governments to do more. See @amywestervelt.bsky.social's piece in @thenation.com. www.thenation.com/article/envi...
The Media Is Complicit in the Climate Confusion
The vast majority of people want their governments to take climate action—but most wrongly think they’re in the minority. The media is partly to blame.
www.thenation.com
November 6, 2025 at 3:31 PM
A lack of media prevalence has led the public to think that they are in the minority for wanting climate action. The reality is that most ("roughly 80 to 89%") want their governments to do more. See @amywestervelt.bsky.social's piece in @thenation.com. www.thenation.com/article/envi...
Reposted by Michelle Bastian
We know — from first principles — that LLMs can only create AI slop.
Why do people keep needing empirical tests?
Why do people keep needing empirical tests?
The intractability proof (a.k.a. Ingenia theorem) implies that any attempts to scale up AI-by-Learning to situations of real-world, human-level complexity will consume an astronomical amount of resources (see Box 1 for an explanation). 13/n
October 14, 2025 at 12:20 AM
We know — from first principles — that LLMs can only create AI slop.
Why do people keep needing empirical tests?
Why do people keep needing empirical tests?
Reposted by Michelle Bastian
‘Study after study shows that students want to develop these critical thinking skills, are not lazy, and large numbers of them would be in favor of banning ChatGPT and similar tools in universities’, says @olivia.science www.ru.nl/en/research/...
‘Opposing the inevitability of AI at universities is possible and necessary’ | Radboud University
Since the widespread release of ChatGPT in December of 2022, AI has taken over much of the world by storm – including academia. Most of this happened with very little pushback, despite a myriad of iss...
www.ru.nl
November 1, 2025 at 10:26 PM
‘Study after study shows that students want to develop these critical thinking skills, are not lazy, and large numbers of them would be in favor of banning ChatGPT and similar tools in universities’, says @olivia.science www.ru.nl/en/research/...
Reposted by Michelle Bastian
Weekend reading about how the Wild Way is turning gardening on its head: www.wildway.info/p/plant-comm... photos of our garden through the year as an example
Plant community gardening with nature at its heart
How I've grown a low effort, high impact wildlife garden without any chemicals, watering and barely any weeding
www.wildway.info
November 1, 2025 at 7:58 AM
Weekend reading about how the Wild Way is turning gardening on its head: www.wildway.info/p/plant-comm... photos of our garden through the year as an example
University of Edinburgh cutting its Institute for Academic Development which offers crucuial training and support for students, lecturers and researchers. I woked at the UNSW learning centre and know what a huge difference these services make. #AcademicSky
thetab.com/2025/10/31/e...
thetab.com/2025/10/31/e...
Excl: Edinburgh University begins compulsory layoffs with department set to be axed
Seven staff in the Instute for Academic Development are set to lose their jobs when the department closes
thetab.com
November 1, 2025 at 8:12 AM
University of Edinburgh cutting its Institute for Academic Development which offers crucuial training and support for students, lecturers and researchers. I woked at the UNSW learning centre and know what a huge difference these services make. #AcademicSky
thetab.com/2025/10/31/e...
thetab.com/2025/10/31/e...
Reposted by Michelle Bastian
X is a cesspit led by an unhinged billionaire who is desperately trying to stir up civil war in Britain.
Nobody with any sense or decency should be there.
No organisations, government departments, or politicians should be there.
Everyone who is, is enabling this monster.
Nobody with any sense or decency should be there.
No organisations, government departments, or politicians should be there.
Everyone who is, is enabling this monster.
October 29, 2025 at 8:22 AM
X is a cesspit led by an unhinged billionaire who is desperately trying to stir up civil war in Britain.
Nobody with any sense or decency should be there.
No organisations, government departments, or politicians should be there.
Everyone who is, is enabling this monster.
Nobody with any sense or decency should be there.
No organisations, government departments, or politicians should be there.
Everyone who is, is enabling this monster.
Reposted by Michelle Bastian
The university is threatening cuts on a massive scale with little to no justification. Truly surreal moment in HE.
Staff at Edinburgh Uni to continue strike action #WeAreTheUniversity #StopTheCuts #SaveHE www.heraldscotland.com/news/2557921...
Edinburgh University lecturers to continue strike action
Staff at Edinburgh University have voted to continue strike action over proposals to cut £140m from the institution’s annual budget.
www.heraldscotland.com
October 29, 2025 at 7:59 AM
The university is threatening cuts on a massive scale with little to no justification. Truly surreal moment in HE.
Reposted by Michelle Bastian
Interesting. A library decides they can’t renew a database because their users would immediately violate the license terms by using the university’s Microsoft products that have force fed copilot into everything.
