Tommy Lynch
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tommylynch.bsky.social
Tommy Lynch
@tommylynch.bsky.social
Reader in Political Theology
Vague yet rigorous
Currently trying to watch every Hollywood end of the world film
https://letterboxd.com/ApocaLynch/
It's like that HIMYM plot line where Barney is convinced that Johnny is the good guy. These people watched 90s sci-fi and Black Mirror and thought it was an ideas incubator rather than a warning.
Nightmarish idea for a startup tbh
November 14, 2025 at 12:43 PM
Reposted by Tommy Lynch
"a formalist reconstruction of aspects of this song that seem so generic as to go unnoticed, and at the same time a little pocket general-theory-of-music as an art+activity of making repetition—+ with it, rhythm, period, time itself—possible."

www.boundary2.org/2025/05/seth...
Seth Brodsky–Losing and Finding Death Drive’s Beat
Screenshot of Brittany Howard, “Stay High” music video.  This article is part of the b2o: an online journal special issue "(Rhy)pistemologies", edited by Erin Graff Zivin.  Losing and Finding Death Dr...
www.boundary2.org
November 14, 2025 at 12:10 AM
I'm now well past 100 films in my attempt to watch every mainstream, English language apocalyptic or post-apocalyptic film. Today was the first day I came across a film (1974's Planet Earth) and just couldn't remember if I had seen it. I'm glad I took extensive notes...
November 13, 2025 at 2:44 PM
Reposted by Tommy Lynch
The International Criminal Court is ditching Microsoft Office, saying it’s too dependent on US tech, in favor of Open Desk, a German open source alternative.

The move comes after Microsoft revoked ICC head Karim Khan’s email access when he was sanctioned by the US for the warrant against Netanyahu.
International Criminal Court to ditch Microsoft Office for European open source alternative | Euractiv
The court will move its internal work environment to Open Desk, a German-developed open source software
www.euractiv.com
November 13, 2025 at 12:36 PM
Is it infiltration if the government is actively seeking out partnerships?
Our latest issue has just hit newsstands! Here’s a peek at what’s inside... 🧵

For our cover story, Mark Wilding from @libertyhq.bsky.social investigates how the government handed our data to Peter Thiel’s controversial company Palantir: www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/politics/dem...
November 12, 2025 at 9:24 AM
I'm teaching Wendy Brown on tolerance this afternoon and its interesting how revisiting the same text allows you to experience arguments in different historical moments. I think Brown's argument is still compelling, but it lands differently in Trump's second term than it did during Obama's.
November 12, 2025 at 6:22 AM
I'm against neoliberal approaches to climate change that emphasise individual consumer choice over large scale political interventions, but I'm not clear how you are supposed to separate out your individual chat session and all the energy that goes into training these models.
Worried that using ChatGPT harms the planet? A new analysis shows each query uses less energy than a Google search – and far less than lighting a bulb or streaming TV. Alan Jones reports

eastangliabylines.co.uk/technology/h...
How much energy does ChatGPT really use?
You shouldn’t really worry about your energy use when using domestic AI, it’s probably no worse than watching your favourite soap
eastangliabylines.co.uk
November 11, 2025 at 4:30 AM
Reposted by Tommy Lynch
University of Vienna, Tenure Track Professorship in Jewish literary, cultural, and religious history

jobs.univie.ac.at/job/Tenure-T...
Tenure-Track Professorship in Jewish literary, cultural and religious history (from 1040)
Tenure-Track Professorship in Jewish literary, cultural and religious history (from 1040)
jobs.univie.ac.at
November 9, 2025 at 3:33 PM
New books acquired after @fmussgnug.bsky.social's excellent inaugural lecture.
November 9, 2025 at 11:03 AM
Reposted by Tommy Lynch
November 8, 2025 at 5:44 PM
Watching The Creator this morning and boy Gareth Edwards likes lightening in clouds.
November 9, 2025 at 10:02 AM
I do an exercise with students each year. If we take Musk's wealth to be about £384b and he was giving you £1 a second, when would he have to start in order to be giving you his last £1 now?
"World's first potential trillionaire has killed 600,000 people, including 400,000 children" is the only headline that anyone should ever read about Elon Musk
One analytical model shows that, as of November 5th, the dismantling of U.S.A.I.D. has already caused the deaths of 600,000 people, two-thirds of them children. https://newyorkermag.visitlink.me/jUzNSc
November 7, 2025 at 11:13 AM
Is Colossus: The Forbin Project (1970) the first film to depict something like our contemporary fears about AI? You could make an argument for Hal in 2001, but that feels different than the idea of an AI ceasing control of weapons and resources and using it to force humanity to do its will.
November 7, 2025 at 10:52 AM
Reposted by Tommy Lynch
My new book is out States of Transition: From Governing the Environment to Transforming Society published by @universitypress.cambridge.org
With thanks to @carolinelucas.bsky.social @profjohnbarry.bsky.social & Jennifer Clapp for generous endorsements
November 7, 2025 at 9:42 AM
This looks very exciting.
November 7, 2025 at 8:59 AM
Reposted by Tommy Lynch
I'm surprised that there aren't more queer readings of Logan's Run. Sandmen, Runners and Cubs all sound like they could be queer subcultures. I thought it was clear that Francis was in love with Logan and jealous of Jessica. Logan has to kill Francis to end the threat to heterosexuality.
November 4, 2025 at 8:47 AM
Reposted by Tommy Lynch
The old world is dying and the new world (whisper whisper) oh, so it’s just the dying then?
November 3, 2025 at 9:06 PM
To be fair, he is an expert on things that history won't forgive.
‘History won’t forgive us’ if UK falls behind in quantum computing race, says Tony Blair
Exclusive: Former PM and ex-Tory leader William Hague warn UK lacks high-risk capital and infrastructure to harness benefits of powerful technology
www.theguardian.com
November 3, 2025 at 6:40 AM
I've watch The Thing and Frankenstein in the past week and I'm not sure which has the most grisly canine death.
November 1, 2025 at 3:48 PM
Reposted by Tommy Lynch
November 1, 2025 at 12:53 AM
At a time when we see rising antisemitism and the ironic weaponisation of accusations of antisemitism by racists, it's worth listening to people who are adept at understanding both dynamics and the role that Holocaust memorialisation plays in them.
Have you always regretted not having a copy of my book about WWI and Holocaust memory on your shelf?

You can fix that! It's 50% off (and free media mail shipping within the US) if you buy direct from the publisher and use the code CONFSHIP at checkout.

wipfandstock.com/978162032049...
Making Memory- Wipf and Stock Publishers
The twentieth century has been called a "century of horror." Proof of that designation can be found in the vast and ever-increasing volume of scholarly work ...
wipfandstock.com
November 1, 2025 at 9:52 AM
'later, he was asked how he remains hopeful in today’s monstrous times. “I don’t,” he said. And that was that.'
‘Frankenstein’ Star Christoph Waltz on Guillermo del Toro’s Practical Filmmaking: “CGI is For Losers”
The ‘Frankenstein’ press conference at the Venice Film Festival found Waltz speaking only six words, leaving Guillermo del Toro and stars Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi, Mia Goth and more to pick up the sl...
www.hollywoodreporter.com
November 1, 2025 at 7:54 AM
For the past couple of years, I've been making a very simple noodle dish when I'm feeling lazy, tired, depressed, etc. It's vegan, takes less than fifteen minutes, has four ingredients and goes well with cold beer or an off-dry white. It is probably the thing I'm most proud of.
Tommy's peanut crispy chilli noodles
docs.google.com
October 31, 2025 at 9:37 AM