Lieven Vandelanotte
@lieven.bsky.social
English lang & ling academic @UNamur & @KU Leuven. THE LANGUAGE OF MEMES out now https://www.cambridge.org/languageofmemes. He/him. https://www.unamur.be/en/profil/lvdlanot
Pinned
PROOF OF AN EXTERNAL WORLD
The Language of Memes was officially published on 11 September, but a +/- 6 MB download doesn't really beat the physical object. It exists in the tangible universe! Yay @cambup-linguistics.cambridge.org
The Language of Memes was officially published on 11 September, but a +/- 6 MB download doesn't really beat the physical object. It exists in the tangible universe! Yay @cambup-linguistics.cambridge.org
Reposted by Lieven Vandelanotte
I cannot wait for the day I never need to hear about AI ever again (shut up I can dream)
October 5, 2026 at 7:23 PM
I cannot wait for the day I never need to hear about AI ever again (shut up I can dream)
Sadly I can't make it to this year's Babel lecture, but if *you* can, you should
We are hosting the annual @babelzine.bsky.social Lecture at @uonenglish.bsky.social on 12th November
Henry Normal: ‘Poetry, Comedy and a Greater Truth’
Free admission but strictly ticketed - sign up here:
tinyurl.com/NormalBabel
Henry Normal: ‘Poetry, Comedy and a Greater Truth’
Free admission but strictly ticketed - sign up here:
tinyurl.com/NormalBabel
October 5, 2026 at 12:19 PM
Sadly I can't make it to this year's Babel lecture, but if *you* can, you should
Reposted by Lieven Vandelanotte
cannot say im optimistic about the IP rights issues. AI companies sure seem to be getting away with the “better to seek forgiveness than ask for permission” approach. meanwhile, if you use these tools for your work you need to expect that they could be stealing your ideas whatever the license
October 5, 2026 at 6:56 AM
cannot say im optimistic about the IP rights issues. AI companies sure seem to be getting away with the “better to seek forgiveness than ask for permission” approach. meanwhile, if you use these tools for your work you need to expect that they could be stealing your ideas whatever the license
Reposted by Lieven Vandelanotte
Bugger
Looks like dramatic results in #Brazil 🇧🇷. The far right is ahead in Presidency, Senate, and House.
The right-wing turn in Latin America is beyond the breaking point. The only question now is: how far right will it go?
The right-wing turn in Latin America is beyond the breaking point. The only question now is: how far right will it go?
October 5, 2026 at 6:58 AM
Bugger
Reposted by Lieven Vandelanotte
What the world 🎶 needs now 🎶
a profound silence
October 4, 2026 at 6:53 PM
What the world 🎶 needs now 🎶
Reposted by Lieven Vandelanotte
We've written code that can pantomime human-like speech. I feel like it really diminishes humanity to equate that with being a person. This rhymes with drawing a smiley face and saying, "I have created life." www.nytimes.com/2026/09/29/u...
Religious Scholars Met With Anthropic. What They Heard Stunned Them.
In a series of private meetings, the company consulted religious scholars to help instill morality into its A.I. models — and make the case that Claude could be conscious.
www.nytimes.com
October 4, 2026 at 6:51 PM
We've written code that can pantomime human-like speech. I feel like it really diminishes humanity to equate that with being a person. This rhymes with drawing a smiley face and saying, "I have created life." www.nytimes.com/2026/09/29/u...
Reposted by Lieven Vandelanotte
Reposted by Lieven Vandelanotte
Part of why I don't like the AI-or-bust economy is the constant flopsweat of people on the news who say this HAS to work. Quit making everyone so anxious. Goddamn. If this is the next Google then why are you acting like this? I don't remember being told to buy an iPhone at gunpoint.
October 4, 2026 at 3:08 PM
Part of why I don't like the AI-or-bust economy is the constant flopsweat of people on the news who say this HAS to work. Quit making everyone so anxious. Goddamn. If this is the next Google then why are you acting like this? I don't remember being told to buy an iPhone at gunpoint.
That's life isn't it
October 4, 2026 at 2:52 PM
That's life isn't it
Having been under the weather for a few days, I have watched an episode and a half of East of Eden and hated and thus abandoned it, and watched the first three episodes of Youth and loved it. Here endeth my double review.
October 4, 2026 at 2:22 PM
Having been under the weather for a few days, I have watched an episode and a half of East of Eden and hated and thus abandoned it, and watched the first three episodes of Youth and loved it. Here endeth my double review.
Reposted by Lieven Vandelanotte
Balconies in early Autumn (the aqua version).
October 4, 2026 at 11:24 AM
Balconies in early Autumn (the aqua version).
Perfect, no nodes.
OMG I had to check my work emails regarding an extra case in court tomorrow and I've just read this from an HR person.
"on a knee to nose basis"
A KNEE TO NOSE BASIS 😳
"on a knee to nose basis"
A KNEE TO NOSE BASIS 😳
October 4, 2026 at 12:03 PM
Perfect, no nodes.
Excellent juxtaposition. You probably won't guess.
October 4, 2026 at 9:07 AM
Excellent juxtaposition. You probably won't guess.
