@agnotologist.bsky.social
Reposted
Midweek update out (partly free). This is the week US weakness was brutally exposed. The US was too weak to fight the Houthis and Iran, will show its weakness during the President Xi's visit to America, and signed a humiliating deal with Denmark. phillipspobrien.substack.com/p/midweek-up...
Midweek Update #29: The Week American Weakness Was Brutally Exposed
The US is too weak to fight the Houthis and Iran; The US has never been weaker vis a vis China; The New Greenland Deal Is Basically The Old Deal.
phillipspobrien.substack.com
September 23, 2026 at 6:14 AM
Midweek update out (partly free). This is the week US weakness was brutally exposed. The US was too weak to fight the Houthis and Iran, will show its weakness during the President Xi's visit to America, and signed a humiliating deal with Denmark. phillipspobrien.substack.com/p/midweek-up...
Reposted
The first architect of the White House ballroom resigned after warning repeatedly that Trump was insisting on designs that violated fire and safety codes, the Washington Post reports.
“I am the code,” Trump said www.washingtonpost.com/investigatio...
“I am the code,” Trump said www.washingtonpost.com/investigatio...
September 23, 2026 at 12:24 PM
The first architect of the White House ballroom resigned after warning repeatedly that Trump was insisting on designs that violated fire and safety codes, the Washington Post reports.
“I am the code,” Trump said www.washingtonpost.com/investigatio...
“I am the code,” Trump said www.washingtonpost.com/investigatio...
Reposted
I cannot express how concerning this is, and how worried I am that nobody has the political will yet to crack down on it before things get really bad
The CDC reports a significant rise in #rabies activity in the U.S., with increased human exposures. Rabies is fatal once symptoms arise, highlighting the importance of immediate post-exposure prophylaxis that includes the rabies #vaccine. www.skepticalraptor.com/skepticalrap...
CDC reports a significant increase in rabies activity
The CDC reports a significant rise in rabies activity in the U.S., with increased human exposures, including near-exposures in North Carolina. Rabies is fatal once symptoms arise, highlighting the imp...
www.skepticalraptor.com
September 21, 2026 at 8:36 PM
I cannot express how concerning this is, and how worried I am that nobody has the political will yet to crack down on it before things get really bad
Reposted
NEWS: The Pentagon has announced mandatory low-testosterone screenings for male troops 30 and older, including screening for symptoms such as “reduced libido, loss of spontaneous morning erections, erectile dysfunction,” and other symptoms.
September 19, 2026 at 12:17 AM
NEWS: The Pentagon has announced mandatory low-testosterone screenings for male troops 30 and older, including screening for symptoms such as “reduced libido, loss of spontaneous morning erections, erectile dysfunction,” and other symptoms.
Reposted
U.S. President Donald Trump will meet China's leader on Wednesday, with oil near $100 and Chinese stockpiles cushioning the Iran war's impact.
Oil prices are high but could be much worse. Trump has China's Xi to thank for that
President Donald Trump’s conflict with Iran has not led to the doomsday oil price spike many feared at the start of the war.
bit.ly
September 19, 2026 at 5:17 PM
U.S. President Donald Trump will meet China's leader on Wednesday, with oil near $100 and Chinese stockpiles cushioning the Iran war's impact.
Reposted
"(...) no computationally tractable account exists to date for substantive and domain-general cognitive capacities (...) Moreover, there is no good reason to believe that such tractable accounts will be forthcoming via machine learning or otherwise"
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
Combining Psychology With Artificial Intelligence: What Could Possibly Go Wrong? - Iris van Rooij, Olivia Guest, 2026
The current AI hype cycle combined with psychology’s various crises make for a perfect storm. Psychology, on the one hand, has a history of weak theoretical fou...
journals.sagepub.com
September 13, 2026 at 12:03 AM
"(...) no computationally tractable account exists to date for substantive and domain-general cognitive capacities (...) Moreover, there is no good reason to believe that such tractable accounts will be forthcoming via machine learning or otherwise"
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
Reposted
RFK Jr. wants people to get sick. He wants them to get sick and he thinks it is a good thing if they die, since those who live will have "natural immunity" and emerge stronger and fitter.
“On Thursday, Mr. Gorton said that “the success of the polio vaccine was a massive medical fraud” and that widespread vaccination was a “public health disaster.” He received a standing ovation…
Mr. Kennedy spoke next, linking arms with the group even as measles cases continue to rise”
Mr. Kennedy spoke next, linking arms with the group even as measles cases continue to rise”
RFK Jr. Assures Vaccine Skeptics They Have a ‘Friend at the White House’
The health secretary spoke at a conference featuring misinformation about vaccines, including a claim that the success of the polio vaccines was a “fraud.”
www.nytimes.com
September 18, 2026 at 12:37 PM
RFK Jr. wants people to get sick. He wants them to get sick and he thinks it is a good thing if they die, since those who live will have "natural immunity" and emerge stronger and fitter.
Reposted
great thread that all @illconceivedpodcast.com babies will enjoy
I'm back, I missed you all.
