Tom Pickard
@oddtwang.bsky.social
PhD in NLP @ Sheffield | Tell me your favourite idioms! | Occasional crossword puzzles.
Reposted by Tom Pickard
Like it or not, radium toothpaste is here to stay! The only possible thing to do now is to put all your money into lovely zingy radium toothpaste!
December 19, 2025 at 11:11 PM
Like it or not, radium toothpaste is here to stay! The only possible thing to do now is to put all your money into lovely zingy radium toothpaste!
Reposted by Tom Pickard
This interaction is just brilliantly sweet and sublimely played by a wonderfully present Frank Oz…
December 12, 2025 at 3:19 AM
This interaction is just brilliantly sweet and sublimely played by a wonderfully present Frank Oz…
Reposted by Tom Pickard
I looked up "anxiety" in the thesaurus and found worry, concern, and apprehension. Then I looked up "stillness" and found tranquility, serenity, and peace.
From this, I conclude traumatic words stress out the thesaurus, but soothing, mindful words can calm it down. The thesaurus is intelligent.
From this, I conclude traumatic words stress out the thesaurus, but soothing, mindful words can calm it down. The thesaurus is intelligent.
March 18, 2025 at 3:28 AM
I looked up "anxiety" in the thesaurus and found worry, concern, and apprehension. Then I looked up "stillness" and found tranquility, serenity, and peace.
From this, I conclude traumatic words stress out the thesaurus, but soothing, mindful words can calm it down. The thesaurus is intelligent.
From this, I conclude traumatic words stress out the thesaurus, but soothing, mindful words can calm it down. The thesaurus is intelligent.
Reposted by Tom Pickard
Tonight Þvörusleikir (Spoon Licker), the 4th of Iceland's 13 Yule Lads, comes down from the mountains. He sneaks in to lick used þvörur (large wooden cooking spoons).
Children leave their shoes out for him in the window. He gives the good ones a small gift or a treat. The bad ones get a potato.
Children leave their shoes out for him in the window. He gives the good ones a small gift or a treat. The bad ones get a potato.
December 14, 2025 at 9:14 PM
Tonight Þvörusleikir (Spoon Licker), the 4th of Iceland's 13 Yule Lads, comes down from the mountains. He sneaks in to lick used þvörur (large wooden cooking spoons).
Children leave their shoes out for him in the window. He gives the good ones a small gift or a treat. The bad ones get a potato.
Children leave their shoes out for him in the window. He gives the good ones a small gift or a treat. The bad ones get a potato.
Reposted by Tom Pickard
The moment when AI news summaries accidentally create the murder mystery we deserve
December 14, 2025 at 3:33 PM
The moment when AI news summaries accidentally create the murder mystery we deserve
Reposted by Tom Pickard
Very sad that I felt I had no choice but to resign from The Infinite Monkey Cage - a victory for the transphobes and other bigots - I did it because so much of the media has chosen to believe the kind and empathetic people are a fiction - they are real and so often unrepresented.
December 13, 2025 at 12:02 AM
Very sad that I felt I had no choice but to resign from The Infinite Monkey Cage - a victory for the transphobes and other bigots - I did it because so much of the media has chosen to believe the kind and empathetic people are a fiction - they are real and so often unrepresented.
Turns out that decaff is a nice pale lilac colour. Who knew?
December 9, 2025 at 8:32 AM
Turns out that decaff is a nice pale lilac colour. Who knew?
Reposted by Tom Pickard
Here's the reality this example illustrates:
It's not even just about people blindly trusting what ChatGPT tells them. LLMs are poisoning the entire information ecosystem. You can't even necessarily trust that the citations in a published paper are real (or a search engine's descriptions of them).
It's not even just about people blindly trusting what ChatGPT tells them. LLMs are poisoning the entire information ecosystem. You can't even necessarily trust that the citations in a published paper are real (or a search engine's descriptions of them).