Great future we’re building here in the higher ed factory
Great future we’re building here in the higher ed factory
Fascinating to see how one academic library vendors is trying to restrict students/faculty using LLMs.
source.colostate.edu/guest-column...
source.colostate.edu/guest-column...
Guest column: When publishers’ fear of AI prohibits basic uses
"This fall, the CSU Libraries engaged in contract renewal negotiations for its subscription of SciFinder, a database aggregator provided by CAS, a division of the American Chemical Society."
source.colostate.edu
October 28, 2025 at 3:14 PM
Interesting. A library decides they can’t renew a database because their users would immediately violate the license terms by using the university’s Microsoft products that have force fed copilot into everything.
Great future we’re building here in the higher ed factory
Great future we’re building here in the higher ed factory
Reposted by Michelle Bastian
Wonder if people would mind helping me with an idea I have for my students. Those of you who love Middlemarch, and I know there are plenty (I see you @phdhurtbrain.bsky.social and @rezekjoe.bsky.social ) if you had to say in one line why they should read it, what would you say?
October 27, 2025 at 8:34 PM
Wonder if people would mind helping me with an idea I have for my students. Those of you who love Middlemarch, and I know there are plenty (I see you @phdhurtbrain.bsky.social and @rezekjoe.bsky.social ) if you had to say in one line why they should read it, what would you say?
Reposted by Michelle Bastian
ChatGPT, Gemini, DeepSeek, and Grok are serving users propaganda from Russian-backed media when asked about the invasion of Ukraine, new research finds. www.wired.com/story/chatbo...
Chatbots Are Pushing Sanctioned Russian Propaganda
ChatGPT, Gemini, DeepSeek, and Grok are serving users propaganda from Russian-backed media when asked about the invasion of Ukraine, new research finds.
www.wired.com
October 27, 2025 at 9:08 AM
ChatGPT, Gemini, DeepSeek, and Grok are serving users propaganda from Russian-backed media when asked about the invasion of Ukraine, new research finds. www.wired.com/story/chatbo...
Reposted by Michelle Bastian
We're hiring an outstanding Assistant Professor whose core research is in the field of cultural sociology with demonstrable expertise in the sociology of #culture and #technology.
📅 Applications close Sunday 30 November 2025.
➡️ jobs.lse.ac.uk/Vacancies/W/...
📅 Applications close Sunday 30 November 2025.
➡️ jobs.lse.ac.uk/Vacancies/W/...
October 24, 2025 at 3:34 PM
We're hiring an outstanding Assistant Professor whose core research is in the field of cultural sociology with demonstrable expertise in the sociology of #culture and #technology.
📅 Applications close Sunday 30 November 2025.
➡️ jobs.lse.ac.uk/Vacancies/W/...
📅 Applications close Sunday 30 November 2025.
➡️ jobs.lse.ac.uk/Vacancies/W/...
Reposted by Michelle Bastian
Edinburgh has committed to being climate neutral by 2030.
What is the point of commitments, climate strategies and city plans if @edinburghcouncil.bsky.social just ignores them ?
www.edinburgh.gov.uk/2030climates...
Front page of today’s @scotnational.bsky.social
What is the point of commitments, climate strategies and city plans if @edinburghcouncil.bsky.social just ignores them ?
www.edinburgh.gov.uk/2030climates...
Front page of today’s @scotnational.bsky.social
October 26, 2025 at 6:54 AM
Edinburgh has committed to being climate neutral by 2030.
What is the point of commitments, climate strategies and city plans if @edinburghcouncil.bsky.social just ignores them ?
www.edinburgh.gov.uk/2030climates...
Front page of today’s @scotnational.bsky.social
What is the point of commitments, climate strategies and city plans if @edinburghcouncil.bsky.social just ignores them ?
www.edinburgh.gov.uk/2030climates...
Front page of today’s @scotnational.bsky.social
Reposted by Michelle Bastian
There are now 183 videos of our Greenhouse #envhum book talks available to view via our Vimeo showcase. This includes our most recent talks.
You can also listen to the audio-only podcast, which is slightly behind with 154 episodes available: newnatures.org/greenhouse/f...
You can also listen to the audio-only podcast, which is slightly behind with 154 episodes available: newnatures.org/greenhouse/f...
Greenhouse Environmental Humanities Book Talks
Book talks with authors of recent books in environmental humanities, with the authors in discussion with Dolly Jørgensen and Finn Arne Jørgensen, University of Stavanger, Norway. The book talks are he...
vimeo.com
October 26, 2025 at 9:59 AM
Reposted by Michelle Bastian
A neat tool I just came across: Viabundus, a digital road map of northern Europe 1350-1650, that lets you calculate contemporary travel routes/times. In 1500, going Amiens → Köln by horse took almost 7 days and 13 toll payments.