Since this is an important subject I know too much about, here's a 🧵 explaining that
AI Safety Is Mostly A Sex Cult.
I don't think these people should make policy. (1/?)
(alternative title: Time For Some Cult Theory)
Since this is an important subject I know too much about, here's a 🧵 explaining that
AI Safety Is Mostly A Sex Cult.
I don't think these people should make policy. (1/?)
(alternative title: Time For Some Cult Theory)
September 17, 2026 at 7:07 AM
great thread that all @illconceivedpodcast.com babies will enjoy
Reposted
the worst part about this is that a lot of the damage will be permanent
by the time we can turn the research funding back on a lot of folks will have unsurprisingly and not unreasonably decided that they should leave this area of research because it will never be reliable
what a huge waste
by the time we can turn the research funding back on a lot of folks will have unsurprisingly and not unreasonably decided that they should leave this area of research because it will never be reliable
what a huge waste
NSF has reduced the research budget for all atmospheric, ocean, and earth sciences by ~80%.
80%!
A lot of us will not be conducting new research or training new students for the foreseeable future.
80%!
A lot of us will not be conducting new research or training new students for the foreseeable future.
September 17, 2026 at 12:57 AM
the worst part about this is that a lot of the damage will be permanent
by the time we can turn the research funding back on a lot of folks will have unsurprisingly and not unreasonably decided that they should leave this area of research because it will never be reliable
what a huge waste
by the time we can turn the research funding back on a lot of folks will have unsurprisingly and not unreasonably decided that they should leave this area of research because it will never be reliable
what a huge waste
Reposted
Alberta government report pegs cost of separation at up to $170 billion over 5 years nationalnewswatch.com/2026/09/16/a...
Alberta government report pegs cost of separation at up to $170…
National Newswatch: Canada's most comprehensive site for political news and views.
nationalnewswatch.com
September 16, 2026 at 4:30 PM
Alberta government report pegs cost of separation at up to $170 billion over 5 years nationalnewswatch.com/2026/09/16/a...
Reposted
New research led by @miamirosenstiel.bsky.social using nearly three decades of airborne radar observations identifies four features that help storms align before they intensify.
Learn more: https://bit.ly/3SWH4Xm
Learn more: https://bit.ly/3SWH4Xm
Hurricane Hunter data reveal early signs of strengthening tropical cyclones
Nearly three decades of airborne radar observations identify four features that help storms align before they intensify.
bit.ly
September 16, 2026 at 4:40 PM
New research led by @miamirosenstiel.bsky.social using nearly three decades of airborne radar observations identifies four features that help storms align before they intensify.
Learn more: https://bit.ly/3SWH4Xm
Learn more: https://bit.ly/3SWH4Xm
Reposted
House GOP leaders cancel votes on Thursday - sending lawmakers home later today until after the elections. That means the House can avoid a vote on the Hegseth impeachment plan from Rep. Thomas Massie R-KY.
September 16, 2026 at 3:22 PM
House GOP leaders cancel votes on Thursday - sending lawmakers home later today until after the elections. That means the House can avoid a vote on the Hegseth impeachment plan from Rep. Thomas Massie R-KY.
Reposted
AI is getting smarter. Human intelligence, however, appears to be going the other way — at least among teenagers.
My latest @financialtimes.com column. Falling global test scores underscore the importance of core knowledge, attention and mindset.
as.ft.com/r/dce3c6c2-e...
My latest @financialtimes.com column. Falling global test scores underscore the importance of core knowledge, attention and mindset.
as.ft.com/r/dce3c6c2-e...
September 13, 2026 at 11:27 AM
AI is getting smarter. Human intelligence, however, appears to be going the other way — at least among teenagers.
My latest @financialtimes.com column. Falling global test scores underscore the importance of core knowledge, attention and mindset.
as.ft.com/r/dce3c6c2-e...
My latest @financialtimes.com column. Falling global test scores underscore the importance of core knowledge, attention and mindset.
as.ft.com/r/dce3c6c2-e...
Reposted
"Firewall compromised: has Friedrich Merz blown ‘democracy’s last shot’? Many fear chancellor is wrong man for the job at a time when Germany’s defences against far right are crumbling." www.theguardian.com/world/2026/s...
Firewall compromised: has Friedrich Merz blown ‘democracy’s last shot’?
Many fear chancellor is wrong man for the job at a time when Germany’s defences against far right are crumbling
www.theguardian.com
September 12, 2026 at 1:10 PM
"Firewall compromised: has Friedrich Merz blown ‘democracy’s last shot’? Many fear chancellor is wrong man for the job at a time when Germany’s defences against far right are crumbling." www.theguardian.com/world/2026/s...
Reposted
A recurrent theme in this excellent story about China’s progress is that people there regard Trump as essential to their success, including his ability to drive scientific talent from the US www.newyorker.com/magazine/202...
September 13, 2026 at 12:32 AM
A recurrent theme in this excellent story about China’s progress is that people there regard Trump as essential to their success, including his ability to drive scientific talent from the US www.newyorker.com/magazine/202...