December 5, 2025 at 11:15 PM
Here's the reality this example illustrates:
It's not even just about people blindly trusting what ChatGPT tells them. LLMs are poisoning the entire information ecosystem. You can't even necessarily trust that the citations in a published paper are real (or a search engine's descriptions of them).
It's not even just about people blindly trusting what ChatGPT tells them. LLMs are poisoning the entire information ecosystem. You can't even necessarily trust that the citations in a published paper are real (or a search engine's descriptions of them).
Reposted by Tom Pickard
That ending was amazing. My soul left my body
I like whatever is wrong with my algorithm over there
December 8, 2025 at 7:27 AM
That ending was amazing. My soul left my body
Reposted by Tom Pickard
my one very sincere piece of business advice to universities:
it takes *a lot* of indignities to kill the goodwill of people who choose to work at universities but managing to do so is not something to be proud of
it takes *a lot* of indignities to kill the goodwill of people who choose to work at universities but managing to do so is not something to be proud of
December 8, 2025 at 7:49 AM
my one very sincere piece of business advice to universities:
it takes *a lot* of indignities to kill the goodwill of people who choose to work at universities but managing to do so is not something to be proud of
it takes *a lot* of indignities to kill the goodwill of people who choose to work at universities but managing to do so is not something to be proud of
Reposted by Tom Pickard
Starmer says he’s "taking the gloves off" and that the Greens are "nuts"
Big talk from the PM of vibes based cruelty and trickle down cowardice.
Join.greenparty.org.uk
Big talk from the PM of vibes based cruelty and trickle down cowardice.
Join.greenparty.org.uk
December 7, 2025 at 12:20 PM
Starmer says he’s "taking the gloves off" and that the Greens are "nuts"
Big talk from the PM of vibes based cruelty and trickle down cowardice.
Join.greenparty.org.uk
Big talk from the PM of vibes based cruelty and trickle down cowardice.
Join.greenparty.org.uk
Reposted by Tom Pickard
ME PRE TRANSITION: lava is so cool
THE LADS: hehe yeah bro
ME POST TRANSITION: lava is so cool
THE LADS: aha easy mistake to make but actually it's very hot
THE LADS: hehe yeah bro
ME POST TRANSITION: lava is so cool
THE LADS: aha easy mistake to make but actually it's very hot
December 6, 2025 at 12:36 AM
ME PRE TRANSITION: lava is so cool
THE LADS: hehe yeah bro
ME POST TRANSITION: lava is so cool
THE LADS: aha easy mistake to make but actually it's very hot
THE LADS: hehe yeah bro
ME POST TRANSITION: lava is so cool
THE LADS: aha easy mistake to make but actually it's very hot
Reposted by Tom Pickard
Here's a rule of thumb: If "AI" seems like a good solution, you are probably both misjudging what the "AI" can do and misframing the problem.
>>
>>
October 11, 2025 at 12:13 PM
Here's a rule of thumb: If "AI" seems like a good solution, you are probably both misjudging what the "AI" can do and misframing the problem.
>>
>>
Reposted by Tom Pickard
Interesting thing to take away here.
BBC asked 5000 doctors to take part in a survey about overdiagnosis of mental health conditions. Only 15% of them responded.
And what do you think the belief will be of that 15% who specifically wanted to respond to a study into overdiagnosis? 🤔
BBC asked 5000 doctors to take part in a survey about overdiagnosis of mental health conditions. Only 15% of them responded.
And what do you think the belief will be of that 15% who specifically wanted to respond to a study into overdiagnosis? 🤔
December 6, 2025 at 8:46 AM
Interesting thing to take away here.
BBC asked 5000 doctors to take part in a survey about overdiagnosis of mental health conditions. Only 15% of them responded.
And what do you think the belief will be of that 15% who specifically wanted to respond to a study into overdiagnosis? 🤔
BBC asked 5000 doctors to take part in a survey about overdiagnosis of mental health conditions. Only 15% of them responded.