#medievalsky
www.landesgeschichte.uni-goettingen.de/handelsstras...
#medievalsky
www.landesgeschichte.uni-goettingen.de/handelsstras...
October 24, 2025 at 10:58 PM
A neat tool I just came across: Viabundus, a digital road map of northern Europe 1350-1650, that lets you calculate contemporary travel routes/times. In 1500, going Amiens → Köln by horse took almost 7 days and 13 toll payments.
#medievalsky
www.landesgeschichte.uni-goettingen.de/handelsstras...
#medievalsky
www.landesgeschichte.uni-goettingen.de/handelsstras...
Reposted by Michelle Bastian
PSA: Daylight Savings Time ends in some places tonight (e.g. in Europe), but not until a week from today in others. And some countries don't change the clocks at all - or do so earlier this month.
Check your relative timezones if you're attending or recording virtual events! #academicsky #podcasts
Check your relative timezones if you're attending or recording virtual events! #academicsky #podcasts
October 25, 2025 at 4:47 AM
PSA: Daylight Savings Time ends in some places tonight (e.g. in Europe), but not until a week from today in others. And some countries don't change the clocks at all - or do so earlier this month.
Check your relative timezones if you're attending or recording virtual events! #academicsky #podcasts
Check your relative timezones if you're attending or recording virtual events! #academicsky #podcasts
Reposted by Michelle Bastian
In 2025 I've spoken about how AI firms have been exploiting historical artifacts & knowledge in ways that threaten the ongoing practice of history at Wesleyan, Tufts, CCNY, Middlebury, UMass, UToronto, Miami Uni: & what I've seen repeatedly is how students WANT US TO PROTECT them from this.
I gave a talk at Middlebury yesterday & was buoyed by the conversation I had with students & faculty. The most interesting--& troubling--kinds of questions I got were from students who are opposed to the use of "AI" in their education & want to know how to convince their parents of its dangers.
October 24, 2025 at 5:52 PM
In 2025 I've spoken about how AI firms have been exploiting historical artifacts & knowledge in ways that threaten the ongoing practice of history at Wesleyan, Tufts, CCNY, Middlebury, UMass, UToronto, Miami Uni: & what I've seen repeatedly is how students WANT US TO PROTECT them from this.
Reposted by Michelle Bastian
Here’s this week’s Better Offline monologue. I walk you through why nobody should be afraid of generative video, and how it’s impossible, impractical and expensive to make movies with Sora.
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/b...
Linktr.ee/betteroffline
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/b...
Linktr.ee/betteroffline
Monologue: Don't Be Scared Of Sora
Podcast Episode · Better Offline · 10/24/2025 · Bonus · 13m
podcasts.apple.com
October 24, 2025 at 1:31 PM
Here’s this week’s Better Offline monologue. I walk you through why nobody should be afraid of generative video, and how it’s impossible, impractical and expensive to make movies with Sora.
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/b...
Linktr.ee/betteroffline
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/b...
Linktr.ee/betteroffline
Reposted by Michelle Bastian
This is an utterly nonsensical way to report the really relieving news that Plaid Cymru, a party which espouses all sorts of liberal values including trans rights, etc. (and which isn't even mentioned in this headline!!!) won the election by a 47% landslide, well ahead of Reform as well as Labour.
October 24, 2025 at 9:19 AM
This is an utterly nonsensical way to report the really relieving news that Plaid Cymru, a party which espouses all sorts of liberal values including trans rights, etc. (and which isn't even mentioned in this headline!!!) won the election by a 47% landslide, well ahead of Reform as well as Labour.
Reposted by Michelle Bastian
We kindly invite you to the Kolleg-Forum with our Fellow Lucile Maertens: "'Let's not forget about the environment!' International organizations and agenda-keeping in a world of crises", 29 October, 10:30 – 12:00.
No registration needed!
www.zukuenfte-nachhaltigkeit.uni-hamburg.de/fellows/1-cu...
No registration needed!
www.zukuenfte-nachhaltigkeit.uni-hamburg.de/fellows/1-cu...
Lucile Maertens
www.zukuenfte-nachhaltigkeit.uni-hamburg.de
October 24, 2025 at 9:32 AM
We kindly invite you to the Kolleg-Forum with our Fellow Lucile Maertens: "'Let's not forget about the environment!' International organizations and agenda-keeping in a world of crises", 29 October, 10:30 – 12:00.
No registration needed!
www.zukuenfte-nachhaltigkeit.uni-hamburg.de/fellows/1-cu...
No registration needed!
www.zukuenfte-nachhaltigkeit.uni-hamburg.de/fellows/1-cu...