Reposted
In my 2024 book, I introduced the concept of an "existential mood." There is literally no better time to reexamine it than right now, as the media explodes with reports about AI extinction risk. Can you feel the current existential mood? Yes, you can.
www.realtimetechpocalypse.com/p/every-day-...
www.realtimetechpocalypse.com/p/every-day-...
“Every Day Feels Like a Funeral”: AI Doomerism and the Current “Existential Mood”
Understanding our current “existential mood.”
www.realtimetechpocalypse.com
September 13, 2026 at 11:50 AM
In my 2024 book, I introduced the concept of an "existential mood." There is literally no better time to reexamine it than right now, as the media explodes with reports about AI extinction risk. Can you feel the current existential mood? Yes, you can.
www.realtimetechpocalypse.com/p/every-day-...
www.realtimetechpocalypse.com/p/every-day-...
Reposted
I wrote this quickly at a bus stop and didn't realize it would go viral, or else I would have worded it better. But the point is that the media is too credulous about AI killing everyone in 10 years (how?) when climate change is killing people now and will only get worse (we know exactly how).
I resigned from ExxonMobil today. I spent the last three years doing fossil fuel extraction research at both BP and ExxonMobil. Neither company is acting responsibly. They are racing to maximize extraction while the window to act closes, and gambling with our lives. More below.
September 12, 2026 at 10:15 PM
I wrote this quickly at a bus stop and didn't realize it would go viral, or else I would have worded it better. But the point is that the media is too credulous about AI killing everyone in 10 years (how?) when climate change is killing people now and will only get worse (we know exactly how).
Reposted
A dignified life is a ‘distant dream’ for many Iranian families amid US war https://aje.news/mggum2
September 13, 2026 at 12:00 PM
A dignified life is a ‘distant dream’ for many Iranian families amid US war https://aje.news/mggum2
Reposted
I believe JD Vance is saying it’s totally legitimate to be racist. Pure white Christian nationalism right there. I guess that’s where he’s going. Risky move.
JD Vance: "We were tired of being called racists for noticing that our country was becoming dirtier and poorer"
September 11, 2026 at 2:43 AM
I believe JD Vance is saying it’s totally legitimate to be racist. Pure white Christian nationalism right there. I guess that’s where he’s going. Risky move.
Reposted
Straight talk time: Doomerism is BORING. It's the same fantasties rehashed over and over again, just louder each time.
And with each iteration it seems that new audiences are being reached, and a new group of people needs to be talked down
from unnecessary fear.
>>
And with each iteration it seems that new audiences are being reached, and a new group of people needs to be talked down
from unnecessary fear.
>>
September 13, 2026 at 1:06 AM
Straight talk time: Doomerism is BORING. It's the same fantasties rehashed over and over again, just louder each time.
And with each iteration it seems that new audiences are being reached, and a new group of people needs to be talked down
from unnecessary fear.
>>
And with each iteration it seems that new audiences are being reached, and a new group of people needs to be talked down
from unnecessary fear.
>>
Reposted
"Trump saws off the limb you went out on for him" is the inevitable result every time and yet everyone who it happens to seems to be caught off guard by it
If the Saudi Crown Prince wasn't already having high pressure, after what Trump said a few minutes ago, he is about to have one of the biggest crises he ever dealt with. Riyadh will be burning with anxiety like inferno tonight.
September 12, 2026 at 12:06 PM
"Trump saws off the limb you went out on for him" is the inevitable result every time and yet everyone who it happens to seems to be caught off guard by it
Reposted
“What’s clear now is that everyone in the administration is not only aware that the situation in the Middle East is dire, but that the disaster Trump has inflicted on the world is spiralling out of control.”
The Iran War Hits Crisis Point
Free access to the Red Sea has been lost
chadbourn.substack.com
September 12, 2026 at 9:29 AM
“What’s clear now is that everyone in the administration is not only aware that the situation in the Middle East is dire, but that the disaster Trump has inflicted on the world is spiralling out of control.”
Reposted
I think it's more comforting for some people to think of OBL as some evil genius or tragic victim of imperialism rather than a bog standard delusional ideologically extremist billionaire failson who thought he could accellerationism his way to a theocratic utopia
September 11, 2026 at 3:54 PM
I think it's more comforting for some people to think of OBL as some evil genius or tragic victim of imperialism rather than a bog standard delusional ideologically extremist billionaire failson who thought he could accellerationism his way to a theocratic utopia
Reposted
中國互聯網公司的權力遊戲：「AI 大躍進」、反蒸餾與表演家
一位資深產品經理，這樣形容大廠員工特質：神的神，精的精，病的病。
theinitium.com
September 12, 2026 at 12:03 PM
Reposted
as is always the case when he's sitting and not talking, Trump had a hard time staying awake during the 9/11 ceremony
(Finn Gomez/Getty)
(Finn Gomez/Getty)
September 11, 2026 at 2:34 PM
as is always the case when he's sitting and not talking, Trump had a hard time staying awake during the 9/11 ceremony
(Finn Gomez/Getty)
(Finn Gomez/Getty)