And what do you think the belief will be of that 15% who specifically wanted to respond to a study into overdiagnosis? 🤔
Reposted by Tom Pickard
All in one day:
Immigration Minister lied about me with a slur.
Wes Streeting then tried a different attack.
And the Evening Standard write yet another attack piece because I dare to say we need to tax the rich.
Want to help create our better future?
Join.greenparty.org.uk
Immigration Minister lied about me with a slur.
Wes Streeting then tried a different attack.
And the Evening Standard write yet another attack piece because I dare to say we need to tax the rich.
Want to help create our better future?
Join.greenparty.org.uk
December 5, 2025 at 10:19 PM
All in one day:
Immigration Minister lied about me with a slur.
Wes Streeting then tried a different attack.
And the Evening Standard write yet another attack piece because I dare to say we need to tax the rich.
Want to help create our better future?
Join.greenparty.org.uk
Immigration Minister lied about me with a slur.
Wes Streeting then tried a different attack.
And the Evening Standard write yet another attack piece because I dare to say we need to tax the rich.
Want to help create our better future?
Join.greenparty.org.uk
Reposted by Tom Pickard
Reposted by Tom Pickard
I don't know if people should be out there choosing their own genders. Call me old fashioned, but I believe that's something J. K. Rowling decides for you.
December 4, 2025 at 11:52 AM
I don't know if people should be out there choosing their own genders. Call me old fashioned, but I believe that's something J. K. Rowling decides for you.
Reposted by Tom Pickard
Very much underlines the point I was making yesterday about standing up to this shit regardless of the cost. When you capitulate, it doesn't make them happy, it doesn't even make them stop: they just ask why you didn't do it sooner, why you aren't being more full-throated in your cowardice.
Note how these awful people are getting exactly the exclusions of children that they demanded and *that still isn’t enough for them*: they demand everyone be delighted about it and kiss their arses for being brilliant.
December 4, 2025 at 12:36 PM
Very much underlines the point I was making yesterday about standing up to this shit regardless of the cost. When you capitulate, it doesn't make them happy, it doesn't even make them stop: they just ask why you didn't do it sooner, why you aren't being more full-throated in your cowardice.
Reposted by Tom Pickard
good morning
Doom - E1M1 - At Doom's Gate Acapella
YouTube video by Smooth McGroove
www.youtube.com
December 4, 2025 at 8:38 AM
good morning
... peerless in his staunch support of a massive bigot, is presumably what Rich means here. medium.com/@transylvani...
December 3, 2025 at 1:41 PM
... peerless in his staunch support of a massive bigot, is presumably what Rich means here. medium.com/@transylvani...
Reposted by Tom Pickard
[politics understander just read the niemoller poem]
oh hell yeah thats loads of people before they come for me that will buy loads of time , sick
oh hell yeah thats loads of people before they come for me that will buy loads of time , sick
August 23, 2025 at 4:16 PM
[politics understander just read the niemoller poem]
oh hell yeah thats loads of people before they come for me that will buy loads of time , sick
oh hell yeah thats loads of people before they come for me that will buy loads of time , sick
Reposted by Tom Pickard
My daughter misheard this Christmas classic one year and, well.
November 25, 2025 at 11:04 AM
My daughter misheard this Christmas classic one year and, well.
Reposted by Tom Pickard
I guess they would be quite big, yes
December 1, 2025 at 8:01 AM
I guess they would be quite big, yes
Reposted by Tom Pickard
this is how you lose the dish war
November 22, 2025 at 4:22 PM
this is how you lose the dish war
Reposted by Tom Pickard
I've never directly called Farage a prick but I can assure you I think he's a prick
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Nigel Farage says he's 'never directly racially abused anybody'
The Reform UK leader was responding to reports he made racist remarks to his peers in school in the 1970s.
www.bbc.co.uk
November 25, 2025 at 8:27 AM
I've never directly called Farage a prick but I can assure you I think he's a prick
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...