Reposted by Lieven Vandelanotte
'Leader whose party's digital spend has been All-Kemi, All-The-Time, for two years outpolls party she leads'. Hmm, I wonder why.
October 4, 2026 at 8:29 AM
'Leader whose party's digital spend has been All-Kemi, All-The-Time, for two years outpolls party she leads'. Hmm, I wonder why.
Reposted by Lieven Vandelanotte
The perfect moment when a hummingbird shares a water fountain with four bees on a hot California summer day.
[📸 Toshiyasu Morita]
[📸 Toshiyasu Morita]
August 8, 2026 at 1:49 AM
The perfect moment when a hummingbird shares a water fountain with four bees on a hot California summer day.
[📸 Toshiyasu Morita]
[📸 Toshiyasu Morita]
Reposted by Lieven Vandelanotte
I spoke to my son this morning about what happened at his Lycee.
A peaceful protest but a few kids and the CRS decided otherwise.
The CRS aren’t allowed to fire CS gas directly, only on the floor. They fired directly and at an 11yo kid who was just walking past. Samuel got excited 1/4
A peaceful protest but a few kids and the CRS decided otherwise.
The CRS aren’t allowed to fire CS gas directly, only on the floor. They fired directly and at an 11yo kid who was just walking past. Samuel got excited 1/4
Riot police clash with students as education protests rage in France www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Riot police clash with students as education protests rage in France
More than 600 schools have faced disruption as protests over standards and lack of teachers continue.
www.bbc.co.uk
October 3, 2026 at 4:26 PM
I spoke to my son this morning about what happened at his Lycee.
A peaceful protest but a few kids and the CRS decided otherwise.
The CRS aren’t allowed to fire CS gas directly, only on the floor. They fired directly and at an 11yo kid who was just walking past. Samuel got excited 1/4
A peaceful protest but a few kids and the CRS decided otherwise.
The CRS aren’t allowed to fire CS gas directly, only on the floor. They fired directly and at an 11yo kid who was just walking past. Samuel got excited 1/4
Reposted by Lieven Vandelanotte
The ability to pour hundreds of millions of pounds into a loss-making TV channel, bent on wrenching British politics sharply to the right, is yet another of the ways in which extreme wealth is trying to remake UK democracy.
It needs to be part of any serious conversation about political funding.
It needs to be part of any serious conversation about political funding.
New GB News accounts are out. Here are their losses to date. Or "spent political donations" if you prefer
October 2, 2026 at 1:05 PM
The ability to pour hundreds of millions of pounds into a loss-making TV channel, bent on wrenching British politics sharply to the right, is yet another of the ways in which extreme wealth is trying to remake UK democracy.
It needs to be part of any serious conversation about political funding.
It needs to be part of any serious conversation about political funding.
Critical support 💪
someone on my train has their loudspeaker on and i want to GRAB their PHONE and THROW it on the TRACKS
October 3, 2026 at 8:28 AM
Critical support 💪
Reposted by Lieven Vandelanotte
Most of the words I read are domesticated and raised in books and articles, but occasionally I find words out in the wild. These are my favourites.
October 3, 2026 at 7:36 AM
Most of the words I read are domesticated and raised in books and articles, but occasionally I find words out in the wild. These are my favourites.
Reposted by Lieven Vandelanotte
Glad to be back in the TLS @thetls.bsky.social with a piece on Camus's notebooks this week. Reading the notebooks brought home to me just how much he still had left to write and say.
www.the-tls.com/literature-b...
www.the-tls.com/literature-b...
October 2, 2026 at 2:04 AM
Glad to be back in the TLS @thetls.bsky.social with a piece on Camus's notebooks this week. Reading the notebooks brought home to me just how much he still had left to write and say.
www.the-tls.com/literature-b...
www.the-tls.com/literature-b...
Reposted by Lieven Vandelanotte
Reposted by Lieven Vandelanotte
Of *course* the ‘AI boom’ will make us poorer. It’s a ‘boom’ created by tech bros for tech bros, and they’re pretty much the worst human beings on the planet. How could it possibly do anything else?
October 1, 2026 at 6:14 AM
Of *course* the ‘AI boom’ will make us poorer. It’s a ‘boom’ created by tech bros for tech bros, and they’re pretty much the worst human beings on the planet. How could it possibly do anything else?
Reposted by Lieven Vandelanotte
A new Magpie Murders is on iPlayer! Marble Hill Murders! Klaxon klaxon!
it’s SO BLOODY GOOD, Lesley Fantastic Manville, the best best mysteries AND lots of lovely publishing gossip and the teasing sense that it could just about be a roman a cle.
it’s SO BLOODY GOOD, Lesley Fantastic Manville, the best best mysteries AND lots of lovely publishing gossip and the teasing sense that it could just about be a roman a cle.
September 30, 2026 at 6:03 PM
A new Magpie Murders is on iPlayer! Marble Hill Murders! Klaxon klaxon!
it’s SO BLOODY GOOD, Lesley Fantastic Manville, the best best mysteries AND lots of lovely publishing gossip and the teasing sense that it could just about be a roman a cle.
it’s SO BLOODY GOOD, Lesley Fantastic Manville, the best best mysteries AND lots of lovely publishing gossip and the teasing sense that it could just about be a roman a cle.